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One person has been killed and four firefighters have been injured after a fire broke out on the 50th floor in the Trump Tower, a large building in Manhattan owned by United States President Donald Trump.

The deceased, who was a resident of the building's 50th floor, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, fire department spokeswoman Angelica Conroy told CNN.

At about 6 PM (local time) on Saturday, huge flames and massive smoke was seen billowing out from the building following which a team of firefighters was rushed to the location to douse the fire.

As per the media reports, New York fire crews graded it a Three-Alarm blaze, meaning a minimum of 33 units and 138 firefighters were sent.

According to a witness, it started with a smoke which soon turned into a blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The All India Lingayat Coordination Committee carried out a protest rally outside the Divisional Commissioner's office in Maharashtra's Aurangabad on Sunday demanding a constitutional recognition for Lingayat community.

It further demanded that the Lingayat community should nationally be recognized as a religious minority group.

The Mahamorcha led by Shivling Shivacharya Maharaj, 103-year-old, saw the attendance of several spiritual gurus from the Lingayat community and leaders from several other states.

"As long as the government doesn't grant the Lingayat an independent religion status till then morchas (rallies) such as these would continue," said Shivling Shivacharya Maharaj.

The spiritual guru went on to say that Lingayat religion is one of the oldest religions and there are around four crores followers in Maharashtra.

Seeking the support of people, he mentioned that the fight for recognition must go on.

convener of Lingayat Coordination Committee, Avinash Bhosikar, along with Pradip Burande District Co-Ordination convener, Dyneshwar Kharde Appa city chief among others political parties leaders also participated in the morcha.

Later in the day, the delegation submitted their memorandum to the Divisional Commissioner, Dr Purushotam Bhapakar .

A seven-member Nagamohan Das committee headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018, stating that "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."

Earlier on March 23, Avinash Bhosikar, said the Maharashtra government should send in their recommendation, for the constitutional recognition of Lingayat to the central government on the lines of Karnataka government.

Recently, the Karnataka Government granted a separate religion status to the Lingayat community in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Singapore and China signed a fresh Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Sunday, in a bid to intensify co-operation between the two countries in foreign markets along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

According to The Strait Times, markets and sectors of mutual benefits will be outlined by the Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) of Singapore, Enterprise Singapore and China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), who will also organize business activities to promote co-operation between companies from both the nations.

The National Development Minister of Singapore, Lawrence Wong, and NDRC vice-chairman Zhang Yong signed the MoU in the presence of Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong, who is on a five-day visit to China, and Chinese Premier Li Keqiang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in the Chinese capital.

The MoU includes agreements for a joint training of officials from the BRI countries, along with provisions to improve infrastructural and financial connectivity and third-party collaborations.

"We hope to make further efforts towards deepening and enhancing our cooperation bilaterally as well as with the region," said PM Lee.

Premier Li said the deepening of China-Singapore ties was "beneficial to both sides, and also the development of China-ASEAN relations".

"Singapore's strength as a key infrastructure, financial and legal hub in the region will add value to Chinese companies expanding along the Belt and Road," said in a separate statement the Minister for Trade and Industry of Singapore, Lim Hng Kiang.

The BRI mega-project is a plan to connect around 68 countries across Europe, Asia and Africa through a network of infrastructures such as roads, railways, ports and industrial hubs to recreate the ancient Silk Road network of trade routes connecting the East and the West, with China at the centre of trade and economic affairs.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday claimed that the success of the recent Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit organisations against the alleged dilution in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scared of the Dalits.

" protest was largely successful. This has left the BJP scared and authorities in the BJP-ruled states have started atrocities towards Dalits. Many Dalits and members of their families are being arrested," BSP Chief Mayawati said during a presser.

Mayawati further averred that any self-respecting Dalit person of the country would not spare the selfish BJP Dalit Members of Parliament.

Earlier, Mayawati had extended support to the protests against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court.

However, she condemned the violence taking place during the protest and called for a strict action against those indulging in it.

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.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party will defeat the idea of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that is trying to destroy multiculturalism in poll-bound Karnataka.

Addressing a rally in Bengaluru, Rahul took a jibe at BJP president Amit Shah and said, "He can publicly state that all opposition are animals. This is a reflection on his way of thinking, this is a reflection on his culture, this is a reflection on what he has been taught, this is not the way of the Congress party."

He further recalled some of the Karnataka leaders like Basavanna and Kempegowda and said, "they taught that the only way to move forward is to carry everybody together and to respect everybody."

He also went on to promise Bengaluru that "we will give you whatever you need to make India proud and to make Karnataka proud. No effort will be left undone."

Earlier on April 7, in his poll campaign in Karnataka's Kolar city, Rahul attacked BJP and said that Prime Minister Modi-led government is crumbling down with each passing day.

With the polling day inching closer, the Congress-ruled Karnataka has turned into a political battleground with parties extensively campaigning across the state.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 12 to elect its representatives for the 225-member assembly. The results will be out on May 15.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Russian Embassy has requested a meeting with United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in regard to the poisoning of ex-Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia, claiming that the dealings with Russia over the issue are 'utterly unsatisfactory'.

The British Foreign Office on Saturday confirmed that a request had been received while calling Russia's move as a "diversionary tactic" in order to displace the allegations regarding the latter's involvement in the incident, as reported by The Guardian.

The Russian Embassy posted on its website that, "Ambassador Yakovenko has already sent a respective personal note to the foreign secretary. We hope that the British side will engage constructively and that such meeting is arranged shortly."

Earlier on April 4, British military facility head Gary Aitkenhead claimed to identify the nerve agent as the military-grade Novichok but they had not proved that it was made in Russia.

He also hinted towards the involvement of the state-actors in the manufacturing of the nerve-agent.

According to the British government, Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were exposed to a military-grade nerve agent in the British city of Salisbury on March 4.

Yulia was able to recover from the attack after being hospitalised for over a week. She also gave her first public statement to media. She expressed her gratitude towards the people of Salisbury to offer emotional support to her and her family.

Skripal has been admitted to the Salisbury district hospital and has now been declared as out of danger.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A woman in Hyderabad city of Telangana on Saturday created a nuisance and started throwing stones on media persons after her friend was caught for driving drunk, police said.

According to Traffic Inspector in Gopalpuram, Majid, the traffic police on Saturday night caught a person in a Swift car driving in a drunk state at a checkpoint at Film Nagar main road here.

His woman friend, who was sitting beside him in the car, overreacted and tried to hit media persons, who were already present there, with stones, he said.

A case was registered against the driver and his car was seized, he said.

No action has so far been taken against the woman.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three agreements were signed between India and Equatorial Guinea here on Sunday, in the presence of Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and his Equatorial Guinea counterpart, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo.

The Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed towards affirming cooperation in the fields of medicinal plants, traditional systems of medicine, and health and medicine sector. An action plan was also devised on cooperation in the field of Information and Communicational Technology (ICT).

The two Presidents discussed various issues of global and regional interest, and also agreed to expand their partnership towards cooperation in the fields of agriculture, mining, health, telecommunication and Information Technology (IT).

Acknowledging the long-standing relationship between India and Equatorial Guinea, the two leaders also underscored the need to hold regular consultations on bilateral issues in order to further deepen ties between the two countries.

President Kovind, who is on a three-nation state visit to the African countries of Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia from April 7 to 12, arrived at Malabo on Saturday.

This is the first time ever that a head of state from India is visiting Equatorial Guinea.

The President, accompanied by his wife and First Lady Savita Kovind, was received by President Obiang.

On a related note, President Kovind is expected to address members of the Parliament of Equatorial Guinea, and also meet and address the Indian community in Malabo later in the day.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Jet Airways on Sunday said they are investigating the incident that took place at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, wherein its aircraft hit a food truck.

The private carrier spokesperson, through a statement, informed that all 125 guests and 8 crew members deplaned safely and the aircraft is being inspected by a technical team.

"Jet Airways is investigating the incident, which has also been reported to the authorities," read the statement issued by the spokesperson.

Earlier on Sunday evening, a massive accident was averted after the right wing tip of Jet Airways flight 9W 545, travelling from Dubai to Delhi, came in contact with a catering vehicle, as the aircraft was being parked at its designated bay, post-landing.

The wing of the aircraft got stuck under the Taj Sats' food truck, on the runway.

However, it was taken care of before any major mishap could take place.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Assistant Police Commissioner of Ludhiana has been accused of molesting a married woman.

"I registered a complaint against my brother and sister after which ACP Pawan called me. My brother has some personal pictures of mine for which he was threatening me," the victim told ANI.

"After my brother showed the pictures to the ACP, his intentions went wrong and he went with me to another room, sent my child out of the room and touched me in the wrong places. He thrashed and abused me when I protested," she added.

The victim further said that she informed the matter to the Additional Director General of Police.

A complaint has been registered at the Tibba police station.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A youth showed black cloth to Union Minister Ramdas Athawale during a conference in Gujarat's Surat on Sunday.

The youth while throwing the cloth on Athawale said, "Dalits are oppressed and our leaders continue to do politics."

Later, the youth was sent outside the room by the gathering present there.

The Dalit community has always complained of being marginalised and oppressed due to their social location in the rigidly stratified caste system.

The community has recently, called a nationwide bandh on April 2 against Supreme Court's March 20 order that banned automatic arrests and registration of criminal cases under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

The bandh had claimed lives of more than 8 people and injured many.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US Defense Secretary James Mattis has signed a memo according to which the National Guard will deploy up to 4,000 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to the Hill, the move permits the use of the Pentagon money for up to 4,000 National Guard personnel to support the Department of Homeland Security's "southern border security mission while under the command and control of their respective governors through September 30, 2018."

The memo reportedly further states that the troops will not be used for law enforcement or interaction with immigrants unless Defense Secretary James Mattis approves it, and that the troops will be armed only if required for self-defense.

It will be valid for the current budget year, which ends on 30 September, however, the memo does not say how much the mission will cost.

The initial deployment of 500 will include soldiers and airmen.

"Always Ready, Always There! Moving up to 500 #NationalGuard troops immediately on the SW border security mission. Vehicles, equipment & helicopters on the way tonight," National Guard Bureau Chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel wrote on Twitter.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has termed his maiden visit to India 'realistic'.

In a briefing held in the Tribhuwan International Airport, Prime Minister Oli claimed that his India visits to be realistic with the reference to the agreements and the engagement which he had during his two days state visit.

"Our visit has not been fabricated it has undergone the realistic procedure and it indeed has gone forward in the much more fruitful way and I also am confident that we all have experienced the same," the Prime Minister answered to the question raised by media regarding his recent visit.

He added, "The agenda's which I carried along with also was welcomed by India. Nepali republic's manifestation, feelings, consonant were represented and I also presented myself on the basis of these things."

During his visit to India as the first Premier of Federal Nepal Prime Minister Oli interacted and got engaged with Indian politicos.

He also highlighted India's commitment to link Nepal with the waterways along with the railway's links to increase the connectivity.

Oli set off for his maiden foreign visit to India on Friday and returned back to Nepal on April 8.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal's Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is on a three-day State visit to India, was presented an Honorary degree at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology in the capital city of Uttarakhand Dehradun.

Oli, who arrived at Pantnagar earlier in the day, visit the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project at the University.

He arrived in India on April 6 on a three-day maiden visit.

During his visit, he met with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, among others.

The Nepal Prime Minister is accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya and an entourage of ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Nepal Government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli on Sunday arrived at Pantnagar, to visit the GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology.

Oli will visit the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project at the University.

He will also be conferred with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.

KP Sharma Oli, who arrived in India on April 6 on a three-day maiden visit, met with President Ram Nath Kovind, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu, and Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, among others.

Nepal Prime Minister Oli is accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya and an entourage of ministers, Members of Parliament (MPs), secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Nepal Government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistani media's move to blackout Pashtun Long March has invited massive backlash from its own people, including scholars and journalists as well.

People have taken to Twitter to condemn the media blackout.

"In modern Pakistan the media & academia - 2 sources critical 4 building narratives - are almost totally captured by the establishment. Most journalists and scholars have turned willing partners of the military which is critical for personal development and progress (Military Inc)," Ayesha Siddiqa, a noted author tweeted.

Senior Pakistani journalist came to fore and expressed its support for the Pashtun rights movement and urged people to participate, saying, " Today I feel ashamed as a journalist for the media blackout of #PashtunLongMarch2Peshawar I support this march and urge all to be part of it."

"Pakistani media blackout and the propaganda of Pakistan army supported 'Gul Khans' show how fearful Pakistan is of a peaceful march that is demanding for right of Pashtuns to protected according to constitution of Pakistan," Faiz M Baluch, another journalist tweeted.

"Media blackout is a scar on the face of fundamental right's of Pakistanis citizens," read a tweet.

A lawyer and a human rights activist Hamayoun Kaasai remained unperturbed with the blackout, while saying that the people could reach the masses themselves.

"We damn care about paki media blackout. We can reach the masses ourselves. So Pakistani media deserves this [Middle Finger] from whole Pashtun National," he tweeted

However, Malik Achakzai, a journalist who covers conflict, tweeted, "After the Pakistani media blackout the @bbcpashto reporter confirms that there are technical issues that disrupt live coverage of the #PashtunLongMarch2Quetta as he was going to broad cast the gathering live through @bbcworldservice web-page."

Pashtun Long March is a protest movement led by young Pashtuns from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), where they have long been the targets of military operations, internal displacement, ethnic stereotyping and abductions by the security forces.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan's Foreign Office on Sunday summoned the American ambassador to Pakistan David Hale to lodge a formal protest after a Pakistani motorcyclist was killed by the US Defence Attache in a road-crash.

"The US ambassador was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a strong protest was lodged by Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on the tragic death of the motorcyclist and serious injury to the co-rider in the traffic accident on Saturday that involved a US diplomat," Dawn reported, citing the statement issued by the FO on Sunday.

"The envoy expressed his deep sympathy and sadness over the loss of life and assured that the embassy would fully cooperate in the investigation," the statement added.

Colonel Joseph Emanuel Hall, Defence and Air attache at the US Embassy, has run down three persons in Daman-e-Koh, north of Islamabad.

He was reportedly sloshed while driving the white Land Cruiser that hit three motorcyclists at a traffic signal.

One of the riders was dead, while the other two were critically wounded, who were taken to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS).

The person killed in the incident was identified as Atiq Baig, 22.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the suspected chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta that killed several civilians.

The Jerusalem Post reported that the pope closed the Sunday Mass at St. Peter's Square by saying, "There is no such thing as a good war and a bad war. Nothing, but nothing, can justify the use of such instruments of extermination on defenseless people and populations,"

He further prayed for the deceased, wounded and the families who suffered because of the attack.

The Pope also called for all military and political leaders to choose a path of negotiations to bring peace rather than choosing one that leads to death and destruction.

At least 50 people were killed in the air strike carried out on the town in the early hours of the day. The strike is suspected to be a chemical attack, but the Syrian government denied the allegations saying it was fabricated by the rebels who were in a state of decline.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Members of Parliament, who were protesting outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence in Lok Kalyan Marg over their demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh, were detained on Sunday.

Earlier on Thursday, the TDP MPs, including those from the Rajya Sabha, held the protests inside Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chamber as the party's no-confidence notice against the government was not taken up for discussion.

The following day, they continued with their protests inside the Parliament premises as they were marshalled out from the office of Mahajan.

The House was adjourned sine die on Friday in regard to granting of special status to the southern state.

On March 16, the ruling TDP reached a deadlock with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the issue and ultimately quit the Democratic Alliance (NDA) coalition. Since then, the TDP MPs have regularly staged protests in the Parliament demanding Special Category Status.

Meanwhile, the YSR Congress Party members continued their indefinite hunger strike at Andhra Pradesh Bhawan over the demand of special category status for the state. Their MPs have also submitted their resignation to the Lok Sabha speaker on Thursday.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Friday unanimously adopted a resolution urging the Centre to convene a special parliament session to discuss the provisions of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act 2014 and assurances made in the Rajya Sabha including Special Category Status.
The 42nd battalion of Sashastra Seema Bal's (SSB) on Sunday arrested four human traffickers and rescued 18 Nepalese children at Rupaidiha town near India-Nepal border.

Three out of the four human traffickers caught by SSB was handed over to Nepal police, whereas the fourth person was handed over to Indian police authorities as he had a dual nationality.

On November 26, 2017, three human traffickers were apprehended in Hyderabad and rescued a Uzbekistani who was forced into prostitution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump on Sunday condemned the suspected chemical attack in Syria and blamed Russia and Iran for backing Syrian President Bashar-al-Assad.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!," Trump tweeted.

The US President also trained guns at his predecessor Barack Obama, accusing him of not intervening in the matter during his tenure.

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!," read another tweet.

At least 50 people were killed in the attack on Syria's rebel-held town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, carried out in the early hours of the day. The strike is suspected to be a chemical attack, but the Syrian government denied the allegations saying it was fabricated by the rebels who were in a state of decline.

Eastern Ghouta has remained under a crippling regime siege for the last five years with humanitarian access being completely cut off.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Top Tamil film stars on Sunday joined the ongoing protest for the formation of a Cauvery Management Board (CMB) in Tamil Nadu's Chennai.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan, as well as superstar Rajinikanth along with his son-in-law Dhanush, participated in a protest organised by various film bodies in Chennai's Valluvar Kottam.

Vijay, Nasser, Vishal and Ilaiyaraaja also joined the stage with Haasan and Rajinikanth.

The Tamil Film Producers Council (TFPC), South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI) and a distributors' association are also a part of the massive protest.

Tamil Nadu has moved a contempt plea in the Supreme Court, seeking action against the Centre for allegedly failing to form the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks as ordered by the court on February 16.

On March 31, the Central Government filed a clarification petition in the Supreme Court, seeking more time to form the CMB, and asked whether it could modify the composition of the board.

On February 16, the top court asked the Centre to form the CMB to implement a formula for sharing of water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

In the ruling, the court reduced Tamil Nadu's share in the Cauvery water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Union Minister Uma Bharti on Sunday wrote a letter to Congress Rajya Sabha member and AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh, expressing her inability to attend the culmination of his Narmada Parikrama yatra at Barmaan Ghat.

Lauding Singh's efforts as 'exemplary', Bharti said that she will visit him soon, to seek his blessings.

"I congratulate you on this exemplary feet," she wrote.

She also added that she will be unable to meet him on April 10, owing to her commitment to visit Champaran, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is slated to address approximately 20,000 Swachhagrahis (ambassadors of cleanliness movement), in the concluding ceremony of Champaran Satyagraha centenary celebrations.

"I had a wish that if you would call in the 'Bhandara' of Narmada Parikrama, I would definitely come. However, on April 10, I will have to go to Champaran, so it my misfortune is that I will not be able to join you," she added.

Calling herself Singh's younger sister, Uma Bharti concluded her letter by stating that she would meet him really soon.

Singh's 3,200-km-long Narmada Parikrama will end at the river's Barman Ghat in Narsinghpur district on April 9.

Thousands of Congress leaders, workers and his supporters are expected to gather for the closing ceremony.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
United States President Donald Trump on Saturday confirmed that he has sealed the southern border of the US known as the US-Mexico border.

Trump took to his Twitter account once again to accuse the former ruling government of the United States, Democratic Party, for creating hurdles in regard to the anti-immigration measures.

"We are sealing up our Southern Border. The people of our great country want Safety and Security. The Dems have been a disaster on this very important issue!" Trump tweeted.

Earlier on Thursday, United States President Trump announced that he wanted to deploy between 2,000 and 4,000 guard members to the southern border in order to combat illegal immigration and drug trafficking, as reported by the Fox News.

On April 5, Trump had signed a proclamation to announce the guarding up of the US-Mexico border until the anti-immigration wall is constructed at the border.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
This might come as a shock, but most of you have been charging the phones and tablets the wrong way.

You must have heard or read on WhatsApp about phone on overnight charging blowing up causing injuries to the user while the person was asleep. Well don't worry, the overnight charging wouldn't do that to your phone, but it is also not recommended, according to the findings of Cadax , a company that offers devices that test smartphone and other batteries.

According to Battery University, which the company runs for free, the phone needs to charged in short bursts and that too frequently, if you want to a good overall battery life.

It doesn't matter if you only charge up 10% or 20% as, according to Battery University: "Partial charges cause no harm."

Also, if you want to lessen the wear and tear to your battery, do not hit the red zone, which is 15 per cent in most of the phones.

Try to keep the device between 65% and 75% -- "the sweet spot", according to the website.

Many of you might be thinking that "hey, I don't have a desk job. I won't be around a wall socket all the time." Well in that case, lay your hands on a power bank.

The experts have also recommended that never ever, never ever, never ever charge your battery fully.

Try to keep it around 95 and you are good to go.

Why you ask?

Well, that's because today's modern lithium-ion batteries do "not need to be fully charged, nor is it desirable to do so.

"

The website states: "In fact, it is better not to fully charge, because a high voltage stresses the battery".

And now, the last point, which may confuse you.

'You don't need to remove the charger when it's full'

What? 'I just read something on the contrary'. Well, yes you are right. But, if it so happens that you have left your phone on charging and it has hit the cent per cent mark, then the charger, according to the website, will automatically turn off.

Still, it is recommended that you avoid leaving your phone on overnight charging, hitting the 100 per cent mark and inculcate the habit of juicing up the device frequently and in small doses.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Three children died in Jharkhand's Palamau district on Sunday a day after they were administered diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine (DTP) vaccines. Six others have fallen seriously ill.

The incident took place in Loinga village. According to villagers, the vaccines were given to children between the age of one and three years by nurses on Saturday.

The children started vomiting and had loose motion following the immunization process. They were admitted to the Sadar Hospital on Saturday evening. Three of them died on Sunday.

Following the deaths, angry villagers blocked the road and took the nurses hostage. Police and district administration officials rescued the medical staff after pacifying the villagers.

Chief Minister Raghubar Das ordered a probe into the incident. He also announced Rs 1 lakh compensation to the families of each of the dead.

--IANS

ns/in

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 70 people were killed in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta in a suspected chemical attack, medics and rescuers said on Sunday.

Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing several bodies in basements following the attack on Saturday, reports the BBC.

It said the death toll was likely to rise.

Several medical, monitoring and activist groups reported details of a chemical attack, but figures vary and what happened was still being determined.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Centre said over 75 people had "suffocated" while a further thousand people had suffered.

It blamed a barrel bomb allegedly dropped by a helicopter which it said contained sarin, a toxic nerve agent.

The Union of Medical Relief Organisations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC that the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

She told the BBC that there were reports of people being treated for symptoms including convulsions and foaming of the mouth, consistent with nerve or mixed nerve and chlorine gas exposure.

The Syrian government has denied the allegations. State news agency SANA cited an "official source" saying the reports were a "blatant attempt to hinder the army's advance" into the "collapsing terrorist" stronghold, reports CNN.

SANA said the Syrian Arab Army "does not need to use any chemical materials as claimed by terrorists' media affiliates".

In response to the alleged attack, a US State Department official told CNN: "We have seen multiple, very disturbing reports... The (Syrian) regime's history of using chemical weapons against its own people (is) not in dispute...

"As we've said, Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal targeting of countless Syrians with chemical weapons. Russia's protection of the (President Bashar al) Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis."

The sarin nerve agent has been used in Syria before.

In April 2017, more than 80 people were killed in a sarin attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun -- an attack that prompted the US to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

In August 2013, rockets containing sarin were fired at rebel-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, killing hundreds.

--IANS

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Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Sunday faced a noisy demonstration from his partymen here who protested against him for representing the West Bengal government and opposing the BJP's petition to deploy central paramilitary forces in the coming panchayat elections.

A group of Congress workers surrounded Singhvi and shouted the "go black" slogan as soon as he alighted from his car outside the NSCBI airport.

Carrying placards that cried "Shame, Abhishek Singhvi", the workers raised slogans against the lawyer-politician who rushed inside the airport after displaying the "v" sign.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury had on Saturday lashed out against Singhvi. "I have conveyed my hatred, condemnation and grudge about him on record. I feel ashamed about his conduct after winning the (Rajya Sabha) polls as a Congress candidate. I have informed the High Command also," he said.

Chowdhury himself has moved the Calcutta High Court seeking central police forces and the judiciary's intervention to ensure opposition candidates could file their nominations peacefully for the panchayat election.

After Chowdhury's angry outburst, Congress activists had on Saturda y evening showed black flag to Singhvi in south Kolkata.

--IANS

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"Religious belief is personal, but nation is for all" - proclaimed placards and posters as a large section of West Bengal's civil society hit the streets alongside thousands of common people on Sunday decrying recent group clashes in the state and calling for preserving the age-old tradition of communal amity.

Poets, educationists, film and theatre personalities, painters and eminent persons from other walks of life were the vanguard in the huge rally from the city hub Dharamtala to the cultural epicentre Rabindra Sadan complex.

With the number of rallyists swirling every minute, it took the participants around two hours to cover the around 4.5 kilometer distance amid recitation of poems, singing of songs, and performance of plays.

They condemned the recent violence witnessed in places like Raniganj, Asansol and Arsha over Ram Navami rallies which left three dead and five police personnel injured.

"We are seeing religious excesses, and use of religion in on an unprecedented scale in Bengal. This is terrible. This is not our tradition. Our tradition is co-existence. We have taken out the rally to make people aware of this," said theatre director-actor Meghna Bhattacharya.

Noted Bengali film director Tarun Majumdar said he felt it was a must to take part in the rally. "There is a need for a strong protest after whatever is happening all around. We don't come out on to the streets very often. But at times situations so develop that we have to take to the streets."

The cynosure of all eyes was Jnanpith winner and two time Sahitya Akademi awardee litterateur Shankha Ghosh. The infirm 86-year-old displayed strong determination as he walked in the rally latching on to the shoulders of other participants.

The organisers repeatedly requested him to board a car, but the Padma Bhushan awardee refused politely and firmly every time.

"We should raise our voice for communal amity, considering the turn of events all around. Initially I thought because fo my health condition I would support it from a distance. But I could not help walking in the rally once I reached here," said Ghosh.

Leaders of seventeen Left parties joined the rally sans the flags of their respective outfits.

Left Front chairman Biman Bose, state CPI-M secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra, leader of the LF legislature party Sujon Chakraborty, and RSP leader Sourin Bhattacharya walked the full distance.

"When dacoits raid your locality, then everybody, save members of the dacoit gang, come out on to the streets to resist the miscreants. This is why we are here. This is not a political rally. There is not a single flag of any political party. The civil society is in the vanguard. We are taking part in the rally, as we think it is our duty," said veteran CPI-M leader Shaymal Chakraborty.

Film director Anik Dutta, film actor Paran Bandopadhyay, thespian Rudra Prasad Sengupta, theatre personality Chandan Sen, academician Pabitra Sarkar and Subhankar Chakraborty were among the participants. Thespian Soumitra Chatterjee could not join the rally, but sent in a message announcing his support.

--IANS

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Veteran comedian Bill Cosby's honorary degree has been revoked by Ohio State University amid his retrial in a sexual assault case.

This is the first time the University has revoked an honorary degree, reported hollywoodreporter.com.

University trustees approved rescinding the degree for the 80-year-old comedian, whose retrial in a sexual assault case will begin on April 9 in suburban Philadelphia.

An Ohio State spokesman said: "Cosby has, by his own admission, violated the university's principles and values."

Cosby's retrial involves a woman who says he drugged and assaulted her in 2004. Cosby says the encounter was consensual.

His first trial ended in a hung jury in June last year.

--IANS

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The BJP on Sunday released the first list of 72 candidates to contest in the May 12 Karnataka assembly elections for the 224 seats across the southern state.

"The central election committee of the party has decided the first 72 names for the ensuing Karnataka legislative assembly elections," said the BJP in a statement released by its state unit here.

The committee met under the party's national president Amit Shah and among its members, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj attended it at the party's head office in New Delhi.

Among the candidates are many of the party's 48 sitting or outgoing legislators from the state's northern, central and southern region, including Bengaluru, which has 28 assembly constituencies.

Prominent nominees are the party's chief ministerial face B.S. Yeddyurappa from Shikaripura, K.S. Eshwarappa from Shivamogga, Jagadish Shettar from Hubli-Dharwad Central, Basavaraj Bommai from Shiggaon, C.M. Udasi from Hangal, K.V. Hegde from Sirsi and B. Sriramulu from Molakalmuru (reserved).

Of the 224 assembly segments across the state, 173 are general, 36 reserved for the Scheduled Castes (SCs) and 15 for the Scheduled Tribes (STs).

Only three women figure among the 72 contestants - Sashikala Jolle from Nippani assembly segment in the state's north-west region, Roopali Naik from Karwar in the coastal area and Poornima Srinivas from Hiriyur in central part.

Sashikala is re-contesting from the same seat, while Roopali is a former civic corporator in Bengaluru and Poornima is the party's women wing's secretary.

In the outgoing assembly, the BJP has 48 legislators, including four from the Karnataka Janata Party, a regional outfit, Yeddyurappa floated in December 2012 after he left the party owing to his removal as its first Chief Minister in the state following his indictment by the state ombudsman in the multi-crore mining scam that also rocked its first government in south India.

Sriramulu is the party's Lok Sabha member from Bellari reserved (ST) constituency in the state's northwest region, which has rich iron ore mines.

Among defectors who recently joined the party from the ruling Congress or the rival Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) are Malikaiah Guttedar from Afzalpur and Subhash Guttedar from Aland in Kalaburgi district, Mallikarjun Khuba from Basavakalyan in Bidar district, B.S. Yatnal from Bijapur city in Vijayapura district and C.P. Yogishwar from Channapatna in Ramanagara district.

Yatnal, a former minister of state for railways in the Vajpayee government, re-joined the party ahead of the hustings.

Party's former state ministers S. Suresh Kumar, V. Somanna and Arvind Limbavalli are among the contestants from Bengaluru seats.

--IANS

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Book libraries in India were under threat from social media, which has also affected the habit of reading, especially among the youth, said participants at a seminar here on Sunday.

Eminent poets, writers, and social activists lamented the slow but sure death of "book reading habit", especially among the younger generation, at the event at John's Public Library.

Rajendra Milan, poet and retired librarian, quoted Gulzar's "Kitaben jhankti hain band almaari ke sheeshon se... (books peer through the glass from locked cupboards)," to lament the decline of actual readers or patrons of libraries.

However social media critic Abhishek Mehrotra said "this fear was pointless and unsubstantiated".

"Forms of readership had changed and not the habit. Digital books on the internet were popular and saved not only time, money but also environment. Conventional libraries may have gone out of fashion but the internet based reading material continued to be popular with the younger set. Also more writers have joined the mainstream," he said.

Mehrotra also cited the example of two libraries, one in Karnal by policemen and the other in Muzaffarpur by an ex prostitute, which were popular and had many supporters.

Other speakers observed that the younger readers seldom visited libraries. "Magazine reading was out of fashion and people in general were reluctant to borrow books from libraries," said Pavan Agra, a popular poet.

Poetess Hridesh Choudhary, who presided over the seminar, said reading habits among the youth, and continued production of quality literature depended on libraries which need to be supported and popularised.

Agra Development Foundation secretary K.C. Jain said social media was not a platform for serious thinking or promoting creative ideas.

--IANS

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Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday accused the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of fanning Dalit violence in various parts of the country for political gains.

He also took a dig at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, saying he should not tarnish the legacy of the office he is holding.

"Bhimrao Ambedkar said Dalit movement should not be violent. But some parties like the Congress, the SP, the BSP are fanning Dalit violence in a calculated manner for political gains," Prasad told the media here.

Reacting to Gandhi's day-old tweet in which he termed the RSS-BJP ideology as "oppressive" and said such ideology "can never respect the Dalits and Baba saheb (Ambedkar)", Prasad said the office of the Congress President has a legacy and Rahul Gandhi should not forget that.

"Rahulji should not forget the legacy of the post he is holding. This post has been held by the likes of Indira Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad," Prasad said.

The senior BJP leader said the Congress' "new found" love for Ambedkar was opportunistic as the party hardly cared for him. He also accused the BSP of deserting Ambedkar's and another Dalit leader Kanshi Ram's ideals and making the BSP a family party that "hardly cares for Dalits and their emancipation".

"Ambedkar died in 1956 but the successive Congress government did not bother to confer him with Bharat Ratna. It was only in 1989 that the V.P. Singh government backed by the BJP conferred the honour on him," he said.

He said the opposition's allegations that the Modi government was trying to dilute the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was far from the truth as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after coming to power at the Centre in 2014, worked to strengthen the said Act.

"We have made very crucial changes to the SC/ST Act to make it more stringent and to plug the gaps," he said.

Prasad quoted from a circular issued on October 29, 2007 by the then Uttar Pradesh government headed by BSP supremo Mayawati which said that the SC/ST Act must not be used to harass innocent persons and that if someone lodges a false complaint under the Act, legal proceedings under Section 182 of the IPC should be initiated against that person.

"This is a circular issued by Mayawati government, not by BJP," Prasad said.

The Law Minister clarified that the Union government was neither a party nor was it called for a counter affidavit in the case where the Supreme Court passed an order that an accused need not be arrested under the SC/ST Act without a preliminary inquiry.

"Only the Attorney General was called for his opinion as the matter pertained to a central legislation," Prasad said.

The Supreme Court on March 20 said the arrest of an accused under the SC/ST Act is not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority.

Prasad also pointed out that it was the BJP that has made Ram Nath Kovind -- a Dalit -- the President of India.

--IANS

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The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining a "stoic silence" over the concerns of Dalits and said it indicated that the BJP and RSS were working towards a 'Dalit-mukt Bharat'.

"It is often said that when rebel voices come from within the house, it means the situation is tense, worrisome and alarming. Feeling concerned, scared and anguished over rising violence against Dalits and the anti-Dalit mindset of the Modi government, even the BJP's Dalit MPs are raising questions," Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergil told reporters here.

He said despite massive protests and outcry on the streets over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on March 20, the Prime Minister has maintained silence.

"Modi's stoic silence on the concerns of the Dalits shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are working towards 'Dalit-mukt Bharat' and Modi is enjoying the anguish and pain of the SCs/STs," the Congress leader said.

The Congress attack on the government and the BJP comes at a time when the ruling party's Dalit MPs Udit Raj, Savitri Bai Phule, Chhote Lal Kharwar, Ashok Kumar Dohre and Yashwant Singh have written to Modi to express anguish over alleged ill-treatment of the SCs/STs.

Seeking reply from the Prime Minister, Shergil wondered if he would respond to the concerns of his own party MPs or "as usual turn a blind eye".

He said the Congress had been continuously highlighting the plight of these weaker sections, but the "hypocrite BJP leadership seems to be busy playing with fire by deliberately dividing society".

The Congress leader also slammed the Prime Minister's advice to BJP MPs to stay at the houses of Dalits in villages, saying Modi should, instead, first call his Dalit MPs and other representatives of the Dalits to his house and provide them answers on rising atrocities against Dalits.

--IANS

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Indian shooter Saniya Sheikh qualified for the final of the women's skeet event at the 21st Commonwealth Games here on Sunday.

Saniya shot a total of 71 to finish the qualification stage in the third place. But it was a disappointing outing for her compatriot Maheshwari Chauhan, who finished eighth after shooting a total of 68.

Saniya shot 25 in the first round before shooting 23 each in the other two rounds at the Belmont Shooting Centre here.

Cyprus' Panagiota Andreou topped the qualification stage by shooting a total of 74, while Australian Aislin Jones finished second, totalling 71.

--IANS

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DMK leader M.K. Stalin on Sunday said his party will extend support to the shutdown called by the PMK on April 11. It will also stage black flag protests during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here on April 12.

The PMK has called for the shutdown demanding that the central government to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC).

In a statement issued here, Stalin said PMK founder S. Ramadoss had requested the support of all political parties for the strike.

The DMK leader said his party was of the strong view that the united voice of Tamil Nadu in respect of Cauvery river water should be heard by the Centre.

As a result, the DMK would extend its support to Wednesday's shutdown strike, Stalin said.

A shutdown called by the DMK on April 5 derailed normal life in the state.

Stalin, who is leading the Cauvery Rights Retrieval March, said black flags would be shown to Modi when he comes to inaugurate the DefExpo 2018 near here on April 12.

Speaking in a village in Thanjavur district on Sunday, Stalin said apart from showing black flags, people should also wear black shirts on that day and fly black flags atop their houses to show their agony over the Cauvery issue.

The Supreme Court on February 16 reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than the 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007, while Karnataka's share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC.

The court also ordered the central government to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of its order, but the government failed to do so within the deadline that ended on March 29.

Following this, the DMK and its allies have been holding protests in Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

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A journalist working with Sahara Samay Hindi news channel was on Sunday shot at and seriously injured at his residence in Ghaziabad, police said.

Police said four-five unidentified criminals riding two-wheelers went to Anuj Chaudhary's house in Rajapur locality in Kavi Nagar police station jurisdiction around 6.15 p.m. They fired six shots at Anuj, who was standing at the house entrance.

While two bullets hit him in the abdomen, two hit him in the right arm. They fled the spot, after which Anuj -- who is Shramjivi Patrakar Sangh President -- was rushed to Yashoda Hospital in the city.

Doctors attending on him said his condition is "critical" and had been taken for surgery.

"We are collecting closed-circuit television footage from the area. A team will be formed to arrest the culprits," SP City Akash Tomar said.

"We told Kavi Nagar Inspector Samarjit Singh that Rs 10 lakh had been paid to sharpshooters to eliminate Ajay, whose wife Nisha Chaudhary is a local councillor. However, the crime was committed even though the information had been passed on to authorities concerned," claimed Deepak Tomar, who is brother-in-law of the journalist.

Sahara Samay is a Hindi language 24/7 news channel owned by Sahara India Pariwar.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A journalist working with Sahara Samay Hindi news channel was on Sunday shot at and seriously injured at his residence in Ghaziabad, police said.

Police said four-five unidentified criminals riding two-wheelers went to Anuj Chaudhary's house in Rajapur locality in Kavi Nagar police station jurisdiction around 6.15 p.m. and fired six shots at Anuj, who was standing at the house entrance.

While two bullets hit him in the abdomen, two hit him in the right arm. The assailants fled the spot, after which Anuj -- who is Shramjivi Patrakar Sangh President -- was rushed to the Yashoda Hospital in the city.

Doctors attending on him said his condition is "critical" and had been taken for surgery.

"We are collecting closed-circuit television footage from the area. A team will be formed to arrest the culprits," SP City Akash Tomar said.

"We told Kavi Nagar Inspector Samarjit Singh that Rs 10 lakh had been paid to sharpshooters to eliminate Anuj, whose wife Nisha Chaudhary is a local councillor from the Bahujan Samaj Party. However, the crime was committed even though the information had been passed on to authorities concerned," claimed Anuj's brother-in-law Deepak Tomar.

Sahara Samay is a Hindi language 24/7 news channel owned by Sahara India Pariwar.

--IANS

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NASA's Parker Solar Probe, which is humanity's first mission to the Sun, has begun final preparations for its launch in July.

Parker Solar Probe will be launched from Launch Complex-37 at NASA's Kennedy Space Centre, Florida.

The two-hour launch window will open at 4 a.m. on July 31, and will be repeated each day (at slightly earlier times) through August 19, the US space agency said in a statement.

After launch, it will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere - the corona - closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone

While facing brutal heat and radiation, the mission will reveal fundamental science behind what drives the solar wind, the constant outpouring of material from the Sun that shapes planetary atmospheres and affects space weather near Earth.

At Astrotech Space Operations in Florida, the Parker Solar Probe will continue testing, and eventually undergo final assembly and mating to the third stage of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.

"This is the second most important flight Parker Solar Probe will make, and we're excited to be safely in Florida and continuing pre-launch work on the spacecraft," said Andy Driesman, Parker Solar Probe project manager from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland.

For the next several months, the spacecraft will undergo comprehensive testing; just prior to being fueled, one of the most critical elements of the spacecraft, the thermal protection system (TPS), or heat shield, will be installed.

The TPS is the breakthrough technology that will allow Parker Solar Probe to survive the temperatures in the Sun's corona, just 3.8 million miles from the surface of our star.

"There are many milestones to come for Parker Solar Probe and the amazing team of men and women who have worked so diligently to make this mission a reality," Driesman said.

"The installation of the TPS will be our final major step before encapsulation and integration onto the launch vehicle."

Throughout its seven-year mission, Parker Solar Probe will explore the Sun's outer atmosphere and make critical observations to answer decades-old questions about the physics of stars.

Its data will also be useful in improving forecasts of major eruptions on the Sun and the subsequent space weather events that impact technology on Earth, as well as satellites and astronauts in space.

--IANS

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Moving beyond the five hill networks that are major tourist attractions, Indian Railways is planning to also preserve its old five-metre gauge tracks built during its early days in the British era to promote heritage tourism.

"As part of the strategy to preserve the metre-gauge lines, Indian Railways is planning to preserve few metre-gauge lines, which have the potential to attract more tourists," a senior Railway Ministry official told IANS, requesting anonymity.

"The decision to preserve the metre-gauge lines was taken at a meeting on February 3. Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani, stressing on the need to preserve the metre-gauge lines to promote the heritage structures of Indian Railways, asked the officials to identify such railway tracks on which the tourism can be promoted," the official said.

"Thus we have identified five lines for preservation -- the 42.27 km Visavadar-Talala line in Gujarat, the 16 km Mhow-Patalpani-Kalakand line in Madhya Pradesh, the 162 km Mavli Junction-Marwar Junction line in Rajasthan, the 171 km Nanpur-Mailani line in Uttar Pradesh and the 47 km Mahur-Harangjao metre-gauge line in Assam," he said.

"Four of the metre-gauge lines are in working condition, while the one line located in Assam is not operational right now," he added.

The official also said that the Railway Ministry has written to the zonal railways to check the operational feasibility of these tracks. "Once the response from zonal railways is received by the third week of April, the ministry will formally launch the project," he said.

Giving details of some of the five lines, the official said: "The Visavadar-Talala metre-gauge line passes through the Gir forest in Gujarat and there is thus a speed restriction. Currently, only three trains pass through this section in the day."

The Mhow-Patalpani-Kalakund line, the official said, passes through picturesque mountains, valleys, tunnels, ravines and crosses the Choral and Malendi rivers, which makes the journey very memorable, especially after the rains.

According to the official, this line was laid by the British about 150 years ago and passes through of the Vindhyachal mountain range.

The official said that the Nanpur-Mailani metre-gauge railway track in Uttar Pradesh crosses through the Dudhwa Tiger reserve.

The Railways currently operates six trains on the section. The trains are allowed to run at a maximum speed of 30 km per hour, which reduces to 20 km per hour in accident-prone areas.

The British laid this track in the 19th century for transporting timber from Nepal's forests and from the forests on the border.

Currently, the five hill trains -- Darjeeling Himalayan train, Nilgiri Mountain Railway, Kalka-Shimla Railway, Kangra Valley Railway and Matheran Hill Railway -- are a major attraction for tourists in India.

(Anand Singh can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)

--IANS

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The value of trade exchange between Iran and Pakistan rose by 13.5 per cent in a period of 11 months up to this February.

The volume of bilateral non-oil trade was 2.27 million tons, with the value standing at $1.176 billion, Xinhua reported.

According to Islamic Republic Customs Administration, Iran exported 1.94 million tons of goods worth $822.20 million to Pakistan during the period, while Pakistan exported some 330,000 tons of goods worth $353.89 million to Iran during the same period.

According to official IRNA news agency, the exported items of Iran comprised iron ore, iron scrap, dates, detergents, transformers, chemicals, bitumen, polyethylene, propylene etc, while the imported items from Pakistan included rice, fresh fruits, meat, cloth and mechanical machinery.

Iran and Pakistan have agreed to enhance the bilateral trade volume to $5 billion in the next five years.

--IANS

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Iranian minister of Communication and Information Technology said on Saturday that his country's cyberspace was targeted on Friday, however, the attackers could not harm the national networking system.

The attack could affect a number of Internet service providers in Iran, Xinhua quoted Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi as saying.

However, the National Information Network and local mobile network operators remained intact during a Friday night cyberattack, he added.

Azari Jahromi expressed satisfaction with the appropriate and timely response from Iran to the cyberattack.

On Saturday, an Iranian Cyber Police commander said the attack has not led to any data leak or unauthorised access to information inside Iran, but only disconnected or slowed internet services in the country.

On Friday, Cisco Talos, the cyber-security division of American IT conglomerate Cisco, said that hackers were abusing misconfigured Cisco switches to gain a point of entry into organisations across the world.

--IANS

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President Ram Nath Kovind, who is visiting Equatorial Guinea, on Sunday urged the African nation to realise full potential of its relations with India by availing its facilities of concessional lines of credit for African countries and technical expertise in various fields including agriculture, mining, health, telecommunications and IT, an official communique said.

Kovind had reached Equatorial Guinea on Saturday evening on the first leg of his state visit to three African nations -- Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia -- and held talks with his counterpart, Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, on Sunday.

This is the first ever visit by an Indian head of state to Equatorial Guinea.

Congratulating President Obiang on Equatorial Guinea achieving the highest per capita GDP for any country in Africa, Kovind said that India was keen to partner Equatorial Guinea which is diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on oil and gas exports. India has also decided to open an embassy in Equatorial Guinea to give a boost to bilateral relations, he said.

"The full potential of our bilateral engagement is far from realised. India looks forward to partnering with Equatorial Guinea in facilitating government-to-government development cooperation as well as business-to-business contacts," Kovind said.

He said that the economies of the two countries were "complementary" as Equatorial Guinea is endowed with hydrocarbons and mineral resources, and India with human and financial capital and low-cost technical expertise.

The President said that during the India-Africa Forum Summit of 2015, India had announced concessional lines of credit of $10 billion over five years for African countries. He urged Equatorial Guinea to avail of this facility and said that India would be happy to assist in developing project proposals in various sectors of its economy.

Later, the President attended a luncheon hosted in his honour by President Obiang.

In his remarks at the banquet, he said India was keen to enhance its development cooperation partnership with Equatorial Guinea.

"It is in that spirit India has offered assistance to set up an Entrepreneurial Development Centre and an English Language Laboratory in Equatorial Guinea. It will also do its best to support Equatorial Guinea in agriculture, mining, health, telecommunications and Information Technology," Kovind said.

Kovind was conferred with the Condecoracion, the highest honour accorded to a non-citizen by the government of Equatorial Guinea, and previously given to select heads of state from friendly countries.

--IANS

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Indian weighlifters continued to dominate the competition at the 21st Commonwealth Games as Punam Yadav won gold in the women's 69 kilogram category here on Sunday.

Yadav lifted a total of 222 kg which included 100 kg in snatch and 122 kig in clean and jerk.

England's Sarah Davies took silver with 217 kg, while Apolonia Vaivai of Fiji lifted 216 kg for the bronze.

This the fifth gold medal for India at this year's CWG. Mirabai Chanu, Sanjita Chanu, Sathish Sivalingam and Venkat Rahul Ragala had earlier emerged champions in their respective categories.

Yadav started slowly, lifting 95 kg in her opening attempt. However, Vaivai registered 97 kg to take the lead after the completion of the opening attempts.

Yadav lifted 98 kg in her second attempt but Vaivai maintained the lead with 100 kg.

The Indian equalled that in her third and last attempt and Vaivai's failure to lift 103 meant both lifters ended the snatch phase at the joint top spot.

Yadav did not look convincing at the start of the clean and jerk phase. She struggled to lift 118 kg in her first attempt which gave her the lead. But failing at 122 kg in her second attempt put her in a spot of bother.

However, she recovered to lift 122 kg in her third attempt and Vavai's failure at that same weight put the Indian in the leading position for the gold.

Davies then made a brave attempt at the gold with a final attempt of 128 kg. But her attempt proved futile as she failed to lift that weight, sparking celebrations in the Indian camp.

--IANS

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Online streaming giant Netflix has reportedly threatened not to bring any titles to the Cannes Film Festival after festival director Thierry Fremaux said he won't screen any films from the platform in competition.

The situation is said to be fluid, and a final decision won't be made until Cannes announces its official line-up on April 12, reports hollywoodreporter.com.

If Netflix carries through on the threat to pull out its movies, the move could impact a number of high-profile filmmakers.

Such a move would be seen as retaliation for a new rule, which was first announced after last year's fest. The officials have banned films from competition that do not have a French theatrical release.

Since Netflix titles don't play in French theatres and instead appear directly on the digital service, that rule has barred them from the competition line-up.

--IANS

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A special CBI court here on Sunday issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs)against diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with Rs 13,500 crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud.

The court's move comes following Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) request as both the diamond traders, who left the country in January, refused to join the investigation in cases related to the scam.

Meanwhile, the CBI continued questioning the officers of overseas branches of Indian banks that extended alleged credit facilities on the basis of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by the PNB to firms related to Modi and Choksi-- the promoter of Gitanjali Group.

The CBI said "the officer who dealt with forex transactions in Allahabad Bank's Hong Kong Branch, has been summoned from Hong Kong and is being questioned".

Modi, a regular on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, along with his group companies -- Diamond R US, Stellar Diamond and Solar Exports, and uncle and business partner Choksi and others have been named in the huge scam, admitted by the PNB in February and leading to a massive upheaval in the country's banking system.

The issuance of NBWs by a court also opens door of seeking Red Corner Notices against both of the accused from the Interpol.

Earlier, a lookout notice was issued by the CBI against Modi and Choksi. However, Modi and his associates fled the country before the notices were issued. While Modi and his brother Nishal left India on January 1, his wife Ami, a US citizen, and Choksi left on January 6, all before the CBI received a complaint from the PNB on January 29.

On Friday, the CBI questioned the Reserve Bank of India former Deputy Governor Harun Rashid Khan, between 2011 and 2016, in connection with the PNB bank fraud and relaxation of 80:20 gold import scheme brought by then Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on May 13, 2014, barely three days before the counting of votes of 2014 general election.

He was asked about the lapses in the statutory audit of the central regulator due to which the PNB fraud remained undetected for a long time as the SWIFT messaging system was misused.

The PNB has claimed in different complaints to the CBI that several LoUs -- issued by one bank to other banks, based on which foreign branches offer credit to buyers -- were fraudulently issued by its officials in connivance with Modi and the other accused in the case causing huge losses to the bank.

--IANS

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One person was seriously injured after a fire broke out at the Trump Tower in midtown New York City on Saturday.

"#FDNY members remain on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 721 5th Ave in Manhattan. There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported," tweeted the Fire Department New York (FDNY) Saturday evening.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" responded US President Donald Trump on Twitter. He has an office and a home in the building, but he was not in New York on Saturday.

Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron Trump, were both in Washington, DC, Xinhua quoted first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, as saying.

The fire broke out in multiple units on the 50th floor of the tower shortly before 6 pm. It was knocked down by 6.45 pm, according to the FDNY.

Videos on social media showed thick, black smoke and flames rising from the building as people watched below.

At least five fire trucks were seen responding to the fire on Fifth Avenue shortly after the blaze started.

A blaze at the same Trump Tower injured three people, two civilians and a firefighter, in January. The fire started in the building's rooftop heating and air conditioning system and left smoke billowing from the roof.

--IANS

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One person was killed and six firefighters were injured in a blaze that broke out at the Trump Tower here, according to the New York City Fire Department.

The fire, which spread to the 50th floor of the tower located on Fifth Avenue, was contained at around 9 p.m. on Saturday, about two hours after it was originally reported, the department tweeted.

The person who died was a resident of the building's 50th floor who had been taken to the hospital in critical condition, department spokeswoman Angelica Conroy told CNN.

The victim was a 67-year-old man who was unconscious and unresponsive when firefighters pulled him out, the New York Police Department said.

The six injured firefighters had non-life threatening injuries, Conroy said.

The cause of the fire is yet to be determined and no members of President Donald Trump's family were at the tower during the blaze, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

President Trump tweeted before the news of the death that the fire was out and "very confined" in the "well built building" and congratulated the firefighters.

Saturday's incident comes three months after a minor fire broke out in a cooling tower on the roof of the building, CNN reported.

Two people were injured in the fire that officials said may have been caused by electrical heaters inside the cooling tower.

(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 Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Sunday summoned US Ambassador David Hale and lodged a formal protest after a US diplomat crashed into motorcyclists in Islamabad, leaving one dead.

The ministry said in a statement that Hale was called to the ministry and a strong protest was lodged by Pakistani Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua on the tragic road accident.

A fast-moving vehicle driven by US Defence attache Col. Joseph Emanuel hit a motorcycle which was passing a crossroad.

Police briefly detained the diplomat who was driving the embassy car, but did not arrest him as he enjoys diplomatic immunity.

"The US Ambassador expressed his deep sympathy and sadness over the loss of life and assured that the embassy would fully cooperate in the investigation," the statement said.

The Foreign Ministry said that "justice will take its course" in accordance with Pakistani laws and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, 1961.

A case had also been registered later Saturday and the first information report has suggested that the accident happened due to sheer negligence and ignorance of traffic rules by the US diplomat.

--IANS

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Jammu and Kashmir's former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah said on Sunday that conversion of the Line of Control (LoC) into a permanent border and restoration of internal autonomy to the state is the only way forward to resolve the problem.

Addressing a party meeting in Balakote area of Mendhar in Poonch district, he said: "Restoration of internal autonomy to Jammu and within the framework of Indian Constitution and conversion of the LoC into Line of Peace is the only pragmatic way forward to herald peace in the region."

The National Conference President urged both India and Pakistan to resume the dialogue and engage people of the Valley in an acceptable solution.

"Then Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had invited President Pervez Musharraf despite Kargil incursion and his political wisdom worked in terms of ceasefire agreement which brought cheer in the lives of border people for a pretty long time.

"Current spell of governance in New Delhi has created chaos all over, with people feeling their identities threatened and thus taking to streets."

--IANS

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Indian Seema finished sixth in the women's 75kg weightlifting competition of the 21st Commonwealth Games (CWG) here on Sunday.

Seema lifted a total of 189kg -- 84kg in snatch and 105 kg in clean and jerk. She started with an 80kg lift in the snatch before managing an effort of 84 kg.

In the clean and jerk rounds, her lifts were 100 kg and 105kg respectively. She failed to lift 108kg in her third and final effort.

The gold medal in the event went to England's Emily Godley, who lifted a total of 222kg -- 96kg in snatch and 126 in clean and jerk. She overcame Canadian Marie-Eve Beauchemin-Nadeau by 1kg.

Wales' Laura Hughes took the bronze medal with a total of 207kg.

--IANS

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With inter-community violence reported from many parts of India in a society increasingly polarised on religious and caste lines, a small town in Uttar Pradesh is setting an extraordinary example where a temple, a mosque, and even a gurdwara, have joined hands to clean a polluted river while bringing their communities together.

About 100 km from the state capital Lucknow is the town named Maholi in district Sitapur. Here lies an old Shiva and a Radha-Krishna temple along with Pragyana Satsang Ashram and a mosque, all at a stone's throw of each other.

Along the periphery of this amalgamated religious campus, passes a polluted river called Kathina, that merges into the highly polluted Gomti River, a tributary of the mighty but polluted Ganga.

Often used as dumping site by dozens of villages and devotees, the stink from Kathina was increasing daily. The solution -- Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb (a term used for a fusion of Hindu and Muslim elements) - of Awadh.

"The river belongs to everyone. Hindus use it for 'aachman' (a Hindu ritual for spiritual purification), Muslims use it for 'wazu' or ablution. Due to lack of awareness, people had been dumping solid and bio waste here, and also doing open defecation. The situation was worsening. Only solution was to start cleaning it ourselves," said Swami Vigyananad Saraswati, head of the Pragyana Satsang Ashram, as he inspects the river stretch along with Muhammad Haneef, head of the mosque's managing committee.

Swami said that once the ashram and temple administration began rallying volunteers for the cleaning drive, the mosque also came around to help. Even Maholi's Sikh gurudwara committee came forward and brought along many volunteers from the Sikh community.

"Once the communities came together, number of volunteers multiplied. The initiative has now become a kind of an environment-movement which is being driven by religious fervor and bonding. Watching our efforts, the local administration also offered help, and other unions like traders and Sikh gurudwara committee also joined hand for cleaning the river," Swami told IANS pointing out the potential of possibilities when different communities join hands for good.

Ujagar Singh, a member of the Sikh gurdwara committee, equated the effort in cleaning the river with 'sewa', an important aspect of Sikhism to provide a service to the community.

"Keeping our rivers clean is our duty and we will continue sewa whenever required," he said.

The temple and mosque, near the town's police station, were both built in 1962 by then Inspector Jaikaran Singh. The communal fervor is shared since years. During 'namaaz', the ashram switches off its loudspeakers and on Hindu festivals and special occasions, the mosque committee helps the temple with arrangements.

Still underway, the joint Hindu-Muslim team began cleaning the river from March 14. According to the volunteers, it took three days alone to get the river front cleaned of defecation.

"Many villages do not have toilets and volunteers had to stay here round the clock to stop people from defecating or throwing waste. The work was divided. Muslims volunteers would take over the Muslim majority areas and Hindus would tackle other areas, convincing people to stop pollution further while we clean," Muhammad Haneef told IANS.

The actual cleaning of the river began from March 17, when about 400 volunteers got into the waters, while about 700 of them cleaned the shores.

"Several trolleys of garbage -- that included plastic, polythene, shoes, rubber, animal carcasses, human waste, glass and ceramic waste, and even some old boat wreck -- were taken out of the river.

"Apart from that, several trolleys of water hyacinth, an invasive species of water plant, was removed. It obstructs the flow of the river," Sarvesh Shukla, executive officer of Maholi town told IANS.

Stating that such drive is not possible unless people come together, Shukla said that since 'mandir-masjid' joined hand, it was very easy to convince people to cooperate.

However, with poor garbage management system of small town, Swami and Haneef looked up to the administration for help.

"Few days back, some butchers were taking waste towards the river. We stopped them and there was a heated debate. Soon other elders of the community joined and we did not let them dump the waste into the river," said Haneef, pointing out that stopping people without proper management could be daunting in future.

Swami said that they would need disilting machines to clean the river towards the second phase.

According to Abdul Rauf from the mosque committee, the work is only half done.

"The challenge is to maintain the cleanliness. We could clean only a small stretch of the river. We will rally again and take movement to second phase once we get directions from our elder brother Swami ji," says Rauf.

Nearly one kilometer of the stretch has been cleaned. The volunteers are aiming to clean another kilometer of it.

However, be it river or communal fervor, the challenge, as residents of Maholi find, is consistency of the good.

"There are bad elements everywhere. Few weeks back, a fringe group named Vishwa Hindu Jagran Parishad entered a Muslim-majority area and started hurling abuses. Before they would do more damage, the Hindus of that area came forward and retaliated. The group never returned since," said Shailendra Mishra, a local resident and member of temple committee.

In another incidents, last year in September, when dates of Durgapuja and Muharram clashed, Mishra and Muhammad Rizwan, Haneef's son, took charge.

"All we had to do was keep a few notorious people from both communities at bay. About 5,000 strong Hindu's Devi Shakti procession and about 2,000 strong Muslim Tazia procession of Muharram used the same road at the same time. Not a single untoward incident happened," Haneef said.

(The weekly feature series is part of a positive-journalism project of IANS and the Frank Islam Foundation. Kushagra Dixit can be reached at kushagra.d@ians.in)--IANS

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If you are heading to the hills of Himachal Pradesh this week, showers may greet you, the Met office said on Sunday.

"Rain and thundershowers are likely to occur at many areas in the state till Tuesday (April 10)," an official at the meteorological office here told IANS.

Most prominent tourist destinations like Shimla, Kasauli, Kufri, Narkanda, Dharamsala, Palampur, Manali and Dalhousie are likely to witness intermittent rainfall, which will bring down temperatures further.

The maximum temperatures across the state fell by one to two degrees Celsius in the past 24 hours after rains, while the minimum remained the same.

Kalpa, a picturesque town 250 km from here, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.5 degrees Celsius while tourist spot Manali recorded a low of 6.6 degrees and Dharamsala 9.8 degrees.

State capital Shimla saw a minimum temperature of 10.3 degrees Celsius while the maximum stayed at 20 degrees.

--IANS

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(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Syrian government on Saturday evening slammed the rebels' allegations that the Syrian army used chemical gas in the ongoing battle on the Douma district east of Damascus.

Such claims are an attempt to hinder the advance of the Syrian army in the battles against the Islam Army, Xinhua cited Syrian state news agency SANA as saying.

The remarks come as activists said the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the current attack on Douma, causing suffocation among people in Douma.

An official source said media arms of the Islam Army had fabricated the Syrian army's use of chemical weapons to frame the government forces.

The source added that the Syrian army is rapidly advancing without the need to use any kind of chemical materials, which the government has repeatedly denied possessing.

The Syrian army on Saturday said it stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in the Douma from farmlands east of Douma amid a state of collapse and chaos among the militant group.

Meanwhile, the Islam Army said on its official social network site that its militants foiled the advance of the Syrian army from the farm area on the outskirts of Douma.

Local TVs are airing footages of the targeting of Douma, a day after announcing that the Syrian Republican Guard units have started operation at Douma.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A group of 21 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs were on Sunday detained by police while marching towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence to demand special status for Andhra Pradesh.

All the MPs -- including Ashok Gajapathi Raju and J.C. Diwakar Reddy -- were bundled into a bus by police from Race Course Road in the heart of Delhi from where they set out to reach the Prime Minister's residence.

The MPs were taken to the Tughlaq Road police station from where they were released two hours after their detention.

"We detained 21 TDP leaders marching towards the Prime Minister's house shouting slogans and waving placards in the morning. They were released by 1 p.m.," a police official said.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal reached at Tughlaq Road police station and criticised the arrest of TDP MPs.

"It is a very sad moment as all the TDP leaders who had gone to meet the Prime Minister were held by police. Their demand is justified," Kejriwal said.

The TDP staged a similar protest at the chamber of Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan on Friday after they failed to get an appointment with her. They were forcefully removed.

On Thursday, the Rajya Sabha witnessed high-voltage drama even after its proceedings were adjourned for the day as the TDP members continued their protest over their demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The hours-long drama ended at night only after the TDP MPs were marshalled out from the House.

The TDP members described their eviction from the House as an "insult to Andhra Pradesh".

Meanwhile, all five Lok Sabha MPs of YSR Congress party resigned this week and are on a hunger strike at Andhra Bhavan in Delhi.

The MPs are Y.V. Subbareddy, Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, Y.S. Avinash Reddy, V. Varaprasad Rao and P.V. Mithun Reddy.

Since then, TDP supremo and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu hinted that unlike YSRCP, his party MPs would not resign. Naidu also said that his party MPs would instead continue to fight and agitate and not run away from the scene.

Launching an attack on the Centre, Naidu warned that the TDP will agitate more vociferously, if the central government didn't accord special category staus to Andhra Pradesh.

--IANS

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Jonas Cullwick, a former General Manager of VBTC is now a Senior Journalist with the Daily Post. Contact: [email protected]. Cell # 678 5460922
Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thaawar Chand Gehlot on Sunday said that the Narendra Modi government was trying to restore the reservation for Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) in Jamia Millia Islamia and Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).

"The JMI and AMU are central universities but the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government made them minority institutions. And hence reservation for SC and ST students does not apply there.

"But these are funded by the central government. Any institution funded or aided by the Central government must have provisions of reservation for SC, ST and OBCs as per the Central government rules. We have presented our side in the Supreme Court and also submitted a changed affidavit. Now waiting for apex court's response," Gehlot said.

He said that the Modi government will "never end reservation nor let others do it".

He also targeted fellow Dalit leader and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati, saying she was digressing from the path of party founder Kanshi Ram.

"Kanshi Ram did not believe in violence but Mayawati is not following in his footsteps," Gehlot said as he and Union Law Minister Ravi Shanker Prasad accused the BSP, Samajwadi Party and the Congress of fanning Dalit violence in different parts of the country for "political gains".

Earlier, the Congress questioned Modi's "stoic silence" over the concerns of Dalits and said it indicated that the BJP and RSS were working towards a "Dalit-mukt Bharat".

The Congress said that despite massive protests and outcry on the streets over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on March 20, the Prime Minister has maintained silence.

However, Gehlot said that the Narendra Modi government has only "strengthened" the SC/ST Act and went on to list various schemes for the uplift/welfare of the Dalits launched by the Modi government since 2014.

--IANS

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Police said on Sunday they arrested two people on charges of trafficking a Rohingya girl in Moreh, a border town in Manipur.

Police officer Lepkhohao Waiphei said the two were taken into custody from their homes late on Saturday. Mohammad Salam, 25, and Mohammad Seifullah, 30, were remanded in police custody.

The girl told the police that she entered Manipur through the international border at Moreh.

--IANS

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An upbeat Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted that a united opposition would defeat the BJP, as well as Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi, in the 2019 general elections.

"A united opposition will ensure the defeat of the BJP and prevent Modi from winning again from the Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 parliamentary elections," he said at a media interaction here.

Hinting at the coming together of the Congress, Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) for 2019, Gandhi said the opposition parties would keep aside their regional aspirations and personal ambitions to jointly bring down the BJP and Modi next year.

"Forget the BJP and Modi winning in the next elections. I foresee the ruling NDA coalition collapsing as never before," he predicted.

Gandhi was on a two-day visit to the southern state since Saturday for the sixth time in two months to campaign for the party.

"I don't see the BJP winning the next election in the face of a united opposition and rising public anger against its government and leadership," he said.

In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Gandhi said the Congress would not only win in Karnataka, but also in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were assembly elections are due later this year.

"How and from where the BJP will win seats when other opposition and reginal parties close ranks and contest jointly against it in the 2019 polls," he said.

Gandhi also ruled out a third front against the Congress and the BJP in the next year's general elections.

Later, Gandhi participated at the ruling party's 'Jan Ashirvada Yatra', held for the people's blessings in the May 12 Karnataka assembly election.

Noting that the assembly poll would be a battle of ideologies between the Congress and the BJP, Gandhi said Bengaluru's founder Kempegowda and Karnataka's 12th century social reformer Basavanna taught on how to take everyone together for the good of all and on the development path.

"Bengaluru is the symbol of modern India. Besides (state-run enterprises like) HAL, ISRO, BEL, BEML and ITI, it has best academic and research institutions like IISc and IIM, which attracted global IT firms and multinationals," said Gandhi, who earlier in the day, interacted with workers of the city civic corporation, women entrepreneurs and top executives of India Inc here.

--IANS

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The US and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between American President Donald Trump and Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong-un, according to administration officials.

Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the CIA have been working through intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit scheduled to be held in May, the officials told CNN late Saturday.

American and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks.

Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim to meet Trump, which was conveyed last month by a South Korean envoy, several officials have said that North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed that its leader was willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

According to the officials, the North Koreans are pushing to hold the meeting in Pyongyang, although it was unclear whether the White House would be willing.

The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has also been raised as a possible location, the officials told CNN.

The talks were laying the groundwork for a meeting between Pompeo and his North Korea counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, in advance of the leaders' summit.

Once a location is agreed upon the officials said that the date will be set and the agenda discussed in greater detail.

Last week, Trump told associates that he was looking forward to the summit, which he agreed to on the spot when presented the invitation from Kim.

Last month, a New York Times report said that the CIA was taking the lead in preparing for the Trump-Kim summit.

State Department officials -- Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton and deputy special representative for North Korean policy Mark Lambert -- continue to communicate with the North Koreans though their mission to the UN, discussions which are referred to as the "New York channel".

--IANS

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The new Income Tax Return (ITR) forms released for the assessment year 2018-19 seek more details from taxpayers than they did in the previous years.

Overall, there are over 25 key changes compared to last year across all the forms meant for individuals, businesses and other assessees. Most of these changes require taxpayers to give the break-up of information provided or other details that help the income tax department to reconcile the transactions that taxpayers report. It is apparent that the new ITR forms have shifted the entire onus on the taxpayers to prove their claim ...
In India, the universe of mutual fund schemes is quite large. In the past, many fund houses had multiple schemes within the same category.

Many schemes also bore names that either gave no indication of the underlying strategy, or ran investment strategies that were contrary to their names. All this made it increasingly difficult for investors to navigate through the maze of funds and identify the right ones for their needs. To simplify the process of selection of appropriate schemes and to help investors make more informed decisions, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) ...
Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."



"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."



"...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"



And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."



"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has putit in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.

He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in frontof Basavanna (12th century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..."



"Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.
A fire broke out on the 50th floor of Trump Tower here, leaving one person dead and six firefighters injured, the New York City Fire Department said today.

It said a 67-year-old man, identified as Todd Brassner, was found "unconscious and unresponsive" when firefighters arrived at the scene of the fire.

Brassner, a resident of the 50th floor of Trump Tower, was rushed to a hospital in critical condition but later died, Fire Department spokeswoman Angelica Conroy said.

The medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death, CNN reported.

The fire was contained to the 50th floor of the tower, located on Fifth Avenue in New York. It was ruled under control around 9 p.m. (local time), two hours after it was originally reported, the FDNY tweeted.

It also tweeted pictures of the building with several windows of the 50th floor ablaze.

Six firefighters suffered injuries that are not life threatening, Conroy was quoted as saying by the channel.

No members of the Trump family were at the tower during the fire, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said.

President Donald Trump congratulated firefighters and tweeted that the fire was out.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!," Trump tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Twenty eight people have been arrested in connection with yesterday's violence in Mohammad Bazar area in Birbhum district, police said today.

Bombs were hurled in the area yesterday following a clash between the BJP and TMC workers over filing of nominations for the Panchayat polls early next month. One person was injured during the clash, police said.

The arrested persons were produced before a Suri court which remanded 24 of them to judicial custody.

The court sent the remaining four to police custody and directed the cops to produce case diary on April 10.

ADGP (law and order) Anuj Sharma had told reporters yesterday that additional police force was being rushed to Birbhum.

He said that outsiders from Jharkhand have sneaked into Birbhum to create trouble.

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Three Dalit men were today arrested for disrupting the press conference of Union minister Ramdas Athawale here, the police said.

The incident happened at the state circuit house in Athwalines here in the afternoon, they said.

Police identified the arrested persons as Kunal Sonawane (38), Manoj Paide (30), and Dipak Sathave (28).

Sonawane, an activist, was upset about Athawale keeping mum on the "atrocities" against the community despite being a senior Dalit politician, the police said.

He went around the dais where Athawale was sitting, and placed a black cloth on his shoulder as a mark of protest.

The two others arrested were with Sonawane at the time of the incident.

The minister's supporters whisked Sonawane away and handed him over to the police.

Sonawane and two others have been booked under relevant sections of the IPC, Inspector F B Bharwad of the Umra police station said.

Meanwhile, talking to reporters, the minister said Dalit leader and Independent MLA Jignesh Mevani should follow the path of Babasaheb Ambedkar and stop "supporting Naxals".

He said that Gujarat Patidar quota spearhead Hardik Patel had misled the community.

Athawale said that Patel should stop supporting the Congress, and back Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP instead to ensure that the benefits of reservation reached his community.

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A four-year-old girl was bludgeoned to death with a brick by unidentified assailants in Khatoli here, with family members alleging she was raped before being killed, police said today.

The incident took place last evening.

The girl's family suspect she was raped and killed. A brick with blood on it was found from the spot, Circle Officer Rajive Kumar Singh said.

The body has been sent for post mortem and the matter is being investigated , he said.

People also staged a demonstration in the village and demanded that the perpetrators be arrested immediately.

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Nine police officials, including an inspector of the Amreli unit of the Crime Branch, were booked by CID (Crime) today for allegedly kidnapping a builder and extorting cryptocurrency and cash from him.

"The CID has registered an offence against nine police officials of Amreli Crime Branch, including its inspector Anant Patel, and have formed an SIT. Two Amreli CB police constables, Babubhai Der and Vijay Vadher, and one Ketal Patel, have also been rounded up," DGP, CID (Crime), Ashish Bhatia told reporters at a press conference in Gandhinagar.

An investigation was launched in February by the CID (Crime), on the direction of the state government, after a Surat-based builder, Shailesh Bhatt, alleged that he was kidnapped from near a hotel in Gandhinagar by the accused policemen on February 9.

Bhatt had alleged that he was taken to a farmhouse where inspector Patel beat him and forced him to transfer 200 bitcoins.

Patel also demanded Rs 32 crore as extortion money for his release, Bhatia said.

Speaking about the cryptocurrency, Bhatia said. "As far as 200 bitcoins are concerned, we are yet to get evidence of their transfer, but investigation regarding this is underway."



"We have got enough evidence against these police officials. CCTV footage confirms Bhatt's version of events leading to his kidnapping. Since Rs 32 crore demanded by the accused could not be transferred, Rs 78 lakh was paid to the police inspector, though he was yet to receive it," Bhatia said.

"We have booked them under relevant sections of the IPC for kidnapping, extortion, illegal detention and demanding ransom. Sections under Prevention of Corruption Act have also been added," he said.

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State-owned AAI has received expression of interest from a few foreign companies for setting up remote air traffic control towers amid efforts to connect more number of unserved airports, according to a senior official.

Airports Authority of India (AAI), which manages more than 120 aerodromes, also provides Air Traffic Management Services (ATMS) over the entire Indian air space and adjoining oceanic areas.

"Remote (ATC) tower is being experimented in some North European countries. We also got interested because we have so many small airports coming into the RCS (Regional Connectivity Scheme) network," AAI Chairman Guruprasad Mohapatra told PTI recently.

Having such towers would be cheaper since there would not be much construction involved.

"We are also introducing futuristic telecommunication network which will be ensuring very reliable data transfer on a robust, standalone platform. It means that by having state of the art cameras at airports, you can simply monitor the movements of that airport through another ATC tower somewhere else," he noted.

According to him, Expression of Interest (EoI) for the project has been floated and about "three to four" foreign companies have expressed interest. Discussions are going on, he added.

"We will essentially do it in one big ATC tower to cover two to three small airports from there. It could be in Gujarat or some other state but it has to be in a state where there are numerous airports. This is a futuristic area," he said.

Generally, Remote and Virtual Tower (RVT) refers to a concept where air traffic service at an airport is performed from somewhere else.

A large number of airports are set to be connected under the government's ambitious Regional Connectivity Scheme, also known as UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik). The initiative seeks to connect unserved and under-served aerodromes as well as make flying more affordable.

In the first round of UDAN, as many as 128 routes connecting 70 airports were awarded. In the second round, 325 routes were awarded to airlines and helicopter operators.

Last month, the Civil Aviation Ministry informed the Lok Sabha that around 73 under-served and unserved airports as well as heliports have been identified in the second round. These include airports in Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Manipur.

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The Airports Authority of India (AAI) has approached the Ministry of and Forest and Climate Change seeking permission for various expansion programmes ofseven airports including Pune, Guwahati and Tirupati this year so far.

The total investment outlay for all the seven airports was pegged at nearly Rs 3000 crore, according to the minutes of meetings of Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the ministry held in January and March.

A top official of the national airports' operator recently said that the PSU will be investing Rs 15,000 crore during the current fiscal for terminal building projects across the country.

The AAI sought Environmental Clearance (EC) for Jabalpur (MP), Jharsuguda (Odisha), Allahabad (UP) and Guwahati international airports, while requesting the Ministry for preparing Terms of References (TOR) for Pune, Tirupati and Kolhapur Airports.

"Construction of New Integrated Terminal Building (for Pune airport), Reconstruction of Old Terminal Building, Modification of existing expanded Terminal Building, Associated City Side facilities, Multi -Level Car Park and Cargo Terminal at Civil Enclave."



"The cost of proposed development of Pune Civil Enclave is estimated as Rs.700 crore," the EAC said with regard to Pune Airport expansion project.

For Tirupati Airport, the AAI planned strengthening of runway and expansion of associated units to cater to the operations of Code-E type of aircraft, involving an investment of Rs 177 crore.

The EAC granted ToR for the project.

However, the committee deferred its decision on Jabalpur Airport project seeking more details from AAI, the minutes of meeting said.

The PSU sought clearance for developing Jharsuguda Airport suitable for A-320 Operations, and obtained 'green signal,' while it proposed to develop 'New Civil Enclave at Allahabad Air Force Base' at Bamrauli in Allahabad district, Uttar Pradesh with a cost of the project Rs 150 crore.

In January, the EAC had granted EC for the construction of New Integrated Terminal building at Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi InternationalAirport in Guwahati.

The total expansion cost was pegged at Rs 1,232 crore.

"The EAC, on being satisfied with the submissions of the project proponent, recommended the project for grant of environmental clearance and stipulated the following specific conditions along with other environmental conditions while considering for accord of environmental clearance," the Committee said while according EC to Guwahati airport project.

The cost of proposed development of Kolhapur airport is estimated as Rs 275 crores involving construction of new domestic terminal building and ATC Tower cum Technical Block cum Fire Station among others.

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National Conference president Farooq Abullah today sought that the Line of Control (LoC) should be converted in to a 'Line of Peace and Goodwill' while India and Pakistan should initiate the dialogue process with an active involvement of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to usher harmony and tranquillity in the state.

He cautioned the Centre against taking the people of J&K "for granted and ignoring" their legitimate aspirations. He said the claims that demonetization had curbed stone pelting had fallen flat and expressed concern that "youth were now taking to guns".

India and Pakistan should resume the dialogue process and engage people of Jammu and Kashmir in an acceptable solution, Abdullah said addressing party workers at Balakote in Poonch district.

Sagacity lies in acknowledging realities and shedding the baggage of the past, he said.

Referring to the Indo-Pak hostilities in 1990s, he said former prime minister Atal Behari Vajpayee had invited the then Pakistan president Parvez Musharraf despite the Kargil incursion and his political wisdom worked in terms of a cease-fire agreement which brought cheer to the lives of border people.

Why can't Vajpayee's spirit be emulated by his political inheritors," he said warning that extreme positions could lead to devastation and destruction in the entire region.

Reiterating his party's demand for greater autonomy to the state, the former chief minister said internal autonomy within the framework of Indian Constitution and conversion of Line of Control (LoC) into Line of Peace was the pragmatic way forward.

"The people of the state decided their future in 1947 by acceding to Mahatma Gandhi's secular India and they will fight all machinations of reversing these well established credentials by polarising forces.India is not religion specific but a country of all, irrespective of religion, region and caste. This legacy cannot be trampled on by fringe elements, currently holding the centre-stage in Indian politics, as majority of Hindus disapprove of polarisation and division, he said.

Without naming BJP, he said the current spell of governance in New Delhi had created chaos all over, with people feeling their identities threatened and thus taking to streets.

Abdullah expressed concern over the "dicey political situation" saying he would keep his fingers crossed about things to happen in case the present arrangement is repeated in New Delhi in 2019.

India cannot flourish with a myopic political vision. It has been a forward looking country, which has to move forward as a strong, stable and a united nation, he added.

Abdullah cautioned people against the divisive politics, saying attempts were being made to create wedge in the society on the basis of region and religion. All this is being done with a sinister motive of fragmenting Jammu and Kashmir into three different regions, he said and warned those nurturing this nightmarish dream.

National Conference would fight these designs tooth and nail, he said.

Earlier, at a public meeting at Mandi in Poonch district, Abdullah cautioned the Centre against taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted.

The claims that demonetization had put an end to stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen flat as the youth were now taking to guns. The situation therefore cannot be allowed to drift anymore, he said.

The former chief minister called for earnest initiatives to reach out to the people and urged the Centre to resolve the issues which are essentially political in nature and try to win over the alienated hearts and minds by shunning the policy of creating divisions.

The MP reiterated the need for Indo-Pak dialogue and said Line of Control (LoC) should be converted into 'Line of Peace and Goodwill' to enable unhindered people to people exchange and trade.

Abdullah said conversion of LoC into Line of Peace would benefit peoples living along the borders on both sides, who have been braving the brunt of hostilities.

He referred to the violence over the alleged "dilution" of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said machinations are being engineered to end reservation.

The present dispensation at the Centre is working against the interests of farmers, weaker sections, and minorities," he alleged.

The NC president also blamed the PDP-BJP dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir for "failing" to deliver.

The lack of accountability and mis-governance have added to the miseries of the people, who are feeling let down on every front, he claimed.

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Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said it was important for the country to achieve self-reliance in the defence sector.

"Cultivating innovation within India is imperative to achieve the goal of self-reliance in defence. The young innovators of India will play a big role in the future to indigenise the defence industry " she said in her address to students at IIT Madras here.

She saidit was important to restore a lot of strength to the manufacturing sector.

"The priority of our government is to underline the need for India to restore a lot of strength to its manufacturing sector," she said.

Sitharaman said the NDA government had taken steps to streamline the defence procurement policy in 2016 to "simplify the entire process".

She said the focus was on reviving the manufacturing sector so it could contribute a lot more to the country's GDP.

"The services sector is growing rapidly and the focus is on reviving the manufacturing sector. Ultimately, it is the private sector that has to get the manufacturing sector going," she said.

Sitharaman also stressed the need to reinvent and be self-sufficient for India's defence sector needs.

The priority for defence in the government's "Make In India" policy was to stop India's dependence on imports, she said.

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The East Texas Historical Association provides this column as a public service. Scott Sosebee is an associate professor of history at SFA and the executive director of the association. He can be contacted at sosebeem@sfasu.edu; www.easttexashistorical.org.
Maharashtra Environment Minister Ramdas Kadam today said local police probing the killing of two Shiv Sena leaders are going slow as they are under pressure from "a criminal nexus between the BJP and the NCP".

Two motorcycle-borne assailants had last evening shot dead Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Thube (40) in Shahunagar area of Kedgaon, hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced. The bypoll was won by the Congress.

Police today arrested four persons, including local NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap, in connection with the crime.

Blaming Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for "worsening" law and order situation in Maharashtra, Kadam, a senior Sena leader, said the progressive Maharashtra is fast turning into Uttar Pradesh.

Kadam alleged that as the arrested MLA is the son of NCP MLC Arun Jagtap and the son-in-law of BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile, the investigators are under pressure to go slow in the case.

He said the BJP was pretending of having "friendly ties" with the Sena, but is actually keen on weakening the party in connivance with the NCP.

He demanded suspension of police officers Akshay Shinde and Abhay Parmar for "helping" the killers of Thube and Kotkar.

Kadam demanded slapping of stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on the NCP workers who today vandalised the office of Ahmednagar superintendent of police after the arrest of the MLA and others.

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Syrian regime air strikes killed at least 30 civilians today in the last rebel pocket in the former opposition bastion of Eastern Ghouta near Damascus, a war monitor said.

Eight children were among the dead in the town of Douma according to the updated toll from the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which relies on sources on the ground.

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The hills of Uttarakhand are hit frequently by mild earthquakes -- as many as 51 since January 1, 2015 -- which are often dismissed as "usual occurrences". But are these tremors indicative of a big earthquake in future?



"Yes," says the head of state's Disaster Mitigation and Management Centre (DMMC).

"Frequent mild earthquakes in the hills of Uttarakhand should not be dismissed as common occurrences but treated as pointers to a major earthquake which is long overdue in the central seismic gap of the Himalayan front spanning Himachal Pradesh, Nepal and Uttarakhand," DMMC Executive Director Piyush Rautela told PTI.

The DMMC is an autonomous body working under the Uttarakhand government for protection of people and environment against any kind of disaster. Its tasks among other include running training programme for people and communities for disaster mitigation.

Rautela said the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand was hit by a catastrophic earthquake way back in 1803, and 200 years on there is a lot of "un-released energy in the Himalayan region".

"This pent-up energy accumulated over more than 200 years has led to an apprehension among scientists that it could find an outlet in the form of a big earthquake in the Himalayan region, of which Uttarakhand is a part, in the near future," he said.

Another factor which has led to the apprehension is that the 700-km long seismic gap on the Himalayan front, which spans Uttarakhand, neighbouring Himachal Pradesh and Nepal, has not been ruptured in any major earthquake in the last 200-500 years, he said.

"Hence, it is only a matter of time before this pent-up, cumulative energy releases in the form of a major shake-up," Rautela said.

Asked as to what scientists mean by major earthquake, he said the earthquakes measuring more than eight on the Richter Scale are categorised as such.

According to data available on the Uttarakhand MeT department's website, there have been as many as 51 mild earthquakes in different parts of the state, especially the hill districts of Chamoli, Uttarkashi, Pithoragarh, Almora and Rudraprayag, since January 1, 2015.

On an average mild intensity earthquakes occur in the hills twice a month with the latest hitting Pithoragarh on April 1 this year. The magnitude of the quake was 3.5 and it was not felt by many.

The Pithoragarh earthquake was preceded by another of 2.9 magnitude in Uttarkashi on February 28, which had already been hit by another with a magnitude of 3.2 on February 12.

Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts were hit by an earthquake measuring 4.7 on the Richter Scale on December 28 last year, followed by a 2.9-magnitude earthquake in Chamoli just two days later.

"The mild earthquakes which hit the hills of Uttarakhand almost every month and are often dismissed as usual occurrences should better be treated as warning bells so that we could equip ourselves better to deal with a bigger disaster," the DMMC ED said.

"These earthquakes often measuring about 2.5-4.5 on the Richter Scale are reminder from the nature that we live in an area vulnerable to earthquakes and cannot afford to lower our guard.".

When asked what would be the extent of damage if an earthquake of 8+ magnitude hits the state, Rautela said it was difficult to quantify.

"But definitely the damage will be more in the thickly populated urban areas where there has been rapid and unplanned growth of population and infrastructure."



The devastating earthquake of April-May 2015 in Nepal, which left nearly 9,000 dead, amply highlighted the seismic threat in the region as also the vulnerability of the building stock there, he said.

"Hence, it is important to assess the vulnerability of built environment before undertaking any seismic-risk reduction exercise."



Rautela emphasised the importance of effective planning, preparedness and mitigation, underlining the "constraints in earthquake prediction".

He said assessment of seismic vulnerability is a necessary precondition for realistic planning and effective mitigation.

Citing a DMMC study conducted some time back to assess the seismic vulnerability of Nainital and Mussoorie, he said out of a total of 6,206 buildings surveyed in popular tourist cities, 14 per cent in Nainital and 18 per cent in Mussoorie show high probability of Category-5 damage (very significant damage) in the event of a seismic activity reaching intensity VII (earthquake measuring 7 on Ritcher Scale).

Most of these buildings were reportedly constructed before 1951, he said.

On infrastructure, the DMMC ED said, hospitals constitute the most critical facility required in the aftermath of any disaster and therefore it is important to assess the seismic performance of the buildings housing these facilities.

Disruption of hospital services has the potential of magnifying the trauma and misery of the affected population manifold, he added.

Safety of school buildings is also critical, he said. "The collapse of school buildings would disrupt relief work as they are often used as shelters, makeshift dispensaries and stores for relief supplies in the aftermath of any disaster."



Tourism being the main economic activity in several cities of Uttarakhand, safety of hotel buildings must also be ensured. Seismic vulnerability assessment of such buildings is therefore highly recommended, according to the officer.

In November last year, scientists had gathered for a two-day national workshop here. They were unanimous in their view about the high possibility of a devastating earthquake in Uttarakhand and asked the state government to work towards building tremor-resilient infrastructure.

Professor ML Sharma from IIT-Roorkee recommended expansion of the earthquake early warning system network which has already been deployed in Uttarakhand.

Scientists also spoke about the extra care that needs to be taken in designing the structures on hill slopes and the implications of wrong design or construction practices.

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Vaccine maker Bharat Biotech today unveiled its new corporate logo and its vision for the future.

"With its new logo and tag line Lead Innovation, the company is underlining its focus for developing new #madeinIndia molecules to prevent neglected diseases that affect large populace in the developing world, according to a press release by the vaccine maker here.

On its 20th year eve, the company committed to contribute Rs one crore worth of vaccines to Telangana Government for its public health immunisation.

"This year has been a double treat for Bharat Biotech family, as our two vaccines--typhoid vaccine Typbar TCV and rotavirus vaccine ROTAVAC have got endorsement from World Health Organisation. These developments reinforce our foundation for the next stage of growth and endure to Lead innovation," Bharat Biotech Chairman and Managing Director Krishna Ella said.

Over the last 20 years Bharat Biotech has a built a portfolio of more than 50 patents, 20 plus commercially available vaccines and bio therapeutic products, accessible in over 100 countries, the release said.

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Two bike-borne men barged into the residence of a TV journalist here today and shot him in the stomach and right hand following which he was rushed to a hospital, a police officer said.

Anuj Chaudhary, who works with a Hindi channel, is the husband of a BSP councillor and the police are looking at past enmity as being a motive behind the crime, he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Krishna, said two bike-borne assailants, who were wearing helmets, barged into the scribe's residence and fired at him.

"The firing incident occurred due to old enmity," Krishna said.

Chaudhary's wife Nisha was elected a councilor on a BSP ticket, according to a police officer. The injured scribe was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is undergoing treatment, he said.

Chaudhary had just returned home after a visit to Razapur village, where road construction work was on, the officer said.

"The family members have identified the assailants, though a complaint is yet to be received," he added.

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Despite 24 states supporting a proposal to halve the separation period for Christian couples seeking divorce by mutual consent, the bill for the purpose has missed its date with Parliament.

The bill to amend the 149-year-old Christian Marriage Act could not be introduced in the just-concluded Budget session of Parliament.

The government had informed Lok Sabha in May 2016 that it has decided to amend Section 10 A of the 1869 Act to reduce the minimum mandatory period of separation from two years to one year to bring parity with other personal laws. The move followed a Supreme Court ruling and demands by the community.

The Kerala high court had earlier "read down" the provision of two year separation period.

The Law Ministry's Legislative Department had sought the states' views on the issue as the amendment related to the personal law. Twenty four states and UTs had supported the proposal.

"Yes, we have to amend the law but it could not be placed before the Cabinet as we had to seek views of the states... it may come up in the next session of Parliament... the issues related to marriage laws and those in the concurrent list do take time," a senior law ministry official said.

The separation period under Hindu Marriage Act, Parsi Marriage and Divorce Act and the Special Marriage Act is one year. Section 10A(1) of the Divorce Act, added through an amendment in 2001, says that a couple seeking divorce should be living separately for a period of two years or more.

Against the backdrop of a Supreme Court order delivered two years ago and demands by the community members, the Law Ministry has decided to move the proposal to reduce the separation period.

Questioning the existing law, the Supreme Court had urged the Centre to make necessary amendments. Should Christians stay separated for minimum two years when the period prescribed for others is one year? It does not make sense to us. It is a pure question of law and you (government) should have acted on your own, a bench of justices Vikramjit Sen and A.M. Sapre had observed.

The Union Law Ministry has also proposed to amend the law to allow any of the spouses domiciled in India to file petition for divorce.

As of now, the law requires both husband and wife to be domiciled in India when the petition for dissolution of marriage is to be presented before a district court.

According to another proposed amendment, a woman can present the divorce petition to the district court within whose jurisdiction she ordinarily resides.

As the law stands today,



a petition can be filed only where the marriage ceremony was held or where the couple had last resided together.

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The BJP today claimed that it was the only "pro-Dalit" party and accused opposition parties, including the Congress and the BSP, of abetting violence over issues concerning the community as part of a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere.

The BJP fielded Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot to launch a counter attack on opposition parties, which have targeted the saffron party over Dalit issues. They accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of fuelling the fire with his "lies and rumour-mongering".

The BJP leaders, however, parried queries on the statements of several Dalit MPs of their party, with Prasad maintaining that the party would talk to them and listen to their concerns.

Violent protests during a 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit groups on April 2 left at least 11 people dead. It brought to fore the grievances of the community and also triggered a war of words between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gehlot, the most prominent Dalit leader of the BJP, said Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram never supported violent protests as he attacked the Congress and the Mayawati-led BSP.

Prasad accused the two parties besides the Samajwadi Party of abetting violence as part of a conspiracy and said they were politicising the matter to polarise the country.

"The opposition should not work to divide the country for political interests," he said.

The BJP's charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family and the BJP had largest number of Dalit and tribal MPs and MLAs in its fold.

Prasad claimed that the maximum violence was seen in those parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the Congress and the BSP had influence.

Opposition parties were trying to spread bitterness, casteism and regionalism in the country to target the BJP, he alleged.

Gehlot said the Narendra Modi-led government had strengthened the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with amendments in 2016 and done a lot to celebrate Ambedkar's legacy, including observing his birth anniversary with year-long events and building memorials in places linked to him.

Citing Gandhi's reported comments that the act had been abrogated, Prasad alleged that he was fuelling the fire with his lies.

To a question about Gandhi's planned fast, he said in a June that the Congress leader had a right to do so but should refrain from spreading rumours.

Gehlot said Modi had been able to make his image of a "messiah" for weaker sections of the society, causing heartburn in the opposition.

Parties like the Congress and the BSP did nothing for Dalits and at times even worked against their interests, Prasad and Gehlot alleged.

It was Mayawati who as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007 wrote to the state police to stop misuse of the act while the Congress did not accord Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar for decades following his death in 1956, Prasad claimed.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the party had now discovered love for Ambedkar.

Citing the government's work to empower Dalits, Gehlot said the BJP was the only pro-Dalit party.

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Striking out at the Yogi Adityanath government, NDA ally SBSP today raised a fresh banner of revolt, accusing the chief minister of not following "coalition dharma" and "ignoring" the party.

"I will have detailed discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on various issues when he visits Lucknow on April 10 and then decide my party's course of action," SBSP leader and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters here.

He also said the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) would rethink about the alliance, if Shah did not agree on the issues raised by the party.

Seeking to downplay Rajbhar's outburst, BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi said, "The BJP is duly discharging its coalition dharma in Uttar Pradesh."



"Whatever is being said by Rajbhar is simply a political stunt by him to hog the headlines. He is raising questions on the bureacracy, but certainly not on the leadership. The leadership is honest," he said.

"The BJP firmly believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas'. Whatever shortcomings are highlighted by Rajbhar, they are being addressed and corrective action is also being taken. It will be better if he raises these issues during Cabinet meetings," the BJP spokesman said.

Rajbhar had left the saffron party days before the Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and had threatened that his four MLAs would boycott the voting.

The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member in the UP Assembly, where the BJP and its allies have a majority of 324 lawmakers.

Attacking the UP chief minister, Rajbhar said, "Why are MPs and MLAs angry with the (Yogi Adityanath) government? Why are they going to Delhi to convey their grievances? Why are the MLAs angry and are sitting on protests?"



On the recent appointments made in the state secondary education board, he said, "The BJP's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' is not being implemented in letter and spirit as relatives of senior BJP leaders from upper castes have been appointed.""Now, tell me where will the people from backward castes and scheduled castes go...If I speak, then people start feeling bad," Rajbhar said.

"In meetings of the UP Cabinet, everyone's views are heard, but the decision is taken by a handful of just four to five persons. If we have voted for you, then we should also have a say. Now, if I open my mouth, I am charged with saying harsh things," he said.

A sulking Rajbhar had last month rushed to Delhi with his complaint and met the BJP chief.

He returned to Lucknow a bit mollified after Shah promised to visit the state capital on April 10 and hear him in detail in the presence of the chief minister.

"I will tell you what the BJP wants and what Om Prakash Rajbhar wants after April 10," he said.

"If he (Shah) does not agree on the issues raised by us, as he had promised (during a meeting in Delhi ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls), we will have to re-think about the alliance," he said replying to a question.

The SBSP leader was also critical of the BJP's decision not to select the chief minister from among the 325 elected NDA MLAs (one of them later died) in the state.

"It appears that all of them were worthless," he said.

Rajbhar had recently claimed that corruption had increased in Uttar Pradesh under the present dispensation and that his party was not getting the due respect from the senior coalition partner.

"Now their (BJP's) own MPs and MLAs are speaking against them and sitting on dharna...Look at the statements that are coming from people occupying responsible positions...There has to be something behind their speaking like this," he said.

He was referring to Lok Sabha MPs from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh, respectively, who are the latest to join other Dalit colleagues, who have publicly expressed their unhappiness, especially after the recent protests against the Supreme Court order on the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Earlier, Robertsganj Lok Sabha MP Chhotelal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused Adityanath of "scolding" him when he went to take up an issue with him.

While these three Dalit parliamentarians of the BJP have approached Modi with their concerns, Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phoole has virtually turned a rebel, triggering speculation that she might join the BSP, which she had earlier quit to join the saffron party.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP trained its guns on National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah today for suggesting that the LoC be converted into a "Line of Peace and Goodwill" and alleged that the opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir had no ideology and only believed in arousing passions by playing with people's emotions for vote-bank

Knowing fully well that there are no takers for azadi south of Pir Panjal, Abdullah has very cleverly changed his stance by demanding that the Line of Control (LoC) be converted into a Line of Peace, thus making it amply clear that his party has no ideology and only believes in arousing passions by playing with people's emotions for vote-bank politics, state BJP spokesperson Anil Gupta said in a statement.

Gupta, a former Army officer, was reacting to Abdullah's statement at Mandi in Poonch district yesterday, suggesting the conversion of the LoC into a "Line of Peace and Goodwill" and cautioning the Centre against taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted and ignoring their legitimate aspirations.

The NC has survived as a political party by posing itself as the well-wisher of the Kashmiri-speaking Muslims. It has always been wary of losing prominence due to the challenge posed by the other Muslims like Paharis, Punjabis, Gujjars and Shias in general and the Muslims of the erstwhile Jammu province in particular, Gupta alleged.

The BJP leader claimed that the same fear continued to haunt Abdullah and his party leadership even today and that was why, rather than uniting the population living across the LoC, he advocated it to be made a permanent border.

It was for the same reason that his father, Sheikh Abdullah, had forced former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire, when the invaders were on the run and the Indian Army was well poised to recapture the areas of Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, and Muzaffarabad.

Had Muzaffarabad been recaptured, the strategic areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and other frontier districts would have automatically returned to India as all the lines of communication to these areas passed through Muzaffarabad. It would also have saved the state from the problem of refugees, which haunts it till date, he said.

Gupta claimed that the NC's dislike for non-Kashmiri speaking Muslim leaders was evident from the fact that when Mirza Afzal Beg resigned from the Maharaja's cabinet in 1945 due to differences within the party, the Maharaja had appointed Mian Ahmed Yar, an NC leader, "but he was, however, expelled from the party because his presence in the council of ministers was not acceptable to Sheikh Abdullah as Yar was a non-Kashmiri speaking Muslim from Jammu.

As regards the return of the Haji Peer pass and Chhamb sector by Pakistan, he asked Abdullah to question his ally, the Congress, which not only betrayed the people of the state, but also belittled the sacrifices of the Indian Army by returning to Pakistan the territories captured by it.

Had the strategic Haji Peer pass been in our possession today, there would have been no Uri-Poonch bulge and no question of Pakistan launching a proxy war against us as it would have provided a direct link between Poonch and the Kashmir Valley via Uri, the BJP leader said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Seeking to take the wind out of opposition parties' sails, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is planning to hold grand events to mark the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar across Uttar Pradesh and honour Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath with the title of "Dalit Mitra".

"On the eve of the birth anniversary of the architect of the Constitution, party workers will take out padayatras in the districts," said Kaushal Kishore, BJP MP from Mohanlalganj in Lucknow.

Kishore, who is also the state president of UP BJP's SC Morcha, showered praise on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the chief minister for working on the mission of Babasaheb.

"After the formation of the BJP government at the Centre and in UP, both of them have started working on the mission of Babasaheb. A large number of beneficiaries of different schemes of the Centre are people from SC/ST community," he said.

Slamming BSP supremo Mayawati, Kishore said she is frightened by the fact that a large number of people belonging to the SC/ST community are beneficiaries of different schemes of the NDA government.

"She feels worried...and our rival political parties are hatching a conspiracy to tarnish the image of the BJP," he said.

"Mayawati must remember that it was a BJP leader who saved her (when she was attacked at a guest house in UP). If she is siding with a party, which had once tried to take her life, then she cannot be a well wisher of Dalits," he said, seeking to drive a wedge into the new found bonhomie between the BSP and the SP.

Kishore also said that if the government's intention was to end the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, then it would not have filed a review petition in the Supreme Court which has recently passed an order vis-a-vis the law.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Ruing lack of unity among the Andhra Pradesh MPs over the fight for special category status to the state, YSR Congress Party today said the Centre was not heeding to the demand seriously due to the disunity.

YSR Congress honorary president Y S Vijayamma, who is the wife of former AP Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and mother of the party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, lamented the lack of unity among the state MPs, while meeting her party MPs sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at AP Bhavan here.

"In the past, indefinite strikes were so effective that it attracted governments' attention and they responded to it. Today nothing is happening despite several attempts by the opposition parties," she said in an apparent reference to the denial of special status to the state by the Centre with the Telugu Desam Party keeping off from YSR Congress MPs' hunger strike.

YSRCP is in opposition in Andhra Pradesh.

"Late Rajashekar Reddy used to tell us that only a united AP would have stronger voice as it would have more of people's representatives, a smaller state does not bring the requisite pressure. But the bifurcation was done so quickly and the promises made to the residual AP is yet to be fulfilled," she said.

It is sad, she said, that today even 25 MPs of Andhra Pradesh are not able to unite for the cause.

"I request everyone, including Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to advise his MPs to join the hunger strike," she said.

Meanwhile, of the five YSRP MPs sitting on the huger strike, Tirupati MP Varaprasad Rao had to be rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital today following complaints of uneasiness.

Rao is the second MP who required medical attention a day after his colleague Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, 73 had to be taken to RML Hospital yesterday on complaints of uneasiness.

During her interaction with her party MPs, Vijayamma reiterated her party's stand on alliance and said, "Jagan had said he would align with any party that gives special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Whether it is Congress, BJP or the third front, he is ready to go to any extent to get the status."



CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had yesterday offered support to the protesting YSRCP MPs, who began the hunger strike on April 6 after submitting their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The crime branch of Jammu and Kashmir police is likely to submit the charge sheet before the high court in the rape and murder case of a minor girl in Kathua district next week, a senior police officer said today.

The incident had sparked an outrage across the state.

"The over two-and-a-half-month long investigation is almost complete and we are likely to file the charge sheet in the court, which is monitoring the case, next week," the officer told PTI.

Body of eight-year-old girl from the Bakherwal community was recovered from Rassana forest on January 17, a week after she went missing while grazing horses in the forest area.

On January 23, the government handed over the case to the crime branch of state police which formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) and arrested eight persons, including two Special Police Officers (SPOs) and a head constable, in connection with the case. The head constable was charged with destruction of evidence.

Among the accused, former revenue official and the alleged conspirator Sanji Ram (60) surrendered before the crime branch on March 20 after his son Vishal was arrested from Uttar Pradesh.

The officer, speaking on condition of anonymity, refused to divulge the exact date for filing of the charge sheet but said the probe was in its concluding phase after the crime branch received the forensic test reports which confirmed that the eight-year-old girl was held hostage at a temple premises, drugged and raped several times before being murdered.

Though the incident sent shock waves across the state, several parties including Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) and National Panthers Party (NPP) supported the demand for a CBI probe which, however, was turned down by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

The JHCBA is on strike since Thursday in support of various demands including handing over the Kathua rape-cum-murder case to CBI, a demand which was also highlighted by women relatives of the accused who are on an indefinite hunger strike since March 31.

The BJP, which is sharing power with the PDP in the state, yesterday said it supports the issues like deportation of Rohingyas and Bangladeshi immigrants raised by the JHCBA, but will not like to support them for the Rassana (rape-cum-murder) issue since it was subjudice.

It, however, alleged that one of the members of SIT, investigating the case, himself was involved in a "twin murder and rape case of Hindu boy and a girl".

"In-charge Karara Police Post, Thathri police station, was arrested in 2007 for murder of a boy and alleged rape of a girl during illegal custody. How can person of such a character and antecedents be associated with the present investigation and is likely to raise doubts on the fairness of the investigation," state BJP chief spokesperson Sunil R P Sethi had said.

Soon after the incident, the residents of Kathua formed the Hindu Ekta Manch and marched through the streets with tricolour to press for release of the arrested persons but later changed their demand for CBI inquiry after severe criticism from different quarters, including the chief minister.

On February 27, the residents of village Rassana migrated to Hiranagar as a protest against the PDP-BJP government, alleging harassment and mass detentions by the crime branch.

Two BJP ministers -- Lal Singh and Chander Prakash Ganga -- visited the protesters and supported their demand for a CBI probe.

On March 8, Chief Minister Mufti had rejected the demand of the BJP for a CBI probe and said the probe was almost complete by over 95 per cent.

The investigation revealed that it was a pre-planned murder carried out with the intention to instill fear among the Bakharwal nomads residing in the area and drive them out.

One of the arrested persons, who was said to be a juvenile, underwent for a medical examination at government medical college here on March 7 which opined that he was over 19 years old, two days before the crime branch submitted a detailed status report to the court.

Meanwhile, a women's roundtable conference, organised by NGO Fahad Mir Foundation of Jammu and Swar Raga of Haryana here yesterday, said the social crimes should not be politicised or communalised and dealt as per law.

The conference was attended by eminent women of Jammu who are acclaimed for their social work in diverse fields and research scholars from local universities and colleges.

"Social crimes should not be identified with any cast creed, religion, or particular strata. Women are powerful enough to question and challenge any such negative development in the society," founder of Fahad Mir Foundation Ruchi Chauhan Khan said.

She alleged that there was some delay in addressing the critical issue of Rassana rape and murder case. "The message should go across that all atrocities against women or any vulnerable section must be seen as social challenges, and not twisted to suit political or communal agendas," Khan said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Chennai Port Trust here has taken up dredging activities in order to attract large number of cruise vessels and has received Rs 70.24 crore as grant from the Tourism Ministry for the purpose, a top official said.

"We have been taking up dredging activities for receiving large cruise vessels. In fact, a maiden cruise vessel 'Viking Sun' was handled (by us) on April 1," he said.

Elaborating, he said, the existing cruise terminal has been upgraded and modernised to international standards following the grant received from Ministry of Tourism.

The Port Trust is ready to receive the Cruise Vessels with all facilities required, he said.

The 'Viking Sun' cruise vessel with 845 tourists on board was handled at the Chennai Port Trust en route to Cochin.

He said the Port Trust was also awarded the 'Best Tourist Friendly Harbour Award' during the Tamil Nadu Tourism Award ceremony held last month based on the State-of-the-Art cruise facilities available at the Port.

It was in recognition to the efforts taken by the Port to encourage tourism through cruise vessels, he noted.

On the initiatives taken to transport containers through ships to Puducherry, he said the Port Trust undertook first ever coastal movement of containers to neighbouring Union Territory in February.

"The movement of about 1,500 to 2,000 containers per week between Chennai and Puducherry commenced on February 23. Due to this initiative, there will be reduction of trucks carrying containers on road," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on March 15 here but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.

The delegation of China's People's Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior Army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
The Cabinet may soon take a call on whether a fresh lease is required by state-owned Coal India for extracting coal bed methane (CBM) which remains untapped in want of clarity, a top official today said.

To expedite gas production from coal seams, however, the government had earlier permitted Coal India to mine CBM through a notification.

"Both the ministries (Coal Ministry and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas) sat along with the others....It has been sorted out that there is no need for a separate lease and that CCEA note is still pending. So, once the CCEA decides that then we will go ahead," Coal Secretary Susheel Kumar told PTI in a interview.

Coal Bed Methane is a form of natural gas trapped in coal seams underground. Such gas can be extracted by drilling into the seam.

"The CCEA (Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs) note is about just to say that there is no need for a separate lease. You know they (Petroleum ministry) had issued some notification and we said that notification needs to be amended the way we are saying. That amendment will have to be done for which it is pending in CCEA," the secretary explained.

"But essentially it (the notification) says there is no need for fresh lease," Kumar explained.

On the question that when will the CCEA take a call on this, he said "I think anytime. There was some clarification needed why only for the Coal India. So, our response has been because Coal India is a PSU and large amount of area under CBA acquired with it".

The coal ministry, he said, has identified CBM as priority area.

The secretary said gas is the remit of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, so the issue came is that if Coal India wants to extract gas then it has to take a fresh lease of the same area under the relevant act from the petroleum ministry.

"We were of the view that since (with regard to) our public sector Coal India, the acquisition of land is under the CBA (Coal Bearing Areas (Acquisition & Development) Act, 1957). And rather it is not acquisition. It vests. So, it is not the lease. It vests with the central government when CBA Act is applied and the the acquisition takes place.

So, it is unlike the normal land acquisition act where you acquire and state government gives you a lease. State government does not give any lease here," he explained.

Once acquired under the CBA Act, the land vests absolutely with Central government so there is no need for a fresh lease under any Act, Kumar said.

"So, whatever lies within-- coal and gas everything--can be mined or extracted," he added.

The petroleum ministry had earlier allowed Coal India to mine the hydrocarbon. However, the permission came with a rider that Coal India cannot involve a private third party for CBM exploitation.

It can only give out equity participation to a central or state PSU with experience in CBM exploration, while the majority stake would remain with Coal India.

The secretary further said, "What is the harm in private sector participating because ownership is not with them...So, we have also in our comments said that permission should also given to allow private sector to be partner in extraction of methane".

Coal Minister Piyush Goyal had in a reply to Rajya Sabha had last month said that Coal India Ltd (CIL) has taken initiatives to undertake the work of extraction of CBM from its mining leasehold area.

The initial activities include assessment of CBM potentiality in subsidiaries of Coal India Ltd to delineate CBM blocks in Damodar Valley Basin.

Accordingly one block each has been delineated in Jharia coalfields and Raniganj Coalfields.

The minister had further said that "on receipt of modified guidelines and MoP&NG (Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas) considering exemption of applicability of Oilfield (Regulation and Development) Act, 1948 and Petroleum and Natural Gas Rules, 1959 within coal mining leasehold areas, further action will be initiated for extraction of gas and time line will be drawn accordingly".

The minister also said that a demonstration project was taken up in Jharia coalfields. Further for commercial exploitation, CIL is contemplating to extract CBM by engaging experienced developer through global tender.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Emily Blunt says for the survival of a relationship it is important to communicate.

The 35-year-old star, who has kids Hazel, four, and Violet, 22 months, with her husband John Krasinski, says having an honest dialogue has kept her married life sorted.

"We've always been able to talk and discuss everything together. It's an advantage having someone who understands your profession. We also try to be very supportive of each other and we know that we always have each other to rely on and make each other feel very loved and appreciated. It's a beautiful thing," Blunt told OK! magazine.

The actor also praised her husband's parenting skills, revealing he has helped her to balance the demands of parenthood and her acting career.

"He's a very good father and that's been a great source of comfort to me. It's not easy pursuing a Hollywood career when raising young children. He's great at making sure there are always fresh bottles of milk and fresh food in the house. Just those little things make such a big difference.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Newly appointed All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge for Bihar Shaktisinh Gohil today said that party would stage dharna-cum-fast tomorrow in the state to expose BJP's "lies and cheating".

"The BJP government's Law minister said that the central government was not party to the case in which the Supreme court delivered its judgement on SC/ST Act. Rather it was the government's contention that became the basis of the apex court judgement," he told reporters here.

Congress is in favour of tough and strong Act for protecting the rights of people belonging to SC/ST categories, he added.

Gohil was on his maiden visit to the state after being appointed the party's Bihar in-charge.

He said he would participate in "Aamantran Yatra" that would begin from tomorrow from Sheohar district.

Asked about his meeting with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at Sadaquat Ashram, the Congress leader said it was a courtesy call and no political discussion took place in the meeting.

On the issue of legislative council election for 11 seats which are slated to be held on April 26, Gohil said that there is still time for filing of nomination and it will be decided at an appropriate time.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Upset with Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi over his decision to defend the TMC in the Supreme Court in a case related to the upcoming panchayat polls in West Bengal, several party workers raised slogans against him here today.

The panchayat polls will be held in three phases in West Bengal -- on May 1, 3 and 5. The opposition parties in the state have alleged attacks and intimidations by the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers to prevent them from filing nominations for the election.

Singhvi represented the West Bengal government at the Supreme Court yesterday during the hearing of a petition filed by the BJP over the alleged violence related to the panchayat polls.

A handful of Congress workers shouted "Manu Singhvi go back" at the airport this morning, when the Congress leader, who was here to attend a private event, was about to leave the city.

Singhvi, who recently won a Rajya Sabha seat from West Bengal with the TMC's support, appeared unperturbed by the slogan-shouting and entered the airport flashing a "victory" sign.

Around 25 Congress workers were arrested yesterday after Singhvi was shown black flags on the city streets.

A senior Congress leader said the state unit would inform party president Rahul Gandhi about the matter.

"He (Singhvi) is a Congress MP, but he is still fighting in favour of the TMC in this case. Congress workers are being beaten up every day and we are not being allowed to file nominations. This will send a wrong message to the rank and file of the party," he added.

State Congress president Adhir Chowdhury, who moved the high court on Friday seeking deployment of central paramilitary forces in the state to ensure a free-and-fair panchayat election, expressed his disappointment over Singhvi representing the TMC in court.

"It is very surprising and disappointing to see that while I am approaching the Calcutta High Court against the state government, one of our MPs is arguing in favour of the ruling party in the Supreme Court," he said.

Singhvi, on his part, said his arguments in court were based on facts and figures provided by the chief secretary and home secretary of West Bengal.

"I was appearing against the BJP and the Congress is not a party to the petition. No one knew that the Congress had also moved a petition at the same time in the Calcutta High Court. I discovered it when someone pointed it out in the court. I think there was a lack of communication," he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Asserting that his government will not tolerate graft, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said today that all cases of corruption, whether belonging to the past or the present regimes, will be probed thoroughly and the guilty will be brought to book.

"All cases of corruption whether belonging to the previous governments or the present government, will be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty will not be spared," an official release quoting Khattar said.

He was in Rohtak to attend a 'Virat Vyapari Sammelan'.

Khattar said everybody knew there was rampant corruption during the previous regimes in transfers, matters of recruitment and permissions related to change of land use or CLU.

Any gang found guilty of corruption would be dealt with sternly under the law, he said.

Answering a query on the issue of expansion of his cabinet, the chief minister said, We have no such plan. You are writing on your own in newpapers regarding cabinet expansion. I fail to understand if a call on this issue should be taken by me or by the media."



On the Sutlej Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, Khattar said the Supreme Court had already delivered its verdict and the state would get its rightful share of the river waters.

There are some leaders who make some statements in Punjab, something else in Haryana and Delhi. People should be careful of such leaders, he said hitting out at political rivals.

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A Delhi court has directed the police to conduct a fair probe into the murder of a man allegedly by his close female friend after his mother complained of laxity in the investigation.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumedh Kumar Sethi gave the direction on the application filed by Anu Duggal, alleging that despite providing the names of suspects to the police, they were repeatedly trying to show the case as suicide and not taking action.

The court had on the last date of hearing directed lodging of FIR in the case against Megha Tiwari and her father R K Tiwari and had pulled up the police for deliberately attempting to portray it as a case of suicide.

Duggal, who said she has not been examined in the case yet, had lodged the complaint alleging that her 23-year-old son Arnav was strangled to death by Megha at her Dwarka residence on June 13 last year.

"Needless to say that it is expected from the investigating officer (IO) that he shall examine all persons whose version is pertinent to the case and collect all material that is relevant. It also goes without saying that investigation has to be conducted in a fair and impartial manner without any pre-conceived notions," the court said.

The court, which had earlier rejected the version of the accused father and daughter that Arnav took his life by hanging from a ceiling fan, said "It has already been pointed out by the court on the last date of hearing that one need not be a rocket scientist to know that there is some discrepancy in the version given by R K Tiwari (father of victim's female friend) regarding the fan in question vis-a-vis the version of the forensic team and what is apparent from the photographs of the fan. All these points shall be looked into by the IO."



The court, however, said it can only supervise the investigation and not step into the shoes of the IO.

"The arrest or otherwise of the suspect is the prerogative of the IO. In the status report it has already been mentioned that look out circular has already been issued against accused woman. He assures similar action will be taken against other accused if required," it said.

The court also sought clarification from the DCP Crime Branch on the status report submitted before it saying, it does not show if the inquiry has been assigned to him by the Commissioner of Police, Delhi and posted the matter for hearing on April 28.

The court had earlier slammed the Delhi Police for its shoddy probe into the mysterious death of Arnav, who was a manager at the high-end ITC Grand Bharat here, with a direction to register an FIR to probe his "tragic death" saying the case required thorough investigation to unearth the "blatant attempt" of the police to give it the colour of suicide.

It has also ordered an inquiry into the alleged lapses on the part of the police officials involved in the case and directed that strict action be taken if a deliberate attempt to scuttle the probe was found.

It had also transferred the probe from Inspector Sunil Jain, the investigating officer, saying it be given "to some other responsible and senior officer".

Arnav's mother, in her plea seeking FIR into the matter, alleged various contradictions and discrepancies in the investigation by the police and that it was hand-in-glove with the accused.

The court had accepted the contention of the complainant and said the ligature marks found on the backside of victim's neck hinted at strangulation and not hanging.

It had also noted that the accused woman had said she had ended her relationship with the victim but she had stayed with him a night before the incident.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
goober said: It's the law, if a person requests amnesty, the law requires that request to be processed. Click to expand...



There was a time not too long ago in New York when the able-bodied were ashamed to accept home relief, a program created by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1931 when he was Governor. Now, New York City and many other major cities are infested with countless government cheese factions from poverty stricken countries, who not only demand welfare, but use it to buy beer, wine, drugs, sex, and Lotto tickets.





What? What on earth are you talking about?JWK
The Mumbai Sessions Court has upheld the order of a magistrate's court, sentencing a city resident to a week in prison for cutting four trees in his residential society in 2014.

The magistrate's court in suburban Dadar had convicted Sadashiv Kamble, a former secretary of the residential society, under the Maharashtra (Urban Areas) Protection and Preservation of Trees Act for completely chopping a jamun, a coconut, a guava and a gulmohar tree in 2014, whereas he only had the permission to trim the trees.

"The appeal is dismissed. Judgment and order by Metropolitan Magistrate, 41st Court, Dadar, is confirmed," Additional Sessions Judge M B Datye said recently, while dismissing Kamble's appeal against the conviction.

The magistrate's order that had also slapped a fine of Rs 2,000 on Kamble did not require any interference, the judge noted.

According to the prosecution, Kamble, had reportedly told the residents of the society that he had the permission to fell the trees, whereas he was only allowed to trim the trees by the municipal authorities.

A resident had told the magistrate's court that Kamble, in August 2014, had asked the other residents of the society to remove their vehicles as he wanted to cut the branches of the trees.

Kamble had summoned labourers, who had first chopped off the branches of the trees, before cutting the trunks.

When the resident enquired with the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), he found out that no such permission was granted, following which he approached the civic body against Kamble, according to the prosecution.

Another resident had told the magistrate's court that Kamble had obtained the permission to only trim the trees.

A BMC official told the court that he and other officials had visited the residential society on receiving complaints and found out that four trees were chopped, after which a police complaint was filed.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A 22-year-old Dalit man was beaten to death allegedly by five persons mob suspecting of stealing some goods in Baghra village here, police said today.

Ankit was yesterday beaten to death by Rampal, Lokesh, Ajay, Amit and Haseen. The five accused suspected Ankit, a labourer, of stealing goods, Superintendent of Police (rural) Ajay Sahdev said.

The man was rushed to a hospital where he was declared brought dead, the officer said.

On the basis of a complaint by the labourer's mother, a case was registered against the five men under relevant sections of IPC and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, he said.

Following which, the five men were arrested, who during interrogation confessed to the crime and told police that they suspected Ankit was stealing from them, the SP said.

Investigation is underway in the matter, the officer added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dalits, who are "angry" with the NDA government, will play a key role in deciding the country's next prime minister a year down the line and back Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the coveted slot, party leader Nitin Raut has said.

Newly-appointed chairman of the Congress' SC department Raut said Dalit youth will get attracted to Gandhi's leadership for a positive future than other non-BJP/NDA leaders, including those representing the community.

This is mainly because the Congress chief stands a chance to become the prime minister unlike those leaders, he added.

The former Maharashtra minister also dismissed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent claim that his government has honoured Dalit icon B R Ambedkar like no other previous dispensation. Raut charged Modi and the BJP with issuing such statements only eyeing the community's votes.

Dalits, especially the community youth, are feeling angry under the NDA's regime. They are being denied educational, employment opportunities which never happened when the Congress was in power. This anger will make Dalits play a key role in deciding the next prime minister, Raut told PTI.

He said in the run up to the next Lok Sabha polls, his department will focus hard on uniting as many Dalits as possible under the Congress' umbrella to see Gandhi is propelled to the post of the prime minister.

There are 84 parliamentary seats which are reserved for the scheduled castes across the country. The BJP had won more of these seats than any other party in the 2014 general elections. The Congress could win only 3-4 of these reserved seats, Raut said.

We will try to win maximum seats possible in 2019 based on the works governments led by our party had done for the Dalits. We have records to show that. We will try to unite Dalits, he said.

At a time when Dalit voters are divided and follow several leaders like Jignesh Mevani, Raut said the community members will be attracted to Gandhi nationally as he is more likely to become the prime minister than the former.

He also said Dalits have no option but to look at the Congress, if they don't want BJP at the Centre again given no other party than either of these two will be able to form the next government.

Dalits have accepted, honoured leaders like Mevani or the others. But these leaders are yet to establish their parties nationally. So, they can't be prime minister," Raut said.

Dalits, therefore, will get attracted towards whoever is likely to become a prime minister. It will be our endeavour to see Rahul ji in that position, he said.

Raut also said his party will work to see that the promises made to Dalits are kept after it comes to power.

Criticising Modi over his comment that his government has honoured Ambedkar more than any other government, Raut said the Dalit icon himself was not supportive of the RSS or Hindu Mahasabha.

What have they (the BJP) given to the members of the community in actual terms? Merely constructing memorials or monuments does not suffice, but you have to deliver for people. So, what they are saying is basically eyeing votes, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Dalmia Cement is confident that its Rs 63.5 billion offer to buy Binani Cements Ltd (BCL) will be approved by the NCLT on the back of NCLAT directions to proceed the insolvency resolution according to the IBC, according to a top company official.

Last week, the Committee of Creditors (CoC) of had decided to stick with the offer from Dalmia Bharat Cement for the debt-ridden firm's sale under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Moreover, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had also asked the adjudicating authority, which is National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), to proceed with the resolution process of as per the IBC.

"As far as we are concerned, we have a clear cut direction from NCLAT to do the process as per the law and in a timebound manner. That's why we are confident that NCLT will be approving our resolution plan on April 9 and that should pave the way for resolving this asset," Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd Group CEO Mahendra Singhi told PTI.

On April 5, while posting the matter for further hearing on April 19, the NCLAT had stated that "pendency of the appeal will not come in the way of the Adjudicating Authority to proceed with the Corporate Insolvency Resolution Process in accordance with the provisions of I&B Code, 2016".

NCLAT Chairperson Justice SJ Mukhopadhaya had further observed that the NCLT "may pass order uninfluenced by the impugned order" of March 27 it had passed and NCLAT's order of April 3, 2018.

"It is great development as the whole process of resolution will not get delayed," Singhi said, adding the case would also show the world that India can bring resolution of stressed assets in a time-bound manner.

Last Tuesday, the NCLAT had given Binani Industries and CoC the 'liberty' to reach settlement after the company had submitted before it stating that it had "offered better amount which is approximately 100 per cent of the dues to the Committee of Creditors".

On March 27, the Kolkata bench of NCLT had stated that "in the larger interest of all stakeholders, possibility of having a harmonious settlement is to be considered, parties are free to consider it out of Tribunal".

The next hearing of the matter will take place at the Kolkata bench of the NCLT on April 9.

Last month, Dalmia Cement had said its Rs 63.5 billion bid to buy Binani Cements Ltd (BCL) through its subsidiary Rajputana Properties was accepted by the lenders. It had also offered 20 per cent equity in Binani to the lenders.

However, later, UltraTech Cement entered into an agreement with BIL to buy 98.43 per cent stake in BCL. It had also agreed to issue a comfort letter to provide Rs 72.66 billion to Binani Industries Ltd for ending insolvency proceedings against

Singhi said such a development would have been a breach of contract.

"The offer process has ended and we have already given bank guarantee of around Rs 6.3 billion The whole purpose was to have a transparent process," he said.

Amid the developments, last week Binani Industries Ltd stated that it had filed application for termination of insolvency resolution process of its debt-ridden subsidiary Binani Cement Ltd (BCL).
The Delhi Police will take the three arrested accused in the CBSE Class 12 Economics paper leak case to Una in Himachal Pradesh to reconstruct the sequence of events and question some more people there, sources said.

The special investigation team of Delhi Police's Crime Branch yesterday arrested three staff members of the DAV School in Una in connection with the case.

"The trio will be taken to Una, possibly tomorrow, to reconstruct the entire scene. The investigation so far has revealed that the paper was leaked from there, although it went viral through around 40 WhatsApp groups in Delhi, Haryana, Punjab and maybe other states," said a senior Delhi Police officer.

The paper was allegedly leaked by DAV School's economics teacher Rakesh Kumar, with the help of his colleague Amit Sharma, a clerk and Ashok Kumar, a peon of the school, three days before the Economics paper was scheduled on March 26.

"We will question the manager of the Union Bank of India as well as the principal of the Navodaya Vidyalaya in Una, where Rakesh was a superintendent of the CBSE exam," he said.

Rakesh had allegedly taken out a bundle of the economics paper from the bank's strong room on March 23, while taking out a bundle of the computer science paper, which was due that day.

A hand-written copy of the economics paper was then sent to many through 40 WhatsApp groups.

"We will also question the students who got the hand-written copy of the paper. The student in Una, who copied the paper in her handwriting and who was being helped by Rakesh, will also be questioned," the officer said.

The Crime Branch will also question a female relative of Rakesh in Chandigarh, whom he had allegedly sent the hand-written question paper through WhatsApp. Two other women, who were sent the paper by the relative, will also be questioned, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Ahead of rainy season, the public works department of the Delhi government has planned to launch a two-month exercise to desilt the city's drains from April 15, a move intended to prevent waterlogging on roads.

The department has set a target of completing desilting works by June 15.

In a written reply to a question asked by Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta in the Assembly, PWD Minister Satyendar Jain said the department is inviting tenders for the desilting works.

"The Public Works Department is inviting tenders for desilting of drains and the target of starting the work is April 15, 2018," the minister told the House.

Delhiites have to face waterlogging problem during every monsoon. There are around 165 major drains in the city.

Last year, the desilting of drains had caused tussle between the government and bureaucracy, with Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal seeking action against the then PWD Secretary Ashwani Kumar for not obeying his order over desilting of drains.

Lt Governor Anil Baijal had also formed a high-level committee to look after desilting of drains and open manholes in the national capital.

The committee would coordinate with various agencies for the desilting work so that they did not end up passing the buck among each other.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar today pitched for building 'performance indicators' for the devolution of funds to states.

Kumar also said that while fiscal irresponsibility is bad, "fiscal fetish" is also not desirable and a delicate balance has to be maintained.

"I think it is clear that these (devolution of funds) criteria has to include some performance based criteria. And therefore those states which have done better in certain performance should not be punished.

"...I think it is better deal now to start process of building some performance indicators for the devolution of funds and then increase it in phased manner," the NITI Aayog vice chairman said at an event organised by industry body CII.

Kumar's observations come in the backdrop of some states expressing disquiet about the Terms of Reference of the 15th Finance Commission to decide the sharing of tax resources between the Centre and states.

The NITI Aayog was in favour of recommending to the 15th Finance Commission to consider Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) performance for allocating a small percentage of funds to different states, he said.

But unfortunately they found that if the government uses SDG performance criteria for funds devolution to the states, "then it is the more backward states or populated states that will lose some of their allocations and that would be politically harmful", Kumar said.

Karnataka Agriculture Minister Krishna Byre Gowda had recently alleged that the Centre was playing politics over the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the 15th Finance Commission.

He said ToR would lead to progressive states getting lesser allocation for the 2020-25 period.

On the other hand, states that were lagging in governance and responsibility to deliver socio-economic services would be rewarded by grants, he argued.

Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister Yanamala Ramakrishnudu had also recently objected to the terms and conditions set forth for the 15th Finance Commission for devolution of funds.

Finance ministers of all southern states would meet in Thiruvananthapuram on April 10 to discuss all these issues.

The 15th Finance Commission had decided on the percentage of financial devolution and grants-in-aid, taking the 2011 census as the basis for central assistance.

The commission was constituted late last year under the chairmanship of N K Singh



Kumar also stressed that fiscal irresponsibility is bad but "fiscal fetish" is also not good and a balance must be maintained.

He also pointed out that the country is entering a new era of much larger fiscal space because of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) and buoyancy in direct tax collection.

Kumar also appealed to the industry body to come up with new formula for enhancing growth.

According to Kumar, macro-economic policy in India needs to be counter-cyclical.

He said that while the Fiscal Responsibility and Budget Management Act did have a role to play in discouraging short-term populist measures and promoted fiscal discipline, there was also no need to be concerned about borrowing that finances long term capital expenditure.

Kumar also pointed out that certain expenditures such as those for health and education could be viewed as capital expenditure as they promote productivity gains in the long run.

In his address, Soumitra Dutta, Professor of Management and Former Dean, S C Johnson College of Business, Cornell University, highlighted that the Indian government's expenditure was rising faster than its income.

Over the past 40 years, India's expenditure was rising at the rate of 6 per cent per annum, while its income was rising by 4.6 per cent. He felt that there was a need to undertake deep structural reforms to correct this situation. He also said the best way to address this imbalance was to promote rapid industrial growth in the country.

Deepak Nayyar, Emeritus Professor of Economics, Jawaharlal Nehru University and former Vice Chancellor, University of Delhi stated that there was a need to downsize government to balance income and expenditure.

He said that while the government would find it difficult to widen the tax base, the only option open to it was to cut expenditure and the only way to do that was to downsize the government.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Congress today claimed that party veteran Digvijay Singh gathered evidence on "corruption" in the Madhya Pradesh government during his 'Narmada yatra', which he is going to reveal soon.

The 3,300-km-long yatra, which was started on September 30 last year, will conclude tomorrow.

"During his yatra, our party leader has collected huge evidence pertaining to corruption of the BJP government in the state," Leader of Opposition in the MP Assembly, Ajay Singh, said.

Singh, 70, and his wife Amrita started the 'parikrama' (circumambulation) of the Narmada river in MP as a "religious and spiritual" exercise from Narsinghpur district.

After completing his yatra, the former chief minister would surely reveal about the rampant corruption prevailing in the state, the LoP said.

During the yatra, aggrieved people and whistle-blowers gave Digvijay Singh documents pertaining to the alleged illegal mining and wrongdoings in the Narmada river, state Congress leader P D Sharma, who had also walked some distance during the yatra, claimed.

"He is going to drop bombshells after completing the yatra," Sharma said.

The overwhelming support that he has received during the yatra from people, especially the religious leaders, has "baffled" the chief minister, Digvijay Singh's son and Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh said.

"Chouhan is so scared that he recently accorded the MoS status to five saints in a futile attempt to dim the impact of my father's yatra. These saints were about to take out the 'Narmada Ghotala Yatra' against the alleged illegal mining in the river, but withdrew after getting the MoS status," he said.

But by granting them MoS status, Chouhan has courted trouble and is being criticised nationwide for it, he said.

"The state government is so worried that its intelligence wing is keeping a close watch on my father's yatra," the legislator alleged.

The BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, which goes to poll later this year, recently accorded the MoS status to five Hindu religious leaders -- Narmadanand Maharaj, Hariharanand Maharaj, Computer Baba, Bhayyu Maharaj and Pandit Yogendra Mahant.

The five saints had proposed a stir against an alleged scam in the state government's Narmada conservation programme. A day after getting the 'MoS' status, two of them cancelled their proposed agitation.

Three months back, Digvijay Singh, the descendant of the erstwhile royal family of Raghogarh, had said he was worried about the plight of the revered river due to illegal sand mining.

The Narmada is the "oldest" river in India, he had said during his yatra covering 11 Assembly constituencies in the state, and demanded urgent measures to ensure its revival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The commerce and industry ministry has convened a meeting on April 11 of all stakeholders, including farmer associations, private companies and government departments to deliberate upon issues pertaining to (FDI) in the tobacco sector.

Currently, FDI is prohibited in the manufacturing of cigars, cigarettes and tobacco substitutes. However, it is permitted in technology collaboration in any form, including licensing for franchise, trademark, brand name and management contracts in the tobacco sector.

The meeting assumes significance as the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), under the ministry, had earlier in 2016 floated a proposal to put a complete ban on FDI in the tobacco segment.

In that proposal, the ministry had proposed to ban FDI in licensing for franchisee, trademark, brand name and management contracts in the sector, which mean FDI would be totally banned in the tobacco segment in any form.

However, the government could not take any decision on the matter due to concerns raised in certain quarters, including tobacco farmers' associations and companies like Godfrey Phillips.

"All these issues and concerns are expected to figure in the meeting," sources said.

There were also apprehensions that completely banning overseas investments in the sector could have a possible impact on farmers who are growing tobacco.

The domestic tobacco industry is mainly dominated by ITC Ltd, which controls over 78 per cent of the segment.

The meeting is expected to be attended by officials from departments of commerce and health besides tobacco farmers' associations from Andhra Pradesh, representatives of Godfrey Phillips India, Philip Morris International and ITC.

Representatives from US India Business Council, Virginia Tobacco farmers Associations, Ficci, Andhra Farmers Welfare Association, Federation of All India Farmers Associations (FAIFA) and All India Bidi Industray Association are also among the 24 groups invited for the meeting.

The ministry's call for the meeting also comes at a time when domestic firms are complaining over tobacco rules in India that 'discriminate' against cigarettes through high taxation and graphic pictorial warnings, thereby promoting smuggling.

Last week, farmers' body FAIFA asked the government to investigate the possibility of involvement of multinational tobacco firms in cigarette smuggling in India.

It also claimed that Indian tobacco farmers have lost more than Rs 36.5 billion in the last three years due to loss of volumes of the domestic legal industry to illegal smuggled cigarettes.

Putting a complete FDI ban also assumed importance as India is signatory to the World Health Organisations (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, under which the country has the responsibility of reducing consumption of tobacco products.

FDI into the country grew by 9 per cent to USD 43.48 billion in 2016-17.
DMDK women's wing leader Premalatha Vijayakanth and around 200 party workers were arrested when they attempted to picket the Sterlite's copper smelter unit here today demanding its closure, police said.

Her brother and youth wing leader of the party L K Sutheesh was among the arrested, they said.

Premalatha, wife of DMDK founder leader Vijayakanth, was leading the agitation against Sterlite alleging that it was causing ground water pollution.

The residents in and around the plant have been holding demonstrations and fast over the last 50 days demanding the closure of the factory citing environmental concerns.

Various political parties such as DMK and actor Kamal Hassan's Makkal Neethi Mayyam have also taken part in the anti-Sterlite protest.

The company has rejected the allegation, saying there was no violation of pollution control norms.

On April 4, the Madras High Court had directed the police to provide security for the plant in the wake of the agitation.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Uttar Pradesh farmers trading in 100 electronic National Agriculture Markets (eNAM) can expect better internet speed soon as the state government has initiated the work for installation of leased line in these regulated wholesale mandis.

UP has set up 100 eNAM mandis in the country and are operational with 27.31 lakh registered farmers so far.

At present, farmers are trading online within a mandi in the state. Inter-mandi trading is also being tested on a pilot basis in selective mandis.

"Poor internet connectivity is a major problem. Internet speed is necessary for both to operate eNAM app on mobile phone and even on desktop. We have issued a tender to BSNL to install leased lines. The work has begun," a senior Agriculture Ministry official, posted in Lucknow, told PTI.

The leased line installation should complete in all 100 mandis in the next 2-3 months, he told PTI.

The eNAM, launched in April 2016 across India, aims to help farmers with better price discovery and provide facilities for smooth marketing of their produce.

The official further said that out of 100 eNAM mandis in UP, around 20 mandis are active including Lakhimpur and Saharanpur mandis, while some are yet to pick business volumes.

Gradually, the online trading is getting streamlined in Uttar Pradesh. "Initially, there were complaints that bids were fed into the system. Now, these issues are resolved. The software now does not accept bids entered later."



Even the delay in payments have been addressed. Farmers are paid by cheque in the absence of online payment, he added.

Though middlemen are eliminated completely on the e-NAM platform but are still active in offline trading that is undertaken in the mandis.

"Not all commodities are being traded on eNAM. The offline trading is still in operation. The commission agents and middlemen are active there," the official said.

Meanwhile, the state government is creating awareness among farmers to trade on the eNAM App on their mobile phones without visiting to mandis. Its success, however, would again depend on internet speed in remote areas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Using cutting-edge technology, the FBI has solved a century-old archaeological mystery of the identity of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy, after extracting DNA from its tooth.

Since 1915, when the severed head of a mummy was discovered in the corner of a looted tomb in the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir el-Bersha, archaeologists have puzzled over its identity.

Despite deciphering that the tomb belonged to a governor named Djehutynakht and his wife, they have long deliberated over whose head it was.

"We never knew whether it was Mr Djehutynakht or Mrs Djehutynakht," CNN quoted Rita Freed, a curator at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) that has stored the tomb's entire contents since 1920, as saying.

Now, almost 100 years later, thanks to research by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published last month in the journal Genes, they can definitively say the head was male and that it belonged to the governor himself.

For Freed, this not only marks the culmination of a century-old archaeological enigma, but is also a testament to the technological advances in DNA testing, the report said.

"We now know the FBI has developed a technique to reconstruct the very most degraded DNA. If they can reconstruct DNA from a 4,000-year-old tooth, they can reconstruct it from just about anything," she says.

The sheer age of the head, and the desert environment it was found in, made it particularly difficult to extract DNA. As Odile Loreille, a forensic scientist at the FBI, explains, DNA degrades faster in hot conditions.

The damage endured by the mummified head made it even more difficult to analyse. It was found at the bottom of a 30ft pit, in a tomb that had been ransacked and robbed in antiquity. The looters had stolen most of the jewellery and precious metals, dislodging the couple's corpses in the process. The decapitated head was found on top of the governor's coffin.

Modern archaeologists damaged it further when handling the head during the various attempts at identification since its discovery, the report said.

In 2005, scientists at the neurology department of the Massachusetts General Hospital performed a CT scan on the mummy, but was still unable to determine whether it was male or female. All the scan revealed was that certain cheek bones and parts of the lower jaw -- features that could have held clues to the mummy's sex -- had been removed in a highly skilled surgical procedure.

Researchers suggested this could have been linked to the ancient Egyptian "opening of the mouth" ceremony, which was intended to enable the dead to eat and drink in the afterlife.

Four years later, the hospital tried to test the head's DNA, by extracting its tooth -- the part least likely to be contaminated, because of the protective enamel. But to no avail.

This is when the FBI came in -- "a very unusual partner," Freed admits. The US investigation unit reached out to the museum, attracted by the unusual sample.

It was not so much the historical significance of the mummy that appealed to the FBI, but the scientific challenge it could pose, Anthony Onorato, chief of the FBI's DNA support unit, told the network.

The FBI saw the mummified head as an opportunity to practice extracting DNA from contaminated materials.

"It's not like the FBI has a unit -- like an X-files unit -- that just does historical cases," says Onorato. "It's that we're actually trying to develop criminal procedures using historical items."



So, in 2016, the ancient dental crown was handed to Loreille, who has a successful track record of extracting genetic material from very, very old bodies, the report said.

But even Loreille was not optimistic initially.

The forensic scientists drilled into the tooth, collected the powder, dissolved it in a chemical solution, ran it through a DNA copy machine and then a sequencing instrument. Once they had obtained the data, Loreille studied it, checking the ratios of sex chromosomes in the DNA sequence. From this, she could determine that the skull was male.

"I was very happily surprised," Loreille says, "we got lucky.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A long dry spell sent the mercury soaring in Jammu and Kashmir's summer capital of Srinagar, which recorded its hottest-ever March this year, and raised the spectre of drought-like conditions.

Authorities have advised farmers in many areas not to cultivate paddy - a water-intensive crop - and the agricultural department is preparing a contingency plan to deal with any eventuality.

"The Kashmir Valley has been witnessing above-normal maximum temperatures. Especially in the month of March, the day temperatures were eight to 11 notches above the normal," an official of the Meteorological Department told PTI here.

"Though there has been some relief in this month, the maximum temperature is still above the normal for this part of the year.

He said the valley recorded the hottest ever month of March this year and the maximum temperature broke the nearly five decade-old record.

On the last day of March this year, Srinagar recorded a maximum of 28.3 degrees Celsius, which was 10.7 degrees above the normal. It was the all time high recorded by the capital city in its recorded history. The last record the highest day temperature in Srinagar in the month of March - was 27.3 degrees Celsius on 27 March 1971, the official said.

He said while the day temperature across Kashmir was still above normal, some rainfall earlier this month had an effect on the weather.

Deputy director, metrological centre, Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad said Kashmir has been witnessing a mainly dry spell since January and the Valley may continue to experience above normal maximum temperatures. There was not much rainfall or snow in January or even in February. Only about 20 per cent of rainfall has been there.

He said March was also dry. "The temperature has shot up because of the prolonged dry spell.

The situation was worrisome and alarming as less rainfall would impact "almost everything", even causing forest fires as was recently seen, Ahmad said.

This is an alarming situation. But, we have seen that there have been dry spells in some years. We had a dry winter in 2014, then we had much rains in 2015. So, this cycle is there every three-four years."



He said incidents of forest fires are "definitely linked" with dry spells. "We had witnessed fire in Shalimar forest area even in December (last year). This is a worrisome situation. Had there been good rainfall, we would not have been experiencing this kind of situation, he said.

The deputy director at the MeT Office said the maximum temperature may shoot up this month as well and the dry spell may affect agriculture and horticulture sector.

We can have temperature shoot up to 30 (degrees Celsius) in April. Agriculture and horticulture will suffer. Fruit ripening may advance by a month or so. It will be early. Fruit production will be impacted. Their quality may be affected as well. There will be effect on paddy and other such crops, he said.

According to the IMD, Jammu and Kashmir is in the category of large rain-deficient state for the period between March 1 and April 4 this year.

While the normal rainfall for this period for Jammu and Kashmir is 164.8 mm, the state has received just 64.4 mm -- deficient by 61 per cent.

In January, Srinagar received 1.2 mm rainfall as compared to normal range of 53.9 mm. While in February, the summer capital received 44.7 mm rainfall compared to normal range of 81.99 mm, according to the data.

The deficient rainfall and snowfall prompted the state's Irrigation and Flood Control (IFC) department to issue advisories to farmers in various districts to opt for crops other than paddy as the Valley stares at the prospects of a drought.

In the last week of March, the IFC Department advised farmers in north Kashmir and central Kashmir's Ganderbal district not to cultivate paddy this season due to water scarcity. Instead, the department said, pulses and other cash crops, which use less water, be sown.

An official of the IFC department said paddy fields in the Valley are irrigated by channels which are mostly rain and snow-fed, but the water table is at very low this year.

This year, there has been scant snowfall and rainfall so far and there is not much water in the water bodies in the Valley, he said.

The official said, while so far the advisories have been issued to districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Ganderbal, if the dry weather prolongs, it could be issued in other areas of the Valley.

Based on these advisories, the agriculture department is preparing a contingency plan so that farmers are secured from facing economic losses, the officer said.

IFC department has given an advisory that there will be a shortfall (of water for irrigation purposes). We have devised a contingency plan of what could be a suggestive measure so that farmers will not be put in economic distress because of losing crop.

"We have suggested them to go for maize, which is a deep-rooted crop and sucks the moisture from down below and also cultivate beans, Director Agriculture, Kashmir, Altaf Aijaz Andrabi said.

Andrabi said the department has made a recommendation to the government to procure seeds in case of any contingency.

We have to be in a state of readiness, he said, adding they were running a campaign to make farmers aware about the situation.

He, however, said the department will not ask the farmers to immediately go for the alternatives.

If there is good rainfall and water level increases in the rivers, the first phase of paddy cultivation (sowing seeds) can be done. If, at the time of filing of the fields (transplanting the crop), there is problem, we can immediately switch-over. So, we will not tell them to go for it immediately, we are very planned, in a systematic and professional way. We have directed our people to be in a state of preparedness though, he said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Following are the highlights from Western region at 2100 HRS.

BOM 1 MP-DIGVIJAY-YATRA



By Lemuel Lall



Bhopal: The Congress claims that party veteran Digvijay Singh gathers evidence on "corruption" in the Madhya Pradesh government during his 'Narmada yatra', which he is going to reveal soon.

BOM 2 MH-INDRANI-OVERDOSE



Mumbai: State-run JJ Hospital authorities say that Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in August, 2015 for allegedly killing her daughter Sheena Bora, received an overdose of medicines.

BOM 3 GJ-ATHAWALE-DALIT-ARREST



Surat: Three Dalit men held for disrupting the press conference of Union minister Ramdas Athawale.

BOM 4 GJ-YOGI-PM



Mehsana: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath calls Prime Minister Narendra Modi an "iron man" for accelerating the pace of development in the country.

BES 2 CG-NAXAL-SONGS



Raipur: In a novel initiative, the Chhattisgarh police is using an audio music album - comprising songs in regional languages - as its latest weapon to encourage Naxals in the Bastar division to shun violence.

BES 12 MH-ARREST



Mumbai: Ahmednagar Police arrest four people, including NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap and a suspected shooter, in connection with the killing of a local Shiv Sena leader and a party supporter.

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Former BSF director general (DG) E N Rammohan today passed away here.

He was 77.

Family sources said Rammohan breathed his last early morning today in the AIIMS.

He was admitted there about ten days back after he met with an accident at his home and suffered a fracture in his ribs. Rammohan was also suffering from prostrate cancer.

The cremation would take place today at the Lodhi road crematorium here, they said.

BSF chief K K Sharma said the former chief's death was a big loss for the country's largest border guarding force.

"He was a fine person, a thorough professional, man of integrity and known for his jawan-centric leadership. He used to lead from the front and he will always be remembered for his leadership style," Sharma told PTI.

The 1965-batch Indian Police Service (IPS) officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre headed the Border Security Force between December, 1997-November, 2000.

Rammohan, who sported a handlebar mustache, was regularly seen on television channels discussing internal security issues.

The Union Home Ministry had appointed him as the head of the fact-finding probe panel which went into the lapses that took place during the deadly Naxal ambush in Chhattisgarh in 2010 that killed 76 security men.

The officer, apart from serving in the Assam Police, had stints in various central armed police forces like the CRPF, the NSG and the ITBP.

The about 2.5-lakh personnel strong BSF is tasked with guarding the country's two major frontiers with Pakistan and Bangladesh apart from rendering a variety of duties in the internal security domain, including anti-Naxal operations.

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A three-page letter, written by the English novelist George Orwell while recovering from tuberculosis, is expected to fetch USD 15,000 at an auction in the US.

Signed "George," the letter dated March 8, 1948, was written to novelist Anthony Powell, while Orwell was admitted to the Hairmyres Hospital in Scotland.

He describes his reviewing work for the Times Literary Supplement and reports on improved health having embarked on a course of streptomycin.

"I'm doing another book for the TLS (a rather dreadful anthology of recent American stuff called 'Spearhead'). I didn't suppose they'd send me the Mark Twain book. (By the way, after many years of trying I have at last got hold of a very rare book, Van Wyck Brooks's 'The Tragedy of Mark Twain,' which he afterwards called in & reissued in a garbled version.)," Orwell wrote in the letter.

While working on the iconic novel Nineteen Eighty-Four, Orwell became the first patient to receive streptomycin in Scotland.

"I am a lot better. I am having a drug called streptomycin, which is a novelty in this country but is thought to be very good. It appears to be doing its stuff, though it's too early for them to say for certain," Orwell wrote.

Although his health at first showed improvement, he suffered severe side effects and the treatment had to be suspended after fifty days, according to US-based RR Auction.

"I've arranged to bring out my uniform edition at the rate of a volume a year, & at present I have got six books to go in it, as I have suppressed several. I hope there'll be others later," Orwell wrote.

"I had always wanted to have something very sort of chaste but solid in blue buckram for about 5/-. I notice both Evelyn Waugh's & Graham Greene's uniform editions are very cheap-looking. They don't seem to be able to make a book now with covers that don't bend. It makes me very envious to see American books," he wrote.

The review of 'Spearhead' that Orwell describes in the opening lines appeared in the Times Literary Supplement on April 17, 1948, and offered a long and wide-ranging review of current American poetry and prose.

Admitted to Hairmyres Hospital In July, he returned to his solitary Barnhill farmhouse on the remote Scottish island of Jura, where he completed the manuscript of Nineteen Eighty-Four.

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Hindu Jagran Manch (HJM), an affiliate of the Vishva Hindu Parishad, today hailed the Jharkhand government for enacting anti-conversion law and banning cow slaughter in the state but demanded that the laws be implemented in letter and spirit.

"We are thankful to Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das for banning religious conversion and cow slaughter by enacting laws," said Suman Kumar, Regional Organization Secretary (Jharkhand-Bihar) of the HJM.

Kumar, who is also the RSS National Pracharak, however, alleged that cow slaughter was taking place clandestinely in the state, which needed to be stopped entirely.

A native of Jakarta, Indonesia, Kumar said he had earlier worked for Christian missionaries but was impressed with the ideology of the RSS and joined the organisation over three decades ago.

Kumar was in the steel city to review the ongoing preparation for the forthcoming Virat Hindu Sammelan to be hosted by HJM on May 20 here.

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IIT Kharagpur, the oldest and largest one in the country, has initiated a pilot project to protect the rich cultural heritage of the cities and towns along the Hoogly river.

The project would focus on five former trading posts and garrison settlements near Kolkata along the Hooghly river - Bandel, Chinsurah, Chandernagore, Serampore and Barrackpore, an IIT KGP statement said here today.

The pockets bear traces of Portugese (Bandel), Dutch (Chinsurah), British (Barrackpore), French (Chandernagore), Danish (Serampore) presence, as well as India's own rich culture.

The pilot project has been initiated by IIT Kharagpur's department of humanities and social sciences, in association with the University of Liverpool, UK, the statement said.

Principal Investigator on behalf of IIT KGP, Prof Jenia Mukherjee said, "These places, being peripheral cities surrounding Kolkata, are not getting enough exposure. And yet, in these cities too, heritage buildings are making way for apartments, multiplexes and so on."



Among the top priorities of the project is the conservation of centuries-old buildings, which are mainly private houses, she said.

Lack of funds makes maintenance difficult for even those willing to preserve their properties, Mukherjee said adding, "We will be seeing if it is possible to build up a public-private-partnership for the upkeep of these structures."



The project is being jointly funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, UK, and the Indian Council for Historical Research and the idea is to involve the people of the region as "owner-custodians" of this heritage, she said.

The project team recently held an exhibition at Chandernagore with the Institut de Chandernagore which got an overwhelming public response.

The Institut de Chandernagore is one of the oldest museums of the region and boasts a collection of French antiques such as cannons used in Anglo-French war, wooden furniture of the 18th century which are difficult to find anywhere else in the world.

She will be working with Prof Ian Magedera, the Principal Investigator from the University of Liverpool, Antara Mukherjee, an assistant professor in West Bengal Education Services as lead honorary researcher and a team of architects and city planners.

A multi-stakeholder round-table conference was conducted at the British Council, Kolkata on April 6 involving the project team, the state government, planning officers, secretary of the West Bengal Heritage Commission among others.

At that meeting, IIT KGP Director Partha Pratim Chakrabarti underscored that modernity and heritage should have a "harmonious and caring relationship".

The project aims to draw up a Heritage Management Strategy, an hour-long documentary film among its other efforts to preserve the collective history.

An annual Hoogly Heritage Day is also being planned, IIT sources said.

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Nepal Prime Minister K P Oli on Sunday termed his visit to India as significant and fruitful, saying his trip helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust, and strengthening mutual trust.

Last week was Olis first visit to India after taking charge as Nepals Prime Minister for the second time in February this year. He visited India in February 2016 during his first term.

My official visit to India was significant and fruitful, Oli said at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival. The visit has further strengthened bilateral relations between Nepal and India, Oli told the reporters.

The bilateral relations will move forward in a new direction on the basis of equality and mutual interest, said Oli. We have agreed to expedite past agreements and understandings reached between the two countries, he added.

The visit has helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust and strengthening mutual trust and understanding, Oli said. During the talks the two countries agreed to conduct feasibility studies regarding construction of Raxaul- Kathmandu railway line and operating Nepalese steamers to transport goods and people from Nepal to other countries.

Other important agreements have been reached in cooperation in agriculture and hydropower sectors. Many observers see Oli as favouring a closer relationship between Nepal and China. However, the issue of China-Nepal ties was not discussed during the delegation-level talks.

Olis first tenure as Prime Minister saw protests by Indian-origin Madeshi people in the southern Terai (plains) region over the new Constitution of Nepal. The Madhesis say the new Constitution is discriminatory to their interests. They had blocked major trading points between India and Nepal, preventing goods from reaching the landlocked country. The months-long blockade had led to souring of the ties between the two countries.
The vocabulary and grammar of Russian films have a lot to offer and Indian filmmakers can learn from these, from storytelling to cinematography, according to noted actor Victor Banerjee has said.

Banerjee, who last portrayed poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore in the Indo-Argentine co-production "Thinking of Him", will be part of the Russian leg of the Indo-Russia friendship motor rally that is slated to begin later this month.

"I have always admired the Russian cinema, their incisive storytelling, sharp camera work and brilliant acting in them. Indian filmmakers can learn a lot from it," the 71-year-old actor told PTI in an interview.

He recalled the great Russian filmmakers like Sergei Eisenstein, whose "Battleship Potemkin" (1925) and Andrei Tarkovsky's "Solaris" (1972), "Mirror" (1975) and "Stalker" (1979) are still considered classics.

"I am drawn more towards Russian films owing to their compelling camera work, because of my own inclination towards cinematography," he said.

Incidentally, Indian films, especially Raj Kapoor-starrers of the 50s like "Awara" and "Shri 420" became immensely popular in Russia and even their famous numbers are played at various public places.

"Journey Beyond Three Seas" ("Pardesi" in Hindi), a 1957 Indian-Soviet popular film, was jointly directed by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas and Vasili Pronin, starring Oleg Strizhenov and Nargis.

The Kolkata-born actor, who has films like "Bow Barracks Forever", Satyajit Ray's classics such as "Ghare Baire" and "A Passage of India" under his belt, says he is excited to be part of the motoring expedition that marks 70 years of diplomatic ties between India and Russia.

The Indian leg of friendship motor car rally had ended last month in Delhi after completing a journey of nearly 9,000 km spanning 23 cities, starting from Bhilai in Chhattisgarh. Banerjee had taken part in it from Rishikesh to Delhi.

Ambassador of Russia to India Nikolay Rishatovich Kudashev had received all the participants at the Embassy here on its culmination.

Banerjee said this motor rally would also be a sort of a cultural sojourn for him.

"I want visit the State Hermitage (a museum of art and culture in St Petersburg). As an actor I look forward to that too," he said.

An acclaimed actor, Banerjee has acted in Bengali, Hindi and several international productions and counts "Bow Barracks Forever", which portrays the "beauty and cultural decay" of Calcutta through the eyes of the Anglo-Indian community, as one of his favourite films.

On portraying Tagore in "Thinking of Him", he says, it was a big challenge but "I thoroughly enjoyed it."



"I had to recites pages and pages of Tagore's poetry, get into the mannerism, from his style of walking to gesturing, it was an exciting project," he said.

Helmed by Pablo Cesar, the 2017 film explores Tagore's relationship with Argentinian feminist, writer and activist Victoria Ocampo, and it was the closing film at the 48th International Film Festival of India in Goa last year.

Banerjee, who is known to slip into the skin of his character on screen, expressed his reservation over "armchair film critics who spout on social media at the drop of a hat".

"Everybody is a film critic today, just like everybody who has a DSLR or a mobile phone is a photographer today. But, a saturation point will come some day," he said.

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People living in sinkingtiny backwater islands in southern Kerala hope that an innovative housing system coming up there would end the threat of displacement arising out of inundation due to global warming.

An eco-friendly amphibious housing model is being developed by a group of architects for poor and vulnerable people, who live in constant fear of floods in Munroe Thuruth islands in Kollam district.

The project is being implemented on a pilot basis by the CPI(M), Keralas ruling political party.

CPI(M) politburo member S Ramachandran Pillai on Friday laid foundation stone for first such amphibious house at Munroe Thuruth, which is a group of some tiny islands formed by backwaters of scenic Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada river.

Panchayat authorities said they were seeking a solution for providing affordable housing for people in the shrinking tiny islands, ranging from one acre to over one hectare.

CPI(M) leader and former Rajya Sabha member K N Balagopal, who took the initiative to address the housing problem in Munroe Thuruth,said the party discussed the idea of amphibious house as water level was going up in some islands due to climate change.

"People find it very difficult to survive in such islands as saline water has invaded their houses.So we thought about a housing scheme which can provide living facilities for them both at the time of water logging and normal conditions, Balagopal told PTI.

He said the roofs, floors and walls of the amphibious houses are built with lightweight material.Their architectural features would help survive in islands' adverse climatic conditions.

These houses can be designed to float with the rising water or constructed on stilts, he said.

"It is a new concept in India", former Union Minister Jairam Ramesh said, hailing the initiative to provide safe housing solutions for the affected people in the area.

"Politics aside, it appears a very interesting and innovative idea. I hope there has been professional involvement", the senior Congresstold PTI when his attention was drawn to the move by the CPI(M).

Noted climate expert Chandra Bhushan said that in an era of climate change, ways have to be evolved to adapt to sea level rise.

"What I appreciate about this pilot project is that it is trying to find out whether we can live on inundated lands or not. We will get to learn many things from this like material and energy intensity of construction, management of water and waste," said Bhushan, who is also deputy director general of the New Delhi-based Centre for Science and (CSE).

He said the bottom line is any climateadaptation project should not cause more ecological destruction.

"The project proponents should keep this in mind", Bhushan told PTI.

Balagopal said he approached Kollam Centre of Indian Institute of Architects (a national body of architects) seeking a solution for the issue of housing problem in water logged islands.

"There was an urgent need for experts to come together to find a solution to make this beautiful region habitable," said Niranjan Das Sharma of Indian Institute of Architects.

He said they examined the area and found that it is water logged and saline. It was also found that the islands are sinking and tidal flooding lasts very long.

"We proposed two strategies. One, to restore the existing structuresand the second, to propose a prototype", he said.

The structures to be made demanded some special characteristics, apart from the basic need of a house. They have to survive prolonged tidal flooding, rapid sinking and resistance to saline atmosphere, Sharma said.

He said one plan was to build an elevatedstructure using coconut tree trunks, locally available in plenty, floor platform with steel frame protected with epoxy paint, steel frame/wooden frame cavity wall using fibre cement boards and perforated steel windows.

This would be again raised by about three to four feet above ground to deal with rising water, he said.

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Delhiites can expect fewer power cuts this summer, as power distribution companies have agreed to meet deficit in certain slots through inter-discom transfers, a Delhi government official has said.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, the power regulator for the national capital, has issued a detailed order on allocation of power among the discoms -- Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL).

The DERC order said that it was observed during the summers preparedness meetings that the national capital as a whole is power surplus during April to September, however, there is shortage of power with individual discoms during few hours of certain fortnights.

"The discoms have agreed to manage deficit of power in specific slots among themselves by trading through inter discom transfer (IDT) and assured that there would not be shortage of power during summers of 2018-19," it said.

The official said the arrangement will also help discoms save expenses on short-term power purchase the bill for which is ultimately passed on to the consumers.

As per the DERC Regulations, 2017, the Commission can reassign the allocation of power among the distribution licensees out of the overall power portfolio allocated to the National Capital Territory of Delhi by Ministry of Power to adjust the gap in power purchase cost.

According to the DERC order 10 MW power from Aravali Jhajjhar Plant has been allocated to BRPL from BYPL, and 10 MW each of Dadri-I and Dadri-II plants is being allocated to TPDDL from BYPL, from April 1.

Also, 100 per cent share of BYPL from the Narora plant (12 MW) and Rihand I (25 MW) is allocated to BRPL from April 1.

For the period between May to October this year, 50 per cent share of TPDDL from the Sasan plant will be allocated to BYPL. And for the period from November, 2018 to March, 2019, 80 per cent share of TPDDL from Sasan plant UMPP (Ultra Mega Power Projects) will be allocated to the BYPL, the order stated.

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Iran today condemned allegations of a chemical attack on Syrias Eastern Ghouta rebel holdout as a "conspiracy" against its ally President Bashar al-Assad and a pretext for military action.

"Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action," Irans foreign ministry said in a statement.

Tehran warned any military intervention would "certainly complicate the situation" in Syria and the wider region.

"With the Syrian army having the upper hand on the ground against the armed terrorists, it would not be rational for it to use chemical weapons," the statement said.

An alleged chemical attack that left dozens dead in Syrias rebel-held town of Douma has sparked international outrage, with US President Donald Trump warning there would be a "big price to pay".

The Syrian regime and its other key backer Russia both denied any use of chemical weapons as "fabrications".

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Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday there were "no innocent people" in the Hamas-run Strip after 10 days of protests and clashes left 30 Palestinians dead.

"There are no innocent people in the Strip," Lieberman told Israel's public radio.

"Everyone's connected to Hamas, everyone gets a salary from Hamas, and all the activists trying to challenge us and breach the border are Hamas military wing activists."



Israel has faced mounting questions over its use of live fire after 10 days of protests and clashes along the Strip border in which its forces have killed 30 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

On March 30, Israeli forces killed 19 Palestinians as a protest by tens of thousands led to clashes.

There have been no reported Israeli casualties.

Israel says it has only opened fire when necessary to stop damage to the border fence, infiltrations and attempted attacks.

It alleges Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, is seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence.

But rights groups have harshly criticised Israeli soldiers actions, and Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to troops.

The European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation, which Israel has rejected.

Yesterday, the European Union raised questions over whether Israeli troops engaged in "proportionate use of force".
A Jet Airways plane, with 133 people on-board, hit a parked catering vehicle at the Delhi airport tonight, officials said.

No one was injured in the incident that took place around 8 pm when the Jet airways flight, coming from Dubai, arrived at the Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport here, they said.

The aircraft was moving towards its designated parking bay when its right wing hit a catering vehicle of service provider Taj Sats which was stationed on the nearby lane at the terminal, airport sources said.

"All the 125 guests and 8 crew members deplaned safely and the B737 aircraft is currently being inspected by the airlines technical team," a Jet Airways spokesperson said.

"Jet Airways is investigating the incident, which has also been reported to the authorities," the spokesperson said.

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State-run JJ Hospital authorities today confirmed that Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in August, 2015 for allegedly killing daughter Sheena Bora, had received an overdose of medicines.

They added that she was stable now and put the onus of finding out how she might have been administered an overdose of medicines on the police.

Mukerjea was brought to the JJ Hospital at around 11:15 pm on Friday from the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai in a "semi-conscious" state and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit, doctors said.

"It is a case of drug overdose. She was on anti-depressants. I asked her which tablets she had taken, but she did not reply. I will be asking her again. As far as the overdose is concerned, it is for the police to investigate," Dr Sudhir Nanandkar, Dean of JJ Hospital, told reporters.

He added that Mukerjea (46) was administered medicines orally by the jail guards at the stipulated intervals.

Doctors at the hospital said the medicines were not placed in Mukerjea's hand nor was she allowed to store them.

"So, the circumstances under which an overdose might have taken place have to be investigated by the police," one of the doctors said.

Mukerjea's daughter, Sheena Bora (24), was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012 allegedly over a financial dispute and her body disposed of in a forest in the adjoining Raigad district, according to the police.

Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for the crime. Rai later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.

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State-run JJ Hospital authorities today said a "basic-level provisional diagnosis" pointed to a drug overdose in the case of Indrani Mukerjea, who was arrested by the police in August, 2015 for allegedly killing daughter Sheena Bora.

Mukerjea was brought to the JJ Hospital at around 11:15 pm on Friday from the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai in a "semi-conscious" state and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit, doctors said.

Dr Sudhir Nanandkar, Dean of JJ Hospital, said, "Presently, the basic-level provisional diagnosis is of a drug overdose. It was said that she was on anti-depressants, but it has not been confirmed. We are awaiting a report on blood, urine and stomach wash from the Forensic Science Laboratory. We should get it by tomorrow.

"An X-ray of her lungs has shown a patch and an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of her brain has shown some micro-infarcts (localised area of dead tissue due to failure of blood supply). She has fever."



He added that as on today, Mukerjea's condition had improved, she was conscious, obeying commands and her blood pressure was stable. "She is not on life-support system. She is responding to the line of treatment of our physicians," Dr Nanandkar said.

He added that Mukerjea (46) was administered medicines orally by the jail guards at the stipulated intervals.

Doctors at the hospital said the medicines were not placed in Mukerjea's hand nor was she allowed to store them.

"The circumstances under which an overdose might have taken place have to be investigated by the police," one of the doctors said.

Mukerjea's daughter, Sheena Bora (24), was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012 allegedly over a financial dispute and her body disposed off in a forest in the adjoining Raigad district, according to the police.

Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for the crime. Rai later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case.

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A Jammu and Kashmir police officer has been airlifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for speclialised treatment after he was seriously injured during stone-pelting clashes here, the police said today.

Inspector Manzoor Ahmad, posted as Station House Officer (SHO), Nigeen near Hazratbal here, was badly injured in a stone-pelting incident in the Foreshore Road area here on Friday, a police officer said.

He said Ahmad was rushed to police hospital here with a skull fracture and an eye injury.

The SHO was then treated at SKIMS hospital as his injury was reported to be critical, the official said.

However, Ahmad needed urgent medical attention and was transferred to New Delhi in an air ambulance, he said.

He said police have registered a case in this regard.

Meanwhile, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police S P Vaid has wished the officer a speedy recovery.

"Inspector Manzoor, SHO Nigeen was badly injured in stone pelting incident in Srinagar while bravely performing his duty. He has been shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi via air ambulance. I wish him speedy recovery," Vaid wrote on Twitter.

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Leading TMT bar maker Kamdhenu Ltd along with franchisees is expecting a 29 per cent jump in output at 22 lakh tonnes this fiscal in view of rising demand, a top company official has said.

Kamdhenu ventured into franchisee business model to involve more and more regional steel units of the country by encouraging their participation and support in technology transfer and upgradation of their facilities for better productivity levels.

The company also aims to increase its market share in the retail TMT segment to 25 per cent from the existing 20 per cent.

"The way infrastructure is growing, highways are constructed, bridges and buildings are coming...the demand for TMT will shoot up in the country. It will open up opportunities for everyone related to the sector, be it a raw material seller or a buyer of finished products," Kamdhenu Chairman and Managing Director Satish Agarwal said.

"In FY 2017-18, our capacity was 17 lakh tonnes. Since the demand is rising, we have raised production target for FY 2018-19 to 22 lakh tonnes...," he said.

Government schemes like Housing for All by 2022, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, among others are expected to create an additional demand of 100-150 MT TMT bar, and Kamdhenu is looking to grab this opportunity, he said.

On whether the TMT makers will also raise prices in view of rising demand, he said, "Kamdhenu has always sold its TMT at genuine rates."



Agarwal, who has over 40 years of experience in the steel sector, also cautioned the buyers against buying low-grade TMT bar.

Agarwal said there are low-grade TMT bars available in the market which is a serious concern and requested the builders to do a quality-check before going for bulk buying.

He also invited them to send in their TMT bars to Kamdhenus R&D centre at Bhiwadi for testing whether the material is corrosion-free and contains low sulphur.

Set up in 1995, Kamdhenu Ltd has become a leading brand in TMT bars. It has 76 manufacturing units and a distribution network of 6,500 dealers, which the company is looking to increase by 50 per cent with the doubling of production capacity.

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Amidst concerns about the shrinking agricultural space and the distancing of people from farming, the Kerala government is getting ready to start a 'community radio' to update them of the latest developments in the sector.

Significantly, it will be the first such community radio to get connected with the farming community under a government initiative in the country.

The first farm radio of the state is expected to start broadcast from Kuttanad in Alappuzha district, once popularly known as the 'rice bowl of Kerala,from next month,marking the second year anniversary celebrations of the LDF government.

Famed for its vast expanse of paddy cultivation, Kuttanad is one of the few places in the world where farming is carried out below sea level.

The radio platform is envisaged to provide information to farmers on a host of subjects, including climate change and issues, agrarian crisis and alerts, tips and information on various aspects of agriculture.

The Left government has plans to start similar community radios in places recognised as 'special agricultural zones' after evaluating the success of the 'Kuttanad farm radio', state Agricultural Minister V S Sunil Kumar told PTI.

Giving details of the programme, he said the community radio would be launched under the Farm Information Bureau (FIB) of the state Agriculture Department.

"We are considering this as a platform to interact directly with farmers and get connected with them. It will be the first such community radio for farmers in the country under the government initiative," Kumar said.

The 'kuttanad farm radio' is envisaged to serve farmers in a 20 square kilometre radius in Kuttanad region, he said.

Stating that the procedures for the launch of the radio is progressing, the minister said the state government itself has applied for the sanction and an approval for the same is expected soon from the Information and Broadcasting Ministry.

"The Centre recently sought a clarification on the FIB. They wanted to know whether the agency is a state government undertaking or not. We have furnished the reply and are now waiting for the final nod," he said.

"We expect that the broadcast can be started by May-June," the minister added.

Kumar said professionals would be hired to manage the radio programmes. Experts of Agricultural Departments would provide technical inputs.

Seeking to reach out to more people and create awareness among them on farming, the agricultural department is also taking steps to bring out more farming related programmes through state-run broadcasters like Doordarshan and All India Radio, he added.

Though Kerala was once known for its vast paddy fields and food crops, the recent trend of people converting the traditional farm lands for commercial purposes has resulted in decrease in agriculture production.

Falling price of agricultural products, high input cost and crop loss due to climate change were some of the reasons that forced traditional farmers to keep away from farming.

The community radio initiative is one among various programmes launched by the CPI(M)-led LDF government to revive the agriculture sector and attract more people to farming.

The total cropped area of Kerala has been declining consistently, from 30 lakh hectares in 2000 to 25.84 lakh hectares in 2016-17, according to the state Economic Review 2017.

The land available for cultivation but not being cultivated is on the rise, signalling the tendency of people to keep land fallow for various reasons, it said.

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The investigation arm of the revenue department has found merit in complaints against retail shopping outlet Lifestyle International and Sharma Trading Company for not passing on the benefit of GST rate reduction to consumers.

The Directorate General of Safeguards (DGS), which is entrusted to investigate the cases of profiteering under the new Goods and Services Tax (GST) regime, had in December, 2017, served notices to Lifestyle International and Sharma Trading Company for not passing on rate cut benefit to consumers.

DGS is currently under the finance ministry's revenue department.

"The DGS investigation has found that Lifestyle International and Sharma Trading Company have indulged in profiteering. The reports are being sent to the National Anti-Profiteering Authority," a source told PTI.

In the GST regime, complaints of profiteering come to Standing Committee under the authority, which then scans the complaints and sends to the DGS.

The DGS finalises its report and submits to the anti-profiteering authority, which takes a final call on whether the company has actually indulged in profiteering or not and accordingly levies penalty.

"It is now up to the anti-profiteering authority to decide on whether to uphold the DGS findings and impose penalty," the source added.

In the case of Lifestyle International Pvt Ltd, an individual had complained that the retail outlet in Mahagun Mall, Vaishali, Ghaziabad, has "not fully passed on the reduction in rate of tax" from 28 per cent to 18 per cent on Maybelline FIT Me Foundation.

With regard to Sharma Trading Company, a departmental store had complained that the trader had not passed on the benefit of GST rate reduction to 18 per cent from 28 per cent on 'Vaseline VTM 400 ml'.

As per the decision of the GST Council, tax rates on 178 items of daily use, like after-shave, deodorant, detergent and washing power, make up products, were cut from the top tax bracket of 28 per cent to 18 per cent.

Accordingly businesses were required to pass on the rate cut benefit to consumers.

Based on a complaint, UP-based Vrandavanesharee Automotive Pvt Ltd, authorised dealer of Honda Cars, was also served a notice by the DGS in December 2017, for not passing on tax reduction benefits under GST.

The DGS, in its investigation, had found that the dealer had not indulged in profiteering and accordingly sent the report to the anti-profiteering authority. The authority in its latest order has upheld the findings of the DGS.

The DG Safeguards generally takes about three months to complete the investigation and sends the report to the anti-profiteering authority.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Security forces today busted a terrorist hideout in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered two AK assault rifles along with some ammunition, a senior police officer said.

The hideout was unearthed during an ongoing search operation in some villages including Gadyog in Budhal area, Senior Superintendent of Police (Rajouri), Yougal Manhas, said.

Besides the two AK rifles, two magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the hideout which was believed to be set up by terrorists when they were active in the area over a decade back, he said.

Manhas said no one was arrested in connection with the recovery during the operation which was still continuing.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today asserted that the mood in Karnataka was in favour of his party and it would win the May 12 polls, as he concluded his six rounds of "Yatra" in the run-up to the elections.

Addressing a public rally here to mark the culmination of his "Janarshivad Yatra" covering all regions of the state, he also accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating against the Congress-ruled Karnataka.

"Karnataka's mood is in favour of the Congress partyand we will the election," Gandhi said, winding up the last lap of his "yatra", which he devoted to mainly attack the Modi government.

The visit also saw Gandhi visit temples and other religious places and interact with Hindu seers, besides holding roadshows and mingling with crowds.

"Whereever Modi ji goes he speaks his man ki baat.Iwould like to tell you that the Congress party will listen to man ki baat and on the basis of what is in your mind we willrun the government."



"We will work towards progress by taking everyone together. It will be government of everyone,of everyreligion, caste and language," he told the gathering at the sprawling Palace Grounds.

Gandhi said the Karnataka elections was a "fight between two ideologies."



"On one side Congress that like Bengaluru works for joining everyone, spreads brotherhood and love. On the other side BJP, RSS and Nagpur's ideology. It's the ideology of spreading anger, hate and dividing."He also attacked BJP president Amit Shah for his remarks equating opposition parties with animals.

"I want to tell you from this stage that no Congress leader can ever make such statement."



At a rally in Mumbai to mark BJP's foundation day on Thursday, Shah had equated opposition parties to 'snakes' and mongoose' and 'dogs' and 'cats', who are seeking to unite despite their inherent differences to take on BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls.

Shah later said what he meant was political parties having no ideological similarities were coming together out of fear of Modi.

Gandhi said "when Modi speaks, he should from the stage speak about Nirav Modi, Rafale aircraft, Amit Shah's son, Gujarat petroleum scam and Yeddyurappa."



"Modi should also say that he did not help Bengaluru and Karnataka. He has given only Rs 1 crore for suburbanrail. Congress has earmarked Rs 700 crore," he said.

Gandhi also alleged that when Karnataka faced drought for the last four years, it was given less money compared to other states.

"It is true that there is the Congress party government here, but Karnataka is also part of India and Karnataka has not committed any mistake," he said.

Gandhi said Maharashtra was given Rs 8,000 crore for drought and Gujarat Rs 3,800 crore while Karnataka got Rs 1,400crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is quietly gaining presence in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) space with its Super Carry mini-truck registering over ten-fold jump in sales in 2017-18.

The company, which launched Super Carry in September 2016, sold 10,033 units of the model in the fiscal ended March 31, 2018, as against just 900 units in 2016-17.

MSI had taken a slow and steady approach in terms of expanding in the 700 kg payload mini truck segment, where it competes with Tata Ace, M&M Supro and Piaggio Porter.

Starting LCV sales in 2016 in select cities, the company has expanded across the country to over 190 sales outlets at the end of March 2018, a spokesperson of MSI said.

"This pan India spread of sales network in 159 cities, combined with excellent product response helped us sell an average of over 1,000 units a month in the past 6 months," the spokesperson said, adding that positive feedback from customers also helped in higher volumes of sales.

In the beginning of this year, Super Carry was available in 162 new commercial outlets in 140 cities in 25 states.

When the vehicle was launched in 2016, MSI had started with three cities -- Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Ludhiana.

Earlier this year, the company said it planned to be present across India at all potential locations with an aim to be a significant player in the segment in future.

MSI, however, has a long way to catch up with segment leader Tata Motors, which sold 14,286 units of ACE range of mini trucks in March alone.

In contrast, MSI sold 1,412 units of the Super Carry in the same month.

Apart from selling the mini truck in India, the company also exports the vehicle to select African nations such as South Africa and Tanzania.

Launching of Super Carry LCV in India was part of MSI's original agreement with parent Suzuki in 1982 but it was shelved due to poor response from the market at that time.

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Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf today postponed his plan to return to the country, saying he will not return until an interim government is formed, a media report said today.

The former president and chief of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), who has to appear before a special Pakistani court in a high treason case, has postponed his plan to return from the UAE as the incumbent government will not provide him the security he had applied for, a party leader said.

He is likely to return by end of May or even start of June as soon as a caretaker government is formed, the party leader told the Express Tribune.

APML's central leadership will finalise the date, he said.

The 74-year-old retired general has been living in Dubai since last year when he was allowed to leave Pakistan for medical treatment.

Musharraf, who had ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, had sought adequate security from the government for his return and his lawyer had moved a petition to the interior ministry, stating that the former president faced security threats.

The party has decided that a new application will be filed to the federal government seeking foolproof security for Musharraf.

The former military ruler was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

He has been declared "proclaimed offender" by courts in the treason and the Benazir Bhutto assassination cases.

Musharraf is set to reach out to his political allies in May, the daily said.

Quoting party sources, the daily said Musharraf's party will look to form an alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to step out as political force in the upcoming elections.

Up till now the party has allied itself with the Pakistan Awami Ittehad which will later be renamed as Muttahida League and will take part in the general forthcoming elections.

Musharraf will try to garner support from other parties including PTI, PML-Q, PML-F, BAP and MQM-P.

He will meet the leadership of these parties on his return, the daily said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Indian Navy rescued nine crew members of an Indian boat last afternoon about 20 nautical miles north west of Karwar, said an official communication of the Indian Navy today.

"While on a routine mission, INS Subhadra spotted an Indian fishing boat - Jay Vittal- yesterday, about 20 nautical miles North West of Karwar. The boat, along with nine crew members, was stranded at sea since the main engines had stopped working. Upon request of the (Tamil speaking) boat crew, INS Subhadra towed the stranded fishing boat to safety, close to Karwar harbour," an Indian Navy spokesperson stated.

"The boat was then handed over to Coastal Security Police at Karwar for further assistance and coordination. The boat is undergoing repairs at Karwar fishing harbor," said the Naval officer.

All crew members of "Jay Vittal" are safe, the officer said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A special CBI court in Mumbai has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the cases related to over Rs 130-billion ($2 billion) banking fraud in the Punjab Bank, officials said on Sunday.

The special court has allowed the application of the agency for the issuance of NBWs against Modi and Choksi who had repeatedly refused to join the investigation in the scam, considered the biggest in the banking history of the country, the officials said.

The agency had written to Modi and Choksi to join probe on their official e-mail ids but they have refused to join it citing business engagements and health issues.

The issuance of NBWs by a court also opens door of seeking Red Corner Notices against both of the accused from the Interpol.

The government has claimed to have tracked Modi in Hong Kong where it has sent a request for his provisional arrest.

The CBI, in the meanwhile, is questioning officials of overseas branches of Indian banks which had extended credit facilities to the companies of Modi and Choksi on the basis of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by the Punjab Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The agency has also summoned the official who handled foreign exchange transactions in the Hong Kong branch of the Allahabad bank, they said, adding that he may join the probe soon.

It is alleged that the LoUs and LCs worth close to 42 billion were issued to the companies of the uncle-nephew duo of Choksi and Modi from the Brady Road branch of the bank through SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messages.

Several bank employees have been booked for collusion in the case, they said.

The LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit giving bank along with accruing interest.

These messages were allegedly not entered in the banking software of the PNB to bypass surveillance.

Modi (46), a regular feature on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, was booked by the CBI, along with his wife, brother and Choksi for allegedly cheating the state-run PNB.

Both Choksi and Modi have been booked in two cases each related to the bank fraud.

The uncle-nephew duo had managed to flee the country in the first week of January days before the PNB was able to detect the fraud.

The bank officials also fraudulently issued foreign letters of credit or FLCs in which the PNB guaranteed payment on behalf of the accused to their suppliers which was to be recovered from the firms of Choksi and Nirav Modi, they alleged.

Funds raised through LoUs were meant to be used for the payment of import bills of the accused companies whereas it was dishonesty and fraudulently utilised for discharging the earlier liabilities on account of buyer's credit facilities in a kind of roll over of payments, they alleged.

The PNB has alleged in its complaint that they opened the Letters of Credit initially for smaller amounts by creating purported entries in the core banking system, they said.

The accused bank officials pursuant to the conspiracy unauthorisedly enhanced the values of the FLCs and issued amendments to the FLCs issued through SWIFT which were encashed in overseas branches of Indian banks.

According to the RBI guidelines, LoUs for gems should not be valid for more than 90 days.

The CBI had approached the Interpol with a request for issuing 'Diffusion Notice' which was aimed at locating an individual.
Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today asserted that Nepal had not allowed its land to be used against the sovereign interests of India and that it was firm in its resolve to maintain this.

Oli said "amity with all and enmity with none" was the motto of Nepal's foreign policy.

Trust was the key cementing factor between the two neighbours, he said, noting that it derived strength from principles like "equality, justice, mutual respect and benefit as well as non-interference".

"As friendly neighbours, our two countries need to be aware of and have respect for each other's concerns and sensitivities. Nepal has not allowed its land to be used against the sovereign interests of India.

"We are firm in our resolve to maintain this position and it is natural that we expect a similar assurance from India," Oli said.

His comments came in the backdrop of India's concerns regarding China's growing influence over Nepal.

Oli added that Nepal was between two big neighbours -- India and China -- and it wanted to have a friendly, neighbourly relations with the two.

The Nepalese prime minister was speaking at an event organised by the India Foundation.

Stressing that no country compromised on nationalism, Oli said for Nepal, nationalism was the protection of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and fulfilment of its national interest.

"Amity with all and enmity with none is our motto in foreign policy. We seek to foster relations with neighbours and all friendly countries around the world, based on justice, sovereign equality, mutual respect and benefits," he said.

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters after the ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Oli said the "historical" and "renewed" friendship between India and Nepal was oriented towards the future and the bilateral ties had evolved according to the "needs of times".

The Nepalese prime minister said he was visiting India in the "changed context" to contribute to the friendship between "our two countries and people".

This is Oli's first visit to India after taking charge as Nepal's prime minister for the second time in February. He visited India during his first term in February, 2016.

Many observers see Oli as favouring a closer relationship between Nepal and China.

However, the issue of China-Nepal ties was not discussed during the delegation-level talks.

Asked about Nepal joining China's ambitious One Border One Road (OBOR) initiative and India's concerns regarding the project, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters at a briefing that "there was no discussion on China".

The OBOR is a massive infrastructure project that aims to link Asia and the European markets through a maze of rail, road and shipping networks. The controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of the OBOR initiative.

India has opposed the CPEC as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Oli's first tenure as prime minister in 2015-16 saw protests by Indian-origin Madeshi people in the southern Terai (plains) region over the new Constitution of Nepal. The Madhesis say the new Constitution is discriminatory to their interests.

They had blocked major trading points between India and Nepal, preventing goods from reaching the landlocked country. The months-long blockade had led to souring of the ties between the two countries.

But Foreign Secretary Gokhale said the circumstances in 2016 and current times were different, adding that the government of Nepal was elected on the basis of the Constitution.

"As far as our relationship is concerned, we have a close and unique relationship with Nepal, but the efforts of both the leaders at today's meeting was to have a forward-looking approach and see how we can deepen and strengthen this relationship," he said.

In his press statement after the delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Oli lauded India's initiative to have guidelines and regulations for cross-border electricity trade, but said Nepal wanted an early realisation of the open market provision of the bilateral power trade agreement, which was concluded between the two sides in 2014.

Later, responding to a question on this, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (north) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India had build three transmission lines for Nepal in two years, which helped supply 350-400 MW of electricity to Nepal.

Dalela said nearly 18 months ago, India had issued a set of guidelines to bring transparency in the regulatory mechanism for cross-border trade in power.

"We have received some comments from neighbouring countries in the last few months and we intend to look at these comments and see how we take those into account while trying to promote a better power trading market in South Asia," he said.

On demonetisation, he said the issue did not come up for discussion between the two leaders. Nepal has a substantial amount of demonetised high-value Indian currency.

In his press statement, Modi said he and Oli reviewed water conservation and hydro power projects.

"We both agree to accelerate work on projects like Arun-3, Pancheshwar and Saptakosi-Sunkosi," Modi said.

Arun III is a 900-MW hydroelectric project in the Arun river, while the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) is a bi-national hydro power project to be developed in the Mahakali river, bordering Nepal and India. The Saptakosi-Sunkosi high dam is also a multi-purpose project.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived at Pantnagar airport today to attend the convocation of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology which is to confer an honorary title on him.

Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat accorded a warm welcome to the Oli and his wife at the airport from where they headed for Pantnagar Terai Bhawan.

Oli is scheduled to attend the convocation ceremony at around 1 pm.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The BJP today denied that its Dalit MPs from Uttar Pradesh were angry with the party, but maintained that the lawmakers should have raised their grievances in party forums.

"Let me tell you that there is no trust deficit between the party and Scheduled Caste MPs from Uttar Pradesh. They are not angry with the party," Kaushal Kishore, BJP MP and the state president of the party's SC Morcha, told reporters here.

But, the MPs should have raised their grievances at a relevant party forum, he added.

Kishore dismissed rumours doing the rounds that angry lawmakers were voicing their grievances in public at the behest of rival political parties, which might have entered into a secret pact with the disgruntled leaders.

"There is not an iota of truth in this. No ticket has been finalised as of now for the Lok Sabha elections, which are at least a year away. We generally speak to each other on a host of issues, but they did not complain that they are angry," the MP from Mohanlalganj in Lucknow said.

After facing strident criticism from the Opposition on Dalit issues, the BJP is now grappling with a rising voice of discontent among its MPs belonging to Scheduled Castes in UP.

Lok Sabha members from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh respectively, were the latest to join other Dalit colleagues, who have publicly expressed their unhappiness, especially after the recent protests by the community over a Supreme Court ruling on the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

In a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dohrey had alleged that Dalits and tribals across the country, especially in UP, were being framed by the police in false cases after the protests, leading to growing insecurity among them.

Singh, meanwhile, had reportedly said that nothing had been done for Dalits in the last four years. Representatives from the community were finding it increasingly difficult to address the concerns of their constituents, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)




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Hi, I am a retired newspaperman. I wrote 3 books on Trump and the media . I live in Poca, WV, with my wife of 43 years, Lou Ann. I grew up in Cleveland. Three kids. Grandfather.
Nobel Peace Prize-winning economist Muhammad Yunus has said that he is not in favour of privatisation of public sector (PSBs) as private have not shown any 'exceptional performance' in many countries.

Several experts, including Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian and former Niti Aayog Vice Chairman Arvind Panagariya, had pitched for privatisation of PSBs after spate of frauds were unearthed in state-owned banks, including over Rs 130 billion scam in the Punjab National Bank (PNB).

The Bangladesh-based champion of micro- Yunus also said that ways have to be found to stop frauds in the banking sector.

"Fraud in anything is bad, frauds in is more sensitive thing, so we have to find a way to stop it...We have private sector banks in many other countries. Their performance is not something exceptional," he told PTI in an interview.

He was responding to a question on whether after the PNB scandal, does the demand for privatisation of public sector banks by certain quarters merits a view.

On the tariff war triggered by the imposition of duties on certain products by the US administration, he said that anything which distances one country to another is a negative thing.

"We should be working towards creating a common market, rather than building tariffs. This is a negative way of doing things.

"The case of Brexit is a negative thing, that's something we should be avoiding, we should be bringing countries together," Yunus noted.

Yunus, who is also the creator of social business, said that he sees no reason for the Grameen Bank to set up operations here as India has several successful micro-credit organisations.

"No, we don't want to work outside Bangladesh. But there are lots of micro- institutions (MFIs) in India," he observed.

A multi-agency probe is progressing into more than Rs 130 billion scam at PNB, involving diamond merchants Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi.

The fraud was mainly perpetrated through issuance of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) with the help of PNB officials.

A Mumbai branch of PNB had fraudulently issued LoUs for the group of companies belonging to Nirav Modi since March 2011.

Yunus and his Grameen Bank were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2006 "for their efforts to create economic and social development from below".

He was in India to participate in an event organised by Indo-French Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IFCCI).
Ohio State University has revoked an honorary degree awarded to veteran actor Bill Cosby amid his retrial in a sexual assault case, which begins tomorrow.

The 80-year-old comic's degree was rescinded after the university trustees approval, which is a first incident of the kind in the history of the OSU, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cosby received the recognition when he spoke at commencement in 2001.

An Ohio State spokesman said the "Man and Boy" actor had admitted violating the principles and values of the varsity.

Cosby's retrial, which would start with opening statements in suburban Philadelphia, involves a woman who claims he drugged and assaulted her in 2004.

He has denied the allegation, calling the encounter consensual.

Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
An embroidery artisan who created magic on fabric till a year ago and now shunned by neighbours as the Army's human shield against stone-pelters, Farooq Ahmed Dar is a broken man, struggling to pick up the threads of his life.

Suffering from insomnia and depression, boycotted by villagers branding him a government agent and unable to find a job, even as a manual labourer, the 28-year-old says his life was upended exactly 12 months ago.

On April 9 last year, a team led by Major Leetul Gogoi tied Dar to the bonnet of an Army jeep to escape heavy stone pelting in central Kashmir's Budgam district, the image going on to make global headlines and spotlighting once again the civilian-security polarisation in the Valley.

It was election day in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Dar says he was on his way to cast his vote, braving the boycott call by separatist organisations. Eight people were killed in police firing on the day.

Investigations by central agencies and local police backed Dar's account of events of the day, blowing away the Army's claim that he was a stone-pelter.

Investigations found he was on his way to his sister's place for a condolence visit after voting when the Army picked him up and beat him mercilessly before tying him with ropes and parading him through nearly 28 villages.

"What was my mistake? Going to the polling booth and casting my ballot? Dar asked with tears rolling down his cheek.

"I am unable to sleep. Even medicines are ineffective. No one is giving me any work. The government is silent and the judiciary is moving at its own pace," Dar told PTI in a video interview.

Prodded to speak about his life after the incident, Dar said he faced a social boycott as people in his village Chill, in Budgam district, had distanced themselves after they learnt he had participated in the election process.

"I regret moving out of my house on that day, he added in Kashmiri, as a friend who had stuck by him through the 12 months consoled him.

One of five brothers and sisters, Dar, whose father passed away some years ago, said the incident has snatched his fundamental right to live.

"No one is giving me any work. I decided to work as a labourer but my human shield tag walks a pace ahead of me. At times, I wonder whether such an act of cowardice could be rewarded by the Army. Is this the message that India wants to send to Kashmir? he asked, referring to Gogoi being commended by the Army chief for his act.

"I am not a politician nor do I intend to become one. But if casting a ballot is crime, who is going to come out to vote," Dar said.

Dar pointed to television discussions on the issue. "Neither those who defended me nor those who defended the army officer had even the remotest idea of my mental state," Dar said.

He said his mother Fiza Begum suffers from heart disease and he does not have money for her treatment. "I have been living on dole from my friends and some relatives as I have no source of income.

"I wanted to make it big by making a beautiful Kashmiri shawl but I became famous for all the wrong reasons," Dar said.

His ordeal has entered mainstream discourse. The human shield' episode is even referenced in the recent Bollywood film Baaghi 2, where the hero, an Army officer, is reportedly shown tying a civilian to his jeep for disrespecting the national flag, leading to criticism that the film was trying to glorify human rights abuses.

Last July, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission awarded Dar Rs 10 lakh as compensation. But this was rejected by the state's PDP-BJP government, which said there were no rules under which it could pay the money.

"The about the compensation made this worse for me. People in my neighbourhood made sarcastic remarks about the compensation and criticised me for seeking justice for myself.

"It is not about the money but my dignity. If it is proved I was pelting stones, hang me. Or punish those responsible for my miserable present and and bleak future," Dar said with a note of desperation in his voice.

"If Ahsan Untoo and advocate Zafar Qureshi had not highlighted my plight, the world would have never known what I underwent," he said.

Mohammad Ashan Untoo, head of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights group in the Valley, has filed a review petition against the decision to not give Dar compensation in the State Human Rights Commission. A plea on the matter has also been filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

"One day we will get justice," Untoo said.

In his view, New Delhi should be eager to hear the case of a person who believes in democracy but has become a victim of the Army's high handedness.

Untoo added that is also planning to sue the producer and director of Baaghi 2.

"An act of cowardice is being used to stoke so-called nationalistic passions, he said.

The video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the Gogoi's jeep had gone viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former generals said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army.

The state police registered a case of abduction with intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

The police, in its investigations, said Dar was "tied to an army vehicle as human shield under threat, kept in wrongful confinement and has been paraded around...

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to take action against fugitives and the irreconcilable militants under a bilateral agreement for regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said today.

In a statement, it said that the two sides have agreed to "operationalise the working groups under Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS)" during Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Kabul on April 6.

It said that Pakistan was committed to "support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation."



"The two countries to undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either of the two countries," it further said.

"Both countries commit to deny use of their respective territories by any country, network, group or individuals for anti-state activities against either country," according to APAPPS.

They agreed to put in place a joint supervision, coordination and confirmation mechanism through Liaison Officers for realisation of the agreed actions.

The two countries vowed to avoid territorial and aerial violations of each other's territory.

The two countries also agreed to avoid public blame game and instead use APAPPS cooperation mechanisms to respond to mutual issues of contention and concerns.

They would establish Working Groups and necessary cooperation mechanism as per APAPPS for full its implementation and the above mutually reinforcing principles.

The APAPPS was agreed in February and the officials of the two countries held several high level meetings before it was decided to operationalize the agreement.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other groups and individuals on the watch list of the interior ministry.

The bill will replace the presidential ordinance that banned outfits and people already on the watch list of the interior ministry.

Citing its sources in the law ministry, Dawn reported that the proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled to commence tomorrow.

The law ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft bill, the sources said, adding that the military establishment was also on board.

The government decided to prepare a draft bill to amend the ATA as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the watchdog's money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain had promulgated the ordinance amending the ATA to include entities listed by the UNSC as proscribed groups but it will expire in 120 days.

The National Assembly can extend it for another four months after which it has to be tabled before both the houses - National Assembly and the Senate - for further extension.

Through the ordinance, amendments were made to ATA's Section 11-B that sets out parameters for proscription of groups and Section 11-EE that describes the grounds for listing of individuals. In both sections, Sub-Section 'aa' was added.

According to the sub-section, organisations and individuals "listed under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948 (XIV of 1948), or" will be included in the First Schedule (for organisations) and Fourth Schedule (for individuals), respectively, on an ex parte basis.

Under Section 11-EE, the requirements were: "(a) concerned in terrorism; (b) an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation under section 11D or proscribed under section 11B; and (c) in any way concerned or suspected to be concerned with such organisation or affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism or acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, any person or organisation proscribed under this Act."



In addition to the draft bill, Pakistan is also preparing a consolidated database of known terrorists and terrorist organisations which will be accessible to financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies of the country to strengthen the regime against money laundering and terror financing.

For the enforcement of prohibition of funds and financial services, it was recommended to the authorities to ensure that statutory regulatory orders issued under UNSC Resolutions-1267 and - 1373 (issued under ATA) are implemented without delay. The government would also frame the ATA's freezing and seizure rules and ensure that Anti-Terrorism Amendment Ordinance 2018 is enacted through the parliament, according to the draft action plan.

The amendment to the ATA would also enable investigation officers to be trained to investigate sources of funding besides other financial aspects in terrorism cases.

The presidential ordinance has already been challenged by Saeed in the Islamabad High Court. He claimed that the ordinance had been promulgated due to external pressure and hence was not only prejudicial to the sovereignty but also contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

His 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.

When contacted, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, special assistant to the prime minister, said that the amendment to the ATA was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new, as it would basically ensure compliance to the UNSC Resolutions.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi will project the progress in implementing USD 50 billion China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects during this year's Boao Forum for Asia, according to the Foreign Office.

This year's forum in Boao, a coastal town in the southern island province of China's Hainan, will be themed 'Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity'.

The Pakistan Foreign Office said in a statement that Abbasi will lead the Pakistani delegation to the Boao Forum Annual Conference for Asia.

Abbasi will be one of the keynote speakers in the opening session of the forum along with President Xi Jinping, and other leaders attending the annual forum.

"The Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with Chinese and other world leaders," said the FO.

The Forum would provide an opportunity to Abbasi to project the progress in implementing China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.

The 3,000-km-long CPEC is aimed at connecting China and Pakistan with rail, road, pipelines and optical cable fiber network. It connects China's Xinjiang province with Pakistan's Gwadar port, providing access to China to the Arabian Sea.

The project, when completed, would enable China to pump its oil supplies from the Middle East through pipelines to Xinjiang cutting considerable distance for Chinese ships to travel to China.

"The visit will help in promoting Pakistan as a successful economic partner in the region as well as in the global context, the FO said.

The Boao Forum for Asia is a non-profit organisation that hosts high-level forums for leaders from government, business, and academia in Asia and other continents to share their vision on the most pressing issues in this dynamic region and the world at large.

Modeled after the World Economic Forum held annually in Davos, Switzerland, the Boao Forum has its fixed address in Bo'ao, Hainan province, China, although the Secretariat is based in Beijing.

Pakistan is one of the 26 countries of this Forum, according to the FO.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
At least 100 people at a village in Howrah district today complained of breathing problem and burning sensation in the eyes following a suspected chemical leak while it was being transported, police said.

Fire Brigade personnel suspect the liquid chemical to be Benzyl chloride and sent samples to a laboratory for testing.

Police and Fire Brigade personnel rushed to Palow village under the jurisdiction of Uluberia police station after receiving information of the leakage of the chemical while it was being transported to a godown in a truck.

One person was arrested in connection with the incident, the police said.

The chemical leakage has been controlled, the Fire Brigade personnel said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
A plea has been moved in the Delhi High Court alleging that the Union Health Ministry illegally closed graft cases and connected disciplinary proceedings against some former senior officials of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) without the approval of the competent authority -- the prime minister.

The application, by an NGO in its main petition for expeditious and objective investigation into alleged corruption cases in AIIMS during the years 2012-14 involving senior bureaucrats, is expected to be heard tomorrow by a bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar.

The NGO, Centre for Public Interest Litigation (CPIL), has claimed that all the corruptions cases, some in relation to over Rs 6,000 crore worth infrastructure development in the institute, against the bureaucrats were illegally closed without following the due procedure and without approval of the competent disciplinary authority -- the prime minister as he is in-charge of the Department of Personnel and Training.

It has sought directions to the Centre to immediately refer the cases of corruption to the competent disciplinary authority for passing well reasoned orders.

The application claims that former Union health minister Dr Harshvardhan as well as the CBI had recommended major penalty proceedings against some AIIMS officials in connection with alleged financial irregularities in the AIIMS.

It also said another former Union health minister, Gulam Nabi Azad, too had approved departmental proceedings against one of the bureaucrats for alleged financial irregularities and that case too has been closed by merely cautioning the official in question.

"It is apparent from the above mentioned closure of corruption cases... by Union Health Ministry without even the matter being referred for consideration of competent disciplinary authority as per statute that no fair decision is being taken in respect of these cases under the influence of the Respondent No.3 (Union Health Minister J P Nadda)," the fresh application by CPIL said and sought summoning of records of the graft cases that were closed without approval of the competent authority.

Nadda had earlier told the high court that the PIL was "actuated by ulterior motive" to gain political mileage and "malign" the government's image.

Ex-Chief Vigilance Officer (CVO) of AIIMS, Sanjeev Chaturvedi, had earlier filed an affidavit in the matter claiming that Nadda allegedly connived with the accused in the corruption matters by allegedly sitting over the charge sheets and CBI reports against the individuals involved.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
State-owned Punjab National Bank (PNB) has hired lawyers to represent itself in the bankruptcy proceedings of the US-based Firestar Diamond, a group company of billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi who is accused of defrauding the lender of over Rs 130 billion.

Firestar Diamond approached a bankruptcy court in New York court in February.

"We have just engaged lawyers to represent our bank in the US bankruptcy petition as part of recovery process. If money has gone from our system and parked in that company, our bank's views should be heard before deciding about insolvency petition," PNB Managing Director Sunil Mehta told PTI in an interview.

Without disclosing the name of the lawyers, he said the bank is legally engaged in the matter of insolvency proceedings of Firestar Diamond and the concerned authorities have been requested to make the bank a party in the case.

The US Trustee Program oversees the administration of bankruptcy cases in the United States.

Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi, in connivance with certain bank officials, allegedly cheated PNB of over Rs 130 billion through fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs).

A Mumbai branch of PNB had fraudulently issued LoUs for the group of companies belonging to Nirav Modi since March 2011.

Different investigating agencies, including CBI and Enforcement Directorate, are probing the fraud, dubbed as the biggest banking scam in the country.

PNB had issued as many as 1,590 LoUs to Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and their associates.

The total number of LoUs issued to the companies of Nirav Modi, his relatives and the Nirav Modi Group are 1,213, and to Mehul Choksi, his relatives and the Gitanjali Group are 377.
The former Russian double agent and his daughter, who are recovering in a UK hospital from a deadly nerve agent poisoning, will be offered new identities and repatriated to the US with the help of the CIA, a media report has claimed.

Sergei and Yulia Skripal are said to no longer be in a critical condition at a hospital in Salisbury, where they have been treated since being discovered slumped on a bench in the Wiltshire town in south-west England on March 4.

British intelligence officials at MI6 have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the father and daughter, 'The Sunday Times' reported.

"They will be offered new identities," the newspaper quoted a senior figure from the UK political establishment as saying.

Both victims are said to be conscious and ready to help investigators with their inquiries into the nerve agent attack, which the UK government believes was masterminded by the Kremlin.

For Britain to help the pair, a senior police officer is expected to issue the Skripals with a so-called "Osman warning", a formal notification that intelligence suggests there is a real and immediate "threat to life".

They could then be placed under a witness protection programme on the basis that the pair hold key evidence about a possible motive for the attack.

That could involve moving them to a "safe house" and being given round the clock armed police protection as well as new identities.

Security sources told the newspaper that Britain would want to ensure their safety by relocating them with one of the "five eyes" countries, the UK's intelligence-sharing partnership which includes the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Yulia, 33, a Russian citizen, has reportedly rejected demands by the Russian embassy in London to offer her and her father with consular support a move that has convinced British officials she might move to the West permanently, the report said.

While her 66-year-old father is also awake now, British officials have warned that life for the Skripals "would likely never be the same again" and that they could have injuries that would "require ongoing medical care".

Meanwhile, UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson accused Opposition Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn of being "the Kremlin's useful idiot" for refusing to blame Russia for the poison plot.

Johnson said the Labour leader was playing "Putin's game" by refusing to say "unequivocally that the Russian state was responsible".

"There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join in. Sadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort," he wrote in 'The Sunday Times.

A Labour party spokesperson hit back, claiming that the minister had "made a fool of himself and undermined the government" by misrepresenting the findings of the Porton Down laboratory on the source of the nerve agent.

The lab had said last week it was not the scientists' responsibility to pinpoint the origin of the military-grade Novichok but only its type, contradicting Johnson's claim that scientists were "categorical" the deadly nerve agent came from Russia.

"Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said the evidence points to Russia being responsible, directly or indirectly, and that the Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of evidence," the Labour spokesperson said.

The Russian government has repeatedly denied being responsible for the poisoning of the Skripals, as diplomatic relations between Moscow and the West took a turn for the worst with a number of countries expelling Russian diplomats as a show of support for the UK.

Moscow has said it wants the UK to "engage constructively" with the request for its UK ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to hold face-to-face talks with Johnson.

But the UK Foreign Office has branded the move as a "diversionary tactic".

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic. We will of course consider their request and respond in due course," a Foreign Office spokersperson said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
I was never friends with her, but before Kyrsten Sinema was elected to Congress we served on a board together. I didnt know her well because I avoided her. I avoided her because she struck me as insane-- actually dangerously insane. It was a big board with a big table. I always tried to sit as far away from her as possible in case she started acting out and killing people. When she decided to run for Congress, she called me up and asked for an endorsement from Blue America. Early in the vetting process, I realized she wasnt only insane but also very reactionary for a Democrat. She seemed very angry when I told her we couldnt endorse her. But, in Congress, she proved I was correct. She quickly ran up the most right-wing voting record in Congress, started soliciting money from all the worst sources and rose in the ranks of the Blue Dog caucus until she became chairman, her current position. It was no surprise to anyone who knows what a worthless scumbag Schumer is to see him recruit her for the now-empty Arizona Senate seat (Flakes). Expect the wave to sweep her into the Senate.





A couple of weeks ago one of the local newspapers, the Phoenix New Times wrote that she often sounds and votes more like a Republican than a Democrat. Their reporter attended a speech she gave at the Tempe Chamber of Commerce, where she unashamedly and repeatedly catered to one of conservatives' favorite subjects: the need to cut back on government red tape. That means cutting back on consumer protections, which has been a speciality of hers since getting into the House Financial Services Committee. For the past few years, Sinema has taken more in bribes from the banksters and their lobbyists the committee is supposed to exercise oversight of than any Democrat on the committee. While voting with the Republicans for their agenda, she took $1,013,540 in the 2015 and 2016 and so far this cycle, $1,144,251. That is not just more than any Democrat in the entire House, its surpassed by just two members, Speaker Paul Ryan ($2,554,409) and Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy ($1,438,800). The only Democrats even in her ballpark are notoriously corrupt bankster boot-licks Josh Gottheimer (Blue Dog-NJ- $868,574) and Pelosi heir-apart and Wall Street fave Joe Crowley (NY- $726,037). One of her colleagues, on condition of anonymity said, plainly, Shes as dirty as they come. I hope she loses When people say theres no difference between the parties, theyre talking about her.

As corporate types in grey suit jackets snacked on yogurt parfaits, Sinema touted her cosponsorship of the Comprehensive Regulatory Review Act, a GOP-backed proposal that would require federal agencies to re-evalulate financial regulations that are currently in place, and consider making them less burdensome. First International Bank in Scottsdale had been one of her inspirations, she said.



"The bank's president here in Arizona, Greg Miskovsky, told me that many regulations are well-intentioned," she said. "But they stifle our ability to make loans to small businesses seeking to expand and hire new workers."



She also highlighted the fact that she'd introduced the Fostering Innovation Act of 2017, which would exempt some publicly traded start-ups from the auditing requirements in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. (Though the bill was introduced a little over a year ago, it hasn't yet gone up for a vote.)



Her positions also demonstrate how dramatically Sinema's politics have changed. In 2002, the first year that she ran for the state legislature, she wrote, "Until the average American realizes that capitalism damages her livelihood while augmenting the livelihoods of the wealthy, the Almighty Dollar will continue to rule. It certainly is not ruling in our favor."



These days, her message to capitalists is a lot different.



"I'll be traveling across the state this month listening to business leaders and the challenges and opportunities that they're facing," she told the group at the Tempe Chamber event. "And I want to hear directly from you about how we can bring more jobs to our state."



During a short question-and-answer session, one bearded audience member with a distinct Bernie Bro vibe asked Sinema where she stood on the proposed rollback of banking reforms.



"There's a bill that's currently making its way through Congress that made news in the past couple of weeks on Dodd-Frank rollback, where they're attempting to reduce some of the more burdensome regulations, but at the same time they're granting more power to credit bureaus like Equifax that have not historically been good custodians of information," he said. "I would like to know where you stand on the Dodd-Frank rollback, and that particular bill?"



"I'm not sure exactly what bill you're referring to, but what I can tell you about is the work we're doing on Equifax," Sinema replied, using a time-honored political tradition: the pivot.



Eventually, she indirectly answered the question by suggesting that, yes, she'd support some changes to Dodd-Frank.



"What I can say is that we're working in a bipartisan way in both the House and the Senate to pass reasonable changes to some elements of Dodd-Frank that have been overburdensome," she said. "For instance, regulating insurance the same way that you regulate banks doesn't make sense. They have totally different systems in terms of how they operate, and their risk levels are totally different. Similarly, regulating a community bank in the way that you regulate the Big Four makes no sense."



Closing out, Sinema seemed to suggest to the Republicans in the room that it would be okay for them to vote for her-- after all, she was named one of the most independent members of Congress.



"Frankly, Arizonans dont care whether theres an R or a D next to your name, as long as you get the job done," she said.

Shes the perfect conservative hack for EMILYs List and they couldnt wait to endorse her.




German authorities investigating a deadly van ramming attack focused today on mental health problems of the driver, as the city of Muenster mourned for the two people killed on a sunny afternoon at an open-air restaurant.

"There are strong indications at the moment that this was a lone perpetrator and that there were no links to the terror scene," federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told reporters at the site of Saturday's attacks, where local people laid flowers in memory of the victims.

Far-right opponents of Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy had suggested in the immediate aftermath of the attack it might be an Islamist act of terror, while some media reported the killer had links to right-wing extremist organisations.

But there are "no indications of a political motive," said Hajo Kuhlisch, chief of police in the western city where the attack took place.

Rather, he added, "the motive and origins (of the crime) lie within the perpetrator," a 48-year-old German identified as Jens R who shot himself dead immediately after the crime.

A source close to the investigation told AFP there was a record of incidents related to the perpetrators impaired mental health since 2015, and that he had talked of suicide in late March.

Prosecutors said he faced allegations of threats, property damage and fraud in 2015 and 2016, all of which were dropped.

And broadcaster NTV reported he had threatened family members with an axe in 2014 and 2015.

The two victims killed in Muenster were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- some life-threateningly.

The foreign ministry in the Netherlands said two of those hurt were Dutch, one of whom was in a critical condition.

In the van, police found the gun used by the driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the mans Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information, setting up a website where people can upload photos and videos.

Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack yesterday, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault.

"I was on my way home through the city here and saw firefighters and ambulances everywhere. I thought something really terrible must have happened," said Hubert Reckermann, a local man in his late 60s.

"Its still unbelievable for me, but these days anything can happen. You cant really defend yourself against people with psychiatric problems."



Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group.

But "we know with high probability that it was a lone perpetrator, it was a German, not a refugee," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul.

"We know with high probability that there was no Islamist background" to the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, he added.

"It will take a few more hours and days" until the case is cleared up, Reul added.

Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and pledged that "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims".

The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, as well as Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sent their condolences.

The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places.

In a Berlin assault in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86.

And in Spain, the jihadists also claimed a rampage along Barcelonas Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
German investigators were puzzled this morning by the motives of a man who drove a van into a crowd at an open-air restaurant the day before, killing two people before shooting himself.

"So far there are no clues to a possible motive for the act," said Martin Botzenhardt, senior prosecutor in the northwestern city of Muenster where the attack happened, in a statement issued in the early hours.

"We are pressing hard on our investigation into all possible avenues."



Late yesterday, authorities were near-certain that there was no Islamist connection to the violence in the historic centre of Muenster as had initially been feared.

The two people killed were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- six of them seriously -- amid the broken and upturned tables and chairs seen strewn across the pavement in images of the scene.

Police had to wait for a bomb disposal team to clear the vehicle used in the attack after noticing suspect wires inside.

In the end, they found only the weapon used by the 48-year-old driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the mans Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information about the attack, setting up a website where people can upload photos or videos.

"There was a bang and then screaming. The police arrived and got everyone out of here," an employee of the restaurant hit by the terrace told NTV.

"There were a lot of people screaming. Im angry -- its cowardly to do something like this."



Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault.

Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group.

But in the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, there was "no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul.

Media reports said the driver, identified only as Jens R., had a history of mental health problems.

Public broadcaster ZDF said the man had recently attempted suicide while rolling channel NTV said he had spoken of a desire to bring as much attention as possible to his death.

ZDF also reported that he had possible links with far-right movements.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims".

The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, each sent their condolences.

The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places.

In a Berlin attack in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market in central Berlin.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86.

And in Spain, the jihadists also claimed a rampage along Barcelonas Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Rajasthan Governor Kalyan Singh and Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje have expressed condolences on demise of Niranjan Thomas Alva, the husband of former governor Margaret Alva.

Singh, in his message, prayed for peace for the departed soul and courage for the family to overcome the shock.

Raje said she was deeply saddened by his passing.May the Almighty give the family strength in this difficult hour. My sincere condolences to the bereaved family, she tweeted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Global vacation exchange firm RCI is targeting the fast growing millennial segment and developing shorter duration products to attract them, a senior company executive has said.

"The millennial segment presents a huge opportunity. To attract them, we are looking into developing shorter products, which are not less than three days, as millennials are more into long weekends and interested to take several small breaks in a year," RCI India Managing Director Sabina Chopra told PTI here.

The company will soon, in 2-3 months, come out with products for millennials, she added.

RCI, with over 4,500 affiliated resorts in nearly 110 countries, has always been focused on the family segment and will continue to do so, she said.

The company, she said, also looks forward to tap the senior citizen market, which provides huge potential.

"We also find a lot of potential in the senior citizen segment as there is a growing population of people who after retirement want to travel and enjoy varied experiences," Chopra added.

In every category, she said, the company targets people who will invest in holidays.

"We cannot target every one. We look at those people who are committed to taking holidays every year, people who are ready to invest in holidays for a longer period of time," she added.

In India, RCI has affiliation with 160 resorts with close to four lakh memberships.

"We are looking at over 10 per cent growth in membership in India in 2018. We are also planning to add 40 more tie-ups in India to provide more options to members," Chopra said.

She said, Indian is one of the largest markets in Asia for RCI and one of the focus markets of the company along with Japan.

India is also RCI's fastest growing market, mainly driven by leisure segment, Chopra said.

Going forward, she said, "Leisure destinations as well as the metro cities will be the main growth drivers in India."



The US is the biggest market of RCI followed by Europe and Australia.

RCI has affiliated resorts in over 60 destinations across the country, giving holiday makers access to more than 200 resorts in India as well as overseas.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Corp-backed realty portal Makaan.com has facilitated about 25,000 buy-sell and renting transactions in the last one-and-a-half years after it transformed the platform from classified to a marketplace.

Singapore-based Elara Technologies had formed the realty portal PropTiger.com in 2011 and later acquired Makaan.com in May 2015 and Housing.com in January 2017 to create India's largest full service online-to-offline real estate platform.

More than a year after acquiring Makaan.com, Elara in mid-2016 launched a new business model of offering free and unrestricted number of listings to sellers/brokers, helping it to attract over 15,000 active sellers with more than 8.5 lakh properties listing on its platform.

"We are very excited about Makaan.com. It has a revolutionary business model that goes beyond lead generation. It has the potential to disrupt the online real estate industry," Dhruv Agarwala, the CEO of PropTiger, Housing and Makaan, told PTI.

The new model has been widely accepted and has helped Makaan.com in facilitating about 25,000 transactions over the last 18 months, said Ravi Bhushan, Group Chief Product and Technology Officer, Housing-PropTiger-Makaan.

Of the total transactions, nearly 60 per cent were from renting while the rest from buy-sell.

"When we pivoted from a classified platform to a marketplace in mid-2016, our entire focus was on creating an alignment between home seeker, seller, and the platform. We believe in an open market where the only currency is listing quality. With no entry barriers for sellers, we wanted to ensure maximum option for homebuyers," Bhushan said.

Elaborating about the platform, he said, Makaan.com is now based on the success-fee model under which brokers share some part of their revenue after completing the transactions from the leads generated on the platform.

For buy-sell of properties in the secondary market, Makaan charges Rs 8,000-15,000 per transaction depending on the location. For renting, it gets Rs 3,000-6,000 per transaction.

"Disclosing transaction helps sellers get business and branding furthermore on the platform. Given the fairness in pricing, sellers find this model an incentive to list quality properties and get a more extensive reach without paying upfront," he added.

With credible listings data and real-time intelligence on property search, Bhushan said, Makaan.com has become a preferred choice for consumers looking to rent, buy or sell a home.

"In an industry plagued with information asymmetry and distrust, building a trusted marketplace has not been an easy task," he said.

Each agent on Makaan.com is rated by the consumer on the basis of his/her experience, Bhushan said, adding that this self-regulating mechanism ensures that only sellers with quality listings and high ratings get promoted on the platform to help home seekers in their decision making.

While Makaan largely deals in buy-sell of re-sale properties, group company PropTiger helps developers in selling flats available in primary market.

Housing.com is a classified platform for both developers and brokers. Unlike Makaan.com, developers and brokers need to buy a package for listing of their properties on Housing.com.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that all stakeholders must adhere to the "golden principle" of the 3Rs -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- which will significantly help in waste management and sustainable development.

The prime minister's message was to participants of the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Indore.

The mantra of 3R - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind," Modi said.

The conference, to end on April 12, will look at how the 3Rs can help make cities and countries "clean, smart, liveable and resilient", an official press release said.

"All stakeholders - producers, consumers and the State alike - must adhere to this golden principle which can contribute significantly in solving the twin challenges of waste management as well as sustainable development," Modi said in the message, according to the government release issued here today.

The theme of the event at Indore is 'Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency A 21st-Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities'.

The forum will start tomorrow with a pre-event ceremony welcoming more than 500 delegates from across India and the world, the release said.

It will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 10.

Japan's minister Tadahiko Ito will also be present at the event.

The forum will see the participation of around 40 mayors of cities from around the world and mayors of more than 100 cities across India.

The highlight of the event will be a series of sessions with mayors focusing on sustainable urban development and forging of inter-municipal partnerships and cooperation at the national and international level.

The conference will end with the signing and subsequent adoption of the Indore 3R Declaration on Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air' in cities by mayors and city authorities.

The Forum will also recognise and reward industries and civil society organisations carrying out exceptional work in the area of 3R for waste management.

The Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific will be hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, government of India, and co-organised by the Ministry, government of Japan, and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the release said.

The forum also seeks to engage the public and private sectors in exploring partnership opportunities in areas of 3R and waste management for moving towards a zero-waste society.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Relatives of a prisoner today blocked the Katihar-Kodha road for three hours to protest the death of an undertrial in the district jail here, police said.

Katihar jail Superintendent Sujit Kumar Jha said Devendra Singh (30) was arrested on Wednesday for allegedly consuming liquor. The condition of Singh, a resident of Champi village, deteriorated this morning following which the jail doctor referred him to Sadar hospital where he died, Jha said.

Dr Santosh Prakash, a Sadar hospital doctor, said Devendra Singh was 'brought dead' to the hospital.

The deceased prisoner's relatives, alleging that he died because of beating inside the jail, blocked the Katihar-Kodha road.

The blockade was lifted following the assurance given by District Magistrate and Superintendent of Police that stern action would be taken against erring persons on the basis of postmortem report.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Slamming China for its expansionist agenda, senior RSS leader Indresh Kumar today called for boycott of Chinese goods to undermine the country economically.

"China can not be defeated militarily and so it is imperative to hit its economy by boycotting Chinese goods altogether," he said at a book release function here.

Beijing gets easily rattled by boycott of its goods by other countries, Kumar, the founder of the Indo-Tibetan Friendship Society, observed.

Taking potshots at the expansionist agendas of China, Kumar said that it has been working for years to corner India from all sides for which it has generously funded development projects in neighbouring countries like Bangladesh, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan.

Flaying the successive Indian governments for falling to Chinese overtures for friendly relations over the years, the RSS leader said: "Let none of us believe what China says or does on maintaining good relations with neighbours, including India, as it is a 'non-believer' nation which has nursed imperialist designs since ages."



"We also must understand that China's symbol is dragon which spits fire and swallows prey animals," Kumar said and warned that it will be disastrous to take Beijing's expansionist plans lightly.

"The world has seen how China gobbled up Tibet in 1950s on the same lines it had usurped territories of a number or East Asian countries since it's emergence as a military power in the second half of the 20th century," he said.

The RSS functionary complimented the Narendra Modi government for its deft handling of Doklam standoff last year and said that a strong measure by India forced China to have a re-think about its expansionist plan.

China had deployed about four lakh soldiers with an aim to capture Doklam in Bhutan, but India foiled its designs by rushing 34,000 troops along with military support that forced Beijing to back off after months-long standoff.

It was a perfect response from India and that is how one can contain the Chinese imperialist game plan, he said lavishing praise on the Modi government.

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SBI General Insurance, a subsidiary of the country's largest lender SBI, expects to wipe out accumulated losses during the current fiscal and may go in for listing next year.

"The company has already achieved break-even but some accumulated losses are still there, which should get wiped out during the current fiscal," SBI General Insurance Managing Director Pushan Mahapatra told PTI.

After wiping out losses, the company would look at listing on bourses, he added.

When asked if the listing would happen in the next fiscal, Mahapatra said it may happen depending on the board's decision.

SBI General Insurance, a joint venture between State Bank of India (SBI) and Australian insurance major IAG, turned in its maiden profit for fiscal 2016-17, its seventh full year of operations.

The company reported a net profit of Rs 153 crore as against a loss of Rs 120 crore in the previous year.

Mahapatra said the company has registered a growth of 36 per cent in the premium for the fiscal ended March 2018.

Talking about the proposed Ayushman Bharat scheme of the government, he said it is going to change the entire dynamics of health insurance in the country.

Last month, the Cabinet cleared the launch of the Ayushman Bharat - National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), which was announced in the Budget. The scheme will provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family per year and benefit more than 10 crore families belonging to the poor and vulnerable sections of the society.

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Joining the ongoing state-wide protests, demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, actors Kamal Hassan and Vijay, along with other actors and film personalities, participated in a silent protest here.

The Tamil Film Producers' Council (TFPC), South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI) and Distributors' Association had announced that the silent protest would be held here in Valluvar Kottam area today.

Top actors, including SIAA president and actor Nasser, Film Producers' Council president and actor Vishal, actors Dhanush and Sathyaraj, directors Shankar and Vikraman and actor-director S A Chandrasekar also participated in the protest.

The silent protest was also for demanding closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin, against which the locals have been staging agitations, citing health reasons.

Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests over the CMB issue, with ruling AIADMK staging a hunger strike, led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on April 3, condemning the Centre for not setting it up.

The DMK-led opposition parties' state-wide bandh, demanding early establishment of the CMB to ensure water for farmers as per the Supreme Court order, was held on April 5.

In its February 16 judgement, the apex court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water.

The apex court granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Following the verdict, Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to set up the CWMB and CWRC to ensure it received its due share of water from the inter-state river.

The six-week period ended on March 29.

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September 25, 2021, Saturday

The meeting of the two leaders in the Oval Office of the White House on Friday lasted for more than 90 minutes, instead of the ...
The has indicated there will be no change in its strategy of going it alone in polls after chief reached out to his bickering ally in a bid to pacify it.

Addressing a press conference on April 6, Shah had said the hopes the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will continue to remain in the fold.

"They (Sena) are in the government with us now, and it is our strong desire that they remain with us," Shah had said.

In January, the Sena had announced it will not align with the and go solo in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The Sena is currently part of the BJP-led ruling coalitions in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, but it has often criticised both governments' decisions and policies.

Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai has said the BJP has suddenly changed its tone and is now talking about its allies in the

"Even in 2019, we will form an government though the BJP will win a majority (on its own in Lok Sabha polls)," Shah had said at the press meet.

"The BJP, which all along said it would come to power on its own, is now remembering its friends. Its tone has changed in the past six months. It now talks about the NDA," Desai said at a public meeting in adjoining Thane last night.

Thackeray was the "most popular" leader in the state and the party, under his leadership, would capture power on its own strength, Desai said.

"The Sena chief has said we will fight the polls alone and all Sainiks should works towards that aim," he said.

A Sena office-bearer said the party has no intention to change its political line of contesting all future polls independently.

He said the BJP has a policy of using its allies for political gains and then discarding them.

"In Goa, they (BJP) used Maharashtrawadi Gomatak Party (MGP) to grow and in Maharashtra, it expanded its base with Shiv Sena's help. But, the is not the MGP," said the officer-bearer, who preferred to remain anonymous.

"Not just the Shiv Sena, but the entire country is witnessing the BJP's arrogance," he said.

The Sena will also have nothing to do with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the office- bearer maintained.

However, the BJP does seem perturbed by the Sena's cold shouldering.

A state BJP leader said the rank and file is enthused by the good response the party's rally on its 38th foundation day here on April 6 received.

The rally saw "unprecedented" turnout of BJP workers from different parts of the state, he said.

"The event has enthused the cadre and going by the participation, the should realise the BJP may not require it at all (in polls)," the BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the BJP has never said the Sena was not a valuable ally. "The Shiv Sena has problems with us and it is not the other way round. We never said we don't need you," he maintained.
A Sikh organisation here created a world record by tying thousands of turbans within a few hours as members of the community commemorated the annual Turban Day at the iconic Times Square here, spreading awareness about the faith amid incidents of hate crimes against the community.

The Sikhs of New York organised the Turban Day as part of the annual mid-April celebration of Vaisakhi, which is commemorated by millions of Sikhs annually.

This year, the organisation was aiming to set a world record for tying the most turbans during the day-long celebration in Times Square yesterday.

Chanpreet Singh, the founder of the non-profit organisation, told PTI that they tied over 9,000 turbans and are "thrilled" to set the world record for tying thousands of turbans in a few hours.

The organisation won a certificate from the Guinness World Record for the "most turbans tied in 8 hours was achieved by Sikhs of NY (USA) in Times Square in New York, USA on April 7, 2018."



The Turban Day brought together hundreds of volunteers from the Sikh community who tie colourful turbans on New Yorkers, tourists and Americans from across the country visiting Times Square.

While tying the turbans, they also talked about the Sikh identity, making people aware of the culture.

The event has been aimed at spreading awareness among Americans and other nationalities about the Sikh religion and its articles of faith, especially the turban, which has often been misconceived and misidentified as being associated with terrorism particularly in the years since the 9/11 terror attacks.

Sikhs for New York said thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe crowd into Times Square and came away for the first time wearing a turban on their head and learned about Sikhism, one of the largest religions in the world.

"On Turban Day, we tied turbans regardless of age, colour, gender or race," Singh said.

"These are core Sikh values and American values that make us Sikh Americans. Our diversity is our strength.

The Turban Day has ben commemorated in New York since 2013 to educate people about Sikhism, which preaches equality of mankind and all human beings.

Representatives from Guinness World Record judged the event in Times Square and presented the organisation with a successful world record breaking attempt by tying the most turbans in one place in the world.

The day-long event also included cultural and musical presentations.

"We greatly appreciate the many volunteers who lent their time and contributed generously to support Turban Day," Singh said.

"This educational endeavour would not be possible without our hundreds of volunteers and supporters."



Last year, a proclamation by Congressman Gregory Meeks of the 5th Congressional District of New York had declared April 15, 2017 as 'Turban Day', lauding The Sikhs of New York for its dedication in educating other communities about the Sikh faith.

Those who got the turbans tied, including young children, were seen excitedly taking pictures and proudly walking around with their new head gear.

Cheryl Mendz, a young student, said she got the turban tied on her head as she liked exploring different cultures.

"It's nice to see a different culture. I am not a Sikh so it's nice to learn about different cultures," she said, proudly wearing her pink turban.

She added that the message of the organisation that Sikhs should not be targeted in hate crimes because of their identity is "amazing". "Everyone should be treated equally, everyone should be welcome no matter what religion you believe in, she said.

Sporting a pink turban, Natasha Zenger said, It's nice to embrace a culture that is different from one's own."



According to Sikh rights group Sikh Coalition, in the 15 years following 9/11, Sikhs remain hundreds of times more likely to be targeted in cases of profiling, bigotry and backlash than the average American.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Six miners were killed and two injured when the roof of a tunnel collapsed at a gold mining site operated by US-based Newmont in Ghanas southern region, the company said today.

"I can confirm six fatalities to you. Two others were treated at the clinic and discharged after the tragedy on Saturday," said company spokesperson Agbeko Azumah.

The accident happened in the Brong Ahafo region, some 430 kilometres from the capital Accra, he said.

"The entire Newmont family is devastated by this tragic accident and our priority is to provide support to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased," Alwyn Pretorius, the companys vice president in Africa, said in a statement.

The firm said it had evacuated other workers at the site and that operations had been suspended to allow for an investigation.

"All other employees working in the area have been safely relocated and the scene of the accident has been secured," Pretorius said.

"The police are on site and the appropriate government and regulatory agencies have been notified, including the Inspectorate Division of the Minerals Commission."



Newmont, a US-owned mining company, is one of the worlds largest gold producers.

It runs two mines in Ghana and has been in the west African nation since 2006.

Yesterday's accident is the latest in the oil and gold-rich country.

In July last year, at least 22 people were killed after an illegal goldmine collapsed in western Ghana.

The accident was blamed on small-scale gold mining, known in Ghana as "galamsey", which has recently been the target of a government crackdown on environmental grounds.

Ghana is Africas second-largest gold producer and exports of the yellow metal, along with other minerals and oil, drive the country's economy.

The industry involves a number of major global players but small-scale, illegal mining has been a persistent problem and accidents are frequent.

In 2010, at least 45 people were killed when an illegal mine collapsed after heavy rains.

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The BJP's campaign in Karnataka Assembly polls today received a boost with six-time MLA Malikayya Guttedar, an OBC leader, joining the party today.

B S Yeddyurappa, who is the BJP's chief ministerial candidate in the poll -bound state, and Union minister Prakash Javadekar made the announcement at a press conference, which was also attended by Guttedar, who is an MLA from Afzalpur in Gulbarga district.

Guttedar was recently expelled from the Congress after reports appeared that he may leave the party and join the BJP.

Yeddyurappa said his presence in the party would be a boost to its chances, especially in the Hyderabad-Karnataka region of the state.

The Assembly polls are scheduled for May 12 in the state.

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Puducherry Chief Minister V Narayanasamy today hit out at the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu for criticising the Congress on the Cauvery issue instead of mounting pressure on the Centre to set up the Cauvery Management Board (CMB).

"It is amusing to see Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and others from the AIADMK criticising the Congress on the river water issue. This criticism is absolutely not acceptable," he told reporters here.

Attacking the Congress and DMK during a one-day fast by AIADMK on April 3, Palaniswami had accused the DMK of enacting dramas and 'betraying' farmers despite being part of the erstwhile UPA regime at the centre.

Narayanasamy, who returned this morning from Delhi after meeting the AICC leaders, said as far as Puducherry government was concerned, a joint meeting of leaders of various parties had been held and a resolution adopted in the assembly last month urging the Centre to form the CMB.

He said he had submitted a detailed letter to the Prime Minister during the latter's Feb 25 visit to Puducherry, which is also a reparian state of Cauvery, urging him to set up the CMB to protect ryots in the Union Territory and assure them of water from the river for irrigation.

"The Prime Minister is yet to respond to my plea and also to the resolution," he said.

Narayanasamy said Karaikal in Puducherry depended on Cauvery waters from Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for irrigation.

"But we have been let down by both the states, hence the need for the CMB. Our priority is to protect farmers of Karaikal, as they depend on Cauvery water," he added.

He flayed the Centre for not reducing the price of petrol and diesel, even when the crude oil price in the global market was low.

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: Andhra Pradesh chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today condemned the detention of ruling TDP MPs in New Delhi by police as the "height of the Centre's oppressive attitude."



It was 'atrocious' to behave in "an inhuman" manner against the MPs who tried to stage a peaceful protest (outside the Prime Minister's residence), he said.

A release from the Chief Minister's Office said Naidu spoke over phone with some of the MPs who have been hospitalised following their 'arrest' and enquired about their health.

"They (Delhi police) behaved in an inhuman fashion, without even caring about the MPs' age. This was the height of the Centre's oppressive attitude. The Centre's stance is totally undemocratic," the Chief Minister said.

The TDP MPs were detained when they attempted to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

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Police today detained Telugu Desam Party (TDP) lawmakers when they attempted to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here demanding the special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The decision to protest was taken after TDP lawmakers met at Rajya Sabha member and former Union minister Y S Chowdary's residence this morning to chalk out the next course of action.

The lawmakers were detained on their way to the prime minister's residence.

"Twenty MPs are sitting at Tughlak Road police station. Police will allow all MPs to go after sometime. They were detained from Bhinder Point near Air Force Station, while they were marching towards the PM's house," a police officer said.

TDP lawmaker Jayadev Galla said: "The prime minister is the person to take decisions on the special status. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him."



Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the lawmakers "in solidarity" at the police station.

"We condemn their detention and fully support demand for spl status of AP (sic)," he said in a tweet later.

The TDP withdrew its ministers in the Union cabinet and walked out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after the Centre denied the special status to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP had issued a no-confidence motion notice against the government. However, it was never taken up for discussion in Parliament due to repeated disruptions by political parties.

In a separate protest over the same demand, five YSR Congress Party members have sat on a hunger strike at the Andhra Pradesh Bhavan. Today was the third day of the protest.

The five members on Friday resigned from Lok Sabha in support of their demand.

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The Telangana government will shortly come out with a retail trade policy and it will be incorporated with 'Direct Selling', a senior official said.

"Very shortly in a matter of next couple of months we are bringing out our retail trade policy and we have decided to include'Direct Selling' also as a component of this retail trade," Principal Secretary for IT and Industries Jayesh Ranjan said.

"For the organised retail we are announcing in our retail trade policy that the state will take care of responsibility for training (skilled manpower) completely at its cost, and if 'Direct Selling' is included in the retail trade policy then this benefit will be also extended to the direct selling sector, Ranjan said.

After Sikkim and Chhattisgarh, the Telangana government had come out with guidelines regulating the business of direct selling industry.

Addressing a Thanks Giving Conference for Telangana Government here organised by FICCI and Indian Direct Selling Association for coming out with such guidelines, Ranjan further said the draft retail trade policy has been prepared and right now it was being circulated among other government departments for their remarks and inputs.

The benefits which are being committed in the retail trade policy will be applicable to the direct selling sector, he said.

Ranjan called upon the distributors of the direct selling industry to influence their companies to set up manufacturing bases in Telangana and assured of extending necessary support from the government.

He also wanted the direct selling industry to take care of consumer welfare/issues and for implementing a strong internal monitoring committee.

We see any investment in manufacturing as a favour you (industry) are doing to us (government) and therefore all the clearances, permissions are given in 15-day time period, along with incentives and good quality infrastructure," Ranjan said adding, there was a strong local procurement policy in Telangana.

"Because of pro-active support from Telangana government, e-commerce giant Amazon is setting up its second largest technology development centre in Hyderabad," he said.

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Three infants died and five others were admitted to hospital, a day after they were administered DPT vaccine at a village in Palamau district, a senior health official said.

Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today ordered an inquiry into the matter and announced a compensation of Rs one lakh for each of the bereaved families, an official release said.

The infants, aged between one year and 18 months, were given DPT vaccine at an Anganwadi centre at Loinga village yesterday and three of them died during treatment, officiating civil surgeon Dr T Vijay Kumar said.

Trained nurses had yesterday administered the DPT vaccine to the children after which they had fever and loose motion, he said.

Five of the children were admitted to hospital, Kumar said.

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President Donald Trump is condemning what he calls a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria that has killed women and children, though he's offering no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's government is denying the allegations of such an attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital.

ALSO READ: Moscow junks claim that Syria used chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta

Trump says in a tweet today that the "area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world." ALSO READ: Dozens reported killed in suspected Syria gas attack; Damascus denies

He says Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran, influential Syrian backers, "are responsible for backing Animal Assad." Trump is calling for the area to be opened "immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!".
US President Donald Trump today warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad that there would be a "big price to pay" for a chemical attack against a violence-hit town in Syria where dozens of Syrians choked to death.

Trump also called Assad an "animal" and blamed Russia and Iran for backing him.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless chemical attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world," Trump said in a series of tweets on Sunday.

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump said, warning his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and Iran for backing the authoritarian Assad regime.

Trump aso accused former President Barack Obama for the Syrian disaster, saying if his predecessor's actions could have stopped "Animal Assad" long ago.

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" Trump said in another tweet.

At least 80 civilians have been killed since yesterday after the regime launched fresh air raids on rebel-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor.

Syrian state media and the regimes ally Russia denounced claims of chemical use as "fabrications".

Tom Bossert, the White House Homeland Security Advisor, ruled out taking out any policy option, ABC reported.

"I wouldn't take anything off the table," he said responding to a question if there would be another missile attack.

"These are horrible photos. We're looking into the attack at this point. The State Department put out a statement last night and the president's senior national security cabinet have been talking with him and with each other all throughout the evening and this morning, and myself included," Bossert said.

Trump, he said, has got a point that's been very clear.

"The pendulum has swung in the wrong direction for too long and the United States of America has been take advantage of in their responsibility to provide security for the entire world," he said.

"It is time to move that pendulum back in a way that brings regional partners and others with equities in these matters all around the globe into putting their resources and their treasure and their boys and girls on the line, and not just American troops," Bossert added.

Top American Senator Lindesay Graham said that the Syrian chemical attack is a defining moment for Trump.

"It is a defining moment in his presidency, because he has challenged Assad in the past not to use chemical weapons. We had a one-and-done missile attack. So Assad is at it again. They see us, our resolve, breaking. They see our determination to stay in Syria waning. And it's no accident they used chemical weapons," Graham told ABC

"But President Trump can reset the table here. To me, I would destroy Assad's air force. I would create safe zones in Syria where people can come back to their country from the surrounding area and live a better life. Train up Syrians to take on Assad so we can negotiate in Geneva from a position of strength," he said.

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Turkey today strongly condemned what it said was a chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma, saying there was a "strong suspicion" the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was responsible.

"We strongly condemn the attack and we have the strong suspicion it was carried out by the regime, whose record on the use of chemical weapons is known by the international community," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Rescue workers said dozens of civilians had been killed in a chlorine gas attack on Douma - claims denied by Assads regime and its ally Russia.

Turkey said that the incident showed that past UN Security Council resolutions on the use of chemical weapons in Syria were "once again" being ignored.

The foreign ministry called for an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and said it expected condemnation from the international community.

However in recent months, Ankara has been working tightly with the Syrian regimes closest allies Russia and Iran in a bid to bring an end to the seven-year civil war.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a summit on Syria in Ankara with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The foreign ministry statement did not explicitly refer to Russia and Iran, maintaining Turkeys caution in not lashing out at its partners.

But it called on "the parties who have influence over the Syrian regime" to ensure that such attacks are halted and punished.

It noted that "in the past no measures have been taken against these attacks".

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Congress president Rahul Gandhi today asserted BJP would not win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose from Varanasi under a 'united' opposition.

He predicted a "collapse" not "seen in many years" for the current dispensation and exuded confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations.

Gandhi was having an informal interaction with the media here on the conclusion of his sixth leg of campaign for the May 12 Karnataka assembly polls.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, he said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if Congress, SP and BSP were united against him.

"Frankly, I don't see BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger".

"Because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," he said.

Pointing to opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by DMK, Trinamool Congress and Nationalist Congress Party, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"



And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."



"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

To a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it,"he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

He termed as "funny", BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

Gandhi claimed that he understands UP politics, saying that when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck."



He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it," he said.

Responding to a question, he blamed "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.

Addressing a public rally to mark the culmination of "Janashirvad Yatra" that covered all regions of the state, Gandhi asserted that the mood in Karnataka was in favour of his party and it would win the May 12 polls.

He also accused the Narendra Modi government of discriminating against the Congress-ruled Karnataka.

"Karnataka's mood is in favour of Congress partyand we will the election," Gandhi said,winding up the last lap of his "yatra", which he devoted to mainly attack the Modi regime.

The visit also saw Gandhi go to temples and other religious places and interact with Hindu seers, besides holding roadshows and mingling with crowds.

Gandhi said the Karnataka elections was a "fight between two ideologies."



"On one side Congress that like Bengaluru works for joining every one, spreads brotherhood and love. On the other side BJP, RSS and Nagpur's ideology. It's the ideology of spreading anger, hate and dividing," he alleged.

He also said when Karnataka faced drought for the last four years, it was given less money compared to other states.

Gandhi claimed Maharashtra was given Rs 8,000 crore for drought and Gujarat Rs 3,800 crore while Karnatakagot Rs 1,400crore.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
today warned the United States against carrying out a "military intervention on fabricated pretexts" in Syria, insisting that the Damascus regime did not use chemical weapons on an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta.

"We must once more warn that a military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where there are Russian soldiers at the request of the legitimate Syrian government, is absolutely unacceptable and could have the most dire consequences," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Released before Donald Trump called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal" and warning that there would be a "big price to pay" for what the US president called a "mindless chemical attack", the ministry called the allegations "provocations".

The rebel holdout of Douma in eastern Ghouta near Damascus was pounded Friday and Saturday by renewed airstrikes that killed at least 80 people, with first responders accusing forces loyal to Assad of using poisonous chlorine gas in the attacks, claims denied by state media.

"The goal of this speculation... is to cover for the terrorists and the radical opposition who are rejecting a political settlement" to Syrias seven-year war, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Earlier, Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, denied the allegations against the Assad regime.

"We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he said, quoted by news agencies.

The White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, along with an insurgent group and the opposition in exile, accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical attack.

In a joint statement, the White Helmets and the humanitarian group Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said 48 people were killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported dozens of cases of suffocation, some of them fatal, without saying whether chemical weapons were involved.

"These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the community," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement earlier.

"The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," she added.

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks."



The Syrian regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for a deadly sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017.

Since February 18, the regimes Ghouta offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians.

The regime has used a combination of a fierce military onslaught and two negotiated withdrawals to empty out 95 percent of the enclave near Damascus, but rebels are still entrenched in Ghoutas largest town of Douma.

(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.)
Pakistan has asked the US to resume the balancing role that it played in South Asia before its "tilt" towards India, saying the move has "emboldened" India and created imbalance in the region.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary also said that peace will prevail in South Asia if America assumes the role of a balanced power-player.

"We are saying to the US administration that the US always brought a balance in SA, but this recent tilt has created an imbalance," Chaudhary was quoted as saying by Dawn.

"This tilt has also emboldened the Indian government to go for a heavy-handed approach...," he alleged.

Chaudhary said the peace in South Asia will be better served if the US assumes the role of a balanced power-player.

Indo-US relationship made great strides in 2017, with President Donald Trump keeping his electoral promise of being the "best friend of India" inside the White House.

India was the only country for which the Trump administration came out with a 100-year plan, an honour not even accorded to America's top allies.

In his South Asia Policy unveiled in August, Trump gave India a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and for the first time a US president aligned himself with New Delhi's position that terrorism emanated from Pakistan.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The worst is over for PNB and it will come out of the mess created by the Nirav Modi fraud case in six months, the state-run lender's Managing Director Sunil Mehta said on Sunday.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) was hit by country's biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 130 billion perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates in connivance with some officials of a branch of the bank in Mumbai.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta told PTI in an interview.

"So worst is behind us. Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in the recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next six months," he said.

Emphasising the long legacy and strength of the bank, Mehta said, "it is a 123-year old institution which was founded during Swadeshi movement by Lala Lajpat Rai. This institution has 7,000 branches spread through length and breadth of the country with business of more than Rs 10 trillion in the domestic market. So fraud of this nature could not shake confidence of our customers during this period."



Even during trying times, the bank's business has grown better than the industry, he said, adding that credit has witnessed a growth rate of about 10 per cent, in line with the guidance that was shared with investors.

With regard to deposits, the bank has recorded a growth of 6.2 per cent, he said.

"So, we have grown in line with industry and even during difficult days it was business as usual. With all this negativity which was created in the environment, the customers' confidence was not lost and the credit goes to 70,000 employees who stood with me in the difficult time.

"They have gone the extra mile, they have done extra hard work to see that every customer is attended to properly. Now, we are in the bounce back mode," he said.

"It is now clear that it was a standalone incident in one of our 7,000 branches because of connivance with some of the staff of the branch. We have learned lessons from it. Whenever a problem comes, it gives an opportunity to strengthen our existing systems and processes. We have improved every system and process with more emphasis on offline monitoring," he said.

Citing an example, Mehta said the bank is going to reform the credit processes by dividing it into four verticals -- sourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery. All these will be a separate compartment so that the risk is mitigated.

Besides, he said, the bank has launched 'Mission Parivartan' to realign all business processes to meet present-day requirements.

"We decided to deploy the technology. We had strengthened our back office for foreign exchange dealings, now we are going to expand it to cover 100 per cent activities in forex-related areas. We started with integrating SWIFT with the core banking solution and we will be able to complete the process before April 30," he said.

On internal audit, he said besides physical audit, there will be offline monitoring too for which the bank is creating a separate cell which will do offsite monitoring of all exceptional transaction reports.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath today called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an "iron man" for accelerating the pace of development in the country.

The "Iron Man" sobriquet is used to describe the first Home Minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for his uncompromising commitment to unify the country post-Independence.

Addressing a gathering of monks in Visnagar town in Mehsana district, Adityanath also equated Modi's leadership with that of Mahatma Gandhi and Patel.

"Immediately after Independence, when Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had visited Saurashtra, he pledged to renovate the Somnath Temple. This pledge could have been taken for other parts of the country as well but it was the effect of Gujarat's soil... It's a holy land that gave leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the country in difficult times.

"And today, the country is similarly surging rapidly ahead under the leadership of iron man Narendra Modiji to reach the top of the world, something which we had never dreamt before," he said.

Adityanath, the chief abbot of Gorakhnath Mutt in Uttar Pradesh, was in Visnagar to attend a religious programme of the Nath sect. He previosuly visited the town in December 2016 following the death of Mahant Gulabnath.

Adityanath's Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani said the Somnath Temple would not have been vandalised by foreign invaders had the country not been divided along caste lines.

He said casteism and untouchability kept India divided.

"There is a need to launch a fight against this. I appeal to you seers to take a pledge to save the religion... Modiji is working on to take the country to newer heights," he said.

Adityanath invited the seers present there to attend the 2019 Kumbh Mela, to be held in Uttar Pradesh.

He said Modi's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas" slogan is a spinoff of the Sanatan Dharma philosophy, which also calls for taking everybody along.

"It is the first time that we will take a pledge and frame a policy that an Indian, whatever community he belongs to, will get shelter. And today, every poor is getting a roof on his head, getting food, electricity etc. Development has reached remote corners," the UP chief minister said.

He hailed Modi for being instrumental in getting UNESCO recognition for Yoga and Kumbh festival.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Saudi Aramco took the first steps to integrating a petrochemicals business into the United States' biggest oil refinery, which is operated by its subsidiary Motiva Enterprises. Aramco's Chief Executive Amin Nasser signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) worth $8 billion-$10 billion with Honeywell UOP and Technip FMC to study petrochemical production technology for use in a chemical plant the company is considering building at the Port Arthur refinery. Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who was winding up a two-week visit to the United States, was ...
Christian Sewing, currently co-deputy chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank, is to become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender, replacing John Cryan, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters on Sunday. Sewing, a German national, would replace Cryan, a Briton, at a time when the bank is trying to strengthen its brand in its home market. Cryan has been in office less than three years but investors have lost faith that he can return the bank to profitability after three consecutive years of losses. The promotion of Sewing, 47, with a background in commercial banking, ...
Sunday, April 8, 2018 at 10:55AM

Microsoft hopes to help out the content creator community with a new mode its introducing to Skype. The app is getting a new Content Creators mode on the desktop for both Windows 10 and Mac users. While the app itself wont get native call recording, its streamlining integration with existing third-party apps like Wirecast, Xsplit, and Vmix so itll be easier to get quality audio and video recordings. These will then be easily exportable for other editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro.

According to Microsoft, this feature will also let streamers broadcast a call live on either YouTube or Twitch. This mode will be launched in full in the coming week and its final release will come out in the fall.

Source: SlashGear
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One baby every week is stillborn at the Canberra Hospital with up to 80 babies stillborn every year. The statistics are slightly higher in the ACT than in other jurisdictions across Australia, but similar internationally across developed nations. About half of those who have a stillborn baby never find out the cause of death. Jack Baker was born in 2016 at 24 weeks and survived for three days by his parents' side in the maternity ward of the Canberra Hospital. His mother, Ashlee Baker, said he was just too small to live. Jack was the third child for the Bakers. Mrs Baker was transferred from Tumut hospital after suffering placenta problems. She was haemorrhaging. "It all happened really quickly," she said. "We didn't know it was going to happen that night." Jack was born weighing just 700 grams. Mrs Baker, who was required to undergo a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding, remembers having to walk up stairs and through corridors to go and see her baby in the days following. While the hospital had a cuddle cot, donated in 2015, it was likely being used by another family at that time. That situation meant the Bakers had to stay in the maternity ward, surrounded by newborn babies, while saying goodbye to their own. "It was really hard," Mrs Baker said. She said the family was so grateful for everything the hospital did for them, they decided to raise money for a cuddle cot, to help other grieving families. The cot lowers the body temperature of the baby after death, to allow the family more time. Mrs Baker set up a crowdfunding campaign and the Tumut community rallied together. Astonishingly, the small town raised $6500 for the piece of equipment - in just one month. "People were just so generous, it wouldn't have happened without them," she said. Centenary Hospital for Women and Children clinical midwifery consultant Wendy Adler said the natural phenomenon of stillbirth affected about 2000 babies annually in Australia. "That's five to six babies a day," Ms Adler said. A stillborn baby is one that dies either in utero after 20 weeks of pregnancy through to the early days after the baby is born. "For us that means one to two babies a week, and that's just here at the Canberra Hospital, where we care for those families who go home with empty arms." Ms Adler said midwives talk to mothers throughout pregnancy about the importance of monitoring their baby's movements. "The mother is the only outside link with the world that the baby has," she said. "It's important that she continues from at least 28 weeks but more from 20 weeks to monitor the baby's movements that she's feeling and we encourage all mothers to report any concerns, any changes in the patterns of movement or a decrease in the movement." Donations to the hospital are greatly appreciated. To find out how to donate visit the Canberra Hospital Foundation website www.canberrahospitalfoundation.org.au Do you have a story to tell? Contact kimberley.lelievre@fairfaxmedia.com.au

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Guitarra Flamenca. The Street Theatre. Sunday, April 15, 4pm. 62471223 or thestreet.org.au. What's better that one flamenco guitarist? Two flamenco guitarists and a percussionist. That seems to be the thought behind Guitarra Flamenca, a cross-cultural musical collaboration that brings together Spanish flamenco guitarist Paco Lara, Australian flamenco guitarist Damian Wright from the group Bandaluzia, and drummer James Hauptmann, who's toured and recorded with Bluejuice. They're playing in Canberra as part of an Australian tour. Wright says, "It's first and foremost a celebration of flamenco guitar." The two men are celebrating the idiosyncrasies and beauties of the musical genre, foregrounding the guitars instead of relegating them to being the base of an ensemble - there won't be any dancers or instruments besides the percussion and any vocals will be provided by Lara. In addition to playing traditional flamenco pieces they will also be performing what Wright calls "flamencoised" versions of other works. "We're arranging the Adagio from Rodrigo's Concerto de Aranjuez - it's arranged in a more flamenco way that's quite exciting." Another work that will be "flamencoised" is Stanley Myers' Cavatina, a 1970 piece used in the 1978 movie The Deer Hunter. Although Myers was a British composer, Wright says he and Lara thought they could hear a Spanish influence in it and decided it would make a suitable subject for their treatment. They'll also be playing music by jazz musician Chick Corea and classical guitarist Jorge Cardoso, among others. Wright, 38, was born in Newcastle and began playing guitar when he was six. "My aunty bought me my first guitar," he says. "By my late teens I was a guitar lover in so many different styles - classical guitar, jazz guitar, rock, punk." His father had a broad taste in music and introduced him to world music and when he heard flamenco he says it was "a coming together of all the things I loved about guitar - the rhythmic emblems of folkloric music, the intricacy of classical". He was also attracted to its communal style of performance and the collaborative nature of its music-making and not long after after he finished high school went to Spain for three and a half years to study flamenco guitar. He's been back a few times since to increase and deepen his knowledge. "The more I feel I learn about it, the more I don't know." Wright - who also composes - played as a solo artist at The Rajasthan International Folk Festival in India in 2014 and in 2016 performed at The Shanghai Fringe Festival in China. His flamenco ensemble BANDALUZIA were invited to perform at the biannual Adelaide International Guitar Festival curated by Slava Grigoryan and performed to a sold out Sydney Opera House Concert Hall as part of TEDX Sydney 2014, Bandaluzia has also performed in Canberra at the National Folk Festival and the Street Theatre.

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A former NSW police sergeant who worked as a teacher in the ACT for a year in 2016 has been jailed for perjury in relation to a 2013 assault. Nigel Alfred Davey, 47, was given a 12 month prison sentence with a non-parole period of seven months for making a false statement in relation to his arrest of Regan Sutton in Nowra in June 2013. Davey appeared in Queanbeyan Local Court on Tuesday for sentencing and also received a 14 month good behaviour bond for the assault of Mr Sutton. Davey had been on patrol in Nowra when he tasered an unarmed Mr Sutton from the driver's seat of his police car. He later lied about the incident under oath saying Mr Sutton had been armed with a knife and tried to attack him. Court documents showed that Davey worked as a teacher in the ACT from February to December of 2016. The ACT government would not confirm at which school Davey had been employed or how he was able to gain employment within the education directorate despite being dismissed from the NSW Police for misconduct. The prosecution's court submissions showed Davey was dismissed from the police force in 2015 for another instance of inappropriately using a taser in January 2014. Davey had criminal charges of common assault and perjury brought against him on September 29, 2016 and he first appeared in court on November 14, 2016. The documents showed Davey continued teaching until December 2016 despite the charges. The ACT government said in a statement any member of staff that has regular contact with students must hold a current Working with Vulnerable People card. The statement said the government was unable to provide an individual's employment details or the outcome of a WWVP application due to "privacy considerations". Davey's defence lawyer made an application for the charges to be dismissed under section 32 of the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act. He told the court Davey had been diagnosed by a mental health professional as suffering PTSD, substance abuse and a depressive disorder at the time of the offences. "It is not fair to punish a mentally ill person for their mental illness," the defence lawyer said. The prosecutor said there were flaws in Davey's application. "The [psychiatric] report is based on entirely self reporting by someone charged with perjury," she said. Magistrate Michael Antrum dismissed the application due to the seriousness of the offences which he said tipped the balance in favour of pursuing a criminal conviction. "A young person has been tasered and excessively so," Magistrate Antrum said. "It was an abuse of the office of police officer. "He used his power irresponsibly and caused great pain and distress to the young person." Davey sat with his eyes closed and head pressed into his hands as Magistrate Antrum read out his verdict before being taken to the cells. He will be eligible for release in November.

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More than 23,000 Canberrans flocked to the city's airport to take in some of the nation's historic passenger aircraft and a huge RAAF transport plane for a special family day out on Sunday. People lined up for as long as an hour at some points under a cloudless Canberra sky to get a glimpse inside some of the planes and watch a series of aerobatic displays and tricks pulled by some of the nation's best pilots. Among the aircraft on display at the open day were the historic Douglas DC3/C47 Skytrain and more modern aircraft including the Qantas B737-800 and DH8-300, as well as the huge RAAF C-17A Globemaster. Flying the Globemaster in from Amberley airbase at Ipswich was RAAF Flying Officer Conor O'Neill, who has flown the huge transports all over the world, including to Afghanistan, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates. Piloting one of the world's biggest military transport aircraft, Flying Officer O'Neill said some of his most memorable experiences had been flying humanitarian support to natural disaster zones across the Pacific. Recently, Flying Officer O'Neill was part of the Amberley squadron that supported the Kingdom of Tonga in January when the Pacific Island nation was devastated by Cyclone Gita. But it was a more relaxed day for him on Sunday, as he was peppered with questions from young and old about the planes, his role and the broader role of the RAAF in Defence. He said they did two or three such public events a year, with the Canberra open day second only to the Avalon air day in terms of size and scale. "We get a good opportunity to chat to a couple of kids and parents about the planes and our work, and it's really rewarding for us to be able to do that and they obviously get to come on and see what the environment is like in which we work," he said. He said he was asked by many people about how the aircraft was actually manufactured - a question he did not have a ready answer to as a pilot, rather than aviation engineer. Canberra Airport communications officer Kathleen Sweetapple said the airport had released 30,000 tickets, making the open day the biggest the airport has hosted. One of the many wide-eyed children wandering the tarmac in awe, five-year-old Ruben Lane was there with father Rob and mother Melissa, who said Ruben was very excited, but also a little disappointed not to be actually going on a flight. But, she said, "What five-year-old boy doesn't love getting to check the planes out up close and go inside?"

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Visitors at the Vietnam Expo 2017 (Source: http://vietnamexpo.com.vn)



This year, 30 Cuban businesses will participate in the event, the most during the countrys decade-long presence at Vietnam Expo. The firms operate in diverse areas, including electronic mechanics, metals, renewable energy, agriculture, biological, pesticide, irrigation, pharmaceuticals, and health care.

According to the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam is among the top 10 trade partners of Cuba, and the second most important Asian partner of the Caribbean country.

Vietnams most popular product in Cuba include farm produce, garment, consumer goods and telecommunication products, while Cubas strengths include education, health care and construction.

Last year, trade revenue between Vietnam and Cuba reached USD224.3 million, with Vietnams exports valued at USD217 million and imports USD7.3 million. The two sides are striving for the target of USD500 million in trade in 2022.

Cuba is the gateway for Vietnam to access the Latin American market, while Vietnam offers the path for Cuban firms to approach Asian countries.

Cuba is now a promising market for Vietnamese firms in tourism, agriculture, telecommunications, consumer goods, footwear and garment-textile.

During the recent visit to Cuba of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnams Viglacera Corporation received a licence to develop an industrial park in Cubas Mariel Special Economic Management Zone.

In recent years, Cuban businesses have become more active in Vietnam thanks to dynamic and open foreign policies of Vietnam./.

CPV/VNA
Photo: Oliver Daily News A temporary traffic light recently set up at Fairview Road and Station Street in Oliver.

Crews in Oliver will be working around the clock to get a handle on a wet excavation site where a major roadwork project is taking place.

Oliver town staff said contractors are using dewatering equipment to lessen the amount of water at the work site.

"Unfortunately, backfilling and excavating the wet fill at the site each day has slowed construction progress on Fairview Road," staff said in a news release on Saturday.

Due to delays on the project from excess water, the town said the excavation site will now be open 24 hours a day  reducing traffic to a single lane on Fairview Road at Station Street.

Temporary traffic lights have been put in at both ends of the construction site, and the town said barriers and fencing will be installed along the sidewalk for public safety.

The town advised commuters to prepare for delays when travelling through the area.

After upgrading infrastructure on Fairview Road, similar work will be done on Station Street, where the majority of the work will take place, and on Bank Avenue.

The $1.26 million roadwork project began on Feb. 15. The town said at the time work would be done by June depending on weather.
Photo: Contributed

Heavy rainfall caused a mudslide in the upper Carmi area of Penticton on Saturday.

Footage sent to Castanet showed mud flowing through a forested area, and flowing water running through a section of a trail.

There are reportedly no homes impacted by the mudslide, and crews are working to divert the flow to nearby Ellis Creek.

Environment Canada forecasted 15 to 25 millimetres of rain on Saturday for the entire South Okanagan.

More information should it become available.
Photo: Google Maps

A 25-year-old British snowboarder has suffocated to death after falling head-first into a snowdrift in the French Alps.

The local mountain guide service said Saturday that two witnesses alerted rescuers after spotting a snowboard sticking out of the snow in an off-piste area near the resort of Meribel. An official with the guide service said the man apparently was trapped for up to half an hour before he was spotted.

The man was in cardiac arrest when the time rescuers arrived, according to the guide service.

The victim, a seasonal worker at the Meribel resort, was apparently alone when he fell Wednesday. An investigation is under way.

Some 15 people have been killed in avalanches or ski accidents in the French Alps this year.
Photo: Boeing

Two soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed during a training mission at Fort Campbell, officials at the Army post said Saturday.

The AH-64E Apache helicopter crashed Friday night in a training area at the sprawling Army post that straddles the Kentucky-Tennessee line, Fort Campbell officials said.

"This is a day of sadness for Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne," said Brig. Gen. Todd Royar, acting senior commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this difficult time."

The soldiers' names were not immediately released pending notification of their families. They were members of the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell said.

They were the only two people aboard the helicopter, post officials said.

The crash occurred at about 9:50 p.m. Friday. The cause is under investigation.
An overview of 18th NAM Ministerial Meeting (Source: apa.az)



Addressing the 18th NAM Ministerial Meeting held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on April 5th-6th, Quy also emphasised the importance of solving disputes by peaceful means and restraining from using and threatening to use violence.

NAM should play a more active role in boosting the implementation of international commitments and agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the reform of the global economic and financial system, as well as in promoting inclusive, innovative and sustainable growth so as to protect interests of developing countries.

The Vietnamese delegate also urged NAM members to cooperate closely with and support each other and resolutely follow basic principles to make the movement stay firm on the face of the 21st centurys challenges.

Deputy Minister Quy went on to say that Vietnam, together with other ASEAN countries, always obeys and upholds principles of the UN Charter and international law.

Regarding the East Sea issue, Vietnam calls on relevant parties to restrain themselves and tackle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while respecting diplomatic and legal progresses, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and working towards the early formation of a binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea, Quy added.

In opening the NAM Ministerial Meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed that respecting international law is crucial to maintain peace and international security for sustainable development.

NAM should continue promoting the principles of respecting countries sovereignty and territorial integrity, not interfering into others internal works, not using or threatening to use violence, and settling all disputes by peaceful means, he stated.

The conference focused discussions on how to deal with regional and global challenges, foster socio-economic development, strengthen peace, stability and international security, and boost collaboration among NAM members.

They passed the meetings document which affirms NAMs stance and overall principles on regional and global issues along with the commitments to handling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international, acknowledges ASEANs efforts to build the ASEAN Community and strengthen the blocs central role in the regional structure, and calls for the peaceful settlement of the East Sea issue.

The meeting also adopted the Baku Declaration, Declaration on Palestine and Special Declaration on Nelson Mandela International Day.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Quy was received by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Quy also had bilateral meetings with delegates from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Maldives to talk ways to boost bilateral cooperation./.
Bahrain's ultra abrasive surface is proving challenging for Mercedes, but Toto Wolff doesn't believe the team's W09 has inherited the "diva" traits of its 2017 predecessor.

The German squad conceded defeat to Ferrari yesterday in qualifying, with Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton simply lacking the pace over one lap to challenge its rival for pole.

"I always said right from the beginning that this was going to be a season where it was going to be much tougher, particularly against Ferrari and Red Bull," he said.

"I was genuine about it and I meant it, and you could see that on a track like Bahrain with a very abrasive surface and lots of heat, we struggle."

Hamilton: Bahrain qualifying shows Mercedes 'has no party mode'

Indeed, Mercedes has been particularly attentive to the W09's tyre temperatures this weekend. Asked if the "diva" gremlins which impacted the behaviour of its 2017 car had perhaps returned in Bahrain, Wolff dismissed the idea.

"No, it's different," said the Austrian.

"She's not a diva. I think the drivers feel that the car is very much together. But we just lacked the pace today here."

"In the last years we always seemed to struggle on particular circuits. Bahrain was one where we were successful in terms of results in the past, but also sometimes it was not trivial to find the right set-up.

"And it's interesting that the regulations change, the car's completely different, the tyres change, but it's a little bit within the DNA of each car to have strengths and weaknesses, and it seems that these strengths and weaknesses stay, even though everything else changes."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers

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Tourists pose for photos at Hukou Waterfall of the Yellow River, which is located on the border area between north China's Shanxi and northwest China's Shaanxi provinces, April 6, 2018. Warmer temperature and melting ice in upper reaches lead to the annual spring flood of the waterfall. (Xinhua/Zhang Bowen)

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Benfica hosts Porto next weekend in a clash that should virtually determine the title with only four more games then left.
Yankovic is an expressive performer, and though he stayed seated for the majority of the show, he put his full body into his singing, often nodding his head to the rhythm and using his left hand to make various gestures. And though the vast majority of his lyrics are intentionally ridiculous, his serious and often intense delivery belies the absurdity of what he's saying  he commits fully to the spirit of the song, whether he's admonishing youngsters ("When I Was Your Age") or admiring a piece of art ("Velvet Elvis").
Also on "Weekend Update," "SNL" regular Alex Moffat appeared as Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg in full mea culpa mode, vowing to personally apologize to "all 87 million of you." After parroting prepared remarks about the disclosure of Facebook's massive privacy breach, Moffat's Zuckerberg (in a plain brown T-shirt) petulantly declares his indifference to the unlawful exploitation of Facebook users' personal information. "You gave it to me. No backsies. If you don't like it you can suck it," he said.
Part of the Pearsons' initial complaint took issue with faculty members selected to fill the professorship positions at the institute. They argued the university hired James Robinson of the Harris School of Public Policy as the faculty director, then surreptitiously changed his title to institute director without the foundation's knowledge and in order to meet an agreed-upon deadline. The Pearsons also criticized two other appointments, saying the professors' backgrounds did not include universities matching U. of C.'s prestige.
The fire broke out around 5:40 a.m. in the 2400 block of South Spaulding Avenue on the West Side, according to the Chicago Fire Department.
A woman does embroidery at a cooperative at Yongren County of Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan Province, April 5, 2018. Yongren is a mountainous county mainly of ethnic Yi people. There was a tradition for Yi girls doing embroidery as a hobby in the past. As the market demand for Yi embroidery has grown strongly in recent years, they can do embroidery as a profession to support their families. In 2017, about 280,000 pieces of Yi embroidery were made and the output value of this industry has reached to 33 million yuan (5.2 million U.S. dollars) in Yongren. (Xinhua/Cai Yang)

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After being told to stop, the man immediately pulled out a knife and tried to stab her and her friend, George said. George, who is pregnant, said the blade came within inches of her stomach. As the two dodged the man, George said, he threw his bike at them and other members in the group.
It may take longer to get your mail. Postal Service changing 'service standards'
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For a good example of how China's time-honored brands are embracing new retail channels, consider Century Yili, a bakery that's long been famous for its delicious pastries and breads.

Finding itself up against competition with new brands selling Western-style cakes, Yili is now offering its products in brick-and-mortar cafes, including one in Shuangjing, the southeastern part of Beijing, that wouldn't be out of place in, say, Europe or North America.

The 150-square-meter cafe encompasses both Western and Chinese style delicacies, including cakes, light refreshments, fast food and salads. Its brand elements can be found everywhere, including the logo of Beibingyang soda - a white bear - printed on wall hangings.

"This is our first chain store with Western style, and we plan to launch more such chain stores in Beijing in the future," said Ma Chunying, director of Beijing Century Yili Grocery Co Ltd of Beijing Yiqing Group.

The new outlet is one of more than 120 chain stores across Beijing, and the growth rate of its annual sales revenue is greater than 20 percent. During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), Beijing Yiqing Group plans to launch a total of 300 Yili chain stores.

The new direction for Yili is already winning raves from customers.

"In the past, we could only buy Yili bread in supermarkets, and the category was quite limited. Now, physical stores offer a variety of selections, both Chinese and Western, and the quality and taste is just the same as I had in my childhood," said Zhang Min, a consumer from Beijing who had just visited the chain store.

Apart from launching chain stores, to realize operating transformation, Century Yili also invites consumers to visit its bread factory, where it offers lessons in making breads and cakes.

At the Yili factory in the Daxing district in Beijing, visitors can learn about the time-honored brand, which enjoys a history of 112 years. Walking down the corridor of the factory, with old pictures hanging on the wall, consumers gain a better understanding of the brand's origin, and how the company evolved over time.

"Not only kids, but adults and the elderly are attracted to the factory to experience the charm of the time-honored brand. Especially during festivals, numerous visitors come to our factory. During the busy season, we get more than 1,000 arrivals per day," said Li Qi, general manager of Beijing Yiqing Group.

In addition, Yili is embracing the 'new retail' era by joining hands with many e-commerce platforms, such as Tmall.com, JD, missfresh.cn and Womai.com, further expanding its distribution channel.




You are here: Business

China's five major banks reported faster net profit growth and lower bad loan rates in 2017.

The country's biggest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), saw its net profit up by 3 percent in 2017, while Bank of China, Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Bank of Communications all posted 4-percent-plus growth.

The five banks registered less than 2 percent or even negative growth in 2016.

Zeng Gang with the China Academy of Social Sciences attributed the growth to improved asset quality and rising net interest margins.

Many firms are more capable of paying back their loans as supply-side reform has helped their financial performance, easing the pressure on banks, Zeng added.

The non-performing loan rates of the five banks all fell last year, the first time in six years.

The banking regulator decided last month to lower required provision coverage ratio, a measure of funds set aside to cover bad loans. But four of the five banks raised their provision coverage ratio as their asset quality improved.
Mercer, the world's leading human resources consulting company, is planning to expand its China business by up to three times in less than five years and better serve as a bridge between talents and enterprises - partly in response to the fact that people are changing careers more frequently due to the rapid development of industrialization, digitalization and artificial intelligence.

"Over the next three to five years, we would like to be two and a half to three times the size we are right now ... we are still very positive on what we think we can do in China, so we continue to invest, continue to do different things that would be helpful," said Julio Portalatin, president and chief executive officer of Mercer.

As one of the most important markets for Mercer, China has outpaced other markets in growth. Portalatin said he is confident of Mercer's development because the company has laid a solid foundation for accelerated growth. "We see the China market continue to evolve, continue to grow, continue to give us opportunity for the future," he added.

According to Portalatin, the world's ongoing fourth industrial revolution along with Made in China 2025 will quicken the process of job replacement. Many of the jobs people are doing now didn't exist decades ago, and new jobs will replace what they are doing now in coming years at an even faster speed.

During the World Economic Forum 2016, it was estimated that within five years, more than one-third of skills that were considered important in today's workforce will have changed.

"Things will probably never be slower than they are today," he said.

China is going to make technologies including AI, digitalization, 3D printing and wearables rapidly integrate into the working environment, presenting Mercer greater opportunities in the fields of innovative manufacturing, quality and green development, optimizing industrial structure and nurturing talents.

The changes will affect both employees and employers, requiring both of them to get prepared for the future, and highlighting the importance of professional service providers in talent sectors, Portalatin added.

A McKinsey report predicted that 400 million to 800 million workers could be displaced by automation by 2030 and will need to find their way into new jobs. For China, this trend is a big challenge as it has the largest number of workers needing to switch occupations - up to 100 million if automation is adopted rapidly, or 12 percent of the 2030 workforce, the report added.

Although lower demand for medium and low-skilled workers will see the most impact, Portalatin believed AI is going to be a job displacer rather than a job eliminator.




BUENOS AIRES, April 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policy of protecting domestic interests will end up harming both American companies and consumers, according to Argentinean political observer Patricio Giusto.

The public policy analyst and university professor discussed with Xinhua recently about the White House shake-up of international trade and how it is bound to do more harm than good, especially to the world economy.

"The Trump administration has taken a surprising turn in trade policy, seeking to unleash an absurd (trade) war with China, in opposition to the globalized world," said Giusto.

Escalating sanctions and retaliatory measures "are going to end up doing a lot of damage to the stability of the global economic system," he added.

Trump does not appear to have a clear grasp of the consequences of his actions, said Giusto, who heads the Political Diagnosis consulting group.

"What Trump doesn't understand is that these measures will, above all, end up impacting U.S. companies and consumers, leaving his country increasingly more isolated from international consensus," said the analyst.

"In that sense, Trump is unleashing other ridiculous mini-wars domestically by, for example, accusing online sales giant Amazon of making a profit at the expense of the U.S. post," said Giusto.

Among the protectionist measures the Trump administration has taken are steep tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports that are expected to dent global trade and as a result slow global economic growth.

Trump also called for tariffs on some 60 billion U.S. dollars in Chinese imports, and restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States.

China responded with a proposal to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on some 50 billion dollars in U.S. imports, including soybeans, automobiles and chemicals.

"China definitely seems to be the target of the White House's protectionist policies," said Giusto.

"China has no alternative but to respond to Trump's onslaught. China is doing the right thing, not just for himself, but also for the rest of the world's countries that have chosen the path of deepening globalization and free trade," he added.

Raising tariffs and placing obstacles to trade "is not the way to resolve the differences with China. That way, you just increase tensions and problems for the U.S. economy," said Giusto.

Trump's "protectionist turn is a departure from his predecessors' policies in favor of free trade. You could say that Trump's is conducting an anti-American policy, keeping in mind the pro-market history and tradition of the United States," noted the analyst.

Unlike former U.S. presidents, "Trump is alone, with his back to the world. Protectionism is an approach that has fallen into disuse globally, after having attested the counterproductive effects that these types of policies have on the domestic economy of those who practice it," Giusto said.

The White House is betting on the strength of the U.S. economy to pressure small- and medium-sized countries into making concessions, but without any long-term vision.

"It's a combative strategy that runs counter to the rules of international trade that the United States itself promoted, a paradox that is tough to explain," he said.

"The damage to the international order is very great, since the United States is the leading global power. It heightens uncertainty and mistrust in the multilateral sphere," warned the analyst.

"Trump has destroyed the paradigms of international trade negotiation. Now the partners of the U.S. don't know when there might be new trade sanctions, increasing their uncertainty and dependence on the United States," said the analyst.

"It is exactly the opposite model to the one China is proposing based on expanding free trade, international cooperation and seeking a win-win relationship," said Giusto.

[ Editor: Xueying ]
You are here: China

Peking University is to continue to tighten rules on staff conduct and discipline teachers who fail to live up to standards.

The university took its strong stance in response to mounting calls for the school to investigate an alleged sex scandal involving a former teacher, some 20 years ago.

Shen Yang, a Chinese language professor, is accused of having sexually assaulted a female student who committed suicide in 1998. The matter resurfaced this week after a person who claims to be the victim's former classmate published the allegations online and, demanding a thorough investigation.

Shen, who has left Peking University in 2011 and now teaches in another school, denies the accusation, according to a local media report.

Peking University, however, said in a statement that police investigated the case in 1998 and the school gave Shen an administrative punishment.

The statement did not elaborate on the investigation result or the punishment.

Peking University said it has raised standards of teacher behavior and has been strict and consistent in dealing with teacher behavior.

"In recent years, some teachers were found to have problems. Every case has been thoroughly investigated and offenders have received grave penalties," the school said.




You are here: China

A government program is training 500 university teachers and 5,000 students in artificial intelligence.





The program organized by the Ministry of Education, Peking University and Innovation Works, a Beijing incubator, will continue for five years.





Last year, China's Cabinet issued an AI development outline, stressing the need to train AI talent and attract the world's leading professionals to China.





The new program targets teachers and students alike. They will participate in training sessions and camps. Teachers of the course include American computer scientist John E. Hopcroft, a recipient of A.M. Turing Award and Kai-Fu Lee, venture capitalist and head of the Innovation Works research unit.





The program will train 100 teachers and 300 students this year.





Peking University vice principal Tian Gang said the school expects the program to become a model that can be expanded in universities across China.




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Three people including the perpetrator died and a dozen more injured, after a van plowed into crowd in the old town of western German city of Muenster, interior minister of State North Rhine-Westphalia Herbert Reul told media Saturday night.



There have been no reports of casualties of Chinese nationals in this attack so far, the Chinese Consulate General in Dusseldorf told Xinhua.

A male driving a Volkswagen-Campingbus hit a group of people, who were sitting in an outdoor terrace of local restaurant in the old town of Muenster on Saturday afternoon, German newspaper FAZ reported.

The driver as perpetrator, who shot himself dead after the attack, was suspected to be psychologically disordered, German media reported.

Police were searching the driver's accommodation near the central railway station of Muenster, since a suspicious object had been found in the van.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel expressed her deep shock about the attack, saying in a statement that "everything imaginable is now being done to make sure of the fact and to support the victims and their relatives".

The motivation of the attack remained unclear, as the authority hadn't clarified whether the attack was terror-related or not.
The proposal was announced at a meeting between the MOF and the Prime Ministers working group led by Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung, on April 6.

Such measures will require the revision of 5 laws and 11 decrees, the finance ministry said.

Regarding the decrees, the ministry will submit the changes to the Government so they may be enacted before June 30, while concerning the laws, the ministry will report to the Government, which will then submit them to the National Assembly for inclusion on its law-making agenda before the same date.

The Finance Ministry is also planning to reduce the number of local taxation, customs and treasury offices in a bid to make its apparatus more streamlined, said Minister Dung.

According to the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Finance Ministry is a reform pioneer and its efforts have helped Vietnam jump 81 places on the paying tax index of the World Banks latest Doing Business report.

Minister Dung stated that his ministry will need to make greater efforts but noted that in order for the reforms to succeed, it also requires the participation of other ministries and agencies.
 Flash

The Israeli army on Saturday denied deliberately targeting a Palestinian journalist who was shot dead while covering mass protests on Friday near the border between the southern Gaza Strip and Israel.

The Israeli army has launched an investigation into the incident, said the army in a statement.

Palestinian journalist Yasser Murtaja was reportedly killed by gunshot from the Israeli soldiers. Hundreds of Palestinians, including Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh, attended the funeral of Murtaja in Gaza, Palestinian sources said.

At least nine Palestinians were killed by the Israeli troops and about 500 wounded in the second mass protest along the Gaza border on Friday. And the total deaths have risen to at least 31 killed by Israeli fire since last week, according to Palestinian sources.

"For weeks, we have been warning against coming close to the fence and calling on Gaza's residents not to obey the orders of the terror group Hamas and refrain from terror activities and other violent acts against Israel," said the Israeli army's statement.

"Despite this, since last Friday the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) have been dealing with tens of thousands of people approaching the fence, all instigated by Hamas," it added.

According to the Times of Israel, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman said Saturday night "I don't know who is or isn't a photographer. Anyone who operates drones above IDF soldiers needs to understand he's putting himself in danger."

"We saw dozens of cases in which Hamas terrorists used ambulances, dressed up as Red Crescent workers, and dressed up as journalists," added Liberman.

It is reported that the Palestinian press association denounced the murder of Murtaja, and announced plans to contact the International Court of Justice in The Hague regarding the matter.
 Flash

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont said on Saturday that he will remain in Berlin while the legal case on his extradition is pending.



"Berlin is now my residence until the end of this process. If possible I would return to Belgium," Puigdemont made the remarks in the German capital a day after he was released from the Neumunster prison.

In his press conference, Puigdemont called for international mediation and talks over the future of Catalonia, saying Spanish government should have "respect for democracy."

"We want dialogue without preconditions. But those who sit down at the negotiating table must be prepared to review their positions. We always said we were ready," Puigdemont said.

He added that independence of Catalonia is not "the only solution", and he and his colleagues are "ready to listen."

Puigdemont has been fugitive since Catalonia's bid to seek independence from Spain failed last October. The Spanish Supreme Court earlier in March issued fresh arrest warrants against Puigdemont and some other individuals behind the independence bid.

The 55-year-old separatist leader was caught on the entry of Germany from Denmark on March 25 en route to his residence in Belgium.

The German court in Schleswig on Thursday ruled that they will not extradite him on the basis of his rebellion charge, while pending the decision to extradite him on his embezzlement charge.

He was then released after paying a 75,000 euros bail. According to Deutsche Presse Agentur, Puigdemont can now move freely on German soil, but he must report to police once a week and inform prosecutors of any change in residence.
 Flash

The Republic of Korea (ROK) and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Saturday held a working-level talks to discuss setting up a hotline between leaders of the two countries, Seoul's presidential Blue House said.

Three working-level officials from the Blue House and the unification ministry held talks with their DPRK counterparts for about three hours from 10:00 a.m. local time (0100 GMT) at Tongilgak, a DPRK building at the border village of Panmunjom.

The lists of delegations were not unveiled for security reason, according to local media reports.

The two sides allegedly discussed where and how to set up and manage the hotline between ROK President Moon Jae-in and top DPRK leader Kim Jong Un.

Moon and Kim agreed to have their first phone conversation through the established hotline before their first summit on April 27 at Peace House, a ROK building in Panmunjom.

Another round of working-level dialogue will reportedly be held next week to finalize the establishment of hotline.
 Flash

The Syrian government on Saturday evening slammed the rebels' allegations that the Syrian army used chemical gas in the ongoing battle on the Douma district east of Damascus.



Such claims are an attempt to hinder the advance of the Syrian army in the battles against the Islam Army, Syrian state news agency SANA cited an anonymous official source as saying.

The remarks come as activists said the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the current attack on Douma, causing suffocation among people in Douma.

The official source said media arms of the Islam Army had fabricated the Syrian army's use of chemical weapons to frame the government forces.

The source added that the Syrian army is rapidly advancing without the need to use any kind of chemical materials, which the government has repeatedly denied possessing.

The Syrian army on Saturday said it stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in the Douma from farmlands east of Douma amid a state of collapse and chaos among the militant group, according to SANA.

Meanwhile, the Islam Army said on its official social network site that its militants foiled the advance of the Syrian army from the farm area on the outskirts of Douma.

Local TVs are airing footages of the targeting of Douma, a day after announcing that the Syrian Republican Guard units have started operation at Douma.

The escalation of violence comes as the Islam Army backed down on its agreement to leave Douma in Eastern Ghouta toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Douma was supposed to witness a similar evacuation of rebels as other areas in the Eastern Ghouta, where 43,000 rebels and their families withdrew under a deal with the government toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Three batches of the Islam Army and families have withdrawn from Douma recently, but as the fourth batch was preparing to leave, the agreement in Douma, which was mediated by Russia, collapsed.

The group also didn't live up to its part of the deal in terms of releasing thousands of kidnapped people in its captivity in accordance with the deal.

The release of the kidnapped people is a main demand of the Syrian government. Instead, the Islam Army militants have presented new demands for staying in Douma.

The Islam Army mainly demanded to remain in Douma with its weapons, while the Russians demanded the rebel group to hand over heavy weapons and allow the formation of a police force in that district supervised by the Russians.

But such demands haven't been approved and intense battles have raged in Douma since Friday.

The ground and aerial offensive of the Syrian army on Douma was coupled with mortar attacks by the militants on residential neighborhoods in Damascus, killing five people and wounding 30 others on Saturday.
You are here: World

 Flash

Hungary started general elections on Sunday to elect a 199-seat parliament, which could make the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban succeed in a third straight term.

Some 8 million voters cast their votes in more than 10,000 polling stations from 6 am (0400 GMT) local time until 7 pm (1700 GMT). Preliminary results are expected in the evening before midnight.

Polls predicted the triumph of Orban's Fidesz party and its allied Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP). Orban came to power in 2010 and is seeking a third consecutive term.

At a final campaign rally Friday, he urged his voters to turn out in masses on election day.

In last elections of 2014, Orban's coalition Fidesz-KDNP won 133 seats, securing two thirds of the parliament, also known as a super majority.

Some Hungarians living abroad have already started to vote on Saturday.
Monopoly concerns

On May 25, customers of Uber received an email announcing the transition of its services over to Grab by April 8. Meanwhile, Grab also announced it had completed its purchase of Ubers Southeast Asia operations. The deal has captured public attention as Grab and Uber are two technology-based taxi firms with large user bases in Vietnam, especially in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

According to Nguyen Minh Duc, a legal expert at the Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Grab and Uber are not only two powerful taxi companies in Vietnam but have also competed fiercely with each other previously in terms of promotions for customers and revenues for drivers.

Such competition offered great benefits to both consumers and drivers. But when their operations are combined, many will raise the question as to whether the merger violates the competition law, which guarantees a certain degree of competition and protect consumers rights. In addition, many are concerned that the merger will lead to a monopoly to the detriment of consumers.

Nguyen Manh Hung, Vice Chairman of the VINATAS, a consumer rights protection body, also agrees with the VCCI legal expert. He said that with an incentive revenue-sharing policy for drivers, Uber and Grab have attracted a large number of drivers to register as their partners, many of whom had to borrow heavily in order to purchase their cars.

When the two taxi firms unify their operations, Uber drivers must either join the new company or quit their jobs. However, both options are troublesome because when there are no competitors and the number of driver increases sharply, it is likely that Grab will increase its share of the revenue and eat into the drivers profits. For riders, the merger also means fewer promotions and benefits than in the past.

Tran Hong Quan, a driver, said that he began working for Grab six months ago and previously his income was relatively stable. Therefore a month ago, he decided to invest in a new car to offer a better customer experience. But the registration is now much more difficult, he complained.

Quan said that Perhaps the number of drivers transitioning from Uber to Grab is so large that registration has become more difficult. The merger is making us anxious because the commission rate could be higher.

He added that Since I have invested a large sum on the new car, if the commission rate is too high, the profits will be reduced and I dont know when I will be able to recover the investment.

Le Thi Cam My, a consumer, said that Because of my jobs, I have to travel by taxi a lot. In the past, using Grab or Uber instead of traditional taxis saved me a great deal thanks to many the promotional programmes. When the two companies merge, these promotions will end and the costs will grow.

Consumer rights protection

After Grab announced its acquisition of Ubers Southeast Asia operations, Singapore said it would launch an investigation into the deal concerning the potential infringement of competition rules. Malaysia and Philippines also followed suit with similar concerns.

In Vietnam, the Department of Competition and Consumer Protection under the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MOIT), also asked Uber and Grab to provide the documents concerning the acquisition before April 3 in order to assess the deal in accordance with the competition law.

According to MOIT Deputy Minister Do Thang Hai, Grab already replied to the Department of Competitions request and the Department also invited Grab representatives for a meeting on April 6.

He said that this is a transaction between two companies and if their market share is between 30-50%, they must report to the MOIT, and if the market share is over 50%, the merger is not permitted under competition law. Based on Grabs report and the result of the meeting, the MOIT will decide whether the deal violates the competition law or not and whether the deal will be able to go ahead.

With Grab, Uber, or any other brands of enterprises, no matter what models they are operating under, their operations must follow the competition law. That means they are not allowed to engage in unfair competition and infringe consumers rights. If violations are discovered, the Ministry of Industry and Trade will deal with them in line with the law, Deputy Minister Hai said.

In another development, after the announcement of the Grab-Uber deal, the local transport market began to witness a number of interesting changes. The bus operator Phuong Trang announced its decision to invest US$100 million in a ride-hailing app, while taxi company Mai Linh announced its new fare policy and a solution to make it easier for customers to call a taxi through a single nationwide telephone number.

Nguyen Minh Duc considered this as a positive development as it could encourage consumers to use the services offered by Phuong Trang and Mai Linh, helping them regain a market share, since Grab might cut its promotional programmes in the early phase of the merger.

But Duc noted that if an app is to work effectively, it needs a large number of both drivers and customers. For example, when users open an app but cant find a car, they will immediately close the app and open another one. The scenario is also similar when drivers want to find customers.

That is why when Grab and Uber first launched in Vietnam, their first step was to offer huge promotions to gain customers as quickly as possible. And when their presence is big enough, steps will be taken to generate profits. This tactic requires substantial capital to maintain promotions, a hurdle that traditional taxi companies need to overcome.
Speaking highly of Switzerlands role in negotiating a free trade agreement between Vietnam and the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), comprising of Switzerland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Iceland, Liem expressed his belief that both sides would soon complete the negotiations to facilitate bilateral trade.

He said the city is building a high-tech energy system to ensure rapid and sustainable development, and called on domestic and foreign firms to turn waste into energy.

The host suggested that clean water supply, transportation and seaports are potential cooperative fields that could provide mutual benefits.

Liem affirmed that the city supports the issuance of e-visas for Swiss aircrew and citizens, especially in the context that the Zurich  Ho Chi Minh City direct flights are to open in late 2018.

Leuthard, for her part, expressed her hope that the Vietnam  EFTA free trade agreement would be signed in late 2018.

According to her, Swiss enterprises are experienced in building smart cities and wish to work with the city on sub-component projects involving energy, transportation, seaports, clean water supply, smart technology and sewage treatment.

She wished to receive the citys support in e-visa issuance to facilitate aviation, tourism and trade between the two countries.

Switzerland now ranks 11th out of 96 countries and territories investing in the city with 67 projects. Two-way trade between Ho Chi Minh City and Switzerland reached US$25 million last year.
By Alana Wise, Reuters | Apr. 06, 2018

U.S. airline JetBlue Airways Corp said on Thursday it has awarded Pratt & Whitney a contract to supply engines for its total fleet of 85 Airbus A320neo aircraft, more than doubling the carrier's previous contract with the engine maker.

Pratt & Whitney is owned by Connecticut-based United Technologies Corp. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

The new agreement adds 45 aircraft to an earlier arrangement under which Pratt agreed to supply JetBlue with engines for 40 twin-engine jets. The deal also includes 13 spare engines and maintenance of the products.

"Number one was making sure that we had the right engine with the right technology for the future of JetBlue," JetBlue Chief Financial Officer Steve Priest said in an interview on Thursday.

Pratt beat out rival General Electric for the order, in a boost to the manufacturer after earlier issues with the engine.

Some Pratt A320neo deliveries were halted after problems arose in January, which Pratt had said stemmed from an engineering change it made last summer to the "knife-edge seal" in the high-pressure compressor near the rear of the engine.

"There have been some teething issues with the engines that have been well-publicized, but the one thing I will say: the trust that we have with Pratt is fantastic. They have been incredibly transparent about what those issues have been," Priest said.

JetBlue plans to begin taking delivery of the A320neo jets in 2019.
China Aviation Daily | Apr. 07, 2018

Embraer and Widere, Scandinavia's largest regional airline, celebrated the delivery of the manufacturer's first production E190-E2 today at a ceremony at Embraer's facility in Sao Jose dos Campos. The Norwegian airline will start flying the new aircraft on domestic routes later this month.

The E190-E2 is the first of three new-generation aircraft seating from 80 to 146-seat E-Jets to be introduced through 2021. Widere's E190-E2 is configured with 114 seats in a single-class layout. Widere has contracted for up to 15 E-Jets E2s - three firm E190-E2 orders and purchase rights for an additional 12 E2s. The total value of the order is approximately USD 873 million if all rights are exercised.

"The E190-E2 is an impressive aircraft. It is the ideal airplane for Widere as we introduce jets for the first time in the company's 84-year history," said Stein Nilsen, Chief Executive Officer of Widere. "I am convinced our passengers are going to love the cabin, our operations people are going to embrace the new technology, while our financial collaborators will appreciate the economics the aircraft permits. I believe everyone is going to celebrate with, as the launch customer, the fact that we are the first airline to fly the world's most environmentally-friendly airplane. With the lowest noise and emissions among aircraft in its category."

"This is a historic day for the E-Jets program and for Embraer. The delivery of this E2 marks a continuation of a real success story in global aviation. I'm honored that Widere - such a respected and experienced airline - is our lunch operator" said John Slattery, President & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. "I'm also delighted to welcome Widere as our newest Embraer customer and want to thank Stein and his team for the support over the last year; working together with us as partners to deliver this airplane today. I'm planning on being on the aircraft when it first enters Norwegian airspace next week and really looking forward to that!"

The E190-E2 received Type Certification on February 28. It is the first time an aircraft program with the level of complexity of the E2 has received Type Certificates simultaneously from three major worldwide authorities: Brazil's Civil Aviation Agency (Agencia Nacional de Aviacao Civil -- ANAC), the FAA (the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration) and EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency).

The E190-E2 features new ultra-high bypass ratio engines and a completely new wing and landing gear. Compared to the first-generation E190, 75% of the aircraft systems are new. Embraer recently announced some final flight tests results confirming the E2 as the most efficient single-aisle aircraft on the market. In fuel consumption, the E190-E2 proved to be 1.3% better than originally expected, a 17.3% improvement compared to the current- generation E190.

The E190-E2 is also the aircraft with the lowest level of external noise and emissions in the segment. Flight test results also confirmed the E190-E2 to be better than its original specification in takeoff performance. The aircraft's range from airports with hot-and-high conditions, such as Denver and Mexico City, increases by 600 nm compared to current generation aircraft. Its range from airports with short runways, such as London City, also increases by more than 1,000 nm allowing the aircraft to reach destinations like Moscow and the north of Africa.

The E190-E2 will also have the longest maintenance intervals among single-aisle aircraft with 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit for typical utilization. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over ten years compared to current generation E-Jets. Another key gain is with pilot transition training time. Pilots of current-generation E-Jets will need only 2.5 days of training and no full flight simulator to be qualified to fly an E2.

Widere's E190-E2 fleet will have the support of the Flight Hour Pool Program which covers more than 300 key rotable components. Embraer's Flight Hour Pool Program, which currently supports more than 40 airlines worldwide, is designed to allow airlines to minimize their upfront investment in expensive repairable inventories and resources and take advantage of Embraer's technical expertise and vast component repair service provider network. This results in significant savings in repair and inventory carrying costs, reduction in required warehouse space, and the elimination of resources required for repair management, all while providing guaranteed performance levels.

Embraer is the world's leading manufacturer of commercial jets with up to 150 seats. The Company has 100 customers from all over the world operating the ERJ and the E-Jet families of aircraft. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,400 deliveries, redefining the traditional concept of regional aircraft by operating across a range of business applications.

Contributed by Embraer




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Addressing the 18th NAM Ministerial Meeting held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on April 5-6, Quy also emphasised the importance of solving disputes by peaceful means and restraining from using or threatening to use violence.

NAM should play a more active role in boosting the implementation of international commitments and agreements, such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the reform of the global economic and financial system, as well as promote inclusive, innovative and sustainable growth in order to protect the interests of developing countries.

The Vietnamese delegate also urged the NAM members to cooperate closely, support each other and resolutely follow the basic principles to ensure that the movement remains steadfast in the face of the challenges in the 21st century.

Deputy Minister Quy added that Vietnam, together with the other ASEAN countries, always obeys and upholds the principles of the UN Charter and international law.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy

Regarding the East Sea issue, Vietnam calls on the relevant parties to restrain themselves and tackle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while respecting diplomatic and legal progresses, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, as well as working towards the early formation of a binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea, Quy added.

Opening the NAM Ministerial Meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed that respecting international law is crucial to maintaining peace and international security for sustainable development.

NAM should continue promoting the principles of respecting countries sovereignty and territorial integrity, while not interfering into other countries internal work, not using or threatening to use violence, and settling all disputes by peaceful means, he stated.

The conference focused their discussions on how to deal with regional and global challenges, foster socio-economic development, strengthen peace, stability and international security, and boost collaboration among the NAM members.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy and head of the South Africa delegation

They passed the meetings document which affirms NAMs stance and overall principles on regional and global issues along with the commitments to handle disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international, acknowledge ASEANs efforts to build the ASEAN Community and strengthen the blocs central role in the regional structure, in addition to calling for the peaceful settlement of the East Sea issue.

The meeting also adopted the Baku Declaration, the Declaration on Palestine and a Special Declaration on Nelson Mandela International Day.

On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Quy was received by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.

Quy also had bilateral meetings with delegates from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Maldives, to discuss measures to boost bilateral cooperation.

Deputy Foreign Minister Dang Dinh Quy and head of the Tanzania delegation
Two people died and 20 others were left injured, including six critically, after a mini-bus was driven at high speed towards a crowd in the downtown of Munster city earlier the same day, said local police, adding that the driver killed himself with a gun.

The embassy said it has been working closely with German authorities and the oversea Vietnamese community in Germany on the incident if any overseas Vietnamese person involved.

According to State Minister of Internal Affairs Herbert Reul, the mini-bus driver is believed to be a German national, 49, who was not an extremist and had mental issue. However, a terrorist attack was not ruled out. Security has been tightened in Munster and other cities.

The German Government has sent condolences to the families of the victims in the incident.
Tai must not be allowed to get off the hook this time Updated: 2018-04-09 07:24 By Tony Kwok(HK Edition)

Tony Kwok argues that the recalcitrant academic crossed the line and has to be made accountable

The present Vice-Chancellor of the University of Hong Kong, Professor Zhang Xiang, worked at the University of California, Berkeley, before taking up his current post. Just imagine him going to the Middle East to attend an ISIS conference and giving a speech inciting Americans to overthrow their government to turn the United States into an Islamic state! Do you think he could get away with government and university sanctions by claiming that he was only exercising "freedom of speech" and "academic freedom"? In all probability, he would be handcuffed by Federal Bureau of Investigation agents upon returning to the US, while his employer would launch disciplinary proceedings to get rid of him.

Similarly, as vice-chancellor of HKU, Zhang should now deal with his Associate Professor of Law, Benny Tai Yiu-ting, with equal severity for his recent speech in Taiwan, where he argued for an independent Hong Kong.

When Zhang took up his post in HKU in January, he was asked by the media whether he would allow "Hong Kong independence" to be freely discussed on campus. He said bluntly that academic freedom had its own limits in that it must not contravene the law. Benny Tai's remarks clearly violate the Basic Law and our national Constitution. For him to defend his comments as merely an exercise in freedom of speech demonstrates both his naivety and distortion of facts. By the same token, a citizen who makes a malicious verbal report to the Independent Commission Against Corruption which turns out to be false is liable to imprisonment for 12 months. Freedom of speech is irrelevant as a defense in court.

As the vice-chancellor has stated, academic freedom has its limits, hence discussing "Hong Kong independence" even in HKU campus is questionable. But Tai's case took on a different dimension as the conference he attended in Taiwan is organized by a pro-"Taiwan independence" group, and hardly an academic forum. It claimed to be an alliance of five political groups seeking to overthrow the central government to gain independence for Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. A few of these pro-independence groups have been found to be responsible for a number of violent terrorist attacks resulting in the deaths of people in different parts of China. Attending such an alliance is no different from participating in the meetings of the triad societies or ISIS, and should be regarded in law as instigating a criminal conspiracy. Such alliance meeting is unlikely to be one-off. Liaison network is now established to facilitate future coordinated criminal action. Hence there is more than sufficient circumstantial evidence to prove "seditious intent" and for the police to prosecute Tai for sedition under the Crime Ordinance. To reinforce the evidence, police can check the full list of the attendees of this alliance against the international intelligence network and it is quite possible that some of them are on the international terrorists watch lists. If so, evidence for sedition should be more than prima facie.

Tai also knows very well the bottom line set by President Xi Jinping in his speech during the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's 20th anniversary celebrations. Xi made it very clear that the central government will adopt a zero-tolerance stance toward any separatist attempts on "Hong Kong independence". Yet Tai purposely ignored such a warning as his actions indicate his seditious intent to mess up Hong Kong.

For the HKU, the big question is whether Tai is still a fit person to teach at the university. Although clearly he is not, the university should be fair to him in setting up an independent tribunal to investigate Tai and allow him ample opportunities to defend himself. The terms of reference of the tribunal should not be restricted to the current scandal but also covering his actions in the last five years. These include his role as an initiator of the illegal "Occupy Central" demonstrations, which paralyzed some urban centers of Hong Kong for 79 days causing untold inconvenience and economic damage. For his role, he is facing a criminal charge of incitement to cause public nuisance and for his alleged manipulation of the last Legislative Council election. As an associate professor of the university, he should be accountable not just for his teaching but also his conduct outside the university as to whether it has brought the university into disrepute and whether he is still regarded in the eyes of the public as fit and proper to teach at our prestigious university.

Since the alleged misconduct is so serious, he should be interdicted and barred from teaching until the tribunal's decision is reached.

Given all this, it is reasonable to question whether Tai has received the secret financial support of some unnamed quarter. The police should undertake a full scale financial investigation on his assets and possible funds held by others on his behalf. Let's remember that the financial statements of the illegal "Occupy" protests have yet to be published. Were there any illegal monetary transactions?

Soon after Tai's separatist remarks were published, the anti-China legislators promptly took to the streets to protest outside the Liaison Office of the central government in the HKSAR. By supporting his remarks on "Hong Kong independence", are these legislators in breach of their oaths of allegiance to the Basic Law? The president of LegCo should seek legal advice and consider giving them a warning letter in the first instance.

The pro-establishment legislators should call for an urgent LegCo debate and push for the above proposed action. Tai should not be allowed to get off the hook this time!

(HK Edition 04/09/2018 page6)




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The 50-kilogram satellite measures 50 x 50 x 50 centimetres and is designed to observe Vietnams coastal areas in order to assess water quality, locate fishery resources and monitor changes that could affect Vietnams aquafarming sector.

Micro Dragon will also monitor cloud coverage and receive signals from ground sensors to transmit data between distant locations.

The satellite was manufactured by 36 Vietnamese engineers from the VNSC, an agency under the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, from 2013 to 2017.

VNSC Director Pham Anh Tuan said that after receiving its license, Micro Dragon will be launched into space aboard Japans Epsilon rocket.

Prior to Micro Dragon, Vietnam had previously built Pico Dragon, weighing 1 kilogram and measuring 10 x 10 x 11.35 centimetres. It was launched into orbit in November 2013.

In the future, Vietnam plans to manufacture LOTUSat-1 and LOTUSat-2, two radar satellites weighing approximately 600 kilograms each and measuring 1.5 x 1.5 x 3 metres. They are expected to operate in space for five years.
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CLEVELAND, Ohio - Seven months ago, Lismayra de Jesus cowered with her mother and sister in their home in Gurabo, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Maria pummeled it, in her words, "like it was going to fall down."

Yet on Saturday, after having resettled in Painesville with her family to pursue a new life, de Jesus, 17, was at Tower City Center in a special program at the Cleveland International Film Festival aimed at encouraging minority girls from Northeast Ohio high schools to explore careers in film.

For de Jesus, the events that led to Saturday's program represented something of a miracle. Hurricane Maria had somehow enabled her to be in Cleveland, where she could think seriously about her ambitions of becoming a director and actor.

Feeling super

"It feels super" to participate in the program, she said in Spanish, speaking through Erica Houston, her English-as-a-second-language instructor. "I never expected to have an experience like this. Everything happens for a reason."

The film festival initiated the educational program, called Connecting and Illuminating Future Film Makers, last year with six girls participating.

The six original participants returned this year, along with a dozen new students from high schools including Shaker Heights, Gilmour Academy in Gates Mills, Trinity in Garfield Heights, John Hay in Cleveland, and Chaney in Youngstown.

Jasmine Golphin, the outreach manager at the film festival, said the program is about enabling minority girls to figure out how to get a toehold in a tough, highly competitive industry that might seem off limits.

The launch of the program came a year before revelations about sexual abuse that launched the #MeToo movement.

"What we hear is that the industry average of women film directors is 11 percent," said Marcie Goodman, executive director of the festival.

Beating the averages

"This year at our festival, the average is 40 percent women directors, which is something we're really, really proud of," she said.

Over lunch at the Ritz-Carlton Cleveland, the students asked the visiting filmmakers, who hailed from New York, Toronto and Los Angeles, about whether attending undergraduate or graduate film school was a necessity, about how they could protect ideas from theft by competitors, and whether it was necessary to get started as a gopher.

The visiting pros responded with advice on topics including how to fight discouragement after experiencing nepotism, racism or sexism in the industry.

"Just keep going," said Ria Tobaccowala, 30, of Toronto, whose short film, "Life After," explored the shock experienced by an Indian mother who discovers after the death of her adult daughter that the daughter was gay.

"A lot of people give up," she said. "The ones that don't are the ones that are successful."

Supporting other women

Christine Berg, a native of Thailand whose short film, "Wonder Buffalo," explores how an overweight girl in a Thai immigrant family overcomes her mother's emotional abuse, encouraged the students to support other female filmmakers as they pursued their own careers.

She also warned against the temptation to attend costly film schools and told the students she was $300,000 in debt after having attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts. State schools or even community colleges can offer points of entry.

"The truth is, at this level, it's a struggle," she said of aiming for professional success in Los Angeles.

After lunch, the students worked in groups to conduct interviews on camera with the filmmakers. In a follow-up class next month, the students will view and critique each other's films.

The participating girls - who had never worked together before - had to figure out how to use digital recording and filming equipment on loan from Cuyahoga Community College to document their interviews with the visiting filmmakers.

Hands-on experience

"They felt empowered to grab the lights, to put the equipment where they wanted it to go," Golphin said. "If an adult hangs over your shoulder and tells you how to do something, you may not retain it in the same way you would if you get a chance to turn the knob and push the button."

La'Rayja Hill, a 17-year-old junior from Chaney High School, said that participating in the program left her feeling fired up, but also ready to approach a film career in a deliberate, thoughtful manner.

"I want to go after it smartly, rather than head-first," she said.

For Monet Bouie, a junior from Shaker Heights, it was a revelation to see the short film "Hair Wolf," by Los Angeles filmmaker Mariama Diallo, a comedy/horror story dealing with the cultural phenomenon of whites imitating black hairstyles, diction and clothing.

She said she found the film an encouragement for her to tell other stories about minorities and others underrepresented by Hollywood.

"I do feel there are people whose stories should be told," she said. "People who don't really have a voice."
Gao Feng, spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce, speaks at a press conference in Beijing, capital of China, April 6, 2018. There have been no talks over economic and trade issues between Chinese and U.S. economic officials recently, the spokesperson said Friday. China responded firmly to the U.S. 301 Section investigation report and its proposed tariff list and gave stronger response to its proposal for additional tariffs. Under such circumstances, it's getting impossible for any bilateral talks over this issue, Gao added. (Xinhua/Xing Guangli)

BEIJING, April 6 (Xinhua) -- China is fully prepared and will not hesitate to strike back fiercely if the United States unveils the list of 100-billion-U.S. dollar Chinese products subject to additional tariff hikes, the Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said.

"We are not taking any options off the table," Gao Feng, spokesperson with the MOC, said at a press briefing Friday.

The remarks came after the U.S. President Donald Trump threatened on Thursday to slap tariffs on 100 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China.

Calling the move "unreasonable" and "extremely wrong," Gao said the U.S. side has misjudged the situation and will only "shoot itself in its foot."

Gao also clarified that there have been no talks over economic and trade issues between Chinese and U.S. economic officials recently.

"We have noticed that many U.S. officials have hinted that the two sides are in talks, but that is not the real case," he said.

China responded firmly to the U.S. 301 Section investigation report and its proposed tariff list and gave stronger response to its proposal for additional tariffs. Under such circumstances, it's getting impossible for any bilateral talks over this issue, Gao added.

China is ready for further escalation by the U.S. side and has prepared detailed countermeasures, according to Gao.

"It is a battle between unilateralism and multilateralism, and between protectionism and free trade as well," Gao said.

If multilateralism and free trade are threatened, the economic globalization process will be disrupted, and the global economic recovery will be severely imperilled.

"This is detrimental to the vital interests of China and even more detrimental to the common interests of the world," he said.

"Facing such a major issue, we must fight resolutely," the spokesperson said.

"Even though we are not the ones to stir up trouble, we will resolutely strike back if trouble is brought to our doorstep. Chinese people always act earnestly and deliver what we promise," Gao said.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Trade Representative office proposed imposing an additional 25 percent tariff on 50 billion dollars worth of imports from China, which drew strong opposition from business groups.

Hours after the release of the proposed tariff list, China struck back with a tariff plan of equal scale, with a list of U.S. products including soybeans, automobiles, aircraft and chemical products.

The date of implementation will depend on when the U.S. government imposes the tariffs on Chinese products, according to the Ministry of Finance.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- FirstEnergy's efforts to re-make itself into a delivery-only electric utility -- and maybe shed its power plant subsidiary FirstEnergy Solutions -- has many people worried that power plants will shut down and Ohio will run short of electricity.

* This story should reflect updated information that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission has determined FirstEnergy Solutions has set aside sufficient decommissioning funding for each of its nuclear sites, under NRC regulations. The story was based on information provided by officials at the NRC, but in fact the adequacy of FES' plan already had been approved by the commission at the time the story was published.

The entire future is uncertain, but what's known right now is that subsidiary FES is loaded down with billions of dollars of debt and has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy restructuring and protection from thousands of creditors.

Whether FES succeeds without creditors managing to drag the corporate parent into the case is still unknown. And whether FES continues to exist after the bankruptcy case, filed last weekend, is over is also an unknown. But keep in mind that the FES bankruptcy is not a Chapter 7 liquidation bankruptcy.

FES was incorporated as the FirstEnergy Service Co. in 1997 under another name and did not become FirstEnergy Solutions until 2001, according to state records, just about the time Ohio's deregulation law kicked in, giving customers the choice to shop competing retail suppliers.

FES did not own the power plants until late 2005, just before full implementation of the deregulation law went into effect.

Here are some other frequently asked questions:

Q. What if I have a retail contract with FES? Will I lose the contract?

Whether you are a business or a consumer, you are among nearly 1 million customers with an FES retail contract. And it's pretty clear that FES is trying to sell this business to competitors. In a recent filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the company revealed that in late February its agents had contacted more than 35 potential buyers, including investor groups and power companies. By the end of March, a total of 17 indicated they were interested. The company expects the bankruptcy court will have a say about the final bidding process.

Q. Is FES definitely going to close its nuclear plants? And when?

The company has recently been hazy about definitely closing them, saying only in the next three years, and significantly, has not yet officially informed the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it will close them, which would then start the review on how decommissioning would occur. So far, the FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Co. has only telephoned someone at the NRC.

FES announced it plans to close the Davis-Besse nuclear power plant near Toledo in 2020, and both the Perry nuclear plant in Lake County as well as the two-reactor Beaver Valley nuclear plant near Pittsburgh in 2021.

Q. If FES closes its nuclear power plants, will the region run short of electricity.

Not a chance, say state regulators and PJM Interconnection, the company that controls the high-voltage grid and manages wholesale power markets in Ohio and 12 other states.

If PJM's analysis of the impact indicates there would be problems if the plants shut, it will offer the company a temporary rate to cover the full cost of generating the power at the old plants. That's pretty much what FirstEnergy has been campaigning for in Columbus since December.

PJM will simultaneously tell the company what new transmission lines must be built to deliver power from outside of this area. The region has a 25 percent surplus of power.

Q. What would happen to the plant sites if the nuclear reactors do close? Will they be torn down and the land ready for other use?

Closing the plants is probably not what FES wants to do because the company would have to pay for decommissioning them. The NRC allows a utility to take up to 60 years to fully decommission a nuclear reactor and make the land available for other uses. Most other companies have begun decommissioning by pulling the fuel rods from the reactor core, placing them in a spent-fuel pool to keep them cool, deploying a skeleton crew to keep the rest of the plant operable, and then locking up and guarding the place for several years. It's called SAFSTOR. And it means demolition would not occur for years, possibly decades.

Q. Does FirstEnergy have enough money saved up to pay for a proper decommissioning of its nuclear plants?

That depends on when they are closed. But the short answer is no. The company has submitted reports to the NRC showing that as of Dec. 31, 2017, it's decommissioning trust funds were sufficient to pay for decommissioning all of its reactors. But there's a catch. The company's assertion assumes the plants would continue to operate until their licenses expire and would continue to fund the decommissioning accounts, which are invested in order to earn additional money.

Perry's license expires in 2026, Davis-Besse's in 2037, Beaver Valley reactor one in 2036 and Beaver Valley reactor two in 2047.

The NRC has not approved the company's latest decommissioning trust fund report, but in previous years the NRC has found the accumulated funds for some of the reactors to be inadequate.

A worst-case scenario put together by the Callan Institute, which advises institutional investors, concluded that as of the end of 2016, FirstEnergy's accounts were $2.7 billion short. And that was without early shutdowns.

Q. Can the state help save the nuclear plants?

The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio in 2016 approved an ungainly "power purchase agreement" between FirstEnergy Solutions and the local delivery companies, the Illuminating Co., Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison, would buy all of the power the FES plants could generate.

The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission questioned the legality of the PPAs and asked to review them. FirstEnergy did not submit the plan to the FERC. The deal, in effect, would have had the delivery companies make up the difference between what it cost FES plants to generate the power and the price it could get in wholesale markets.

FirstEnergy has lobbied state lawmakers since 2016 to support legislation that would raise electric rates to reflect that the reactors do not produce carbon dioxide as coal, oil and even natural gas plants do. The "Zero Emission Credits" were similar to what Illinois lawmakers created and what New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered for certain nuclear plants. Ohio's GOP majority has not been supportive and the bills have remained in committee.

Q. Can the U.S. Department of Energy or the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission just order customer-paid subsidies for the nuclear plants and surviving coal-fired plants?

FirstEnergy Solutions has asked the DOE to declare an emergency under a rarely used provision in the Federal Power Act reserved for war or other national emergencies and order PJM Interconnection, the regional grid controller and wholesale market manager, to re-write competitive market rules.

PJM is in fact working on new pricing rules that would somehow not be anti-competitive. Meanwhile, lobbyists for corporate parent FirstEnergy have been talking to President Trump about making this happen. The president this past week said he would consider it.
PARMA, Ohio - Chef Michael Symon will speak and sign his latest book, "Michael Symon's Playing with Fire" at the Cuyahoga County Parma-Snow library branch 2-3:30 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

The book, published by Clarkson Potter and co-written with food writer Doug Trattner, focuses on recipes from Mabel's BBQ, his E. 4th Street restaurant.

Tickets include admission to Symon's talk in the auditorium, a copy of "Playing with Fire" and a donation to the Cuyahoga County Public Library Foundation. Tickets will be held at the door. Additional books will be available for purchase and signing. (Click here to buy tickets.)

An animated speaker to say the least, Symon is arguably Cleveland's best-known chef on a national basis. In addition to owning Lola, Mabel's BBQ and B Spot Burgers, he is a regular presence on television. He cohosts ABC's "The Chew," is a regular on Food Network's "Iron Chef America" and hosts "Burgers, Brew & 'Que."

The Parma-Snow branch is at 2121 Snow Road, Parma. It's just west of Broadview Road and south of Interstate 480.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Justin Hayward had a pretty modest idea of success when he joined the Moody Blues in 1966.

"I did have one thought on my mind,'' said Hayward in that wonderfully musical English accent of his in a call to his home in Europe. His voice is just as lyrical, just as ethereal even, as it is on "Days of Future Passed'' or any of the other Moodys hits.

"That was making the payments on my guitar and trying not to go back and live off my parents and sponge off them anymore,'' said Hayward, who with band mates John Lodge and Graeme Edge and former colleagues Mike Pinder and the late Ray Thomas will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, April 14, at Cleveland's Public Hall.

Eligible since 1989, it was the band's first nomination - an idea that still rankles Moodys fans.

In a 2012 interview to preview a show in Akron, Hayward tackled the subject.

"To a British person or a European . . . the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I'm sad to say, because it's there and not here, it doesn't have any relevance," he said in that interview with The Plain Dealer.

"I'm very much aware of how the Moody Blues fans think about it, and they're desperate that it should happen," he said. "My feelings are these: Music is subjective. I know we're a good band, and whether a panel thinks we should be in a hall of fame is completely subjective."

There's not bitterness, though, at least not now. Or not much, anyway.

"I don't know what the criteria are, except that you're eligible after a certain amount of time,'' he said. (Bands or artists become eligible 25 years after their first recording is released.) "But it's difficult to explain to people what it means.

"I'm in Italy now, and I met a woman on the street a couple of days ago who asked me about what was happening with the band,'' he said. "I said, 'Oh yeah, we're being inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame,' and she said, 'Oh, what's that, then?' '' - and proceeded to ask him just when the Moodys would be "induced.''

Induced, inducted. Tomato, tomahto. Hayward is just glad the band is finally getting its due.

"I'm extremely grateful to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame for creating that sort of temple for what's brought joy in my life since I was a small boy,'' he said in his recent interview. But as proud as he now is, he's even happier for the fans.

"I think actually that the Moody Blues fans had a huge role in it,'' Hayward said of the band's belated honor, specifically citing the Rock Hall's own fan poll, in which the Moodys finished second behind Bon Jovi. "Their contribution and the sheer number of fans that voted made it kind of undeniable. I think all the thanks must go to them.''

And yet, that whole "does it matter outside of the United States?" thing still resonates to some degree.

"People in the business in the [United Kingdom] are aware of it,'' Hayward acknowledged. "But I would say the general music audience in the U.K. couldn't care less. There's nothing in it that would interest them anyway.''

Part of that is the way Europeans in general and Britons in particular view rock 'n' roll.

"Music in Europe and Great Britain is transient,'' he said. "Things come and go so quickly. People in the music business know what [the Rock Hall] is, but it doesn't really have a great relevance.

"Where are the Italian artists?'' he said, by way of explanation. "Where are the French artists?''

Yes, rock 'n' roll is an American institution, but it's not confined to the land mass between New York and Los Angeles.

Make no mistake, though; the European attitude toward the institution itself isn't rooted in snobbery. If anything, it's the opposite.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2018 6 Gallery: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2018

"We didn't have what you had in America,'' Hayward said. "It's a hard thing to quantify, but you are born [as] members of the greatest nation on Earth, so you have a head start on the rest of the world.

"We didn't have rock heroes that were British,'' said Hayward, now 71. "I had the privilege of working with Marty Wilde, and we had Cliff [Richard] and the Shadows, but they didn't come near to Elvis or Buddy Holly or the Everlys or those kind of people.

"We had to wait until the Beatles until we could conquer the world,'' he said with a gentle chuckle.

And conquer the world they did . . . even if it was by accident, at least for the Moody Blues.

The story is well-known. In deep financial debt to their label, Decca, the Moodys agreed to be the guinea pigs for some new stereophonic recording equipment the label was trying to develop.

"None of us were wrestling with the problem of how to make a success of anything,'' he said, returning to his original theme. "If we did, we certainly did it all wrong, because with 'Days of Future Passed,' there wasn't a person at Decca who thought it had any commercial value at the time.

"It wasn't made as a commercial recording,'' he said. "It was made to test the equipment.''

"Days,'' released in 1967, fused rock 'n' roll and classical sounds - effectively creating the genre known as progressive rock, or prog rock.

"It interested people after it came out, and 'Nights in White Satin' began to take hold,'' he said. The latter, written by Hayward, "had some kind of spooky feeling that people were captured by.''

It took five years for the album to reach No. 27 on the U.K. charts and No. 3 on the album charts in the United States - a lifetime musically, but one that surely cemented its place in the psyche and memories of a generation of music fans.

And it's a sound that has kept the core group of Hayward, Lodge and Edge together all these years, with a bit of time off for solo projects.

The band actually began with Thomas, who died in January, and Lodge in 1964, occasionally teaming up with Pinder. Denny Laine, who went on to fame with Wings and other groups, played guitar in early incarnations, eventually being replaced by Hayward.

"I think the three of us were a good rhythm section,'' said Hayward of himself, bassist Lodge and drummer Edge. "I would have to include Mike Pinder in that rhythm section, either playing piano or hitting something on the offbeat.''

Thomas, whose death may have been linked to the prostate cancer he'd been battling since 2013, added vocals, percussion, keys and woodwinds. In particular, Thomas' flute solo on "Nights in White Satin'' has been called one of the musical forays that defined prog-rock music. He retired from the band in 2002 for health reasons.

Pinder, who wrote many of the early Moodys tunes along with Laine, had already left the band by the time Thomas retired, having departed in 1978 after what was called "interpersonal conflicts'' with some of the other members. But as can happen with Rock Hall inductions, he is expected to perform with his old friends at the ceremony.

"I believe he will be there,'' said Hayward. "The last time we were all together musically was in 1977, and the last time the four of us performed would have been '73 or '74.''

It's a prospect that brings a smile to Hayward's voice, even in a call from half a world away.

"We've been guilty of being self-indulgent along the way, but there was an album called 'On the Threshold of a Dream,' and that was the first time I saw it was coming together,'' Hayward said.

Come together it did, for more than 50 years now.

"We didn't have any A&R guy standing over us, telling us what to do or to make records that would satisfy Top 40 radio,'' Hayward said.

"Because of that, we were able to go our own way, and strangely enough, that was transparent, and people could see these guys aren't trying to get commercial,'' he said, reflecting on the band's success and its longevity.

"That's my impression: By not being very good commercially, we've done very well commercially,'' he said.

And paid off that guitar - and a few more - along the way.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - This year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is a local story, and not just because it's Cleveland's turn to host the event this coming Saturday, April 14.

Nope, this time, the key players from one of the inductees are FROM Northeast Ohio: the Cars' Ric Ocasek and the late Ben Orr.

Technically, only the late Orr, who was born Benjamin Orzechowski, was a native. Sadly, he cannot be here for the experience; the Lakewood-born graduate of Parma's Valley Forge High School died in October 2000 of pancreatic cancer. His family is expected to represent him, though.

But Ocasek, a Baltimore native who moved to Maple Heights when he was 16, still thinks fondly of his former hometown.

Why Maple Heights?

"We moved there because my father got transferred to Lewis Research Center,'' said Ocasek, whose birth name was Otcasek.

"He worked for NASA, and a government employee is not going to be living in Shaker Heights!'' said Ocasek, with a little laugh, during a call from upstate New York.

The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Class of 2018 member was a graduate with the Maple Heights High School Class of 1963.

Maple Heights was an upgrade in one aspect.

"In Baltimore, I lived in a row house - Baltimore is famous for row houses,'' he said. "When I got to Maple Heights, the house was small, but it had its own real driveway!''

He can't quite recall his address, but it was in the Southgate shopping center area and close enough to school that he walked there every day.

One reader on Facebook said she recalled seeing him driving around Parma, but he wasn't so sure.

"I don't remember driving around Parma too much,'' he said, laughing. "I went to school and played a little guitar.

"School was a little odd to me,'' he said. "Baltimore was a much different kind of city, very East Coast beachy. People dyed their hair funny.

"When I went to Cleveland, Maple Heights High School was famous for its wrestling team, and I was not going to be wrestling anybody!'' said the notoriously thin Ocasek.

"I met a couple of people on my street, but I was sort of immersed in electronics, hiding out in the basement,'' he said.

He first learned of Orr, who also went by the stage name "Benny 11-Letters" at one point in his career, while the latter was playing in a local group called the Grasshoppers.

"I remember hearing a Grasshoppers song on the radio and knowing they were from Cleveland, but that was about all," Ocasek said. "It wasn't until I moved to Columbus around 1967 or something that I met Ben.

"I had a band called, of all things, ID Nirvana,'' he said. "Ben came to a gig we were playing at a bar. He and his girlfriend at the time were booking bands, and he came up to us and said, 'I like your band. I sing, too.' ''

That being the '60s, Ocasek said his response was to invite Orr back to his apartment after the show to "hang out for a little bit.''

"He grabbed an acoustic guitar and he sang 'Yesterday,' and I thought, 'Jesus, this guy's amazing!' '' Ocasek said. Right away, he asked Orr to join the band.

"From then on, every year I knew him, I was with Ben,'' Ocasek said.

When ID Nirvana broke up, the pair ended up for a time in Ann Arbor, Michigan (or, as Ohio State and Urban Meyer refer to it, "that place up north"), in a band called Leatherwood that had a bit of success, even opening for the MC5 and Iggy Pop in Detroit.

"We were two guys who both loved music,'' Ocasek said. "I was writing songs, and Ben was singing a lot of them.

"We got along pretty well, just two guys running around with no money, trying to be in bands, trying to start bands and ending bands,'' he said, with a bit of a rueful laugh at the memories.

Eventually, they ended up in Boston, where the Cars were born, first as a folk group and eventually becoming MTV stars with songs such as "My Best Friend's Girl'' and "Just What I Needed.''

"We just made a good team,'' Ocasek said. "We laughed about the same stuff, knew each other really well and had the same musical people we liked.''

He's pretty sure Orr would be thrilled to be going into the Rock Hall, especially in his hometown. But it's not something either expected.

"I guess when we were first nominated, I was pretty excited about the possibility [of being inducted],'' said Ocasek of the Cars' initial 2016 foray onto the ballot. "Then when we didn't get in, I thought, 'OK, this could be a never thing - just like a nomination forever.' ''

"The second time, I paid zero attention because I didn't want to think that we could get in, and we didn't,'' he said. "The third one, I did the same thing.''

Ah, but the third time clearly was charmed. But even that came with a price:

"It's weird,'' he said, laughing. "Now we have to rehearse.''

What they'll play officially is a secret, although "My Best Friend's Girl'' is a safe bet, for sure. Still, no matter what the band does, the inductions here will be special for Cleveland, and for Ocasek, too.

"The first time I played out in front of people - this was before I went to Columbus and met Ben - was at Hootenanny's, somewhere near Case Western Reserve [University],'' he said. Hootenanny's was a show held each Monday night at a folk music spot near the campus called Faragher's Back Room.

And he has other memories of the city.

"I remember seeing the Velvet Underground and Nico at La Cave,'' said Ocasek, who ended up at a party attended by Lou Reed. "I don't know how I got invited, but I was at the party with Lou Reed, who I didn't talk to, and they pulled out some pot, and I smoked pot for the first time in my life.

"In Cleveland!''

Of course, there's another, more serious, reason being inducted in Cleveland has special meaning.

"It adds something because I personally lived there, and a lot of my music stuff started there,'' he said. "I was always happy to have lived in Cleveland.

"Most of my father's family, the Otcasek family, lived in Ohio, and family gatherings were at [the homes of] my father's five brothers, who lived in various places close to Cleveland,'' he said.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2018 6 Gallery: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees 2018

"One of my uncles had a Czechoslovakian bakery in downtown Cleveland,'' he said. And now, he's going to be inducted into the Rock Hall at Cleveland Public Auditorium, just down the street from there.

Still, it won't be the same . . . nor is it likely to be the impetus for a Cars reunion.

"I've always said . . . I feel kind of uncomfortable having the Cars play without Ben being in the band, because he was so much a part of the sound and vocals,'' he said.

Other bands have added "replacement players,'' but that's all they are, no matter how good they are. The sound may be the same, but the chemistry is not. Which is why the few songs the Cars will do at the inductions may be the last time together.

"We'll see,'' Ocasek conceded. "I could change [my mind], but for the moment, I'd have to say no.''

And so the Cars will remain parked. And, as it should be, in Cleveland.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - As she neared the 13th hour of a double-shift as a nursing assistant, Sheena Arnold and a co-worker struggled to move a 400-pound man in a Sandusky nursing home.

That's when a burning pain shot through the 130-pound nursing assistant's back. She suffered a serious strain. It was in August 2016, and Arnold hasn't worked in a nursing home since.

"I have major back pain,'' Arnold said. "I fear that if I go back [to being an assistant] I will hurt myself really bad.

"We had to care for 40 people, and we only had four aides. We would try to get help when we needed it, but sometimes we had to do things by ourselves.

"This is a dangerous job.''

For the more than 75,000 residents of Ohio's 960 nursing homes, nursing assistants provide nearly all of the hands-on care. It is a job that requires dedication, passion and empathy.

It is also a job that comes with a serious cost: It has one of the highest reported rates of injury in Ohio and across the nation, according to researchers and government reports. Nursing assistants are injured three times more often than the average worker, data show.

The rate of injury among nursing assistants is similar to the rate among construction workers, police and firefighters, according to 2016 data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

State and federal officials have issued reports on injuries at nursing homes, dating back to 1999. The studies found that the lifting and moving of residents and the nonstop pace necessary to meet residents' needs have caused thousands of Ohio nurses and nursing assistants to suffer injuries from overexertion and falls.

A Plain Dealer online survey received 81 responses from people who identified themselves as working or having worked as a nursing assistant in Ohio. Among those respondents, injury forced some of them out of the job for good, while others reported being absent for weeks or months. More than two of every three respondents said they had witnessed colleagues get hurt on the job.

Related story:

High injury rates, low pay

Arnold and other former employees say the stresses of the job have a direct impact on the care of residents.

"It's brutal; I don't know how else to describe it,'' said Anne Mueller, who worked for 17 years in nursing homes in Wooster and Parma before leaving the industry because of the working conditions.

"It's a major problem, and it's going to continue to be a major problem until someone steps in and does something. My lower back bothered me all the time.''

Consider:

Police officers had a rate of injury of 481 per 10,000 workers in 2016, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Nursing assistants had a rate of 337.

Firefighters had a rate of muscular-skeleton disorders of 182 per 10,000 workers in 2016, the federal records show. Nursing assistants had a rate of 181.

In the last five years, nursing home employees filed 9,927 claims with the

Couple the difficulties of the work with average pay that hovers between $10.50 to $13 an hour, and it is easy to see how even the most dedicated assistants can burn out quickly, advocates for nursing home residents said.

The pay in Ohio has trended downward for more than a decade, according to the Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, a New York watchdog group that advocates for nursing assistants and home health-care workers. In 2006, their average wage was $12.80 an hour. In 2016, it was $11.96.

Advocates for nursing home residents said the drop could stem from several reasons, including the recession of 2008, which prompted nursing homes to cut wages.

"It's appalling,'' said Toby Edelman, the senior policy attorney for the Center for Medicare Advocacy in Washington, D.C. "That's not a living wage for anyone.''

More than half the Plain Dealer survey respondents said they made $12 an hour or less. The most any respondent reported earning was $15.16 an hour. The state's minimum wage is $8.30 an hour.

The low pay and the physical demands of the job result in an unusually high turnover rate. In Ohio, that rate was 54 percent for nursing assistants at nursing homes in 2015, the most recent data available, said John Bowblis of the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Oxford.

Registered nurses and licensed-practical nurses had a turnover rate of 41 percent, Bowblis said. That compares to about 18 percent for the overall workforce, published reports say.

"This is a gargantuan problem in nursing homes,'' said Brian Lee, who leads a Texas-based national advocacy group for nursing home residents called Families for Better Care. "[Nurses and nursing assistants] are overworked, short-staffed and underappreciated. The burnout, the frustration, the injuries. They can all be prevented if employers just hire more people.''

Low-staffing levels

In Ohio, understaffing is a problem that drastically affects the well-being of nursing assistants and residents, researchers said.

During the third quarter of 2017, about 80 percent of the state's nursing homes were staffed below what researchers say is necessary to provide safe, compassionate care, according to the Long-Term Care Community Coalition. The New York City agency monitors nursing home care. It studied data from the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

Nationally, 82 percent of the nation's nursing homes were below that level, the agency found.

To offer quality care, staffs at nursing homes should provide an average of 4.1 hours of care for a resident each day, researchers said. Ohio nursing homes averaged about 3.5 hours per day, the Long-Term Care Community Coalition found. That ranked Ohio 15

th

lowest in the country.

"A large proportion of people in nursing homes need two [assistants] to help them move, and many nursing homes just don't have enough staff to offer that,'' said Charlene Harrington, a professor emeritus of nursing at the University of California at San Francisco and an expert on nursing home staffing. "The better the staffing in nursing homes, the better the care and the less likely workers will get injured.''

The federal government and most states, including Ohio, do not require staffing ratios for nursing homes. Maine, on the other hand, has a law that requires one nurse or nursing assistant for every five residents during the day and one for every 10 residents during evenings.

Most of the nursing assistants who responded to The Plain Dealer survey said they care for about 10 to 25 residents per shift. Eleven said they cared for more than 30 either on a typical shift or the last shift they worked. One claimed to have 52 residents.

Stressing safety

State and federal safety officials, however, have pushed other ways to keep assistants safe.

In recent years, the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation and the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration have stressed the use of mechanical lifting devices in nursing homes to minimize the effort of nurses and assistants in moving residents.

State and federal agencies have provided training programs and safety grants to make nursing homes safer. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, for instance, will pay $3 for every $1 that a business invests in safety, up to $40,000.

But advocates said many nursing homes have few mechanical devices, forcing the nursing assistants to lift or move the residents manually.

Sheena Arnold, the assistant who hurt her back lifting the 400-pound resident, is one example, so is Lisa Flinner.

Arnold, of Sandusky, hurt her back while working back-to-back shifts at the Lutheran Memorial Home in Sandusky. The nursing home, owned by Genacross Lutheran Services of Toledo, closed last year. It cited a years-long decline in the number of residents and an outdated facility that required too much renovation at too high a cost.

Flinner, of New Philadelphia, worked 10 years at nursing homes in Holmes, Tuscarawas and Stark counties. She said lifting residents seriously hurt her back and forced her to go on permanent disability. The lifting also caused her to suffer carpal tunnel syndrome, she said.

She said the facilities where she worked had few, if any, lifts to help nursing staff move residents.

"If you have 20 to 25 residents, and you are working by yourself, you have to lift them,'' Flinner said. "Who is going to help you? There is no one. You are on your own.''

Arnold and Flinner's experiences mirror those of nursing assistants who responded to The Plain Dealer survey: 83 percent said facilities where they worked were always or frequently too short-staffed to meet residents' needs. Nearly half of the 81 who responded said they had to work back-to-back shifts at least once a week because of short staffing.

'Not only a human-safety issue'

Peter Van Runkle is the executive director of the Ohio Health Care Association, an agency that represents for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes. For years, he has pushed safety in the work place. He said most care centers have policies in place to prevent injuries.

"It's not only a human-safety issue,'' Van Runkle said. "It's also a financial issue. Nursing homes do not want to see workers get hurt, as it is a cost to them.''

Van Runkle said staffing remains an issue for nursing home owners and cited the economy. He said as the numbers of unemployed shrink and the state nears full employment, there are fewer candidates for jobs at nursing homes. He also said many potential employees cannot pass a drug test or a background check.

The issue of short staffing could grow worse.

The Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute, the New York watchdog that seeks quality care for older residents and those with disabilities, estimates that one in four nursing assistants and direct care workers is an immigrant. With the Trump administration's crackdown on immigration, many researchers fear the staffing shortages for nursing assistants could be severely affected.

In Ohio, 6 percent of the nursing assistants and direct care workers are immigrants, or about one in 18. There are about 35,000 nursing assistants in the state, according to estimates.

Advocates for residents in nursing homes said there is a lot more to be done, including increasing the pay and the safety of workers. They said written policies are seldom effective without greater staffing. And until staffing increases, they said, nursing homes will remain places where workers get hurt.

"I've never worked as a lumberjack, and I've never worked in the mines, but [working as a nurse's assistant] is absolutely one of the most dangerous jobs out there,'' said Genevieve Gipson, the executive director of the National Network of Career Nursing Assistants.

"I have yet to find anyone who works with patients in the long-term care industry who doesn't have some form of an injury.''
Safety training, evaluations and grants are available from various government sources, but nursing home administrators, staff and advocates aren't always aware of all the resources that exist. If they are, they are sometimes hesitant to take advantage of them.

"Nursing homes are plagued with inspections by all kinds of governmental entities," said Keith Bullock, safety consultant with the U.S. Occupational and Safety Health Administration's On-Site Consultation Program. When companies hear "OSHA," they often are hesitant to bring an enforcement agency in, he said.

"What we try to do with them is to say, 'We're not here to be punitive. We're here to be proactive and identify hazards before people get hurt.' "

Bullock has found that in two decades of helping correct the environment within organizations that "it's not about a checklist."

"It's about getting people involved and cutting through the bureaucracy," he said. "Making sure people are heard and participate and have a voice so the universal benefits of a safe workplace become part of a culture. How to get to that culture is what our program helps employers do," he said.

Jean Wendland Porter, a director of rehabilitation at a nursing facility in Middleburg Heights, would like to see a culture change in the places where nursing assistants make up a large part of the staff.

"In all of the geriatric facilities I've worked, there are different philosophies," she said. "Some of them see nursing assistants as interchangeable, replaceable, disposable: somebody gets hurt, move somebody into the job."

Wendland Porter is certified as an Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation transitional work developer. In that role, she said, she works to minimize injuries; keep staff on the job, sometimes with modifications; or get them back to the job.

As a long-time physical therapist and a contributor to McKnight's Long-Term Care News, Wendland Porter advocates for more proactive and preventative measures where nursing assistants are concerned.

"The STNAs [state tested nursing assistants] are frequently the staff with the hardest physical job," she said. "They have about two weeks of training on safe lifting, but their training doesn't cover every type of patient they may encounter. Some patients have unusual centers of gravity related to obesity, amputation, paralysis or behaviors, and it's up to the STNA to determine in a moment's notice the best way to lift/transfer that patient.

"Without adequate training, you're going to have more and more turnover."

Below are some resources for nursing home leaders, advocates and other industry managers:

Government help

Transitional Work Grant Program (Ohio BWC) https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/downloads/blankpdf/twgqanda.pdf

Better You, Better Ohio! (Ohio BWC)

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/services/SandH/BtrYouBtrOhioOverview.asp

Employees who work in a high-risk industry, for an organization of 50 or fewer workers, may be eligible to participate in this program encouraging a healthy lifestyle.

Safety Grant Program (Ohio BWC)

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/downloads/blankpdf/safetygrantfactsheet.pdf

Employers can seek help to pay for equipment that makes the workplace safer.

Employers Working with Persons with Developmental Disabilities (Ohio BWC)

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/services/SandH/ServeDisabledGrants.asp

Employers can apply for help with financing to create a safer environment with better equipment, injury reduction efforts and training.

Drug Free Safety Program (Ohio BWC)

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/programs/dfspinfo/dfspdescription.asp

Prevention strategies, education and efforts that improve workplace safety by addressing substance abuse or the potential for it.

Safety, ergonomics and industrial hygiene consulting services (Ohio BWC)

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/employer/programs/safety/SandHOnSite.asp

Consultants visit the workplace and offer ways a business can avoid potential hazards and create a safer environment. There is not a fee for the consultation.

Contact Ohio BWC

https://www.bwc.ohio.gov/home/contactus/default.asp

OSHA offices by state or topic

https://www.osha.gov/html/RAmap.html

Find an OSHA office

On-Site Consultation Program (OSHA)

https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/smallbusiness/consult.html

Advocacy

Paraprofessional Healthcare Institute

https://phinational.org/

Leading Age Ohio

http://www.leadingageohio.org/aws/LAO/pt/sp/home_page

LTCCC -- Long Term Care Community Coalition

http://www.ltccc.org

NCCNHR -- National Citizen's Coalition for Nursing Home Reform

http://www.nccnhr.org

National Network of Career Nursing Assistants

http://cna-network.org/
CLEVELAND, Ohio - From a mid-sized nursing home in Northwest Ohio, Joe Jolliff became a national leader in worker safety.

Jolliff served as the administrator at the Wyandot County Home, later known as the Wyandot County Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, from 1982 through 2003. His initiatives to address staff injuries drastically reduced worker compensation claims and turnover. He modernized the 100-bed nursing home, relying on technology to lift and move residents.

The tools he employed increased the safety of the staff and the quality of care for residents. He crisscrossed the country, urging administrators as far away as California to empathize with their staffs by embracing technology.

Joe Jolliff

"We expected nurse's aides to lift people,'' said Jolliff, who lives in Florida and is retired. "That's just not right. Our bodies can't do that repeatedly.''

Researchers and government reports make clear that working as a nurse's assistant is among the jobs with the highest reported rates of injury in Ohio and the country. Nursing assistants are hurt three times more often than the average worker, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

To reduce injuries, advocates for nursing home residents say more must be done to make the job safer for nursing assistants and nurses. They have urged administrators to spend more money on lifts and on training.

They point to Jolliff's work as an example.

Frustrated after two aides got hurt in the mid-1990s, Jolliff decided to spend about $116,000 of the Wyandot nursing home's funds to install pieces of various equipment, including ceiling lifts. The lifts can move residents who need help transitioning from beds to wheelchairs or to the bathroom, without the physical strain on the nursing assistants.

He also purchased electric beds, which allowed staff to easily raise and lower the height for easier access to wash and turn residents.

The equipment had an immediate impact. In the mid-1990s, the Wyandot facility was paying an average of $140,000 a year in workers' compensation claims, according to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

After spending money on the equipment, the nursing home paid out an average of $4,000 a year in workers' compensation claims in the early 2000s.

"It was the right thing to do,'' Jolliff said.

Administrators now at the nursing home said they continue to use lifting mechanisms to reduce the physical strain on staff.

'We didn't wait'

Few nursing homes have heeded the message of worker safety like the Trinity Community of Beavercreek, near Dayton.

In 2009, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration had notified the 99-bed nursing home of the number of its employees who had been off the job because of injury.

Specifically, the federal agency measured something known as the DART rate, or the average number of worker days away, restricted or transferred because of injury. The nursing home said its rate was 4.51 per 100 employees in 2009. That was approaching the national average for nursing homes, 5.6 at that time, according to published reports.

Trinity volunteered to work with an OSHA program designed to reduce injuries. Among the changes, the facility implemented a no-lift policy, which stresses the use of mechanical devices, such as lifts to move residents and chairs that help residents stand easily; pushed greater training; and mandated employees to wear non-skid shoes.

Through it all, employees had a say in the training and the nursing home's safety policies.

In 2016, the nursing home's DART rate was 2.05, well below the national average rate of 4.2 that year.

"We didn't wait for people to get injured; we realized where there was the greatest potential for hazards, and we kind of went after it from there,'' said Keith Bullock, a consultant for OSHA's Onsite Consultation Program.

Kathleen Wojcehowicz, a registered nurse and Trinity's safety manager, said she has worked in nursing homes since the 1960s. She has seen how the shift in training and the use of lifts have helped nurse's aides and nurses.

"From 1967 to 1971, there were no safety precautions,'' she said. "You had no lifts. You had nothing. I mean, you just lifted people up from under their arms and hoped for the best.''

Investing in safety

Studies have shown that nursing homes that invest in worker safety recover the money in savings on workers' compensation claims.

In 2004, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published a study in which an unidentified nursing home spent $158,566 for lifting equipment and worker training. The initial investment was recovered in three years, as it saved more than $55,000 a year in workers' compensation costs.

Some area nursing homes have seen the benefits that resulted in more than savings. One is Jennings, a care facility with more than 100 beds in Garfield Heights.

It adds 10 ceiling lifts a year, which cost about $10,000 per lift, said Susan LoDolce, the director of nursing services. The equipment has helped attract and retain talent.

When young nursing assistants or nursing students from area colleges visit, they are struck by the devices. They often say, "Oh, you have the equipment right there in the room,'' said Rachele Rosa, the facility's chief healthcare administrator.

The statewide turnover rate in Ohio for nursing assistants was 54 percent in 2015, said John Bowblis of the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University. The 2015 information was the most recent data available.

Jennings says its turnover rate is significantly lower than the statewide average. "It's more like 25 percent," said Denise Smudla, Jennings' director of human resources.'

Jennings said one way it has lowered its turnover rate has been to encourage job advancement among its staff, providing tuition assistance and flexible schedules.

The care center collaborated with researchers from Kent State in 2006. An equipment upgrade, which included ceiling lifts and beds that could be raised and lowered quickly, was partially funded during that study.

After learning about that collaboration, professors in the engineering school and the health sciences department at Cleveland State University approached the facility. They asked the care center if it wanted to participate in a study that used smart watches and a tracking system to alert nursing assistants if they bend improperly while caring for a resident.

The technology is part of the researchers' study to reduce lower back injuries among nursing assistants, said Wenbing Zhao, a Cleveland State engineering professor.

Peter Van Runkle is the executive director of the Ohio Health Care Association, which represents for-profit and nonprofit nursing homes. He said his agency has pushed worker safety for years, and many care centers have policies on the handling of residents.

Van Runkle's agency and others are quick to point out that the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation, for instance, offers safety grants that will pay $3 for every $1 a business invests, up to $40,000.

He said Jolliff urged other nursing homes to take advantage of government safety grants.

"I would consider him to be a pioneer,'' Van Runkle said. "He was good at getting money from the BWC for equipment. He was passionate and vocal. It was a model facility. I don't know if he was the only person doing this or if there were more, but he was the most visible.''

Missing the big picture

Advocates for residents said the push for safety in nursing homes has increased in recent years, yet much more needs to be done. They question why more nursing homes have not made the investment.

They said that while some nursing homes are filled with the equipment, there are many others that lack more than two or three lifts.

"A lot of nursing homes, not all, of course, but many, look at a short-term bottom line,'' said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long-Term Care Community Coalition in New York City, which monitors nursing home care. "They care only about what's going to happen in the short-term. They don't have a longer view for residents, their staff and their business.''

By contrast, Jolliff sought to place ceiling lifts in as many rooms as possible to help immobile residents.

"I could take a 500-pound person to the bathroom with two fingers,'' Jolliff said. "If you expect people to work without equipment, it's a dangerous job. But it doesn't have to be that way.''
NORTH OLMSTED, Ohio -- Robbery, Brookpark Road: A Walmart employee called police about 3:30 p.m. March 30 regarding a suspected female shoplifter who pepper-sprayed a store security officer after he attempted to stop her escape.

The Walmart loss prevention officer showed police security video of the female suspect pulling pepper spray from her purse and spraying it in the officer's face before running out a door. The security officer had tried to stop the woman after witnessing her put numerous items into her purse, including glue and household cleaning products, valued at more than $38.

Store employees got the license plate of the car in which the woman drove away, and police arrested her at her home for robbery

Abusing harmful intoxicants, Brookpark Road: Two police officers responded about 5:20 p.m. March 26 to a store parking lot on a report of a male huffing outside the store.

As officers were responding, they received an update that the male had collapsed on the sidewalk. Officers arrived to find the man holding a can of compressed air to his mouth. The suspect attempted to hide the can inside his jacket once he spotted police. The man appeared confused when officers approached.

Officers charged the suspect with abusing harmful intoxicants, a misdemeanor. The man had a similar case pending following his arrest for abusing harmful intoxicants by Brooklyn police, according to North Olmsted police.

Physical control, Lorain Road: Police approached a Honda about 3:30 a.m. March 28 that was stopped at a gas station.

The driver was slumped over in the running car. Officers reached into the car and shook the man inside before he woke up. Officers had difficulty understanding the man, but eventually determined that he said he was headed home. The man said he thought he was in Cleveland. He admitted to drinking two beers, but his eyes were bloodshot and glassy.

Based on the results of a field sobriety test, police charged the man with physical control of a motor vehicle. He refused a blood-alcohol test. Officers found a bottle with three different types of pills. The man said they were Adderall.

Petty theft, Great Northern Mall: A Sears loss prevention officer called police March 30 regarding a suspected theft by an employee.

The security officer said that on March 10, he observed the employee remove $100 from a cash register and give it to a friend. That led to an investigation that culminated with the call to police. The employee admitted to officers taking $100 from the cash register and also taking gift cards.

Police arrested the suspect for petty theft.

Drunken driving, Lorain Road: Police stopped a car about 2 a.m. March 31 as it was weaving in and out of its lane.

Based on the results of a field sobriety test and a failed blood alcohol test, officers arrested the female driver for operating a vehicle while impaired and failing to drive within marked lanes.

Police also cited her for driving under suspension after learning that her license was suspended by Cleveland Municipal Court, although she had limited driving privileges. Police said those privileges did not include drinking and driving.

If you'd like to comment on this story, visit Saturday's crime and courts comments section.
Ashley Kilbane

The departure from the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court bench of Judge Stuart Friedman, who is not seeking re-election because of Ohio's judicial age limits, has led to a two-way Democratic contest to replace him for the Jan. 2 term:

*Ashley Kilbane, 35, began as a civil litigator in a private firm, but in 2013 followed "her passion" into criminal law as an assistant Cuyahoga County prosecutor.

*Andrea Nelson-Moore, 45, assistant Cuyahoga County law director, is making her second bid for a judgeship, having lost to Common Pleas Judge Joan Synenberg in 2016.

Nelson-Moore strongly advocates for bail reform, saying judges should not send poor, nonviolent defendants into a "downward spiral" where they lose their jobs simply because they lack bail money.

But a judge also must be held to the highest ethical standards. Nelson-Moore's failure while Cuyahoga County's assistant inspector general to abide by ethics rules laid down by her then-boss, Inspector General Mark Griffin, during her 2016 election race is troubling. A law firm hired by the county found she put campaign literature in court employees' mailboxes on county premises and accepted and promoted endorsements from Cuyahoga County Council members contrary to those rules.

Nelson-Moore says she wasn't formally punished for her behavior -- although she was suspended without pay. It would show more character if she owned up to her failings.

Kilbane is the better choice. She is knowledgeable about the law, even-keeled in her temperament, supportive of comprehensive bail reform and intent on effecting other change to help the indigent, including building GED support into court probation programming and doing the work necessary to start a domestic violence docket in Cuyahoga County. She deserves Democratic voters' support.

The winner of the May 8 Democratic primary will face Republican Bradley Hull IV in the fall. Early voting in the primary begins Tuesday.

Ashley Kilbane and Andrea Nelson-Moore, candidates in the May 8 Democratic primary for an open seat on Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court, Jan. 2 term, were interviewed March 28 by the editorial board of cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer as part of its endorsement process. Listen to the audio of this interview below:

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State Issue 1 on the May 8 primary ballot offers Ohioans a long-sought chance to reform how the state draws its congressional districts. The Ohio legislature proposed Issue 1 with overwhelming House (83-10) and Senate (31-0) support. Now, voters should approve it, too.

In recent years, the General Assembly has drawn brazenly partisan congressional districts. Ohio twice supported Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush for president. And Ohio twice supported Bill Clinton and Barack Obama. But as drawn after the 2010 census by the GOP-run General Assembly, Ohio's 16 congressional districts have elected 12 Republicans - and four Democrats.

A common rejoinder: Democrats did the same. But after the 1980 and 1990 censuses - both times, Democrats controlled Ohio's House, Republicans, the Senate - Ohio elected ten Democrats and 11 Republicans to the House (in 1982), 11 Democrats and eight Republicans in 1992.

What changed? Remarkable advances in computer-aided mapping, and this: Congressional Republicans made a priority of electing Republican state legislatures.

But something else also has changed recently: Courts at both federal and state levels have been ordering states (nearby example: Pennsylvania) to redraw outrageously skewed districts. That, and demands for reform by Ohioans spearheaded by the League of Women Voters, led to Issue 1.

Under Issue 1, redrawn Ohio congressional districts could only last the full ten years between censuses with bipartisan support from the legislature or the Ohio Redistricting Commission. Redistricting that doesn't meet that bar can stay in place for two congressional elections, but a number of anti-gerrymandering rules would apply.

Issue 1 isn't perfect. But in this ultimate of political exercises, the perfect shouldn't be the enemy of the good. Issue 1 is good - and Ohio's voters should support it.

Early voting in the May 8 primary begins Tuesday.

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The city government of Philadelphia has officially apologized in writing to China for a terracotta warrior statue that was damaged while being displayed at the city's Franklin Institute, reports China Central Television.

The terracotta warrior statue is displayed at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia from September 30, 2017 to March 4, 2018. [Photo: Weibo account of China.org.cn]

A thumb of the statue was broken off and stolen in December 2017 by 24-year-old Michael Rohana, who reportedly attended a party held at the institute on Dec. 21, when he made his way into the museum's special exhibit "Terracotta Warriors of the First Emperor." The incident caused strong discontent from the public about the institution's dereliction of duty and drew global attention.

The City of Philadelphia has recently passed a resolution to officially apologize for the damage. The resolution has been submitted to the Chinese Consul-General in New York and was forwarded to the Shaanxi Cultural Heritage Promotion Center on April 5. Michael Rohana is currently released on bail and is expecting to serve a maximum of 30 years in jail after trial.

David Oh, Councilman of Philadelphia, noted that although the government has no right to supervise private museums, he would continue to call on better protection of and respect for foreign cultural relics and bilateral friendships.

The terracotta warrior statue was created around 209 B.C. as one of the roughly 8,000 life-sized statues of terracotta soldiers made to protect the tomb of Qin Shihuang, better known as the first Emperor of China.
BEIJING, April 7 (Xinhua) -- In face of trade tensions increasingly stirred up by the United States, China has ample trade weapons loaded to return fire and protect its own interests whenever necessary, officials and economists have said.

Tension between the world's two largest economies reached a new height after the U.S. side threatened additional duties on Chinese goods worth 100 billion U.S. dollars Thursday. China, hours later, said it will "fight till the end at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures."

This has been the third round of trade fire exchange between the two economic giants, all of which were initiated by the U.S. side.

In the first two rounds, the United States slapped tariff on steel and aluminum imports from countries including China, as well as additional tariffs on Chinese imports worth 50 billion U.S. dollars, to which China responded firmly with tariff plans of equal weight.

For the latest U.S. protectionist move, China also demonstrated full readiness to fight back "fiercely" with detailed countermeasures in the pipeline.

"We don't want a trade war, but we are not afraid of it," said China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) Friday.

Though details of the possible options were yet to be revealed, the country has hinted that all options are possible regarding the escalating situation.

"We are not taking any options off the table," Gao Feng, spokesperson with the MOC, said at a press briefing Friday.

He Weiwen, an executive council member of the China Society for World Trade Organization Studies, said China still has many cards still up in its sleeve.

Petroleum and liquid natural gas could be the possible options for future tariff hike if trade tension mounts, as China is the largest regional buyer of these U.S. products, according to him.

As the world's second largest economy, China should not be threatened by the United States, he said, noting that China's countermeasures of equal scale will produce equal effect on the United States.

In the previous trade fire exchange, U.S. products such as soybeans, automobiles, aircraft and chemical products have already been on the list of China's reciprocative tariff plan.

"I have to say that we were forced to take countermeasures, and we have reacted with restraint," Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Shouwen told reporters.

Wang Xiaosong, a professor with Renmin University, said China's announced countermeasures have already hit the United States' tender spot, as U.S. products like soybean and aircraft are highly dependent on the Chinese market.

U.S. soybeans sold to China account for 62 percent of its total soybean exports, with 32.85 million tonnes of soybeans exported to China in 2017, or 34.39 percent of China's total imports.

"With all the domestic industries united as one, China is stronger in economic resilience," Wang said. If trade tension escalates, China still has plenty of countermeasures at disposal and room for maneuver.

Meanwhile, simulation calculations have shown that the U.S. trade bashing will not be a threat on China, and China is fully capable of bearing the consequences brought by a trade war, according to Li Chunding, an associate research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Vice Finance Minister Zhu Guangyao also reiterated earlier that China will not surrender to external pressure.

"Looking at it another way, external pressure is the driving force for innovation and development," Zhu said.

China will continue reform and opening up, safeguard multilateral trade, and promote global trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, the commerce ministry has pledged.
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Stainless steel is known as a delicate sort of material that demand precise cleaning approaches to make sure that you could preserve its integrity. Should you have these appliances at dwelling, it can be imperative to stock up on repair kits that happen to be made to eliminate stainless steel scratches, which can be inevitable particularly in your household appliances which can be utilized each single day.



A great deal has been said about the best way to properly care for the appliances and using your repair kit; even so, it needs to be constantly reiterated when you wanted to save tons of cash from not having to replace your appliances. Below is a 3-step guide on working with a repair kit to eradicate scratches and keep your appliances hunting like they are brand new!



1 - Wipe and polish.



The final step in producing complete use of a repair kit to get rid of scratches from 440c stainless steel sheetinvolve wiping and polishing the surface. Apply gentle scrubbing motion around the affected region and let the resolution do the rest of the perform. Wipe the area completely dry to prevent mineral deposits from forming around the surface, which can cause even more harm to stainless steel inside the lengthy run.



One can find a lot of merchandise equipped with sophisticated technologies developed to produce it simpler to eliminate scratches and find out to not only reside with it. Ensure you choose the trusted brands instead of the ones that claim total scratch removal, however the only point they do is essentially hide the scratches. You'd want a thing that would deliver a permanent fix.



2 - Determine the path on the grain.



This really is the most necessary tip to remember when working with repair kits to get rid of scratches from stainless steel. A variety of solutions around which are sold for coping with this sort of problem is made for use on surfaces with grains, just like mirrors, polished, and stainless steel surfaces with clear coating.



When applying the cleaning remedy into your appliance, make sure to adhere to the grain in the finish. It truly is for this reason critical which you closely examine the surface to ascertain the path on the grain's original pattern. It's best to for that reason function towards that direction when scrubbing the surface.



3 - Restore the surface.



Now that you are aware on the fundamental application process for your repair kit, you'll need to seek out the correct type of pad to use for applying the cleaning solution in your appliances. It is actually critical to pick the most appropriate sort of abrasive to ensure beneficial restoration.



For light to moderate scratches, the advisable kinds of abrasive consist of a brown or grey pad. Medium scratches call for a burgundy pad or red strip. Still, this may be encouraged only for scratched 310s stainless steel sheet that comes with a coarse grain. Lastly, you need to use the burgundy strip for removing deep scratches.



By far the most essential aspect in proficiently getting rid of stainless steel scratches is always to acquire a high top quality solution. It's going to make your cleaning job a great deal less complicated and manageable, supplied that you stick to the cleaning recommendations listed above.
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Thirteenth Century mystic poet Rumis words, Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray, have inspired many to follow their heart. You see them draw a deep breath and stride out of their comfort zone to take the road less travelled. Karuna Reddy is one of them. For nine years, she was into fashion consulting and art direction before switching to event planning.

The inspiration

Her story begins with an internship in Auroville in Pondicherry at a small-scale, organic cotton and dyes unit, which put her through the paces in design. This experience exposed me to people and friends who are interested in the arts and design field and continue to inspire me creatively, she says.

When she relocated to Mumbai in 2010, she started assisting and later gaining recognition for her work as a stylist. Gradually, with positive feedback, she got an opportunity to become an independent stylist and an art director for commercials, promos and shoots.

Mumbai, the city of dreams, gives an opportunity to every struggler to not only make it but also teaches him or her to be confident and independent. So, from low-budget shoots, she got an opportunity to assist in the Lakme Fashion Week, print shoots for Nestle Ensure and Airtel 4G, Television Commercials for Fair & Lovely, VKC Pride and many more.

Organic transition

The transition [to event planning] was organic in nature and a natural progression to my interest in designing spaces and house interiors. Word-of-mouth publicity and appreciation as an art director paved the way for small events. And then, at one of the corporate events, a guest trusted me with making her big day even more memorable. Her wedding marked the beginning for me as a wedding planner, reminisces Karuna.

She plans events, weddings in particular, with great imagination and eye for the minutest detail. Her previous creative experience comes into full play at the arrangements, which make for abiding memories for her clients. Today, she is a successful entrepreneur. Her dynamic presence on social media also helps her gain clients.

With disarming candour, she says, The scariest moment was when I was officially handed the keys to my new office along with the registration certificate of the company. We had hustled for a few weeks to piece this together, and when it finally [fell into place], thats when it hit us that our dreams just got real!

The Mogra Collective

Things became official in August 2017 when The Mogra Collective finally came into being. Karuna says, Before The Mogra Collective was formed, we were already designing and planning events for people through word-of-mouth. Over time, people who had previously attended our events started approaching us for projects.

A sustainable business partnership is one in which the partners have a complementing skill sets. Malvika Podder, my friend, business partner and relentless supporter, has always been there for me. Her constant encouragement and belief in me makes this journey and partnership extremely smooth,says Karuna. Malvika is an alumnus of The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) and Indian School of Business (ISB, Hyderabad). She is a gourmet chef and handles the finances and logistics apart from the menu curation.

Today, The Mogra Collective operates in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi. Karuna handles the clients for corporate events, launches and weddings. With the services being a bundled package of decor, menu curation, planning and designing the entire event, and bridal and personal styling, the budget touches a flooring of Rs. 25 lakh.

Inspiring cities

Karuna says her inspiration comes from the architecture and colour-scape of the cities and the visual merchandising of traditional Indian markets. Every wedding is unique and so is every dream, smile, and the last-minute crisis associated with it. What keeps her on her toes is the helping people create a memorable day with indelible, cherished memories. The constant words of encouragement and immense love that I receive from absolute strangers at such events make me believe that this is what I was destined to do, she sums it up.Read more at:http://www.sheindressau.com/wedding-dresses-melbourne-au | http://www.sheindressau.com/wedding-dresses-sydney
LONDON, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister, Dr the Honourable Timothy Harris, is in Dubai to discuss the new investment opportunities available for Middle Eastern investors looking to gain second citizenship. A A A A (Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/663889/Sustainable_Growth_Fund_Infographic.jpg )

The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme , which enables applicants to gain second citizenship of the twin-island nation by investing in the country's booming economy, is the world's oldest offering of economic citizenship. A On 29 March 2018, Prime Minister Harris announced a new mode of investment for the Citizenship Programme - the Sustainable Growth Fund - offering investors a stable and secure method to achieve a second nationality, while ensuring the nation to continues its strong development. The Prime Minister is expected to meet with a number of key stakeholders on his visit to introduce the Sustainable Growth Fund, as well as provide further information on the recent changes made to the real estate investment option for the Citizenship by Investment Programme. The Prime Minister will be joined on his trip by CEO of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit, Mr Les Khan. A breakfast briefing for agents, to be hosted by global investor immigration advisory CS Global Partners, will be an included part of the itinerary. The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme has long been regarded as the Platinum Standard of the industry, known for its discrete approach, streamlined processing, and strict due diligence procedures. Those applying for second citizenship through the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme, can invest in the Sustainable Growth Fund for US$150,000 for a main or single applicant, or US$195,000 for a family of four. Each additional dependent will incur a US$10,000 fee - a welcome adjustment for larger families. Managing Partner for CS Global Partners in Dubai, Mr Alexander Bello, says the Sustainable Growth Fund will be a popular option for clients in the Middle East: "The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme has always been a popular option for those seeking second citizenship, and the Sustainable Growth Fund is yet another enticing investment opportunity for the discerning applicant. The Sustainable Growth Fund will be particularly attractive to larger families, who often have additional dependants, both children and grandchildren, to add to their application." Those looking to achieve a second nationality by investment are encouraged to contact CS Global Partners: https://csglobalpartners.com/contact/
OSLO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg on Friday came down heavily on the increasing trade protectionist measures by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, warning they might lead to "regression, war and conflict."

"A global trade war and increasing protectionism are the last thing the world needs now," Solberg said at her Conservative Party's annual national conference in Gardermoen, north of Oslo.

The concern came after the United States unilaterally decided to levy massive tariffs on Chinese products, aiming to start a trade war.

Earlier this week, the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) proposed to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on 50 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China. It was followed by Trump saying on Thursday that he has asked the USTR to consider slapping additional tariffs on Chinese products worth 100 billion dollars.

Solberg said the United States appeared to be "the biggest threat" to free trade while China was acting like one of the "foremost defenders".

Trade and cooperation are important not only for countries trying to lift their populations out of poverty, but also for developed countries like Norway, because trade protectionism will make it harder to achieve sustainable goals, she said.

"Norway is going to be a driving force for ongoing free and fair world trade," she said, warning that "historically, periods of extensive protectionism have led to regression, war and conflict."

On March 23, Norway asked the United States to respect the rules of the World Trade Organization as it fell under new U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminum.

The Trump administration last month imposed a 25-percent tariff on imported steel and a 10-percent tariff on imported aluminum, triggering criticism and outrage from around the world.
(Photo from CNR)

Belt and Road initiative, global challenges highlighted at forum

As the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) opens on Sunday, experts and entrepreneurs attending the annual event said they believe the forum will serve as an opportunity to increase mutual understanding and cooperation against the rising trend of protectionism.

The forum, scheduled to run from Sunday to Wednesday in Boao, South China's Hainan Province, is themed "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Great Prosperity."

"The 2018 BFA is of great significance because China now faces a slew of new international challenges this year," Wen Tiejun, a professor at the School of Agriculture and Rural Development at the Renmin University of China and an invited guest to the BFA, told the Global Times on Saturday.

"For example, issues concerning trade frictions between China and the US can be compared to 'the trees that prefer calm even though the wind will not subside,' and China is in urgent need to respond to those issues," Wen said.

Wen said this year feels quite different as 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's adoption of the reform and opening-up policy.

The achievements of China's 40 years of opening-up and reform are exhibited in a photo show in the corridor linking Hainan Boao BFA Hotel and the main venue. Waiters at BFA will wear the traditional outfits of China's Li ethnic minority group, the earliest residents of the island.

Boao reflects the progress of Hainan. Boao has grown from a small fishing village to an international hub after Hainan became a special economic zone 30 years ago, Sun Pishu, CEO of Inspur Group, told the Global Times on Saturday.

The forum is expected to share China's experience on innovation and development that contributed to the strong, balanced and sustainable development of the global economy, said Sun, who will attend the forum for the third time.

A security guard at the entrance of BFA's venue told the Global Times on Saturday that "security checks this year are stricter compared to 2017, and there is also a significant rise in the number of security personnel."

COSCO Shipping, a company providing security services to the forum, said it has organized more than 100 training sessions and 50 fire drills to ensure security of the venues during the event.

A surveillance system costing 12 million yuan ($1.9 million) was put into operation on March 20, the company said in a statement sent to the Global Times on Saturday.

Cooperation trumps disputes

The South China Sea has been on the agenda of the Boao forum since 2014. Experts noted that disputes are not a highlight of this year's forum, and a broader discussion is expected on how to promote cooperation in the region that can really make it a prosperous part in the world.

A session themed "21st Century Maritime Silk Road and Economic Cooperation of the Greater South China Sea" is expected to be held on Wednesday. The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road is part of the China-proposed "Belt and Road" initiative.

The session will be moderated by Fu Ying, a veteran diplomat and principal expert at the National Institute for Global Strategy under the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

When it comes to the Maritime Silk Road, people used to focus on the Malacca Straits and countries like India, and it's time to bring people's attention to other regions, said Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow with Singapore's Nanyang Technological University and former political secretary to Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak.

The island of Hainan is very strategically located and a route could be developed from Hainan that better connects countries like the Philippines and Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia, said Oh, who will be a panelist at the session.

"China should lead the way in bringing about more trade and investment to the South China Sea and security cooperation in this region, as the region is an underdeveloped part of the Maritime Silk Road," Oh told the Global Times on Saturday.

Countries should set aside disputes in the region and focus on development and cooperation, and senior government officials' attending the forum will also contribute to this agenda, he said.
Photo taken on April 7, 2018 shows the main venue for Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) in Boao Town, south China's Hainan Province. The Boao Forum for Asia annual conference will last from April 8 to April 11. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

The annual conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), also known as Asia's Davos, has drawn widespread media attention ahead of the brainstorming on issues of global concern.

Themed "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity", the 2018 edition will be held in southern Chinese island province Hainan from April 8 to 11.

"Commentators have long compared the Boao Forum to that in Davos," the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post said in a commentary Saturday. "But given (that) Asia is the world's engine and driver of growth and key decision-makers gather at Boao each year, it would seem to have greater clout. Understandably, given the uncertainty (over) the global economy, hopes are pinned on (Chinese President) Xi (Jinping) to lay out a means of assuring continued development and prosperity."

Titled "Boao Forum for Asia the perfect occasion for Xi to announce major reforms", the commentary also said, "With a looming trade war with the United States as a backdrop, China must make long-term changes to strengthen the nation's economy and make it more resilient to external influences."

British news agency Reuters said Friday President Xi is "expected to unveil reform measures next week and his country's opening up while attending the Boao Forum, China's equivalent of Davos."

British daily The Guardian said Thursday that with trade tensions between China and the United States escalating, "observers on both sides will be watching closely when Xi gives (his) opening remarks" at the event.

Quartz, a business news brand under Atlantic Media, also reported on the annual conference.
Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg criticized U.S. President Donald Trump for the trade war he has launched against countries including China and Norway, saying that China is acting like one of the most prominent defenders of free trade, according to English-language news portal The Local's Norwegian edition.

Norway's Prime Minister Erna Solberg. [File Photo: IC]

Solberg made the remarks on Friday in her opening speech at the Conservative national congress in Oslo, where she warned that the historical precedent set by trade wars has been one of regression, wars, and conflict. "Attacks on free trade in recent weeks are therefore cause for concern. It is a great paradox when countries like the U.S. come across as the biggest threat to free trade," she said.

Solberg also said that "China is acting like one of the most prominent defenders [of trade]. A global trade war and increasing protectionism are the last things the world needs now."

The prime minister noted that she was prepared to fight against the trend towards protectionism, and that Norway would pursue free and fair trade under her leadership.

In March the U.S. decided to impose a 25 percent tariff on steel imports and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum. The tariffs have been applied on imports from countries including China and Norway.
Actually, I wish the police would arrest people for defending their homes more often than they already do.

It might finally alert the great complacent middle of British politics and opinion to what has happened in this country, so that they eject the people who are responsible, and achieve real change.

It might introduce more law-abiding people to the truth, that our country has been hijacked by elitist dolts, that one key result of this is that the police are not our friends any more, and that they do not serve justice in any way that we understand it.

The most contemptible voice in the midst of these events is that of David Gauke, the ridiculously entitled 'Justice Secretary', who claims to be on the side of homeowners against burglars.

Oh really, Mr Gauke? Not unless you resign from your politically correct Ministry and your soppy party, you aren't.

Is it possible that you can be so ignorant about the workings of the state you claim to run?

Silly sixties: A 'love-in' at Woburn Abbey in 1997 - the era when our current police policies were born, writes Peter Hitchens

The arrest of Richard Osborn-Brooks after the death of a burglar in his house is in fact a completely typical example of our Left-infiltrated police in operation.

There is no point getting cross about it if you do not then demand a total reform of the police and the courts.

No doubt most police officers are perfectly nice men and women, who love animals and are kind to their mothers.

But they do not work for us. They work for a state that has been taken over by 1960s radicals.

Have you ever asked why the police are so keen to arrest respectable people who defend their own houses?

In general, they do not much want to meet the respectable classes. They have closed hundreds of police stations, and ceased regular foot patrols.

They have great trouble answering the telephone. If they appear in public at all, they do so in pairs, deep in conversations about overtime and clearly not wanting to be interrupted or distracted.

They can't conceal how bored they are by burglary and car theft. They are unwilling to do anything serious about anti-social behaviour and defeatist on drugs.

But defend yourself or your home with any vigour, and they are there in large numbers waving handcuffs and DNA swabs.

Meanwhile, in our capital city homicides rise, seemingly uncontrollably, to levels (so far this year) rivalling those in New York.

The arrest of Richard Osborn-Brooks (pictured) after the death of a burglar in his house is in fact a completely typical example of our Left-infiltrated police in operation, writes Hitchens

These figures, unlike those for other crimes, cannot be concealed or massaged out of existence.

They tell a rotten truth about our whole country, that bad people daily grow more confident, and good people daily grow more scared. The answer to this puzzle is simple.

The police of this country are at their most enthusiastic when they are defending their monopoly against the danger of competition.

It would be disastrous for them if anyone else started enforcing laws in the way most people want them enforced.

Any sign of old-fashioned law and order, and it must be stamped out swiftly, in case it catches on and puts their failed nationalised industry out of business.

Pictured: Henry Vincent, 37, was killed after he tried to break into Mr Osborn-Brooks's home in Hither Green, south east London

For 50 years now, they have been pursuing fashionable, mad theories about crime, which were stupid when they were first suggested, and are stupider still now that they have been shown, in grim detail, to have utterly failed.

These theories are all based on the batty idea that criminals are not responsible for their own actions, and crime is not caused by human wickedness and greed, nor by lack of fear of being caught and punished.

Government and police alike think that crime is the result of bad social conditions, child abuse or one of the many forms of 'discrimination' of which we are all guilty.

This is why people who do bad things are seldom punished.

With a very few exceptions, they are repeatedly let off, cautioned, cautioned again, given social workers to make excuses for them, fined, allowed not to pay those fines, fined again, let off again, given community service which they do not do, let off, given bail, not locked up when they commit new offences on bail, given bail again. They become the terror of their neighbours.

Then they are given suspended prison sentences which are not activated when they reoffend.

Eventually, after many years of this, when they have become career criminals and are beyond all hope of redemption, they may be sent to prisons which are run by the inmates, and almost immediately released again with tags round their ankles, which are not monitored.

Equally stupid commercial products and fashions from this era  such as flared trousers for men and Watneys Red Barrel  have long ago vanished from general sale and would be greeted with mockery and astonishment if anyone tried to reintroduce them.

Have you ever asked why the police are so keen to arrest respectable people who defend their own houses? Writes Hitchens

But the liberal reforms of the 1960s  which, unlike flared trousers and keg beer, have done actual, real damage to society  live on unchanged.

The remedies are all simple: for example, the restoration of preventive regular police foot patrols, the repeal of the Police and Criminal Evidence Act and its pro-criminal codes of practice, the enforcement of the laws against drug possession, the return of the policy of 'due punishment of responsible persons' to the prisons.

The Left-wing purges of judges and magistrates, pursued furiously during the Blair years, also need to be reversed.

But who will do these things? Nobody, as long as the British law-abiding classes continue to rely on the political leadership which has made such a mess of this country for the past half century.

In which case it is a matter of time until somebody else  perhaps it will be you  is arrested by some wooden-faced plod for daring to defend his home against savage thieves.

Theresa May has once again demonstrated that she is the new Harriet Harman, not the new Margaret Thatcher.

Her ridiculous enthusiasm for last week's frenzy about a 'gender pay gap', and her claim of a 'stark division' between the pay of men and women, are embarrassing.

The measure used, a crude average, told us nothing about the truth, which is that most employers obey the law enforcing equal pay for equal work, and try as hard as they possibly can to employ and promote women.

Clumsy quotas may actually hurt women, as employers try to game the figures by giving low-paid, entry-level jobs to men, while appointing women to senior well-paid posts.

State nagging will not make things better. A serious conservative Premier would listen to the most thoughtful voice on the subject, Kate Andrews of the Institute of Economic Affairs.

Theresa May has once again demonstrated that she is the new Harriet Harman, not the new Margaret Thatcher, writes Peter Hitchens

She has shown that the statistics demanded by Mrs May's Government conceal far more than they reveal.

They mainly show that, for whatever reason, women have different career patterns from men. In many cases, this is because women choose to do so.

As Ms Andrews points out, this could be because women have more sensible ideas than men on the right balance between life and work.

When she explained this on the BBC, her 'impartial' interviewer finished the exchange by contradicting her.

How can we have a proper debate on anything in this country when everyone has been taught what to think, but almost nobody knows how to think?

Surely Winnie Mandela (pictured) lost any respect she might have commanded (such as it was) after her endorsement of the practice of 'necklacing' those accused of informing by the African National Congress, writes Hitchens

Surely Winnie Mandela lost any respect she might have commanded (such as it was) after her endorsement of the practice of 'necklacing' those accused of informing by the African National Congress.

This was a mixture of torture and murder, whose victims took 20 unimaginable minutes to die after petrol-soaked tyres were placed over their heads and ignited.

Mrs Mandela said: 'Together, hand in hand, with our matches and our necklaces, we shall liberate this country.'

Yet she is to have a state funeral in South Africa, and there are Left-wing people in this country still prepared to defend her.

Ends do not justify means. Why does this lesson have to be learned anew in every generation?

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Ello ello ello, have you heard the one about the police chief and the choir then? All together now (OK Ill stop), it goes like this.

A Peter Goodman, Derbyshires top of the cops, wants women to sing in his forces men-only choir. To my mind, its up there with ordering that Victorias Secret models must join the All Blacks or that Eskimo men should be picked for the Brazilian womens beach volleyball team. Its not even apples and pears. It manages to miss the point completely.

The chief constable announced that the Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir was no longer fit for purpose as it was  as you may have suspected  a male voice choir. This obviously wont wash in our brave new unisex universe of #metoo and #genderpaygaps.

Chief Constable Peter Goodman says he can no 'no longer support' the choir because it is made up of older white men like himself

Since 1956 The Derbyshire Constabulary Male Voice Choir (pictured) has performed at events across the country raising hundreds of thousands for charity

Frankly, a lot of quite old white men singing and representing Derby Constabulary is not the kind of impression I want to create, Goodman explained.

Mr Goodman presides over the worst gender pay gap in any police force in the country at 29 per cent, but never mind that. There is a more pressing problem to attend to on his watch.

A bunch of harmlessly bespectacled and balding old blokes (including three ex-officers) who yodel away in vintage embroidered police tunics to appreciative and paying audiences in village halls, without women in the choral rank and file. He has ordered them to shape up or ship out.

The choir refused. As chairman Kevin Griffiths patiently explained, not only would this mean adding about 50 female voices to balance the lower-voice registers of the 35 men, they were not a mixed choir. Never had been. Theres just something about a male voice choir, he said.

I felt pure rage when that last male white rhino died, and this rouses some of the same emotions in the breast, albeit in much milder form (even I cant compare the middle-aged white man to an endangered species doomed by mankind to extinction).

It makes me feel protective  almost nostalgic  about the fact that nothing can be left untouched by the onward march of gender equality in the name of diversity.

Not even a harmless gathering of retired blokes, smartly uniformed, belting out classical music as well as an eclectic mix of hits from yesteryear, and who rehearsed every Monday evening (and thus got out from under their wives feet for at least two hours a week) and have raised 750,000 since 1956 for charity. Whats the harm, wheres the conceivable offence in that?

The choir has met every Monday evening from early September to late May at St Mary's Wharf Police Station in Derby. Now they will need to find a new rehearsal venue

Meanwhile, there are 15 other male voice police choirs around the country  what of them? And all-male close harmonies of mining communities in Wales?

Taking this intifada against single-sex institutions to its illogical conclusion, will the Womens Institute in the end have to admit more men? Womens refuges take in men? Sporting sides become mixed? Where will it end?

All I know is that it seems very stupid indeed to insist that the very quality that defines a traditional institutions essential character and identity (a male voice choir, a club, a team, yes even a black-tie dinner) has to be sacrificed in a Stalinist purge merely for the sake of appearance, appropriateness, or what Goodman called impression.

My beef about the #metoo movement has always been that it does not take #mentoo along with it. It literally does not permit male voices to be heard. The troubling tale of the PCs choir that was not PC enough could not provide a more perfect illustration of my point.

Peas in a worrying pod

I have a nagging fear  generated by countless examples of men ever-quick to move on or source smilier, younger versions of their wives  that to them we are all the same. Women are interchangeable.

If you share this concern, you should avoid the pictures of Christine Bleakley (Mrs Frank Lampard) and Alex Jones sharing The One Show sofa last week. No one could tell them apart. In fact, their joint appearance triggered headlines such as Christine Lampard and Alex Jones are not the same person (The Daily Star). Too anxious-making!

I have a nagging fear that to men we are all the same. Women are interchangeable. If you share this concern, you should avoid the pictures of Christine Bleakley (Mrs Frank Lampard) and Alex Jones sharing The One Show sofa last week

We all goggled at the eye-popping assets of Liz Hurley last week. And it is thanks in large part to the lush Miss Hurley and her scenic Instagram accounts that bikini blogger is an actual job these days. Yes, a camera-friendly female can make rent just posting pictures of herself in swimwear.

But if it were my daughter posting, I would have to ask: where does a bikini blogger without Miss Hurleys business smarts see herself in five, ten years time, when her followers eyeballs may have strayed elsewhere?

Barefoot royals are on a roll

Meghan Markle has dared to appear in public with one lone grey hair. The heavily pregnant Duchess of Cambridge went to the supermarket and trollied her own shop out to the car. Camilla went barefoot on the beach in Oz.

Telling signs of normality seem to be all around in the wake of loo-seat-gate (the story that Prince Charles never leaves home without one, which he has dismissed like a navvy as crap).

All good PR, of course. I predict nobody will accuse our Royal Highnesses of being unrelatable  for at least five minutes.
Former Made In Chelsea star turned swimwear designer Kimberley Garner has revealed how she used top pretend to be the intern when she first started in business as nobody took her seriously.

The blonde bombshell, 27, shot to fame when she starred in the show in 2012 as a love interest of Richard Dinan, but is now better known for her sultry bikini shots on Instagram.

However, the property heiress insists she's more than just the face of her line Kimberley London and is involved with every aspect of creating her sell-out swimwear range.

'I think people sometimes think that Im only the face, but I am responsible for every bit of the business,' she told Femail.

'I was 18 when I started my first company - I came up with an idea, stayed up for days learning how to register the company and teaching myself. It became very successful overnight. However, as I was only 18, no one ever imagined it was mine.

I was a young blonde girl with a soft voice. No one would take me seriously or realise it was my company. So, I pretended to be the Intern!

Property heiress Kimberley, 27, starred in Made in Chelsea back in 2012 and is now a successful swimwear designer

The blonde bombshell started designing bikinis as a teenager and is now on her seventh collection

I handled all the meetings, phone calls, and emails for the company. When it became a success, I put all the revenues into starting Kimberley London.

Kimberley's interest in beachwear first began in her teenage years.

'I started designing swimmer when I was 15, little did I know it would become my career,' she recalled.

'I would design, sew, and even make the lace by hand, but as most teenagers never would have imagined making a career out of the thing I was passionate about.

The swimwear designer set up her first business when she was 18 but admitted everyone thought she was the intern

The former reality star admitted that people don't take her seriously because of her role on Made in Chelsea

After MIC I was approached to work as a face for other brands, but instead decided to take a leap, and create my own Swimwear company.

'I studied at London College of Fashion, but nothing has taught me like learning on the go, especially my little mistakes along the way.

I did a lot of research into different factories and fabrics around the world. Visiting factories in the UK, it was so clear that the right thing was to manufacture right here in England.

'I got to know personally the women who worked on production, learnt first-hand about different techniques and fabrics and, although it's far more expensive, I like it being here. A true British brand.

The blonde bombshell is known for modelling her sexy swimwear creations on Instagram

The entrepreneur said she pulled months of all-nighters when she was first launching her swimwear brand

'Producing the first of each design is the most time-consuming bit. I really want the fit to be perfect.

'Every woman wants to look beautiful in a bikini. We all have insecurities, so I wanted to make bikinis that flattered all the right bits and gave body confidence, as the smallest details can really enhance the body.

'After months of all-nighters Kimberley London was launched. It really did start so small, but the response from the public was overwhelming.

By the time she'd launched her second collection Kimberley's pieces were a sell-out and within 18 months she'd launched in Los Angeles.

The fashionista was able to launch her brand in LA within 18 months of launching

'In the last twelve months alone turnover is up 48 per cent, and this growth rate is expected to accelerate by 60 per cent over the next three years,' she said.

Despite her success, she admits it's harder to be taken seriously because of her background in reality TV.

'People love to stereotype, wherever youre from,' she said. 'Reality TV is such a current platform, and we are lucky to be in a time where social media and the internet has made it possible for emerging talent and business to express themselves, providing a public space where anything, if you work hard enough, is possible.

'I want to break the ceiling and be seen as more than that, and show it is possible to do both.'

The former reality star said that people will have prejudices no matter what your background

'I am now on my seventh collection and have been spotted them in countries all over the world.

'It's breath-taking when you see your designs pop-up in magazines from Asia to Australia. I feel exceptionally lucky and blessed to be doing something that I love.

'I really want to encourage young people to pursue what they are passionate about.'
A yoga instructor wants to encourage women to shed more than stress and tight muscles from their bodies.

Aleea Moodie, who runs Yoga Bhava in Queensland's Toowoomba, has been teaching clients the practice of nude yoga.

The 29-year-old said her classes are designed to empower women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their bodies and overcome their insecurities by stripping off.

Yoga instructor Aleea Moodie (pictured), who runs Yoga Bhava in Queensland's Toowoomba, has been teaching up to 15 women the practice of nude yoga

The 29-year-old said her classes are designed to empower women of all shapes and sizes to embrace their bodies and overcome their insecurities by stripping off

Not only can getting into a naked child's pose be a spiritual practice - Aleea said the activity boosts body confidence.

'I realised a lot of women have body confidence issues so I wanted to break the stigma,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

'About a year ago, I thought about exploring the nudity culture and encourage women to embrace their own natural body.

'It's not about sexualising nudity but it's about being confident in your own skin and learning to love your body imperfection instead of spending your whole life feeling ashamed about your body - you only get one life.'

She held her first class in May last year - and since then, Aleea has been inspiring women of all ages to do yoga in the buff.

'One of the ladies I taught shared a beautiful feedback with me - she told me my classes changed her life. It's really fulfilling to hear these comments,' she said.

'The response I've received so far has really inspired me to keep going, and the ladies have made the experience worthwhile.'

Not only can getting into a naked child's pose be a spiritual practice - Aleea said the activity boosts body confidence

She held her first class in May last year - and since then, Aleea has been inspiring women of all ages to do yoga in the buff

And while the idea of doing yoga naked in compromising positions sounds daunting for some, Aleea clarified that her classes are gentle.

'No, we don't do any downward dogs,' Aleea said, laughing.

'We do flow stretches on the floor such as yin yoga so no one feels vulnerable and everyone feels comfortable straight away.

'People get anxious in the first three to four minutes, but suddenly, it's okay and by the end of the class, everyone's laughing.'

Aleea said when she's practicing nude yoga, she turns her studio into a safe space.

The classes are held in a dark, candle lit room and yogis sit in a line facing the front of the room

For those who are interested to come along, Aleea said: 'It's not as scary as you think. It's all about girl power so help me, help other women

Her $20-an-hour classes are held in a dark, candle lit room and yogis all sit in a line facing the front of the room.

'No one is looking left or right or judging each other because they are all only concerned with themselves so it is a really safe space,' she said.

'I have women over 50s, young people and ladies of all sorts of nationalities. When we're all in the room, we realise we're all in the same boat.

'Everyone knows that we're all here to relax and just have fun.'

For those who are interested to come along, Aleea said: 'It's not as scary as you think. It's all about girl power so help me, help other women.'

And while nude yoga has become a popular trend recently, Aleea said she only runs the classes once every couple of months.

For more details, please visit Yoga Bhava's website or Facebook.
For best friends Maddy Balderson and Rhiannon Hall, growing up in Australia meant countless weekends spent at the beach together.

However, it was only after a serious health scare for Maddy at age 27 - when she 'had a run in' with Basal Cell Carcinoma - that the pair, both 31, knew their attitudes towards sunbathing had to change.

'As soon as that happened, it really woke us up to the horrible way we were treating our skin; sunbaking and rarely wearing sunblock,' Maddy told Daily Mail Australia.

'I always feel better with a tan but no longer wanted to risk further damage and ageing.'

Best friends Maddy Balderson and Rhiannon Hall (pictured), grew up sunbathing - but when Maddy (right) got Basal Cell Carcinoma, they knew they had to change their ways

The Australian pair have since launched their own sunless self tan - Luna Bronze (pictured), which aims to revolutionise the fake tanning process

'As soon as that happened, it really woke us up to the horrible way we were treating our skin; sunbaking and rarely wearing sunblock,' Maddy told FEMAIL (pictured: Luna Bronze)

While many would have given up on the idea of a tan after such an experience, Maddy and her best friend, Rhiannon, knew they still wanted that golden look - but without baking themselves in the harmful UV rays.

'After Maddy's skin cancer scare we waved goodbye to our sunbaking days and started trying lots of sunless tanning products,' Rhiannon explained.

'It was at this point that we realised that most of them were loaded with chemicals, didn't provide a natural-looking tan and had packaging that we would hide away in our bathrooms.'

Maddy added: 'We'd always been conscious of the ingredients in the products we used, and after trying a few tanning products we realised that the product we wanted; a simple, natural and organic moisturiser that provided a natural looking tan, didn't really exist.'

When the pair realised that most fake tans are filled with chemicals and put in ugly-looking bottles, they decided to create their own range (pictured)

'Because we wanted it to look natural, we've kept the colour profile toned down,' Maddy said of their product (pictured)

Buoyed by their discovery, the best friends started dreaming up their own product - a natural-looking sunless tan with a nice fragrance and beautiful packaging.

While neither of them had much experience in running a business (previously Rhiannon had worked in design and architecture, while Maddy had been in finance and accounting for a decade), the pair harnessed their skills and set to work.

Luna Bronze (pictured) is now stored in Mecca Maximas around Australia, as well as other international cities

First of all, they set out to find a team of experts and manufacturers to help them:

'When we started out on this crazy journey, we both knew we had a unique idea and that we needed to try to execute something different,' Rhiannon said.

'Because we wanted it to look natural, we've kept the colour profile toned down,' Maddy said of their product, Luna Bronze.

'We also worked hard on the fragrance, which is an important aspect to our brand. We blended the natural essential oils of lemon myrtle, orange blossom and Ylang Ylang for a fresh, vibrant and totally unique scent.'

They both added that they really wanted something which wouldn't have the 'tell-tale fake tan smell so many are used to with other products'.

In fact, they said that, with Luna Bronze, their priority is in being a moisturiser with the added benefits of tanning.

In creating the product (pictured), the pair decided they wanted something without the 'tell-tale fake tan smell'

The friends have realised that while a golden glow is nice to have, it's far better to let it come from a bottle (pictured)

Despite the fact that Luna Bronze has only been on the market for 18 months, the Australian best friends have already had several pinch-me moments.

'Launching into Mecca Maxima within 18 months of starting Luna Bronze was definitely a turning point for the company,' Maddy said.

'Having Australia and New Zealand's largest beauty company stock our range demonstrated to us that we were on the right track and that our products were in high demand.'

The range is also stocked in several high-profile US outlets, including Dermstore, Revolve, Reformation, Free People and Urban Outfitters - which has been a similarly 'mind-blowing' coup for Maddy and Rhiannon.

They have recently launched a new tanning mousse, 'Eclipse', and are working on another launch for later in the year.

Speaking about their business tips for others with an idea, Maddy said it pays to stay focused - and not think about the competition from other businesses

Rhiannon added that the sooner you realise you can't do it all, the better - you need to focus on what you're good at (pictured: Luna Bronze)

Speaking about their business tips for others with an idea, Maddy said it pays to stay focused:

'Don't worry about what other companies are doing. Just do you and don't lose focus on what you set out to achieve.

'Try not to get bogged down in situations that are out of your control. Deal with the facts at hand and try not to let emotions get in the way.'

'There's a lot to be said about finding the yin to your yang!,' Rhiannon said (pictured: Luna Bronze)

Rhiannon added that the sooner you realise you can't do it all, the better:

'Finding a balance between running the business, along with keeping fit and healthy, having a social life and finding time to spend with family really piles up on the mental load,' she said.

'As we've moved through time, organically Maddy and I have settled into our defined roles within the business,' she added.

'Where my specialties lay are her weaknesses and vice versa. I don't have to even think about whether she's got her end covered, and same goes for her. There's a lot to be said about finding the yin to your yang!'.

For more information about Luna Bronze, you can visit the website here.
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A woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 has greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter.

Leila Sherwood, who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the Prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday.

Clutching a newspaper clipping from the time, the now 54-year-old was delighted to see Prince Charles.

She said: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!', reported the Bendigo Advertiser.

A woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 has greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter (pictured together in Cairns)

Leila Sherwood (left), who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday with the newspaper clipping from the time - Prince Charles also greeted the Bishop of north Queensland (right)

Leila said of their second meeting: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!' (both pictured outside the church)

For the Sunday church service, Leila (pictured with Prince Charles) wore a black and red floral outfit, complete with a flower in her hair

She wasn't the only delighted well wisher who travelled far and wide to see the heir to the throne (pictured with her newspaper clipping from 1979)

Leila wasn't the only person from Far North Queensland who came out to see the British royal.

The 69-year-old was also greeted by the Bishop of north Queensland, alongside parishioners including those who provided Anglicare services to the community - before he attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday.

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting the Prince.

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning.

'Excuse me Prince Charles, can I shake your hand?,' she said. 'I'm an Aboriginal woman, please can I shake your hand for the first time.'

Prince Charles attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday (pictured)

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting he prince (both pictured)

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning (both pictured)

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns (pictured)

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother.

Following the interaction the young woman collapsed in tears into the arms of her sister.

Still overcome with emotion a few minutes later, Ms Kulla Kulla said it was the first time she had seen a prince in real life.

'I don't know he's going to come to me,' she said.

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother (pictured together)

Prince Charles (pictured on Sunday) was later given a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat? by Townsville woman, Alycia Loane, who wanted him to give it to Princess Charlotte and Prince George's new sibling when they are born

Prince Charles will go home with a special gift for his newest grandchild, who is due this month.

Townsville woman Alycia Loane travelled four and a half hours from Townsville to give him a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat?.

Ms Loane said it was her children's favourite book, so she wanted to pass it onto Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their new baby brother or sister.

'He asked if it was for him and I said "oh no not really but if you could please pass it on, on our behalf",' Ms Loane said.

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns.

Later on Sunday, Prince Charles met with defence personnel at HMAS Cairns (pictured)

He presented The Duke of Gloucester Cup (pictured) at HMAS Cairns, before the 69-year-old departs for Darwin

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule.

As well as speaking at an event in Brisbane, attending the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, touring the famous local rum distillery in Bundaberg and visiting Port Vila Central Hospital and Great Barrier Reef, the prince also made a day trip to the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Saturday.

Donning a grass skirt and a white garland, the heir to the throne was made a high chief in a colourful ceremony.

In the tradition of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, Charles took part in a series of rituals as he was given the high chief name of Mal Menaringmanu.

The Prince also took a sip from a cup of special kava, known as Royal Kava, before planting two trees.

The drink is reserved for special occasions and was only last consumed when the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island in 1974.

He delighted the crowds - who had turned out in their thousands - with the traditional greeting of 'Halo yufala euriwan', meaning 'hello everybody'.

The prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' Prince Charles (pictured) said

The next leg of his trip will see Prince Charles head to Darwin, where he will conclude his time in Australia.

The Prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago.

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' he said.

Highlighting once again the challenges facing the environment, he warned that 'we are destroying our own life support systems, along with our children's and grandchildren's' future'.

Describing Australia as 'an example for us all', Charles hailed 'Aussie values' as a force for good.

He added: 'Amidst all this, the Aussie character that is so exemplified by the concept of fairness and 'fairgo' is what I believe the world needs so desperately and so urgently - a 'fairgo' for people, our planet and for nature herself'.
One man dead in fire at Trump Tower in New York City

The Fire Department of New York is responding to a blaze at Trump Tower. [Photo: Chinadaily.com.cn/FDNY via Twitter]

NEW YORK, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A man died after being pulled from a fire on the 50th floor of the Trump Tower, New York City on Saturday.

The unidentified occupant of the 58-floor skyscraper in midtown Manhattan was rushed to a local hospital and listed in critical condition, Fire Department New York (FDNY) Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a press conference.

Four FDNY firefighters suffered non-life-threatening injuries, while two of them were burn-related, Nigro said.

The fire broke out at around 5:30 p.m.. Around 200 firefighters and emergency workers quickly responded to the four-alarm blaze.

The fire was knocked out in approximately an hour, Nigro said. The FDNY declared the fire under control at around 8 p.m.

At its peak, flames raged from the window panes as crumbling pieces of ashen material could be seen falling from the glass skyscraper onto the pavement below.

Multiple street closures slowed pedestrian and city-traffic surrounding the tower, from East 55th Street to East 57th Street and from Fifth Avenue to Madison Avenue, according to officials.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" Trump responded on Twitter. The president maintained the building's top three floors as his residential home. But he was not in New York on Saturday.

Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron Trump, were both in Washington, D.C., according to the first lady's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham.

As the headquarters of The Trump Organization, Trump Tower was the campaign nerve center for Trump during the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

This was the second fire at the skyscraper in recent months. Another blaze broke out on Jan. 9, in which three people, including a firefighter, were wounded following a fire coming from a heating and cooling unit located on the rooftop of the building.
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Prince Charles was left astonished by an Aboriginal elder's huge ceremonial club as the royal was treated to an ancient smoking ceremony.

The prince was left gawping at an impressive two-metre long ceremonial club as he toured one of Australia's most pristine rainforests in far north Queensland.

A Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder showed off the huge tool, believed to be made of mulga wood, which is often used in ceremonies, in battle, for digging, for grooving tools or decorating weapons.

The heavy pole, which is capable of splitting a shield or knocking out prey, was just one of the traditional hunting tools the British prince laid his eyes on during the tour on Sunday.

One Aboriginal elder has shown off some of his most authentic, hand-crafted wooden tools to Prince Charles (pictured)

The prince was left gaping at an impressive two-metre long ceremonial club (pictured) which are used in battle or for hunting

The 69-year-old royal was seen taking a look at a boomerang handed to him by the Aboriginal elder in north Queensland

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder was seen explaining to Prince Charles (pictured together) how the hunting tool is used

Prince Charles, who began the national tour on Wednesday, was seen laughing with the Indigenous Australian elder

The Aboriginal elder appeared to be explaining to the British royal how the hand-crafted boomerang works (pictured)

Prince Charles tried out a boomerang, a traditional wooden hunting weapon, while he was taken for a walk through the Daintree Rainforest, south of Cape Tribulation.

The Aboriginal elder invited the 69-year-old to take part in a Welcome to Country smoking ceremony.

Native plants are burnt during the ancient ritual to ward off bad spirits, acknowledge ancestors and pay respect to the land and sea of the country.

Prince Charles, who began the national tour last week, was seen sharing a laugh with the Indigenous Australian elder before taking part in the cleansing ceremony.

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder took the British royal on a guided walk of Ngadiku Dreamtime where he explained the relationship they have with the tropical rainforest dating back 50,000 years.

After the ancient smoking ceremony, the prince - who is on his 16th trip of Australia, discussed protection issues and indigenous rights with a group of stakeholders.



The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder spoke about the relationship they have with the tropical rainforest dating back 50,000 years

Prince Charles also took part in a traditional smoking ceremony with the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder (pictured together)

The pair took a walk through the Daintree Rainforest, far north Queensland, for the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony

Native plants are burnt during the ancient ceremony (pictured) to ward off bad spirits and acknowledge ancestors

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder took the royal on a guided walk of Ngadiku Dreamtime (pictured), in far north Queensland

Earlier in the day, a woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter.

Leila Sherwood, who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the Prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday.

Clutching a newspaper clipping from the time, the now 54-year-old was delighted to see Prince Charles.

She said: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!', reported the Bendigo Advertiser.

A woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 has greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter (pictured together in Cairns)

Leila Sherwood (left), who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday with the newspaper clipping from the time - Prince Charles also greeted the Bishop of north Queensland (right)

Leila said of their second meeting: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!' (both pictured outside the church)

For the Sunday church service, Leila (pictured with Prince Charles) wore a black and red floral outfit, complete with a flower in her hair

She wasn't the only delighted well wisher who travelled far and wide to see the heir to the throne (pictured with her newspaper clipping from 1979)

Leila wasn't the only person from Far North Queensland who came out to see the British royal.

The 69-year-old was also greeted by the Bishop of north Queensland, alongside parishioners including those who provided Anglicare services to the community - before he attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday.

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting the Prince.

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning.

'Excuse me Prince Charles, can I shake your hand?,' she said. 'I'm an Aboriginal woman, please can I shake your hand for the first time.'

Prince Charles attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday (pictured)

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting he prince (both pictured)

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning (both pictured)

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns (pictured)

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother.

Following the interaction the young woman collapsed in tears into the arms of her sister.

Still overcome with emotion a few minutes later, Ms Kulla Kulla said it was the first time she had seen a prince in real life.

'I don't know he's going to come to me,' she said.

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother (pictured together)

Prince Charles (pictured on Sunday) was later given a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat? by Townsville woman, Alycia Loane, who wanted him to give it to Princess Charlotte and Prince George's new sibling when they are born

Prince Charles will go home with a special gift for his newest grandchild, who is due this month.

Townsville woman Alycia Loane travelled four and a half hours from Townsville to give him a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat?.

Ms Loane said it was her children's favourite book, so she wanted to pass it onto Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their new baby brother or sister.

'He asked if it was for him and I said "oh no not really but if you could please pass it on, on our behalf",' Ms Loane said.

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns.

The 69-year-old wore his sunglasses while attending a ceremony during his visit to HMAS Cairns in Cairns, north Queensland

Prince Charles presented the Duke of Gloucester Cup (pictured) to Lieutenant Commander Dean Battilana of the Hydrographic Ship Blue crew onboard HMAS Leeuwin

The Prince of Wales greeted and shook hands with a number of officers during his fast-paced visit to HMAS (pictured)

The British royal was shown around the HMAS Cairns during his visit to north Queensland on Sunday

Prince Charles appeared to be adjusting his collar during a ceremony in Cairns as he sat beside officials

A number of sailors (pictured) were able to meet the prince as they lined up to be inspected by the heir to the throne

Later on Sunday, Prince Charles met with defence personnel at HMAS Cairns (pictured)

The Duke of Gloucester Cup (pictured) was presented by the 69-year-old at HMAS Cairns, before he departed for Darwin

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule.

As well as speaking at an event in Brisbane, attending the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, touring the famous local rum distillery in Bundaberg and visiting Port Vila Central Hospital and Great Barrier Reef, the prince also made a day trip to the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Saturday.

Donning a grass skirt and a white garland, the heir to the throne was made a high chief in a colourful ceremony.

In the tradition of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, Charles took part in a series of rituals as he was given the high chief name of Mal Menaringmanu.

The Prince also took a sip from a cup of special kava, known as Royal Kava, before planting two trees.

The drink is reserved for special occasions and was only last consumed when the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island in 1974.

He delighted the crowds - who had turned out in their thousands - with the traditional greeting of 'Halo yufala euriwan', meaning 'hello everybody'.

There was a large crowd watching the ceremony with many onlookers capturing the royal moment on their smart phones

The Prince of Wales shook hands with a guest before receiving flowers from young girl, Victoria McSadden (left and right)

Britain's Prince Charles greets sailors onboard HMAS Leeuwin during his visit to HMAS Cairns in Cairns on his last day of tour

The prince explored the HMAS Leeuwin as well as taking a look at the bridge (pictured)

The prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' Prince Charles (pictured) said

The next leg of his trip will see Prince Charles head to Darwin, where he will conclude his time in Australia.

The Prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago.

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' he said.

Highlighting once again the challenges facing the environment, he warned that 'we are destroying our own life support systems, along with our children's and grandchildren's' future'.

Describing Australia as 'an example for us all', Charles hailed 'Aussie values' as a force for good.

He added: 'Amidst all this, the Aussie character that is so exemplified by the concept of fairness and 'fairgo' is what I believe the world needs so desperately and so urgently - a 'fairgo' for people, our planet and for nature herself'.
Queen Letizia and mother-in-law Queen Sofia have made another public appearance together as they try to brush off their 'tense' exchange over Easter a week ago.

The pair were joined by King Felipe and Princesses Leonor and Sofia as they visited King Juan Carlos in hospital in Madrid, following his knee operation.

The Spanish royals looked the picture of happiness as Sofia, 79, held the hands of Leonor, 12, and young Sofia, 10, as they arrived at the La Moraleja Hospital today.

Letizia and mother-in-law Sofia's appearance together marks their second joint outing in two days, as the family look to put on a united front following the furore over footage appearing to show them having a stand-off.

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Queen Letizia and mother-in-law Queen Sofia put on a united front as they posed for pictures after arriving to visit King Juan Carlos in hospital

The Spanish royals looked the picture of happiness as they arrived at the La Moraleja Hospital in Madrid

In the clip, Letizia is seen standing in front of mother-in-law Sofia, who appears to be posing for pictures with her granddaughters.

After a brief exchange, the Spanish queen seems to try to take the arm of her eldest daughter Leonor, who then shoves both her mother and grandmother's hands aside.

Both Leonor and younger sister Sofia looked in high spirits as they arrived at the hospital with their grandmother wearing matching Burberry trench coats.

Their mother Letizia, who looked in a chic striped top and jeans, also smiled for cameras as the family posed outside the hospital.

It comes after footage emerged showing them having a 'tense' exchange at the end of an Easter Mass service last Sunday

On Saturday, Letizia and Sofia had both flashed big smiles as they joined they visited father King Carlos in hospital.

Mother-of-two Letizia, who opted for a chic trench coat for the visit, was seen happily chatting to her mother-in-law as they walked alongside each other.

The former newsreader and her mother-in-law's close display outside the La Moraleja Hospital on Saturday is in contrast to their awkward stand-off while at Easter Mass last Sunday.

Outside the hospital, Felipe, 50, told reporters that his father was doing well after his surgery.

Sofia, 79, flashed a big smile as she held the hands of granddaughters Leonor, 12, (left) and Sofia, 10 (right)

King Felipe led his family as they arrived at the hospital in Madrid to visit King Carlos, who is recovering from a knee operation

Letizia looked chic in a striped top and jeans with black coat over the top for the visit

Princesses Leonor (third from left) and Sofia (far right) looked in high spirits as they arrived in matching trench coats

The Spanish royals put on a cheery display as they arrived at the hospital together today

Queen Sofia was seen doting on granddaughter Leonore, 12, after getting out of the car

Leonore and young Sofia joined their parents and grandmother to visit their grandfather

Today's appearance is in marked contrast to the 'tense' scene at Easter Mass a week ago

He was placed in the intensive care unit (ICU) as a precaution, but is expected to be taken out of ICU later today.

The Spanish royals appearance on Saturday comes after palace sources suggested that the footage of Letizia and Sofia at Easter Mass had been 'blown out of proportion', according to Spanish newspaper El Pais.

Letizia was also said to be 'hurt' following the furore over the footage, which emerged earlier this week.

Letizia and her mother-in-law Sofia made their first public appearance on Saturday together as they visited King Juan Carlos in hospital

The pair both flashed big smiles as they arrived at the the La Moraleja Hospital together

Letizia and Sofia appeared keen to put the awkward moment behind them as they put on a cheery display outside the hospital

The pair were seen walking alongside each other as they arrived at the hospital on Saturday

Letizia and Sofia joined King Felipe to visit King Juan Carlos following his knee operation

Who's who in the royal family drama? King Juan Carlos: Reigned from 1975 until his abdication in 2014. Queen Sofia: The daughter of King Paul of Greece and Frederica of Hanover, she married Juan Carlos in 1962. King Felipe: The youngest child of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. He ascended the throne in 2014. Queen Letizia: A former journalist who married Felipe in 2004. Advertisement

The royal had been trying to protect her daughters Leonor and Sofia from 'intrusive media' as they posed for pictures with their grandmother, according to a friend.

Letizia's former co-worker Imma Aguilar told Spanish programme El circulo that the mother-of-two had displayed a 'motherly reaction' and that she was 'very committed' to protecting her children.

The footage has made waves in the Spanish press, with newspapers branding the incident 'uncomfortable' and 'tense'.

After the video emerged, Marie Chantal of Greece, who is married to Crown Prince Pavlos - King Felipe's cousin - weighed in on the controversy, writing on Twitter: 'No grandmother deserves that type of treatment! Wow shes shown her true colours.'

The Spanish royals posed for a family photo outside the hospital, before going inside to pay a visit to King Juan Carlos

Letizia opted for a chic trench coat for the hospital visit, while Sofia wrapped up in a black puffer coat

Both women appeared to be in high spirits as they posed for cameras outside the hospital

Letizia and Sofia were seen chatting away as they arrived at the hospital in Madrid

Letizia's husband Felipe, who is the son of Juan Carlos and Sofia, took to the throne after his father's abdication in 2014.

During the video, Felipe is seen stepping in, while his 80-year-old father looked on nonplussed.

The Spanish royal palace has not commented on the incident.

Following the visit, Letizia, Sofia and Felipe were seen leaving the hospital together

Felipe, 50, told reporters that his father was doing well after his surgery, and is expected to leave hospital this weekend

Letizia still looked in high spirits as she and mother-in-law Sofia got into the car to head home

The mother-of-two was seen waving to well-wishers as the trio left the hospital together
Actress Lily James says she thinks Meghan will be a 'force for good' - as she reveals she's got 'more into the royals' since watching boyfriend Matt Smith in The Crown.

Unlike Meghan and Prince Harry however, the 29-year-old says she and Matt, 35, are not set to wed - after sparking engagement rumours by wearing a glitzy diamond ring at the BAFTAs earlier this year.

Lily added that she thought her actor beau was 'brilliant' as Prince Philip in the popular Netflix drama, describing the series as the 'best sort of PR for the royals'.

It appears that the actress is now looking forward to the drama catching up with the modern day, after declaring herself a big fan of former Suits star Meghan.

Actress Lily James says she thinks Meghan will be a 'force for good', after revealing she's become 'more into the royals' since watching The Crown

Speaking to The Telegraph's Stella magazine, Lily revealed that she believed Harry and Meghan's relationship to be a 'really positive thing.

'[Meghan] seems beautifully articulate and passionate  and I think shell be a force for good, she said.

The War and Peace actress confessed that her interest in the royals has been piqued since watching boyfriend Matt play Prince Philip

I love The Crown[and] I think hes so brilliant in it, Lily said, I have become more into the Royal family since watching it  its been the best sort of PR for them.

Lily described Meghan (pictured on Friday) as being 'beautifully articulate and passionate'

The actress also said she thought that boyfriend Matt was 'brilliant' in Netflix drama The Crown, where he starred alongside Claire Foy as The Queen

However, Lily confirmed that she and Matt are not engaged, adding that she doesn't want to have children at the moment.

The actress had set tongues wagging after wearing a large diamond ring on her ring finger at the BAFTAs in February.

Dismissing the rumours, Lily said: 'I just wore a ring It was just a genuine mistake!

The actress - who is set to star in new film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - has been has been dating Matt since 2014, after they met while working on the film Pride and Prejudice and Zombies.

Earlier this year, boyfriend Matt was embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that he was paid more than The Crown co-star Claire Foy, who plays the Queen in the first two series.

Lily insisted that she and Matt are not set to wed, after sparking rumours by wearing a diamond ring on her ring finger earlier this year

Producers later apologised for the wage disparity between the two stars, after putting the difference down to Matt's higher profile before the series began.

In a statement, Left Bank Pictures said: 'We want to apologise to both Claire Foy and to Matt Smith, brilliant actors and friends, who have found themselves at the centre of a media storm this week through no fault of their own.

'Claire and Matt are incredibly gifted actors who, along with the wider cast on The Crown have worked tirelessly to bring our characters to life with compassion and integrity.

'As the producers of The Crown, we at Left Bank Pictures are responsible for budgets and salaries; the actors are not aware of who gets what, and cannot be held personally responsible for the pay of their colleagues.'
Actress Lili Reinhart has developed a reputation online for being open about life's struggles, both big and small.

Now, the 21-year-old Riverdale star is showing her spots - literally - as she lets her followers in on her skincare routine with an intimate post on Instagram.

In the photo posted on Friday, Lili is seen lying in her bed flashing a broad smile with eyes closed at the camera.

Fresh-faced: Riverdale star Lili Reinhart opened up about her struggles with cystic acne with an intimate Instagram post

Standing tall: Lili has been open about her skin issues, saying she first started getting pimples in the seventh grade

Lili is seen fresh-faced without a touch a make-up on, but just a few spots covered by a light cream pimple treatment.

'Tinder profile: Hi I'm Lili. I'm 21, a Virgo, Cali-Girl. And I have cystic acne. Hmu,' Lili joked in the post.

The blonde beauty has previously opened up about her struggles with acne, and in an interview with Teen Vogue last year, she revealed she started getting the spots when she was in the seventh grade.

'Every time I have a big cystic pimple or something, it very much triggers that part of me where I dont want to look at myself in the mirror. Its hard to take pictures of myself, I dont want to go out in public, and I want to hide my face,' she said.

Looking out: Lili claims that she has gained confidence in her skin as she has gotten older

'But, as Ive gotten older, its a matter of realizing that I cant let a pimple on my face decide what I do and where I go.'

On top of chatting through her skin issues, Lili has also frequently opened up about the mental health struggles she has wrestled with since childhood.

The actress has said that she suffers from anxiety and depression, detailing how she went through debilitating panic attacks and how therapy ultimately gave her a new lease on life.

In an interview with V Magazine earlier this year, Lili discussed how the conditions have impacted her throughout her life, and why she thinks it's essential for students to learn about them at school.

Candid: Lili has perviously opened up about the mental health struggles that she has wrestled with since childhood, and how anxiety and depression have affected her

'It affected me in every way, ever,' Lili said of depression and anxiety, adding that the former has affected her since the seventh grade.

The actress, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, explained that her depression became 'extreme' after she moved to Los Angeles aged 18.

After struggling with a 'horrible roommate situation', she settled in the Hollywood Hills and lived in a house she shared with seven people.

'I didn't know anyone there. I didn't have any friends there,' she said. 'I didn't have any family there. So when I moved there, it was just me. And I wasn't going to school, so I didn't have any way to really meet people, necessarily, or be social. I was just kind of waiting around for my auditions.

'I spent most of my days literally doing nothing, sitting in my room watching Netflix and waiting for an audition to come in. And it was miserable.'

At that time, Lili didn't want to get a day job, because she didn't want to be in a position to have to quit on short notice if she booked a gig.

Role: The actress plays Betty Cooper in The CW's Riverdale, a teen drama inspired by the Archie Comics universe

Past: Lili, originally from Cleveland, Ohio, explained that her depression became 'extreme' after she moved to Los Angeles aged 18

She remained in LA for five months before moving back home to tend to her health issues.

'My health got so bad because of how depressed I was,' she recounted. 'I was throwing up every day, [having] panic attacks, night sweats, and I was just sad. There came a point when I called my mom, and I was like, "I need to come home. I'm not OK. I'm not good right now. My mental health isn't good."

'My mental health has always been such a priority to me that I knew when it was affecting my physical health.'

Once back at home, Lili saw a therapist for six months, saved up money, and 'build [her]self back up again'.

Eventually, she moved to LA again, and landed the part of Betty Cooper in The CW's Riverdale, which is inspired by the Archie Comics universe.

Now, she says she 'definitely' credits therapy with helping her cope with the conditions. Lili still sees a therapist in Canada, where Riverdale is filmed.

Education: The actress (pictured with her co-star and boyfriend Cole Sprouse) stressed how important it is for schools to tell their students about mental health issues

Healing: Now, Lili says she 'definitely' credits therapy with helping her cope with the conditions. She still sees a therapist in Canada, where Riverdale is filmed

'I've seen a therapist at different points in my life for different reasons. I'm not very good at stress management, and I have a very high-stress job, so it's definitely convenient for me to see a therapist right now at this point in my life,' she added. 'I am on medicationI've talked about that beforejust to help my anxiety, so I'm not depressed all the time.'

The actress stressed how important it is for schools to tell their students about mental health issues, because when her own struggles began, she was at a loss.

'I think it is important, and it's so f****d up to me that they don't talk about mental health in school,' she said. 'I didn't learn about depression or anxiety at school. So when I had to go to my parents to say "I need help, I need to go to therapy," I felt like this weird, messed up kid. And I wasn't, but I felt that way.'
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As Prince Charles enjoyed his royal tour Down Under, two excited fans couldn't help but photobombed his picture as he was mingling with parishioners over a cup of tea.

The heir to the throne was spreading the charm in Cairns in far north Queensland with a service at St John's Anglican church in town on Sunday morning.

The 69-year-old - who has been in Australia for the Commonwealth Games with the Duchess of Cornwall - met with the congregation for 15 minutes before he departed for his next tour.

And with time running out on the clock, the two beaming women popped up behind the prince - who was snapped holding a cup and saucer - as the pair pulled a cheeky smile at the camera.

As Prince Charles enjoyed his royal tour Down Under, two excited fans couldn't help but photobombed his picture as he was mingling with parishioners over a cup of tea at St John's Anglican church in town on Sunday

The church service comes as Prince Charles was left astonished by an Aboriginal elder's huge ceremonial club as the royal was treated to an ancient smoking ceremony.

The prince was left gawping at an impressive two-metre long ceremonial club as he toured one of Australia's most pristine rainforests in far north Queensland.

A Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder showed off the huge tool, believed to be made of mulga wood, which is often used in ceremonies, in battle, for digging, for grooving tools or decorating weapons.

The heavy pole, which is capable of splitting a shield or knocking out prey, was just one of the traditional hunting tools the British prince laid his eyes on during the tour on Sunday.

One Aboriginal elder has shown off some of his most authentic, hand-crafted wooden tools to Prince Charles (pictured)

The prince was impressed by a two-metre long ceremonial club (pictured) used in battle or for hunting

The 69-year-old royal was seen taking a look at a boomerang handed to him by the Aboriginal elder in north Queensland

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder was seen explaining to Prince Charles (pictured together) how the hunting tool is used

Prince Charles, who began the national tour on Wednesday, was seen laughing with the Indigenous Australian elder

The Aboriginal elder appeared to be explaining to the British royal how the hand-crafted boomerang works (pictured)

Prince Charles tried out a boomerang, a traditional wooden hunting weapon, while he was taken for a walk through the Daintree Rainforest, south of Cape Tribulation.

The Aboriginal elder invited the 69-year-old to take part in a Welcome to Country smoking ceremony.

Native plants are burnt during the ancient ritual to ward off bad spirits, acknowledge ancestors and pay respect to the land and sea of the country.

Prince Charles, who began the national tour last week, was seen sharing a laugh with the Indigenous Australian elder before taking part in the cleansing ceremony.

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder took the British royal on a guided walk of Ngadiku Dreamtime where he explained the relationship they have with the tropical rainforest dating back 50,000 years.

After the ancient smoking ceremony, the prince - who is on his 16th trip of Australia, discussed protection issues and indigenous rights with a group of stakeholders.



The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder spoke about the relationship they have with the tropical rainforest dating back 50,000 years

Prince Charles also took part in a traditional smoking ceremony with the Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder (pictured together)

The pair took a walk through the Daintree Rainforest, far north Queensland, for the Welcome to Country smoking ceremony

Native plants are burnt during the ancient ceremony (pictured) to ward off bad spirits and acknowledge ancestors

The Kuku Yalanji Aboriginal elder took the royal on a guided walk of Ngadiku Dreamtime (pictured), in far north Queensland

Earlier in the day, a woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter.

Leila Sherwood, who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the Prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday.

Clutching a newspaper clipping from the time, the now 54-year-old was delighted to see Prince Charles.

She said: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!', reported the Bendigo Advertiser.

A woman who skipped school as a teenager in order to see Prince Charles at Cairns Airport in 1979 has greeted the heir to the throne nearly 40 years after their first encounter (pictured together in Cairns)

Leila Sherwood (left), who made headlines at the age of 14 when she gave the British royal a kiss, greeted the prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday with the newspaper clipping from the time - Prince Charles also greeted the Bishop of north Queensland (right)

Leila said of their second meeting: 'He held my hand and said "bless you" - I didn't want to let go of his hand!' (both pictured outside the church)

For the Sunday church service, Leila (pictured with Prince Charles) wore a black and red floral outfit, complete with a flower in her hair

She wasn't the only delighted well wisher who travelled far and wide to see the heir to the throne (pictured with her newspaper clipping from 1979)

Leila wasn't the only person from Far North Queensland who came out to see the British royal.

The 69-year-old was also greeted by the Bishop of north Queensland, alongside parishioners including those who provided Anglicare services to the community - before he attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday.

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting the Prince.

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning.

'Excuse me Prince Charles, can I shake your hand?,' she said. 'I'm an Aboriginal woman, please can I shake your hand for the first time.'

Prince Charles attended a regular service alongside parishioners at 10.30am on Sunday (pictured)

An Aboriginal woman named after Queen Elizabeth was overcome with emotion while meeting the prince (both pictured)

Elizabeth Kulla Kulla yelled out to the heir to the throne from behind the barricade as he left a church service at St John the Evangelist Anglican Church on Sunday morning (both pictured)

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns (pictured)

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother.

Following the interaction the young woman collapsed in tears into the arms of her sister.

Still overcome with emotion a few minutes later, Ms Kulla Kulla said it was the first time she had seen a prince in real life.

'I don't know he's going to come to me,' she said.

Charles immediately walked over to Ms Kulla Kulla and shook her hand, as she told him she was named after his mother (pictured together)

Prince Charles (pictured on Sunday) was later given a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat? by Townsville woman, Alycia Loane, who wanted him to give it to Princess Charlotte and Prince George's new sibling when they are born

Prince Charles will go home with a special gift for his newest grandchild, who is due this month.

Townsville woman Alycia Loane travelled four and a half hours from Townsville to give him a copy of author Pamela Allen's, Who Sank The Boat?.

Ms Loane said it was her children's favourite book, so she wanted to pass it onto Prince George, Princess Charlotte and their new baby brother or sister.

'He asked if it was for him and I said "oh no not really but if you could please pass it on, on our behalf",' Ms Loane said.

The royal spent 15 minutes mingling with the congregation over a cup of tea after the church service, before he departed for a tour of HMAS Cairns.

The 69-year-old wore his sunglasses while attending a ceremony during his visit to HMAS Cairns in Cairns, north Queensland

Prince Charles presented the Duke of Gloucester Cup (pictured) to Lieutenant Commander Dean Battilana of the Hydrographic Ship Blue crew onboard HMAS Leeuwin

The Prince of Wales greeted and shook hands with a number of officers during his fast-paced visit to HMAS (pictured)

The British royal was shown around the HMAS Cairns during his visit to north Queensland on Sunday

Prince Charles appeared to be adjusting his collar during a ceremony in Cairns as he sat beside officials

A number of sailors (pictured) were able to meet the prince as they lined up to be inspected by the heir to the throne

Later on Sunday, Prince Charles met with defence personnel at HMAS Cairns (pictured)

The Duke of Gloucester Cup (pictured) was presented by the 69-year-old at HMAS Cairns, before he departed for Darwin

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

Since he arrived in Australia for the Commonwealth Games, Prince Charles has been enjoying a packed-out schedule.

As well as speaking at an event in Brisbane, attending the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony, touring the famous local rum distillery in Bundaberg and visiting Port Vila Central Hospital and Great Barrier Reef, the prince also made a day trip to the South Pacific island of Vanuatu on Saturday.

Donning a grass skirt and a white garland, the heir to the throne was made a high chief in a colourful ceremony.

In the tradition of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, Charles took part in a series of rituals as he was given the high chief name of Mal Menaringmanu.

The Prince also took a sip from a cup of special kava, known as Royal Kava, before planting two trees.

The drink is reserved for special occasions and was only last consumed when the Duke of Edinburgh visited the island in 1974.

He delighted the crowds - who had turned out in their thousands - with the traditional greeting of 'Halo yufala euriwan', meaning 'hello everybody'.

There was a large crowd watching the ceremony with many onlookers capturing the royal moment on their smart phones

The Prince of Wales shook hands with a guest before receiving flowers from young girl, Victoria McSadden (left and right)

Britain's Prince Charles greets sailors onboard HMAS Leeuwin during his visit to HMAS Cairns in Cairns on his last day of tour

The prince explored the HMAS Leeuwin as well as taking a look at the bridge (pictured)

The prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago (pictured at HMAS Cairns)

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' Prince Charles (pictured) said

The next leg of his trip will see Prince Charles head to Darwin, where he will conclude his time in Australia.

The Prince has emphasised his fondness for Australia, which he first visited 52 years ago.

'When I first came to Australia, Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar - and drink - before the pubs closed early,' he said.

Highlighting once again the challenges facing the environment, he warned that 'we are destroying our own life support systems, along with our children's and grandchildren's' future'.

Describing Australia as 'an example for us all', Charles hailed 'Aussie values' as a force for good.

He added: 'Amidst all this, the Aussie character that is so exemplified by the concept of fairness and 'fairgo' is what I believe the world needs so desperately and so urgently - a 'fairgo' for people, our planet and for nature herself'.
Tesco shoppers have hit out at the supermarket for a big change to its hugely popular meal deal.

A bottle of Coca Cola in the 3 deal used to be 500ml but has now been downsized to smaller 375ml.

Despite customers getting less of the drink than they used to, the price of the meal deal hasn't decreased.

This has lead to a string of complaints from disgruntled customers, who have called it 'shrinkflation' and urged the store to lower their prices.

Twitter users have slammed Tesco for using smaller bottles of Coca Cola in their 3 meal deal for the price of the deal hasn't gone down

Several customers have suggested that the change in the deal could be down to the sugar tax, which has meant that drinks companies have to reduce the sugar in their products or pay a higher tax on them.

Coca Cola and Pepsi have chosen not to change their recipes, which means their drinks are now more expensive.

However, this hasn't gone down well with Tesco shoppers, who took to Twitter to criticise the store for not adjusting their meal deal prices.

One tweeted: 'Shrinkflation strikes again. A bottle of Coke goes from 500ml to 375ml yet my Tesco meal deal is still 3.'

Many took to Twitter to urge the supermarket chain to decrease the price of their meal deals

'Why have you suddenly changed the size of the Coca Cola bottle in your 3 deal to a paltry 375ml?' another posted.

A third ranted: 'Would be nice if you still sold 500ml bottles of Coke. Should be our choice or not if we pay the added sugar tax instead of having to resort to a measly 375ml bottle....'

WHAT IS THE SUGAR TAX? What is the sugar tax? From April 6th 2018, soft drinks companies have been required to pay a levy on drinks with added sugar. Why are the Government introducing the tax? The move aims to help tackle childhood obesity. Sugar-sweetened soft drinks are now the single biggest source of dietary sugar for children and teenagers. It is hoped the tax will encourage drinks companies to cut down on the amount of sugar in drinks, and consumers to choose lower sugar alternatives. How much is the tax? Companies have to pay 18p per litre of drink if the product contains more than 5g of sugar per 100 millilitres and 24p per litre if it contains 8g of sugar per 100 millilitres. Will it apply to all drinks? The new levy will not be paid on milk-based drinks and fruit juices. However George Osborne, who unveiled the tax policy as chancellor, has predicted that the tax will be extended to include milkshakes with large quantities of sugar. Advertisement

'Why have coke cans and bottles been made smaller at my local express, yet they are the same price as the larger version?' a fourth asked.

MailOnline has contacted Tesco and is awaiting comment.

Firms now have to pay a levy of 18p a litre if their drinks contain more than 5g of sugar per 100ml, or 24p a litre if more than 8g.

The Government and health campaigners hope the higher prices will put people off buying the most sugar-laden drinks, though Pepsi and Coke have both declined to alter their recipes.

This means the 330ml cans of Pepsi - 11g of sugar per 100ml - and Coca Cola - 10.6g sugar per 100ml - will go up by 8p. They cost in the region of 70p.

Health campaigners hope the tax will mark the start of a more ambitious government obesity policy, including tighter measures to regulate the advertising of junk food.

Funds raised by the sugar tax will be diverted into school sports, the Government insists.

But dentists are calling for a portion of the estimated 280 million it will generate in 2018/19 to be spent on promoting oral health.

It comes after shocking Public Health England figures revealed one child has a rotten tooth removed every 10 minutes in hospital.

More than 60,000 children had teeth extracted in hospital last year - the equivalent to 141 operations a day.

It was the biggest single cause of hospital admissions for 5-to-9-year-olds, who accounted for over 42 per cent of cases, despite being largely preventable.

Too much sugar is one of the leading causes of both tooth decay and childhood obesity with a third of youngsters now overweight.
When you are newly single, you find yourself taking stock. Do I have a beard? Am I insane? Do I really want to get naked in front of a strange man for the first time, again? Do I really want to be putting both legs over my shoulders like a pretzel in order to have a Hollywood wax?

The answer to the first question is a resounding yes. I think my body is putting less effort into growing my eyebrows and putting its back into making the rest of my face hirsute. I find myself wondering, as I paint on M2 Beaute brow serum each night, whether there is a time in a womans life when she isnt battling the elements. It would have been nice (and restful!) to have just had a week, perhaps, when I was not suffering from acne, lack of body hair and breasts, greasy roots coupled with split ends, greying tooth enamel, open pores, weakening eyesight and hearing, cellulite, sun damage, grey roots, desiccated skin, too much leg hair and then too much breast, Captain Pugwash tramlines at the side of my nose, broken capillaries, strange speckles on the backs of my hands, thinning lips, wrinkles and a concertinaed forehead. I could go on but perhaps my memory is failing me as well. I could mention, too, the misery of the menopause, but for me it never happened. Just as I never went through puberty  not really, just one scant period when I was 18  so I never noticed when my hormones left the building. Not one hot flush.

Ive been rebuilt, pretty much. Breast reduction, hand rejuvenation, face-lift, blepharoplasty, laser eye surgery, tooth veneers, brow tattoos, filler and Botox, and now, today, two state-of-the art hearing aids. Im thinking about having a new treatment that regrows your gums. God only knows how much black dye has been slathered on my scalp (my roots now have to be retouched weekly) or Clarins fake tan applied to my limbs with a mitt. Some people are trans-sexual, I seem to be transracial: Ive become darker over the years. The locals here in North Yorkshire believe Im a Michael Jackson tribute act.

And in the same way Ive been wondering why on earth Ive worked so hard for more than 30 years, with not one day off sick, so too have I been wondering what all this harvesting and honing has been for. Its as though Ive been studying for an exam, but with no certificate at the end; not even a marriage licence. Men have never found me attractive, despite all of the above; David is (or was, more like) only keen as hes worried he wont get anyone else before he dies. My personality is offputting, too: a combination of Monica Geller (hyper-clean) and Eeyore when hes having a really bad day.

I am now at the hearing clinic. Im handed my hearing aids. Its a defeat, in a way. Being deaf and nervous because Im deaf is who I am. I will no longer be the person who walks away when someone is speaking to me. I will no longer turn to my dinner companion and ask, What did he say? I am taught how to put them in. They will turn themselves up gradually over the course of the next four weeks as I become used to hearing but already I can hear paper rustling, workmen outside. The audiologist stands behind me and speaks: I can hear her without lip reading! We download the app to my phone so calls go straight to my ears. There is even a party setting, so I can hear in a crowded room. And a music setting: it has been years since I listened to music. The only downside is that I now hear my voice as others hear it. Much as I hate my reflection, I cannot stand the sound of my own voice. I remember what the artist Tracey Emin told me. Liz, I had to get over not liking the sound of my own name. You have to learn to do that, too.

Ive always been a tad pessimistic (I can now hear the hollow laughter). When I had collagen very painfully pumped in my lips in the mid 90s, the nurse told me sternly not to kiss a man for 24 hours. Fat chance! I told her. Now no one will ever have to talk dirty loudly to me again. Question is, will any man want to whisper it?
TOP, 690; SKIRT, 1,450, Fendi, fendi.com from 14 May

Logomania is taking over the fashion world and Fendi is the latest brand to embrace its roots with a major collection covered in its iconic FF design from the 60s. FF Reloaded launches with an exclusive range on Net-a-porter from Friday ahead of Mays in-store launch. Fans already include Gigi Hadid, Kim Kardashian and Chloe Grace Moretz. Get involved!

T-SHIRT, 750, fendi.com, from 14 May

PONCHO, 1,350, fendi.com, from 14 May

THIS WEEK I'M BUYING CLARE V x TOMS

LA-based French accessories designer Clare V injects her unique mix of California cool and Parisian chic into Toms new collection. The lace-up espadrilles, paired with cropped white jeans and a cotton shirt, are just what my wardrobe needs.

From 55, toms.com, from Wednesday

With the royal wedding coming up and as a bride-to-be myself, Im excited by Mother of Pearls new bridalwear collection, inspired by creative director Amy Powneys own dilemma when searching for an alternative to the usual frothy gowns. Unconventional bridalwear without the couture price tag is having a moment (see Agyness Deyn and food blogger Anna Barnetts choices). Amys options are perfect for an evening outfit change or low-key look that still feels special.

SHIRT AND TROUSERS, 395 each, SHOES, 395, motherofpearl.co.uk

WHAT TO WEAR TO... COACHELLA

The Californian music festival will be drawing the crowds this week and if youre lucky enough to be heading west, check in to The Parker Palm Springs for the coolest events. Stuck at home? A little summer festival inspo cant hurt.
Home Fire is published by Bloomsbury, price 8.99. To order a copy for the special price of 6.74 until 13 May, click here or call 0844 571 0640; free p&p on orders over 15

THE STORY

Privileged rich boy meets beautiful girl from the other side of the tracks and falls in love. There is a suspicion that she might have an ulterior motive, especially as she insists on keeping their relationship secret. The boys father is furious when he finds out and bans his son from contacting her again. Sounds like a familiar story, but it takes on a new dimension in this powerful novel, which sets the personal against the political and confronts the competing demands of love and loyalty.

A new home for the old story of the small girl who takes it upon herself to speak truth to power a contemporary classic Ali Smith

The boy, Eamonn, is the mixed-race son of Karamat Lone, a Muslim politician newly promoted to Home Secretary. The girl, Aneeka, is the twin sister of Parvaiz, who has been radicalised to join Isis in Syria. Parvaiz quickly becomes disillusioned and his sister will do anything she can to help bring him back home. But Karamat, who believes that people like Parvaiz should automatically forfeit their British citizenship, will do anything to prevent his return. The story  engrossing, tense, tragic  provides a thought-provoking perspective on the fragile world we live in.

THE TASTER

Over the next few days he discovered her version of secrecy meant he didnt have her phone number, couldnt contact her online, wasnt permitted to know when she was planning to come and go. Shed simply turn up at some point in the day, sometimes staying for so short a time they never even got completely undressed, other times remaining with him overnight. Secrecy was an aphrodisiac that gained potency the longer it continued, every moment filled with the possibility that she might appear

THE QUESTIONS

1. Does the novel change your understanding of the Muslim community in Britain?

2. Should loyalty to family always be stronger than loyalty to country? And is love stronger than either?

3. Who takes the right path, Aneeka or her sister Isma?

4. Is Aneeka simply using Eamonn or does she have genuine feelings for him?

5. What do you think of the decision by Parvaiz to fight for Isis? Is the novel too sympathetic to him?

6. Is Karamat Lone right in trying to prevent Parvaiz from returning to the UK? What if he had harmed one of your relatives?

7. What divides Eamonns and Aneekas families, and what do they have in common?

8. Where does Karamat Lones greatest loyalty lie?

9. What do you make of the novels title, Home Fire?

10. What do you think of the ending? What does it reveal about Aneeka and Eamonns relationship?

THE AUTHOR

Author Kamila Shamsie

Kamila Shamsie is the author of seven novels, including Burnt Shadows, a previous YOU Reading Group choice, which was shortlisted for the 2009 Orange Prize for Fiction.

She was born in Karachi, Pakistan, in 1973, and grew up with her mothers typewriter providing the soundtrack to her life as she wrote newspaper features on a variety of subjects, though her primary interest was in books and writers. Her great-aunt Attia Hosain was also a writer of fiction, so perhaps it wasnt entirely surprising that, at the age of 11, Kamila started to work on her first novel with her best friend. It was called A Dogs Life, and After, and set in dog heaven.

At 18 she went to university in America, studying creative writing with the Kashmiri poet Agha Shahid Ali, followed by an MFA (Master of Fine Arts) in creative writing at the University of Massachusetts. The novel she wrote for her MFA thesis was accepted for publication before she completed the course, which, she confesses, means she has absolutely no stories about the suffering she had to endure in the years when her novels were being rejected, or the strange jobs she held down to fund her writing.

That first novel, In the City By the Sea, was published in 1998 and for nearly a decade afterwards Kamila led what she calls a somewhat nomadic life; she would write in Karachi for a few months of the year, teach creative writing in America at her old college, and in between come to London for a few months every year, partly because it was useful to be in the country where her books were being published, but mostly because she loved London.

In 2007 she moved to the city on a visa for writers, artists and composers and, after a fairly protracted process, eventually became a British citizen. In 2013 she was on Grantas list of Best of Young British Novelists, even though she was a few months away from her British citizenship at the time. A God in Every Stone, published in 2014, was shortlisted for the Baileys Prize and the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, and Home Fire was long-listed for the Booker Prize, shortlisted for the Costa Novel Award and won the 2018 Womens Prize for Fiction.
Within the next two years, every home in the country must have access to internet speeds fast enough to allow high-definition quality video streaming.

This is the latest demand made by the Government as part of its commitment to ensure no community is left with poor broadband coverage.

There will also be rules that allow broadband users to switch provider without penalty if promised speeds are not delivered.

All suppliers must deliver broadband speed of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) by 2020 under the new 'universal service obligation' legislation  a speed sufficient to enjoy high definition film and TV streaming via iPlayer and Netflix.

Switch: The Dolleymores found a cheaper supplier with a faster service

Also from late next month broadband providers must start making more realistic promises  advertising 'average' download speeds available to at least half of customers at peak times, such as evenings, rather than the current misleading 'up to' boasts that are seldom reached.

If a customer finds the speed they signed up to is not being achieved they will be allowed to switch supplier without penalty. This kicks in next March.

Ewan Taylor-Gibson of price comparison website uSwitch says: 'Customers are now more focused on broadband speed as they are increasingly using the internet for TV viewing.

'It is great that if a provider fails to deliver on its promise you will be able to tear up a lengthy contract and go elsewhere. It is long overdue.'

At least half of all homes in rural areas still cannot access broadband speed of 10 megabits  some 1.5 million properties or five per cent of the population.

Another 15 million customers are promised faster speeds by suppliers such as BT, TalkTalk, Virgin and Sky but are then not able to enjoy them.

James Dolleymore, from Noke in Oxfordshire, regularly experienced speeds of less than 1 megabit on a broadband deal with BT  paying 50 a month for a package including phone line rental with calls.

He switched to competitor Gigaclear and now pays 41 a month for 50 megabits.

He pays a further 6 a month to Vonage for voice over internet protocol (VoIP) which handles phone calls.

He says: 'When BT upgraded the broadband infrastructure in our local area with new fibre-optic cables running to a cabinet in a neighbouring village our broadband speeds actually fell.

'This is because old copper phone lines were still being used to supply our internet service from the cabinet to our home.

'When Gigaclear rolled up and offered to lay fibre-optic cable right to our door it transformed the way we could use the internet.'

Critics say new rules allow broadband suppliers to boast they use 'fibre' to provide households with broadband coverage, even when, as was the case with James, less reliable slower copper wire is still relied on.

James, 40, rents out holiday cottages at the farm where he lives with wife Felicity and children Rosie, four, and four-month-old Poppy.

The business is called Oxford Country Cottages. He says: 'From waiting at least a second for a page to load, Gigaclear provided us with instant internet access  so we could develop a business website and also offer wi-fi to guests.'

The taxpayer has spent 1.7 billion laying fibre optics between telephone exchanges and green cabinets over the past decade  handing the money to BT which said it was not commercially viable to do the work without this Government help. BT claims it has also invested 11 billion in the project.

Ken Hunt of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, says: 'There is a legal duty to offer internet speeds of at least 10 megabits from 2020.

'Otherwise, the designated provider for your area will face penalties for being negligent in their duty.'
Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong (Photo: Ministry of Communications and Information, Singapore)

In an exclusive interview with the Peoples Daily ahead of his China visit, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore will continue to support Chinas constructive participation in the regional and international system.

Lee also shared his views on the Belt and Road Initiative, relations between ASEAN and China, regional integration and other issues. He will attend the upcoming annual conference of Boao Forum for Asia 2018 in South China's Hainan Province.

Lee said Singapore, as ASEAN Chair as well as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China relations, will continue to expand and deepen cooperation between the two sides. While 2018 has been designated the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation, Singapore looks forward to partnering with China in this area to create benefits for people and businesses, he added.

He pointed out that the US has recently taken a radically different approach toward trade, and implemented specific steps to protect domestic industries and reduce its large bilateral trade deficits, which have inevitably put pressure on US ties with China and other countries.

Please read the full interview below:

Peoples Daily: Singapore-China relationship can be considered to have advanced with times in 2017, achieving positive progress in various areas of cooperation. You have made an official visit to China in September last year, reaching consensus with President Xi Jinping on the development of bilateral relationship between China and Singapore. What is your outlook for Singapore-China relationship in 2018?

PM: Singapore-China relations are strong. The foundations were laid down by our leaders long before we established formal diplomatic relations in 1990. This year marks the 40th anniversary of Mr. Deng Xiaopings visit to Singapore. That visit took place two years after Mr. Lee Kuan Yew visited China in 1976. Our bilateral relations have since flourished with regular exchanges of visits, including the visit by President Xi Jinping in 2015 marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Singapore and China.

President Xi Jinping said that Singapore and China share common interests in many areas. I agree. We are two very different countries, in terms of population, demographic composition, economic size, and geography. But we have managed to work together to pursue win-win cooperation over a wide range of issues, from trade and investment to social governance, human resource development, financial services, legal and judicial matters.

Since my meeting with President Xi last September, China has held the 19th CPC National Congress and Lianghui (two sessions). These meetings set strategic directions for Chinas development and foreign policy in a new era. China will play a growing role in regional and global issues. Singapore will continue to support Chinas constructive participation in the regional architecture as well as the international system.

Our developing partnership is reflected in our three Government-to-Government projects. The Suzhou Industrial Park facilitated Chinas early industrialization efforts and has been replicated in other Chinese cities. We then embarked on the Tianjin Eco-City to support Chinas sustainable and green development. The third Government-to-Government project, the Chongqing Connectivity Initiative, is a priority demonstration project under Chinas Belt and Road (B&R) Initiative, Western Region Development and Yangtze River Economic Belt strategies.

For this year, we have a full bilateral calendar. We are working to complete the upgrading of the China-Singapore Free Trade Agreement. Singapore will host the annual Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation (co-chaired at the DPM level) and the Second Legal and Judicial Roundtable, while China will host the Social Governance Forum and Forum on Leadership. Through these high-level platforms and many other exchanges, we hope to take our partnership forward.

Peoples Daily: According to Singapore-based Lianhe Zaobaos report, China has overtaken Indonesia to become the source country for the largest number of tourists entering Singapore. What are your comments regarding this? What are your views on the historical and cultural linkages between Singapore and China?

PM: China has a population of almost 1.4 billion people. The middle class has grown rapidly. Millions of Chinese are travelling overseas for business or leisure. They can be seen everywhere in the world.

Cultural and language similarities make Singapore a popular destination for Chinese tourists. We welcome them. Frequent exchanges between our peoples keep our ties strong and enable us to do more together.

At the same time, Chinese tourists visit Singapore precisely because we are not another Chinese city. They find Singapore a fascinating multi-racial and multi-religious country with different cultures and ways of life. Different ethnic groups and religious faiths co-exist side by side, harmoniously. We hope that when Chinese tourists visit us, they can see and appreciate how Singapore is unique, and how our multi-racial national identity influences our place in the world and relations with other countries.

Peoples Daily: One of the topics for the Boao Forum for Asia 2018 is Globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative; the establishment of Belt and Road is currently also an important component of Singapore-China cooperation. What do you think are the priority areas where Singapores development strategy and the Belt and Road Initiative align?

PM: Singapore is an early and strong supporter of Chinas B&R Initiative. The initiative will benefit many countries that need more and better infrastructure. It is also compatible with keeping the regional architecture and international system open and inclusive. Thus Singapore and China have agreed to make the B&R initiative a focal point in our bilateral relations.

We have identified several areas for cooperation under the B&R Initiative. The first is infrastructure connectivity. We have developed the CCI-Southern Transport Corridor (CCI-STC), which will link Chongqing to Qinzhou port (Beibu Gulf, Guangxi) in the south by rail, and from Qinzhou to Singapore and beyond by sea. The CCI-STC will create a direct connection between the overland New Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, enhancing multi-modal connectivity from Western China to Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. We are also exploring linking up our Single Electronic Windows to support the trade flows along the CCI-STC.

The second area is financial connectivity. Singapore is an international financial center, one of the largest offshore RMB centers in the world. Singapore banks are actively helping Chinese companies tap the B&R Initiative and expand into Southeast Asia. Chinese banks in Singapore have committed S$100 billion to finance Singaporean and Chinese companies involved in B&R projects, including issuing project bonds to support B&R financing needs. Singapores financial center can also play a useful role in structuring and providing specialized insurance coverage for B&R infrastructure projects. Today, two thirds of Southeast Asia infrastructure projects are arranged by Singapore-based project finance teams.

The third priority area is third country collaboration. Many Chinese companies use Singapore as a base for their operations in the region. Singapore accounted for 85 percent of total inbound investments to China from B&R countries, and one third of Chinas outbound investments to B&R countries. We can also draw on each others strengths to jointly develop commercially feasible projects in third countries along the Belt and Road and provide training to officials from B&R participating countries.

Finally, we can work together to offer legal and dispute resolution services to resolve cross border commercial disputes. The strong record of project financing in Singapore is supported by our reputable and credible legal system which has a full suite of mediation, arbitration and litigation services for commercial disputes. By providing investors more options, we will also give them more confidence to pursue cross-border projects.

Peoples Daily: ASEAN is a priority for Chinas diplomacy with its neighbouring regions. Singapore takes on the role of ASEAN Chairmanship this year, and continues to undertake the role of country coordinator for ASEAN-China relations for the first half of the year. How does Singapore plan to promote the further development of the ASEAN-China relationship?

PM: China is one of ASEANs most important and substantive dialogue partners. China is the top trading partner for most ASEAN Member States. ASEAN is a significant grouping whose cohesion and effectiveness fosters a conducive regional environment for China. The ASEAN-China FTA is one of the worlds largest free trade areas. It is therefore in the interests of both sides that relations remain strong, stable and mutually beneficial.

As ASEAN Chair as well as Country Coordinator for ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, Singapore will continue to expand and deepen cooperation between the two sides. We upgraded the ACFTA in 2015, and are now working towards the full implementation of the upgrade Protocol. Deepening economic links and improving connectivity will help us to reach the target of US$1 trillion in ASEAN-China trade by 2020.

This year ASEAN and China mark the 15th Anniversary of our Strategic Partnership. Singapore is working with fellow ASEAN Member States and China to chart the future direction of the ASEAN-China relationship through the ASEAN-China Strategic Partnership Vision 2030 statement, which we hope to issue in November 2018.

We have also designated 2018 as the ASEAN-China Year of Innovation. This fits in with Singapores ASEAN Chairmanship theme of Resilience and Innovation. One of our Chairmanship deliverables is to establish an ASEAN Smart Cities Network. China has the largest number of smart cities in the world, with more than 500 smart city projects underway. We can learn much from Chinas experience. We look forward to partnering China in this area to create tangible benefits for our peoples and businesses.

Peoples Daily: What are your views on the relationship between different regional trade arrangements in the Asia-Pacific region?

PM: Globalization and international trade have underpinned the growth and prosperity of many countries, including Singapore and China. But in some countries, the political mood is shifting against them. The US has been a longstanding advocate of free trade and economic multilateralism. However, it has recently taken a radically different approach towards trade, and has taken specific steps to protect domestic industries and reduce its large bilateral trade deficits. These measures have inevitably put pressure on the US relations with China and other countries.

As a small nation with an open economy, Singapore is heavily dependent on international trade. If unilateral and tit-for-tat actions escalate into trade wars, the multilateral trading system that has brought countries prosperity for decades will be severely undermined. There will be no winners in a trade war.

Chinas decision to join the WTO in 2001 was a bold one. Since then, China has committed to abiding by multilateral rules, including submitting to WTO dispute settlement mechanism. China has benefited from doing this, as have other countries.

Since 2001 Chinas economy has developed greatly. Chinas share of global GDP and trade volume have also increased dramatically. It is therefore natural that other countries expect China to take on more commitments and contribute more to the global system, by further opening market access for trade in goods and services, and liberalizing rules for foreign investments into China. These steps would better match Chinas present stage of development. China can do so on a multilateral basis, or through FTAs with regional partners.

The Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) are complementary building blocks towards an eventual Free Trade Area of the Asia-Pacific. These two agreements will boost economic growth in the Asia-Pacific and promote a seamless flow of goods, services and business that will benefit all countries. The RCEP will create an even larger market comprising nearly half the worlds population and a third of its GDP, and bring significant economic and strategic benefits to its members and the broader Asia-Pacific region. If we can sign the RCEP this year, it will, together with the CPTPP, send a clear signal to the world about our commitment to multilateral trade, and our resolve to keep the regional architecture open and inclusive.
Some ideas are utterly discredited in the eyes of mainstream economists but still have a stubborn popular appeal. Protectionism is one of them.

In the US, it has been a dirty word since the Smoot Hawley Act in 1930 raised tariffs on hundreds of imported goods in a doomed attempt to protect the American economy from foreign competition.

Messrs Smoot and Hawley have gone down in history as the infamous pair whose misguided thinking made the Great Depression even worse.

An anathema to most serious economists for generations, protectionism is back in a big way: along with tax cuts and deregulation, it's a key plank of Trumponomics.

Thumped by Trump: According to his Twitter feed, Donald sees trade wars as 'good' and 'easy to win'

For readers who haven't been following this closely, here is the story so far. The US fired an opening salvo by proposing to put tariffs on $50 billion of Chinese imports.

How has Beijing responded? By telling Trump to come and have a go if he thinks he's hard enough.

It is retaliating with threats of its own to impose tariffs of the same scale. Trump upped the ante this week saying he is considering $100 billion of extra tariffs on Chinese goods. Beijing shot back, saying it will take on the US 'until the end, at any cost.'

According to his Twitter feed, Trump sees trade wars as 'good' and 'easy to win'. That is an opinion he may end up having to revise.

Waging a trade war against China will wound him in his heartlands, the industrial and farming areas where he has garnered much of his support.

Manufacturing companies, which will see the cost of imported raw materials driven up, will be badly affected. Shares in aircraft maker Boeing initially tanked on fears of trade tensions.

So too will the agricultural sector, as Beijing says it will put a 25 per cent levy on soy beans, seeds and fruit exports from the US in response to Trump tariffs.

Although markets have been nervous, the general view is that things will calm down and a crisis will be averted. Common sense would certainly suggest Trump will step back from the brink, as the US and China have a co-dependent relationship.

The Chinese export far more to America than they import. The US-China trade deficit is around $400 billion, so tariffs would hurt the Chinese more.

But Beijing holds around $1.7 trillion of US government bonds, and if it chose to pull back on its lending to Washington, it could inflict significant harm.

A bond sell-off would create havoc on the global money markets and make it much more expensive for America to finance its spending.

But there is no guarantee common sense will prevail. We can only hope the experts are right and this is not a repeat of the 1930s madness.

As Pantheon Macroeconomics points out, global trade flows collapsed and did not return to pre-Smoot Hawley levels until the 1950s.

Even if fears over trade wars do not materialise this time, though, it is no wonder markets have the jitters that the President of the world's biggest economy is an unpredictable and capricious man who dispenses his economic views by late night tweet.

In the climate of fear and disillusion that followed the financial crisis, Trump and his supporters are turning inward for comfort.

In the UK this has manifested itself through Brexit and more recently corporate patriotism  the defence of GKN as a national asset, and the uproar over De La Rue losing the contract to print post-Brexit blue passports.

Never mind that GKN is an international company, with 60,000 staff in 30 countries  only a tenth of whom are working in the UK  and a share register replete with overseas investors.

Never mind, too, that GKN and De La Rue have been lacklustre performers for years.

We are in the realms of feeling, rather than rational debate. The sadness is that protectionism will not solve the problems of America's rustbelt voters who put their trust in Trump, any more than Brexit will bring a brave new dawn to Britain's economic blackspots.
Every weekend, This is Money rounds-up the share tips from the Sunday newspapers.

This week, our award-winning investment writer Joanne Hart takes a look at IT firm IMImobile and updates on specialist ingredients group Treatt.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Telegraph runs the rule over fashion house Burberry while the Sunday Times focuses on pub group Greene King.

Greene King: Its share price has halved since December 2015

FINANCIAL MAIL ON SUNDAY

Royal Mail delivers 57 million items every day to 29 million households and businesses across the country. Many of these items are parcels.

More often than not, the postie turns up with the package and, if no one is there to receive it, the item is returned to the delivery office, so the recipients must go and collect it.

Today, however, that process is gradually being replaced. Customers receive text messages or emails to let them know that a parcel is coming on a certain day at a certain time and, if that time is inconvenient, they can change it.

The process makes life easier for customers and saves Royal Mail time and money.

The technology used is driven by IMImobile, a fast-growing company that specialises in helping businesses deliver useful information to their customers in a range of highly effective ways.

>> Read the full Midas column here

On Friday the sugar tax came into force putting up the price of most fizzy drinks in the UK.

The idea behind the tax is to reduce obesity by encouraging consumers to buy fewer sugary drinks and encouraging soft drinks manufacturers to use less sugar.

Whether the tax will have the desired effect could take years to determine, but it plays into the hands of Daemmon Reeve, chief executive of specialist ingredients group Treatt.

>> Read the full Midas Update column here

SUNDAY TELEGRAPH

Burberry is at a crossroads. As all good fashionistas know, it is vital to reinvent oneself every so often.

Incoming chief executive Marco Gobbetti is intent on driving Burberry further upmarket.

Sales and earnings are guided to be flat over the next two years, with 'meaningful operating margin improvement' beyond 2021. Some analysts expect an uptick sooner.

The company may be vulnerable while it redefines itself to the market, but the concern is that the shares will slip at the slightest sign it is struggling with its new deluxe direction.

Trading at 20 times this year's forecast earnings, the price tag on this luxury good is too high for now. Avoid.

SUNDAY TIMES

Investors in Greene King will be hoping that this week's trading update will not leave them crying into their pints of Old Speckled Hen.

They have had to swallow a lot of bitter news in recent times, with its share price halving since a peak in December 2015.

It is trading on a very attractive looking 6.8 per cent dividend yield.

There may be a case for investing in Greene King  it has a good track record and a bullish management team  but it may be a little early to jump on board. Avoid.
Media giant WPP spiralled deeper into turmoil this weekend after allegations levelled at chief executive Sir Martin Sorrell threatened to leave the company rudderless.

After an extraordinary week, The Mail on Sunday can reveal that:

Sources fear Sorrell could be ousted within weeks if an investigation finds him guilty of misconduct;

Chairman Roberto Quarta has been coming under heavy fire for flouting boardroom etiquette by having two FTSE chairmanships at once.

Trouble: CEO Sir Martin Sorrell, left, and chairman Roberto Quarta

Sorrell's 33-year tenure at WPP  a company he set up from scratch and built into a 15 billion global powerhouse  is in doubt after the board last week launched an investigation into his behaviour.

Friends say he is in the dark over the specific allegations, despite being interviewed by lawyers.

The debacle has also turned a spotlight on Quarta, who in addition to his role at WPP is chairman of the 12 billion hip and knee replacement firm Smith & Nephew. He earns a total of almost 900,000 a year from two the jobs.

Chairing two FTSE 100 companies at the same time is not expressly forbidden by City rules but can be frowned upon by some investors. Quarta is also chairman and partner at private equity firm Clayton, Dubilier & Rice Europe.

But S&N has been going through a torrid period, prompting investors to fret about Quarta's capacity to deal with two firms facing turbulence at once.

The probe into 73-year-old Sorrell  which centres on allegations of 'personal misconduct' and 'financial impropriety'  is expected to be completed within weeks, according to sources close to the board.

Friends of Sorrell, along with other senior figures, fear the high-profile chief executive could be ousted by the end of the month if the findings are damning.

Defiant: Sir Martin Sorrell denies any 'financial impropriety'

Even if he is exonerated, friends say his position may be untenable. But it would be foolish to underestimate the veteran who has survived numerous blows.

Sources close to the board insisted the result of the investigation is not a foregone conclusion and that there is no 'boardroom rift'.

Sorrell last week cut short a holiday in Italy to celebrate his tenth wedding anniversary to second wife Cristiana to deal with the allegations.

Friends say he acknowledges his days as chief executive may be numbered even if he is cleared.

They say he feels 'circumspect' because detail in the leaks to the Wall Street Journal suggests it may have come from a 'rarefied' level  in other words, a member of the board who wants him out. Sorrell's supporters say he has been mulling over all possible outcomes and is 'philosophical.'

Sources say the company is ready to enact top secret contingency plans in the event of Sorrell's exit.

But Quarta may be distracted by problems at S&N, which has been under pressure from activist investor Elliott Advisers and appointed a new chief executive only last week. There are fears that WPP may be left without firm leadership.

Shareholder advisory group Pirc said last night: 'It is not appropriate for someone to be chair of two very large companies like this.

'We advised investors to oppose the re-election of Roberto Quarta last year. It creates difficulty when crises occur.

As chairman of WPP he needs to be dealing with difficult issues concerning its long-term chief executive.'

Pirc last year recommended shareholders in both WPP and S&N to oppose Quarta as chairman, specifically citing worries over the 'possibility of having to commit additional time to [his other] role in times of crisis'.

S&N said Quarta's other activities 'have not impacted on his commitments to Smith & Nephew.'

Alex DeGroote, a media analyst at Cenkos Securities, said last night Sorrell will be a hard act to follow. 'You will never find another individual with his dynamism, grip on the industry and deal-doing capability.' He said the City is highly concerned about the plans for a successor at WPP.

DeGroote identified key internal candidates as finance director Paul Richardson and Mark Read, the boss of digital agency Wunderman.

He added: 'I think on the part of the company it's negligence to have not identified a clear-cut succession planning process. It beggars belief.'

A WPP spokesman said: 'Succession planning has been very rigorously adopted for many years.'

Sorrell was told he was under investigation in the week before Easter. He has appointed his own lawyers and PR advisers and issued a statement denying any 'financial impropriety'.

He said: 'As a significant share owner, my commitment to the company, which I founded over 30 years ago, remains absolute.'

The investigation is the latest in a string of bad news for WPP. Last year was the ad giant's worst for growth since the financial crisis. WPP's share price has fallen more than 30 per cent in the past year.
The Japanese firm stalking drugs giant Shire could launch a 'credible offer' and win support from shareholders within weeks, analysts said last night.

A 40 billion bid from Takeda could create the seventh biggest pharmaceuticals firm in the world, sources said.

The deal is part of Takeda chief executive Christophe Weber's bid to create a global behemoth to rival the likes of Pfizer, Roche, Novartis and GlaxoSmithKline.

Analysts said Takeda was increasingly 'bullish', despite declaring its interest was at an 'exploratory stage' 11 days ago.

Bitter pill to swallow: The deal is part of Takeda chief executive Christophe Weber's bid to create a global behemoth

City analysts said an opening offer of more than 40 a share would be enough to 'raise investor interest'. Shares in Shire closed at 37.52.

Any offer must be posted with the London Stock Exchange by 5pm on April 25.

'They are clearly very serious and the tone out of Japan is more bullish than I would have anticipated when the bid first emerged at the end of last month,' said Wimal Kapadia, a pharmaceuticals analyst at Sanford C Bernstein.

'I think there is a good chance you will see a very credible offer.'

He said the firm may be able to avoid taking on too much debt by selling new shares in Tokyo to fund the acquisition.

Shire's share price stagnated after it bought rare disease specialist Baxalta in 2016.

City sources said Shire chief executive Flemming Ornskov may struggle to fend off a determined effort by Takeda to buy the business, which was trading at less than 30 a share two weeks ago.
Captains's of industry, men about town, world leaders  including, rumour has it, Vladimir Putin  they have all beaten a path to George Bamford's five-storey Mayfair town house, known as The Hive.

George, 37, is a scion of the Bamford family of JCB fame, one of Britain's wealthiest dynasties, and the Hive is the nerve centre of his customised luxury watch business, Bamford Watch Department.

For those who don't want to be seen out with the same timepiece as anyone else, then for 7,000 or so, you can tailor a Bulgari Serpenti or a Tag Heuer Monaco Heritage to suit your personal style.

Dynasty: George says he has learned key lessons from his father, JCB chairman Lord Bamford

Business is in the Bamford blood. George's father is the billionaire Conservative peer and vocal Brexit supporter Lord (Anthony) Bamford, the chairman of JCB.

His grandfather, Joseph Bamford  who, as a young man, looked strikingly similar to George today  is the original Mr JCB, who founded the bright yellow digger firm in the aftermath of the Second World War.

So why isn't George in the family business  isn't he tempted? 'Yeah, but my father would never have let me. He always said go and do it on your own dime first.

'My grandfather and father didn't like the idea of the silver spoon,' he continues. 'They wanted me to learn for myself and that is why I got this business going. I started with one chair in an office 14 years ago and now I own my own building.'

He hasn't ruled out joining JCB in the future, but for now he's happy at The Hive, which is an apt nickname.

The townhouse is buzzing with activity including design, a research and development unit and three watchmakers.

The room where we meet is decorated like a fantasy lad pad with dark painted walls, music playing quietly in the background and model cars and gadgets scattered on the shelves.

When asked about sales and profits, Bamford says he doesn't like to give the numbers, because he wants to preserve 'mystique.'

It is, however, a multi-million pound business that is growing strongly. He signed a deal last summer with luxury conglomerate LVMH to become the official supplier of customised watches for a couple of its brands, TAG Heuer and Zenith.

'I can't believe it. I am on Place Vendome in Paris with a brand that has embraced me, loved me,' he says.

'Who are our customers? Oh, heads of state , businessmen, musicians, just some cool people. It's about 30 per cent female but that's increasing.'

Even with business going well, I venture, it can't be easy following in the footsteps of titans like his father and grandfather.

'I never found it pressurising,' he says. 'I'm lucky because I learned by osmosis. They instilled standards. I was eight when I first learned to weld and to build an engine.

'Health and safety wouldn't like it nowadays. My grandfather said "You're a Bamford. You have to weld better than that," so I spent days trying to improve.

'To spend even half an hour with my father is the best thing ever. He is a tough father. I could have been that person with a silver spoon, but I hope I am not.

'He would be disappointed, I would be disappointed. My self worth would be lower.'

His fascination with watches began in childhood when his parents gave him a TAG Heuer Formula One with a luminous dial. 'I loved it. I have given my son one that I found on eBay for 150.'

His first 'serious watch,' he says, was a Breitling Navitimer that his parents gave him when he was 11, which seems to have triggered his engineering gene. 'I took it to bits with a penknife to teach myself how it worked,' he says.

Experience: George's father is the billionaire Conservative peer and vocal Brexit supporter Lord (Anthony) Bamford, the chairman of JCB

Other parents might have been annoyed at this treatment of an expensive gift, but it was par for the course chez Bamford.

'I did that all the time. I would get up before my parents and take the juicer or the television to bits, and then they would have to get it repaired. I am a frustrated engineer,' he laughs.

'I'm still doing it. I was ill for a week a couple of weeks ago. I had man-flu on steroids, so I took a Porsche engine to bits and rebuilt it because I was bored. It made me feel so alive. I should have studied engineering but I wasn't academic, I was always a builder, a do-er.'

It isn't just the men in the family who are restless and entrepreneurial. His mother, Carole, runs Daylesford Organic, shops and cafes, Bamford Bath & Body and has a clothing range.

'My mother is a powerhouse. I often ask her whether she has time to sleep. We speak to each other at 5.30 or six o'clock each morning.'

His wife Leonora, who runs the My Baba parenting blog, wanders in. They are dressed almost the same.

George is wearing a bomber jacket with a red, white and blue stripe, and she is in a similar Gucci design. 'I was in the bath, I saw her and thought 'Ooh you look good,' so I copied her,' he explains.

After school at Ampleforth, he won a scholarship to the Parsons School of Design in New York to study photography.

He had a promising career in fashion and advertising photography, working with the likes of Rankin and Antoine Verglas, who was famous for his pictures of 1990s supermodels, 'until the recession hit. My rates were quartered,' he says.

Founder: Bamford appears strikingly like grandfather Joseph

Until then the watches had been a hobby, with photography as his main source of income, but it tipped the other way.

Inspiration came when Bamford noticed lots of other men at dinner parties had the same watch as him  a Rolex Cosmograph Daytona, another present from his mum and dad.

So he went to the Research and Development department at JCB, found a coating intended for drill bits and used it on his watch.

The black-coated timepiece became a signature Bamford look.

He has a huge personal collection of pocket watches and stopwatches, mostly bought on eBay. 'I am a magpie,' he admits.

His father is ardently in favour of Brexit, but what does George think? 'I am pro-Brexit because I think about identity and I am proud to be British.

'I don't want to be insular though. Should someone have given us a vote in the referendum? Maybe not. David Cameron didn't get the deal he should have got.'

As well as the LVMH deal, he last year launched his own watch, the Mayfair, which is at the lower end of his price range at 425. More expensive watches go up to around 10,000, he says.

Has being around so many watches made him think about time philosophically? 'You mean that we have a small bit of time on this earth? I forget about the past, always, my long term memory is rubbish.

'I hate being late, I always like being five minutes early. But time doesn't rule my life. I like taking time out, just talking to a taxi driver and hearing stories about the city.

'My favourite time of day is sunrise. This morning there was this powdery blue look to the day, I had our baby son in our bed and it was the best thing, watching him come awake to the new world.'

But he's soon back on the subject of customising. 'Everyone has their own personal style now. People walk through this door with killer trainers or Berluti shoes  why doesn't the watch world do that? Do you want to conform or be your own person?

'I love customising,' he says, brandishing a wallet from luggage-maker Goyard emblazoned with the Bamford family motto, 'Jamais content'; or 'Never satisfied.'

'You can understand the family after seeing that,' he says.
Mount Warning is the first place in Australia to catch the morning sunlight and it could be the next Aboriginal sacred site where climbing is banned.

Aboriginal elders are pushing for more sacred sites across the country to be closed to climbers following the historic ban on scaling Uluru.

Mountains in several Australian states which are popular with bushwalkers and climbers may one day join the iconic rock on the banned list.

Mount Warning in the Northern Rivers region of New South Wales is one such summit and St Mary Peak in South Australia's spectacular Flinders Ranges is another.

Tourism operators believe the ban on climbing Uluru could be extended to other sacred sites which local indigenous people have asked visitors not to climb because of their beliefs

For the traditional owners, peaks such as Mount Tibrogargan (pictured) are not summits to be conquered 'but representations of their great cultural heritage and their place in this land'

Wilpena Pound (pictured) in South Australia's mighty Flinders Ranges features St Mary Peak, which the local indigenous people have stated they would prefer tourists did not climb

The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service website states Mount Warning (pictured) is a place of spiritual significance to the Bundjalung people, who do not want visitors to climb it

'We've talked about it for so long and now we're able to close the climb': Uluru traditional owner chairman Sammy Wilson's thoughts when the climbing ban was announced last year

Indigenous people would also prefer Mount Yengo in the NSW Hunter Valley and parts of the Glass House Mountains in Queensland were not climbed.

There are no official moves yet to stop climbing those peaks but traditional owners have requested their beliefs be shown more respect and signs spelling out their wishes have been placed at some sites.

Any further bans on popular climbing sites could have a serious impact on tourism operators and other small business owners.

Last year it was decided that climbing the 348m high Uluru, previously known as Ayers Rock, would be banned from October 2019.

Traditional owners had for decades asked tourists not to climb the monolith due to its cultural significance.

Calls to ban climbing at other sites have spread.

Mount Warning, near Murwillumbah, is known to the local indigenous Bundjalung people as Wollumbin and they have asked climbers not to walk up its 1,156m peak.

Mount Beerwah in the Glass House Mountains in Queensland's Sunshine Coast region are significant to the local Jinibara and Kabi Kabi people who would prefer it was not climbed

Uluru (pictured) and Kata Tjuta - also known as the Olgas - were handed back to the Anangu people on October 26, 1985; climbing will be banned on Uluru from October 26, 2019

The Adnyamathanha creation story has two huge serpents entwined to form the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound (pictured). St Mary Peak is the highest point of Wilpena Pound

'Climbing to the summit is against the wishes of Bundjalung Elders. Visitors are asked to respect the cultural and historical significance of Wollumbin (Mount Warning) at all times'

More than 100,000 walkers make the trek each year, many leaving rubbish such as toilet paper behind.

Tweed Shire Council's indigenous heritage officer Rob Appo recently told The Australian those who climbed Mount Warning were 'a little bit disrespectful' to indigenous creation stories.

'We'd prefer people not to climb it, particularly to the summit because that's where a lot of those stories focus on,' Mr Appo said.

The Bundjalung man said large numbers of people climbing the mountain also caused environmental damage to the area.

'People "toileting" and leaving rubbish is really a sign of disrespect to that important place,' Mr Appo told The Australian.

'It'd be similar to people going to the top of Sydney Harbour Bridge and graffitiing. That wouldn't be accepted there, so why should it be acceptable for such an important place here? The sheer number of people climbing is unsustainable.'

Uluru is the world's largest monolith; the sandstone rock formation in the southern part of the Northern Territory is 335km south-west of Alice Springs, the nearest large town

'I choose not to climb Uluru': Members of the Earthdream ecological movement demonstrate against tourists climbing the sacred desert monolith previously known as Ayers Rock

The view of Mount Coonowrin and Mount Beerwah from the top of Mount Ngungun in the Glass House Mountains of south-east Queensland; the peaks are premier rock-climbing locations

Tweed Valley tour operator Michael Simmons, whose Mount Warning Tours has never conducted summit walks, is confident climbing the peak (pictured) will eventually be banned

Tweed Shire Council told Daily Mail Australia Mr Appo would not be commenting further on the issue and that it was a matter for the local Aboriginal land council, along with the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS).

Michael Simmons, whose Mount Warning Tours has never conducted summit walks, was confident climbing the peak would eventually be banned.

'I believe it's only a matter of time and it will be a situation very similar to Uluru,' Mr Simmons told Daily Mail Australia.

Why is climbing being banned at Uluru? It was announced in November last year that climbing to the top of Uluru would be banned from October 26, 2019. Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park's board of management, made up of a majority of Aboriginal traditional owners, unanimously decided to close it. Traditional owner and board chairman Sammy Wilson said on behalf of the Anangu people in November it was simply time to do so. 'We've talked about it for so long and now we're able to close the climb,' Mr Wilson said. 'It's about protection through combining two systems, the government and Anangu,' Mr Wilson said. 'This decision is for both Anangu and non-Anangu together to feel proud about; to realise, of course it's the right thing to close it. 'The land has law and culture. We welcome tourists here. Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about but a cause for celebration. Let's come together, let's close it together. 'If I travel to another country and there is a sacred site, an area of restricted access, I don't enter or climb it, I respect it. It is the same here for Anangu. We welcome tourists here. We are not stopping tourism, just this activity.' On 26 October 1985 Uluru and Kata Tjuta - formerly known as the Olgas - were handed back to the Anangu people. Advertisement

'But at the same time if that does happen it's important that alternative experiences are provided within the Tweed Valley.

'I think it's a matter of finding a way we can work with the indigenous people who have that connection to the valley and the mountain.

'It's our decision consciously to not take people up the mountain. At the same time I don't tell people that they shouldn't climb the mountain. For me, it's a personal decision.

'If people decide to go up the mountain in the right spirit, don't leave anything there and take some time to understand its significance, then that's entirely up to them.'

Fellow tour operator Tom Ihle of Byron Bay Adventure Tours, which conducts sunrise summit walks, told The Australian businesses would close if climbing was banned.

'It's beautiful, people should be able to see it a ban is not the way to go,' Mr Ihle said.

The issue is extremely sensitive in communities which rely on tourism.

Last year another Mount Warning tourism operator told a local newspaper he was worried about the impact on tourism if the peak was closed to climbers.

'I would be very disappointed if they closed the mountain,' he said.

When contacted by Daily Mail Australia the business owner no longer wished that quote to be attributed to him.

Mr Appo has previously said Aboriginal people felt a great sense of responsibility when visitors were injured on Mount Warning.

He was among local Aboriginal leaders calling for a crackdown on trekking up Mount Warning following the death of an American tourist on the summit in December 2016.

Sam Beattie, 24, was struck by lightning while camping on the summit during a storm. His girlfriend Michele Segalla, 23, suffered neck injuries in the strike.

The Bundjalung people have said large numbers of tourists climbing Mount Warning also created environmental damage to the area, degrading the landscape and dumping rubbish

American tourist Sam Beattie (left) was killed two years ago when struck by lightning while camping on Mr Warning with girlfriend Michele Segalla (right), who suffered neck injuries

Explorer James Cook named Mount Warning after encountering dangerous reefs off the coast in 1770.

Now formally carrying the dual names Wollumbin and Mount Warning, it is considered a sacred men's site and not all Aboriginal men are allowed on the summit.

Arakwal Aboriginal Corporation acting general manager Sharon Sloane said last year she would support anyone who attempted to enforce a ban on climbing Mount Warning.

An Office of Environment and Heritage spokesman told the Northern Star there were no plans to stop visitors climbing Mount Warning.

He said: 'On-site signage advises visitors that Aboriginal people hold the summit to be sacred and they are asked to consider the Aboriginal people's wishes that they do not climb it.'

The NSW NPWS website states: 'Wollumbin is a place of great spiritual significance to the Bundjalung People. Visitors are asked to respect their wishes and choose not to climb the summit track.'

'The land has law and culture,' says Uluru traditional owner and board chairman Sammy Wilson. 'We welcome tourists here. Closing the climb is not something to feel upset about...'

Climbing at some sacred sites including Uluru (pictured) has previously been banned temporarily for safety reasons; the ban imposed from October 26, 2019 will be permanent

St Mary Peak in South Australia's Flinders Ranges is viewed as sacred by the local indigenous Adnyamathanha people who have asked that climbers not ascend the 1,171m summit

The Glass House Mountains in Queensland's Sunshine Coast region were also named by James Cook and are considered sacred by Aboriginal people.

Mount Beerwah, at 556m and Mount Tibrogargan, at 364m, are particularly significant.

Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service states on its website: 'The Glass House Mountains mean different things to different people.'

'They are an iconic South East Queensland landscape feature, a valuable remnant of our native plant communities, one of eastern Australia's premier rock climbing locations and a place of visitors to experience a challenging, but very rewarding, mountain climb within 30 minutes of the Sunshine Coast.

'But first and foremost, they are highly significant for local Traditional Owners, with a great deal of importance for the Jinibara people and Kabi Kabi people.

'We ask visitors to consider this carefully while they are here. For the Traditional Owners, these are not summits to be conquered but representations of their great cultural heritage and their place in this land.

'The Jinibara people and Kabi Kabi people request that visitors don't climb Mount Beerwah and Mount Tibrogargan out of respect for the mountains' sacred values.'

Sunrise over the Glass House Mountains on the Queensland Sunshine Coast; these dramatic features of the landscape are considered to be sacred by the local Aboriginal people

The sun sets over Mount Tibrogargan in the Glass House Mountains of Queensland; the peaks of the 13 mountains in the group rise abruptly from the surrounding Sunsine Coast plains

Some of the land around Mount Tibrogargan in the Glass House Mountains - named by explorer James Cook during his east coast travels in 1770 - is used for growing pineapples

Much the same requests are made about St Mary Peak, the highest point of Wilpena Pound in South Australia's Flinders Ranges at 1,171m, to show respect for the Adnyamathanha people's beliefs.

Adnyamathanha elder Jimmy Neville told The Australian that St Mary Peak was central to his people's creation story and asked climbers not to ascend the summit.

'If people aren't going to listen to us, then yes, I'd personally ban it I'd love to see that happen,' Mr Neville said. 'It's merely because of cultural reasons that we ask walkers not to go.'

Walking SA, the peak body that promotes walking in South Australia, describes the hike up St Mary Peak as providing 'rewarding panoramic views of the Flinders Ranges, Aroona Valley, and the salt plains to the west.'

The first humans to inhabit the Flinders Ranges (picured) were the Adnyamathanha people whose descendants still reside in the area after tens of thousands of years of custodianship

Climbers ascend Uluru before sunset; climbing on the site will be banned from October 26, 2019 after local indigenous people asked for decades that the rock's status be respected

Walking SA describes the hike up St Mary Peak at Wilpena Pound as providing 'rewarding panoramic views of the Flinders Ranges, Aroona Valley, and the salt plains to the west'

Visitors to St Mary Peak are asked not to climb the summit: 'The Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges would prefer that visitors do not climb to the summit of the peak'

The Adnyamathanha creation story has two huge serpents entwined to form the natural amphitheatre of Wilpena Pound.

'St Mary Peak is central to the Adnyamathanha creation story,' Walking SA states.

'For this reason the Adnyamathanha people of the Flinders Ranges would prefer that visitors do not climb to the summit of the peak. The shorter option to Tanderra Saddle also affords spectacular views.'

Adnyamathanha Traditional Landowners Association chairman Michael Anderson told the Advertiser two years ago his people were making a polite request.

'We would hope visitors learn about the story and respect our request that we prefer they did not climb it,' Mr Anderson said.

Mount Yengo, in the New South Wales Hunter Valley, is a 'natural feature of spiritual and ceremonial importance to the Wonnarua, Awabakal, Worimi and Darkinjung groups'

Mount Yengo is a sacred site which forms the central point of connection for major rock art sites from northern Sydney to the north of Newcastle and the upper Hunter Valley

Detail of the north-eastern forested escarpment of Yengo National Park near Milbrodale in the Hunter Valley of New South Wales; Mount Yengo is considered a sacred site by Aborigines

The NSW Office of Environment and Heritage describes Mount Yengo, in the NSW Hunter Valley, as a 'natural feature of spiritual and ceremonial importance to the Wonnarua, Awabakal, Worimi and Darkinjung Aboriginal groups.'

'Mount Yengo is the place from which Baiame (Baayami or Baayama), a creational ancestral hero, jumped back up to the spirit world after he had created all of the mountains, lakes, rivers and caves in the area,' it explains.

'Baiame flattened the top of Mount Yengo when he jumped skyward and the flat top is still visible today.

'Due to the sacredness of Mount Yengo, local Aboriginal people can only speak publicly of some of its cultural associations.

'Local Aboriginal communities have requested that people refrain from climbing to the top of Mount Yengo for cultural reasons.'
Five women who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault have testified at the comedian's retrial.

It was a big increase from the first trial, where there were just two women who took the stand - plaintiff Andrea Constand and Kelly Johnson.

This time Constand was joined by Janice Baker-Kinney, Janice Dickinson, Chelan lasha, Lisa-Lotte Lublin and Heidi Thomas.

Prosecutors had been hoping to have 13 women testify alongside Constand to speak to a pattern of behavior exhibited by the defendant.

Cosby, 80, has been accused of drugging and raping over 40 women.

Janice Baker-Kinney claims that in 1982 (left) she woke up naked in bed with the comedian - and he told her to keep their encounter to themselves

JANICE BAKER-KINNEY

Kinney said she was 24 in May 1982 when she and a friend met Cosby at the casino where she worked in Reno, Nevada.

She said the three of them went back to Cosby's apartment, where he gave her some pills.

Baker-Kinney willingly took two pills and said she began to get blurry vision while playing backgammon with Cosby.

Hours later, she claims, she woke up naked in bed with the comedian - and he told her to keep their encounter to themselves.

'I was mortified at what had happened,' said Kinney back in 2015 when she went public with her allegations at a press conference.

'All this time, and for many, many years, I felt that this was my fault.'

The defense tried to deny Baker-Kinney's admission as a witness by arguing that her story is 'nothing like Ms. Constand's' because she only met Cosby once, 'voluntarily' took quaaludes and apologized for passing out.

Janice Dickinson (left in 1982) claims that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1982 after giving her an unknown pill while they were in Lake Tahoe

JANICE DICKINSON

The supermodel claims that Cosby sexually assaulted her in 1982 after giving her an unknown pill.

Dickinson said in that 2014 interview that Cosby invited her to dinner to discuss a role on The Cosby Show and at one point offered her a glass of wine and a pill.

'The next morning I woke up, and I wasn't wearing my pajamas, and I remember before I passed out that I had been sexually assaulted by this man,' she told Entertainment Tonight.

'I remember waking up with my pajamas off and there was semen in between my legs.'

Dickinson said her last memory of the night was of Cosby taking off his robe and climbing on top of her, and that the next morning she remembers 'a lot of pain.'

The supermodel claimed the incident occurred in Lake Tahoe, California in 1982.

In her memoir, Dickinson detailed some of her evening in Lake Tahoe with Cosby but told a very different story.

She said she was drinking with Cosby at dinner and after being invited back to his room told him she was tired, at which point he slammed his door in her face.

Legal claims made by Cosby and his team may be why she decided not to print her current version of the story.

She said back in 2014 that she came forward because she believes the other victims who have spoken publicly, and that it is the 'right thing to do.'

As for what she would say to Cosby if she saw him, Dickinson did not mince words.

'How dare you,' she said.

'Go f*ck yourself. How dare you take advantage of me. And I hope you rot.'

She is also currently preparing to face off with Cosby in a defamation lawsuit filed because of his response to her allegations.

Soon after that 2014 interview aired, Cosby's attorney Marty Singer responded to requests for comment by disputing Dickinson's claim that she was drugged and raped by his client and calling the allegation 'an outrageous defamatory lie.'

A judge ruled in November that because he sent out that statement and a subsequent press release Singer will also face claims in the case.

'We fail to see how justice is served by granting Singer a windfall immunity based on Cosbys pursuit of a meritless motion,' wrote California Second District Court of Appeals Associate Justice Laurence Rubin.

It was also ruled that Dickinson could recover all legal costs related to the appeal from Singer and Cosby.

Chelan Lasha (left in 1986) claims that Cosby attacked her when she was just 17 in 1986 when she was an aspiring model

CHELAN LASHA

Lasha said in a 2014 press conference that Cosby attacked her when she was just 17 in 1986 when she was an aspiring model.

She said her stepmother had sent pictures of her to the star and he called her at home in Las Vegas, inviting her to the Hilton Las Vegas, where he was performing and she had a job.

She then went up to Elvis Presley suite to meet him and after telling him she had a cold, he gave her a blue pill, which he said was an antihistimine, with a double shot of Amaretto.

She said: 'He was rubbing my neck and saying that he might have to have someone come in and give me stress therapy.'

She claimed he told her to change into a Hilton bathrobe and wet her hair to see the modelling scout.

Someone did briefly come up to the room, pertaining to be from the Ford Modelling Agency -telling her to she needed to lose 10 pounds - and taking some pictures.

Then, Chelan said, Cosby walked her to the bedroom and gave her another shot of Amaretto, which he claimed would help her cold.

'I laid down,' she said: 'He laid down next to me on the bed and began pinching my left nipple and humping my leg while he was grunting.

'I could not open my eyes. I couldn't move or say anything. I felt something warm on my legs. Then I blacked out.

'Thirteen to sixteen hours later I woke up by hearing Mr Cosby clapping his hands and saying 'Daddy says wake up'. He gave me $1500. He said the money was to buy something nice for me and my grandmother and he also invited me to go to the Temptations show with my grandmother.

'My grandmother went but I did not go because I was too sick. Then he invited us to his show. My grandmother really want to go. I did not, but I went with her and heckled him. As a result, I was fired my from job.'

Lisa-Lotte Lublin (left in 1989) believes she was sexually assaulted by Cosby while passed out in his hotel in 1989

LISA-LOTTE LUBLIN

Lublin said she met Cosby in 1989 at a hotel in Las Vegas and that he asked her to perform an improvisation so that he could evaluate her acting.

According to the ex-model, she and Cosby were in the Elvis Suite at the Hilton Hotel when he offered her two drinks and proceeded to pet her hair.

A short time later she passed out, but she remembered the color of the walls in the room and a flood of bright light she said in a 2015 press conference.

She said that she believes she was sexually assaulted by Cosby while passed out in the hotel.

Prior to this, she and her mother had gone for a run with the comedian.

The defense argued that Lublin assumes she is a victim based on other media accounts but can only remember Cosby stroking her hair.

Heidi Thomas (left in 1984) said she found herself in bed next to a naked Bill Cosby who was 'forcing himself' in her mouth back in 1984

HEIDI THOMAS

In 1984, Heidi Thomas, nee Johnson, was a 24-year-old model from Denver, Colorado, who was dreaming of a career in acting.

Thomas was being represented by the city's top modelling agency, JF Images, but by 1984 she was questioning whether or not she wanted to stay in the business.

Then one day in the spring of 1984, she got a call from an agent who told her that a famous entertainer was searching for young talent to mentor.

Thomas said that Annie Maloney, of JF Images, instructed her to travel to Reno, Nevada, where she was supposed to meet with Bill Cosby, who allegedly had expressed interest in becoming her acting coach.Cosby greeted Thomas at the entrance and ushered her inside, according to the woman.

The aspiring actress began by performing a monologue for Cosby, who then asked her to do a cold read of a person who was intoxicated.

Thomas said Cosby was not impressed because to his mind, she was not convincing as a drunk.

She recalled that Cosby wanted her to relax, so he poured her a glass of Chablis.

The married music teacher said that her memory of the next several hours is very hazy, but when she woke up later that night, she found herself in bed next to a naked Bill Cosby who was 'forcing himself' in her mouth.

According to the woman, the married comedian then got on top of her and said to her: 'I'm your friend... your friend is gonna [ejaculate] again,' according to the 54-year-old mother of three.

Thomas said she was confused as to what happened and eventually stormed out of the room and slammed the door behind her, but she later apologized to Cosby for being rude.

She spent three more days with Cosby and said they were all hazy and a blur.

The defense argued she has given three versions of her story.
A Florida school shooting survivor has revealed the moment she hid from the gunman under the body of her dead classmate.

Aalayah Eastmond, a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland Florida, was in class on February 14 when accused gunman, Nikolas Cruz, fired through a window.

One of the 17 people killed was her classmate, Nicholas Dworet, who Eastmond said saved her life.

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Florida school shooting survivor, Aalayah Eastmond (center speaking), 16, has revealed the moment she hid from gunman, Nikolas Cruz, 19, under the body of her dead classmate

Eastmond said as soon as she saw her classmate's body 'slumped over,' she knew she had to act fast. 'I told myself that I need to look like I'm dead,' the 16-year-old said during a speech she gave in Harlem on Saturday alongside Rev Al Sharpton (right)

She said as soon as she saw Dworet's body 'slumped over,' she knew she had to act fast.

'I told myself that I need to look like I'm dead,' the 16-year-old said during a speech she gave in Harlem on Saturday alongside Rev Al Sharpton.

'When he fell over I just fell over with him and then I went underneath his body and I laid there,' Eastmond said.

Dworet was a senior at Stoneman Douglas High School.

He was a gifted swimmer who had his sights set on the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Friends said he was not just a talented athlete, but a 'good guy' who will be missed.

Eastmond was at Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem for the minister's weekly meetings when she made the revelation.

Eastmond, a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School, was in class on February 14 when gunman, Nikolas Cruz (left), opened fire, killing 17 people. One of those victims was her classmate, Nicholas Dworet (right), who Eastmond said saved her life

'When he fell over I just fell over with him and then I went underneath his body and I laid there,' Eastmond (center) said during the speech on Saturday. Eastmond is pictured with survivor David Hogg (right) during a press conference calling for Congress to pass gun control laws

During her speech she also announced a June rally in front of President Donald Trump's Manhattan apartment to protest gun violence eased by access to assault weapons.

The June 2 rally - at the beginning of New York state's Gun Violence Awareness Month - is to start at Trump International Tower on Columbus Circle and proceed toward Fifth Avenue and Trump Tower, where Trump has an apartment that has been his longtime home.

For Eastmond, New York City is more than a prominent media staging ground. One of her family members was fatally shot here.

Fifteen years ago, 'I actually lost my uncle to gun violence in Brooklyn,' she said.

'So for it to happen to me, in my face, that just shows that change has to happen now.'

More than one million Americans came out for the March for Our Lives event in Washington, DC, last month. Aalayah Eastmond is pictured speaking during the march

Sharpton said that young people leading recent activism across the country has produced what he called 'a necessary marriage of dealing with gun violence as an American issue that jumps over the boundaries of any community and deals with America from every city'.

Another concern Sharpton has is how police handle interactions with the mentally ill.

On Thursday, police fatally shot a Brooklyn man, Saheed Vassell, as he brandished what turned out to be a welding torch mistaken for a gun.

Among the June rally organizers is Ramon Contreras, 19, a senior at one of 11 NYC College Prep charter schools who lost a classmate to gun violence last October.

'He was only 17 years old,' Contreras said. 'The way it affected me, I was lost.'

He said everybody wanted to do something, but felt 'we didn't have the resources'.

Last month, 'the nationwide walkout gave us the courage, and pretty much the strength to say, 'Hey, enough is enough.''

More than one million Americans came out for the March for Our Lives event in Washington, DC, last month.
A newlywed couple have had their idyllic wedding ruined after their popular historic homestead venue went up in flames in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane.

About 100 guests and staff members were evacuated from the Spicers Hidden Vale venue yesterday afternoon, with eight firefighter crews at the scene, a Queensland Fire and Emergency Services spokeswoman said.

The fire was thought to have started in the kitchen around 4.10pm caused by a 'combustible event' the venue's owner said, according to Nine News.

A newlywed couple have had their idyllic wedding ruined after their popular homestead venue went up in flames in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane

The fire was thought to have started in the kitchen around 4.10pm caused by a 'combustible event' the venue's owner said

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Fire and emergency crews fought the blaze for more than two hours before getting it under control, Queensland Fire Services said.

Spicers Hidden Vale shared the news over Facebook post.

'To our dear community. We can confirm that a fire broke out late this afternoon at Spicers Hidden Vale,' the venue said.

'Everyone is OK and we are working with emergency services.

About 100 guests and staff members were evacuated from the Spicers Hidden Vale venue yesterday afternoon, with eight firefighter crews at the scene (pictured)

Fire and emergency crews were continuing to fight the blaze two hours after it began, Queensland Fire Services said

'Rest assured we will rebuild and will be up and running ASAP ... Thank you to our guests and team, our community and to the local and state fire brigades,' managing director David Assef said.

'There was no one hurt, thank goodness, and 90 per cent of the property is still intact,' venue owners Graham and Jude Turner said.

The homestead 'set amongst rolling hills and lush bushland' dates back to the early 1900s and was rebuilt after a fire in 1919 where the kitchen and dining area were destroyed.

Mr Turner said 'there was some sort of combustible event in the kitchen ceiling,' the Courier Mail reported.

Daily Mail Australia contacted Spicers Hidden Vale but has not received a reply.

The homestead dates back to the early 1900s and was rebuilt after a fire in 1919 where the kitchen and dining area were destroyed
In his younger days, the Prince was famously photographed on a Perth beach in 1979 being embraced by model Jane Priest

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. But among his many cares of office, it seems Prince Charles has an unexpected anxiety  that never again will he fit into a pair of skin-tight budgie smugglers.

While the swimwear may not be traditional court dress, the senior Royal  who turns 70 in November  appeared to bemoan a lack of age-appropriate beach attire as he continued his tour of Australia.

He even admitted, somewhat alarmingly, that his advancing years coincided with bits falling off.

In his younger days, the Prince was famously photographed on a Perth beach in 1979 being embraced by model Jane Priest  although back then, he chose to avoid close scrutiny by opting for a more modest pair of bathing shorts.

His swimwear lament came during a speech at a reception in Brisbane where Charles described his great love for Australia, a nation he first visited as a teenager.

Prince Charles made a brief trip alone to South Pacific island Vanuatu  where his father, Prince Philip, is worshipped. There, he was made a Paramount Chief, complete with his own grass skirt and giant palm leaf

He said: It is hard now, I find, to believe that all these years have actually passed by, or that I shall soon be 70. Its not very long ago I remember my parents being 70, let alone my grandmother being 70!

I do know only too well  and understand  the strange feeling of disbelief that this is actually happening and that never again, for instance, will it be possible to squeeze into a pair of budgie smugglers! I dont know about you but now bits of me keep falling off at regular intervals! Dont worry, they keep telling me, you have brilliant genes! But the trouble is, I cant even get into them either!

Wearing a lightweight suit and tie with the skirt wrapped around his waist and a garland round his neck, the Prince posed happily in his native attire

Charles described how as a 17-year-old he was tormented by venomous wildlife while attending a remote school in Victoria  Timbertop  for two terms.

He also noted how he discovered that Australian manhood was partly defined by how many schooners of beer you could line up on the bar  and drink  before the pubs closed early!

Charles is being accompanied on his seven-day tour Down Under by the Duchess of Cornwall. But he made a brief trip alone to South Pacific island Vanuatu  where his father, Prince Philip, is worshipped.

There, he was made a Paramount Chief, complete with his own grass skirt and giant palm leaf. Wearing a lightweight suit and tie with the skirt wrapped around his waist and a garland round his neck, the Prince posed happily in his native attire.

More comfortable, perhaps, than a pair of budgie smugglers.
China stands ready to fight for its interests and the future of globalization

The looming trade war between America and China, the worlds two largest economies, is the front-line of the battle between an emerging China-led order of multilateralism and free trade, and US unilateralism and protectionism. It is a battle between bridges and walls, and China is ready to fight till the bitter end.

China, a country that embraced the world with open arms 40 years ago, has emerged as the leading champion of globalization.

Globalization certainly has its problems, but it is also an irreversible trend that has had a positive impact on the world.

Just blaming economic globalization for the worlds problems is inconsistent with reality, and it will not help solve the problems, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January 2017.

Economic globalization has powered global growth and facilitated movement of goods and capital, advances in science, technology and civilization, and interactions among peoples, Xi said.

Trumps America rejects this vision. In his inaugural speech, which was given around the same time that Xi gave his well-received speech on globalization, Donald Trump locked the American people in a dark room, blocking their light and air.

From this moment on, its going to be America First. Every decision on trade, on taxes, on immigration, on foreign affairs, will be made to benefit American workers and American families, Trump said.

We must protect our borders from the ravages of other countries making our products, stealing our companies, and destroying our jobs, Trump said. Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength, he added.

A line has been drawn in the sand. On one side, you have China, which pursues the goal of common prosperity and believes that growing an open global economy will achieve win-win outcomes. On the other side, you have Trumps America, which pursues the goal of individual prosperity and blames globalization and other countries and peoples for Americas (and the worlds) problems.

Now the Trump administration is trying to pick a fight with China. Essentially, the Trump administration is shifting the blame of Americas decline onto China and trying to gain unfair advantage over its competitor by slowing down Chinas economic growth, especially in emerging industries of the future, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing.

The looming trade war is just smoke and mirrors for a larger strategy to contain Chinas rise and maximize the power of the United States. As Trumps National Security Strategy emphasizes, Washington views the world as an arena of continuous competition.

The world's two largest economies are closely interconnected. It is not about "winning" or "losing." The Trump administration fails to see the long-term benefits and win-win outcomes of the US-China bilateral economic and trade relationship, because its view is clouded by Cold War-era mentality and zero-sum logic.

At the core, this is a battle between a declining superpower and a rising China-backed global community. It is about US unilateralism challenging globalization, and US protectionism challenging free trade.

Facing such a threat, China has little choice but to stand its ground and fight for its legitimate rights, national interests, and the future of globalization.

Trumps trademark tactics of bullying and intimidation will never bring China to its knees, and China will never allow globalization and free trade to be unfairly rigged against the global community.

In a trade war, everyone loses. As China has pointed out, if the process of economic globalization is disrupted as a result of Trumps threats to multilateralism and free trade, the global economic recovery will be severely imperiled.

This is detrimental to the vital interests of China and even more detrimental to the common interests of the world, a spokesperson with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Friday in response to Trumps threat to impose $100 billion more in tariffs on China for unfair retaliation.

The Chinese position has been very clear. China does not want to fight a trade war, but is not afraid to fight a trade war. Facing such a major issue, we must fight resolutely, the spokesperson said.

Even though we are not the ones to stir up trouble, we will resolutely strike back if trouble is brought to our doorstep, the spokesperson added. Chinese people always act earnestly and deliver what we promise.

It is unlikely that protection will make American great again. Furthermore, many people would agree that China holds all the cards in this game. With an army of 1.4 billion consumers who are proud of their nations development and the worlds second largest economy, China has the confidence and strength to fight till the bitter end. America would pay a high price in the event of an all-out trade war, and it would be a pity if Trumps core supporters are the ones who have to foot the bill.

>>Related reading: China is not in fear of trade war with U.S.

Following U.S. President Donald Trumps threat to slap additional tariffs on $100 billion in imports from China on Thursday, experts and media outlets in China have slammed the decision as an economic dead end, stressing that the country and the public are not afraid of such inequitable treatment.
A Victorian mother with multiple sclerosis has opted to fly to Mexico for experimental surgery in order to have an opportunity to be the 'active mother'.

Angela Rozas, 35, was diagnosed with MS when she was 34.

She told 7 News that she first began feeling 'tingling and numbness' in her hands and feet and within a year has felt mass deterioration in her speech and balance.

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Angela Rozas (pictured), 35, was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in March 2017. She already feels mass deterioration in her speech and balance

For the sake of her family Ms Rozas has opted to under Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant [HSCT] in Mexico this year

Ms Rozas and her husband Chris (pictured left) have to raise $70,000 for a surgery that could reverse the effects of the nerve disease

MS medication available in Australia only slows the disease's progression.

However surgery available in Mexico, Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplant, could reboot the immune system.

It does this by removing the immune cells that attack the nervous system.

Doctors then replace these immune cells with the patient's own stem cells.

On Ms Rozas' Go Fund Me page she wrote, 'Many countries have HSCT available and our research led us to decide that travelling to Mexico for treatment may be our best chance at slowing or stopping the advancement of my MS and ultimately prolonging my ability to be the wife and mother I want to be for my family.'

Overseas studies have show that some patients have even have the effects of MS reversed.

While not available in Australia there is a clinical trial at Austin Hospital in Victoria.

Currently medical tries are been conducted for the surgery in Victoria however Ms Rozas feels as though she can't wait that long. The pill she is currently taking only slow down the effects of MS

Australian Medical Associations Dr Michael Gannon said new treatments have been developed in the last year but it is important they undergo a 'serious blowtorch'.

Ms Rozas wrote on her fundraising page: 'The treatment I need is not available in Australia and, at the rate my MS is progressing, I dont have years to wait until it is.

'My two beautiful children, Johnathan and Isabella, are ten and seven years old and as terrifying as the progression of this disease has been for me, it frightens me more that before too long this disease could rob me of the ability to be the active mother I want to be.

Ms Rozas and her husband Chris plan to fly to Mexico in July this year - however they need $70,000 to do so.

A link to Ms Rozas Go Fund Me can be found here.
The co-owner of a Kansas waterpark where a 10-year-old boy was decapitated on a raft ride is being investigated in Texas over a confrontation with people in his home.

New Braunfels, Texas, police say a woman reported Thursday that Jeff Henry had threatened her. Henry has not been charged. The woman in the incident has not been publicly indentified.

Henry co-owns Schlitterbahn Water Parks and Resorts and is charged with reckless second-degree murder in the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab, who died on a waterslide when his raft went airborne and hit an overhead loop.

Jeff Henry (R), owner of the waterpark, was charged with reckless second-degree murder in the 2016 death of Caleb Schwab (L)

Henry co-owns Schlitterbahn Water Parks and Resorts, where Schwab was decapitated after his raft went airborne and hit an overhead loop during a ride

Henry made his first court appearance in Kansas and flew back to Texas on Thursday. He was later released after posting a $500,000 bond but was forced to surrender his passport.

Defense attorney Ron Barroso tells KSHB-TV when Henry arrived at his home he discovered people staying there had burglarized and ransacked it.

He says Henry confronted them, which prompted the woman's call to police who arrived at his New Braunfels, Texas home soon after.

The woman made the call around 3.30am, according to KSHB. Barroso, who fears that the court may revoke his client's bond, says Henry plans to file charges.

John Schooley, the designer of the Kansas waterslide that decapitated a 10-year-old boy in 2016, has been arrested

Federal authorities earlier this week also arrested the designer of the Kansas waterpark slide, John Timothy Schooley, earlier this week, charging him with second-degree murder.

Schwab died riding the Verruckt slide - certified as the tallest water slide in the world in 2014 by the Guinness Book of World Records.

The indictment alleges Schooley lacked technical or engineering expertise in amusement park rides, and that Henry rushed the slide into service in order to attract the attention of a Travel Channel show.

The indictment says the two hid the fact that the ride was causing serious injuries in its six months in service.

Before Schwab's death, 13 people were injured riding the slide, including two people who were concussed and a 15-year-old who went temporarily blind.

The indictment claims that the Verruckt's design 'violated nearly all aspects of the longstanding industry safety standards.

'In fact, the design and operation of the Verruckt complied with few, if any, of the industry safety standards,' the indictment added.

Schwab was the son of Kansas state Rep. Scott Schwab, and died on a day when admission was free to the families of state legislators. Schwab's family have settled with the park and various companies connected to the slide for $20million.
London's hike in knife violence continued last night as a man was stabbed outside a busy train station in the capital.

A woman, 48, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene after police rushed to the scene outside Highbury and Islington station in north London.

She was taken to a nearby police station for questioning shortly after 10pm last night.

The man is reported to be in his 30s and his injuries are not life-threatening.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Police were called at approximately 22:25 on Saturday April 7 to reports of a stabbing outside Highbury and Islington station.

Police cordoned off Highbury and Islington station and Victoria line trains did not stop

A woman was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder at the scene after police rushed to the scene outside Highbury and Islington station in north London

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Police were called at approximately 22:25 on Saturday April 7 to reports of a stabbing outside Highbury and Islington station'

Six teenagers were knifed within 90 minutes of each other on Thursday, as police deal with a surge in gun and knife crime across the capital

'Officers and London Ambulance Service attended and a male was located suffering stab injuries - he has been taken to an east London hospital for treatment; condition awaits.

'A woman - no further details - was arrested close the scene on suspicion of attempted murder.

'Officers from the Central North Command Unit investigate.

'Enquiries into the circumstances continue.'

Victoria line and Great Northern line trains going through the station were disrupted.

It comes after a recent surge in knife crime in the capital which has caused the murder rate to overtake New York for the first time in decades.

Six teens were stabbed in less than two hours on Thursday and a 13-year-old was left fighting for his life.

Fifty-five people have been murdered in the capital since January, with 13 people killed within two weeks last month.

Tottenham Labour MP David Lammy described the London street violence as the 'worst I've ever seen it.'

Bloodied clothes on the ground near the scene in Grove Road, Mile End, east London following reports of a stabbing on Thursday

Night of violence: Six teenagers were rushed to hospital after a number of stabbings across London on Thursday. Three youths have been now charged after a 13-year-old boy was stabbed in Little Ilford park, Newham

He told the BBC's Today programme the violence was being driven by turf wars between drug gangs, adding that drugs were as 'prolific as ordering a pizza'.

He warned that the police had 'lost control of that drugs market' adding: 'I've been an MP now for 18 years and I'm afraid what we're seeing today is the worst I've ever seen it.'

Stabbings in England and Wales are at their highest levels since 2010/11 and the escalating violence has been worst in London, with 13 people killed within two weeks last month.

On Tuesday, 16-year-old Amaan Shakoor became the youngest murder victim in London so far this year after he was shot dead on Monday in Walthamstow.

His death came after that of Tanesha Melbourne, 17, who was gunned down around 30 minutes earlier just three miles away in Tottenham. Both were apparently casualties of gang violence.

Two men including teenager Israel Ogunsola died in another night of bloodshed on Wednesday.
A Red Arrows jet came close to a catastrophic collision when it flew just 100ft over a civilian plane following an air show.

The incident, the latest in a series of near-misses involving the RAF display team, occurred after the Festival of Flight show at Biggin Hill, Kent. But details of the incident last August were only made public last week with the publication of a report by the UK Airprox Board, which investigates near-misses in UK air space.

The report blamed the Red Arrows pilot and said safety had been much reduced below the norm. Investigators also expressed concern that plans to install a collision-warning system in the 40-year-old Hawk T1 jets used by the Red Arrows had not yet been implemented.

A Red Arrows jet came close to a catastrophic collision when it flew just 100ft over a civilian plane following an air show

There have been at least two other near-misses involving the Red Arrows in recent years, including one when a team of nine jets came within two seconds of a collision with a Boeing 737 passenger plane returning from Spain in 2009.

The latest incident happened after ten of the Red Arrows jets lined up to leave Biggin Hill at ten-second intervals following the display.

The report said that the lead aircraft took off and veered left while waiting for the rest of the formation to follow him back to their base at RAF Scampton, Lincolnshire. But the RAF pilot failed to see a four-seater Cessna C172 before he soared over it.

The pilot of the lead Hawk was flying at 1,400ft when the light aircraft was seen below and slightly to the left of the nose. When he realised what had happened, the pilot radioed a warning to his colleagues on the ground and turned on his smoke stream to alert them to the Cessna. Analysis of radar later showed that at one point the jet was just 100ft above the Cessna, according to the report.

Local aircraft had been warned of the presence of the Red Arrows. The warning said the jets would be taking off at 5.55pm, but the lead Hawk was in the air at 4.49pm. The report said the Cessna pilot had warned his passengers to keep an eye out for the Red Arrows before he saw the first jet pass up in front of him. The report concluded that Biggin Hill air traffic controllers could have made more efforts to seek air traffic information before the Red Arrows took off.

The incident, the latest in a series of near-misses involving the RAF display team, occurred after the Festival of Flight show at Biggin Hill, Kent

It added that the RAF pilots could have been alerted to the Cessna if contact had been made with area air traffic controllers at nearby Farnborough. The near-miss was blamed on a non-sighting by the Hawk pilot, but the report said both pilots had an equal responsibility for collision avoidance.

The report said investigators were heartened that plans to implement a collision-warning system was being considered for some point in the future. But it expressed disappointment that there was no fixed time frame for this yet.

Another UK Airprox Board report revealed how a Red Arrows jet passed 300ft over a light aircraft near RAF Scampton in March last year.
Details have emerged about the motive of a man who climbed Sydney Harbour Bridge and brought city traffic to a standstill.

The Daily Telegraph also reported that the man attempted to grab a police officer's firearm while at the hospital after his dangerous stunt on the iconic structure.

Wayne Cook, 44, scaled the Harbour Bridge on Wednesday, forcing lane closures which caused traffic to back up for 30km.

Wayne Cook, 44, (pictured) scaled the Harbour Bridge on Wednesday. After he was arrested he attempted to grab a police officer's gun while at the hospital

Cook's actions forced lane closures which caused traffic to back up for 30km

After police were able to get him down, they transported him to St Vincent's Hospital where he being admitted for treatment under the Mental Health Act.

It was at this moment that Cook attempted to grab an officer's gun from his holster. Thankfully police and hospital security were able to subdue him before he could get the gun.

It has been revealed that Cook was on a drug bender and smoking ice when he climbed the bridge.

He performed the dangerous stunt to mark the anniversary of a close family member's death.

It was also revealed Cook (pictured) was on a drug bender, smoking ice, to mark the anniversary of the death of a close family member

He remains at St Vincent's Hospital undergoing treatment but is also expected to face criminal charges upon his release.

He could be slapped with a $3,000 fine for climbing the bridge illegally and may also be charged for his actions at the hospital.

In the aftermath of the incident, the State Government announced it will increase increase the fines for scaling the bridge or its security fence.

Cook scaled the bridge at 4.30am and police negotiations began at about 6am, forcing crews to shut down all four north-bound lanes.

Cook (pictured) scaled the bridge at 4.30am on Wednesday and police negotiations began at about 6am

Cook scaled the bridge at 4.30am on Wednesday and police negotiations began at about 6am, forcing police to shut down all four north-bound lanes on the Harbour Bridge

As a result traffic was backed up for 30km during the morning rush hour commute and people caught in the chaos were quick to post their feelings on social media

Traffic was backed up for kilometres during the morning rush-hour and drivers caught in the chaos were quick to post their feelings on social media.

'Traffic chaos because some fool who decides to climb Harbour Bridge. Late for work again,' one wrote on Twitter.

'NOT HAPPY with the Harbour Bridge situation this morning. Unbelievable how one person's actions can ruin 100,000s of people's day,' another noted.

'NOT HAPPY with the Harbour Bridge situation this morning. Unbelievable how one person's actions can ruin 100,000s of people's day,' on Twitter user wrote

Cook was eventually coaxed down by police at 9.30am and traffic slowly started to flow again

Cook was eventually coaxed down by police at 9.30am and traffic slowly started to flow again.

Road Minister Melinda Pavey said it was near impossible to stop people illegally climbing the bridge.

'Unless you are prepared to wrap the whole bridge in barbed wire, then there is a chance that something like this might happen,' Ms Pavey told the ABC.
Theresa May has fought to curb the use of police stop and search powers ever since she became Home Secretary eight years ago.

Along with her efforts to tackle modern slavery, the crusade by vicars daughter Mrs May played a key part of her attempt to cast herself as a modern compassionate Conservative.

At the 2014 Tory conference, she took the unusual step for a Conservative Cabinet Minister of recruiting a black London teenager to help her. Alexander Paul, 18, from Crystal Palace, told activists of his struggle after being stopped and searched more than 20 times despite having no criminal history.

Theresa May took the unusual step for a Conservative Cabinet Minister of recruiting a black London teenager to help her. Alexander Paul (left) told activists of his struggle after being stopped and searched more than 20 times despite having no criminal history

Mrs May praised inspiring Alexander and challenged delegates to imagine the indignity of an innocent person being frisked by police over and over again. Her speech won rave reviews, and Alexander said his conference speech had motivated him to become a human rights lawyer and an MP. Tragically, he died of cancer last June.

Six months ago at the Tory conference, Mrs May made a moving tribute to Alexander, praising him for helping her cut the number of black people stopped and searched by two thirds.

The Prime Minister has always bridled at those who seek to compare her with Margaret Thatcher  who was in power when the Brixton and Toxteth riots erupted in 1980, leading to the scrapping of the hated sus laws. This was the informal name for the law that enabled police to stop and search individuals suspected of loitering with intent to commit an arrestable offence. It was claimed that police used them to target blacks.

So what better way of distancing yourself from Thatcher than backing calls from black community leaders to curb stop and search?

Mrs May could reassure Tory traditionalists she was strong and stable on issues like the economy and international affairs, while sending a message to voters who were not her natural supporters that she was enlightened on social issues.

In 2002, when the Tories were in opposition, she famously railed against them becoming the Nasty Party. When they won power in 2010 and Mrs May entered the Home Office and took charge of policing, she had the chance to show it was not empty rhetoric.

Pictured: A man is searched by a police officer on a street

Weeks after becoming Home Secretary in 2010, Mrs May stripped police of the power to stop and search without any suspicion of wrongdoing, saying they must have reasonable suspicion to carry out a search. She said: The first duty of government is to protect the public. But that duty must never be used as a reason to ride roughshod over our civil liberties.

FRIGHTENING: A 2ft-long zombie killer knife found by police in Hackney last week

Within two years, police had got the message: the number of stop and search checks had plummeted. But it was only the start of Mrs Mays battle. It led to a major confrontation with then-Prime Minister David Cameron, who feared any further relaxation in stop and search would wreck Tory claims to be the party of law and order and drive voters into the hands of Ukip. Mrs May, supported by Lib Dem Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg, argued it didnt work  in some areas leading to as few as one arrest from every 30 people searched.

So how much power do police have to confront suspects? Stop and search laws were overhauled in 1984 after unrest over how police were targeting black men led to the Brixton riots. l The 1984 Police and Criminal Evidence Act introduced new rules requiring officers to have reasonable suspicion that an offence had been committed before they could stop and search someone. l The 1999 Macpherson report into the murder of Stephen Lawrence accepted stop and search was a valuable police tool but concluded there was disparities in its use among black or Asian people. l In the wake of the report, stop and searches fell from 180,000 in 1999/00 to 169,000 the following year. l In 2002, Home Secretary David Blunkett said he wanted more use of stop and search but officers must tell people why theyd been stopped. l In 2013 Home Secretary Theresa May launched a review into the practice after it emerged that black people were seven times more likely to be searched on the street than white people. l Figures showed only nine per cent of the 1.2 million stop-and-search incidents that took place that year led to an arrest. l Since then the use of stop and search by police has fallen dramatically, last year the overall figure was just under 304,000 incidences, the lowest number since 2002. l This week Home Secretary Amber Rudd will announce a public consultation on extending stop and search powers to enable the police to search for and seize acid from people carrying it in public without good reason. Advertisement

After endless wrangling between Mrs May and No 10, she launched the first of several stop and search reviews in 2013, warning it was sharply divisive among Britains black and minority ethnic communities. Intriguingly, she had special concerns over so called Section 60 searches, which allowed officers to stop and search anyone in any area where they believed violence or disorder was about to take place.

It is precisely these kinds of special powers from the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 that are being used in Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dicks crackdown in areas such as Tottenham.

In 2013, Mrs Mays officials highlighted reports suggesting black people were far more likely to be subjected to a Section 60 stop and search than white people. In 2014, after Mr Cameron blocked her bid to include a major stop and search shake-up in the Queens Speech, Mrs May unveiled disciplinary action against officers who abused stop and search powers. Those who broke the rules would be trained in unconscious bias awareness to stop prejudice and officers considered unfit to use stop and search would be banned from doing so. It was an implicit nod to those who claimed that, for all the claims that institutionalised racism in the police had been tackled following the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, it had not been rooted out completely.

Most critical of all, the use of so called no-suspicion stop-and-search should be used only when officers believed serious violence WILL, rather than MIGHT, happen. The change from might to will was a major shift. Some police say it has made it much harder for them to use stop and search.

But reformer Mrs May was not finished. In 2015 she accused police of excessive and inappropriate use of stop and search. By now, senior police figures were warning that her curbs had backfired.

In June that year, then-Met Commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe said it had contributed to a dramatic rise in stabbings. If we are getting to the stage where people think they can carry knives with impunity, that cant be good for anyone, he said. Mrs May refused to back down and was adamant stop and search numbers had to fall further.

Mrs Thatcher once declared: The ladys not for turning  her refusal to do so after poll tax riots arguably sealed her No 10 fate.

Its a dilemma all PMs, including strong and stable Mrs May, face sooner or later. The crunch usually comes when theres violence on the streets  as there is now.
The Government is battling to save one of Rubens most celebrated paintings for the nation.

Arts Minister Michael Ellis today announced an emergency export ban on the 1609 work Head Of An African Man Wearing A Turbanto stop it being sold abroad.

The last-ditch move follows reports last summer that The Getty Museum in Los Angeles had paid an astonishing $100 million (71 million) for 16 artworks, including the painting, from a mystery private collector in Britain.

The painter produced the work in 1609 and it is now valued at 7,695,860

The temporary export ban means that collectors, galleries, museums and charities in the UK have the chance to meet the 7,695,860 valuation of the 10in x 27in painting.

It is one of the few existing examples of a 17th Century artwork featuring an African man in Europe. Experts believe the subject is someone Rubens met rather than a posed model.

Mr Ellis said: Rubens was one of the great artists of the golden age of painting. This powerful sketch is not only a stunning example of his work but hugely important as a rare representation of an African man in Europe at this time.

I hope that a buyer can be found so this outstanding item can kept in the UK for future generations to enjoy.

Ministers intervene in this way when they are alerted to applications for an export licence for an artwork. Their decisions are usually based on recommendations from the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art and Objects of Cultural History.

Member Aidan Weston-Lewis last night described the painting as the most dignified representation of a black person in 17th Century European art.

Although the committee said its recommendation was based on aesthetic values, the interests of a diverse audience would be met if the painting was bought by a museum or gallery in the UK.

Head Of An African Man Wearing A Turban is one of the few existing examples of a 17th Century artwork featuring an African man in Europe. Experts believe the subject is someone Rubens met rather than a posed model

Mr Ellis said serious consideration would be given to institutions that wanted to buy it but could not meet the full asking price.

The identity of the person who sold the painting to The Getty Museum remains a mystery, but some reports say he is Italian aristocrat Count Luca Padulli, co-founder of the British investment company Camomille Associates.

The Count, who owns land across the country, including a historic 4,500-acre estate in Norfolk, is a passionate art collector. But the aristocrat is also known to guard his privacy jealously.

Sir Peter Paul Rubens was a prolific Flemish artist who worked extensively in England and was knighted by King Charles I in 1630. While living in London, he was responsible for the renowned masterpiece ceiling of Banqueting House in Whitehall.

A spokesman for The Getty said: We respect the British export process and look forward to a positive resolution. Count Padulli was unavailable.
President Donald Trump has again accused his own Justice Department and the FBI of 'having something to hide' by missing the deadline to turn over documents related to the Russia investigation and Hillary Clinton.

'Lawmakers of the House Judiciary Committee are angrily accusing the Department of Justice of missing the Thursday Deadline for turning over UNREDACTED Documents relating to FISA abuse, FBI, Comey, Lynch, McCabe, Clinton Emails and much more,' the president tweeted on Saturday.

'Slow walking - what is going on? BAD!'

Trump then tweeted: 'What does the Department of Justice and FBI have to hide?

'Why aren't they giving the strongly requested documents (unredacted) to the HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE?

'Stalling, but for what reason? Not looking good!'

President Donald Trump has again accused his own Justice Department and the FBI of 'having something to hide' by missing the deadline to turn over documents related to the Russia investigation

Trump was referring to the Republican chairman of the House Judiciary Committee's subpoenaing of documents from the Justice Department as part of the panel's probe into Clinton.

Rep. Robert Goodlatte of Virginia has demanded more than a million documents from the department as it examines the agency's 2016 investigation into Clinton's private email server.

He is also demanding documents related to the firing of former deputy FBI Director Andrew McCabe, who was dismissed by Attorney General Jeff Sessions last month.

Sessions said he fire McCabe on the recommendation of FBI disciplinary officials who argued that McCabe had not been candid with a watchdog office investigation.

An upcoming inspector general's report is expected to conclude that McCabe had authorized the release of information to the media and was not forthcoming with the watchdog office as it examined the bureau's handling of an investigation into Clinton's emails.

Goodlatte said he'd only received 'a few thousand' of the 1.2 million documents he had requested in that investigation.

'Given the Department's ongoing delays in producing these documents, I am left with no choice but to issue the enclosed subpoena to compel production of these documents,' Goodlatte said in a letter to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein.

Trump was referring to Rep. Robert Goodlatte (above), the GOP chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who subpoenaed documents from the Justice Department as part of the panel's probe into Democrat Hillary Clinton

Separately, Goodlatte is asking for documents related to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.

Republicans have been critical of the department's use of the secret surveillance court authorized in that act and a warrant to monitor a former campaign adviser to Trump.

Goodlatte said he had asked for those documents in February and had not received any.

In a statement responding to the subpoena, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said the department takes the request seriously and is 'committed to accommodating' the request.

Prior said that more than two dozen FBI staff have been working on producing the documents, and they are reviewing them for sensitive information.

'The original universe of documents requested was substantial, but there are approximately 30,000 documents thought to be responsive to the committee's inquiry,' said Prior.

Former Secretary of State and former First Lady Hillary Clinton speaks at Rutgers University on March 29. The Republican head of the House Judiciary Committee wants to see documents related to the investigation into Clinton's use of a private email server

'Of that, we have thus far delivered 3,000 documents to the committee.'

The request for more information on Clinton comes on the same day that Republicans on the House intelligence committee shut down their investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election, concluding that Trump's campaign did not conspire with Russia.

Last week, House Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes also demanded the Justice Department hand over a fully, un-redacted version of the memo that kicked off the original FBI Russia probe.

He is threatening 'all appropriate legal remedies' to get what he wants.

The agency has turned over a version of the memo to panel investigators, but has blocked out portions, the Republican chairman complains in a letter.

He is threatening to issue subpoenas if his committee doesn't get the records it wants by next week.

The memo may have been drafted by FBI agent Peter Strzok, one of the pair of FBI lovers who was reassigned after he was revealed to have penned anti-Trump texts to agent Lisa Page, Fox News reported.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes is demanding more information from the Justice Department about the start of the Russia probe

Nunes wrote Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, above, demanding full access to the memo that kicked off the FBI's Russia probe

'On March 14th, 2018, Committee investigators were given access to a still heavily redacted version of the EC (FBI memo known as an electronic communication), which  as I informed Director Wray the next day via phone  was unsatisfactory,' Nunes wrote deputy attorney general Rod Rosenstein and FBI Director Christopher Wray.

The version the 2016 FBI memo given to the committee is 'unsatisfactory,' Nunes wrote.

He is also demanding access to copies of the original Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants used to gain information about former Trump advisor Carter Page, who drew attention due to his Russia contacts.

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes led his Republican colleagues in a party-line vote last month to shutter their probe into allegations of Trump campaign collusion with Russia. Now he is demanding access to documents that started the FBI's probe

Trump boards Air Force One on a windy day at Andrews Air Force base on April 5, 2018 near Washington, DC. The House GOP Intelligence panel chair wants access to the documents that kicked off the Russia probe

The president tweeted out findings of the GOP-run panel last month after it ended its Russia probe

Nunes also wants to see FISA warrants for former Trump advisor Carter Page

Nunes also brandished a legal threat.

''Be advised that failure to comply in a satisfactory manner will result in the Committee pursuing all appropriate legal remedies, including seeking civil enforcement of the August 24 subpoenas in federal district court,' he wrote.

At its outset the memo references a previous meeting where Wray and Rosenstein 'expressed a desire to restore a constructive relationship with the Committee, and specifically asked that we seek to proceed on a more informal basis.'

It references a phone call Nunes made to Wray seeking a redaction-free document, then sets a hard deadline with the threat of legal action.

The pressure follows several developments in special counsel Robert Mueller's probe, including a report that Trump is a subject, though not a target of the probe.

President Trump has repeatedly labeled the Mueller probe, which had its origins in the 2016 investigation, as a 'witch hunt.'
A dead body has been discovered by police in a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.

Police are now investigating after finding the body of the 40-year-old man at Barkly Street, Modialloc at 11.45pm on Saturday.

A crime scene was established as police determine the circumstances surrounding the man's death.

A dead body has been discovered by police in a beachside suburb of Melbourne, Victoria.

Victorian Police will 'not know if there's suspicious circumstances' until the investigation is complete, a spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia.

An autopsy will be conducted on Monday, The Age reported.

Anyone with further information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Jess Phillips, chairman of the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party (WPLP), wrote to Jeremy Corbyn demanding the MP be suspended

The row over the Labour MP accused of 'wife-beating' took a new turn last night after he denied using violence  and women MPs who backed the alleged victim were accused of a 'vendetta' against Jeremy Corbyn.

The male MP declared: 'I am not a wife-beater,' and said the claims were 'malicious, upsetting and untrue'.

He broke his silence following the disclosure in The Mail on Sunday last week that women Labour MPs had called on Mr Corbyn to suspend the MP over claims that he repeatedly attacked his wife.

The MP spoke out yesterday after Jess Phillips, chairman of the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party (WPLP), wrote to Mr Corbyn after a private Commons meeting attended by former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman.

The MP, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told this newspaper: 'I wholly deny the allegation that I am a 'wife-beater'.

'I have never been involved in any form of domestic violence or abuse and I abhor violence of any kind. This allegation is not true, seriously defames me and runs against everything I believe in.'

There was no evidence to support the claim, he said, adding he was worried at the 'concern' it could cause his family and constituents.

The demand by the WPLP to Mr Corbyn to suspend the MP pending an investigation into the claims sparked a fierce counter-attack last week by one of the Labour leader's senior allies.

Shadow Justice Minister Yasmin Qureshi, who helps oversee Labour's law and order policies, accused fellow women Labour MPs of using the dispute to undermine Mr Corbyn.

The MP said he has never been involved in any form of violence and abhors domestic violence

Barrister Ms Qureshi said in a WhatsApp group used by women Labour MPs: 'It's time to acknowledge that there are mps, male and female, WHO JUST WANT to destroy JC and current Labour Party. This little stunt is proof that they are not concerned about the woman, but to have a go at JC and party.

'The country needs a Labour govt. However, [a] few people are pursuing their little vendettas.'

The Bolton MP last night said she 'did not comment on the contents of private WhatsApp conversations'.

But a fellow woman Labour MP condemned her 'stunt' remark as 'beneath contempt'.

Meanwhile, Ms Phillips showed signs of strain over Labour feuding in a tweet before she started a late Easter holiday.

She made no reference to Ms Qureshi's WhatsApp message but tweeted: 'I'm off with my kids for a few days and I shall turn off Twitter too, I need a holiday from hate and one-sided nonsense gloating.'

Labour confirmed last night that Mr Corbyn had replied to Ms Phillips but declined to reveal the contents of his letter. However, party sources repeated that without a formal complaint against the MP concerned, it was difficult for the party to take action against him.
Islamabad (Peoples Daily) - Islamabad's new international airport built by Chinese on Saturday welcomed the first plane during a scheduled mock flight to test operations.

The mock flight was carried out by an A320 aircraft of the Pakistan International Airlines. After taking off from the Benazir Bhutto International Airport, the aircraft successfully landed at the new airport earlier this afternoon.

The PIA aircraft lands at the new Islamabad International Airport.

The construction of the new Islamabad International Airport was undertaken by China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC), one of the largest state-owned construction companies of China.

Li Gang, a representative from the CSCEC Islamabad Office, told the Peoples Daily that, the new airport will be capable of handling nine million passengers per annum, which will remarkably increase the passenger capacity of the capital city.

Once put into operation, the capital citys new airport will be the biggest one of the country in terms of landing and passenger handling facilities.

Precautionary measures has been taken during the mock flight.

The new Islamabad International Airport.
A controversial call for tougher policing in black communities hit by knife crime than in white areas with less violence has been made by the former head of the Commission for Racial Equality.

In a move that is bound to provoke a fierce debate, lifelong community relations campaigner Trevor Phillips takes political leaders to task for failing to acknowledge that rising knife crime in London involves race.

He says police should be allowed to make more stop and search checks of suspected thugs in areas such as Tottenham in London  where Mr Phillips himself grew up and where several knife attacks have occurred  than in areas such as leafy Maidenhead, Mrs Mays Royal Berkshire constituency.

In a move that is bound to provoke a fierce debate, lifelong community relations campaigner Trevor Phillips takes political leaders to task for failing to acknowledge that rising knife crime in London involves race

In an interview with The Mail on Sunday, Mr Phillips said: We have to be honest and say the central issue is not white boys in Surrey being stabbed or stabbing other people. The victims and perpetrators are mainly from a narrow range of backgrounds, and we should not be afraid to say so. They are usually from black, Afro-Caribbean backgrounds.

Mr Phillips, whose parents came to the UK from the West Indies in the 1950s, said police stop and search powers, curbed by Mrs May as Home Secretary, must be deployed in a more concentrated and intelligent way.

There was no reason they should not use different methods in different parts of the country, he argued, giving Tottenham and Maidenhead as an example.

In areas like Tottenham where I grew up and where large numbers of black children are attacking other black children, there is a case for policing them differently to places like Maidenhead where this is not the case.

Anticipating criticism from a vocal minority, he added: I realise some might say it is racist to use different methods of policing for areas based on their ethnic make-up, but I disagree. It is only racist if you believe all of todays policemen are idiots: I dont. And in my experience, far from being opposed to such measures, ethnic minorities are usually the ones most in favour of such action because it is their young who are being killed and beaten.

Mr Phillips said similar tactics had been used successfully in New York, where knife crime and murders had fallen dramatically.

He also claimed the viciousness of recent attacks in London may have been fuelled by refugee children who have a lower violence threshold as a result of having seen beheadings and disembowellings in war-torn countries such as Somalia and the Congo before coming to the UK.

His comments came amid claims that Mrs May and London Mayor Sadiq Khan have been slow to confront the spate of shootings and knifings in the capital.

He said: One of the main problems we face is that nobody has had the courage to stand up and tell the truth. Unless we are honest enough to acknowledge the real nature of the problem, and in particular the fact that it has racial and cultural dimensions, all we are doing is flapping our lips and virtue signalling.

Mr Phillips, who divides his time between the US and the UK, said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had shown how stop and search  or stop and frisk as it is called in America  can be used differently in different areas, depending on crime levels

Mr Phillips, who divides his time between the US and the UK, said New York Mayor Bill de Blasio had shown how stop and search  or stop and frisk as it is called in America  can be used differently in different areas, depending on crime levels.

Mr Phillips said a crude version by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani in the 1990s cut crime  but led to police brutalising any black person they didnt like the look of. Mr de Blasio had used it in a more humane, effective and intelligent fashion. His approach is not Is this a black area? but Is this an area where vulnerable children need to be protected?  said Mr Phillips. New York police ensured they were supported by churches, schools and other key local institutions.

Mr Phillips said the increased use of body-worn cameras by New York police had also proved effective and won the support of police and local communities.

Mr Phillips said that when refugees from Somalia and the Congo first arrived in the UK during the last Labour Government, he urged special measures to address the problem, such as therapy.

Some had seen unimaginable things by the time they were seven: people shot, beheaded or disembowelled in front of them. It partly explains why some have indulged in crazy violence here.

It was obvious that if we didnt act we would pay a heavy price. Sadly, they were mainly just dumped in schools and we expected them to behave just like other children. Now we see the consequences.

Mr Phillips, 64, was head of the Commission for Racial Equality from 2003 to 2006 and took over its successor, the Equality and Human Rights Commission. A prominent Labour supporter and ally of Tony Blair, he was one of the first ethnic minority leaders to denounce multi-culturalism and promote the concept of Britishness.

He is currently deputy chairman of the board of the National Equality Standard, which advises business on diversity.
Outlandish claims by Russia suggest the Queen is a heavy drinker who enjoys up to five beverages a day.

As the country ramps up its fake news offensive against Britain, a Russian senator claimed the monarch was a 'frequent brandy drinker'.

Aleksey Pushkov, an ally of Vladimir Putin, said Her Majesty approaches drinking like a 'ceremony'.

'Before dinner she drinks a cocktail made from gin and another based on wine, with ice and lemon.

Aleksey Pushkov, an ally of Vladimir Putin, said Her Majesty approaches drinking like a 'ceremony'

The senator even even drew on the expertise of a wine buff to claim Theresa May was a frequent brandy drinker

'After the meal, she has a glass of wine with a bar of chocolate. She also drinks dry Martini.

'At the end of the day, she likes to drink cool Champagne.'

The senator even even drew on the expertise of a wine buff to claim Theresa May was a frequent brandy drinker.

Wine 'expert' Elina Denisover said the way the Prime Minister cupped her glass - which warms the brandy - suggests she enjoys a Cognac.

Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin branded the comments 'absurd' and that they belittled the Russian president's attempts to distance himself from the 'outrageous' nerve agent attack

'You will get drunk quicker and it is just not pleasant,' Deniover added.

'It means that May got used to another kind of glass  for Cognac.'

It comes as Foreign Office diplomats state smears by Russia were aimed at discrediting Britain's claim that Russia tried to kill former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33.

Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin branded the comments 'absurd' and that they belittled the Russian president's attempts to distance himself from the 'outrageous' nerve agent attack.

He told Sun Online: 'Everybody knows that Her Majesty is a model of propriety and integrity and that Theresa May is admired for her sincerity and self-discipline.'
Officers made a total of 53 arrests following the demonstration at Junction 14, near Heathrow, on Monday morning - the sixth time in a fortnight. Some protesters glued themselves to each other, to barriers and the carriageway, and blue paint was sprayed onto the road, but all have been released. A total of 115 people have been involved in Insulate Britain's campaign of disruptive actions over the last two weeks, with most being arrested multiple times. The total arrest tally has now reached 438. Only two people from Insulate Britain have so far been remanded in custody. Activists, who have blocked the M25 six times in just over two weeks, continued their campaign despite a High Court injunction which could see them imprisoned, fined heavily, or have their assets seized. But with only two people in custody, the group has vowed to continue the protests infuriating rush hour drivers. Among the protesters arrested on Monday were (left) Reverend Tim Hewes, who was handcuffed for the fifth time, and property developer Joshua Smith, who was arrested for the sixth time.
In an eerie case of history repeating itself a devastating fire has ripped through a couple's wedding venue 99 years after a suspicious blaze totally destroyed the same reportedly 'haunted' historic Queensland homestead.

In 1919 the original homestead was mysteriously 'burnt down in a vicious fire that claimed all but the detached kitchen,' archival records from Ipswich City Council said.

Locals and former employees of the property described the strange coincidence between the fire of 1919 and the fire over the weekend, alleging the ghost of the former owner planned the fire so that she could have her house back in peace.

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A newlywed couple have had their dream wedding ruined after their popular homestead venue went up in flames in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane

In 1919 the original homestead was mysteriously 'burnt down in a vicious fire that claimed all but the detached kitchen,' archival records from Ipswich City Council said

The devastating fire that ruined a couple's wedding bore an eerie resemblance to the blaze which totally destroyed the same reportedly 'haunted' historic Queensland homestead 99 years previously

A newlywed couple had their idyllic wedding ruined after the historic homestead venue went up in flames in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane.

About 100 guests and staff members were evacuated.

But locals have theorized that the property's previous owners might have more to do with the fire than first thought.

Alfred Cotton, a flamboyant seaman who had spent six years sailing between Hong Kong and the West Indies, built the two-storey homestead in 1900 from a small slab hut with his wife Annie Bode and their daughter.

The fire was thought to have started in the kitchen around 4.10pm caused by a 'combustible event' the venue's owner said

Alfred Cotton, a flamboyant seaman who had spent six years sailing between Hong Kong and the West Indies, built the two-storey homestead in 1900 from a small slab hut with his wife Annie Bode and their daughter

After the fire the homestead was replaced and the complex is used as a resort and wedding venue.

But Mr Cotton's wife has long been rumored to haunt the property as a ghost.

On an Ipswich Community Facebook page, locals described the strange coincidence between the fire of 1919 and the fire over the weekend.

'This is what I was saying about how strange it is the rest goes to fire as well,' one person wrote.

Another woman who worked on the property described bizarre activity in the homestead including 'thrown objects, shutting lights on an off and slamming doors all whilst bringing the chandeliers to a leaning holt.'

A woman who worked on the property described bizarre activity in the homestead including 'thrown objects, shutting lights on an off and slamming doors all whilst bringing the chandeliers to a leaning holt

Some suggested the ghost of Mrs Cotton planned the fire so that 'she will be all nice and comfortable in her cottage again' and 'will be plotting a storm for them next'.

'Oh yeah she would definitely be back in her cottage all happy as Larry ... Plotting her next move,' another woman wrote.

Other former workers shared memories of walking down to the car park at night after work, with one woman saying she 'struggled to do that alone and if I did I had my phone torch on [and I was] running not looking back.'

'I hated the Laidley room at night,' another person said.

Over the years Mr and Mrs Cotton owned the property they spent their time in the Australian outback adventurers and drovers. They added to the property with out buildings, carriages and motor sheds, stock yards and bull pens before it was burnt down.

The homestead dates back to the early 1900s and was rebuilt after a fire in 1919 where the kitchen and dining area were destroyed
Some residents of Trump Tower only learned about the blazing inferno just floors away on television, meanwhile resident Dennis Shields got a phone call from the president's lawyer to get out 'ASAP.'

Shields, who lives on the 42nd floor, and is Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel's on-again-off-again boyfriend, said he was alerted to leave the building by Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen.

Shields, who said he grew up with Cohen, said the lawyer at the heart of the Stormy Daniels saga called him personally.

'He said, ''Are you in the building?'' I said, ''Yes.'' He said, ''You better get out ASAP.'' That's how I knew to get out, otherwise I'd still be in there.'

'You could smell the smoke and you could hear things falling like through the vents,' he said. 'It just smelled like sulfur,' Shields continued to the New York Times.

Bethenny Frankel's sometimes boyfriend, Dennis Shields (pictured together) said he received a call from president Trump's personal attorney to evacuate the building 'ASAP'

Shields said he and Trump's attorney Michael Cohen (pictured) are childhood friends and that he was told to get out of the building by Cohen when the fire erupted in Trump Tower Saturday

The FDNY received the call about the fire around 5:30pm on Saturday on the 50th floor of Trump Tower where residents complained they were not given evacuation instructions

Shields added there were no official orders to evacuate.

While the building was not evacuated some people chose to self-evacuate, however not everyone was able to do so.

Lalitha Masson, a 76-year-old 36th-floor resident, told the New York Post she learned about the fire on the television from inside her 36th floor apartment.

'We're terrified. It was a very horrible experience, there was no evacuation system in place, we were at a loss of what to do. I almost fainted, I thought we would die,' she said.

'This looks similar to when 9/11 took place. My husband is disabled and we were helpless. All we could do is put wet towels under the door and pray.'

Her husband, Narinder, who is 79, has Parkinson's disease.

'When I saw the television, I thought we were finished,' said Masson to the New York Times.

'I started praying That this was our end. I called my oldest son and said goodbye to him because the way it looked everything was falling out of the window, and it reminded me of 9/11.'

The massive blaze shot out several windows on the 50 floor with flames licking out into the sky of Trump Tower on Saturday

Bethenny's boyfriend had his own 'in' who alerted him to evacuate Trump Tower on Saturday when the president's personal attorney called to tell him to evacuate

She said she never received an announcement to leave, and that when she called the front desk no one answered.

Meanwhile an employee from the Gucci store all the way below on the ground floor said he could smell smoke.

'We smelled smoke coming through the vents, our clients and personnel were evacuated,' he said.

'We were assured they had it under control and it was precautionary. Definitely a noticeable smell [of smoke] coming through the vents.'

The blaze broke out on the 50th floor of the tower around 5:30pm. Thick black smoke billowed out from Trump Tower as burning debris fell onto Fifth Avenue.

Todd Brassner, 67, was in his apartment where the fire started. He died after being transported to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in critical condition, an NYPD source told DailyMail.com. He was residing in apartment 50C.

Six firefighters also sustained non-life threatening injuries.

During a press conference at the scene, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said 'the apartment was virtually, entirely on fire' when firefighters arrived.

'They were knocking down the fire, they found one occupant,' Nigro said.

'This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke. 200 Firefighters and EMS members are on scene.'

'We found fire on the 50th floor of the building. The apartment was entirely on fire. Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire,' Nigro added.

The FDNY had to search several floors because of the smoke condition above the 50 floor.

The fire was finally declared under control at around 7:45pm.
A body was recovered Saturday in the vicinity where an SUV plunged off a Northern California cliff last month, killing a family of eight in what authorities suspect may have been an intentional crash.

The Mendocino County Sheriff's office said in a statement that a couple vacationing along the coast saw a possible body, which was pulled from the surf Saturday afternoon by a third bystander.

The body appears to be that of an African American female, but the age and identity could not immediately be determined, said Lt. Shannon Barney. An autopsy is planned Tuesday to determine a cause of death.

Investigators believe that Jennifer drove the car off the cliff intentionally as there were no skid marks and evidence shows the speedometer was 'pinned' at 90mph

Jennifer and Sarah Hart, 39, were not wearing seatbelts when they drove off a cliff. From left to right: Hannah, Abigail, Sierra, Jeremiah, Jennifer, Devonte, Markis and Sarah Hart

While authorities said they believe the body may be that of one of two missing girls from the crash, positive identification will most likely be done by DNA analysis, which could take weeks.

Sarah and Jennifer Hart and their six adopted children were believed to be in the family's SUV when it plunged off a cliff last month.

Five bodies were found March 26 near Mendocino, a few days after Washington state authorities began investigating the Harts for possible child neglect, but three of their children were not immediately recovered from the scene.

There were no signs of the other two children, authorities said Saturday. Authorities have said that data from the vehicle's software suggested the crash was deliberate.

Investigators believe that Jennifer drove the car off the cliff intentionally as there were no skid marks and evidence shows the speedometer was 'pinned' at 90mph.

They said the SUV had stopped at a coastal highway overlook before speeding straight off the cliff and plummeting 100 feet (31 meters) into the rocky Pacific Ocean below.

The California Highway Patrol also released a photo of Jennifer Hart shopping at a grocery store just a day before the crash, and revealed more details about their movements.

The family appear to have left their home in Woodland, Washington on March 23, after a neighbor called Child Protective Services to report that the couple weren't feeding the kids.

Two days later, a family cellphone pings in Newport, Oregon, around 8.15am.

CHP believes the family then drove south on Highway 101, and then State Route 1, arriving in the Fort Bragg, California area 12 hours later.

It's believed that the family stayed the night in the area, since Jennifer was seen checking out of a Fort Bragg grocery store around 8.15am on Sunday, March 25.

Authorities say the family stayed in Fort Bragg until 9pm that evening, at which point it seems they turned around and started traveling north again on State Route 1.

Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota over what she said was a spanking given to one of her children.

Surveillance footage shows Jennifer Hart (right) checking out of a grocery store in Fort Bragg, California just hours before she is believed to have driven off a cliff with her wife and their kids inside

Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman revealed on HLN that he is now calling the crash a 'crime' instead of an acciden

Records showed that the Hart children were removed from public school in Alexandria, Minnesota the day after Sarah Hart reached a probation agreement stemming from the child abuse case in April.

That came a week after Hart pleaded guilty to physically abusing one of her daughters, who was six at the time.

The kids were taken out of school and moved to Oregon, where they were privately educated from there on out, the Oregonian reported.

The family later moved to Woodland, Washington, where they were living at the time of their deaths.

Investigators are now examining 'red flags' in the Washington family's past in the hope of explaining why they drove off the cliff in an apparent suicide plunge.

While investigators initially said there was no indication the crash was anything but an accident, data from the vehicle's software now suggested the incident was deliberate.

Eighty people continued to search for Devonte, 15, Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12, on Wednesday, but there was no sign of the children, who are presumed dead

'This situation may have been an intentional act and not the result of a traffic collision,' the highway patrol said.

The SUV appears to have stopped at a dirt pull-off area about 70 feet from the cliff, according to the vehicle's on-board computer.

It then accelerated over the edge, leaving no skid marks or other indications of a collision. The SUV fell into rocks and was found partially submerged about 100 feet below the highway.

Bruce and Dana DeKalb, the family's next-door neighbors in Woodland, Washington, called child welfare officials last month because the couple's 15-year-old son, Devonte, had been coming to their house almost every day for a week, asking for food. They said the teen claimed his parents were 'punishing them by withholding food.'

Devonte, an African-American boy who is still missing, drew national attention after he was photographed in tears while hugging a white police officer during a 2014 protest.

The discovery of the body Saturday follows a two-day storm that swept through Northern California.

The sheriff's office noted that it is not uncommon after a significant storm that items would surface or wash onto the beach.

Investigators are now examining 'red flags' in the Washington family's past in the hope of explaining why they drove off the cliff in an apparent suicide plunge

'The Mendocino County Sheriff's Office is monitoring the ocean conditions to see when further searches might be safely conducted,' Barney said. 'This evaluation includes the use of divers if conditions permit.'

Police searched the family's home in Woodland, Washington, about 500 miles north of the crash site, but found no suicide note.

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services said it opened an investigation into the family for potential child neglect or abuse after a complaint on March 23.

Days before the wreck was discovered, neighbors called authorities to say one of the youngsters had been coming to their house almost daily asking for something to eat and complaining that his parents were withholding food as punishment.

Investigators last week obtained a search warrant for the family's home in Woodland and looked for itineraries, bank and phone records, credit card receipts, journals or other documents that might shed light on the case.

The Hart family gained attention in 2014 after one of the children, Devonte, was photographed crying in the arms of a white police officer at a protest after the fatal police shooting of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri.
A New South Wales police officer has shown off his brutal head-wound after he tried to break up a brawl.

Just after 12.30am on April 8 an acting Inspector allegedly tried to break up a brawl between two men in Emerton when he was smashed over the head with a bottle.

The Acting Inspector pulled over on Luxford Road when he saw the two men fighting and tried to intervene.

A New South Wales police officer was assaulted when trying to break up a brawl between two men in Emerton

A third man then allegedly smashed the acting Inspector over the head with a glass bottle, causing the officer to lose consciousness and need eight stitches in hospital

The officer was taken to Nepean Hospital and is in a stable condition.

Mt Druitt police duty officer Inspector Sean Gabin told 9 News that the attacked officer momentarily lost consciousness.

Inspector Gabin: 'He received eight stitches to his head and he's lucky considering what's occurred to him.

'It's a gutless attack. It's mindless. It's concerning that people think that's okay.

'It's sad that he's gone to intervene and try and help people and this is what's occurred. He's just been out doing a general patrol of the area.'

The three men who were involved fled the area and a search involving Public Order and Riot Squad, PolAir and the Dog Unit was launched.

They are described as Caucasian with shaved heads, heavily tattooed and with thin builds.

Police have arrested a 26-year-old man but he was released pending further investigation. Police are still looking for the men involved

A statement from NSW police said: 'Officers from Mount Druitt Police Area Command arrested a 26-year-old man nearby who was shirtless and covered in blood.

'Investigators are trying to determine if he was involved in the incident with several items seized for further forensic examination.

'He has been released pending further inquiries.'

Police urge anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or make an online report here.
Alec Baldwin made his iconic return as Donald Trump for a charged Saturday Night Live that made fun of Fox News and the President's propensity to go off script during press conferences.

SNL opened the show with Leslie Jones playing Harris Faulkner, a Fox News host on a show called 'Outnumbered.'

'Outnumbered is the title of the show, and also how I feel here at Fox News,' said Jones before continuing on about how Obama should still be impeached and how viewers needed to be worried about 'Mexicans.'

Alec Baldwin made his iconic return as Donald Trump for a charged Saturday Night Live that made fun of Fox News and the President's propensity to go off script during press conferences

The new found Fox Host then turned to Baldwin's Trump, who was having a joint press conference with leaders from Baltic countries.

'Let's make it quick, because I have a trade war to escalate, more tariffs on Chinese products' said the commander in chief.

'Before I turn over to these freakshows here, I just want to read a prepared statement to prove that I can read.'

While reading over his notes, Trump accidentally shares that he isn't supposed to 'congratulate Putin.'

SNL opened the show with Leslie Jones playing Harris Faulkner, a Fox News host on a show called 'Outnumbered'

As Kate McKinnon, acting as President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, was trying to speak, a voiceover of Baldwin's Trump comes over. 'Wish I was watching Roseanne,' he says in the voiceover before trying not to get into the President's hair

'Time to freestyle,' he said pulling his usual stunt. 'First of all, a big congratulations to Vladimir Putin  even though no one's been tougher on Russia than I am, including Hitler.'

As Kate McKinnon, acting as President Dalia Grybauskaite of Lithuania, was trying to speak, a voiceover of Baldwin's Trump comes over.

'Wish I was watching Roseanne,' he says in the voiceover before trying not to get into the President's hair.

And when a reporter asks a question about Stormy Daniels, Trump deflects the question to Alex Moffat's President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia.

And when a reporter asks a question about Stormy Daniels, Trump deflects the question to Alex Moffat's President Raimonds Vejonis of Latvia

'This whole presidency is a four-year cash grab and admitting that might get me four more years.'

Trump continues his onslaught of question dodging and deflecting, calls immigrants 'Mad Mexicans' and details the caravan making its way through Mexico as uf ut was a scene from 'Mad Max: Fury Road.'

But when asked about his policy's impact on America, Trump gets surprisingly honest for once.

'I am not worried at all, because here is the thing that no one else is saying and I'm the only one who's willing to actually say this, 'I don't care about America,'' Trump explained. 'Okay? This whole presidency is a four-year cash grab and admitting that will probably get me four more years, but I do not care about any of you. Okay? Basically, does that answer all of your questions?'

It was Baldwin's first time back as Trump since February 3 when Natalie Portman and Dua Lipa were on.
A former elected official in Georgia sparked controversy after using racist language while making public comments during a city meeting late last month.

While speaking at the March 27 proceedings, former city commissioner Larry Johnson offered his comments during the public comments section of the meeting.

'There were white folks. There were black folks when I was growing up,' Johnson said. 'There was white trash  my family. There was n****r town. I lived next to n****r town.'

'There was white trash  my family. There was n****r town. I lived next to n****r town,' former city commissioner Larry Johnson said during the March 27 meeting

The public hearing was held in order to discuss, among other things, designating April as Confederate History Month. The proclamation has passed every year since 2010, according to CNN.

'You lived next to what town?' asked Commissioner Robert McCord, who has vocally objected to the designation in the run up to the vote.

'N-----town, son!' Johnson replied. 'I'm telling you that I've changed. I'm no longer white trash. And they're no longer called that.'

Commissioner Robert McCord (pictured), who was visibly disturned by the comments, has vocally objected to the designation in the run up to the vote

After a momentary interruption by McCord and another commissioner, Johnson continued.

'Now, if that's offensive, I apologize for being offensive,' he said. 'I don't use that word anymore.'

'You just used it,' responded McCord, one of three black representatives on the commission.

Visibly upset, McCord added: 'Maybe y'all are comfortable with that, I don't know,' he told the gathering. 'I'm not going to sit here and let this man use that type of language. If no one else is offended, then I am.'

Earlier in the meeting, before the contentious exchange, the Confederate History Month proclamation passed in the commission.

'[The] month of April of each year is hereby designated as Confederate History and Heritage Month and shall be set aside to honor, observe, and celebrate the Confederate States of America, its history, those who served in its armed forces and government, and all those millions of its citizens of various races and ethnic groups and religions who contributed in sundry and myriad ways to the cause which they held so dear from its founding on February 4, 1861, in Montgomery, Alabama, to the Confederate ship CSS Shenandoah sailed into Liverpool Harbor and surrendered to British authorities on November 6, 1865,' a description of the decision states.

McCord, who has continuously voted voted repeatedly against the Confederate History Month proclamation since being elected city commissioner, believes there's simply no place for that word in city meetings.

City representative Douglas Hollberg (Pictured) said that after the incident , he's deliberated with the NAACP about Johnson's comments

'I don't understand why, in 2018, we're still talking about the Confederates,' McCord told CNN. 'How should I, as a black person, celebrate that?'

'I don't think our community would stand for anything like that. We have come so far as a community; we've got so many positive things going on,' McCord added.

In response to the controversy, Johnson released a statement expressing remorse for his comments, saying he was simply trying to illustrate a point about a previous time in his life.

'In doing so, I used words familiar back then,' he said. 'But I was interrupted and did not get to say, 'But we no longer use those words today and the world is a better place.''

Johnson, however, said he would refuse to apologize until McCord apologized for interrupting him and is still an adamant supporter of the Confederate History Month proclamation.

City representative Douglas Hollberg said that after the incident , he's deliberated with the NAACP about Johnson's comments.

It is not unusual for Confederate History Month to be honored in the some parts of the South, with communities peppered throughout the region officially and unofficially observing the designation.
Several people were injured when a horse trailer illegally shuttling 18 unauthorized immigrants overturned on Saturday morning.

The incident occurred around 11.50am in the westbound freeway lanes west of Crestwood Road, according to The San Diego Tribune.

Authorities said that the accident occurred when a female motorist hauling a two-axle, four-horse trailer behind her Ford F-250 began to swerve uncontrollably as she cruised the fast lane on the highway.

Authorities said that the accident occurred when a female motorist hauling a two-axle, four-horse trailer behind her Ford F-250 began to swerve out of control

The incident occurred around 11.50am in the westbound freeway lanes west of Crestwood Road near in southern California

Video courtesy KGTV

CHP Officer Travis Garrow said that's when the trailer separated from the truck and tipped over.

The majority of the people inside the trailer were able to emerge from the wreck and scatter into the nearby brush as others laid injured on the side of the road, according to ABC affiliate Channel 10 News.

CHP Officer Travis Garrow said that's when the trailer separated from the truck and tipped over

The Border Patrol was able to capture the undocumented immigrants who had fled the scene following a brief search, said Border Patrol Agent Eduardo Olmos.

It remains unclear if the unidentified driver was detained by law enforcement following the crash.

Two women were air-lifted to a nearby hospital for treatment while four men were transported by automotive ambulance.

According to the Tribune, the injuries sustained in the crash were described as minor to moderate.

It remains unclear how the individuals were able to enter the United States. T nationalities of the undocumented immigrants were also unavailable.

There were no horses inside the trailer, CPH officials told the Tribune.
(file photo)

As the first China-based international conference organization, the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) will be put in the world spotlight for the 17th time in Hainan province from April 8 to11, which will show Chinas contribution to regional cooperation as well as its resolution in opening up, experts said.

Boao is the first home-based multilateral diplomacy in 2018, and President Xi Jinpings attendance shows that China has attached great importance to this forum, Xiong Lili, director of Department of International Politics at the University of International Business and Economics, told Peoples Daily Online.

Against the background of the anti-globalization trend in the world, Chinas continuous efforts at the forum is more important and necessary, Xiong stressed.

One of the prominent features of the forum is multilevel and network-like cooperation, based on which, the forum is expected to further promote economic cooperation in the region and the world, he explained.

Boao represents the direction of Chinas multilateral diplomacy in 2018, which indicates that China will still unswervingly promote regional integration as well as economic globalization. China also expects to achieve mutual development in China and other countries through mutually-beneficial cooperation, such as the Belt and Road Initiative, Xiong said.

The expert also mentioned that following the principle of achieving shared growth through discussion and collaboration, the Boao Forum for Asia is expected to further promote Chinas model of cooperation and the determination of building a community of shared future.

In addition, Chinas domestic reform measures may also be the key deliberations of this years forum, as 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up.

The forum will show how China is determined on further opening up from the regional level all the way up to the global level, including economic cooperation in Asia and the Belt and Road Initiative, as well as constructing a community of shared future, said Xiong.
Young teenagers are getting drunk for as little as $4 with a cheap cider drink known as 'Little Fat Lamb'.

The 1.25 litre drink is available for as little as $3.99 at Australian bottle shops, prompting concerns of binge drinking among young people.

The drink is made from Cider, but is sold in a bottle that looks like a soft drink and comes in wide range of flavours including cola, berry, apple, tropical and ginger.

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Young teenagers are getting drunk for as little as $4 with a cheap cider drink known as 'Little Fat Lamb' (pictured)

The alcoholic drink avoids the 70 per cent alcopop tax on pre-mixed drinks because cider falls under the Wine Equalisation tax, which is taxed at less than 30 per cent (stock image)

The alcoholic drink avoids the 70 per cent alcopop tax on pre-mixed drinks because cider falls under the Wine Equalisation tax, which is taxed at less than 30 per cent.

One Victorian bottle shop advertised the 8 per v/v drink for just $3.99 before Easter, encouraging people to 'get in quick'.

'For one day only on a Tuesday, we've got Fat Lamb, 8 per cent, 1.25 litre bottles for $3.99 each,' the post said.

The 1.25 litre drink (pictured) is available for as little as $3.99 at Australian bottle shops, prompting concerns of binge drinking among young people

Viewed by 442,000 people, the online advert received more than 1,000 reactions, as the public were warned the drink would run out.

'Stocks aren't going to last, so get in early,' customers were warned.

The alcopop tax introduced by Kevin Rudd in 2008 to stop binge drinking, taxes pre-mix drink at 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, Cider falls under the Wine Equalisation tax and is therefore taxed at 29 per cent of the wholesale price of wine.

The alcopop tax introduced by Kevin Rudd in 2008 to stop binge drinking, taxes pre-mix drink at 70 per cent (stock image)

VicHealth principal program officer Maya Rivis told Fairfax Media the drink tastes like soft drink.

'It's sold in a bottle that looks like soft drink and it tastes like soft drink,' she told the media outlet.

Facebook pages are reportedly outside the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme.
Black cab rapist John Worboys, pictured, allegedly asked fellow inmate Matthew Gallagher what to say to a clinical psychologist in order to be released

Black cab rapist John Worboys allegedly asked a fellow inmate what to say during a meeting with a clinical psychologist in order to be released by the parole board.

The serial sex attacker supposedly asked convicted robber Matthew Gallagher how he convinced the board to release him from an indeterminate sentence like the one he is currently serving.

He even joked with Mr Gallagher about joining a dating website after his release and living on the outskirts of London where he attacked his victims.

Matthew Gallagher told the Sunday Mirror: 'He knew I had already been released from an indeterminate sentence like the one he is serving. He kept asking me what to say to a clinical psychologist at his next assessment.

'He wanted to know all about the checklist used to assess for psychopathic traits and behaviour and he wanted to know what their version of a personality disorder is. Worboys had heard prisoners were misleading psychologists and he wanted to know all about that.

'I was surprised he knew so much about complex psychologist language. But one inmate told me he studies anything that will help regain his freedom, even offering financial incentives to his few friends to trawl law books for loopholes.'

The former stripper was convicted of attacks on 12 women at his 2009 trial after 'sample' charges were brought by the Crown Prosecution Service. But police believe he assaulted at least 105 between 2002 and 2008.

Mr Gallagher, pictured, said: 'He said "I want to go back to London when I get out". He said some victims still live in the area and gave a wry smile'

The Parole Board had decided to free Worboys after finding he had learned 'not to hide negative thoughts and feelings' during 'positive' treatment with psychologists.

But after two victims appealed against the decision at the High Court the decision was reversed - and the chair of the board was forced to quit.

Mr Gallagher added: 'The reality is I think he hates women. He was very misogynistic and was always very aggressive about them, often describing women from his past as b*****s.

'He said "I want to go back to London when I get out". He said some victims still live in the area and gave a wry smile.

'Then he said "f*** em, theyve had enough out of me. Ive done my time".

'I told him I didnt think hed be allowed to move back to London. He just said: "Oh, well, maybe the outskirts. Ill go on a dating website, put on my glad rags and go pull some women."'

Mr Gallagher, who was released last week, spent four months at HMP Wakefield with Worboys on C wing.
A young girl has been rushed to hospital after a horse bit off her ear.

The incident took place at an animal rescue shelter in Fairview Park, northeastern Adelaide.

Emergency services were called to the shelter at about 1pm on Sunday, with paramedics treating the young girl on the scene before she was taken to the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Paramedics rushed to an animal rescue shelter on Sunday after a four-year-old girl had her ear bitten off by a horse (file picture)

The young girl was treated on the scene before taken to the Women's and Children's hospital - she is in a stable condition (file picture)

The girl is in a stable condition, SA Health confirmed.

Fairview Lodge, where the incident occurred, is a shelter that cares for rescued animals.

While staff from the shelter haven't commented directly on the incident, a post on their Facebook declares that the sanctuary will be shutting down for a week for 'personal reasons'.

'We have a few things we are working toward at this present time and we ask for everyone to please be patient with us during a time,' the post reads.
A member of a U.S. dark web gun trafficking group that hid firearms in electronics products and sent them to customers in Australia and other parts of the world has been sentenced to almost three years jail.

Gerren Johnson, 29, was arrested after an international investigation.

The Atlanta-based group advertised guns for sale on the underground website BlackMarketReloaded that operated on The Onion Router, which masks the identity of its users, according to prosecutors.

Gerren Johnson, 29, has been arrested for his involvement with a U.S. dark web gun trafficking group

Their vendor page on the site was named Cherry_Flavor and guns for sale included Glock pistols for $2300 to $3400 U.S.

Authorities said the group sold approximately 10 to 15 firearms a month and 31 firearms were recovered internationally or seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and US Postal Inspection Service before leaving the US.

Authorities said the group sold approximately 10 to 15 firearms a month and 31 firearms were recovered internationally or seized by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives

'According to ATF, firearms were recovered in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Belgium, Sweden, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Zambia,' US prosecutors wrote in their sentencing memorandum.

Authorities also linked Johnson to an Armitage International Model Scarab Scorpion 9mm pistol that was recovered in the Netherlands and a Glock Model 17 Gen 4 9mm pistol destined for France.

In an attempt to avoid detection in the US Post or overseas the group hid the firearms in electronic equipment before placing them in packages.

Johnson entered a guilty plea to a smuggling charge in the US District Court in Georgia and was sentenced on Thursday to 33 months' jail.
Adelaide Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its oldest residents after the death of Chile, Australia's last flamingo.

The aptly named Chilean Flamingo was aged in her late-60s and eventually succumbed to arthritis and other age-related conditions on Friday afternoon.

Chile's deteriorating condition over recent months forced zoo-keepers to make the heartbreaking decision to euthanise her.

Adelaide Zoo is mourning the loss of one of its oldest resident after the death of Chile (pictured), Australia's last flamingo

The Chilean Flamingo had been a resident of the zoo since the 1970s and was euthanised after a battle with arthritis and age related health issues

The much-loved bird's death comes four years after the loss of Chile's long-time feathered companion, Greater - something keepers say she never fully recovered from.

Greater also enjoyed a long life in the care of Adelaide Zoo, where she lived from her arrival in the 1930s to her death aged 83 in 2014.

The pair enjoyed a long partnership which spanned four decades and allowed both birds to exceed the breed's average life expectancy of 40 years.

Despite the deep loss felt at the zoo this weekend, Australian law mandate that flamingos can no longer be imported - making Chile's death all the more heartbreaking.

Chile's death comes four years loss of her long-time feathered companion, Greater - something keepers say she never fully recovered from (pictured is Chile at Adelaide Zoo)

Both birds enjoyed long lives in the care of Adelaide Zoo and as Chile was the last of her breed in the country, it marks the end of an era for the bird living in Australia

As Chile was the last of her breed in the country, it marks the end of an era for the bird living in Australia.

Dr Phil Ainsley from Adelaide Zoo told media yesterday that despite her death, Chile made a lasting impact during her decades at the zoo.

'Chile will be sorely missed by our zoo family, and no doubt the wider South Australian and Australian community, who travelled from near and far to visit our iconic friend,' she said.
Ekaterina Fedyaeva, 27 (pictured), died in excruciating agony after a medical blunder

A 27 year old woman has died in excruciating agony after she was embalmed alive due to a horrific medical blunder.

Ekaterina Fedyaeva's mother has accused medics of 'murder' after they put her daughter on a formalin drip - a solution contain formaldehyde - instead of saline.

The woman had been in hospital in her home city of Ulyanovsk in Russia for routine surgery.

She was given a drip normally infused into the veins of the dead to prevent decomposition.

Ekaterina suffered horrible pains and convulsions for two days before falling into a coma.

She was attached to a life support machine and her heart stopped several times.

After being flown to a top Moscow hospital, she woke up from her coma - but finally died of multiple organ failure.

Her mother Galina Baryshnikova and husband Igor were with her when she came round from the surgery in her ward.

'Her legs were moving, she had convulsions, her whole body was shaking,' said her mother.

'I put socks on her, then a robe, then a blanket but she was shivering to such an extent, I can't even describe it.

Ekaterina and her mother Galina Baryshnikova, who accused medics of murdering her only daughter

Ekaterina, pictured with her husband Igor, died after being put on a formalin drip instead of a saline drip

'No doctor came to see her although she was coming round from anaesthetic.'

What is formaldehyde and how is it dangerous to humans? Formaldehyde was declared a carcinogen by the US government in 2011 but is widely used as part of embalming fluid to preserve dead bodies. Formalin, made up of around 37 per cent formaldehyde, is a colourless, strong-smelling chemical substance used in industry and well known to preserve human corpses. Embalmers inject at least 11.3 litres of the fluid into the cadaver's arterial system and body cavity to slow decay for burial ceremonies. Drinking 30 milliliters of formalin can kill an adult, while drinking doses of concentrated formaldehyde can cause death from respiratory failure or lead to a coma. It can also cause convulsions, stomach pain, diarrhea, vomiting, vertigo and a host of other side effects. Source: US National Library of Medicine Advertisement

She suffered chronic stomach pains and vomiting.

The bereaved mother said: 'We had no idea it was formalin.

'And they knew very well that they washed up her body with a poison - and they did nothing to help

'Now I understand that formalin was simply eroding her body from inside.

'People who performed the surgery already knew that they infused something wrong.

'They needed to take some urgent measures - but they did nothing.'

She begged doctors to help - but they told her to go home, cook chicken soup and stop worrying.

'I begged  'please help her, she is my only child',' said Galina.

'I think they just wanted me to go away and to hide everything.'

Overnight Ekaterina was rushed to intensive care as her condition deteriorated.

'For 14 hours after surgery she was living with this formalin and they did nothing,' she said.

According to her mother, Ekaterina suffered horrible pains and convulsions for two days before falling into a coma

Instead of being on a saline drip, she was given formalin solution which contained formaldehyde, which is used to prevent corpse decomposition

Galina went in search of doctors and found them in a huddle 'discussing how to tell us that a terrible mistake had been made.'

But they didn't admit exactly what had happened.

The female chief doctor told her: 'A medical mistake took place. She is in coma now, her heart, lungs and liver stopped working.

According to the mother, she had to search for doctors and found them in a huddle 'discussing how to tell us that a terrible mistake had been made'

Ekaterina's mother said that she begged doctors to help - but they told her to go home, cook chicken soup and stop worrying

Galina claims that she said to medics: 'I begged  ''please help her, she is my only child''. They needed to take some urgent measures - but they did nothing.'

'She is attached to an artificial lung ventilator.'

Ekaterina was moved to the regional clinic.

Here the doctor told Galina and Igor about the appalling blunder.

'It wasn't normal saline, they put formalin into her,' they were informed.

Medics used 52 drugs in a desperate attempt to save the woman, then she was flown to the Moscow hospital but tragically died.

'It is such a crime,' she said.

'I spoke to the criminal investigator, and he told me it was negligence.

'But this is pure murder.'

Ekaterina was buried on 7 April and a criminal investigation is underway.
Franks - pictured at the Sundance Film Festival - spearheaded the movement

Donors and entrepreneurs have been secretly developing plans for a new political party frustrated with polarisation and grabbing for the centre ground.

Up to 50million has been pumped into the project with a former Labour benefactor at the helm hoping to 'break the Westminster mould'.

The movement believes in borrowing from the left and right for its policies and was set up by multi-millionaire LoveFilm founder Simon Franks, who says he is frustrated with political division in light of the Brexit vote.

He has had full-time staff on the project for about year, The Observer revealed today, after starting initial discussion in 2016.

His company - Project One Movement for the UK - is said to be a probable vehicle for the scheme, which has the support of a number of former Tory donors.

There is still some debate as to whether the group will fund community activism of be a formal party.

But there is reportedly consensus that candidates will run in the 2022 General Election if the movement decides the current system is defunct.

Either way, a party of some sort is expected to launch later this year after the Liberal Democrats failed to fill the space between Jeremy Corbyn's hard-left Labour Party and the Conservative government.

The movement is aiming to take back the centre ground as Jeremy Corbyn, pictured, takes the party in a left-wing direction and Theresa May, right, leads the Tory government

The platform is mainly aimed at centre-left voters with its plans to tax the rich more and release more funding for the NHS.

But one source said Brexit supporters are involved in the group and tighter immigration controls are on the agenda.

It is thought the party would attempt to reach out to MPs who are deemed to meet its non-partisan stance as opposed to trying to convince them to defect.

In attempt to break the political mould, potential candidates would sign strict term limits to stop MPs remaining in safe seats for decades.

David Owen (pictured) and the Social Democratic Party of the 1980s took just 23 seats despite winning 2.8million votes in the 1983 General Election

The identities of those involved remain secret, other than Franks, but a source said they are ready to challenge 'our current crop or professional politicians'.

But another person familiar with the scheme said: 'They have the resources, but I'm not sure they have a viable plan.'

Politicians who have made successful centrist snatches include French president Emmanuel Macron, whose En Marche! movement delivered a majority in the national assembly last year.

Critics of Franks' project point to the Social Democratic Party of the 1980s, when four senior Labour politicians formed a liberal alliance that took only 23 seats despite netting 7.8million votes in 1983's General Election.
A toddler has been rushed to hospital with critical head injuries after he was found in Sydney's south-west on Saturday night.

Emergency services were called to a unit on De Witt Street, Bankstown just after 11pm after reports an 18-month-old boy had been seriously injured.

Neighbours rushed to the unit after they heard his mother's screams when she returned to the unit and found her injured son.

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The 18-month-old boy is fighting for life in hospital after he suffered critical head injuries

Emergency services were called to a unit on De Witt Street, Bankstown on Saturday night after reports a mother returned home and found her baby son seriously injured

The child was treated by paramedics and was rushed to Bankstown Hospital in a critical condition.

He was transferred to The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, where he's believed to be fighting for life.

The baby suffered a fractured skull, bruising and cuts, two burst ear drums and a possible dislocated spine and is in an induced coma, 9 News reports.

A hospital spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia it was unable to comment on the child's condition due to not having parental consent.

The baby suffered a fractured skull, bruising and cuts, two burst ear drums and a possible dislocated spine, according to 9 News

Detectives from State Crime Commands Child Abuse Squad and Bankstown Police are investigating the incident and spent the night scouring the unit.

A 20-year-old man believed to have been entrusted to care for the boy that night was arrested by investigators at Bankstown Police Station just after 9am on Sunday morning.

He remains in custody as of early Monday morning.

A NSW Police spokeswoman told Daily Mail Australia that no charges have yet been laid.
An inmate who allegedly orchestrated the return of the violent Brothers 4 Life street gang has now been charged over their crimes.

Damien Featherstone, 29, shared the jail yard of Goulburn Supermax high-security prison with notorious inmate Bassam Hamzy, and allegedly acted on his instruction when he resurrected the notorious gang.

Police allege that Featherstone recruited radical Islam converts in order to establish the Illawarra chapter of the Brothers 4 Life street gang in Sydney's southwest, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Damien Featherstone, 29, has been charged with string of crimes linked to the Brothers 4 Life gang

Featherstone allegedly established the Illawarra chapter of the violent gang from inside Goulburn Supermax jail

Police alleged that Featherstone was acting on the instruction of notorious inmate Bassam Hamzy, with whom he shared the prison yard in Goulburn

Activities undertaken by the Illawarra chapter allegedly involved moving firearms, running a street level methamphetamine operation and waging a gang war against the Wollongong chapter of the Finks bikies.

Featherstone has also been accused of organising a hit on Finks heavyweight Troy Fornaciari.

'Listen I'm going to get that motherf**ker and I'm going to get him whatever way I can,' he said during a phone conversation in jail, according to a police statement of facts.

Detectives have charged Featherstone with a string of offences, including conspiracy to shoot, possessing firearms and directing a criminal group.

Three other accused Brothers 4 Life members were recently charged in NSW.
The Home Secretary has insisted that police have enough resources to tackle crime despite claims that government cuts are contributing to a spate of violence.

Emergency plans to extend stop and search are in a tough package of measures the Home Secretary Amber Rudd is announcing following a string of fatal stabbings and shootings in London in recent weeks.

Meanwhile a former police officer said that younger officers were 'afraid' to use stop and search, as figures showed its use has fallen.

The Metropolitan Police carried out 19,931 stop-and-searches in January and February this year, a drop of some six per cent compared to last year.

The Home Secretary has insisted that police have enough resources to tackle crime despite claims that government cuts are contributing to a spate of violence

Ms Rudd has denied that a rise in violent crime is linked to cuts to frontline policing under the Conservative government.

New Offensive Weapons laws to be introduced within weeks will make it illegal to own so-called zombie killer knives and knuckle dusters used by gangs  and allow police to raid homes to seize them.

The latest move reflects a change of direction for Mrs May, who has introduced a series of curbs on stop and search since 2010, claiming they are unfair to young black men, damaging to community relations and do not cut crime.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Home Secretary said figures suggested the number of bobbies on the beat and instances of violent crime were not linked.

'As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge,' Ms Rudd said.

'One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets. The evidence, however, does not support this.

'In the early 2000s, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising. In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013-14, police numbers were close to the highest we'd seen in decades.'

A former London officer told the newspaper young recruits had the 'fear of god' that police chiefs would not back them up if they made a mistake with stop and search powers.

Emergency plans to extend stop and search are in a tough package of measures the Home Secretary Amber Rudd is announcing following a string of fatal stabbings and shootings

Labour's Angela Rayner (left) said the Government was wrong to ignore the impact of police cuts, while minister Sajid Javid (right, pictured today) said recorded crime was at a low

Javid defends Government's record on policing The Communities Secretary told the Andrew Marr Show: 'When Theresa May was home secretary, what she wanted to do was rightly make sure that when stop and search powers were used that they were used within the law.' In 2013 some 27% of stop and searches were carried out illegally, he said. 'The police like everyone else need to act within the law and if they believe the powers need to change then they will rightly talk to government and as we have shown today we will listen and if we need to extend those powers that is exactly what we will do.' The Home Office said it plans to consult on extending stop and search powers to enable officers to stop and search someone they suspect is carrying a corrosive substance in public without good reason. Labour's Angela Rayner said cuts to youth services and education also have a 'knock-on effect'. 'It's not just about police, of course it's not, it's about the wider public service and supporting families to make the right choices,' she said. She said Labour supported 'evidence-based' stop and search tactics based on local intelligence 'to ensure that we know who those children are and we target them rather than targeting on ethnicity'. She said: 'It's targeting stop and search rather than just going randomly around saying 'I think you look like you might be a gang member so therefore I'm going to stop and search you'.' Advertisement

The initiative came after growing calls for action to combat a rise in violence which has seen London's murder rate rival New York's this year.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid told the BBC's Andrew Marr show this morning that recorded crime was at historic lows, but admitted there was a particular problem with violence on the street.

'If you go back a decade serious violent crime was a lot higher than it is today but so were the police numbers,' he said.

'We recognise there are pressures on police, of course there are, there are all sorts of pressures, that's why from 2015 we have protected police budgets, there is a settlement for police funding.'

The Cabinet minister unveiled plans for a new set of laws that will crackdown on knives and acid, saying it would be made illegal for anyone to buy a knife online and have it delivered at home.

Under the plans it will be illegal to carry acid in a public place without good cause, while ander-18s will be banned outright from buying acid.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said Theresa May and Amber Rudd were 'ignoring their record on security'.

'They have cut 21,000 police officers from our streets,' he said on Twitter.

Shadow Education Secretary Angela Rayner said the Government was wrong to ignore the impact of policing cuts.

She told Marr a reinvention of neighbourhood policing had been a 'triumph' of the Labour government.

Ms Rayner said: 'When you see children being stabbed to death on the streets, it's time to say stop where you are going and invest in our children's future.'

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: 'We have seen knife crime increase in 39 of the 43 police forces across the UK.

'It's not just about austerity but I think when the Home Secretary sticks her head in the sand and suggests that losing 21,000 police officers off our streets doesn't have an effect then I think that's a very naive position.'
Following U.S. President Donald Trumps threat to slap additional tariffs on $100 billion in imports from China on Thursday, experts and media outlets in China have slammed the decision as an economic dead end, stressing that the country and the public are not afraid of such inequitable treatment.

The tariff conflict between U.S. and China has become an international political game. The U.S. has been trying to obstruct Chinas fast development, as Chinas economic achievements have caused U.S. anxiety. Most of the tariffs are targeting Chinas high-tech industries, which are crucial for the countrys future development, Peoples Daily Online reported in a commentary on Sunday.

According to the commentary, Chinas scientific development has been booming in recent years despite U.S. high-tech export control towards China, and China has the confidence to tackle any unjust tariffs from the U.S.

If the White House wants to launch an even bigger trade war against us, we have only one response, that is we are not afraid of you, the commentary added.

Though criticizing China for not abiding by WTO rules and intellectual theft, statistics from the WTO indicate that as of 2017, China is involved in 40 international trade disputes, while the number for the U.S. is 137.

"These tariffs that have targeted China confirm that the Trump administration intends to bypass the WTO's dispute settlement body and rely on U.S. law unilaterally regarding the ongoing trade dispute with China. That is a big mistake," according to R. Taylor, a political science professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas, which he told Xinhua on Saturday.

The unjust tariffs have also evoked criticism from foreign political figures and the public. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who called China a pillar of the multilateral system, told Xinhua that trade wars are always bad for those involved and for the international economy as a whole, while Martin Wansleben, chief executive of the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, said that new tariffs and trade barriers not only inflict additional costs on companies and consumers but also hurt innovation.

In response to the tariffs, the Chinese government has been reiterating its stance on negotiation while also noting that the country is not afraid of a trade war.

According to a statement from Chinas Ministry of Commerce on Friday, the country will fight at any cost and take comprehensive countermeasures if the U.S. continues its unilateral and protectionist practices, while on the same day, Chinas ministry of foreign affairs stressed that China will not hesitate to fight back fiercely.
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The 48-year-old van driver who mowed down people outside a bar in Germany before shooting himself dead was well known to police, authorities said.

Terrified diners watched as the driver, named locally as Jens R, 48, shot himself with the cartridge gun later found by police inside the vehicle after the attack at 3.27pm local time.

Mourners laid flowers on Sunday morning at the scene of Saturday's crash outside the popular Grosser Kiepenkerl bar in the university city of Munster, 300 miles west of Berlin, that left two people dead and dozens more injured.

A 51-year-old woman from the county of Lueneburg and a 65-year-old man from the county of Broken died in the attack. Their names weren't given as is customary in Germany.

Authorities have not identified the injured in the crash Saturday in the western German city, but a German security official says people from The Netherlands are among them.

However, authorities revealed the 48-year-man was well known to police and there had been three previous court procedures in the western city of Muenster and one in nearby Arnsberg in 2015 and 2016 involving the van driver.

Prosecutor Elke Adomeit on Sunday said the perpetrator, whose name was not released, had run-ins with the law regarding threats, property damage, fraud and a hit-and-run, but that all charges were dismissed.

Adomeit also said authorities 'have no indications that there is a political background' to Saturday's deadly crash outside the Kiepenkerl bar in the city's old town.

Muenster police president Hajo Kuhlisch said the man had four apartments and several cars, all of which were searched by police.

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A man brings flowers to the scene where a vehicle crashed into a crowd in Munster, Germany, on Saturday, killing two people and injuring dozens

A woman lays down flowers in front of the restaurant Kiepenkerl in Muenster, western Germany, a day after a van crashed into people drinking outside the popular bar

People grieve after laying down flowers in front of a fountain with the Kiepenkerl, a traditional merchant figure from the Muensterland, in front of the restaurant Kiepenkerl in Muenster

A man brings flowers to the place in Muenster, Germany, Sunday, where a vehicle crashed into a crowd, killing two people and injuring 20 others before the driver of the vehicle shot and killed himself inside it

Inside the van in Munster, police found illegal firecrackers which were disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the gun that the perpetrator used to kill himself.

Inside the man's apartment, which was nearby the crash scene and raided late Saturday, police found more firecrackers and a 'no longer usable AK-47 machine gun.'

The man is believed to be a German national with 'psychological problems' and no links to any terrorist organisations. Local reports claim he had been in contact with far-right groups, but was not an extremist himself.

Bild reports that detectives are looking into whether the attack was a case of 'extended suicide' similar to the case of Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately crashed a Germanwings flight in 2015, killing all 144 passengers and crew on board. The man had recently attempted suicide, ZDF reports.

The local daily Muenstersche Zeitung reported that the perpetrator had vaguely announced his suicide plans a week ago in an email to friends and that he was known to the authorities for previous violence and drug violations, but police wouldn't confirm any of those details.

Earlier, prosecutors say they still have no indication why the man drove a van into a crowd of people.

In a joint statement with police, prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt wrote Sunday that 'as of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed.'

He had a dozen firecrackers in his vehicle and more in his flat, leading police to believe that they were explosives which turned out to be a false alarm, as they were in fact normal celebration firecrackers.

Officers searching his grey Volkswagen van suspected it was booby-trapped after reportedly finding a pistol connected to a wire hidden underneath the inside carpeting.

Police say the driver had no accomplices, the German news agency dpa reported, after witnesses had initially said they'd seen two other perpetrators flee the van after it crashed into a crowd outside the city's traditional Kiepenkerl pub in the city's medieval old town.

A body is loaded into a vehicle in front of a restaurant in Munster, Germany, on Sunday, after a vehicle crashed into a crowd

German police have reportedly found a Kalashnikov at the home of the man who ploughed a minibus (pictured) into a crowd of people and shot himself dead, killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munste

Night-time images show the dark grey Volkswagen van that ploughed into crowds of people in Munster, killing two and injuring dozens.

Officers searching the perpetrator's van (pictured) suspected it was booby-trapped after reportedly finding a pistol connected to a wire leading underneath the van's floor carpeting

On Sunday, German authorities say some of the 20 people injured when a van crashed into people outside of a pub in Muenster are still in a life-threatening condition.

Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Muenster is located, visited the crash scene on Sunday.

He said: 'This was a horrible and sad day for the people of Muenster, all of Germany ... and also the people of The Netherlands, who were sitting here and became victims.'

Laschet didn't give any further details on how many Dutch were injured when a 48-year-old German crashed his van into a crowd in the city's downtown area.

Dramatic pictures showed the area of Munster's old town strewn with broken tables and chairs, while onlookers ran for their lives.

The city's old town has been cordoned off while detectives investigate reports that two others escaped from the vehicle after the crash.

Police have reportedly found a Kalashnikov at the home of the man who ploughed a minibus into a crowd of people and shot himself dead (forensic investigators pictured at scene), killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munster

Forensic investigators are pictured scouring the scene of today's deadly vehicle attack in the university town of Munster

German forensic experts (pictured) are scouring the scene where a man ploughed a minibus into a crowd of people and shot himself dead, killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munster, Germany

Officers in protective clothing are pictured at the scene where a man ploughed into crowds with a van in Munster, Germany

Armed officers are pictured patrolling the police cordon in Munster's old town where two people were killed and 20 injured

Terrified diners watched as the driver shot and killed himself inside the vehicle at 3.27pm local time. Officers are still guarding the scene

Emergency vehicles are pictured after night fall in Munster with the scene of the attack still cordoned off

Police and fire teams worked into the night after the deadly vehicle attack at 3.27pm on Saturday in Munster

A fire engine is seen near the Grosser Kiepenkerl bar in Munster's old town where a van killed two people and injured 20

Broadcaster ZDF said the driver had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself. Pictured: investigators work into the night to uncover more about the deadly attack

Candles are pictured at the scene of the van attack that killed two and injured 20 in the old town of Munster on Saturday

Tributes and candles were laid at the scene of Saturday's van attack where two people were killed and 20 injured

Munster van attack: What do we know so far? German authorities have for now ruled out a connection to Islamist terrorism after a man rammed customers on a restaurant terrace, killing two people, but much remains unclear about the incident. Here is what we know so far: What happened? A small van spend into a crowd of customers and staff at outdoor tables belonging to a restaurant in the historic centre of Munster in north-west Germany at 3.27pm on Saturday, killing two. German media reported that those killed were waiters at the 'Grosser Kiepenkerl' restaurant not far from the city's cathedral. Some 20 people were wounded, around ten of them 'seriously', interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state Herbert Reul said. The driver stopped the van immediately after the impact, shooting himself inside the vehicle according to police. Who was the driver? The driver was 'a German, and not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that,' Reul said. Matching reports from several German media outlets said the attacker was a man aged around 48 with psychological problems. Television news reported that he had recently attempted suicide and made known that he planned a more spectacular attempt. Several reports pointed to a past of petty crime and drug dealing. The man was employed as an industrial product designer and struggled with problems at work. Broadcaster ZDF said he had known connections with far-right organisations, while new website Spiegel Online reported an assault rifle was found at his Muenster apartment close to the scene of the crime. Investigators found a 'suspicious object' in the van, which Die Welt newspaper reported was a pistol connected to a wire leading underneath the van's floor carpeting. Suspecting a booby trap, the police called in bomb disposal experts. What motivated the attacker? There is so far no clear indication of the attacker's motive. But authorities said they had ruled out an Islamist background to the act. Germany has been on especially high alert for such terrorist attacks since a Tunisian asylum seeker rammed a truck into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016. 'There is no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection,' state interior minister Reul said. Police will attempt to determine whether the driver wanted to commit a 'murder-suicide', taking other people with him in the process of killing himself. Did the perpetrator act alone? Police initially said witnesses had spotted potential accomplices exiting the van immediately after the attack. But there is so far no evidence to back up this theory. Police locked down a wide area around the scene of the attack immediately afterwards, but gradually opened some roads up to traffic again as evening drew in. Source: AFP Advertisement

Saturday's attack came on the anniversary of the Stockholm attack, when five people were killed and 14 injured after a stolen beer truck drove into a crowd in the Swedish capital last year.

It also served as a painful reminder of a similar vehicle assault on a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19 2016, which left 12 dead and 56 injured.

The perpetrator behind the Munster incident is believed to have attempted suicide in the past and struggled with mental health issues and problems at work.

Police worked through the night scouring his apartment, located 1.2 miles away from the scene of the carnage in the Kiepenkerl square.

German media reported they found an AK47 assault rifle at Jens R's flat, where neighbours were told to stay inside while specialist police investigated.

The van crashed into people sitting in front of Munster's famous Grosser Kiepenkerl bar, which is popular with tourists, in the spring sunshine this afternoon.

Police and fire rescue teams quickly descended on the old town area, as SWAT teams prepared to raid the 48-year-old driver's home.

State Interior Minister Herbet Reuel spoke in the city in the hours after the attack, confirming two people died, revising the earlier police figure of three.

He said German police believe the driver was a German citizen and hit out at misinformation being spread online, claiming a refugee was responsible.

He stressed that the investigation was at an early stage but said 'at the moment, nothing speaks for there being any Islamist background'.

'We have to wait, and we are investigating in all directions,' Mr Reul said, adding '[he] willfully drove into a crowd of people.'

Broadcaster ZDF said he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself.

Elsewhere German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was 'deeply shaken' by today's event.

'Everything possible is now being done to clarify the facts and to support the victims and their relatives,' she said.

A man shot himself dead after ploughing a minibus (pictured) into a crowd of people in the German city of Munster, killing two people and leaving 20 injured on Saturday afternoon

A van (pictured bottom right) ploughed into crowds of people in Munster, west Germany killing two people and injuring dozens more today

German police are pictured in the city of Munster this afternoon after a van drove into a crowd of people killing two and injuring dozens more

Armed police were seen wearing balaclavas in the immediate aftermath of the attack in Munster, west Germany today

The perpetrator behind today's attack (police pictured surveying the scene) is believed to be a middle-aged German man with 'psychological problems' and no links to any terrorist organisations

Members of German special forces are pictured outside the apartment of the driver, 48, who killed two people in Munster

Officers (pictured) are currently searching the driver's apartment for explosives and also investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

Armed officers swooped the scene outside Munster's famous Kiepenkerl bar and statue today after the deadly attack

In the immediate aftermath of the attack one eyewitness told the local MDR TV channel: 'I heard a loud, dull blow and simultaneously people cried out, 'Oh my God!' A minute later, patrol cars were already there.'

A student named Lena, 21, told Bild newspaper: 'I was bike riding with friends when suddenly crying, screaming people came running towards us. 'Get away!' they shouted.

'Someone has driven into people, there is a terror attack.' We got out of there and didn't see much but feared another bomb would blow up or that we would be shot at.'

Meanwhile Munster's university hospital called on citizens to donate blood to help them treat the injured.

There were more police than usual in the city on Saturday to monitor a protest by Kurdish demonstrators that took place near the scene of the incident.

After the carnage unfolded, police officers also said they were investigating witness reports that two other perpetrators may have fled from the van.

A video emerged on social media from an unidentified area of the city showing armed police shouting at a man to 'get down' in English.

SWAT teams are pictured preparing to raid the dead driver's apartment in the city of Munster after he drove into crowds

Police (pictured) are currently searching the driver's apartment for explosives and also investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

The suspect is seen putting his hands in the air and dropping to the ground before officers with guns surround him. His identity and link to the incident is not yet known.

The Kurdish protest took place near the city's main train station, only a short distance away from the Kiepenkerl square, just before the attack.

Matt Scoville, 23, who lives in Munster, told MailOnline locals were speculating about two suspects on the run.

He said: 'I saw the 30 or 40 police officers and their vans around 3.15pm and wondered what was going on.

'But after I'd gone inside I started to get messages from friends saying 'don't go out, there's been a car bomb and two people are on the run.' I was terrified.'

Restaurant chairs and tables are seen strewn across the area outside Munster's famous Kiepenkerl statue and pub

Several police vans could be seen in the centre of the picturesque medieval city of 300,000 people as the carnage unfolded

Police cordons are in place as a wide-scale investigation descends on the city. Officers say they are not looking for any more suspects and the 'danger appears to be over'

Munster's Lord Mayor Markus Lewe said his sympathies were with victims and their families.

He said: 'The whole of Munster mourns this terrible event, our sympathy goes out to the relatives of those who were killed, and we wish the injured people fast and speedy recovery.'

A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel says 'our thoughts are with the victims and their families' who were killed and injured when a vehicle crashed into a crowd in the western German city of Munster.

Spokesman Ulrike Demmer on Twitter called the crash Saturday 'terrible news.'

'I am shocked by the news from Munster,' said Andrea Nahles, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: 'All my thoughts are with the victims of the attack in Muenster. France shares in Germany's suffering.'

Erich Rettinghaus, chairman of the German police trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia, said: 'There was always a latent high risk of attack throughout Germany. Now it has also hit our state.

'We were fortunately always able to prevent planned assassinations and attacks in advance, but it has not succeeded this time.

'It is now necessary to clarify and, above all, to arrest accomplices to this crime and to prevent further possible outrages.'

Six people are in critical condition and dozens more are injured after the vehicle was driven at high speed towards families outside a traditional German restaurant in the university town, 300 miles west of Berlin

Emergency vehicles were scrambled to the scene after reports of the attack spread through the city in western Germany

It is not yet known if the incident is terror related, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks across western Europe

Rescuers are pictured waiting for more information on the deadly incident in Munster's old town this afternoon

Firefighters pictured walking in downtown Munster, Germany today after several people were killed by a van

Police (pictured) are investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

Fire engines are pictured ready to back up police after a van crashed into crowds outside restaurants in Munster

It is not yet known if the incident is terror related, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks across western Europe

Munster is approximately 300 miles west of Berlin in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany

Vehicle attacks to hit Europe in the last four years German police have not yet revealed a motive for the attack in Munster, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks in western Europe. Here MailOnline looks back at similar incidents across the continent over the last four years: April 7, 2018 - A man drives a van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the old city centre of Munster in Germany, killing several of them before taking his own life, police say, a year to the day after the Stockholm truck attack. March 23, 2018 - A gunman kills three people in southwestern France after holding up a car, firing on police and taking hostages in a supermarket, screaming 'Allahu Akbar'. Security forces storm the building and kill him. Aug 17, 2017 - A van ploughs into crowds in the heart of Barcelona, killing at least 13 people, a regional official says, in what police said they were treating as a terrorist attack. June 3, 2017 - Three attackers ram a van into pedestrians on London Bridge then stab revellers in nearby bars, killing eight people and injuring at least 48. Islamic State says its militants are responsible. May 22, 2017 - A suicide bomber kills 22 children and adults and wounds 59 at a packed concert hall in the English city of Manchester, as crowds began leaving a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande. April 7, 2017 - A truck drives into a crowd on a shopping street and crashes into a department store in central Stockholm, killing five people and wounding 15 in what police call a terrorist attack. March 22, 2017 - An attacker stabs a policeman close to the British parliament in London after a car ploughs into pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge. Six people die, including the assailant and the policeman he stabbed, and at least 20 are injured in what police call a 'marauding terrorist attack'. Dec 19, 2016 - A truck ploughs into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says authorities are assuming it was a terrorist attack. July 26, 2016 - Two attackers kill a priest with a blade and seriously wound another hostage in a church in northern France before being shot dead by French police. French President Francois Hollande says the two hostage-takers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. July 24, 2016 - A Syrian man wounds 15 people when he blows himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach in southern Germany. Islamic State claims responsibility. July 22, 2016 - An 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman apparently acting alone kills at least nine people in Munich. The teenager had no Islamist ties but was obsessed with mass killings. The attack was carried out on the fifth anniversary of twin attacks by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik that killed 77 people. July 18, 2016 - A 17-year-old Afghan refugee wielding an axe and a knife attacks passengers on a train in southern Germany, severely wounding four, before being shot dead by police. Islamic State claims responsibility. July 14, 2016 - A gunman drives a heavy truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing 86 people and injuring scores more in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The attacker is identified as a Tunisian-born Frenchman. June 14, 2016 - A Frenchman of Moroccan origin stabs a police commander to death outside his home in a Paris suburb and kills his partner, who also worked for the police. The attacker told police negotiators during a siege that he was answering an appeal by Islamic State. March 22, 2016 - Three Islamic State suicide bombers, all Belgian nationals, blow themselves up at Brussels airport and in a metro train in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people. Police find links with attacks in Paris the previous November. Nov 13, 2015 - Paris is rocked by multiple, near simultaneous gun-and-bomb attacks on entertainment sites around the city, in which 130 people die and 368 are wounded. Islamic State claims responsibility. Two of the 10 known perpetrators were Belgian citizens and three others were French. Jan 7-9, 2015 - Two Islamist militants break into an editorial meeting of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7 and rake it with bullets, killing 17. Another militant kills a policewoman the next day and takes hostages at a supermarket on Jan. 9, killing four before police shoot him dead. May 24, 2014 - Four people are killed in a shooting at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels. The attacker was French national Mehdi Nemmouche, 29, who was subsequently arrested in Marseille, France. Extradited, he is awaiting trial in Belgium. Advertisement

In the immediate aftermath, police confirmed there had been casualties but did not immediately say what happened.

'There are deaths and injured. Please avoid the area, we are on scene,' the regional police service wrote on Twitter.

Interior Minister Herbert Reul is pictured making a statement on today's attack in the old town area of Munster

Where is the city of Munster? It is understood a vehicle ploughed into a crowded pub near the Kiepenkerl statue in the old town Munster is a city of around 300,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia, to the west of Germany near the border with the Netherlands. Around a fifth of the population are students, and there are four universities within the city. It is also known as the bicycle capital of Germany. The city is famous for its Friedenssaal (peace hall) in the city hall, where some treaties within the Peace of Westphalia were signed back in October 1648. These treaties ended both the Thirty Years War, the war between the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies and various Protestant powers including Sweden, and the Eighty Years War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.

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Police vans flooded downtown Munster as they rushed to deal with the situation and emergency services warned people to stay away from the area

Ambulances also rushed to the scene following reports that at least 30 people were injured in the incident
A 12-year-old Queensland boy bullied over his red hair has tried to kill himself twice in the last month.

Brian Birchall, who has been to seven different schools in seven years, hasn't been to class in the past six weeks because of relentless bullying.

'It started with my red hair... then there were names, then it turned into fights and then it would just get worse and worse and worse,' Brian told Lisa Wilkinson on The Project on Sunday night.

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Brian Birchall (pictured) has tried to kill himself twice in the last month, has been to seven different schools in seven years and was relentlessly bullied at four of them

Brian (pictured) told Lisa Wilkinson it started in Year 3 after bullies picked on his red hair, before it quickly escalated into physical fights

The Queensland boy's mother, Patrina Benton, (pictured) doesn't know what else she can do to help her young son

Sustained bullying has left Brian self-harming as a way to 'let out the anger'. He is pictured here with Lisa Wilkinson

The Year Eight student from Gympie is also self-harming to 'let out the anger'.

'I hit myself in the head because I really want to fight these kids because I'm absolutely fed up with them ... it's gotten too much,' Brian said.

The boy's distressed mother, Patrina Benton, has been forced to keep her son at home as the only way to avoid the constant bullying.

'If I am breaking the law by keeping my son safe, come and charge me, lock me up,' she told Network Ten.

'He doesn't have to be school captain, he just has to be at school.

'There's nowhere else for us to go... you have to sit back and watch your kid hurt themselves because you can't find them the help. Where do you go?'

Ms Benton said they had tried everything - from changing schools, reporting the incidents to the police and notifying the Queensland Education Department - all without any results.

Earlier this month, the 12-year-old's older brother, Murray Benton, posted an emotional message online - which was shared 90,000 times - about his little brother's suicide attempts.

'For months now this little guy has been bullied at school, he has been pushed around, been called names, been involved in both group and one on one fights, been made the laughing stock in front of his peers and the list goes on,' Mr Benton wrote.

Ms Benton (pictured together) has been forced to keep her young son at home for the last six weeks as the only way for him to avoid the constant bullying

Earlier this month, the 12-year-old's older brother, Murray Benton (pictured together), shared an emotional post online about his little brother's suicide attempts and started a campaign

'My brother has been pushed to the point where he would rather turn to self harm opposed to returning to school.'

On the final day of school last year, Brian was brutally bashed by six boys for 'about three minutes'.

'I went into the school that afternoon (and) that group of kids ... mocked me while I was walking up the stairs,' Ms Benton told The Project co-host.

Instead of going to school, Brian is spending his days playing video games to fill in time.

Celebrities, including Ed Sheeran who arranged to meet Brian (pictured together), have supported the campaign from all over the world as a way to shed light on the taboo topic

Ms Benton said they had tried everything to help Brian (pictured) escape the bullies, including reporting it to police, however nothing has been done to help the young child

Mr Benton, formerly a property consultant, has since launched the campaign - Fight the Good Fight Against Bullying - to shed a spotlight on the shocking problem.

'I truly believe from our experience, Gympie State High School has done nothing to support or protect their students and families against repetitive bullying,' he wrote online.

Celebrities, including Ed Sheeran who arranged to meet Brian, have supported the campaign from all over the world.

The nation-wide bullying epidemic was brought to attention when Amy 'Dolly' Everett, the former face of Akubra Hats, took her own life aged 14 earlier this year over bullying.

'He doesn't have to be school captain, he just has to be at school,' Ms Benton (pictured) said

Mr Benton, formerly a property consultant, has since launched the campaign - Fight the Good Fight Against Bullying - to shed a spotlight on the taboo topic (pictured Brian)

A Queensland Education Department spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia they could not comment on individual cases.

'Gympie State High School is committed to providing a safe, respectful and disciplined learning environment for students and staff,' they said.

'Bullying is not tolerated in Queensland state schools.

'Any situation that threatens the safety and wellbeing of students is treated extremely seriously and dealt with as a matter of urgent priority.'

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Kids Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Sealed-off zones in Salisbury, the town where an ex-Russian spy and his daughter were poisoned, are now infested with rats.

People are still banned from going into the areas meaning that pest control officers cannot deal with the rats.

Wiltshire Council confirmed that the centre of Salisbury is faced with a desperate vermin problem as a result of the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia.

Areas near the centre of Salisbury are still sealed off by police and they are now reportedly infested with rats

However, the area is still cordoned off as authorities continue their investigation into the poisoning.

Reports say that large number of rats have set-up home in the sealed-off areas with more being seen everyday.

Officials said that the vermin have been emboldened as there are no people to 'scare them off'.

The area near the Mill pub has been described as 'particularly bad'.

The area near the Mill pub has been described as particularly bad but pest control officers are unable to enter and deal with the problem

Pest control officers are still banned from the area to avoid contamination from the nerve agent.

So, it could be weeks until the problem is dealt with.

Public Health England has been informed.

Wiltshire Council said: 'There are no people to scare them off. It will be dealt with. It will be dealt with by the decontamination.

'We cannot send pest control officers into those areas at the moment because of the risk of contamination.'
Hitchhiker killer Francis Wark (pictured) 'without a shadow of a doubt' had more victims than he has been punished for, a former investigating police officer has claimed

The man who murdered 17-year-old Hayley Dodd in 1999 may have had more victims, a former investigating police officer has said.

Eddie Rowe, who headed up the brief murder investigation launched after Ms Dodd went missing from the side of the road in rural Western Australia, told 60 Minutes her killer Frank Wark 'without a shadow of a doubt' had more victims.

Wark was jailed over Hayley's murder in January after a re-opened investigation brought new and heavily damning evidence to light, placing Hayley in his car before her untimely death.

The man had been investigated at the time, but when the murder investigation into her disappearance was downgraded to a missing persons case, Wark was able to flee - and act again.

Downgrading the investigation also meant police were not able to properly explore the evidence they had taken, which included the car seat covers from Wark's car and scrapings from the inside of the vehicle.

Former major crime squad Detective Sargent Edward Rowe said he still thinks about what he could have stopped had he been able to solve the mystery of Hayley Dodd's disappearance all those years ago.

'It's hard to think about the what ifs - it still gives me goosebumps... what if we'd solved it in 1999?,' he said.

'The things we could have done, could have done personally.'

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Wark, a convicted rapist, was jailed for at least 21 years after murdering Western Australian teenager Hayley Dodd (pictured). He had picked her up on the side of the road in July 1999

Police initially treated Hayley's disappearance as a murder, but it was later downgraded to a missing persons case and evidence was not properly examined, leaving Wark free to flee the state and act again

Investigator Eddie Rowe (pictured) says he is sure Wark has more victims

Eight years later, Wark was arrested after raping another woman, who spoke to the program under the pseudonym Andrea.

Andrea had also been hitchhiking, this time in far north Queensland, when she was picked up by Wark.

The woman was taken back to his home, on an isolated property, as he said he needed to refuel. There, she was held captive for six hours, bashed and raped repeatedly.

Andrea said she knew she was dealing with a man who had committed similar crimes before from a passing comment he made as she fought to escape.

'After I stopped him hitting me, he said I was feisty. He said he liked me because I fought back,' she said.

'And that's when I thought, "He's done this before to someone else".'

When Andrea was dragged into Wark's bedroom, the man had ropes already tied to his bed. Over the next few hours, Andrea used a locket on her wrist to loosen the knots that kept her bound.

Andrea, who has changed her name to protect her privacy, was held captive and repeatedly raped by Wark for six hours just eight years after he killed Hayley

Wark was serving time behind bars for his crimes against Andrea when investigators were finally able to link him to the death of Hayley Dodd

During her ordeal, Wark had fought to procure just one of Andrea's earrings - something investigators would eventually find was another direct parallel to Hayley's case.

It wasn't until 2013 Hayley's case was eventually re-opened and Wark's car seat covers from 1999 were finally examined. In the material, detectives found one earring the teenager had been wearing that day.

On January 30 Wark, who had already been serving time behind bars for Andrea's horrific rape and assault, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Hayley Dodd.

And while he has pleaded guilty to killing the teenager, the cruel criminal has refused to tell her family what he did with her body.

After being pressed multiple times on whether Wark would have struck again between his attacks on Hayley and Andrea, Detective Rowe was confident he had.

'Without a shadow of a doubt, there will be others.'
Alison Levitt QC, pictured, lobbied Theresa May while working for the parents of the 14-year-old pupil who accused a teacher of rape

The senior barrister tipped to be the next Director of Public Prosecutions lobbied Theresa May to step up an investigation into an innocent teacher falsely accused of raping a pupil.

Alison Levitt QC has been earmarked as a replacement for under-fire Alison Saunders, who is quitting after criticism of the Crown Prosecution Services handling of a string of high-profile rape cases which collapsed.

Now it has emerged Ms Levitt, while working for the wealthy parents of a 14-year-old pupil who accused teacher Kato Harris of rape, wrote to May about the case.

In an email sent in March 2015, Ms Levitt  a partner with leading law firm Mishcon de Reya  lambasted the police for not seizing Mr Harriss phone and computer, describing it as an astonishing error and criticised the woeful pace of the investigation.

The email was sent to a chief superintendent at the Metropolitan Police and copied to May, then Home Secretary.

Last night, Mr Harris said: Sending the email to Theresa May was quite clearly an attempt by Levitt to lobby her and influence the police.

It is not befitting of someone who could become Britains next top prosecutor.

Mr Harris, whose career was destroyed by the false allegations, was cleared by a jury in just 15 minutes and a judge later ruled that Levitt had placed enormous pressure on the CPS and the police to pursue the prosecution, which he described as improper.

Kato Harris was falsely accused and later cleared in just 15 minutes, he has since described Ms Levitt as 'your worst nightmare'

In the email, Ms Levitt also claimed: All the circumstances of this case indicate that there are likely to be other victims; furthermore as the suspect is still teaching, he presents an ongoing danger to young girls. Details of Ms Levitts email have emerged in a letter Mr Harris has himself sent to the PM warning against the appointment of Ms Levitt.

Mr Harris writes: You have a golden opportunity to make a fresh start, to bring in an untainted person whom the media can laud and the public can trust. Ms Levitt is not that person. To a victim of a false accusation, Ms Saunders was a bad dream. Ms Levitt would be your worst nightmare. The Mail on Sunday reported in January that Mr Harris had branded Ms Levitt hypocritical over comments she made following the collapse of two high-profile rape cases.

Ms Levitt had raised concerns on Radio 4 over the police policy of automatically believing rape complainants, warning a rigid mind-set could lead them to miss significant material that could clear defendants.

Yet Mr Harris pointed out that, before he was cleared in court in 2016, Ms Levitt had demanded detectives contact every pupil he had ever taught and pressed officers to seize his computer  despite warnings from the police that the case was flimsy.

The judge in Mr Harriss trial later recorded that he was at a loss to see how the CPS decided there was sufficient evidence to provide a realistic prospect of conviction and described the decision to prosecute the teacher as an unnecessary or improper act.

Despite their actions, the judge added that there was nothing to suggest those acting for the complainants parents acted improperly or that their actions prevented the police and CPS from conducting a proper inquiry.

Mishcon did not respond to questions for Ms Levitt. A spokesman for Attorney General Jeremy Wright, who will appoint a new DPP, said: A candidate will be appointed as part of a fair and open competition. All applications will be assessed on merit.

A Downing Street spokesman said: The PM as Home Secretary was forwarded this correspondence for information only and had no involvement in the case.
A female member for parliament is kicking back against a proposed renaming of her electorate that would see her become the member for Cox.

The Australian Electorate Commission proposed a series of major changes to the Corangamite electorate on Friday as part of a major overhaul of divisional boundaries in Victoria.

Among those proposed changes was the renaming of the Shire of Corangamite to the Shire of Cox, in honour of historic Australian swim instructor May Cox.

A proposed renaming of a Victorian electorate would see the area dubbed the Shire of Cox - and make Liberal MP Sarah Henderson the member for Cox

The new title was one of several proposed major changes to the Corangamite electorate as part of a major overhaul of divisional boundaries in Victoria

But Sarah Henderson, Liberal MP for Corangamite, has astutely pointed out that the name change could have awkward implications as far as her title is concerned.

And she's not the only one to have made that observation.

Ms Henderson said the proposed name had already prompted 'some ridicule' on social media, with many in the political set also taking note of the unfortunate double entendres it implied, the Herald Sun reports.

'Clearly no one at the AEC has a teenage boy,' said one MP.

Ms Henderson is kicking back against the proposals, claiming the name change would be inappropriate and had already elicited 'some ridicule' on social media

The electorate's current name, Corangamite, is an Aboriginal word meaning 'salty lake', taken from nearby Lake Corangamite.

Ms Henderson claimed it was important to honour the Aboriginal history and heritage by keeping the name as it is.

But the Redistribution Committee for Victoria, while loathe to change the name, said the seat's boundaries had changed so much much that it was no longer even connected to Lake Corangamite.

In a statement on Friday, the committee said: 'The Redistribution Committee considers 'Cox' to be an appropriate name for an electoral division focused on Victoria's Surf Coast, due to May Cox's contributions to teaching swimming and lifesaving and her strong connections to Queenscliff.'
A mother-of-three almost bled to death days just after having a common contraceptive device implanted into her uterus.

Shannon Hubbard, from the Sunshine Coast, expected minor blood spotting after getting an Intra Uterine Device (IUD) also known as a Mirena inserted to prevent pregnancy.

Instead, the 25-year-old found herself gushing out blood and filling up super pads within 40 minutes.

Shannon Hubbard, 25, expected minor blood spotting after getting an Intra Uterine Device (IUD) also known as a Mirena inserted to prevent pregnancy

The mother-of-three was shocked when blood was gushing out after the contraception device had been inserted

'My thoughts were, I don't have time for this. I had to pick my son up from school, cook dinner and put them to bed,' she told the Daily Mail Australia.

'When the bleeding didn't stop and got worse then I thought "something is really wrong here".'

Ms Hubbard had the device inserted on March 22, and just three days later she was in hospital bleeding to death.

The mother said she felt no pain after the device was inserted, but the sheer amount of blood she was losing was a red flag.

When the bleeding didn't stop she rushed to the emergency room for help.

By the time they got her to a bed in the hospital she had bled through a maternity pad, her pants, and the wheelchair seat was covered in blood.

She was rushed to hospital, by the time they got her to a bed in the hospital she had bled through the maternity pad, her pants, and the wheelchair seat was covered in blood

Shannon Hubbard: 'My GP suggested it might work for me as it is localised and therefore less likely to have side effects such as mood swings that I experienced on the pill,'

Doctors removed the device in an attempt to correct the damage, but it got worse.

She then underwent a second surgery to insert a balloon catheter in a bid to stop the bleeding.

'By this stage the clots were enormous, one was about eight centimetres,' she said.

Mrs Hubbard had another massive bleed and she began to lose consciousness while in hospital.

At this point blood was 'pouring out' of her body and doctors were working hard to keep her alive.

After undergoing a third surgery, she was then taken to the ICU, where she was incubated as they pumped more than 17 bags of blood in her.

'None of the doctors said I was dying until after I had my third surgery, by then it was in reflection and hit me very hard,' she said.

The mother said she is devastated about the risk involved if she fell pregnant again.

According to doctors, the bleeding couldn't be controlled and she had to under-go a third surgery to implant a bigger balloon catheter

The 25-year-old can no longer have children without a very high risk, she said if she knew the implications of the IUD she would have never got it inserted

The complications from having the IUD inserted now means the mother may not be able to have any more children, as her pregnancy would be very high risk due to the damage to her uterus.

She said: 'I can no longer has children without a very high risk, had I known the increased risks for breastfeeding and postpartum mothers I never would have made the choice to get it.'

Mrs Hubbard said she was recommended IUD as a alternative solution by her doctor.

'My GP suggested it might work for me as it is localised and therefore less likely to have side effects such as mood swings that I experienced on the pill,' she said.

She hopes her near-death experience with the contraceptive brings awareness to the about the implant.

'Discuss with your doctor the increased risks for women who have just had a baby, and or breastfeeding mothers, also, discuss the position of your uterus and make sure they are aware and insert it accordingly'.
Footage of hundreds of Australian sheep, cramped together and dying aboard a squalid live export ship, has shone the light on 'shocking' failures of the industry.

The sector is now being pressured to meet higher standards - or face a blockade.

The video, filmed by a navigation officer aboard multiple voyages from Australia to the Middle East, reportedly shows thousands of animals packed into ship's pens - panting in the extreme heat.

More than 1300 sheep allegedly died in two days during an intense heatwave in the Persian Gulf.

The navigation officer told Nine Network's 60 Minutes program that crew fainted while the sheep, unable to leave the boat, were essentially being 'put in an oven'.

Footage of hundreds of Australian sheep, cramped together and dying aboard a squalid live export ship, has shone the light on 'shocking' failures of the industry

More than 1300 sheep allegedly died in two days during an intense heatwave in the Persian Gulf

Crew members are seen tossing carcasses from the boat into the sea while others fight for food or collapse and die in filth below deck.

It is alleged Emanuel Exports was behind one of the recorded journeys.

Industry regulations forbid pregnant sheep being exported on the ships but the footage shows young lambs crammed in with the flock.

'I have seen a lot of little young lambs die - they've been crushed under the feet of other animals,' the officer said in a video diary aired by 60 Minutes.

'It's so distressing.'

Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said he was 'shocked and deeply disturbed' by the vision.

Crew members are seen tossing carcasses from the boat into the sea while others fight for food or collapse and die in filth below deck

'This is the livelihood of Australian farmers that are on that ship - that's their pride and joy,' Federal Minister for Agriculture David Littleproud said in a video statement posted on Twitter

'This is the livelihood of Australian farmers that are on that ship - that's their pride and joy,' he said in a video statement posted on Twitter.

'And it's total bulls*** what I saw taking place.'

The minister has requested an urgent briefing from his department and the industry.

He said he would take 'strong action' against exporters, regulators or crew who failed to fulfil their responsibilities.

An Emanuel Exports ship, which is yet to depart, carrying 65,000 live sheep and 250 cattle to the Middle East will be blocked from leaving Australia if the export company fails to meet strict new conditions

An Emanuel Exports ship carrying 65,000 live sheep and 250 cattle to the Middle East will be blocked from leaving Australia if the export company fails to meet strict new conditions.

The Agriculture Department wants the amount of stock on the ship to be reduced, and independently gathered video and photographs of conditions sent to the department every day after it sets sail.

Emanuel will need departmental approval to export its current shipment, which is due to leave Fremantle for Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman and Qatar on Tuesday.
New South Wales Police have hit back at would-be thugs after a veteran officer was targeted in a brazen incident last night.

Acting Inspector Matt Ireland was on-duty alone when he was set upon by the group of three men after allegedly trying to break up a drug-fuelled street brawl.

The attack happened near Mount Druitt in Sydney's west shortly after midnight and saw one of the men hurl a glass bottle at the officer, leaving him with a serious head wound.

A New South Wales police officer was assaulted when trying to break up a brawl between two men in Emerton

A third man then allegedly smashed the acting Inspector over the head with a glass bottle, causing the officer to lose consciousness and need eight stitches in hospital

Inspector Sean Gabin said the embattled force has had enough being on the receiving end of violence, the likes of which it aims to stop

In response to the incident, Inspector Sean Gabin told Nine News that the embattled force has had enough being on the receiving end of violence, the likes of which it aims to stop.

'Look, we are going and doing our job just like everybody else. We're not punching bags for thugs,' he said.

'It's a gutless attack. It's mindless. It's concerning that people think that's okay.'

'It's sad that he's gone to intervene and try and help people and this is what's occurred. He's just been out doing a general patrol of the area.'

The confrontation forced Act. Inspt. Ireland to defend himself with pepper spray in a bid to stop the situation from escalating.

The attack follows speculation police forces across Australia are planning to beef up security detail with officers to carry military-style rifles in a bid to combat violence.

Police have arrested a 26-year-old man but he was released pending further investigation. Police are still looking for the men involved

Last week, Victoria Police flagged the possibility of arming its force with the upgraded weaponry on the grounds it may 'enhance (their) abilities to respond to a major security incident or terrorism attack.'

However, in the case of Act. Insp. Ireland his attackers fled the scene well before Police back-up including the riot squad and the dog unit arrived at the scene.

While two of the thugs remain on the run, a third was captured by police and arrested, 'shirtless and covered in blood,' according to police.
A Spanish MEP has vented his anger over a German court's decision to free ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont by questioning the worth of the European Union.

Esteban Gonzalez Pons, a member of Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy's Partido Popular party, said freedom of movement in Europe made no sense if the European Arrest Warrant system did not work.

He also insisted Europe 'lost its 'purpose' if countries in the EU started questioning others.

Gonzalez Pons, vice-chair of the European People's Party Group, launched his astonishing attack at the National Convention of the PP in Seville during a meeting with Erasmus students.

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Esteban Gonzalez Pons (pictured) said freedom of movement in Europe made no sense if the European Arrest Warrant system did not work

He spoke out after a court in Schleswig-Holstein in the north of Germany rejected Spain's extradition request for Puigdemont so he could stand trial for rebellion, ruling the equivalent crime under German law did not apply because the pro-independence politician's actions were not accompanied by violence.

The country's justice system is still studying Spain's request to have Puigdemont flown back to Madrid to face trial for alleged misuse of public funds linked to the Catalan Parliament's unilateral declaration of independence last October.

Gonzalez Pons claimed on Saturday, in quotes widely echoed in the Spanish press: 'If the European Arrest Warrant system doesn't work, the Schengen Area and the elimination of border controls doesn't work.'

He added: 'If the European Union involves some member states questioning others, the EU loses its purpose.'

He spoke out after a court in Schleswig-Holstein in the north of Germany rejected Spain's extradition request for Carles Puigdemont (pictured)

He also accused Puigdemont of trying to pull off a coup d'etat, insisting it was not Spain's problem if there was an EU member state which considered illegally overthrowing an existing government was not a crime, but the problem of that country.

Gonzalez Pons' outburst was the strongest yet by any of Mariano Rajoy's staunchest allies since the German court decision on Puigdemont's extradition.

The 55-year-old father-of-two was freed from prison on bail on Friday and has said he will now remain in Berlin while Spain's extradition request is resolved.

He was arrested a fortnight ago on foot of a European Arrest Warrant as was driven into Germany on his way back to his Belgium hideaway after giving a conference in Finland.

He went into self-imposed exile in Belgium last year after fleeing Spain following the Catalan Parliament's unilateral declaration of independence, which led to the removal of his government and Madrid's imposition of direct rule over the region.

Former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont attends a press conference in Berlin on Saturday after the Schleswig-Holstein state's General Prosecutor ordered his release

Before Gonzalez Pons' attack, Spain's Foreign Minister Alfonso Dastis had a moan at German Justice Minister Katerina Barley after she branded the decision of the Schleswig-Holstein court 'correct.'

He described her comments as 'unfortunate', saying she was expressing political opinions about decisions which should be the exclusive remit of judges.

Last month, Gonzalez Pons attacked Britain over Brexit.

He was quoted as saying: 'It is the most selfish decision taken in the years since Winston Churchill saved Europe with the blood and tears of the English.

'Europe is to a market, it is the desire to live together. To leave Europe isn't leaving a market, it's leaving the dreams that we share.'
US to suffer loss of future opportunities in automobile industry if losing Chinese market

The US will suffer the loss of future opportunities in the automobile industry if it loses the Chinese market, said Dong Yang, executive vice chairman of China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) on April 6.

China and the US are complementary in their automobile cooperation which was supposed to achieve win-win results, he added.

According to Dong, the two countries have witnessed enhanced cooperation in this field in recent years, and General Motor (GM) was a good example.

The company established their own R&D center in Shanghai, and the new products manufactured thereat have been exported to South Africa. More than 30,000 units produced by GMs joint venture in China were sold in the US in 2017.

As a result, the automobile cooperation between the two countries not only covers the Chinese market, it also helps US carmakers expand their shares in other developing countries.

Currently, GM, Ford, and Chrysler have respectively sold 4 million, 930,000, and 150,000 units in China. Were it not because of the Chinese market, these three major car producers would have not been able to remain first-class companies, Dong noted.

CAAM assistant secretary general Xu Haidong believes that the escalated trade friction between China and the US will definitely have direct negative impacts on US vehicle exports to China.

The market share of US vehicle brands in China is lower than that of the German and Japanese carmakers, and the US may lose this huge market after the trade war, Xu said, adding that such a situation will help the growth of local Chinese brands.

China is the worlds largest market for new energy vehicles (NEV) and boasts the best environment and infrastructure for NEV development, Xu noted. He predicted that the country will also be a leader in smart pilot technology developments, clarifying that losing the market means losing opportunities.
SAS soldiers in Syria have allegedly killed 12 jihadis in a revenge attack after Sergeant Matt Tonroe, pictured, was killed in Manbij, Syria

SAS soldiers in Syria have allegedly killed 12 jihadis in revenge attacks after a British sniper specialist was killed by an ISIS roadside bomb last month.

Last month Special Air Service Sniper Matt Tonroe from Manchester was killed in the northern city of Manbij.

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.

A joint British and US task force have allegedly killed a dozen terrorists during a series of raids on bomb factories near where Sgt Tonroe was killed, reports the Daily Star Sunday.

A source told the Daily Star: 'The attacks have been unrelenting  assaults are being launched night and day. Were not giving the terrorists room to breathe or recover.

'These are kill-not-capture missions. Every operation throws up more intelligence and that is used for the next operation. We are hitting them from the ground and air.

'They can run but they cant hide. If they fight they die.'

The source also claimed that all SAS soldiers based in the country have asked to be sent to the area so they can take revenge.

At least six terrorists died after a drone strike on a bomb factory, and another two terrorists were killed by SAS snipers while laying a roadside bomb.

A Ministry of Defence spokesperson told The Sun: 'We neither confirm nor deny reports of UK Special Forces activity.'

Sgt Tonroe belonged to the SASs B Squadron and had served in British Special Forces units for eight years, according to defence sources. 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 has 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.'
Speaking to a crowd after the preliminary results were announced, Mr Orban (pictured) said his party had won an 'extraordinary victory'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has hailed an 'extraordinary victory' after his party was projected to win a landslide victory in elections.

With almost 98 percent of votes counted, Orban's Fidesz party has won 48.81 per cent of the vote, the National Election Office (NVI) said, surpassing even the expectations of many within Fidesz.

This is expected to translate to 134 seats in parliament.

Nationalist party Jobbik is predicted to 27 seats, the election office's website said, while the socialist party was expected to win 20 seats.

Jobbik's chairman, Gabor Vona, resigned in the wake of the result.

'Jobbik's goal, to win the elections and force a change in government, was not achieved,' Vona told a late-night news conference. 'Fidesz won. It won again.'

Speaking to a crowd in Budapest after the preliminary results were announced, Mr Orban said his party had won an 'extraordinary victory'.

He said: 'We have won. Hungary today has won a major victory - an extraordinary victory.

'It's now that we must be humble. We now have a major battle behind us - this has been a decisive win. We have created another opportunity and in the future we will be able to defend the interests of our country.

'Things are up and running and we know what path we're going to follow.'

Victorious Orban said: 'We have won. Hungary today has won a major victory - an extraordinary victory'

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban addresses the supporters after the announcement of the partial results of parliamentary election in Budapest

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, expected to win a third consecutive term, and his wife Aniko Levai, vote at a polling station in a school in Budapest

Fidesz is seeking a third consecutive term in office and has won 49.15 per cent of votes, according the NVI, which said turnout had reached 68.80 per cent. Pictured: Crowds celebrate in Budapest

Hungarian citizens queue in the rain to cast their ballots in London as their country goes to the polls in a parliamentary election today

Opinion polls had consistently put Mr Orban and his right-wing Fidesz party 20 or more points clear of their nearest rivals, Jobbik, a far-right party which has been moving towards the centre, and the centre-left Socialists.

At end of his speech, Orban led the crowd in singing a song from the country's 1848 revolution, 'Long Live Hungarian Freedom'.

One supporter, 53-year-old Eva Halasz, said: 'Viktor is the only leader for Hungary, this proves he has the nation behind him, there is no-one in this country like him, there is no opposition here.'

France's far-right leader Marine Le Pen tweeted her congratulations on Sunday night, saying the 'reversal of values and mass immigration promoted by the EU has been rejected once again'.

Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders was also quick to welcome the 'excellent result'.

'These elections have proved that migration is indeed a winning card for Orban's Fidesz. In the current Hungarian context, migration prevails against all other issues, from corruption to healthcare,' analyst Andras Biro-Nagy from the Policy Solutions think-tank told AFP.

In terms of what a third Fidesz term may hold, Biro-Nagy said 'we should take seriously what Orban promised to his opponents [in a speech] on 15 March'.

In that speech, Orban had said he would take unspecified 'moral, political and legal' measures against his opponents after the vote, prompting fears of a crackdown on opposition.

Nationalist leader Mr Orban claims the opposition, collaborating with the United Nations, the European Union and philanthropist George Soros, wants to turn Hungary into an 'immigrant country,' threatening its security and Christian identity.

Orban will likely seize on the results as vindication of his clashes with EU institutions over his hardline anti-immigration policies and rejection of the EU's refugee resettlement programme, as well as his moves to clamp down on civil society groups.

An Orban victory will also provide a fillip for other nationalist politicians and those on the far-right who look to him as an inspiration.

All 199 seats in the Hungarian parliament were up for grabs, with the opposition keen to make sure Mr Orban's bloc does not win a super-majority which would allow the leader to push through further constitutional changes.

Previous constitutional changes have put Mr Orban on a collision course with Brussels, including moves to erode the independence of the media and the judiciary, as well as a crackdown on civil society groups, particularly those funded by Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros.

The government has been accused by critics of using anti-Semitic stereotypes in its relentless campaign against Mr Soros, who is Jewish.

Jobbik party leader Gabor Vona, main opponent to current Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and his wife Krisztina Vona-Szabo, arrive at a polling station in Gyongyos

Gergely Karacsony, right, the leading left-wing candidate for prime minister, casts his vote accompanied with his family at a polling station in Budapest

Gabor Vona of the Jobbik party said the question was not about migration but about the large number of Hungarians who were leaving the country and heading to Western Europe in search of higher wages and better prospects.

'Today will decide whether Hungary becomes an emigrant country or not - and I wouldn't like Hungary to be an emigrant country,' Mr Vona said.

Mr Orban has campaigned heavily on his unyielding anti-migration policies, though voters claim they are more concerned with poverty, government corruption and the country's underfunded health care system.

The PM's anti-migrant rhetoric resulted in February in a spat with the UN's top human rights official, who in February accused Mr Orban of xenophobia and racism.

The PM and his wife Aniko Levai were pictured voting at a school in Budapest this morning, while Hungarian citizens in London were seen queuing in the rain to cast their ballots.

Opposition leaders said they were encouraged by high early turnout.

First Lady Anita Herczegh and her husband, Hungarian President Janos Ader, who belongs to the same party as Orban, cast their ballots at a polling station in Budapest this morning

A voter approaches ballot boxes at a polling station in Budapest. Officials said the turnout at 11am local time was the highest since at least 1998

Supporters of the pro-European Union movement Pulse of Europe wave EU flags as they gather in front of the Brandenburg Gate to express their support for pro-European elements in Hungary

Orban, pictured in a car outside the polling station, could use a super-majority in the Hungarian parliament to push through further constitutional changes

Hungarian citizens were pictured waiting in long queues in the rain to cast their ballots in London, as their country went to the polls in a parliamentary election today

According to the National Election Office, 2.35 million voters had cast ballots by 11am local time, or 29.93 percent of those eligible. That was the highest turnout figure at that time since at least 1998.

'We are celebrating democracy and it seems like this feast will be beautiful because many of us are taking part,' said Gergely Karacsony, the leading candidate of the left-wing Socialist and Dialogue parties.

Jobbik's Mr Vona urged his supporters not to become complacent.

'Figures show that it will be an election with a high voter turnout. But this is not the time to sit back,' Mr Vona said after voting his home city of Gyonygyos in northern Hungary. 'This is when all those who want a change of government ... ask all those who have yet to vote to by all means go and vote.'

Uncertainties about Mr Orban's margin of victory are caused by Hungary's electoral system in which voters cast two ballots, one for an individual candidate in their region and another for a party list.

Opposition parties have urged Hungarians to vote tactically for the opposition candidate with the best chance to defeat the Fidesz candidate in the 106 individual districts. Another 93 seats will be distributed based on votes for entire party lists.

Some 8.3 million Hungarians are eligible to vote, with preliminary results expected on Sunday night.

Poland's rightwing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki was quick to congratulate his Hungarian counterpart Viktor Orban, Warsaw's closest ally in the EU, on winning a third straight term in a crushing electoral victory.

"The road to reform is never easy," Morawiecki tweeted, adding that "the support of the majority of society shows that it's worthwhile to make the effort."

"I wish you success, for Hungary and for Europe," said Morawiecki, leader of the Law and Justice (PiS) government which has cultivated close ties with Orban.

Poland and Hungary are allies in battles with EU institutions over their anti-migrant stance and drive for a more decentralised EU with greater powers for member states.

On a visit to Budapest Friday, Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Poland's governing PiS party, also gave Orban his endorsement.

In his victory speech on Sunday night, Orban himself thanked Kaczynski for his support.

Poland's government has had its own run-ins with Brussels over its changes to the judicial system.

Orban's nationalist Fidesz party won around 49 percent of the vote, an improvement on its score from four years ago. The result may even gift Fidesz a two-thirds majority in parliament, which would enable it to change the constitution.
A Welsh weightlifter overextended himself during a recent Commonwealth Games competition, collapsing on stage due to a lack of oxygen.

Joshua Parry, 27, was performing his first attempt at a 160kg lift during Sunday's Games.

Cameras captured the dramatic moment as the professional athlete lifted the weights to his shoulders and momentarily rested the bar on his windpipe.

Bracing to complete the lift, Parry suddenly throws the weights to the floor and collapses, crumpling backwards limply in the middle of the stage.

Welsh weightlifter was attempting a 160kg lift at the Commonwealth Games on Sunday

The 27-year-old was forced to abandon the lift at the last second after resting the bar on his windpipe for too long

After dumping the weights to the floor, Perry collapsed in the middle of the stage as staff rushed in to assist

Former Commonwealth Games Gold medallist Michaela Breeze, who was commentating the lift, calmly reassured viewers that the incident was not quite as serious as it appeared.

'What's happened, quite simply: not getting the oxygen in as he stood up. It makes it really hard to breathe when you've got the bar sitting heavy on the windpipe,' said Breeze, as doctors rushed to the stage to tend to the fallen Welshman.

'He will be absolutely fine... we don't need a paramedic on the stage - that's a little bit O.T.T.'

Perry received aid from staff behind a temporary curtain, and eventually managed to stand up and walk out of the event unassisted

Perry received aid from staff behind a temporary curtain, and eventually managed to stand up and walk out of the event unassisted.

He's since made a full recovery, but unfortunately not in time to have another attempt at the lift.

Steven Kari of Papua New Guinea went on to win the event.
A father-of-two-described by doctors as Britain's worst crash victim to survive, has recalled in detail his horrific injuries.

Adam Shailer, 36, was left with a mass of potentially fatal injuries after he collided with a Mercedes CLK head-on as he rode his motorbike.

The 1.4-tonne vehicle flipped, landing on top of the dad, leaving him with potentially life changing injuries, reports the Sunday Mirror.

Adam Shailer, 36, suffered numerous life threatening injuries after crashing into a Mercedes CLK near his home in Stilton, Cambridgeshire

Adam Shailer (with his wife Rachael and children Sabrina and James) suffered an array of gruesome injuries

When paramedics found Adam crumpled at the side of the road, he was calling for his daughter Sabrina, now five.

They found his pelvis had shattered into 29 pieces and he had suffered two spinal fractures, 18 broken ribs, a broken hip, knee and sternum and a ruptured femoral artery.

His liver and kidney were lacerated and his bowel had been squashed in two places.

Most gruesome of all, his urethra had been left 'hanging by a thread'.

One of his shoulders had been dislocated, he had air trapped in his chest cavity and bleeding lungs.

Only 20 minutes earlier he had kissed his wife Rachael, 35, and his newborn son James goodbye before leaving his home in Stilton Cambridgeshire.

'I remember asking the paramedic, 'Am I going to die today?' he recalled.

'You are categorically not going to die',' they replied - and they were right.

Adam was still conscious when the Magpas Air Ambulance crew landed at the scene just after 9am on August 9, 2016.

By some remarkable luck, the team had been in the area at the time off the horror smash.

Paramedics from Magpas Air Ambulance risked roadside surgery pumping saline into Adam's veins to keep his heart beating

Point of impact: Shailer struck the front left bumper of the vehicle which flipped onto him

Shailer's heart stopped twice as paramedics battled to save him after the horror smash

Adam suffered a catalogue of serious injuries - every one of which could have individually killed him. However, he survived and has made a remarkable recovery

Medics decided to risk roadside surgery. They pumped saline into his veins to keep his heart beating.

Then he was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

His heart stopped twice on the journey.

Magpas' critical care paramedic Dan Read said any one of Adam's myriad injuries could have killed him.

Surgeons operated on Adam 24 times over 12 weeks and the dad was placed in an induced coma for 13 days.

But today Adam looks a healthy man. Aside from a faint tread-mark scar across his stomach and a walking cane which never leaves his side, he has made a remarkable recovery.

Close to death: The 36-year-old father-of-two from Stilton had broken bones in his ribs, shoulders, hips and legs and damaged multiple internal organs

Shailer was airlifted to the Major Trauma Centre at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge

Adam has made a remarkable recovery since he was saved by Magdas Air Ambulance staff. L-R: Magpas Doctor Andy Lindsay, Adam Shailer and Magpas Critical Care Paramedic Dan Read

Heroes: Shailer was later reunited with members of the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust who helped save his life

He now takes every moment he can with his children. His son James was only two-weeks-old at the time of the crash.

'The recovery process for me is still hell,' he said.

'I can't explain the pain in my leg 24 hours a day. The only thing they will tell me is that the nerve is not severed so the body will have an opportunity to repair itself.'

His wife, Rachael, 35, remembered the gut-wrenching moment police arrived at her house.

'They said they needed to get me to hospital quickly. When they turned the sirens on and we were driving at 100mph I knew it was serious.'

Her husband would spend four months in hospital before being discharged six days before Christmas in 2016.

But that was not the end of his journey. He spent another 14 months in a wheelchair having regular intense physio. Doctors were unsure if he would ever walk again.

And even today Adam still suffers crippling pain from a damaged nerve in his leg.
Two pensioners have been slapped with an ASBO for putting plants and a welcome mat outside their home of 35 years.

John Whelan, 70, and his wife Alicia, 67, were handed an ASBO for trying to brighten up the communal areas of Sefton Park tower block in Liverpool in breach of fire regulations.

Former project manager Mr Whelan said the corridor has been left looking like a 'prison' since residents were ordered to remove any decorations.

An Anti-Social Behavioural Order (ASBO) was issued to Mr and Mrs Whelan in January which forbids the couple from 'placing any items in the communal areas'.

Mr Whelan claims the ASBO, which lasts for the lifetime of the couple's tenancy, could result in the couple being evicted if they were to break the conditions of the order.

John Whelan, pictured, and his wife Alicia were handed an ASBO for trying to brighten up the communal areas of Sefton Park tower block in Liverpool with a welcome mat

However, Your Housing Group stated that any eviction decision would be made by a judge and not by the housing association, in the event the couple did break the conditions of their order and found themselves back in court.

Residents are ordered to remove items from corridors and communal areas as part of a fire safety policy operated by Your Housing Group - the housing organisation responsible for the tower block.

Mr Whelan said the couple's landing used to be a 'delight', which was full of plants they had nurtured for years, and a colourful 'welcome' doormat.

He said: 'It's utterly ridiculous and completely disproportionate to the issue and it's a complete waste of resources on behalf of an organisation. The other aspect of it is, it's actually laughable.

'My kids got a badge made for me - "proud ASBO" - and everyone thinks it's an absolute joke. On a personal and emotional level it has not bothered us has such because we're involved in a bigger struggle. There's a lot of pressure to conform.'

Mrs Whelan suffers from a number of health conditions, and Mr Whelan claims his wife's poor health has been exacerbated by the removal of the plants.

The couple also kept plants outside their home. Mr Whelan has said that the landing is 'indistinguishable from a prison'

A spokesperson for Your Housing Group said: 'We have been working with Mr and Mrs Whelan for the past nine months to come to an agreement regarding the objects in the communal corridor.

'This is not about impinging on residents freedoms  they are free to display whatever plants they would like to inside their own homes and we encourage them to do this.

'In light of the Grenfell tragedy like many other housing associations we have been advised to make changes to our fire safety policy.

'Our fire safety policy is based on the assessment of professional independent fire risk assessors and advice from the fire service.

'The advice from the fire experts is that corridors and stairways that form part of an escape route in tower blocks must be kept clear and hazard-free at all times.

'As a landlord we have a legal obligation to ensure that our residents can safely evacuate the building in the event of a fire when time is of the essence and visibility is dramatically reduced by smoke.

'Corridors must also be clear of obstruction so that fire fighters can safely evacuate residents while fighting a fire.'

Speaking about the changes to York House's communal spaces, Mr Whelan said: 'Now our landing is indistinguishable from a prison - and our dark blue front door, amidst the bare cream walls and the echoing space, sadly emphasises the feeling that our home is now a cell.

He added: 'In blocks like mine, what used to be a "social landlord" is driving yet another nail into the coffin of "community" and becoming a mix of policeman and jailer.'
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has now lost his 30th consecutive newspoll.

When former Prime Minister Tony Abbott lost the same amount of polls in September 2015, Mr Turnbull used the loss to roll him for the top job.

'The one thing that is clear about our current situation is the trajectory. We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row,' Mr Turnbull said at the time.

'It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership.'

Malcolm Turnbull has lost his 30th Newspoll in a row - the benchmark he used to roll former Prime Minister Tony Abbott in September 2015

Mr Abbott, now a back bencher, has said multiple times he will not attempt to regain his former office through another leadership spill.

The Newspoll will be an added stress for the Coalition, who have recently been divided over energy policy.

Mr Turnbull spent time on the phone over the past week attempting to calm any backbenchers feeling rattled by the uncertainty, The Australian reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, more senior members of the Cabinet were reportedly moving to drown out any rumblings of another spill.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told Nine Mr Turnbull would lead the party to the election.

'As Prime Minister [Turnbull] is going to win the election because the economy is going well, the government is going well and the alternative is Bill Shorten and the CFMEU,' he said.

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg also stood in defence of the party leader while speaking to the ABC on Sunday.

The frontbencher told his party they needed to 'row together' to ensure the Coalition stayed in power.

'I say that we have a collective responsibility to our electorates, to our party members, to the country as a whole, to continue with delivering good government and to ensure that the Labor-Green left alternative is not given its chance,' he said.

With no strong candidate coming forward to move against him, Turnbull may be safe from another leadership spill.

A recent Fairfax-Ipsos poll revealed 62 per cent of Australians do not want a change in Prime Minister.
A homeowner and his wife have told how a man they believe was serial burglar Henry Vincent targeted their house and was caught on CCTV just 31 hours before he was killed when he invaded the home of pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks.

The film of the career criminal surveying the house of the city business analyst has been handed to detectives investigating the incident and who are hunting his accomplice Billy Jeeves.

They say the burglar, 37, paid a visit to the family's 1.5million house in Farningham, Kent, on Monday afternoon.

CCTV footage shows burglar Henry Vincent 31 hours before he was killed by pensioner Richard Osborn-Brooks

The film of the career criminal surveying a 1.5 million house in Farningham, Kent, has been handed to detectives investigating and who are hunting his accomplice Billy Jeeves

The house owner, 34, who lives with his wife and four children, said: 'This individual had a real menacing air about him. My wife and I knew straight away that he was trouble and was out to rob a house'

Vincent was already wanted by police for a distraction burglary in the same village.

The house owner, 34, who lives with his wife and four children, said: 'This individual had a real menacing air about him.

'My wife and I knew straight away that he was trouble and was out to rob a house.

'He asked me for some rope to tie two sheds that had been given to him by somebody in my street. But I knew right away that he was lying.

Career criminal Henry Vincent, 37

'I told him to go away, but he went to the side of the house and picked up some green tape that had come from some crates we had had delivered. We are having our patio done.'

The man continued: 'While he was picking up the tape, he had a good look round the side of the house before he drove off. There was somebody with him.'

The homeowner, who asked not to be identified, said Scotland Yard told him he had been visited by Vincent after viewing the pictures.

Vincent died after being stabbed during a botched raid at the south-east home of pensioner Mr Osborn-Brooks in the early hours of Wednesday.

The homeowner said he believed Mr Osborn-Brooks was simply exercising his right to defend himself when he stabbed Vincent.

He said he would have done the same had Vincent entered his home and sought the same legal protection afforded to the pensioner.

Mr Osborn-Brooks was arrested on suspicion of murder but has since been told that no action will be taken following discussions between the Met Police and Crown Prosecution Service.

However, Mr Osborn-Brooks may never be able to return home amid fears of a vendetta against him, police have told residents.

Vincent died after being stabbed during a botched raid at the south-east home of pensioner Mr Osborn-Brooks (pictured) in the early hours of Wednesday

Workers install security at home of Mr Osborn-Brooks in Hither Green, south east London

Workmen fit security grilles to the pensioner's home and a surveillance camera a nearby lamppost

Mr Osborn-Brooks, 78, and his disabled wife Maureen have not been seen at their 500,000 property since Vincent died after a break-in last week.

With the couple believed to be staying at an undisclosed location in fear of their lives, their house has been fitted with security grilles  and a police surveillance camera has been mounted on a nearby lamppost.

His neighbours in Hither Green now fear he will be the target of reprisals from the criminal clan to which Vincent belonged.

The dad-of-four threatened Mr Osborn-Brooks with a screwdriver after disturbing the pensioner and his wife in their bed.

He forced him downstairs as an accomplice ransacked a bedroom, but during a struggle Vincent was fatally stabbed.

Serial burglar Vincent was part of a large family describing themselves as travellers. Many live on a housing association estate in St Mary Cray, near Orpington.

A card left outside of the home of a pensioner who stabbed a burglar to death while defending his disabled wife has paid tribute to the home invader

According to residents, Vincent was part of a tight-knit community whose members have a reputation for violence.

One of the extended Vincent clan shamelessly declared on social media a few years ago: 'An OAP a day keeps ur bank balance at bay. The old b******s deserve everything they get.'

While Mr Osborn-Brooks' neighbours and friends were relieved at his exoneration, any celebrations were muted because of concern over his future.

'The police have told us unofficially there's no way he'll be able to move back into his home with his wife,' one told The Mail on Sunday, asking not to be named.

'The kind of people involved in this will stop at nothing to have their vengeance.

'It's awful that Richard and Maureen will have to move away towards the end of their lives.'
Kennecia Posey, 26, was in the passenger seat of a car which police in Fort Pierce, Florida, stopped on March 21

A Florida woman, 26, tried to get out of being found with cocaine in her purse by telling police she had no idea where it came from and that it must have blown in through the window.

Kennecia Posey was in the passenger seat of a car which police in Fort Pierce, Florida, stopped on March 21.

They said there was a strong smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle.

When they searched her bag, cops found a bag of marijuana and a small bag of cocaine.

Posey readily admitted to owning the first drug but said the second was not hers.

'I don't know anything about any cocaine. It's a windy day.

'It must have flown through the window and into my purse,' she said.

Police did not accept her unlikely version of events and took her into custody on one felony count of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession.

She was released on bond.
Police say a Tennessee father killed his autistic five-year-old son and hid his body before reporting the child missing.

Joseph Ray Daniels, 28, was arrested on Saturday and charged with one count of criminal homicide over the disappearance of his son Joe Clyde Daniels.

The child, who had autism and was nonverbal, was reported missing to authorities on Wednesday.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an endangered child alert as multiple law enforcement agencies searched extensively for the missing boy near his home in Dickson.

Joseph Ray Daniels, 28, was arrested on Saturday and charged with one count of criminal homicide over the disappearance of his son Joe Clyde Daniels in Dickson, Tennessee

Following a three-day search, authorities determined that Daniels had intentionally killed his son sometime between Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning at their home before hiding the boy's body.

Daniels allegedly admitted to killing his son, authorities say.

Police are now searching for the boy's remains.

'Though this news is profoundly disappointing, we are grateful for the volunteers who gave time and resources this week to help search for Joe Clyde,' the TBI tweeted after the father's arrest.

Joe Clyde Daniels, who had autism and was nonverbal, was reported missing to authorities on Wednesday

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation issued an endangered child alert as multiple law enforcement agencies searched extensively for the missing boy

'That work will continue by law enforcement today, so we might provide a small degree of closure for his family and friends.'

Joe's parents had initially told police they discovered he was missing when they went to take him for school early on Wednesday.

They said they could normally find him within shouting distance of their home.

A tweet from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said Joe was last seen 'wearing pajamas with a skeleton print' at the family's home.

Daniels is being held in jail with his bail set at $1 million.
China urges U.S. not to play with fire by starting trade war

China warns the U.S. of getting burnt in the end by playing with fire after stirring up a trade war with China, as China is ready for further escalation from the U.S. side and is prepared with detailed countermeasures.

The US government announced on Tuesday a proposed list of 1,300 products subject to a suggested tariff of 25 percent, worth $50 billion. China struck back with a tariff plan of equal scale, with a list of U.S. products including soybeans, automobiles and aircraft.

On April 6, China gave a stronger response to the U.S. proposal for additional tariffs on a list of 100-billion-U.S. dollar Chinese products.

U.S. soybean future dropped following the release of Chinas countermeasures.

Although the U.S. is a main supplier of soybeans to China, the soybeans are not irreplaceable. Statistics indicate that Brazil is the largest source of soybeans to China, while U.S. soybeans exported to China account for 62 percent of its total.

The U.S. aircraft industry will also suffer a lot from the countermeasures, which may cause not only Chinas cancellation of orders for several thousand Boeing airplanes, in addition it may bring about the transfer of the global aircraft manufacturing industry chain to Europe and Asia.

What the U.S. will lose is not only orders, employment and profits, but also this future potential in the aircraft industry.

Moreover, the countermeasures directly attacked the U.S. automobile industry. The price for U.S. automobiles exported to China will rise by 20 percent after the tariffs are slapped on.

The competitiveness of the U.S. automobile industry, therefore, will fall sharply, and China will increase orders for automobiles from European and Asian countries. More importantly, slapping tariffs on imports of U.S. automobiles will stimulate development of Chinas automobile industry.

The proposed tariff list based on the Section 301 investigation mainly involves Chinas high-tech industries including aerospace, information and communication technologies, robotics, pharmaceuticals and machinery.

The investigation was initiated in the name of protecting intellectual property rights, while the truth is that China did not adopt U.S. technologies in neither its aerospace nor information or communications industries.

The U.S. has ulterior motives in starting the trade war. Its purpose is to curb Chinas implementation of the strategy of Made in China 2025 and its development of high-tech industries.

Nevertheless, the trick will not succeed after all, as the development of Chinas emerging sectors, also Chinas competitive industries involved in the strategy, will not be contained by these tariffs.

Chinas economic structure has been successfully transformed. Its service sector has surpassed its industry to be the locomotive of Chinas economic growth.

The country, which has been deepening reform and opening up, is also easing access to the service sector in the regards of finance, education, health care as well as the telecom industries.

However, the financial sector, as the core industry and economic lifeline of the U.S., will be likely to lose the opportunity of entering the worlds largest market of China because of the trade war.

The stirring up of a trade war initiated from the U.S. side will not only harm American peoples livelihood, it will also result in failure for enterprises to share benefits brought about by Chinas growth

Today, the U.S. is undoubtedly kicking down the ladder after its economy just recovered from the financial crisis in 2008, when China contributed more than half to global economic growth at the height of the financial crisis. Without China, it may be have been difficult for the U.S. to get out of that crisis at the time.
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Russia has threatened foreign powers with the 'gravest consequences' if they use an alleged chemical attack in Syria as an excuse for military action as Moscow hit back at President Donald Trump's warning of a 'big price to pay' for the Assad regime's supporters.

Trump joined the UK in hitting out at Russia and Iran for their backing of Syria and 'Animal Assad' after at least 70 people were said to have died with families and children reportedly found suffocated after the attack in the town of Douma on Saturday night.

UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said it was 'truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from airstrikes in underground shelters'.

The Assad regime and its ally Russia denied the chemical attack, with Moscow warning of the 'gravest consequences' if any foreign power used the 'far-fetched and fabricated pretexts' as an excuse for military action. Fellow ally Iran called the allegations a 'conspiracy'.

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence, which operates in rebel-held areas, said dozens of people had died in the chemical attack, with many others killed in government airstrikes.

Pope Francis joined the international condemnation of the reported attack, saying it was an unjustifiable use of 'instruments of extermination', while UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was 'particularly alarmed' by the alleged use of chemical weapons.

Syrian state media denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as soon as the reports began circulating and said rebels in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

Meanwhile the UN Security Council is set to meet tomorrow after the UK, France, the US, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d'Ivoire called for an emergency session.

This image made from video released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets shows a medical worker giving toddlers oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma

Toddlers are treated by emergency medical workers following the alleged chemical attack in Douma, Eastern Ghouta

A Syrian child receives medical treatment after Assad regime forces allegedly conducted a poisonous gas attack

A victim waits to receive medical treatment, one of 70 victims who have suffered from breathing difficulties

Syrian children wait to receive treatment after the Assad regime allegedly carried out a poisonous gas attack

The initiative was led by France, with Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian saying Sunday the country will 'do its duty' over the attack against civilians.

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of further use of chemical weapons in Syria was a 'red line' that would prompt French strikes.

'The use of chemical weapons is a war crime,' Le Drian said in a statement.

President Emmanuel Macron said he 'strongly condemned the chemical attacks on April 7 against the population of Douma'.

Russia also called for a Monday meeting of the UN Security Council concerning 'international threats to peace and security,' diplomats said.

State media reported the Syrian government had reached an agreement for rebels to leave Douma, despite the resumption of airstrikes this morning, with Russia offering safe passage out of their besieged enclave and tens of buses sent to the town to pick up prisoners freed by the rebel group.

President Trump tweeted this afternoon: 'Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria.

'Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay.

'Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!'

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said: 'These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

'Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations.

'Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regime's brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons.

'We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. We are in close touch with our allies following these latest reports. Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons have lost all moral integrity and must be held to account.'

An EU statement said: 'The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime. The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons and calls for an immediate response by the international community.'

In the statement, the EU appealed to the allies of Assad, Russia and Iran, to 'use their influence to prevent any further attack and ensure the cessation of hostilities and de-escalation of violence' as per a United Nations resolution.

'The protection of civilians must remain an absolute priority,' the statement added.

Opposition-linked first responders, known as the White Helmets, also reported the attack, saying at least 70 people had died and that entire families were found suffocated in their houses and shelters.

A man affected by the alleged poison gas attack on Eastern Ghouta is pictured with a mask on his face

An affected Syrian man lies on a stretcher as he waits to get medical treatment after the attack in Eastern Ghouta

Three Syrian children in a hospital in the the town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta

A wounded Syrian receives first aid at an emergency room in Al Mouwasat Hospital, Damascus

A wounded woman is carried into a hospital in Damascus after rockets fired from Douma killed at least four civilians

An injured man receives treatment at a hospital in Damascus after rockets were fired from Douma during the fighting

Emergency personnel are pictured transporting a wounded man to a hospital in the Syrian capital Damascus

The attacks came as Syrian government forces have resumed deadly bombardments of the last opposition holdout in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus

The group were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded from searching further by strong odours that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said spokesman Siraj Mahmoud.

Meanwhile Pope Francis said at a Mass in St Peter's Square: 'Terrible news comes to us from Syria with dozens of victims, many of them women and children ... so many people are struck by the effects of the chemical substances in the bombs.

'There is no such thing as a good war and a bad war. Nothing, but nothing, can justify the use of such instruments of extermination on defenceless people and populations.'

He urged that 'military and political leaders choose another path, that of negotiations, which is the only one that can bring about peace and not death and destruction'.

The Union of Medical Care & Relief Organizations told Sky News it was 'one of the worst chemical attacks in Syrian history.'

President Trump also criticised his predecessor Barack Obama, saying: 'If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!'

Opposition negotiators reached a final deal with the Russian military to allow rebel fighters to leave the besieged Syrian city of Douma under an arrangement that brings the Russian military police into the city, local negotiators said on Sunday.

They said the deal would allow those fighters from Jaish al Islam who do not want to leave to make peace with the Syrian authorities without being pursued by the security forces. The deal also includes a six-month reprieve for those wanted for military conscription, negotiators told Reuters.

Today, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey said women and children were 'martyred' in the attack.

He also lashed out against President Assad's international allies as well as the 'West,' asking: 'When will you turn round and look at these children, these women who are being killed in eastern Ghouta?'

Erdogan's top aide Ibrahim Kalin said Saturday's 'chemical attacks' claimed the lives of at least 70 civilians. He said such attacks violated international law and called on the international community, 'particularly countries with leverage over the Syrian regime,' to act.

A chemical attack in eastern Ghouta in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the US to threaten military action before later backing down.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington was closely following 'disturbing reports' of the alleged chemical weapons attack on a Douma hospital.

She said: 'The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately.

'These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community. Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks.'

'The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks.'

Smoke rises after government forces carried out airstrikes in Eastern Ghouta's Douma town in Damascus on Saturday

Pro-Syrian regime forces are seen as they advance towards the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta

The White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing scores of bodies in a basement, while videos the group posted online purportedly showed victims, including toddlers in diapers, breathing through oxygen masks at makeshift hospitals. It said the death toll is likely to rise.

Medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with 'mixed agents' including nerve agents had hit a nearby building.

The Russian Government denied the chemical attack had taken place, while its ally Syria has denied ever using chemical weapons.

'We decidedly refute this information,' Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, said.

'We hereby announce that we are ready to send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect information, as soon as Douma is freed from militants. This will confirm the trumped-up nature of these statements.'

Iran's foreign ministry also denied the attacks, saying: 'Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action.'

The chairman of the international affairs committee of Russia's upper house of parliament, Konstantin Kosachev, said on Sunday that reports of a gas attack in Syria were bogus and convenient news for Washington.

'This is yet another bogus claim by 'fakemakers' and there is a banally obvious reason for it: to undermine the exit of Jaish al-Islam rebels from Douma and impede the offensive by Syrian government forces,' Kosachev wrote on his social media page.

Turkey also strongly condemned on Sunday what it said was a chemical weapons attack, saying there was a 'strong suspicion' the regime of President Assad was responsible.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the rebel group in Douma, Jaish al-Islam, was making 'chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab army,' citing an official source.

A joint statement by the Civil Defense and the Syrian American Medical Society said more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning of the eyes. It said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell. Some had blue skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

The attacks came as Syrian government forces have resumed deadly bombardments of the last opposition holdout in the Eastern Ghouta area near Damascus.

Rebels in the Douma area responded by attacking civilian areas in Damascus, killing six civilians and wounding dozens more.

Syrian government forces resumed their offensive on rebel-held Douma on Friday afternoon after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding evacuation of opposition fighters.

Pro-Syrian regime forces are seen as they advance towards the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta

The aftermath of airstrikes in Duma, Eastern Ghouta, is pictured above Damascus on Saturday

The fighting was not all one way - this photo released by the Syrian official news agency shows Syrians gathered next to a bunt car hit by a shelling by members of the Army of Islam rebel group at Rabwa neighborhood in Damascus on Friday

Scores of civilians have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since a 10-day ceasefire broke down on Friday

Syrians gather next to a bunt car hit by a shelling by members of the Army of Islam rebel group at Rabwa neighborhood in Damascus on Friday

Rebel fighters, displaced from Ghouta, gather in a make-shift camp built inside a school in town of Atareb on Saturday

Smoke billows in the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Syria's Eastern Ghouta

A Syrian boy, displaced from Ghouta, sits outside a tent in a make-shift camp built inside a school

Smoke rises after the Assad regime's forces carried out airstrikes in the Eastern Ghouta town of Douma

Smoke billows in Douma after the Syrian regime resumed a military blitz in a bid to pressure the rebels to withdraw

The Syrian regime's advance into Douma follows months of fighting as President Assad has ousted his armed opponents from nearly all of Ghouta, their last stronghold on the edge of the capital

Syrians, displaced from Ghouta, gather in a make-shift camp built inside a school in the northern Syrian town of Atareb

Smoke billows in the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Syria's Eastern Ghouta

Syrian regime forces are seen as they advance towards the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta

The violence resumed days after hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Backed up by Russia's firepower, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has ousted his armed opponents from nearly all of Ghouta, their last stronghold on the edge of the capital.

The regime has used a combination of fierce military onslaughts and two negotiated withdrawals to regain 95 percent of the enclave, but rebels are still entrenched in Douma, its largest town.

The offensive in Ghouta has been one of the deadliest of the seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The bombing subsided and military operations appeared to be on hold for around ten days as Moscow pursued talks with Jaish al-Islam, the Islamist faction that holds Douma.

But the negotiations crumbled this week and air strikes resumed on Friday, killing 40 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory.

It could not confirm whether the strikes were carried out by Syrian government warplanes or those of its ally, Russia.

Smoke rising after Syrian government airstrikes hit in the town of Douma, in the Eastern Ghouta region east of Damascus

Syrian policemen stand guard at the site of shelling attacks by Jaysh al-Islam in Damascus on Saturday

A photo from the Syrian Arab news agency (SANA) shows a damaged minibus at the site of shelling attacks by Jaysh al-Islam

The government of President Bashar al-Assad has made no secret of its desire to capture al of the Eastern Ghouta area

Douma is the last rebel-controlled town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, a sprawling suburb of Damascus that was once the opposition's bastion on the edge of the capital

Relatives of Syrians believed to be held by rebels wait on the Syrian government-held side of the Wafideen checkpoint as evacuations of the last rebel-held pocket of the former opposition bastion stall

A makeshift camp is pictured on Saturday in the northern Syrian town of Atareb where displaced Syrians gathered

In its offensive the regime sliced the area into three isolated pockets - each held by different rebel factions. The first two were evacuated under Russian-brokered deals last month that saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to opposition-held Idlib province in the northwest.

Tens of thousands also fled into government-controlled territory through safe passages opened by Russia and Syrian troops.

Moscow stepped in to negotiate a deal for Douma, the third and final pocket where Jaish al-Islam had been angling for a reconciliation agreement that would allow them to stay as a police force.

Following a preliminary accord announced by Russia on Sunday, nearly 3,000 fighters and civilians were evacuated from Douma to northern Syria.

But as talks dragged on, Syria and its Russian ally threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed military assault if they did not agree to withdraw.

It remains unclear exactly why the talks fell apart this week. They were reported to have faltered when Jaish al-Islam refused to release detainees they were holding in Douma, adding that the military assault would only stop if hostages are released.

Others have pointed to internal rebel divisions over the withdrawal process.

Top Jaish al-Islam political figure Mohammad Alloush on Friday blamed power struggles between the regime's allies.

'The talks were going well... Their only shared interests is the blood of civilians,' he said.

Buses carrying families of fighters from the former rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta arrive at a checkpoint in northern Syria
Malcolm Turnbull has lost 30 consecutive Newspolls, meeting the benchmark he cited to roll Tony Abbott from the top job in 2015

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull lost his 30th consecutive Newspoll on Sunday - finally meeting the same benchmark he used to roll Tony Abbott from the top job in 2015.

But the Member for Wentworth appears unfazed by the shocking loss, telling the Daily Telegraph he didn't place too much faith in the accuracy of polls.

'If opinion polls determined who would win elections, Kristina Keneally would be the member for Bennelong and Nick Xenophon would be Premier of South Australia,' he said.

This is a far cry from the weight the Prime Minister believed Newspoll carried in 2015, when he cited 30 losses as his reason for calling a leadership spill.

'The one thing that is clear about our current situation is the trajectory. We have lost 30 Newspolls in a row,' Mr Turnbull said at the time.

'It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership.'

Turnbull has downplayed the significance of the loss, telling News Corp he did not believe opinion polls carried too much weight

In September 2015, Turnbull told reporters: 'It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership'

In an attempt perhaps to play down the astronomical loss, Mr Turnbull has instead decided to focus on the Labor Party, telling the Telegraph Bill Shorten was the most left-wing leader since Gough Whitlam.

'He is far to the left in terms of the policies he is proposing than Gillard, than Rudd, than Hawke or Keating ... He is channelling Jeremy Corbyn and Bernie Sanders,' he said.

Despite Shorten's positive polling results, Mr Turnbull said 'the election is very very winnable'.

Mr Abbott, now a back bencher, has said multiple times he will not attempt to regain his former office through another leadership spill.

He reiterated that point again on Sunday, directly telling reporters he would not challenge for the leadership because of the lost Newspolls.

The former prime minister did not rule out challenging the Government all together - telling reporters he would speak up when he thought there was a need to reconsider policies.

'The important thing is for us to be the best possible government,' he said before pushing off on the annual Pollie Pedal charity bike ride in Melbourne on Sunday.

'That's what I want, that's what the Australian people want.'

Turnbull has instead turned to attacking Labor leader Bill Shorten, who he says is more left wing that former Prime Minister Bob Hawke

The Prime Minister said the Opposition leader (pictured with wife Chloe Shorten) was 'channeling Jeremy Corbyn'

The Newspoll will be an added stress for the Coalition, who have recently been divided over energy policy.

Mr Turnbull spent time on the phone over the past week attempting to calm any backbenchers feeling rattled by the uncertainty, The Australian reported on Saturday.

Meanwhile, more senior members of the Cabinet were reportedly moving to drown out any rumblings of another spill.

Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told Nine Mr Turnbull would lead the party to the election.

'As Prime Minister [Turnbull] is going to win the election because the economy is going well, the government is going well and the alternative is Bill Shorten and the CFMEU,' he said.

The Newspolls could tip an already tetchy back bench over the edge, with some members of the Coalition calling for a new coal power station

Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg also stood in defence of the party leader while speaking to the ABC on Sunday.

The frontbencher told his party they needed to 'row together' to ensure the Coalition stayed in power.

'I say that we have a collective responsibility to our electorates, to our party members, to the country as a whole, to continue with delivering good government and to ensure that the Labor-Green left alternative is not given its chance,' he said.

With no strong candidate coming forward to move against him, Turnbull may be safe from another leadership spill.

A recent Fairfax-Ipsos poll revealed 62 per cent of Australians do not want a change in Prime Minister.
In his strongest condemnation of Russian President Vladimir Putin yet, President Trump lashed out at the leader Sunday morning for his role in propping up Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in light of reports of another chemical attack.

'Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world,' Trump wrote. 'President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad.'

Trump warned that there would be a 'big price to pay.'

On Sunday President Trump (left) tweeted his strongest condemnation yet of Russian President Vladimir Putin (right)

President Trump whacked Russia and Iran over the countries' support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad

President Trump assigned a nickname to Syria's President Bashar al-Assad (pictured) calling him 'Animal Assad'

He also criticized President Obama for not taking Bashar al-Assad, as Obama had said a 'red line' for him would be if chemical weapons were used on the Syrian people

'Open area immediately for medical help and verification,' he ordered.

'Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!' he wrote.

Trump also used the opportunity to criticize his predecessor.

'If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In the Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago!' Trump tweeted. 'Animal Assad would have been history!'

Trump was referring to Obama's statement  which the former president later backed away from  that if he saw 'a whole bunch of chemical weapons moving around or being utilized' that would be a 'red line' that would change the equation in Syria.

Obama had threatened military action if this was the case.

President Trump's comments come as he's said publicly  and battled with his military commanders privately  that he wants out of Syria as quickly as possible.

The Associated Press reported on Friday that Trump made it clear to top aides that he wanted U.S. troops out of Syria within the next six months.

His plan faced unanimous opposition from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, the State Department and the intelligence community, who all argued that keeping the 2,000 soldiers in Syria was the key to keeping the Islamic State at bay.

Defense Secretary James Mattis argued that an immediate withdrawal could be catastrophic and logistically impossible to pull off in a responsible way, the AP reported.

Mattis floated a one-year withdrawal as an alternative.

Trump said he'd give the military six months to get the job done.
The Duke of Edinburgh has spent his fifth day resting at the private King Edward VII Hospital in central London following his surgery.

The 96-year-old was said to be in 'good spirits' following his hour-long operation on Wednesday after being admitted for the planned procedure on Tuesday.

Buckingham Palace declined to give a further update on Philip's condition and the King Edward VII Hospital was not available for comment.

The 96-year-old was said to be in 'good spirits' following his hour-long operation on Wednesday after being admitted for the planned procedure on Tuesday. Pictured: The private King Edward VII Hospital on Sunday

On Thursday, Philip was sent hampers filled with Godiva chocolates and stunning arrangements of flowers.

Bright orange, yellow and red blooms were dropped off from a posh Fulham flower shop, that hinted the 'get well' gift was sent by a head of state.

Philip is said to be hoping to be fit enough to take part in the Royal Windsor Horse show on May 9, and be an active participant at Prince Harry's wedding ten days later

The royal had missed three appearances in eight days because of problems with his hip joint and the procedure was done to try to end weeks of pain.

The flowers were arranged by Mystique Flowers, a shop that boasts of 20 years of experience.

On the shop's Instagram page, they posted three photos of floral arrangements and said: 'One of three arrangements today ordered by a Head of State for a get well soon.'

On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was 'progressing satisfactorily at this early stage'.

In a statement, Buckingham Palace said: 'The Duke of Edinburgh has undergone a successful hip replacement operation.

'He is progressing satisfactorily at this early stage.

'His Royal Highness is likely to remain in hospital for several days.

'He is comfortable and in good spirits.'

The Queen has remained in Windsor but is being kept fully informed about his treatment.

Prince Philip received hampers filled with Godiva chocolates and stunning arrangements of flowers on Thursday as he recovers from his hip operation

Stunning flower arrangements from a posh Fulham flower shop were dropped off at the private King Edward VII Hospital in central London on Thursday

The Duke of Edinburgh, 96, was said to be 'good spirits' following the hour-long operation on Wednesday. Pictured: A hamper filled with Godiva chocolates addressed to Prince Philip

Sources stressed the Royal Family were 'relaxed' about the planned operation, but understand how serious it is for a man in his 90s to undergo surgery.

Philip is said to be hoping to be fit enough to take part in the Royal Windsor Horse show on May 9, and be an active participant at Prince Harry's wedding ten days later.

The procedure is expected to be performed under general anaesthetic, but aides would not say if he is to undergo a full hip replacement or surgery on his cartilage.

In 1995, the Queen Mother became one of the oldest people in the world to undergo a successful hip replacement at the age of 95.

Prince Charles knew about the planned surgery before he left Britain last weekend for an official visit to Australia to open the Commonwealth Games, it is understood.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge saw the Queen and Prince Philip in Windsor over the weekend and returned to their Norfolk home for rest of the Easter break.

A source told the Mail the family were 'relaxed and going about their business as usual'.

The flowers were arranged by Mystique Flowers, a shop that boasts of 20 years of experience

On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace said Prince Philip was 'progressing satisfactorily at this early stage'

The hospital admission followed a series of missed public appearances for the Duke

The hospital admission followed a series of missed public appearances for the Duke, although he was pictured driving a carriage in Windsor on March 5, and was seen in Windsor Great Park last week.

On March 22 Philip pulled out of an official engagement with the Queen and Prince Andrew because he was said to be unwell.

He had been due to attend a ceremony at Windsor Castle to formally hand over his role as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards to Andrew.

He then missed last week's Maundy Thursday service and the Royal Family's church service on Easter Sunday, when sources said his hip problem had affected his mobility.

The Duke stepped down from public duties last year - when Buckingham Palace stressed the decision was not health-related - but still accompanies the Queen on some public appearances.

Philip was last photographed when he was seen carriage driving in Windsor on March 5

A woman brings flowers to King Edward VII Hospital in London's Marylebone on Wednesday

His surgery comes ahead of a busy two months for the Royal Family

His surgery comes ahead of a busy two months for the Royal Family.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are expecting their third child this month and Prince Harry will marry US actress Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle on May 19.

Buckingham Palace on Tuesday issued a brief statement, saying Philip had been admitted to hospital 'for planned surgery on his hip'. Officials said further updates would be issued 'when appropriate'.

While the hospital admission was planned, doctors will be wary of the potential risks of any surgery or anaesthetic, particularly on a man of his age.

Scarlett McNally, an orthopaedic surgeon and council member of the Royal College of Surgeons, said: 'Any operation and any anaesthetic carries some risk.

'What is most important is someone's fitness, as in their heart and lung fitness, how much exercise they do and how well-nourished they are. That's more important than someone's chronological age.'
A doctor from Singapore who is on the verge of becoming a GP almost ten years after coming to the UK could be thrown out of the country after applying for a visa renewal three weeks late.

Luke Ong, 31, who is living in Manchester, appealed against the Home Office decision and animmigration judge ruled it 'would not be proportionate' to remove him.

But now the Government wants to take the case to a higher court in a bid to throw Dr Ong, who came to the UK to study medicine, out of the country.

His parents paid almost 100,000 to get him through medical school and since then the government has paid for his GP training.

But just five months short of completing his training and becoming a GP, Dr Ong has learned the Home Office wants to take the case to a more senior judge and is determined to throw him out of the country.

Luke Ong, 31, who is living in Manchester, appealed against the Home Office decision and an immigration judge ruled it 'would not be proportionate' to remove him

The move comes as the NHS is planning to spend 100m to bring in 3,000 GPs from abroad to alleviate shortages here. Recruitment agencies will earn around 20,000 for each successful placement in England.

Dr Ong, from Castlefield, said: 'I've had so many sleepless nights thinking what will happen. I'm fighting so hard to stay in the country and help the NHS but the Home Office wants me to leave.

It's not an easy situation. I've spent ten years of my life here.

'When they qualify, a lot of doctors go to Australia and walk straight into a job there. I've committed myself to this country. It's unbelievable. I like living in the UK. It's my home now. I want to be a GP here. I'm just a few months away from qualifying. I've enjoyed working in the NHS for seven years. There aren't enough GPs. It takes two weeks to see a GP. When you are so desperate, it flabbergasts me that the Home Office is so blind.'

Singapore-born Luke came to the UK on September 13, 2007, on a student visa which elapsed October 31, 2012.

His parents are both from Singapore although his father has a UK passport.

They paid 96,000 for him to do a five-year medicine degree at the University of Manchester. He passed and became a doctor in 2012.

His student visa was extended to August 15, 2017, so he could go into training to become a GP.

He passed his GP exams and completed three years of GP training in Tameside.

To finally qualify as a GP, he must complete five more months of on-the-job training, but he has been prevented from completing the course because of the problems with his visa.

Dr Ong only made the formal application for 'indefinite leave to remain' in the UK 18 days after the deadline, making him in breach of immigration law

His visa expired on August 15, 2017, but Dr Ong only made the formal application for 'indefinite leave to remain' in the UK 18 days after the deadline, making him in breach of immigration law.

But Dr Ong points out he started the process of booking an appointment to secure his status in July, 2017, but he says the first date he could secure for a meeting was on September 2, 2017, some 18 days after his visa had expired.

His application was turned down on the grounds he had broken the law.

Also, Dr Ong was only a matter of days away from qualifying automatically for a visa as someone who had been in the UK legitimately for ten years.

The earliest he could apply under this rule was 28 days before the ten year anniversary came up. So the earliest he could have applied was on August 16 - the day after his visa expired.

Ironically, although he only arrived in the UK on September 13, 2007, his visa was valid from June 18 of that year - so had he come just a few weeks earlier he would easily have qualified for a new visa under the ten-year rule.

Dr Ong appealed against the Home Office's initial decision and Judge Lloyd ruled in the doctor's favour, agreeing his removal would breach his human rights and that his removal 'would not be proportionate'.

He was overjoyed until he learned that the Home Office is now seeking leave to appeal the judge's ruling to a higher immigration tribunal.

He says he should have applied by post instead of seeking a face-to-face meeting.

The Home Office has been contacted for comment.
A member of the ISIS cell dubbed 'The Beatles' remarked that John Lennon would not be happy about the group's nickname in his first interview on camera since being captured.

El Shafee Elsheikh was part of the group referred to as 'The Beatles' by surviving captives because of their English accents.

Elsheikh - or George - and Alexanda Amon Kotey, who was Ringo, were captured in eastern Syria in January by the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces.

The brutal group held more than 20 Western hostages  and beheaded seven American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers and a group of Syrian soldiers, boasting of the butchery in videos released to the world.

But Elsheikh repeatedly refused to speak about atrocities committed by the terror group in an interview with Arabic Al Aan TV reporter Jenan Moussa.

He also refused to denounce the enslavement of Yazidi women but admitted that he didn't agree with everything ISIS did.

El Shafee Elsheikh (pictured) repeatedly refused to speak about atrocities committed by the terror group in his first on-camera interview

When she asked what he thought of the nickname, he said: 'I don't think John Lennon would like it much.'

Elsheikh insisted he didn't know which member of the band he was, but said he became aware of the name from a news report.

He described his life in Raqqa as 'normal' with people maintaining their typical routines that involve going to the gym, eating out and playing in parks with their children.

But he repeatedly refused to address accusations of beating and torturing hostages, citing the ongoing legal process.

El Shafee Elsheikh (right, with fellow Beatle Alexanda Amon Kotey, left) was part of the group referred to as 'The Beatles' by surviving captives because of their English accents

When asked about whether he was proud of had regrets about his time in ISIS, he again insisted that he reserved the right to a fair trial.

But when questioned about whether or not hostages were offered that, he said: 'Just because I was part of ISIS doesn't mean I know whether people had legal, fair trials or not.'

And while he admitted he had seen beheading videos, he insisted he did not enjoy watching them.

When questioned about whether he avoided being captured on camera committing crimes, Elsheikh quickly angered.

'I didn't burn anybody, nor did I give anybody a trial and nor did I chop anybody's head off so that's an accusation that needs to be proved,' he said before abruptly ending the interview.

Speaking to the Associated Press at a Kurdish security centre late last month, both Elsheikh and Kotey repeatedly refused to address allegations they were part of the cell  clearly having a future trial in mind.

They complained that they could 'disappear' after Britain reportedly revoked their citizenship.

Their detention has set off a debate over how to prosecute their citizens who joined ISIS  as the Kurds pressure the West to take them back to relieve overcrowding in prisons.

Elsheikh (right) - or George - and Alexanda Amon Kotey, who was Ringo, were captured in eastern Syria in January by the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces

In that interview, Elsheikh said the killings were a 'mistake' and might not have been justified.

But, he said, they were in retaliation for killings of civilians by the U.S.-led coalition fighting IS. He said the militants shouldn't have initially threatened to kill the hostages because then they had to go ahead with it or else 'your credibility may go.'

The beheadings, often carried out on camera, horrified the world soon after IS took over much of Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The group also committed widescale atrocities including massacring thousands of Iraqi troops and civilians and taking sex slaves.

The first victim was American journalist James Foley, followed by fellow Americans Steven Sotloff and Peter Kassig, British aid workers David Haines and Alan Henning and Japanese journalists Haruna Yukawa and Kenji Goto.

The leader of the cell, Mohammed Emwazi, was dubbed 'Jihadi John' in the British media after he appeared in the videos as a masked executioner.

He was killed in a U.S.-led coalition drone strike in 2015 in the Syrian city of Raqqa, the de facto IS capital.

Another member, Aine Lesley Davis, was arrested in Turkey and convicted there in 2017, sentenced to seven years in prison.

Elsheikh (pictured), whose family came to Britain from Sudan when he was a child, was a mechanic from White City in west London

Elsheikh, whose family came to Britain from Sudan when he was a child, was a mechanic from White City in west London.

He traveled to Syria in 2012, initially joining al-Qaeda's branch before moving on to ISIS, according to the US State Department's listing of the two men for terrorism sanctions.

It said he 'earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an (ISIS) jailer.'

Kotey, who is of Ghanaian and Greek-Cypriot descent and converted to Islam in his 20s, is from London's Paddington neighborhood.

Serving in the ISIS cell as a guard, he 'likely engaged in the group's executions and exceptionally cruel torture methods,' the State Department said. It also said he was an ISIS recruiter who brought other Britons into the group.

Elsheikh and Kotey spoke to the AP at a Kurdish security building in the town of Kobani, where they were brought, initially in handcuffs and face covers that were removed.

They were unrepentant about belonging to ISIS  though they said they did not agree with everything it did.

Kotey said he did not think suicide bombings were permissible in Islam, while Elsheikh said the killing of a captured Jordanian pilot by burning him alive in a cage was 'atrocious.'

But they seemed dismissive of the idea that ISIS was egregious in brutality.

'I am not here to justify or shun every act IS did,' Elsheikh said, arguing that nationals of a country can't be held responsible for crimes by the state.

They scoffed at the idea that that they were a cell and refused to comment whether they had worked as jailors, had ever seen any hostages or knew Emwazi.

They depicted the allegations as created by media and foreign intelligence  'so the world can say this is the bad guy and kill the bad guy,' Elsheikh said.

'No fair trial, when I am 'the Beatle' in the media. No fair trial,' he added.
A young Instagram star has been abused by fellow hikers online for publishing photos of amazing locations they believe should be kept 'secret'.

Madeline Zotter, who has more than 12,000 followers, has an incredible profile showcasing breathtaking photos of Australia's national parks.

However the 22-year-old revealed she was distressed after receiving abuse over the past week.

Young Instagram star Madeleine Zotter has been abused by fellow hikers online for sharing photos and details about 'secret spots'

Instagram star, Madeline Zotter, (pictured) has been abused by trolls online for sharing photos

The young woman hit back at trolls after they slammed her for sharing locations of places

The 22-year-old defended sharing the locations, saying anyone can access it online (pictured)

From diving in waterfalls to doing handstands on cliffs, nothing is off limits for the young adventurer

'This weekend alone I received four abusive, unkind or negative messages because I wrote the location of a place,' Ms Zotter wrote.

'I'm just going to kindly ask if everyone with an unkind, negative or straight up nasty though to please stop.'

The Globewalker Australia ambassador said she understood people do not want nature to become 'trashed', however information about accessing the precious places was already in the public domain.

'To find any of these spots you just need to log onto a (New South Wales National Park) website and look up the area,' she wrote.

'So they're not really that secret.'

Ms Zotter, who created Waterfall Wandering three years ago, told the online bullies that 'words are weapons' and their 'words hurt'.

'It has also come to my attention that if I ever stick up for myself by saying this means I am a "brat who humiliates people". It needs to stop,' she wrote.

Ms Zotter said that anyone can log on to NSW National Park website to find 'secret' locations

The New South Wales explorer said she received four negative comments last weekend alone

The young woman has previously attempted suicide after bullying during high school

The Instagram star said people needed to be careful because 'words are weapons' which 'hurt'

The 22-year old, who tried to end her life when she was in high school, described her hobby as something that has become an 'exclusive competition', forcing people to compete for the best Instagram shots.

'If it's a national park, it's not a secret and those who wish to go deserve to experience it. Not just those in the 'exclusive club',' Ms Zotter told news.com.au.

'When I was in high school I suffered pretty bad depression and anxiety due to bullying ... I was found unconscious on my bedroom floor by my older sister.

'For a long time after this I was very upset I didn't successfully end my own life and didn't believe life was going to get better.'

The Globewalker Australia ambassador said she understood people do not want nature to become 'trashed'

Ms Zotter, who created Waterfall Wandering three years ago, told the online bullies that 'words are weapons' and their 'words hurt'

Ms Zotter uses Instagram to create a healthy mindset for herself as the outdoors ground her

The waterfall chaser, whose post featured herself facing picturesque mountains, attracted hundreds of likes with dozens more comments supporting her for outing the trolls.

Ms Zotter said she used the Instagram profile to create a healthy mindset for herself because the outdoors grounded her.

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A bigamist who went for 17 years without seeing his first wife would ring her daily without her suspecting he had a secret family hundreds of miles away.

Neil Rattue discussed 67,500 debts with Susan while she was paying them off on her own.

The 60-year-old father ditched her in 2001 after the couple moved in with Susan's mother in Downton, Wiltshire, after they cold their house to pay off the debt.

Salisbury Law Courts (pictured) heard how Rattue had a secret wife and family while ringing his first wife daily to discuss debts

But before telling her the money owed meant they must stay married, Rattue had forged divorce papers to marry a second wife, The Sun reports.

Not only had they married in 1998, but by 1999 they had children and the year he fled England they had a home in York.

Rattue rang her every day after starting his new life 265 miles away but eventually Susan was tipped off by her sister.

The jilted wife then reported her husband to the police. Up until last year she had a bank account with Rattue, a court in Salisbury heard on Friday.

Rattue fled to York (pictured), where he settled down with another woman but insisted he stay married to his first wife to pay joint debts

She married him in 1983 and accused him of robbing her of a chance to be happy again.

'He stole my life,' she said. 'Why didnt he ask years ago for a divorce or when he met his new wife?

'I could have remarried, moved on, had children. It hurt to learn he has children.'

Rattue would call her while she was working to check up on her, she said, and accused him of making her pay up.

The couple bought their first home 10 years after marrying but says his work kept him away from home for the majority of the week.

Prosecutor Kate Prince said that although they may have been living separate lives, his first wife believed they were still together. Rattue, from York, admitted bigamy. He will be sentenced at a later date.
William Brent Taylor, a 57 year old taxi driver from Chesterfield, died after he suffered a heart attack at Manchester Airport

The family of a taxi driver who died 'of a heart attack' following an assault in an airport car park have said that they are still trying to come to terms with the circumstances surrounding his death.

Taxi driver William Brent Taylor, 57, passed away at Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester after police were called to Manchester Airport's Terminal Two car park at 8.25am on Friday.

After his death two men aged 55 and 26 were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter.

They have since been released under investigation.

Greater Manchester Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the taxi driver's death.

Mr Taylor from Chesterfield, Derbyshire is thought to have worked for private hire firm A-Line Taxis and appeared to have been doing an airport pick up at the time of the incident.

His heartbroken family have released the following statement: 'First of all can we say thank you to the family that was with our dad at his final moments.

'We would like to thank the emergency services for all their efforts with our dad and GMP who have been amazing with keeping us informed and up to date.

'Dad will be home soon so our family can try and come to terms with the circumstances and we'd ask that people please refrain from pointing the blame and let the police do their job.

The family of the taxi driver said in a statement that they are still trying to come to terms with the circumstances of his death

'We will miss him so much and respectfully ask for time to grieve as a family.'

Greater Manchester Police say enquiries are ongoing and a post-mortem took place yesterday.

William Brent Taylor (pictured), known as Brent to his friends, was described as 'one of the nicest people you could ever meet'

Detective Chief Inspector Carl Jones, of Greater Manchester Police's Major Incident Team, said: 'We are continuing to support William's family who are understandably devastated by their loss.

'Our investigation to establish the exact circumstances surrounding this incident remains ongoing and I would ask anyone with information that could assist our enquiries to please get in touch.'

Earlier, two men have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter following his death.

The 57-year-old victim, known by friends as Brent, was described as 'one of the nicest people you could ever meet'.

A police cordon in the multi-storey car park in terminal two was put in place around the scene.

The Manchester Evening News reports the man is believed to have collapsed and suffered a suspected heart attack following an altercation in the car park.

It is understood he was waiting for passengers.

Touching tributes to Mr Brent Taylor have been left on social media after the shocking news of his death.

Police were called to the airport following reports of an assault near Terminal 2 at around 8.25am

Lauren Taylor wrote: 'It is with great sadness in having to write this but our rock, our family glue has sadly left us today.

'We are all hurting at the moment, don't be sad, William Brent Taylor wouldn't want that, me and Shaun are fine, he will be home soon.'

Friends described him as an 'amazing' and 'first class man'.

In his final Facebook post less than two hours before the assault he told how he was 'living the dream' after returning from the 'holiday of a lifetime'.

A close friend and fellow taxi driver described his death as 'absolutely devastating' and fondly remembered him for his 'sharp wittedness' and 'capacity to share and help whoever, with whatever, whenever he could.'

A police cordon has been put in place around the scene in the Terminal 2 car park

He added: 'This is a sad and tragic loss to the the many of those whose lives he helped to brighten and I'm consoled somewhat at least by the fact that just prior to this he's managed to experience the holiday of a lifetime with another best friend of ours.'

Ann Dickens, his work colleague at A-Line Taxis in his home town wrote: 'So sad a first class man it as a pleasure having him work for us, sorry there are no words to explain how we all feel.'

A shocked Helen Aldred posted on Facebook: 'I couldn't believe it when I heard earlier. One amazing man and will never be forgotten and surely be missed.'

A Manchester private hire driver said: 'I normally drive to the airport between 12 and six in the day. I don't really do airport jobs, but the people who do them between 5-8 or 10 in the morning, is their busiest time.

'You do hear stories about drivers getting into arguments about parking spaces but we don't know whether this incident was what this argument was about.'

Local black-cab driver: 'I heard about the incident but I don't know the taxi driver. I do the airport runs a lot and the morning is the busiest time.

'When the public come here, they don't know where they're driving too because of the roadworks and and building work going on in the area.

'They then might be late and start having an argument about parking spaces or if the traffic is backed up. It's particularly busy between 8-10 in the morning and the night between 5-7. You do get heated arguments and the airport marshalls get it too. One marshall has been attacked twice.

'Drivers are not allowed to pull up at the airport and wait for people. But one marshall told them that they couldn't t wait there and they told him to 'get stuffed' and there a bit of scuffle. They get a lot of trouble over the parking there.'

A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said: 'Shortly after 8.25am on Friday 6 April, police were called to reports of an assault at a car park at Terminal 2 of Manchester Airport.

'A 57-year-old taxi driver was taken to hospital where he sadly died.

'Enquiries remain ongoing at the scene.

'Two men, aged 55 and 26, have been arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and remain in custody for questioning.

'A post mortem examination will be carried out tomorrow.'

A spokeswoman for the North West Ambulance Service said: 'We sent an ambulance to Manchester Airport at 8.30am.

'A man, aged in his 50s, had collapsed.'

Greater Manchester Police confirmed no arrests had been made and that enquiries were ongoing

Police were called to the airport following reports of an assault near Terminal 2 at around 8.25am this morning
Andrew Jackson Higdon III, age 66, was arrested on Tuesday in Louisiana

A roofer has been arrested after police said he repossessed the roof of a home over a payment dispute with the owner.

Andrew Jackson Higdon III, age 66, was arrested on Tuesday in West Monroe, Louisiana and charged with criminal damage to property and trespass, both misdemeanors.

In a phone interview with DailyMail.com, Higdon flatly denied all of the allegations, saying that the homeowner had scammed him and that he never did any damage to her roof.

'That is the most ridiculous hogwash on the face of the earth,' Higdon said of the claims against him.

Higdon said he installed the roof in question in June of 2016 for Brenda Kelly, who lives on Charmingdale Drive in Monroe. A phone number listed for Kelly was disconnected and she did not immediately return a message through Facebook.

The roofer said he spent about $5,700 out of pocket on the supplies and labor, and the bill for the job was around $7,000.

Higdon said he installed the roof in question in June of 2016 for Brenda Kelly (above), but denies damaging her roof while she was out of town after she failed to pay

The homeowner said Higdon had a verbal agreement that she'd pay him for the work once her insurance issued a check, according to an arrest warrant reported by the News Star.

Higdon disputes that, insisting that they had a written agreement. But months went by without payment.

'Every time I called her, she told me how happy she was with her roof. And I felt like I was on another planet, because she equates compliments and praise with the actual payment for the roof,' Higdon said.

The homeowner told police that she tried to set up a payment plan with Higdon but he refused.

'Four months into the collections process, she began to talk about how she wanted to make payments - I'm just a small business man though, I'm not Lowes or Home Depot. I'm not set up to do that,' Higdon said.

The homeowner claims that the roofer threatened to remove his work from her home if he wasn't paid in full. He denies he ever made such a threat.

She told police that when she came home on December 22, 2016, just a few days before Christmas, the roof and roofing paper on her home were gone. It is unclear to what extent the roof was damaged.

Higdon replaced the roof on this home in June of 2016. He is accused of 'repossessing' the roof after the homeowner failed to pay him, but he denies damaging the roof in any way

Higdon says he has no idea how her roof was damaged, and that he had nothing to do with it. 'No, I didn't do it,' he said.

Unable to get tarps up before it rained, the homeowner claims she suffered ceiling and furniture damage that she estimated at $11,500.

Ouachita Parish deputies responded to the complaint and contacted Higdon, who initially agreed to meet with them. But Higdon failed to show for the interview and dodged subsequent calls, police said.

Higdon admits that he had a conflict that arose and he couldn't attend the interview, but says police never asked him to come back in, and never told him what the subject of the investigation was. 'I only received two calls from the detective,' he said. 'Both times he called me I picked up.'

'I paid for the materials myself, I paid for the labor myself,' he said of the job at the center of the dispute. 'She got a free roof off of me with my money for six months and she was made whole.'

The roofer said he had set the matter aside and was resigned to losing the money on the job nearly two years ago, and was baffled when cops showed up to arrest him on Tuesday morning.

The next day, Higdon posted bail of $4,500 and was freed from Ouachita Correctional Center.

He says his reputation as an honest businessman for over two decades is well known in the community, and that the legal trouble hasn't stopped him from landing multiple new contracts since the arrest.

'These people are not going to ruin me,' he said. 'I invested my life in this work, and this woman tried to scam me. I'm gonna be alright.'
Is the US ignorant or deliberately misinterpreting 'Made in China 2025'?

The US Trade Representatives Office (USTR) released a report on its Section 301 investigation into China, and then unveiled a list of proposed Chinese imports that could face increased tariffs, arousing Sino-US trade tension.

So, what is the best way to analyze objectively the findings from the USTR report and the problems reflected therein to offer an active and proper response?

Peoples Daily interviewed Zhao Changwen, Director General of the Department of Industrial Economy at Development Research Center of the State Council on Thursday.

The 301 investigation initiated by the US was a measure used to protect US companies from receiving unequal treatment connecting technology transfer, market access, and investment. In fact, it was a form of strategic containment and suppression implemented by the US at China's high-tech industry and advanced manufacturing, explained Zhao.

The 301-investigation report refers directly to the Made in China 2025 plan, released in 2015. The ten key areas in the plan mainly involve high-tech industries and advanced manufacturing. The US is worried that China will have mature capabilities in those areas and threaten their leading edge in the future.

Zhao said the Section 301 investigation and its conclusions are subjective and tendentious, an American-style interpretation, or even a misinterpretation. The investigation was conducted primarily with questionnaires and used subjective evaluations for American businesses. It also used business plans or research perspectives released by the Chinese government and research institutes, but in the end was lacking in facts and statistics necessary to form any kind of realistic foundation.

The expression it is reported appears many times in the final report, which proves the investigation was neither accurate or thorough.

The academic papers and public reports cited within were research outcomes based on assumptions. And some of the policies mentioned have since undergone adjustments, which means they cannot support the overall conclusion.

Many issues proposed in the report do not violate bilateral or multilateral trade negotiations, or national laws and regulations. As an example, Zhao says the 301 investigation mixed plans with industrial strategies, and saw Made in China 2025, "Outline of the National Program for Long- and Medium-Term Scientific and Technological Development", "Outline of the National Strategy of Innovation-Driven Development Background Briefing" and other development outlines as major industrial strategies, without differentiating their functions and efficiency.

Zhao further explained that Made in China 2025 was a market-oriented strategic plan, open and inclusive.

At the beginning, the core idea was established based on the ideas of how the market plays a decisive role in resource allocation, keeping innovative, intelligent, environmentally friendly, and sustainable development concepts, with a focus on construction concepts and open cooperation with mutual benefits.

The Chinese government has repeatedly stressed that the Made in China 2025 plan has always been an open system, as it was designed for universal applicability.

Chinese officials have emphasized multiple times that the 2025 plan was equal to Chinese and international companies, and China has always welcomed foreign companies to participate in the development of its manufacturing industries.

Companies from the US, Germany, Great Britain and other nations have participated and cooperated with the Made in China 2025 plan, contributing to the construction of intelligent manufacturing, green manufacturing and other advanced forms of development.

The 301 investigation and its conclusions were both a cognitive deviation and distorted, Zhao pointed out while stressing the US twisted the facts behind Made in China 2025, misinterpreting it as as a plan completely dominated by the Chinese government, and an action aimed at acquiring or stealing core technologies from rising international companies where market entry would be exchanged for access to new technology.

Zhao believes China should maintain its strategic determination and stick with the plan in accelerating the implementation of Made in China 2025, and promote high quality development within the manufacturing industry. It should also strengthen support in advanced manufacturing sectors while following international practices and rules.

To strengthen support, China first must provide support for industry weak points in core technology research and development. Subsidizing research and development fits accordingly with WTO rules, and its a practice carried out by other countries.

Second, apply pragmatic tax measures, such as developing tax incentives for Chinese and foreign companies.

Third, strengthen public support for research platforms, laboratories, pilot links, industrial Internet and other public infrastructures.

Fourth, expand skills training, incubation services, while integrating educational resources from various fields to promote human capital and establish a highly talented manufacturing team.

(Compiled by Du Mingming, Liu Xiaochi, and Terry Guanlin Li.)
Alaina Marie Limpert, 25, from Tempe, Arizona was arrested after her child ingested marijuana-infused butter

An Arizona mother has been arrested after her toddler ate mac and cheese made with cannabis butter.

Alaina Marie Limpert, 25, from Tempe allegedly made the dish with THC butter - a chemical that makes one high - that her daughter, one, ingested.

Instead of taking the little one to the hospital, Limpert and her husband laughed at the child when she exhibited high reactions, according to police.

Limpert was arrested and booked on one count of child abuse, cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana among other charges according to the Miami Herald.

The incident took place on Tuesday when Limpert allegedly made the pasta dish with the marijuana-infused butter for her husband.

The little girl, who is 21 months old, began to eat some of it with her father.

'During that time, neither parent took the child to immediate emergency care,' according to the police report.

At a court appearance in Maricopa County, Limpert, pictured above, cried when she was told she would not be allowed to see her children

Mother-of-three Limpert, pictured above with one of her kids, works for a cannabis company

'It was witnessed inside of the residence that [they] both laughed about the side effects the child experienced during that time and then proceeded to place her into their backyard pool to use the cold water to "shock" her,' the police report continued.

Alarm was raised to the Department of Child Safety by someone in Limperts home two days after the incident, accord to AZFamily.

All three of Limperts children were taken into custody of the Department of Child Safety.

Hospital officials confirmed finding THC in the toddlers system.

According to Facebook, Limpert is a big fan of marijuana.

The mother, pictured with husband and kids, was charged with child abuse, cultivation of marijuana and possession of marijuana

She is listed as a CEO at Marijuana Demographic and has images with marijuana paraphernalia.

The police report reveals that authorities found two marijuana grow tents with about 20 plants in the garage, mushrooms, bongs, pipes and hash oil.

In the refrigerator three large tubs of THC butter were found.

She cried at her court appearance when a judge said she will not be allowed to have any contact with any children.

'Mine?' she asked.

'Any of your children. You will not have any contact with any minors including the alleged victim,' the judge clarified.

She is due back in court on April 19.
The owners of a historic homestead venue in Queensland have vowed to rebuild after it was gutted by a devastating fire on Saturday afternoon.

A newlywed couple who had just tied the knot had their big day ruined after they and 100 guests and venue staff were evacuated from Spicers Hidden Vale in Grandchester in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane.

It's understood the fire was caused by a 'combustible event' in the kitchen of the early 1900s homestead, which caused the roof of the dining area and reception to collapse.

The exact cause is yet to be determined but is believed to be not suspicious.

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'The homestead has been destroyed however the remainder of the retreat is untouched and beautiful,'the venue posted on its Facebook page on Sunday

Firefighters worked into the night to bring the blaze under control but were unable to save the homestead

Locals and visitors were sad to hear the news about Spicers Hidden Vale

'It will be rebuilt and we'll keep Hidden Vale going for the community,' marketing manger Kira Klein said

A newlywed couple have had their dream wedding ruined after their popular homestead venue went up in flames in Queensland's Lockyer Valley, an hour's drive west of Brisbane

Firefighters worked into the night to bring the blaze under control but were unable to save the homestead.

'Everyone is OK and we are working with emergency services,' Spicers Hidden Vale posted on its Facebook page on Saturday.

'We will provide more information as it comes to hand. Rest assured we will rebuild and will be up and running asap, fortunately we have a range of facilities at the retreat.

In 1919 the original homestead was mysteriously 'burnt down in a vicious fire that claimed all but the detached kitchen,' archival records from Ipswich City Council said

The devastating fire that ruined a couple's wedding bore an eerie resemblance to the blaze which totally destroyed the same reportedly 'haunted' historic Queensland homestead 99 years previously

Hidden Vale is one of eight Spicers group resort owned by Flight Centre founder Graham Turner and his wife Jude.

They have since vowed to rebuild in the most recent Facebook post on Sunday.

They also shared an aftermath photo of the damage.

'Thank you for the outpouring of support we cant tell you how much it means to us,' the venue's Facebook page stated.

'The homestead has been destroyed however the remainder of the retreat is untouched and beautiful. We are working on contacting all of our upcoming guests and thank you for your patience.'

Venue marketing director Kira Klein told 7 News: 'Like they did then, it will be rebuilt and we'll keep Hidden Vale going for the community. We have a long list of alternative sites with facilities so we're confident we'll be up and running quickly.'

Ms Klein described the venue as an icon in the region.

Locals and visitors were sad to hear the news.

'Sad to see that beautiful venue destroyed,many memories but we know you will come back stronger than before,' one man posted"on the venue's Facebook page.

One woman added: 'Wow... so sad. We were married there almost a year ago. I cant imagine the homestead not being there next time we visit.'

Concerned brides and grooms visited the site on Sunday in the hope of getting answers.

'Hopefully everything will be back on deck before too long,' one groom's sister told 7 News.

A marriage celebrant posted on Facebook: 'I know they will bust a gut making sure all future guests and weddings will be taken care off. As has been stated in the news - they are very lucky to have several great facilities on the property so with little quick thinking things will be fab again in no time!'

Locals have theorised that the property's previous owners might have more to do with the fire than first thought.

In an eerie case of history repeating itself, Saturday's devastating fire ripped through the venue 99 years after a suspicious blaze totally destroyed the same reportedly 'haunted' historic Queensland homestead.

In 1919 the original homestead was mysteriously 'burnt down in a vicious fire that claimed all but the detached kitchen,' archival records from Ipswich Council said.

Locals and former employees of the property described the strange coincidence between the fire of 1919 and the fire over the weekend, alleging the ghost of the former owner planned the fire so that she could have her house back in peace.

Alfred Cotton, a flamboyant seaman who had spent six years sailing between Hong Kong and the West Indies, built the two-storey homestead in 1900 from a small slab hut with his wife Annie Bode and their daughter.

The fire was thought to have started in the kitchen around 4.10pm caused by a 'combustible event' the venue's owner said

Alfred Cotton, a flamboyant seaman who had spent six years sailing between Hong Kong and the West Indies, built the two-storey homestead in 1900 from a small slab hut with his wife Annie Bode and their daughter

After the fire, the homestead was replaced and the complex is used as a resort and wedding venue.

But Mr Cotton's wife has long been rumored to haunt the property as a ghost.

On an Ipswich Community Facebook page, locals described the strange coincidence between the fire of 1919 and the fire over the weekend.

'This is what I was saying about how strange it is the rest goes to fire as well,' one person wrote.

Another woman who worked on the property described bizarre activity in the homestead including 'thrown objects, shutting lights on an off and slamming doors all whilst bringing the chandeliers to a leaning holt.'

A woman who worked on the property described bizarre activity in the homestead including 'thrown objects, shutting lights on an off and slamming doors all whilst bringing the chandeliers to a leaning holt

Some suggested the ghost of Mrs Cotton planned the fire so that 'she will be all nice and comfortable in her cottage again' and 'will be plotting a storm for them next'.

'Oh yeah she would definitely be back in her cottage all happy as Larry ... Plotting her next move,' another woman wrote.

Other former workers shared memories of walking down to the car park at night after work, with one woman saying she 'struggled to do that alone and if I did I had my phone torch on [and I was] running not looking back.'

'I hated the Laidley room at night,' another person said.

Over the years Mr and Mrs Cotton owned the property they spent their time in the Australian outback adventurers and drovers. They added to the property with out buildings, carriages and motor sheds, stock yards and bull pens before it was burnt down.

The homestead dates back to the early 1900s and was rebuilt after a fire in 1919 where the kitchen and dining area were destroyed
Detective Constable Derrick Quarm has lost his 12th employment tribunal in ten years

A police officer has been slammed by a judge after he lost his 12th employment tribunal in just ten years.

Detective Constable Derrick Quarm, 44, was told that his latest claim of being victimised because of his race was 'totally without merit'.

Former paratrooper Mr Quarm made headlines in 2015 when he claimed a detective had made an 'overtly racist' comment in the aftermath of the London Riots in 2011 when he said that Lambeth, South London was like 'the planet of the apes'.

This time around, he demanded 25,000 in 'compensation for injury to feelings' after claiming that colleagues had buried a report he compiled on police corruption.

According to the Sun, The Met denied the allegations and called them 'wild, unfounded and entirely unsupported'.

Judge Julie Jones rejected the claim at a preliminary hearing in East London and ruled Quarm produced no supporting evidence.

Quarm joined the Metropolitan Police in 1997 and made his first claim against the force in 2008 after being overlooked for promotion eight times.

His 11th tribunal last September heard his earlier claims had focused on racial discrimination and the later ones on victimisation.

The Met declined to comment.

In an earlier hearing, which he also lost, DC Quarm said he had unearthed a white collar criminal network in Lambeth but was portrayed as a pathological liar after reporting his findings, and claimed his previous managers briefed his new bosses in a different borough that he played the race card.
Sanaa Mehajer, the sister of disgraced former deputy major, Salim Mehajer, has filed an apprehended violence order against her estranged husband.

Moudi Tajjour, 34, a former vice-president of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang, will face Burwood Local Court in Sydney on Thursday over the application.

Tajjour who is also the cousin of Sydney nightclub figure, John Ibrahim married Ms Mehajer, 22, just 48-hours after announcing their engagement on social media.

The Mehajer-Tajjour marriage, which lasted three months, took place just two days after the couple were engageed (Sanaa and Moudi pictured centre)

Nomads senior member, Moudi Tajjour, 34, is expected to face Burwood Local Court in Sydney's inner-west on Wednesday to respond to the lodged AVO application

The AVO application could mark the undoing of the relationship between the Ibrahim and Mehajer families, The Australian reported.

The Mehajer-Tajjour wedding, which occurred two days after their engagement on Christmas Eve last year, followed another wedding between the two families a month earlier.

Ms Mehajer's sister Aisha married Hassan 'Sam' Sayour, John Ibrahim's nephew, in mid-November despite a violent incident on the night before the wedding.

John Ibrahim's bodyguard and long-time friend was shot in the back just metres from Ibrahim's mother's suburban home where the wedding was due to take place.

Sanaa Mehajer, (right) the sister of disgraced former deputy major, Salim Mehajer, has filed an AVO against her Nomad's enforcer husband Moudi Tajjour (left)

Semi 'Tongan Sam' Ngata allegedly moved in front of the bride to protect her from the bullet.

The shot was described as 'particularly brazen' at the wedding which was attended by a large number of bikies, police and security.

Sanna Mehajer and Tajjour's marriage was reported to have ended in February, with the pair trading insults on social media.

One comment, posted by Tajjour's account on one of Ms Mehajer's Instagram photos, read 'U f***ing slut' although Tajjour he was hacked.

Tajjour later confirmed the couple had split in a series of live videos on social media, announcing that he was single.
Last week, a court's decision to release convicted paedophile Colin Charles Humphrys from prison caused uproar, with parents and child abuse victims petitioning to keep the serial sex predator out of their communities.

Now one of Humphrys' victims has broken a 27-year silence to condemn the ruling.

The victim, whom the Supreme Court refers to under pseudonym 'XX', levelled a vicious rebuke of the Australian legal system for its alleged failure to protect children against sexual predators.

Convicted paedophile Colin Charles Humphrys will be released from indefinite imprisonment in May, as per a controversial Supreme Court ruling

'Ours is a system that ensures that more children will be harmed,' he said.

'That's the system we are living with ... it's set up to empower paedophiles to reoffend.'

XX was kidnapped and repeatedly abused by Humphrys between 1990 and 1991, when he was just nine years old,The Advertiser reports.

Now in his 30's, he says he felt 'hot rage' at Justice Trish Kelly's decision to release Humphrys from indefinite imprisonment for purposes of rehabilitation.

One of Humphrys' victims has broken a 27-year silence to condemn the ruling, claiming it would only be a matter of time before the sexual predator reoffended

The court ruling will see Humphries being released into the Bowden-Brompton area of north Adelaide

Even with GPS monitoring and anti-libidinal medication, XX insisted that it would only be a matter of time before Humphrys abused another child.

'We could put an electroshock collar on him and he would likely still offend ... he would probably enjoy the shock,' he said.

'You can't protect your children by checking their online browser history  he stalked my house, waited for my mother's light to go out and took me from my own home.

'Unless parents want to sleep as tag-teams, unless we want to place children in crisis centres and watch over them, I can't see how a (tracking) bracelet will stop this man from offending.'

Parents and child abuse victims have railed against the decision to release him, petitioning to keep him out of their communities

The Supreme Court ruling would see Humphrys, now 66, released into the Bowden-Brompton area of north Adelaide from May 14.

But XX sternly rejected the notion that the paedophile deserved a chance to rehabilitate and reintegrate into society.

'What is the rehabilitation of a 66-year-old paedophile worth?' he said.

'What's he going to do? Is he going to get a job? Is he going to make society a better place?

'How much daytime television will he be able to stand before he reoffends?'
The younger mistress of Wendy Williams' husband tried to hide after she was spotted out in New York City still wearing a large diamond ring on her engagement finger.

Sharina Hudson, 32, ducked for cover on Saturday after spotting a photographer while she was collecting her car from a parking garage in the Theatre District.

The massage therapist, who had just been for lunch, ran back into the garage and had the male attendant bring her car inside before getting in and making her getaway.

Footage shows Hudson going through a red light in Times Square to avoid being photographed.

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Sharina Hudson, 32, was spotted out in New York City on Saturday as she went to collect her car from a parking garage in the Theatre District

Hudson, who was revealed to have been having a decade-long affair with Wendy Williams' husband, was still wearing a large diamond ring on her engagement finger on Saturday

Footage shows Hudson going through a red light in Times Square to avoid being photographed

It was revealed late last year that Hudson has been engaged in a secret 10-year long affair with Williams' 46-year-old husband Kevin Hunter.

Hunter moved the younger woman into a $765,000 home in New Jersey and Hudson has previously been spotted wearing the large diamond ring on her wedding ring finger.

Hunter has been splitting his time between the New Jersey home he shares with Wendy and their teenage son Kevin Jr, and the secluded suburban house he bought for his mistress just nine miles down the road.

Hudson has rarely been seen in public since the affair was exposed.

Williams, 53, declared that she was 'standing by her guy' soon after DailyMailTV revealed the affair in September.

Wendy and Kevin have been married since 1997.

The massage therapist was spotted chatting to a friend after having just been to lunch

Hudson, a massage therapist, was picking up her car from the parking garage when she spotted a photographer

The 32-year-old ducked for cover on Saturday after spotting a photographer while she was collecting her car

Hudson has rarely been seen in public since the affair was exposed in September

Hudson ran back into the garage and had the male attendant bring her car inside before getting in and making her getaway

The daytime talk show host has only just returned to the air after taking a three-week break to deal with health issues.

When she resurfaced on The Wendy Williams Show on March 19, Williams opened up about her private battle with the autoimmune related Graves Disease.

She told her fans about her health battles before giving a special shout out to her husband Kevin for helping her through a difficult time.

The TV personality also had a scare late last year when she fainted on live television. At the time, Williams chalked it up to menopause and overheating in her Lady Liberty Halloween costume.

Her health scare came as sources claimed she was 'not the same person' after news broke of Hunter's affair. Insiders close to Williams said at the time that behind the scenes she had been uncharacteristically melancholy.

It was revealed late last year that Hudson has been engaged in a secret 10-year long affair with Williams' 46-year-old husband Kevin Hunter. Wendy and Kevin have been married since 1997
A search of Instagram on Sunday revealed that parent-company Facebook has started blocking certain hashtags related to drugs on the social media site.

While no images showed up in a search for the phrase 'oxycontin' on Sunday, just last week the phrase pulled up more than 30,000 posts, according to CNN.

However, searches for the words 'xanax' and 'fentanyl' continued to retrieve a comparatively small number of images, while hiding others.

This follows the FDA saying illegal drug dealers have been using social media sites to connect with buyers for opioids, fueling the national overdose epidemic.

A search of Instagram on Sunday revealed that parent-company Facebook has limited search results for images with hashtags related to drugs

While no images showed up in a search for the phrase 'oxycontin' on Sunday, just last week the phrase pulled up more than 30,000 posts

Overall, Emergency Department visits for suspected opioid overdoses increased by 30 per cent in the US, from July 2016 through September 2017, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC doesn't yet have data on the number of deaths from opioid overdose for 2017, but the government agency reported that 2016 recorded 42,000 deaths from the national epidemic, which is more opioid overdose deaths than any other year on record.

It's also double the number of recorded deaths from 2010, which was 21,000.

This data has prompted the Surgeon General to issue a warning that more people should carry naloxone, which is an FDA-approved medication that 'can temporarily suspend the effects of [an opioid] overdose until emergency responders arrive.'

'It is time to make sure more people have access to this lifesaving medication, because 77 per cent of opioid overdose deaths occur outside of a medical setting and more than half occur at home,' said Surgeon General Sylvia Trent-Adams.

'Each day we lose 115 Americans to an opioid overdose  thats one person every 12.5 minutes,' she added.

Social media sites like Facebook and Instagram have struggled with their role in this.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before Congress, in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on other matters on April 11

On Instagram, many photos that previously came up when users searched terms like 'fentanyl' and 'oxycontin' also included contact information, implying the drugs pictured were available for purchase, and negotiations for sale could be handled off the site.

'Instagram has allowed this to happen to a point where no one is hiding it,' said tech entrepreneur Eileen Carey.

Food and Drug Administration commissioner Scott Gottlieb echoed her sentiments, in speech made at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit in Atlanta, Georgia, the text of which was made available by the FDA on Wednesday.

'Im concerned that social media companies, internet service providers (ISP) firms that host websites, and others in the internet ecosystem havent been proactive enough in rooting out these illegal offers to distribute opioids from their respective platforms. I think we can work with them to do much more to address this public health danger.'

Carey, who is the CEO of a tech company that enables other companies to match employees with peer mentors from within their own organizations, had spent years, she said, flagging this type of content with no significant reaction from the platform, until this past week.

Facebook executives finally responded to Carey's calls for action over Twitter this week, leading Wired to tout her on Friday as the 'one woman [who] got Facebook to police opioid sales on Instagram.'

But while celebrating the removal of posts showing up under the search term 'oxycontin,' Carey was quick to point out that images still remain for photos tagged with other opioid types.

Below the images that still showed up in the limited pool of results, a note explained why some posts containing the hashtag were no longer featured

Below the images that still showed up in the limited pool of results, a note explained why some posts containing the hashtag were no longer featured.

'Recent posts from #xanax are currently hidden because the community has reported some content that may not meet Instagram's community guidelines,' the disclaimer read.

A similar message was displayed at the bottom of results after searching the term 'fentanyl.'

A spokesperson for Instagram said in a statement that community guidelines 'make it clear that buying or selling prescription drugs isn't allowed on Instagram, and we have zero tolerance when it comes to content that puts the safety of our community at risk.'

DailyMail.com reached out to Facebook via email to inquire as to whether posts including drug-related hashtags were being taken down, or simply blocked from showing up in the search portal contained within the app.

Facebook did not immediately reply to the request for comment.

Facebook has also been under fire recently for its transparencey, or lack thereof, regarding its user data protection practices.

Critics have been calling for change from the social media giant, following revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a British company hired by President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign team, was able to access information from more than 87 million Facebook profiles.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg is scheduled to testify before Congress, in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, on this and other matters on April 11.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357), is a confidential, free, 24-hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders
Gary Madison, 57, was arrested outside the library in Indianapolis on Saturday after the afternoon attack

Three people were injured on Saturday in a stabbing attack outside an Indianapolis library.

Suspect Gary Madison, 57, was arrested after stabbing the victims.

Police named the three others as James Anderson, Jr., 26, Edward Lee Atkins, 26, and Johnny Gilson, 46.

They were stabbed after Madison allegedly pulled a knife on their pregnant friend Taylor George.

She had asked him to stop playing the bullhorn because she feared it would trigger her friend's epilepsy.

After reportedly stabbing one man in the stomach and the other two in the arm, Madison, who had arrived on a bicycle, stabbed himself in the abdomen by accident.

Another man then held him down until police arrived.

It is not clear if he is homeless but George said he frequented the area outside the Central Library.

She and her friends had gathered on the grassy patch outside the library when he arrived and started havoc, she said.

This was the scene outside the library on Saturday. It is not clear if Madison is the man pictured being led down the steps (right) or (left)

'He pulled his knife out of his pocket and when he couldn't get us with the knife, he threw his bike at us.

'And that's when my family members and friends tried to stop him,' George told The Indy Star on Saturday.

As he tried to fend one of the men off, he accidentally stabbed himself in the stomach, she said.

In his mugshot, one side of the man's face is covered in scratches.

He is being held in custody on three felony battery charges with a deadly weapon.
Relatives of Yulia Skripal fear she is being held in 'detention' by Britain and not allowed to say what she really feels.

The ex-spy's cousin, Natalia Pestova, 65, spoke out in Siberia after reports that the poisoned 33-year-old and her ex-spy father Sergei could be given political asylum or new identities, possibly in America.

This came as Yulia's mysterious boyfriend - who is not believed to have been in touch with her since the poisoning - is expected to be quizzed by Russian prosecutors and after Viktoria Skripal claimed she was not working for the Kremlin.

And in another move, Moscow accused Britain of benefiting from a 6 billion-plus cash windfall from 'criminal' Russians who London refuses to extradite.

The ex-spy's cousin, Natalia Pestova, 65, spoke out in Siberia after reports that the poisoned 33-year-old and her ex-spy father Sergei could be given political asylum or new identities, possibly in America

Yulia, 33, phoned Viktoria (pictured in Moscow) last week and predicted her cousin's visa would be rejected

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the use of chemical weapons on Sergei and Yulia Skripal (pictured) in Salisbury

Viktoria (pictured showing her rejected visa) said: 'I fear Yulia will now be pushed to disown us and get political asylum  and we will never be able to see her and Sergei again'

Britain will this week face a new visa application from Skripal niece Viktoria, 45, who has appealed directly to Theresa May to overturn her visa rejection so she can visit her relatives in Salisbury.

Yulia, 33, phoned Viktoria last week and predicted her cousin's visa would be rejected.

But another family member, who grew up with the spy, said she suspects from the phone call that Yulia is not allowed to speak her own mind, and was told what to say.

'We are very confused by what Yulia said - she didn't quite sound like her usual self,' said Natalia.

'Naturally we understand she can't be her usual self after the poisoning and the shock of what happened to her.

In the call, Yulia (pictured) told Viktoria she hoped to be out of hospital 'soon'

'And yet the feeling from hearing her voice was that she wasn't speaking at her own initiative. I wonder if she is in fact in some kind of detention (in Britain).'

In the call, Yulia told Viktoria she hoped to be out of hospital 'soon'.

But it has since emerged that she does not want Viktoria to visit her, even though the pair were close in Russia.

'It's so hard not to be able to talk to her, or see her, to make own judgement,' said Natalia.

'There is too much space for rumours left with no proper stream of reliable information.

'It's incredibly hard to understand who is lying and why, who is playing [a] double game, and who is telling the truth.'

But Viktoria, speaking to The Sunday Telegraph, said British fears she is a 'Russian spy' are unfounded since she is a committed Communist - and therefore, in her words, a 'political opponent' of Putin's.

She added: 'If the British say I work for the special services, let them prove it. Show me one piece of evidence.'

She also said Yulia belonged back in Moscow, explaining: 'She has a dog here, she has a life here, she has work here, and a loved one here.'

Viktoria has since pushed back against those who have openly wondered why she has begun appearing on state TV recently and why she recorded her phone call with Yulia.

But she said Yulia and her father were probably suffering from food poisoning after eating seafood.

Britain will this week face a new visa application from Skripal niece Viktoria, 45, who has appealed directly to Theresa May to overturn her visa rejection so she can visit her relatives in Salisbury

Viktoria has since pushed back against those who have openly wondered why she has begun appearing on state TV recently and why she recorded her phone call with Yulia

Meanwhile, she refused to say where Yulia would be safest, saying her only hope for complete security would be on the moon.

Britain has accused Russia of being behind the use of chemical weapons on the pair in Salisbury.

Sergei Skripal's maternal aunt Maria hit out at claims from British consular officials that Viktoria was not seen as close enough to the ex-spy and his daughter to be granted a visa.

'I cannot imagine a reason that would make Yulia say she didn't want to see Viktoria,' said the pensioner from Barnaul.

'They were always close. They saw each other in Yaroslavl when Yulia came for for visits. They were relatives - and friends.

She added: 'We are at a total loss trying to understand what happened.'

Viktoria said: 'I fear Yulia will now be pushed to disown us and get political asylum  and we will never be able to see her and Sergei again.'

Referring to her surprise phone call last week with Yulia, she said: 'I felt she sounded clearly like she was saying something she was asked to.

'At the end of our chat she fought back tears because she knew that likely she won't see me again.

'But if she cried by the end of the chat when she said that I wont be given a visa, that means that she DID want to see me.

'If somebody bursts into tears when talking to a family member, then everyone understands that a person wants to see me, the whole world understands it.'

Viktoria is to make a new visa application this week, she said.

Yulia's boyfriend, Stephan Vikeev, wiped all his social media, and only one picture has been found of him - taken from a traffic camera

'We are very confused by what Yulia said - she didn't quite sound like her usual self,' said Natalia (pictured)

'I feel that our rights are being ignored, violated,' she said. 'I am not asking for anything great.

'The only thing I want is that Yulia can come back home, because this is where her home is.'

She said she would seek to see her relatives without the involvement of the Russian embassy in London if this 'unnerved' the British.

Yulia had lived and worked in Britain after her father went to Britain in an exchange with glamour spy Anna Chapman in 2010.

But then she went back to Russia and felt her life was there in her homeland.

Yulia's mysterious fiance - alleged to have links to Russian secret services - has been unmasked as Stepan Vikeev, 30.

He is to undergo interrogation by the Moscow authorities amid claims from Viktoria Skripal that the attack on her relatives in Salisbury may have been a 'domestic' dispute over Yulia's intended marriage.

Yulia had lived and worked in Britain after her father went to Britain in an exchange with glamour spy Anna Chapman in 2010

The theory will be seen in Britain as a smokescreen convenient for the Kremlin.

Vikeev - who lived with Yulia for two years before she took her flight to Britain in early March - made no effort to contact her or the hospital in the wake of her poisoning, it has been alleged.

Nor has he spoken about her plight.

He wiped all his social media, and only one picture has been found of him - taken from a traffic camera.

Acquaintances say that after the poisoning he 'went into hiding'.

One account said: 'No-one saw him and he stopped communicating. He did not answer calls and text messages.'

His mother Tatiana Vikeeva, 61, who is also seen as having links to a branch of the Russian secret services - has not commented either, despite specific claims from Viktoria - Sergei Skripal's niece - that she did not want her son to wed the 'daughter of a traitor'.

She heads the highly secretive Research and Production Association 'Institute of Modern Security Problems', where is it believed Stepan also worked.

The outfit is said to have links to the security services, although there are no details.

It was founded by Norilsk Nickel, which is part-owned by oligarch Oleg Deripaska, who was sanctioned last week by the US.

Viktoria has called Vikeev a 'strange man', expressing surprise that he did nothing to contact her or speak about her poisoning, even when it appeared she would not survive.

Yulia had been aiming to tell her father on her UK trip that the pair were to wed, it was reported.

Viktoria has been interviewed by the Russian Investigative Committee - equivalent of the FBI - which probes serious crimes and is carrying out its own investigation into the Skripal poisoning.

'Investigators got interested in my 'domestic' version of events,' she said, referring to her claim that she believes the poisoning was an attack on Yulia to prevent her marriage.

'They have established the identity and traced Yulia's 'lost' boyfriend of Yulia and will be interrogating him.'

Viktoria has said earlier of Yulia's boyfriend: 'She was with a young man but she had strained relations with his mother, at least this was how she told us.

'The mother didn't accept her, she didn't understand. The mother thought that if Yulia was the daughter of the traitor, then Yulia herself will betray.

'This was the mother's prime argument against Yulia.'

She described the mother as 'high ranked' with links to Russian security services.

Viktoria (pictured) has said earlier of Yulia's boyfriend: 'She was with a young man but she had strained relations with his mother, at least this was how she told us'

'I don't know where exactly. I don't know where she is from and where she lives.'

Yulia's boyfriend problems were confirmed by a woman who bought the former Skripal family flat on a bleak Moscow estate.

'Yulia had issues in her love life,' she said.

'She complained about her on-off boyfriend and said she struggled to make their relationship work.'

Russia, meanwhile, launched an attack on Britain for harbouring alleged criminals from Moscow - and using their dirty money to boost the economy.

Prosecutor general Yuri Chaika said: 'Since 2002, Russia has submitted requests to the UK authorities for the extradition of 61 people accused of - or convicted of - economic crimes.

'The amount of damage is estimated at over half a trillion roubles [6 billion].

'This is only the direct damage, while the amount of funds they've transferred abroad is significantly higher.'

Many Russians who fled Vladimir Putin's Russia will find it hard to explain their wealth under new British rules, he said.

'It will be very difficult for many of them to do this,' he said, referring to the new Criminal Finances Act.

'And we very much hope that this law will be applied by the British authorities in accordance with the norms of a civilised state, and not the principle of 'rob what was robbed'.

'I mean, they have stolen from Russia and now the UK will take everything into its budget.

'You can keep the criminals, but return the money (to Russia). This is our money,'

Russia is planning to make correspondence public this week in relation to certain cases of its wealthy citizens who fled Moscow for Britain.

Moscow's ambassador in London, Alexander Yakovenko, has alleged that there are some 43 wanted Russian criminals - 'some of them serial killers - who have a residence permit and whom the UK has refused to extradite to Russia'.
Jeremy Meeks' murdering rapist dad is reportedly looking forward to meeting Chloe Green and her billionaire father.

Ray Meeks, 67, said he hopes to meet Topshop boss Sir Philip Green and his wife, Tina, soon.

'I've spoken to Chloe on the phone and she sounds great,' Ray Meeks told The Sun.

Jeremy Meeks' (left) murdering rapist dad is reportedly looking forward to meeting Chloe Green (right) and her billionaire father

Ray Meeks, 67, said he hopes to meet Topshop boss Sir Philip (center) and his wife, Tina (left), soon. Chloe is pictured alongside her parents

'Her dad, the billionaire, seems like a great guy too. I'm hoping to meet them all soon.'

Ray Meeks was jailed in 1984. He was released last September. He now lives in a tiny ranch house in Texas with his widowed brother Willie, 73.

Last Sunday, Topshop heiress, Chloe was seen heading out for dinner with her parents Sir Phillip and Tina Green alongside her boyfriend Jeremy Meeks at Nobu in Malibu, California.

Chloe is said to be expecting her first child with Jeremy, who shot to fame when his smouldering police mugshot gained worldwide attention.

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.

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.

Chloe is said to be expecting her first child with Jeremy, who shot to fame when his smouldering police mugshot gained worldwide attention

Chloe is reportedly planning to marry Jeremy in a quick-fire ceremony amid claims she is expecting their first child

Meeks shared this snap on Sunday to his Instagram story - posing up with Tommy Hilfiger

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 finalized, The Daily Star reported.

'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.

Last month, Chloe also met Jeremy's family at his grandmother's birthday party. 'Nothing like spending time with the whole family. Happy Birthday Grandma,' Jeremy wrote on Instagram with a photo (above) of his family and Chloe

Separate sources have previously claimed the couple are expecting a boy

'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.

Last month, Chloe also met Jeremy's family at his grandmother's birthday party.

'Nothing like spending time with the whole family. From the Grandparents to the Great Grandchildren. Happy Birthday Grandma,' Jeremy wrote on Instagram with a photo of his family and Chloe.

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.

Jeremy already has son Jeremy Jr, nine, with estranged wife Melissa (left and right)

Proud dad: Jeremy is pictured with his son Jeremy Jr (left) from his marriage to Melissa

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. She's 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 he'll be a part of their lives forever,' it was continued.

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.

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.
Openness and inclusivity are the need of the hour: Pakistani PM

(Photo: Ding Xuezhen/People's Daily)

Islamabad (Peoples Daily) - Pakistans Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi stressed the urgent need for global openness as he expressed solidarity with Chinas vision of building a community of shared future for mankind.

Everybody is looking eagerly forward to President Xis articulation of his vision that he will provide on the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) and also the future role China will play in the world trade and the world economy, Abbasi told the Peoples Daily on Tuesday at his office.

The prime minister said that he will lead a delegation comprising cabinet ministers and senior level officials, which underscores the importance Pakistan attaches to the forum.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 BFA, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Tuesday morning.

The forum, scheduled for April 8 to 11 in Boao, a town in the southern island province of Hainan, will have the theme "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity, which Abbasi praised as not only pertinent but also timely.

With Asia becoming more integrated and countries in the region forging partnerships in diverse fields including economy, trade, technology, energy, ecology and social sectors, Openness and inclusivity are indeed the need of the hour, he stressed.

Abbasi expected the forum to be successful in generating informed and candid discussion on a wide range of issues towards forging a common vision for the Asian century.

He spoke highly of the Belt and Road initiative (BRI) as well as the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), calling it a transformative project representing economic cooperation between Pakistan and China.

He said the BRI is a truly global public good as it is designed to impact positively a vast number of people living in geographically distinct areas but bound together by the dream of improved lives, and better access to roads, infrastructure, sustainable energy and better resources.

As the flagship project of the BRI, CPEC epitomizes the vision of the two countries for comprehensive and broad-based economic cooperation, said Abbasi.

The energy projects conceived under CPEC have alleviated the energy crisis in Pakistan and we have been successful in adding thousands of megawatts of electricity to the national grid, he said.

CPEC energy projects have diversified Pakistans energy mix with investments in the countrys hydro, wind, solar and hydrocarbon energy sectors, which is also a matter of satisfaction for the prime minister.

The initial phase of the CPEC has done extremely well. A network of roads is under construction, and Gwadar port infrastructure is being developed, he noted.

It has indeed been a game changer, he said.

Abbasi said that Pakistan is now looking forward to the next stage of CPEC development  setting up Special Economic Zones, which he believes will not only strengthen the economic and industrial base of the country but also generate thousands of jobs.

Early completion of the road and rail network and modernization and development of Gwadar Port are also expected to transform Pakistan from an agrarian economy to a logistics hub transporting goods from China to the region and the world.

CPEC will enhance Pakistans connectivity not only with China but with Central and South Asia and beyond, said Abbasi, noting that it will expand bilateral and regional trade, promote economic integration, and foster economic development.

The prime minister also said that President Xis concept of Building a Community of Shared Future for Mankind is not only revolutionary but also ties in beautifully with CPEC.

Together with China, we look forward to making Pakistan a major contributor to building a community of shared future for mankind through CPEC, he said.
Adrian Wood runs the Paul Mole Barber Shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side

A celebrity barber who cut Donald Trump's hair for three decades credits the mogul's real estate advice with saving his business.

Adrian Wood, who runs the Paul Mole Barber Shop on Manhattan's Upper East Side, told the New York Post that Trump came into his shop starting in the late 1970s as a fledgling real estate tycoon.

'He said to me, "If you don't get off the ground floor, rents are going to put you out of business." So we moved up to the second floor, and it was the best advice anybody ever gave me,' Wood recalled. 'He saved us.'

Wood said Trump would arrive at the shop unannounced with his limo and bodyguards.

Trump had precise and exacting demands for how his famous hair was cut, and would never allow his bald spot to be exposed, Wood recalled.

The Paul Mole Barber Shop is said to be the oldest barbershop operating in New York City

Trump advised Wood to move the shop from the ground floor of this building to the second

'He's a complete control freak,' said Wood. 'He dictates exactly how you cut every hair on his head. "Cut here, cut there. That's enough." And you just do what he says.'

Still, Trump had his charming side while getting the $40 'gentleman's haircut', said Wood.

'Something else that's very interesting about him: He would talk to anybody in the shop.

'One second he's talking to the shoe-shine man, the next minute David Rockefeller comes in and he's talking to David Rockefeller,' Wood recalled.

Trump (seen in a file photo) was 'a complete control freak' about his haircuts, said Wood

The barber shop has served a bevy of the powerful and famous over the past century

The barber shop is said to be the oldest in New York City, and has served a bevy of the powerful and famous.

Among Wood's former clients are John Lennon, Joe DiMaggio, Bernie Madoff, Henry Fonda, John F. Kennedy Jr, Dan Rather, Michael J. Fox, Mike Wallace and Chris Wallace.

Wood claimed that Madoff, who is now imprisoned for a massive Ponzi scheme, once tried to pilfer from the barbershops candy jar.

Wood said that when he caught Madoff trying to pocket a fistful of lollipops, he claimed they were for his grandchildren.
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Thousands of icicle formations inside frozen Russian caves create a surreal environment like something from another world.

The caves were found by photographer Andrey Grachev on Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia, famous for being the deepest lake in the world.

The stunning ice structures inside the frozen grottos look like upside down gothic architecture spires and some are over 10 feet long.

Stunning: Incredible photographs capture the beauty of Russian ice caves on Lake Baikal, where large icicles have formed

The stunning ice structures inside the frozen grottos look like upside down gothic architecture spires and some are over 10 feet long

In one photo the transparent icicles are illuminated with the red and orange burst from a flare.

Mr Grachev, 39, from Moscow, Russia, said the formations are created during severe storms that dump lots of water, which immediately freezes in the below zero temperatures.

He said: 'Each year on the lake these amazing ice caves are formed, but are completely different every year.

In one of the photographs, sunlight can be seen through the frozen caves, creating a magical orange glow

Mr Grachev, 39, from Moscow, Russia, said the formations are created during severe storms that dump lots of water, which immediately freezes in the below zero temperatures

The photographer said: 'Each year on the lake these amazing ice caves are formed, but are completely different every year'

In one photo the transparent icicles are illuminated with the red and orange burst from a flare

'I have been before and know some caves already, but will always venture further and discovered others by accident.

'I will always go inside the caves to get a real sense of their beauty. Sometimes they can be as deep as 10 metres, they are extremely impressive.

'They are completely natural in every way which adds to just how stunning they are.

Mr Grachev explained shooting the icicles was not easy: 'It was difficult to find the best angle because they are so vast and you don't want to miss the perfect shot'

Lake Baikal is an ancient lake in the mountainous Russian region of Siberia, north of the Mongolian border

The photographer says he is astounded by the beauty of the caves: 'I will always go inside the caves to get a real sense of their beauty. Sometimes they can be as deep as 10 metres, they are extremely impressive'

'When I saw these caves for the first time I was so impressed and a little bit shocked with how unique it was. They really were amazing.

'It was difficult to find the best angle because they are so vast and you don't want to miss the perfect shot.

'I was at the lake for a week, looking for new angles and new caves and day by day my pictures became better and better.'

Lake Baikal is an ancient lake in the mountainous Russian region of Siberia, north of the Mongolian border.

It is considered the deepest lake in the world and is circled by a network of hiking paths called the Great Baikal Trailends.
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The man who ploughed a van into crowds of people in Germany, killing two and injuring 20, did not have political motives for carrying out the attack.

Regional interior minister Herbert Reul today confirmed reports the perpetrator behind the deadly van attack in Munster suffered from mental health problems.

Laying flowers at the scene in the university city's Kiepenkerl square, he said: 'The person in focus had [psychological] abnormalities'.

Named locally as Jens R., 48, the perpetrator shot himself inside the grey Volkswagen minibus after killing two diners and injuring dozens more at 3.27pm local time on Saturday.

Authorities rubbished claims he was a refugee and stressed he did not have any Islamist links.

Hajo Kuhlisch, chief of the local police force added: 'We are assuming the motives and origins [of the crime] lie within the perpetrator himself.'

Officials said he was known to police and had been subject to charges of threats, criminal damage, fraud, and a hit-and-run, which were all later dropped.

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A man brings flowers to the scene where a vehicle crashed into a crowd in Munster, Germany, on Saturday, killing two people and injuring dozens

A woman lays down flowers in front of the restaurant Kiepenkerl in Muenster, western Germany, a day after a van crashed into people drinking outside the popular bar

People grieve after laying down flowers in front of a fountain with the Kiepenkerl, a traditional merchant figure from the Muensterland, in front of the restaurant Kiepenkerl in Muenster

A man brings flowers to the place in Muenster, Germany, Sunday, where a vehicle crashed into a crowd, killing two people and injuring 20 others before the driver of the vehicle shot and killed himself inside it

Today mourners laid flowers outside the popular Grosser Kiepenkerl bar where the assault took place. The victims were a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg and a 65-year-old man from Broken. Authorities have not revealed their identities.

Terrified diners watched as the driver shot himself with the cartridge gun later found by police inside the vehicle.

Forensic experts have scoured four properties he had and several cars in his possession.

Authorities have not identified the injured in the crash Saturday in the western German city, but a German security official says people from The Netherlands are among them.

Inside the van in Munster, police found illegal firecrackers that were disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the gun that the perpetrator used to kill himself.

Today mourners laid flowers outside the popular Grosser Kiepenkerl bar where the assault took place. The victims were a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg and a 65-year-old man from Broken

Firefighters carry equipment outside Jens R's home in Muenster today. In a joint statement with police, prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt wrote on Sunday that 'as of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed'

Jens R is believed to have had a dozen firecrackers in his vehicle and more in his flat, leading police to believe that they were explosives which turned out to be a false alarm, as they were in fact normal celebration firecrackers

Officers searching his grey Volkswagen van suspected it was booby-trapped after reportedly finding a pistol connected to a wire hidden underneath the inside carpeting. Pictured: A woman and young girl pay lay a tribute in Muenster

Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Muenster is located, visited the crash scene on Sunday. Pictured: A tribute in Muenster today

Inside the man's apartment, which was nearby the crash scene and raided late Saturday, police found more firecrackers and a 'no longer usable AK-47 machine gun.'

Local reports claimed he had been in contact with far-right groups, but was not an extremist himself.

Bild reports that detectives are looking into whether the attack was a case of 'extended suicide' similar to the case of Andreas Lubitz, who deliberately crashed a Germanwings flight in 2015, killing all 144 passengers and crew on board. The man had recently attempted suicide, ZDF reports.

The local daily Muenstersche Zeitung reported that the perpetrator had vaguely announced his suicide plans a week ago in an email to friends and that he was known to the authorities for previous violence and drug violations, but police wouldn't confirm any of those details.

Earlier, prosecutors say they still have no indication why the man drove a van into a crowd of people.

In a joint statement with police, prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt wrote on Sunday that 'as of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed.'

He had a dozen firecrackers in his vehicle and more in his flat, leading police to believe that they were explosives which turned out to be a false alarm, as they were in fact normal celebration firecrackers.

Officers searching his grey Volkswagen van suspected it was booby-trapped after reportedly finding a pistol connected to a wire hidden underneath the inside carpeting.

Police say the driver had no accomplices, the German news agency dpa reported, after witnesses had initially said they'd seen two other perpetrators flee the van after it crashed into a crowd outside the city's traditional Kiepenkerl pub in the city's medieval old town.

A body is loaded into a vehicle in front of a restaurant in Munster, Germany, on Sunday, after a vehicle crashed into a crowd

German police have reportedly found a Kalashnikov at the home of the man who ploughed a minibus (pictured) into a crowd of people and shot himself dead, killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munste

Night-time images show the dark grey Volkswagen van that ploughed into crowds of people in Munster, killing two and injuring dozens

Officers searching the perpetrator's van (pictured) suspected it was booby-trapped after reportedly finding a pistol connected to a wire leading underneath the van's floor carpeting

On Sunday, German authorities say some of the 20 people injured when a van crashed into people outside of a pub in Muenster are still in a life-threatening condition.

Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Muenster is located, visited the crash scene on Sunday.

He said: 'This was a horrible and sad day for the people of Muenster, all of Germany ... and also the people of The Netherlands, who were sitting here and became victims.'

Laschet didn't give any further details on how many Dutch were injured when a 48-year-old German crashed his van into a crowd in the city's downtown area.

Dramatic pictures showed the area of Munster's old town strewn with broken tables and chairs, while onlookers ran for their lives.

The city's old town has been cordoned off while detectives investigate reports that two others escaped from the vehicle after the crash.

Police have reportedly found a Kalashnikov at the home of the man who ploughed a minibus into a crowd of people and shot himself dead (forensic investigators pictured at scene), killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munster

Forensic investigators are pictured scouring the scene of today's deadly vehicle attack in the university town of Munster

German forensic experts (pictured) are scouring the scene where a man ploughed a minibus into a crowd of people and shot himself dead, killing two people and injuring 20 others in Munster, Germany

Officers in protective clothing are pictured at the scene where a man ploughed into crowds with a van in Munster, Germany

Armed officers are pictured patrolling the police cordon in Munster's old town where two people were killed and 20 injured

Terrified diners watched as the driver shot and killed himself inside the vehicle at 3.27pm local time. Officers are still guarding the scene

Emergency vehicles are pictured after night fall in Munster with the scene of the attack still cordoned off

Police and fire teams worked into the night after the deadly vehicle attack at 3.27pm on Saturday in Munster

A fire engine is seen near the Grosser Kiepenkerl bar in Munster's old town where a van killed two people and injured 20

Broadcaster ZDF said the driver had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself. Pictured: investigators work into the night to uncover more about the deadly attack

Candles are pictured at the scene of the van attack that killed two and injured 20 in the old town of Munster on Saturday

Tributes and candles were laid at the scene of Saturday's van attack where two people were killed and 20 injured

Munster van attack: What do we know so far? German authorities have for now ruled out a connection to Islamist terrorism after a man rammed customers on a restaurant terrace, killing two people, but much remains unclear about the incident. Here is what we know so far: What happened? A small van spend into a crowd of customers and staff at outdoor tables belonging to a restaurant in the historic centre of Munster in north-west Germany at 3.27pm on Saturday, killing two. German media reported that those killed were waiters at the 'Grosser Kiepenkerl' restaurant not far from the city's cathedral. Some 20 people were wounded, around ten of them 'seriously', interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state Herbert Reul said. The driver stopped the van immediately after the impact, shooting himself inside the vehicle according to police. Who was the driver? The driver was 'a German, and not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that,' Reul said. Matching reports from several German media outlets said the attacker was a man aged around 48 with psychological problems. Television news reported that he had recently attempted suicide and made known that he planned a more spectacular attempt. Several reports pointed to a past of petty crime and drug dealing. The man was employed as an industrial product designer and struggled with problems at work. Broadcaster ZDF said he had known connections with far-right organisations, while new website Spiegel Online reported an assault rifle was found at his Muenster apartment close to the scene of the crime. Investigators found a 'suspicious object' in the van, which Die Welt newspaper reported was a pistol connected to a wire leading underneath the van's floor carpeting. Suspecting a booby trap, the police called in bomb disposal experts. What motivated the attacker? There is so far no clear indication of the attacker's motive. But authorities said they had ruled out an Islamist background to the act. Germany has been on especially high alert for such terrorist attacks since a Tunisian asylum seeker rammed a truck into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016. 'There is no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection,' state interior minister Reul said. Police will attempt to determine whether the driver wanted to commit a 'murder-suicide', taking other people with him in the process of killing himself. Did the perpetrator act alone? Police initially said witnesses had spotted potential accomplices exiting the van immediately after the attack. But there is so far no evidence to back up this theory. Police locked down a wide area around the scene of the attack immediately afterwards, but gradually opened some roads up to traffic again as evening drew in. Source: AFP Advertisement

Saturday's attack came on the anniversary of the Stockholm attack, when five people were killed and 14 injured after a stolen beer truck drove into a crowd in the Swedish capital last year.

It also served as a painful reminder of a similar vehicle assault on a Christmas market in Berlin on December 19 2016, which left 12 dead and 56 injured.

The perpetrator behind the Munster incident is believed to have attempted suicide in the past and struggled with mental health issues and problems at work.

Police worked through the night scouring his apartment, located 1.2 miles away from the scene of the carnage in the Kiepenkerl square.

German media reported they found an AK47 assault rifle at Jens R's flat, where neighbours were told to stay inside while specialist police investigated.

The van crashed into people sitting in front of Munster's famous Grosser Kiepenkerl bar, which is popular with tourists, in the spring sunshine this afternoon.

Police and fire rescue teams quickly descended on the old town area, as SWAT teams prepared to raid the 48-year-old driver's home.

State Interior Minister Herbet Reuel spoke in the city in the hours after the attack, confirming two people died, revising the earlier police figure of three.

He said German police believe the driver was a German citizen and hit out at misinformation being spread online, claiming a refugee was responsible.

He stressed that the investigation was at an early stage but said 'at the moment, nothing speaks for there being any Islamist background'.

'We have to wait, and we are investigating in all directions,' Mr Reul said, adding '[he] willfully drove into a crowd of people.'

Broadcaster ZDF said he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself.

Elsewhere German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was 'deeply shaken' by today's event.

'Everything possible is now being done to clarify the facts and to support the victims and their relatives,' she said.

A man shot himself dead after ploughing a minibus (pictured) into a crowd of people in the German city of Munster, killing two people and leaving 20 injured on Saturday afternoon

A van (pictured bottom right) ploughed into crowds of people in Munster, west Germany killing two people and injuring dozens more today

German police are pictured in the city of Munster this afternoon after a van drove into a crowd of people killing two and injuring dozens more

Armed police were seen wearing balaclavas in the immediate aftermath of the attack in Munster, west Germany today

The perpetrator behind today's attack (police pictured surveying the scene) is believed to be a middle-aged German man with 'psychological problems' and no links to any terrorist organisations

Members of German special forces are pictured outside the apartment of the driver, 48, who killed two people in Munster

Officers (pictured) are currently searching the driver's apartment for explosives and also investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

Armed officers swooped the scene outside Munster's famous Kiepenkerl bar and statue today after the deadly attack

In the immediate aftermath of the attack one eyewitness told the local MDR TV channel: 'I heard a loud, dull blow and simultaneously people cried out, 'Oh my God!' A minute later, patrol cars were already there.'

A student named Lena, 21, told Bild newspaper: 'I was bike riding with friends when suddenly crying, screaming people came running towards us. 'Get away!' they shouted.

'Someone has driven into people, there is a terror attack.' We got out of there and didn't see much but feared another bomb would blow up or that we would be shot at.'

Meanwhile Munster's university hospital called on citizens to donate blood to help them treat the injured.

There were more police than usual in the city on Saturday to monitor a protest by Kurdish demonstrators that took place near the scene of the incident.

After the carnage unfolded, police officers also said they were investigating witness reports that two other perpetrators may have fled from the van.

A video emerged on social media from an unidentified area of the city showing armed police shouting at a man to 'get down' in English.

SWAT teams are pictured preparing to raid the dead driver's apartment in the city of Munster after he drove into crowds

Police (pictured) are currently searching the driver's apartment for explosives and also investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

The suspect is seen putting his hands in the air and dropping to the ground before officers with guns surround him. His identity and link to the incident is not yet known.

The Kurdish protest took place near the city's main train station, only a short distance away from the Kiepenkerl square, just before the attack.

Matt Scoville, 23, who lives in Munster, told MailOnline locals were speculating about two suspects on the run.

He said: 'I saw the 30 or 40 police officers and their vans around 3.15pm and wondered what was going on.

'But after I'd gone inside I started to get messages from friends saying 'don't go out, there's been a car bomb and two people are on the run.' I was terrified.'

Restaurant chairs and tables are seen strewn across the area outside Munster's famous Kiepenkerl statue and pub

Several police vans could be seen in the centre of the picturesque medieval city of 300,000 people as the carnage unfolded

Police cordons are in place as a wide-scale investigation descends on the city. Officers say they are not looking for any more suspects and the 'danger appears to be over'

Munster's Lord Mayor Markus Lewe said his sympathies were with victims and their families.

He said: 'The whole of Munster mourns this terrible event, our sympathy goes out to the relatives of those who were killed, and we wish the injured people fast and speedy recovery.'

A spokeswoman for German Chancellor Angela Merkel says 'our thoughts are with the victims and their families' who were killed and injured when a vehicle crashed into a crowd in the western German city of Munster.

Spokesman Ulrike Demmer on Twitter called the crash Saturday 'terrible news.'

'I am shocked by the news from Munster,' said Andrea Nahles, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: 'All my thoughts are with the victims of the attack in Muenster. France shares in Germany's suffering.'

Erich Rettinghaus, chairman of the German police trade union in North Rhine-Westphalia, said: 'There was always a latent high risk of attack throughout Germany. Now it has also hit our state.

'We were fortunately always able to prevent planned assassinations and attacks in advance, but it has not succeeded this time.

'It is now necessary to clarify and, above all, to arrest accomplices to this crime and to prevent further possible outrages.'

Six people are in critical condition and dozens more are injured after the vehicle was driven at high speed towards families outside a traditional German restaurant in the university town, 300 miles west of Berlin

Emergency vehicles were scrambled to the scene after reports of the attack spread through the city in western Germany

It is not yet known if the incident is terror related, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks across western Europe

Rescuers are pictured waiting for more information on the deadly incident in Munster's old town this afternoon

Firefighters pictured walking in downtown Munster, Germany today after several people were killed by a van

Police (pictured) are investigating reports that two other people were seen fleeing the van after the crash

Fire engines are pictured ready to back up police after a van crashed into crowds outside restaurants in Munster

It is not yet known if the incident is terror related, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks across western Europe

Munster is approximately 300 miles west of Berlin in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany

Vehicle attacks to hit Europe in the last four years German police have not yet revealed a motive for the attack in Munster, but it comes after a wave of deadly vehicle attacks in western Europe. Here MailOnline looks back at similar incidents across the continent over the last four years: April 7, 2018 - A man drives a van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the old city centre of Munster in Germany, killing several of them before taking his own life, police say, a year to the day after the Stockholm truck attack. March 23, 2018 - A gunman kills three people in southwestern France after holding up a car, firing on police and taking hostages in a supermarket, screaming 'Allahu Akbar'. Security forces storm the building and kill him. Aug 17, 2017 - A van ploughs into crowds in the heart of Barcelona, killing at least 13 people, a regional official says, in what police said they were treating as a terrorist attack. June 3, 2017 - Three attackers ram a van into pedestrians on London Bridge then stab revellers in nearby bars, killing eight people and injuring at least 48. Islamic State says its militants are responsible. May 22, 2017 - A suicide bomber kills 22 children and adults and wounds 59 at a packed concert hall in the English city of Manchester, as crowds began leaving a concert by U.S. singer Ariana Grande. April 7, 2017 - A truck drives into a crowd on a shopping street and crashes into a department store in central Stockholm, killing five people and wounding 15 in what police call a terrorist attack. March 22, 2017 - An attacker stabs a policeman close to the British parliament in London after a car ploughs into pedestrians on nearby Westminster Bridge. Six people die, including the assailant and the policeman he stabbed, and at least 20 are injured in what police call a 'marauding terrorist attack'. Dec 19, 2016 - A truck ploughs into a crowded Christmas market in central Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48. German Chancellor Angela Merkel says authorities are assuming it was a terrorist attack. July 26, 2016 - Two attackers kill a priest with a blade and seriously wound another hostage in a church in northern France before being shot dead by French police. French President Francois Hollande says the two hostage-takers had pledged allegiance to Islamic State. July 24, 2016 - A Syrian man wounds 15 people when he blows himself up outside a music festival in Ansbach in southern Germany. Islamic State claims responsibility. July 22, 2016 - An 18-year-old German-Iranian gunman apparently acting alone kills at least nine people in Munich. The teenager had no Islamist ties but was obsessed with mass killings. The attack was carried out on the fifth anniversary of twin attacks by Norwegian mass murderer Anders Breivik that killed 77 people. July 18, 2016 - A 17-year-old Afghan refugee wielding an axe and a knife attacks passengers on a train in southern Germany, severely wounding four, before being shot dead by police. Islamic State claims responsibility. July 14, 2016 - A gunman drives a heavy truck into a crowd celebrating Bastille Day in the French city of Nice, killing 86 people and injuring scores more in an attack claimed by Islamic State. The attacker is identified as a Tunisian-born Frenchman. June 14, 2016 - A Frenchman of Moroccan origin stabs a police commander to death outside his home in a Paris suburb and kills his partner, who also worked for the police. The attacker told police negotiators during a siege that he was answering an appeal by Islamic State. March 22, 2016 - Three Islamic State suicide bombers, all Belgian nationals, blow themselves up at Brussels airport and in a metro train in the Belgian capital, killing 32 people. Police find links with attacks in Paris the previous November. Nov 13, 2015 - Paris is rocked by multiple, near simultaneous gun-and-bomb attacks on entertainment sites around the city, in which 130 people die and 368 are wounded. Islamic State claims responsibility. Two of the 10 known perpetrators were Belgian citizens and three others were French. Jan 7-9, 2015 - Two Islamist militants break into an editorial meeting of satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7 and rake it with bullets, killing 17. Another militant kills a policewoman the next day and takes hostages at a supermarket on Jan. 9, killing four before police shoot him dead. May 24, 2014 - Four people are killed in a shooting at the Jewish Museum in central Brussels. The attacker was French national Mehdi Nemmouche, 29, who was subsequently arrested in Marseille, France. Extradited, he is awaiting trial in Belgium. Advertisement

In the immediate aftermath, police confirmed there had been casualties but did not immediately say what happened.

'There are deaths and injured. Please avoid the area, we are on scene,' the regional police service wrote on Twitter.

Interior Minister Herbert Reul is pictured making a statement on today's attack in the old town area of Munster

Where is the city of Munster? It is understood a vehicle ploughed into a crowded pub near the Kiepenkerl statue in the old town Munster is a city of around 300,000 in North Rhine-Westphalia, to the west of Germany near the border with the Netherlands. Around a fifth of the population are students, and there are four universities within the city. It is also known as the bicycle capital of Germany. The city is famous for its Friedenssaal (peace hall) in the city hall, where some treaties within the Peace of Westphalia were signed back in October 1648. These treaties ended both the Thirty Years War, the war between the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies and various Protestant powers including Sweden, and the Eighty Years War between Spain and the Dutch Republic.

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Police vans flooded downtown Munster as they rushed to deal with the situation and emergency services warned people to stay away from the area

Ambulances also rushed to the scene following reports that at least 30 people were injured in the incident
Maureen Lipman joined thousands of furious protesters outside Labour HQ, saying said she could never return to the party with an 'anti-Semite at its head'.

The Jewish actress said she was attending 'as a disenfranchised socialist' and agreed with a placard reading 'Corbyn made me a Tory'.

An estimated 2,000 demonstrators gathered in Westminster today to criticise the Labour leader's approach to tackling anti-Semitism in the party.

Maureen Lipman speaking at an anti-Semitism protest outside Labour HQ in Westminster

Lipman joined their pleas for change at the protest, saying Mr Corbyn's conduct was 'appalling' and calling for him to resign.

The 71-year-old, best known for her roles in Educating Rita, The Pianist and Oklahoma!, made a speech which was met with swathes of applause.

'He is standing with elements who are against everything that we stand for; hardworking, decent Jewish people of whom I am incredibly proud,' she said.

'By doing nothing he is telling us the same thing he has been telling us for the last 30 years.

'He wants a Marxist party. Because it's worked so well in the rest of the world!'

She added: 'Everything you have heard today points to the fact that we have an anti-Semite at the head of the British Labour Party.'

Lipman also attacked the Labour leader for attending a Seder organised by left-wing Jewish group Jewdas, saying it was 'the absolute cherry on the top' of his behaviour.

Protesters displayed banners and chanted slogans at the protest in central London amid the controversy over anti-Semitism in the Labour Party

Demonstrators held placards reading 'Zero tolerance for antisemitism' and 'Labour: Hold Corbyn to account'

'Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism', 'Labour: Hold Corbyn to account' and 'Anti-Semitism is racism' were some of the slogans displayed on placards.

The protest, organised by Campaign Against Antisemitism, came as shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said she was 'frustrated' by the pace of change.

She said the implementation of measures outlined in Labour peer Baroness Chakrabarti's 2016 report was not moving 'as fast as I would have liked to have seen'.

Meanwhile, former foreign secretary Dame Margaret Beckett said: 'I don't think anybody really now disputes that there are problems within the Labour Party.

'Of course I would dispute hotly that they are worse than anywhere else or than other political parties - but that doesn't alter the fact that we have this problem and we must deal with it.'

Last month Mr Corbyn said he 'utterly condemns' anti-Semitism and apologised for the pain caused by 'pockets of anti-Semitism' in Labour.

Maureen Lipman at the protest (left). Demonstrators (right) braved the weather to hear speakers talk about the problems facing Jeremy Corbyn and his party

Shouts of 'Corbyn out', 'racists' and 'shame' could be heard among the crowds at the demonstration

But revelations, including that he defended an anti-Semitic mural and was a member of Facebook groups that hosted anti-Semitic posts, have fuelled discontent.

Shouts of 'Corbyn out', 'racists' and 'shame' could be heard among the crowds, who booed when Mr Corbyn's name was said by speakers.

Jeers also rang out for Momentum leader Jon Lansman and Christine Shawcross, a former member of Labour's governing National Executive Committee.

Ms Shawcross resigned after backing a party member accused of anti-Semitism.

Some protesters carried umbrellas and waved British flags during the demonstration in London

Campaign Against Antisemitism has filed a complaint accusing Mr Corbyn of bringing his party into disrepute and is demanding disciplinary action against him.

Chairman Gideon Falter said: 'If the Labour Party will not hold Jeremy Corbyn to account then we must hold the Labour Party to account.

'We call for justice and justice is all that will do. Under Jeremy Corbyn, Labour has become a safe haven for racists.

'He is at home amongst them, having spent his political career seeking out and giving succour to Holocaust deniers, genocidal antisemitic terrorist groups and a litany of Jew-haters.'

He added: 'Two thousand Jews and non-Jews alike converged from across the UK to stand together outside the Labour Party's headquarters and demand that antisemites and those who let them thrive in any political party, including the Labour Party, must face the consequences under a fair, efficient and transparent disciplinary system, and that must apply from bottom to top, starting with Jeremy Corbyn himself.

'We intend to return on May 13 if there is insufficient progress.'
It is the hip hop musical that sent the West End into a frenzy, with tickets being touted for up to 6,000.

And last night Hamilton dominated the Olivier Awards, winning seven of the record 13 categories in which it was nominated.

The show, about the life of one of Americas Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton, was named best new musical. Giles Terera, who plays the part of Aaron Burr, won the award for best actor in a musical.

Giles Terera, Jamael Westman, Michael Jibson, Jason Pennycooke, Cleve September and Rachel John of Hamilton The Musical at The Olivier Awards

The cast of Hamilton (pictured) opened the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday night

Michael Jibson won best supporting actor in a musical for his portrayal of King George III, while the shows creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire won the award for outstanding achievement in music.

Hamilton also won accolades for lighting design, sound design and theatre choreographer.

Despite making Olivier Award history by receiving the most ever nominations for a show, Hamilton did not beat the record of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child which won nine out of 11 last year.

But before the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Catherine Tate, Jibson said Hamilton was one of the most exciting experiences of his career, describing the production as like nothing anyone has ever seen before.

Three of the show's Olivier nominations came in the same category - best supporting actor in a musical - meaning that the most awards it could have actually won was 10

Among the stars was Jason Donovan, 49, who had brought his teenage children Jemma and Zac. Ten years ago the beaming youngsters had been unable to contain their excitement at being on the red carpet with their dad and mum Angela in 2008

Stars took to the red carpet under umbrellas to ward off the rain. Among them was Jason Donovan, 49, who had brought his teenage children Jemma and Zac.

Ten years ago the beaming youngsters had been unable to contain their excitement at being on the red carpet with their dad and mum Angela for the 2008 premiere in London of High School Musical 3.

Last night they took it all in their stride, posing confidently for the camera with their proud father who was himself nominated for an Olivier for his role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1992, before Jemma, now 18, and Zac, 17, were born.

The former Neighbours actor and his wife also have a third child, seven-year-old Molly.

American star Bryan Cranston, who was named best actor for his role as a TV anchor in Network, attended the awards sporting a Times Up pin.

Speaking about the movement against sexual harassment, Cranston  who is best known for TV hit Breaking Bad  said: With every person that is brought to the attention, and the aggressors, whether sexually or power oppressors, when they fall, we have the opportunity to rebuild on a foundation of mutual respect.

Lesley Manville, who lost out on the best actress award to Laura Donnelly for her role in The Ferryman, also spoke about the campaign, saying she was thankful the tide has turned as a result of the movement.

Rockers Brian May and Ronnie Wood, both 70, appeared to be enjoying themselves as they arrived. Wood was in a navy, sequinned jacket while his wife Sally Humphreys, 40, wore a sparkly gold gown. May looked slick in a black suit, with his wife Anita Dobson in a blue skirt with a matching jacket.
Republican senators reacted differently to Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt's questionable ethics, with Sen. John Kennedy reacting the most colorfully.

'To Mr. Pruitt and other members of the president's Cabinet, I would say, ethics matter, impropriety matters, the appearance of impropriety matters,' Kennedy said on Face the Nation Sunday. 'To the extent that you are, stop acting like a chucklehead, stop the unforced errors, stop leading with your chin.'

Pruitt has proved an embarrassment to the White House in recent weeks, as reports have detailed his first class travel arrangements, large security detail and sweetheart D.C. apartment deal, in which the property was tied to a prominent energy lobbyist.

Sen. John Kennedy, a Republican from Louisiana, instructed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt to 'stop acting like a chucklehead' during an appearance Sunday on Face the Nation

A string of embarrassing news reports have come out about EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt, including that he wanted his motorcade to use its lights and sirens in order to get him more quickly to a fancy French D.C. restaurant

'If you don't need to fly first class, don't,' Kennedy said.

'Don't turn on the siren on your SUV just to watch people move over,' Kennedy also advised, referencing a New York Times report in which sources told the newspaper that Pruitt would want to use his motorcade's lights and sirens in order to get around D.C. quicker.

Making it look worse, one of the places that Pruitt was trying to rush to was Le Diplomate, a posh French restaurant that the EPA chief frequented for dinner.

'You represent the president of the United States,' Kennedy continued. 'All of this behavior is juvenile. It's distracting from the business that we're trying to do for the American people,' the Louisiana Republican said.

When asked if Pruitt should keep his job, Kennedy wouldn't give him an up or down vote.

Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican from Maine, said EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt's actions at the EPA have validated the 'no' vote she cast against his appointment to the position

Sen. Mike Rounds said on NBC's Meet the Press that he thought Scott Pruitt was doing a good job at the EPA and he'd like to see Pruitt stay in the position

'I don't think you could get a room for $50 a night,' Sen. Lindsey Graham said on ABC's This Week, quoting the price Scott Pruitt paid for his sweetheart rental deal he received from the wife of a D.C. energy lobbyist

'Well, that's going to be up to the president,' he answered.

Kennedy suggested that Pruitt hold a press conference and discuss some of the negative coverage openly, detailing how he plans to change his behavior and explaining which aspects of the news coverage he doesn't find fair.

Kennedy indicated he believed that some of the negative stories are politically motivated 'but all of it isn't,' the senator said.

'I mean, he either travels with 20 security folks or he doesn't. He either flies first class every single time or he doesn't,' Kennedy explained. 'I don't know whether the allegations about his apartment are true or not. They don't look good. Why do you want in his position, why do you want to rent an apartment from a lobbyist, for God's sake?'

The Southern senator again encouraged Pruitt to stop leading with his chin.

'Now these are unforced errors. They're stupid. There are a lot of problems we can't solve. But you can behave. I'm not  I don't mean to denigrate Mr. Pruitt, but doggone it, he represents the president of the United States, and it is hurting his boss. And it needs to stop,' Kennedy said.

Another Republican lawmaker, Sen. Susan Collins said Pruitt's actions on the environment 'whether it's trying to undermine the Clean Power Plan or weaken the restrictions on lead or undermine the ethics rules' validate her decision not to vote in favor of his confirmation in the first place.

'This daily drop of accusations of excessive spending and ethical violations serve to further distract the agency from accomplishing its very important mission,' Collins said on CNN's State of the Union Sunday. 'I think Congress needs to do some oversight.'

Two other Republicans who appeared on the Sunday shows were more willing to give Pruitt a pass.

Sen. Mike Rounds, a Republican from South Dakota, said on Meet the Press that he thought President Trump should keep Pruitt at the EPA because 'he's following through with the policies that the president said he wanted to implement.'

'The reason why all the emphasis right now is on Mr. Pruitt is because he is executing these policies and they are not real popular policies with a lot of people, but he is executing the policies that this president said that he would put in place,' Rounds said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, a Republican from South Carolina, suggested he wanted to see what the Oversight Committee dug up before making any final judgments on Pruitt's future.

'The bottom line is this doesn't look good,' Graham said on ABC's This Week. 'I like Scott. He's done a good job from my point of view, as being EPA administrator but ... Congress has an oversight role here. And we'll see where this goes.'

ABC's Martha Raddatz then asked Graham if he thought Pruitt was 'engaged in questionable behavior.'

'I don't think you could get a room for $50 a night,' Graham answered, quoting the price of Pruitt's Capitol Hill apartment deal.
Two men have been found dead after a suspected carbon monoxide leak in north London.

Police found the men, aged 38 and 42, at a shared house in Edgware at 1.30pm today and suspect their deaths could have been the result of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Five others at a neighbouring house have been taken to hospital as a precaution. No arrests have yet been made.

Two boys were among those taken to hospital along with two men and a woman.

Pictured: A house in Edgware, north London where two men were found dead as the result of a suspected carbon monoxide poisoning on Sunday

Five others at a neighbouring house in Bacon Lane, Edgware have been taken to hospital as a precaution. No arrests have yet been made

A Metropolitan Police spokesman told MailOnline: 'Police in Harrow were called to Bacon Lane, Edgware at 13:30hrs on Sunday, 8 April following reports of a two unresponsive males in a residential address. Officers LAS, and LFB attended.

'Two men believed to be aged - 38 and 42-years-old were found deceased at the address. These deaths are being treated as unexplained.

'A post-mortem examination will be held in due course. At this early stage, police believe that there was a possible carbon monoxide leak at the address.

'Five people have been taken to hospital a precautionary measure. No arrests have been made.

Two boys were among those taken to hospital along with two men and a woman

'Police in Harrow continue to deal alongside the Health and Safety Executive who have been informed.'

A London Fire Brigade spokesman said: 'We have had two males pronounced life extinct by London Ambulance Service.

'Two adult males, one adult female, one male child and one male infant have also been treated on site for carbon monoxide poisoning and taken to hospital by London Ambulance Service.'

One neighbour, who thought the victims were from Eastern Europe, told the BBC: 'It's really shocking, very sad, the loss of life. It doesn't matter how it happens, but it's really sad.'

Another neighbour added: 'They have only been here a short period of time, they have been very quiet.'
Eight people have been injured in protests outside the prison where former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is starting a 12-year jail term.

The ex-leader, 72, handed himself into police after hiding out in a steelworkers' union building for two days after missing a court deadline to surrender.

He was flown from Sao Bernardo do Campo near Sao Paolo to the southern city of Curitiba where he woke up behind bars today.

Lula's supporters set off fireworks as his police helicopter landed at the jailhouse and 500 of them remain stationed outside.

A Workers' Party spokesman said eight had been injured in clashes with police, who resorted to violent methods to disperse crowds.

Protesters are pictured outside the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil where ex-President Lula is beginning a 12-year jail term today

Lula's supporters (pictured yesterday) set off fireworks as his police helicopter landed at the jailhouse and 500 of them remain stationed outside

A Workers' Party spokesman said eight had been injured in clashes with police (pictured yesterday), who resorted to violent methods to disperse crowds

Ex-President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is pictured leaving the Metal Worker's Union in Sao Bernardo do Campo before being taken away by police yesterday

Roberto Baggio, local coordinator of the Landless Workers' Movement backing Lula, said: 'The police cowardly attacked us last night, but we accept that we have to stay outside the perimeter. We will respect it.

'We are expecting people from southern Brazil to arrive here today. We are not leaving until Lula is freed.'

President Lula, who was in power from 2003 to 2011, was the frontrunner in Brazil's elections in October.

But his arrest as part of a widespread anti-corruption campaign has created great uncertainty after the impeachment of his predecessor Dilma Rousseff on similar charges in 2016.

Lula was arrested as a result of Operation Car Wash, which has seen politicians from all parties embroiled in corruption scandals.

Local police used tear gas and rubber bullets in a bid to disperse crowds in Curitiba, Brazil

Officers help one Lula supporter injured in the clashes between protesters and police outside the jailhouse where he is being held

Who is Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva? As Brazil's first working-class president, Lula became a global symbol of the fight against poverty and the rise of emerging markets. He was president between 2003 and 2011 and was succeeded by Dilma Rousseff after serving his maximum term. The combination of market-friendly policies with expanded social welfare programs gave him the reputation of a moderate leftist, and his policy mix is seen as a model for much of Latin America. Born in the poor north east of Brazil, Lula moved with his family to Sao Paulo, where he shined shoes and worked as a delivery boy. He never finished high school but learned the metalworker's trade. He rose to national fame as a union leader who helped combat the 1964-1985 military dictatorship and in 1980 founded the leftist Workers' Party. He lost three presidential races before winning the October 2002 election. Pictured: 'The most popular politician in the world', Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, former President of Brazil His flagship welfare program, Bolsa Familia, has received international recognition as one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce extreme poverty and boost local economic activity. The program pays families a monthly stipend, provided they get regular medical check-ups and send their children to school. Under Lula, Brazil's economy grew at its fastest pace in decades and some 20 million people emerged from poverty. He gave the central bank a free hand to conduct monetary and currency policy, but during the 2008/09 global financial crisis he stepped up government-centered economic policies, such as boosting state enterprises and low-cost loans. Lula pursued a much more proactive foreign policy than any of his predecessors, acting as a mediator in regional conflicts, leading a peace-keeping mission in Haiti, and playing a key role in global trade and climate negotiations. As Brazil's first working-class president, Lula (pictured in 2009) became a global symbol of the fight against poverty and the rise of emerging markets Brazil helped foment a common front of developing nations to help counterbalance interests of the United States and Europe in the Doha trade round. At home he is criticized for having turned a blind eye to corruption and becoming friendly with rogue leaders in Venezuela and Iran. A charismatic, grandfatherly figure, Lula is one of the few global leaders with a popularity rating around 80 percent toward the end of his second term. He was dubbed by Barack Obama as 'the most popular politician on earth', but embroiled in corruption charges in recent years. As part of Operation Car Wash, a widespread anti-corruption sweep in Brazil, he was convicted of money laundering and corruption in July 2017. Prosecutors accused him of accepting an 800,000 beachfront apartment from an engineering firm as a bribe. Lula is pictured overcome with emotion alongside his predecessor Dilma Rousseff as he hands himself into police on April 7 2018 He has always maintained his innocence and appealed the nine and a half-year conviction. Allowed his freedom until the ruling of the appeal he galvanised his supporters and was ahead in polls and tipped to win the October 2018 elections. But after the appeal was rejected a warrant was issued for his arrest in April. He took refuge at the metalworkers' union building in Bernardo do Campo but after two days decided to surrender. He was joined by his predecessor Dilma Rousseff, also convicted of fraud charges, as he handed himself in to police. Source: Reuters Advertisement

The 72-year-old was convicted of receiving a 800,000 beach side apartment as a bribe from an engineering firm called OAS.

He maintains his innocence but says he will cooperate with police.

The former metalworker and trade unionist is an iconic figure among the Brazilian left and across Latin America.

He was the first left-wing leader to assume the presidency in nearly 50 years when he took over in 2003.

Just hours before his arrest, Lula told thousands of supporters that he would turn himself in to police, but also maintained his innocence and argued his corruption conviction was simply a way for enemies to make sure he does not run for re-election in October.

When he first tried to leave to turn himself in, dozens of supporters blocked a gate where his car was trying to leave.

'Surround, surround [the building] and don't let them arrest him,' chanted supporters.

After a few minutes of tense words between guards and supporters, the former president got out of the car and entered the metal workers union headquarters where he had been holed up.

Police vehicles surrounded the union that was the birthplace of his rise to power, raising fears of clashes.

He emerged a second time shortly after nightfall, this time surrounded by bodyguards who pushed back scores of supporters who tried to stop his advance.

The dramatic scene was the latest development in a whirlwind series of days, which began when the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's top court, ruled against his petition on Thursday to remain free while he continued to appeal his conviction.

Judge Sergio Moro, who oversees many of the so-called 'Car Wash' cases, then ordered an arrest warrant for Lula, giving him until 5pm Friday to present himself to police in Curitiba, about 260 miles south-west of Sao Bernardo do Campo, and begin serving his 12-year sentence.

The former leader, who Brazilians simply call 'Lula', did no such thing. Instead, he hunkered down with supporters in the union headquarters.

'The police and 'Car Wash' investigators lied. The prosecutors lied,' he said, as a few thousand supporters cheered.

'I don't forgive them for giving society the idea that I am a thief,' he continued.

Still, Lula said he would turn himself in 'to go there and face them eye to eye. The more days they leave me (in jail), the more Lulas will be born in this country.'

Supporters of the former president listen to Lula's speech in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil

While he spoke, some people cried while others chanted 'Free Lula!' When he finished speaking, a sea of supporters carried him on their shoulders back into the building.

Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said that by not complying with the order on Friday, Lula 'wanted to demonstrate strength and popularity, showing that he is a political leader capable of gathering a crowd in his support.'

Choosing the metal workers union to take refuge, and not the Workers' Party headquarters, was also significant, said Mr Santoro.

'It shows that he wants to emphasise his trajectory as leader of a social movement, rather than his role as leader of a party marked by allegations of corruption,' he said.

Last year, Moro convicted Lula of trading favours with a construction company in exchange for the promise of a beachfront apartment. That conviction was upheld by an appeals court in January.

The former president has always denied wrongdoing in that case and in several other corruption cases that have yet to be tried.

Former President Dilma Rousseff accompanies da Silva as he hands himself over to police yesterday

Grids block the entrance of he metal worker's trade union as the former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva tries to leave and hand himself over to police

Still, his jailing marks a colossal fall from grace for a man who rose from poverty to power against steep odds in one of the world's most unequal countries.

Born in the hardscrabble northeast, he rose through the ranks of the union in the country's industrial south.

In 1980, during the military dictatorship, he was arrested in Sao Bernardo do Campo for organising strikes. He would spend more than a month in jail.

After running for president several times, in 2002 Lula finally won. He governed from 2003 to 2010, leaving office an international celebrity and with approval ratings in the high 80s.

Former US president Barack Obama once called the Brazilian leader the 'most popular politician on Earth'.

Workers' Party leaders insist he will still be the party's candidate in October. Technically, being jailed does not keep him off the ballot.

In August, however, the country's top electoral court makes final decisions about candidacies.

It is expected to deny his candidacy under Brazil's 'clean slate' law, which disqualifies people who have had criminal convictions upheld. He could appeal such a decision, though doing so from jail would be more complicated.
Jimmy Kimmel has revealed he received death threats against his wife and young son following his Twitter feud with Fox News host Sean Hannity, prompting the late-night comic to apologize for 'inciting hatefulness'.

The dispute between the two TV hosts kicked off when Hannity slammed Kimmel for a segment last week in which he joked about first lady Melania Trump's accent when she was reading a book to children during the White House Easter egg roll.

Hannity lashed out during his Fox show on Friday calling Kimmel a 'sick, twisted, creepy, perverted weirdo' and went as far as calling him 'Harvey Weinstein Jr.'.

Kimmel, who had no show of his own on Friday, returned fire via Twitter.

Jimmy Kimmel (left) called for a cease-fire on Sunday in his ongoing Twitter feud with Fox News host Sean Hannity (right)

In a tweet on Saturday, the Fox News host vowed to continue his attacks on Kimmel until he apologized to the First Lady.

Kimmel publicly apologized on Sunday and called for a cease-fire after saying he had reflected on their war of words.

'While I admit I did have fun with our back and forth, after some thought, I realize that the level of vitriol from all sides (mine and me included) does nothing good for anyone and, in fact, is harmful to our country,' Kimmel tweeted.

He went on to say that his wife and baby son Billy had received death threats from Hannity's fans.

'Even in 2018, the vile attacks against my wife and wishes for death on my infant son are shocking and I encourage those who made them to give their words and actions though,' he said.

'I, too, will give my words more thought and recognize my role in inciting their hatefulness.'

Kimmel publicly apologized on Sunday and called for a cease-fire after saying he had reflected on their war of words

Hannity tweeted that he would have a full response to Kimmel's apology on his show on Monday night

Kimmel also apologized to the gay community offended by him mocking Hannity's 'deference to the President' and a tweet in which he joked about the Fox News host having sex with Trump.

'I will take Sean Hannity at his word that he was genuinely offended by what I believed and still believe to be a harmless and silly aside referencing our First Lady's accent. Mrs Trump almost certainly has enough to worry about without being used as a prop to increase TV ratings,' he said.

'I am hopeful that Sean Hannity will learn from this too and continue his newly-found advocacy for women, immigrants and First Ladies and that he will triumph in his heroic battle against sexual harassment and perversion.'

Hannity tweeted that he would have a full response to Kimmel's apology on his show on Monday night.

It comes after Hannity, during his show on Friday, rolled a series of Kimmel clips, which were mostly from the comedian's days as a co-host of Comedy Central's The Man Show.

The reel featured segments showing Kimmel with an exaggerated fake erection, asking women to find something hidden in his pants.

'I don't take joy in this, but I have just had it with the unrelenting hypocrisy,' Hannity said. 'It's way bigger than Sean Hannity and Jimmy Kimmel.'

Kimmel, on Twitter, thanked Hannity for a trip down memory lane. He said the idea that Hannity would call anyone a pervert while he was 'slobbering over' Donald Trump is, 'to quote a fella you love very much, 'sad'.'

When Trump was the Republican presidential nominee in 2016, a 'Access Hollywood' tape from 2015 of him talking about fame enabling him to grope and try to have sex with women emerged, and he later apologized.

Many of the insults Hannity and Kimmel traded were off-color.

They needled each other for their ratings: Kimmel is third behind Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon among late-night comics, while Hannity lost his cable news ratings lead to Rachel Maddow last month.

'What you don't seem to realize is that I LOVE this,' Kimmel wrote on Twitter. 'I guess that's one of my perversions.'
Two armed robbers were caught on surveillance video Thursday night storming a Thai restaurant in California.

The video shows the men pulling up to the restaurant in a silver Nissan Altima.

They are then seen getting out of the vehicle and walking quickly to a side door of the Wirin Thai Restaurant in Venice Beach around 10.26pm.

Two armed robbers were caught on surveillance video Thursday night storming a Thai restaurant in California

They are seen walking quickly to a side door of the Wirin Thai Restaurant in Venice Beach (pictured) around 10.26pm. One clip shows the men throw an employee to the floor while another employee is seen washing dishes

In the video, the door appeared to be open and unlocked as the men rushed in, slamming it closed behind them.

Another clip shows the men inside the restaurant trying to get into a cash register.

The men can be seen throwing an employee to the floor while another employee is washing dishes.

The two employees were then backed into a corner in the kitchen of the restaurant.

One of the robbers is then seen ripping a cash register off the counter before they flee the scene.

Los Angeles police said the thieves made off with about $400, according to KTLA.

No injuries were reported in the incident.

Authorities said they are still trying to locate the culprits.

The two employees were then backed into a corner in the kitchen of the restaurant by one of the robbers (pictured)

Another clip of video shows the men (right) trying to get into a cash register. When they couldn't get inside they ripped the register off the counter
More than 2,000 guests from the globe will gather in Boao, a coastal town in the southern island province of Hainan, to offer advice for a further open, interconnected and innovative development of Asia and the stable recovery of the world economy.

The picture shows the BFA International Conference Center. (Photo from Peoples Daily Overseas Edition)

The 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, which is scheduled to convene from April 8 to 11, will be themed with An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver an important keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 BFA meeting, the first major home-field diplomatic event hosted by China this year.

The event also comes as 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, and the beginning year to implement the guidelines and spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Here are five major sparkling highlights of the event.

No. 1: New prospects of reform and opening-up to be presented

Xi will give the most authoritative account on Chinas great achievements and experiences of its reform and opening-up policy as well as the enlightenment, significance and influence for the world. A series of new measures on how will China open wider to the outside world and conduct a new round of in-depth reform will be presented by him as well.

No. 2: Chinas development road in the new era to be expounded

China will give in-depth explanation to the guests on the profound connotation of the new era of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and introduce its new development philosophies, goals and tasks, as well as the huge opportunities the country will bring to the world in the new era.

No. 3: New proposals on co-construction of a bright future to be raised

Xi will make new proposals and clarify Chinas stand on the further construction of a community with a shared future for Asia and mankind, and the creation of a bright future for Asia and the world at large.

No. 4: New consensus to be reached

Xi will, during his meetings and dialogues with foreign leaders attending the annual meeting, exchange in-depth views on multilateral pragmatic cooperation, global governance, world economy and trade and other topics. New consensus will be reached and new results will be scored from such talks.

No. 5 New impetus to be added for forums progress

The new office of the BFA board of directors will be sworn in this year, and Xi will have a group meeting with both the incumbent and designate board members to exchange views on forum construction and development. It indicates the sincere hopes and concrete actions of the Chinese government to promote the development of the BFA.

The 2018 annual conference will include over 60 sessions under four key topics, namely globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative, an open Asia, innovation, and reform.

In addition, two parallel sessions themed with China and the world and government and market will be held to review the achievements and experiences of Chinas reform and opening-up in the past 40 years and draw plans to further deepen reform.

The forum will also set thematic discussions on the construction of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Xiongan New Area, rural vitalization, and ecological advancement.
Wanted: Casey James Lawhorn, 23, is wanted in a double homicide in Tennessee

A double-murderer at the center of a huge manhunt has taken to Facebook and admitted to killing his mom and a friend and said he now plans to commit suicide.

Casey James Lawhorn, 23, is wanted in connection with the double shooting in East Ridge, Tennessee, on the outskirts of Chattanooga, at about 5am on Sunday.

Late Sunday afternoon he took to Facebook and wrote: 'This morning, at around 01:30, I shot and killed my mother (Vi Lawhorn) and a close friend of mine (Avery Gaines) with a stolen .22 LR.'

'I've spent a lot of time thinking about murder, wondering what it feels like. But I've barely felt anything.'

Jasper County Sheriff's Department, Mississippi, wrote on its Facebook page on Sunday evening that Casey's vehicle had been found.

The post said: 'Casey James Lawhorn's vehicle has been found on I59 near the Vossburg exit in Jasper County. Lawhorn is wanted in Tennessee for a double homicide. Lawhorn was not in the vehicle but is still presumed to be in Jasper County.'

In Casey's Facebook post he explained in detail exactly what happened, writing: 'Avery was staying the night to go with me to Epikos Hixson tonight to play MtG like we usually do. He fell asleep on my living room floor at around 00:30, the same time I went to pick my mom up from Buds Sports Bar on Brainerd Road.

Scroll down for video

Casey's vehicle has been found on I59 near the Vossburg exit in Jasper County (police pictured at the scene above)

Police identified one victim as Lawhorn's mother, Vi Lawhorn (seen left and right in Facebook photos)

'My mom was completely wasted, and just like every other time she gets drunk, she goes on and on, without prompt, about how devastated she'd be if I killed myself. Once I got her back to our house I went to my room and grabbed the gun.

She started screaming the worst scream I've ever heard. Movies really don't do justice to how true terror sounds. The gun jammed up again, so I scrambled to get it fixed Casey James Lawhorn

'I nervously paced for a few minutes, playing the coming events out in my head, which were vastly different from what actually happened. I walked up to Avery as he slept and shot him in the head once, he seemed to die instantly.

'My mom was in her room, disoriented from alcohol, barely registered that anything happened. I attempted to shoot her in her bed right then, but the gun jammed. She didn't notice what I just attempted. I left the room and fixed the jam.

Video courtesy WTVC

Avery Gaines is pictured above. Casey James Lawhorn admitted to killing him in his lengthy Facebook post

Police took to Facebook on Sunday evening to share that officers had located Casey's vehicle

'When I went back into her room, she was out of bed trying to calm down her dog, Oscar. I rapidly got off 2 shots, but I missed anything vital since there weren't any lights on in her room. I saw 1 entry wound in her left arm, I'm not sure where the other one went.

'She started screaming the worst scream I've ever heard. Movies really don't do justice to how true terror sounds. The gun jammed up again, so I scrambled to get it fixed.

I had hoped both were going to be quick and efficient. I didn't want my mom to suffer, to die in horror, to die with the knowledge that her son did it Casey James Lawhorn

'She shouted "You shot me! You've killed me! Why?" Once I got the jam fixed, I turned on the light so I wouldn't miss again. I shot at her twice more and it was over.

'I went back into the living room to take the heroin and cash Avery had on him. The whole in his forehead was so small, and not a lot of blood had come out of it.

'However, thick, dark blood was pouring from his nose and bile came out of his mouth. I was shaking from adrenaline, but I felt nothing other than that, except maybe disgust at the corpse in front of me and the noises it was making. I reached into his pocket to get out his wallet, grabbed what i wanted, and left the house. The whole event took probably 3 or 4 minutes.

'I had hoped both were going to be quick and efficient. I didn't want my mom to suffer, to die in horror, to die with the knowledge that her son did it (I didn't hurt our dog or cat, in case anyone was wondering about the animals).'

Lawhorn is described as a white male, five-foot-five, and about 108lbs. He attended Middle Tennessee State University and is a former Operations Administer at Amazon

Police say Lawson called 911 and told the dispatcher he had just shot two people at a home on John Ross Road. he spoke to the dispatcher for about 20 minutes but had fled the scene before cops arrived.

In the Facebook post Lawhorn said that he now planned to kill himself: 'People keep saying that suicide isn't worth it, that it isn't too late, that I should turn myself in instead.

'Well, friends, it is too late. Has been for more than 12 hours now, not to mention I've been suicidal since late high school. And it's my opinion that I've been heading to unavoidable tragedy since I started at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University).

'I'm not saying the university made me do it, but that the chain of events that I initiated by going there led me here, to inevitable suicide.

'Let's think critically for a minute. Ignoring everything about why I hate myself and why I'm suicidal from before midnight this morning, just looking at today's events, how should I be expected to not kill myself?

The home where the duo where shot dead is seen above, sealed off on the left

In the Facebook post Lawhorn said: 'I've been suicidal since late high school. And it's my opinion that I've been heading to unavoidable tragedy since I started at MTSU (Middle Tennessee State University). 'I'm not saying the university made me do it, but that the chain of events that I initiated by going there led me here, to inevitable suicide.' The university entrance is seen above

'Surely any normal person would wish death on themselves after doing what I did, seeing what I saw, and hearing what I heard. And all that's waiting on me is life in prison, or maybe the death penalty.

'If I would get the death penalty, then I should definitely kill myself, otherwise I'm just wasting tax dollars on lengthy legal processes.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about murder, wondering what it feels like. But I've barely felt anything Casey James Lawhorn

'Even without being executed, just wasting away in prison sounds awful, and also a horrible use of state money. And who would look forward to life in prison?

'I'm almost 24, that's a crazy amount of time behind bars. And it wound be so lonely. I'm sure most of my friends would want to visit me at least once, if for no other reason than to try to understand what I did.

'But after that first year, I can't imagine I'd have any weekly visitors. Not even family, or perhaps especially not family. I'm not trying to say people don't care about me, I know a lot of you do, it's just that people in general don't keep up a habit of going to visit a friend in prison. Life carries on for everyone else.

'And the sooner this is all over, then the sooner everyone can move on. If I'm dead by the time you are reading this, you can heal faster than if I'm still around and in court, and in prison.'

Casey Lawhorn was last spotted in Dade County, Georgia driving a gold 2002 Ford Taurus with Tennessee plate number W0327L.

Anyone with information about Lawhorn's whereabouts should call 911 immediately. He is pictured above in a Facebook photo

The home where Casey shot dead his mom and a male friend is seen above in a Google street view image

Cops in Dade County say Lawson stopped at a gas station there at around 5.30am.

The Facebook post concluded: 'Don't give me or my family your thoughts and prayers. No one will be hurt by this more than my brother (Chad Lawhorn).

'He will probably need a lot of help getting through this, and if you think you are helping him just by talking to the sky, you're f**king wrong. If you want to help him in this insanely difficult time I'm putting him through, actually do something, don't just think about it. I'm sorry to him more than anyone.

'That said, I don't want or need forgiveness from anyone. What I did is unforgivable. And prayer is a waste of time, nothing happens after death, but if there is a hell, I'm going to be in the lake of ice at the bottom.

'Betrayal of family and betrayal of guests are two of the worst sins.

'However, as I sit here in Mississippi, writing this on the side of I-59 south after my car broke down, what I look forward to is the nothingness after death.'

Lawhorn is a former Operations Administer at Amazon, according to his Facebook profile. Amazon did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment from DailyMail.com.

Lawhorn is described as a white male, five-foot-five, and about 108lbs, police said.

The gold Ford Taurus belonged to one of the victims, police said.

He is presumed armed and dangerous and anyone who spots him is urged to call 911 immediately.
North Korea has told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets President Donald Trump, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

U.S. and North Korean officials have held secret contacts recently in which Pyongyang directly delivered the message of its willingness to hold the summit, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Until now, Washington had relied on South Korea's assurance of Kim's intentions.

North Korea told the U.S. that it is prepared to discuss denuclearization when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (left) meets with President Donald Trump (right)

On Saturday, CNN reported that the U.S. was engaged in secret, direct talks with North Korea.

Central Intelligence Agency head Mike Pompeo and his team have been using intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit between Trump and the North Korean leader.

The North Koreans want the meeting to take place in their capital, Pyongyang.

It's unclear whether the White House would be OK with that.

Mongolia's capital Ulaanbaatar has also been discussed as a possible location.

The meeting is tentatively scheduled for late May or early June.

Before Trump and Kim Jong Un meet, a meeting is planned between Pompeo and his North Korean counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau.

Pompeo has been tapped to be Trump's next secretary of state, and will start the Senate confirmation process over the next few weeks.

The New York Times reported last month that it was the CIA that was taking the lead in the run-up to the historic meeting.

That was due to Pompeo's influence, and because Secretary of State Rex Tillerson had fallen out of favor with President Trump, leading to him being replaced.

With the meeting with Kim approaching, Trump wanted a secretary of state in lockstep with him, and found that in Pompeo.

Beyond dealing with the North Koreans through the channel that runs between the CIA and the Reconnaissance General Burea, Pompeo has also been in close touch with the director of South Korea's National Intelligence Service, Suh Hoon, who was the individual who brokered Kim's invitation to Trump, the Times said.

The U.S. State Department has been communicating with the North Koreans through their mission at the United Nations, CNN also said.

And incoming National Security Adviser John Bolton, who starts his job Monday  replacing the president's second National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster  is expected to join Pompeo in planning the meeting.
After making the perilous journey from Sri Lanka in a shipping container, Priyanka was determined her family would seize every opportunity of a better life in Britain.

Prizing education above all else, she was never likely to allow her children to slack off their homework and go out drinking like many teenagers here.

And it seems other parents could learn a thing or two from her approach after her strict household regime transformed an underperforming 15-year-old into a model pupil.

Sri Lankan mother Priyanka (centre) with her son Tharush (left) and 15-year-old Jack (right), who she transformed into a model pupil

The boy, Jack, was often late for school on account of his partying and rarely did his homework.

But his grades soared after he was invited to experience life in Priyankas home, which included early bed times and a strictly enforced two-hour study period every night.

The transformation is a vindication of the traditional parenting methods that have seen many Asian nations rise up the international league tables for education  but which are ignored by many British parents as the UK falls behind.

Priyanka admitted she was shocked by the idea of Jack, whose mother works long hours for the London Ambulance Service, staying out until midnight for a party, and the prospect of pupils drinking and smoking.

Warning the teenager to stop taking his opportunities for granted, she said: You are so lucky to live in the UK.

Priyankas regime features in a documentary, Living with the Brainy Bunch, to be shown on Thursday on BBC 2.

Pupils at Chessington Community School in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London, knuckle down during BBC 2 documentary Living with the Brainy Bunch

It follows underperforming teenagers at Chessington Community School in Kingston-upon-Thames, south-west London, who were invited to live with high-flying classmates in a bid to boost their GCSE grades.

The experiment  organised by Ash Ali, headmaster of the school  saw the results of struggling teenagers shoot up in less than two months.

As they followed the routines, discipline and rules of their host families  family dinners with no mobiles, early bedtimes, homework schedules, breakfast before leaving the house and curfews  their behaviour and confidence also improved.

Holly (left) sets an example to Hollie (right) during the documentary. Holly's mother watches intently

Jack had scored 37 per cent in a mock maths GCSE prior to the house swap. He was often late for school and had dozens of detentions.

After taking another exam living in the household presided by Priyanka, he climbed several grades.

She told the documentary of her journey to Europe from Sri Lanka in a shipping container with 13 other people nearly 25 years ago and her unwavering ambition for her children to experience a better life and a good education.

As a result, Jack benefited from the same study regime that has seen Priyankas son Tharush hit the top of the class instead of spending his days glued to his Xbox.

As well as two hours of revision a night after family dinner, Jack was also tucked up in bed by 10.30pm  meaning he arrived at school on time and avoided any more detentions,

Jacks classmate, Hollie, who scored 22 per cent in her mock maths GCSE, also excelled after joining the home of Chessingtons head girl, Holly H.

She often wandered out of class when bored but was forced to knuckle down because the household was run as a tight ship by Holly Hs parents, Kirsten and David, who discuss Shakespeare plays over family dinners.

Holly focuses on her work during the BBC 2 program, which follows underperforming teenagers as they try to boost their GCSE grades

Kirsten said: We have rules. No drinking, no smoking. Homework should be done on time. No mobile phones at the table and regular bedtimes. And no really means no.

Head teacher Mr Ali encouraged parents to consider the impact of routine and aspiration, saying: The biggest factor on why some kids do well is parental influence.

It is not easy being a parent in the 21st century, but, if you want the results, you have to put the hard work in.
Immigration has pushed property prices up by a fifth in 25 years, housing minister Dominic Raab has said.

He is demanding that post-Brexit immigration rules take account of the negative effects of arrivals on the need for homes.

Mr Raab has passed his concerns on to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC), which is to publish a report to help the Government formulate new immigration plans.

He said: 'You've got to deal with demand as well as supply. You can't have housing taken out of the debate around immigration.

'If we delivered on the Government's target of reducing immigration to the tens of thousands every year, that would have a material impact on the number of homes we need to build every year.'

Immigration has pushed property prices up by a fifth in 25 years, housing minister Dominic Raab has said

He said Office for National Statistics figures from 1991 to 2016 showed the impact on property prices, adding: 'In the last 25 years we have seen immigration put house prices up by something like 20 per cent.'

Acknowledging that immigration benefited the building industry by supplying workers, he added: 'The MAC is right to look at the positive impact immigration has had on the country.

'At the same time you can't just airbrush the costs and the impact it has on housing.'

Mr Raab has to get the number of new homes being built up from 217,000 last year to 300,000 by 2025.

He told The Sunday Times: 'We've really got an opportunity to revive the dream of home ownership and make it more of a reality for the nurse, the teacher, those on low and middle incomes and the younger generation.

'The key is to yank every lever we've got 40 per cent harder.'

Mr Raab (pictured) is demanding that post-Brexit immigration rules take account of the negative effects of arrivals on the need for homes

Meanwhile, a report claims the value of cheaper homes falls when asylum seekers move into an area.

The study for the years 2004 to 2015 showed the impact left more expensive ones unaffected.

It said the effect was more acute in areas that voted for Brexit in 2016.

The paper by US academics William Lastrapes, of the University of Georgia, and Thomas Lebesmuelbacher, of Xavier University in Cincinnati, said asylum seekers put greater pressure on the local population than other immigrants.
When June Norton wrote a letter to a young naval engineer 61 years ago, she hoped to gain a pen pal but didnt even know if she would receive a reply.

She certainly never imagined he would end up as her husband.

But that first message sparked a long-distance love affair that saw the pair exchange more than 300 letters  before they finally met in person and became engaged the next day.

And this weekend June and Jim Dunlop celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, along with their three children, seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

When June Norton wrote a letter to a young naval engineer 61 years ago, she hoped to gain a pen pal but didnt even know if she would receive a reply. She certainly never imagined he would end up as her husband. Left: The couple today. Right: After their marriage

The couple, who now live in Cumbria, married on April 5, 1958  14 months after June, then 18, wrote an introductory letter to her future husband after being given his address by a family friend. Pictured: Copy of the Daily Mail from 1958

Mr Dunlop was a 24-year-old engineer stationed with the Merchant Navy in Glasgow when he received the letter, written on February 24, 1957. Pictured: The couple's wedding day

The couples story was first told in the Daily Mail in July 1958 in a double-page feature on pen pals headlined Their love came by post which asked: Is it possible to find a way to an enduring love with someone you have never met?

Sixty years on, it seems the answer is yes. Mrs Dunlop, 79, said: I cant believe its been 60 years, a whole lifetime together and it all started with one letter. I fell in love with Jim from the way he wrote to me and as soon as we met I knew it was meant to be.

The couple, who now live in Cumbria, married on April 5, 1958  14 months after June, then 18, wrote an introductory letter to her future husband after being given his address by a family friend.

Mr Dunlop was a 24-year-old engineer stationed with the Merchant Navy in Glasgow when he received the letter, written on February 24, 1957.

It read: Dear Jim Mrs Wood asked me if I would like to write to you, a nice boy in the Merchant Navy, and I thought it a very good idea because nothing is lost by writing to people out of your own town and, naturally, with you being a complete stranger to me we should be able to find lots of things to talk about.

They quickly became pen pals, sending thousands of words to each other over the next year as Mr Dunlop sailed around the world.

The letters initially covered the weather, family and hobbies, but became more personal. Six months in, a love-struck Mr Dunlop wrote: Your letters are all I look for in every port, and received the reply: If only I could speak to you for a moment, just to reassure you that I love you with my heart and soul.

They finally met at the beginning of 1958 when Mr Dunlops ship docked in Liverpool and he went to Manchester, where June was working as a secretary.

After marrying they moved to Glasgow, where Jim took a shore job as an engineer. They had five children  Graeme, Gary, Alistair, Jane and Amanda

Daughter Amanda, 51, said: They are still madly in love. They still walk down the road hand in hand'

On Saturday the couple were joined by 102 family and friends to celebrate their 60th anniversary at the Netherwood Hotel near their home in Grange-over-Sands

Mrs Dunlop said: I was so excited to meet him in person after we had fallen in love by post. We went out dancing on our first date  it was all rock and roll in those days and Jim was really really good.

'He proposed to me the day after we met while we were on a country walk. I was only 18 so he had to get my dads permission.

After marrying they moved to Glasgow, where Jim took a shore job as an engineer. They had five children  Graeme, Gary, Alistair, Jane and Amanda.

Tragically, Jane died aged 18 months and Gary, a pilot in the RAF, was killed in a plane crash in 1998 while on a Nato exercise.

On Saturday the couple were joined by 102 family and friends to celebrate their 60th anniversary at the Netherwood Hotel near their home in Grange-over-Sands.

Daughter Amanda, 51, said: They are still madly in love. They still walk down the road hand in hand.

I have always known about their letters but they have moved house about 14 times over the years and the letters got lost along the way, which is a shame.
All six of the firefighters who were injured in the Trump Tower blaze on Saturday have now been released from hospital.

Two of the men suffered burns and the others suffered non-life-threatening injuries as they tried to get the flames on the 50th floor.

An FDNY spokesman told DailyMail.com on Sunday that the cause of the fire remains uncertain.

'That's not something we're going to jump to conclusions on,' he said, adding that it was still very much under investigation.

Of the six men who were injured, he said: 'They're OK. They're all out of hospital.'

Art-dealer Todd Brassner, 67, died in the flames. The fire broke out in his apartment.

The city's Department of Buildings said Sunday the building did have working hard-wired smoke detectors, and that the fire department was first notified of the blaze by the detectors in the building's heating and ventilation system.

A cause had not yet been determined.

A firefighter continues to work at the scene of a blaze on the 50th floor of Trump Tower on Saturday night. Six of his colleges were injured but all have now been released from hospital

Brassner, who records show bought his unit in 1996, is mentioned several times in Warhol's posthumously published diaries, with references including lunch dates and shared taxis. The artist signed and dedicated at least one print to him.

But in recent years, Brassner came upon money difficulties.

According to documents, his family had stopped helping him pursue buying and selling art at the end of 2014, and in the last few years he had been 'plagued with debilitating medical problems that have made it difficult for him to function.'

The fire sent thick, black smoke pouring from the windows of the skyscraper that bears the president's name.

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the apartment was 'virtually entirely on fire' when firefighters arrived.

The blaze broke out at 6pm on Saturday. One person died and the six injured were all firefighters

Emergency personnel leave the scene after a fire in Trump Tower, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in New York

Art dealer Todd Brassner, 67, died in the flames. He was pulled from his apartment unconscious and was pronounced dead at hospital later

While many of the occupants found out by turning on the news, one got a heads-up from Team Trump.

Dennis Shields, who lives on the 47th floor, told The New York Times that he got a call from Michael Cohen, Trump's long-serving lawyer with whom he grew up, telling him to leave.

'He said, ''Are you in the building?'' I said, ''Yes.'' He said, ''You better get out ASAP.'' That's how I knew to get out, otherwise I'd still be in there.'

The president took flack on Saturday for tweeting about the building's soundness instead of mentioning any of the victims.

Trump sparked anger on Saturday when he responded to the tragedy by describing the 'well built' building instead of acknowledging the victims

Saved: Dennis Shields, who lives on the 47th floor and is the on-again-off-again boyfriend of Real Housewives of New York star Bethenny Frankel, said he got a call from Trump's lawyer Michael Cohen, his childhood friend, telling him to leave the building as the flames grew

'Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!' he said.

Fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed in 1983.

Subsequent updates to the building code required commercial skyscrapers to install the sprinklers retroactively, but owners of older residential high-rises are not required to install sprinklers unless the building undergoes major renovations.

Brassner was a fan of Andy Warhol and was involved in selling some of his paintings but had recently fallen on hard times. There were no sprinklers inside his apartment

Some fire-safety advocates pushed for a requirement that older apartment buildings be retrofitted with sprinklers when New York City passed a law requiring them in new residential high rises in 1999, but officials in the administration of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani said that would be too expensive.

Trump was among the developers who spoke out against the retrofitting as expensive and unnecessary.

No member of the Trump family was in the 664-foot tower on Saturday.

Trump's family has an apartment on the top floors of the 58-story building, but he has spent little time in New York since taking office.

The headquarters of the Trump Organization is on the 26th floor.
Migrant claiming to be a child from the squalid Jungle camp in Calais

Nearly two-thirds of child refugees who were questioned about their real age after coming to Britain were found to be adults, an official report has found.

In one year, 65 per cent of asylum seekers assessed after claiming to be juveniles were judged to be over 18.

The report, by immigration watchdog David Bolt, revealed that the Home Office received 2,952 asylum applications from unaccompanied children in the year to June last year.

Out of these there were 705 age disputes  around a quarter of the total  where officials suspected the individual was lying about their age. Of these, 618 cases were resolved and 402  or 65 per cent  were found to be adults.

If these asylum seekers had been treated as children it would have left councils and local taxpayers facing a care bill of millions of pounds a year.

The statistics come amid concern that Britains generosity towards genuine child victims of war, terror and humanitarian disasters is being abused.

The figures were published in a report by Mr Bolt, the independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration, into the Home Offices treatment of lone child migrants.

There were calls for the Home Office to take action after mature-looking child migrants were among those who arrived in the UK from the squalid Jungle camp in Calais to be reunited with relatives as part of a resettlement programme

They relate to young migrants with neither parents nor carers who have sneaked into Britain stowed away in trains, lorries and ships and then claimed asylum.

If a refugee does not have a birth certificate or other travel documents, a Home Office screening officer must decide whether or not they are a child based on their physical appearance and demeanour.

Unless the person appears significantly over 18, they should be afforded the benefit of the doubt and treated as children until they are age-assessed by local council social workers, official rules state.

Officials insisted all the migrants were aged under 18

This is to avoid the risk of a child migrant accidentally being placed in adult accommodation or detention. But on some occasions it meant adults were treated as children, potentially posing a risk to school pupils, foster families or children in care.

Home Office figures reveal that there have been 12,942 disputes over the ages of child asylum seekers since 2006, with 5,965  around 46 per cent  found to be over 18 in this period.

Mr Bolts report said Home Office staff did not feel confident about making initial age assessments of applicants claiming to be children, particularly judging whether the claimant was significantly over 18 and should be entered into the adult process.

It added: They received no training to help them make such judgments. Some local authorities were concerned that the Home Office applied its benefit of the doubt policy too readily, and highlighted the risks of wrongly placing an adult with children in their care.

Reacting to the figures, Tory MP Tim Loughton, a member of the Commons home affairs select committee, said: This has been a problem for some time. We have been a soft touch in too many cases for asylum seekers who abuse our hospitality by elaborating their credentials. It is right we give a safe haven to those who are in danger but too often we have been too trusting.

HOW CHECKS WORK Despite concerns that adults pose as minors to get into the UK, officials do not carry out medical tests, subjecting them instead to a series of rigorous interviews. Once a person claims asylum, initial interviews are conducted to gather information such as identity, medical conditions and age. If a refugee does not have a birth certificate or travel documents, a Home Office screening officer must decide whether the person is a child based on physical appearance and demeanour. Unless the refugee appears significantly over 18, they should be afforded the benefit of the doubt and treated as children. Officials will continue to attempt to collect more information to check their age. If there are still doubts about a refugees claim to be a child the individual will then be age-assessed by two local council social workers. They consider family composition, schooling, experience of life, ability to interact with others, and psychological development, alongside appearance and demeanour. The Home Office has ruled out using medical tests, including dental checks, to assess the age of migrants. Citing guidance by the Dental Medical Association, ministers have said tests of teeth are inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical. Experts said age assessments using dental X-rays were unreliable, with it being possible to wrongly estimate someones age by two or three years. Advertisement

A row flared in October 2016 amid concern that some adult refugees were lying about their ages to gain entry to Britain.

There were calls for the Home Office to take action after mature-looking child migrants were among those who arrived in the UK from the squalid Jungle camp in Calais to be reunited with relatives as part of a resettlement programme.

Jack Straw, the Labour former home secretary, led demands for more accurate age tests.

Some critics said dental checks should be introduced. Officials insisted all the migrants were aged under 18. But some looked several years older, with crows feet and flecks of grey hair.

Computer analysis of photographs of some of the migrants suggested many could be in their 20s and 30s.

The facial recognition software written by Microsoft, even suggested one migrant was 38.

Ministers have ruled out using medical tests, including dental checks, to assess the age of migrants. Citing guidance by the Dental Medical Association, they say tests of teeth are inaccurate, inappropriate and unethical.

But Britain is one of only three EU countries not to use medical checks to verify the age of child asylum seekers. The others are Ireland and Cyprus.

Every other nation calls in doctors, dentists or psychologists to root out adults who are abusing the asylum system by pretending to be children.

A Home Office spokesman said: After consultation with stakeholders we published revised guidance on age assessments and we have committed to produce more child-friendly information in a range of languages to help children better understand the asylum system.
The first mosque in the Outer Hebrides will open this summer after backers raised more than 50,000 in an online appeal.

It is expected to open despite the Presbyterian Free Church urging its followers to pray that no mosque will ever appear in Stornoway, the main town on the Isle of Lewis where a house is to be converted.

A crowdfunding campaign for the mosque, which has been granted planning permission by the Western Isles Council, raised 56,000 within days of being started by builder Aihtsham Rashid.

The first mosque in the Outer Hebrides will open this summer after backers raised more than 50,000 in an online appeal

It is expected to open despite the Presbyterian Free Church urging its followers to pray that no mosque will ever appear in Stornoway, the main town on the Isle of Lewis where a house is to be converted

Builder: Mr Rashid, right, at mosque. A crowdfunding campaign for the mosque, which has been granted planning permission by the Western Isles Council, raised 56,000 within days of being started by builder Aihtsham Rashid

The 39-year-old from Leeds had been contacted by the growing Syrian community on Lewis, whose relatively small numbers were recently swollen by the arrival of six refugee families from the war-torn country.

Mr Rashid said: Against all odds and opposition from the Free Church of Scotland they have now been granted permission to build. I have been personally requested to go up and help them with the build and planning due to my experience in building mosques.

The 39-year-old from Leeds had been contacted by the growing Syrian community on Lewis, whose relatively small numbers were recently swollen by the arrival of six refugee families from the war-torn country

The house, which is close to Stornoway harbour (pictured), has been empty for many years. The mosque will comprise a prayer room with a meeting room across the hall

However, the mosque faces strong resistance from some Presbyterians.

The Free Church of Scotland urged its congregation to pray that no mosque will ever appear after the planning decision. In a press release at the end of last year the Rev David M Blunt, of the Presbytery of the Outer Hebrides, said Islam was incompatible with, and indeed a threat to, our religious and civil liberties...

The oppression of Christians and the reduced status of women under Islam are well-known, as is the willingness of some of its followers to spread its influence by violent means.

The house, which is close to Stornoway harbour, has been empty for many years. The mosque will comprise a prayer room with a meeting room across the hall.

The 2011 census showed there were 20,452 Christians and 61 Muslims living in the Western Isles.
A high-profile criminal lawyer embroiled in an alleged sexual harassment scandal has declared bankruptcy and faces losing his licence to practise.

Charles Waterstreet lodged the documents with the Australian Financial Security Authority on March 13 and is listed as an undischarged bankrupt, Fairfax Media reports.

The 67-year-old barrister had 28 days to explain to the New South Wales Bar Association why he should not lose his practising certificate, with the deadline expiring on Tuesday.

A colourful criminal lawyer embroiled in an alleged sexual harassment scandal has declared bankruptcy and faces losing his licence to practise

Charles Waterstreet (right) lodged the documents with the Australian Financial Security Authority on March 13 and is listed as an undischarged bankrupt, Fairfax Media reports

On Sunday he told Fairfax Media, who he also wrote an opinion column for, that he would need an extended deadline.

The recent controversies surrounding Mr Waterstreet, include allegations of sexual harassment by a number of female paralegals, which he denies, and a case brought by the Australian Taxation Office, which says he owes $420,000.

Apart from high-profile criminal cases, Mr Waterstreet is a theatre and film producer and is known as one of the co-creator of the television series Rake, which is said to be loosely based on his life.

However, actor Richard Roxburgh, who played playboy barrister Cleaver Greene in the ABC drama series, last year denied his character was loosely based on Waterstreet.

In February, he pulled out of appearing on a Q&A panel on the ABC to discuss the #MeToo movement, after three former paralegals made made harassment allegations against him.
Walled in by concrete, Masha the bears only glimpse of the outside world was through the metal grille above her head.

The nine-year-old animal had been imprisoned in a tiny cell behind a restaurant, kept alive only by occasional scraps of food thrown in by the owners.

When she was finally rescued, firemen had to use bolt cutters to break open the inch-thick bars.

Walled in by concrete, Masha the bears only glimpse of the outside world was through the metal grille above her head

The nine-year-old animal had been imprisoned in a tiny cell behind a restaurant, kept alive only by occasional scraps of food thrown in by the owners

When she was finally rescued, firemen had to use bolt cutters to break open the inch-thick bars

Unused to attention, the Syrian brown bear then needed to be sedated by a vet before she could be placed on a special stretcher.

It was the first time the animal had been cared for in years.

When she was stuck in her dismal prison, which measured just ten by 24 feet, Mashas booming groans could be heard by nearby diners, but no one ever answered her call. No one even bothered to lean over the wall to peer at the neglected bear.

Unused to attention, the Syrian brown bear then needed to be sedated by a vet

This was before she could be placed on a special stretcher. It was the first time the animal had been cared for in years

When she was stuck in her dismal prison, which measured just ten by 24 feet, Mashas booming groans could be heard by nearby diners, but no one ever answered her call

Masha is one of at least 60 bears to have been kept in deplorable conditions in Armenia for decades.

But in her case at least, the story has a happy ending. After being contacted by a local animal welfare organisation, Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets, British charity International Animal Rescue (IAR) went to the country to save her.

It took several men on each side to carry her immense bulk into a waiting van. She was then taken to a special rescue centre set up for the neglected bears.

There, she will be kept in quarantined area to be checked by vets, before moving to a sanctuary.

No one even bothered to lean over the wall to peer at the neglected bear. Masha is one of at least 60 bears to have been kept in deplorable conditions in Armenia for decades

But in her case at least, the story has a happy ending. After being contacted by a local animal welfare organisation, Foundation for the Preservation of Wildlife and Cultural Assets, British charity International Animal Rescue (IAR) went to the country to save her

It took several men on each side to carry her immense bulk into a waiting van. She was then taken to a special rescue centre set up for the neglected bears

The charity, based in Sussex, has freed 30 bears from garages and builders yards, as well as private homes where rich owners wanted them as trophies

The charity, based in Sussex, has freed 30 bears from garages and builders yards, as well as private homes where rich owners wanted them as trophies.

IAR spokesman Liz Key said: We had been made aware of all these bears being caged up in Armenia for absolutely no reason whatsoever.

'They were just kept hidden away in really, really appalling conditions with no room to move and only junk food to eat, often in private collections. Some we have rescued had chains around their necks.

Happily for Masha, her mother was rescued in the same operation  and they are set to be reunited at the sanctuary.
The US pushed the button to start a trade war against China in an arrogant and peremptory way, while China will by no means surrender to such irrational and arbitrary move.

The country on Wednesday unveiled a list of products worth $50 billion imported from the US that will be subject to higher tariffs, including soybeans, automobiles, aircraft and chemical products.

The decision, made by the Customs Tariff Commission of the State Council, involved a possible additional tariff of 25 percent on 106 items of products under 14 categories.

It was a counter-measure taken after the US administration announced a proposed list of products subject to additional tariffs, which covers Chinese exports worth $50 billion.

The arrogant Uncle Sam obviously has underestimated the negative impacts to be placed on itself by the trade war, and now is the time for it to learn from reality.

The protectionism show put on by the US has drawn it worldwide resistance. With the announcement of the proposed tariff list of Chinese goods based on the so-called Section 301 investigation, the US is telling the world that it is betraying its own promises, and trampling on the international trade rules.

When approving the Marrakesh Agreement in 1994, the then US President, in a commitment to the congress, promised not to use Section 301 investigation to judge whether a foreign country violates WTO rules.

The country once again pledged in 1998 to settle trade disputes based on WTO procedures after the EU filed a complaint to the WTO over the Section 301 investigation.

Years later, the US slapped in the face of itself by threatening China with unilateral trade sanctions without any approval from the global trade body.

The US has never stopped discrediting China by blaming it and other trade partners for its own troubles like trade deficits and rising unemployment. What is more inexplicable is that the worlds largest economy always labels itself as a victim of international cooperation.

But it is well-known that the true intention behind its delusional disorder is to maximize its own interests by finding excuses for unilateral sanctions.

In order to hide its motives, it created some groundless excuses for its provocation. Such unreasonable move to blame others for its internal affairs indicated that the US has gone further along the wrong track.

For instance, it declared that the rise of Chinese manufacturing has hurt the interests of the US, but facts proved that such accusation cannot hold water at all.

The manufacturing jobs in the US have been shrinking for consecutive 65 years. The segment contributed 8.5 percent to all jobs in the US in 2017, falling from 32 percent in 1953. The figure had already dropped to 12 percent when China joined WTO in 2001.

The variation of manufacturing jobs is resulted from the huge influence of technology reforms and the increasing globalization of the supply chain, pointed out senior research fellow Stephen Roach at Yale University, adding that the US should rather find a cure to its own economic imbalance and decreasing vitality than to put the blame on the others.

In addition, it is ridiculous persecutory delusion that the Uncle Sam attributed Chinas technology innovation to forced technology transfer. Foreign investment in China is totally market-based voluntary activities, and China has no such laws that require foreign companies to transfer their technologies to Chinese partners.

China is unswervingly implementing an innovation-driven development strategy. Its Made in China 2025 strategy, a plan to upgrade the manufacturing sector, will help transform the country from a manufacturing giant into a manufacturing powerhouse.

But its improvement in innovation and manufacturing capabilities is not aimed to beat or replace the US, but to create better lives for its own people and bring more benefits for the world.

The US is trying to curb the progress of Chinas high-tech industries by creating more trade barriers, but such ill-disposed approach is doomed to fail, while making itself miss shots in economic and scientific progresses.

Industrial giants such as General Electric and Goldman Sachs, as well as some agricultural enterprises have expressed their concerns that the US may lose the golden chance to be involved in the most profitable and fastest-growing market given the additional tariffs and investment restrictions.

US technology and investment industries agreed that the US government hopes to help them out, but what it does might lead to irreversible damage to their supply chain established after decades of efforts.

The US has to understand that no country could be scapegoat of its economic headache. If the US bends on waging a trade war at the cost of loss to both sides, China has the capability and determination to fight to the end.

China also has the sincerity if the US wants to sit down for a talk, but everything must be based on equal consultation and mutual respect.

China will never surrender to the irrationality of the US in the trade war, and the only way for the US to reduce loss is to slam on the brakes.
Radio and TV presenter Emma Freedman is the daughter of racing royalty Lee Freedman.

So it's only fitting the 28-year-old was all smiles for a photo call at Royal Randwick Racecourse on Saturday.

She cut a sophisticated figure in a black and white ensemble featuring a checked tailored blazer and ankle grazer pants, teamed with diamond cut-out sandals.

Hats off! Radio and TV presenter Emma Freedman was all smiles for a photo call at Royal Randwick Racecourse, on Saturday

The blonde kept her tresses tied up in a bun under her statement hat.

She kept her accessories to a bare minimum with a pair of stud earrings and her engagement ring from fiance, finance worker Charlie Rundle.

For make up, Emma opted for a simple radiant look to show off her flawless complexion with a feathered brows, lashings of mascara, blush pink cheeks and a nude lip.

Chic: She cut a sophisticated figure in a black and white ensemble featuring a checked tailored blazer and ankle grazer pants, teamed with diamond cut-out sandals. For make up, she opted for a simple radiant look to show off her flawless complexion

Race day style: The Fox League TV present shared the red carpet with electronic musician George Maple in an elegant frock that featured a plunging neckline and accentuated her hourglass figure

The Fox League TV present shared the red carpet with electronic musician George Maple in an elegant frock.

She turned heads in a frock showcased her ample assets with a plunging neckline and accentuated her hourglass figure.

Actress Kirby Burgess also attended the event wearing a mid-length strap less dress with dark grey foil detailing along her cleavage and a ruffle peplum detail across her hips.

Elegant: Actress Kirby Burgess also attended the event wearing a mid-length strap less dress with dark grey foil detailing along her cleavage and a ruffle peplum detail across her hips

Glam! She matched the garment with a pair of strappy heels and accessorised with a fedora hat, a ribbon choker and a large white flower in her hair

She matched the garment with a pair of strappy heels and accessorised with a fedora hat, a ribbon choker and a large white flower in her hair.

The beauty attended the event with her husband actor Ben Mingay, who she married in February this year in an intimate ceremony with friends and family at Sydney's Centennial Park.

Ben put on a dapper display in a tailored black suit and matching dress shoes.

The two had fun on the red carpet doing a range of silly and fun poses before sharing a sweet kiss for the cameras.

Fun: The beauty attended the event with her husband actor Ben Mingay, who she married in February this year

Loved up: Ben put on a dapper display in a tailored black suit and matching dress shoes. The two had fun on the red carpet doing a range of silly and fun poses before sharing a sweet kiss for the cameras

Suave: Soon-to-be groom Tim Robards was another gent who put on a dapper display at the event

Soon-to-be groom Tim Robards was another gent who put on a dapper display at the event.

The Sydney chiropractor looked sharp and sophisticated in a tailored black suit paired with a grey shirt.

He completed the look with a quirky-print tie and black formal shoes.
Has party girl Jaime Winstone secretly married her fiance James Suckling?

I met the daughter of hard-man actor Ray last week at the Sense Of Space art bash in London where she introduced James to me as her husband.

When I did a double take she looked a little flustered and added: I mean, my fiance.

Has Jamie Winstone, right, married her beau James Suckling, left, as the pair were spotted wearing wedding rings while at the Sense of Space art bash in London last week

Jamie, daughter of hardman actor Ray Winston, pictured, had announced earlier she had planned to get married to James at her father's estate

Too late Jaime: I had already noticed the gold bands each wore on their left hand, and James seemed relaxed enough to show his off as they capered on one of the installations.

I revealed in 2016 that James had proposed to Jaime and that the pair were planning to marry on her fathers estate.

Jaimes spokesman said she had meant to say husband-to-be.

Hmmm

Times up for Toff's column

Jungle queen Georgia Toff Toffolos newspaper dating column Toff Talks has been scrapped.

Georgia, 23, broke the news last Sunday on Instagram after her final Sunday Times column appeared: So sad that my residency is over! I cant believe how fast the last three months have gone.

Only a month ago her manager told me the contract was for at least a year.

Perhaps fascinating insights into her life such as I drank so much kale juice, I nearly turned into a kale didnt help

Jungle Queen Georgia Toffolo, pictured, has lost her dating column in the Sunday Times

Proving that shes surely the most bohemian of the Jagger clan, Micks daughter Jade last week shared this snap of herself with childhood babysitter Andy Warhol in upstate New York in the 1970s.

Jade, 46, spent her childhood popping in and out of Warhols famous The Factory studio, and was often cared for by the pop-artist when her mother Bianca was out of town with then-husband Mick  then at the peak of his Rolling Stones fame.

Andy, who died in 1987, once said of Jade: I taught her to colour and she showed me how to play Monopoly.

Thats rock n roll, folks!
She's known for her love of keeping fit and is often seen flaunting her rock hard abs.

And Davina McCall, 50, has demonstrated her fitness prowess once again as she revealed to The Sun her plans of becoming a personal trainer by 2019.

Talking about her own goal for the future, the presenter - who has just received her Level 3 certificate in Fitness Instructing from LDN Muscle's PT academy, told the publication: 'My goal is to be a personal trainer by 2019.'

New career: Davina McCall, 50, has demonstrated her fitness prowess once again as she revealed her plans of becoming a personal trainer by 2019

She continued: 'Ive done an insane number of work-out DVDs so its crazy that I dont have a qualification.'

The mother-of-three currently hosts This Time Next Year, a tear-jerking show where guests make life-changing pledges and return 365 days later to share their journey.

The life-changing pledge comes after she learned to surf with son Chester, 11, on Wednesday during her current Maldives getaway.

Abs-olutely!: The mother-of-three currently hosts This Time Next Year, a tear-jerking show where guests make life-changing pledges and return 365 days later to share their journey

Beach babe: Davina learned to surf with son Chester, 11, on Wednesday during her idyllic Maldives getaway

The former Big Brother presenter showed off her washboard abs and toned physique as she took to the Indian Ocean to learn the new hobby.

Sharing a photograph on Instagram, the mother-of-three cut a beach babe figure as she wore a pink and white Roxy surfing rash top, teaming it with a pair of striped bikini bottoms.

Davina knew exactly how to work her best angles as she smiled and put her best foot forward while clutching a surfboard on the golden sand.

Surf's up: The former Big Brother presenter showed off her washboard abs and toned physique as she took to the Indian Ocean to learn the new hobby

Natural: The legendary presenter managed to ride an entire wave for an impressive distance without wiping out

The Jump star looked fresh-faced as she went make-up free for the fun activity while her brunette locks appeared tousled with the fresh sea salt air.

She captioned the sunkissed snap with: 'Such a poser... but today Chester and I LEARNED TO SURF!!!!!

'We actually both stood up ! Such great teachers at @rachelmckendrick at @tropicsurf thank you so so much ! See u tomorrow!!!!

'If Im honest ... I nearly cancelled... was nervous and tired ( big activity day today ) and was telling myself I would never get it so whats the point ... so I told myself to shut it and just go... and we are feeling pretty chuffed ... we tried tried tried and succeeded! Way to go Chester !!!!' followed by heart, surfing and wave emojis.

Stylish: The mother-of-three cut a beach babe figure as she wore a pink and white Roxy surfing rash top, teaming it with a pair of funky bikini bottoms

While Davina also added a video of her impressive new hobby on Thursday, captioning it as: 'Obsessed. Going again today !!!' followed by three smiling emojis.

In the footage, the legendary presenter managed to ride an entire wave for an impressive distance without wiping out.

Onlookers can be heard cheering on Davina until she decided to fall backwards into the ocean at the end.

Wipe out: Onlookers can be heard cheering on Davina until she decided to fall backwards into the ocean at the end

Relax: The TV star will no doubt be making the most of the relaxing vacation after announcing that she was splitting from her husband of 17 years, Matthew Robertson, in November 2017

The television star will no doubt be making the most of the relaxing vacation after she announced that she was splitting from her husband of 17 years, Matthew Robertson, in November last year.

In a statement, she told MailOnline: 'I am very sad to say that Matthew and I have separated.

'Our amazing children are our number one priority, above everything else so therefore we ask for as much space and respect from the media as possible while our family goes through this difficult time.'
She's not shy when it comes to flaunting her best assets on social media.

And Saturday was just another day for Simone Ormesher, taking to Instagram to pose in a very revealing crop top.

Enjoying some dinner with a friend, the 26-year-old donned a black halterneck, with her washboard abs and busty decolletage on show for all.

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Busting out! On Saturday, Bachelor In Paradise star Simone Ormesher flaunted her busty assets in a racy crop top during a night out

'The naughty sort in the yellow photobombing,' she captioned the racy post.

Holding a cocktail, Simone ensured all eyes were on her extremely pronounced chest.

The Bachelor In Paradise beauty sported a luminous and radiant complexion complete with a sweep of blush and a nude pink lipstick.

Not looking at the drink! Holding a cocktail, Simone ensured all eyes were on her chest

No hiding her assets: Also appearing on her friend Sophie Muir's Instagram Story, she captioned Simone's busty chest as 'Big t**ty committee'

Also appearing on her friend Sophie Muir's Instagram Story, she captioned Simone's busty chest as 'Big ti**y committee'.

Taking to the social media again earlier in the week, the beauty posted a topless shot.

'When you forget to do your washing and only can find the bottoms,' she wrote.

More to what meets the eye? And her flirty antics are set to go beyond phone screens this week, with Simone making her appearance on Bachelor In Paradise

And her flirty antics are set to go beyond phone screens this week, with Simone making her appearance on Bachelor In Paradise.

Teased as an intruder, the Manchester-born beauty wasn't officially named as a cast member so her appearance in the trailer came as a surprise to viewers.

Bachelor In Paradise continues Sunday night at 7:30pm on Ten.
He plays an evil guardian named Count Olaf in US comedy show, A Series Of Unfortunate Events.

And on Sunday, Neil Patrick Harris revealed he signed up for the short Netflix series, so he could spend more time with husband David Burtka and twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott.

The 44-year-old actor told The Sunday Telegraph: 'I think one of the reasons that I signed up for this  and I think one of the reasons we all did  is that it's a finite piece of work and we know that in three seasons it's finished so we can work super hard knowing that there's a final end to it'.

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'I know in three seasons it's finished': Neil Patrick Harris has revealed that he signed up for the short Netflix comedy, A Series Of Unfortunate Events so he could spend more time with husband David Burtka and twins Harper and Gideon

'That makes it feel more like art that we're doing than a job that we're hoping runs for as long as it can and that means that I can justify that with the family,' the award-winning actor added.

The How I Met Your Mother actor revealed to the publication he regularly jumps on a red-eye flight to return to his family as often as possible during filming.

However Neil expressed the commute is somewhat difficult as the black comedy drama is set in Vancouver, Canada, while his family is based in Harlem, New York City.

Count Olaf: On Sunday, Neil Patrick Harris revealed he signed up for the short Netflix series, so he could spend more time with husband David Burtka and twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott

Family-first:The How I Met Your Mother actor revealed to the publication he regularly jumps on a red-eye flight to return to his family as often as possible during filming

'If it was only a six- and-a-half-hour flight I could actually sleep for a good night on the plane and wake up refreshed, but I sort of wake up half slept and then I'm in a whole other world with real children and not pretend children,' Neil told the publication.

Neil and US actor and chef, David, 42 are gearing up for their four year wedding anniversary in September this year.

In September 2014, the high-profile pair tied the knot in an intimate ceremony in Perugia, Italy.

Lucky in love: In September 2014, the high-profile pair wed in an intimate ceremony in Perugia, Italy.

'I initially fell for David harder than he fell for me,' Neil recalled in a 2012 interview with Out magazine.

'I was in love with him before he was comfortable saying it, and I think that speaks to our past experiences.

'I remember saying, 'I think I love you,' and he was like, 'That's really nice,' which is not necessarily what you want to hear.

'I initially fell for David harder than he fell for me,' Neil recalled in a 2012 interview with Out magazine; seen in April at the Daryl Roth Theatre

'But I appreciated his honesty in not jumping the gun and saying something because he felt obliged to.'

After the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act on June 24, 2011, the couple announced their engagement via Twitter.

David and Neil also announced they had been engaged for more than five years but kept the news secret until same-sex marriage was legal.

The happy couple shares fraternal twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, who turned seven in October 2017.
As co-host of Sunrise, Samantha Armytage brings viewers breaking news headlines.

But you won't find the 41-year-old blonde bringing her pals any life advice when they have personal problems.

In a candid new column for Stellar magazine, published on Sunday, the star warns: 'The quickest way to lose a friend is by giving them advice they don't want to hear'.

'The quickest way to lose a friend is by giving them advice they don't want to hear': In a column written for Stellar on Sunday, Samantha Armytage says she no longer gives her pals any life advice

Sam candidly confessed that she was often giving advice to her friends which she herself did not even believe.

Rather than being an agony aunt, she claims it's now best to 'just nod and hug, and drink the chardy'.

'Ignorance truly is bliss,' the esteemed journalist stated.

Health advice: In February, Sam underwent a mammogram for a Sunrise segment, and was called back for further testing, an experience she described as 'very scary'

However, Sam doesn't necessarily believe that mantra applies to women's health.

In February, the star underwent a mammogram for a Sunrise segment, and was called back for further testing, an experience she described as 'very scary'.

In a piece to camera, Sam said she would now undergo yearly check-ups and advised that women over the age of 40 should be 'thinking about' having a mammogram.

In a piece to camera, Sam said she now undergo yearly check-ups and advised that women over the age of 40 should be 'thinking about' having a mammogram.

However, her opinion was refuted by Alexandra Barratt, a doctor and professor at the University of Sydney, who stated in a column for Fairfax that: 'Screening tests can lead to 'overdiagnosis' - the detection of cancers that are so slow growing, they will never cause symptoms or death and are better left alone.'

She wrote that 'screening healthy women in their 40s is more likely to harm than save lives'.

Sam hit back on Instagram, stating: 'Attacking me for encouraging women to have mammograms. Honestly... At NO POINT did I give medical advice.

'My breast cancer specialist told me she would like women to be checked from 40 onwards... And all of my statistics for this story concerning breast cancer came from Breast Screen NSW.'

'At NO POINT did I give medical advice': Sam slammed a doctor's column regarding her mammogram
She's currently shooting season five of her hit TV-series Younger.

Hilary Duff, who is currently bi-coastal, used her weekend off in Los Angeles to spend some quality time with son Luca, age six.

The two enjoyed breakfast in Studio City before heading off to the interactive Candytopia museum in Santa Monica.

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Mommy and me! Hilary Duff, who is currently shooting Younger in NYC, used her weekend off in Los Angeles to spend some quality time with son Luca, age six

Duff was casually clad for her fun-filled Saturday morning outing with her son.

She paired her beige long-line cardigan with a white tee, black skinny jeans and a pair of grey sneakers.

The former Disney star added a bit of flair to her ensemble by tying a red-and-black plaid shirt around her waist.

Casually clad! Duff paired her beige long-line cardigan with a white tee, black skinny jeans and a pair of grey sneakers

Little Luca was adorably dressed in a long-sleeve blue shirt, polka dot sweats and a pair of high-top Vans.

The duo were clearly enjoying each other's company as Hilary playfully put her hand over her son's mouth.

Despite the gloomy weather in Southern California, Duff still opted to wear a pair of leopard print sunglasses.

Lots of layers: The former Disney star added a bit of flare to her ensemble by tying a plaid shirt around her waist

Hilary and Luca spent the afternoon at Candytopiaa 'deliciously fun' interactive exhibit focused on sweet treats.

The Younger star took to Instagram to share a few fun moments from the museum that included Luca playing in a huge pool of marshmallows.

She shares her only child with ex-husband Mike Comrie, 37, whom she was married to for six years.

Co-parenting: She shares her only child with ex-husband Mike Comrie, 37, whom she was married to for six years
They both share the same name, and both are daughters of famous parents.

And on Friday, Paris Hilton stepped out at Hyde Sunset in LA for pal Paris Jackson's 20th birthday.

The hotel heiress was joined by fiance Chris Zylka and parents Richard and Kathy Hilton.

Celebrations: On Friday, Paris Hilton, 37, stepped out at Hyde Sunset in Los Angeles for pal Paris Jackson's 20th birthday; pictured with fiance Chris Zylka and mom Kathy Hilton

Paris, 37, wore a lace, lilac, two-part dress layered under a matching cardigan.

The pretty blonde wore her shoulder-length hair down and parted near the middle.

The New York City native completed her look with dark pumps and a large diamond necklace.

'Celebrating with the beautiful #BirthdayGirl': The hotel heiress caught up with the star of the evening, the daughter of Michael Jackson

In love: Paris took to Instagram to share snaps from the celebratory evening. She was joined by fiance Chris Zylka, 32

Paris took to Instagram to share snaps from the celebratory evening.

The Simple Life star stopped for a selfie with Paris Jackson, as the two posed with white-rimmed sunglasses.

'Celebrating with the beautiful #BirthdayGirl,' she wrote for the photo's caption.

Set to wed: The couple have been engaged since January of this year

Sealing the deal: Chris revealed to TMZ that he will be signing a prenup

Also along for the evening was the professional DJ's love, Chris Zylka. 32.

Paris had nothing short of sweet words for her fiance of three months, and expressed her appreciation for him on Instagram.

'To look into that persons eyes & find yourself so completely lost in another world. A world that is beautiful & full of absolute comfort & happiness.#TrueLove,' she wrote.

Chris recently spoke to TMZ about a prenup, and revealed that he will be signing one.

'Well any gentleman that's about to marry a very wealthy and well-established businesswoman wouldn't be a gentleman to bring up a prenup in the first place. So yes of course, we're gonna have one...' he said.

Supporting another Paris: Also attending for the evening were Paris Hilton's parents, Richard, 62, and Kathy, 59
She has enjoyed a thriving career since winning Miss Universe Australia 2010.

And Jesinta Franklin (nee Campbell) has shared her love for 'old school' style as she prepares for her role as a Longines ambassador at Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day.

The 26-year-old spoke with Stellar magazine on Sunday about loving the 'elegance and glamour of racing fashion' with an accompanying photo spread.

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Chic: Jesinta Franklin has shared her love for 'old school' style as she prepares for her role as a Longines ambassador at Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day

Draped in a Sandro Paris dress, leather boots from Topshop and a $4850 watch from Longines, the striking blonde raved about how racing fashion is 'something special'.

'Nothing is too tight, nothings too short and there are ladies wearing gloves and big hats,' she described.

'Back in the day, listening to my grandmother speak, youd get dressed up just to go and get eggs from the corner store,' she added.

Elegant: Draped in a Sandro Paris dress, leather boots from Topshop and a $4850 watch from Longines, the striking blonde raved about how racing fashion is 'something special'

Jesinta, who is married to famed AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, went on to explain that elegance is defined by a person's attitude towards their individual style.

'It's about character for me,' she remarked. 'It's about finding someone who is really confident in their own skin.'

As a Longines ambassador, Jesinta is preparing to host a three-course sit-down lunch for Queen Elizabeth Stakes Day at Royal Randwick Racecourse next weekend.

Fashion forward: Jesinta, who is married to famed AFL star Lance 'Buddy' Franklin, offered that elegance is defined by a person's attitude towards their individual style

She admitted that while fashions on the field are a personal highlight, she enjoys the sport of racing especially because 'my dad and husband are really into it'.

Having parted ways with luxury retailer David Jones late last year, the Gold Coast-born beauty revealed she is working on a 'challenging but really exciting' project.

Without disclosing further details, she did divulge she has spent her own savings on the venture and 'now is the time' for her to launch a new business undertaking.
Amanda Seyfried on Friday posted an Instagram shot with her husband Thomas Sadoski from their visit to the Agoura Hills, California mansion where ABC's The Bachelor is filmed, as the 32-year-old actress is a big fan of the romantic reality series.

The Allentown, Pennsylvania wore a long-sleeved salt white top with black pants, wearing her blonde locks parted as she held hands with her husband.

She captioned the post she wrote for the Flashback Friday shot: '#datenight #fbf WHERE ARE WE?'

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Rosy outlook: Amanda Seyfried, 32, posted a Flashback Friday shot with her husband Thomas Sadoski, 41, from their visit to the Agoura Hills, California mansion where ABC's The Bachelor is filmed

Sadoski, 41, wore a black hooded zip-up sweatshirt over a v-neck grey top with blue jeans and a serious expression on his face outside of the luxe compound.

The Tinseltown couple emanated romantic vibes in front of the TV backdrop, just more than a year after they got married and welcomed a baby daughter, whose name they have only shared with family and friends.

The Les Miserables beauty has frequently spoken about her fandom of the series, as last year she shared a video clip of Corinne Olympios strangely avoiding an open automatic door for a manual one, adding the comment, 'Corinne fits perfectly in this strange new world were living in.'

The Lovelace star tweeted in 2014, 'I hope Clare wins so they can learn English together. #bachelor,' in reference to contestants Juan Pablo Galavis and Clare Crawley.

Outspoken: The actress has occasionally posed her thoughts about the ABC series to social media

Look of love: Amanda and her spouse were snapped Thursday at an event in LA

The Mamma Mia stunner appeared on Ellen in May of 2014, during the time she was in a relationship with actor Justin Long. She said that she and Long routinely watched The Bachelor and The Bachelorette.

'We watch 'em - all of them,' the Fathers and Daughters actress told Ellen, before explaining the nuances that made the reality show a must-watch for her.

'It's the most unnatural setting of all-time for humans ... it's a train wreck,' she said. 'And there's some great people on it and there's some not so great people, and the human interaction, it's just - it's a wonderful study.

'I feel really guilty about it sometimes, but then other times you really want them to be happy and find love.'

Amanda can be seen in the upcoming Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again, which hits theaters July 20.
Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia (BFA), and attend a host of other activities during the four-day forum scheduled to open on April 8 in Boao, a coastal town in the southern island province of Hainan.

His attendance of Chinas first big home-field diplomatic event this year is of great significance to promote major country diplomacy with Chinese characteristics, build the community with a shared future for Asia and mankind, and advance peace and development for mankind, as 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up, and the first year to implement the spirit of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

At the BFA annual conference in 2013, Xi put forward a proposal to foster a sense of community of common destiny, follow the trend of the times, keep in the right direction, stick together in time of difficulty and ensure that development in Asia and the rest of the world reaches new heights.

Two years later, he comprehensively and systematically expounded the concept of the community of common destiny for mankind at the opening ceremony of BFA annual conference for the first time.

In recent years, the concept has been more and more accepted by the world and even incorporated into multiple UN resolutions and documents, demonstrating the influence and charm of Chinese wisdom.

However, with rising populism and protectionism, some countries have become reluctant to offer international public products and even undermined the multilateral international system.

The trend of anti-globalization indicates the existence of the old-fashioned mentality that goes against the times, such as superpowers and zero-sum games. Such mentality poses a threat to the world view and value that encourages consensus and common actions.

Some Western scholars said that the spirit of cooperation and win-win results has turned into dusty prints in history books, even though it had once led the world out of its plight.

To get rid of zero-sum games, one must go with the history and adjust their mentality. It is just what the community with a shared future for mankind stresses: to abandon win-or-lose mentality, uphold the spirit of win-win cooperation, and make efforts to achieve peace and prosperity.

Chinas path of reform and opening up is also one way that leads to win-win cooperation between the country and the world. Tadayoshi Murata, professor emeritus from Japan's Yokohama National University said that the building a community with a shared future for mankind proposed by Xi is a global version of Chinas reform and opening-up.

The country should fully open up with a broader horizon, higher standards and stronger efforts, and accelerate the development of its open economy on higher levels, said Xi, as Chinas reform and opening-up entered the 40th year. His remarks signaled Chinas sincerity to embrace the world and achieve win-win results with each country.

China has made continuous efforts to construct the Belt and Road, and has taken new measures to further open up. The upcoming first China International Import Expo (CIIE) will showcase Chinas determination to establish its own sphere of reform and opening-up while supporting common development of all countries.

China, with historical achievements and changes, is standing at a new starting line. It is ready to join hands with each country to build a community with a shared future for Asia and mankind, and usher in new prosperity for Asia and the world.
Heston Blumenthal's romance with his much younger girlfriend is reportedly on the rocks - just months after they welcomed a baby together.

Just a few months after French estate agent Stephanie Gouveia welcomed their newborn - Blumenthal's fourth child - their romance has reportedly hit a 'turbulent time', according to The Sun.

These come hot on the heels of his family woes, with a source telling the publication: 'Hes going through a rough time with Stephanie and things havent been good between other members of his family.'

'He's going through a rough time': Heston Blumenthal's romance with his much younger girlfriend and mother of his fourth child Stephanie Gouveia is reportedly on the rocks

The star, 51, who is said to be on the verge of a split with Stephanie hasn't been involved in any TV or restaurant projects for a while.

And it is now claimed he is 'trying to straighten things out at the countryside retreat of another celebrity friend' after reportedly spending some time apart.

Speaking of his relationship with Stephanie, who is thought to be 20 years his junior, it was added: 'It is fair to say they have had a turbulent time - but they are trying to work through it.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Heston for further comment.

Back in February, The Daily Mail's Richard Eden revealed the owner of Michelin-starred Fat Duck in Bray had become the father of a baby with Stephanie.

Speaking of his relationship with Stephanie, it was added: 'It is fair to say they have had a turbulent time - but they are trying to work through it'

Adding to the brood: Back in February, The Daily Mail's Richard Eden disclosed that Blumenthal has become the father of a baby with Stephanie

Blumenthals spokesman told Eden: I can confirm Heston and Stephanie have had a child at the end of last year, but we wont be giving any further information.

The child was born just a few months after his divorce from his wife of 28 years Zanna, 52 - mother to their kids Jack, 25, Jessie, 22 and Joy, 20.

Heston and Zanna met as teenagers when he was a credit controller and she was a nurse, and married in 1989.

They split up in 2011 as Blumenthal went through a self-confessed crisis and began to question everything in his life.

During their marriage, he had an affair with American cookery writer Suzanne Pirret, who has said her favourite things are food and sex.

Estranged: The child was born just a few months after his divorce from Zanna, 52, with whom he has three children

Over: They split up in 2011 as Blumenthal went through a self-confessed crisis and began to question in about his life

Meanwhile, in January Heston's sister Alexis, 49, was given a suspended jail term for punching their 77-year-old mother Cecelia in the face and slamming her head against a car door.

During one incident, she grabbed her by the hair and punched her a number of times, before pushing her at the top of a flight of stairs at her mother's house in nearby Watlington.

Her elderly mother was forced to cling on to the banister to stop her from falling all the way down.

District Judge Tim Pattinson said she had issues with alcohol and an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

In a witness statement, Celia said her daughter had carried out a campaign of 'verbal and violent abuse'.

Family drama: Meanwhile, in January Heston's sister Alexis, 49, was given a suspended jail term for punching their mother in the face and slamming her head against a car door

Blumenthal was arrested in October when she failed to appear in court, and released on bail provided she attended her hearing on December 11.

She faced two charges of assault by beating in connection with the alleged incidents, which were claimed to have taken place on October and September 9.

As part of her sentence she was ordered to carry out 20 days of rehabilitation activity and pay costs of 500 plus a 115 victim surcharge.

She was also banned from going to her mother's home in Watlington.
She's the radio host who doubles as a sex and relationship columnist for Yahoo Be.

And Mel Greig was at her descriptive best on Sunday, detailing how she recently heard her neighbours engaging in what sounded like 'earth shattering, pure pleasure'.

The 36-year-old, who co-hosts the breakfast show on Wollongong's Wave FM, claimed to be home during lunchtime when she was awoken by a 'loud' orgasm.

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Over-sharer: Mel Greig was at her descriptive best on Sunday, detailing how she recently heard her neighbours engaged in what sounded like 'earth shattering, pure pleasure'

'Do people really have lunch-time orgasms or did I just witness an affair?' the outspoken media personality wondered in her latest article.

She described how she crawled into her bed 'for a nanna nap' before being alerted to 'what can only be described as the restaurant scene from When Harry met Sally'.

'Im not exaggerating. This was a nek level orgasm and it was loud. Earth shattering pure pleasure bouncing off the walls inside my neighbours apartment,' she detailed.

'Do people really have lunch-time orgasms or did I just witness an affair?' the outspoken media personality wondered in her latest graphic article

The loquacious presenter went on to question if she had just witnessed two people either celebrating a new relationship or, more likely, indulging in an illicit affair.

'I did some research and sadly, some people who are partaking in the art of cheating do in fact do it in their lunch breaks,' she haplessly wrote.

'You can mix up the locations and have a good 30 to 60 minutes to make it happen and if youre quick enough, even squeeze in a bite to eat at the end,' she added.

'I did some research and sadly, some people who are partaking in the art of cheating do in fact do it in their lunch breaks,' she haplessly wrote

Never one to shy away from opening up about personal issues, Mel has penned recent columns about her battle with endometriosis and her colourful sex life.

She became a household name in 2012 for the wrong reasons after the controversial 'royal prank call' she made alongside 2DayFM co-host, Michael Christian.

The duo pretended to be the Queen and Prince Charles as they spoke to a nurse at a hospital where a pregnant Kate Middleton was being treated for morning sickness.

The nurse, Jacintha Saldanha, who revealed private details of Kate's admission on-air, was tragically found hanging in the hospital nurses' accommodation afterwards.
She is currently shooting NBC's Bad Boys spin-off series.

Gabrielle Union, who landed in NYC on Saturday, commanded attention as she stepped out of her hotel in an orange Prette coat and a black crop top.

The 45-year-old toned down her ensemble by wearing a pair of cropped gray Prette pants and nude heels.

Main squeeze: Gabrielle Union, who landed in NYC on Saturday, commanded attention as she stepped out of her hotel in an orange Prette coat and a black crop top

The Being Mary Jane star's skin looked flawless while her hair was perfectly styled in tousled waves.

She walked with one hand tucked in her pocket and the other clutched around her quilted Valentino purse.

Gabrielle waved for the cameras before hopping into her private car.

Brand baby: Gabrielle gave a wave to the camera while one hand tightly clutched her quilted Valentino handbag

Fashionista: The 45-year-old toned down her ensemble by wearing a pair of cropped grey Prette pants and nude heels

Union, along with co-star Jessica Alba, recently announced the Bad Boys spin-off.



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.

Jessica and Gabrielle have big shoes to fill as they carry on the Bad Boys legacy for the original 'bad boys' Will Smith and Martin Lawrence.

Stop and stare: The Being Mary Jane star's skin looked flawless while her hair was perfectly styled in tousled waves

Ladies of the law! Union, along with co-star Jessica Alba, recently announced the Bad Boys spinoff. 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

Union will continue her character Syd Burnett's story that came to a screeching halt after she helped take down a drug cartel in Miami in the 2003 film Bad Boys II.

Alba will play Syd's detective partnera working mom by the name of Nancy McKenna.

In the action-packed series, the two will team up to take down the bad guys.

It's unclear whether or not Smith or Lawrence will make a cameo on the show.
She's enjoying a career resurgence as one of the Real Housewives Of Sydney stars.

And it seems former model Krissy Marsh is hoping her visible profile will pull in new tenants for her investment apartment in the affluent suburb of Double Bay.

The three-bedroom unit, which Krissy, 47, purchased for $3.5 million in 2015, has a significant rental fee of $2650 per week, according to The Daily Telegraph.

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Open house! Real Housewives Of Sydney Krissy Marsh is evidently hoping her visible profile will pull in new tenants for her investment apartment in the affluent suburb of Double Bay

The apartment, which Krissy used as her 'base' while filming the first season of RHOS, features a combined formal lounge and dining area.

The spacious 300sqm flat also has two bedrooms complete with generous en suites and private balconies.

There is also a separate family room and full-width terrace in the rental property.

Pricey: The three-bedroom unit, which Krissy, 47, purchased for $3.5 million in 2015, has a significant rental fee of $2650 per week

Chic: The apartment, which Krissy used as her 'base' while filming the first season of RHOS, features a combined formal lounge and dining area

Roomy: The spacious 300sqm flat also has two bedrooms with generous en suites and private balconies

Krissy's husband John Marsh, who lives in Shanghai while she resides in Sydney's eastern suburbs, is an architect and property developer.

The couple bought a block of land in Dover Heights for $1,975,000 in 2003, building a four-level home with a gym, cinema, heated plunge pool and a rooftop terrace.

It is Krissy's main residence alongside their three children Billy, Nicco and Milana and their two toy poodles, Bondi and Bronte.

Desirable: There is also a separate family room and full-width terrace in the rental property

Expert knowledge: Krissy's husband John Marsh, who lives in Shanghai while she resides in the eastern suburbs, is an architect and property developer

While the line-up for the Real Housewives Of Sydney's second season remains under wraps, Krissy is strongly tipped to be returning to the controversial reality series.

After the show failed to be picked up by expected international TV networks, Foxtel said it would be 'examining' the original cast.

Krissy's co-star Lisa OIdfield, who recently competed on I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here, quipped about her possible return: 'I'd rather go back to the jungle'.
Their shock wedding back in February caught everyone by surprise.

And Emily Ratajkowski was seen walking arm-in-arm with new husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in New York on Saturday.

The 26-year-old model and the 37-year-old producer both went casual for the Spring stroll.

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New love: Emily Ratajkowski was seen walking arm-in-arm with new husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in New York on Saturday

The Gone Girl actress mixed her styles by slipping a chic brown leather trench coat over blue sweat pants and a black turtleneck.

On her feet Ratajkowski wore white sneakers and shielded her eyes with dark Oliver Peoples shades.

The star of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines video wore her straight brunette tresses untied and with a center part.

Sweating it out: The 26-year-old model and the 37-year-old producer both went casual for the Spring stroll

Sebastian, meanwhile, slipped a vintage Terminator 2 promotional bomber jacket over an orange hoodie.

The Good Time producer also wore sweatpants for the stroll with his brand new bride.

Emily made a splash with her surprise courthouse marriage to Sebastian in New York City in February, wearing a $200 suit from Zara for the occasion.

Good hair day: The star of Robin Thicke's Blurred Lines video wore her straight brunette tresses untied and with a center part, adding a pair of Oliver Peoples shades

The couple posed up a storm together on March 4 at Vanity Fair Oscar Party, hosted in Los Angeles by the magazine's new editor-in-chief Radhika Jones.

The next week the couple traveled to Amangiri, a resort in the Utah desert that can cost up to $8,800 per night for a suite.

Though they only became a couple weeks before the wedding, a source told Us Weekly that 'Emily has known Sebastian for years.'
She recently shared a sad tribute to her deceased pet chicken, Regina George, to Instagram.

But on Saturday, Jennifer Garner was all smiles as she left a weekend workout session with a friend in Los Angeles.

The 45-year-old actress flaunted her slim pins in a pair of clinging black leggings as she left the exercise session.

Winners are grinners: On Saturday, Jennifer Garner was all smiles as she left a weekend workout session with a friend in Los Angeles

The mother-of-three showcased her svelte figure in the tight garments, paired with a floral print black top.

The Alias star went makeup free for the sweat session and wore her straight brunette tresses flowing and with an off-center part.

The Catch Me If You Can actress was clearly in need of a caffeine hit, as she finished a coffee she'd brought in her Keep Cup and immediately re-upped with an iced coffee from a local cafe.

Work it out: The 45-year-old actress flaunted her slim pins in a pair of clinging black leggings as she left the exercise session

Flower power: The mother-of-three showcased her svelte figure in the tight garments, paired with a floral print black top

Meanwhile sources close to the actress have revealed that she wants the next person she dates to be 'in it for the long run.'

A source told ET that the mother-of-three is in no rush to return to dating but will be very careful and selective when she does, because of the kids.

'Jen wants to make sure that when she finally does decide she is ready for romance that her next man is in it for the long run,' the source explains.

Stepping out: The Alias star went makeup free for the sweat session and wore her straight brunette tresses flowing and with an off-center part

While she enjoys nights out with friends the source explained Jennifer is more focused on family, health and her career.

'She is back. She has thrown herself into her work and her success,' the source says. 'She is killing it and those [closest to her] couldn't be more proud.'

Jennifer co-parents her three children; Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine and Samuel, six, with estranged husband Ben Affleck who she split from in 2015.

Over the weekend the Love, Simon star flew out to Hawaii with the kids to visit Affleck on the set of his new Netflix movie Triple Frontier.

Tired? The Catch Me If You Can actress was clearly in need of a caffeine hit, as she finished a coffee she'd brought in her Keep Cup and immediately re-upped with an iced coffee from a local cafe

Looking forward: Meanwhile sources close to the actress have revealed that she wants the next person she dates to be 'in it for the long run'

Being picky: A source told ET that the mother-of-three is in no rush to return to dating but will be very careful and selective when she does, because of the kids

On Monday, Garner took to Instagram with sad news for her fans, letting them know that her pet poultry Regina George had passed away.

The Alias actress posted a montage of video of her with the family pet to her account, that has 1.3million followers.

The touching video was captioned: 'Please enjoy this tribute to Chicken Regina George who passed away from natural causes [CHICKEN EMOJI] [HEARTBROKEN EMOJI] #shewasourfavorite #RIP #shelivedagoodlife'.
Hawkins, we have a problem.

Stranger Things stars Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer seemed to be in a lover's quarrel as they emerged from dinner at a restaurant in the Loz Feliz section of Los Angeles on Friday.

Heaton, 24, and Dyer, 21, engaged in an extended tense talk outside of the establishment, as their stained tones and uncomfortable body language - caught in a video - revealed that the duo might be on the rocks.

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On the downswing? Stranger Things stars Natalia Dyer, 21, (L) and Charlie Heaton, 24, engaged in a tense conversation after dinner at an LA restaurant on Friday

On the outing Dyer, who plays Nancy Wheeler on the show, wore a coffee brown coat over a black dress with strappy black heels. The Nashville native wore her dark brown locks down and with bangs.

The English actor, who plays Jonathan Byers on the Netflix smash, looked debonair in a black suit with a white button-down shirt with his shaggy brown locks combed.

During their discussion, Natalia was seen with her arms folded, pulling her hands away from Heaton when he tried to hold them. At one point in the strained chat, Natalia directed a profanity at Heaton and backed away from him, clearly showing she was upset.

Heaton seemed to be trying his best to talk his way into a better place with his girlfriend, as he seemed boisterous throughout different parts of the chat, at one point listening to her as he leaned on a wooden fence while smoking a cigarette.

Troubled: The duo seemed to be at loggerheads when they stepped outside the eatery

Under pressure? Rumors of difficulty in the relationship have haunted the co-stars over the past month

Reaching out: Charlie had his hand on Natalia's back and later attempted to hold her hands amid the strained discussion

The outing came a day after Natalia was seen with a mystery man on a casual outing in Beverly Hills, sparking further speculation the couple could be on the outs.

Prior to Friday, Charlie and Natalia had not been snapped together in nearly two weeks, as the young stars appeared at a PaleyFest event in LA March 25, seemingly quelling previous reports that the two were on the outs.

Tough time: Natalia's facial expression seemed to illustrate her mood on the evening

Could be awkward: Both of the stars are due back to resume filming Stranger Things later this month

Heart-to-heart: Dyer and Heaton engaged in a discussion up against a wooden fence

Ouch: While Heaton at one point tried to hold Dyer's hand, she quickly pulled away

They were also spotted out in mid-March at a Dior event in Los Angeles, around the time insiders told Life & Style magazine that Natalia was left 'heartbroken' after 'Charlie broke it off with' her, as 'she doesnt know what went wrong.'

Following months of rumors they were dating, Heaton and Dyer killed the speculation when they stepped out on December 4, 2017 at the London Fashion Awards.

Stranger Things' third season is scheduled to commence filming this month.

Focused: Charlie held his cigarette as he listened to Dyer talk
She's said to be tying the knot with Tim Robards in Italy this June.

And on Sunday, Anna Heinrich looked nothing short of sensational as she stripped down to a bikini just weeks out from her wedding.

The bride-to-be, 31, showed off her incredible body at Sydney's Tamarama beach, where she enjoyed a suntanning session.

The bride wore a bikini! Anna Heinrich looked nothing short of sensational as she stripped down to a bikini at Sydney's Tamara Beach on Sunday, ahead of her wedding to Tim Robards

Not an inch to pinch! Anna showed off her taut tummy in a teeny tie-string bikini during her beach outing

Proving she didn't have an inch to inch, Anna showed off her taut tummy in a teeny tie-string bikini.

Doing away with a Seafolly towel tied around her waist, the blonde made sure to get an even tan as she lay back on a rock and soaked up the last of Sydney's warm autumn weather.

The former criminal lawyer went without fiance Tim - a somewhat surprising move as the hunky gym junkie rarely misses an opportunity to shed his shirt at the beach.

Tim's a lucky guy! Doing away with a Seafolly towel tied around her waist, the blonde made sure to get an even tan as she basked on a rock

Is that Tim on the phone? The former reality star was seen chatting away on her iPhone as she got her dose of Vitamin D

Perhaps he was finalising preparations for the wedding, and may have been on the other end of a phone call with Anna.

The former reality star was seen chatting away on her iPhone as she got her dose of Vitamin D.

It comes amid rumours the engaged Bachelor couple will tie the knot in a lavish destination wedding over the summer in Europe.

Italian wedding? An insider revealed Anna and Tim 'will tie the knot in a lavish destination wedding over the summer in Europe'

Not long to go now! The former criminal lawyer could be just weeks out from walking down the aisle

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, the source said the reality TV lovebirds 'will tie the knot in Italy, sometime in June this year.'

The insider could not provide specific details about the Italian wedding/reception venue but claims the pair are in full planning mode for the destination event.

The source additionally dished on Tim's no expenses spared Bachelor party in the United States.

Keeping it under wraps: Anna has not publicly announced the date and location of her wedding

His bucks party will be in Las Vegas and California around the 4th/5th of May this year,' the source revealed.

Last year, Tim and Anna enjoyed a romantic summer getaway to Italy's Amalfi Coast, sparking speculation that scenic hot spot of Positano may be their wedding location.

The genetically-blessed pair first met during the inaugural season of the Australian Bachelor back in 2013, and became engaged in May last year.
She has gained quite a following since she appeared on Married At First Sight.

And fans of Ashley Irvin were quick to speculate the reality star had undergone plastic surgery, after she debuted what appeared to be a fuller face in a picture share on Saturday.

The 29-year-old was quick to shoot down the social media talk, telling her Instagram followers she had simply put on weight rather than had cosmetic work done.

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Changes: Ashley Irvin's fans were quick to speculate the MAFS star had plastic surgery on Saturday, after she debuted what appeared to be a fuller face on a night out with Tracey Jewel

The bubbly blonde shared a snap with co-star Tracey Jewel and was instantly questioned by fans about what they perceived as her strikingly different appearance.

'It seems as tho [sic] shes had Botox or fillers in her smile lines near her mouth. Check out her previous smile,' one follower wrote, tagging another user.

'No work done. Just got fat!' Ashley quickly responded in the comments section.

'No work done. Just got fat!' Ashley quickly responded in the comments section about her new appearance. Pictured with co-stars Tracey and Sean Thomsen

Her reply prompted numerous supporters to weigh in on the topic, lavishing praise on the Virgin Australia flight attendant.

'Ash, you are NOT fat you are beautiful,' offered one positive observer.

'You look hot as! Dont listen to those d*** saying youre fat! Youre smoking hot and they know it,' added another.

'You look hot as! Dont listen to those d*** saying youre fat! Youre smoking hot and they know it,' added another

Another MAFS co-star, Dean Wells, took to Instagram days earlier to add fuel to rumours that Ashley and their other co-star, Justin Fischer, are an item.

'@justin_mafs and @ashleyairvin are definitely banging and no Justin is not cooked. #mafs #wifeswap #heisdefocooked,' he wrote in the upload's caption.

Dean then seemed to backtrack and noted several minutes later: 'And also, hope everyone realizes, I'm just joking about Ash and Justin. I cant speak for them.'
Married at First Sight 'villain' Davina Rankin is proving the social media bullying she endured during the show was simply water off a duck's back.

The 26-year-old personal trainer showed off her trim pins and bronzed physique while celebrating the first anniversary of Ashy Bines' fitness wear company on Sunday.

Wearing a dark navy off-the-shoulder playsuit paired with clear heels and clutching a glass of wine, the MAFS star looked preened to perfection for the event.

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Coconut oil! The 26-year-old personal trainer showed off her trim pins and bronzed physique while celebrating the first anniversary of Ashy Bines' fitness wear company

Bouncing back: Married at First Sight 'villain' Davina Rankin is proving the vile social media bullying is simply water off a duck's back to her

She wore her long brunette locks loose and opted for a natural makeup look that featured a hint of orange eyeshadow, a hue that made her already glowing visage truly pop.

It is hard to believe this is the same woman who went into hiding after her appearance on MAFS sparked a barrage of social media torment.

Davina - who drew the ire of viewers after her disastrous affair with castmate Dean Wells - has seamlessly dipped back into her socialite lifestyle following her stint on the Channel Nine reality show.

She faced a torrent of abuse and even received death threats from strangers who despised her for making secret pact with Dean to leave their respective spouses - Ryan Gallagher and Tracey Jewel - for each other.

Looking good: Davina wore her long brunette locks loose and opted for a natural makeup look with a hint of orange eye-shadow, making her already glowing visage pop

Struggles: Davina - who drew the ire of viewers at home after her disastrous TV affair with Dean Wells - has seamlessly dipped back into her socialite lifestyle following her stint on the Channel Nine reality show

Reality TV woes: She faced a torrent of abuse and even received death threats from strangers who despised her for making secret pact with Dean to leave their respective spouses

Speaking with ABC about the relentless bullying, Davina admitted that she 'barely got out alive'.

'They genuinely believe I had an affair on my husband,' she told the publication.

'This was a guy I'd only known for a week  we're not boyfriend and girlfriend, let alone husband and wife.'

Opening up: Speaking with ABC about the relentless bullying, Davina admitted that she 'barely got out alive'

Not real: 'They genuinely believe I had an affair on my husband,' Davina told the publication

TV marriage: Davina (pictured) was partnered with Ryan Gallagher on Married at First Sight

After disappearing from her social media accounts for several weeks following the filming of MAFS, Davina opened up during a vlog about her ordeal.

'I'm no stranger to it.. but copping a really large amount of hate is something I'm really not used to, and to be honest it really shook me,' she said.

After her brief online hiatus Davina returned with a vengeance and has been posting one sizzling picture after the other.
The Belt and Road Initiative is an ambitious and bold policy, which has already proven to be a key driving factor for global growth. It focuses on developing major roads, sea lanes, air links and digital highways  but its whole is much greater than the sum of its parts. What it will ultimately bring is an almost unprecedented level of connectivity, spanning more than 60 countries  among which China has led the way.

Connectivity is the key to growth in the modern world. And while in some ways Belt and Road echoes the successes of the past  notably the legendary Silk Road  the initiative is equally forward-looking, and sets the tone for global cooperation in the 21st Century. Just as markets know no borders, no country can grow in isolation. Building long term linkages and interdependencies are the true drivers of lasting peace.

Prudent economic diplomacy is vital in our increasingly globalised world. President Xi Jinpings ambitious efforts to reinvigorate historic trade routes and develop new ones is a vital step to boosting the integration of the global economy. Chinas progressive economic policies have already been a vital factor in improving linkages for trade and investment in Asia. The recent rush of international banks to be part of the initiative further shows the level of global demand that exists for such an ambitious approach.

The additional benefits which come with major infrastructure development  including the greater flow of goods and people- to- people contact  are the guarantors for prosperity. The Belt and Road Initiative will lead to substantial job creation, which in turn will boost trade between markets and countries. It will encourage the movement of people, something that in turn will bring greater cross-cultural understanding and tolerance. While the challenge of any large-scale initiative will always be its implementation, the growth of industrial estates around the new routes should raise living standards and increase opportunities for even greater cooperation for millions of people. As the economy grows, we will see rising incomes, greater manufacturing capacity and increased consumption levels and market power.

But the true benefits of such initiatives go far beyond the economic. Roads open minds, markets and opportunities. They help people improve their lives, and those of their families. These are the true drivers of peace.

A key part of the Belt and Road Initiative involves investing in expanding digital highways throughout the partnering countries, and is another crucial driver for prosperity. The mind set of consumers has changed radically  they are no longer constrained by what is on offer in their local stores, or even their country. Companies like Alibaba have been key in delivering this opportunity  Alibaba is now a global phenomenon and is playing an important part in developing digital highways. Technology allows consumers to access markets on a much wider scale, bringing faster and more efficient delivery of products, as well as taking friction out of the process of buying and selling. Complementing this is the creating of digital banks, which is occurring across the world. The nature of financial services is changing, as we become more interconnected. This in turn creates a host of new opportunities for globalisation and greater efficiency.

One country which has already seen a significant benefit from the Belt and Road Initiative is Pakistan. This is a lifelong partnership which has further reinforced the historically strong relationship between the two countries. As I witnessed first hand in office, China and Pakistan have a truly win-win relationship, which is neither dependent on temporary events, nor directed against any other country. In many ways, it is a model in how bilateral relations should be. The countries share a border and a commonality of interests, and it is mutually beneficial for them to support each others stability and prosperity.

Countries must realise that helping their neighbours thrive will help them in the long run, too. It is ultimately in their national interest to encourage stability at each side of their borders. It is also important to realise that with rising global influence comes greater responsibility. In order to display reach beyond their own land, countries need to share their success and vision with the rest of the world.

There must also be the financial infrastructure to support such development. The creation of the Asian Infrastructure and Investment Bank (AIIB) is a significant contribution for the regions future prosperity, which has helped fill the space for a modern global institution. The AIIB has been designed to provide financing and technical expertise to drive growth, and build a new financial infrastructure. It has the benefit of not being tied by historic rules or traditions, and was founded on the principles of meritocracy, transparency, high standards of governance and modern management practices.

Meanwhile, the Bretton Woods institutions, which were created in the aftermath of the Second World War, would benefit from improvement and restructuring, in order to be brought into the 21st Century. The time has come for them to better reflect the reality and needs of the world we live in.

As well as building a new architecture for global cooperation, we must also resolve long-standing tensions and differences and manage any potential points of tension through diplomacy and dialogue. The world will greatly benefit from a stronger, stable Asia  particularly in the face of increasingly complex security challenges we collectively face. Several global challenges require cooperation at the highest levels, which will only be possible when there is a reserve of trust built up. There is no better way to do this than through economic diplomacy, which helps nations build a shared future.

Looking ahead, there needs to be a concerted effort to ensure that growth is distributed as equitably as possible. Closing the gap on inequality and building a fair society, with opportunities to all citizens, is a target all countries should strive towards.

There is also a constant need to innovate, increase trade and investment, and have access to markets all over the world. Irrespective of its level of development, all countries require ongoing reform, coupled with improvements in governance  it must be a continuous process.

With the Belt and Road Initiative, President Xi Jinping has provided China with a bold new direction, an offer of a bright future  one that could be emulated by other countries around the world. Further integration and cooperation of this kind should be encouraged, not only for the benefit of Asia, but also for Europe, Africa and the world as a whole.

H.E. Shaukat Aziz is Former Prime Minister of Pakistan
She forged strong bonds on the Strictly dance floor - including a strong new relationship with dancer Gorka Marqeuz.

So Gemma Atkinson was among friends when she enjoyed a night out with pro Giovanni Pernice and his new girlfriend Jessica Wright, to help support fellow dancers Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara on stage.

Soap star Gemma Atkinson, 33, was seen arriving in the English capital with ballroom beau Gorka earlier that day but was spotted leaving the Remembering Fred performance at the London Palladium on Saturday solo.

Smiles: Gemma Atkinson flew solo to the Remembering Fred show in London on Saturday

While without Gorka, Gemma couldn't help but smile as she left the venue in a classic white T-shirt and chic skin-tight gunmetal grey maxi-skirt.

The former Emmerdale star added height to her statuesque frame in black killer heels, while a matching clutch bag polished off the look.

Tucking her pin straight blonde tresses back behind her ear as she smiled for photographers, Gemma appeared in good spirits as she made her exit from the performance.

Loved up: It was definitely a couples night for the Strictly dancing pros, including Giovanni and Jess Wright, who looked closer than ever at the showbiz production

Fashion forward: While without Gorka, Gemma couldn't help but smile as she left the venue in a classic white T-shirt and chic skin-tight gunmetal grey maxi-skirt

Letting her curve-hugging ensemble do all the legwork, the former Hollyoaks actress simply teamed a chunky white watch to her look, with a fresh-faced make-up palette to accentuate her natural beauty.

Despite flying solo to the festivities, Gemma recently admitted that she was never hiding her relationship with dancing hunk Gorka, but dished to The Sun: 'It's nice to be able to say he's my boyfriend.'

'We had that awkward stage where you're dating but you haven't had "the conversation,"' she said. 'You never want to say to a guy after three coffees: "So what are we?"'

Reality beauty: Letting her curve-hugging ensemble do all the legwork, the former Hollyoaks actress simply teamed a chunky white watch to her look

Cosy: Opting for a much more casual look, former TOWIE star Jess slipped her enviable physique into an edgy black leather jacket and sporty black leggings

Gemma, who was partnered on the dancing series with Aljaz, revealed: 'We'd go for coffee together on the Sunday after the show, but had never really spent more than two hours together. So it was a gradual thing. There was no lightning-bolt moment, unfortunately. Not like in the movies.'

The fitness fanatic finally confirmed their relationship with a sweet Valentines Day post on Instagram - showing off their relationship for the first time in a sweet snap with Gemma's head resting sweetly on Gorka's shoulder.

It was definitely a couples night for the Strictly dancing pros, including Giovanni and Jess, who looked closer than ever at the showbiz production.

Cute couple: With fresh-out-the-box trainers to offset her dark ensemble, the reality beauty toted her belongings in a chic leather bag as she held on tightly to her dancing beau's hand

Dancing couple: Aljaz Skorjanec and Janette Manrara both star in the Fred Astaire tribute performance tour

Opting for a much more casual look, former TOWIE star Jess slipped her enviable physique into an edgy black leather jacket and sporty black leggings.

Smiling ear-to-ear, Jess paired her comfortable attire with a semi-sheer black blouse, which gave a small glimpse of her flirty undergarments.

With fresh-out-the-box trainers to offset her dark ensemble, the reality beauty toted her belongings in a chic leather bag as she held on tightly to her dancing beau's hand.

Jess's glossy brunette locks fell effortlessly past her shoulders, while dramatic make-up amplified her entire look.

Fur-real: Janette bundled up after the performance in a chic faux-fur lined jacket with a faux-snake-skin design

Beaming: Fresh off the stage, the couple couldn't wipe the smile off their faces as they trundled their suitcases through the evening

Giovanni - who was partnered with Debbie McGee in the latest Strictly series - perfectly co-ordinated his sharp look with Jess as he donned a sleek grey dinner jacket and matching slacks.

The Italian choreographer also wore the same trainers as Jess, while a crisp white T-shirt toned down the smart ensemble.

Following in the footsteps of pal Gemma, Giovanni and Jess finally confirmed their relationship in a loving Instagram post.

Cute moment: Aljaz and Janette looked just as loved up Aljaz sweetly kissed the top of his wife's head after leaving their stage production

Chic pairing: Aljaz couldn't be missed in his velvet maroon suit jacket, while Janette's leggy frame was on display in her sophisticated black mini dress

In the romantic social media snap, the Italian dancer was seen stealing a smooch off his ladylove, and wrote in the caption: 'Buon San Valentino'

Jess went on to share a cosy throwback snap of the pair kissing on New Year's Eve the following day.

They were first romantically linked in December when they were spotted on a cosy date by eagle-eyed onlookers.

The lovebirds enjoyed a cosy drink at London's Soho House before they went onto watch West End production Dream Girls.

And pose: The dancing couple happily stopped for photos after their performance together

Vibrant look: Also in attendance was Katya Jones, who won the latest Strictly series alongside Joe McFadden

An onlooker told The Sun: 'It was obvious to everyone it was a date. They were talking really closely, leaning into each other.'

Aljaz and Janette looked just as loved up as Aljaz sweetly kissed the top of his wife's head after leaving their stage production - which is dedicated to the life of legendary American dancer Fred Astaire.

The couple kicked off their Remembering Fred tour last week, and have since visited Liverpool, Leamington Spa and Northampton, before stopping off in London.
She may be the glamorous wife of Thor star Chris Hemsworth.

But that doesn't mean actress and model Elsa Pataky is immune from the mediocrity of household chores.

The Spanish-born 41-year-old shared a sultry black-and-white Instagram snap of herself sitting on top of a washing machine on Sunday.

It must be laundry day! Elsa Pataky shares a sultry snap of herself sitting on top of a washing machine... as she visits the Gold Coast with husband Chris Hemsworth

Hot couple: Elsa has been married to Australian actor Chris Hemsworth (right) since 2010

Wearing a pair of boots and a simple black dress, Elsa captioned the photo: 'Laundry day!'

Elsa also stayed true to her Spanish roots, adding the words: 'Haciendo la colada! which roughly translates into 'Doing the laundry!'

In the snap, Elsa showed off her model training by gazing coyly into the distance while flaunting her trim pins.

Elsa and Chris, who live in Australia's Byron Bay, are visiting the Gold Coast with their three children for the Commonwealth Games.

True blue: The wife of Australian actor Chris Hemsworth has also been paying a visit to the Gold Coast with her husband and three children for the Commonwealth Games

Taking a break: The couple (pictured) were pictured enjoying a day at the beach in Byron Bay

Looking good! The pair (pictured) have taken a break from red carpet appearances to spend some time on the Gold Coast

Big family: Elsa and Chris (pictured) share three children and have been married since 2010

The couple have four-year-old twin sons Tristan and Sasha together and five-year-old daughter India Rose.

Elsa and Chris - who have been married since 2010 - have also been holidaying in their home of Byron Bay with their famous friend Matt Damon, 47, and his wife and three daughters.

The two families were seen enjoying a day at the beach after spending the Easter weekend together.

Glam couple: Elsa and Chris - who have been married since 2010 - have also been holidaying in their home of Byron Bay with their famous friend Matt Damon, 47, and his wife and three daughters
It's well-known she gained a legion of male fans when she appeared in the South African jungle on 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here.'

But it appears busty lingerie model Simone Holtznagel, 26, might have set hearts racing in nursing homes around the country too.

On Sunday, the blonde bombshell took to Instagram after a visit with her beloved 'granny' - before getting coaxed into touring the aged-care facility.

'Lots of I'm A Celebrity fans': Simone Holtznagel, 26, has shared a heartfelt snap of herself during a visit to her grandmother, adding she had an impromptu tour of the aged-care facility

In the heartfelt snap, Simone wears a dark coloured floral dress, with her trademark blonde hair out, while hugging her polka-dot wearing nan.

'Paid a very important visit to my Granny today before I head back to the states this week,' the busty blonde started.

It wasn't just her grandmother's heart that was sent fluttering, however, with a number of fans on the show in the group home.

We are family! Simone posed with lookalike sister on boozy night out as she joked her sibling is blessed to have her good genes on Friday

'Turns out, there are a lot of I'm Celebrity viewers in the nursing home as she took me on a tour to meet them all. Bless.'

Simone obviously sharing a close bond with her grandmother, who she added saved her 'church clothes' for her.

she didn't change out of her church clothes today because she knew I was coming and this has been my favorite outfit of hers since I was little.'

Great fun: Later posting a picture of just herself, Simone wrote: 'Kris Jenner would be jealous of the size of this wine glass'

The US-based model then adding the hashtag, #MyGrannyIsASaint.

The former reality star has had a big weekend of family time - catching up with her lookalike youngster sister at a restaurant.

'Baby sister goals. She's so lucky she looks like me. @madelineholtznagel #jks #genepool,' she penned in the caption on Instagram.

'Baby sister goals. She's so lucky she looks like me': The blonde bombshell seemed very happy with her looks while on a night out with her younger sister

Confident in her good looks, Simone said her sister was 'lucky' to share her good genes when she posted the snap on social media.

Both golden-haired siblings wore their long locks in buns to best display their striking good looks.

It seems their similarities extend beyond their appearances as the blonde sirens also drank the same red wine on the evening.

Confident in her good looks: Simone said her sister was 'lucky' to share her good genes when she posted the snap on social media

Later posting a picture of just herself, Simone wrote: 'Kris Jenner would be jealous of the size of this wine glass.' (sic)

She added of her night: 'My last weekend in Australia, with my mum and my sisters. My youngest sister is clearly devastated I'm leaving.'

Simone has made waves inthe fashion world since her appearance on Australia's Next Top Model propelled her into the limelight.

Her latest television venture saw the model head to jungle for the fourth series of I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here.

The model has won over the attention of 103,000 followers thanks to her incredibly glamorous Instagram account.
Actor and Australian treasure Chris Hemsworth has revealed that playing superheroes on the big screen isn't his only passion.

The 34-year-old shared a playful Instagram selfie after cheering on a female UFC fight from his living room.

Chris was watching the televised Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight, which saw Rose come out on top after a full 25 minutes.

Enjoying the match: The 34-year-old (pictured) shared a playful Instagram selfie after cheering on a female UFC fight from his living room

Sport lover: Chris (pictured) was watching the televised Rose Namajunas vs. Joanna Jedrzejczyk fight, which saw Rose come out on top after a full 25 minutes

He took a picture of himself pointing to his TV screen while wearing a black cap and looking particularly impressed.

'What a fight to these two warriors!' he captioned the Instagram post.

Chris has been paying a visit to Queensland's Gold Coast to cheer on athletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

He recently spent the Easter weekend alongside his wife Elsa Pataky and their three children at their Byron Bay home.

Homegrown: Chris (pictured) has been paying a visit to Queensland's Gold Coast to cheer on athletes at the 2018 Commonwealth Games

Double trouble! Actor and Australian treasure Chris Hemsworth (left with director Taika Waititi) has let slip that playing superheroes on the big screen isn't his only passion

Family time: The Australian actor (pictured left and right with wife Elsa) has been spending time on the Gold Coast

The famous family spent time with Matt Damon and his wife and children, enjoying the surf together at the popular tourist spot.

They also attended Byron Bay music festival Bluesfest together earlier this month.

The Thor: Ragnarok actor has been married to his Spanish model wife, 41, since 2010 and together they have four-year-old twin sons Sasha and Tristan and five-year-old daughter India Rose.

Family ties: The Thor: Ragnarok actor has been married to his Spanish model wife, 41, (left) since 2010 and together they have four-year-old twin sons Sasha and Tristan and five-year-old daughter India Rose
If the Bachelor In Paradise stars want to stay on the idyllic Fiji resort, they need to woo their co-stars on dates to secure roses.

And former Bachelor 'villain' Leah Costa left nothing to chance on Sunday night's episode, stopping hunky new US arrival Grant from considering co-star Keira Maguire for his date.

Keira complained about the sneaky manoeuvre, which meant she missed out on a steamy date with the LA-based firefighter and model.

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'I felt like we were on The Bachelor again': Keira Maguire is left dateless after Leah Costa swoops in to secure steamy first date with US intruder Grant on Bachelor In Paradise

Grant starred in both season twelve of The Bachelorette US and season three of Bachelor In Paradise US - where he once proposed to a woman contestant.

On entering he claimed: 'I'm definitely going to come in here and shake up Paradise. I'm here to see if I can find a romantic connection with somebody. I'm not here to bro out.'

Grant chose to take each girl aside to determine who he's like to use his designated 'date card' with, but when headed towards Keira, Leah intercepted Grant.

'She just cut your grass,' someone said, as Keira reacted in shock: 'I felt like we were on The Bachelor again!'

'I'm just pi**ed off. It was like, "No!"' When Grant headed towards Keira, Leah intercepted Grant, which meant Grant chose to invite Leah on the date without considering Keira

Grant starred in both season twelve of The Bachelorette US and season three of Bachelor In Paradise US - where he once proposed to a woman contestant

'She(Leah) like comes on in like (whoosh) and takes him away and I'm just pi**ed off. It was like, "No!"' she said.

While she was visibly upset by the incident, Keira's potential love interest Jarrod Woodgate was pleased: 'I'm really happy that Leah swooped in and took Grant away. That distracted him from going any further to see Keira.'

Leah's brazen move worked to secure her date with Grant, with the US hunk saying: 'When I see a girl with true confidence that turns me on a lot.'

'I'm really happy that Leah swooped in': While she was visibly upset by the incident, Keira's potential love interest Jarrod Woodgate was pleased he didn't have further competition for the blonde

ABS-olute babe! The couple later head out on a romantic outing, with Leah flirtatiously undressing Grant by unbuttoning his shirt and touching his buff physique

The couple later head out on a romantic outing, stripping down in front of each other to swim and snorkel in the rain.

Leah flirtatiously undressed Grant, unbuttoning his shirt as she said: 'Oh, my god. Come on! Since the first moment I saw Grant, alls I was thinking about was taking his shirt off.'

Grant returned the compliments, praising the bikini-lad blonde: 'You look so good right now!'

'Actually the best date I've been on': Later they cuddled up on a sofa, where Grant, who Leah labelled 'Mr Smooth', wrapped his arm around the blonde beauty for an intimate smooch

'He's so gorgeous and I'm so feeling this': The pair shared multiple steamy kisses before heading back to the Bachelor In Paradise resort, with Leah notably smitten by the US star

Later they cuddled up on a sofa, where Grant, who Leah labelled 'Mr Smooth', claimed their day was 'actually the best date I've been on.'

The pair shared multiple steamy kisses before heading back to the Bachelor In Paradise resort.

'I want to hold his hand and, you know, I want to show everyone... He's gorgeous and I'm so feeling this.'

'The way I'm feeling for Grant right now kind of scares me,' she told privately to producers.
He's the controversial Canadian Bachelor star who appeared on two seasons of America's Bachelor In Paradise.

But when Daniel Maguire crashed the Australian version of the series on Sunday night, he wasn't exactly met with a warm reception from the Aussie blokes.

'This guy's looking at Keira like she's a piece of meat,' said a jealous Jarrod Woodgate. before adding: 'That really got me fired up.'

Blame Canada! Canadian Daniel Maguire crashed the Australian version of Bachelor In Paradise on Sunday, but he wasn't met with a warm reception from the Aussie men

He continued: 'Vancouver, no one wants to move to f***ing Vancouver.'

Eden Schwencke later remarked: 'So, Daniel, he's on his 20th season and he still hasn't found love? Come on, man.'

He added: 'I felt like he's here for all the wrong reasons.'

'This guy's looking at Keira like she's a piece of meat,' said a jealous Jarrod Woodgate. before adding: 'That really got me fired up'

'Vancouver, no one wants to move to f***ing Vancouver,' snarled Jarrod

Daniel wasn't shy about making his presence known, with the 32-year-old repeatedly boasting about wanting to take the women from the Australian men.

'I'm the f***ing Godfather of Paradise,' he bragged. 'I'm going to go after your girl now!'

Reacting to Daniel's cocky behaviour, Blake Colman said: 'I'm all up for making competition, but, uh, you shouldn't come across like a dick.'

'I'm the f***ing Godfather of Paradise,' bragged Daniel. 'I'm going to go after your girl now!'

Reacting to Daniel's cocky behaviour, Blake Colman said: 'I'm all up for making competition, but, uh, you shouldn't come across like a dick'

While the men weren't impressed by Daniel, villain Keira Maguire was an instant fan.

'I want to jump him so bad,' she gushed.

Nina Rolleston was also won over by Daniel, with the pair enjoying a romantic one-on-one date together.
Bachelor in Paradise contestant Jarrod Woodgate may be vying for Keira Maguire's heart in the hopes of landing a coveted rose.

But viewers of the Channel Ten dating show are more interested in the colour of his complexion than his way with women.

On Sunday, fans of the show set social media alight as they commented on the 32-year-old vineyard manager's sunburnt face - which appeared to be grow redder with every frame - and even host Osher Gunsberg joined the debate.

Looking for love: Bachelor in Paradise contestant Jarrod Woodgate (pictured) may be vying for Keira Maguire's heart in the hopes of landing a coveted rose

Red-faced: Fans can't seem to get over the 32-year-old vineyard manager's (pictured) sunburnt face, which appears to be growing redder with every frame

It is the harsh Fijian sun beating down on Jarrod's fair skin which has resulted in a deep red colour flooding his face and neck, something viewers are obsessing over.

Reality TV fanatics took to Twitter to poke fun at Jarrod for his sunburn - while some even offered skin care advice for the red-faced bachelor.

'Bachelor in Paradise, please increase the sunscreen budget, Jarrod looks like a tomato,' one woman said.

'If Jarrod keeps getting sunburnt, he'll have his very own cancerous mole to date,' another said.

Beetroot red: It is the harsh Fijian sun beating down on Jarrod's (pictured) fair skin which has resulted in a deep red colour flooding his face and neck, something viewers are obsessing over

Making fun: Reality TV fanatics took to Twitter to poke fun at Jarrod for his sunburn - while some even offered skin care advice for the red-faced bachelor

Sunburn pain: 'Bachelor in Paradise, please increase the sunscreen budget, Jarrod looks like a tomato,' one woman said

Why? This woman can't understand why Jarrod's face is so red on the show

Permanent beetroot: Some poked fun at Jarrod's red visage by comparing him to a beetroot

Sage advice: 'If Jarrod keeps getting sunburnt, he'll have his very own cancerous mole to date,' another said

'Can Jarrod be the next spokesperson for Banana Boat sunscreen,' one person joked.

Even host Osher Gunsburg had something to say about the contestant's scarlet-coloured skin.

He shared a post on Twitter questioning Jarrod's honesty after telling Keira he tans in the son.

Jarrod's flushed visage was also a major talking point during Jarrod's stint on Sophie Monk's season of The Bachelorette.

Famous: Jarrod's (pictured) flushed visage was also a major talking point during Jarrod's stint on Sophie Monk's season of The Bachelorette

Burnt: Even host Osher Gunsburg had something to say about the contestant's scarlet-coloured skin

Viewers poked fun of his red face as he attempted to court Sophie last year, and some of his fellow contestants even weighed in.

'Despite Jarrod being annoying we are all actually terrified of him and his face goes red,' Bachelor in Paradise star Sam Cochrane told Now To Love in 2017.
She's been topping up the tan in Tulum with her two sons Sasha, 10, and Kai, nine, for the last week.

And Naomi Watts took in the last of the Mexican sunshine as she stepped out on the beach with her eldest on Saturday.

The 49-year-old actress looked right at home on the sun-drenched shore as she took a casual stroll with Sasha, before the doting mum lovingly placed her hand on his chin as they enjoyed a sweet moment together.

Beach trip: Naomi Watts,49, shared a sweet moment with son Sasha, 10, as they took a sun-drenched stroll on a beach in Mexico on Saturday

Naomi opted for a relaxed look for her beach day, slipping into a billowing white buttoned shirt.

The Birdman star showed off her lithe pins in thigh-skimming denim shorts as she strolled casually through the sand with no shoes.

Toting a refreshing beverage during their walkabout, Naomi swept back her signature blonde locks into a high ballerina bun.

The screen queen made sure to shield her eyes from the bright sunshine in a pair of retro circular glasses.

Doting mum: Stopping for a meaningful chat with her youngster, the Hollywood favourite placed her hand on his chin as they talked

Naomi left the glittering accessories at home as she opted for a delicate necklace and layered bracelets.

Stopping for a meaningful chat with her youngster, the Hollywood favourite placed her hand on his chin as they talked.

Sasha donned a casual black T-shirt and grey shorts for the beach day,and listened intently to his mum as she spoke.

Later on and flanked by friends and family, Naomi rocked a white straw hat to keep the sun at bay as they traversed the white sand and seaweed of the Mexican beach.

All together: Later on and flanked by friends and family, Naomi rocked a white straw hat to keep the sun at bay as they traversed the white sand of the Mexican beach

Making sure to take all of the beach necessities with her, the Divergent actress carried a vibrant yellow tote bag on one shoulder and an eye-catching magenta shoulder bag with a fun tropical print on the other.

While youngest son Kai wasn't pictured with his mum, Naomi did, however, share a snap of her final breakfast in Mexico with her sons.

'Last breakfast @luvtulum #mexico... farewell,' she captioned the photo.

Naomi shares her two sons with Ray Donovan star Liev Schrieber, 50 - and the showbiz couple spent 11 years together before their break up in September 2016.

Aww: Watts bid farewell to Mexico as she enjoyed breakfast with her two sons

The Hollywood pair have remained openly amicable since ending their romance and are often photographed enjoying a walk in New York City with his dog and their children.

Despite being no where to be seen during the beach getaway, Naomi is rumored to be dating actor Billy Crudup, 49, with the pair last spotted together in February as they left a Vogue party hand-in-hand.

The two reportedly became close while filming the Netflix series Gypsy, which centers on a married psychologist (Watts) who becomes obsessed with one of her client's ex-girlfriends.

A source confirmed to PEOPLE back in July that the pair were 'dating' in real life.
This is the moment Katie Price was reportedly questioned by police over claims she made ex-husband Alex Reid the victim of 'revenge porn'.

The 39-year-old former glamour model was spotted leaving Borehamwood Police Station, inside the Elstree council buildings, looking downcast and holding her head in her hands.

Katie has been accused by Alex of sharing a video of him performing a lewd act in his alter-ego Roxanne - but Katie is convinced he is trying to 'destroy her' by resurfacing the claims.

Ongoing: Katie Price 'is questioned by police over ex husband Alex Reid's revenge porn claims' at Borehamwood Police Station in Elstree

Flanked by her solicitor, a make-up free Katie walked out of the offices in black trainers as she appeared worried over the proceedings.

She was dressed down in a green hooded crop top and blue jeans to pay a visit to the council offices.

The TV personality returned to her bright pink Range Rover after the alleged questioning took place, with the tired star seeking solace from her solicitor.

MailOnline have reached out to Katie's representatives for comment.

Messy: A source told The Sunday Mirror that Katie is furious that Alex has decided to take legal action over the claims

Private matters: Katie wore a green hooded crop top and blue jeans to the council offices having been accused by Alex of sharing a video of him performing a lewd act

Sorting it out: Flanked by her solicitor, a make-up free Katie walked out of the offices in black trainers as she appeared worried over the proceedings

Casual: Katie kept away from her usual head-turning ensembles for her day at Hertsmere Borough Council offices

Angry: A source told The Sunday Mirror that Katie is furious that Alex, 42, claimed she shared the lewd video with Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side audience members

According to The Mirror, Katie voluntarily went to the police station for questioning and was released without charge.

Hertfordshire Police told the publication: 'A 39-year-old woman attended a station. This follows a complaint in relation to the disclosure of private adult material involving a third party.'

If anyone is found guilty of revenge porn, they potentially face up to two years in prison and a fine.

'Unfortunate': The source continued: 'As well as dealing with the trauma of the mugging, Katie thinks Alex is trying to destroy her. It's really unfortunate it's got to this point.'

Starting the process: Alex revealed in February he had decided to take legal action against his ex-wife

No charges: According to The Mirror, Katie voluntarily went to the police station for questioning and was released without charge

Official statement: Hertfordshire Police told the publication: 'A 39-year-old woman attended a station. This follows a complaint in relation to the disclosure of private adult material'

Alex told MailOnline on Sunday that he was allowing the police to continue their investigations.

He said: 'There is an ongoing investigation the police must be allowed to do their job I am unable to comment in the circumstances.'

Meanwhile, a source told The Sunday Mirror that Katie is furious that Alex, 42, has made the claims she reportedly shared the lewd video with audience members during a break from filming for Celebrity Big Brother's Bit On The Side in January.

Alex revealed in February he had decided to take legal action against his ex-wife.

The source told the publication: 'This has been a stressful couple of weeks for Katie and she has a lot on her plate.

Getting advice: The TV personality returned to her bright pink Range Rover after the alleged questioning took place, with the tired star seeking solace from her solicitor

Downcast: Alex told MailOnline in February that he had decided to take legal action against Katie following claims that she had shared the private video

Alleged incident: The star is said to have played the offensive clip - which saw Alex wearing a corset and fishnets - to 40 strangers as she took a break from filming the CBB after-show

Witnesses: Of the incident, one witness revealed: 'She had asked us if we wanted to see it, and none of us replied. We all watched it, but we didn't react. No one was laughing or cheering her'

Accusations: In July of last year, Katie admitted that she would never show the 'disturbing footage' of Alex and expressed her desire that he would stop criticising her

Her side of the story: Katie demanded he stop criticising her because she had far more incriminating things to show about him

'Retaliation': She told Heat magazine at the time: 'When I've split up with exes, they've gone on a rampage, slagging me off. The only way I get retaliation is I do books, but I don't slag them off'

Incriminating: Katie continued: 'Alex for example, the amount of stories he's done on me, but he forgets what videos and pictures I have of him. All my friends have seen them'

'Disgust: 'Katie revealed that she would never release anything as it would 'disturb everyone to the grave and...they're not flattering, they're disgusting'

'As well as dealing with the trauma of the mugging, Katie thinks Alex is out to get her and is trying to destroy her. It's really unfortunate it's got to this point.'

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Katie Price, Alex Reid and Hertfordshire Police for further comment.

Alex told MailOnline in February that he had decided to take legal action against Katie following claims that she had shared the private video, of which the star has been reportedly questioned by police.

In discussion: Katie listened intently to her solicitor as they left the police station

Not staying silent: Katie has always denied that she showed the video to the audiences members in January - and revealed she herself is a victim of revenge porn

Distressing time: The questioning comes as the model was sent to an employment tribunal by her former nanny over unpaid earnings

Aggrivating: It's been a difficult few months for Katie, who experienced a horrific robbery in South Africa last week and is still living with estranged husband Kieran Hayler

Raising issues: Katie appeared deep in conversation with her solicitor during their walk back from questioning

He said: 'I am very upset that such private matters are once again being aired in the press. I am taking legal action against Katie Price over her actions and I will not be commenting publicly any further.

The star is said to have played the offensive clip - which saw Alex wearing a corset and fishnets - to 40 strangers as she took a break from filming the CBB after-show on January 9.

One witness revealed: 'She had asked us if we wanted to see it, and none of us replied. We all watched it, but we didn't react. No one was laughing or cheering her on or anything like that. We didn't want to encourage her.'

Nasty: Alex claimed that Katie reportedly shared a video of the star performing a lewd sex act with 40 strangers during a break from filming Celebrity Big Brother in January

Shielding: The model tried to conceal her face as she made her exit from the police station

Concerned: Katie has previously been adamant she would never commit any revenge porn act as she 'takes online bullying very seriously'

Making an exit: Katie left the studio and headed back to her pink Range Rover to return home

Lewd: The video reportedly showed Alex dressed up as his female alter-ego Roxanne (above)

A police spokesperson told MailOnline: 'Officers are investigating an allegation of harassment through the disclosure of a private act, which is reported to have occurred at Elstree Film Studios in Borehamwood between 10.30pm and 11pm on Tuesday, January 9.

'Enquiries are on-going and it would be inappropriate to comment any further at this stage.'

In July of last year, Katie admitted that she would never show the 'disturbing footage' of Alex and expressed her desire that he would stop criticising her because she had far more incriminating things to show about him.

Adamant: Katie said in July last year she would never share the video of Alex publicly, as it was 'disgusting'

She told Heat magazine at the time: 'When I've split up with exes, they've gone on a rampage, slagging me off. The only way I get retaliation is I do books, but I don't slag them off, I tell the truth.

'Now, with Alex for example, the amount of stories he's done on me, but he forgets what videos and pictures I have of him. All my friends have seen them, but not once have I ever put them out.

'One, it would disturb everyone to the grave and number two, they're not flattering, they're disgusting. You look at them and you're disgusted.'

Katie ended her marriage to Alex in 2011, just 11-months after their wedding day.

Katie has been forced to step up security at her home recently, in light of a burglary in South Africa.

According to the Daily Star, Katie is facing a 'code red' situation and has taken her protection into her own hands by hiring an SAS-style security team.

'The SAS guy has royal connections,' a source explained. 'And has worked with celebrities, so shes confident he is the man to keep her family safe.

'She really believes that she and the kids are lucky to be alive, and theres nothing Katie wont do to protect her kids.'

She and her family are recovering from the ordeal during the trip aboard this week, during which she was robbed of diamonds, a laptop and camera.

Katie was the victim of an horrific highway robbery which occurred in the dead of night around 60km from the Swaziland border.

Sources say Junior needed a toilet stop as the convoy drove down the busy N17 in darkness as they approached the town of Chrissiesmeer in Mpumalanga province.
Their friendly banter and jokester antics had fans wondering whether they'd ever transition from the friend-zone to something more romantic on Bachelor In Paradise.

But Tara Pavlovic, 28, and Sam Cochrane, 31, certainly took things to the next level on Sunday night, with Tara extending an invite to her hut after a steamy kiss.

Tara was pleased when Sam leaned in for the intimate smooch, previously sending strong signals she was keen by asking the Bachelor star: 'Wanna go back to my hut?'

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'Wanna go back to my hut?' Bachelor In Paradise's Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane FINALLY do the deed as they heat up screens with romantic smooch

Clearly nervous while drinking a cocktail on their private date, Tara jokingly suggested: 'Wanna go back to my hut? No! I'm kidding. I'm so joking.... No, you can come!'

'I'd love to kiss Sammy. I don't know how strong my signals are that I'm giving to him, though, because I'm not very good at being romantic. So hopefully, he picks them up and goes in for the kill,' Tara bemoaned to producers.

However, Sam was clearly picking up on his date's desires: 'I've been getting kiss vibes from Tara, really from the moment we sat down and thought, "Alright, we're on"'

'I'd love to kiss Sammy. I don't know how strong my signals are that I'm giving to him': Sam was clearly picking up on his date's desires as she flirted up a storm before he went in for the kiss

'We've definitely progressed from friends to more than friends': Tara claimed the pair were now romantically involved, with the Queensland nanny likely to offer her rose to Sam on Monday night

While Sam was denied a dance with the brunette beauty, he confidently went in for a kiss that was very well received.

'It was the most perfect date I could have ever imagined. I feel like we've definitely progressed from friends to more than friends,' Tara gushed after locking lips with her potential suitor.

Sam added: 'It does take things to the next level. Now that I've felt some sort of connection, I'm just looking to make sure I'm the best me I can be.'

Earlier Sam claimed he felt like he'd been 'kicked in the nuts' by Tara, as she spoke about her prior feelings toward him as a possible partner: 'You looked like a bit of a di**head on TV, but you're not!'

'You looked like a bit of a di**head on TV, but you're not!' Tara had previously rubbed Sam the wrong by, by suggesting he appeared like 'a bit of a di**head' before she got to know him

'It was the most perfect date I could have ever imagined': Tara was absolutely smitten after the romantic date with the long-haired former Bachelorette star

After the smitten display, it's believed Tara will give her rose during Monday night's ceremony to Sam to stay on the show.

Tara, whole hosted a bogan-themed birthday bash in January, was seen getting close with the potential suitor.

In pictures shared on social media from the night, Tara even asked Sam to move up to Queensland from his Sydney abode: 'Move here Sammy you bloody legend.'
The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) was first proposed in 1998 by a group of Asian government leaders and reflected their interest in regional integration and open dialogue on important global issues. Acting with great foresight, China launched the BFA on February 27, 2001.

In the years since, the Forum has won support within Asia and around the world, and emerged as one of the preeminent global fora for leaders of governments, business, and the media to meet and exchange ideas in a frank and friendly environment. I have benefitted from participation in the annual BFA meeting for almost a decade. I am particularly honored this year to join the Board of Directors of BFA and hope to contribute to the Forums future development.

The world has changed greatly since BFA was first conceived. One of the biggest factors has been Chinas growth as a major economic and political power. This development is the result of the hard work of the Chinese people and the vision of Chinas leaders set against the backdrop of a welcoming international system with reasonably transparent rules and norms. Chinas emergence as a major power is now creating significant opportunities throughout Asia and beyond. I look forward to discussions at BFA that will allow us to engage on these issues collaboratively. Chinas efforts to implement its Belt and Road Initiative, adapt its manufacturing capacity for the future, and leverage new opportunities afforded by fast-moving advances in technology are relevant not only to China but the world. In the spirit of building an increasingly open world, foreign investors will need to understand how they can play a role alongside China as it pursues these key goals.

In addition to Chinas rise, forces at work in North America, Europe, and the Middle East, among others, are creating new dynamics that have the potential to reshape relations between nations and to restructure the global economy. Today, for example, there is much debate regarding the future of globalization and of existing international institutions. Further, advances in technology, including artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, and robotics, are bringing a disruptive future rushing toward us at the speed of light.

Against this backdrop China has developed a vision of the countrys future, as set forth during the CPCs 19th Party Congress and just completed twin meetings of the National Peoples Congress and the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference. Chinas priorities in addressing systemic economic risks, poverty alleviation, and environmental management reflect Chinas most pressing realities. The leaders of the US, EU, ASEAN, Japan, and other nations each in their own way develop and implement their visions for the future of their countries. They have concerns surrounding how to shape more open trading relationships, how to manage the transformation of long-established industrial patterns, how to manage the forces of largescale migration of displaced and economically disadvantaged peoples, and how to help maintain stability in regions where multiple interests coexist. Like China, each seeks to further its development, cope with these emerging challenges, and seize emerging opportunities.

As a former Secretary of Commerce and current leader of a global advisory firm I have come to believe that in the 21st century even the most thoughtful efforts by individual countries will not be sufficient to cope with the new forces and rapid changes we all face. In our interconnected world today it is only through the open exchange of ideas and international cooperation that we will be able to devise and implement solutions to global problems. Increasing the flow of goods, services, investment, and information across borders is also critical to meeting humankinds pressing issues.

Nowhere is the deepening of understanding and cooperation more important than between the worlds two largest economies, the US and China. From the time of President Richard Nixons historic February 1972 trip to China until today we have forged a relationship that has brought significant benefits to the people of each of our countries, to Asia, and to the world. Through this period, we have also weathered a number of storms in the relationship, steering successfully through them due to the vision and hard work of many people on both sides. This resilience in the US-China relationship is important to appreciate, and moving forward I believe both sides will benefit from an ongoing commitment not only to trade and openness, but also to maintaining a strong, transparent, and rules-based international system that works for all.

However, significant problems continue to exist in the relationship as a result of our different economic and political systems, our differences in culture and in fundamental matters of national interest. In fact, such differences have sharpened in recent years and I am concerned that the growing focus on our differences may overwhelm our shared interests. Against this backdrop it is important to keep in mind that continuing global growth and job creation, stopping the spread of weapons of mass destruction, resolving regional conflicts, preventing global pandemics, and reducing transnational crime, and progress on many more issues, will all be more feasible to achieve if the US and China are working closely together, and may prove impossible to manage if we are not.

Also, we should not forget that we have much to learn from each other. Both countries can benefit from exchanges in a broad range of areas, including the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Such person-to-person exchanges can also promote increased understanding and trust.

These thoughts bring me back to the Boao Forum for Asia. BFA was founded on the idea that the open exchange of ideas, closer economic integration, and deepened mutual understanding can promote peace and prosperity in this region and around the world. In fact, this years theme for the BFA is An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity. I look forward to participating in the dialogue surrounding this theme, including how Asian integration can be accelerated, but also including how China and Asia can achieve positive integration with other major economies with longstanding interests and partnerships in the region. That vision is as important today, or perhaps more important, as it was at the time of the Forums launch. My hope is that the spirit of Boao can inform relations among all the countries represented at its sessions.

For China this years BFA has particular significance as it occurs following last Octobers 19th Party Congress and the commencement of President Xi Jinpings second five-year term, with a new government team just having been announced at the National Peoples Congress. Outside of China the whole world is watching the course Chinas policies will take in this new era. They continue also to focus heavily on the course that President Trump will take in his second year in the White House. I hope the spirit of Boao can help guide US-China relations toward the open, cooperative relationship that can do so much for our countries and the world. In my new position as a member of the Board of Directors of BFA, I am also personally committed to deepening exchange and cooperation between China and the United States.

The author is former U.S. Secretary of Commerce
She may be busy preparing to tie the knot in Italy with her fiance Tim Robards.

But Bachelor star Anna Heinrich has spared a moment from wedding planning to celebrate her dad's birthday.

The 31-year-old shared a sweet snap with her mother, father and two glamorous sisters and captioned it: 'Celebrating our number one'.

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Family love! The 31-year-old shared a sweet snap with her mother, father and two glamorous sisters, captioning the picture: 'Celebrating our number one'

Busy times: The Bachelor star Anna Heinrich has spared a moment from wedding planning to celebrate her dad's birthday

She also added two captions which read #HappyBirthdayDad and #DaddysGirls.

Staying true to her flawless style, the bride-to-be opted for a simple white T-shirt and statement gold hoops while keeping her blonde locks scraped back into a low ponytail.

Anna's two lookalike sisters also dressed for the occasion with chic ensembles.

But Anna's fiance Tim - who she met on the first season of The Bachelor in 2013 - was noticeably absent from the celebrations.

The pair's upcoming nuptials have been shrouded in secrecy ever since the couple announced their engagement in May 2017.

Now, an insider close to the couple has revealed the engaged Bachelor couple, 'will tie the knot in a lavish destination wedding over the Summer in Europe.'

EXCLUSIVE: 'They're getting married in Italy': Tim Robards and Anna Heinrich 'will tie the knot in a lavish destination wedding over the Summer in Europe,' an insider revealed to Daily Mail Australia

Nice rock! Anna's engagement ring is estimated to be worth $173,000

'Tim's bucks party will be in Las Vegas and California': The source dished on Tim's no expenses barred Bachelor party in the US

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Saturday, the source said the reality TV lovebirds 'will tie the knot in Italy, sometime in June this year.'

The insider could not provide specific details about the Italian wedding/reception venue but claims the pair are in full planning mode for the destination wedding.

What's more, the source dished on Tim's no expenses barred Bachelor party in the United States.

'Tim's bucks party will be in Las Vegas and California around the 4th/5th of May this year,' the source revealed.

The fitness fanatic will enjoy his last days of freedom alongside a number of his close male friends.

Dress rehearsal? Flashback to nigh on two years ago and the Bachelor duo were enjoying an envy-inducing sojourn in Positano and Sorrento, Italy

Smitten selfie: The Bachelor couple got engaged in May last year when Tim got down on one knee and proposed to the former criminal lawyer during a boat outing

After Tim and his mates enjoy a lubricated, fun-filled, male-dominated celebration in Sin City, the bevy of boys will supposedly venture to California's premiere desert resort city - Palm Springs for a touch of rest and recovery, according to the source.

Last but not least, the source offered some insight into Tim and Anna's relationship ahead of their upcoming nuptials.

'Tim treats Anna very well,' the insider revealed.

Despite the engaged duo's extensive wedding planning, the source revealed Tim has been attending acting classes in Sydney.

In December 2017, the hunky personality confessed he wants to return to the silver screen and become an actor.

Exciting times: The former criminal lawyer is busy planning her upcoming nuptials

Looking fierce: Anna and Tim are a Bachelor success story after finding love in 2013

'Putting some goals out there for 2018 and I want you guys to hold me accountable... I've always wanted to pursue acting and learn more about myself along the way,' Tim wrote in a lengthy Instagram post last year.

Flashback two years ago and the Bachelor duo were enjoying an envy-inducing sojourn in Positano and Sorrento, Italy.

In June 2016, the smitten duo caught up with the Heinrich family to celebrate Anna's mother, Jude's 60th birthday.

'Couldn't be any more EXCITED. We're coming for you EUROPE,' Anna captioned her shot leaving the Etihad Airways lounge at Sydney Airport.

Wedding bells: The pair's upcoming nuptials have been shrouded in secrecy ever since the couple announced their engagement in May 2017

Where it all began: The high-profile couple met on the 2013 season of reality series, The Bachelor Australia

The 31-year-old added the hash-tags 'Jude's 60th' and 'family holiday', along with details of her outfit.

The smitten couple got engaged in May last year when Tim got down on one knee and proposed to the former criminal lawyer during a boat outing.

Anna debuted her impressive diamond sparkler on her social media page by uploading a photo of bikini-clad self beaming alongside her man as they floated in a boat.

True love: The smitten couple got engaged in May last year when Tim got down on one knee and proposed to the former criminal lawyer during a boat outing

The ring is estimated to be worth $173,000.

'Officially forever #ENGAGED,' she gushed in the caption as fans oggled at her diamond sparkler.

Tim also shared a snap of the two lovebirds posing together, writing: 'LOVE made me do it! On the weekend... in a little dinghy... floating on a secluded river...I asked this amazing woman to marry me... she said YES!!! Woohoo!! #ENGAGED.'

The high-profile couple met on the 2013 season of reality series, The Bachelor Australia.
It was reported on Sunday that the TV personality has hired an SAS-style security team following a terrifying robbery while holidaying in South.

In light of the claims, Katie Price was pictured jetting out of King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa on Thursday with her 12-year-old son Junior and daughter Princess, 10, alongside an unknown man.

The 39-year-old former glamour model was spotted with her brood in terminal as ahead of an internal flight, following the harrowing theft, in which they stole diamonds, a laptop and camera.

Jetting off: Katie Price was pictured jetting out of King Shaka International Airport in Durban, South Africa on Thursday with her 12-year-old son Junior and daughter Princess, 10, alongside an unknown man

The TV personality attempted to brush the ordeal behind her as she walked through the airport clad in a bardot crochet-detailed blue top that flashed her toned stomach.

She teamed her ab-flashing garment with a pair of heavily ripped low-slung jeans, which showcased her legs, and wrapped a light wash denim shirt around her hips.

Ready for the flight, she draped a pink Louis Vuitton scarf around her which complemented her fluffy sliders as she pulled her carry-on luggage behind her.

Stepping out: The 39-year-old former glamour model was spotted with her brood in terminal as ahead of an internal flight, following the harrowing theft, in which they stole diamonds, a laptop and camera

Appearance: In the wake of the reported robbery, Katie was joined by a tattooed hunk who pushed her luggage towards the check-in and accompanied her as well as her kids through the terminal

Overcoming the shock of the past week, Katie still kept to her glamorous ways as she styled her brunette locks straight and sported lashings of mascara.

In the wake of the reported robbery, Katie was joined by a tattooed hunk who pushed her luggage towards the check-in and accompanied her as well as her kids through the terminal.

Her appearance comes after she has been forced to step up security at her home recently, in light of a burglary in South Africa late last month.

Helping hand: Another gentleman helped Katie and her kids with their luggage

Checking in: Her appearance comes after she has been forced to step up security at her home recently, in light of a burglary in South Africa late last month

Protection: According to the Daily Star , Katie is facing a 'code red' situation and has taken her protection into her own hands

According to the Daily Star, Katie is facing a 'code red' situation and has taken her protection into her own hands.

'The SAS guy has royal connections,' a source explained. 'And has worked with celebrities, so shes confident he is the man to keep her family safe.

'She really believes that she and the kids are lucky to be alive, and theres nothing Katie wont do to protect her kids.'

'Safe': A source said: 'The SAS guy has royal connections. And has worked with celebrities, so shes confident he is the man to keep her family safe'

'Lucky': The insider added: 'She really believes that she and the kids are lucky to be alive, and theres nothing Katie wont do to protect her kids'

Taken: She and her family are recovering from the ordeal during the trip aboard this week, during which she was robbed of diamonds, a laptop and camera

She and her family are recovering from the ordeal during the trip aboard this week, during which she was robbed of diamonds, a laptop and camera.

Katie was the victim of an horrific highway robbery which occurred as they travelled from Johannesburg in the dead of night around 60km from the Swaziland border.

Sources say Junior needed a toilet stop as the convoy drove down the busy N17 in darkness as they approached the town of Chrissiesmeer in Mpumalanga province.
She's not afraid to showcase her gym-honed frame in glamorous outfits.

And Charlotte Crosby looked every inch the vixen as she was spotting leaving her beauty masterclass with make-up artist Lyndsey Harrison in London on Sunday afternoon.

The reality star, 27, turned heads as slipped into a form-fitting mini dress - which flashed a glimpse at her toned pins.

Striking: Charlotte Crosby looked every inch the vixen as she was spotting leaving her beauty masterclass with make-up artist Lyndsey Harrison in London on Sunday afternoon

The television personality also opted for comfort as she wore a pair of sporty grey trainers.

Centering attention on her gorgeous display, the former Geordie Shore star accessorised with a simple gold watch.

Charlotte oozed glamour as she styled her raven locks into loose waves, and complemented her beauty with heavy strokes of make-up.

The masterclass was held in collaboration with the entrepreneur's beauty line Flique Cosmetics.

All eyes on her: The reality star, 27, turned heads as slipped into a form-fitting mini dress - which flashed a glimpse at her toned pins

Strutting her stuff: The television personality also opted for comfort as she wore a pair of sporty grey trainers

Wow-factor! Centering attention on her gorgeous display, the former Geordie Shore star accessorised with a simple gold watch

During the make-up session, the Brand New Me author took to Instagram to give her followers a closer look at her stunning appearance.

Charlotte's look featured a sultry brown smokey eye, heavy bronzer and a slash of nude lipstick.

She captioned the image: 'What an amazing morning doing the masterclass with @lyndseyharr1son including my @fliquecosmetics  Thankyou SO SO SO much to every1 who came. Tutorials of the looks will be coming very soon.'

Siren: During the make-up session, the reality star took to Instagram to give her followers a closer look at her stunning appearance

Stunning: Charlotte oozed glamour as she styled her raven locks into loose waves, and complemented her beauty with heavy strokes of make-up

Boss: The masterclass was held in collaboration with the entrepreneur's beauty line Flique Cosmetics

Charlotte's gorgeous appearance comes after the star admitted to forgetting to brush her teeth and use deodorant as she's 'so laid-back'.

In an interview with The Sun, the Sunderland native also opened up about her relationship with Ex On The Beach star Joshua Ritchie, explaining that she is in fact the 'man in the relationship'.

Explaining that people often buy her luxury perfume as presents, Charlotte shared her beauty and hygiene routine, explaining that her fragrances last long because she forgets to put it on.

Shock: Charlotte's gorgeous appearance comes after the star admitted to forgetting to brush her teeth and use deodorant as she's 'so laid-back'

Honest: In an interview with The Sun, Charlotte spoke about her hygiene routine, stating that she's 'really bad with stuff like that' and 'always forgets to put deodorant on'

She said: 'Im really bad with stuff like that...Im always forgetting to put deodorant on and I've forgotten brush my teeth. Im quite laid back about those things!'

Despite being a fitness fanatic, Charlotte also confessed she enjoys the sneaky packet of crisps during a lazy weekend morning, and the odd take-away at night, when the couple will curl up to watch a scary movie.

Since bursting onto the scene in 2011 on MTV's raucous reality show Geordie Shore, Charlotte has delved into several different media ventures, including four books on her life and fitness routines.

Charlotte recently celebrated the premiere of her self-titled MTV reality show - The Charlotte Show.

Impressive: Since bursting onto the scene in 2011 on MTV's raucous reality show Geordie Shore, Charlotte has delved into several different media ventures, including books and fitness routines

Star in her own right: Charlotte recently celebrated the premiere of her self-titled MTV reality show - The Charlotte Show

'It's so real': Speaking about the programme on This Morning, Charlotte said the show will include 'crazy nights out, as well as work'

Speaking about the programme - which Charlotte is extremely proud of - she said on This Morning recently: 'The show is literally just my real life so its home with my family friends, work, crazy nights out just my whole life. so imagine just seeing my whole life...'

She continued: 'It's just so real, just so real, Geordie Shore we all go out every night, we all work for Anna, but that's not our real lives. BB you're put in a house, it's a social experiment.

'But this is my real life, my real friends, my real family. My real jobs so it's the reallest thing I've ever been on. I feel like fans have probably seen it all before so there's nothing I can do to shock fans.

'They're gonna love it as they're gonna see more of my life and more than ever before. I wanted to show a different side to myself.'
She's been sharing a plethora of snaps while exploring Tokyo these last few days.

And Bella Hadid ensured her latest picture would be one fans won't soon forget, as she flaunted her stunning physique while posing against the city's skyline.

The model, 21, wore a beige bra and underwear as she showcased her defined torso and legs.

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Not a bad view! Bella Hadid flaunted her jaw dropping physique as she posed in underwear beside the Tokyo skyline

Gazing away from the camera, the catwalk queen spread her arms against the window pane as she crossed her legs.

'Found in translation,' she captioned the image, clearly referencing the 2003 film, Lost In Translation.

Bella had been sharing with fans her envy-inducing trip to Japan on social media these last few days.

On Saturday, the catwalk queen posed beside a photo of herself as she wore a blonde wig and played with her petite sunglasses.

The new Bella! On Saturday, the catwalk queen posed beside a photo of herself as she wore a blonde wig and played with her petite sunglasses

Strike a pose: Bella had been sharing with fans her envy-inducing trip to Japan on social media these last few days

'Rebekka Harakjuku at your service,' she captioned the photo.

She also shared an image of herself leaning against a wall while clad in a long leather coat and bell bottom jeans, as her hair was twisted into two small buns.

'Thru out the Night,' read the photo's caption.

Bella seems to be having the time of her life exploring the capital of Japan during a break from the catwalk.

And while she may be soaring in the world of modelling, recently she admitted she has only just learned to feel comfortable with her appearance, after being plagued by insecurities about her weight and eyebrows in her youth.

Tourist: Bella seems to be having the time of her life exploring the capital of Japan during a break from the catwalk

Getting her kicks in! She also shared an image of herself leaning against a wall while clad in a long leather coat and bell bottom jeans, as her hair was twisted into two small buns

Speaking to Cosmopolitan.com, the brunette beauty confessed: 'I think I had more beauty insecurities growing up than probably anybody.

'Growing up, I was always self-conscious about my brows but I never knew that you could do something about it. I've always had really thin brows, I got them from my dad.

'I was also kind of chubbier growing up until I was 15, so there were a lot of things I had to grow into - I definitely had to grow into my face a lot. I wasn't very secure with myself until recently.'

However, Bella is now a fan of her striking features and only chooses to enhance her brows by filling them in with a pencil.

She said: 'Fake it till you make it, I guess. Brows are such a beautiful part of a woman and a man's face, so to be able to enhance them now is revolutionary for me.'

Stylish: Bella posed in front of a mirror as she fixed her black cap
She frequently treats her fans to detailed exercise tutorials on her social media accounts.

And Lucy Mecklenburgh flaunted the fruits of her labour as she attended the Northern Ireland Fitness Show, held at Belfast's Titanic Exhibition Centre on Sunday afternoon.

The former TOWIE star, 26, showed off her busty cleavage and washboard abs in a skimpy keyhole top, teamed with a pair form-fitting leggings.

Gym bunny: Lucy Mecklenburgh flaunted the fruits of her labour as she attended the Northern Ireland Fitness Show, held at Belfast's Titanic Exhibition Centre on Sunday afternoon

Beaming with delight, the entrepreneur tied in her sporty look with a pair of comfy black trainers.

The former Tumble contestant ensured all eyes were on her as she accentuated her bronze complexion with neutral-toned makeup.

Lucy styled her brunette tresses into gorgeous waves, which she complemented with delicate twin braids.

Striking: The former TOWIE star, 26, showed off her busty cleavage and washboard abs in a skimpy keyhole top, teamed with a pair form-fitting leggings

Chic: Beaming with delight, the entrepreneur tied in her sporty look with a pair of comfy black trainers

Despite launching her fitness programme Results With Lucy, the television personality recently admitted she found it hard to maintain her exercise regime after Christmas.

In an interview with OK! Magazine, she confessed: 'You know what, I found it very tough [getting back into the routine] this year, and Im still getting back into it slowly.'

'I think my biggest advice to people is just take it step by step. Just change one thing at a time. It's just not realistic, you overwhelmed yourself, you end up ten days in like "Nooo!!"'

Sleek: Lucy styled her brunette tresses into gorgeous waves, which she complemented with delicate twin braids

Stunning: The former Tumble contestant ensured all eyes were on her as she accentuated her bronze complexion with neutral-toned makeup

Lucy recently returned from Dubai as she spent time with her beau Ryan since he moved to Australia for his new role on Neighbours.

Ryan and Lucy first met on Bear Grylls' Celebrity Island, where they were in the midst of water shortages, extreme hunger and tropical storms.

After developing a strong bond on the survival show, the pair continued their romance on home turf.

Fitness buddies: The reality star appeared in high spirits as she posed arm-in-arm with a pal

Candid: Despite launching her fitness programme Results With Lucy, the television personality recently admitted she found it hard to maintain her exercise regime after Christmas

Toned: She frequently treats her fans to detailed exercise tutorials on her social media accounts

They first set tongues wagging when they were seen sharing holiday photographs from the same location on Instagram, despite denying claims they were dating.

The pair were later pictured kissing at London City Airport, and marked their first public outing as a couple at the Wimbledon men's semi-finals earlier in July last year.

Lucy was even seen spending New Year's Eve with Ryan and his family, and was introduced to his eight-year-old daughter Scarlet, whom he shares with former flame Tina O'Brien, earlier this year.
She's the blonde bombshell who first hit screens as the villain on Matthew 'Matty J' Johnson's season of The Bachelor.

And now a close friend of Leah Costa, 25, has revealed the extent of the backlash the Melbourne-based beauty endured following her time in The Bachelor mansion.

Speaking exclusively to Daily Mail Australia on Sunday, a friend of the architecture student said she was forced to put up with endless taunts.

'People were telling her to kill herself': A close friend of Bachelor star Leah Costa, 25, has revealed the extraordinary levels of abuse the blonde bombshell suffered after appearing on The Bachelor last year

'She had to deal with constant trolling,' the source revealed, speaking on condition of anonymity.

'They told her to die, that she should go and kill herself and she was receiving death threats...It was crazy for her and it upset us all'.

At the time, at only 24-years-old, the insider said the architecture student had a 'supportive network' but said she found the negativity difficult to deal with.

'She was receiving death threats': Leah, who was the season's villain, was forced to deal with constant trolling and even received death threats, according to her friend

'She was portrayed in a certain way - it was a character,' her pal, who has known her since childhood, said.

Now, with her appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, the blonde beauty's friend said this time round was different, which her close-knit group happy with her 'portrayal'.

It comes after the petite blonde appears to have found her happily ever after, with Leah spotted flaunting an 'engagement' ring, teasing fans about who the identity of her new love interest.

Backlash! The source adding it was a poor portrayal of the busty blonde, who was considered a breakout star of the season

Constant trolling! Leah was forced to put up with constant trolling, including death threats, after appearing on Matty J's season of The Bachelor

Happily ever after! It comes after Leah was spotted flaunting an 'engagement' ring, which set tongues wagging about who the mystery love is

In the snap, the reality star is seen cosied up in the back of a car, bundled-up beneath a sleeping bag as she prepared to watch a movie at a drive-in cinema.

A second snap shared to her Instagram Story showed comfy pillows strewn about the back of the vehicle as the star and her mystery beau prepared to cuddle up for the film.

'Drive In... He Spoils Me' Leah wrote, accompanied by a heart-eyed emoji.

Spoilt! Teasing fans, the blonde beauty uploaded a second snap of a cosy looking set-up with cushions and blankets, with the caption 'He Spoils Me'

Despite failing to win Matty J's heart last year on The Bachelor, blonde bombshell Leah is making waves in the idyllic setting of Paradise.

On Sunday night's episode, she left nothing to chance, stopping hunky new US arrival Grant from considering co-star Keira Maguire for his date.

Grant chose to take each girl aside to determine who he's like to use his designated 'date card' with, but when headed towards Keira, Leah intercepted Grant.

'She just cut your grass,' someone said, as Keira reacted in shock: 'I felt like we were on The Bachelor again!'

Will they last? On Tuesday night's episode of Bachelor In Paradise, Leah and Mack were seen soaking up the sun as they discussed their situation, leading people to think the mystery man could be him
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She's currently in the midst of filming the second season of her reality show Ferne: First Time Mum, detailing her life after becoming a mother to daughter Sunday a mere five months ago.

And Ferne McCann proved she's fully bounced back after welcoming her bundle of joy int the world in November as she flaunted her post-baby body while soaking up the sunshine in Marbella, Spain, on Friday.

The former TOWIE star, 27, turned up the heat in a sizzling maroon halter tie-back bikini, with the plunging neckline putting her ample cleavage on full display.

Soaking up the sunshine: Ferne McCann was spotted basking in the sunshine during her visit to Marbella, Spain, on Friday

Ferne showcased her enviably toned physique and rippling abs in the eye-catching ensemble, which boasted flirty ties around the matching bikini bottoms.

Ever the beach babe, the reality TV beauty - who has teamed up with fellow Essex native James 'Arg' Argent for her latest TV venture - flaunted her impeccable legs in the barely-there outfit.

She glammed up her casual look with the addition of a delicate gold necklace, upon which rested a pair of sparkling pendants, while a trio of bracelets added a further touch of sparkle.

Turning up the heat: The 27-year-old former TOWIE star turned up the heat in a sizzling maroon halter tie-back bikini, with the plunging neckline putting her ample cleavage on full display

Enviably toned physique: Ferne showcased her enviably toned physique and rippling abs in the eye-catching ensemble, which boasted flirty ties around the matching bikini bottoms

Perfect pins: Ever the beach babe, the reality TV beauty - who has teamed up with fellow Essex native James 'Arg' Argent for her latest TV venture - flaunted her impeccable legs in the barely-there outfit

With her golden tresses resting about her shoulders in soft waves, the TV personality highlighted her natural beauty with a flattering palette of makeup that included nude pink lipstick and a smudge of mascara.

Retreating to one of the sun loungers dotting the glistening swimming pool at her hotel, the mother-of-one was seen diligently checking her smartphone before throwing on a pair of oversized shades and relaxing.

Ferne shares daughter Sunday with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins - who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Arthur was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after he sprayed party-goers with acid following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London during the Easter weekend last April.

Mesh: Carrying a white towel, she arrived at the hotel pool wearing a black mesh sundress over her eye-catching swimwear

She nailed it! The glamorous blonde beauty sported the perfect mani-pedi, with her long fingernails painted powder blue

Peeling off: As she prepared to lounge in the glorious sunshine and top up her tan, the reality star peeled off her sundress

The attack left several clubbers hospitalised and scarred for life, while some required skin grafts. Arthur is currently serving a 20-year jail sentence for the act.

The horrific incident left 22 innocent clubbers injured, several of whom confronted him in court, with one woman recalling the moment she felt her skin 'come off'.

Arthur claimed he thought he was throwing a date rape drug, but he was labelled a 'calculating liar' who has not shown the 'slightest remorse' by the judge.

While Ferne has remained silent about her relationship with Arthur, it was reported that the I'm A Celebrity star was finally ready to talk openly about her devastation in a second series of her reality show First Time Mum.

Golden girl: She glammed up her casual look with the addition of a delicate gold necklace, upon which rested a pair of sparkling pendants, while a trio of bracelets added a further touch of sparkle

Tress-ed to impress: With her golden tresses resting about her shoulders in soft waves, the TV personality highlighted her natural beauty with a flattering palette of makeup that included nude pink lipstick and a smudge of mascara

Relax: After spending some time by the pool, she retreated to one of the hotel's many sun loungers as she prepared to relax

A source said: 'Ferne's already told producers that she's happy to speak about Arthur again following his jail sentence  and her plans of making a life without him.'

Ferne previously gushed about being a mother to daughter Sunday, enthusing: 'Sunday's beautiful. She's watching at home with my mum right now.'

The reality star began filming the new series earlier this year, with The Sun reporting at the time that she will open up about her turmoil over ex Arthur.

Remarkable: The TV personality's toned physique is all the more remarkable, considering she gave birth just five months ago

Hair we go: She tied her golden locks into a topknot and adjusted her bikini top ahead of getting ready to bask in the sunshine

Reality show: The Essex native is currently in the midst of filming the second season of her reality show Ferne: First Time Mum

New life as a mother: Ferne's reality show details her life after becoming a mother to daughter Sunday a mere five months ago

A source said: 'Ferne has completely thrown herself into being a full-time mum and shes really excited to share more of her and Sundays adventures with her fans after being given three hour-long shows.

'During the last series, Ferne spoke about coping with pregnancy at the same time her ex-partner was on trial for an acid attack that took place last April.

'Shes already told producers that shes happy to speak about Arthur again following his jail sentence  and her plans of making a life without him.'

The ex factor: Ferne shares daughter Sunday with ex-boyfriend Arthur Collins - who has been sentenced to 20 years in prison

Horrific attack: Ferne's ex-boyfriend Arthur was convicted of GBH and ABH against 14 people after he sprayed party-goers with acid following an argument at the Mangle E8 nightclub in east London during the Easter weekend last April

Going for a quick scroll: The mother-of-one was seen scrolling through her iPhone as she relaxed in the glorious sunshine
She became the first star to be honoured with the Variety Icon Award at the inaugural Canneseries festival, which puts a spotlight on exceptional television shows and acting talent.

And Michelle Dockery, 36, looked to be in high spirits on Sunday after receiving the prize, as she left her hotel following her busy schedule in the city.

Cutting up a casual figure in a black shirt and Mother denims, Michelle was a far cry away from her regal role as Lady Mary Crawley in Downton Abbey.

Relaxed look: Michelle Dockery cut a casual figure on Sunday in a black shirt and Mother denims as she left Cannes after receiving the Variety Icon Award at the inaugural Canneseries festival

Keeping things low-key after her glamorous entrance at the festival on Friday, the actress wore large sunglasses and kept her make-up to a minimum as she stepped out in light pink lipstick.

The brunette beauty brushed her luscious locks to the side so that they tumbled off one shoulder gracefully.

While Michelle made sure her look was quite minimal, the star was not afraid to accessorise as she wrapped a vast array of bracelets over one wrist and offset her dark top with a striking gold pendant.

Casual style: Keeping things low-key after her glamorous entrance at the festival on Friday, the actress wore large sunglasses and kept her make-up to a minimum with light pink lipstick

Michelle completed her look with a light-brown rucksack, as she walked out into the streets of the French city in a pair of white and grey trainers.

The actress was presented with the Variety Icon Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in acting, during its official competition launch.

After the festival's opening, Michelle offered up her acting expertise to young, promising actors by taking part in a special masterclass at the Miramar on Saturday.

Styled well: The brunette beauty brushed her luscious locks to the side so that they tumbled off one shoulder gracefully

Michelle is best known for her character, Lady Mary Crawley, in Downton Abbey, and has been nominated for three Emmys and a Golden Globe.

However, the actress has previously opened up about the heartbreaking 'parallels' with her role.

Michelle tragically lost her fiance, John Dineen, to cancer in 2015, while her character also lost her husband.

The actress was engaged to the Irish public relations director for a year before he died aged 34.

Prize: The actress was presented with the Variety Icon Award, which recognises outstanding achievement in acting, during its official competition launch

Finishing touches: Michelle completed her look with a light-brown rucksack, as she walked out into the streets of the French city in a pair of white and grey trainers

Talking to the Guardian in 2017, Michelle heartbreakingly revealed that she now considers herself a 'widow'.

She told the publication: 'Ive never been more committed to anything in my life than to him.

I dont have the vocabulary to describe what it felt like and what it still feels like. I refer to myself as a widow, yes. We were engaged, and married at heart, and so I do consider myself a widow.

'One of the difficult things at the time was the parallels with Mary. It was just baffling, and still is to me, that my characters storyline was so similar.
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She has tread the boards in the West End after she was crowned winner of The X Factor 10 years ago.

And Alexandra Burke ensured all eyes were on her at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London on Sunday evening.

The Strictly star, 29, who is set to host the swanky ceremony, flaunted her ample assets in a strapless checked dress as she joined Kara Tointon, 34, and Imogen Poots, 28, on the red carpet.

Leading the glamour: Alexandra Burke ensured all eyes were on her at the Olivier Awards at the Royal Albert Hall, London on Sunday evening

Alexandra pulled out all the stops in the ruffled monochrome gown, teasing a glimpse of her tremendous pins with the gown's sultry thigh splits.

She styled her brunette locks in a messy up-do and opted for an understated make-up look, ensuring all attention was on her statement dress.

Meanwhile, Kara looked effortlessly elegant in a floral chiffon gown which skimmed over her gym-honed physique.

Striking look: Alexandra pulled out all the stops in the ruffled monochrome gown, teasing a glimpse of her tremendous pins with sultry thigh splits

Glowing: She styled her brunette locks in a messy up-do and opted for an understated make-up look, ensuring all attention was on her statement dress

Vision in lavender: Kara's dress featured puffed sleeves and a delicate purple floral design, which complemented her Bulgari clutch

Stealing the show: The actress wore her hair in a low chignon and amped up the glamour with a rouge lip and smokey black eye

Putting on a show: Hamilton, who have a staggering 13 nominations in total, took to the stage for a high-octane performance

The actress wore her hair in a low chignon and amped up the glamour with a rouge lip and smokey black eye.

Meanwhile, Imogen, who showed her support to the Time's Up movement with a pin, turned heads as she sashayed down the red carpet in a dazzling black gown.

The star's incredible figure was highlighted in the dress, which featured dozens of sequins and a voluminous full length skirt.

She styled her edgy blonde bob in a sleek straight look and complemented the ensemble with a black smoky eye, blush-swept cheeks and a slick of pink lipstick.

The star is among the nominees for Best Supporting Actress for her role in Whos Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London.

Stunning: The actress, 28, who showed her support to the Time's Up movement with a pin, turned heads as she sashayed down the red carpet in a dazzling black gown

Turning heads: Her incredible figure was highlighted in the dress, which featured dozens of sequins and a voluminous full length skirt

Lesley Manville looked decades younger than her 62-years as she slipped into a navy jumpsuit and tan suede jacket for the renowned ceremony.

The actress looked typically chic, complementing the look with diamond drop earrings and a slick of rouge lipstick.

Beverley Knight also looked sensational as she strutted down the red carpet in a cream sequin-encrusted gown.

The star, 45, flaunted her cleavage with its low-scooping neckline and enhanced her decolletage with an elegant pearl necklace.

Timeless beauty: Lesley Manville, 62, showed off her jaw-dropping beauty in a navy jumpsuit and orange jacket

Making a stand: (L-R) Lesley Joseph, Christine Allado and Summer Strallen all sported Time's Up pins to show their support to the movement

Working her magic: Beverley Knight dazzled in an cream sequin encrusted gown which clung to her incredible figure while presenter Mel Giedroyc dazzled in a metallic jacket and flared trousers

Looking good: Michelle Collins, 56, opted for a one-shouldered black dress complete with a thigh-high split and leather belt

Sophisticated: Coronation Street star Tracie Bennett opted for a navy velvet gown with a cut-out keyhole on the back

Firm friends: (L-R) Sally Wood, Ronnie Wood, Brian May and Anita Dobson appeared in high spirits as they stopped to pose on the red carpet

Smitten: Ronnie, 70, and Sally, 40, looked in the throes of love as they wrapped their arms around one another on the red carpet

Glittering: The superstar couple looked effortlessly elegant as they dazzled on the red carpet

Duo: Magic FM presenting duo Harriet Scott and Ronan Keating posed up on the red carpet

Date night: McFly's Tom Fletcher and his pregnant wife Giovanna put on a united display ahead of the ceremony

Tom Fletcher, 32, and his pregnant wife Giovanna, 33, oozed elegance as she showed off her blossoming baby bump on the red carpet.

The couple, who have been married for six years, turned heads as they put on a matching display in glamorous black ensembles.

Giovanna, who is around four months pregnant, flaunted her blossoming baby bump in a low-cut sequined and embroidered dress, with flared short sleeves.

She accessorised her look with a delicate clutchbag, which fastened with two giant shiny white pearls, and a pair of black heels.

Meanwhile, Tom put on a dapper display in a black velvet tuxedo, which featured intricate embroidered detailing of a man looking through a telescope on the collar.

Family affair: Tom and Giovanna were joined by his West End star sister, Carrie Hope Fletcher, 25, who recently toured in The Addams Family

Bright: Anne-Marie Duff (L) sported a orange and pink gown, Danielle Hope (centre) opted for blue dandelion printed dress with a long train while Indira Varma (R) stunned in a Grecian-themed gown

Family occasion: Jason Donovan looked every inch the doting dad as he took his son Zac, 17, (L) and daughter Jemma, 18, (R) to the glamorous event

Suave: Doctor Foster star Bertie Carvel cut a dapper figure as he posed with Sally Scott at the event

Keeping dry: Derren Brown covered his head from the rain with his tailored grey coat as he quickly walked the red carpet

Passion for theatre? Footballing legend Gary Lineker cut a handsome figure in a black suit and a navy polka dot tie

Top runner: West End musical Hamilton is leading the charge at the Olivier Awards with 13 nominations in total, the most a production has ever received in the ceremonys history

True story: Jamie Campbell and his mum Margaret turned up to show their support for Everybody's Talking About Jamie's nominations which is based on the star's dream to become a drag queen

Inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual harassment and abuse, some stars brought guests from feminist groups and organizations working against domestic violence to the ceremony at London's Royal Albert Hall.

West End musical Hamilton is leading the charge at the Olivier Awards with 13 nominations in total, the most a production has ever received in the ceremonys history.

Other nominees include the musical Follies, which has 10 nods, and The Ferryman, which is the most nominated play with eight.

Velour: Harry Potter star Imelda Staunton opted for a navy blue dress which she paired with fishnet tights and leopard print heels

High spirits: Beverley Knight (L) and Cassidy Janson (R) flashed their mega-watt smiles as they posed inside the venue

Comedic charm: Host Catherine Tate (L) appeared in her element as she took to the stage in a bright floral green dress while Francesca Velicu received the award for Outstanding Achievement In Dance

Champion: Alfred Molina (L) presented the award for Best New Play to Jez Butterworth for The Ferryman and Tom Fletcher (M) presented the award for Best Entertainment And Family to (R) Nick Thomas For Dick Whittington

Glittering: Dreamgirls stars (L-R) Moya Angela, Marisha Wallace and Karen Mav presented the award for Best Costume Design

Wow factor: Kristen McNally (R) and Marcelino Sambe (L) accepted the award for Best New Dance Production for 'Flight Pattern'

Applause: The pair looked delighted as they made their way through the crowds to accept the award

Dazzle: Clare Halse, Ashley Day and the cast of 42nd Street performed on stage during the awards

Winner: Pearl Mackie (R) presented Laura Donnelly (L) with the award for Best Actress for 'The Ferryman'

Theatrical: Tracie Bennett (C) and the cast of Follies performed during the ceremony

Named for the late British actor Laurence Olivier, the prizes honor achievements in London theater, musicals, dance and opera.

Winners in most categories are chosen by a panel of stage professionals and theatergoers.

Victorious: Mel Giedroyc presented James Graham the Best New Comedy Award for Labour of Love

Looking good: Bryan Cranston, winner of the Best Actor award for Network joined Laura Donnelly, winner of the Best Actress award for The Ferryman

Winning: John Benjamin Hickey and Indira Varma joined Bryan in the winners room

Triumphant: Bertie Carvel celebrated with Meera Syal (L) and Nina Sosanya (R) as he won Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his part in Ink

Leading lady: Francesca Velicu accepted the award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance

Glamorous: Sheila Atim, winner of Best Actress in a Supporting Role for Girl from The North Country (M) posed with Beverley Knight and Alexandra Burke

Wow factor: Sheila dazzled in a vibrant scarlet dress as she joined Marianne Elliott accepting the award for Best Revival

Happy: Shirley Henderson, winner of the Best Actress In A Musical award for Girl From The North Country posed with Cuba Gooding Jr

Vibrant: Marcelino Sambe and Kristen McNally accepted the award for Best New Dance Production

Happy days: Nevin Steinberg beamed with joy after he was crowned winner of the Best Sound Design award for Hamilton

Winning trio: Daniela Barcellona (L) , winner of the Outstanding Achievement in Opera award joined Bertie Carvel with his award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role and Jez Butterworth accepting the award for Best New Play in the winners room

2018 Oliver Awards: The Winners Best actor in a supporting role in a musical Michael Jibson, Hamilton - WINNER Ross Noble, Young Frankenstein Jason Pennycooke, Hamilton Cleve September, Hamilton Best actress in a supporting role in a musical Sheila Atim, Girl from the North Country - WINNER Tracie Bennett, Follies Rachel John, Hamilton Lesley Joseph, Young Frankenstein Outstanding achievement in music Everybody's Talking About Jamie Follies Girl from the North Country Hamilton - WINNER Best new dance production Flight Pattern - WINNER Goat Grand Finale Tree of Codes Outstanding achievement in dance Rocio Molina, Fallen From Heaven Francesca Velicu, Le Sacre du Printemps - WINNER Zenaida Yanowsky, Symphonic Dances Best entertainment and family David Walliams' Gangsta Granny Derren Brown: Underground Dick Whittington - WINNER Five Guys Named Moe Best theatre choreographer Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton - WINNER Bill Deamer, Follies Kate Prince, Everybody's Talking About Jamie Randy Skinner, 42nd Street Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris Best musical revival 42nd Street Follies - WINNER On the Town John McCrea in Everybody's Talking About Jamie Best actor in a musical Ciaran Hinds, Girl from the North Country John McCrea, Everybody's Talking About Jamie Giles Terera, Hamilton - WINNER Jamael Westman, Hamilton Best actress in a musical Janie Dee, Follies Shirley Henderson, Girl from the North Country - WINNER Imelda Staunton, Follies Josie Walker, Everybody's Talking About Jamie Best revival Angels in America - WINNER Hamlet Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Witness for the Prosecution Best new comedy Dry Powder Labour of Love - WINNER Mischief Movie Night The Miser Martin Freeman and Tamsin Greig in Labour of Love Best new play The Ferryman - WINNER Ink Network Oslo Outstanding achievement in affiliate theatre The B*easts Killology - WINNER The Red Lion The Revlon Girl Best lighting design Howell Binkley, Hamilton - WINNER Paule Constable, Angels in America Paule Constable, Follies Jan Versweyveld, Network Best sound design Tom Gibbons, Hamlet Gareth Owen, Bat Out of Hell Eric Sleichim, Network Nevin Steinberg, Hamilton - WINNER Best costume design Hugh Durrant, Dick Whittington Roger Kirk, 42nd Street Vicki Mortimer, Follies - WINNER Paul Tazewell, Hamilton Best set design Bunny Christie, Ink Bob Crowley, An American in Paris - WINNER Rob Howell, The Ferryman Vicki Mortimer, Follies Best actor in a supporting role Bertie Carvel, Ink - WINNER John Hodgkinson, The Ferryman James McArdle, Angels in America Peter Polycarpou, Oslo Best actress in a supporting role Brid Brennan for The Ferryman Denise Gough for Angels in America - WINNER Dearbhla Molloy for The Ferryman Imogen Poots for Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Best new opera production La Boheme The Exterminating Angel Semiramide - WINNER Outstanding achievement in opera Paul Brown, Iolanthe Joyce DiDonato and Daniela Barcellona, Semiramide - WINNER Roderick Williams, The Return Of Ulysses Best actor Paddy Considine, The Ferryman Bryan Cranston, Network - WINNER Andrew Garfield, Angels in America Andrew Scott, Hamlet Best actress Laura Donnelly, The Ferryman - WINNER Lesley Manville, Long Day's Journey into Night Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill Imelda Staunton, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Best director Sam Mendes, The Ferryman - WINNER Dominic Cooke, Follies Marianne Elliott, Angels in America Rupert Goold, Ink Thomas Kail, Hamilton Best new musical An American in Paris Everybody's Talking About Jamie Girl from the North Country Hamilton - WINNER Young Frankenstein Advertisement

How Hamilton hip-hopped to glory: Musical dominates the Olivier Awards and wins seven of 13 categories

By Susie Coen For The Daily Mail

It is the hip hop musical that sent the West End into a frenzy, with tickets being touted for up to 6,000.

And last night Hamilton dominated the Olivier Awards, winning seven of the record 13 categories in which it was nominated.

The show, about the life of one of Americas Founding Fathers Alexander Hamilton, was named best new musical. Giles Terera, who plays the part of Aaron Burr, won the award for best actor in a musical.

Giles Terera, Jamael Westman, Michael Jibson, Jason Pennycooke, Cleve September and Rachel John of Hamilton The Musical at The Olivier Awards

The cast of Hamilton (pictured) opened the show at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday night

Michael Jibson won best supporting actor in a musical for his portrayal of King George III, while the shows creator Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire won the award for outstanding achievement in music.

Hamilton also won accolades for lighting design, sound design and theatre choreographer.

Despite making Olivier Award history by receiving the most ever nominations for a show, Hamilton did not beat the record of Harry Potter And The Cursed Child which won nine out of 11 last year.

But before the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall, hosted by Catherine Tate, Jibson said Hamilton was one of the most exciting experiences of his career, describing the production as like nothing anyone has ever seen before.

Three of the show's Olivier nominations came in the same category - best supporting actor in a musical - meaning that the most awards it could have actually won was 10

Among the stars was Jason Donovan, 49, who had brought his teenage children Jemma and Zac. Ten years ago the beaming youngsters had been unable to contain their excitement at being on the red carpet with their dad and mum Angela in 2008

Stars took to the red carpet under umbrellas to ward off the rain. Among them was Jason Donovan, 49, who had brought his teenage children Jemma and Zac.

Ten years ago the beaming youngsters had been unable to contain their excitement at being on the red carpet with their dad and mum Angela for the 2008 premiere in London of High School Musical 3.

Last night they took it all in their stride, posing confidently for the camera with their proud father who was himself nominated for an Olivier for his role in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat in 1992, before Jemma, now 18, and Zac, 17, were born.

The former Neighbours actor and his wife also have a third child, seven-year-old Molly.

American star Bryan Cranston, who was named best actor for his role as a TV anchor in Network, attended the awards sporting a Times Up pin.

Speaking about the movement against sexual harassment, Cranston  who is best known for TV hit Breaking Bad  said: With every person that is brought to the attention, and the aggressors, whether sexually or power oppressors, when they fall, we have the opportunity to rebuild on a foundation of mutual respect.

Lesley Manville, who lost out on the best actress award to Laura Donnelly for her role in The Ferryman, also spoke about the campaign, saying she was thankful the tide has turned as a result of the movement.

Rockers Brian May and Ronnie Wood, both 70, appeared to be enjoying themselves as they arrived. Wood was in a navy, sequinned jacket while his wife Sally Humphreys, 40, wore a sparkly gold gown. May looked slick in a black suit, with his wife Anita Dobson in a blue skirt with a matching jacket.
She has welcomed three children over the course of her two marriages.

And this Saturday, Reese Witherspoon posted an Instagram album of herself with her her five-year-old son Tennessee Toth on a veranda overlooking the beach.

Modeling a $98 Belted Daisy Vine Shirtdress from her clothing line Draper James, the 42-year-old beamed as she stood behind her dancing son.

'Last day of Spring Break!': This Saturday, Reese Witherspoon posted an Instagram album of herself with her her five-year-old son Tennessee Toth on a veranda overlooking the beach

Reese teamed her dress with a pair of butterfly sunglasses, slipping into open-toed slippers and holding a deep orange beverage in a glass.

'Last day of Spring Break! Dancing til its dark with this guy,' captioned the Oscar-winner, who married Tennessee's talent agent father Jim Toth in 2011.

Reese was previously married from 1999 until 2007 to her scrumptious Cruel Intentions co-star Ryan Phillippe, with whom she has two children.

Always plugging: Modeling a $98 Belted Daisy Vine Shirtdress from her clothing line Draper James, the 42-year-old beamed as she stood behind her dancing son

Their daughter Ava turned 18 last year, then entered high society at le Bal des debutantes when it was held in Paris' swank 16 arrondissement that November.

Padmanabh Singh was Ava's cavalier at the iconic party, where she was decked out in a long-sleeved gold Giambattista Valli gown.

The 19-year-old Padmanabh is unofficially known as Jaipur's Maharajah, although Indian royalty was legally abolished under Indira Gandhi's government in the 1970s.

Refreshments: Reese teamed her dress with a pair of butterfly sunglasses, slipping into open-toed slippers and holding a deep orange beverage in a glass

As Vanity Fair reported while announcing Ava as a debutante, the exclusive fete was held held at the iconic Peninsula Paris in the 16th.

In previous years, le Bal has according to its website introduced a stunning variety of debutantes ranging from Princess Fawzia-Latifa, daughter of the deposed last King Of Egypt, to Scout and Tallulah Willis, daughters of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore.

Reese and Ryan also share a son called Deacon, 14, and Ryan, 43, has a six-year-old daughter called Kai Knapp by his dramatically younger ex Alexis Knapp, 28.
Although Swiss watch magazine GMT celebrated its 18th anniversary during the SIHH 2018 (see video here), it came out on the first day of Baselworld, which was also the first day of spring. The mechanical and bejewelled creations that decorate its pages are a feast for the eyes of watch lovers. With its past that is no more, its future which is yet to come and its eternal present, continually vanishing in memories and plans, time is the most prodigious of all machineries, notes with wonder the French academician and writer Jean dOrmesson in his book Comme un chant desperance (Like a song of hope). We share this vision, as does Carlo Lamprecht who, in 2012, while president of the Fondation du Grand Prix dHorlogerie de Geneve, put forward an initiative to immortalise the art of measuring time by naming it the 12th Art. As an early supporter of these values, GMT continues to promote the 12th Art in the eponymous column of this springtime issue. There, you can find out the qualities watch design shares with the first six arts, as described by the German philosopher Hegel (read more about it here).

Through exclusive interviews (which we also share with WorldTempus readers), Georges Kern (Breitling), Peter Stas (Frederique Constant) and Julien Tornare (Zenith) share their vision of the future. GMT showcases around forty new watches from as many different brands, and takes an in-depth look at some exceptional pieces including the Edouard Bovet Tourbillon and Ulysse Nardins Freak Vision. Ulysse Nardin fans will also appreciate the eight-page portfolio devoted to the brand. Another special feature showcases the spectacular creations of Rebellion, with a dazzling photo shoot setting eight fantastic watches against a backdrop of Caran dAche pigments.

For watch lovers looking for the latest information on current issues and trends in this highly creative sector, including design, techniques and vintage styling, our editorial team has prepared features on the growing trend for watch customisation, brands that have chosen to invest in their own movement design, and collectors watch auctions. Finally, a special 12-page insert on independent brands completes this fascinating issue, which is available from newsagents and here.

See also: our Baselworld dossier
Kate Mara is one cool stepmom.

The actress, 35, took a break from her hectic promotional schedule and enjoyed a casual family outing with her husband Jamie Bell and four-year-old stepson at the Americana in Glendale, California on Sunday.

The trio were all smiles as they walked around the outdoor shopping center and Kate even took on the role of chauffeur as she gave her stepson a piggyback ride.

One cool stepmom: Kate Mara gave her four-year-old stepson a piggyback ride during a fun shopping trip with her husband Jamie Bell at the Americana in Glendale, California on Sunday

The starlet, whose new film Chappaquidick hit theaters on Friday, sported a laid-back look for the quick trip, wearing a buttoned denim jacket over a white cotton shirt.

The House Of Cards actress topped her look off with distressed black sweats and sported black-and-white Converse sneakers.

The on-screen beauty kept a pair of black sunglasses over her eyes and strapped a studded black handbag across her chest as she held on to a shopping bag from J. Crew.

Casual chic: The starlet, whose new film Chappaquidick hit theaters on Friday, sported a laid-back look for the quick trip, wearing a buttoned denim jacket over a white cotton shirt

Jamie, who shares his four-year-old son with ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood, coordinated with Kate's casual look in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants.

The Billy Elliot star also donned black lace-up sneakers with printed socks and RayBan sunglasses, as he helped out Kate with carrying his playful son.

The adorable family appeared to enjoy their relaxing day and stopped by the outdoor fountain so their son could get a quick touch of the water.

Smooches: The trio were all smiles as they walked around the outdoor shopping center and picked up items from J. Crew

Kate and Jamie struck up a romance while working on the Fantastic Four film in 2015. Bell later said he knew very early on that she was the one.

'There was an instant connection, like wed known one another forever," Bell told Evening Standard Magazine in August of last year.

'It was obvious very quickly that we were going to get married.'

Quick dip: Jamie, who shares his four-year-old son with ex-wife Evan Rachel Wood, coordinated with Kate's casual look in a black sweatshirt and sweatpants

But while they started dating after working together, Jamie actually revealed on ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show in October that they had met quite a few years before.

'I met her on a screen test for a film 12 years ago and neither of us got the part, but she did have to kiss a lot of other guys on that screen test,' he said.

'And there were a lot of other people there, pop stars, legitimate movie stars. And apparently she went home and her mum said, 'How was your day?' and she was like, 'I kissed a lot of guys today but Jamie Bell was a good kisser.'

'And then 12 years later, we got married.'

'I met her on a screen test for a film 12 years ago': The married couple of nearly one year started dating after working together on Fantastic Four in 2015, but Jamie revealed that he kissed his wife more than a decade ago during an audition

But marriage hasn't slowed the couple down professionally. Kate has been busy doing the media rounds for her latest drama, the Kennedy-centered film Chappaquidick, which was named after the Island and infamous incident that occurred there in 1969.

In it, she plays Mary Jo Kopechne, the campaign assistant who ended up dead in Senator Ted Kennedy's car.

The two were driving away from a party when the car crashed off a bridge into a lake; a huge political scandal erupted shortly afterwards as the details emerged, such as Kennedy not reporting the incident until ten hours later.

'I feel a moral obligation to make things that somehow create conversations among people,' she told Heroine Magazine, speaking about her choice in movie roles.

'Ive done quite a few political projects, but to me it doesnt have to be, it can be emotional in a lot of ways,' she added.
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He's the Great British Bake Off silver fox who has struck up a romance with a barmaid 30 years his junior.

And Paul Hollywood looked happier than ever as he whisked his stunning 22-year-old girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam off on a romantic break to Mauritius last month.

The 52-year-old TV favourite cut a casual figure as he and his new love enjoyed a scenic boat ride on the tropical island, chatting and looking relaxed in each other's company.

First couple's trip: Paul Hollywood, 52, looked happier than ever as he whisked his stunning 22-year-old girlfriend Summer Monteys-Fullam off on a romantic break to Mauritius last month

Romance: Barmaid Summer was later seen arriving back at Heathrow after her romantic holiday with the Great British Bake Off judge

Paul donned a vibrant neon orange t-shirt paired with navy blue shorts and sandals for his day of sightseeing, and slipped on a pair of mirrored sunglasses.

Summer showed off her toned figure in a strapless black clinging top, while flaunting her toned legs in denim hotpants on their first couple's holiday.

Her chestnut tresses were piled on top of her head and she wore only a slick of mascara for the boat trip.

Ever the gentleman, bread expert Paul was seen lending a hand to help his girlfriend off the luxury boat as they made their way back to their lavish, rumoured 1,000 a night, hotel.

Close: The TV favourite cut a casual figure as he and his new love enjoyed a scenic boat ride on the tropical island, chatting and looking relaxed in each other's company

Casual: Paul donned a vibrant neon orange t-shirt paired with navy blue shorts and sandals for his day of sightseeing, and slipped on a pair of mirrored sunglasses

A few days later the couple were seen making a low-key exit from London's Heathrow Airport with Summer donning a stylish black ensemble.

She slipped into a black leather jacket and flaunted her toned and shapely legs in skinny jeans.

Flip-flops and aviator sunglasses completed her look, with Summer wheeling a silver suitcase as she chatted on the phone.

Paul, following shortly afterwards, covered up in a black waterproof jacket and jeans as he wheeled his berry suitcase.

Toned: Summer showed off her toned figure in a strapless black clinging top on their first couple's holiday

Banter: Her chestnut tresses were piled on top of her head and she wore only a slick of mascara for the boat trip

Scenic: The pair looked close as they chatted aboard their luxury vessel in paradis

According to The Sun On Sunday, the star 'looked extremely happy' with his alleged new love -- as they stayed at the tropical resort.

Before they soaked up the sun, the pair reportedly agreed to meet in America first, with neither party telling friends who they were meeting up with.

Despite the considerable age gap between the two, Paul was reportedly getting on extremely well with Summer, with sources adding they could've been mistaken for a couple on their honeymoon.

A source told the publication: 'Despite looking more like father and daughter, when they did stroll around together they left people in no doubt that they were a couple.

Sunkissed: The pair, who are said to have met in the local pub, looked happier than ever as they chatted

Romance: The new couple looked to be enjoying their first holiday together as they chatted

Happy: Ever the gentleman, bread expert Paul was seen lending a hand to help his girlfriend off the luxury boat as they made their way back to their lavish, rumoured 1,000 a night, hotel

Scenic: The pair chatted as they rode along on the boat before making their way back to their hotel

'Summer has clearly put a smile on his face after a difficult time in his personal life.'

'Making sure their blossoming romance didn't catch the attention of other holiday-makers, the couple spent most of their time in their secluded villa.

'They did not really go into the public areas or pools and seemed to just want some quiet time.'

This comes amid reports Summer reportedly affectionately calls the celebrity chef 'Cake Cake'.

Chatty: Summer looked at something in the distance as Paul chatted to her aboard the luxury vessel

Toned: Summer flaunted her toned legs in denim hotpants as she made her way off the boat

According to The Sun, things are also moving swiftly for the duo, as sources claim they have 'moved into together', as the barmaid was allegedly spotted at his rented cottage with her personal possessions, which is only a few miles from where his ex wife Alexandra and their teenage son live.

A source said: 'Paul is apparently very caring and attentive when they are together. There is a sense of adventure for Summer because of all his fast cars.'

An insider told the newspaper that the Kent native - who is 30 years Paul's junior - created the bizarre pet name shortly after they met: 'She had his number saved in her phone as Cake Cake which is her nickname for him.'

Speaking on Summer's warm emotions for Paul, the source detailed: 'Like millions of other women, Summer is in love with Paul's baby blue eyes.'

They continued: 'She says she loves how he makes her feel...everyone is watching to see how long it lasts.'

The new couple were allegedly first spotted in November, after Paul was spotted on a secret date with the Kent barmaid.

The pair met last year at Paul's local pub where he organised ex-wife Alexandra's birthday party and have struck up a close bond despite the 29-year age gap, sources claimed to The Sun.

'Paul and Summer have struck up a close friendship  the age gap between them doesn't seem to be a problem,' an insider claimed.

Paul and Alexandra, who have a 16-year-old son, announced they were splitting in the same month - but reportedly parted ways earlier that year.

En-route: The pair cut casual figures as they made their way back to their lavish hotel

Paul and Alexandra, who is also a chef, married in 1998, and have a teenage son together, Joshua.

They previously separated in 2013 when the TV chef admitted his affair with Marcela Valladolid, his co-star on the US version of Bake Off.

The American spin-off was cancelled after just one series for having poor ratings.

The couple reconciled a few months later and he described the incident as 'the biggest mistake of my life' in an interview with BBC radio.

Speaking at the time, he told the BBC he 'was shocked about the whole thing kicking off the way it did... but I deserved it and I've taken it. It was my punishment.'

Hometime: Paul wheeled a berry suitcase as he arrived back at Heathrow airport with Summer a few days later

Happier times: Paul and ex wife Alexandra, who have a 16-year-old son, announced they were splitting in November last year- but reportedly parted ways earlier that year




He was one of the big winners at Sunday evening's Olivier Awards in London, when he scooped Best Actor honours for his efforts in the West End adaptation of Network.

But ahead of learning he'd scooped the trophy, Bryan Cranston had the recent sexual abuse scandal sweeping Hollywood on his mind as he arrived at the English capital's Royal Albert Hall sporting a pin in support of the Time's Up movement.

When asked on the red carpet why he was backing the movement, he said: 'Because times up. The idea that older white men are controlling the world and having free rein is over.

Joining the movement: Bryan Cranston wore a pin supporting the Time's Up movement when he attended Sunday evening's Olivier Awards, held at the Royal Albert Hall in London

'With every person that is brought to the attention, and the aggressors, whether sexually or power oppressors, when they fall, we have the opportunity to rebuild on a foundation of mutual respect.

'Invisible of gender, of sexual preference, of colour, lets build it up with mutual respect of everyone. Right now its muddy, its tough, but theres hope in that.'

He was one of a number of stars who arrived at the event wearing a Time's Up pin, including Sam Mendes, Michael Sheen, Imogen Poots, Ann-Marie Duff, Alfred Molina, Tom Fletcher, Michelle Collins, and Lesley Joseph.

Over: The actor, who scooped the Best Actor trophy for his efforts in the West End adaptation of Network, declared that the 'free rein' of 'old white men' was over

Respect: He said that he hopes the new awareness and widespread stance against sexual abuse throughout Hollywood will bring about a 'mutual respect of everyone'

Special pin: He posed alongside fellow actor Micharl Sheen, who also sported a Time's Up in

Former Breaking Bad star Bryan plays Howard Beale in Network, a news anchor whose mental state disintegrates on screen.

Asked about his nomination for best actor, he said: 'Were at the Royal Albert Hall. The history of it, to be able to come and be on stage with the rest of the nominees, and who knows, you could win. Maybe you will, maybe you wont.

'Its such an honour to be able to be included in this company, to be able to come to Great Britain and put on a show and try to tell a story as best you can and if you get a tap on the shoulder and they say, "Wed like to nominate you for something", then wow, fantastic.'

Support: Anne-Marie Duff, left, and Imogen Poots, right, also arrived wearing Time's Up pins

The cause: Resplendent in a black gown, Lesley Joseph threw her support behind the cause

Sporting: Michelle Collins sported a pin as she made her way up the expansive red carpet

He said of the production: 'It was written over 40 years ago, its an enormously prescient story. In the '70s, I think it was written as a farce and now in 2018, not so much of a farce.

'The media is maligned, there are some challenging things, specifically in my country, that need to be addressed, and through art, I think thats really a way of communicating to society that change is possible.

'And hopefully we look at that and say there are opportunities here. The younger generation is making tremendous strides in how we think about things. And if we can be assistant in that area thats great.'

Match: Tom Fletcher and wife Giovanna wore matching black ensembles - and matching pins

Dapper: Sam Mendes, left, and Alfred Molina, right, added the pins to their stylish tuxedos

Award: Mel Giedroyc wore a pin as she presented a Best new Comedy award to James Graham
She plays superhero Scarlet Witch in the hotly anticipated latest movie in the Marvel cinematic universe.

And Elizabeth Olsen sizzled as she arrived at a fan event for Avengers: Infinity War in London on Sunday.

The 29-year-old actress flaunted her gravity-defying, braless cleavage in a plunging jungle green leather dress which hugged her slender figure.

Taking the plunge: Elizabeth Olsen sizzled as she arrived at a fan event for Avengers: Infinity War in London on Sunday

The quirky gown also featured statement 80s inspired shoulder pads and a gathered waist, before flaunting her toned legs in a asymmetric miniskirt.

The Wanda Maximoff starlet added height to her look with black stilettos.

Her caramel tresses were slicked back from her face while her pretty features were enhanced with feline flicks of liner, fluttery lashes, peachy blush and a rose lipstick.

Clearly in great spirits as she attended the event, the star couldn't resist cracking an animated smile as she arrived, joining co-stars including Paul Bettany, Tom Holland, Benedict Cumberbatch and Letitia Wright.

Leggy: The 29-year-old actress flaunted her gravity-defying, braless cleavage in a plunging jungle green leather dress which hugged her slender figure

Hypnotic: The quirky gown also featured statement 80s inspired shoulder pads and a gathered wais

Happy: Clearly in great spirits as she attended the event, the star couldn't resist cracking an animated smile as she arrived

Beauty: Her caramel tresses were slicked back from her face while her pretty features were enhanced with feline flicks of liner, fluttery lashes, peachy blush and a rose lipstick

Toned: The Wanda Maximoff starlet added height to her look with black stilettos

Magical: Elizabeth plays Scarlet Witch in the upcoming flick, who wows with her magical, hypnosis and telekinesis powers

Benedict, 41, who plays Doctor Strange in the film, looked dapper as he rocked up to the event with his beautiful wife Sophie Hunter.

The Sherlock star and father of two donned a stylish black suit suit and fitted white shirt as he posed.

His stunning wife showed off her trim figure in a metallic floral dress with sheer sleeves as she posed.

Chatty: Elizabeth joined co-star Tom Hiddleston on the red carpet with the pair smiling as they chatted

Good to see you: Tom warmly embraced Elizabeth as the pair caught up

Hey! Tom shot a sultry look as Elizabeth high-fived a pal for the cameras

Smitten: Benedict Cumberbatch, 41, who plays Doctor Strange in the film, looked dapper as he rocked up to the event with his beautiful wife Sophie Hunter

Dapper: The Sherlock star and father of two donned a stylish black suit suit and fitted white shirt as he posed

Handsome: The Sherlock star is seen as the Master of the Mystic Arts in the film

Suited and booted: Spider-Man star Tom Holland, 21, rocked a silver checked suit and black tie for his turn on the purple carpet

Reboot: The British star is pictured with Robert Downey Jr as IronMan in the new film

Spider-Man star Tom Holland, 21, rocked a silver checked suit and black tie for his turn on the purple carpet.

He was also seen making friends with a fellow Spider-Man who had donned the iconic suit for the premiere.

Paul Bettany, 46, who plays robot The Vision, donned a camel suit and grey sweater vest as he arrived, finishing his cool look with a pair of tinted shades.

Spidey sense: He was also seen making friends with a fellow Spider-Man who had donned the iconic suit for the premiere

Star: Paul Bettany, 46, who plays robot The Vision, donned a camel suit and grey sweater vest as he arrived, finishing his cool look with a pair of tinted shades

Robot/sentient being: Paul looked focused as he transformed into a superhero for the flick

Leggy: Black Panther and Avengers star Letitia Wright, 24, who plays Shuri, wowed in a military style coat dress and patent leather boots

Radiant: Letitia showed off her pretty features and flawless complexion as she smiled at fans

Bromance: Tom looked touched as he chatted with his Spidey alter-ego

Good to see you: Tom shook hands with Tom Hiddleston, 37, who plays Loki in the films

Avengers: Infinity War is the sequel to 2012's The Avengers and 2015's Avengers: Age of Ultron.

Two years after the Avengers were ripped apart during the events of Captain America: Civil War, evil Thanos arrives on earth to collect the Infinity Stones for a gauntlet which will allow him to bend reality.

The Avengers must unite with the Guardians of the Galaxy to stop him before he destroys half the universe.

Avengers: Infinity War hits theatres on April 27, 2018.

Leggy display: Elizabeth flaunted her flawless legs as she happily chatted with the press

Hunk: Sebastian Stan, 35, who plays White Wolf, wowed in a navy blue suit and black shirt

A-listers assemble: Sebastian and Letitia, who appeared in Black Panther together oozed confidence as they posed

Star-studded: (L-R) Joe Russo, Sebastian Stan, Tom Hiddleston, Elizabeth, Paul, Letitia, Benedict, Tom and Anthony Russo posed up at the event

Fun times: A group of lucky fans joined the cast of the soon to be hit film
Hamilton was the night's big winner at Sunday's 2018 Olivier Awards, going home with seven gongs out of its record breaking 13 nominations.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's musical, which has been a huge sellout hit on both sides to the Atlantic, won the evening's big prizes included Best New Musical and Best Actor for Giles Terera.

But despite its impressive haul, the crowd-pleaser failed to beat the record set by last year's runaway success- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which won nine gongs.

Winner! Hamilton was the night's big winner at Sunday's 2018 Olivier Awards, going home with seven gongs including Best New Musical

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child were up for 11 awards at the prestigious theatre event last year and won nine of them, taking home the title for the most Oliviers ever received.

The highest amount awarded to a musical so far is seven, a record set by Matilda in 2012.

Hamilton's Giles Terera beat his co-star Jamael Westman to the hotly contested Best Actor in a Musical category on Sunday's event, held at the Royal Albert Hall.

Big night: The cast of Hamilton turned out in force at the Royal Albert Hall in London

Seven wins: Despite its impressive haul, the crowd-pleaser failed to beat the record set by last year's runaway success- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which won nine gongs

Meanwhile composer-lyricist Lin-Manuel Miranda and orchestrator Alex Lacamoire were recognised for their Outstanding Achievement in Music for the musical which tells the story of one of the Founding Fathers of the United States Alexander Hamilton.

Michael Jibson was awarded Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for his role as King George. The shows other wins came for Best Lighting Design (Howell Binkley), Best Sound Design (Nevin Steinberg), and Best Theatre Choreographer (Andy Blankenbuehler).

Elsewhere on the night, The Old Vics Girl From The North Country, based on the musical works of Bob Dylan, saw Shirley Henderson and Sheila Atim win Best Actress in a Musical and Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical respectively.

Bryan Cranston marked his West End debut at the National Theatre with the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the hot ticket production, Network.

Acting gong: Bryan Cranston marked his West End debut at the National Theatre with the Olivier Award for Best Actor for his lead role in the hot ticket production, Network

Big night: Doctor Foster star Bertie Carvel accepted the award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his part in Ink

Trio of talent: Sheila Atim, winner of Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Girl from The North Country) presented by Beverley Knight and Alexandra Burke

Her winning night: Chicago star Cuba Gooding Jr presented Shirley Henderson with the Best Actress In A Musical award for Girl From The North Country

Jez Butterworths The Ferryman was another big winner, collecting three Olivier Awards ahead of its move to Broadway: Virgin Atlantic Best New Play, Best Director for Sam Mendes, and Best Actress for Laura Donnelly.

Catherine Tate hosted the 2018 Olivier awards, which celebrate the best of London theatre, with the cast of Hamilton opening the star-studded show at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Other performances on the night included a tribute to the 60th anniversary of the premiere London production of West Side Story from musical theatre legend Chita Rivera.

The 50th anniversary of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rices musical Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was also marked, with past stars including Jason Donovan, Linzi Hateley, Lee Mead, Preeya Kalidas, Joe McElderry and Danielle Hope performing.

Another hit: Jez Butterworth, winner of the Best New Play award for The Ferryman (left) and aura Donnelly, winner of the Best Actress award for the same play

Talented duo: Kristen McNally (R) and Marcelino Sambe (L) accept the award for Best New Dance Production for Flight Pattern

Host: Catherine Tate hosted the 2018 Olivier awards, which celebrate the best of London theatre
His movie, Isle Of Dogs, hit theaters last month.

But on Sunday, Liev Schreiber was out to play with his own dog at Washington Square Park in New York City.

The actor, 50, was joined by his girlfriend, 26-year-old Taylor Neisen, for the quick trip to the dog park.

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Doggy date: Liev Schreiber was spotted at Washington Square Park in NYC on Sunday with his pooch, Woodrow, and 26-year-old girlfriend Taylor Neisen

Dressed for the Big Apple's mild spring chill, the Ray Donovan actor sported a black sweatshirt and grey knit gloves.

He teamed his look up with a black-and-white hat, lace-up sneakers, and grey sweatpants.

The father-of-two had a hearty beard across his jawline, while he let his dog, named Woodrow, run around.

Fun outing: Dressed for the Big Apple's mild spring chill, the Ray Donovan actor sported a black sweatshirt and grey knit gloves

Taylor, who is a former Miss South Dakota, joined her actor beau for the outing, matching his casual style in a black hooded jacket.

The beauty queen paired her look with black leggings and white running shoes, while pulling her blonde tresses back into a messy ponytail.

The duo, who have been romantically linked since last year, looked at ease during the trip, letting Woodrow, whose nickname is Woody, sit on their laps.

Coordination: Taylor, who is a former Miss South Dakota, matched Liev's casual style wearing a black sweatshirt and leggings

At one point, Liev even joined his playful pooch for a quick jog.

The Emmy award winner is especially close to his furry friend since adopting Woodrow in September of last year.

Apparently, it was love at first sight. On an episode of Live With Kelly And Ryan, Liev immediately decided to take home a pair of puppies - one of them being Woody - who were displaced from their Texas shelter by Hurricane Harvey.

And the father-dog duo have been inseparable ever since.

Fun on the run: Liev joined his dog, whom he adopted last September on an episode of Live With Kelly And Ryan, on a quick jog around the park

The star and former partner Naomi Watts, 49, announced their split in September 2016 after 11 years together.

They have sons Alexander, 10, and nine-year-old Samuel together.

Naomi and Liev have remained openly amicable since ending their romance and are often photographed enjoying a walk in New York City with his dog and their children.
They have put on a united front since splitting over a year ago.

And Ben Affleck was spotted at church with his ex, Jennifer Garner, and their children Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine and six-year-old son Sam in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on Sunday.

The 45-year-old Batman V Superman star showed off his muscular chest in a tight mid-blue T-shirt that he wore with a black and grey hoodie, grey skinny pants and sneakers.

Proud papa: Ben Affleck was surrounded by his children, Violet, 12, Seraphina, nine and six-year-old son Sam, as they left church in Pacific Palisades, Los Angeles, on Sunday

Sam lead the way as they left the building, turning to talk to his towering 6ft 4in dad as Violet and Seraphina followed on behind.

The little lad looked cute in a blue hoodie and jeans that he tucked into Ugg boots, even though the weather was pleasantly warm.

The girls were dressed for spring with Violet in a navy blue top and pleated plaid mini-skirt in pastel tones plus white slides.

Her younger sister wore a sleeveless white T-shirt with a graphic image on the front, pale blue pants, a yellow sweater tied around her waist and white slides.

Ready for spring: A smiling Jennifer, 45, walked out separately holding a piece of art created by one of her children

Sunday style: The Miracles From Heaven star completed her ensemble with a blue leather bag

A smiling Jennifer, 45, walked out separately holding a piece of art created by one of her children.

The beautiful brunette looked ready for spring in a fitted, short-sleeved dress with a jazzy pattern of flowers.

The family left together in Jennifer's black Range Rover.

The pair maintain a co-parenting relationship despite their split and even took a recent trip to Hawaii together for the Easter holiday.

Solo run: The 45-year-old Batman V Superman star arrived at the church on his own

It was a handy location for Ben who has been in Hawaii shooting his new Netflix film, Triple Frontier.

Jen and Ben married in June 2005, and filed legal documents to divorce last April after two years apart.

The actress has yet to find new love but Ben has moved on with Saturday Night Live producer Lindsay Shookus.
They were portrayed as the 'golden couple' on Married At First Sight.

But Telv Williams and Sarah Roza reportedly had a tumultuous relationship during filming, with NW claiming they 'actually broke up four to five times' before the show even went to air.

The magazine also alleged the 38-year-old beauty specialist would feel 'abandoned' by her TV husband, 33, when he went to the gym and that they bickered over how much time they should be spending together.

'She literally dragged his suitcase out the door': Explosive claims have surfaced that Married At First Sight's Telv Williams and Sarah Roza 'split FIVE times during filming'

In a particularly explosive claim, a source told NW that Sarah 'flipped out' after Telv questioned her reasons for being on the show.

'Sarah would often talk about how they could stay in the spotlight and make money off their appearance on the show, and started screaming at Telv when he brought this up,' said the magazine's insider.

'She was upset and threw his clothes out of her house and told him that was it. She literally dragged his suitcase out the door and threw it onto the footpath for everyone to see - he was mortified!'

'Sarah would talk about how they could stay in the spotlight': In a particularly explosive claim, a source alleged Sarah 'flipped out' after Telv questioned her reasons for being on the show

Speaking of the MAFS couple's on-again-off-again romance, the source claimed that Sarah was 'trying and trying' to make her relationship with Telv work.

However, the father-of-two had apparently 'seen a side of her that he didn't like' and was unwilling to reconcile - but he was nonetheless 'devastated' by the breakup.

One of the apparent 'red flags' for Telv was Sarah's expectations about their relationship, according to the insider.

'I want you to love me as much as you love your children': One of the apparent 'red flags' for Telv was Sarah's expectations about their relationship, according to NW's insider

They explained: 'Telv realised enough was enough when she said to him, "I want you to love me as much as you love your children. I want to be on the same level".'

According to NW, MAFS producers also staged an 'emergency' counselling session between Telv and Sarah before the reunion episodes were filmed.

This apparent last-ditch attempt to save their relationship reportedly came after Sarah dumped Telv 'via text message' while he was spending time with his friends.

Last-ditch attempt: According to NW, MAFS producers also staged an 'emergency' counselling session between Telv and Sarah before the reunion episodes were filmed

Telv's mother, Tracey Bamblett Onus, previously told Daily Mail Australia that her son didn't want to go ahead with the vow renewal ceremony because he and Sarah had already split.

'They (producers) were coercing him into doing something which he basically didn't want and that was to do the re-commitment ceremony,' Tracey said last month.

'They asked him to stay because of the show,' she claimed.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Sarah Roza and Channel Nine for comment.
He previously shut down questions about his sexuality, declaring on radio: 'I am 110 per cent not gay.'

But Nasser Sultan, 51, has reignited speculation after he was pictured with a mystery man in Surry Hills last week, according to NW.

An insider claimed the Married At First Sight star enjoyed a boozy lunch with a 'flamboyant' gentleman before they 'stumbled' back to Nasser's apartment together.

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Out and about: MAFS' Nasser Sultan (pictured top left) was pictured enjoying a boozy lunch with a mystery man in Surry Hills on April 4. An insider told NW magazine, 'At one point Nasser was holding the guy's hand and seemed to kiss him on the cheek while whispering in his ear'

'They definitely looked like more than friends... Nasser couldn't keep his hands off him!' the unnamed source said.

'They tried to keep a low profile at first, but after a couple of drinks they didn't seem to mind who noticed them.'

The insider continued: 'At one point Nasser was holding the guy's hand and seemed to kiss him on the cheek while whispering in his ear.'

Over: The photos come two months after his split from ex Gabrielle Bartlett

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Nasser Sultan and Channel Nine for comment.

In February, the fitness instructor responded to gay rumours, after radio presenter Kyle Sandilands asked about his sexuality on the The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

'I am 110 per cent not gay,' Nasser said firmly.

'I'm not gay!' Nasser previously shut down rumours surrounding his sexuality during an appearance on the Kyle and Jackie O show

'I live in the gay community, trust me... If I was gay, I'd be a rock star! If I was gay I'd live the lifestyle of it... I'm 100 million per cent' straight.'

On Married At First Sight, viewers watched Nasser and his 'wife' Gabrielle Bartlett, 44, clash over their lack of intimacy.

Gabrielle felt rejected because Nasser did not want to have any physical interaction.

Sexless marriage: On Married At First Sight, viewers watched Nasser and Gabrielle clash over their lack of intimacy

He said: 'Honestly, there's so much pressure, you know, you're getting filmed and there's 12-hour days and you're getting pulled...'

Kyle interjected: 'But you're not getting pulled, that's the problem!'

Last month, Nasser shared a photo of himself celebrating Sydney's Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras with a group of scantily-clad male friends before mysteriously deleting it.
Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane took their flirty friendship to the next level on Sunday night's Bachelor In Paradise.

But an on-set source told Woman's Day on Monday that the reality TV lovebirds have done more than share a passionate kiss.

An insider claimed the couple were 'at it like rabbits' during filming at the Mango Bay Resort in Fiji.

'They would brag about what they'd got up to in the shower the night before!' Tara Pavlovic and Sam Cochrane were reportedly 'at it like rabbits' while filming Bachelor In Paradise

'Both Sam and Tara would openly brag to the others about what they'd got up to the night before and didn't hold back on the details,' claimed the source.

'Tara would joke she and Sam had been "clapping" in the shower the night before.'

Back in December, Woman's Day reported on Sam's alleged outdoor shower tryst with a then-unidentified female cast member.

Raunchy gossip: A source claimed to Woman's Day, 'Both Sam and Tara would openly brag to the others about what they'd got up to the night before and didn't hold back on the details'

'He spent his stay bragging about his outdoor shower shenanigans with a female cast member,' a source said at the time.

In a rather familiar turn of phrase, the publication reported that Sam and his female companion had been 'clapping in the shower'.

It would appear that Monday's report and the Woman's Day article from December refer to the same alleged encounter.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Network Ten for comment.

Long-running rumour: Back in December, Woman's Day reported on Sam's alleged outdoor shower tryst with a then-unidentified female cast member

On Sunday's episode of Bachelor In Paradise, Tara and Sam finally kissed.

Tara, 28, later said: 'It was the most perfect date I could have ever imagined. I feel like we've definitely progressed from friends to more than friends.'

Bachelor In Paradise continues Monday at 7:30pm on Network Ten
Armin Strom announces a new distributor partnership with Swiss Prestige. Swiss Prestige will bring attentive, personalized services and shopping experiences to Asian luxury consumers with a strong human touch.

"Our focus is on exceptional, luxurious products. With its distinctive designs featuring their in-house movements, all made in small quantities, Armin Strom is a terrific addition to our curated selection of watch brands," said Jacqueline Ng CEO of Swiss Prestige.

This new partnership, an extension of the Armin Stroms existing business network, is a tremendous achievement for the brand and recognition of the company's creativity, brand value and unstinting effort. We are talking about developing unique and ground-breaking services and products, all of which will make an incredible user experience explained Serge Michel, owner of the brand.

Armin Strom watches are designed to reveal the inner mechanics of the movement on the front of the dial. The magnificence of a timepiece is that its a tiny, perfectly built mechanical engine that keeps precise time, explained Claude Greisler CEO of the brand. The movement is the heart of the watch and being able to see it operate creates a dynamic piece of art. It reflects a centuries-old craft and is a true investment."

With 20 employees in its Bienne headquarters, Armin Strom designs and creates all its own movements and cases. Every watch is hand finished by the company's highly skilled watchmakers and with the innovative watch configurator the timepiece can be easily configured and personalized.

In watchmaking, skeletonizing is a term used to describe the removal of any extraneous metal from the workings of a timepiece. Founded by master skeletonizer Armin Strom in 1967, the Michel family purchased the company in 2006 and invested in facilities and equipment so the company could begin producing all its own movements for its timepieces.

Swiss prestige is firmly established as a leading distributor of fine Swiss watches throughout Asia. Through its head office and subsidiaries, Swiss Prestige represents well-known Swiss watch brands in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Australia.
She's the Bachelor In Paradise contestant who embraced a carefree, globetrotting lifestyle after ending her first marriage.

And Megan Marx has now spoken about her physical transformation over the last 10 years, revealing she has spent $47,000 on cosmetic procedures.

The 29-year-old reality TV star told NW magazine on Monday she went under the knife for a second nose job only last month.

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How you've changed! Bachelor In Paradise's Megan Marx has shared details of the whopping $47,000 worth of cosmetic procedures she's undergone to achieve her bombshell looks

The bisexual divorcee, who had an earlier 'liquid nose job' done with fillers, had her latest rhinoplasty procedure done by plastic surgeon Dr. Michael Zacharia.

'I like to eat healthy and work out, but no matter how much of that you do, your nose doesn't get any smaller,' she told the publication.

Megan, who revealed she didn't wear a bikini 'until I was 24' due to being raised in a religious cult, admitted she did have breast augmentation surgery when she was 18.

Honest: Megan, who revealed she didn't wear a bikini 'until I was 24' due to being raised in a religious cult, admitted she did have breast augmentation surgery when she was 18

'It's bizarre right? I hadn't even had sex yet and I saved up and didn't tell a single person I went to get them done,' she explained.

After having her boobs done, Megan had fillers put in her cheeks, a 'lip lift' and Botox injected around her eyes - but told NW she is 'done with plastic surgery now'.

When asked if she thought her male co-stars on Bachelor In Paradise had had similar work done, she was coy: 'I'm not going to comment, sorry!'

Extensive: After having her boobs done, Megan had fillers put in her cheeks, a 'lip lift' and Botox injected around her eyes - but told NW she is 'done with plastic surgery now'

Surgery: 'I like to eat healthy and work out, but no matter how much of that you do, your nose doesn't get any smaller,' Megan said

She was much more open when it came to dishing on her fellow female contestants.

'Oh yeah! Lots of the girls (on Paradise) have probably had something done,' she happily speculated.

Megan was introduced to TV audiences on The Bachelor in 2016. During the show, she dramatically quit despite being a front-runner to win Richie Strahan's heart.

'Lots of the girls (on Paradise) have probably had something done,' she happily speculated
REASONS FOR TURNBULL TURNING ON ABBOTT:

- "Many people" urged him to do it "over a long period of time".

- The Abbott government was unsuccessful in providing "the economic leadership that we need".

- "Ultimately, the prime minister has not been capable of providing the economic leadership our nation needs. He has not been capable of providing the economic confidence that business needs."

- Australians need a style of leadership that respects peoples' intelligence, explains complex issues and makes a case for a course of action. "We need advocacy, not slogans."

- The coalition has lost 30 Newspolls in a row. "It is clear that the people have made up their mind about Mr Abbott's leadership."

- The Liberal Party has the right values but has not translated those values into policies which "excite" voters.

- Traditional cabinet government must be restored and an end brought to "policy on the run and captain's calls".

- MPs, senators and the wider public must be consulted before decisions are announced.

- A change of leadership would improve the coalition's chances in the Canning by-election (which the Liberal Party later won).

--

(Source: Malcolm Turnbull media conference, September 14, 2015)
WHY HAS TURNBULL'S POLL POSITION TANKED?

- Following the July 2, 2016, double-dissolution federal election which Malcolm Turnbull won by a single seat, the August 30 Newspoll put the coalition and Labor at 50-50.

- Since then the coalition has consistently trailed Labor in two-party terms.

- The downward drift for the Liberal-National coalition occurred at the same time there was furious political debate over a compulsory same-sex marriage plebiscite, giving voters a clear impression of disunity in the government.

- Turnbull endured a terrible 2016-17 summer, losing minister Sussan Ley over an expenses scandal, facing a series of stories exposing Centrelink's "robodebt" plan, the leaked feisty phone call with Donald Trump and Liberal senator Cory Bernardi quitting to form Australian Conservatives.

- By mid-February 2017 the Newspoll two-party rating for coalition sunk to 45 per cent.

- As the parliamentary year began, the coalition's stocks picked up, hitting 48 per cent in March as Turnbull legislated for an MP expenses watchdog and secured a small business tax cut, giving an impression of getting on with the job.

- The government kept its stocks around 47 per cent by thawing the Medicare rebate freeze in the May budget, introducing a levy on the much-hated banks, talking about cuts to power bills and revealing Gonski 2.0.

- However, it all went awry with the citizenship scandal claiming Barnaby Joyce and others, and by November 2017 the coalition's two-party position was back to 45 per cent.

- Passing laws to allow same-sex marriage and a lack of any major controversy over the 2017-18 summer break helped lift the coalition's vote to 48 per cent in the first Newspoll for 2018 (February 18) which slipped back a point since then.

- But the fallout from the Joyce scandal set the government back again.

- An Ipsos/Fairfax poll published on the Saturday before the expected 30th Newspoll showed voters didn't want a change of prime minister and had the government and Labor 48-52.
Former union boss Peter Malinauskas is set to be installed as opposition leader in South Australia, capping off his meteoric rise up the Labor ranks.

The Labor caucus will meet for the first time after the party's election loss on Monday with Mr Malinauskas expected to be named leader unopposed.

Former education minister Susan Close is likely to be named his deputy in what will signal a major reworking of Labor's frontbench.

The revamp could involve six new faces coming into the shadow ministry with some senior figures bowing out.

As well as outgoing premier Jay Weatherill, former attorney-general John Rau and previous ministers Leon Bignell and Ian Hunter, are tipped to head to the backbench.

At the March poll, Mr Malinauskas successfully moved from the upper house to the House of Assembly in what was then seen as preparation for him taking over as the next Labor leader.

But had the ALP been returned last month he would likely have had to cool his heels until the next election or at least until a year or so before the poll.

He'll now take over a Labor team stung by its election defeat but certainly not decimated.

Labor retained 19 seats in the new parliament despite a recent redistribution, which did the party no favours, and now has a chance of returning to the government benches in 2022.

Mr Malinauskas only entered parliament in 2015, filling a casual vacancy in the upper house.

The 37-year-old was previously the state secretary for the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), the union that wields considerable power in Labor's dominant right faction.

He entered the cabinet in a 2016 reshuffle, taking on the police and emergency services portfolios before taking on the much more challenging role of health minister when Jack Snelling stood down in 2017.

He's had little to say about his decision to bid for the Labor leadership, only confirming he would be a candidate and thanking Mr Weatherill for his service.

"After much reflection and discussion with my family, I have decided to nominate for the position of leader of the South Australian Parliamentary Labor Party," Mr Malinauskas said.

"Out of respect for the caucus process, I will not be making public comment in the immediate future."

But his elevation seems assured, with his only serious contender, former treasurer Tom Koutsantonis, ruling himself out.
Even before he entered state parliament, Peter Malinauskas was lauded as a future Labor leader in South Australia.

Affable, articulate and intelligent, the 37-year-old also has the necessary Labor pedigree to lead a party rocked but far from decimated by its state election loss.

On Monday he's widely tipped to take over from former premier Jay Weatherill, ironically, the man who he helped install as SA's 45th premier in 2011.

As the then state secretary the Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA), the powerful "shoppies" union, it was Mr Malinauskas who went with then treasurer Jack Snelling to tell premier Mike Rann that his time was up if Labor was to have any chance of winning the 2014 poll.

What ensued was a surprisingly orderly transition with Mr Rann bowing out and Mr Weatherill taking over.

On the face of things, it was a wise move.

Labor defied the odds to be returned four years ago, and even in the face of ongoing scandals and an unfavourable redraw of election boundaries, performed better than expected last month, retaining a healthy 19 seats in the next parliament.

Mr Malinauskas hasn't said much about seeking the party leadership, merely confirming he would be a candidate when the Labor caucus meets on Monday.

"After much reflection and discussion with my family, I have decided to nominate for the position of leader of the South Australian Parliamentary Labor Party," he said.

But, in the best traditions of union leaders, he's been working hard behind the scenes, speaking with his parliamentary colleagues to ensure he has the team he wants to seek a return to government in 2022.

Mr Malinauskas only entered parliament in 2015, filling a casual vacancy in the Legislative Council.

He entered the cabinet in a 2016 reshuffle, taking on the police and emergency services portfolios before being elevated to the much more challenging role of health minister when Mr Snelling stood down in 2017.

A government agency insider told AAP that they had never had a minister like him, one that could so quickly grasp the issues of real concern, cut through bureaucracy and bring people together to find solutions.

Another example of his "hands-on" approach came on the night he was sworn in as health minister.

Heading home that day he was driving past the new Royal Adelaide Hospital and decided to just drop to speak with management. No planning, no preparation, no entourage.

At the March election, Mr Malinauskas successfully moved from SA's upper to lower house, taking over the safe Labor seat of Croydon from the retiring Michael Atkinson.

On Monday he'll likely assume the mantle of Labor leader, taking charge of an opposition that has been surprisingly quiet since its loss, perhaps already planning its revenge in as little as four year's time.
* Former union boss Peter Malinauskas is set to be named South Australia's new Labor leader at a caucus meeting on Monday.

* His election will signal a changing of the guard for Labor in SA with a number of former ministers heading to the back bench.

* Mr Malinauskas only entered parliament in 2015 to fill a casual vacancy, was elevated to the ministry later that year, and became health minister in 2017.

* At the March state election, he successfully moved from the upper house to the lower house, taking over the safe Labor seat of Croydon from the retiring Michael Atkinson.

* Married with two young children, he was previously the state secretary of the powerful Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees' Association (SDA).

* Mr Malinauskas first came to prominence in 2011 when, with then treasurer Jack Snelling, he went to tell premier Mike Rann that his time was up if Labor wanted to win the 2014 election.

* Educated at Mercedes College in Adelaide, he has a bachelor of commerce degree from the University of Adelaide.

* He started his working life at Woolworths at age 15.
Australia's energy minister doesn't believe foreign investment laws would pose any hurdle to a Hong Kong-based company buying the ageing Liddell coal-fired power station.

The Turnbull government is pressuring Liddell's owner AGL to seriously consider a bid from Alinta Energy to buy the generator, which is the oldest in Australia and slated for closure in 2022.

So far, Alinta's interest has extended to a phone call and an email, but minister Josh Frydenberg understands the company intends to put a more formal offer to AGL by the end of April.

AGL has shown no interest in selling the plant.

Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises bought Alinta last year.

In August 2016, the federal government blocked the sale of NSW electricity network Ausgrid to Hong Kong and Chinese investors, citing national security concerns.

But Mr Frydenberg said those were different circumstances because of the nature of the assets that could be sold.

"Alinta already supplies more than a million customers throughout our country," he told ABC TV on Sunday.

The company owns some transmission assets, and gas and renewable generators and recently bought the Loy Yang B power station.

"I'm not going to go into the entrails of a decision of the Foreign Investment Review Board other than to say the broad point which is that there is a difference between the nature of certain energy assets," Mr Frydenberg said.

The minister and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull have spoken over the past week with AGL management and board members to emphasise their belief selling Liddell to someone who would prolong its life by a few years would be in the public interest.

"We've made it very clear that it's in the interests of the company to consider this offer," Mr Frydenberg said on Sunday.
A major outback river has broken its banks for the first time in seven years and brought relief to farmers in the drought-stricken southwestern corner of Queensland.

The Diamantina River, which runs through the Channel Country, has been topped up by flooding rains that drenched Winton in the first week of March.

Local Mayor Geoff Morton called it a "handy" flood which would assist tourism, the council and more importantly graziers, who have been praying for rain.

"The Diamantina bursts its banks once every four years and it's the first time the river has burst its banks since 2011, so it's well overdue," he told AAP on Sunday.

"There are three areas of industry here, and that's the council, tourism and grazing, that will do well.

"It's not a major flood, but it's a handy, moderate flood and for graziers upstream it will ensure their season for two years."

Not only will it mean steady crops until 2020 for farmers upstream and about one year for those around Birdsville, but it also means jobs.

Mr Morton, who has lived in Birdsville for 63 years and is in his second term as Diamantina Shire Council Mayor, said the flood would cause some minor damage and that would help local employment.

"For council, it means, it will help with our sustainability because it will provide work in repairing the roads. The bird life, after this around Birdsville and upstream from here, will be prolific which is good for tourism."

He said locals had been waiting for the water to arrive ever since Winton was awash because the area had been as "dry as a limeburner's boot."

The only disappointment was that the Diamantina River was the only source and local creeks and tributaries failed to top up the water as it travelled south.

"We had warning it was coming and the only thing is, as it came down the river, it fell away a lot," he said.

"When it went past Diamantina Lakes it was the second highest flood reading by my records ... by the time it got to here it was just a handy flood. All the large tributaries and creeks ... didn't contribute."
The navy crew that located a downed US Marines craft off Rockhampton has been awarded one of the Royal Australian Navy's highest honours by Prince Charles.

Three marines were killed when their tilt-rotor MV-22 Osprey crashed at Shoalwater Bay, near Rockhampton, during a training exercise last August.

The Prince of Wales handed over the Duke of Gloucestor Cup to HS Blue crew on board HMAS Leeuwin base on Sunday - the first time it has been awarded to a vessel in Cairns or a hydrographic ship.

HS Blue Crew operated on a multi-crew system rotating between two hydrographic ships, HMAS Leeuwin and HMAS Melville, the latter of which is currently undergoing maintenance.

It was aboard Melville that their exploits set them apart from the rest of the navy, with achievements including the discovery of several uncharted shoals and performing underwater recovery of the US Marine Corps' crashed MV-22 Osprey tilt rotor aircraft near Rockhampton in August.

"HS Blue's exceptional contribution to the full spectrum of operations throughout 2017 has distinguished you from amongst the other fine units of the Royal Australian Navy," Charles said.

"I know that these outstanding achievements are born of extraordinary hard work, discipline, and perhaps most importantly of all, genuine teamwork.

"They exemplify the very best of the Royal Australian Navy values of honesty, courage, integrity and loyalty."

Prince Charles also spoke about his own military service during his visit to HMAS Cairns base.

"That time I spent with the hydrographic service enabled me to understand its vital importance to the navy," Charles said.

"I even took part in the salvage of a merchant ship, something I discovered which proved rather beneficial to the ship's company - in descending order from the commanding officer."

Charles also paid tribute to the Anzacs who had perished in war, and the military families who supported the men and women of the navy.

"Your achievements are built on the foundations laid by the selfless dedication of all those servicemen and women who have gone before you," he said.

"Furthermore, I suspect that these achievements probably owe a considerable amount to the support, encouragement and above all the understanding of your families."
What happens now Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has been elected for a second term? Gamal Essam El-Din looks at the procedures that accompany a new presidential term

The National Electoral Commission (NEC) announced on Monday that incumbent President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi has won a second term with 97 per cent of the vote.

The declaration of Al-Sisis landslide victory begs two immediate questions: when will the president be sworn in for his second term, and will his re-election be followed by a change of government?

Parliamentary Spokesperson Salah Hassaballah told reporters he expects Al-Sisi to take his new oath of office before parliament in early June.

Given Egypts 2014 presidential election was officially announced on 3 June the current term of the incumbent president officially expires on 2 June 2018. We can therefore expect President Al-Sisi to be sworn in on that date, or immediately before, notes Salah Fawzi, a professor of constitutional law at Mansoura University and member of the governments Legislative Reform Committee.

There will be coordination between the elected president and parliament on the exact day.

Mustafa Bakri, MP and editor-in-chief of the weekly Al-Osbou, believes the ceremony could be earlier given that 2 June falls in Ramadan. He told Al-Ahram Weekly it was possible Al-Sisi will be sworn in ahead of the Holy Month.

NEC Spokesperson Mahmoud Al-Sherif announced during the NECs Monday press conference that any appeals against the results of the election must be lodged with the Supreme Administrative Court within 48 hours. In the event of no appeals the result will be considered final, said Al-Sherif. Should appeals be filed a final ruling will be issued within 10 days, or on 14 April at the latest.

Article 144 of the constitution states the elected president must be sworn in before parliament. In 2014, when no parliament was sitting, Al-Sisi was sworn before the Supreme Constitutional Court (SCC).

The end of a presidential term brings several processes with it. Under Article 25 of the Local Administration Law (Law 43/1979) governors must submit their resignations, though Fawzi explains there is no constitutional or legislative article that imposes the same stipulation on the government.

Bakri told the Weekly he expects not only a change of governors but a major cabinet reshuffle and the appointment of new media sector heads.

There is widespread feeling that the government of Prime Minister Sherif Ismail has lost its shine. Ismail himself has undergone surgery this year and may well be too frail for the job.

What we want, says Bakri, is a new, younger face who can energise the government.

Bakri also expects that a new political party to be created during Al-Sisis second term.

The last four years have made clear the presidents need for a political party to defend his policies and respond to his critics.

Several MPs have told the Weekly the government is likely to tender its resignation following President Al-Sisis swearing in ceremony.

Alaa Abed, head of parliaments Human Rights Committee, maintains Egypt is in desperate need of a new government.

We need fighters not cabinet ministers and provincial governors with trembling hands, Abed said. Ismails government contains too many ministers who have proved a disappointment. They must be replaced by people who can deliver reforms and improved services.

"There needs to be a sweeping cabinet reshuffle with more than half the cabinet replaced, says Ahmed Ismail, a member of parliaments Defence and National Security Committee.

Mohamed Abdallah Zein, deputy chairman of the Transport Committee, agrees. The current government did everything it could in the first presidential term and now needs to be changed, he says.

Beheira MP Ashraf Rehim argues the government of Sherif Ismail shouldered the burden of implementing the IMFs package of economic reforms but now we need a new cabinet that will focus on improving the lot of citizens who cannot afford the costs of another round of reform.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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A West Australian parliamentary inquiry into end of life choices will resume with six advocacy groups and a former chief minister of the Northern Territory giving evidence this week.

Victoria-based Dying for Choice and Switzerland-based Dignitas will address the joint select committee on Monday afternoon.

On Friday, evidence will be given by four groups including Exit International and Dying with Dignity (WA).

Marshall Perron, who as chief minister of the Northern Territory in 1995 introduced the nation's first voluntary euthanasia legislation, only to have it later axed by the federal government, will also give evidence.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is shrugging off his 30th straight Newspoll loss - one of the markers he cited when he rolled Tony Abbott for the country's top job.

According to the latest Newspoll published in Monday's The Australian, the coalition trails Labor 48-52 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.

However, the coalition has narrowed the margin by a point.

Mr Turnbull laid out several reasons for challenging the sitting prime minister in 2015, which included Mr Abbott's loss of 30 Newspolls in a row.

Mr Turnbull told The Australian, after being told of the Newspoll results on Sunday, that he was confident he had the backing of the partyroom and would be staying as leader to fight the election next year.

"I don't think there is anyone, frankly, suggesting I don't," Mr Turnbull said.

He did acknowledge, without mentioning Mr Abbott, disruptions in the party were causing issues but said he was focused on winning the election due in the second half of next year.

"We are in a close, tight political environment. The next election is absolutely there to be won," he said.

"My job is not there to be distracted by polls, but to focus on our policies and on delivering for the Australian people."

He told News Corp tabloids opinion polls weren't definitive.

"If opinion polls determined who would win elections," then "Kristina Keneally would be the member for Bennelong and Nick Xenophon ... Premier of South Australia," Mr Turnbull said, in reference to opinion poll results that did not eventuate at the respective elections.

According to the latest Newspoll, taken between Thursday and Sunday, Mr Turnbull remains preferred prime minister at 38 per cent to Opposition Leader Bill Shorten's 36 per cent.

The latest Ipsos/Fairfax poll published on Saturday showed the coalition only trailing by two per cent at 48-52, based on how preferences flowed at the last election

Mr Abbott insists he is not about to challenge Mr Turnbull for a return.

"None of us should live in the past or dwell on things," Mr Abbott told reporters in Melbourne on Sunday before pushing off on the annual Pollie Pedal charity bike ride.

Mr Abbott, who has been stirring up the government recently with calls for a new, federally funded coal-powered generator, will be in Victoria's Latrobe Valley - where he wants the new plant to be built - on Monday.

Treasurer Scott Morrison on Sunday tried to play down the significance of the 30th Newspoll, saying people are focused on how much they are paying for their electricity and NBN connection, their jobs, and what the future is going to mean for their families.

Mr Shorten said on Sunday he didn't focus on opinion polls.

"I've made it a practice of not commenting on polls when the polls have been good, bad or indifferent," he told reporters in Perth at the start of a six-day tour of the West.

"Mr Turnbull obsesses about polls, as do the National and Liberal parties."
A Sydney man has been charged with firearms offences after shots were fired in a building in Five Dock.

A 39-year-old man was arrested at the scene at 11.15pm on Sunday. Three firearms, ammunition and other items were allegedly seized by police from the premises. No one was injured in the incident.

The man was charged with possessing three unregistered firearms and firing a firearm in or near a public place. He was refused bail to appear at Burwood Local Court on Monday.
Jordan Spieth is summoning all his powers to create another grandstand finish to the Masters, racing up the leaderboard during the final round at Augusta National.

Spieth has bagged a whopping seven birdies to race to 12-under through 13 holes, including at the par-3 12th - where he infamously threw away the 2016 Masters lead with a quadruple-bogey seven.

After starting Sunday nine shots back of leader Patrick Reed, the 2015 winner Spieth has pulled within two of his fellow American.

Reed has battled nerves to stay even par for the day and at 14-under the card having just made the turn, while final-group playing partner McIlroy has dropped a shot to 10-under.

Four-time major winner McIlroy, who needs a Masters win to complete the career grand slam, is joined in third by world No.8 Rickie Fowler and Spanish ace Jon Rahm.

World No.1 Dustin Johnson is two back at eight-under.

Cameron Smith is the leading Australian, picking up four shots on his round to sit at seven-under through 14 holes.

The Queenslander is three shots ahead of countryman Marc Leishman (12 holes), while Jason Day is a shot back at three-under.

Rounding out the Australian contingent is former Masters winner Adam Scott, who signed off on his campaign with a respectable 71 to improve to one-over.

Also at one-over is 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, whose 69 closed a disappointing Masters effort after fever pitch levels of hype coming into his first competitive trip to Augusta in three years.
Tony Abbott is sharing his words of wisdom as his successor suffers his 30th Newspoll loss.

As Malcolm Turnbull surpassed the test he set when he deposed Mr Abbott, the former prime minister was again urging the government to be the party of low power prices and to scale back immigration.

"That's what I think we need to focus on today, being the best possible government with the strongest possible policies," Mr Abbott told reporters on his annual Pollie Pedal in Victoria.
WHAT LIBERAL MPS ARE SAYING ON MONDAY ABOUT THE NEWSPOLL RESULT:

* "We are in a close, tight political environment. The next election is absolutely there to be won" - Malcolm Turnbull.

* "That's what I think we need to focus on today, being the best possible government with the strongest possible policies" - Tony Abbott.

* "The public are expressing an opinion, but it will come to a point where they will have to make a decision about who they trust with economic management and national security and I'm confident that that will be Malcolm Turnbull" - Julie Bishop.

* "What (voters) don't want is a Shorten government, people want us to succeed" - Angus Taylor.

* "It's not unusual for incumbent governments in between elections being behind in the polls, I mean we're not actually that far behind, truth be told" - Mathias Cormann.

* "Jumping at shadows at the Newspoll, or indeed 30 Newspolls, is never going to be the basis for good, sound government" - Eric Abetz.
The operators of Sydney's famous Bar Coluzzi have been fined nearly $100,000 after forcing a cook to pay back nearly a quarter of her salary.

The iconic cafe's owner Tibor Vertes was slapped with a $9720 fine by the Federal Court while his company Robit Nominees was issued with a $87,345 penalty after the cook was made to pay back hundreds of dollars each week supposedly to cover her tax and superannuation contributions.

The cook was from Italy and sponsored for a skilled worker visa by Robit Nominees so she could work at the inner-city Darlinghurst cafe for 40 hours a week for a $50,000 salary.

However the cook actually worked 54 hours a week and was unlawfully made to pay back nearly $14,000 of her salary - or $218 a week - over 15 months to her employer until she quit last November.

After she quit the cook took her case to the Fair Work Ombudsman, which found Robit Nominees had also underpaid her annual leave entitlements, overtime rates and penalty rates.

The cafe operator had also never issued her with any pay slips.

"Vertes told the worker that his company could not afford to pay her whole salary and required the cashback payments to cover tax and superannuation contributions," Acting Fair Work Ombudsman Kristen Hannah said in a statement on Monday.

"It is hard to see a legitimate reason why an employer would require employees to be regularly paying back significant parts of their wage, and I am concerned that cashback schemes are being utilised by unscrupulous operators in an attempt to get around record keeping laws and disguise serious underpayment of wages."

The Ombudsman said Mr Vertes and Robit Nominees had acknowledged to the Federal Court that the cook had agreed to make the cashback payments because she was worried about losing her job and being forced to return to Italy.

Both admitted contravening workplace laws and back-paid their former cook in full.

Bar Coluzzi on Darlinghurst's Victoria Street became an inner-city institution after being founded by former professional boxer Luigi Coluzzi in 1970.

It was sold in the late 1990s and Mr Coluzzi died in 2014.
Fire trucks arrive outside Trump Tower on 5th Avenue in New York during a fire on the 50th floor of the building owned by US President Donald Trump

An elderly man died late Saturday and four firefighters were injured after a blaze erupted on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York, officials said.

The New York Police Department said 67-year-old Todd Brassner was found "unconscious and unresponsive" when officers arrived at the scene.

Brassner -- a Trump Tower resident identified by US media as an art dealer -- was pronounced dead after being taken to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, according to police, which said the medical examiner's office would determine the cause of death as part of an ongoing investigation.

"This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke," the New York City Fire Department said.

It said the four firefighters had "non-life threatening" injuries and the blaze had been brought under control.

Smoke began rising from the skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan around 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).

The building, which is owned by US President Donald Trump, serves as the headquarters for The Trump Organization and houses the president's penthouse. Surrounding streets were closed off as tourists snapped pictures on their phones.

Smoke rises from Trump Tower

The fire department earlier tweeted a picture of the building with several windows of the 50th floor ablaze.

Trump later said the fire had been extinguished.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" he said.
With US-China trade tensions running high, critics of Beijing's policies say American tech firms face more restrictions in the Chinese market than their Chinese counterparts in the US

As US-China trade tensions ratchet up, the technology sector is fretting over the potential for collateral damage to one of America's most important export industries.

The tech industry is not directly affected by the new tariffs unveiled by the Trump administration which aim to target Beijing for unfair trade practices failure to protect intellectual property.

But some industry leaders fear tech will be dragged into the dispute, with the potential to impact the estimated $3 trillion industry in which the US and China are key players.

"As trade wars escalate, they are not controllable, they are not predictable," said Ed Black, president and chief executive of the Computer & Communications Industry Association, which represents major tech firms such as Amazon, Facebook, Google and Netflix.

"There is always collateral damage."

Black said the US administration "correctly identified some of the problems" with trade involving China but "missed all the problems of internet companies doing business in China."

Black said the tech industry understands the need to confront China over trade barriers and other practices, but that Washington's efforts to go alone could "weaken the international trading system."

The relationship of US tech firms with China has long been complicated by concerns about censorship, labor and human rights and the potential for stealing trade secrets.

Google shut down its search engine for China in 2010 after it found accounts of Chinese human rights activists hacked and some US-based online platforms are banned by Beijing.

But Apple recently agreed to base its cloud storage for Chinese users in the country, saying it had to comply despite concerns over Beijing's surveillance of citizens. And Airbnb said it would share customer data with the Chinese government as well.

- Data as fuel -

Apple recently agreed to abide by Chinese cloud data regulations despite concerns over surveillance of the population

Susan Aaronson, a George Washington University professor of international affairs who specializes in digital trade, said that as American firms battle for supremacy in artificial intelligence, they are hungry for sources of data, including from China.

"In almost everything the US produces the key source of value is data," Aaronson said.

She wrote in a recent research paper that China "uses the lure of its large population, relatively low and poorly enforced privacy regulations, and subsidies to encourage foreign companies to carry out AI research in China."

Her paper argued that American trading partners "need to encourage the data flows that power AI while simultaneously protecting citizens from misuse or unethical use of algorithms."

Some analysts say the Trump administration has correctly identified some of Beijing's unfair trade policies but that tariffs may be counterproductive.

"China uses mercantile practices and the Trump administration is right to contest those actions, but there are many reasons the tariff approach is not the right one," said Stephen Ezell, vice president for global innovation policy at the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, a technology-focused think tank.

With tariffs, he said, "US consumers and businesses will pay more in the long term. We need to take on China but we shouldn't be penalizing ourselves in the process."

Aaronson agreed that China has disadvantaged foreign firms but argued for a multilateral approach involving allies and global institutions "to move China toward more openness and the rule of law."

- Secretly applauding? -

Some analysts fear that consumer technology may be dragged into a growing trade dispute between the United States and China

Tech industry analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said that some in Silicon Valley "are secretly applauding" the move to shake up trade relations with China after years of frustrations.

"Americans can't own businesses in China, they have to set up a joint venture, which sometimes means you have to share intellectual property," Moorhead said.

"If you sell software, the Chinese government has to bless the source code. For hardware, you have to give very detailed schematic drawings. Some things have changed but some haven't."

Moorhead noted that some Chinese firms such as computer giant Lenovo are expanding in the US, but that American firms are having a harder time in China.

Still, Moorhead said he sees trade frictions increasing with some negative effects in the short run.

"I see (tariff actions) moving to electronics and I see it tit-for-tat until it starts to get painful," he said.

"I could see a tariffs on (US imports of) iPhones, and China could put tariffs on components going into the iPhone. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better."
Since a Syrian government offensive ousted the jihadists from Deir Ezzor city and nearby territory in late 2017, teachers and pupils alike have rushed back to the classroom

Her name means "dreams" in Arabic and schoolteacher Ahlam is finally realising hers -- returning to her beloved classroom after years of jihadist rule over her eastern Syrian hometown.

Perched on school benches in their bright coats, excited young boys and girls chant in unison as they count the cherries she has drawn in chalk on the blackboard.

The Islamic State group overran large swathes of Syria in 2014, with the jihadists imposing their own rigid interpretation of Islam on residents.

They opened their own schools, banning music and the arts, and dispensed brutal punishments to those who did not adhere to their ultra-conservative values.

Ahlam says the jihadists tried to recruit her to teach in one of their schools in her hometown of Al-Shamatiyah, near Deir Ezzor city.

She refused, opting to teach her children in secret at home and eking out a living from an orchard she tended to with her husband, an agricultural engineer.

According to Deir Ezzor's education directorate, the fighting in the region meant some 200,000 students went without proper schooling for five years, with around 5,000 teachers out of work

"I thought there would no longer be a future for our children -- no schooling, no rights," recalls Ahlam.

"But thank God, the children are studying, so they can at least read and write," she tells AFP, her hair covered by a blue headscarf.

Since a Syrian government offensive ousted the jihadists from Deir Ezzor city and nearby territory in late 2017, teachers and pupils alike have rushed back to the classroom.

At 13, Mohammad al-Ragheb shyly admits he does not know how to read or write, having spent the years under IS rein outside of school.

"I should be in eighth grade now, but I wasn't able to go to school," he tells AFP.

He now sits excitedly in a crisp classroom in eastern Syria, awaiting his lesson.

- Returning to campus -

According to Deir Ezzor's education directorate, the fighting in the region meant some 200,000 students went without proper schooling for five years, with around 5,000 teachers out of work.

Now, the directorate says, dozens of schools have reopened and around 45,000 students are back in school.

Two Syrian women sit at a university on the outskirts of Deir Ezzor on February 7, 2018

Some 6,000 students are also resuming their studies at the Euphrates University in Deir Ezzor, capital of the province of the same name.

Its main buildings lie in a western part of the city that remained under Syrian government control but was under siege for years by IS fighters holding the rest.

But some of the faculties -- such as those of medicine and agriculture -- lie in areas that were seized by the jihadists.

Student Mona al-Nasser, now 24, was getting ready to graduate when IS swept across the desert province in 2014.

Their advance trapped her under jihadist reign in her hometown of Mayadeen, 50 kilometres (30 miles) away.

"All I wanted to do was study. I'm so happy to be back today, and I hope those other days never return," says Nasser.

Hanging over one lecture hall's entrance are portraits of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his father and predecessor, Hafez.

Inside, students are silently working on an Arabic language exam.

Some are hunched over their papers, writing furiously without pause. Others furrow their brows, thinking hard, before tackling the question.

- Home again -

Amina, 23, has travelled to her class all the way from Raqa -- more than 130 kilometres (85 miles) to the west.

Her city was the de-facto capital of IS's brutal "caliphate," but was captured in October by a US-backed alliance that has rivalled Russian-backed Syrian troops.

"I was besieged in Raqa for three years and could not resume my studies. I was in my second year," she tells AFP.

"It was a very difficult period. I tried as hard as I could to leave Raqa, but I needed a miracle."

Now that Amina is back in school, she has picked up where she left off as a sophomore.

"It feels so wonderful to be back in class, because that's what determines your future in the end," she says.

Even as IS lost its military grip on Deir Ezzor, the jihadists left unexploded mines and sand berms all across the city and its entrances, barring the way for students and residents in general.

Syrian military personnel have spent months clearing away those explosives, and displaced residents have started to repopulate the city.

After spending hours clearing their damaged home, Umm Bilal and her family take a short break in the middle of their ravaged street.

They light a bonfire to stay warm and gaze quietly at the mountains of rubble and burnt car carcasses around them.

Still, Umm Bilal says, home is home.

"Sitting amidst the destruction is beautiful, because your house is your property. No one can make you leave," she says.
Egyptian military and police killed a number of "takfiris" in several operations in north and central Sinai over the past few days as part of the ongoing comprehensive counterterrorism Operation Sinai 2018, the armed forces said on Sunday.

Security forces killed a number of takfiris when air units destroyed two terrorist hideouts in north Sinai, and killed another who was found to be in possession of large sums of money and illegal narcotics, a statement by the army spokesman read.

In central Sinai, police managed to kill three "extremely dangerous" takfiris and arrest two others, the statement added.

The Arabic word "takfiri" refers to extremist Sunni Muslims who accuse other Muslims of being infidels, often as a justification for using violence against them.

Security forces confiscated and destroyed over 100 vehicles and 386 hideouts in the raids.

Found at the hideouts were 16 hand grenades, various communications equipment, improvised explosive devices (IEDs), 8 mortar rounds, food supplies and stolen military uniforms.

Over the past few days, army engineers have safely detonated 30 discovered IEDs that had been planted by takfiris to target security forces.

The raids also led to the discovery and destruction of 20 marijuana and poppy farms used for drug production in central Sinai, as well as a number of underground border tunnels in North Sinai's Rafah city.

Border security forces organized more than 584 patrols on highways and desert roads in past few days, the statement added.

The Egyptian armed forces continue to distribute food supplies to the people of North and central Sinai.

Meanwhile, in Egypt's far south, border security forces halted two members of the banned Muslim Brotherhood group as they tried to leave the country via its southern border.

Sunday's statement is the 18th communique issued by the Egyptian armed forces since the launch of Operation Sinai 2018 in early February.

The campaign aims to purge Sinai and other part of the country from terrorism.

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Part awareness raising, part pantomime, a training session uses life-size puppets of elephants made from bamboo and old clothing and expertly propelled by volunteers to teach Rohinyga refugees how to deal with wild elephants

A trumpet fills the air as two "elephants" charge, scattering Rohingya refugee actors at a training session in a camp which cuts deep into Bangladeshi forest once reserved for the protected species.

Part awareness raising, part pantomime, the scenario uses life-size puppets of elephants made from bamboo and old clothing and expertly propelled by volunteers.

Each charge - and exaggerated counter by bands of Rohingya villagers - draws squeals of delight from the children crowded around a dusty paddy field.

But the purpose of the training day is sobering - a dozen Rohingya have been killed in the last year by wild elephants whose habitat has been consumed by Kutupalong refugee camp.

With hundreds of thousands of new refugees driven over the border since last August by violence in Myanmar, the camp now seeps deeper into the forest.

Refugees are stripping trees for firewood and building settlements on the bare hillocks.

Training days are now being held to kindle harmony between the refugees and the estimated 35 to 45 elephants who are now their neighbours

As a result, man and beast are increasingly coming into conflict.

Training days are now being held to kindle harmony between the refugees and the estimated 35 to 45 elephants who are now their neighbours.

"Elephants take the same migratory route, it's in their genetic memory. Now more than 600,000 Rohingya are in the middle of that route," Raquibul Amin, country director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) told AFP on Saturday at Kutupalong camp.

"The aim is to demystify the elephant as an enemy... and to try to train people to deal with elephants when they encounter them," he said, of a training event held in conjunction with the UNHCR.

Rohingya volunteers show how to safely corral an elephant that strays into settled areas and use whistles and human chains to drive them away.

The mock-up elephants are covered by a 'skin' made from old clothing donated and stitched by Rohingya women - part of efforts to bond the new community with their older forest neighbour.

The drama plays out under a scorching sun, bringing a rare community event to people whose villages lie in ruins across the border.

"Elephants take the same migratory route, it's in their genetic memory. Now more than 600,000 Rohingya are in the middle of that route," Raquibul Amin, country director for the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) told AFP

Delighted by the break in the humdrum camp life, children jump up and down in real elephant prints, hardened into the abandoned paddy.

Rina Aktar, 10, recalls her alarming encounter with a 'Hati' (elephant), her arms at full stretch to indicate its enormity.

"I was collecting firewood in the forest when I saw it... it was so big, I just ran away."

Her fears are valid.

The last death happened in late March when a bull elephant followed a path up a hillside crammed with Rohingya homes.

It adds to the tension and stress of a Muslim minority unwanted in Myanmar and forced from their homes by last year's army campaign.

With repatriation for now appearing a pipe dream, Rohingya communities nearest the forest are preparing for more unwelcome run-ins with elephants.

But at least now some of the refugees are equipped to deal with them.

"I have handled elephants three times already since I have been here," said UNHCR elephant volunteer Nabi Hussein. "I didn't panic."
Pro Syrian regime forces advance towards the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta

Moscow on Sunday warned the United States against carrying out a "military intervention on fabricated pretexts" in Syria, insisting that the Damascus regime did not use chemical weapons on an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta.

"We must once more warn that a military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where there are Russian soldiers at the request of the legitimate Syrian government, is absolutely unacceptable and could have the most dire consequences," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Released before Donald Trump called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal" and warning that there would be a "big price to pay" for what the US president called a "mindless chemical attack", the ministry called the allegations "provocations".

The rebel holdout of Douma in eastern Ghouta near Damascus was pounded Friday and Saturday by renewed airstrikes that killed at least 80 people, with first responders accusing forces loyal to Assad of using poisonous chlorine gas in the attacks, claims denied by state media.

"The goal of this speculation... is to cover for the terrorists and the radical opposition who are rejecting a political settlement" to Syria's seven-year war, the Russian foreign ministry said.

Earlier, Major General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, denied the allegations against the Assad regime.

- Offer to send experts -

"We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he said, quoted by news agencies.

The White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, along with an insurgent group and the opposition in exile, accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical attack.

In a joint statement, the White Helmets and the humanitarian group Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said 48 people were killed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, reported dozens of cases of suffocation, some of them fatal, without saying whether chemical weapons were involved.

"These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement earlier.

"The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," she added.

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks."

The Syrian regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for a deadly sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017.

Since February 18, the regime's Ghouta offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians.

The regime has used a combination of a fierce military onslaught and two negotiated withdrawals to empty out 95 percent of the enclave near Damascus, but rebels are still entrenched in Ghouta's largest town of Douma.
Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman says there are "no innocent people" in the Gaza Strip where 30 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since March 30 in protests and clashes

Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman said Sunday there were "no naive people" in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after days of protests and clashes left 30 Palestinians dead, including a journalist.

"There are no naive people in the Gaza Strip," Lieberman told Israel's public radio.

"Everyone's connected to Hamas, everyone gets a salary from Hamas, and all the activists trying to challenge us and breach the border are Hamas military wing activists."

Lieberman used a Hebrew word that can also be translated as "innocent," as AFP and other news media initially quoted him as saying. His office later insisted that his intended meaning was "naive".

Israel has faced mounting questions over its use of live fire after 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border in which its forces have killed 30 Palestinians, according to Gaza's health ministry.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

Lieberman seemed to suggest the journalist was using a drone when he was killed, but two people who said they were with him on Friday rejected it.

"We know that in many instances Hamas has used journalists and the media and the Red Crescent and ambulances to carry out terror activities," Lieberman alleged.

"Whoever flies a drone over (Israeli) forces, over our soldiers -- we wont take any chances."

The journalist, Yasser Murtaja, 30, had been known to use a drone for photos and video, but two journalists who were with him said he had not been using it on Friday.

Ashraf Abu Amra and Hosam Salem both said he was a couple of hundred metres from the border when he was shot.

"He was using a normal video camera all day," Abu Amra said.

An AFP picture taken after he was wounded showed Murtaja wearing a press vest as he received treatment.

The Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate said that a total of six journalists were hit by gunfire on Friday.

Israel's army said it "does not intentionally target journalists".

"The circumstances in which journalists were allegedly hit by Israeli Defence Force fire are not familiar to the IDF, and are being looked into," it said in a statement.

On March 30, Israeli forces killed 19 Palestinians as a protest by tens of thousands led to clashes and the bloodiest day since a 2014.

There have been no reported Israeli casualties.

Israel says it has only opened fire when necessary to stop damage to the border fence, infiltrations and attempted attacks.

It alleges Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, is seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence.

But rights groups have harshly criticised Israeli soldiers' actions, and Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to troops.

The European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation, which Israel has rejected.

On Saturday, the European Union raised questions over whether Israeli troops engaged in "proportionate use of force".

az-jod-jjm-mjs/mm
Smoke billows in the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, on April 7, 2018, after Syrian regime troops resumed a military blitz to pressure rebels to withdraw

New regime air strikes hit the last rebel pocket Syria's Eastern Ghouta on Sunday, a monitor said, despite reports the fighters had struck a ceasefire deal with regime ally Russia.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights war monitor said raids had resumed a day after more than 40 people were killed in other strikes on Douma, where dozens also suffered from breathing difficulties.

Negotiators in Douma and the Syrian state news agency SANA said a deal had been reached for negotiations with the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, who hold Douma, the last pocket of resistance in Ghouta.

On Sunday morning, a civilian committee taking part in the talks between the rebels and Russia announced "a ceasefire and the resumption of talks today" hoping it will lead to a "final accord".

SANA, citing an official source, said the "Jaish al-Islam terrorists are requesting negotiations with the Syrian government and the government will begin these negotiations within two hours".

The Britain-based Observatory said "regime aircraft have resumed bombardment of Douma" after a brief lull overnight, adding that the strikes were aimed at piling pressure on Jaish al-Islam.

It added, however, that "despite the renewed strikes, negotiations are underway".

According to the Observatory, air raids killed 42 people in Douma on Saturday and 30 of Friday.

It also reported that 70 civilians suffered from breathing difficulties on Saturday, and that 11 of them, including four children, had died.

The White Helmets rescue organisation, Jaish al-Islam and Syria's main opposition forces however claimed that Douma had been hit by a chemical attack.

Syrian state media denounced the allegations as "fabrications".

The Observatory's Abdel Rahman said he could not "confirm or deny" the claims of a chemical attack.

But he said the civilians had difficulty breathing probably because of the amount of smoke that rose over Douma "after the air strikes".

A regime offensive against Ghouta since February 18 has killed more than 1,600 civilians and sliced the area into three isolated pockets, each held by different rebel factions.

The first two were evacuated under Russian-brokered deals last month that saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to opposition-held Idlib province in the northwest.

But talks with Jaish al-Islam which controls Douma -- the third and last pocket -- have faltered despite a preliminary accord last week that saw nearly 3,000 fighters and civilians bussed to northern Syria.
An image grab taken from a video released by the Syrian Civil Defence in Douma shows an unidentified volunteer holding an oxygen mask over a child's face at a hospital following an alleged chemical attack on the rebel-held town

A Syrian military airport was hit with deadly missile strikes, state media reported Monday, after the US and France warned of a strong response to "horrific chemical weapons attacks" on a rebel-held region near Damascus.

Washington denied responsibility for the strike on Syria's central Tayfur air base, which came just hours ahead of an urgent UN meeting Monday over the reported use of toxic gas on the town of Douma.

US President Donald Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron spoke by phone and vowed a "strong, joint response" to the suspected chemical attack that killed dozens, the White House said Sunday.

It added that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses".

Trump had earlier taken to Twitter to issue a blistering warning to the Syrian regime and its allies.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump wrote, lashing out at Russia's Vladimir Putin, a key ally of the regime.

Douma

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," he said.

Damascus and its allies have denounced the accusations, with the Syrian regime brushing them off as an "unconvincing broken record".

Russia's foreign ministry called the latest reports of a chemical attack a provocation.

"A military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where there are Russian soldiers at the request of the legitimate Syrian government, is absolutely unacceptable and could have the most dire consequences," it said.

Syrian state news agency SANA said early Monday that "several missiles" had hit the Tayfur airport, later adding that there were "dead and wounded" in the strike, without giving exact casualty numbers.

SANA first said the missile strike on the Tayfur base was a "suspected US attack," but later withdrew all reference to America.

The Pentagon denied it was behind the Syria raid. A military spokeswoman for Israel, which has bombed Syrian government positions including those linked to chemical weapons, declined to comment Monday.

Regime forces, backed by Russia, have pounded Eastern Ghouta in a seven-week assault to dislodged rebel fighters, killing more than 1,700 civilians and prompting tens of thousands to flee.

Late Saturday, Syria's White Helmets, who act as first responders in opposition-held areas of Syria, said "poisonous chlorine gas" was used on Douma -- the last sliver of territory held by rebels.

- 'Bodies in the streets' -

In a joint statement with the Syrian American Medical Society, the White Helmets has said more than 500 cases were brought to medical centres "with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent".

It said six died while being treated, and rescuers found 42 more people dead in their homes with similar conditions.

A picture taken on April 8, 2018, shows Syrian Army soldiers advancing in an area on the eastern outskirts of Douma, as they continue their offensive to retake the last opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta

Footage posted online by the White Helmets, which it was not possible to verify, showed victims with yellowed skin crumpled on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

"The scene was horrifying. So many people were choking, so many people," White Helmets member Firas al-Doumi told AFP from inside Douma.

A member of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) inside the town said volunteers were still trying their best despite the organisation's Douma branch being out of operation.

"This morning, we drove around and found bodies lying in the streets. We took four trips to bring the corpses back, each with three or five dead," the SARC member told AFP.

The reports prompted international anger, with UN chief Antonio Guterres saying any confirmed use of chemical weapons would be "abhorrent".

The European Union said "the evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime", while opposition ally Turkey stated it had a "strong suspicion" Assad was to blame.

But key backer Iran came to Assad's defence, saying the allegations were a Western conspiracy and echoing Russia's warning against foreign military action.

- Evacuation within 48 hours -

Since February 18, Syrian and Russian forces have waged a fierce military onslaught and negotiated two withdrawals to retake control of 95 percent of Ghouta.

Agreements, brokered by Moscow last month, saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to opposition-held northwest Syria, and a preliminary deal saw hundreds of civilians and rebels from Jaish al-Islam quit Douma last week.

After days of talks and a respite from bombing, negotiations collapsed and strikes resumed Friday, killing nearly 100 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Buses carrying families of Jaish al-Islam fighters from the former rebel bastion's main town of Douma arrive near the northern Syrian town of al-Bab, on April 5, 2018

On Sunday, state media announced a deal was agreed for Jaish al-Islam to leave Douma within 48 hours and release hostages it was holding.

Russia's military said it had hammered out an agreement for a "ceasefire, the disarmament of this armed group and resumption of the operation for the withdrawal of fighters".

Moscow said all military operations around Douma had now halted and that 100 buses had arrived in the town to help start ferrying out some 8,000 fighters and 40,000 of their family members.

It said the move proved "no chemical weapons were used in this area".

Jaish al-Islam did not confirm the deal, but a civilian committee from Douma participating in the talks said a "final agreement" was reached for rebels to leave.

Ghouta was among the areas hit in a 2013 sarin gas attack blamed on Syria's government.
Police evict striking garment workers from a factory in Dhaka in 2014: the alleged killer of a murdered labour leader has been sentenced to death

A Bangladesh court on Sunday sentenced a man to death in absentia for murdering a union leader who led strikes in the powerful garment industry.

A court in the northern district of Tangail ordered that factory worker Mustafizur Rahman be hanged for kidnapping and murdering high-profile unionist Aminul Islam in 2012.

Trade union groups rejected the sentence, saying Rahman was being singled out to cover up for powerful groups involved in Islam's murder.

Islam's mutilated body was found by the roadside in Tangail a few days after he disappeared from Ashulia, the major garment hub on the outskirts of Dhaka.

All his toes had been broken and his legs bore serious puncture wounds.

State prosecutor Multan Uddin said Islam was likely targeted as a prominent labour activist who spearheaded major strikes over wages at garment factories.

"Aminul waged a struggle for the interest of workers. Perhaps the people whose interest was affected murdered him in a pre-planned manner," Uddin said.

Police have not named any other suspects in Islam's murder. Rahman has been on the run since the killing, according to them.

Bangladesh is the world's second-largest clothing manufacturer, with $30 billion worth of garments exported in 2017 from the impoverished nation where labour is cheap.

The garment sector accounts for 80 per cent of Bangladesh's exports and is the mainstay of its emerging economy.

Islam was instrumental in orchestrating major stoppages in 2006 and 2010, forcing thousands of companies to raise wages for about four million factory workers.

Unions believe his murder was engineered by powerful people including members of an intelligence service and factory owners.

"We're not satisfied. We'll appeal. We've sought a fresh investigation," Bangladesh Garment and Industrial Workers Federation president Babul Akter told AFP.

The Bangladesh Centre for Worker Solidarity, a trade union, said Islam had been detained and tortured by officials from the government's labour office during the 2010 protest.
Manila's first-ever 'Underpants Run' drew crowds from dawn

Clad in underwear, loincloths, tutus or body paint, hundreds of semi-naked young people pounded the streets of Manila on Sunday in an unusual race that brought a sweaty spectacle to the capital of the conservative, mainly Catholic Philippines.

The city's first-ever "Underpants Run" drew crowds from dawn as around a thousand runners in skimpy outfits jogged and sprinted around an upscale shopping district in balmy weather.

While more daring participants wore G-strings and body paint, others opted for silly costumes

"It was a feast for the eyes... people were hyped," 30-year-old runner Ronald Tugade told AFP after completing a five-kilometre (three-mile) segment of the course.

"Bystanders asked why we were dressed that way," said the IT engineer, who said he had clocked in at a relatively slow 26 minutes because he was somewhat distracted by the many "guys with abs, as well as sexy women" around him.

Participants could choose to run the race at three, five or 10 kilometres

The race, which participants could choose to run at three, five or 10 kilometres, also attracted a number of local celebrities, with one popular actor and go-karting driver mobbed by female runners.

"Of course you have to get your body toned for it, but there was no body shaming. All participants were welcome," said Tugade.

The race also attracted a number of local celebrities

While more daring participants wore G-strings and body paint, others opted for silly costumes such as grass skirts and baby-blue ballet tutus.

"Everyone stripped down to their birthday suits or dressed up to the nines -- there were feathers, Egyptian costumes, superhero masks and odes to traditional (tribal loincloths)," said a post on the fitness website multisport.ph, the run's co-sponsor.
Dozens of Saudi detainees caught up in a government anti-graft crackdown could be referred to courts specialised in cases of national security and terrorism, a report said

Dozens of Saudi detainees caught up in a government anti-graft crackdown could be referred to courts specialised in cases of national security and terrorism, Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported Sunday.

They include individuals who refused to agree to confidential settlements with the government, and others believed to be guilty of "a greater offence", the pan-Arab daily quoted Saudi Arabia's deputy attorney-general Saud al-Hamad as saying.

"Each of these cases will be dealt with separately. Some will be examined by departments specialised in money laundering, while others will be referred to courts specialised in issues of national security and terrorism," Hamad said.

In November, 381 Saudi royals, ministers and tycoons were detained in an anti-corruption crackdown led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Attorney General Sheikh Saud al-Mojeb said in January that the majority had been released after agreeing to financial settlements totalling over 400 billion riyals ($107 bn) in various forms of assets and cash.

To date, 56 people are known to remain in custody, their whereabouts unknown since the initial holding place -- the Riyadh Ritz-Carlton -- was re-opened on February 11.

Saudi Arabia's prosecutor general has launched fresh investigations and judicial proceedings against those detainees, Asharq al-Awsat said, quoting the deputy attorney-general.

"Depending on the result, the investigation will be referred to the relevant court," Hamad said.

Saudi King Salman in March ordered the creation of specialised anti-corruption units to investigate and prosecute graft cases.

Officials have not made public the charges against suspects detained at the Ritz-Carlton.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the 32-year-old son of the king, is behind the unprecedented crackdown on corruption, as he consolidates his grip on power.

Some critics have labelled Prince Mohammed's campaign a shakedown and power grab, but authorities insist the purge targeted endemic corruption as the country prepares for a post-oil era.
Indonesian hospitals are grappling with a spate of deaths and injuries from bootleg alcohol

Eleven Indonesians died Sunday and several others are critically ill after drinking bootleg liquor, police said, days after the death of 24 others from illicit alcohol.

The latest victims were among 27 people admitted to hospital after sampling homemade alcoholic drinks in Cicalengka district in West Java province, provincial police spokesman Trunoyudo Wisnu Andiko told AFP.

"We are investigating the shop that sold the illegal liquor," he said, adding no one had yet been arrested.

In a separate case over the past week 24 people have died in the capital Jakarta after drinking homemade liquor sold by a herbal drink seller.

The seller, who has been arrested, admitted he had mixed pure alcohol with Coca-Cola and an energy drink, police said.

There have been a series of deaths from bootleg liquor in the Muslim-majority country.

Police said they are chasing other sellers and distributors of homebrew. "We believe there is a big distributor behind this case," said East Jakarta police chief Tony Surya Putra of the 24 deaths.

Indonesia is home to the world's biggest Muslim population, but most practise a moderate form of Islam and alcohol is available in big cities.

However, high taxes make alcohol expensive so poorly paid workers turn to potentially dangerous homebrew.

In 2016 36 people died in Central Java after drinking locally-bought homebrew.
Pope Francis condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria after a suspected attack in an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people

Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria after a suspected attack in an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people.

"Terrible news comes to us from Syria with dozens of victims, many of them women and children ... so many people are struck by the effects of the chemical substances in the bombs," the pope told thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square.

"There is not a good war and a bad one, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations," he added.

Renewed air strikes have hit Douma, the last rebel-held town near Damascus, where first responders accused forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of using "poisonous chlorine gas" in attacks on Saturday.

"Pray for political and military leaders to choose the other path, that of negotiation, the only one that can bring peace that is not that of death and destruction," the pope said.

Syrian state media, quoting an official source, has said reports of chemical weapons use were rebel "fabrications".

Russia, one of the Syrian regime's main allies, has also dismissed the allegations.
Iconic Egyptian radio host Amal Fahmy passed away on Sunday after a struggle with illness following long and active career that spanned over five decades.

Born in 1926, Fahmy graduated from Faculty of Arts at Cairo University with a degree in Arabic language. She joined the Egyptian radio in 1951.

In 1958, Fahmy began hosting popular weekly radio show Aal El-Nasseya (At The Street Corner) on Egypt's main state-owned radio station.



The show featured Fahmy in discussion with citizens and officials on a wide range of topics, from political and social issues to sports.

Over the next 50 years, the veteran host's show became a huge success.

Fahmy interviewed a wide range of guests from members of the Egyptian public to local and international celebrities. Among her most famous discussions was held with Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin during his visit to Cairo in the 1960s.

In her long career, Fahmy and her show were suspended only once in the late 1960s after she presented a complaint from a citizen against the government during the rule of President Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

Fahmy and her show returned to the airwaves when Anwar Sadaat became a president in 1971.

Amal Fahmy was also the first woman to head a state-owned radio station in the Middle East.

The veteran host persistently refused to retire and continued to represent her weekly radio show past her 60th year.

In 2014, she declared that she would discontinue her radio show after being injured in a stairway fall at the Egyptian State TV and Radio Union building.

She also declared her retirement to be an act of protest against what she said was neglect from state authorities towards her radio career.

Amal Fahmy was married to radio director Mohamed Alwan.

She did not have any children.

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An image grab taken from a video released by the Syrian civil defence in Douma shows an unidentified volunteer holding an oxygen mask over a child's face at a hospital following a reported chemical attack on the rebel-held town on April 8, 2018

US President Donald Trump on Sunday said there will be a "big price to pay" after what he called a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria, allegedly involving chlorine gas.

Trump also called Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal."

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump said in a pair of tweets which began with a discussion of the attack in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, where rescue workers alleged that regime loyalists had used chlorine gas.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world," the president said.

At least 80 civilians have been killed since Friday after the regime launched fresh air raids on rebel-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor.

Syrian state media and the regime's ally Russia denounced claims of chemical use as "fabrications."

"Open area immediately for medical help and verification," Trump said. "Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

The latest alleged attack came a year after the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in northwestern Syria was hit by an air strike. A UN-commissioned report said many residents of the town suffered the symptoms of an attack from an illegal nerve agent and more than 80 of them died, convulsed in agony.

Trump responded to that strike three days later, when US warships in the Mediterranean fired 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

Assad denied ordering the attack and Russia has continued to give him diplomatic cover at the United Nations.

Trump on Sunday criticized his predecessor Barack Obama for not striking after warning that the use of chemical weapons in Syria was a "red line."

- Military action? -

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line in The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" Trump said.

Separately, a White House security adviser on Sunday refused to rule out US military action after the latest alleged chemical strike.

"This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed, and have agreed since World War Two, is an unacceptable practice," White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told ABC's "This Week."

Asked whether there will be another US missile strike, Bossert replied: "I wouldn't take anything off the table."

And a prominent Republican senator warned Trump that a failure to act now could leave him in a weakened posture internationally.

"It's a defining moment in his presidency," Lindsey Graham said on ABC. "He has challenged Assad in the past not to use chemical weapons... If it becomes a tweet without meaning, then he has hurt himself in North Korea... (and will) look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran."

In a joint statement on Wednesday, one year after the Khan Sheikhun attack, the foreign ministers of Britain, France, Germany and the United States said those responsible should be held to account for "these abhorrent attacks in Syria."

The United States has more than 2,000 military personnel in eastern Syria as part of a coalition it leads, providing weapons, training and other support to forces fighting Islamic States jihadists in Syria and neighboring Iraq.

In late March, Trump said those US troops would be coming home "very soon."

On Sunday, Republican Senator Susan Collins told CNN that, in light of new allegations of a chemical strike, "I think the president is going to have to reconsider his plan for an early withdrawal."
South African opposition party, Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane was elected unopposed on April 8, 2018

Mmusi Maimane, the leader of South Africa's main opposition Democratic Alliance party, was re-elected on Sunday as the party kicked-off campaigning for elections due by 2019.

The party which has the second largest number of parliamentarians is confronting the resurgent popularity of the ruling African National Congress (ANC) party since President Cyril Ramaphosa took office -- dubbed "Ramaphoria".

"We have reaffirmed that our purpose as Democrats is not to fight for a better behaved ANC, but for an entirely new government for South Africa, led by us and our values," he said to a packed audience in Pretoria on the last day of the conference.

"So let us go forward with confidence and vigour to pursue our goals for the 2019 elections."

Maimane, who was elected unopposed, said that party's main electoral goal was to take control of Gauteng province, the country's economic powerhouse that includes the capital Pretoria and commercial hub Johannesburg.

"We can do it, and we will do it," he said to cheering.

The party has faced several crises in recent months including a bruising public spat between the leadership and the mayor of Cape Town Patricia De Lille, controversial tweets by former leader Helen Zille and the breakdown of a coalition partnership.

The radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, which had supported the DA's minority administration in Port Elizabeth, turned against the party, withdrawing its support over the DA's position on land reform.

The ANC announced at the end of last year that it would seek to amend the constitution to allow for land to be "expropriated without compensation" to address the legacy of colonialism and apartheid.

It is widely understood that the policy will mean transferring land from white land owners to members of the disadvantaged black majority.

The DA has opposed the changes which were enthusiastically welcomed by the EFF.

"Everyone should have the dignity of a home, the dignity of land and, most critically, the know-how," Maimane said on Sunday. "We don't need to change our precious constitution for this -- we just need to cut corruption and get the job done properly."

President Ramamphosa, who in February succeeded unpopular former president Jacob Zuma who was widely seen as boosting support for opposition parties, has increased the ANC's appeal with voters and business.

There has been speculation that Ramaphosa could go to the country before the ANC's term in office expires in 2019.
The Shahbagh square campus in Dhaka University has been the site of repeated protests this year

Bangladesh police Sunday fired tear gas at thousands of students who gathered in the capital demanding cuts in "discriminatory" job quotas.

The Shahbagh square campus in Dhaka University turned into a battleground after thousands of students chanted slogans and staged sit-in demonstrations in one of the largest protests against the government of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Hasina's administration has set aside some 56 percent of civil service jobs for the families of veterans from the war of independence and disadvantaged minorities, leaving most university graduates to fight for only 44 percent of the jobs.

Organisers said they were holding peaceful protests when police started firing tear gas and rubber bullets and used batons and water canon to clear students from the square.

"They fired rubber bullets and tear gas at us. They beat us with batons," said Hasan Al Mamun, the leader of the anti-quota student group, which was behind the nationwide protests in state-run universities and colleges.

Live television footage showed students throwing rocks at police as officers used tear gas and water canon.

Al Mamun said tens of thousands of students joined the demonstrations across the country. Police declined to comment on the number of protesters.

Police used "tear gas, water canons and batons to clear the road" occupied by the protesters, a Dhaka police spokesman told AFP, adding several people were arrested.

The country's largest Bengali daily, Prothom Alo, said protesters blocked major highways linking major cities.

Al Mamun said they were demanding the government job quotas be reduced to only 10 percent.

"These quotas are discriminatory. Due to the quota system, 56 percent of the jobs are set aside for five percent of the country's population. And 95 percent people can compete for the (remaining) 44 percent," he said.

He said they would continue protests until the government accepted their demand.

Students were particularly angry at the 30 percent quota set aside for the descendants of veterans from the 1971 war of independence.

Hasina, whose father was the architect of the country's independence from Pakistan, has rejected demands to slash the job quotas.
A picture taken on April 8, 2018, shows smoke billowing as Syrian Army soldiers advance on the eastern outskirts of Douma

An alleged chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held Douma has sparked international outrage, with Washington warning Sunday of possible military action, while Damascus and Moscow said the reports were mere "fabrications".

- What happened? -

Syria's White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said the attack took place late on Saturday using "poisonous chlorine gas".

"More than 500 cases -- the majority of whom are women and children -- were brought to local medical centres with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent," according to a joint statement issued by the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the White Helmets.

Patients showed signs of "respiratory distress, central cyanosis, excessive oral foaming, corneal burns, and the emission of chlorine-like odour", it said.

Medics had "observed bradycardia, wheezing and coarse bronchial sounds".

The statement said civil defence volunteers had found 42 casualties dead in their homes "with similar clinical symptoms of excessive oral foaming, cyanosis, and corneal burns". Six others had died while receiving treatment.

Footage posted online by the White Helmets, which was not possible to verify, showed victims with yellowed skin crumpled on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

Douma is the last remaining opposition-held town in Eastern Ghouta, once the rebels' main bastion outside Damascus but now ravaged by a seven-week regime assault.

Since February 18, Syrian and Russian forces have waged a fierce military onslaught.

- Who was behind it? -

While no one has yet provided evidence of its involvement, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons in the country's seven-year civil war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the regime carried out a wave of air strikes on Douma on Friday and Saturday that killed nearly 100 people, including many who suffered breathing difficulties.

Syria and its Russian ally denounced the claims as "fabrications", with Russia warning of potential "dire consequences" if they were used as a pretext for military action.

- How has the world reacted? -

US President Donald Trump warned there would be a "big price to pay".

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump wrote on Twitter. "President (Vladimir) Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."

The EU said signs suggested the Syrian regime carried out the Douma attack and urged Russia and Iran to help prevent another one.

"The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime," the European Union's diplomatic arm said, calling for "an immediate response" from the international community.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was "particularly alarmed" by the reports, adding that if confirmed, the use of chemical weapons would be "abhorrent".

Britain called for an investigation into what it said were the "deeply disturbing" reports, and Turkey, which has backed rebels against Assad, said it had a "strong suspicion" the Syrian president was to blame.

France has repeatedly said that evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria could prompt military action and said Sunday it would "do its duty" following the latest allegations. It called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

Pope Francis described the allegations as "terrible news", saying: "Nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations."

- Will military action be taken? -

White House security adviser Tom Bossert refused to rule out US military action in response to the alleged chemical strike.

"I wouldn't take anything off the table," he said.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the reports, if confirmed, "are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community."

Prominent Republican senator Lindsey Graham warned Trump that a failure to act now could leave him in a weakened posture internationally.

"It's a defining moment in his presidency," Graham said.

- What other major chemical attacks? -

A chemical attack with the nerve agent sarin in the Eastern Ghouta enclave in August 2013 killed 1,429 people, including children, the US says.

Sarin was also detected in an April 2017 attack on the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhun that killed more than 80 people. The agent was released after an air strike.

Helicopter-dropped chlorine-filled munitions have been increasingly used by the regime as the conflict has dragged on, according to a 2017 report by Human Rights Watch.
MILWAUKEE (AP) - Ian Happ hit a tiebreaking two-run single during Chicago's four-run ninth, helping the Cubs beat the Milwaukee Brewers 5-2 on Saturday.

Happ struck out three more times, running his team-high total to a whopping 17 in seven games, but he came up with a clutch hit in his final at-bat. With one out and the bases loaded, he dumped a 0-1 pitch from Jacob Barnes into left-center to give the Cubs a 4-2 lead.

After Kris Bryant was intentionally walked, manager Joe Maddon sent starting pitcher Jon Lester to the plate to hit for reliever Pedro Strop (2-0). Lester got down a sacrifice that drove in Ben Zobrist from third for the final run.

Chicago Cubs' Ian Happ watches his two-RBI single off of Milwaukee Brewers' Jacob Barnes during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)

Barnes (0-1), who was filling in for injured closer Corey Knebel, was charged with four runs, two earned. He was hurt by costly errors on shortstop Orlando Arcia and third baseman Travis Shaw.
CURITIBA, Brazil (AP) - Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva woke up in jail Sunday as the first current or former president in Brazil's modern history to be incarcerated, adding a measure of unpredictability to the country's upcoming presidential elections.

Foreshadowing possible unrest in the weeks to come, about 500 supporters remained outside of the jail hours after police shot rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas to disperse the crowd.

The Workers' Party said eight people were injured during the previous night's clashes and one was hospitalized. No serious injuries were reported.

Demonstrators protest against Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva outside the Federal Police Department where he was taken in Curitiba, Brazil, late Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva woke up in jail Sunday, in a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from nothing to lead Latin America's largest nation and later became engulfed in corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira)

"The police cowardly attacked us last night, but we accept that we have to stay outside the perimeter. We will respect it," said Roberto Baggio, local coordinator of the Landless Workers' Movement. "We are expecting people from southern Brazil to arrive here today. We are not leaving until Lula is freed."

Federal police agents said da Silva did not speak during his transfer from Sao Bernardo do Campo to Curitiba.

Da Silva's fall from grace has unfolded steadily over the past week after the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's top court, ruled against his petition to remain free while he continued to appeal his 12-year sentence for money laundering and corruption. But his prison conditions will not be dismal.

Not considered a formal cell, the 160-square-feet room that has been set aside for the former president is located on the fourth floor of the five-story Federal Police building in Curitiba. It is mostly used as a dormitory for agents visiting from other cities across the country.

Brazilian news site G1 reported that da Silva's room has bars on the outer side of its single window and none on its door. It has enough space for a single bed and a small table now that its usual bunk beds have been removed. It also has a private bathroom with a toilet and a shower with hot water.

Federal police said da Silva had bread and butter and coffee for breakfast on Sunday morning and was told that he could knock on his room's door if there was anything he needed.

He was also told he would be allowed to watch TV, and police said he was planning to watch his soccer team, Corinthians, play the state championship final against their arch rivals, Palmeiras.

Workers' Party leader Gleisi Hoffmann said da Silva was in a good mood and that she accompanied the former president until he entered the room where he will serve his sentence.

Meanwhile, opinions about the incarceration of da Silva remained strong in the southern city of Curitiba, which is considered to be the center of the so-called "Car Wash" investigation.

Judge Sergio Moro, who oversees many of the Car Wash cases in the city and ordered da Silva arrested, is often seen as a hero for jailing politicians involved in the widespread corruption scheme.

"There are a lot of people in jail who haven't even been tried. Lula was sentenced to 12 years in prison, he should have been there already," said Valmir Oliveira, who works for Parana's sanitation company. "For the majority that works for this country, this was a relief. He is not above the law. I hope more of those politicians come to Curitiba."

A few houses around the federal police building flew Brazilian flags, which have become a symbol of those who wanted da Silva jailed. But detractors had largely left the area around the jail, and downtown Curitiba was quiet on Sunday as residents seemed to go about their day.

Da Silva will be held far from other prisoners in the building, who are located on the second floor, G1 reported.

Some of those being held in the general lockup area are also charged with crimes related to the Car Wash corruption scandal, such as Antonio Palocci, a former minister in da Silva's government, and Leo Pinheiro, the former president of construction firm OAS, who testified that the apartment at the center of da Silva's case was reserved for the former president as part of a bribe.

During his time at the jail, da Silva will be on 24-hour watch and will be given two hours outside each day. His three meals will be served with plastic utensils and he will be able to receive visitors on Wednesdays, G1 also said.

The towering political figure, who had originally defied an arrest warrant and hunkered down in a metal workers union where he began his rise through the ranks of Brazilian politics, will continue to appeal his corruption conviction from jail.

He is the latest high-profile Brazilian to be ensnared in the Car Wash investigation, which has seen several of the country's political and business elite arrested over the last four years.

He is also leading preference polls ahead of October's presidential election.

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Jill Langlois reported from Sao Paulo.

Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva protest his arrest near a line of police outside the Federal Police Department where da Silva was taken in Curitiba, Brazil, late Saturday, April 7, 2018. The former Brazilian president woke up in jail Sunday, in a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from nothing to lead Latin America's largest nation and later became engulfed in corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira)

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, second right, arrives at the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva was taken into police custody Saturday after a tense showdown with his own supporters, the capstone of an intense three days that underscored raw emotions over the incarceration of a once wildly popular leader who has been engulfed by corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, leaves the metal workers union headquarters in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva was taken into police custody later Saturday after a tense showdown with his own supporters, the capstone of an intense three days that underscored raw emotions over the incarceration of a once wildly popular leader who has been engulfed by corruption allegations. (AP Photo/Thiago Bernardes/FramePhoto)

Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is lifted by supporters outside the Metal Workers Union headquarters in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva, the once wildly popular leader, who rose from poverty to lead Latin America's largest nation, had until 5 p.m. local time Friday, to present himself to the police in Curitiba to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction, but he defied the order to turn himself in. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A police officer pushes supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a protest at the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira)

Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, second from right, arrives at the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Federal police officers cover themselves after throwing tear gas toward supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a protest at the Federal Police headquarters in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira)

A supporter of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva protests in front of the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Denis Ferreira)

Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, center, leaves the metal workers union headquarters in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva is in police custody after a tense showdown with supporters who tried to block him leaving a union building. Da Silva left an exit of a metal workers union surrounded by several bodyguards who pushed back supporters trying to keep him from leaving. (Thiago Bernardes/FramePhoto via AP)

Demonstrators protest outside the federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018 after former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived. Da Silva began serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Demonstrators protest outside the federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018, as a convoy bringing Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrives. Da Silva was taken into police custody to serve a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

A woman holds her dog under Brazilian national flags, during a protest against Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, next the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Supporters of Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva sing as they gather next to the Federal Police Department in Curitiba, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva told supporters he will comply with an arrest warrant and turn himself in to police, to begin serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)

Demonstrators protest outside the federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018 after former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived. Da Silva began serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Demonstrators protest outside the federal police headquarter as they wait for a convoy bringing Brazilian former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018. Da Silva begun serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Demonstrators protest outside the federal police headquarters in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Saturday, April 7, 2018 as they wait for a convoy bringing former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Da Silva began serving a sentence of 12 years and one month for a corruption conviction. (AP Photo/Andre Penner)
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) - The Latest on Hungary's parliamentary election (all times local):

12:30 a.m.

The head of Hungary's right-wing nationalist Jobbik party says he is keeping his promise and will resign after Jobbik placed a distant second in the parliamentary election.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban greets his supporters in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Preliminary results show populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has easily won a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party has regained its super majority in the parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Jobbik practically repeated its showing from 2014 in Sunday's election. Preliminary results had the party winning 19.7 percent of the votes this time around, compared to the 20.2 percent it received four years ago.

Leader Gabor Vona had tried to move Jobbik in a more mainstream conservative direction by expelling or sidelining some of its most radical politicians and abandoning its racist messages. But the effort didn't translate into more votes.

While the party achieved its first win in one of the 106 individual districts, Vona had touted Jobbik as a "government-changing force."

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11:55 p.m.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban says his "decisive" re-election to a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party's apparent super-majority in parliament are "an opportunity to defend Hungary."

Orban's near-exclusive campaign focus on demonizing migration and repeated conspiracy theory that the European Union, the United Nations and wealthy philanthropist George Soros want to turn Hungary into a "immigrant country" struck a nerve, especially with rural voters in Sunday's election.

Orban began a brief speech to cheering supporters after preliminary results were announced with a clear message: "We won."

He also told the crowd: "We created the opportunity to defend Hungary. A great battle is behind us. We have achieved a decisive victory."

The win is Orban's fourth overall. He headed a Fidesz-led coalition government during 1998-2002 before returning to power in 2010.

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11:00 p.m.

Early election results in Hungary give Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's right-wing populist Fidesz party with a large lead.

Preliminary results from the National Election Office have Fidesz winning Sunday's parliamentary election with 49.5 percent of the vote.

If the result stands, Fidesz would hold 134 of the 199 seats in the national parliament and regain its super majority there.

With 69.1 percent of the votes counted, the right-wing nationalist Jobbik Party was coming in second with 19.9 percent of the votes and 27 seats.

The alliance of the left-wing Socialist and Dialogue parties had 11.8 percent, meaning it would have 19 deputies in parliament.

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7:45 p.m.

An official from Hungary's governing Fidesz party says the exceptionally high voter turnout in the country's parliamentary election shows that "Hungarian democracy is strong."

Parliamentary faction leader Gergely Gulyas said Sunday after polls closed that Hungary would have a "strong, legitimate parliament."

Election officials said voter turnout was 68.1 percent by 6:30 p.m. (16:30 GMT), 30 minutes before the official end of voting.

Numerous voting stations remained open after the 7:00 p.m. deadline to accommodate the long lines of people waiting to vote.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking his third consecutive term. But the fate of the 199 parliamentary seats at stake in the election is hard to predict because of the higher-than-expected turnout.

Orban's main challengers are Gabor Vona's nationalist Jobbik party and a left-wing alliance of the Socialist and Dialogue parties led by Gergely Karacsony.

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7:20 p.m.

Voting in Hungary's parliamentary election officially has ended, but numerous polling places are still open to accommodate long lines of people waiting to cast ballots.

Most of the queues were made up of "transfer voters," people such as college students or workers who requested to vote far from their hometowns.

Officials said affected voting stations would remain open until everyone in line by the scheduled 7 p.m. closing time had been able to vote.

Preliminary results are expected after 11 p.m.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban is seeking his third consecutive term and fourth overall.

Polls predicted his populist, right-wing Fidesz party would win a majority in the 199-seat legislature. But the high turnout and Hungary's complex voting system complicated more exact predictions.

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6:00 p.m.

Hungarian election officials say voter turnout in the country's parliamentary election 90 minutes before polls close has already exceeded the total turnout for the 2014 elections.

National Election Office figures indicated that 63.2 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots by 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Sunday. The overall Election Day turnout in 2014 was 61.7 percent.

Analysts say the strong participation could point either to a sweeping win for Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party or a strong showing by splintered opposition groups.

Long lines could be seen outside several voting stations in Budapest, the capital city.

Election officials said voting stations would remain open until everyone waiting in line by the scheduled 7 p.m. closing time finished casting ballots.

Preliminary results are expected after 11 p.m.

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4:15 p.m.

Experts say the large turnout in Hungary's parliamentary election could "dramatically change" the country's politics.

Tamas Boros of the Policy Solutions think-tank says the high voter figures mean either "overwhelming support" for Prime Minister Viktor Orban's severe anti-migrant policies or the end of his populist, right-wing Fidesz party's omnipotence.

Boros said in a tweet: "The Hungarian political landscape will dramatically change today."

According to the National Election Office, 4.22 million voters had cast ballots by 3 p.m. (1300 GMT), for a turnout rate of 53.6 percent four hours before the end of voting. That was the highest turnout at that hour since at least 1998.

Orban is seeking his third consecutive term and fourth overall and his campaign has been nearly exclusively about opposing migration.

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2:40 p.m.

Figures from Hungary's National Election Office show that voters are turning out in very high numbers for the country's parliamentary election.

Opposition leaders hope a large turnout improves their chances against Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who is seeking his third consecutive term and fourth overall since 1998 in Sunday's vote.

Over 3.3 million voters had taken part by 1 p.m. (1100 GMT), for a turnout rate of 42.3 percent six hours before the end of voting.

Long lines of voters waited to cast ballots at some Budapest polling stations. The opposition Socialist Party urged authorities to "at least distribute water" in districts where voters were waiting in line, sometimes for hours.

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10:45 a.m.

The leader of Hungary's right-wing nationalist Jobbik party says he expects a "surprise" result in the parliamentary elections.

Gabor Vona said Sunday he would resign and put his fate in the hands of his party if they don't win but plans to remain in politics nonetheless.

Vona said: "I feel a surprise and a Jobbik breakthrough can be expected in the election."

Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party is expected to win the majority of the 199 parliamentary seats, with Vona's Jobbik and a left-wing alliance of the Socialist Party and the Dialogue party led by Gergely Karacsony considered the leading challengers.

In the past few years, Vona, who has been party chairman since 2006, has pushed the party to abandon its frequently anti-Roma and anti-Semitic views and toward more a mainstream conservative direction.

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10:15 a.m.

Voter turnout in the first hours of voting in Hungary's election is the highest since 1998. According to the National Election Office, 13.17 percent of eligible voters had cast ballots by 9 a.m. (0700GMT), while in 2006 turnout was 11.39 percent at the same hour.

Gergely Karacsony, the leading left-wing candidate for prime minster, said Sunday the high turnout was good news for those in favor of preventing Prime Minister Viktor Orban from winning his third consecutive term.

Karacsony, who heads the joint list of the Socialist Party and the Dialogue party, also said President Janos Ader, a former lawmaker for Orban's Fidesz party, had "omitted a very serious task" by not calling for Hungarians to cast their ballots in the election.

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8 a.m.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has cast his vote in the parliamentary election, saying the ballot is about "Hungary's future."

Orban, who voted with his wife at a Budapest school near their home, told a crowd of reporters that he will "respect the decision" of the Hungarian voters.

Orban, who seeking his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, says he's voting early so he could keep campaigning until polling stations close Sunday evening.

Orban, who focused his campaign on his harsh anti-migration stance, says it's a "misunderstanding" that his frequently harsh criticism of Brussels was directed at the whole of the European Union.

He says "the EU is not in Brussels. The EU is in Berlin, in Budapest, in Warsaw, in Prague and in Bucharest. The European Union does not mean Brussels, it means the European capitals together."

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban greets his supporters in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Preliminary results show populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has easily won a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party has regained its super majority in the parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban sits in a car outside a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Orban is expected to win his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, as voting stations opened across the country for the election of 199 parliamentary deputies. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

People queue to cast their vote at a polling station, after the official closing time, during general elections in central Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP)

People queue to cast their vote at a polling station, after the official closing time, during general elections in central Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP)

Voters, who registered themselves elsewhere than their home addresses queue in front of a polling station during the general elections in the Ujbuda district of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (Marton Monus/MTI via AP)

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban addresses the media outside a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Orban is expected to win his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, as voting stations opened across the country for the election of 199 parliamentary deputies. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban, left and his spouse Aniko Levai cast their ballots at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Orban is expected to win his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, as voting stations opened across the country for the election of 199 parliamentary deputies. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban, left and his spouse Aniko Levai cast their ballots at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Orban is expected to win his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, as voting stations opened across the country for the election of 199 parliamentary deputies. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A voter approaches ballot boxes at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Orban is expected to win his third consecutive term, and fourth overall since 1998, as voting stations opened across the country for the election of 199 parliamentary deputies. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Visually impaired Nikolett Kubiczki, right, and her guide dog Dolly wait to cast her ballot during the general elections at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (Zoltan Balogh/MTI via AP)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban greets his supporters in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Preliminary results show populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has easily won a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party has regained its super majority in the parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center, greets his supporters in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Preliminary results show populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has easily won a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party has regained its super majority in the parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, center, flanked by his team, addresses his supporters in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Preliminary results show populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has easily won a third consecutive term and his Fidesz party has regained its super majority in the parliamentary election. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Gergely Karacsony the leading left-wing candidate for prime minster addresses the media outside a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Karacsony said Sunday the high turnout was good news for those in favor of preventing Prime Minister Viktor Orban from winning his third consecutive term. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Members of the local election committee empty a ballot box for vote count at a polling station during the general election in Debrecen, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Zsolt Czegledi/MTI via AP)

People queue to cast their vote at a polling station that remains open during general elections in central Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Noemi Bruzak/MTI via AP)

Members of the Juhasz Kata dance troupe entertain people who queue to cast their vote at a polling station during general elections in central Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Noemi Bruzak/MTI via AP)

Former Hungarian Prime Minister and leader of the oppositional Democratic Coalition party Ferenc Gyurcsany, second left, his wife Klara Dobrev and their children cast their ballots during the general elections at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (Tibor Illyes/MTI via AP)

Co-Chairperson and prime ministerial candidate of the oppositional Politics Can Be different (LMP) party BernadettSzel addresses the media after casting her ballot during the general elections at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (Zsolt Szigetvary/MTI via AP)

Members of the local election committee check ballots at a polling station during the general election in Debrecen, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. Numerous polling stations around Hungary remained open after the official end of voting, to accommodate people in long lines still waiting to cast ballots. (Zsolt Czegledi/MTI via AP)

Wearing hussar uniforms tradiotonalists are seen in a voting booth as they cast their ballots in a polling station during the general elections in Vac, 35 kms north of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (Tamas Kovacs/MTI via AP)
BEIJING (AP) - The U.N. secretary-general and the Singaporean foreign minister voiced concerns about global trade tensions and rising protectionism during back-to-back meetings in Beijing on Sunday.

Following remarks from his Chinese counterpart, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan vowed to "double-down" on free trade and economic liberalization in tandem with China.

"This is a time in the world where the temptation to embark on unilateralism and protectionism is unfortunately rising," Balakrishnan said.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, left, shakes hands with Chinese Foreign Minster and State Counselor Wang Yi before their meeting Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, China. (Parker Song/Pool Photo via AP)

In a separate meeting, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called China "absolutely crucial" in the international system.

"You mentioned reform and opening up - it's so important in a moment when some others have a policy of closing up," Guterres told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"The solutions for these problems are not to put globalization to question, but to improve globalization. Not isolation or protectionism, but more international cooperation," Guterres said.

The comments came as China and the U.S. exchanged escalating tariff threats in what is already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle for more than a half century.

Beijing vowed Friday to "counterattack with great strength" if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods.

Trump's announcement followed China's decision to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods.

The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. The U.S. sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.

In the meetings, Wang attacked what he called "protectionism and unilateralism," though he didn't single out the U.S. by name.

"China will safeguard the principles of free trade and oppose protectionism," Wang said. "We should push forward with economic globalization."

Wang was welcoming both officials ahead of their planned appearances at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, a Chinese-sponsored annual gathering for political and economic elites on tropical Hainan Island.

Guterres will meet President Xi Jinping later Sunday and also plans to visit the China Peacekeeping Police Training Center.

Balakrishnan is traveling with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the first of a five-day visit to China.

Yang Jiechi, left, a member of the Political Bureau of CPC Central Committee and head of the General Office of the Central Committee for Foreign Affairs, shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, right, at Zhongnanhai Sunday, April 8, 2018 in Beijing, China. (Lintao Zhang/Pool Photo via AP)
VATICAN CITY (AP) - Pope Francis closed his traditional Sunday blessing by saying "nothing can justify" the use of chemical weapons against defenseless populations and called for those responsible for a suspected attack in Syria to seek negotiations.

The pope referred to news of dozens killed, including many children and women, in a suspected poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the Syrian capital. He offered prayers for the dead and the families that are suffering.

"There is not a good or a bad war, and nothing can justify such instruments that exterminate defenseless people and populations," the pope said. "Let's pray that the responsible politicians and military leaders choose another path: that of negotiations, the only one that can bring peace."

The statue of St. Peter towers over prelates attending a Mass celebrated by Pope Francis on the Sunday of Divine Mercy, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Earlier, in a Mass focused on mercy, a signature theme of his papacy, Pope Francis has urged the faithful to not give up on the sacrament of reconciliation, especially those who continue to backslide.

The pontiff urged the faithful to continue to seek reconciliation, or confession, because "every time we are forgiven, we are reassured and encouraged."

The divine mercy Sunday celebration was established by Pope John Paul II, and this year kicks off a four-day meeting of Francis' Missionaries of Mercy, formed during the recent Holy Year of Mercy to promote confession.

On Tuesday, the missionaries are due to have an audience with Francis, followed by a special Mass with him at St. Peter's Basilica.

A view of St. Peter's Square at the Vatican as Pope Francis celebrates a Mass on the Sunday of Divine Mercy, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

Pope Francis, second from right, arrives in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican to celebrate a Mass on the Sunday of Divine Mercy, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

St. Peter's Basilica is reflected on the glasses of a woman attending the Mass on the Sunday of Divine Mercy celebrated by Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
PARIS (AP) - The crown prince of Saudi Arabia arrived in Paris on Sunday, a day ahead of his first official visit to France, which is hoping to profit from his shake-up of the conservative kingdom to forge a new kind of commercial relationship.

No big weapons contracts are expected to be signed during the short visit of Mohammed bin Salman, but a "strategic partnership" is to be announced Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron.

The 32-year-old heir to the Saudi throne, now at the center of the kingdom's power structure, has instigated major reforms to shed the kingdom's austere image. Changes include giving women the right to drive, introducing concerts and promising movie theaters.

FILE - In this March 22, 2018, file photo, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets with U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis at the Pentagon in Washington. Prince Mohammed is making his first official visit to France, which is hoping to profit from his shake-up of the conservative kingdom. French media reports say the prince arrives Sunday, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Cliff Owen, File)

France hopes to join sectors like technology, renewable energy, health and tourism that Saudi Arabia wants to develop, an official with Macron's office said. That includes developing a UNESCO heritage desert site.

A visit to "Station F," a huge Left Bank incubator for startups, is on the crown prince's agenda.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian greeted the crown prince and his royal entourage and bevy of Cabinet ministers in a low-key arrival. The crown prince was devoting Sunday to private time ahead of the two-day official visit. The royal family owns luxurious property in France, including a mansion on the Riviera.

For human rights organizations, changes being wrought by the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, are cosmetic.

Demonstrators planned protests over the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes in Yemen to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Ten human rights organizations have asked Macron to demand that Saudi Arabia end the airstrikes and lift a blockade aggravating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth advised the French president in a tweet Sunday to "keep his distance -- from MBS's war crimes in Yemen and his ongoing repression of women and dissidents at home."

The two leaders will discuss the wars in Yemen and Syria, Iran - Saudi Arabia's regional rival - and the fight against terrorism and terrorist financing, the French official said.

Prince Mohammed comes to France after a nearly three-week-long trip to the United States, preceded by a three-day visit to Britain. The prince ended his U.S. travels with more than $2.3 billion in promised arms sales and $1.3 billion in artillery.

France, traditionally a major arms supplier of the Saudis, dismissed questions about big arms contracts during this trip.

"We are absolutely not disappointed" in the absence of weapons deals, the official from Macron's office insisted. "We want to be part of this new dimension" being developed by the crown prince, which gives way to "new cooperation, less directed toward isolated contracts and more to investments in the future."

The official was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the visit.

The Gulf dispute with Qatar - isolated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt - is not likely to be high among topics covered, if at all, the official suggested. The four countries cut off Qatar's land, sea and air routes in June over its alleged support of extremists and close ties with Iran, which Qatar adamantly denies.

A ranking Qatari official said during a recent visit to Paris that his country would welcome French mediation. He spoke about the sensitive topic on condition of anonymity.

___

Aya Batrawy in Dubai, United Arab Emirates contributed.

Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Allison Hay, left, speaks to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, as Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, second from left, and Khalid al-Falih, energy minister of Saudi Arabia, stand by, near a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walks toward volunteers in front of a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, third from left, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, second from left, talk in front of a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, right, watches a volunteer take a selfie with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, left, in front of a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, third from left, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, center, pose with volunteers in front of a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)

Khalid al-Falih, energy minister of Saudi Arabia, center, introduces Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, right, to Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at a Habitat for Humanity home, Saturday, April 7, 2018, in Houston. The subdivision Prince Mohammed toured Saturday is made up of Habitat for Humanity homes that were flooded a year earlier. Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, the state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, had helped residents in the neighborhood clean up after the storm damage. (Steve Gonzales/Houston Chronicle via AP)
Syria's government has reached an agreement for rebels to leave their battered holdout of Douma for an opposition-held town in the country's north, state media reported on Sunday.

The official news agency SANA, citing a government source, said the agreement would see "the departure of all so-called Jaish al-Islam terrorists to Jarablus within 48 hours".

In exchange Jaish al-Islam would release hostages it had been holding, the source said. SANA reported dozens of buses were already entering Douma to begin the evacuations.

The deal came a day after a reported chemical attack that killed dozens of people in Douma, which prompted global outrage but which Syria and its ally Russia have brushed off as "fabrications."

Douma is the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, a sprawling suburb of Damascus that was once the opposition's main bastion on the outskirts of the capital.

Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with government ally Moscow over the town's fate and had been hoping to secure a deal that would allow them to remain in control.

But the negotiations crumbled last week and fierce bombing of Douma resumed on Friday.

By Sunday morning, opposition negotiators said a ceasefire had been agreed to allow for new talks.

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JERUSALEM (AP) - The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court raised concerns Sunday that Israel and Hamas may have committed war crimes during a current flare-up of violence in the Gaza Strip.

In a statement, Fatou Bensouda's office expressed "grave concern" over the shootings of Palestinians by Israeli troops during mass protests along Gaza's border with Israel.

Her office said that Israel's "violence against civilians - in a situation such as one prevailing in Gaza" may constitute war crimes. But in an apparent reference to Gaza's Hamas rulers, she also said "the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities" could also be a war crime.

Israeli soldiers stand as smoke rises during demonstrations at the Israel Gaza border, Friday, April 6, 2018. Palestinians torched piles of tires near Gaza's border with Israel on Friday, sending huge plumes of black smoke into the air and drawing Israeli fire that killed two men in the second mass protest in the volatile area in a week. (AP Photo/Tsafrir Abayov)

Bensouda is already in the midst of a "preliminary examination" of possible war crimes, launched in the wake of a 2014 war between Israel and Hamas. That is the first step toward a formal war crimes investigation.

"While a preliminary examination is not an investigation, any new alleged crime committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my office's scrutiny," she said. "This applies to the events of the past weeks and to any future incident."

Palestinian health officials say at least 31 people have been killed by Israeli fire, including 25 people killed during protests.

Israel says the protests are a smoke screen for attacks on its troops and attempts to breach the border fence. It says militants have attempted to carry out shootings plant bombs or infiltrate the fence, and that its snipers have only fired at "instigators" trying to carry out attacks.

The Israeli military said Sunday that it had located two explosive devices near the border hours after three Palestinians from Gaza apparently crossed briefly into Israeli territory.

But witness accounts and amateur videos have shown some demonstrators appeared to be unarmed or far from the fence when they were shot. The European Union and United Nations have called for an independent investigation into the incidents.

Hamas, an Islamic militant group that calls for Israel's destruction, has called for a series of protests until May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

Hamas, which is considered a terrorist group by Israel and its Western allies, has controlled Gaza since ousting forces of internationally recognized President Mahmoud Abbas in 2007. On Sunday, Abbas said that unless his government reassumes full control over Gaza, including the rival party's weapons stockpiles, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Recent reconciliation efforts by Abbas's Fatah party and Hamas have stalled, largely because Hamas refuses to disarm and cede control of Gaza to Abbas's Palestinian Authority.

Israel and Hamas have fought three wars in the Gaza Strip since 2009, and the most recent conflict in 2014 prompted the ICC to launch its preliminary investigation into possible war crimes.
RAQQA, Syria (AP) - Across the ruins of Raqqa, the streets are cloaked in grey, the color of bare cement and rubble left behind by the bombing campaign that finally drove out Islamic State militants. Among the people of this Syrian city, the fear, anger and desperation are palpable.

Six months after IS's ouster, residents feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild their lives, but they say they fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; the Syrian government, which has forces nearby; criminal gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people.

"Daesh is still among us," said a businessman, using the Arabic acronym for IS. To give an example, he said, a man lobbed a hand grenade at a recent funeral when mourners played music, something hard-line Sunni Muslims view as sacrilegious

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a bulldozer removes rubble from a government building that was destroyed last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after the Islamic State group was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

The Associated Press spoke to over a dozen residents on a recent visit, most of whom spoke of their woes on condition of anonymity because they feared for their safety. The businessman asked to be identified by the diminutive of his first name, Abdu.

After fleeing Raqqa during the coalition-led assault on the city last year, Abdu returned once the militants were driven out in October. He found his restaurant and his home next to it destroyed. He was angry, but practical. His life has been on hold for too long and he wanted to get on with his business. So he hired workers and started to rebuild.

But local gangs had eyed him. He was kidnapped and held for $10,000 ransom, until his tribe intervened and rescued him without paying, he said.

He, like many others, lamented the loss of security, which he said was one prize feature of living under IS. He faulted the Kurdish-led forces for hastily recruiting local Arabs to boost their ranks and appease the local Arab tribes.

"We end up with thieves or former Daesh in the force," he said.

For three years, Raqqa was the de facto capital of the Islamic State group's "caliphate" stretching across much of Iraq and Syria. In the campaign of the U.S-led coalition and Iraqi and Syrian partners, the group has been uprooted from almost that entire territory.

U.N. officials say Raqqa has been left the most devastated city in all of Syria's seven-year-old war, a conflict that has also seen Syrian government forces backed by Russian and Iranian forces battling rebels. All of Raqqa suffered intense airstrikes by the U.S.-led coalition and the whole population of at least 350,000 had to flee. The infrastructure was destroyed, as were 65 percent of civilian homes, said Leila Mustafa, a member of the U.S.-backed Raqqa Civil Council that now runs the city.

A prominent Arab tribesman escorted the AP to see a building he owned that was gutted by airstrikes. He angrily complained that coalition bombing was indiscriminate. Like many, he said there should be compensation but didn't expect any would be given.

"I wish I even found the bone of an IS member in there! But nothing. No reason," he said. "Now, who will pay for this?" He refused to give his name, fearing his criticism would undermine his chances of ever getting money to rebuild.

Nothing is unaffected by the bombardment. Mosques, schools, squares and buildings have all taken hits, some repeatedly. Trees on the street are burned. Insects and dust saturate the air.

The stench of death rises from crushed buildings and remains long after the bodies are removed. Civil workers say they have pulled nearly 500 bodies from under the rubble in the past three months, working with just one bulldozer.

Some streets have been cleared of wreckage, giving way to a scene even more haunting because of how organized it is. Scrap metal and debris are neatly stacked in heaps at the foot of destroyed buildings. Row after row of buildings reduced to concrete skeletons run like a pattern through the city. Large chunks of cement dangle from twisted rebar above sidewalks like cryptic decorations. At least 8,000 explosives riddle the city center.

Major overpasses have been hit, as well as bridges across the Euphrates River, which cuts through the city. Residents and their cars cross on small barges.

Yet the buzz of activity is startling. Nearly 100,000 residents have returned, according to U.N. accounts. Mustafa said it was likely much higher.

Women in colorful scarves punctuated the grey monotone in the markets. A market for scrap metal has sprung up at one end of the city. Meat grills lined some streets, and warehouses were full of soft drinks, water, grains and other stock. Bulldozers drilled into the wreckage of buildings.

Workers from nearby provinces have come looking for opportunities. The driver of a truck full of mattresses with job hunters sitting on top said they came from the northwestern city of Aleppo.

"They can't do it all alone," a construction worker from the neighboring province of Deir el-Zour said at the site of a destroyed bridge.

Those with money rebuild. Painters added some color to the facade of a former car dealership. Its owner, who asked only to be identified as Ismail, said IS had used its back rooms as a prison.

When he came back to Raqqa, he heard of masked gangsters who rob returnees. But it has not stopped him. He is turning his dealership into an internet cafe, much needed in a city that has no phone lines and relies heavily on personal generators for electricity.

He said he paid $600 to clean the wreckage from his street. "I want to make it feel safe," he said.

Mustafa, the council member, said most of the restoration work was self-financed, with some U.S. money, though she would not say how much. On Thursday, with American officials attending, she inaugurated a new pre-fab bridge to connect the city to neighboring villages. One U.S. official said installing the bridge cost $7,000.

The city is getting "very limited" support - "no match to the size of the needs," she said. Infrastructure was totally destroyed, as were 65 percent of civilian buildings, and mines and rubble still need to be cleared, she said. She could not say the total cost for rebuilding since it is constantly being reevaluated.

Raqqa paid a "hefty price" for the war on terrorism, she said, but "international organizations and some countries didn't live up to their responsibilities."

U.S. officials have led operations to clear land mines and restore basic services like water and electricity in the city. But those programs would likely have to be called off if President Donald Trump goes forward with plans to withdraw American troops within five or six months. In meeting with national security aides, he has railed against the trillions the U.S. has spent in the Mideast, saying it brought no return.

Instead, Trump has asked Saudi Arabia to contribute $4 billion toward reconstruction and stabilization in Syria.

Despite the devastation, signs of IS remained around Raqqa.

The infamous Naim Square - Arabic for "Paradise" - where Islamic State militants displayed hanged bodies or heads, was empty aside from a single chair in the street that marked a former checkpoint of the militants. On the other end were remains of an IS media center with broken chairs and a stand where the screen was once set to show IS videos to the public.

A juice shop and a supermarket were the only signs of life in the square, surrounded by destroyed buildings. Seals used by IS were still visible on the metal shutters of shops, numbering them for tax collection purposes.

Nahla Mustafa walked absent-mindedly nearby, pulling her seven-year old son Baseel behind.

Asked how she is, she immediately said, "Everything is lost," and her eyes welled with tears. The war had impoverished her well-to-do family. Militants confiscated her husband's clothing store. The three homes they owned were destroyed in coalition strikes and she had multiple miscarriages, which she blamed on fear from the bombing.

She now makes clothes for a living and asks around houses for odd jobs. Looking at her purse, she said, "I have 3,000 liras ($7) in here. What do I do with this?" Her husband works in a grocery store, earning the equivalent of $45 a month.

"I am tired and I am scared," she said. "When will we be able to save to fix our homes - when (my husband) is 100?" Her son doesn't go to school because she worries about land mines.

"What will become of his future? What is our fault in all of this?"

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, Syrian students run in front of buildings that were destroyed last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, U.S. soldiers in civilian clothes, foreground, watch boys diving into a canal from a newly opened bridge, which had been destroyed last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, workers remove rubble of a bridge that was destroyed last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, the remains of buildings line a street that was damaged last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

This Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, shows Naim Square where Islamic State militants executed and behead people, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

This Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, shows a media center the Islamic State group used to screen propaganda videos, which was destroyed last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a man removes rubble from his house that was damaged during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, children look from the window of their house that was damaged last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, people cross the Euphrates river by ferry as one of the main bridges was destroyed during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, people cross the Euphrates river by ferry as one of the main bridges was destroyed during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, shops being rebuilt that were damaged last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a man paints his shop that was damaged last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, a Syrian man stands between buildings that were damaged last summer during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, people load vehicles on ferries to cross the Euphrates river, as one of the main bridges was destroyed during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)

In this Thursday, April 5, 2018 photo, rubble of buildings line a street that was damaged during fighting between U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces fighters and Islamic State militants, in Raqqa, Syria. Six months after IS was driven out, residents of Raqqa feel they have been abandoned as the world moves on. They are trying to rebuild but fear everyone around them: the Kurdish-led militia that administers the majority Arab city; Syrian government forces nearby; gangs who kidnap or rob whoever shows signs of having money; and IS militants who may still be hiding among the people. (AP Photo/Hussein Malla)
GENOA, Italy (AP) - Lucas Pouille kept his focus when Italy's Fabio Fognini began throwing his racket in frustration during a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory that put France into the Davis Cup semifinals on Sunday.

Defending champion France took an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the best-of-five series with Italy.

Fognini threw his racket twice upon failing to take advantage of opportunities late in the third set.

France's Lucas Pouille poses for photos in front of his supporters after beating Italy's Fabio Fognini during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. Lucas Pouille beat Fabio Fognini 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3 and put France into the Davis Cup semifinals Sunday. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)

On the first occasion, Fognini slammed his racket on the red clay court, then broke it clean in half across his knee.

A couple of points later, after Pouille saved three set points to even the set at 5-5, Fognini threw his racket into a courtside chair in the vicinity of a ball boy.

"There is always pressure on Davis Cup," the 11th-ranked Pouille said. "You want to do well for your friends, family, fans and all the team and that's why it leaves this spicy taste in the Davis Cup."

In the fourth set, France captain Yannick Noah protested to the chair umpire when the crowd attempted to bother Pouille while he served.

That prompted the umpire to make an announcement urging silence and sportsmanship.

"The fans were incredible," Pouille said. "They were fair and they were just noisy for us."

Pouille served well under pressure, hitting seven aces overall to Fognini's two. The Frenchman also committed only 16 unforced errors to Fognini's 28.

"I think I was more consistent over the match," Pouille said. "I had a tough first set but I kept trying and was playing better and better and it was a great effort to come back and win this one."

It's the third straight year that France has reached the semifinals.

"I'm sure we are going to have some good wine," Noah said of his team's celebration plans.

France will next meet Spain, which defeated Germany 3-2.

"I had a lot of chances against a great player," Fognini said. "If this is my level of tennis I'm not worried about the future."

The fifth singles match between Italy's Andreas Seppi and France's Jeremy Chardy was not played.

France's Lucas Pouille celebrates after defeating Italy's Fabio Fognini during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. Pouille kept his focus when Fognini began throwing his racket in frustration during a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory that put defending champion France into the Davis Cup semifinals with an insurmountable 3-1. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)

Italy's Fabio Fognini returns the ball to France's Lucas Pouille during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)

France's Lucas Pouille returns the ball to Italy's Fabio Fognini during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)

Italy's Fabio Fognini returns the ball to France's Lucas Pouille during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)

Italy's Fabio Fognini serves the ball to France's Lucas Pouille during a World Group Quarter final Davis Cup tennis match between Italy and France in Genoa, Italy, Sunday April 8, 2018. (Luca Zennaro/ANSA via AP)
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Sunday condemned a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria that killed women and children, called Syrian President Bashar Assad an "animal" and said there would be a "big price to pay" for resorting to outlawed weapons of mass destruction.

Hours later, Syria's state-run news agency reported a missile attack early Monday at an air base in Syria's Homs province and labeled it a "likely" U.S. aggression. However, a Pentagon spokesman quickly denied the U.S. was behind the strike.

In the wake of the reported poison gas attack, officials in Washington worked Sunday to verify the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that the Assad government was responsible.

This image released early Sunday, April 8, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows a child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. Syrian rescuers and medics said the attack on Douma killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government denied the allegations, which could not be independently verified. The alleged attack in Douma occurred Saturday night amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

Just over a year ago, Trump ordered dozens of cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base after declaring there was no doubt Assad had "choked out the lives of helpless" civilians in an attack that used banned gases. White House advisers said at the time that images of hurt children helped spur the president to launch that air strike, and television new shows on Sunday aired similar depictions of suffering young Syrians.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump tweeted. "Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Saturday's attack took place in a rebel-held town near Damascus amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. Syrian activists, rescuers and medics said a poison gas attack in Douma killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in their houses and shelters. The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

The developments come as Trump has moved to dramatically scale back U.S. goals in Syria, pushing for a quick military withdrawal despite resistance from many of his national security advisers. Trump has given no formal order to pull out the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria or offered a public timetable other than to say the U.S. will withdraw as soon as the remaining Islamic State fighters can be vanquished.

But Trump has signaled to his advisers that, ideally, he wants all troops out within six months.

Republican Sen. John McCain of Arizona said Assad heard Trump's signal that he wanted to withdraw from Syria and, "emboldened by American inaction," launched the attack. In a statement, McCain said Trump "responded decisively" last year with the air strike and urged Trump to be forceful again to "demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes."

Images released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, a volunteer organization, show children lying on the ground motionless and foaming at the mouth. The Assad government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, denied responsibility.

Trump was briefed about the attack by his chief of staff, John Kelly, officials said. Trump's homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, noted the timing of the suspected chemical attack - almost a year to the day of the U.S. missile strikes.

"This isn't just the United States. This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War II, it's an unacceptable practice," Bossert said.

Asked about the potential for an American missile strike in response, Bossert said: "I wouldn't take anything off the table. These are horrible photos. We're looking into the attack at this point."

Trump was to meet with his senior military leadership on Monday, the same day his new national security adviser, John Bolton, assumes his post. Bolton has previously advocated significant airstrikes against Syria.

Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday deemed it a "likely chemical attack" and reiterated Trump's threat that consequences would be coming for those responsible.

"We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children," Pence tweeted. "The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior."

Trump's decision to single out Russian President Vladimir Putin in a tweet for supporting Assad appeared noteworthy because Trump long has been reluctant to personally criticize the Russian leader. Even as the White House, after some delay, imposed tough new sanctions on Russia in the wake of its U.S. election meddling and suspected poisoning of a former spy on British soil, Trump left it to others in his administration to deliver the rebukes to Moscow.

Last month, Trump called Putin and, against the counsel of his advisers, congratulated the Russian president on his re-election and invited him to the White House. On Sunday, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, urged Trump to "ramp up the pressure and the sanctions on the Russian government, because, without the support of Russia, I do not believe that Assad would still be in office."

Trump also invoked Iran in his series of tweets, further challenging Tehran while signaling he may scuttle its nuclear deal with the West. The president has often laid some blame on his predecessor, Barack Obama, for Assad's continued grip on power after years of civil war.

Obama said in 2012 that Syria's use of chemical weapons would be a "red line" that would change his decision-making on intervening in the war and have "enormous consequences." After such an attack in 2013 killed hundreds outside Damascus, American ships in the Mediterranean were poised to launch missiles. But Obama pulled back after key U.S. ally Britain, as well as Congress, balked.

He opted for a Russian-backed proposal that was supposed to remove and eliminate Syria's chemical weapons stockpiles.

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" Trump tweeted from the White House.

Questions about the administration's possible response reverberated throughout Washington in the hours after the attack.

"It's a defining moment in his presidency" that comes as Assad sees the U.S. "determination to stay in Syria waning," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C.,

"If he doesn't follow through and live up to that tweet, he's going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran," Graham said. "You need to follow through with that tweet. Show a resolve that Obama never did to get this right."

Graham and Bossert were on ABC's "This Week," and Collins appeared on CNN's "State of the Union."

___

Follow Lemire on Twitter at http://twitter.com/@JonLemire
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Authorities in the central Mexico state of Puebla say four men suspected of stealing a tractor-trailer have been killed by angry townspeople.

Puebla's secretary of public safety says in a statement the men had been arrested by local officers and were being held in the Yehualtepec police station.

More than 200 residents attacked the station Saturday, taking the suspects and burning the building.

The secretary says Sunday that the suspects were beaten to death before state police were sent to secure the area.

Vigilante killings occur periodically in Mexico, especially in some rural areas where residents have little faith in the justice system and the government presence is weak.
ROUBAIX, France (AP) - Belgian rider Michael Goolaerts died of cardiac arrest after collapsing while competing in the Paris-Roubaix race on Sunday.

Goolaerts' team said the 23-year-old died in a Lille hospital where he had been taken by helicopter from the one-day classic.

"It is with unimaginable sadness that we have to communicate the passing of our rider and friend Michael Goolaerts," his team, Veranda's Willems-Crelan, said in a statement.

The team said Goolaerts died "in the presence of his family members and loved ones, who we keep in our thoughts." It added that he "died of cardiac arrest, all medical assistance was to no avail."

Goolaerts had been airlifted to hospital after collapsing about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from the finish. No images of the incident itself were available but TV footage of the race showed Goolaerts lying unresponsive on the side of the road as the peloton passed him. He was then attended by a medical team and appeared to receive CPR.

Goolaerts rode in support of cyclo-cross world champion Wout van Aert of Belgium. His most significant result this season was 20th at Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne.

Peter Sagan won the race ahead of Silvan Dillier of Switzerland.

Goolaerts' death came two years after Belgian cyclist Daan Myngheer died following a heart attack during the Criterium International race in Corsica.

Another Belgian cyclist, Antoine Demoitie, died the same year following a crash in the Gent-Wevelgem race.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Authorities say former Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers player Aldon Smith is back in a California jail after violating a condition of his bail.

Online records show the 28-year-old Smith is being held Sunday in San Francisco County Jail on $500,000 bond. A message seeking comment from his attorney, Joshua Bentley, was not immediately returned.

Sheriff's spokeswoman Nancy Crowley tells the San Francisco Chronicle that Smith was booked Friday for violating a condition of his electronic monitoring while on bail.

FILE - This booking file photo provided Tuesday, March 6, 2018, by the San Francisco Police Department, shows Aldon Smith. Authorities say former Oakland Raiders and San Francisco 49ers player Smith is back in a California jail after violating a condition of his bail. Online records show the 28-year-old Smith is being held Sunday, April 8, 2018, in San Francisco County Jail on $500,000 bond. (San Francisco Police Department via AP, File)

Last month Smith pleaded not guilty to domestic violence and other charges. A judge issued a protective order prohibiting him from contacting the victim. He later surrendered to police on charges he violated the restraining order.

The Raiders released the linebacker after his arrest on the domestic violence charges.
BERLIN (AP) - The Latest on the new CEO at Deutsche Bank (all times local):

1:20 a.m.

Deutsche Bank says its new chief executive officer "has proven himself a strong and disciplined leader" in his more than 25 years there.

FILE - In this May 19, 2016 file photo then Head of Private and Business Clients, Christian Sewing, attends an annual news conference of Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. German media are reporting that Christian Sewing, currently a member of Deutsche Bank's management board, may become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender replacing John Cryan. News magazine Spiegel Online and daily Handelsblatt reported Sewing will be nominated at a board meeting Sunday night, April 8, 2018. (Arne Dedert/dpa via AP)

Longtime executive Christian Sewing was appointed chief executive officer on Sunday, succeeding John Cryan, who'll leave the German bank at the end of April.

The bank's supervisory board says it's convinced Sewing and his team will be able to successfully lead it "into a new era."

Cryan took over in 2015 and pushed to cut costs, streamline computer systems and leave less profitable businesses and regions. But the bank lost 735 million euros ($903 million) last year.

The bank's supervisory board thanks Cryan for his relatively brief tenure as CEO. It says a comprehensive analysis led to the conclusion it needed "a new execution dynamic" in its leadership.

___

11:45 p.m.

Deutsche Bank's supervisory board has appointed Christian Sewing as chief executive officer.

Sewing succeeds John Cryan, who'll leave the German bank at the end of April.

Cryan took over in July 2015 after previous co-CEOs Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen stepped down as the bank struggled with uneven profits that were repeatedly eroded by funds set aside for litigation expenses. Rumors Cryan might be replaced after three years of losses had swirled for weeks.

Deutsche Bank's supervisory board also on Sunday appointed management board members Garth Ritchie and Karl von Rohr as new presidents.

___

5:20 a.m.

German media are reporting that Christian Sewing, currently a member of Deutsche Bank's management board, may become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender replacing John Cryan.

News magazine Spiegel Online and daily Handelsblatt reported Sewing will be nominated at a board meeting Sunday night.

Deutsche Bank confirmed late Saturday that its "supervisory board will have a discussion on the banks' CEO position." The bank wrote, "it is planned to take a decision in this context on the same day."

Cryan took over in July 2015 after the previous co-CEOs, Anshu Jain and Juergen Fitschen, stepped down as the bank struggled with uneven profits that were repeatedly eroded by funds set aside for litigation expenses.

Rumors that Cryan might be replaced after three years of losses have swirled for weeks.

FILE - In this Oct. 29, 2015 file photo Christian Sewing, then Head of Private and Business Clients (PBC), delivers a speech during a news conference of Deutsche Bank in Frankfurt, Germany. German media are reporting that Christian Sewing, currently a member of Deutsche Bank's management board, may become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender replacing John Cryan. News magazine Spiegel Online and daily Handelsblatt reported Sewing will be nominated at a board meeting Sunday night, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Jens Meyer,file)

FILE - In this Feb. 2, 2018 file photo, CEO of Deutsche Bank John Cryan speaks during the annual press conference in Frankfurt, Germany. German media are reporting that Christian Sewing, currently a member of Deutsche Bank's management board, may become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender replacing John Cryan. News magazine Spiegel Online and daily Handelsblatt reported Sewing will be nominated at a board meeting Sunday night, April 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Michael Probst,file)
Doreen Lawrence has called on the Metropolitan Police to be honest about the likelihood that anyone else involved in her sons murder will be brought to justice.

Scotland Yard says the probe into Stephen Lawrences racially-motivated killing 25 years ago remains in an active phase, however his mother said she suspects detectives have run out of lines of inquiry.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Baroness Lawrence said she believes the Met is concerned about her public reaction should they decide to close the case.

Stephen Lawrence (Met Police/PA)

She also suggested that she was ready to begin to move on from her tireless pursuit of justice for her son and dedicate her time to her family and grieving.

I dont think they (the police) have any more lines of inquiry. They say theyre carrying on the investigation, but carrying on doing what? the Labour peer said.

If theyve come to the end, they should be honest  say theyve come to an end and stop.

I think theyre carrying on pretending everythings fine because they dont want to hear what Ill say if it is stopped.

To date, two people have been convicted over Mr Lawrences killing in Eltham, south-east London, on April 22 1993.

In 2012, Gary Dobson and David Norris were found guilty of murder under joint enterprise and jailed for life.

Six years on from the convictions, Baroness Lawrence said she was acutely aware of the cost of the ongoing investigation to the taxpayer.

Detectives believe Mr Lawrence was stabbed to death by a group of up to six white men in the unprovoked racist attack as he waited at a bus stop with a friend.

Failures in the police response to Mr Lawrences murder sparked outrage and prompted a series of inquiries.

His parents launched a failed private prosecution against Dobson, Norris and other suspects in the case in 1994.

Then, in 1996, a murder trial at the Old Bailey against Dobson and two other defendants collapsed after identification evidence was ruled inadmissible.

Following a 1997 inquest, a jury concluded Mr Lawrence was unlawfully killed by five white youths.

And in 1999 findings of a judicial inquiry by Sir William Macpherson accused the Met of racism, professional incompetence and bad leadership.

Baroness Lawrence said the failure to bring all those involved in her sons murder to justice stemmed from the incompetent and racist behaviour of some officers involved in the original probe.

However the peer said the 2012 convictions had lessened some of the anger she feels.

Meanwhile, after 25 years of tireless campaigning for justice for her son, the grandmother said it was time to grieve for her son and focus on her family and herself.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: The investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence remains in an active phase. The Met continues to hold regular meetings to update the family.
Rory McIlroy and Patrick Reed set up a mouth-watering repeat of their Ryder Cup showdown as damp conditions failed to prevent fireworks in the 82nd Masters.

And while Reed will start the final day with a three-shot lead on 14 under par, McIlroy will arguably have the momentum in pursuit of the win he needs to complete a career grand slam after a dramatic finish to a roller-coaster third round at Augusta National.

Reed responded to seeing McIlroy erase a five-shot overnight deficit by firing a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth and then making two eagles in the space of three holes on the back nine.

Rory McIlroy trails Patrick Reed in the Masters (Chris Carlson/AP)

That took the 27-year-old five shots clear once more, but a three-putt bogey on the 16th gave the chasing pack renewed hope and McIlroy took full advantage with a birdie on the last.

This could be good. https://t.co/zoBxKExLWB  Scott Michaux (@ScottMichaux) April 7, 2018

The resulting 65 matched McIlroys opening round in 2011, when he led by four shots after 54 holes but collapsed to a closing 80, while Reeds 67 means he can become the first player in Masters history to card all four rounds in the 60s.

I got on a nice run on the front nine before the birdies dried up, but to birdie two of the last four holes was huge, especially with that up and down on 17, McIlroy said.

Its massive to be in the final group for the first time here since 2011. I feel like I learned an awful lot that day and hopefully I can putt that into practice tomorrow.

Im really excited to show everyone what Ive got, to show Patrick Reed what Ive got and all the pressure is on him. He went to Augusta State and has a lot of support and Im hoping to come in here and spoil the party.

McIlroy's 65 is the joint-lowest third round score at Augusta since 2012...



...and he's outright second.#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/GfYG5hWwRd  The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 7, 2018

On a day when intermittent showers helped making scoring easier, Rickie Fowler is five shots off the lead after a 65 which equalled the lowest round of the week posted minutes earlier by Spains Jon Rahm.

Rahm is six off the lead on eight under, with Henrik Stenson a shot further back and European number one Tommy Fleetwood, Bubba Watson and Marc Leishman on six under.

McIlroy began the day five shots off the lead held by Reed, but birdied the third and fourth and then almost holed his tee shot on the par-three sixth. And the best was yet to come as the former world number one chipped in for an eagle on the par-five eighth.

Rory chips in to tie the lead!



Woah. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/Kt5zRc578C  The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) April 7, 2018

That briefly gave McIlroy a share of the lead, only for Reed to respond with a hat-trick of birdies from the eighth  the fifth time this week he has compiled such a scoring burst.

A bogey on the 12th cut Reeds lead to two, but he responded with an eagle on the 13th  where McIlroy had to save par from deep in the Azaleas left of the green  to move four shots clear.

McIlroy recovered from a wild drive to birdie the 15th and reduce the deficit once more, only for Reed to chip in for his second eagle of the day on the same hole.
Iran on Sunday condemned allegations of a chemical attack on Syria's Eastern Ghouta rebel holdout as a "conspiracy" against its ally President Bashar al-Assad and a pretext for military action.

"Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action," Iran's foreign ministry said in a statement.

Tehran warned any military intervention would "certainly complicate the situation" in Syria and the wider region.

"With the Syrian army having the upper hand on the ground against the armed terrorists, it would not be rational for it to use chemical weapons," the statement said.

An alleged chemical attack that left dozens dead in Syria's rebel-held town of Douma has sparked international outrage, with US President Donald Trump warning there would be a "big price to pay".

The Syrian regime and its other key backer Russia both denied any use of chemical weapons as "fabrications".

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Boris Johnson has hit out at the torrent of absurdity from Moscow following the Salisbury nerve agent attack  and accused Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn of being the Kremlins useful idiot.

The Foreign Secretary said the Kremlin was peddling an avalanche of lies and disinformation following the attack which left Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in hospital.

And he stepped up the Tory attack on Mr Corbyn, claiming the Labour leader was lending false credibility to the propaganda from Moscow by refusing to say unequivocally that the Russian state was responsible for the Salisbury incident.

Boris Johnson has hit out at Jeremy Corbyn over the Salisbury poisoning (Jonathan Brady/PA)

A Labour spokesman hit back, claiming that Mr Johnson had made a fool of himself and undermined the government by misrepresenting the findings of the Porton Down laboratory on the source of the Novichok chemical agent.

Mr Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were left fighting for their lives in hospital after being found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury on March 4.

The former spy is said by medics to be improving rapidly and no longer in a critical condition while his daughter has said she is growing stronger by the day.

But the Foreign Office has said the pair are likely go have ongoing medical needs and thoughts in Whitehall have turned to what happens when they are well enough to leave hospital.

The Sunday Times reported that the Skripals could be offered new identities and a life in the USA, while the Sunday Telegraph suggested they could be placed under a witness protection scheme.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Johnson accused Mr Corbyn of supporting the propaganda campaign launched by Vladimir Putins government.

There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join in.

Sadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort.

The Foreign Secretary said the Labour leader was playing Putins game and shames himself by lending it succour.

But a Labour spokesman responded: Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said the evidence points to Russia being responsible, directly or indirectly, and that the Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of evidence.

Boris Johnson has made a fool of himself and undermined the Government by seriously misrepresenting what he was told by Porton Down chemical weapons experts.

These ridiculous insults wont distract attention from the fact that he has clearly misled the public over vital issues of national security.

Mr Johnsons broadside in the Sunday Times came after Russia formally requested a meeting with him to discuss the Skripal case.

The Russian government said it hoped the UK would engage constructively with the request for ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to have face-to-face talks with Mr Johnson.

But the move was branded a diversionary tactic by the Foreign Office.

We believe that it is high time to arrange a meeting between @Amb_Yakovenko and Foreign Secretary @BorisJohnson in order to discuss the whole range of bilateral issues, as well as the investigation of the Salisbury incident. https://t.co/hOHA18Lclf pic.twitter.com/cS8XMDiXM7  Russian Embassy, UK (@RussianEmbassy) April 7, 2018

In a statement posted on its website on Saturday, the Russian Embassy said interaction between it and the Foreign Office was utterly unsatisfactory.

They added: We believe that it is high time to arrange a meeting between Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson in order to discuss the whole range of bilateral issues, as well as the investigation of the Salisbury incident.

Ambassador Yakovenko has already sent a respective personal note to the Foreign Secretary.

We hope that the British side will engage constructively and that such meeting is arranged shortly.

Moscow has denied being responsible for the poisoning of the Skripals but the incident has plunged diplomatic relations between Russia and the West into the deep freeze.

Russia is playing fast and loose with our collective security and the international institutions that protect us pic.twitter.com/H5tUTT8zdT  Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (@FCDOGovUK) April 6, 2018

A Foreign Office spokesman said: Its Russias response that has been unsatisfactory.

Its over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Mr Skripal and his daughter.

Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic.

We will of course consider their request and respond in due course.

Whitehall sources said Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov had turned down the chance for discussions and dismissed the embassys move as the latest in a series of Russian disinformation attempts.

Meanwhile on Sunday the Russian Embassy accused the Foreign Office of failing to answer its questions over why a relative of Sergei and Yulia Skripal had been denied a visa to visit them.

Kremlin diplomats said the decision not to issue the visa was politically motivated and raised questions about the reasoning behind it.

Viktoria Skripal, a cousin of Ms Skripal, had very much hoped to support her family members in a difficult moment, the embassy said.
Donald Trump has hailed the response by New Yorks firefighters after a blaze broke out in an apartment at his Manhattan skyscraper.

Flames and smoke were seen issuing from windows on the 50th floor of Trump Tower, where the president has a residence, on Fifth Avenue on Saturday evening.

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said it had received a report that a civilian had been seriously injured in the incident.

Fire broke out at Trump Tower in New York on Saturday (AP/Craig Ruttle)

#FDNY members remain on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 721 5th Ave in Manhattan. There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported. (Photo credit: @nycoem) pic.twitter.com/0Smiljyupg  FDNY (@FDNY) April 7, 2018

The FDNY said the blaze broke out shortly before 6pm on Friday before flames and black smoke were seen rising from one corner of the 58-storey tower.

Around 45 minutes later, Mr Trump took to Twitter to praise firefighters for their response, saying they had extinguished the blaze.

The billionaire, who made his fortune in property, also attributed the design of his eponymous tower to the fires limited spread.

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU! he wrote on Twitter.

The FDNY said crews remained at the scene, adding: There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported.

Mr Trump was reportedly in Washington DC during the incident. As well as his luxury residence, Trump Tower also contains offices of the Trump family business.

His son, Eric Trump, tweeted: Thank you to the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment at @TrumpTower. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!
The Prince of Wales has ventured into Australias Daintree Rainforest to discover the traditions of its 50,000-year-old indigenous people.

Arriving by helicopter at Mossman Gorge, near Cairns, Charles marvelled at how the Kuku Yalanji aboriginals made use of the forest as a rich resource.

He reacted with awe when he was shown by elder Roy Gibson how leaves from a certain tree could provide relief for mosquito bites, and took a particular interest in a handmade hunting boomerang.

He also took part in a traditional smoking ceremony, said to help ward off evil spirits.

Wearing a cream suit and matching shoes, the prince took a stroll through the world heritage-listed forest before joining a roundtable discussion on sustainable forestry.

Charles is given a gift at the Royal Flying Doctors Service base in Cairns (Steve Parsons/PA)

Earlier, the prince attended a Sunday church service where he met a woman who made headlines 40 years ago when she gave him a kiss.

Leila Sherwood first met the heir to the throne in 1979 as a 14-year-old, when she skipped school to see him at Cairns Airport.

I broke through a barrier and jumped out in front of him, she said.

I said, Charles, may I kiss you?. He said, yes, alright then, so I pecked his cheek. I was all over the TV afterwards.

Greeting the prince again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday, the 54-year-old showed him a newspaper clipping from the time.

She said: He held my hand and said bless you  I didnt want to let go of his hand!

Charles also visited the Cairns base of the Royal Flying Doctors service, and hailed its remarkable work.

He spoke by video link to Lyn French and her grandson Robert, who live in rural Queensland, about 370 miles from Cairns, and rely on the Flying Doctors for medical help.

Charles, who was also shown how to treat a snake bite, said: Im very proud to be patron of the Flying Doctors. Its a remarkable operation.

On a busy day for the prince, he even found time to head on board HMAS Leeuwin to present the Gloucester Cup to Hydrographic Ship Blue Crew  an award for the Royal Australian Navy unit displaying the highest level of overall proficiency for the year.
Nearly 20 banks have committed to Frankfurt since the Brexit vote, according to top German officials, with rival cities still vying for the 60 remaining firms yet to decide on a new EU hub.

Tarek Al-Wazir, economy minister for the German state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is situated, said the city had managed to attract top tier banks and was confident that the next wave of decisions would come out in Frankfurts favour.

Weve got 18 entities  that have committed, he told the Press Association during his most recent trip to London.

The sun shines on the Old Opera in Frankfurt, Germany (AP)

There will be other entities who are in the decision process now, so were in contact with some of them  of course, were not able to say who they are, but at the end if you compare everything that happened since the Brexit referendum and if you compare the real decisions made, I think we are number one on the continent and Im sure this will continue.

Hubertus Vath, managing director of city lobby group Frankfurt Main Finance  who was accompanying the minister on his trip  said that while big banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have already made their location decisions, there were a swathe of firms yet to launch Brexit contingency plans.

We did some research in the beginning showing that 100 institutions will have to make up their minds.

We know as of today that just about 40 have made their decisions public and there are a few who are just about to make their decisions  So there is still 60 up for grabs, however were talking significantly smaller entities.

Those smaller entities would include prime brokerages and corporate treasury centres (CPCs), which serve as the in-house banks of multinational corporations, providing treasury services for its group companies.

While the remaining firms may not be headline grabbing, Mr Al-Wazir said there was still a healthy rivalry at play.

The competition is still there and maybe the competition is even increasing, but at the end the outcome is good for us.

The minister admitted he was a little bit disappointed that Paris was chosen as the new location of the London-based European Banking Authority, but said any competitive edge it might give to Paris was limited.

The ECB (European Central Bank) is far more relevant, he said.

Mr Al Wazir  whose London visit was his fifth since the Brexit vote  said financial firms would also be interested in new local labour reforms.

I always said that if German labour law was that bad, Germany wouldnt have reached the position that it has reached. But you know, especially concerning banks and financial institutions, the federal level is now on its way to changing the labour law.

The minister pointed to a recent coalition agreement which will make it easier to fire and replace high-earning bankers  a boon for those who previously bemoaned stringent legislation that made it hard to sack senior staff.

He said the next step was to have more firms make the trip to Frankfurt themselves.

We have many people visiting us, because at the end if youre opening something, it wont help you if we are always here (in London), you have to see it yourself.

So I think our main work is to welcome people and to show them around, get them to know the right people.
The Prince of Wales has met Aussie sailors in Cairns on the fifth day of his tour Down Under.

He went on board HMAS Leeuwin to present the Gloucester Cup to Hydrographic Ship Blue Crew  an award for the Royal Australian Navy unit displaying the highest level of overall proficiency  and also met members of the famous Royal Flying Doctors service.

Charles meets the crew of HMAS Cairns (Phil Noble/PA)

Chatting with officers (Phil Noble/PA)

Charles presents the Duke of Gloucester Cup to Lieutenant Commander Dean Battilana (Phil Noble/PA)

Feeling the heat? (Phil Noble/PA)

Charles poses for photos with the crew of HMAS Melville (Phil Noble/PA)

The prince receives flowers from young wellwisher Victoria McSadden (Phil Noble/PA)

Looking cool during a presentation ceremony (Phil Noble/PA)

Charles sees a Royal Flying Doctors Super King Air plane at the service base in Cairns (Steve Parsons/PA)

Examining the planes intensive care unit (Steve Parsons/PA)

Sharing a joke with Royal Flying Doctors officials (Steve Parsons/PA)

The Prince of Wales is shown a hunting Boomerang during his visit to Daintree Rainforest in Cairns (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

The Prince of Wales with Roy Gibson an elder of the Kuku Yalanji tribe (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

Roy Gibson shows Prince Charles a Welcome to Country smoking ceremony (Arthur Edwards/The Sun/PA)

The Prince of Wales meets the teams after the Commonwealth Games womens basketball match between New Zealand and India (Phil Noble/PA)

Watching the action at the Cairns Convention Centre (Phil Noble/PA)
Duncan Scott surged to Scotlands first swimming gold medal of the Commonwealth Games in a coming of age performance on Sunday.

The 20-year-old now has five medals from the Gold Coast  after also being part of Scotlands bronze medal winning 4x200m freestyle relay on Sunday  with the mens 100 metres freestyle title a significant and stunning triumph.

In a stellar field, the Stirling swimmer finished strongly to touch the wall in 48.02 seconds, overhauling South Africas Chad le Clos, who tied with Australias Kyle Chalmers for silver.

BRONZE! Team Scotland's EIGHTH medal of the day comes from @mrStephenMilne @Dunks_Scott @danwallace_ and @MarkSzaranek in the 4x200m Freestyle Relay!



That makes @Dunks_Scott the most medalled Scottish athlete ever at a single Games! #TeamScot2018 pic.twitter.com/VgazvTaj9h  Team Scotland (@Team_Scotland) April 8, 2018

It didnt matter who you put in that pool, Im Commonwealth champion, said Scott, who has two more medal opportunities to try to build on a record haul for a Scottish athlete at a single Games.

Englands Siobhan OConnor was dominant in winning the womens 200m individual medley.

After claiming six medals at Glasgow 2014, including 200m individual medley gold, OConnor streamlined her programme here and seized her one individual opportunity.

The 22-year-old Bath swimmer finished in 2mins 09.80secs, while Englands Aimee Willmott, the 400m individual medley gold medallist, was fourth.

OConnor said: I felt a great deal of nerves coming into it. Four years ago I was the underdog and it was a massive shock to win.

Four years on its a bit different. I just really wanted to try to get my confidence back again.

Im really, really happy with that swim and really pleased to win this.

Its SILVER for our mens 4 x 200m freestyle relay team in the final event of Day 4



#TeamAndCountry pic.twitter.com/1zbd1OTce4  Team England (@TeamEngland) April 8, 2018

Australias dominance of the pool programme continued, with five gold medals from eight events on day four, including in the concluding mens 4x200m freestyle relay.

James Guy was on the anchor leg for England and overtook Scotland to secure silver.

Guy combined with Cameron Kurle, Nick Grainger and Jarvis Parkinson, while Scott was joined by Stephen Milne, Dan Wallace and Mark Szaranek in the Scotland quartet.

Adam Peaty was the fastest qualifier for the mens 50m breaststroke final (Danny Lawson/PA Images)

Adam Peaty advanced to the mens 50m breaststroke final in a Games record of 26.49.

The 23-year-old defended his 100m title on Saturday, completing a four-year unbeaten sequence in the event, and is seeking to win a first Commonwealth 50m title.

South Africas Cameron van der Burgh is likely to be Peatys nearest challenger. The Glasgow 2014 gold medallist clocked 26.95 in his semi-final.

Peaty is determined to enjoy the Gold Coast event, hoping the relaxed approach pays dividends by the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.

Games Record tonight! A huge thanks for the support so far! Bring on the final tomorrow  #GC2018 pic.twitter.com/BW7YJA3LRZ  Adam Peaty MBE (@adam_peaty) April 8, 2018

The last few days on the 100 havent been what I wanted them to be because Ive been going out there with expectations, with that kind of pressure on myself, Peaty said.

Im not bothered about the race tomorrow. Im bothered about enjoying it.

If its a silver, its a silver. If its a gold, its gold. Im changing my mentality now.

Ive learnt a lot these past 24 hours what I want out of the sport, and thats to enjoy it and be Olympic champion in two years.

Paralympic medallist Alice Tai of England finished with silver in the womens S9 100m freestyle.
Tony Blair has urged Prime Minister Theresa May to use her authority to help break the political deadlock in Northern Ireland.

Tuesday marks 20 years since the former British premier and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern sealed the Good Friday peace agreement, which largely ended decades of violence.

Mr Blair said he believed it was possible to resolve the current Stormont impasse, which has left the country without devolved Government for 15 months.

Former PM Tony Blair (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

He told BBC NIs The Sunday News: This requires the full focus of the Government.

He added: At a certain point the authority of the Prime Minister is necessary in order to get people to move and to come into some form of alignment.

Tony Blair says NI impasse needs government's full focus https://t.co/PsIImVgvbZ  BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) April 8, 2018

In 1998, the leaders of Northern Irelands main parties  the DUP and some Ulster Unionists dissented  the British and Irish Governments and US special envoy to Northern Ireland George Mitchell brokered the Good Friday Agreement.

It led to the early release of paramilitary prisoners who had committed countless killings and was followed by decommissioning of terror weapons, fundamental reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the establishment of a devolved cross-community power-sharing government at Stormont.

In 2017, that administration foundered over a botched Government-run green energy scheme.

Divisions between the DUP and Sinn Fein over Irish language rights and addressing the legacy of Northern Irelands violent past have prevented its resumption.

Mr Blair said: I cannot believe it is not possible to find a way around it.

It is very similar to the types of issues we used to deal with.

It is not easy, and Brexit complicates things for a variety of reasons but it is still worth doing.

Mr Ahern also called on Stormonts current political leaders to shift positions.

He told The Sunday News: The art of politics is compromise, the art of politics is working together for the good of the people, the people that elect you, the people that trust you, this is what political leadership is about.

A UK Government spokesman said: This Governments support for the Belfast Agreement and its successors as the basis for devolution in Northern Ireland remains steadfast.

As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Agreement, we are totally committed to the restoration of the devolved institutions, working intensively with the parties and the Irish Government to achieve that.

Throughout the past year the Prime Minister has been heavily involved in the political process. She has led frequent discussions with Northern Irelands political leaders and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, including in Belfast in February.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State will continue to do whatever is necessary to see devolved government restored and the Agreements implemented in full.
President Donald Trump has condemning what he calls a mindless chemical attack in Syria that has killed women and children.

But the president offered no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

Syrian President Bashar Assads government is denying the allegations of such an attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital.

A child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack (Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets via AP)

President Trump said in a tweet on Sunday that the area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran  influential Syrian backers  are responsible for backing Animal Assad.

President Trump is calling for the area to be opened immediately for medical help and verification.

Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. Sick!
Boris Johnson has said the international community must respond to reports of a poison gas attack in Syria which is thought to have claimed at least 40 lives.

The Foreign Secretary demanded an urgent investigation and warned Syrian leader Bashar Assads allies in Moscow not to obstruct the probe.

US President Donald Trump  who authorised missile strikes on Syria after a chemical weapons attack last year  warned there would be a big price to pay following the latest incident.

Grim reports of large scale chemical weapons attack vs innocent civilians in Syria. If confirmed Syrian regime responsible, more evidence of Asad's brutality and disregard for Syrian people. Russia must not yet again try to block investigation into CW use https://t.co/NxWmZGoY8h  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 8, 2018

Mr Johnson said the UK was in close touch with our allies following the latest reports and called for those responsible to be held to account.

Both the UK and US highlighted Russian and Iranian support for the Assad regime in their responses to the reported atrocity.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred late on Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group.

Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said poison gas was used on the rebel-held town near the capital  an allegation strongly denied by the Assad government.

Families were reportedly found suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.

Reports suggested more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning sensations in the eyes.

Mr Johnson said: Reports of a large scale chemical weapons attack in Douma on Saturday causing high numbers of casualties are deeply disturbing.

It is truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from air strikes in underground shelters.

Despite Russias promise in 2013 to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Assad regime responsible for using poison gas in at least four separate attacks since 2014.

These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations. 

The OPCW is at the centre of the diplomatic row between the UK and Vladimir Putins Russia over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, with the organisation currently testing samples of the substance allegedly used in the incident.

Mr Johnson added: Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regimes brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. We are in close touch with our allies following these latest reports.

Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons have lost all moral integrity and must be held to account.

Mr Trump branded Assad an animal in a series of posts on Twitter.

He said: President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That attack prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

President Trump said the attack was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons.
Actor Michael Jibson has said being in the hip hop musical Hamilton is one of the most exciting experiences of his career.

Speaking at the Olivier Awards in London, where he is nominated for best actor in a supporting role in a musical, Jibson said it had been a real honour to be a part of the production.

The actor, who plays George III, told the Press Association: This is probably, for me personally, one of the most exciting experiences of my career.

Michael Jibson (PA)

Just doing the show, eight shows a week is one thing, to be here, and celebrating it even in the rain is a really big honour.

The West End production, which tells the story of American founding founder Alexander Hamilton, is up for 13 gongs at the awards, breaking the previous record of 11 set by both Harry Potter And The Cursed Child and Hairspray.

Jibson said: I think its taken popular culture and taken the theatre of story telling and taken it to a different level.

Its like nothing anyone has ever seen before.

People are just keen to see it and learn more about it and listen to the soundtrack.

The shows nominations include a nod for Giles Terera, who is up for best actor in a musical for his portrayal of Aaron Burr.

He will compete against his castmate Jamael Westman, who is nominated for his depiction of the title character.

Three of the four best supporting actor in a musical nominations also went to the show, with plaudits for stars Jibson, Jason Pennycooke and Cleve September.

Elsewhere, Hollywood stars Bryan Cranston, Andrew Garfield and Imelda Staunton have also been recognised.

The red carpet is open for action #OlivierAwards pic.twitter.com/HI7RuJEtf5  Olivier Awards (@OlivierAwards) April 8, 2018

Cranston, who is nominated for his role in Network, will compete against Garfield for Angels In America, Andrew Scott for Hamlet and Paddy Considine for The Ferryman in the best actor category.

Staunton is nominated for the best actress and best actress in a musical categories for Whos Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? and Follies respectively.

The awards, which celebrate the best of London theatre, are being held at the Royal Albert Hall and are hosted by Catherine Tate.
The world war crimes court's chief prosecutor Sunday called for an end to ongoing bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, warning that the court could try those who commit gross atrocities.

"The resort to violence must stop," Fatou Bensouda said in a statement issued by the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague.

"Any person who incites or engages in acts of violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any other manner to the commission of crimes within ICC's jurisdiction is liable to prosecution before the Court," Bensouda said.

Israel is facing mounting questions over the use of live fire that left some 30 Palestinians dead in 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

Palestinian authorities signed up to the ICC's founding Rome Statute document in early January 2015 in which they accepted the court's jurisdiction.

Shortly afterwards, Bensouda announced she was opening a preliminary probe to determine whether there was enough evidence to launch a full-blown investigation into any alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories since June 2014.

Reacting to the latest escalation, Bensouda said "violence against civilians... could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute, as could the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities."

Any new alleged crimes "committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my office's scrutiny," Bensouda said.

The ICC is the world's only independent permanent tribunal, set up in 2002 to probe the worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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A terror suspect arrested at Gatwick Airport has been released on bail.

The 55-year-old man was held on suspicion of encouraging terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications after flying into the UK from Morocco, police said.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested shortly after 11am on Saturday and taken to a police station in south London.

The suspect was held on suspicion of encouraging terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications (Kirsty OConnor/PA)

The Metropolitan Police said on Sunday he was released on conditional bail to a date in May.
Michael Goolaerts team were anxiously awaiting a medical update on Sunday night after the cyclist was airlifted to hospital having suffered a suspected heart attack.

The 23-year-old Belgian received CPR at the roadside following a crash in the 257-kilometre Paris-Roubaix race, an event held over challenging terrain and dubbed the Hell of the North.

As they waited for news from the hospital in Lille, the Verandas Willems-Crelan-Charles team urged people not to speculate about Goolaerts condition.

Peter Sagan, pictured, won the Paris-Roubaix race from which Michael Goolaerts was airlifted to hospital (Martin Rickett/PA)

No update on Michael Goolaerts yet. We kindly ask to refrain from speculation as we wait for an update on his situation. Our thoughts are with his family and friends now.

Thank you for the kind messages. pic.twitter.com/nSQPTZfPZf  Roompot - Charles Cycling Team [backup] (@Snipercycling) April 8, 2018

In a tweet from their official account, the team said: No update on Michael Goolaerts yet. We kindly ask to refrain from speculation as we wait for an update on his situation.

Our thoughts are with his family and friends now. Thank you for the kind messages.

Goolaerts situation marred a race which was won by world champion Peter Sagan, who had never before made the top five in six attempts.
Lewis Hamilton pulled no punches in his damning assessment of Max Verstappen after branding the Red Bull driver a d***head following their collision in Sundays thrilling Bahrain Grand Prix.

Defending champion Hamilton lost further ground to Sebastian Vettel in their title battle after the Ferrari driver masterfully managed a one-stop strategy to hold off Valtteri Bottas and claim his second victory in as many races.

Hamilton had to be content with filling the final spot on the podium after he started ninth. Indeed it may have been one place less, but for Kimi Raikkonens retirement following a dramatic pit-stop collision with his own Ferrari mechanic.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton followed by Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel (AP)

The mechanic suffered a broken leg in an incident befitting the thrill-a-minute race that remained impossible to predict until the moment Vettel took the chequered flag.

Hamiltons flashpoint with Verstappen arrived on the second lap. Both drivers were in unfamiliar positions after Hamilton started down the order following a grid penalty and Verstappens qualifying crash.

The Red Bull driver sensed blood in his early pursuit of Hamilton, but his no-holds-barred move cost him dearly.

9th to 3rd is a good result for damage limitation this weekend, thank you to the fans and the team for your hard work. My thoughts are with the injured pit stop mechanic and I wish him a speedy recovery. Looking forward to next weeks race in Shanghai!  #F1 @MercedesAMGF1 pic.twitter.com/XfDrOfiLuX  Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) April 8, 2018

Verstappen lunged underneath Hamilton on the 220mph turn 1 charge, inadvertently colliding with the Mercedes car. Hamilton lived to fight another day, but Verstappen sustained an ultimately terminal left-rear puncture.

Seconds after removing his helmet in the green room before the podium, the Englishman watched a replay. Such a d***head, Hamilton said. The stewards took no action, but Hamilton was clearly aggrieved with Verstappens conduct.

I had a coming together with Max and it was an unnecessary collision, said a marginally more reflective Hamilton. There needs to be a certain respect between drivers.

What. A. Race! Pushing all the way to the bitter end!!@F1 2018 shaping up to be an EPIC season! #BahrainGP  #DrivenByEachOther pic.twitter.com/S7xuouguDy  Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) April 8, 2018

It didnt feel like a respectful manoeuvre, and it was a silly manoeuvre for himself because he didnt finish the race. Obviously, he has made a few mistakes recently.

Verstappen, who spun at the curtain raiser in Melbourne a fortnight ago, before crashing out of qualifying here, did not concur.

In my opinion there was plenty of room for the both of us to go around that corner and to say no action taken by the stewards is a bit harsh. If it was the other way around Im sure he [Hamilton] would want it looked into.

Hamilton charged back through the field, including an audacious move at the opening bend in which he past three drivers.

In a flurry of sparks, Hamilton dived to the right on the main straight to take the inside line into turn 1 and make his way past Fernando Alonso, Nico Hulkenberg and Esteban Ocon.

By lap six he was fifth after passing Kevin Magnussen. That became fourth when he surged past Pierre Gasly.

What can I say A very disappointing weekend. Feeling sorry for all the fans that support me. Better luck next time in China! #BahrainGP pic.twitter.com/XwKopQV5Q8  Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) April 8, 2018

A strategic chess game ensued with Mercedes putting both Bottas and Hamilton on one-stop strategies in a bid to leapfrog Vettel and Raikkonen, who, after stopping for the less durable soft tyres, seemed certain to have to pit again.

But although Raikkonen did have to come in  and then swiftly retired following his collision with his own mechanic  Vettel somehow managed to make his soft tyres last 40 laps.

Bottas was breathing down his neck in the final exchanges, but despite a semi-attempt at glory on the last lap, Vettel crossed the line 0.6 seconds clear of the Mercedes.

The feeling in the paddock on Sunday night was that the other Mercedes driver would have given Vettel a better run for his money.

I came on the radio with 10 laps to go and said I had everything under control, but that was a lie as I had nothing under control, said a jubilant Vettel, who is now 17 points clear of Hamilton.

When they told me the pace of Valtteri at that time I thought there is no way I could do that. I was doing the maths in the car and thought he was going to catch me. I tried to nurse the tyres as much as I could. It worked, but only just.

Hamilton added: I started ninth so third is not bad at all. It was damage limitation.
Bryan Cranston said more funding should be made available to the arts, as he was named best actor at the Olivier Awards.

The Breaking Bad star won the award for his portrayal of Howard Beale in Network.

He took the opportunity to urge governments to spend more money on the arts for young people, rather than focusing on them learning dates of war.

Bryan Cranston (PA)

He said: There is a trend in the United States, when faced with fiscal challenges, to look immediately at the arts as the first red line.

I think its very short-sighted because to support childrens imagination and ability to grow in a social, emotional way, is more important, I would contend, than learning dates of a war.

Cranston, 62, was then asked if he thought the UK did not have those red lines, and said: It doesnt seem to be that way. There are challenges everywhere.

By virtue of the fact I worked at the National Theatre and their first and foremost mission is to put on good stories that resonate with audiences and if it happens to make money, then great. But thats their first and foremost.

We had a lot of kids come to the show and I talked to a lot of kids and I go to colleges and acting schools to talk to them about the idea of being involved in the arts and trying to continue that.

Cranston beat off competition from Paddy Considine, Andrew Garfield and Andrew Scott to win the best actor gong at the ceremony at the Royal Albert Hall in London on Sunday night.

Elsewhere, Bertie Carvel won the award for best actor in a supporting role, Denise Gough won best actress in a supporting role and Laura Donnelly won the award for best actress.
Ronnie Wood and Brian May brought a touch of rock to the Olivier Awards.

Rolling Stones rocker Wood and Queen star May posed together on the red carpet at the awards at the Royal Albert Hall, which celebrate the best of London theatre.

Wood was at the ceremony with his wife Sally, who looked stunning in a black and rose gold sequinned dress.

Ronnie Wood and Sally Wood (PA)

May was with his partner, former EastEnders star Anita Dobson, who wore bright blue.

The awards are being hosted by Catherine Tate.
Amber Rudd will commit to doing whatever it takes to make Britains streets safe as she launches a blitz on violent crime.

The Home Secretary will emphasise the Governments determination to halt the rising tide of stabbings, shootings and acid attacks.

Ministers have faced sustained pressure over their response in recent days after a spate of killings in London.

The scene of one attack in Tottenham last week (Victoria Jones/PA)

Unveiling her multi-pronged blueprint on Monday, Ms Rudd will say: We will take the comprehensive approach necessary to make sure that our sons and daughters are protected and our streets are safe.

As a Government, we will never stand by while acid is thrown or knives wielded.

I am clear that we must do whatever it takes to tackle this so that no parent has to bury their child.

Ms Rudd is expected to highlight the importance of stopping youngsters carrying knives in the first place as she publishes the Governments Serious Violence Strategy.

Officials say the approach marks a major shift by striking a balance between prevention and law enforcement.

The strategy identifies the changing drugs market as a key driver of the violence affecting communities.

Today weve announced plans to introduce new laws to make it harder than ever before to purchase and possess offensive weapons like guns, knives and acid: https://t.co/YotUxPzu32 pic.twitter.com/JJnYp2aRkV  Home Office (@ukhomeoffice) April 8, 2018

According to the document, around half the rise in robbery, knife and gun crime is due to improvements in police recording, with drug-related cases identified as an important driver behind the rest of the increase.

Figures show that between 2014-15 and 2016-17, homicides where either the victim or suspect were known to be involved in using or dealing illicit drugs increased from 50% to 57%.

The strategy sets out how drug-market violence may be facilitated and spread by social media as a small minority of individuals use online platforms to glamorise gang life and taunt rivals.

Plans for the crackdown were first announced last year.

The finalised strategy  underpinned by 40 million of Home Office funding and spearheaded by a new Offensive Weapons Bill  will:

 Call on social media companies to do more to rid the web of violent gang content

 Set out tough restrictions on online sales of knives following concerns that age verification checks can be sidestepped

 Make it a criminal offence to possess corrosive substances in a public place

 Reveal plans to consult on extending stop and search powers so police can use the tactics to seize acid from suspects carrying it without good reason

 Make it illegal to possess certain weapons, including zombie knives and knuckle-dusters, in private

Ministers are also stepping up efforts to tackle the county lines drug distribution model where city gangs branch out into rural or coastal towns, using children and vulnerable adults as couriers to move heroin and crack cocaine between the new market and their urban hub.

"There is a real problem here" @sajidjavid on increase of violence in Britain



He tells #marr that the Home Secretary tomorrow will announce a strategy that will focus on root causes and early intervention



"There is also a role to play for law enforcement" he tells the programme pic.twitter.com/TvZuALyUK5  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 8, 2018

The Home Office will provide 3.6 million to support the development of a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre, while the strategy details how modern slavery legislation could be used to prosecute cases.

In a speech in London Ms Rudd, who on Sunday rejected suggestions there were not enough officers on the streets, is expected to say: This strategy represents a real step-change in the way we think about and respond to these personal tragedies, these gruesome violent crimes which dominate the front pages of our newspapers with seemingly depressing regularity.

A crucial part of our approach will be focusing on and investing more in prevention and early intervention.

Because what better way to stop knife crime than by stopping young people from picking up knives in the first place?

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott claimed the Government has only just woken up to the problem of rising violent crime.

She said: Acknowledging the need to tackle causes as well as effects of violent crimes is welcome but the money committed is very small scale.

I am appealing to the Home Secretary to commit to no further decline in police numbers for as long as this Government is in office.

#TSG #U225 just arrested a Male who had earlier threatened a member of the public with this Samurai sword @MPSSouthwark A controlled #Taser callout was the tactic utilised to https://t.co/b5Uw1Cttdt injuries.#Knifecrime Any Qs? Lets go! #retweet pic.twitter.com/OO4e5TNKRO  Met Police Taskforce (@MetTaskforce) April 8, 2018

Actress Brooke Kinsella, whose brother Ben was stabbed to death in London in 2008, welcomed the strategys focus on prevention.

The former EastEnders star, a trustee of the Ben Kinsella Trust, said: To tackle knife and violent crime, you need to firstly address its underlying causes.

Diverting young people away from crime must be our priority.

Loose Women star Linda Robson, whose son Louis was with Ben on the night of his death, told the Daily Mirror: What would I say to Theresa May? That even more needs to be done.

It seems to me that nowadays, as young kids head out the door at night, theyre not just picking up their telephones and their car keys; theyre

picking up their telephones, their car keys and then their knives.

On Monday the Metropolitan Police said it had seized a samurai sword after it was used by a man to threaten someone in south London.
Three out of 10 hospitals charge staff for car parking, new figures show.

Doctors and nurses are expected to pay at 348 out of the 1,175 hospitals with parking facilities, according to NHS data.

The highest average charge for staff is 2 per hour at both the Edgware Community Hospital, north-west London and Birmingham Childrens Hospital, analysis by motoring research charity the RAC Foundation revealed.

That is the equivalent of 80 for a 40-hour working week.

The highest average charge for patients is 3.20 per hour at St Thomas Hospital, central London.

The data  taken from NHS Estates Return Information Collection  also shows that 132 hospitals now charge for disabled parking.

Department of Health guidance is for NHS organisations to ensure staff can reach sites as safely, conveniently and economically as possible.

An investigation by the Press Association previously revealed that NHS hospitals made a record 175 million in 2016/17 from charging patients, visitors and staff for parking, up 6% on the year before.

The data shows 132 hospitals now charge for disabled parking (Sean Dempsey/PA)

RAC Foundation director Steve Gooding said: Few parking issues are as incendiary as charging people to leave vehicles at hospitals, be they patients, visitors or staff.

Many hospitals are on built-up locations, on constrained sites, so some sort of control is inevitable, but this needs to be proportionate and stress free.

Government guidance encourages hospitals to use pay-on-exit systems. This would at least mean the anxiety associated with a hospital visit is not compounded by paying up front and having to predict to the second how long a visit will last.

Seventy-five members of staff at a hospital in Cardiff were left owing thousands of pounds in parking tickets last year. Some complained a lack of spaces left them forced to park in unauthorised areas.

Gerry ODwyer, senior employment relations adviser at the Royal College of Nursing, said: Hefty parking charges are disadvantaging nursing staff who work around the clock to keep our NHS afloat.

Many work through the night to care for patients and using public transport to get home isnt an option.

Hospital car parks require running and maintenance costs but after years of pay restraint nursing staff should not be overcharged for doing their jobs.

The Government isnt giving the NHS the funding it needs but struggling hospitals should not try to make money off their staff. Their goodwill wont last forever. We need reasonable car parking provision with reasonable and affordable charges.
Unionism needs leadership of the kind it had two decades ago which brought the movement into peace talks with Sinn Fein, leading to the Good Friday Agreement, Gerry Adams has said.

DUP leader Arlene Foster should have given her party and followers an ultimatum to back me or sack me when she presented draft proposals in the latest round of powersharing talks, the former Sinn Fein leader said ahead of the historic agreements 20th anniversary.

Speaking about the collapsed talks, which he said he was involved in throughout, Mr Adams said he believed Ms Foster had acted in good faith but allowed a unionist rump to reject what he described as a good deal.

Arlene Foster (PA)

He said: What I think she failed to do when she went into her group was back me or sack me.

Thats what she failed to do. Because she had a good deal. It wouldve stretched us. Our leadership was up for going out and arguing and informing and persuading republicans that this was the way forward.

Northern Irelands two largest parties were reportedly close to a deal to restore powersharing in February, more than a year after the executive collapsed amid a row over a botched green energy scheme.

But the talks fell apart on Valentines Day over disagreements about Irish language legislation and there has since been further wrangling between the parties over leaked documents and their content.

Mr Adams said the same people who opposed the latest draft deal were those who ousted Mrs Fosters predecessors Peter Robinson and the late Rev Ian Paisley.

He said: In their time they got rid of Ian Paisley, they gave Peter Robinson difficulties and then they rejected a draft agreement which ourselves and the DUP leadership had put together just over a month ago.

Mr Adams claimed he told Mrs Foster directly what needed to happen and that unionist leaders privately accept that change is coming on same-sex marriage and Irish language rights  some of the sticking points in political talks.

He said: They will concede that the demographics in the north are changing. So they need to think to themselves, and Ive said this directly to Arlene Foster, You need to make the union, if you believe in the union as much as you say you do  and Ive no doubt that they do  a friendly place, a warm place for gays, for lesbians, for single parents, for women, for ethnic minorities, for Irish language speakers, for nationalists. If you dont do that youre going to fail in your job.

And I say that as someone who wants to end the union and who, I believe, we will see the end of the union if we go about it properly.

He declined to reveal what Mrs Fosters response had been, in fairness to her.

The notion that supporters of the union would be happy for rights around marriage equality and language not to exist in Northern Ireland while being available in other parts of the UK is a silly contradiction, he said.

Opposition to legislation on such matters will delay rights, rather than stop them, he said, adding that unionism is on the wrong side of history in relation to all of this.

He urged for similar thinking to that of former UUP leader and first minister David Trimble, a key unionist negotiator in the Good Friday Agreement talks.

Former UUP leader David Trimble (Chris Jackson/PA)

Unionist leaders have to be a wee bit strategic, Mr Adams said.

The sort of thinking that influenced them to be involved in the Good Friday Agreement in the first instance, the type of thinking which David Trimble and others have explained in their more lucid moments of the fact that the demographics in the north is changing, that there needed to be a new dispensation, in order to protect the union from their point of view.

Thats the sort of thinking that has to start to permeate unionists.

DUP Lagan Valley MP Sir Jeffrey Donaldson dismissed criticism of his party leader.

Sinn Fein have seen that the DUP is not pushover unionism and that we will hold out until we are convinced that an agreement is right and that it is right for everyone in Northern Ireland.

The position of the DUP is very clear on this and a position supported right across the party, what was on the table recently was not acceptable to the DUP and it needs to change.
School support staff are not just a mums army who wash paint pots and create displays, a union is expected to warn.

There is a gross misunderstanding of school support workers  such as teaching assistants, caretakers, bursars and admin staff  while many are feeling undervalued by schools and communities, members of the UKs largest teaching union, the National Education Union, will argue.

Delegates at the NEUs (ATL section) annual conference in Liverpool are due to debate a motion that argues: Support staff members are still not being respected as a valued and professional part of the education workforce.

There are `misconceptions about the work of school support staff, members of the National Education Union will warn. (Barry Batchelor/PA)

It adds: There is a gross misunderstanding of the varied and vital roles that support staff undertake within education, leading to misconceptions about the value and professional standing of this essential and diverse workforce. These misconceptions mean that support staff are often left behind or left out when it comes to training and development, stifling chosen career paths.

Also, there is still the perception that support staff are a mums army who do little more than wash paint pots and create displays. The reality is much different.

Official figures show that as of November 2016, there were around 387,900 teaching assistants working in Englands state schools, along with 450,900 other school support staff.

A poll conducted by the NEU of around 1,700 members working as teaching assistants, cover supervisors, administrators and lab technicians found that nearly eight in 10 (78%) say they regularly do overtime each week.

Around a third (32%) said they work more than two days extra a month, while 13% work at least seven extra hours a week  equivalent to an additional day.

A third (33%) said they rarely or never take their full lunch break, while two-fifths (40%) rarely or never take a mid-morning or mid-afternoon break.

Many of those told the union that their statutory 20-minute lunch break is often cut short for reasons such as detentions, first aid duty, running clubs and supervising school trips.

Speaking ahead of the conference, NEU joint general secretary Dr Mary Bousted told the Press Association that in well-run schools, school support staff are well-used, and given professional development and training.

But she added: Unfortunately, in too many schools they are not deployed well enough. Not enough thought is given to how support staff are used, and not enough thought is given also to the range of skills and abilities they have.

Dr Bousted also said: I think many support staff, although they are doing a very highly professional job, too often dont feel enough a part of the school community and valued enough by the school and by the school leadership.

The motion calls on the union to campaign for support staff to have equal access to training and professional development.
President Donald Trump condemned a mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria that killed women and children, called Syrian president Bashar Assad an animal and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian president Vladimir Putin for supporting the Damascus government.

As Washington worked to verify the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used, Mr Trump said there would be a big price to pay for resorting to outlawed weapons of mass destruction. A top White House aide, asked about the possibility of a US missile strike in response, said, I wouldnt take anything off the table.

Just over a year ago, Mr Trump ordered dozens of cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base after declaring there was no doubt Assad had choked out the lives of helpless civilians in an attack that used banned gases.

White House advisers said at the time that images of hurt children helped spur the president to launch that air strike, and television new shows on Sunday aired similar depictions of suffering young Syrians.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria, Mr Trump tweeted. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Saturdays attack took place in a rebel-held town near Damascus amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. Syrian activists, rescuers and medics said a poison gas attack in Douma killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in their houses and shelters. The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

The developments come as Mr Trump has moved to dramatically scale back US goals in Syria, pushing for a quick military withdrawal despite resistance from many of his national security advisers.

The Civil Defence said patients were having difficulty breathing (Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets/AP)

Mr Trump has given no formal order to pull out the 2,000 US troops in Syria or offered a public timetable other than to say the US will withdraw as soon as the remaining Islamic State fighters can be vanquished.

But Mr Trump has signalled to his advisers that, ideally, he wants all troops out within six months.

Republican senator John McCain of Arizona said Assad heard Mr Trumps signal that he wanted to withdraw from Syria and, emboldened by American inaction, launched the attack.

In a statement, Mr McCain said Trump responded decisively last year with the air strike and urged Trump to be forceful again to demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes.

.@POTUS's pledge to withdraw from #Syria has only emboldened Assad, backed by Russia & Iran, to commit more war crimes in #Douma. @POTUS responded after last year's chemical attack. He should do so again & make Assad pay a price for his brutality. https://t.co/u30kF0ww8g  John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) April 8, 2018

Images released by the Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets, a volunteer organisation, show children lying on the ground motionless and foaming at the mouth. The Assad government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, denied responsibility.

Mr Trump was briefed about the attack by his chief of staff, John Kelly, officials said. Mr Trumps homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, noted the timing of the suspected chemical attack  almost a year to the day of the US missile strikes.

This isnt just the United States. This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War Two, its an unacceptable practice, Mr Bossert said.

Asked about the potential for an American missile strike in response, Mr Bossert said: I wouldnt take anything off the table. These are horrible photos. Were looking into the attack at this point.

Mr Trump was to meet with his senior military leadership on Monday, the same day his new national security adviser, John Bolton, assumes his post. Bolton has previously advocated significant airstrikes against Syria.

.@POTUS & I closely monitoring likely chemical attack in Syria. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!  Vice President Mike Pence Archived (@VP45) April 8, 2018

Vice president Mike Pence on Sunday deemed it a likely chemical attack and reiterated Mr Trumps threat that consequences would be coming for those responsible.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children, Mr Pence tweeted. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behaviour.

Mr Trumps decision to single out Mr Putin in a tweet appeared noteworthy because Mr Trump long has been reluctant to personally criticise the Russian leader. Even as the White House, after some delay, imposed tough new sanctions on Russia in the wake of its US election meddling and suspected poisoning of a former spy on British soil, Mr Trump left it to others in his administration to deliver the rebukes to Moscow.

Last month, Mr Trump called Mr Putin and, against the counsel of his advisers, congratulated the Russian president on his re-election and invited him to the White House.

Mr Trump also invoked Iran in his series of tweets, further challenging Tehran while signalling he may scuttle its nuclear deal with the West. The president has often laid some blame on his predecessor, Barack Obama, for Assads continued grip on power after years of civil war.

Mr Obama said in 2012 that Syrias use of chemical weapons would be a red line that would change his decision-making on intervening in the war and have enormous consequences. After such an attack in 2013 killed hundreds outside Damascus, American ships in the Mediterranean were poised to launch missiles. But Mr Obama pulled back after key US ally Britain, as well as Congress, balked.

He opted for a Russian-backed proposal that was supposed to remove and eliminate Syrias chemical weapons stockpiles.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history! Mr Trump tweeted from the White House.

International condemnation has followed the reports. Netherlands foreign minister Stef Blok said that an immediate investigation is needed to break the pattern of impunity and that the Security Council must act.

The UN Security Council is planning to hold an emergency meeting on Monday to discuss the attack.
U.S. President Donald Trump said there would be a "big price to pay" for a chemical attack against a besieged rebel-held town in Syria where medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas.

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday in the town of Douma. Others put the toll even higher.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against any military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses", saying this could lead to severe consequences.

The United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base last year in response to a sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria blamed on Assad.

One of Trump's top homeland security advisers said on Sunday the United States would not rule out launching another missile attack. "I wouldn't take anything off the table," White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser Thomas Bossert said in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"We are looking into the attack at this point," he said, adding that the photos of the incident are "horrible."

In one video shared by activists, the lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some of them with foam at the mouth, were seen. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

Douma is in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.

The Ghouta offensive has been one of the deadliest in Syria's seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Facing military defeat, rebel groups in other parts of eastern Ghouta have taken safe passage to other opposition-held areas at the Turkish border. Until now, Jaish al-Islam has rejected that option, demanding it be allowed to stay in Douma.

Syrian state media said on Sunday a deal had been struck under which Jaish al-Islam would finally leave for the town of Jarablus after saying the group had asked for negotiations.

There was no immediate comment from Jaish al-Islam, which has been one of the most prominent insurgent groups in the war.

A pro-Syrian opposition TV station, Orient, said earlier talks were under way between Jaish al-Islam and Russia to reach a final settlement for Douma.

Taking Douma would seal Assad's biggest victory since 2016, and underline his unassailable position in the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it mushroomed from protests against his rule in 2011.

Sheltering in basements

The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said it could not confirm whether chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by heavy bombardment.

Medical relief organisation SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the U.S.-based vice president of SAMS, which operates medical facilities and supports medics in Syria, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at a nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.

The joint statement from SAMS and the civil defence said medical centres had taken in more than 500 people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

One of the victims was dead on arrival and six died later, it said. Civil defence volunteers reported more than 42 cases of people dead at their homes showing the same symptoms, it said.

Tawfik Chamaa, a Geneva-based Syrian doctor with the Syria-focused Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), a network of Syrian doctors, said 150 people were confirmed dead and the number was growing. "The majority were civilians, women and children trapped in underground shelters," he told Reuters.

Syrian state news agency SANA said Jaish al-Islam was making "chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab Army," citing an official source.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the conflict.

"We have received reports of many people killed and injured in Duma in the past 24 hours. We continue to be extremely concerned for people who remain in Douma who are being subjected to escalating hostilities," U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokeswoman Linda Tom said.

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President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who had met for a discussion Saturday night, had agreed on a Cabinet reshuffle within the next four days, Minister Akila Viraj Kariyawasam said today.

They had agreed to effect the Cabinet reshuffle before the National New Year on April 14, he said.

Also the Minister said the UNP delegation led by Prime Minister Wickremesinghe officially requested the President to remove all SLFP members, who voted in favour of No-Confidence Motion against the Premier from the Cabinet.

We officially made this request and told the President that MPs of UNF has an issue with those who voted in favour of the NCM and to remove them, he said.

However, the Minister said President informed the UNP delegation that the SLFP Central Committee would have to decide on those who voted in favour.

He said the President also informed the UNP group that the SLFP Central Committee would also have to decide on Unity Government.(Yohan Perera)
Two local traders who attempted to smuggle in a stock of illegal cigarettes and cardamom worth over Rs.1 million was intercepted by the Customs officials at the Bandaranaike International Airport this morning.

The two Sri Lankans who were returning from Dubai after a short visit had reportedly arrived at the country on FlyDubai flight FZ 547 around 6.30a.m.

Customs Spokesman Deputy Director Sunil Jayaratne told the Daily Mirror, that the men were stopped and searched on suspicion at the arrival lounge and recovered the contraband being concealed in their baggage.

The sleuths recovered 112 cartons and several more single packets of Dubai brand of Gold Leaf containing 28,160 sticks of cigarettes, of which, the sale and importation to Sri Lanka was strictly prohibited.

They also found 30 kilos of cardamom in the baggage which had been brought along without an Import License.

MrJayaratne said a special license was required to obtain from the Department of Agriculture to import a speciality crop such as cardamom to Sri Lanka as it was widely grown here.

Even the license to import cardamom is issued on special grounds, such as research material or to meet a severe shortage within the local industry, which is highly unlikely, DDC Jayaratne said.

However, the Customs suspected that the passengers had attempted to smuggle in the cardamom as its local price was fairly high as a speciality spice. In some countries like Turkey and India the cost of cardamom is relatively low and the market prices too are very low, he said.

The seized goods had been valued at Rs.1, 020, 000 and the case had been detected by Assistant Superintendent of Customs G. B. C. Bandara.

Deputy Director of Customs Darshana Silva conducted the inquiry and released the two traders aged 33 and 41 respectively from Kotugoda and Kurunegala on a penalty of Rs.150, 000.

The contraband were forfeited by the Customs. (Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana)
Cremation today at Henry Pedris Park, Colombo 05

The Most Venerable Ahangama Ananda Nayaka Thera, the Chief Incumbent of Sri Vijayaramaya, Wellawatte, passed away on Friday, April 6, 2018.

His cremation will take place today (April 9) at Henry Pedris Park, Colombo 05.

The Venerable Ananda Thera was born in 1932 to a respectable Buddhist family in Ahangama, Galle. His father was Hevapathiranage Arnolis Dikkumbura and mother was Dikkkumburage Aranolihami, who had passed away when the Venerable Thera was still at the very tender age of four.

He entered the monastic life in 1940 under the guidance of Ahangama Sri Prajnaloka Maha Thera, founder of Sri Vijayaramaya, Wellawatte.

The latter was an erudite monk known throughout the country as an oriental scholar and preacher of the Dhamma. Ananda Thera had his primary monastic education at the feet of his teacher, and subsequently, he had his further studies at Vidyodaya Pirivena, Maligakanda, one of the two greatest monastic education centres of the last century.

After completing his basic education, the Venerable Thera had to undertake, along with his monastic elder brother the most Venerable Ahangama Dhammarama Thera, who is heading the Los Angeles Buddhist Vihara since 1979, the responsibility of running the temple because their teacher, the Venerable Sri Prajnaloka Maha Thera, passed away in 1956, at a relatively young age.

While the Venerable Dhammarama was active in educational and social services outside the monastery, Venerable Ananda had to attend to the religious needs of the Dayaks of the monastery and to the activities of the Sangha of his own Nikaya and those belonging to various other Nikayas, who lived in the area. In this manner, from his early adult life, the Venerable Thera developed an illustrous career of social and sasana service.

"While the Venerable Dhammarama was active in educational and social services outside the monastery, Venerable Ananda had to attend to the religious needs of the Dayaks of the monastery and to the activities of the Sangha of his own Nikaya and those belonging to various other nikayas, who lived in the surrounding area."



By the time he passed away at the ripe age of 86 the Venerable Thera was one of the leading members of the Sangha who has dedicated his life to social service.

In his multi-faceted social service activities, the Venerable Thera was known for his Gilana Upastana or taking care of the patients of the hospitals both in and out of Colombo.

With his pleasant personality and excellent organizing skills, the Venerable Thera was able to enlist the support of a large number of well-wishers for his hospital service activities.

He supported in a similar manner the soldiers who had lost their limbs by providing them with artificial limbs, and he helped many helpless families of soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the course of the recent terrorist war.

"By the time he passed away at the ripe age of 86 the Venerable Thera was one of the leading members of the Sangha who has dedicated his life to social service"



Another form of social welfare activity in which the Venerable Thera showed much interest is to help expecting mothers with medicine and other requisites. This he did from time to time, and death prevented him from taking part in another similar event which has been organized by him to take place just before the Sinhala New Year of this year. One of the many acts of kindness organized by him and one that attracted much social attention is Abhaya-dana for animals under which he rescued many hundreds of cattle from slaughterhouses around Colombo and in many parts of the country. With generous support from many similar minded good people, the Thera practised this great act of kindness towards animals displaying that metta knows no bounds.

In addition, he was the advisor to Meth Saviya, a social service organization by means of which he was able to render educational and spiritual service to the society at large. He served also as the president of Munidasa Cumaratunga Foundation which was dedicated to perpetuating the scholarly and linguistic legacy of the great savant, Munidasa Cumaratunga. The Venerable Thera was a respected elder among the Maha Sangha in general, and in particular, he is a senior member of the monks belonging to the Dharmaraksitavamsa Amarapura Maha Nikaya, the current head of which is the Most Venerable Pandit Tirikunamale Ananda Mahanayaka Thera, the Viharadhipati of Siri Vajiraramaya. The Venerable Thera functioned as the head of judiciary board of his Nikaya.

With the demise of the Venerable Thera, the Buddha Sasana loses another of its great members who lived a life dedicated to the service of the Sasana and the society. May the Venerable Ahangama Ananda Maha Thera attain the Supreme Bliss of Nirvana!
The 3rd no confidence motion in the Sri Lankan legislature ended up with the Prime Minister winning , perhaps the most difficult obstacle in his political life. In that sense it was a numbing defeat for the Joint Opposition, an embarrassing situation for the President and a temporary respite for the UNP leadership.

The political fall out of the whole episode is yet to be seen and it is doubtless that the repercussions will be felt across the divide.

Any one watching the no confidence debate on TV would have been entertained to the mudslinging between the battling groups. A foreigner who would have listened to the accusations and the cross accusations that were bandied about by those supporting and opposing the motion, would have wondered whether it is one of those underground meetings of the underworld syndicate. Such were the allegations raised.

"The result aside , the citizen of this country is left with the dilemma as to what direction he should turn to entrust the sovereignty that is vested on him in terms of Article 3 of the Constitution"



Dilemma of the people

The result aside , the citizen of this country is left with the dilemma as to what direction he should turn to entrust the sovereignty that is vested on him in terms of Article 3 of the Constitution. The confidence, motion or no motion, that should be with the representatives of the people, is in smithereens, going by what is clear as daylight. 70 years of representative democracy has come down to this. The Pot calling the kettle black.

Theft, misuse, corruption seems to be the main allegations that all politicians are being accused of. When one side cries foul over Central Bank Bond scam or the Central expressway deals, they are countered with Greek Bonds, Hedging, Avant Garde and sil clothes!

A thing the Leader of the JVP said during the debate on the no confidence motion seems highly thought provoking. In joining the debate in support of the motion, it was mainly for the non action in dealing with corrupt politicians of the previous regime and taking steps to shield them from law enforcement, he and his colleagues supported the motion. According to him the no confidence motion not only questions the Prime Minister, the UNP or the Coalition government , it also casts doubt on the good governance movement. It brings to disrepute the mandate of the January 8 Rainbow revolution; it negates all the forces who banded together to remove a despotic and nepotist regime; it dilutes the hard fought for ideals of the civil society groups and the courage shown by the voters who weathered all odds in ushering in a new era. So it is clear that those who are guilty of past crimes as well as present transgressions are relying on the ruling ring to be shielded from the hands of the law.

"It was repeatedly said that 94 members of Parliament were without Ordinary Level qualifications!"



A blessing in disguise?

According to the UNP backbenchers the seemingly ominous hurdle is a blessing in disguise as it had united hitherto conflicting sections in the party. According to others it was a waste of a lot of national resources to have such a long parliamentary session with all the attendant costs. But in a way it was a no confidence against the entire representative democracy, the party politics and entire mode of governance. The CID, FCID and Commission Inquiries that were thrown about in the Parliament involves majority of the members of the legislature who represent people at the highest place.

"The Prime Minister may have escaped unhurt from the no confidence; in fact he might be invigorated by the outcome given that the rivals used all their might to dismantle his regime yet fell short"



What is the alternative?

Very few members of the Parliament could boast of moral uprightness and integrity; the only thing they can resort in the face of allegations against them is to make counter allegations against the rivals. Yet they find it relatively easy to get re-elected at elections and come to this august assembly.

The political , social, economic and moral quagmire that Sri Lanka is in cannot be solved either by supporting or opposing the no confidence against the PM. Even if the Joint Opposition was successful who would replace him and what will be the inner circle that supports him? Do they inspire public confidence.? Was not the entire farce that was played out before the whole nation , an indictment against the system of governance that we have been under in the last 40 odd years, at least? To whom and to what group shall we turn to do our bid in governance?

It was repeatedly said that 94 members of Parliament were without Ordinary Level qualifications! The capacity of many of the members sitting in Parliament to represent the sovereign legislative power of the people is highly questionable.

The Prime Minister may have escaped unhurt from the no confidence; in fact he might be invigorated by the outcome given that the rivals used all their might to dismantle his regime yet fell short. But do the 6.2 million citizens who brought him and the yahapalana government , equally feel overjoyed by the result? I hardly think so. Unless the backbenchers hold their leaders to the promises they seemed to have made to the party at the last moment and unless the members of the SLFP who stand for the good governance principles that made them embark on this difficult journey of a coalition government manage to overcome those elements who hark back to days of old, there is very little for the people to be confident of.

"Very few members of the Parliament could boast of moral uprightness and integrity; the only thing they can resort in the face of allegations against them is to make counter allegations against the rivals"



Good governance is peoples right

Good governance is not something that the PM or President own; neither are they the prerogative of the governing coalition. It is the right of the people; they have not contracted with the state to be governed in any manner. They have the right to demand good governance from any leader or ruler who comes to power. People who are sovereign cannot be governed otherwise but in a good manner.

The motive of the proponents of the no confidence motion was allegedly to question the legitimacy and the credibility of a Prime Minister who was involved in the Bond scam by action and by inaction. The reason why the UNP and parties supporting it came to his rescue was on the basis that he was being a scapegoat for a bigger political game. Neither party seem to show a genuine eagerness to rid this country of the corrupt culture that ails this body politic. For one it is a means to coming back to power while for the others it is a threat to the bid to remain in power. The only principled decision in the entire legislature with regard to the motion seems to be that of the JVP. Accordingly the picture is so bleak as on both sides are rogues and whether the PM lost or won , the result would have been the corrupt people being in power.

The shockwaves of the no confidence motion and the debate and hype that preceded it will fade away in a week or two. Whether the so called new direction the UNP pledged in terms of its good governance mandate will come out to something tangibly salutary in terms of the political culture is yet to be seen. On the other hand whether any success that JO might have from the motion coupled with their win at the LG elections is to be used for genuine ridding of the corrupt from body politic is highly debatable, if not utterly impossible.

The people have lost their confidence in them all!!
Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno

Recent reports that the Ecuadoran government has blocked internet / phone access and disallowed visitors to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange  who has been holed up in the Ecuadoran Embassy in London for five and a half years - point to the latest in a series of moves apparently generated by US pressure, in what seems to be a concerted attempt, along with its allies, to subject the controversial whistle-blower to punishment outside of any legal process. Assange has been confined to the embassy building since he was granted political asylum by Ecuador in 2012. His physical and mental health have reportedly suffered on account of his isolation, which has now been intensified by jamming his electronic communications.

According to reports, two months ago when Assange lost his bid to overturn the arrest warrant issued by UK authorities, the judge, maintaining that Assange had restricted his own freedom, said that in contrast to most prisoners he enjoyed access to a computer, mobile phone and the internet. These are the very facilities that he is now deprived of, making his conditions even more like those of a sentenced prisoner.

Assange has never been charged. He fears that if he steps out of the embassy he will be arrested and extradited, eventually to the US, where he could be tried for espionage based on Wikileaks publication of thousands of classified US documents exposing shocking conducts of the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan. His lawyers have said he could face the death penalty there.

In a statement explaining its move, the Ecuadorean Government has said that the conduct of Assange via his messages on social media puts at risk the good relations that Ecuador maintains with the United Kingdom, the European Union and other nations. The conduct in question is said to be Assanges tweeting of his views on the Catalonian crisis.

"Assange has never been charged. He fears that if he steps out of the embassy he will be arrested and extradited, eventually to the US, where he could be tried for espionage based on Wikileaks publication"



In Ecuadors 2017 presidential election in which current President Lenin Moreno took office, it was his conservative opponent who threatened to evict Assange, while Moreno had said he could stay, reports say. It was Morenos government that granted Assange Ecuadorean citizenship in December, to provide him with another layer of protection, and sought to give him diplomatic immunity. All of this would suggest that there has been recent outside pressure on Ecuador on this issue.

With Swedish prosecutors having last year formally dropped their investigation into rape allegations in Sweden, all that the UK authorities are left with to justify Assanges arrest is the argument that he skipped bail when he took refuge in the Ecuadorean embassy. Now, recent revelations of email correspondence between Swedens prosecutors and Britains Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have added credence to the view that Assanges plight has more to do with mala fide intentions of those who wish to see him punished, than any pursuit of justice. It appears that the last four years of Assanges imprisonment in the embassy have been entirely unnecessary. In fact, they depended on a legal charade wrote Jonathan Cook in Counterpunch in February.

"His only crime is that of a true journalist  telling the world the truths that people have a right to know



Cook reveals that Sweden actually wanted to drop the extradition case against Assange back in 2013. Why was this not made public? Because Britain persuaded Sweden to pretend that they still wished to pursue the case he said.

According to a new, limited release of emails between officials, the Swedish director of public prosecutions, Marianne Ny, wrote to Britains Crown Prosecution Service on October 18, 2013, warning that Swedish law would not allow the case for extradition to be continued, he wrote. Cook further said that the CPS destroyed most of the emails relating to this correspondence, contrary to CPS protocols, and that only fragments remain.

In 2016, a UN working group ruled that Assange was being arbitrarily detained by the governments of Sweden and UK, and that he was entitled to his freedom of movement, and to compensation. Both British and Swedish authorities disregarded the ruling, with the British Foreign Secretary reported as saying it was frankly ridiculous.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange

Following the announcement that Assanges internet and phone access has been cut off, journalists, artists, intellectuals and high profile personalities including ex-CIA officials have rallied to his support, gathering outside the embassy and sending appeals to the Ecuadorean government to allow him his right to freedom of speech.

His only crime is that of a true journalist  telling the world the truths that people have a right to know said a group that included American linguist and political theorist Noam Chomsky, Australian journalist/ film-maker John Pilger, Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek and many other high profile figures.In an open letter published online they called on president Moreno to end the isolation of Assange, saying Ecuadors government was justifying the gagging of Wikileaks publisher under extreme pressure from Washington and its collaborators.

"The conduct of Assange via his messages on social media puts at risk the good relations that Ecuador maintains with the UK, EU and other nations"



This censorious attack on free speech is not happening in Turkey, Saudi Arabia or China; it is right in the heart of London... If the EU and the UK continue to participate in the scandalous silencing of a true dissident in their midst, it will mean that free speech is indeed dying in Europe, they wrote.

Zizek in a separate article in Defend Democracy Press noted that Ecuador is a small country, and one can only imagine the brutality behind-the-scenes pressure exerted on it by Western powers to increase the isolation of Julian Assange from the public space. He said Assange is not spying on the people for those in power, he is spying on those in power for the people. This is why the only ones who can really help him now are we, the people.

As Jonathan Cook asks:One has to wonder at what point will most people realise that this is  and always was  political persecution masquerading as

law enforcement.
Recent hikes in the prices of steel and cement, reaching almost LE13,000 per ton and LE1,100 per ton, respectively, will likely lead to knock-on effects in the real estate market, experts said this week

No doubt real estate prices will follow suit, probably at a higher rate than the increases in the prices of steel and cement, said Fathallah Fawzi, deputy president of the Egyptian Businessmens Association and a real estate developer.

Real estate companies had already been obliged to raise their prices after the floatation of the pound in November 2016 following the increase in the prices of building materials, Fawzi explained.

Most real estate companies sell units before building them. Buyers pay down payments, and installments are divided over several years. Price increases in building materials are therefore shouldered most by real estate developers, explaining why they are wary of rising prices.

Real estate companies will likely raise their prices for the next phases of their current projects, Fawzi said.

Fawzi expects a 20 per cent increase in the price of units after steel and cement prices increased. Before the recent increase, prices were already anticipated to rise by 10 to 15 per cent.

Officials at the Chamber of Metallurgical Industries (CMI) in Cairo told the media this week that increases in the price of steel pallets on the international market was the reason behind the local price increases.

Steel pallets increased by $10 per ton, reaching $556, and this led to the recent increase in the price of local steel, CMI officials stated. Increases in the international price of scrap metal is another reason why local steel prices have increased.

The price of cement increased by some LE250 per ton to reach LE1,100 at the beginning of March. Members of the Building Materials Division of the Cairo Chamber of Commerce said some cement factories had used the halt in cement production in Sinai to raise the prices of cement.

Mohamed Magdi, a real estate analyst with Sigma Capital in Cairo, said that companies that had not announced new projects lately were unlikely to be affected by the recent price increases in building materials.

However, companies in the construction phase and that have already sold units at pre-increase prices would likely suffer losses, he said.

Future projects would also likely put the recent increases in the prices of building materials on the shoulders of the consumer, said Mohamed Marei, a real estate analyst at Prime Securities in Cairo.

A 15 to 20 per cent rise in the prices of real estate units was likely throughout the year, he said.

Despite the recent price increases, cement is not likely to continue at its present higher price, as four million tons of cement are anticipated to come onto the market in 2018, relieving the pressure on prices.

*This story was first published in Al-Ahram Weekly

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Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarians were today detained by police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg here demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.



The decision to protest was taken after the party MPs held meeting at Rajya Sabha member and former union minister Y S Chowdary's residence in the morning to decide the future course of action.

However, all the leaders were detained on the way to PM's residence by the Delhi Police and CRPF.

"The prime minister is the person to take decisions on SCS. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him," MP Jaydev Galla said.

The Telugu Desam Party withdrew its ministers in the union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP had issued no-confidence motion notices against the government.

However, it was never taken up for discussion due to continuous disruptions in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party leaders continue their indefinite hunger strike here for the third day for the same demand of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
AICC president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday promised abolition of contractual employment of safai karamcharis all over India if his party came to power in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.



Rahul spent nearly 15 minutes interacting with a group of safai karamcharis - pourakarmikas as they are known in Karnataka - during the last day of his Janaarshirvada Yatra in Bengaluru.

"If we get to govern in Delhi, we will learn from Karnataka," Rahul said during the interaction after pourakarmika Oblesh told him that the state government was "probably the only Indian state to have abolished the contract system." Oblesh also told Rahul that Karnataka had increased their wages, which benefited nearly two lakh pourakarmikas.

Last year, Karnataka announced the abolition of the contract system for pourakarmikas, who are mostly Dalits, after the workers took to the streets demanding direct payment of wages. Before pourakarmikas were employed by garbage contractors and it was widely held that the contractors would siphon off the civic workers' wages. Pourakarmikas also alleged that contractors subjected them to bonded labour-like work conditions.

"The person doing the most difficult work should be rewarded the most. The problem in India, the person doing the most difficult work is not rewarded and the person doing the easiest work is rewarded. That's what the Congress party wants to change," Rahul said.

Another pourakarmika Jayamma, while hailing the government for having responded to their demands, pointed out that pourakarmikas were yet to be made permanent employees of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), the city's municipal corporation. In response, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah informed Rahul that the government had started the process of making pourakarmikas permanent.

Before the interaction, which took place near Mantri Mall in Malleswaram, Rahul garlanded a nearby statue of his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Possession was performed twice during D-Caf festival, and is directed by Tom Bailey

English director Tom Bailey worked with Egyptian actors from El-Warsha troupe to create Possession, a performance based on the experiences and writings of Egyptian Desert Hermits from the third century, blending choreography, music, dance and poetry.

The play was performed twice at Studio Nasibian Theatre as part of the D-Caf festival, which concluded on 29 March.

The subject came to Baileys attention through the work of French author Gustave Flaubert, who in 1874 published a book about St. Anthony, an Egyptian hermit of the 3rd and 4th centuries who is regarded as the father of monasticism. Flauberts book was in turn inspired by a painting titled The Temptation of St. Anthony by Peter Bruegel the Younger.

I realized there was not much known about this part of Egyptian history, the origin of monasticism and their way of life, Bailey told Ahram Online.

As a director, Baileys repertoire includes different styles and dramatic forms, often performing in his own plays. His vision for Possession was to create a theatrical piece dominated by song and music - with a lot of silence.

Spirits among the stone

On stage, four male performers each have their own space - a "box" - where they spend their days working and praying in the mountains, and a common table in the center where they share their meals in sync.

A projection screen serves as a narrator for some of the scenes, giving context and additional information about their lives they lead and providing translation to the Arabic-sung poetry.

We see their lives through a hypnotic routine, as they pray, work, eat, pray, work, eat The hermits become one with the raw environment that surrounds them, their pale, plain clothes camouflage them against the sand and stones, and their movements become primeval.

The performance is eerie, physical, harsh, rhythmic, and very emotive, with the actors displaying both a fierce power and animalistic agility in their movements.

We learn that in their solitude the hermits writings always referenced demons - personal demons that presented a continuous internal struggle.

One of the four hermits falls out of rhythm with the others, as he desperately resists "possession" through harder work, fervent prayer and more isolation.

In one of these sequences of struggle, the others - who may now represent the demons - throw handfuls of brightly colored dust at one of the hermits, who recieves the blows with a mixture of surrender and defiance.

While the colored powder immediately brings to mind the Indian Holi festival, in this context it is aggressive and not celebratory, both physically and visually, as the colors stain the plain garments of the hermit.

Bailey explains how the piece involves spiritual references and elements from different religions, including Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam.

Conveniently, a call to prayer from a mosque outside the theatre added yet another dimension to the performance and its already layered soundscape featuring Coptic, Nubian and Su song, as well as Arabic drumming, and Tibetan bowls.

The songs were also pulled in from different cultural sources, and were reworked to a contemporary style.

The opening song is a reworking of a Nubian piece. I scripted the words for two of the songs myself, which served to communicate certain information for the dramatic development. The others were developed from preexisting songs, Bailey says.

He knew the language for the piece had to be in Arabic, which presented a language gap that he had to overcome with the Egyptian troupe members.

I guess we spent a lot of time in silence. Its all part of the process, and thats whats interesting about making a dialogue through theatre. To encounter other languages and find a way to work through.

The musicality of the performance is found not only in the songs, but also in their actions as they hammer the stones, scratch on drums, and thump on the ground.

Backstage desert

The production phase involved three rehearsal periods over the span of two years, in three different cities, starting with the desert of El-Minya, then in Aswan, and culminating in Cairo.

Despite having a clear idea for the piece, Bailey shares how benefical it was to remain open during the process, and how it evolved during rehearsals under the influence of the landscapes and with the actors input.

A lot of material came from the desert. Working with the stones, the use of powder, the tight boxes where they lived. I also knew I wanted to experiment with the staging of the piece and its dramaturgical structure, he says.

Baileys approach to Possession was inspired by a form of theatre that developed in Poland, one of the countries where he trained as a director.

Polish director Jerzy Grotowski - who came to prominence in Wroclaw between 1960 and 1980s - was a pioneer in acting training and spearheaded a process that explores spirituality and the actor.

This style of theatre was characterized by very long rehearsals, and by delving into the spiritual and physical aspects of the body, which often went into exploring spiritual themes as well.

While Possession draws from history and focuses on a Coptic story, it seeks to explore wider themes by raising questions around "what possession means in different cultures" and "where it falls in terms of science," thus unlocking some of the research Bailey has put behind it.

In the second part of the performance, one of the hermits is brought back to civilization, after he was found lying unconscious in the desert. A doctor attempts to help him by asking questions and trying to unlock the inner workings of this possession.

Here the performance asks: Is there is a place for spiritual healing in psychiatry?

There's an interesting conflict between religious healing, and western medicine that considers possession a psychological issue and categorizes it among dissasociative disorders. From an anthropoligical point of view, demons and spirits have remained in the expression of all religions, but no one really knows from science whats actually going on, says Bailey.

Only when there is one body, there will be no demons, the projected text reads.

The phrase invites several interpretations; the group behaving as one unit (a collective body), or a singular body having a cohesive sense of self. Or perhaps it is about becoming one with their surroundings.

In the closing sequence, the hermits covering themselves in dust seems cathartic. The play closes poetically with the words: "Everything over dust is dust."

While Possession leaves us with no solid answers, its power is in its fiction, and the intense world to which it manages to transport us for the duration of the piece, gripping us with the emotion born out of movement and sound.



For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a "Border Personnel Meeting" (BPM) on March 15 here but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

Sources said that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.

The delegation of China's Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one km inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, army chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
A farmer attacked and assaulted a Russian tourist, mistaking the latter for a thief lurking in his farm on Friday night in Bhiknoor village of Kamareddy district.

V Oleg (45) of Moscow, who is on a world tour on his bicycle, pitched his tent on Mahender Reddy's farm on his way to Shirdi (Maharashtra), as it was raining cats and dogs and he needed a shelter.

Oleg was beaten up by Reddy and his neighbours inflicting injury on his head, jaw and right hand and is undergoing treatment at the state-run Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad.

Oleg said that there was heavy rain in several parts of Telangana on Friday night and a hailstorm in Bhiknoor and surrounding areas, forcing him to suspend his cycle yatra for a while.

Oleg chose to stop by at a farm on national highway No 44 where he pitched his tent.

After the rain stopped late in the night, Reddy came to his farm to check if there was any damage.

Reddy saw Oleg lying down inside the tent.

He mistook Oleg for a thief lurking in the farm. Oleg tried to explain his situation in Russian.

Since Reddy did not understand Russian, he attacked the tourist with a metal torch light.

Oleg, who could had no time to turn to Google Translator on his laptop to understand what the farmer is saying, also retaliated and attacked Reddy.

The Kamareddy Police have reported the matter to the Russian Embassy in New Delhi.

Oleg had entered India on January 25 this year and has a visit visa valid till July 16.

Kamareddy Superintendent of Police N Swetha said that the incident occurred due to miscommunication and mistaken identity.
Security forces on Sunday busted a terrorist hideout in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir and recovered two AK assault rifles along with some ammunition, a senior police officer said.



The hideout was unearthed during an ongoing search operation in some villages including Gadyog in Budhal area, Senior Superintendent of Police (Rajouri), Yougal Manhas, said.

Besides the two AK rifles, two magazines and 60 rounds of ammunition were also recovered from the hideout which was believed to be set up by terrorists when they were active in the area over a decade back, he said.

Manhas said no one was arrested in connection with the recovery during the operation which was still continuing.
With a trooper getting to spend an average of only five years out of 30 with his family during service, the BSF has launched a new concept to set up over 190 jawan guest houses across the country for newly married couples.

More than 2,800 rooms will be built or carved out of the existing infrastructure in the eight frontiers of the force along the western and eastern border flanks of the country, a Border Security Force officer said.

BSF Director General K K Sharma said the Union home ministry has recently accorded sanction to the force's proposal to set up 15 studio apartment-like facilities at each of its 186 battalion locations and few other stations.

"The duties in the force are tough and hard and jawans have to remain alone for the maximum part of their service. An average jawan gets to spend only about 2.5 months in a year with his family and if one has a service of about 30 years, then this figure comes to about five years in the entire job period.

"To ensure that the jawans get more time with their families, we are creating such facilities at 192 locations all across the country," Sharma told PTI.

The problem of living alone, separated from the family, affects the newlywed more and hence, they are the ones who will be given priority in the allotment of these facilities, he said.

He said that while there are guest houses for the officers and sub-officers, there was no such facility for the jawans who are in the constable and head constable ranks.

"So, we have decided, to create a guest house of 15 studio apartment-like configuration in each battalion which will have an independent bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and television facility and newlywed personnel in the jawan ranks will be allowed to stay with their spouse for a stipulated period, the director general said.

Sharma said the measure is part of the overall initiative to reduce stress and fatigue among the troops and to keep them motivated.

A senior BSF officer explained that these 15-room guest houses will have a common drawing room and will be provided with basic equipment for the kitchen and daily chores.

While preference will be given to newly married troops, those who want to bring their wives and children for vacations will also eligible to avail these facilities for a specified period, the officer said.

Sharma said the force has also mooted a proposal to grant permission to the troops for residing out of the barracks in a rented public accommodation at locations along the Bangladesh and Pakistan frontiers where there is no threat to the security of the personnel.

"The troops will be allowed to rent premises at such locations and reside with their families. However, this approval will be given in specific areas only where there is no threat to the security of the troops," he said.

The BSF, raised in 1965, is tasked to guard the borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh and has about 2.5 lakh personnel in its ranks.
Assuring state's business community about addressing their issues, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, on Sunday said that the party is working for a Karnataka manifesto, not a Congress Manifesto.

"We don't want to create a Congress party manifesto. We want to create a Karnataka manifesto," Gandhi told business leaders and traders here in an interaction.

He also said that he has directed the party's general secretary for the state, KC Venugopal to have a meeting with a diverse section of the state's population, so as to incorporate their demands in the manifesto.

"All of you should feel that it is your manifesto," he said.

Assuring to include some demands put forth by businessmen the manifesto, Gandhi said, "But of course you have to realise that the budget of Karnataka is a limited budget. It is not an unlimited budget."

As per the sources, Congress party is trying to emulate the Aam Aadmi Party model of manifesto preparation for the May 12, assembly polls in Karnataka.

Under this, the party is planning to bring out a separate manifesto for each of the 30 districts of the state, focussing on the work needed to be done in those areas.

Ahead of the 2013 Delhi assembly polls, the AAP had carried out consultations with residents of the 60 assembly constituencies in the city and released separate manifestos for these areas promising solutions to area-specific problems.

The Congress party's manifesto preparation team led by senior leader Veerappa Moily has taken note of the demands coming from each district.

Replying to a query, Gandhi said the Congress will start the process of drafting a national manifesto over next few months.

"We are going to produce a national manifesto of Congress party over the next few months. We are having conversations over it within Congress to create the manifesto. It is a big step. We will start the process," he said.
The anger within Dalit MPs in the BJP appears to be on the surge with its Delhi MP Udit Raj now joining other lawmakers to express discontent over the way the issue is being handled.



While Raj chose not to write a letter unlike others, the northeast Delhi MP took to Twitter to bring attention to the problems faced by Dalits after the April 2 bandh, which witnessed large-scale violence, especially in BJP-ruled states.

"Reports are pouring in that those Dalits who participated in agitation on 2 April are being tortured and it must be stopped...Dalits are tortured at large-scale after 2 April countrywide agitation.

"People from Barmer, Jalore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Karoli and other parts (are) calling that not only anti-reservationists but police (are) also beating and slapping false cases," he said in his tweets late on Saturday night.

All the places mentioned in his tweets belong to the BJP-ruled states.

Raj, an IRS officer who resigned to join politics in 2003, followed it up with another on Sunday afternoon, which appeared as a clarification but left with scope for interpretation, with some suggesting it exposed the anti-Dalit stand of the party.

"My tweets are misconstrued that it is harming the BJP rather it strengthens that at least there are people like me in the BJP who are concerned with Dalit atrocities after April 2 agitation. It will convince Dalits and they will remain with the party. The government will check anti-Dalit officers/people," he said.

The anger over the way Dalit issues are being handled manifested in an agitation organised by BJP MP Savitri Bai Phule in Lucknow on April 1 and letters written by three other Dalit MPs - Yashwant Singh, Chhote Lal Karwar and Ashok Kumar Dohrey - from Uttar Pradesh to Prime Minister Narendra Modi post the April 2 Bharat Bandh.

BJP MPs from the Dalit community were up in arms against the Supreme Court order diluting the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Prevention of Atrocities Act and had put pressure on the government to file a review petition against it.

While Savitri organised a "Save Constitution" protest, Karwar wrote to Modi claiming that he was thrown out by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and that he was facing discrimination by the administration in his constituency.

Singh on his part claimed that the Modi government had done nothing for the Dalits in the past four years.

Dohrey said Uttar Pradesh Police was harassing Dalits and framing them in baseless cases for vengeance.
At a time when security forces have launched a major offensive against militants in south Kashmir, a large number of ultras are silently concentrating in northern parts of the Valley, not far from the Line of Control (LoC).

Sources told DH that nearly 200 well-trained and well-equipped militants, mostly foreigners, are active in Kupwara, Baramulla and Bandipora districts of north Kashmir.

"Not only this, more militants are waiting on launch pads for infiltration across the LoC in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK). This has posed a serious challenge to the security forces, who are more concerned about southern districts of Pulwama, Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag," they said.

After the killing of Burhan Wani on July 8, 2016, the face of new age militancy in south Kashmir has emerged as the bastion of not only militancy but anti-India protests.

"This has given a breather to militant handlers in the north as security forces are more engaged in the south to tackle militancy and street protests," sources added.

Frontier district Kupwara tops the list of active militants.

"Between 90 to 110 well-trained militants belonging to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Hizbul Mujahideen are operating in Lolab, Kandi, Chowkibal, Kralpora, Trehgam and Kalaroos areas of Kupwara and Rajwar, Kandi, Nowgam, Kralgund, Zachaldara and Mawar areas of Handwara police districts," they revealed.

Similarly, they said 70 to 90 militants are active in Baramulla and Bandipora districts of the north, while 90-120 ultras are waiting on the launch pads in PoK near the LOC to infiltrate into areas opposite to the operational area of 19 Division of the army.

"And another 120-170 militants are waiting in the areas opposite to the operational area of 28 Division of Army. Most of these militants belong to LeT, JeM, Hizb, Harkatul Mujahideen and Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen. There are 28 launch pads in PoK where these militants are taken before they are infiltrated into Kashmir after reconnaissance," sources added.

A senior police officer, involved in counter-insurgency operations, said it is possible that the concentration of attacks and encounters by local militants in south Kashmir is designed to give the foreign militants in the north a chance to take roots.

"It won't be too far when you will see the action in south Kashmir turns out to be a sideshow as the main action begins in the north. The militants in the north, besides being well-trained have latest and sophisticated weapons," he said.

Local militants operating in south Kashmir, the officer said, are poorly trained and not well-equipped.

"Being close to LoC, the militants in the north have access to more sophisticated weapons. In coming times, more encounters will be reported in the north, and security forces can suffer more casualties due to the fact that battle-hardened Pakistani militants are present in north Kashmir with the latest weapons," he warned.
Ahmed Khaled Tawfik was more than a fiction writer, he was a phenomenon who showed a generation of young readers a whole new world

The story of Egyptian horror and science fiction writer Ahmed Khaled Tawfik is easily told through the stories of his audience, most of whom grew up in the 1990s and the early 2000s.

It is the story of those who regularly slipped his books into their school bags and read them secretly when their teacher was not paying attention, or from behind a school book they pretended to read while they enjoyed the adventures of the 60-year-old Refaat Ismail, Tawfik's most famous character.

It is the story of those who saved their tiny allowance every day to buy their next book from his successful series Ma Wara' Al-Tabi'a (Metaphysics), which was sold at an affordable price.

It is the also the story of thousands of young people who are mourning the shocking and sudden death of their beloved writer, who left without a warning, as well as those who met him and those who only knew him through his words.

Tawfik, who departed our world on 2 April at 55 after suffering a heart attack at a Cairo hospital, left more than just his books, he left a generation of young readers, whose ages now range between the twenties and the late thirties.

These fans might not have read a book in their lives if it were not for Tawfik, who attracted them and showed them a whole new world, not only through his entertaining and educated writing, but also the novel genre of literature that he loved and insisted on pursuing despite initial rejection. This was horror, fantasy and science fiction, which captured the imagination of every school kid from the mid 90s to this day.

Born in 1962 in Tanta, Tawfik graduated from the faculty of medicine and became a doctor specialised in tropical medicine, before he decided to turn to writing.

He submitted his first horror book draft in 1992, Masas Al-Demaa w Ostorat alragol El Zeb (The Vampire and the Legend of the Wolf Man), to a Cairo publishing house named The Modern Arab Association, which targeted teen audiences with pocket novels, such as the hit action series Ragol El-Mostaheel (The Man of the Impossible) by Nabil Farouk.

The initial draft was rejected by a committee formed by the publisher, and Tawfik was told to stick to more established genres, such as police fiction, action and military style novels.

However, Tawfik insisted on pursuing his passion until a new committee was formed and approved the draft, which saw the light of day later that year.

The book became the first in one of the most popular pocket book series in Egypt; Ma Wara' Al-Tabi'a.

As his audience grew up, Tawfik kept up with them, moving into new forms of writing, transitioning from short pocket novels and illustrated stories to longer and more complicated books, such as Utopia (2008).

With the internet, social media, the opening of bookstore chains, and the new tradition of book signing events in the early 2000s, his readers got to know the man whose small picture adorned the back of every pocket book. This was the writer who told them the exotic stories and adventures of the old man Refaat Ismail, who many of us thought of as Tawfik himself, back in the 90s when he was not on TV or social media. This was a time when getting to meet the author was a far-fetched idea.

As the audience got to know him in the flesh, they discovered his very humble personality; not only was he willing to talk to anyone and get to know and participate in any event for his readers, but he also welcomed even the harshest criticism of his work from those who snubbed him and his genre.

Tawfik showed many people how to read, and affected the conscience of a generation. His impact is a phenomenon worthy of study.

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Joining the ongoing state-wide protests, demanding constitution of the Cauvery Management Board by the Centre, Tamil superstar Rajinikanth, actors Kamal Hassan and Vijay, along with other actors and film personalities, participated in a silent protest here.



The Tamil Film Producers' Council (TFPC), South Indian Artistes' Association (SIAA), Film Employees' Federation of South India (FEFSI) and Distributors' Association had announced that the silent protest would be held here in Valluvar Kottam area today.

Top actors, including SIAA president and actor Nasser, Film Producers' Council president and actor Vishal, actors Dhanush and Sathyaraj, directors Shankar and Vikraman and actor-director S A Chandrasekar also participated in the protest.

The silent protest was also for demanding the closure of the Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin, against which the locals have been staging agitations, citing health reasons.

Tamil Nadu has been witnessing protests over the CMB issue, with ruling AIADMK staging a hunger strike, led by Chief Minister K Palaniswami, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on April 3, condemning the Centre for not setting it up.

The DMK-led opposition parties' state-wide bandh, demanding the early establishment of the CMB to ensure water for farmers as per the Supreme Court order, was held on April 5.

In its February 16 judgement, the apex court had raised the 270 tmcft share of Karnataka by 14.75 tmcft and reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water.

The apex court granted six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance with its 465-page judgement, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Following the verdict, Tamil Nadu has been urging the Centre to set up the CWMB and CWRC to ensure it received its due share of water from the inter-state river.

The six-week period ended on March 29.
YSR Congress MPs continued their fast here over the special category status to Andhra Pradesh even as party's honorary president Y S Vijayamma rued the lack of unity among parties.



On its part, rival TDP MPs, on Sunday morning, attempted to protest outside Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence here but were detained and taken to the police station.

During a meeting with protesting YSR Congress MPs, Vijayamma, wife of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy and mother of the party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, said, "in the past, indefinite strikes were so effective that it attracted governments' attention and they responded to it."

"Today nothing is happening despite several attempts by the Opposition parties. The late Rajashekar Reddy used to tell us that only a united Andhra Pradesh would have a strong voice as it would have more of people's representatives. A smaller state does not bring the requisite pressure. But the bifurcation was done so quickly and the promises made to the residual Andhra Pradesh is yet to be fulfilled," she said.

"I request everyone, including Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to advise his MPs to join the hunger strike," she said.

Tirupati MP Varaprasad Rao was rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital after he complained of uneasiness.

He became the second MP to be moved to the hospital after the hunger strike began on Friday.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met the arrested TDP MPs "in solidarity" at the police station.

"We condemn their detention and fully support demand for the spl status of AP," he tweeted later.
The BJP on Sunday hit out at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for not speaking about the drinking water problem in Kolar and Chikkaballapur during his tour in these districts recently.

"Rahul has been indifferent to the drinking water problem of these parched districts. This is a great betrayal," she stated. Rahul toured the two districts as part of the last leg of his Janaashirvaada Yatre in the state.

The Congress government had promised to complete the Yettinahole drinking water project soon after coming to power. But all that the government has done is procure pipes which are lying unused. This was done to get commission. The government is not serious about implementing the much-awaited project, Shobha charged.

The Siddaramaiah government has not withdrawn cases filed against the farmers who were agitating for irrigation projects. Instead, it has withdrawn cases filed against members of the minority communities. This is nothing but vote-bank politics, she charged.
Facing heat from within over Dalit issues, the BJP on Sunday launched an attack on Opposition, accusing the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP of inciting violence for political gains when the government is gaining more traction among the underprivileged.



At a press conference here, senior Union ministers Ravishankar Prasad and Tawarchand Gehlot said the Opposition was perturbed at the growing popularity of the Modi government among all sections of people, including the oppressed.

"The Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP are trying to incite violence and disrupt peace. This is being done for their political gains," Prasad said, adding that B R Ambedkar never encouraged violence during protests by Dalits in their fight.

He said they were indulging in politics because a large number of Dalits, tribals, backward castes, most backward castes and the poor have aligned with the BJP.

Amid discontent even within the party over the Supreme Court order on SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and police action against protesters during the Bharat Bandh, Prasad said the Modi government was taking steps to strengthen the law while Congress president Rahul Gandhi was "repeating lies after lies".

Gehlot said the Opposition feels threatened at the increasing popularity of the Modi government and accused them of indulging in casteism, communalism and language chauvinism.

"(BSP founder) Kanshiram never supported violence but (current party chief) Mayawati is going ahead supporting violence." He also said the Congress always used the Dalit community and gave nothing in return.

Earlier in the day, the Congress dubbed the BJP "anti-Dalit" and pointed out that the criticism by the BJP's own Dalits MPs has exposed it.

Referring to letters written by BJP MPs to Modi on Dalit issues, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill claimed that it proved that the prime minister was working to make India 'Dalit-mukht'.

Shergill said the situation has reached an alarming level due to the rising atrocities on Dalits amid the government's lack of concern and inaction.
A man, who attacked his superiors and blackened face of one of them for casting an evil eye on his wife working in the same office, had to suffer 32 years with compulsory retirement.



The Supreme Court finally on April 4 restored some of his prestige and loss by converting his punishment from compulsory retirement to voluntary retirement.

On an appeal filed by Laxman Singh, a bench of Justices Mohan M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha took note of a letter produced in record which indicated the use of unparliamentary language by the petitioner's senior in the postal department against his wife.

"On the fateful day, the superior spoke too much about the wife of the person and expressed his ill desire about her, which was extreme in terms of normal human behaviour," Singh's counsel Dushyant Parashar submitted.

On April 10, 1986, he attacked the superior after lifting an office chair. On May 27, 1986, he blackened face of another superior as he tried to protect the colleague.

He was charged with high degree of indiscipline and insubordination, unbecoming of a government servant.

Taking a sympathetic view of the matter, the bench said, "Law and life run together. We have examined the matter from a common man's perspective as one may forget abuse to one's wife either in one hour or in one year, that depends on an individual."
With ceasefire violations from Pakistan on the rise, the Jammu and Kashmir government has completed a pilot project for the construction of over 100 family-type bunkers along the Line of Control (LoC) in Rajouri district for the safety of border residents.



"A total of 102 family-type bunkers have been completed in various villages along the LoC. Each bunker has the capacity to accommodate 10 people on a long-term basis while 12 to 16 people for short-term shelter in wake of the ceasefire violations," Deputy Commissioner (Rajouri) Shahid Iqbal said.



He said the technical design of the bunker withstands the kind of weaponry frequently used in ceasefire violations.

"In view of the success of the pilot project, more such bunkers are to be constructed as per sanctions of Ministry of Home Affairs guidelines, which will provide greater safety for the border inhabitants," Iqbal said.



He said this will include more than 5,000 family-type bunkers and 370 community bunkers.

In May 2017, more than 4,500 people had migrated to relief camps established by authorities in Nowshera town due to ceasefire violations, which left more than 170 houses damaged and eight civilians dead.



The LoC runs through a 120-km long stretch in the district across 72 villages in six tehsils.

Nearly 22 villages are easy targets for shelling.

The Centre had, earlier this year, sanctioned the construction of 14,460 community and individual bunkers along the LoC and the International Border (IB) for border residents facing Pakistani shelling in the state.



While 7,298 bunkers will be constructed along the LoC in the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, 7,162 underground bunkers will be constructed along the IB in Jammu, Kathua and Samba districts, officials said.



Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir informed Parliament recently that Pakistan has violated ceasefire along the LoC and the IB 633 times in just two months this year.

According to official figures, in 2017, the ceasefire was violated by Pakistan along the LoC 860 times and 111 times along the IB.

The highest number of such violations took place in 2002, when 8,376 incidents were reported, while 2,045 incidents of ceasefire violations were reported in 2003.



The Indian and Pakistani armies had agreed to a ceasefire along the LoC, the IB and along Actual Ground Position Line at Siachen glacier in November 2003.

Although it held good for 10 years, in the last few years, Pakistani troops have been violating the ceasefire agreement with greater frequency.
Eight media bodies and journalists organisations have demanded that the Centre must restore "the credibility and sanctity" of the Press Council of India (PCI) as its chairman C K Prasad kept out "certain media associations and candidates" from the reconstitution of the thirteenth council of the print media watchdog.



They also demanded that the proposed meeting of the "truncated" press council must not be held and be deferred till the full council is reconstituted, referring to the Delhi High Court's stay order on the process for nomination of candidates for the new council.

The PCI chairman has called a meeting of the reconstituted Press Council with only eight members, which included five parliamentarians and three official nominees out of 28, leaving out the representatives of print media organisations, even as their names are yet to be notified and the council reconstitution is still underway.

"The government should intervene to restore the credibility and sanctity of the PCI. This will go a long way in demonstrating the will of the government to protect and preserve the freedom of the press, vital to any democracy," representatives of working journalists, editors and owners of media organisations demanded in a joint statement.

The joined statement was issued by the All India Newspaper Editors Conference, Indian Journalists Union, Indian Newspaper Society, Working News Cameramen Association, Hindi Samachar Patr Sammelan, National Union of Journalists (India), All India Small and Medium Newspapers Federation and Press Association.

The representatives of these eight organisations had held a meeting on Saturday to discuss "the grave situation arising out of the premeditated actions" of the PCI chairman in reconstituting the thirteenth press council.
New Delhi, DHNS: The government has approved building three new military hospitals close to the India-China border and decided to upgrade two existing ones, as conflicts along India's disputed border with China are on the rise.



Three new military hospitals will be set up at Rangapahar (Nagaland), Panagarh (West Bengal) and Likabali (Arunachal Pradesh).

Taken together, the trio will add 475 new beds in the existing network of army hospitals.

Incidentally, Panagarh will also be the headquarters of India's new mountain strike corps.

In addition, a 200-bed general hospital in Leh will be upgraded to a 300-bed unit whereas a 148-bed military hospital at Misamari will be upgraded to a 250 bed centre, the Ministry of Defence informed a panel of Parliamentarians, who queried the government on the steps being taken to take care of soldier's health.

The decision to create new medical facilities close to the northern and eastern borders comes at a time when confrontations between troops guarding the mountainous 3,488 km Line of Actual Control between the two countries, are on the rise.

More than 400 transgressions from the Chinese side were reported in 2017- a sharp rise from 273 such incidents reported in 2016.

The two sides also witnessed a 72-day long face-off at Doklam, near the India-China-Bhutan trijunction, last year.

The Director General of Armed Forces Medical Service (DGAFMS) informed the lawmakers about the Army's long term plan of creating four more military hospitals and upgrade two more.

Among the proposed new hospitals, the biggest one (200 bed) will come up in Eastern Ladakh while three smaller ones would be at Sitapur (Uttar Pradesh), Chungthang (Sikkim) and Borarupak (Arunachal Pradesh).

The upgrade proposals are for the 166-bed hospital at Jaipur, which is planned to be converted into a 600-bed command hospital, and the military hospital at Kargil, which would be expanded to have 149 beds.

The army is not the only one expanding its healthcare infrastructure. Navy too plans expansion of seven of its hospitals with increased number of beds.

The Cabinet Committee on Security so far has only approved upgrading INHS Patanjali at Karwar from a 141-bed unit to a 400-bed unit.

Notwithstanding the expansion, the armed forces medical service suffer from manpower crunch, from super-specialty doctors to nursing staff, DGAFMS officials informed the panel.
Former BSF director general (DG) E N Rammohan passed away here on Sunday. He was 77.



Family sources said Rammohan died early on Sunday morning at the AIIMS trauma centre.

He was admitted here around 10 days ago after meeting with an accident at his home and suffering a fracture in his ribs.

Rammohan was also suffering from prostate cancer.

His last rites were performed at the Lodhi road crematorium by his family members. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

A host of serving and retired BSF officers paid their last respects to their former chief even as he was given the traditional last salute with gunshots fired in the air.

The paramilitary force, through its official Twitter handle, said, "a legend hangs his boots forever..."

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma paid his tributes to the police officer in a tweet saying, "Saddened by the demise of E.N.Rammohan, former Director General of Border Security Force. Rammohan, an IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre, had served to the best of his ability be it in Meghalaya, Assam and our nation as a whole. May his soul rest in peace."

BSF chief K K Sharma said the former chief's death was a big loss for the country's largest border guarding force.

"He was a fine person, a thorough professional, man of integrity and known for his jawan-centric leadership. He used to lead from the front and he will always be remembered for his leadership style," Sharma said.

The 1965-batch IPS officer of the Assam-Meghalaya cadre headed the BSF between December 1997 and November 2000 and he earlier served in the force as its Inspector General (Operations) at the force headquarters in Delhi.

Rammohan, who sported a handlebar mustache, was regularly seen on television news channels discussing internal security issues and was considered an expert in counter-insurgency operations given his wide exposure in the northeastern states and various central paramilitary forces.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that the only way for any government to instill faith among youngsters is to create jobs by competing with China, as the neighbouring country is going to be the prime competitor for the next 30 years.



"Job creation will be the central theme in the coming years, and China will be India's (prime) competitor for the next 30 years. The only way (for any government) to instill faith the in government among youngsters is to create jobs by competing with China," he said in an interaction with businessmen here.

He also said that SMEs have the most important role in job creation in India.

"I have no confusion in my mind that the only group of people who can compete with China and generate the number of jobs that India requires are going to come from small and medium enterprises," Gandhi said.

Alleging that the entire focus of the the country is on GDP, and not job creation, Gandhi said, for this to happen, there has to be a shift in the mindset just as it was done before the Green and Telecom revolutions.

Replying to a query, he said that small entrepreneurs have a large role to play in the country's development and the central government should support them to create jobs.

Continuing with his acronym of 'Gabbar Singh Tax' for GST, he said, "Once in power, we will make sure it is - what in the world - called GST, and not Gabbar Singh Tax."
The BBMP has moved another step towards building the much-needed 2.4-km-long flyover from the Kendriya Sadan junction to the Ejipura Main Road junction in Koramangala, Southeast Bengaluru.

The civic body has completed soil and pile tests for the Rs 204-crore project. "We conducted soil as well as pile testing to check whether the underneath of the piers holds good or not. The results are positive," K T Nagaraj, chief engineer, road infrastructure (projects central), BBMP, said. Two months ago, workers started laying 75 piers. The progress has been steady, he added.

The flyover will be the longest free expressway in the city after the Sirsi Circle flyover on Mysuru Road. It will provide signal-free connectivity between the Ejipura Main Road-Inner Ring Road junction, the Sony World junction and the Kendriya Sadan junction. Along the way, it will link the Koramangala 8th Main Road junction, Koramangala 60 Feet Road, the Koramangala 5th Block 1A Cross junction and BDA Complex.

The project has been awarded to Simplex Infrastructures with a two-year deadline. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had laid the foundation stone for the project in July 2017.

While there were fears earlier that the flyover would eventually choke both ends - Intermediate Ring Road and Hosur Road - local residents are now happy as the BBMP has incorporated their suggestions and revised the design.

Nitin Sheshadri, former president, Koramangala 3rd Block Residents' Welfare Association, said that while there were multiple choke points before and after the flyover, the expressway would significantly reduce traffic congestion and improve travel time.

He raised another demand from residents for demolishing the underpass near the Ayyappa Temple junction and building a flyover near the Total Mall junction near Madiwala. "We hear the project was approved before the poll dates were announced. The detailed project report (DPR) is under preparation," he said.

Sharanya Prakash, who travels from Koramangala to the HAL junction, expects the flyover to reduce the travel time, but wants the work to be speeded up.
The managing director of Punjab National Bank (PNB), Sunil Mehta, said on Sunday that the bank will recover from the mess created by the Nirav Modi case in six months.

The PNB was hit by the country's biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 13,000 crore perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates in connivance with some officials of a branch of the bank in Mumbai.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta said.

"So worst is behind us. Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in the recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next six months," he said.

Emphasising the long legacy and strength of the bank, Mehta said, "It is a 123-year-old institution which was founded during the 'Swadeshi' movement by Lala Lajpat Rai. This institution has 7,000 branches with a business of more than Rs 10 lakh crore in the domestic market. So fraud of this nature could not shake the confidence of our customers."

Even during trying times, the bank's business has grown better than the industry, he said, adding that credit has witnessed a growth rate of about 10%, in line with the guidance that was shared with investors.

With regard to deposits, the bank has recorded a growth of 6.2%, Mehta said.

"They (employees) have gone the extra mile, they have done extra hard work to see that every customer is attended to properly. Now, we are in the bounce-back mode," he said.

"It is now clear that it was a standalone incident in one of our 7,000 branches because of connivance with some of the staff of the branch. We have learned lessons from it," Mehta added.

Citing an example, Mehta said the bank is going to reform the credit processes by dividing it into four verticals - sourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery. All these will be a separate compartment so that the risk is mitigated.

Besides, Mehta said the bank has launched 'Mission Parivartan' to realign all business processes to meet present-day requirements.

"We decided to use technology. We had strengthened our back office for foreign exchange dealings, now we are going to expand it to cover 100% activities in forex-related areas. We started with integrating SWIFT with the core banking solution and we will be able to complete the process before April 30," he said.

On internal audit, he said besides physical audit, there will be offline monitoring too for which the bank is creating a separate cell which will do offsite monitoring of all exceptional transaction reports.
The Congress high command is in a state of confusion, as MLA Ambareesh has not responded to the deadline given by K C Venugopal, the Congress in-charge of the state. The deadline expired on April 8.

As he was conspicuous by his absence during the visit of AICC president Rahul Gandhi to the state, the party high command asked him to inform his stand on contesting from Mandya Assembly constituency. There were rumours that his wife Sumalatha and his close confidantes could contest from Mandya.

However, Ambareesh has maintained silence over the issue giving rise to speculations.

Around 500 of his supporters met him in Bengaluru and invited him to the district. Despite this, Ambareesh did not issue statements leaving the Congress confused.

It is said that Ambareesh told his followers on Sunday, who went to remind him of the deadline, that he would take a call on the issue by Monday. There are rumours that Ambareesh has been demanding the party to hand over five 'B' forms to him for five constituencies, except Malavalli and Nagamangala.
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Anything for daddy's little girl! Stormi Webster may have just celebrated her first Easter alongside her parents, Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott, as well as the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, but the infant already has another reason to celebrate.

Stormi Gets A Welcome Party

However, this time it's in her honor. According to TMZ, Scott's mother is throwing her granddaughter a welcome party for his side of the family. The media outlet further revealed that the party will have a weather theme to follow along with her name.

The first-time dad reportedly purchased 6 floral sculptures and stands, which display lightning bolts going through clouds of roses, orchids, and hydrangeas. The lightning bolts and clouds also have raindrops hanging from them, which are said to be made out of Swarovski crystals.

The 25-year-old musician dropped a grand total of $7,145 on the shindig to make sure Stormi gets the welcome she deserves.

The celebration is presumed to be held in Missouri City, Texas, which is where Scott's mother resides.

Of course, Stormi's mother, Kylie Jenner, will be in attendance, but as for the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan, there is no word on who will make an appearance at the moment since Jenner's big sister Khloe Kardashian could give birth at any moment.

As per reports, Kardashian is slated to welcome her first child, a baby girl, with her boyfriend, Tristan Thompson. The 33-year-old Good American designer has begun to nest in Cleveland, so once it's baby time the family will head to Ohio.

Kylie Confirms Her Pregnancy

Even though Stormi is now 2 months old, fans of Jenner are still in disbelief. The world will probably never forget how the 20-year-old Keeping Up With the Kardashians cast member managed to keep her pregnancy a secret for nine months.

The cosmetics mogul revealed her pregnancy on Feb. 4, but actually gave birth to her daughter on Feb. 1.

Jenner took to Instagram to write a lengthy message apologizing to her fans for keeping them in the dark about the everything.

"My pregnancy was one I chose not to do in front of the world. I knew for myself I needed to prepare for this role of a lifetime in the most positive, stress free and healthy way I know how," the reality star wrote.

Along with the heartfelt letter, Jenner also shared an 11-minute documentary style video on YouTube titled, "To Our Daughter," which featured several special moments such as her pajama themed baby shower and glimpses of her in the delivery room right before she gave birth.
BMW SA Open hosted by the City of Ekurhuleni

Glendower GC, City of Ekurhuleni, Gauteng, South Africa
Thanks all, it is a case of I would do anything to maintain brill reviews, these are workers so booked in by the company .. the last guys were very good and respectful I stayed downstairs in the workshop I'm Renovating but every time I had to go up to use the facilities it was boiling and never changed throughout the day whilst at work and when they were back sat with big windows open... to my mind it's just common decency and thought , but just because you or your company has paid for a night does not been let's damage environment and my pocket by having every rad on full all the time ...,it's a big airy house with high ceilings so the boiler is chugging away constantly , I am going to add it to my info sheets , but tbh it will only be till may ... as the heating side of boiler will be turned off ... as soon as they went I could use the bedroom In the house I turned everything off ... don't want to charge ... and in my mind think it can't be more than a fiver a day on all the time ... so try to work that into the equation... I do think workers should be able to cope ... it's the balance as you want your customers to be comfortable but not be inconsiderate....,
If you have no or little experience in B&B then your research carefully! We did B&B for a year before changing the two bedrooms into bed + salon and renting min 2 weeks. A bit of experience.....



1. It's a real pain waiting for guests to arrive when they say ETA of 16:00 and arrive at 20:00....you are literally tethered to the house.



2. Breakfasts can be fun and interesting, but you have to offer a choice of bread, jams, coffee, tea, tissanes etc much more than for yourself. It's a pain when you HAVE to do it every day.



3 Avoid overnighters at all costs......you have to clean, change linen etc.....not worth the effort. We were lucky , we had a thermal spa near us, so we had 3 week bookings.



4. Think through your target customers, as Smeggie says. Perhaps touring tourists (ask min 3 nights), business people Monday to Friday etc (I've used that a lot in the UK!), weekend wedding etc....not a bad idea, leaves you the week uncluttered. Perhaps there is a local attraction, which will draw in people.



5. The costs are higher than you imagine....you must have "nearly new" sheets, towels etc. People expect a coffee machine etc, so that has to be replenished. If you have more than 2 bedrooms expect to use a cleaning lady....it can be tiring doing it all yourself...and the French demand high standards.



6. If you are looking at "tourists" you may need to think about garden access, BBQ, play area etc. Not a requirement for business clients!



7. In your target area contact the tourist office, they will have lists of accomodation. You can see what others offer and the price. If it's cheap it's probably horrible and dingy.



Good luck...DejW
The summer before starting eighth grade, roughly 10 years ago, Alexa moved to a Faribault County town with her family.

She attended school at an area school, and things seemed to be going well for Alexa during her eighth grade year.

It was that following summer that Alexas life would be changed forever.

High school is supposed to be the best years of your life, but they were the worst years of my life, she says, reflecting. Those are the memories I have of high school the fear, the pain, constantly running. I dont get a do over. I just have to learn to live around it. Live despite it.

The summer before her freshman year of high school, 14-year-old Alexa met a boy at a Faribault town summer festival. Through mutual friends, Alexa met the boy who became infatuated with Alexa. And eventually, even obsessed over Alexa.

Before the school year even started, Alexa too, became convinced of the boys affections and suddenly, she had a new boyfriend.

I did not know what a real relationship looked like then. I dont think any teenager does. He was my first real boyfriend, she says.

Shortly after the couple became exclusive to one another, Alexas boyfriend began questioning what she was wearing, and who she was talking to, hanging out with, even talking to in the halls. Even a kind gesture like wearing his sweatshirt was a way of limiting Alexas ability to wear what she wanted. He was very persistent. And at that time, I listened because I thought he cared about me. I thought he was trying to protect me, so I did what I was told, says Alexa. I thought thats what it meant when somebody loves you.

As the fall of that year progressed, Alexa kept noticing her boyfriends behavior become more and more controlling.

When I was trying to make friends and get to know my classmates, he didnt want me hanging out with them. He would say it was because he wanted to hang out with me, and I didnt see anything wrong with that, so I hung out with him.

This is a tactic abusers use known as isolation, and this man used it to his benefit. One evening, at her boyfriends home while in the company of her companion, Alexa received a message on Facebook from a male classmate.

It was normal small talk, says Alexa. Nothing out of the ordinary. But then, he saw that the guy had messaged me, and he became enraged. He started accusing me of cheating on him, calling me names, screaming at me, so I ran up the stairs and locked the door behind me.

Once Alexa thought her boyfriend was gone, she opened the bedroom of his parents room where she had sought safety, she explains.

She thought he had calmed down, but that was hardly the case.

He chased her down the stairs and pinned her up against the front door, her only means of escape, and punched her in the stomach, she says.

Alexa says she somehow talked her boyfriend down from his anger.

But he still would not let her leave.

Shaken, terrified, and unsure of what to do, Alexa went to his room to lay down. Even while he stayed with her, keeping a watchful eye on her, Alexa says she slept for hours because of the physical and emotional exhaustion.

That was the beginning of the physical violence, says Alexa. My parents and my friends were not a fan of him, but what he was saying to me was essentially brainwashing me. Here was a guy who kept saying, Im doing this because I love you, and this is your fault because Im trying to protect you and I did not have any other relationship to equate that what he was saying was abusive and not actual love.

Alexa, who is now 21 and currently studying social work at Minnesota State University, Mankato, says that now, years later, she realized her then boyfriend was using a cycle of mental and physical abuse to keep her in the relationship. To keep her in his control.

I was still a freshman in high school and this was all happening while I was trying to learn, trying to be a part of school activities, and have friends, she says. And things only got worse.

That spring, Alexa came close to a dangerous demise.

Her boyfriend called her and said he was going to kill himself, she says. Alexa was terrified.

I was so deep into his head games that he made his life my responsibility. I didnt know then how much he did not care about mine, she says.

Alexa went outside of her home in rural Faribault County, where her boyfriend was waiting.

As she approached him, Alexa did what she could to talk her boyfriend out of harming himself. But this only escalated her boyfriends anger and hostility.

I tried to stop him, and I was trying to call 9-1-1, but he took my phone and threw it as hard as he could and smashed it. At that point, I knew I had to start running towards my house, she recalls.

The man grabbed a hold of Alexa and kept her firm in his grip, but Alexa knew she had to get away, or it could cost her her life. She remembers how hard of a grip her abuser had on her arm, but regardless of the pain in her arm, she ripped away from his grip and got to safety.

My arm just burned. It was stinging and painful, and somehow, I dont know how, I convinced him to leave. The next day at school, my friends saw my arm, and they knew, without me saying anything, what had happened, she says.

My friends took me to our school social worker, and my friends all tried to ask him what happened, and he took off, says Alexa. The school reported it to the police. The police couldnt find him. They looked everywhere.

At home, Alexa received over 50 phone calls from her abuser that day on her cell phone. Alexa informed the police, who later caught him. Because he was a juvenile, he was given probation, and was allowed back at school.

If he was in the hallway, I had to go down another hallway, she says. And now Alexa was facing isolation from her peers as well. They made fun of me; different stories were told, rumors were spread, people thought I was lying. I just couldnt be a part of that.

This was the first time Alexa had to change high schools because of her abuser; a person whose words said love but actions said otherwise.

Looking back, I know our justice system is flawed, and I dont think, at the time, anyone really knew what to do or how to handle that situation, she says. I dont think people understood the true severity of the situation and how deep this cycle of abuse was.

The abuse, though Alexa was now in a different high school, continued. He pursued her throughout her sophomore and junior year.

He had his hooks in. Alexa did not know how to stop her abusers game and she took every possible step she could think of to protect herself and stop the cycle of his abuse.

Statistically, it takes a person up to seven times to leave an abusive relationship. And at a mere 16 years of age at the time, Alexa did not know how to leave her abuser.

On April 3, 2013, Alexas abuser picked her up at the mall in Mankato to take her home.

A regular route home became another horrendous memory for Alexa.

At this point, I had learned to delete all of my texts after messaging my friends because he would get insanely jealous whether it was a girl or a boy and I forgot to delete a text, Alexa recalls.

He pulled off onto a gravel road, grabbed my phone, and threw it. It was early in the evening, I didnt know where we were really, but I could tell by how he looked that I had to run. I had to run and find my phone or I could wind up dead. She immediately exited her abusers vehicle and ran in the direction of where he threw her phone. Her abuser, following her in his vehicle, kept telling her to get into the car, to which Alexa vehemently refused.

I was looking for my phone in a muddy field, but I found it, I grabbed it, and I tried to call 9-1-1, she says. I kept hoping someone would drive by or stop and see me. That didnt happen.

Her abuser grabbed Alexa, and forced her back into the vehicle, turned down several roads, and then violently beat Alexas head into the console of the car by gripping Alexas hair.

All I remember is asking him if he was going to kill me and I remember him saying, maybe I should. He drove us to his house. His room was in the basement, and his parents were home. I came in, crying, and he took me down to his room.

Her abuser kept her restrained as he yelled, cussed, and called Alexa names, his anger and hostility still climbing.

I got away from him somehow, and I went to his mom and begged her to take me home, says Alexa.

The friend Alexa was texting that night was the one who helped Alexa get to the police to report the incident.

Her abuser was charged with two felony counts of domestic assault, one count of kidnapping, one count of stalking with a pattern of stalking, one count of stalking with a third violation in 10 years, and false imprisonment with intentional restraint.

Of those six charges, Alexas abuser was convicted of one of the felony domestic assault charges. He was sentenced to 107 days, but was given credit for all 107 days, was placed on probation and only paid a fine of $77.

His sentence was also a stay of imposition, meaning if he completed his probation successfully, the offense would only result in a misdemeanor conviction on his criminal record.

That was the end of it for Alexa. She was done being a victim. She was done running. She was done trying to pick up pieces of her life and trying to put them back together. Alexa took her life back.

Summer of my senior year, he was in and out of jail. He would get bailed out, and kept trying to find me, call me, text me, drive by the house. He was relentless, says Alexa. But I couldnt do it anymore. I avoided him. I was already living with my dad and moved back in with my mom, and went to another school again. I completely removed myself from those negative environments each time, and he kept following. That September, he finally stopped, and I honestly believe it is because he found someone else closer that he could abuse.

Alexas survival story is not unique. But it is hers.

While hes around, I think a part of me will always feel some aprehension, but now I am surrounded by people who truly love me.
Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Two local stage legends take to the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre stage in Disneys Newsies!

That is what real newsies used to do, back in the 1890s in New York City. Young immigrant boys or orphans would stand on street corners of the Big Apple yelling at passers by to try and sell their newspapers. Back then, there were no child labor laws, and the labor that went with being a newsie was rough and tough, with meager wages. Some boys had to choose whether to pay to eat or pay to sleep as they roamed New York City.

In 1899, those young news boys went on strike, creating a tidal wave of change in the realm of child labor laws, and the world of newspaper deliveries. This was the inspiration behind the now well-known musical.

That song and dance has long since past, and the new song and dance is Chanhassen Dinner Theatres rendition of the Disney musical Newsies which has some familiar faces in the cast.

Both Brett Pederson, son of Duane and Jessica Pederson of Wells, and Joey Miller, son of Clay and Sharyn Miller of Wells, are United South Central School alumni. Pederson graduated just a few years ago, while Miller graduated in 2009.

For both USC men, theatrics, song, and dance have run deep in their blood.

Pederson recalls his first production in second grade where he played Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, and, ironically enough, Miller played the same role in his first production during a different year.

Altogether, Pederson was in 14 USC productions including playing the part of Ren in Footloose, Lucas in Addams Family, and Tommy in Brigadoon, while Miller performed in 18 USC productions and thoroughly enjoyed playing the parts of Joseph in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Beast in Beauty and the Beast, and Puck in A Midsummer Nights Dream.

Pederson is currently attending the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities and is studying music and dance. Pederson says he has always enjoyed dancing, and began his passion for dance at just five years old.

His nearly 20 years of experience dancing has paid off for him at his first production at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre. Pedersons exquisite form and powerful body structure was a superb opportunity to become the Newsies poster boy. Pederson can be seen anywhere from online, to billboards, even a Chanhassen Dinner Theatre vehicle.

Miller graduated from Viterbo University in 2013 with a bachelor of fine arts degree in music theater, he also just recently became a massage therapist with CenterPoint Massage and Shiatsu.

For Miller, the Chanhassen experience seems like a second home and says it is a joy working with the performers there.

I have been going to Chanhassen since I was seven years old, he says. My first show there was Beauty and the Beast. I was a replacement and learned the show in six hours.

For Pederson, this is his first experience on the Chanhassen stage and says it has been a great experience.

I have loved my experience at Chanhassen so far, he says. The audition for Newsies took place last summer, and by the end of summer I had been cast. I could not wait to get started. Rehearsals were pretty intense and quick, but thats when I really started to get to know the rest of the cast. We are having so much fun working together, and I can already tell I have made some lifelong friends in this show.

There are some differences between USCs stage productions and Chanhassen, of course. Pederson says it was something to certainly get used to.

There is someone covering every little thing here, even behind the scenes, and thats something we kind of had to get creative with at USC, he says.

The commitment level is much different, says Miller. In high school, we did three shows and that was it. We will do Newsies almost 250 times. Everyone on stage does this for their career. Its a full time job.

Both Pederson and Miller attribute their successes elsewhere, like Chanhassen, to their alma maters productions, which included the direction of Millers father, Clay Miller.

These young men are showing the talent that southern Minnesota has to offer, says Kris Howland, Public Relations Director for Chanhassen Dinner Theatres. And they are showing that men can dance, too.

Dance has always been close to Pederson and Millers hearts. Pederson hopes to take after his role models like Ryan Steele, American dancer and actor, who also played on the Broadway production of Newsies, as well as Ben Cook, another well-known American dancer and stage actor.

While Miller hopes to achieve stage goals to the likes of Scott Graham and Peter Hogget with Frantic Assembly, as well as famous Czech dancer and contemporary choreographer Jiri Kylian.

Both USC alumni have always had a passion for the stage and enjoyed the theatric atmosphere. They both encourage students to be a part of school theater productions.

Theater is the best way to train empathy, says Miller. Teaching youth to step into the life and circumstances of someone who is different from them is not only important in building community, but also in building collaboration skills.

I think its important for students to be involved in theater because it is such a fun, welcoming community. You dont need to be serious about it; it is a good way to meet people and try something new, says Pederson.

If you would like to see the astounding choreography, unforgettable songs, and familiar faces of Disneys Newsies, it is on the main stage at Chanhassen Dinner Theatre until Sept. 29.
I thought I might take it easy this week, and borrow something someone else wrote to fill this space. That is not plagiarism if I attribute it, you know.

So, first a little background.

I received a lovely letter from former Blue Earth resident Marvel Schwen. She and her husband, Maurice, moved from here in 2003 to live full-time at their home on Gull Lake by Brainerd. The Schwen family has deep roots in Blue Earth, Marvel wrote, and many fond memories of the town.

She enclosed a faded, yellowed newspaper clipping which her daughter, Susan Schwen Johnson, had found when cleaning out old files at her home in Alexandria. It had been sent to her years ago by her mother-in-law who lived in Indiana.

The clipping was of a column called Free Lance, written by a man named Jim McNeile. It was headlined Heaven hiding in Blue Earth. Marvel Schwen said it brought tears to her eyes when she read it and wanted to share it with me, and the readers of the Faribault County Register.

So, here it is.

I promised last summer to tell you about Blue Earth, Minnesota.

And here it is the 208th and final Free Lance of 1991 and I havent gotten around to writing about Blue Earth. Its not a difficult subject really. Blue Earth is the county seat of Faribault County in the corn and bean fields of southern Minnesota. Population 5,200. Its easy enough to get there from Elkhart, like 10 hours of interstate which puts you at the Blue Earth exit of I-90.

So whats with me and Blue Earth? A replacement perhaps for Olathe, Kansas, in the Free Lance list of dull places? I must admit the thought crossed my mind. Name and location alone would seem to render Blue Earth as the perfect spot to watch someone bake an apple pie or darn wool socks.

Actually it was love that led us to Blue Earth in 1991. One of our sons was taking a bride at the end of August so Theresa and I spent several months marshalling family resources and planning to get there.

What happened was that in the three days surrounding wedding festivities, we fell in love ourselves with this area and its people.

Our spirits were lifted by friendly, warm individuals. They care for each other, they ooze with pride in land and community. Hard-working and generous, these people share in good times and bad from a lifestyle that depends on whether the Good Lord provides enough rain and sunshine to harvest the crop.

Blue Earth is clean. Merchants keep the downtown area attractive. A Green Giant processing plant for canning sweet corn that we buy in Elkhart is right in the middle of town. From the highway looms a mammoth plastic Green Giant statue that Blue Earth describes as its tourist attraction.

The only lodging is a Super 8 motel. No ordinary Super 8, this motel is owned by the former high school industrial arts teacher and his wife who decorated and painted each room after he built each piece of furniture. Window boxes on both floors are bursting with colorful petunias, the lobby is filled with local craft items and hot, fresh homemade rolls are available to guests each morning.

Two marvelous events lighted our life on this trip.

One was the wedding in a Lutheran church of Norwegian heritage on a gravel road near the very small town of Frost. Here was a Norman Rockwell setting a white, wooden frame building on a grassy knoll immaculately polished from altar to choir loft, with a shining cross glimmering in the sun like a sentinel overlooking miles and miles of golden corn.

Ill never forget the minister. His solo Our Father boomed like an oratorio in a grand cathedral, not a small church in the middle of nowhere.

The second and most impressive experience for us was that of spending a few precious hours at the large efficient farm of Chuck and Barbara Baker, parents of our new daughter-in-law. They shared their home with two people from Elkhart who often are in too much of a hurry to watch the corn grow.

We learned with a great sense of admiration how the Bakers and all those like them producing corn and beans around Blue Earth make Americas heartland a very special place.

Nice words. I would hope that if a visitor from Elkhart, Indiana, came through Blue Earth now, in 2018, he or she would get this same sense of a warm and friendly town.

I think they would.
Emily Blunt believes communication is the key to a long-lasting marriage.

John Krasinski and Emily Blunt

The 35-year-old beauty - who has kids Hazel, four, and Violet, 22 months, with her husband John Krasinski - has revealed that having an open and honest dialogue has helped to sustain her marriage.

Speaking to OK! magazine, Emily shared: "We've always been able to talk and discuss everything together.

"It's an advantage having someone who understands your profession. We also try to be very supportive of each other and we know that we always have each other to rely on and make each other feel very loved and appreciated. It's a beautiful thing."

Emily also hailed her husband's parenting skills, revealing he's helped her to balance the demands of parenthood and her acting career.

The London-born star explained: "He's a very good father and that's been a great source of comfort to me.

"It's not easy pursuing a Hollywood career when raising young children. He's great at making sure there are always fresh bottles of milk and fresh food in the house. Just those little things make such a big difference."

Meanwhile, Emily recently explained that her children's happiness is the "most paramount thing" in her life.

She said: "My children's happiness, their safety and their well-being is the most paramount thing in my life. And if [I am] unable to give them any of those things, then who am I? What's my identity?

"My greatest hope is that they are truly happy, and that they're interested in life, in anything. Interested and interesting, and truly happy."

And John revealed he wants to "protect" his children at all costs.

He added: "Even when [we] drop our four-year-old daughter off at school, you don't know what she's gonna do that day.

"You don't know if other kids are gonna be nice to her or if she [will get] in trouble for something. You just want to protect them at all costs."
Dakota Fanning thinks 'The Bell Jar' is an "important story" to tell.

Dakota Fanning

The 24-year-old actress will portray Esther Greenwood and her battle with depression in Kirsten Dunst's upcoming adaptation of Sylvia Plath's classic novel and she thinks the movie will surprise a lot of people.

She said: "It's such an important story, and really different from what people think it is.

"People think it's depressing, or a biography of Sylvia Plath, but it's not and there's so much humour in it. You follow a young woman during a formative time in her life, and see how overwhelming the expectations of what women feel they are supposed to be like can be. We all feel that to some extent."

And Dakota admitted she is looking for similar roles in the future.

She said: "I like playing characters where everyone thinks they're one thing but they know they're not.

"That interests me, because I feel like, in my life, I'm trying to work that out."

The 'Alienist' star's younger sister, Elle Fanning, 21, is also an actress and though they are occasionally up for the same roles, the siblings are not competitive because they are very different.

Dakota explained to Sunday Times Style magazine: "We're apples and oranges. We've definitely had meetings for the same thing in the past, but it's not weird because we feel so different from one another that it's, like, 'If you want me, then she might not be right.'

"Elle wears her heart on her sleeve, she's the typical younger one, very free-spirited and can't be tamed, while I've always been quieter and more of an observer, and I keep everything to myself until I feel comfortable. She's wild from the start, and her laugh is really loud and specific. You don't hear me coming until you do."
Karen Clifton is committed to living in London - despite the breakdown of her marriage.

Kevin and Karen Clifton

The 35-year-old professional dancer recently announced she'd split from husband and 'Strictly Come Dancing' co-star Kevin Clifton, but Karen doesn't intend to return to New York, where she still has lots of family.

She shared: "London is my home: my career is here.I love going back to New York to visit - my family is there - but I fell in love with London when I came here in 2010 and I always knew I wanted to live here."

And despite their high-profile split, Karen and Kevin are determined to maintain a healthy relationship with each other.

She told HELLO! magazine: "We just want to be happy as individuals, and wish the best for each other. There's so much stuff going on in the world, there's no need to be negative, we don't want to put anyone down."

Kevin added that they remain the best of friends, and that they've already drawn a line under their split.

He said: "What the future holds we have no idea. We are the best of friends, have a good laugh, and life goes on."

By contrast, Karen said in January that while they have had their share of "ups and downs" as a couple, they were "pushing" through.

She explained: "We're a regular couple, we've been together for seven years, and like any other relationship, you have ups and downs.

"We just need to keep pushing. Relationships take work. It's not as easy as you think, especially being in a job like 'Strictly [Come Dancing]'."
Since 1998, Gocek Friends of the Environment and Animals have rescued over 2000 dogs, had them neutered and vaccinated and rehomed them to carefully chosen families. They currently have approximately 190 dogs in their care that are too timid to be re-homed, very old, handicapped or just waiting to be adopted.

Gocek Friends of the Environment and Animals do not receive a subsidy from the government or from businesses and is funded by private donations.

They hold various fundraising events and, two or three times a year they organise lunches at different venues in Gocek.

Have a look at the Easter Lunch held at Natural Restaurant on Good Friday.

In photos: Easter lunch with Gocek Friends of the Environment and Animals

The association said the event was a great success and they are very happy to know that there are so many people ready to support them and, with the proceeds raised, they will be able to buy enough food to feed 200 + dogs at the shelter in April. Make a donation Donations can be made directly to the bank or via Paypal. GOCEK DOGA VE HAYVAN DOSTLARI DERNEGI  YAPI KREDI BANKASI / Gocek branch / Turkey

SWIFT CODE: YAPITRIS

IBAN NO (TL) : TR 48 000 6701 0000 000 7230 6138

IBAN NO (EURO) : TR 21 000 6701 0000 000 8451 4559

IBAN NO (GBP) : TR 43 000 6701 0000 000 8451 4551 Donations via Paypal  helpgocekstrays2@gmail.com

For more information about Gocek Friends of the Environment and Animals, visit them on Facebook.
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NEW YORK CITY (dpa-AFX) - The week that just went by delivered a couple of surprises and a bit of bad news to biotech investors.



One such surprise was the FDA approval of Pacira Pharmaceuticals Inc.'s (PCRX) supplemental New Drug Application for Exparel as a nerve block for regional analgesia on April 7, 2018, despite an FDA panel voting it down in February. Though the FDA is not bound to follow the panel's recommendations, it generally does. So the FDA taking a different stance in the case of Pacira was a sweet surprise for the biotech investors.



SELLAS Life Sciences Group Inc. (SLS) was the top performer of the week, gaining nearly 99%, thanks to positive interim data from its mid-stage trial of NeuVax in breast cancer patients.



NewLink Genetics Corp. (NLNK) was one of the top losers of the week, tumbling over 42%, following the Company's decision to review its clinical programs on the heels of an unsuccessful trial of melanoma combo therapy of Merck/Incyte.



Let's take a look at the pharma stocks and upcoming events to keep an ear out for in the coming week.



1. Selecta Biosciences Inc. (SELB)



Selecta is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, and its lead product candidate is SEL-212.



A phase II trial of SEL-212 for the treatment of chronic severe gout is underway. Initial data from this study, reported on June 15, 2017, sent the stock up 9% that day. Updated results from this study were reported on November 7, 2017, following which the shares tumbled 54%.



The Company expects to present additional data from this ongoing phase II trial of SEL-212 for the treatment of chronic severe gout at the Pan American League of Associations for Rheumatology (PANLAR) Congress on April 10, 2018.



SELB closed Friday's trading at $10.20, down 3.04%.



2. Eiger BioPharmaceuticals Inc. (EIGR)



Eiger is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing novel products for the treatment of rare diseases.



Watch out for.



An update on the planned registration program for chronic HDV on April 11, 2018.



Lonafarnib is the lead program in Hepatitis Delta Virus (HDV) infection, and is expected to advance into phase III trial by the end of the year.



Another HDV drug candidate is Lambda, under a phase II trial called LIMT HDV study. Positive interim data from this study were reported at American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD 2017) meeting.



EIGR closed Friday's trading at $9.10, down 11.65%.



3. Aeglea BioTherapeutics Inc. (AGLE)



Aeglea is a clinical-stage biotechnology company developing innovative human enzyme therapeutics for patients with rare genetic diseases and cancer.



The Company's lead drug candidate is Pegzilarginase (AEB1102) under phase I/II trial in adult and pediatric patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency. The study, designed to enroll 10 patients (adult and pediatric) consists of two parts - single ascending dose part and repeat dose part.



Arginase 1 deficiency, a rare inherited disorder, is characterized by gradual accumulation of ammonia in the blood.



On March 12, 2018, the Company reported encouraging repeat dose data from its phase I/II clinical trial of Pegzilarginase for two adult patients, and single ascending dose data for one pediatric patient with Arginase 1 Deficiency.



Watch out for.



New data from the phase I/II trial of Pegzilarginase in adult and pediatric patients with Arginase 1 Deficiency is expected to be presented at the Annual Clinical Genetics Meeting of the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) on April 12, 2018.



AGLE closed Friday's trading at $8.92, down 8.89%.



4. MediciNova Inc. (MNOV)



MediciNova is a biopharmaceutical company developing novel therapeutics for neurology, respiratory, and liver diseases with unmet medical needs.



One of the core clinical programs of the Company is MN-001 for fibrotic diseases like nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).



On April 1, 2018, the Company announced that it is terminating its phase II clinical trial of MN-001 in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease with hypertriglyceridemia early based on the significant positive results from an interim analysis.



The interim analysis of the phase II study demonstrated that that MN-001 significantly reduced mean serum triglycerides, a primary endpoint, from 260.1 mg/dL before treatment to 185.2 mg/dL after eight weeks of treatment. There were no clinically significant safety or tolerability issues during the study.



Watch out for.



Details of the interim analysis will be presented at the International Liver Congress 2018, the 53rd annual meeting of the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL), during the NAFLD: Therapy poster session on Friday, April 13, 2018 in Paris, France.



MNOV closed Friday's trading at $12.24, down 4.00%.



5. Galectin Therapeutics Inc. (GALT)



Galectin is developing novel therapies for the treatment of patients with chronic liver and skin diseases and cancer.



The Company's lead drug candidate is GR-MD-02 for the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with cirrhosis, the most advanced form of NASH related fibrosis.



GR-MD-02 has been successfully studied in a phase IIb clinical trial in NASH cirrhosis patients, dubbed NASH-CX trial.



On December 5, 2017, the Company announced that its NASH-CX trial of GR-MD-02 showed statistically significant and clinically meaningful results in reducing the primary endpoint measurement of HVPG (hepatic venous pressure gradient) in comparison to placebo in NASH cirrhosis patients without esophageal varices, which represented 50 percent of the patients enrolled in the clinical trial.



Watch out for...



The Company is slated to make a late-breaker oral presentation, focusing on the phase IIb NASH-CX trial results and the innovative work it is doing for patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis and portal hypertension on April 14, 2018, in the Main Plenary at The International Liver Congress 2018, European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) in Paris, France.



GALT closed Friday's trading at $4.68, up 2.41%.



6. Alnylam Pharmaceuticals Inc. (ALNY)



Alnylam Pharma is a pioneer in the emerging field of RNA interference (RNAi) technology.



The lead RNAi therapeutic drug candidate of the Company is Patisiran, proposed for the treatment of hereditary ATTR (hATTR) amyloidosis. Patisiran is under FDA review, with a decision expected on August 11, 2018.



Another investigational RNAi therapeutic is Givosiran for the treatment of acute hepatic porphyrias (AHPs).



Ongoing trials in hepatic porphyria patients are:



-- A phase I/II study to evaluate the long-term safety and clinical activity of subcutaneously administered Givosiran in patients with acute intermittent porphyria who have completed a previous clinical study with Givosiran. -- A phase III study evaluating the efficacy and safety of Givosiran in patients with acute hepatic porphyrias, dubbed ENVISION. -- A multinational, prospective, observational study aimed at characterizing the natural history and clinical management of patients with acute hepatic porphyrias who experience recurrent attacks or receive prophylactic treatment to prevent attacks, dubbed EXPLORE.



Watch out for.



New results from phase I/II study of Givosiran, and data from the ongoing EXPLORE study are expected to be presented at the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) 53rd Annual International Liver Congress on April 14, 2018.



ALNY closed Friday's trading at $95.08, down 1.41%.



7. Blueprint Medicines Corp. (BPMC)



Blueprint Medicines is developing a new generation of targeted and potent kinase medicines to improve the lives of patients with genomically defined diseases.



Avapritinib (BLU-285), BLU-554 and BLU-667 are the Company's clinical drug candidates, all of which are under phase I testing.



BLU-285 is being explored in the indications of advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors and advanced systemic mastocytosis. BLU-554 for the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma, and BLU-667, a potent and selective inhibitor of RET mutations, fusions, and predicted resistant mutants, is being explored in RET-altered cancers.



Watch out for.



The preliminary data from phase I trial of BLU-667 for the treatment of RET-altered non-small cell lung cancer, medullary thyroid cancer, and other advanced solid tumors will be presented in an oral presentation in a Clinical Trials Plenary Session at the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Annual Meeting on April 15, 2018.



BPMC closed Friday's trading at $89.64, down 2.57%.



8. ArQule Inc. (ARQL)



ArQule is a biopharmaceutical company developing targeted therapeutics to treat cancers and rare diseases.



The Company's clinical drug candidates are:



-- ARQ 087 (Derazantinib), under phase III trial in Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA). -- ARQ 531, proposed for heme malignancies, is under phase 1a/b testing. -- Miransertib (ARQ 092) under phase I/II trial for Proteus syndrome, and phase Ib trial in combination with Carboplatin plus Paclitaxel, in combination with Paclitaxel, or in combination with Anastrozole in subjects with selected solid tumors. -- ARQ 751, under phase I dose escalation study in subjects with advanced solid tumors with AKT1, 2, 3 genetic alterations, activating PI3K mutations, PTEN-null, or other known actionable PTEN mutations.



Watch out for.



Data from the phase Ib trial for Miransertib in combination with Anastrozole in PIK3CA or AKT1-mutant endometrial and ovarian cancers will be presented on April 15, 2018.



Results of phase I dose escalation study of ARQ 751 will also be presented on April 15, 2018.



ARQL closed Friday's trading at $2.85, down 3.39%.



9. Bristol-Myers Squibb Co. (BMY)



Bristol-Myers' (BMY) supplemental Biologics License Application for Opdivo plus Yervoy to treat intermediate-and poor-risk patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma is under priority review - with a decision expected on April 16, 2018.



Opdivo and Yervoy are blockbuster drugs of Bristol-Myers. In 2017, the global sales of Opdivo were $4.95 billion, up 31% over 2016, and that of Yervoy totaled $1.24 billion, up 18% over 2016.



BMY closed Friday's trading at $60.88, down 2.29%.



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WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - One man has died and four firefighters have been injured in a blaze at Trump Tower in New York. The victim was a resident of the building who died after being taken to hospital, fire officials reportedly said. US President Donald Trump has a home and an office in the building. But Mr Trump, First Lady Melania and their son Barron are currently in Washington DC. The fire erupted on the 50th floor of the high-rise, which contains apartments and office space. The cause of the blaze has not yet been released. Trump twitted, 'Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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SYDNEY, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- NetComm Wireless Limited (ASX: NTC), is proud to be supplying the network access devices needed to connect homes and businesses to nbn' Fibre-to-the-Curb (nbn' FTTC), officially launched today by NBN Co Limited (nbn).

nbn' FTTC is set to bring fibre-like speeds to a million Australian premises using world first reverse powered Distribution Point Unit (DPU) and Network Connection Device (NCD) technology developed by NetComm Wireless.

This innovative solution has been developed by teams of highly skilled Australian engineers working from NetComm Wireless' Sydney and Melbourne based Centres of Excellence. The Company's end-to-end product design, development and testing processes are conducted in-house to ensure the highest quality standards and fastest time to deployment.

Ken Sheridan, CEO and Managing Director, NetComm Wireless said:

"We are honoured to be nbn's supplier on this important world first project. It is the product of Australian innovation and ingenuity and the benefits to Australian households and businesses will be profound. Having met nbn's exacting technical and quality standards, our solution is receiving significant interest from leading telcos in global markets and leading to export sales."

Brad Whitcomb, NBN Co's Chief Customer Officer- Residential said:

"Today's announcement demonstrates that NBN Co is an adopter of new and innovative technologies to provide Australians with access to fast broadband.

"Over the past few months, we have been working closely with service providers to test our systems and processes, the performance of the nbn' FTTC access technology, as well as the new self-installation experience.

"As with the introduction of any new technology, we will continue to gain insights as we navigate the complexity of the build as well as potential issues which can arise when people connect to the network."

NetComm Wireless is an Australian based company passionate about bringing faster broadband to more homes sooner. Working closely with nbn to understand the challenges and opportunities the Australian environment has, lead to the development of the world's first reverse powered DPU and NCD allowing for fibre like speeds over copper.

The NetComm Wireless' DPU allows nbn to bypass costly and disruptive civil works on private property required for Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) to bring faster broadband to more homes sooner. The DPU is installed in the telecommunications pit at the outside boundary, where it connects up to four premises to fibre using existing copper lines.

The DPU is used in conjunction with NetComm Wireless' NCD to provide a real alternative to FTTP. The NCD is self-installed by the customer and combines a Gfast and VDSL modem as well as a reverse power feed to power the DPU from inside the premises and save on the cost of running a powerline to individual units.

NetComm Wireless' VDSL and Gfast DPUs are designed to deliver assured broadband performance through the extension of managed connectivity and the integration of network grade diagnostics, performance monitoring and remote management functions.

Engineered to support the upgrade path to Gigabit speeds, NetComm Wireless' Gfast DPU uses the 212 MHz profile to maximise speed, performance and capacity when required.

About NetComm Wireless

NetComm Wireless Limited (ASX: NTC) is a leading developer of Fixed Wireless broadband, wireless M2M/Industrial IoT and Fibre and Cable to the distribution point (FTTdp / CTTdp) technologies that underpin an increasingly connected world. Our Listen. Innovate. Solve. methodology supports the unique requirements of leading telecommunications carriers, core network providers, system integrators, government and enterprise customers worldwide. For over 36 years, NetComm Wireless has engineered new generations of world first data communication products and is now a globally recognised communications technology innovator. Headquartered in Sydney (Australia), NetComm Wireless has offices in the US, Europe/UK and New Zealand. Visit: www.netcommwireless.com.

Media resources:

High resolution photos: https://www.netcommwireless.com/news/press-release/nbntm-fibre-curb-launches-netcomm-wireless-world-first-network-access-devices

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Actor Russell Crowe honored his wedding anniversary to ex-wife Danielle Spencer on Saturday by holding a what he called a divorce auction, selling over 200 items of movie memorabilia.

Crowe announced in February that Sothebys Australia would be holding The Art of Divorce, an auction of personal items he acquired during his nine-year marriage to Spencer.

Also celebrating his 54th birthday, Crowe made an appearance and told the crowd it had been a lot of fun putting the auction together.

Sotheby's had estimated the sale would bring in up to 3.7 million Australian dollars (more than $2.8 million in U.S. dollars), but many items sold for more than their original pricing.

One of the highest-selling items was a rare 128-year-old Italian violin Crowe learned to play for the 2003 movie Master and Commander, where he played Captain Jack Aubrey. It sold for nearly $80,000.

The body armor worn by Crow in his Oscar-winning role in the Gladiator sold for about $74,000, far exceeding Sothebys predictions.

A replica Roman chariot from that same movie also sold for nearly $50,000, despite earlier estimates that it was worth just $7,700.

Crowe and Spencer met more than 20 years ago when they played lovers in the 1990 movie The Crossing. They married in April 2003 and share two sons: 13-year-old Charles and 11-year-old Tennyson.

They announced their split in 2012.

Fox News Stephanie Nolasco and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
ABC late-night host Jimmy Kimmel's recent jokes about first lady Melania Trump are apparently offending a lot of viewers.

An online petition launched recently, calling for a boycott of Jimmy Kimmel Live, and has exceeded its goal of 50,000 signatures. Organizers say the petition will eventually be sent to the front door of Disney/ABC Studios Burbank, Calif.

We may not get him kicked off the air, the petition says. But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!

Specifically, offended viewers appear to take issue with Kimmel's jokes about the first lady's Slovenian accent. On Monday, he mocked Melania Trumps reading to children during a White House Easter celebration.

We may not get him kicked off the air. But we can send a message that these attacks on our First Lady will NOT be tolerated!  Online petition against ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live"

Dees and dat, Kimmel joked, of her pronunciation of this or that.

Kimmel's targeting of the first lady seems to contradict the network's recent assertions that it has captured the hearts of middle America since launching the rebooted "Roseanne" sitcom.

In fact, beleaguered ABC President Ben Sherwood trumpeted his programming acumen to the New York Times the day after "Roseanne" scored massive ratings, claiming that ABC executives had a meeting the morning after the election about how they could better reach Middle America.

But Sherwood --- who insiders say is fighting for his job as ABC remains mired in fourth place -- has been a particular champion of Kimmel's over the years. When he was president of ABC News, he reportedly supported the network moving Kimmel's low-rated late night show into the more favorable time slot long occupied by ABC News' "Nightline." Later, as ABC president, Sherwood would personally lobby the Academy for Kimmel to host the Oscars.

"Jimmy elevated the Emmys," Sherwood said at the time.

It's not clear now how Kimmel's attacks of the First Lady or his subsequent, sexual jokes regarding President Trump, are elevating anything.

Roseanne is dumb luck for them. And now they think this will save their jobs. Well it wont. Its one show, an ABC insider told Fox News.

For example, despite the success of that show in its first two weeks, the network still hasn't addressed viewers' calls for the return of "Last Man Standing," the Tim Allen comedy that many suspect was canceled because of pro-conservative content.

In fact, it can be argued that much of ABC's programming -- and that of sister networks such as ESPN -- actually steers away from the views of people in America's heartland.

Kimmel isnt ABC's only star who is critical of Trump. It was previously reported that the network pays roughly $15 million per year for former Clinton White House aide George Stephanopoulos to host Good Morning America, despite some questioning whether he's worth the enormous salary.

Meanwhile, the American Idol stars earning the biggest paychecks have been polarizing for viewers, spelling trouble for the expensive reboot. ABC host Ryan Seacrest has been dogged by accusations of sexual harassment leveled by his former stylist for E! News, Suzie Hardy.

"Idol" judge Katy Perry, who was previously a vocal Hillary Clinton supporter, upset viewers recently when she kissed an unsuspecting male contestant on the lips. She was also in a legal battle with some elderly nuns over a convent Perry wanted to convert into a luxury estate.

One of the nuns -- 89-year-old Sister Catherine Rose Holzman -- died last month after collapsing in court in connection with the Perry case.

ABC also plays home to dramas like Greys Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away With Murder, helmed by Shonda Rhimes, who has fiercely criticized Trump, Fox News reported.

Last year, in a roundtable discussion with TV writers for the New York Times, she made comments about those who feel the 2016 election was a wakeup call to TV creators to showcase more stories that appeal to parts of the country that typically skew right.

In January, ABC News demoted its chief investigative correspondent Brian Ross after he botched an exclusive report that fired National Security Adviser Michael Flynn would testify that then-candidate Donald Trump had ordered him to make contact with Russians about foreign policy.

Martha Raddatz of ABC News received criticism for seemingly "choking up" on air when discussing the military on the 2016 election night, and Fox News' Howard Kurtz goes into further analysis.

Meanwhile, Fox News host Sean Hannity has criticized Kimmel, saying it was unfair of Kimmel to criticize Melania Trump because the first lady is in a vulnerable position.

"The first lady of the United States is not going to get into a feud with a late-night, low-rated talk show host like Jimmy Kimmel," he said. "She can't. If she does, it's not going to end well for her. So, he knows he has a free, open target."

On Friday, Kimmel launched some jokes about Hannity that offended members of the LGBT community.

Dont worry  just keep tweeting  youll get back on top! (or does Trump prefer you on the bottom?) Either way, keep your chin up big fella..XO, Kimmel tweeted.

Im physically ill over you making gay a punchline in 2018, one Kimmel critic tweeted. With all the hatred out there, this is how you get laughs & RTs.

Fox News' Brian Flood and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ted Kennedy detractors took to Twitter to slam a liberal writer and historian who condemned the new Chappaquiddick film as character assassination in an opinion piece in The New York Times.

The Op-Ed by Neal Gabler, who is writing a biography of the late senator, prompted an immediate backlash after The Times posted it online Friday under the headline "How Chappaquiddick Distorts a Tragedy." It ran in the Times print editions Saturday.

Lets set aside the fact that, despite the films advertisements claiming to tell the untold true story' of a cover-up, the story has been told plenty, and no one but the most lunatic conspiracy theorists see this as anything but a tragic accident in which nothing much was covered up, Gabler opines.

While calling Kennedy a real man living out a real life, the author also contends that many of the scenes in "Chappaquiddick" cross from dramatic interpretation to outright character assassination.

The film, which opened in theaters Friday, recounts the aftermath of the night Robert Kennedy campaign aide Mary Jo Kopechne drowned in 1969 when Ted Kennedy drove off a wooden bridge in Chappaquiddick after a party. Kennedy waited 10 hours to report the incident to authorities.

KENNEDY DYNASTY FACES A RECKONING AS CONTROVERSIAL FILM HITS THEATERS

Gablers main argument appeared to garner little support on Twitter after its publication.

Oh, my, Neal Gabler -- you best do much more research. I am just a casual history observer of the Kennedys, but even I know this was a VAST coverup! Cindy Gower Glover tweeted. A tragic accident my rear end!

He left a woman to die, actor James Woods tweeted in response to Gablers piece. He was a cheat, a liar, and a coward.

A Twitter user with the handle Ripley said, Neal Gabler's take on #ChappaquiddickMovie is so disingenuous it's mystifying."

Boomer and faux intellectual (i know, redundant) Neal Gabler is so broke he has to carry Kennedy water, GenX Politics tweeted. Criticizes new film but just attacks character & motive; doesn't refute a single claim of the film. Quotes Sorenson and other Kennedy body people.

That's an awfully hot take, even for Neal Gabler, W.K. Westfall said in a tweet. Seriously, Neal, it's not like Mary Jo was the one who drove drunk into a pond and left him alive for up to two hours, all while worrying about her own image and political career.

Conservative commentator John Podhoretz also went on Twitter to criticize Gabler.

Neal Gabler's piece defending Teddy Kennedy is a good reminder that people who blow all their money stupidly and then write articles about how they blew their money and it's the culture's fault just have wretched and unseemly opinions, he said.

Rev. William Daily, a priest in Dublin, Ireland, tweeted, Neal Gablers piece on Chappaquiddick was strikingly bereft of factual challenges for an argument that the movie has the facts wrong. Op-Ed pages are funny things.

Another twitter user, Dale Conder Jr., wrote that the Op-Ed was pure fantasy.

He describes the event as if it were an auto accident in which a passenger died, he said. Teddy left Mary Jo Kopechne trapped in the car. He was not a great man!

However, Gablers view elicited a compliment from Twitter user Kathyrn Dugovich.

"Glad to see sanity rule today! she wrote. Many scenes cross from dramatic interpretation to outright character assassination. Fake history is no better than fake news; its maybe worse.'
Anheuser-Busch is channeling early summer fun with its newest concoction: Bud Light Orange.

The orangey creation will be joining Bud Light Lime as a citrusy riff off Bud Light, Americas best-selling beer.

DUNKIN' DONUTS DEBUTS 'DONUT FRIES'

The massively popular beer company was reportedly relatively quiet about the release of the new brew, which clocks in at 4.2% ABV, equal to its lime counterpart. The first big news of it hitting shelves was by Twitter account and website, The Impulse Buy, which tracks new product launches, according to Food & Wine.

Anheuser-Busch did quietly release more details on its website.

Introducing an all-new flavor just in time for summer. Bud Light Orange, Americas Favorite light lager now brewed with real orange peels. You can taste the citrusy goodness, the beers webpage states. Available for a limited time only this summer!

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

But the interest in the beer has already started building  even though it was just released earlier this month. According to BeerMenus, Food & Wine reports, interest in the Bud Light Orange has increased 20-fold since the beer was launched.
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A San Diego lawmaker is calling on people across California to rise up and join a federal lawsuit targeting the states sanctuary laws.

California has become a rogue state, San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob said on the Todd Starnes Radio show. Illegal immigration is wrong. There is a legal way to come into this country and that should be upheld.

Click here to follow Todd Starnes on Facebook!

The board of supervisors is scheduled to vote on whether to join the Trump administrations lawsuit against the state on April 17.

This is a public safety issue. We have people crossing our border illegally and they are committing crimes, Jacob said on the radio show. The California law puts a wedge between ability of local law enforcement and federal officials to cooperate with each other.

Jacob represents a district adjacent to the border with Mexico and she said its become a very dangerous place.

We have people coming across the border that want to do us harm, she said. They have no hesitation to use whatever force is necessary to get what they want.

She called on Gov. Jerry Brown to comply with the Trump administrations request to send National Guard troops to the border  calling it a national defense issue.

The border needs to be secured to stop the illegal flow of drugs and humans across the border, she said. California needs to comply with federal law.
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The magnitude of the prison crisis that plagues our country is striking. Almost 2.3 million Americans sit behind bars, while nearly one-third of American adults have a criminal history  a serious detriment to their ability to earn a living and support a family.

Prison should offer an opportunity for prisoners to reflect on their sins, reform their ways and re-enter society as productive citizens. But our criminal justice system overwhelmingly fails at this crucial task. Two-thirds of offenders are rearrested within just three years after their release.

This should alarm all Americans, especially Christians and other people of faith. A criminal justice system that prioritizes punishment over rehabilitation is fundamentally at odds with a faith that preaches forgiveness and redemption.

The faithful have a leading role to play in the successful rehabilitation of our prisoners. Yes, we need policymakers to reform our sentencing laws and businesses to extend job opportunities to ex-offenders. But those efforts will not be successful without the leading light of the faith community, which has more than 2,000 years of experience helping people find redemption.

The faithful must understand and preach that all people  including those guilty of grave sins  can change themselves for the better. I have seen it myself in thousands of people, in hundreds of places. I have ministered to inmates from the jailhouse to death row, witnessing firsthand the power of grace to change the lives of people like Shon Hopwood.

The faithful must understand and preach that all people  including those guilty of grave sins  can change themselves for the better.

Hopwood was a 21-year-old shoveling cow manure in rural Nebraska when his friend suggested, over drinks, that they rob a bank. Seeking excitement and easy money, Hopwood agreed.

Over 10 months, Hopwood stole $150,000 from five small-town banks. His crime spree came to a halt in July 1998 when the FBI arrested him and discovered his ill-gotten gains in his car. He served 11 years in a federal prison.

In prison, Hopwood discovered small graces that gradually awakened his faith. He took a job in the prison law library, where he began to read and teach himself the law. He eventually became a jailhouse lawyer, taking on the cases of his fellow prisoners. Remarkably, two of his petitions were granted by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The other people in Hopwoods life did not give up on him. Annie, his secret crush from high school, began sending him letters, and the two developed a close relationship. His parents continued to pray for him and send him Christian books.

After Hopwoods release in 2009, he found a job helping attorneys with their Supreme Court briefs. He married Annie and the two were baptized together. Surrendering to Gods grace was, in his words, the most important decision of my life.

Hopwood continued to pursue his passion and gained admittance to law school. Today he is a professor at Georgetown University Law Center  one of the most prestigious law schools in the country  and an advocate for criminal justice reform.

Hopwoods remarkable story shows that even repeat offenders are capable of redemption and making great contributions to society. It also demonstrates the importance of extending second chances  not just by the faith community, but by family, friends, employers and the wider community.

The 2.3 million prisoners in America are each capable of redemption, but they cannot achieve it alone. We must each ask ourselves: What can I do to extend a second chance to a soul seeking atonement?
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It seems that once again the world is waking up to a sad reality: scores of innocent people have been killed by a savage chemical weapons attack, almost certainly launched by the forces of Syrian dictator Bashar al Assad, financially and militarily backed by his overlords in Moscow.

And while the entire planet should condemn this in the strongest possible waysand, if needed, destroy with military force Assads air assets, to ensure that he cannot continue slaughtering his own peoplewords and deeds are not enough.

For we must recognize a much bigger problem is now before us, one that could change not only how nations conduct modern warfare but also something that is an assault on our own collective sense of humanity. In fact, we are rapidly reaching a tipping point where the idea of using chemical weapons to achieve a goal in international politics is somehow becoming OK.

To be clear, there could be nothing more monstrous. We should nevereverthink it is OK for a weapon of mass destruction to be used in any situation. There could be nothing more inhumane, and a clear crime against humanity.

Take stock for a moment of how far we have come in the degradation of what seemed to be a redline in that no use of chemical weapons would ever be considered acceptable.

First, was Assads appalling use of chemical weapons during the Syrian Civil War back in 2013. Thanks to the widespread dissemination of images and video on social media, the world was given the most horrific of front row seats to a 21st century style massacre that spurred the world to action. With the Obama administration considering military action but eventually punting to Congress, a deal was struck in cooperation with Russia where Assad at least seemed to give up his chemical weapons. Unfortunately, it seems the butcher of Damascus did not cede all of his weapons, or has rebuilt his stocksand has no fear of the repercussions for his actions.

We must ensure that Assad cant build any more weapons of mass destruction. This means clamping down and making clear to any suppliers of the instruments of such technology or know-how  this means North Korea  will also pay a tough price for such actions.

But from here it gets worse. Other rogue nations around the world were watchingespecially the thuggish regime in Pyongyang, and are now also using chemical weapons to achieve their aims. In an attack that could have killed scores of people, it seems clear North Korean intelligence was able to pull off a targeted assassination Kim Jong Uns half-brother with VX, one of the worlds most lethal chemical weapons on the planet. And while two assassins seem to have been captured, the world did very little to push back against this action, which took place in public, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. For if something had gone wrong, many more people could have been killed, creating an international incident of the first magnitude.

Sadly, it seems current events only reinforce this dangerous trendwith the worlds great powers now getting in on the act. Just several weeks ago, it seemed clear that Russia conducted a targeted chemical weapons assassination on March 4thon British soil no lessagainst an ex-Russian spy and his daughter. The attack, a blatant violation of international law and what could be interpreted as an act of war, is part of a pattern of Moscows ongoing campaign to target dissidents who have spoken out against the Putin regime, or those they feel constitute a threat.

While the trendlines are clearly disturbing, there are still some potential pathways to reverse this and put the chemical weapons genie back in the bottlefor good.

First, the Trump administration must push back in Syria against the idea that such actions are acceptable. While I am firmly against any deep military involvementall the bombs in the world cant put Syria back together againa targeted strike to ensure Assad cant use such weapons from the air might very well be needed, and could be planned as of right now. There are, however, some risks in this, as such a strike would need to make sure that we dont kill Russian military advisers in the area, which would risk turning a regional civil war into a potential globaland nuclearnightmare. Provided that can be done, it seems now is the time for to Assad be denied the use of such horrendous weaponsnow.

Next, we must ensure that Assad cant build any more weapons of mass destruction. This means clamping down and making clear to any suppliers of the instruments of such technology or know-how  this means North Korea  will also pay a tough price for such actions. No nation should be able to profit on the death of innocent people in such a barbaric way and expect to get away with it.

Third, and most important, Team Trump must lead an international effort to do all it can to end the civil war in Syria. America cannot and will not go further than Arab partners in the region, which means national like Saudi Arabia and our Gulf State partners, which have a clear national interest in this, must lead such efforts with peacekeepers on the ground as well as ponying up the financial resources to rebuild. But Washington can and must start the process, bring the warring parties together, and attempt to wind down what is the most disastrous conflict on our planet today.

Finally, nations around the world must make it clear that any use of chemical weapons for political assassination is unacceptable and will be met with the gravest of consequences. While Washington, the UK and the collective West have led a strong effort to push back against Russian actions, a clear warning needs to be made to Moscow, as well as Pyongyang, for their past actions. For if Russia specifically were ever to consider and conduct such another chemical attack on western soil, especially a NATO member, such an action could spur the invoking of Article 5 of the alliancethat a NATO member has been attacked and a collective response is needed. And while that does not necessarily mean war, it would mean that NATO would clearly consider Russia an enemy in every sense of the word, and seek to contain Moscow.

And we all know what happened to the old Soviet Empire when it was containedit was crushed.
North Dakota GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer on Saturday won his state partys endorsement in the Republicans bid to unseat Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp -- in what is expected to be this years toughest Senate race.

Delegates at the GOP state convention voted for him unanimously, the Grand Forks Herald reported.

The race -- which the nonpartisan Cook Political Report lists as a tossup -- is just one of several in 2018 that will help decide whether Republicans keep their slim Senate majority, which is now 51-to-49.

Cramer, a three-term House member, said he initially had no desire for the Senate seat, opting instead to remain in the House where hes comfortably won reelection. But Cramer said he changed his mind because the party thought he was the only candidate who could defeat Heitkamp -- and because President Trump personally encouraged him three times to run for the seat, including twice after he said he wouldn't.

Cramer is a strong supporter of the Trump agenda, in one of the countrys most conservative states. Trumps tax cuts and tough stance on illegal immigration likely will help Cramer. However, Trumps tariff showdown with China could hurt GOP candidates in states like North Dakota, where local economies rely on agricultural exports. However, political analysts increasingly have argued that predicting how significantly any situation would affect voters six months away, on Election Day, is nearly impossible.

Thirty-five seats are up for reelection in the 2018 midterms -- with Democrats at a disadvantage in having to defend 26 -- including two held by Independents.

Their biggest challenge likely will be defending seats that Trump won in 2016 by double digits -- including North Dakota and Missouri, where Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill is facing a tough challenge from the state's GOP Attorney General Josh Hawley, with most polls showing the race a tossup.

West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin is also facing reelection in a state Trump won with about 69 percent of the vote.

On of the Democrats best opportunities to win a seat could be in Arizona, where GOP Sen. Jeff Flake is not seeking reelection. Democratic Rep. Kyrsten Sinema likely will face the winner of a tough GOP primary that features GOP Rep. Martha McSally, former state Sen. Kelli Ward and former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio.

The Cook report also lists that race as a tossup.

Cramer recently said beating Heitkamp wouldn't be easy and he expected each campaign to spend about $10 million -- not including outside money -- to win it.

"We are a long way from the election," he said. "North Dakotans have a role in shaping the agenda for the country -- and this enthusiasm and momentum has to be sustained."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
New York Rep. Joe Crowley, the Houses No. 4 Democrat, declined Sunday to say whether hed challenge Democrat Nancy Pelosi for her post as the chambers top Democrat -- amid increasing calls within the party for her to step down, and support for Crowley to take over.

I would just wait and see what happened in terms of that, if Nancy Pelosi decided not to run, Crowley told Fox News Sunday. But if Nancy Pelosi stays, I dont see a scenario by which I would challenge her for that position.

Republicans have for years criticized Pelosi, the House minority leader, arguing the California Democrats liberal views have been out of touch with America.

However, members of her own caucus have raised more of their own concerns about her leadership, claiming top Democrats in Washington failed in recent elections to find a message that connected with Middle America voters, resulting in Republicans controlling Congress and the White House.

I think its more reflective of the fact Republicans are bankrupt on ideas.  If they think thats a winning strategy, theyre completely mistaken and wrong, Crowley said about Republicans saying that the 78-year-old Pelosi has now become a liability.

However, other House Democrats  including Seth Moulton, of Massachusetts; Kathleen Rice, of New York; and Linda Sanchez, of California -- recently suggested the caucus needed fresh leadership.

In last months special House election in southwestern Pennsylvania, a Republican was defeated in a district that Trump won in 2016. The winner, Democrat Conor Lamb, said during the election race that he wouldnt back Pelosi as leader.

Lamb won because he ran a local election, he talked about the cut Republicans are trying to make, not because of Nancy Pelosi, Crowley argued Sunday.

Whether Pelosi, a prolific fundraiser, remains the top House Democrat, as she has for about a dozen years, will likely depend on whether her party wins roughly 26 Republican-held seats in November to take control of the chamber.

The potential contest to replace Pelosi already has been handicapped as a two-person battle between Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the chambers No. 2 Democrat and who is also 78, and Crowley, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus.

I am focused at the moment on getting Democrats into the House, helping win back seats, the 56-year-old Crowley said Sunday.
Galesburg, Ill., appears to be a typical small town, nestled in the farmlands of the Midwest.

But the unassuming slice of the American heartland, which was the site of an Abraham Lincoln-Stephen Douglas debate in 1858, was invaded by the Russians during the 2016 presidential election through a cyberattack on the state's voter registration rolls.



"The greatest concern that I have is that a foreign entity gets in and doesn't change a vote, but they just create instability that enough of the American people can't trust the vote," Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., told Fox News.

"The greatest concern that I have is that a foreign entity gets in and doesn't change a vote, but they just create instability that enough of the American people can't trust the vote."  U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

"It doesn't take any foreign government, whether it be Iran or Russia or North Korea or China or whoever it may be, to be able to reach into our system and change hardly anything. If it gives the appearance they could have changed something, whoever the loser is will say 'maybe I should have won.' That creates instability and it is really what the Russians are interested in."

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security say hackers from the GRU, the Russian intelligence service, successfully attacked the computers of the Illinois State Board of Elections. Of 7.9 million registered Illinois voters, the state Board of Elections told Fox News that a total of 76,000 Illinois voters may have had their information viewed, with the greatest number of them -- 14,121 -- being Galesburg residents.

'A very grave threat'

"The FBI considered this a very grave threat," Bill Priestap, assistant director of the FBI's counterintelligence division, told the Senate Intelligence Committee last year about the cyberattack.

"The scale and aggressiveness of the effort, in my opinion, made this one different," he testified. "It allowed Russia to do things that in the past they were not able to do."

He continued, "The primary goal in my mind was to sow discord and to try and delegitimize our free and fair election process. I also think that another of their goals, which the entire United States intelligence community stands behind, was to denigrate [former Secretary of State Hillary] Clinton and to try to help current President Trump."

There was no evidence that any vote was changed, officials said. The Illinois State Department of Elections told Fox News the hackers were not trying to target Galesburg specifically, but that the city's voting code happened to match the numbers the hackers used to breach the system.

A state study, the "Illinois Voter Registration System Database Breach Report," said election board "staff became aware of a breach ... and immediately took measures to stop the intrusion."

Officials told Fox News that an IT technician was alerted June 12, 2016, when the "processor usage on the Illinois Voter Registration System server had spiked to 100 percent with no explanation," and "the intruders boosted the intensity of the attack to 5 hits per second."

State officials said they took other steps to safeguard voters' information, such as resetting all passwords, adding encryption software, mandating two logins, instituting further firewall protections and monitoring web server logs daily to detect other possible attempts.

The Russian assault on the U.S. election system has prompted new measures to protect votes across the country, for the midterm elections and the 2020 presidential contest.

"If you can get into a voter roll you can change it. You can add people to it, you can delete people to it and you can create chaos on Election Day," Lankford warned.

"We need to be able to step up our game. We have unprotected systems. There were 21 different states the Russians probed in 2016. They didn't get into all of those states, but they were probing and looking around to be able to see what they could do."

"We need to be able to step up our game. We have unprotected systems. There were 21 different states the Russians probed in 2016."  U.S. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla.

What they could do, experts predict, is cause exactly what Lankford fears could happen.

"There is no evidence that they changed any vote, there is nothing like that. But they were exploring our system," Lankford told Fox News. "Just to know that they were exploring that is enough of a warning sign to us."

Legislative remedy?

Lankford is among the sponsors of "The Secure Elections Act," legislation that would provide new safeguards to bolster the nation's election security. Since its introduction last December, a revised version added additional protections and has garnered more bipartisan support. Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C., and Vice Chairman Mark Warner, D-Va., are now co-sponsors.

The bill is aimed at addressing some shocking oversights.

During the 2016 presidential election, some state and local election officials were not even initially aware their systems were targeted because they did not have appropriate security clearance from federal intelligence agencies to be told about it, officials said. The bill would establish a one-day security clearance -- so, for example, if the CIA detects an attempted foreign intrusion of a state or county system, a local official could be alerted.

The bill also would create a new panel of cybersecurity experts to assess vulnerabilities, and would provide federal money for states to beef up their election security.

"The bill really does offer the key steps that Congress should be doing to protect our elections," noted election expert Larry Norden of the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law.

Norden is deputy director of the center's Democracy Program and author of the extensive report, "Securing Elections from Foreign Interference." It called for Congress to provide grants to replace antiquated voting machines, require post-election audits, and upgrade the voting IT infrastructure, among other proposals.

The report bluntly stated: "The intelligence community's assessment is that Russia will continue to escalate its interference in our democracy, and other foreign powers or terrorist groups may become even bolder in the years to come. Complacency is not an option."

It also warned that "foreign interests are vying for power on the world stage by trying to shape American politics, of even attempting to cast doubts that Democracy really works. Against that backdrop, it is clear that strengthening election security is essential to protecting our national security."

'The vulnerability is real'

The recently passed omnibus spending bill did provide $380 million for states to improve their election security, a provision in the original election bill. But Norden said he wished additional new measures in the bill would be in place right now.

"There is a vulnerability and the question is, do you have the protections in place to detect if there is an attack, and to recover from it?" he asked. "The vulnerability is real and it's undeniable."

A Brennan Center for Justice survey of more than 200 election officials in 33 states found they wanted to buy new machines by the next presidential election but did not have the money right away.

"Thats a concern," Norden pointed out, "not only because older machines are more likely to break down, they're also more likely to be vulnerable to cyberattack. You are talking about systems that haven't gone through the more sophisticated certification process that we have now, and that often run on outdated software like Windows 2000."

The Senate Intelligence Committee has proposed mandating that states use only voting machines that provide paper proof of votes, a so-called paper trail, not connecting machines to the Internet and also requiring vote audits after every election.

Lankford said he was concerned not only about foreign governments; even domestic terrorist groups may attempt to target the vote.

"They could determine, 'Hey, I want to create some sort of turmoil in the American government, or in a certain state,' now that they have seen the Russians do it once. That can be copycatted by a lot of folks, and obviously it does not have to be a foreign actor next time. I think we just have to remain vigilant in the process, our election system is important. We need to make sure we secure this."

Lankford warned, "The last time it was the Russians. It may not be the next time."

Fox News' Whitney Ksiazek contributed to this report.
Several hundred people gathered in Vermont Saturday to denounce new gun restriction measures that await the governors signature before becoming law.

Some protesters brought along guns to rallies in South Burlington, Barre and Bennington.

Pro Rights 2A organizer Christopher Covey said it's not the gun that people should fear -- "it's the gun in the wrong hand."

A handful of protesters in South Burlington toted AR-15 semiautomatic rifles, local media reported.

Marine veteran Nicholas Halverson brought his AR-15 to dispel "stigma" about the gun, which he said is "no different than any other rifle."

Sheldon Rheaume told Fox 44/ABC 22 in Burlington that he brought an AR-15 to the rally to prove a point.

This isnt an evil rifle, he said. Its a tool.

The bills that Gov. Phil Scott is expected to sign would raise the legal age for gun purchases to 21 and extend mandatory background checks to private gun sales. The bills would also ban bump stocks and high capacity magazines and make it easier to take guns away from someone considered a danger to themselves or others and from people arrested or cited for domestic assault.

Scott said he will sign the bills this week, Fox 44 reported.

Lawmakers passed the bills in response to the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla.

Gun rights activists handed out high-capacity magazines at a rally outside the Vermont State House last week after the bills passed the House and Senate chambers.

Vermonts constitution protects a persons right to bear arms to defend themselves and the state.

Those at the rally in South Burlington Saturday dont feel Scott sees their side of the debate and they say they will remember in November, WCAX-TV reported.

I just hope and pray that he really realizes what he is doing and what he is signing on for, protester Naomi Snelling said, referring to the governor.

She said she doesnt believe the bills will protect students.

The Burlington Free Press interviewed 15-year-old Matthew Hayden, who attended the rally with a .38 sidearm.

Hayden has been shooting since he was 5 and took a hunter-safety course when he was 10 or 11.

"I'm all for guns because I go hunting, and to defend your house if there's a robbery  for self defense," he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Two Senate Republicans said Sunday that President Trump must decide whether to keep Scott Pruitt as EPA administrator but sharply criticized some of Pruitt's questionable actions since joining the administration, with one even calling him a chucklehead.

Pruitt has been raked in recent days and weeks for a list of issues mostly related to spending -- from renting a room on Capitol Hill owned by a lobbyist to spending millions on security inside and outside of Environmental Protection Agency headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Stop acting like a chucklehead, Louisiana GOP Sen. John Kennedy said on CBS Face the Nation. I don't know what the allegations about his apartment are true or not. They don't look good.

"Why do you want to rent an apartment from a lobbyist for God's sake? Stop leading with your chin. Now these are unforced errors. They are stupid. I don't mean to denigrate Mr. Pruitt, but doggone it, he represents the president of the United States. And it is hurting his boss. And it needs to stop.

The president has so far backed Pruitt, a former Oklahoma state attorney general who has assertively delayed or rewritten Obama-era EPA regulations, which has drawn the ire of environmental activists.

One issue is Pruitts 20-member, full-time security detail, which is roughly three times bigger than his predecessor's and purportedly costs $3 million when including travel expenses.

While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA, Trump tweeted Saturday. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!

Also this weekend, EPA spokesman Jahan Wilcox released a report by the agencys assistant inspector general stating Pruitt and his family have faced an unprecedented amount of death threats and a list of several published reports about such incidents.

However, a nationwide search of state and federal court records by The Associated Press found no case in which somebody has been arrested or charged with threatening Pruitt, the wire service reported Friday.

Pruitt also has defended his use of first-class airfare, saying it was initiated following unpleasant interactions with other travelers, including one who yelled a profanity as he walked through the airport.

He also has come under scrutiny for big raises for two of his closest aides and spending to essentially spy-proof his office.

Such efforts reportedly included nearly $9,000 last year on sweeping his office for hidden listening devices and biometric locks for the doors -- and spending $43,000 for a soundproof phone booth for Pruitt's office.

Pruitt on Wednesday defended his actions and questionable spending on the apartment and other expenses, in an exclusive Fox News interview.

EPA: 'UNPRECEDENTED' NUMBER OF DEATH THREATS AGAINST PRUITT

This was like an Airbnb situation, he said. When I was not there, the landlord, they had access to the entirety of the facility. When I was there, I only had access to a room.

At least three congressional Republicans and a chorus of Democrats have called for Pruitt's ouster.

On Sunday, Maine GOP Sen. Susan Collins told CNN's "State of the Union" that she voted against Pruitt being appointed to the EPA post and that his recent actions in the environmental arena, including the weakening of restrictions on lead, were reasons enough to validate my decision to oppose his confirmation.

PRUITT PUSHES BACK ON PAY RAISE, CONDO CONTROVERSY IN FOX NEWS INTERVIEW

She also said the daily drip of accusations about excessive spending and ethical violations were distractions to the agency and its mission.

Collins said Congress had no say in whether Pruitt should be fired. But she also called for congressional oversight on the issues and argued that on policy alone Pruitt was the wrong person to head the EPA.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
President Trump slammed former President Barack Obama on Sunday for not crossing his stated red line with Syria, amid reports of a suspected chemical attack that left at least 40 dead near the capital, while also warning Russia and Iran there will be a big price to pay for backing the Assad regime.

Trump made the comments on Twitter in the wake of the alleged attack in the town of Douma amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world, Trump said. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

He also slammed Obama, who vowed in 2012 that such actions would cross a red line, but later failed to enforce the promise a year later when hundreds of Syrians were killed by sarin gas. Instead, Obama brokered a multi-nation deal in which Syrian President Bashar Assad pledged to remove his chemical-weapons stockpile.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history! the president said.

The White House also confirmed Sunday that Trump was briefed by his Chief of Staff John Kelly on the Syria attack Saturday night, and has been receiving updates when available.

While reports of the chemical attack could not be verified, first responders said they found families suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.

The opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the White Helmets.

The Syrian government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, strongly denied the allegations. It said the claims were fabrications by the Army of Islam, calling it a failed attempt to impede government advances.

SYRIA POISON GAS ATTACK KILLS AT LEAST 40, ACTIVISTS AND MEDICS SAY

The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents, the statement said.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington was closely following disturbing reports of the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma.

These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community, she said in a statement late Saturday.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. That attack prompted the U.S. to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base. President Trump said the attack was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons.

Questions about the administrations possible response reverberated throughout Washington in the hours after the attack. Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina called the decision a defining moment in his presidency.

If he doesnt follow through and live up to that tweet, hes going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran, Graham said Sunday on ABCs This Week. You need to follow through with that tweet. Show a resolve that Obama never did to get this right.

White House Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert told ABCs This Week that another possible strike on Syria is not off the table after the latest apparent chemical attack.

Bossert said that Trumps national security team has been reviewing photos of the incident, and that its a serious problem.

Vice President Mike Pence said on Twitter hes closely monitoring the likely chemical attack.

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior, Pence said. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!

The Syrian government and its ally, Russia, denied any involvement in the alleged gas attack. Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted by Russian news agencies on Sunday as saying Russia was prepared to send specialists to Douma to confirm the fabricated nature of the reports.

A chemical attack in eastern Ghouta in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the U.S. to threaten military action before later backing down.

Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the seven-year civil war, and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia after the attack in eastern Ghouta.

Fox News Ellison Barber, Jennifer Bowman and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Delta passenger has claimed she suffered bruised ribs after a child repeatedly kicked her on a Minneapolis-bound flight.

Sally Canario was on an overnight flight from Los Angeles to Minneapolis on April 2 when the violent incident occured, The Sun reported.

I was up against the window, trying to get some sleep on a red eye flight, she said to The Sun. A strangers daughter was trying to sleep on the plane with her head in her mothers lap and her feet in my face, in my side, and on my lap. The girl threw a bad tantrum  screaming, crying, and bicycle kicking while she was trying to sleep, [but] the airline would not accommodate me for a safer, comparable seat.

DELTA AIR LINES HACK MAY HAVE EXPOSED 'CUSTOMER PAYMENT INFORMATION'

The mother of three claims she sought the help of a flight attendant, but was allegedly told he could not help her.

I flagged down a flight attendant to file an injury report, she told The Sun. His response was, I am not a babysitter, you two parties need to work things out. This is a full flight. I do not take injury reports... you arent injured.

Canario also said the flight attendant accused her of being the problem.

I heard you were causing trouble and harassing the family next to you, she claims the flight attendant told her.

According to Canario, the mother of the kicking child assured the cabin crew members that she was not being harassed, The Sun reported.

Canario said the incident on the flight has left her with cartilage damage.

I am hurting on my chest from my sternum to my right rib cage, she told The Sun. It is visible asymmetry of my rib cage. My doctor assured me cartilage will heal but be painful for the next week.

However, Canario said she does not blame the family, but instead blames Deltas seating policies.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Towards the end of the flight, the mother explained to me that her husband bought discount tickets for spring break where Delta does not allow seat selection 24-hours prior to boarding, Canario said to The Sun.

Why dont they sit families together? Had I known her husband was on the flight, I would have gladly traded with him and spared myself this painful injury and hellish nightmare, she added.

A Delta Air Lines spokesperson told Fox News they are currently investigating Canarios claims.

We regret to learn of the experience and discomfort described by this customer on a recent flight. We are in direct contact with this customer while we gather more information about the situation, Delta said in a statement to Fox News.

According to The Sun, the airline will also review the matter of seating families together.
At least one person died and four others were injured after a fire broke out Saturday in Trump Tower in New York City, police and fire officials said.

A 67-year-old male, identified as Todd Brassner, was found "unconscious and unresponsive" on the 50th floor by New York City firefighters, police said. He was transported to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The city's medical examiner's office will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing, authorities said.

The FDNY previously said that one person who was inside the apartment was critical, adding that four firefighters also were hurt.

"We found fire on the 50th floor of the building," FDNY Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said. "The apartment was entirely on fire. Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment who is in critical condition."

Nigro went on to describe the fire as "difficult" and said the high rise "had a considerable amount of smoke."

The FDNY's alert system tweeted that the blaze was "under control." The cause of the fire was unclear.

Video on social media showed orange flames and smoke billowing from the building. Sirens could be heard in the background.

President Donald Trump tweeted shortly after the fire, saying the blaze at his namesake high-rise "is out."

"Very confined (well built building)," he tweeted. "Firemen (and women) did a gret job. THANK YOU!"

The blaze was described by the FDNYs alert system on Twitter as a 4-alarm fire that erupted on the 50th floor of the high rise on 5th Avenue in Manhattan. They initially had called it a 2-alarm fire.

Trump was at the White House on Saturday; a spokesperson said first lady Melania Trump was in Washington as well.

Several firetrucks, as well as police officers and responders, could be seen near the entrance of the building.

Police said that a number of nearby streets were closed.

Trump's son, Eric, also tweeted, thanking "the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment @TrumpTower."

"The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!"

Fox News' Jennifer Bowman and Maria Paronich contributed to this report.
Eleven prison inmates were rushed to a hospital in Tennessee following a gang fight Saturday afternoon.

The Memphis Fire Department was called to the Federal Correctional Institute on the 1100 block of John A Denie Rd at around 3 p.m., Fox 13 reported. They were responding to a fight call.

MFD officials said that when they arrived on scene they noticed inmates fighting and concluded that it was gang related.

Two of the eleven inmates transported to Regional One Hospital were in critical condition, Fox 13 reported.

It's unclear exactly what sparked the fight.
The Army on Sunday identified the two soldiers who were killed after their helicopter crashed during a night-time training exercise at Fort Campbell in Kentucky.

The two 101st Airborne Division members were pulled from the wreckage of an Army Apache AH-64E helicopter after it went down Friday.

The victims were identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Connolly, 37, of Manchester, Mo., and Warrant Officer James Casadona, 28, from Marine Corps Base Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, Army officials said.

The two belonged to the 101st Combat Aviation Destiny Brigade.

2 SOLDIERS KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH AT FORT CAMPBELL

Connolly was an instructor pilot who joined the Army in 2001. He served in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Casadona joined the Army in 2012.

"This is a day of sadness for Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne," said Brig. Gen. Todd Royar, acting senior commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this difficult time."

The accident was the third deadly military aircraft crash this week. Five servicemen died in the other two crashes.

Connolly and Casadona were the only two people aboard the helicopter, officials said.

The cause of the accident was under investigation.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson contributed to this report.
A family of three were among five people injured after a car slammed into their Texas home, struck a gas line, and sparked an explosion on Saturday, officials said.

The Hurst Police Department said in a news release that 40-year-old Arnulfo Castro lost control of his vehicle around 1 p.m. and crashed into the home, located about 12 miles northeast of Fort Worth.

The impact severed a gas line, which caused the explosion several minutes later that was captured on surveillance video.

"Shook the whole house, and then everyone, all our neighbors, ran outside," neighbor Gary Sutton told FOX4.

Police said officers heard screaming inside the house, and went through a back door to rescue the three people inside. The mother is listed in critical condition with burns over 40 percent of her body, while her husband and son have less severe injuries, officials told FOX4.

In addition to the family members, police said two officers were injured after arriving at the scene and making contact with the driver before the blast took place. The two officers received minor injuries and were treated, with one transported to a nearby hospital for evaluation.

CALIFORNIA HIGHWAY CRASH INJURES MORE THAN A DOZEN POSSIBLE ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS, REPORTS SAY

The driver was unhurt in the crash, and was arrested for traffic offenses, according to police.

Veronica Santos told FOX4 she was out for a run at the time and watched the entire incident unfold.

"I don't know how to describe it. It was really almost traumatizing because I'd just seen this house explode. Feeling what I'm feeling, I've just never felt it before," she said.

Authorities said the crash remains under investigation.
A 23-year-old woman was killed by lightning at a Florida mud bog over the weekend and four other people were hurt, Fox 30 reported.

The lightning strike killing Kourtney Lambert, 23, reportedly unfolded at Woodpecker Mud Bog in White Springs on Saturday afternoon.

The lightning hit a tree before it reached a nearby trailer, Hamilton County Sheriff Harrell Reid told WTLV.

During mud bogging, people run large trucks or off-road vehicles through a pit of mud.

Lonnie Inez Pate paid tribute to Lambert on Facebook, describing her as a colleague, WTLV reported.

ARMY IDENTIFIES 2 KILLED IN HELICOPTER CRASH IN KENTUCKY

She was a sweet person, always helping other people. Funny to!! I will hold on to the memories. R.I.P Kourtney Lambert, Pate wrote.

Lambert, of Branford, worked at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, according to her Facebook profile.

White Springs is about an hour west of Jacksonville.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man in San Francisco who spent six years in prison for a murder conviction was found Friday to have been framed by police and awarded $10 million in damages.

Jamal Trulove, 33, was imprisoned for supposedly murdering Seu Kuka in a public housing complex in 2007, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

The allegation stemmed from a witness account that Trulove shot Kuka in the back of the complex. Trulove was subsequently sentenced to 50 years in prison.

But Truloves conviction was overturned in 2014. A state appeals ruled that prosecutors had falsely asserted that the witness had been threatened and risked her life coming forward, the Chronicle reported.

Trulove sued the city for damages and accused authorities of pressuring witnesses. In February, a U.S. District Judge ruled that Truloves lawsuit against the city should go to trial.

A jury in Oakland unanimously decided on Friday that the two leading investigators in Truloves case had fabricated and withheld evidence against him that would have helped his case. The other two officers in the case were found to have not committed any wrongdoing, the Chronicle reported.

Trulove was reportedly in tears when the verdict was decided.

Its about time, said Truloves lawyer. Justice is not (merely) being acquitted for a crime you did not do. This was finally justice.
A moose kicked a mans foot last week in Alaska  after hed already given it a kick, KTVA-TV reports.

The Thursday incident which left the man injured reportedly involved a moose and her calf.

The two moose left the area after the man had his foot stomped, Alaska Troopers spokeswoman Megan Peters told the outlet. Hed given the cow a kick, she said.

As for the man involved? Hes believed to have avoided serious injuries, Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADFG) spokesman Ken Marsh told the station.

BOY, 7, RESCUED AFTER GETTING STUCK IN MONUMENT WHILE TRYING TO RECREATE CHILDHOOD PHOTO

It sounds like the moose were on a trail and in this case, it sounds like the guy was trying to go through them, he explained. Thats never a good idea.

The ADFG has a page online about the animals.

The key to coexisting with moose is to avoid confrontations by giving moose plenty of space, it warns, adding, Never approach a moose!

It also goes into moose behavior.

Normally, moose will flee when they feel threatened but under certain circumstances, they can become aggressive, the department says. People can be hurt when moose charge, stomp and kick to protect themselves or their young.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A man in Florida was hit and killed by a high-speed train on Sunday  the fourth person to die since the train's service began earlier this year, investigators said.

"At 12:47 p.m. a northbound Brightline train struck a pedestrian approximately 100 feet south of the Southeast 4th Street crossing. The male was pronounced deceased at the scene," the Delray Police Department tweeted, adding that they were seeking witnesses.

A Brightline spokesperson told Fox News via email that preliminary information suggests the death was a suicide. The company is working with local authorities in their investigation.

The private train line "offers express service connecting you to Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach," according to the company's website.

From initial information gathered it appears yesterdays incident was a suicide," the company told Fox News in a statement on Monday. "Brightline continues working with the local authorities.

Sunday's victim was the fourth person to be struck and killed by a high-speed train since service began in January. Among the other deaths: a 51-year-old man on a bicycle, and a 32-year-old woman, both of whom tried and failed to beat oncoming trains after the gates had lowered, police told the Palm Beach Post.

Three other people have been hit and survived, officials said.

FLORIDA WOMAN HIT AND KILLED BY NEW HIGH-SPEED TRAIN DURING PREVIEW RUN

Patrick Goddard, Brightline's COO and president, said in January that the company was working with transportation officials to raise awareness about the train/

"We implore the public to be patient and not circumvent the safety devices in place to keep you safe," Goddard said. "Your life is worth more than waiting a few extra seconds for a train to pass."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A New York man was arrested on Sunday for allegedly driving drunk with his 9-month-old daughter in the car.

Kevin Caceres, 25, of Long Island, was driving after 2 a.m. early Sunday when Nassau County Police received a call that a 2010 Honda CRV had hit a tree in Valley Stream, WABC-TV reported.

A witness said the car's driver struck a tree, got out of the car, grabbed a car seat with the crying baby in it and ran off.

BRIDE DRIVING TO HER WEDDING ARRESTED FOR DUI

Police discovered Caceres nearby and said he had "bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and an odor of an alcoholic beverage from his breath."

The infant was taken to a hospital as a precaution, and was released into the custody of her mother.

Caceres, according to the New York Daily News, was charged with driving while intoxicated, endangering the welfare of a child and aggravated driving while intoxicated with a child passenger.
A Marjory Stoneman Douglas student on Saturday said that as one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history unfolded at her high school nearly two months ago, she used a dead student's body to shield herself from gunman Nikolas Cruz.

Aalayah Eastmond, 16, said during a speech at a Harlem rally for Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network that when she saw her "classmate slumped over, that's when I realized, OK it's real."

"I told myself that I need to look like Im dead, the junior said, according to the New York Post. "So the classmate in front of me, Nicholas Dworet, he fell over and when he fell over I just fell over with him, and then I went underneath his body and I laid there.

Dworet, one of the shooting's 17 victims, was a Stoneman Douglas senior who had recently earned himself a scholarship to join the University of Indianapolis swim team in the fall.

PARKLAND SHOOTING HERO BLAMES SHERIFF AND SUPERINTENDENT FOR FAILING TO PREVENT MASSACRE

Eastmond joined Sharpton to announce a rally protesting gun violence, to take place June 2 outside of Trump Tower in Manhattan.

The teen said that 15 years ago she lost her uncle "to gun violence in Brooklyn," and said: "So for it to happen to me, in my face, that just shows that change has to happen now."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A sketch of a woman whose severed head was found in a plastic bag at a Texas lake last month was released Friday, as authorities also announced they are seeking a person of interest in the case.

The head was found on March 24, as a group of volunteers were cleaning the area near Lake Houston, located about 25 miles northeast of downtown Houston. Officials at the time said the head was of a young woman with red hair.

The sketch by artist Lois Gibson released Friday by authorities shows a woman with dyed red hair, and teeth in good condition.

Authorities said two weeks before the head was found, a man in his early to mid-20's was seen in the area throwing a black plastic bag off the bridge after getting out of a blush-green pickup truck.

The man is described as having short dark brown hair with long bangs across his face, between 5-feet-4-inches and 5-feet-8-inches in height, and with light skin, Officer Michael Perez, a homicide investigator, told the Houston Chronicle.

Perez told the newspaper the truck looked pretty beat up, as if it had been in several wrecks. The back left passenger window of the "rusted" vehicle was busted out," and covered by what appeared to be cardboard, police said.

TEXAS VOLUNTEERS FIND SEVERED HEAD AT LAKE, POLICE SAY

The grisly discovery last month was made as a mother and daughter were cleaning the area around the lake at the time while volunteering for Texas Adaptive Aquatics.

"[We] had 300 volunteers come out to volunteer and one of them found a gun this morning and then about 20 minutes later, someone found a head, a human head," Roger Randall, with Texas Adaptive Aquatics, told FOX26 at the time.

He added, "It was a young lady, her and her mom were out helping cleanup and she was picking the trash and found a bag, a plastic bag and it was pretty heavy and she picked it up and found that it was a human head with hair.

Fox News' Katherine Lam contributed to this report.
A suspect arrested in Brooklyn, N.Y., on criminal mischief charges made matters worse for himself Friday by biting off -- and swallowing -- the tip of a middle finger of a police officer who was escorting him to his jail cell, authorities said.

The suspect, identified as Ainsley Johnson, 34, swallowed the fingertip before police could retrieve it, the New York Daily News reported, citing information from police.

Johnson had been arrested an hour earlier for breaking the window of a residents BMW and crushing the victims mailbox during an argument, the paper reported. Johnson reportedly did not know the victim.

Police charged Johnson with criminal mischief. At the precinct, a scuffle broke out when a 24-year-old officer tried to re-cuff the suspect, and the two fell to the floor.

Police sources say Johnson then bit off the fingertip of the cop, who was rushed to hospital. Johnson also was rushed to a hospital for injuries suffered as officers subdued him.

The suspect was further charged with resisting arrest and assaulting a police officer. According to the New York Post, Johnson has a history of prior offenses, including rape, resisting arrest amd forgery.

The Post reported that Johnson was ordered held in lieu of $75,000 bail or $150,000 bond at his arraignment late Saturday.
The 67-year-old man who died after a fire broke out Saturday in his apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York was a prominent art dealer who was friends with Andy Warhol, but had also fallen on hard times.

Todd Brassner purchased the high-rise apartment in 1996, according to property records.

He was a lovely man. He couldnt have been nicer, real-estate broker Dolly Lenz, who sold him the apartment, told The New York Post. He was soft spoken but strong willed and opinionated when he was talking about art. He knew his stuff and he wanted you to know it, too. He was very pleasant to be with.

The artist was also friends with Warhol, and was mentioned multiple times in his autobiography, according the New York Daily News.

In one passage in "The Andy Warhol Diaries," the famed artist wrote that the pair had grabbed lunch in December 1976, and four months later Brassner contacted him to say he just saw Muhammad Ali in the Polo Lounge.

The two were close enough that the 67-year-old once had a 1978 Marilyn Monroe print that was inscribed "to Todd," according to the paper. He also sold a series of Warhol prints, including a 1967 self-portrait that went for $601,000 in 2007.

Despite his high-profile friendship, Brassner faced financial issues in recent years and filed for bankruptcy, according to court records obtained by the Post.

The Debtor an art collector/dealer. He has bought and sold art his entire adult life, according to his bankruptcy filing. His family is wealthy. Until the end of 2014, his family helped him pursue this passion. But their support was limited.

Brassner a;sp had been "plagued with debilitating medical problems," but his apartment is "worth multiples of the secured debt against it," according to the records obtained by The Post.

FIRE ERUPTS AT TRUMP TOWER IN NEW YORK CITY; 1 FATALITY ID'D, AT LEAST 4 HURT

While the 67-year-old had been left a "substantial inheritance" by his father, a friend of his told the Post "his expenses got ahead of him," adding that Brassner "liked fine dining and the best things in life."

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the cause of Saturday's blaze is not yet known but the apartment was "virtually entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived after 5:30 p.m.

Officials said four firefighters also suffered minor injuries in the blaze. Nigro noted that no member of the Trump family was in the 664-foot tower at the time of the fire.

Shortly after news of the fire broke, Trump, who was in Washington, tweeted: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well-built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

Asked if that assessment was accurate, Nigro said, "It's a well-built building. The upper floors, the residence floors, are not sprinklered."

Fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed in 1983. Subsequent updates to the building code required commercial skyscrapers to install the sprinklers retroactively, but owners of older residential high-rises are not required to install sprinklers unless the building undergoes major renovations.

Some fire-safety advocates pushed for a requirement that older apartment buildings be retrofitted with sprinklers when New York City passed a law requiring them in new residential highrises in 1999, but officials in the administration of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani said that would be too expensive.

Fox News Elizabeth Zwirz and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
When President Donald Trump expressed thanks via Twitter to New York City firefighters following Saturdays deadly fire at Trump Tower, he mentioned the fire was very confined because the tower was a well built building.

New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro confirmed as much afterward, when talking with reporters after blaze, which killed a 67-year-old resident of a 50th floor apartment.

Its a well-built building, Nigro said.

The cause of the late afternoon fire was still being investigated, but Nigro noted that the apartment belonging to art dealer Todd Brassner, who later died in a hospital, was virtually entirely on fire, when city firefighters arrived.

It was a very difficult fire, as you can imagine, Nigro told reporters outside the building, in midtown Manhattan. The apartment is quite large.

It was a very difficult fire, as you can imagine. The apartment is quite large.  Commissioner Daniel Nigro, New York City Fire Department

Nigro noted that the upper residence floors of the 58-story building, which opened in 1983, lack fire sprinklers.

According to the Associated Press, fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed. Owners of such older residential high-rises are required to install sprinklers only when the building undergoes major renovations.

Some fire-safety advocates in 1999 pushed for a requirement that older apartment buildings be retrofitted with sprinklers, but officials in the administration of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani said that would be too expensive.

Meanwhile, Nigro confirmed that no member of the Trump family was inside the 664-foot tower Saturday.

The first family has an apartment on the top floors of the 58-story building, but President Trump has spent little time there since taking office in January 2017. The headquarters of the Trump Organization is on the 26th floor.

Nigro said firefighters and Secret Service members checked on the condition of Trump's apartment. About 200 firefighters and emergency medical service workers responded to the fire, he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas says that unless he gets full control over the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip, including the group's weapons, he will "not be responsible for what goes on" there.

Abbas' comments late Sunday dealt another blow to months of U.S.-backed Egyptian efforts to negotiate a deal that would sideline the Islamic militant Hamas and enable Abbas' self-rule government to return to Gaza.

Hamas seized Gaza from forces loyal to Abbas in 2007.

Recent talks between Abbas and his rivals failed, mainly because Hamas refuses to disarm. This comes as tensions are rising on the Gaza-Israel border, with Hamas leading mass protests to try to break an Israeli-Egyptian border blockade.

Abbas told leaders of his Fatah movement he has informed Egypt of his demands and is waiting to hear back.
North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un said he's willing to talk with President Trump about getting rid of North Korea's nuclear weapons as part of a denuclearization across the Korean Peninsula, a Trump administration official confirmed to Fox News on Sunday.

The confirmation came ahead of a meeting between the two leaders, which officials have suggested would take place by May.

NORTH KOREA BEGINS TESTING EXPERIMENTAL REACTOR AT NUCLEAR SITE DESPITE 'DENUCLEARIZATION' TALK

And while Trump tweeted on March 28 that he was looking forward to the meeting, saying, "There is a good chance that Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity," many analysts have expressed skepticism about the secretive regime's intentions.

"It's possible that Kim Jong Un has a different meaning in mind," Abraham Denmark, a former senior U.S. defense official said, noting that a possible denuclearization offer appears to be contingent on the U.S. creating the right conditions. "So far it sounds like the same old tune."

South Korea, which has shuttled between Pyongyang and Washington to set up the talks, said Kim had expressed willingness to discuss giving up nuclear weapons during his upcoming meetings with South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Trump, but North Korea hadn't confirmed such discussions until Sunday.

The rogue nation's abrupt diplomatic outreach in recent months has brought a temporary lull to tensions sparked by its nuclear weapons and missile tests last year that resulted in Kim and Trump exchanging crude insults and threats of war.

DENNIS RODMAN: I HOPE KIM JONG UN WEARS A 'MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN' HAT AFTER MEETING TRUMP

However, increased activity was spotted by satellite at a North Korean nuclear site in February, photos of which suggest the North has begun preliminary testing of an experimental light water reactor and possibly brought another reactor online at its Yongbyon Nuclear Research Center.

Both could be used to produce the fissile materials needed for nuclear bombs.

Fox News' Rich Edson, Katherine Lam and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The Latest on the Syrian conflict (all times local):

1:10 p.m.

Russia's military is rejecting claims that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons in an attack on the rebel-held town of Douma.

Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted by Russian news agencies on Sunday as saying Russia was prepared to "promptly send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection to Douma after its liberation from fighters to gather data that will confirm the fabricated nature of these statements."

Yevtushenko said "a number of Western countries" are trying to prevent the resumption of an operation to remove Army of Islam fighters from Douma and "to this end they are using the West's pet theme of the use of chemical weapons by Syrian forces."

Russia is a key ally of President Bashar Assad, whose forces have been accused of using chemical weapons in past attacks that killed hundreds of people. The Syrian government has denied ever using chemical weapons.

Opposition-linked Syrian medics and first responders say a chemical attack in Douma late Saturday killed at least 40 people. The reports could not be independently confirmed.

___

9:30 a.m.

Syrian activists, rescuers and medics say a poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the capital has killed at least 40 people.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred Saturday night amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation.

Opposition-linked first responders, known as the White Helmets, also reported the attack, saying entire families were found suffocated in their houses and shelters. It reported a death toll from suffocation of more than 40.

The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, says 41 people were killed and hundreds wounded.
Survivors described it as something akin to a horror movie: babies foaming at the mouth, children choking and victims wailing as their eyes burned.

Those in the rebel-held Syrian enclave of Douma say they immediately knew their region had again been assaulted by chemical weapons -- and something stronger than just chlorine.

Ahmed Saleh, a 26-year-old volunteer with the Syrian Civil Defense -- also known as the White Helmets -- told Fox News that the suspect rockets landed in an area called Al Shohada Square around 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

There was a strong smell, and we entered one of the shelters to help the civilians there, but I couldn't go all the way because I felt the symptoms of suffocation, difficulty breathing; my tears began to fall profusely, he recalled. We, paramedics, saw everyone in the shelter lying on the ground. I do not know whether they were dead or alive, but none of them were moving.

Saleh said the first thing he noticed was white foam coming from their mouths. He rushed back out to what he called the medical point, where other medics issued him some spray and first aid before returning to the problem place, some 30 minutes after the apparent chemical onslaught. The rescue volunteers did not have gas masks in their limited supply cache.

Many people were in the streets trying to get some medical help. We took the most critical cases by a van, making more than eight trips to the medical point, Saleh continued. While others who could still wave struggled to get there alone.

Yet Saleh, along with other volunteers, struggled drastically to do their lifesaving work.

SYRIA POISON GAS ATTACK KILLS DOZENS

I could not complete the evacuation of the injured due to increased gas inhalation symptoms, he said sadly. I was taken to the medical point again and the treatment was given again.

Another distraught Douma resident, 24-year-old Omar al Saleh, said that the rescue efforts are continuing into Sunday night and they are finding whole families dead in the horrific aftermath. He said that the death toll has risen to more than 100.

'We have been forced to leave or die, but no one cares anymore.'  Omar al Saleh

We have been forced to leave or die, but no one cares anymore, he continued. The chemical weapons are acceptable to the whole world, but it doesnt seem to matter when they kill Syrians.

And Bilal Abu Salah, a 22-year-old media and humanitarian activist in Douma City, told Fox News the attack was met with an eerie quiet as bodies lay motionless on the decimated ground.

I ran out and saw one body there choking to death, he recalled. There was one rocket that didnt explode.

After the quiet passed, chaos descended on the battered community.

We knew it was sarin, another Syrian woman, who asked not to be identified, said hysterically. We have seen this before.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES: SYRIA GAS ATTACK

Moreover, local Syrian journalist Hadi Abdullah said that the majority of victims are women and children, with hundreds said to be suffering the side effects.

Other activists are still coming to terms with the painful event.

Forty were killed immediately in the basements and in the ground floors, Firas al-Abdullah, a prominent media activist, told Fox News. Later the White Helmets found other dead bodies in the pavements, side streets and the stairs while the victims were trying to escape from the gas... they found new victims today.

And doctors, too, are in dire shortage, as hospitals and medical clinics have been largely targeted in the ongoing civil war.

Dr. Khaled Al Milaji, of the Sustainable International Medical Relief Organization, which provides majority of medical services in the region, told Fox News that their three major health clinics were just moved from Eastern Ghouta to the last opposition stronghold of Idlib over the last several weeks.

With the last forced evacuation, considerable number of medical staff moved out, the remaining staff can barely handle the very basic health care needs of the besieged population in Ghouta, al Milaji, who is Syrian, said. Yesterday's attack was a horrible catastrophe and a mark of absence of accountability in the international community.

Al Milaji said that, so far, the symptoms and number of casualties are compatible with a substance different than chlorine.

Colleagues are trying to bring more evidence, but the number and impact on people in underground shelter is compatible with sarin gas, he observed.

Medical and rescue groups have pointed the finger at the Bashar Assad regime, which has denied the attack as an outright fabrication.

At least 42 are reported dead.

And even after the suspected toxic gases fell, residents said regime planes continued to bombard the area with barrel bombs.

Entire families were killed in the bunkers. I lost the connection with my family because my house is close to the location of the explosion, Bayan Rehan, who recently moved to Idlib, said.

I couldn't hear anything from them until today morning because of the bad Internet connection. They told me that they had moved an hour before the chemical attack into a bunker which was away from our house; they were lucky to survive.

But a day later, the nightmares are going on.

Today my nephew, 13 years old, was killed in the aerial bombing while he was bringing some food for the other children, she sobbed. Yesterday he lost his two friends in the chemical attack. He told his grandmother -- my mom -- in the morning that he missed them. Then he was killed after few hours later.

Syrian Brig. Gen. Zaher al-Sakat, once the Bashar regimes chemical weapons chief in charge of such operations before defecting to Europe in 2013, claimed that he was ordered -- from the top -- to use chemical weapons, phosgene and chlorine, on three separate occasions.

He said that the military has been developing deadly agents since the early 1980s and has the ability to deploy both mustard gases and neurotoxins like VX and sarin.

Nerve agents like sarin have a relatively short shelf life, usually no longer than five years. That means that this year or next year are ideal times to deploy chemical weapons that were stored in 2013, possibly before the UN agreement to abolish all stockpiles was signed in 2014.

President Trump tweeted his condemnation on Sunday, calling it a MINDLESS chemical attack and threatening a big price for animal Assad and his Iranian and Russian allies.

Hussain Alkoush contributed to this report.
At least 40 people are reported dead in Syria -- including women and children -- after a suspected chemical gas attack on a rebel-held town near the capital on Saturday, as the State Department said the reports, if confirmed, would demand "an immediate response."

The Syrian American Medical Society and opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense said in a joint statement that at least 40 people had died in the attack in Douma, about 10 miles east of Damascus, and over 500 people, mostly women and children, were injured and brought to medical centers.

The injuries included difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning of the eyes, according to the organization. It said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell and some had blue skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

The alleged attack occurred amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. The Russian-backed Syrian government denied that its forces had launched any chemical attack, Reuters reported. The government said rebels in Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

None of the reports could be immediately independently confirmed, both the Associated Press and Reuters said.

President Trump said on Twitter that the Syrian Army needs to open the area "immediately" for medical help and verification.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump tweeted. "Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

First responders said they found families suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths. The opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the White Helmets.

"Until this minute, no one has been able to find out the kind of agent that was used," Mahmoud said in a video statement.

Videos posted online by the White Helmets showed victims, including toddlers in diapers, breathing through oxygen masks at makeshift hospitals.

The Syrian government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, strongly denied the allegations. It said the claims were "fabrications" by the Army of Islam, calling it a "failed attempt" to impede government advances.

"The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents," the statement said.

LARGEST SYRIAN REBEL GROUP STARTS LEAVING DAMASCUS ENCLAVE

Syrian government forces resumed their offensive on rebel-held Douma on Friday afternoon after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding the evacuation of Army of Islam fighters.

Violence resumed days after hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria. Douma is the last rebel stronghold in eastern Ghouta.

Syrian state media said that rebels have agreed to give up their last foothold in the eastern Ghouta region outside Damascus and withdraw to north Syria.

The SANA news agency says the Army of Islam group agreed Sunday to leave Douma, three days after the government resumed its assault on the besieged town. Buses have also been sent to the town to pick up prisoners freed by the rebel group and to transport rebel fighters to opposition-held territory in north Syria, the state media outlet reported.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. That attack prompted the U.S. to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

Trump said the attack in 2017 was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons, , and recently said he would ideally start to bring home U.S. troops from Syria within a six-month period.

TRUMP 'IDEALLY' WANTS US TROOPS OUT OF SYRIA WITHIN 6 MONTHS

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington was closely following "disturbing reports" of the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma.

"These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," she said in a statement late Saturday.

An emergency meeting of United Nations Security Council is expected Monday in response to reported Syria chemical attack, the UK Mission to the United Nations said on Twitter.

The Syrian government and its ally, Russia, denied any involvement in the alleged gas attack.

Douma is in the suburbs of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta. A chemical attack in eastern Ghouta in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the U.S. to threaten military action before later backing down.

Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the seven-year civil war, and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia after the attack in eastern Ghouta.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Galveston, TX (77553)

Today

Scattered thunderstorms this morning, then variable clouds during the afternoon with more showers at times. High 83F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers. Low 79F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
GA English on Sunday : News in Brief from Bonn and the region

Eine Passantin guckt an der Bushaltestelle Friedensplatz auf die Anzeige. Nicht nur hier fahren am Dienstag keine Busse. Foto: Stefan Knopp

Bonn Juice giant buys 35 percent of Bonn smoothie producer True Fruits, accident on the A61 injures four, traffic chaos looming for motorists this week and a drone caused a plane diversion this weekend - here are the news from Bonn and the region in our GA English News in Brief.

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Successful start-up from Bonn: Juice giant buys parts of smoothie producer True Fruits

BONN. The juice giant Eckes-Granini bought 35 percent of the Bonn start-up True Fruits. The smoothie producer has created quite a stir in the juice market since its founding. The Bonn company has not issued any comment on the business move. The three founders Inga Koster, Marco Knauf and Nicolas Lecloux came up with the smoothie idea after a trip to Scotland. The slogans on their bottles are a bit tongue-in-cheek (Fancy ru(m)cola?), the smoothies are available in supermarkets, filing stations and cafes. Last year, the Bonn company made a turnover of 43 million Euro in the past year, has 28 employees and sells its products also in Austria and Switzerland. (Original text: Ulla Tiede, Translation: Mareike Graepel)

Severe accident on the A61 towards Cologne: Four people injured

SWISTTAL. On Saturday afternoon, four people were injured in a traffic accident involving three cars on the A61, just less than a mile before the motorway junction Bliesheim. The motorway was closed temporarily, causing traffic to back up until Swisttal.

Traffic chaos looms: A565 closed during public transport strike action

BONN. Straen NRW will close one lane on the A565 this coming week, amidst strike action of the public transport sector over two days. Motorists can expect serious delays and traffic jams on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Verdi Union has announced warning strike action on Tuesday, affecting the complete public transport sector in Bonn and Cologne. The Komba Union, in which many kindergartens are organised, will go on strike on Wednesday. Straen NRW will close one of two lanes on the A565 just after the on-take Poppelsdorf towards Meckenheim on Tuesday and Wednesday between 9 am and 3 pm. A new railing needs to be installed on the bridge over the Sebastianstrae between Endenich and Poppelsdorf. (Original text: Lisa Inhoffen, Translation: Mareike Graepel)

Main landing strip closed at airport: Drone hovers over Cologne-Bonn
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bohlah at 8-04-2018 08:09 PM (3 years ago) (m)

Zimbabwes state broadcaster has banned programmes by prosperity prophets.

Zimbabwes state broadcaster has banned programmes by prosperity prophets.

Albert Chekayi, Head of radio at Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) said the temporary suspension was as a result listeners complaints.



He said such broadcasts will be investigated.



Prosperity prophets preach about the prosperity gospel, which links wealth to Christianity.



They say the stronger ones faith and the more one gives to the church, the more wealth one will ultimately receive from God.



Such clerics have been criticized for making money out of poor people. Albert Chekayi, Head of radio at Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) said the temporary suspension was as a result listeners complaints.He said such broadcasts will be investigated.Prosperity prophets preach about the prosperity gospel, which links wealth to Christianity.They say the stronger ones faith and the more one gives to the church, the more wealth one will ultimately receive from God.Such clerics have been criticized for making money out of poor people.

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 8-04-2018 08:09 PM (3 years ago) | Addicted Hero
Waukesha, WI (53187)

Today

Sunshine and a few afternoon clouds. High 78F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph..

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A few clouds. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable.
Bernie Ecclestone is making a low-profile visit to the Bahrain grand prix.

Ousted by Liberty Media just over a year ago, the former F1 supremo is attending the race as a guest of his friend, Bahrain's King Hamad.

87-year-old Ecclestone's visit coincides with a tense time in the F1 paddock, with Liberty having unveiled to the teams its controversial vision of the 2021 regulations.

And notably, Ecclestone in Bahrain wore his familiar white shirt with the former F1 logo displayed on the collar. Prior to this season, Liberty changed the sport's logo, much to the chagrin of many fans.

Ecclestone said in Bahrain: "I don't mind change, but only the things that do not work.

"If you start changing just for the sake of changing, that's a waste of time," added the Briton.

(GMM)
Monaco grand prix boss Michel Boeri has lashed out at F1's new safety concept.

Already in the past days, Boeri said he will buck the new 'grid girl' ban and feature beautiful women on the grid prior to the May 27 race next month.

And political correctness aside, now he says modern F1 has gone too far with safety.

"They will install an ejector seat next," he told Nice Matin newspaper.

"Motor racing is dangerous. If the Halo helps the do-gooders, then great. But I think there was no need for action.

"If you try for full safety in formula one, it is against the nature of the sport and disfigures the cars. F1 is not for weaklings.

"I may be from the old guard and perhaps my view is outdated. But a formula one car packaged in cotton wool will not bring out the people," Boeri added.

He thinks one of the reasons for his clash with Liberty Media is because of culture.

"We have a good relationship with them," he said.

"The new leadership sees the sport through American glasses," he explained. "Their vision is different from Europeans.

"But we have a good relationship with Liberty Media. They understand that F1 is watched from a yacht with a glass of champagne and as a fan eating a sausage sandwich.

"Apart from the grid girls thing, there is nothing wrong."

(GMM)
Motiva Enterprises LLC has signed Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with TechnipFMC and Honeywell UOP, respectively, to study potential petrochemical projects utilizing each companies technology. If executed, the projects represent multi-billion-dollar investments in the US and represent a first step in Motivas expansion into petrochemicals.

Motiva refines, distributes and markets petroleum products throughout the United States. Motiva owns and operates North Americas largest refinery in Port Arthur, Texas with a crude capacity of 630,000 barrels a day. The company also operates the countrys largest lubricant plant. Motiva is wholly-owned by affiliates of Saudi Aramco.

The signing ceremony coincided with the official visit to the United States by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

These agreements signal our plans for expansion into petrochemicals. We are excited to work more closely with these leaders in the industry to further assess our opportunities for investment. Brian Coffman, President and CEO of Motiva

One of the MOUs paves the way to evaluate the use of TechnipFMCs world-scale mixed-feed ethylene production technologies in the US. The second MOU enables Motiva to examine the use of Honeywell UOPs world-scale aromatics extraction and production technologies for benzene and paraxylene for development of a potential complex along the US Gulf Coast.

Final investment decisions on these projects are not expected to be made until 2019 and are dependent on strong economics, competitive incentives, and regulatory support.




Haiti - Politic : Award ceremony of La Renaissance contest in Camp Perrin





Saturday at Camp-Perrin (South Dept.), President Jovenel Moise accompanied by Ministers Fritz Caillot (Public Works), Jessy Menos (Tourism) and some Special Advisers, in the presence of the Mayor of Camp-Perrin, Enor Tilus, South-East Senator Pierre Francois Sildor, a representative of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) in Haiti, members of organizations and associations taking part in the contest, local elected officials and several notables from Camp-Perrin, participated in the award ceremony of the "La Renaissance" contest.



Initiated by Mrs. Carmelie Montuma Ismael, through the organization "Renaissance-Haiti", the Renaissance Contest aims to help the municipal sections of Camp-Perrin to present development projects to facilitate and encourage entrepreneurship in this community. This initiative supported by the Presidency, advocates the transformation of local products.



This ceremony was an opportunity for the Head of State to provide the support of his administration to more than thirty entrepreneurs who submitted projects in the context of this contest. Moise, who congratulated Mrs. Carmelie Montuma Ismael for this initiative, took the opportunity to talk to young entrepreneurs about his business experience and extol the wisdom of entrepreneurship.



Subsequently, assisted by the organizers, he proceeded to the award of 4 first prizes a grant of 200,000 gourdes each, for the implementation or reinforcement of their project.



Laureates of the Competition :



1 - Project: Orange-Vin (1st section);

2 - Renesans Poultry Project (2nd section);

3 - Project GSBR-Maize Processing Mill (3rd section);

4 - Project "Akasan Pam" (Downtown Camp-Perrin).



This project of discovery of entrepreneurs, will extend to the rest of the country at the request of the Head of State, who already passed instructions in this sense.



HL/ S/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Diphtheria : Start of the vaccination campaign Phase II





Phase I of the diphtheria immunization campaign, launched in mid-March by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has resulted in the vaccination of approximately one million children aged 1 to 14 years according to a preliminary report by PAHO. This first phase focused on 27 communes in 8 departments: Artibonite, Center, Nippes, North, North-East, North-West, South and South-East.



This Sunday, April 8, OPS announces the beginning of Phase 2 of the vaccination campaign against diphtheria in the Department of the West, which should reach more than 1.2 million children.



"The ministry has decided to conduct a campaign in 40 communes where diphtheria has been confirmed or is suspected," said Laurent Adriane, MSPP Director General, adding "making vaccines available is the goal of the Ministry of Health and its main partners, such as PAHO and UNICEF."



Since the beginning of this year, PAHO said Haiti has reported 14 confirmed cases of diphtheria and 48 probable cases. Children under 15 are the most affected, and nearly half of the confirmed and probable cases were not vaccinated, PAHO said.



During this period, it said there have been six deaths among the probable cases and one among the confirmed cases.



"This vaccination campaign seeks to reach all those children who have not received the essential vaccines to be protected against diphtheria," said PAHO Representative in Haiti Luis Codina, adding "This is also the largest preventive vaccination campaign in the country since 2016, when similar efforts were made towards the elimination of measles and rubella."



PAHO said it is collaborating with Haiti in the response to the diphtheria outbreak with technical and financial support of the operational costs of the vaccination campaign.



Vaccines against diphtheria and immunisation supplies are being acquired through the PAHO Revolving Fund, a pooled procurement mechanism that allows countries in the region to purchase vaccines at affordable prices, PAHO said.



It said support is also being provided for purchases of diphtheria antitoxin to treat cases, and antibiotics for cases and contacts.



To carry out this campaign, PAHO said more than 6 300 vaccinators have been mobilised, organised in 3,181 vaccination teams. They were trained by departmental and national supervisors, with the support of PAHO experts.



"Local supervision and independent monitoring of vaccination coverage will take place during and after the campaign to ensure the technical quality of the campaign," PAHO said, noting that diphtheria is preventable by vaccination.



Diphtheria is an infection caused by the bacteria Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Symptoms often appear gradually, starting with sore throat and fever. In severe cases, the bacteria generate a toxin that results in a thick grey or white plaque in the throat, blocking airways and hindering breathing or swallowing, and may cause a dry cough, PAHO said.



It said the disease is easily transmitted from one person to another, through direct contact or by air through respiratory droplets spread through coughing or sneezing.



In addition, Hector Quezada, the Deputy Minister of Public Health of the Dominican Republic confirmed that the four-year-old Haitian child, who had been admitted at the end of March to Vinicio Calventi hospital in Santo Domingo, for the symptoms Diphtheria died an hour after his arrival, victim of this disease according to confirmed laboratory results. The other suspected cases that were studied were negative, according to Quezada.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23928-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-23802-icihaiti-diphtheria-emergency-situation.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-22483-haiti-health-disturbing-return-of-diphtheria-in-the-country.html



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Politic : Towards the renewal of the mandate of the Minujusth





On April 3, the 15 member countries of the United Nations Security Council analyzed the Mission to Support Justice in Haiti (Minujusth). Ambassador Denis Regis, Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations, was invited to present his views and comments on the first report of the Secretary-General on Minujust in Haiti (Download the report : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/N1807184-en.pdf )



Ambassador Denis Regis, in his statement on the Minujusth report in Haiti, declared :



"The Haitian Government is pleased that the Secretary-General has underlined the positive developments in the country's situation over the past fourteen months...



The Government is aware of the road ahead. It intends to continue in the path of reforms initiated. It took note of the observations made in the Report, the conclusions and the recommendations made [...] It is a long-term work that calls for continuous and persevering action over the long term. In this sense, the Government of the Republic of Haiti believes that a technical assistance mission to strengthen justice represents, therefore, an alternative more in line with the evolution of the situation on the ground.



[...] In this regard, the Government wishes to reiterate the importance and value it attaches to the mandate given by the Council to the Minujusth, namely 'help the Haitian government to strengthen the institutions of the rule of law in Haiti, support and develop the Haitian National Police, and monitor the human rights situation'.



The Minujusth as we conceive it and its parameters have been clearly defined, is in a different perspective than the previous mission, focusing on stabilization. It is intended, above all, a mechanism of support and consolidation of achievements. From then on, its time horizon can only be limited. The Government therefore takes into account the withdrawal strategy proposed by the Secretary-General, according to a timetable to be agreed upon by both parties, based on agreed milestones and benchmarks. Similarly, as the Government has argued, it adheres to the principle of the Mission evolving towards a United Nations presence within a capacity-building framework, instead of that of maintenance of peace [...]"



For his part, Francois Delattre, the Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations, called on the Council to renew the mandate of Minujusth, whose initial period of six months ends on Sunday, April 15, 2018 "We call for the renewal of the mandate of Minujusth before embarking on a transition to a new form of the United Nations presence in Haiti."



Recall that the Minujusth is composed of 7 formed police units (980 people) as well as 295 individual police officers and 351 civil servants for an initial period of six months (16 October 2017 to 15 April 2018) with a horizon of two years.



Download the report : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/N1807184-en.pdf )



See alos :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23833-haiti-politic-moise-received-the-un-under-secretary-general.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23681-haiti-politic-strong-reaction-of-the-chancellery-against-minujusth.html



HL/ SL/ HaitiLibre


















When he visits rural villages, fans shower him with rose petals. A YouTube user calls him a "

." It's an unlikely epithet for a 26-year-old from a remote, conservative Pakistani village who sometimes wears a traditional turban.





But in recent weeks, Manzoor Pashteen has risen to lead a fast-growing movement of thousands from Pakistan's Pashtun minority, the country's second-biggest ethnic group, who form roughly

of the country's

. Where few dare to criticize the army, Pashteen brazenly speaks.





"We have to identify the place that destroyed us," Pashteen said at

. "It is GHQ!" he said, referring to military headquarters. The crowd cheered.





The destruction he refers to is the crushing of Pashtun homes during military operations and Pashtuns' sense of humiliation at the hands of authorities. How Pakistan responds to Pashteen will have wide-ranging consequences. His heartland, a rugged territory known as the Federally Administered Tribal Areas near the border with Afghanistan, is one of the world's most important geopolitical areas.





Now he is preparing for a large rally in the Pashtun-dominated city of Peshawar on Sunday. Activists hope a large turnout will show the military they cannot be suppressed.





If the Pakistani military tries to crush the movement surrounding Pashteen, it may complicate an already complex battle against militants in Pashtun areas, where the Pakistani Taliban are active and al-Qaida once had its stronghold.





"It does have implications that go beyond one province in Pakistan, and go beyond Pakistan itself," said
Trade disputes make US farmers first casualties: Iowa agricultural leaders

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-04-07 09:51

CHICAGO  Agricultural leaders in the US state of Iowa warned on Friday that rashly imposed tariffs on Chinese products will make American farmers the first casualties.

"We're in limbo. This is a very bad time for agriculture," Iowa Farm Bureau President Craig Hill told Iowa Public Television.

Iowa Farm Bureau is a grassroots farm organization with a mission of creating a vibrant future for agriculture and farm families in Iowa.

"I'm a little bit taken aback by this attitude that's come from the White House," said Hill, referring to what he described as "cavalier comments" from Wilbur Ross, the US secretary of commerce, who was quoted as saying that "even shooting wars end in negotiations."

"Shooting wars end in casualties and collateral damage," Hill responded. "It's a very serious matter and Iowa is going to be the first casualty."

Both soybeans and pork are on the list of American products subject to China's higher tariffs as countermeasures.

John Weber, a hog farmer from Iowa who serves as vice president of US National Pork Producers Council, told Iowa Public Television that it will take farmers "a long time to recover from the tariffs that are already implemented or already talked about."

According to the National Pork Producers Council, about 26 percent of total US pork production is sold in export markets and China is a major buyer.

"The growth of our industry is entirely dependent on future export markets...we need to have access to this country," said Weber.

Although farmers in the Midwest state have supported President Donald Trump, however, Hill warned "some minds may be changed" if the trade sanctions get "completely out of control."
Chinese company to build solar power plant in Ukraine

From:ChinaDaily | 2018-04-07 08:48

KIEV  China Machinery Engineering Corporation (CMEC) on Friday signed a contract with Ukraine's largest private energy holding Donbas Fuel and Energy Company (DTEK) on building a solar power plant in Ukraine.

The agreement was signed in Kiev by Zhang Chun, chairman of the CMEC, and Maksym Timchenko, chairman of the DTEK, in the presence of Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister Volodymyr Kistion and Ukrainian Energy and Coal Minister Igor Nasalyk.

Under the deal, the CMEC will build a solar power plant with a total capacity of generating 200 megawatts of electricity in Nikopol city in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region.

Located on the 400 hectares of land, the Nikopol plant will be one of the largest solar power plants in Europe, providing electricity to more than 100,000 people.

While commenting on the project, Maksym Timchenko, chairman of the DTEK, said it will contribute to Ukraine's economic prosperity and green development.

"This project will provide an opportunity to create new jobs and increase tax payments. It will also reduce CO2 emissions by more than 300,000 tons of CO2 annually," Timchenko said.

The estimated cost of the Nikopol solar power plant is 230 million euro (about $282 million). The project will be funded by the DTEK's own funds and by a loan from the CMEC.

Zhang Chun, chairman of the CMEC, said that Ukraine is a promising market for renewable energy development, which holds a valuable place in the CMEC's growth strategy.

"For us, the Ukrainian market is one of the most important among the ex-Soviet countries. It has a great capacity and favorable energy structure. It is a large market for new and renewable energy sources. In addition, the companies of the two countries can mutually complement each other," Zhang said.

The solar power plant is set to be built by the end of this year and put into operation in March 2019.

Currently, the DTEK is operating in 11 Ukrainian regions, supplying electricity to 3.3 million households and over 82,500 industrial companies.
Nation woos back Chinese studying overseas

From:chinadaily | 2018-04-07 10:23

The number of Chinese doctoral and postdoctoral students in the US who are returning to China is growing, enticed by government support, a strong economy offering more jobs at higher pay and innovation-driven development, reports Zhang Ruinan in New York.

Lei Ting, a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, has been flying back and forth between Beijing and the US this past year.

Planning to become a teacher at Peking University and continue his research project there, Lei is attracted to China because of its strong economy and rapid developments in innovation, as well as the country's constant efforts to support overseas talent willing to go back.

Although there isn't a huge amount of Chinese doctoral and postdoctoral students returning to China from the US, the number is growing. They are returning for a variety of reasons, from being homesick to getting financial rewards from the government and opportunities for better jobs with higher pay.

In 2013, the American National Science Foundation reported that 92 percent of Chinese graduates who earned a PhD in America still lived in the US five years after graduation.

From 2008 to 2015, only 3.5 percent of returnees held doctoral degrees, according to the Report on Employment & Entrepreneurship of Chinese Returnees 2017 conducted by the Center for China and Globalization. In 2016, that figure was closer to 11 percent.

The term "sea turtle" has long been used in China to refer to people who have returned home after studying abroad for several years. These overseas-educated graduates make up a privileged cohort in Chinese society and have traditionally been difficult to attract back.

However, according to the latest statistics published by the Ministry of Education, about 540,000 Chinese went to study overseas in 2016, with about 430,000 returning. Compared to 2011, 2016 saw a 37.61 percent increase in the number of Chinese studying abroad and a 56.95 percent increase in returnees.
Home  Business  Take workers families to Korea to let them see each other, requests Nepal

Kathmandu, April 8

The government of Nepal has requested the South Korean government to take families of Nepali migrant workers working there to their workstations so that the workers and their families can see each other.

In a recent meeting with Korean Ambassador to Nepal, Park Young-sik, Minister for Labour, Employment and Social Security Gokarna Bista made the request citing many Nepali workers were victims of depression there and letting them see families at the workplace could make them more comfortable and save from suicide.

In response, the Ambassador said he was positive about the request and would forward it to the government for a decision.

Seoul recruits thousands of Nepali workers every year under the Employment Permit System scheme for agricultural and industrial jobs. The Minister has requested the envoy to let a family member visit the worker once in the entire contract period of four years and 10 months, according to Krishna Prasad Khanal, Director at the EPS Korea Section in the industry.

Meanwhile, the government also requested the Seoul government to recruit Nepali nurses too as it is facing a crisis of nursing professionals.
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Cheshire Looks at New Planning Projects

CHESHIRE, Mass.  The Selectmen on Tuesday reassessed some potential planning projects and agreed to focus on re-examining Route 8 zoning.

Thomas Matuszko of the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission reviewed six possible planning projects the town can use grant funds to commission BRPC to execute and the board agreed to prioritize reorganizing zoning in the southern Route 8 corridor.

"I think this all sounds good and is a good game plan," Matuszko said. "I will run these by the grant people and I think they will be eligible."

A few months ago, the Selectmen rejected some of the projects BRPC had lined up. This prompted Matuszko to meet up with the Planning Board and pick out some new projects the Selectmen were more in favor of.

Planning Board Chairwoman Donna DeFino said this new zoning would "tighten up" Route 8 and clear up inconsistencies. She said currently there are some nonconforming uses with businesses in a residential district.

She added that it would also be an opportunity to expand the industrial district and allow "light industrial" in the southern Route 8 corridor.

"Right now, we don't allow anything like that and if you look at Lanesborough, they have that mold company right on Route 8," she said. "It's a small business and they are innocuous. That is light industrial use and right now we have nothing to address that."

The Selectmen marked agricultural zoning as the second project. This would evaluate options for farmers and allow for a broader range of uses such as being able to sell goods from their farms or holding events.

"It is really to address the business aspect of agriculture and make it easier for farmers to diversify," Matuszko said.

Third on the list was a townwide culvert assessment that would allow the town to take inventory and see what condition the culverts are in.

Highway Superintendent Blair Crane said he was hesitant to make this project a high priority because even with an assessment, it is unlikely the town will be able to afford to do any substantial culvert work.

"The problem with that is that all the information in the world is great but if you can't actually fix anything or do anything about it then there is no reason to take that first step," Crane said. "Culverts are unbelievably expensive to repair, update or bring up to code ... you could easily spend $1 million on one."

DeFino asked Matusko if having the assessment would open the town up to grants that could possibly pay for culvert repair.

Matusko said it would better the town's chances but actually receiving these grant funds would still be a long shot.

Right off the bat, the Selectmen crossed off zoning to enable reuse of Cheshire School because they felt it was too soon.

"We are not there yet, and it is going to be a long haul," Chairman Robert Ciskowski said. "Maybe in the future but right now we aren't ready."

They also crossed out a conservation planning initiative that they felt was under the Conservation Commission's purview and the creation of a scenic overlay zone that would protect certain views in town.

Matusko said this project would be hard because it is so subjective.

"It is difficult to measure some of those iconic views," he said. "What I think is scenic you may not."

Before the regularly scheduled meeting, the Selectmen met with the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District representatives to go over the $19,750,146 budget for fiscal 2019.

Although there were no major concerns with the budget, Selectwoman Carol Francesconi asked why the district was hiring a new teacher and school psychologist when there seemed to be not enough books to go around.

"I have no objection to the fact that you are hiring but what drives me insane is that we are trying to improve the education and yet the students don't have enough books in the classroom," she said. "When you can't take your science book home to study because there are not enough to go around something is wrong."

She said she specifically heard that there weren't enough books in a seventh-grade science class.

Chairman Paul Butler said this was the first he had heard of it and it should have been corrected in September.

Superintendent Robert Putnam said he would investigate it and correct the issue.




iciHaiti - Politic : Tribute of President Moise to Toussaint Louverture





Saturday at the Haitian National Pantheon Museum (MUPANAH), President Jovenel Moise participated in the commemoration ceremony of the 215th anniversary of the death of Toussaint Louverture, one of the founding fathers of the Motherland and precursor of our independence.



In this circumstance, the Head of State laid a wreath at the foot of the National Pantheon and signed the museum's guestbook "I collected at the foot of the Monument to Toussaint Louverture, the precursor of the National Independence. This wreath, I deposited it by bowing face the genius and vision of this great man whose action beyond our borders."



Recall that Toussaint Louverture died at Fort Joux (Doubs, Savoie France) located at the top of a rocky outcrop at 1,000 meters above sea level, where he was incarcerated on the orders of Napoleon Bonaparte, for opposing by arms, to the reestablishment of black slavery. Although the orders given by Bonaparte, specified that Toussaint Louverture "must receive a suitable treatment, that it will be sufficiently clothed and heated", the climate of the mountains remains hardly bearable for an already sick Caribbean man. Toussaint Louverture died in his cell on April 7, 1803, five months after his arrival and before the independence of Haiti.



Toussaint Louverture entered the Haitian National Pantheon on April 7, 1983, the same day the MUPANAH was inaugurated.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-12415-haiti-politic-moving-tribute-of-president-martelly-to-toussaint-louverture.html



IH/ S/ iciHaiti


















Imperial Valley News Center

USDA Implements up to $2.36 Billion to Help Agricultural Producers Recover after 2017 Hurricanes and Wildfires

Washington, DC - U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make disaster payments of up to $2.36 billion, as provided by Congress, to help Americas farmers and ranchers recover from hurricanes and wildfires. The funds are available as part of the new 2017 Wildfires and Hurricanes Indemnity Program (2017 WHIP). Sign-up for the new program, authorized by the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018, will begin no later than July 16.

USDAs Farm Service Agency (FSA) will make these disaster payments to agricultural producers to offset losses from hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria and devastating wildfires. The 2017 calendar year was a historic year for natural disasters, and this investment is part of a broader suite of programs that USDA is delivering to rural America to aid recovery. In total, the Act provided more than $3 billion in disaster relief by creating new programs, and expediting or enhancing payments for producers.

Americas farmers feed our nation and much of the world, and throughout history they have known good years and bad years. But when significant disasters strike, we are ready to step in and provide the assistance they need, Secretary Perdue said. USDA is working as quickly as possible to develop procedures and a system by which affected producers can access disaster assistance. For producers new to FSA programs, we encourage you to visit your local USDA service center now to establish farm records.

About 2017 WHIP Disaster Payments

The new 2017 WHIP will provide significant disaster assistance and be guided by the following principles:

Eligibility will be limited to producers in counties that experienced hurricanes or wildfires designated as presidentially-declared disasters in 2017;

Compensation determined by a producers individual losses rather than an average of losses for a particular area (where data is available);

Producers who purchased higher levels of risk protection, such as crop insurance and noninsured crop disaster assistance program, will receive higher payments;

Advance payments up to 50 percent; and

A requirement that payment recipients obtain future risk protection.

Other USDA Disaster Assistance

WHIP disaster payments are being issued in addition to payments through our traditional programs, some of which obtained increased funding or had amendments made by the Act to make the programs more responsive, including the Emergency Conservation Program, Emergency Watershed Protection Program, Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees and Farm-raised Fish Program, Tree Assistance Program and Livestock Indemnity Program.

During 2017, the U.S. experienced a historic year of weather-related disasters, with an economic impact totaling more than $300 billion. In total, the United States was impacted by 16 separate billion-dollar disaster events including: three tropical cyclones, eight severe storms, two inland floods, a crop freeze, drought and wildfire. More than 25 million people  almost eight percent of the population  were affected by major disasters.

More Information

FSA will distribute more information on how producers can file claims for WHIP disaster payments at a later date. For questions on how to establish farm records to be prepared when WHIP disaster signup begins, or to learn about other disaster assistance programs, producers are asked to contact their local USDA service center.
Imperial Valley News Center

CBP Releases 4 Use of Force Case Summaries Following a Review by the National Use of Force Review Board

Washington, DC - U.S. Customs and Border Protection released this week four Use of Force case summaries. The case summaries detail the National Use of Force Review Boards (NUFRB) conclusions and if the NUFRB recommended improvements and updates in policy, training, tactics, and equipment.

The case summaries posted were from use of force incidents that occurred on December 2, 2012, in Sasabe, Arizona; March 10, 2015, in Alpine, California; October 15, 2015, in Calexico, California; and April 7, 2016, in Arizona City, Arizona.

CBP established the NUFRB in December 2014 as part of the many initiatives adopted by the agency to increase accountability and transparency. Building upon the investigative work of the CBP Use of Force Incident Team (UFIT) process, the NUFRB meets regularly to review and provide recommendations following significant use of force incident investigations. The board reviews cases that have completed the investigative process and have been declined for prosecution by either a U.S. Attorney, state or local prosecutor.

The board considers whether use of force is within policy; whether there is possible misconduct associated with the application of force; and whether lessons can be learned from the incident in terms of techniques, tactics, policy, training and equipment.

NUFRB members include senior U.S. government personnel from inside and outside of CBP to include: representatives from CBPs Office of Field Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations, Laboratories and Scientific Services Directorate, and Law Enforcement Safety and Compliance Directorate; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcements Office of Professional Responsibility; U.S. Department of Justices Civil Rights Division; Department of Homeland Securitys Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. Additional CBP support for the NUFRB process comes from the Office of Professional Responsibility, Office of Chief Counsel and Office of Public Affairs.
Imperial Valley News Center

Chemical Attack in Douma

Washington, DC - We continue to closely follow disturbing reports on April 7 regarding another alleged chemical weapons attack, this time targeting a hospital in Douma, Syria. Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters. These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community.

The United States continues to use all efforts available to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable. The regimes history of using chemical weapons against its own people is not in dispute, and in fact nearly one year ago on April 4, 2017, Assads forces conducted a sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun, which killed approximately 100 Syrians.

The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately. Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syrias most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons. By shielding its ally Syria, Russia has breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor. It has betrayed the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2118. Russias protection of the Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis and to larger non-proliferation priorities.

The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks.
Attorney General Becerra Files Criminal Charges Alleging $4.3 Million Fraud Scheme Perpetrated Against Veterans Administration

Los Angeles, California - California Attorney General Xavier Becerra has filed a criminal complaint alleging 38 individuals defrauded the United States Veterans Administration (VA) out of $4.3 million. According to the complaint, five of the charged defendants operated the Alliance Trucking School in Chatsworth, California, and falsely claimed to have enrolled veterans as students to obtain commercial drivers licenses. The school received tuition payments from the VA for nonexistent classes. The complaint also charged other individuals who received a variety of VA benefits - often exceeding $50,000 per individual - based on their enrollment in the trucking school even though they never attended or completed classes.

The complaint was filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court.



This action would not have been possible without the collaborative working relationship between state and federal authorities, said Attorney General Becerra. Thirty-eight individuals tried to get away with defrauding the Veterans Administration, but they will now have to face a criminal complaint filed by my Office. We look forward to making our case in the court of law, and we will continue to vigorously prosecute those who seek personal profit by defrauding our veterans.



The investigation was conducted by the VA's Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division with the assistance of the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General. The case is now in the hands of the California Department of Justice for prosecution.



This filing is a display of the dedication and collaboration between our law enforcement partners to help protect the integrity of our federal programs and prevent abuse of a benefit meant for our veterans, stated James K. Cheng, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector Generals Los Angeles Field Office.



It is important to note that a criminal complaint contains charges that are only allegations against a person. Every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Border Patrol Agents Apprehend Habitual Criminal Alien

Andrade, California - Agents from the Yuma Sector Border Patrol arrested a previously deported Mexican national with an extensive criminal history Sunday evening.

At approximately 7:50 p.m., Yuma Station agents arrested Francisco Solano-Godinez, a 60-year-old Mexican national, along with eight other subjects after they illegally entered the United States near the All American Canal west of the Andrade, California Port of Entry.

Records checks revealed that Solano-Godinez was convicted of driving under the influence, causing bodily injury in 1985 in Visalia, California and was sentenced to one year in prison. Solano-Godinez has additional convictions in California from the 1980s and 1990s which include: theft in Stockton, Calif.; inflicting corporal injury on a spouse in Merced, Calif.; and taking a vehicle without consent in Mount Shasta, Calif.

Throughout the last 25 years, Solano-Godinez has also been prosecuted by Border Patrol and ICE on five occasions for illegal entry and/or re-entry after deportation for which he has spent a cumulative total of 20 years in prison. On each occasion after he served his sentence, he was deported back to Mexico. Solano-Godinez is once again being prosecuted for re-entry after deportation.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for the filing of criminal activity charges without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to illegally transport people and contraband through southwestern Arizona and California. Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers can remain anonymous.
Border Patrol Arrests Sex Offender and Known Gang Member

Ocotillo, California - U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the El Centro Sector arrested two potentially dangerous men, a previously convicted sex offender and a Border Brothers gang member, who illegally entered the United States.

The first incident happened on March 29, at approximately 8:45 p.m., when Border Patrol agents patrolling approximately one half mile miles east of the Calexico Port of Entry, encountered a man after he entered the United States by climbing over the fence separating the U.S. and Mexico.

Agents arrested the man and transported him to the Calexico Station. During processing duties, agents observed the man had several tattoos indicative of the Border Brothers gang. Upon questioning, the man claimed to have been part of the notorious criminal gang, Border Brothers.

The man, a 37-year-old Mexican citizen, will be removed to his country of origin.

The second incident occurred April 1, at approximately 9:30 a.m., when Border Patrol agents patrolling 34 miles west of the Calexico Port of Entry, encountered a man who had illegally entered the United States.

Border Patrol agents arrested the man and transported him to the El Centro Station for processing. Agents conducted record checks, which revealed that the man was a convicted sex offender and has an active warrant out of Orange County for dangerous drugs.

Our job as Border Patrol agents is not only to enforce immigration laws but to ensure the safety and well-being of our community, said Assistant Chief Patrol Agent David Kim. Our agents protect our communities and our country from threats like this every day.

The man, a 57-year-old Mexican citizen, will be prosecuted as a reinstatement of a previous removal.
CBP Officers Intercept 65 Packages of Meth Concealed in Spare Tire

Calexico, California - U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers working at the Calexico East port of entry Monday seized 65 packages of methamphetamine hidden inside a spare tire.

The incident occurred on April 2, at about 11:15 p.m., at the Calexico East port of entry, when a CBP officer encountered a 43-year-old female Mexican citizen and legal permanent resident of the U.S. driving a blue 2014 Chevy Silverado. During the inspection, the officer detected anomalies to the spare tire and decided to escort both driver and vehicle for further examination.

Officers conducted and intensive examination that included the use of the ports imaging system and a canine team. After the canine alerted to the vehicles undercarriage, officers discovered 65 wrapped packages of methamphetamine concealed inside the spare tire of the vehicle. The weight of the narcotic was 67 pounds with a street value of approximately $167,500.

This seizure is another example of dedicated CBP officers using their skills and advanced technology to stop the smuggling of dangerous contraband into the United States, said Area Port Director David Salazar.

The driver, a resident of Brawley, California, was arrested and turned over to the custody of Homeland Security Investigation agents for further processing. The driver was later transported to the Imperial County Jail where she currently awaits arraignment.

CBP seized the narcotics and vehicles.

CBP officers at the border crossings in Southern California routinely stop illegal activity, while processing millions of legitimate travelers into the United States.
Passenger at BWI in Possession of Marijuana Penalized under CBP Zero Tolerance Policy

Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations (OFO) at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport assessed a $500 zero tolerance penalty to a U.S. woman on March 26 after officers found marijuana and a marijuana grinder in the travelers baggage.

CBP officers referred the traveler to a secondary examination after the woman arrived on a flight from Montego Bay, Jamaica. During a search of the womans baggage, CBP officers discovered and seized a marijuana grinder and two small baggies of green plant-like substances concealed in rolled-up socks that tested positive for marijuana and weighed 2.56 grams. CBP officers released the traveler after the woman agreed to submit payment for the $500 zero tolerance penalty.

"Travelers in possession of illegal narcotics are exposed to fines and potential arrest, regardless of whether the drugs are in small quantities or for personal use," said Dianna Bowman, CBP Area Port Director for the Port of Baltimore.

The Privacy Act prohibits releasing the travelers name since she was not criminally charged.

CBP inspects passengers and crew aboard each flight arriving from an international destination. CBP also conducts outbound inspections. One component of CBPs inspection process is narcotics enforcement.

"Keeping illicit drugs out of the United States is a fundamental mission of Customs and Border Protection, and this mission is accomplished through the hard work of our dedicated officers," said Casey Owen Durst, CBP's Field Operations Director in Baltimore. "This seizure represents our ongoing commitment to the protection of the public and the enforcement of federal laws."
New Research Heading to Space Station Aboard 14th SpaceX Resupply Mission

Washington, DC - Astronauts aboard the International Space Station soon will receive a delivery of experiments dealing with how the human body, plants and materials behave in space following the 4:30 p.m. EDT launch Monday of a SpaceX commercial resupply mission.

A SpaceX Dragon lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida with more than 5,800 pounds of research investigations and equipment, cargo and supplies that will support dozens of the more than 250 investigations aboard the space station.

Among the research arriving on Dragon is a new facility to test materials, coatings and components, or other large experiments, in the harsh environment of space. Designed by Alpha Space and sponsored by the Center for the Advancement of Science in Space, the Materials ISS Experiment Flight Facility (MISSE-FF) provides a platform for testing how materials react to exposure to ultraviolet radiation, atomic oxygen, ionizing radiation, ultrahigh vacuum, charged particles, thermal cycles, electromagnetic radiation, and micro-meteoroids in the low-Earth orbit environment.

The Canadian Space Agencys study Bone Marrow Adipose Reaction: Red or White (MARROW) will look at the effects of microgravity on bone marrow and the blood cells it produces  an effect likened to that of long-term bed rest on Earth. The extent of this effect, and bone marrows ability to recover when back on Earth, are of interest to space researchers and healthcare providers alike.

Understanding how plants respond to microgravity also is important for future long-duration space missions and the crews that will need to grow their own food. The Passive Orbital Nutrient Delivery System (PONDS) arriving on Dragon uses a newly-developed passive nutrient delivery system and the Veggie plant growth facility currently aboard the space station to cultivate leafy greens. These greens will be harvested and eaten by the crew, with samples also being returned to Earth for analysis.

Dragon also is carrying an Earth observatory that will study severe thunderstorms and their role in the Earths atmosphere and climate, as well as upgrade equipment for the stations carbon dioxide removal system, external high-definition camera components, and a new printer for the stations crew.

This is SpaceXs 14th cargo mission to the space station under NASAs Commercial Resupply Services contract. Dragon is scheduled to depart the station in May and return to Earth with more than 3,500 pounds of research, hardware and crew supplies.

For more than 17 years, humans have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and demonstrating new technologies, making research breakthroughs not possible on Earth that will enable long-duration human and robotic exploration into deep space. A global endeavor, more than 200 people from 18 countries have visited the unique microgravity laboratory that has hosted more than 2,300 research investigations from researchers in more than 100 countries.
Actions Taken by Panama Against the Maduro Regime

Washington, DC - Statement by the Press Secretary on the Actions Taken by Panama Against the Maduro Regime:

The United States applauds the Government of Panama and President Juan Carlos Varelas courageous actions exposing and blocking Venezuelan money laundering in Panama, as the Maduro dictatorship brazenly attempted to circumvent international sanctions. The United States reiterates that Venezuela must restore democracy and end the repression and suffering of the Venezuelan people. The United States calls upon the international community to follow Panamas example and stand together against the Maduro regimes corruption and illegitimate rule.
Pakistani demonstrators take part in a protest against U.S. aid cuts in Lahore Jan. 5, 2018. (Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images)
'I Give You 24 Hours To Resign': 1st OPCW Chief on How John Bolton Bullied Him Before War on Iraq Watch - The first OPCW chief, who tried to bring Iraq and Libya into the organization, told RT how US foreign policy hawk John Bolton threatened him over his refusal to resign prior to the 2003 Iraq War. April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House The first OPCW chief, who tried to bring Iraq and Libya into the organization, told RT how US foreign policy hawk John Bolton threatened him over his refusal to resign prior to the 2003 Iraq War. Jose Bustani, the first director-general of the global chemical weapons watchdog Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), sat down with RT and revealed how John Bolton, a Bush-era official and now Donald Trump's pick for National Security Adviser, bulldozed the way for the 2003 Iraq invasion. Bustani, a Brazilian diplomat, led the organization from 1997 until 2002, when he was ousted after falling out of favor with the US. At the time, he was trying to convince Iraq and Libya to join the organization, meaning that the two countries would have been obliged to dispose of all chemical weapons if they had any. He said that according to reliable intelligence he had as director-general, "it was obvious that during the first Iraq War everything had been destroyed [by Iraq]," and there was "nothing left for Iraq to be accused of possessing chemical weapons." Are You Tired Of The Lies, Bull*hit And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter In 2001, OPCW inspectors examined Iraqi facilities, and it was "a successful operation," after which Bustani's informal dialogue with the Iraqis and Libyans about joining the organization made a breakthrough, he recalled. But diplomatic efforts and peacemaking did not sit well with Washington, because "they had plans already to take some action  military action  against Iraq," Bustani claims. Shortly afterwards, the Bush administration began to aggressively lobby for his removal, and it became "a tragic story" for him, he said. "I got a phone call from John Bolton  it was first time I had contact with him  and he said he had instructions to tell me that I have to resign from the organization, and I asked him why," Bustani told RT. "He said that [my] management style was not agreeable to Washington." He resolutely refused to resign, only to see Bolton again at OPCW headquarters in The Hague several weeks after the phone conversation. "He came to my office and said: 'You have to resign and I give you 24 hours, this is what we want. You have to leave, you have to resign from your organization, director-general.'" Bustani said he "owed nothing" to the US, pointing out that he was appointed by all OPCW member states. Striking a more sinister tone, Bolton said: "OK, so there will be retaliation. Prepare to accept the consequences. We know where your kids are." According to Bustani, two of his children were in New York at the time, and his daughter was in London. He told Bolton: "My family is aware of what's going on, so [they're] prepared to face consequences." The reply shocked Bolton, who then left the office. On April 21, 2002, a special meeting was finally held in The Hague, and Bustani's removal was carried out by a vote of 487, with 43 abstentions. The diplomat said those who abstained were from developing countries, and that his own government in Brazil "left me behind." "He's not a man you can have a dialogue with," Bustani said when asked about his opinion on the newly-appointed National Security Adviser. "On the basis of my own experience, I don't believe that Mr. Bolton is capable of being a National Security Adviser to any government of the United States." Bolton, who was Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security in the Bush administration from 2002-2004, and ambassador to the UN, "has prejudices, he made a number of announcements that are worrisome," including on North Korea, Iran, and Syria. The latter is critical, Bustani says, "because it could be a new Iraq with much more serious consequences with impact on the whole Middle East today. "And I believe that, as a result of the Iraqi invasion, for example, you have today Daesh [Arabic acronym for Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS)] and different fanatic Islamic movements" tearing the region apart. This article was originally published by "RT " - The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ==See Also== Chris Hedges: U.S. citizens are living in an inverted totalitarian country You cant decide in 24 hours what type of poison was used  1st OPCW head on UKs Skripal probe 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.
Any politician who questions Israeli policy is at immediate risk of being defeated by a well-funded opponent.

April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - On March 30, 2018 the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) committed cold-blooded murder in Gaza. Thousands of unarmed Palestinians marched peacefully to protest the occupation and declare their right to return to their homeland. The Great Return March was met with gunfire and 18 people died.

The killings were caught on camera but the response from the United States, its allies and their friends in corporate media reveal as much as any photography ever will. The massacre was either disappeared as if it never took place, or was described as a clash. The BBC, CNN, the New York Times and the rest of their cohort used this word which implies some equality in defense capability when one side, the one with the dead people, was completely unarmed.

The media covered up for Washingtons friends and politicians were silent. Bernie Sanders mealy mouthed response was one of the few to be heard. He called the shootings tragic and said that the IDF over reacted. Crediting him with these weasel words is damning with faint praise but this minimal response is not surprising given the degree of Israeli influence in American politics.

The massacre was either disappeared as if it never took place, or was described as a clash.

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While the media and the politicians work themselves into a frenzy about alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 election the Israeli government happily continues its decades long influence over American politics. It is quite open and understood by everyone that obedience to Zionism is a necessity in political life. Any politician who questions Israeli policy is at immediate risk of being defeated by a well-funded opponent. The media also collude and ensure silence on this subject, which is one of the most open secrets in American life.

One need only compare the official and media reaction when any nation declared an enemy is under attack. The differences in treatment are obvious and glaring. When the Iranian government faced domestic protests the United States demanded a United Nations Security Council investigation. Now the U.S. turns the tables and blocks Security Council investigation of Israels latest killing spree.

Obedience to Zionism is a necessity in political life.

It is always clear who is on the outs with the United States and its NATO friends. There is no evidence that the Russian government poisoned former spy Sergie Skripal. Yet more than 20 countries followed the lead of the U.K. and expelled Russian diplomats over flimsy assertions. Any nation that dared to show skepticism quickly fell into line and repeated the unproven trope. New Zealand initially made the reasonable statement that it didnt believe Russian diplomats stationed in that country were spies. Just one day later they announced that the expelled Russians wouldnt be welcome there either. The quick change is itself proof of pressure exerted when the powerful nations want something done.

Everyone from journalists to politicians censor themselves. The process has been perfected to such a decree that no threat needs to be made. Everyone understands the risk of speaking out and few are willing to pay the price.

Consider the story of Steven Salaita, a highly regarded scholar of American Indian history. When he used social media to vent his outrage over Israels Gaza war crimes in 2014 he lost a tenured position at the University of Illinois. He eventually recovered monetary damages but four years later he was turned down for every position he sought in countries all over the world. The message is clear to any would-be critics of Israeli policy.

More than 20 countries expelled Russian diplomats over flimsy assertions.

The American Israeli Political Action Committee (AIPAC) holds its annual conference and gets Democrats and Republicans to show up and say the same thing. Any politician who wants to run for office doesnt stray from Zionist orthodoxy and even those with leftish credentials repeat verbatim the same words as the most hawkish conservative.

In 2014 Congress voted unanimously to support the Israeli governments killing spree in Gaza. Even the vote to declare war on Japan in December 1941 was not unanimous. Nothing is ever unanimous in Congress. But this coordinated falling in line is itself proof of the heavy handed meddling that is a fact of political life in this country.

Israel would not exist at all without U.S. support. But its supporters have turned the dependency upside down. The recipient of American largesse is firmly in control of the debate and the result is that serious journalists keep a straight face when a massacre is labeled as a clash.

There was ample evidence of Israels brutality before the Great Return March.

Steven Salaita spoke very eloquently about his experience as an opponent of Zionism. I condemned a brutal ethnocratic state. On this count, I will die unapologetic. And insofar as we are forced to contemplate life in binaries, I prefer unemployment to subservience. My heart is with those who struggle for dignity amid terrible oppression.

Those are courageous words. We should all strive to do likewise and not hesitate to say that a criminal apartheid state is just that. Like the endless videos showing police murder in the U.S., there was ample evidence of Israels brutality before the Great Return March. If Palestinians are willing to brave bullets the very least we can do is speak the truth and perhaps make life a little more difficult for people who interfere with what is left of democracy in this country.

Margaret Kimberleys Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com . Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgendaReport.com.
April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - How would you describe a white town in a southern state in the United States that froze the tender for plots of land in a new neighbourhood because it risked allowing blacks to move in? As racist?

What would you think of the towns mayor for claiming the decision was taken in the interests of preserving the white character of his community? That he was a bigot?

And how would you characterise the policy of the state in which this town was located if it enforced almost complete segregation between whites and blacks, ghettoising the black population? As apartheid, or maybe Jim Crow?

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And yet, replace the word white with Jewish and this describes what has just happened in Kfar Vradim, a small town of 6,000 residents in the Galilee, in Israels north. More disturbing still, Kfar Vradims policy cannot be judged in isolation. It is a reflection of how Israeli society has been intentionally structured for decades.

Segregation as the norm

Residential segregation between Jewish and non-Jewish citizens is the norm in Israel. In fact, it is such an established fact of life that it is barely ever commented on. There are many hundreds of rural communities controlling almost all of Israels land that are exclusively Jewish and have been so since Israel was created 70 years ago.

So one could almost commiserate with Kfar Vradims mayor, Sivan Yechiel, after he provoked condemnation last week for his decision to freeze construction of a new neighbourhood of more than 2,000 homes, intended to double the size of his town. It emerged that in the first round of tenders, more than half the highest bids for plots of land were placed by Palestinian citizens, not Jews.

Israels Palestinian minority, a fifth of its population, are the remnants of the Palestinian people who were mostly expelled in 1948 from their homeland during what Palestinians call the Nakba, the Arabic word for catastrophe.

According to Israel and its supporters, Palestinian citizens enjoy full and equal rights with Jewish citizens, unlike Palestinians in the occupied territories, who live under military rule. But the reality  one carefully concealed from outsiders  is very different.

Kfar Vradims decision briefly illuminates the ugly reality of what a Jewish state means. It provides the context for understanding Land Day, whose anniversary falls this week, marking the day in 1976 when Israeli security forces killed six unarmed Palestinian citizens as the minority held a general strike to protest against the continuing confiscation of their lands.

Kfar Vradim and dozens of other Jewish communities were created in response to Land Day  explicitly to Judaise the Galilee. The tradition of racism that inspired Kfar Vradims establishment is simply being honoured and preserved today by Yechiel.

That is why Adalah, a legal group for Israels Palestinian minority, accused the mayor of being motivated by racism. And why Jamal Zahalka, a Palestinian member of Israels parliament, lamented Kfar Vradims apartheid policy.

Liberal and racist

That said, Kfar Vradim is far from the illiberal, intolerant community one might imagine from these criticisms. Three-quarters of its residents voted for left and centre-left parties in Israels last election. It has decisively bucked the ultra-nationalist trend that has kept Benjamin Netanyahu and the far-right in power for nearly a decade.

Nonetheless, in a Facebook debate among Kfar Vradim residents about the tender, many expressed concern. A local real estate broker, Nati Sheinfeld, warned that it was time to wake up to the threat of Palestinians taking over the community.

Yechiel defended the decision to freeze the new neighbourhood on the grounds that he was entrusted to keep Kfar Vradim Zionist and Jewish. In a further clarification, he said he would lobby the government to provide his community with housing solutions that did not disturb its current demographic balances  in other words, solutions that would keep out Palestinian citizens.

No Arabs as neighbours

In fact, Kfar Vradim mayors response was entirely typical. There have been a spate of similar stories in recent years. Towns close by in the Galilee like Nazareth Ilit, Karmiel, Afula, Nofit, Tzfat and Nahariya have all been battling to bar entry to Palestinian citizens with varying degrees of success.

In recent surveys, half of Israeli Jews confess that they do not want Arabs as neighbours. The reality, as Kfar Vradim illustrates, is that far more feel this way in practice. As Haaretz commentator David Rosenberg observed, almost certainly many respondents were too embarrassed to tell the pollster what they really think.

Opposition to having Palestinians as neighbours is not founded on security or economic concerns. Palestinian citizens have proved to be a largely peaceable, if highly marginalised, minority. And those able to afford to move into Jewish communities  especially Kfar Vradim, one of the wealthiest in the country  are the most successful among the Palestinian minority. They are business people and professionals like doctors, lawyers, engineers and architects.

Rooted in Zionism

So why is Kfar Vradim dead-set against allowing them in? The answer requires an historical analysis of how Israel has structured and organised itself as a Jewish state. In fact, Kfar Vradims policy is deeply rooted in an ideology, Zionism, whose values are unquestioned by almost all Israeli Jews.

The founders of Israel, men like David Ben Gurion, were East Europeans who viewed themselves as communists or socialists. Before Israels creation, under British patronage, they established pioneer farming collectives like the kibbutz and moshav.

But in the spirit of Zionism, they made sure these communities were all exclusively Jewish. They were there to Judaise the land through Hebrew labour. Zionisms leaders firmly believed that, through physical toil, Jews could transform both the land, making the desert bloom, and themselves, becoming a strong, self-reliant Volk or people.

But there was an important corollary. Judaisation would strip the native Palestinian people of the land they depended on as farmers, while Hebrew labour would deny them alternative employment in what would become an exclusively Jewish economy. It was a form of aggressive settler-colonialism.

Land nationalised for Jews

After the Nakba and the expulsion of most of the Palestinian population, the new state of Israel did not abandon these policies and adopt an inclusive, civic notion of citizenship, the basis of liberal democracy. Instead, it expanded and intensified the Judaisation project.

Foreign observers were often charmed by the idea of the socialist kibbutz and the progressive and transformative type of politics it supposedly embodied. They overlooked the fact that all of this was being built on the racist exclusion of native Palestinians.

The lands of the Palestinian refugees were expropriated, as was most of the land belonging to the minority of Palestinians who managed to remain in Israel and eventually received citizenship  the trigger for the Land Day events being commemorated this week.

Israel then nationalised almost all of its territory  93 per cent  holding it collectively in trust for the Jewish people around the world, not Israeli citizens.

As a result, Palestinian citizens were hemmed into some 120 Palestinian communities, on little more than 2 per cent of Israeli territory. These Palestinian communities languish at the very bottom of Israels socio-economic tables.

Trapped in ghettoes

In recent decades, Palestinian communities have become massively overcrowded because Israel has refused to free up land for their expansion and has not created a single new Palestinian community since 1948.

Many thousands of Palestinian families have been forced to build homes illegally as a result, and now live with the permanent threat of demolition hanging over their heads.

This is not just about neglect. Israeli officials had a methodology and a goal in mind, little different from the those being applied close by in the occupied territories.

The aim was to make the Palestinian minority poor and internally divided: like children playing a game of musical chairs, they would have to fight over ever-diminishing resources.

In desperation, some would opt to collaborate or turn informer, in return for partial relief from their distress. A weak, dependent society like this would be incapable of organisation to demand its rights. And ultimately, Israeli officials hoped, Palestinian citizens would grow hopeless and emigrate.

Vetting committees

But there was a danger too that wealthier, more successful Palestinians might flee their ghettoes not by leaving Israel but by seeking homes in Jewish communities and trying to integrate. That violated the deepest impulses of a Zionist-Jewish state.

It was not hard to slam shut the door of most communities. The hundreds of rural villages controlling most of Israels national lands established admissions committees. Their job was to vet applicants and keep out Palestinian citizens. That was integral to their Judaisation mission.

To this day, hundreds of collective communities bar access, arguing that Palestinian citizens are socially unsuitable. The flimsy logic  echoed now by the mayor of Kfar Vradim  has been that it is vital for these communities to preserve a Jewish, Zionist character.

But it was trickier to use such legal chicanery to exclude Palestinian citizens from towns and cities.

A few cities in Israel are misleadingly termed mixed, where small numbers of Palestinian families survived the ethnic cleansing of 1948. They usually live in separate neighbourhoods, marginalised from the main Jewish city. Segregation in these areas has taken a different form.

But in ordinary as well as mixed cities, Israel could not easily argue that admissions committees were needed to stop integration and protect the special Jewish character of the citys life. Doing so risked looking a little too obviously like apartheid South Africa.

Liberation from land shortages

For most of Israels history, segregation and exclusion were maintained in the towns and cities, nonetheless. Free-market economics and careful planning was enough to keep Palestinians at bay.

The vast majority of Israeli Jews are raised as ardent Zionists, and hold Judaisation  making territory Jewish  as a supreme value. There were no signs saying No Arabs, but few were willing to sell their homes to Palestinian citizens, especially when they could find a Jewish buyer.

And few Palestinian citizens could afford homes in Jewish towns anyway. In addition, there were no schools teaching in Arabic for their children, jobs were scarce, and prejudice rife. It was a prospect few Palestinian citizens contemplated. Until recently.

The land shortages in Israels Palestinian communities have only intensified since the events of Land Day, as have the overcrowding, the lack of services and infrastructure, the absence of green spaces, and the poor quality of government schools for the Palestinian minority.

Meanwhile, in an increasingly globalised world, Palestinian citizens are much less willing to continue living in their segregated communities. They have aspirations for a better quality of life for their children, and are increasingly westernised  they value personal independence over the protection offered by living close to the extended family.

All of these factors have combined to drive those with good jobs and high salaries to liberate themselves from their Palestinian ghettoes and seek housing solutions in Jewish communities.

On the front line

The front line of this battle for housing rights is the Galilee, where Palestinian citizens comprise half the population. For this reason, in the states early years Ben Gurion prioritised an official campaign to Judaise the Galilee, building Jewish communities on lands confiscated from Palestinians to contain them and deprive them of room for future expansion.

Kfar Vradim itself was established in 1984 on part of the lands of the neighbouring Palestinian town of Tarshiha. As in other Jewish communities, many of its residents believe  in line with Ben Gurions philosophy  that they are the main bulwark against an Arab takeover of the Galilee.

But Kfar Vradim has found itself defenceless against a first wave of Palestinian professionals expecting to live the dream they see their Jewish neighbours enjoying at their expense. Already a handful of Palestinian families have managed to move in. Yechiel and other residents are worried that this could soon turn into a flood as it seeks to expand.

Kfar Vradim lacks an admissions committee that would have solved its problem. And recent rulings from the Israeli courts have further tied its hands: in most cases, towns and cities are required to include all citizens in the tendering process for new housing projects.

Stopping an Arab influx

At the moment the numbers of Palestinian families that can afford and want to move into Jewish towns is small. But it is growing, and even these small numbers are too many for most Jewish communities.

Yechiel may balk at the solutions adopted by some neighbouring Jewish towns.

For example, Nazareth Ilit, which was built on the lands of Nazareth, the largest Palestinian city in Israel, has tried to halt the influx of Palestinians by planning a large Jewish ultra-Orthodox neighbourhood.

The courts have made an exception that allows for restrictive tenders in the case of religious Jews so that they can live in self-contained communities. Nazareth Ilits leaders appear to be hoping that, with high birth rates and intolerant attitudes, a strong ultra-Orthodox presence may dissuade more Palestinians from moving in.

But this approach is likely to be considered a step too far for Kfar Vradims very secular and wealthy residents.

Yechiel may hope instead that he can rely on a legal remedy. In 2016 a district court ruled in favour of the municipality of Afula after it blocked 48 Palestinian families who had won housing tenders. Palestinian legislators called the court decision shameful and racist.

Hunt for permanent solutions

But Kfar Vradims mayor is also appealing to the government to help devise a more permanent solution. He may not be disappointed.

The World Zionist Organisation, an international organisation that enjoys quasi-governmental status in Israel, announced last summer it was reviving Ben Gurions Judaisation campaign. It is preparing to establish several new, exclusively Jewish communities.

And this month an Israeli parliamentary committee approved the final draft of new legislation  the Basic Law: Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish people. It will give constitutional backing to the creation of communities composed of people of the same faith or nationality to maintain an exclusive community. In practice, this measure is designed only to help the Jewish faith and nationality.

These moves come as Israel prepares to demolish next month Umm al-Hiran, a Bedouin village in the Negev, so it can be replaced with an exclusively Jewish community, Hiran. The bylaws of Hiran entitle it to admit as residents only those who observe the Torah and commandments according to Orthodox Jewish values.

Kfar Vradims wealthy, liberal residents are no aberration in wanting to keep out their Palestinian fellow citizens. They are the authentic inheritors of a Zionist tradition that has entrenched an apartheid system of rule in Israel over 70 years.

Ben Gurion and Israels founders would be proud indeed of Kfar Vradim.

Jonathan Cook is a Nazareth- based journalist and winner of the Martha Gellhorn Special Prize for Journalism. https://www.jonathan-cook.net/2018-03-29/alabama-israel-apartheid/
Why Israeli Soldiers Must Refuse to Fire at Unarmed Palestinian Protesters By BTselem April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Last Friday was a bloody day in Gaza as Israeli soldiers fired at Palestinians taking part in demonstrations within the Gaza Strip. Of at least 17 Palestinians killed that day, 12 were killed at the protests. Hundreds more were injured by live gunfire.



The use of live ammunition against unarmed persons who pose no danger to anyone is unlawful. It is even more blatantly unlawful in the case of soldiers firing from a great distance at demonstrators located on the other side of the fence that separates Israel from the Gaza Strip. In addition, it is impermissible to order soldiers to fire live ammunition at individuals for approaching the fence, damaging it, or attempting to cross it. Obviously, the military is allowed to prevent such actions, and even to detain individuals attempting to carry them out, but firing live ammunition solely on these grounds is absolutely prohibited. Are You Tired Of The Lies And Non-Stop Propaganda? Get Your FREE Daily Newsletter Responses by Israeli officials clearly show that Fridays grave outcomes were the expected, and indeed looked-for, implementation of a policy formulated beforehand. The military therefore enjoyed full backing for its conduct. As Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman clearly stated, the IDF soldiers warded off Hamas military branch operatives capably and resolutely, just as we expected of them. They have my full backing.



Given the open-fire regulations as reported (in part) in the media ahead of last Friday, the high number of casualties was predictable and expected. The military knew in advance of the demonstrations planned for Friday. However, in line with the instructions given the civilian leadership, the preparation by senior military officials did not focus on attempting to minimize the number of casualties. Quite the contrary. The demonstration was framed in advance as an attempt to harm the safety of the State of Israel, as if this were a case combat. Accordingly, Israel made far-reaching threats, including stating that soldiers would use live fire against anyone going any nearer the fence than some 300 meters. In addition, bus companies in Gaza were warned not to transport Palestinians to the demonstrations; and a video clip was released showing a Palestinian being shot in the leg as he approached the fence, by way of a warning as to what would happen to people taking part in the demonstrations. Israeli officials also eschewed in advance any responsibility for the demonstrations, declaring the responsibility lay squarely on Hamas in the event that the military killed or injured Palestinians.



The preparations for the demonstrations planned for this Friday are very similar. At first, it was reported that the military had stated that it did not intend to change its open-fire regulations. Later, it was reported that the regulations had been changed, stating that unarmed demonstrators would not be permitted to come any nearer than 100 meters to the fence. The Minister of Defense also emphasized that anyone who attempts to approach the fence is risking their life.



Contrary to the impression given by senior military officers and government ministers, the military is not permitted to act as it sees fit, nor can Israel determine on its own what is permissible and what is not when dealing with demonstrators. Like all other countries, Israels actions are subject to the provisions of international law and the restrictions they impose on the use of weapons, and specifically the use of live fire. The provisions limit its use to instances involving tangible and immediate mortal danger, and only in the absence of any other alternative. Israel cannot simply decide that it is not bound by these rules.



As Prof. Mordechai Kremnitzer wrote after last Fridays events: If, for instance, using live fire to prevent unarmed civilian demonstrators from even approaching or vandalizing the border fence is seen as justified, this order is highly unlikely to be legal. The fence, even when it marks a border is not more sacred than human life, and that includes the lives of Palestinians living in Gaza.



An order that permits live gunfire at unarmed civilians is blatantly unlawful. As Justice Benjamin Halevy ruled in the Kafr Qasem case back in the 1950s, the illegality of such orders is not a question of form, nor is it imperceptible, or partially imperceptible. On the contrary, it is a case of unmistakable illegality patently evident in the order itself, it is a command that bears a clearly criminal nature or that the actions it orders are of a clearly criminal nature. It is an illegality that pains the eye and outrages the heart, if the eye be not blind and the heart be not callous or corrupt.



The responsibility for issuing these unlawful orders and for their lethal consequences rests with the policy makers and  above all  with Israels prime minister, defense minister, and the chief of staff. They are also the ones who bear the obligation to change these regulations immediately, before this Fridays planned protests, in order to forestall any further casualties.



That said, it is also a criminal offense to obey patently illegal orders. Therefore, as long as soldiers in the field continue to receive orders to use live fire against unarmed civilians, they are duty-bound to refuse to comply. This article was originally published by "BTselem " - The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House. ===== 31 Palestinians murdered so far : Great March of Return protests against Israeli regime began on March 30 reviving demand for right of return Israeli occupation forces murder Palestinian journalist : He was wearing a vest marked PRESS. He was shot dead in Gaza. Watch - Israeli occupation forces threatening Palestinian children with sniper fire Marjorie Cohn: In Wake of Gaza Massacre, Israeli Leaders Should Be Prosecuted for War Crimes *ucking disgusting! US only Security Council member to block UN inquiry into Israeli killing in Gaza : For second week, Washington the lone member of 15-member Security Council to reject statement condemning Israel. ADL Applauds Google and YouTube : Google is a longstanding member of ADLs Silicon Valley Anti-Cyberhate Working Group. 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.
By Moon Of Alabama

April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Doctors at the Salisbury District Hospital announced today that Sergej Skripal's health is rapidly improving. He and his daughter Yulia will likely be well again.

It is unlikely that any targeted poisoning with a real 'military grade' nerve agent would have allowed for such an outcome. This brings us back to food poisoning as a possible cause of the Skripals' ordeal.

A friend of this blog, Tore, sent us his considerations which we publish below. He suggest that shellfish poisoning, which is caused by a neurotoxin known as Saxitoxin or STX, is the real culprit of the Skripal incident. He explains how this would fit to the observable behavior of the British government and other participants in the drama. In my view his theory has significant merit.

On Wednesday the niece of Sergej Skripal, Viktoria Skripal, received a phone call from Yulia Skripal. She was interviewed by a Russian TV station and suggested that food poisoning might have been the real cause of the calamities her relatives were in:

Did they eat a dish that one cannot eat, or is it banned in England? "The first signs when they were found were very similar to fish poisoning.

Victoria intended to visit the UK and to bring Yulia back home to Moscow. The United Kingdom just rejected Victoria Skripal's visa application because she "did not comply with the immigration rules." No further explanation was given.

For those who have not read our previous posts on the issue we offer a short recap of the case. Regular readers may want to scroll down to Tore's part.

Sergej and Yulia Skripal were found on a public bench in Salisbury at about 4pm on March 4. They had collapsed, were conscienceless and were brought into emergency care at the Salisbury District Hospital. Local media wrote of a potential Fentanyl overdose.

Half an hour before the Skripal's collapsed they had eaten at Zizzi, a seafood and pizza outlet.

Over the next days the British government started to make a fuzz about the case. Sergej Skripal was a British spy who had been caught in Russia, put into jail and, in 2010, exchanged for Russian spies. The British government hinted of Russian involvement in the Salisbury incident.

But that story smelled fishy from its very beginning. To target an exchanged spy would guarantee that no further exchanges would ever happen. Sergej Skripal had links to the "dirty dossier" about Donald Trump that was created for the Hillary Clinton campaign. Russia had no good motive, others potentially had one. If there was something nefarious going on it seemed unlikely that Russia was involved.

I now believe that the British government jumped onto the case because it needed to divert attention from the seriously bad results of the Brexit negotiations in Brussels. There are local elections coming up in May and Theresa May's Tory party was lagging in the polls. (There may have been additional reasons related to a planed 'chemical weapon' surprise in the east-Ghouta campaign in Syria.)

Whatever it was - the spin-masters in Downing Street 10 saw a chance to convert the poisoning of the Skripals into something big that would help their political aims. The general push was to blame Russia. The idea to speak of the fearsome nerve-agent 'Novichok' came from a spy drama that had just run on British TV.

On March 12 the British Prime Minister Theresa May spoke in Parliament and claimed that the Skripals were 'attacked' with 'Novichok', a "military grade nerve agent of a type developed by Russia". It was her "45 minutes" moment. Russia was declared guilty without any evidence. Britain and other NATO countries expelled Russian diplomats.

'Novichok' is a name for a group of chemicals that are indeed deadly. But Russia never had a 'Novichok' program. It had worked on a different class of chemicals than the ones described in Vil Mirzayanov's 'Novichok' book. Moreover, if 'Novichok' chemicals were involved than Russia was only one of many suspect. The formulas for 'Novichoks' are known, various military laboratories have made some and any decent organic chemistry laboratory can create them too. The U.S., which had produced some of the 'Novichok' agents for itself, had long told its diplomats to avoid any discussions about them.

The first serious unraveling of the dubious case came on March 18 when a doctor at the Salisbury District Hospital publicly denied that any of its patients had been hurt by a nerve agent. We wrote at that time:

Commentator Noirette had suggested here that the Skripal case was about food poisoning or a food allergy, not nerve agents. The Skripals had visited a fish restaurant one hour before they were found. The letter points into a similar direction. Food poisoning would also explain why a doctor who gave emergency help to the unconscious Yulia Skripal for over 30 minutes was not effected at all.

To my best knowledge none of the main stream media picked up on the doctor's letter.

Then a miracle happened. On March 29, just in time for the Roman Christian Easter, the doctors in Salisbury said that Yulia Skripal was no longer in a critical condition. We headline: Last Act Of 'Novichok' Drama Revealed - "The Skripals' Resurrection":

It seems that the 'Novichok' fairy-tale the British government plays to us provides for a happy ending - the astonishing and mysterious resurrection of the victims of a "military grade" "five to eight times more deadly than VX gas" "nerve agent" "of a type developed by" Hollywood. Happy Easter!

The alleged nerve agent should have killed anyone who came even into slight contact with it. Survival did not fit to the earlier claims by the British government.

Now, just in time for the Orthodox Christian Easter, the condition of Sergej Skripal is reported to be rapidly improving. Another Resurrection! Hallelujah!

In my view all the stories we were told about 'Novichok', the 'doorknob' or a 'Russian attack' are fairy tales. They simply do not make sense.

Commentators of this blog, Noirette, TomGard and others, had discussed several theories of food poisoning. Food poisoning makes sense but none of the ones discussed here fitted the picture of the case. Last week Tore, a friend of this blog from Norway, sent me his theory which makes eminent sense to me.

---

Tore writes:

Craig Murray's described the pressure on Porton Down to establish that a nerve agent was used in the alleged Skripal attack. I use 'alleged attack', because there is a fair chance that this was no attack, only a serious food poisoning from the very start.

The Skripals had a seafood risotto pesce with king prawns, mussels and squid rings at Zizzi, as reported here in the Daily Mail on March 6.

This is a dish with a well known reputation as a source of shellfish poisoning.

The Skripals were okay when they arrived, okay when they left, and passed out 40 minutes later on the bench with symptoms similar to a paralytic reaction from shellfish poisoning (PSP):

Symptoms of PSP could begin within a few minutes and up to 10 hours after consumption. Symptoms of PSP can include:

...

...

Respiratory difficulty, salivation, temporary blindness, nausea and vomiting may also occur. In extreme cases, paralysis of respiratory muscles may lead to respiratory arrest and death within two to twelve hours after consumption. Seriously affected people must be hospitalized and placed under respiratory care.

Another official PSP Fact Sheet (pdf) provides:

What is the treatment? Unfortunately, there is no antidote for PSP toxins; however, supportive medical care can be life saving. For example, persons whose breathing muscles become paralyzed can be put on a mechanical respirator and given oxygen to help them breath, and people who develop a cardiac arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) can be given medications to stabilize their heart rhythm.

The similarity with symptoms and effect derived from a nerve agent are striking, but no surprise:

In fact the substance at work in a case of paralytic seafood poison is a neurotoxin called Saxitoxin (STX) which is among the most potent poisons found in nature. It works the same way as a nerve agent: It acts on the neurons, preventing normal cellular function and leading to paralysis and in worst case death. In fact Saxitoxin is so potent that it was weaponized by the U.S. and used as a chemical weapon - a nerve agent.

The U.S. developed Saxitoxin into a chemical weapon in the 1960s. The U.S. military designation is TZ. It was also used by the CIA for covert operations and liquidations as evidenced by the Church commission - see: Excerpts of CIA inventory 1, 2.

Serotoxin is registered by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) as evidenced in the Wikipedia article Saxitoxin. The agent stays active even after boiling or steaming.

Now back to Porton Down and the pressure to come up with the 'traces of a nerve agent'. The Saxitoxin could obviously pass as a nerve agent, because it is a nerve agent - but without mention of its origin - the food poisoning.

The nerve agent claim was released by police on March 7, three days after the incident.

According to the Daily Mail article mentioned above, the hospital alarmed the police the day after, on March 5, when the staff became aware of Skripal's 'spy credentials', probably through BBC which first brought the news. This means Porton Down at the most had two days from first tests to the conclusion 'nerve agent' announced on the 7th.

This also implies that the hospital probably treated the Skripals for a food poisoning from the start, until they became aware of Skripals credentials the day after. This fits with the letter to the Times from Stephen Davies, the hospital doctor.

(The timeline used above is from the Associated Press' Key moments in the case of former spy Sergei Skripal.)

The media storm had been going on for a week when Theresa May on March 12 entered parliament and announced the 'Novichok'. The blame had been on Russia from the first moment.

Speculation:

Now suppose the government in the meantime had become aware they had a weak case from the start - because they had rushed Porton Down to a premature conclusion?

There would be no way back for May. The die had been cast. The government had walked out on a limb from the start, now they had to continue the theater by naming the agent.

No nerve agent would suit their narrative better than 'Novichok'. Developed in USSR, a substance with some foggy features and many variants - as opposed to other more well known agents with distinct features. And most important an agent that is not listed in OPCW and which was deliberately chosen to confuse. [b adds: 'Novichok' was also known to the British and U.S. public as a 'fearsome Russian agent' through a current spy drama on TV. It increased the propaganda value.]

The initial reluctance to involve the OPCW also fits into this picture: the decision to involve OPCW came after May had landed the Novichok claim in parliament on March 12.

The day before, on March 11, police found traces of a nerve agent in the Zizzi restaurant.



Note that the police inside is unprotected - bigger

Did they find the mussel in the risotto? Or 'Novichok'?

More than three weeks into the investigation this is, as far as I know, the only confirmed police find of traces of the nerve agent. Zizzi fits in perfectly as the origin of the poisoning considering the 40 minutes it took before the Skripals passed out on the bench. Though I wonder how a "military grade nerve agent", destined to kill instantly on the battlefield, took that long to incapacitate the Skripals.

I am no doctor, nor a specialist in chemistry - only a retired journalist working with open sources. There are so many curiosities with this case, so many speculations, ...

Here in Norway we have an expression called blodtake - best translated as blood fog - when all the media are rushing blindly in one direction, without asking the most elementary questions.

After I wrote this they found 'Novichok' on the door of the Skripals' home, which makes it even more unlikely, considering the time frame.

Did they have to divert attention from the restaurant as origin of the poisoning?

There are of course some holes in the above - just regard this as an idea to go along the line of food poisoning.

End of Tore's deliberations.

---

b here:

Tore's theory of food poisoning with Saxitoxin makes sense. It is a fitting explanation for what happened in Salisbury and for the murky tale the British government tries to sell.

(update)

Commenters noted that the theory does not immediately explain what happened to Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey, who was also treated in the hospital but less severely effected than the Skripals. Off-Guardian noted on March 23:

It was announced today that Detective Sergeant Nick Bailey  allegedly the third victim of the alleged nerve agent poisoning in Salisbury, UK  has been released from hospital. Bailey did not speak to the press, and no photographs or film of him leaving the premises and going home have yet emerged.

...

Where Bailey was poisoned, and how he was poisoned is still not clear  which is puzzling of itself. Was it while attending the Skripals as a first-responder, as claimed by Theresa May (improbable on the face of it, since CID officers in Britain do not act as first-responders). Or did he, on the contrary,have no direct contact with the Skripals, as put out by the Daily Mail? Was he poisoned while searching the Skripals home? Or was it somewhere else entirely? And why did he become poisoned when no one else at the scene, and indeed no one else anywhere in Salisbury fell ill, or even showed signs of contamination in their bloodwork?

If Bailey was on the scene on Sunday afternoon, it was likely not because he was on duty, but because he happened to be in the area. Did he have a private lunch? At Zizzi's? With mussels? We do not know and the government won't say.

(end update)

One of these days the Skripals, Nick Bailey, the doctors at the hospital, or some of the people at Porton Down will talk and let us know the truth.

The Zizzi website says that the restaurant in Salisbury is still - four and a half weeks after the incident - "temporarily closed". If it served healthy food and the Skripals were really poisoned by touching a doorknob at their home why would that still be the case?

But do not take off your tinfoil hat just yet.

If Saxitoxin was the cause of the Skirpals' illness, the story has still potential for a decent spy drama. Was the poison in the mussels Zizzi's served of natural occurrence, or had someone at the CIA rummaged through its old inventory? Who applied the dosage?

In another message Tore notes that there is a foreign member in the British Joint Intelligence Commission which advises Downing Street:

Ever since World War II, the chief of the London station of the United States Central Intelligence Agency has attended the JIC's weekly meetings.

These connections might yet bring us back to Skripal's participation in the 'dirty dossier' about Trump which MI6 agent Chris Steele prepared for the Hillary Clinton campaign. The U.S. and the British intelligence services under Clapper and Brennan waged a war against then candidate Donald Trump. They did not want him to win the election under any circumstance. Were the Skripals late casualties of this fight?

But no. I would not trust that story any more than I trust the British government's current tale.

Another possible explanation, more likely that the election manipulation mentioned above, is a false flag incident solely created to incriminate Russia. It would be a reproduction of the 1994 Operation Hades, a highly propagandized case made up by the German spy service BND to incriminated Russia with a (faked) plutonium smuggling case.

Then again - if it looks like food poisoning, Occam's razor says, it might just be that - food poisoning.

The Skripals' beloved animals though, were admittedly killed by the British government. The Skripal's should sue the responsible persons to hell for committing this murder and for lying about its circumstances.
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Such phrasing separates facts from the agency that makes them intelligible. After all, those Palestinians (the actual number varies according to reports) did not simply drop dead: They were shot, deliberately. Simply splitting subject from verb, however, obscures who did what to whom and under what circumstances. "Israeli troops kill 15 Palestinians at Gaza protest," for example, would tell a different story  and would cue a different response from readers.

So too with the use of the words "clashes" and "confrontations" in describing what happened. The next-day story in the Los Angeles Times began this way: "A day of clashes between Israeli soldiers and protesters left 16 Palestinians dead." Again the passive voice obscured agency, and the word "clash" suggested a rough parity between the action on both sides, an exchange of equal blows. Yet there is no parity between a milling, overwhelming nonviolent crowd of 30,000 demonstrators and heavily armed soldiers manning fortified positions, let alone army snipers picking off their targets from a comfortable distance. Moreover, an army of occupation and an occupied people do not "clash." One tries to crush; the other tries to resist, or at least to remain steadfast.

Significant ancillary circumstances were either elided or obscured in the coverage as well. There were plenty of references to the "border" between Israel and Gaza, suggesting that what happened took place on the frontier between two states. Yet Israel refuses to declare its borders, and Gaza is not a state, but occupied territory. The soldiers weren't protecting sovereign space so much as violently suppressing the Palestinian people's internationally recognized demand for their rights. In a video posted on an Israeli news site, Eli Hazan, the foreign affairs director of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, went so far as to assert, in defiance of international law, that "all 30,000 [protesters] are legitimate targets."

Precious little of this came through in the U.S. media. We were told in The Times, correctly, that the Gaza protests mark the buildup to the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, the calamitous dispossession of the Palestinians during the establishment of Israel in 1948. "A majority of Gazans," we're told, "are the descendants of the 1948 war." The demonstrations "demand the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes in what is now Israel."

"I am from the city of Majdal," one demonstrator told the reporter from The Times. "I am from Jaffa," said another. "I won't accept any solution that does not grant me my rights to return to my father's hometown."

The quotations are poignant, but they offered an opportunity  missed  to clarify what the speakers, Khalil Abu Qammar and Khadrah Zaqout, were talking about. People like them, from Majdal and Jaffa, did not become refugees by happenstance; they were driven from their homes by Israel's founders, who aimed to create a state with a Jewish majority, in which, by definition, too many Muslims and Christians would be problematic.

Palestinians such as them are now not allowed to return to their hometowns, cities and villages for the same simple reason: They are not Jewish; their homes and lands are held by a state that insists on its Jewish identity at the expense of anyone and any right that stands in the way. The army that shot at them last weekend  and may do the same this weekend, as the Gaza protests continue  was, in other words, enforcing an as-yet-incomplete project of ethnic cleansing.

The Palestinian scholar Edward Said once pointed out that facts don't speak for themselves; they require a narrative to absorb and sustain them. What was missing from almost all of the mainstream media coverage, as usual, was not the facts as such, but rather the Palestinian narrative of enforced exile and struggle for return that renders those facts comprehensible, both politically meaningful and emotionally resonant.

Palestinians are not merely a ragtag collection of refugees; they are a people purposefully kept from their homes by an army of occupation. Restoring or even acknowledging their narrative would enable us to understand them as genuine human beings animated (as the great English essayist William Hazlitt put it in his essay "What Is the People?" in not dissimilar circumstances) by thoughts, feelings, affections, cares, worries, desires, rights  and the will to be free.

Saree Makdisi is a professor of English at UCLA.
More Evidence That The UKs Russia Narrative Is A Verdict In Search Of A Crime

By Caitlin Johnstone

April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - Two weeks ago, the Right Honourable Boris Johnson was asked by a German journalist how the UK government could be so very certain so very early on that the Kremlin was behind the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Salisbury.

When I look at the evidence, the people from Porton Down, the laboratory, they were absolutely categorical, Johnson replied. I asked the guy myself, I said: Are you sure? And he said: Theres no doubt. So we have very little alternative but to take the action that we have taken.

The action that we have taken include the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the United Kingdom, a cold war escalation in which they were joined by many allied governments around the world in the largest collective ejection of Russian diplomats in world history. It would also include Johnsons personal campaign to unite the EU behind a more aggressive stance against Russia.

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As we discussed this week, the narrative about the Skripal poisoning has been in a constant state of change, with the means by which the nerve agent was administered shifting from Yulia Skripals suitcase tothe air vents in their car to weaponized miniature drone to the familys car door handle to the front door of the house to Sergei Skripals favorite Russian cereal. Since the forensics of the case are clearly all over the map, and despite this glaring fact the UK government still insists that the poisoning was most certainly inflicted by Russia, the only remaining forensics which could possibly implicate the Kremlin to such a high degree of confidence would necessarily have to be evidence found within the nerve agent itself.

And until a few hours ago Johnsons comments actually backed this up; he didnt cite the dodgy crime scene forensics as reason for the governments certainty, he cited the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down. He said they had found evidence within the compound which with no doubt implicated the Russian government.

Only problem with that? Its bullshit.

Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the aforementioned Porton Down Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, has told Sky News in a scandalous new report that while his laboratory has been able to learn the chemical composition of the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals, none of the work they have done has succeeded in identifying its source.

The DSTL Twitter account has hastened to inform the public that, in direct contradiction to Boris Johnsons claims, it has never been its job to identify the source of the nerve agent, and that its identification of the compound has formed only one part of the governments conclusions. The Sky News report backs this up with a statement from a government spokesperson who asserts that This is only one part of the intelligence picture on the Skripal poisoning, adding the following:

As the Prime Minister has set out in a number of statements to the Commons since 12 March, this includes our knowledge that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents  probably for assassination  and as part of this programme has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichoks.

Russias record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views former intelligence officers as targets.

It is our assessment that Russia was responsible for this brazen and reckless act and, as the international community agrees, there is no other plausible explanation.

But what does that mean? It means that there are no crime scene forensics implicating the Russian government as evidenced by how ridiculously all-over-the-place the narrative about how the poisoning occurred is, and there are no laboratory forensics proving a connection to the Russian government. According to the spokespersons statement, that leaves only the say-so of British intelligence agencies.

And of course it does. It always boils down to blind faith in shady intelligence agencies. Fifteen years after the Iraq invasion and were still being asked to blindly accept on faith the word of imperialist intelligence agencies. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother trying to make up excuses for their war agendas anymore. At this point they could just say Yeah were going to work with our allies to sanction Russia off from the world stage because we need them out of the way and want to avoid a direct military confrontation due to their nuclear weapons. At least it would be less insulting.

Also interesting is Aitkenheads denial of Russias assertion that the nerve agent could have come from Porton Down, not because the laboratory doesnt have such weapons in its possession but because the laboratory has the highest levels of security and controls. Which to me sounds an awful lot like an admission that they have the same nerve agent that was used upon the Skripals in their possession.

This all comes on the back of new revelations that the US government has for years been working to hush public discussion of the novichok nerve agent, with Hillary Clinton herself ordering diplomats to downplay the issue should it arise in chemical weapon control talks.

So to recap, an accusation for which there is no evidence has been used to manufacture support for new escalations against Russia, a longtime rival of the western empire. We have been given ample evidence that the Skripal poisoning is being used to advance a preexisting agenda, and no evidence at all to the contrary. It is a verdict in search of a crime. A war in search of an excuse.

Were being lied to. Again. Just like we were fifteen years ago. Dont believe Boris Johnson. Dont believe opaque and unaccountable intelligence agencies with an extensive history of deceit and depravity. Spread truth and remain loudly skeptical. If theyre going to drag us into a third and final world war, the least we can do is make it difficult for them.

Thanks for reading, clear-eyed rebel. My daily articles are entirely reader-funded, so if you enjoyed this piece please consider sharing it around, liking me on Facebook, following my antics on Twitter, bookmarking and getting on the mailing list for my website, checking out my podcast, throwing some money into my hat on Patreon or Paypal, or buying my new book Woke: A Field Guide for Utopia Preppers.

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

=====

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Israel's Internet Censorship War





Watch An expose "How Israel and its partisans work to censor the Internet" Posted April 07, 2018 How Israel and its partisans work to censor the Internet By Alison Weir The projects utilize Israeli soldiers, students, American teens and others, and range from infiltrating Wikipedia to influencing YouTube. Some operate out of Jewish Community Centers in the U.S. April 07, 2018 " Information Clearing House " - YouTube suddenly shut down the If Americans Knew YouTube channel. This contained 70 videos providing facts-based information about Israel-Palestine. People going to the channel saw a message telling them that the site had been terminated for violating YouTube guidelinesimplying to the public that we were guilty of wrongdoing. And ensuring they didnt learn about the information we were trying to disseminate. Continue This article was originally published by "If Americans Knew " -

The views and opinions expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect those of Information Clearing House.

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Rachel Reyes reads "To The Girl Who Stole My Snack Pack Chocolate Pudding Cup on the School Bus on the First Day of Second Grade" at Transforming Gender and Society
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#Afghan evacuees Assimilation programs begin for Afghan evacuees in S. Korea The government on Wednesday started assimilation programs for Afghan evacuees who settled in South Korea in August upon fleeing their country after it was taken over by the Taliban...
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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.
State Bank of Pakistan SBP Translators Jobs

Latest State Bank of Pakistan SBP Admin Clerical Posts Karachi 2021 Translators having Master Degree in Mass Communication, English, urdu, Economics, Development Economics & Business Administration are required in State Bank of Pakistan SBP in Karachi.

How to Apply on State Bank of Pakistan SBP Job Advertisement

Apply as per details in job advertisement. In some cases, you may apply online at vacancies after registering at https://www.jobz.pk online.



Company Address: SBP Banking Services Corporation, Head Office I.I. Chundrigar Road, Karachi

Telephone: UAN 111-727-111

Official Website: www.sbp.org.pk/careers

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.
US Embassy Islamabad Jobs 2018 for Nurse

Latest US Embassy Medical Posts Islamabad 2021 Embassy of the United States, Islamabad, Pakistan required applications from experienced and qualified candidates to fill the posts of Nurse. Interested candidates can apply us.

How to Apply on US Embassy 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.
Tamara Parrales, who paid for an MRI at a private clinic, sits for a photograph at her home in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday April 7, 2018. Excruciating pain had Tamara Parrales heading to the emergency department multiple times for nearly a year, and when a specialist brought up the possibility of ovarian cancer, she wasn't prepared to wait several months for an MRI in the public system. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
Cedar George-Parker addresses the crowd as protesters opposed to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline extension defy a court order and block an entrance to the company's property, in Burnaby, B.C., on Saturday April 7, 2018. The pipeline is set to increase the capacity of oil products flowing from Alberta to the B.C. coast to 890,000 barrels from 300,000 barrels. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
This image released early Sunday, April 8, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows a child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. Syrian rescuers and medics said the attack on Douma killed at least 40 people. The Syrian government denied the allegations, which could not be independently verified. The alleged attack in Douma occurred Saturday night amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)
FILE - In this March 17, 2016, file photo, motivational speaker Tony Robbins is interviewed during a taping of "Wall Street Week," on the Fox Business Network in New York. Robbins has apologized for critical comments he made about the #MeToo movement in a video that went viral. In a Facebook post Sunday, April 8. 2018, Robbins said he fully supports the #MeToo movement and that he needs to better Auconnect to the brave womenAu of #MeToo and Aube a part of the solution.Au Robbins came under criticism for an exchange at one of his recent self-help events. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)
ANKENY, Iowa (AP)  Authorities say a man disguised a video camera as an alarm clock so he could record a woman and her 11- and 12-year-old children when they used a bathroom in their Polk County home.

Court records say 53-year-old Brian Hoffman, of Lidderdale, pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of invasion of privacy, unlawful interception of communication and two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.

The woman described Hoffman as a friend after she called police to report her discovery of the camera. Police say the clock was placed to face the bathroom and the memory card was accessible through a wireless internet connection. Police say the card had several images of the woman and the children naked.

Hoffman told investigators he didn't know the clock contained a video device.
ROCHESTER, Minn.  On Saturday and Sunday, Riverland Community College, with the help of Rochester Community and Technical College, hosted a Fire, EMS, and Rescue School for area firefighters.

In the mornings, firefighters attended various classroom-style courses. In the afternoons, they got their gear ready and headed outside to get hands-on experience practicing skills needed during fire, EMS, and rescue situations.

Classroom-style morning classes included Firefighter Cancer Awareness and Top Ten Fire Scene Mistakes and How to Avoid Them.

Hands-on afternoon courses included advanced rope rescue, where firefighters practiced safely lowering each other from the top of a building, and advanced auto extrication, where firefighters reviewed how to properly stabilize a car to safely remove people from inside.

Around 370 firefighters from 112 different fire departments attended the school.
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP)  Gov. Mark Dayton has ordered flags at state and federal buildings to be flown at half-staff Sunday in honor of a Minnesota firefighter who died in the line of duty.

Timothy Wayne Royce, of Mapleton, was found unconscious after suffering a heart attack in the early hours of March 30. He had responded to two emergency calls the day before, a traffic crash and a medical call. Fellow firefighters were unable to revive him. The 58-year-old had been with the Mapleton Volunteer Fire Department for 17 years.

Firefighters from around the state are expected to converge on Mapleton for his memorial service Sunday, which is set for 1 p.m. at Maple River High School.

The Mapleton Fire Department covers 130 square miles of Blue Earth County in south-central Minnesota.
BEIJING (Reuters) - Chinese state media on Sunday called on industrial and commercial sectors in the United States to rally against President Donald Trumps plans for an additional $100 billion in tariffs against Chinese goods.

Trump threatened the extra tariffs after China last week imposed $3 billion of tariffs on U.S. fruits, nuts, wine and pork, just hours after the United States unveiled an initial $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods.

The tit-for-tat tariffs between the worlds two largest economies follows a U.S. finding that China was engaging in unfair trade practices in connection with intellectual property protections. China rejects the charge.

We call on the international business community including the United States industrial and commercial circles to take prompt and effective measures and urge the U.S. government to correct its errors, said state newspaper Peoples Daily.

It also said that Chinese enterprises and industry will band together to support any government action against the tariffs.

China warned on Friday it was fully prepared to respond with a fierce counter strike of fresh trade measures if Trump imposes the additional $100 billion in tariffs.

Chinas media, which is under strict control by authorities, has staunchly defended the countrys position, saying it is a victim of U.S. trade protectionism.

On Friday, China launched a World Trade Organization complaint against the United States, triggering a 60-day deadline for the two countries to settle the matter.

Reporting by Cate Cadell; Editing by Michael Perry
Matt Spetalnick, David Brunnstrom

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - North Korea has told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula when North Korean leader Kim Jong Un meets President Donald Trump, a U.S. official said on Sunday.

U.S. and North Korean officials have held secret contacts recently in which Pyongyang directly confirmed its willingness to hold the unprecedented summit, the official told Reuters, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Until now, Washington had relied mostly on ally South Koreas assurance of Kims intentions.

South Korean envoys visited Washington last month to convey Kims invitation to meet. Trump, who has exchanged bellicose threats with Kim in the past year, surprised the world by quickly agreeing to meet Kim to discuss the crisis over Pyongyangs development of nuclear weapons capable of hitting the United States.

But Pyongyang has not broken its public silence on the summit, which U.S. officials say is being planned for May. There was no immediate word on the possible venue for the talks, which would be the first ever between a sitting U.S. president and North Korean leader.

The U.S. official declined to say exactly when and how the U.S.-North Korea communications had taken place but said the two sides had held multiple direct contacts.

The U.S. has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, said a second U.S. official.

Questions remain about how North Korea would define denuclearization, which Washington sees as Pyongyang abandoning its nuclear weapons program.

North Korea has said over the years that it could consider giving up its nuclear arsenal if the United States removed its troops from South Korea and withdrew its so-called nuclear umbrella of deterrence from South Korea and Japan.

Some analysts have said Trumps willingness to meet Kim handed North Korea a diplomatic win, as the United States had insisted for years that any such summit be preceded by North Korean steps to denuclearize.

Reporting by Matt Spetalnick and David Brunnstromm; Editing by Peter Cooney
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this morning will become overcast during the afternoon. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High around 85F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Cloudy skies early, then thunderstorms developing late. Low 64F. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 80%.
By Jhoo Dong-chan



Samsung Securities CEO Koo Sung-hoonSamsung Securities is under fire for mistakenly giving about 2.8 billion shares last Friday to its workers who own company stock when it was supposed to pay 2.8 billion won in dividends to the workers.





Samsung Securities CEO Koo Sung-hoon
One of the social hubs of SCMP's new headquarters at Times Square in Causeway Bay, Hong Kong. / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



How the 114-year-old paper's 34-year-old CEO is changing the workplace



By Yun Suh-young



HONG KONG  When stepping into the new premises of South China Morning Post (SCMP) at Times Square in Causeway Bay, to which they relocated two months ago, the immediate impression is casual, open and collaborative.

The newspaper occupies three floors of the six-story building they purchased and will eventually move into all six.

On every floor, there is a lounge taking up half of the space. They are called "social hubs" and look very much like co-working spaces that are trending today  with sofas, coffee tables, bar counters, stools, and lockers.





SCMP's CEO Gary Liu speaks inside a conference room whose walls are decorated by a local artist / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young

According to Gary Liu, the 34-year-old CEO of SCMP, it's meant to be like that.

"That's actually part of the goal," he said, when the reporter commented it looks like WeWork, one of the world's fastest-growing co-working space providers.

"Every single floor has what we call a social hub.' The employees have an opportunity to work together in small groups. There's a cafe upstairs that also looks very much like this. Every floor has a different concept. Every single floor looks different."

Not only that, every single conference room is also decorated differently by local Hong Kong artists. Art, in the larger context, is embedded here and there in the newsroom. Walls are printed with photographs by SCMP's photojournalists, infographics and artwork.

Changing work culture

The way the newsroom is designed and decorated has made an impact in the way people work, for the better.

"So what we changed is that it's no longer set seating, so you don't sit at the same desk every day. You can grab your laptop and sit wherever you want. The free flow of information has, in two months, completely changed," Liu said.

Upon her visit to the Post, Liu gave The Korea Times reporter a personal tour around the newsroom. The Korea Times is SCMP's only official partner in Asia, collaborating on content exchange.

"These environments are meant for cafe meetings like what's happening right now. It changed quite a bit. We used to have very high artificial silos between desks. People didn't talk to one another. No sharing of information. More competitive than cooperative. (But) the environment of having people have to move has already changed (the culture)  breaking down the silos. Especially the China desk and business desk  they're now cooperating more."





A view of the SCMP's open-space newsroom / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



The main two floors of the newsroom are openly connected  there's a stairway in the middle connecting the two floors from which people can grab a view of both floors. At the middle of the atrium, there is a huge oval desk with senior editors sitting around each other in a circle. From the upper floor, anyone can see the editors at work below.

"The second part is transparency. It's that all of our senior editors all sit together down here. It's the first time in at least 10 years that all of our desk editors have sat together. They've been previously split across offices or in their own rooms. So their conversations were at best through emails or phones, never in person," he said when asked how the change in the environment has changed the newsroom culture.

"When they have offices, conversation, especially in Chinese companies, is not that fluid. Now, they're out in the open, always sitting around each other. Usually around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. it's the most fun because the news really coalesces. There are people arguing with each other, asking about story ideas and whatnot."





The news hub below the atrium where senior editors sit together / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



Liu humbly shared the credit with everyone when asked if this was his idea.

"Everything was a collective idea. But I will say I was inspired by the fact that I come from an industry where open workspaces like this are standard."

Liu, a digital expert who was appointed to head the 114-year-old newspaper in January last year, has been bringing in some noticeable changes for the past year. Redesigning the SCMP logo and brand image and relocating the newsroom to a new location with a new design have led to some strides in changing the newsroom work culture, as well as making some big investments in new media  notably video  to gear up to meet the changing media environment.

Liu previously served as CEO of Digg, a news aggregator based in New York, where he tripled its revenue, before being appointed to head the SCMP. He also held positions at Spotify Labs, AOL and Google.

Platform shift

One big change in the newspaper is their heavy investment in video, which explains why they have set up a video studio in their new newsroom.

"A lot of newspapers say video as a medium is important to them but what has ended up happening is they haven't invested correctly. When you do that, the quality is low, you try it and experiment and (when) it fails, you give up. For us, we really wanted to commit to making sure we could actually broadcast about China to the rest of the world, even as a newspaper. We're never going to be CNN, we're not trying to be Bloomberg, but we're trying to be an objective China source that has experts who sit at this desk and can broadcast to CNN and to BBC," Liu said.

"So we spent a good amount of money on this setup. I think we're the first newsroom in Hong Kong to have invested in real video operation. We also brought in two of the most senior CNN executives here in Asia to lead our video operation. Consumers today have chosen to consume news in video format often times more than written. So we have to follow consumer behavior."

And to meet to the changing times, journalists should also keep up with the pace, equipped with multimedia skills.

"At our newsroom, the difference is we're training everyone to be able to do video editing. Every journalist should be able to, by the end of next year, know how to do some form of video editing," he said.

"We have a training editor who was a 35-year Reuters bureau chief who now we've hired and all he does is train. We focus a lot on training here. We didn't used to but now we are. A lot of news organizations, when they make the change from print to digital, they fire people and then bring in new people. Our goal is to not fire anyone, unless of course they don't perform, but for everyone to be up-leveled, to be taught how to move into the new age."

Quite a few people are allocated to the video team, with about 20 dedicated employees from a newsroom of about 350, which is equal to the number of people allocated to the print desk where they solely focus on designing the print copy of the newspaper.





The video studio at SCMP's new headquarters / Korea Times photo by Yun Suh-young



"We can, from here, do pre-programmed scripted shows, live broadcasts, live shoots directly to internet and format video however we want. The strategy here is what we call a distributed media strategy which means the same story can be packaged in a hundred different ways and distributed to every single platform. It's custom-made  it has to be  because every consumer is different now," Liu said.

"It used to be easy. You write one story, print it once and everyone reads it the exact same way. Now you and I choose differently so one story has to be a hundred different ways."

As the primary channel of distribution for news is changing from paper to mobile, newspapers no longer have control over what readers read, he said.

"(Mobile) is a machine that tells you what you should read and it's not good for the future of understanding the world. We have lots of real-time metrics. Our teams are constantly looking at what users want. But here's the tough part. As a news organization, we can't just give them what they want," Liu said.

"We have the responsibility to give them what they need and that's the balance that's actually very hard to find, because users of the younger generation are now very used to only seeing what they want. They have forgotten (or never knew) the purpose of the newspapers is actually to educate."

Investments for future

The SCMP is one the very few and lucky papers that has a rich investor to back its operation  the Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba which acquired the company in April 2016.

"We are at a very privileged position at the SCMP right now because our new owners don't need for us to make profit. Very few newspapers have that. So we can actually take our money and invest it and increase the number of journalists we have and (invest in) new office and building new culture and new technologies," Liu said.

So making revenue is not SCMP's biggest concern at the moment. It's rather putting in more investment for the future  even if it comes at a cost.

"That's always the hardest question," Liu said when asked about their revenue model. "Our revenue model right now  the answer is incomplete. The newspaper took down the paywall two years ago which means everything online is now free. So we can only make money out of advertising. Unfortunately, advertising is not enough in today's world because digital advertising is very cheap."

He acknowledges the need for another subscription product in the long term.

"We don't know when it's going to be, what it's going to look like. But the reality for our news industry is that in the past, newspapers could survive off of one or two revenue channels most of the time. It was never subscription by the way. It was always out of advertising or most likely classified ads," he said.

"But in the future, instead of two, we're probably going to need seven or eight different revenue channels. So we're investing in digital advertising, we are investing in technology that allows us to monetize data, we're investing in events, recruitment, in a lot of different things. But it's complicated now. Eventually, hopefully, we will be able to figure it out."
By Kim Bo-eun



Secret contacts are taking place between Pyongyang and Washington to prepare for a summit between their leaders slated for May, according to sources, Sunday.



Citing Donald Trump administration officials familiar with the matter, CNN reported "secret direct talks" are being held, focusing on the venue of the summit. It stated intelligence officials of the two states have spoken and even met in a third country.



The report dispelled concerns the summit may fall through: Such concerns had risen because North Korea has refrained from reporting about the summit, and there have been no recent reports of developments with regards to the meeting from either side.



But CNN quoted the government sources as saying "the participation of the North Koreans in the preparatory talks gives them more confidence Kim is serious about the meeting."



The sources also said, "Pyongyang has reaffirmed Kim is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula."



State Department officials are reportedly communicating with their North Korean counterparts through the New York channel _ their mission to the United Nations.



The report said the location of the venue will likely be decided first, with discussions on the date and agenda of the summit to follow.



A Cheong Wa Dae official referred to the preparatory talks as a "positive sign."



The report also raised speculation the summit could be postponed, saying officials are preparing with their target as May or June.



"It appears there would be a postponement because there is not much time left for preparations," said Kim Dong-yub, a professor at Kyungnam University.



"The summit was unexpectedly arranged with South Korea as the mediator, and currently the Trump administration is seen as lacking experts on North Korea."



Last month Joseph Yun, the state department's point man on North Korea, left his post.





Possible locations for summit



Multiple locations have been brought up so far.



The CNN report stated North Korea is pushing for Pyongyang as the location of the bilateral talks, considering the fact that its leader Kim Jong-un invited Trump for talks.



Washington has also been mentioned, but it seems unlikely either of the leaders will travel to his counterpart's country.



The truce village of Panmunjeom, where the inter-Korean summit will take place this month, has also been cited as a possible venue for the talks.



Media reports have also mentioned the governments of Mongolia and Sweden as being interested in serving as the location.



Mongolia is known to have friendly relations with both Pyongyang and Washington.



As for Sweden, the country has an embassy in Pyongyang, which has been acting as a bridge between North Korea and the U.S., as the two do not have formal diplomatic ties.



Meanwhile, Chinese media promoted Beijing as the "optimum location" for the summit.



"There will be utmost consideration of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's safety and his route of travel and the venue will be decided accordingly," professor Kim said.




By Lee Kyung-min



A 17-year old boy, whose identity is being withheld, receives 245,000 won ($223) in monthly state support for housing after a social service official in his district found him in a motel in Seoul, where he had been living with his father for months. Upon visiting the room smaller than 3.3 square meters, where no one could barely set foot due to heaps of putrid-smelling garbage and laundry, the official helped the two-member household apply for a basic welfare program, under which households earning less than 30 percent of the median income are given a monthly state subsidy for housing, medical and other expenses. The amount is calculated based on the number of family members and whether they are on other state support programs.



The official referred the boy to DreamStart _ a comprehensive social services center supervised by the Ministry of Health and Welfare _ to help him receive proper education to recover physical, psychological and emotional fitness. HIs case was referred to the ministry-affiliated National Child Protection Agency for a review over suspected child neglect.



This is one among many cases of "at-risk" children the government seeks to help through a program called "E-System for Children's Happiness," launched last month. Under the closely coordinated system, the health ministry, education ministry, National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) and the Korea Centers for Disease and Prevention (KCDC), share "big data" including days of absence in school attendance, hospital treatment history, vaccination history and children allowance filing history.



The official launch of the big data-based system followed a trial run conducted on 974 regions in 66 cities and counties nationwide between last September and February. Of the 13,000 suspected "at-risk" children, 620 were referred to relevant social services and six were referred to child protection agencies for suspected child abuse and possible police investigation.



How it works



Social workers and public servants at district or municipal governments receive data of suspected at-risk children at the end of each month, after which a two member-team _ comprised of a teacher at the child's school or daycare center and a public official _ must visit their home at least three times to determine whether the child requires welfare services or police investigation.



Flagged households include parents that failed to administer one out of seven regular checkups mandatory for children over four months old and under 71 months old. Also flagged are parents of children who have no hospital treatment records for over a year, or those who failed to administer one out of 16 KCDC-mandated vaccinations for children under 12.



The first visit should be complete within two weeks after the data is made available. Second and third visits should be made within a week of the previous visits. The officials conduct an interview of children and their parents to check for signs of physical or sexual abuse. Cuts and bruises to the body and a withdrawn attitude including avoiding eye contact and reluctance to speak about bodily harm with caregivers present are possible signs. Broken glass, alcohol bottles, furniture or excessive amounts of garbage, dirty laundry or dirty dishes are also signs of child neglect. The officials then seek ways to offer help in a manner that caregivers would not consider "overstepping the boundaries" or "hurting their pride."



"We are aware the collected data is of extreme sensitivity to which only a few top ministry officials are allowed access. That is why we try not to force our services upon those in need, but rather approach them gently to open their hearts," a ministry official said.










By Jung Min-ho







A Korean tourist has drowned in southern Vietnam, according to the Consulate General of Korea in Ho Chi Minh City Saturday.





The man, 58, surnamed Moon, was found on Friday at the bottom of a lake in Mui Ne, a coastal fishing town in the south-central Binh Thuan Province.





Moon was among the 31 Koreans traveling in a group. According to the consulate, a guide warned them not to swim in the lake before Moon and another tourist entered the water.





One person came out of the water soon after, but Moon suddenly disappeared. The tourist site's custodian found him in the lake. CPR was tried several times, but it was too late.





"Vietnamese investigators will determine the cause of Moon's death after conducting a few more tests. Most likely,



Moon was drowned," Consul Lee Hee-seok told Hankook Ilbo, sister paper of The Korea Times.


South Korea's transport ministry said Sunday it signed a preliminary agreement with its Latvian counterpart to open a direct air route between the two countries.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it has agreed with Latvia to operate flights that connect the two countries three times a week.

The ministry said South Koreans and Latvians will also be able to travel between the two countries through code-share programs.

"The direct flights between South Korea and Latvia will add to the traveling convenience of South Koreans," an official from the ministry said, claiming the agreement will also attract people from neighboring countries that do not have flights to the European country. (Yonhap)
Robert Gallucci, chairman of U.S.-Korea Institute, speaks in the National Assembly during his Seoul visit in December. / Yonhap



By Choi Ha-young



Tension is mounting between the Korean government and the U.S.-Korea Institute (USKI), a think tank at Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS), after the government announced it would cut off its funding for the Washington, D.C.-based institute beginning in June.



Since its foundation in 2006, the think tank, which runs 38 North specializing in North Korean affairs, has received 2 billion won ($1.87 million) from the government annually through the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy (KIEP) installed under the Prime Minister's Office.



As its reasons for the cut-off, the KIEP cited "lax reporting on accounts and a lack of transparency in selecting visiting scholars and interns." To reform the management of the organization, the KIEP has reportedly requested the resignation of Jae H. Ku, director of USKI, and Jenny Town, vice director of USKI, a request the think tank dismissed. Ku has headed the organization since 2007.



"The USKI even refused to notify us about its projects worth $80,000 which were not included in the budget plan. The National Assembly has also taken issue with Ku's long-term tenure," a KIEP official said.



However, USKI Chairman Robert Gallucci denounced the move as an "intervention on academic freedom."



In interviews with several Korea media, Gallucci, who was a chief negotiator during the 1994 North Korean nuclear crisis, hinted Cheong Wa Dae's involvement in the pressure to dismiss Ku. He said he will send a letter to President Moon Jae-in in protest.



Cheong Wa Dae refuted the claim. "In 2014, then-lawmaker Kim Ki-sik raised the problem of the USKI. Last year, Rep. Lee Hack-young of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, a National Policy Committee member, also tackled the issue," a ranking presidential official said Saturday.



"Through the review of the budget for the USKI and parliamentary inspection, the ruling and opposition parties in August passed 2 billion won of funding for this year, on the condition of improving the think tank's transparency. The USKI, however, failed to submit proper reports and measures to improve its operation."



Ku, however, refuted the accusations, claiming he has submitted 3,000 to 5,000 pages of reports to the KIEP every year.



"Initially I sent papers via international delivery service, but began to send CDs and USBs after the KIEP told me they had difficulty in handling the load of paper. I don't understand why the authorities complain of a lack of transparency," Ku told JoongAng Ilbo.



He further claimed there is political intention behind the controversy, hinting that the liberal Moon administration seems to exclude those close to former conservative administrations from government-related institutes. "I believe (Cheong Wa Dae) assumes I am close to Lee Jae-oh, an associate of former conservative President Lee Myung-bak, as he was a visiting scholar here," Ku said.



"Even though I am categorized as a conservative, close to Republicans in the U.S., the USKI has served as a cradle of dovish experts such as Gallucci and Joel Wit," he added, criticizing Seoul's bid to cut off funds.



In recent days, some media reports said the Moon administration allegedly attempted to oust conservative experts from think tanks. On April 4, the JoongAng Ilbo reported that David Straub, who was working as the Sejong-LS Fellow at the Sejong Institute, was forced to leave after being "blacklisted" by Cheong Wa Dae.



However, the institute requested a correction on the report, saying a one-year contract with Straub was terminated on Feb. 28. Cheong Wa Dae also said it wouldn't tolerate reports based on false information, hinting at legal measures if the newspaper does not correct its report.


By Mevlut Cavusoglu



Nowadays, the hardest challenges European countries confront are fighting against terrorist organizations such as DAESH and the management of migration flows. Turkey continues to hold an essential role within the context of international efforts in overcoming these challenges.



It is Turkey who has enabled the European Union (EU) to regulate the Syrian migration flow. Turkey has not only hosted 3.5 million Syrian refugees, but also saved the lives of thousands of people by halting their risky attempts to cross the Aegean Sea in order to reach Western Europe.



Turkey was one of the first countries to recognize DAESH as a terrorist organization. Moreover, our country is a member of the International Coalition, established to counter DAESH.



Whereas some Western countries have not been able to control even the transiting of jihadists through their airports, Turkey has denied the entry of more than 4,000 suspected travelers on her territory, deported almost 6,000 terrorists, arrested more than 10,000 DAESH and Al-Qaida members, and exerted great efforts to ensure the security of her 911-kilometer-long land border with Syria.



While other coalition members have not gone beyond a very symbolic presence on the field, only Turkey has fought with her land forces against DAESH alongside with the Free Syrian Army since 2016.



Operation Euphrates Shield is an exceptional _ even unique _ operation to serve as a model in this respect, which was directed by the Turkish Army and ensured the liberation of Jarabulus, al-Bab and surrounding cities, as well as the peaceful return of hundreds of thousands of Syrians back home.



In that case, could we say that Turkey, against which the Europeans lean their back in terms of their security, is understood correctly? Could we say our country's actions are conveyed correctly and they are appreciated? Unfortunately, this is not the case.



Anti-Turkey discourse, prevalent in the West today, is a partial reflection of the increase in xenophobia and Islamophobia, which are fed by Western extremists' instrumentalization of migrant flows. Furthermore, some unscrupulous politicians, with the goal of satisfying their voters, have tried to conceal their anti-Muslim and xenophobic messages, disguised as their "political truthfulness" in their opposition against Turkey's EU accession.



This discourse also stems from those underestimating threats Turkey has faced in recent years, and blaming its leaders of becoming authoritarian and violating individual rights in an unfounded way. However, which European country could have further respected these rights in the face of violent acts by terrorist organizations such as DAESH and PKK/PYD/YPG that have taken control of the frontier areas; the bloody coup attempt by Fethullah Gulen and his terrorist organization on July 15, 2016; the threats and challenges Turkey has faced, such as the economic and social burden of Syrian refugees at Turkish taxpayers' expense? Actually, no country except for Turkey could have better dealt with such various challenges simultaneously.



Turkey, which is a founding member of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg, is a party to the European Convention on Human Rights. This Convention guarantees that individual rights of all citizens are respected by also the Turkish Justice as in other European countries. Accordingly, no one could allege that these rights are less respected in Turkey than in any other country in Europe.



Thanks to its determination, Turkey today manages to prevent terrorist organizations such as DAESH and PKK/PYD/YPG from taking any action on her territory. Advances recorded in the fight against FETO will soon allow the Turkish Government to lift the state of emergency. One can recall that it took 719 days to end the state of emergency in France.



Today, Turkey enjoys sound political stability and has the highest economic growth rate among European countries. Turkey, welcoming nearly 40 million tourists each year, also continues to be one of the world's safest tourist destinations.



Turkey's priority, as a country exerting every effort in finding a political solution in Syria, is to eliminate any terrorist presence on her border with this country, which also constitutes the border of Europe and NATO with the Middle East.



Operation Olive Branch, conducted in Afrin against the PKK/PYD/YPG and their associate DAESH, will therefore continue until this goal is fully achieved. At all costs, Turkey will not allow this terrorist organization to occupy Syrian territory on her borderline and will do her best to demonstrate the gravity of their mistake to her allies who falsely think using PKK/PYD/YPG terrorists as mercenaries in their so-called fight against DAESH is a good idea.



Our allies will realize that Turkey is, and will remain, their best ally for the security of Europe and the region.



Mevlut Cavusoglu is the minister of foreign affairs of the Republic of Turkey.




By Yi Whan-woo







Azerbaijan commemorated the 100th anniversary of a massacre by Armenians and adopted a statement accordingly, the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea said Friday.







Citing the statement released by the country's foreign ministry, the embassy said the Day of Genocide of Azerbaijanis in Baku in March 1918 "raises the awareness of the world community to the facts of the massacre and ethnic cleansing of Azerbaijanis in the past and present."







"We strongly condemn the deliberate and continued policy of genocide, crimes against humanity, racial discrimination and ethnic cleansing of Armenia against the people of Azerbaijan and reiterate the importance of ceasing impunity of Armenia to prevent occurrence of such inhumane crimes," the embassy said.


Korea Foundation (KF) President Lee Si-hyung, third from left, poses with ambassadors and other dignitaries from Central European countries during the opening ceremony of the "Visegrad Karma" exhibition at the KF Gallery in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul, Wednesday. From left are Bakelit Multi Art Center's art director Csaba Paroczay, Polish Ambassador to Korea Piotr Ostaszewski, Lee, Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Gabor Csaba, Slovak Ambassador to Korea Milan Lajciak and Kvetoslav Sulek, head of Economic and Commercial Section at the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Seoul / Courtesy of KF



By Yi Whan-woo



The Korea Foundation (KF) and the Hungarian Embassy in Seoul are jointly hosting an exhibition on the fall of Communism in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.



The exhibition, titled "Visegrad Karma," features 60 posters on the political transformation of the former Easter Bloc countries and changes to their regimes in the post-Cold War era.



It began on April 4 and runs until April 25 at the KF Gallery in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul.



It is named after the cultural and political alliance of the four nations known as the "Visegrad Four."



The embassies of the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia are also cooperating with both the KF and Hungary, the rotating chair of the alliance.



This is the first time such posters have been displayed in Korea, according to the KF.



During an opening ceremony on April 4, KF President Lee Si-hyung said the exhibition is expected to "have most powerful impact and truly illustrate the spirit of our countries' alliance."



"Because it represents the first-ever exhibition in Korea showcasing the different viewpoints and techniques of poster artists from the four countries in one place," he said.



He added the exhibition aims to "demonstrate the indispensability of human and cultural rights and show the countries' shared culture and history through the visual language of poster artists."





Hungarian Ambassador to Korea Gabor Csaba delivers a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of the "Visegrad Karma" exhibition at the KF Gallery in Jung-gu, downtown Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of KF
Burley Smith, 89, gives his thoughts on South Korea at the Historic Park of Geoje POW Camp, Friday. / Yonhap





Smith, his family and South Korean government officials at the park / Yonhap



By Jung Min-ho






Scores of Chongshin University students gather at the institution's general pavilion demanding the resignation of Kim Yeong-wu on March 18. Yonhap

By Kim Hyun-bin



The Ministry of Education has demanded the dismissal of Chongshin University's president, Reverend Kim Yeong-wu, who allegedly embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars of the school's funds.



Chongshin University is a well-known theological university in Seoul.



After conducting a survey, the ministry said Sunday Kim wrongfully used the university's finances.



Kim used the institution's revenue from education, which mostly consists of student tuition, to pay for lawsuit costs unrelated to the university.



This accumulated to around 23 million won.



Since September 2016, Kim has been on trial for giving 20 million won to the head of the Presbyterian Church of Korea in exchange for being named to a vice president position.



He is also accused of giving high-end presents to priests and elders of several key churches, who are also unrelated to school affairs.



The total cost of presents added up to roughly 45 million won, which was also taken from the university's funds.



The ministry submitted a request to the university to impose severe disciplinary action against the people involved and recover around 280 million won ($262,000) that was taken out of the institution's education budget.



Last September, Kim was booked without detention for dereliction of duty, but did not report to the university's board of directors. The board failed to take any disciplinary action.



Kim is also accused of single handedly selecting two university special holidays last month without holding a meeting of academic affairs, according to the ministry.



Even with the numerous accusations of wrongdoing, the board re-elected Kim as university president last December without going through the proper nomination process.



The education ministry said it has decided to cancel the appointments of the institution's 18 board members including the director.



Students have been protesting at the university's general pavilion since late January demanding the resignation of Kim Yeong-wu as university president.



However, the board hired contract workers to suppress the student protests and broke through windows of the general pavilion to enter the building.



In the process, clashes have occurred between the students and the contract workers.



Chongshin University is also accused of unfairly hiring three professors without abiding by the institution's regulations.



The ministry plans to request prosecutors begin an official investigation of Kim and 10 university board members for their alleged dereliction of duty.


Moon Jae-in poses with the late President Roh Moo-hyun after being appointed senior presidential secretary for civil affairs in 2004. / Korea Times file photo



By Jung Min-ho

It was a freezing day in December. About 14,000 North Korean refugees got on the U.S. ship, SS Meredith Victory, at the besieged port of Hungnam in North Korea.

Only hours before Chinese and North Korean communist forces swept into the area, Captain Leonard LaRue ordered to unload almost all of the arms and military supplies from the ship to take aboard as many refugees as possible.

The parents of Moon Jae-in, now the president of Korea, were among the 14,000 who arrived on Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province on Christmas Eve in 1950.

So when Yoo Seong-min of the Bareun Party asked whether Moon considers North Korea as the primary enemy of the South during a TV debate for presidential candidates, he could not say he does. For Moon  and many others, the question can't be answered simply with a yes or no. It was the homeland his parents missed for the rest of their entire lives, and it still is home to tens of millions of innocent people enduring dictatorship.



Right-wing politicians have been trying hard to paint him as a "North Korea sympathizer." They aren't entirely wrong, but he also deeply appreciates the American captain who saved the lives of his parents, Moon wrote in his biographical book, "From Destiny to Hope."

Moon was born in 1953, months before the end of the Korean War. Since as early as he can remember, life was always hard. His father and mother worked day and night but the future never looked bright.

As a boy, Moon had to wait in line for corn flour and milk powder given out by Catholic churches. He didn't like doing it, but he liked the nuns who were always nice to him.

So when he entered the prestigious Gyeongnam Middle School in Busan, Moon was shocked to see rich classmates who ate different food and lived in different houses. Around that time, he became aware of social inequality.





During his high school years at Kyungnam High School in Busan / Korea Times file photo



His father was a man of few words, but he often expressed his political opinions to his family, which influenced Moon to shape his own beliefs.

Moon participated in his first anti-government protest in 1969 when then-President Park Chung-hee, the father of former president Park Geun-hye, tried to revise the Constitution to pave the way for his third term.

After entering the College of Law at Kyung Hee University in 1972, Moon continued the fight against the strongman, who declared the Yushin Constitution that year to extend his hold on power.














Calls grow for expanded welfare program



By Lee Kyung-min



A woman and her daughter have been found dead more than two months after the mother's murder-suicide due to financial difficulties following her husband's suicide five months earlier. The woman, 41, first killed her daughter, 4, whose body was close to her own.



According to police, Sunday, the woman, 41, whose identity is being withheld, was dead in her bed next to her daughter in their home in Jeungpyeong, North Chungcheong Province, Friday. Police had received a report from the apartment manager, who noticed the woman had failed to pay her monthly management fees over the past few months and had been out of contact with her neighbors. Police said a note near the bodies read, "I can't go on living all by myself. I will take my daughter with me." Police have requested an autopsy to determine the cause of their deaths.

Police believe her financial woes worsened after the husband committed suicide last September amid an ongoing struggle to pay tens of millions of won _ tens of thousands of dollars _ of debt.



The woman, police said, had no way of paying the debt left by her husband who had barely made ends meet from digging ginseng, the root of plants used for some herbal remedies. Police said the woman had failed to pay about 60,000 won ($56) rent for months as well as other bills for electricity, water and liquefied natural gas.



This incident is similar to the deaths of a mother and her two daughters who all three committed suicide four years ago in Songpa, Seoul. The three were found dead in February 2014, leaving behind an envelope that contained 700,000 won and a suicide note that read, "We are so sorry. The 700,000 won is for the unpaid rent and utility bills." The mother in her 60s continued to struggle to support her two daughters, who had diabetes and high blood pressure, long after her husband died in 2002 of bladder cancer, the treatment for which nearly bankrupted the family. The household was denied state welfare support because the two adult daughters were deemed "able to work."



The tragedy prompted a revision in the law last year to expand the state welfare subsidy program for people in the lowest income bracket. Under the measure unveiled by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last August, a three-year (2018-2020) comprehensive welfare program guarantees the welfare subsidy for up to 2.52 million people (1.61 million households), up 890,000 people, from the current 1.63 million. A total of 4.8 percent of the people will be eligible for the basic welfare program, up 1.6 percent, from the current 3.2 percent. Under the basic welfare program, households earning less than 30 percent of the median income receive a monthly state subsidy. The amount is based on the number of family members and whether they are on other state support programs.



The ministry said it would gradually revise the law that disqualifies people whose immediate family members have stable income or property from receiving the welfare subsidy. The law has long been criticized for impoverishing people over 65, most of whom must depend heavily on their adult children who are often reluctant to provide support. The ministry also plans to help the vulnerable with daily expenses, housing and medical expenses. The ministry said it would increase monitoring of high-income earners or people with expensive property who avoid paying health insurance premiums. Many of these people register their sons and daughters _ who are salaried workers _ as dependents.




By Kim Rahn





Lee Hee-ho
As dawn approaches photographers use a light to illuminate cherry blossoms in bloom, with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial seen behind, at the Tidal Basin in Washington, DC, USA, 06 April 2018. The 2018 National Cherry Blossom Festival is underway with blossoms having already peaked. Rain and possibly one to three inches of snow is forecast to fall in the nation's capital, 07 April, which could wrap up the current bloom. EPA


Martin Luther King's legacy _ relevance of past realities



By Arthur I. Cyr



April 4 this year is the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, a remarkably durable as well as influential civil rights leader. We honor his personal courage and his political impact, for excellent reasons.



Initially, King was reluctant to lead beyond his local community, concerned the crusade might ultimately cost his life. Nonetheless, he took on the national effort, and persevered continuously until his assassination in the spring of 1968.



People recognized his leadership qualities while he was still young. Striking rhetorical skill was one key ingredient, cast in charismatic delivery. He was also often, though not always, a shrewd strategist.



To reflect usefully on King's legacy, accurate understanding of his life is essential. Especially in the case of a martyred leader, there is a natural tendency to idealize and therefore distort history. That is unfortunate for two reasons. First, oversimplifying the complexity of human existence can easily diminish the person described. The leader seems less consequential as the internal personal as well as external ordeals that define courage are erased.



Second, oversimplifying past times limits our contemporary capacity to draw the most accurate and therefore best lessons for the future. Martin Luther King was not a saint; he was a great leader.



As political passions and social turmoil intensified during the 1960s, a once broadly unified civil rights effort fractured badly. King preached unity, but confronted almost constant divisiveness. His Southern Christian Leadership Conference preached racial integration and nonviolence. Various other less prudent organizations seized the stage. The Congress of Racial Equality staked out much more militant ground. The separatist Black Panther Party, always a very small fringe group, nonetheless garnered enormous media attention through alarming rhetoric and occasional violence.



The fact that Dr. King endures from that era, so sharply defined, testifies to the value of both his message and his efforts. The ecumenical March on Washington in August 1963 continues to be visibly remembered because of the enormous scale of the pilgrimage, and the timing. Immediately thereafter, President John F. Kennedy moved from caution to active support of major civil rights legislation.



As this implies, King's efforts were part of a broad current of great change in American race relations. In 1955, Rosa Parks helped spark the modern civil rights movement by refusing to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery Alabama. She and others built the foundation for King's later efforts.



Fully making this point requires discussing noteworthy elected government leaders. President Lyndon B. Johnson secured passage of major civil rights legislation in 1964 and 1965, with vital help from Senate Republican leader Everett Dirksen. Equally important today is President Harry S. Truman's historic decision in 1948 to desegregate the armed forces.



Also in 1948, at the Democratic national convention, young Minneapolis Mayor Hubert H. Humphrey pressed to include civil rights in the party platform. Many advised Humphrey against this; he persevered successfully.



In the resulting maelstrom, Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina and Southern delegates bolted the convention. They established the breakaway Dixiecrat Party, with Thurmond the presidential nominee, and won Deep South states in the fall election. Despite this, President Truman secured reelection.



This set the stage for King's pivotal role. Without him our nation might have pursued a far worse course. His message is important to recall in evaluating current events and leaders, including those duly elected, duly appointed and self-appointed.



Arthur I. Cyr (acyr@carthage.edu) is Clausen Distinguished Professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU Press and Macmillan).











Arthur I. Cyr

Director, Clausen Center

Clausen Distinguished Professor

Carthage College

Kenosha, WI 53140-1994

Tel. 262 551 5750




By Dirk Helbing



ZURICH _ The world is being battered by technological disruption, as innovations such as big data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, the Internet of Things, blockchain, 3D printing, and virtual reality change how societies and economies work.



Individually, each of these technologies has the potential to transform established products, services, and associated support networks. Taken together, they will upend old business models and institutions, heralding a new era of economic, social, and political history. How will we respond?



Major economic transformations typically produce far-reaching change. During the first Industrial Revolution, in the 18th and 19th centuries, new manufacturing processes eventually led to huge improvements in human wellbeing.



As productivity increased, salaries and living standards rose. But, early in the process, mechanization brought negative consequences, like unemployment, child labor, and environmental degradation.



The social and political impact of the digital revolution could be even more dramatic. Wars and revolutions may erupt, and values like human rights and civil liberties could be undermined. As my colleagues and I noted in a recent article in Scientific American, the more computers know about us, "the less likely our choices are to be free and not predetermined by others" _ as long as informational self-determination is impossible.



Fortunately, the loss of individual autonomy is not inevitable. It is possible to engineer a more responsible digital future. But we must start doing so immediately. Success requires public discourse, digital enlightenment and emancipation, and broader awareness of technology's risks. In other words, the transition we are facing is bigger than any one country or organization can manage alone. We all have something at stake: our future.



There are obvious dangers in letting technological progress alone drive this change. In 2008, Wired editor Chris Anderson suggested that big data would eventually reveal all truth, without requiring science or theory. Clearly, that hasn't happened.



With more data at their disposal, scientists find more patterns to study; it takes science to judge which are meaningful and which are misleading. The expectation that AI would overcome human weaknesses such as bias has also fallen short. Today, many AI systems discriminate against people, and can even be manipulated.



Other predictions of the new "digital society" were equally off-base. So-called smart cities _ in which urban life is automated _ have so far failed to live up to expectations. That's because cities are not simply giant supply chains; they are also spaces for experimentation, creativity, innovation, learning, and interaction.



Finally, while the "platform economy," and its reliance on the internet, computation, and data, has given rise to some of the most valuable companies in the world, it has also turned many citizens into passive consumers. The irony of hyper-connectivity is that people are less discerning not only about the products they buy, but also with the information they consume. It is, after all, this "attention economy" that spawned "fake news."



Simply put, our digital utopia will not arrive unaided. We need a more ethical approach to engineering technology, one that integrates constitutional, cultural, and moral norms and values into artificial and autonomous systems. An "ethically aligned," "value-sensitive" design approach is needed in every aspect of technological development _ from smart devices to the software that supports our governments and markets.



For example, if democracy is to remain a viable political model, the information systems that democratic governments use must be designed to support human rights, dignity, self-determination, pluralism, division of responsibility, transparency, fairness, and justice.



To achieve this democratic digital future, the world needs to change how it thinks about technology. We need to build open, participatory information ecosystems that empower anyone in the global economy to contribute ideas, talent, and resources. In a networked world, where everything we do affects others, we must learn to think beyond ourselves, and pursue cooperation, co-creation, co-evolution, and collective intelligence.



If we progress accordingly, the Fourth Industrial Revolution can be more inclusive than the first; that is the future that my colleagues and I are working toward. For example, at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, we are engineering socially responsible communication networks and urban governance systems, while the FuturICT initiative, an international network of researchers, is applying a multidisciplinary approach to technology development. The goal of both research efforts is to facilitate a more equitable digital future.



We have the ability to engineer technology that serves us, rather than enslaves us. But building that future demands a new digital zeitgeist, whereby social, cultural, environmental, and ethical values become part of the design process. Innovations and revolutions are often upsetting and tumultuous, but in the digital age, they can also be responsible.



Dirk Helbing is a professor of computational social science at ETH Zurich, and the scientific coordinator for FuturICT. Copyright belongs to Project Syndicate (www.project-syndicate.org).






By Timothy L. O'Brien



The Trump Era began when the future president descended into Trump Tower's lobby on June 16, 2015, aboard an escalator. He launched his campaign there with a speech in which he promised, among other things, to build a "great, great wall on our southern border."



Trump has clung to that idea ever since. On Wednesday he vowed to send the National Guard to the southern border to patrol the area until the wall, which hasn't been built, is built.



Trump also vowed in that 2015 speech that "nobody would be tougher on ISIS than Donald Trump." Trump has held on to that idea too, successfully deploying troops in Syria to help push the terrorist group out of about a third of the country. But the ongoing challenge of stabilizing those areas so that Islamic State, or any other terrorist group, won't return, still presents Trump's team with complex policy challenges.



Trump also campaigned on a promise of avoiding military entanglements overseas. To that end, he said last week that he'd pull U.S. troops out of Syria "very soon." That statement reportedly surprised his own White House staff as well as seasoned military advisers like Defense Secretary James Mattis. On Tuesday, after huddling with Mattis and others, Trump agreed not to pull out troops until Islamic State is "defeated" (however that may end up being defined).



Trump's 2015 speech also gave him an opportunity to slag China, which he described back then as an even "bigger problem" than Islamic State. "When was the last time anybody saw us beating, let's say, China in a trade deal? They kill us," Trump said. "I'll bring back our jobs, and I'll bring back our money."



Yep, that promise is still alive and well, too. Trump stirred up a nascent trade war between the U.S. and China last week, sending financial markets into a series of tailspins and recoveries. On Thursday evening, he ordered the U.S. Trade Representative to consider imposing $100 billion in tariffs on Chinese products  on top of tariffs covering $50 billion worth of Chinese goods that he proposed on Tuesday. Those moves sandwiched China's own salvo; on Wednesday, it announced a 25 percent tariff on about $50 billion of U.S. goods.



While the president tries to make good on his pledge to beat China at trade deals, that particular war is also freighted with complexities and perils he didn't understand and probably didn't even consider back on the campaign trail. As my Bloomberg Gadfly colleagues David Fickling and Shuli Ren have noted, China's tariffs include U.S. goods like cars, soybeans, plastics, tobacco, sorghum and chemicals largely produced in Midwestern and Southern states that are home to workers who will cast pivotal votes in midterm elections and beyond.



Last month, Trump authorized tariffs on aluminum and steel imports. While benefiting domestic producers, the move also has increased costs for U.S. factories that buy raw materials from overseas. The profit squeeze has forced the National Association of Manufacturers to ask Trump to seek a truce in his trade war with China. Instead, the president has threatened to escalate it (while simultaneously negotiating numerous exceptions to some levies), putting him at odds with some of his advisers and members of his own party who support free trade.



All three of these moments  the wall, Syria, and tariffs  reveal Trump as the circus acrobat he's always been, captured in mid-flight last week as he tries to swing safely from one policy trapeze to another.



The president is used to being a performance artist, of course, and he relishes the role. His entire presidential campaign resembled the reality TV performances that helped salvage his faltering business career, and the historic turnover of his White House personnel echoes his signature TV line, "You're fired."



But the transition from reality TV to presidential reality is tricky for Trump because he never acquaints himself with the substance of policy issues he'd have to master if he really wanted to deliver on the grandiose, divisive promises that fueled his campaign.



Trump first leapt into the public eye decades ago on the back of what he called "truthful hyperbole," his willingness to dissemble about his business accomplishments to get good press. Playing that game instead of managing his operations effectively unwound his real estate and casino holdings in the 1990s and almost left him personally bankrupt. He would have remained a punchline had "The Apprentice" not come along in 2004 and rehabilitated him.



Trump offered voters heaps of hyperbole as he dissembled his way through the 2016 campaign. He now has the federal government, an economy, and national security to tend to  and promises to keep. Everything that follows from here will be a referendum on whether or not the reality TV star who glided down an escalator at Trump Tower nearly three years ago can get away with running a reality presidency.



Timothy L. O'Brien is the executive editor of Bloomberg Gadfly and Bloomberg View. He has been an editor and writer for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, HuffPost and Talk magazine. His books include "TrumpNation: The Art of Being The Donald." The above article was distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.


China should not ease sanctions against N. Korea



North Korean leader Kim Jong-un's recent visit to China and his summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping raised concerns his diplomatic offensive might weaken international sanctions against his nuclear program. Now, such concerns have become reality.



According to a Radio Free Asia (RFA) report on Tuesday, North Korean laborers barred under U.N. sanctions from working abroad are moving back to China. The nonprofit broadcaster quoted an ethnic Korean as saying about 400 female North Korean workers were sent to Helong, a city in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, China's northeastern Jilin Province.



RFA also quoted a source in Dandong, a Chinese port city on the Yalu River across from North Korea, saying he saw buses carrying North Korean workers arrive from the North's Sinuiju on March 30.



The Voice of America (VOA) carried a similar report on Saturday. It quoted William Brown, an adjunct lecturer at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service, saying it made sense Kim would go to China to beg for relief.



Brown, a former U.S. intelligence officer, said, "And it would also make sense that China would give him a little bit of relief." The broadcaster added Brown thought Xi could have softened sanctions in return for Kim's agreement to halt ballistic missile or nuclear tests.



The reports have yet to be confirmed. But if they are true, China cannot avoid criticism for violating a U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in September 2017 right after the North's sixth nuclear test. The resolution prohibits companies from hiring North Korean workers. Another UNSC resolution, passed three months later, requires all North Korean workers overseas to return home within two years.



The problem does not stop here. Some domestic media reported China had shown signs of easing sanctions since Kim visited Beijing and met Xi in late March. Some North Korean-run restaurants in Dandong, which were closed due to international sanctions, have recently reopened. It was also reported the Chinese border city would soon lift an import ban on North Korean fishery products.



Some experts speculate one of the aims of Kim's China visit was to seek sanctions relief. If the speculation is true, it would deal a blow to U.S.-led efforts to maintain pressure on the North to give up its nuclear program. Weakening of sanctions will no doubt have negative implications for the April 27 inter-Korean summit and the Pyongyang-Washington summit due next month.



U.S. President Donald Trump believes sanctions have begun to bite, bringing Kim to the negotiating table. Trump has vowed to maintain maximum pressure to achieve the complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization of the North. In this regard, China's sanctions relief for Pyongyang would inevitably disrupt the international community's united front against the North.



We urge Beijing to hold fast to sanctions against the North. China should not send the wrong signal to Pyongyang. Beijing must work with Seoul and Washington to make the Kim regime take the path toward denuclearization and peace.




GM Korea union should join self-rescue efforts



The worsening labor dispute at GM Korea is casting a dark cloud over the future of the financially troubled automaker. The labor union has threatened to go on strike unless management accepts its demands over a self-rescue program. The threat, if put into action, would make it more difficult for the company to find a way out of its crisis.



What is at stake is how to share pains arising from drastic restructuring of the carmaker. The company has suffered an aggregate loss of 3 trillion won ($2.8 billion) over the last four years. Of course, management should be held accountable for such a huge loss due to its mismanagement. However, it is time for both management and labor to work together to normalize the company's operations.



The Detroit-based General Motors has proposed to invest $2.8 billion in the Korea unit. It has also promised to allocate two new car models for production in Korea as part of a survival strategy. But GM headquarters has also demanded the Korean government and the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) provide financial support and tax benefits.



Everybody knows such demands are excessive. GM is under criticism for trying to get as many concessions from the Seoul government and KDB ahead of the June local elections. It has even given the impression it would pull out of Korea if the Korean authorities refuse to comply with its demands. It has already announced the shutdown of its Gunsan plant.



Against this backdrop, GM Korea is required to present a self-rescue program, on which the trade union agrees, to the authorities by April 20. If it fails to do so, the company cannot get any support from the government and KDB.



However, the union seems to have gone too far in making its own demands. It said it cannot accept any cut in welfare benefits estimated at 100 billion won ($93.5 million), although it agreed to a freeze in basic salaries. It is strongly against any layoffs over the next 10 years. It also demands management offer company shares worth 30 million won to each worker.



On Thursday, some union workers took over the office of GM Korea President Kaher Kazem at the Bupyeong plant for 15 hours, demanding the payment of bonuses. It is regrettable they wielded violence by smashing chairs into the floor.



We hope management and labor will find a solution through dialogue and compromise. Both sides should realize government support for a troubled firm comes from taxpayer money. They need to humble themselves and act responsibly. Otherwise, their company had better go bankrupt.








Contending formulas of denuclearization



By Tong Kim



Since Kim Jong-un mentioned "a phased approach with synchronized measures towards denuclearization" in a surprise meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on March 26, much discussion has focused on the potential consequences of a Trump-Kim meeting.



U.S. President Donald Trump appears to be looking forward to meeting the North Korean leader, although Kim is yet to respond to Trump's acceptance of his invitation. Kim's motive for a sudden shift from confrontation to dialogue may be because of the effectiveness of sanctions and military threats against the North, but it may also be because of his confidence in negotiating leverage from Pyongyang's nuclear arsenal.



The replacement of H.R. McMaster with John Bolton as U.S. national security adviser raised legitimate concerns, but it was not to change Trump's position on North Korea. McMaster and Bolton both advocated a preventive war, while Mike Pompeo, the nominee for secretary of state, did not. Pompeo, as CIA director, has touted removing Kim Jong-un from the North Korean nuclear programs.



Even if Bolton starts his new job, despite a controversial conflict of interest reported in the press, all the bellicose statements he made in the past should not matter as much as advice he will give Trump. Bolton made this point clear shortly after Trump's announcement of his appointment. Trump does not listen to his advisers. He wants to be unpredictable as the ultimate negotiator with the North.



Trump's primary interest is to denuclearize North Korea once and for all in the shortest time. North Korea is not coming to the table to surrender or to unilaterally disarm its nuclear and missile programs. The Libyan style of "denuclearization first and rewards later" will not work because of the North's lesson from it.



Both sides are aware of what the other side wants. Yet they should listen to each other's intent and views on the very topic of denuclearization. The North Koreans have proven themselves tough negotiators who favor a package deal that can be implemented by a principle of simultaneity: "word for word, and action for action."



In a top-down format of negotiation, Trump and Kim could agree on the goal and direction of denuclearization, defining the meaning of denuclearization and its scope of application, and hopefully on a general road map toward the end state of negotiation. The details on implementation can be left to the lower tiers to work out.



If both leaders have political will, they can even agree on a target date for completing the process of denuclearization or disarmament. Trump may wish to pull off a positive outcome from his meeting with Kim and take it to the next presidential election or even to November elections. Kim may have a similar incentive for his domestic consumption, if he is assured of the security of his country.



However, given the magnitude and complexity of the North's nuclear/missile programs, implementation and verification of any agreement may have to go through a set of gradual phases. The process could be two phases, through freeze and dismantlement or three phases, through freeze, dismantlement and the final disposal of the North's nuclear arsenal.



In view of the North's diplomatic initiatives, the inter-Korean summit on April 27 is expected to produce a positive result that can set the tone for Trump's meeting. In this regard, the South should establish its role as a legitimate party to the denuclearization talks, not simply as a mediator between the North and the U.S.



Seoul should be able to discuss the denuclearization issue bilaterally with Pyongyang and participate in future multilateral negotiations that may include a trilateral summit with Washington and Pyongyang, or the six parties _ China, the U.S., Russia, Japan and the two Koreas. There were reports that Kim Jong-un told Xi Jinping of his interest in returning to the six-party talks.



The format of a comprehensive package deal was used in the 1994 Agreed Framework and the Sept. 19, 2005, statement of the six-party talks. The problem with both agreements was in implementation. North Korea is accused of failing to carrying out its obligations. However, there is plenty of evidence that the U.S. was also responsible for the failures of two landmark agreements on North Korea.



We have gone along a similar path before. We should avoid those things that went wrong in the past. As Ronald Reagan said, we will have to "trust but verify" again. Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula is not impossible. We can still do it for the benefit of peace and prosperity for all.



Tong Kim (tong.kim8@yahoo.com) is a Washington correspondent and columnist for The Korea Times. He is also a fellow at the Institute of Korean-American Studies.


By Jacco Zwetsloot





Growing up in Australia, I never had any significant contact with the military in any form.



Sure, there was that neighbor who had a brother or two in the Army Reserves, and there was that time when someone from the Air Force came to my school to talk about careers, and I asked if one needed to join the Air Force if one wanted to become an astronaut  oh how the other kids laughed.



But apart from that, nothing.



Coming to Korea then was a surprise. In 1996, this country was only just a few years out of being a legitimate "military dictatorship" (some drew the line after President Chun, while others did so after first President Roh Tae-woo), and military service terms in the Republic of Korea Army were still 26 months, 5 months longer than now.



Living up north in Paju for my first year, near the DMZ, I took many bus rides past Korean army bases and occasionally I would see Korean soldiers on maneuvers, or heavy military equipment moving in convoy along the roads.



One day I tried to count how many tanks my bus drove past. I lost count after 20. Helicopters overhead still make me sing the theme tune from "Mash" to myself.



Bus rides in Paju also took me through and past things that I later learned were various kinds of obstacles to slow a North Korean advance in the event of another possible Korean War.



There were concrete blocks between rice paddies, I think a form of "dragon's teeth" fortification. At some points the normally two-lane road narrowed to one lane, which ran between two narrowly spaced, high concrete walls. These were rigged to blow up to cover the road, impeding movement. And at one or two spots on the main highway from Geumchon to Munsan gigantic concrete blocks, perched atop narrow concrete legs, straddled the highway.



Clearly, these were designed to fall on top of all the lanes, but I sometimes worried they might fall on our bus instead. To a non-military type like me, these things all seemed like they would be formidable obstacles in a time of war, but I have since read that military engineers can remove them or get around/over them in next to no time.



On weekends, when traveling from Paju to Seoul, there was always a checkpoint where a soldier would board the bus, salute the driver and passengers, and walk to the back, allowing his eyes to glance at everybody, and then return to the front and exit.



It mystified me for quite some time. Koreans I asked either had no idea what it was all about, or said that maybe they were looking for North Korean spies  on a public bus to Seoul.



Finally, somebody told me that they were probably looking for conscripts who were away without leave (AWOL) from their bases. Any man with short hair and of military age could be expected to have to show a leave pass at a checkpoint, if asked. I'm almost disappointed to say that I never saw anybody challenged or dragged off the bus.



At least twice at a school where I taught I walked into the room where the photocopier was to make some copies, only to find a soldier using it  presumably with permission  to print umpteen copies on onion skin paper.



Soldiers were often on the move, doing training and exercises, so I guessed these copies would have gone to those soldiers either to explain the mission or show the route, or maybe the new lyrics to a campfire song.



In between classes at Bongilchon Middle School, where I taught during the fall of 1996, I would walk up into the hills beside and behind it, and found low trenches and small bunkers.



Once I asked my co-teacher if they were there from the Korean War, and if this was a place where a battle had been fought. He laughed and said there was hardly an area in South Korea where a battle had not been fought, but those trenches were modern, not wartime relics.



I learned later that the now defunct Camp Howze, one of the biggest U.S. military bases in the area, lay on the other side of that hill. I will write specifically about my experience with the American military in another installment.



My one and only visit to a Korean military base took place in spring or summer of 1999. One weekend, my friends Karl, Dawn and I were riding motorbikes one through the countryside of Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, and we wanted to visit Aegibong. It is a peak just above the delta where the Han and Imjin Rivers meet and flow into the Yellow Sea. The Northern Limit Line between North and South Korea runs in the water just 100 or so meters away, and from Aegibong it is a little bit less than 23 kilometers as the crow flies to Gaeseong.



On a clear day you can see quite far into North Korea. Every year around Christmas time, a massive, brightly lit plastic and metal Christmas tree was erected on the peak of Aegibong, and churches would send choirs to sing hymns there, hoping their voices would be carried on the wind across the NLL. The tree, which was 30 meters high, was taken down in 2014 after Kim Jong Il threatened to fire artillery shells at it.



To visit Aegibong, we had to be signed in as guests to the ROK army base on which it sits. We dutifully presented ourselves at the gatehouse with our Alien Registration Cards. No problem, except that motorbikes were not allowed, neither were we permitted to walk the several kilometers to the peak. Only cars or buses could enter. But the guardhouse commander took pity on us, and suggested that t we might enter in someone else's car.



Aegibong was well visited that weekend, so we did not have to wait long. A woman was taking her elderly father, born and raised in Gaeseong, to look over the water at his hometown. It was as close as he had been able to get since the Korean War started.



We three were just one-time tourists, curious for a rare glimpse into the North, but people like him were among the typical Aegibong repeat visitors, longing for a hometown to which they could not return. Sadness hung in the air, and still does.



Jacco Zwetsloot works for HMP Law as Director of Business Innovation

The thoughts in this column do not necessary reflect those of HMP Law.


By Casey Lartigue Jr.



At almost every discussion featuring speakers discussing North Korea, I have heard the question: How much longer can North Korea survive? The usual answer since the early 1990s has been: five to seven years.



Recently, I have detected a change. Instead of five to seven years, a few former members of the North Korean elite have told me that they expect it will be months before Kim Jong-un is out.



Thae Yong-ho, the highest-ranking North Korean diplomat to escape, is emphatic: "Kim Jong-un's days are numbered."

Another former insider told me recently that he expects that Kim Jong-un will be out as early as June. Another predicted there would be a short war between the U.S. and North Korea, but that it would not last long because North Koreans would not fight for Kim Jong-Un.



The timelines are different timelines, but the common point is they are all short.



Why the change? I have heard two main reasons. One is the direct challenge from U.S. President Donald Trump. One analyst pointed to the parallel of the collapse of the once powerful Soviet Union after U.S. President Ronald Reagan's direct challenge revealed the USSR was a paper tiger.



The optimistic analyst said Trump's "fire-and-fury" challenge to North Korea raised the stakes, alarming Kim Jong-Un's backers in China and North Korea.



Kim Jong-Un's surprise trip to China was a desperate attempt to save his regime, trying to assure the North Korean elite that he still had the Chinese government's support.



Instead, the analyst said, Kim Jong-Un returned with nothing and would be stepping down within the next few months.



That leads to the second reason Kim Jong-Un's days are numbered: he has lost the support of the elite.



He went on a reign of terror, including executing his uncle and half-brother, to protect his power base, but instead the elite began defecting and plotting behind his back. His reckless gambit of setting off missiles to scare the world failed because sanctions began squeezing the country even further.



His protectors in China and North Korea lost the little faith they had in him and have reportedly already chosen a successor. Kim boasted of having the nuclear button at his desk, but the North Korean regime has disconnected it.



The analysts are saying that the North Korean system has been doomed for quite some time, and that the leadership has known it. Kim Jong-Un's reckless actions, Trump's direct challenge, and sanctions have caused analysts to shorten the timeline and boldly predict that Kim Jong-Un's reign will not last.



Casey Lartigue Jr. is co-founder of the Teach North Korean Refugees Global Education Center.
By Kang Seung-woo



The nation's antitrust regulator is set to fine Apple for its "unfair" business practices.





Apple CEO Tim Cook / AP-Yonhap
South Korea's IT firms are tapping deeper into the car-sharing industry, market watchers said Sunday, as demand for such services is expected to grow sharply over the upcoming years.

According to the data compiled by Navigant Research, the global market for car-sharing services is expected to grow 21.8 percent annually, eventually to reach US$6.5 billion in 2024.

The Korea Insurance Research Institute also estimated that local car-sharing firms counted 4.8 million people as members in 2016, rising sharply from only 68,000 posted in 2012.

Samjong KPMG expects the South Korean market for car-sharing services will reach 500 billion won (US$467 million) in 2020, compared with 100 billion won posted in 2016.

Car-sharing services are different from car rentals, as they normally charge users for every 10 minutes of use and are booked through smartphone applications.

As the service is expected to connect deeper into the artificial intelligence and self-driving technologies in the future, local IT and communications companies are also forging deeper ties with service providers.

South Korea's No. 2 mobile carrier KT Corp. forged ties with South Korea's No. 2 car-sharing service provider Green Car last month. Under the agreement, KT plans to allow users to reserve cars through its AI speaker.

SK Telecom Co., the top mobile carrier, also joined forces with No. 1 player Socar, applying its remote advanced driver-assistance system (ADAS) solutions to some 200 vehicles.

SK Telecom plans to apply the solution eventually on self-driving cars.

Kakao Corp., the operator of South Korea's most popular mobile messenger KakaoTalk, also acquired car pool startup Luxi, taking its first step into the car-sharing industry.
The Hyundai Motor NEXO hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor



By Park Jae-hyuk



The government's recent decision to freeze the amount of subsidies for hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles (FCEV) has enraged consumers who have already purchased the pollution-free vehicles to reduce the nation's deadly fine dust.



According to the supplementary budget bill that the Ministry of Strategy and Finance unveiled last week, the government has decided to subsidize the owners of only 240 hydrogen FCEVs as planned, while offering an additional 119 billion won ($111.3 million) to the owners of electric vehicles (EV).



The ministry said it could not give benefits to the single manufacturer of hydrogen FCEVs  Hyundai Motor.



However, the government's plan is in sharp contrast to President Moon Jae-in's previous promises made in February, when he was offered a test-ride for the Hyundai Motor NEXO hydrogen fuel-cell SUV on the Seoul-Busan Expressway.



"I decided to make efforts to increase supplies of such futuristic cars as EVs and hydrogen FCEVs," Moon said at that time. "Eco-friendly cars and autonomous driving have already become the general trend."



Considering the extra budget, consumers have now been regarding the President's remarks as empty promises.



They are criticizing the administration for its shortsighted policy, saying the government should put its top priority on commercialization of hydrogen FCEVs that have been known for reducing more pollutants than ordinary EVs.



While the NEXO is equipped with an air-purifying system to eliminate fine dust, ordinary electric cars emit almost the same amount of fine dust as vehicles with combustion engines do.



However, pre-orders for about 900 NEXO SUVs will likely be cancelled for now, given that Hyundai received 1,164 pre-orders for the nation's only hydrogen FCEV as of April 4.



According to the country's largest carmaker, a NEXO costs from 68.9 million won to 72.2 million won, depending on its trim level, but the actual price was expected to be lower than 40 million won due to subsidies from the central and local governments.



If the central government declines to subsidize more hydrogen FCEVs, local governments cannot independently execute their budgets for the extra purchase of the vehicles.



Industry officials pointed out the government's uncooperative behavior would hinder the country from competing with Japan, Germany and China in the development of hydrogen FCEVs.



They said Korea may not maintain the lead in technologies for hydrogen FCEVs without government support.



According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry has recently vowed to push ahead with deregulations on hydrogen infrastructure, development of related technologies and support for building hydrogen power stations.



A consortium of 11 Japanese companies, including Toyota, Nissan, JXTG and Idemitsu also set up a joint venture for construction of a hydrogen refueling network across Japan.



Last year, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the country will build the world's first hydrogen society with an international hydrogen supply network for stable demands.



The Japanese government began a plan to increase the number of hydrogen FCEVs to 40,000 in 2020 from 1,800 last year.


Korean Mart Labor Union members hold a rally in front of Shinsegae headquarters in Seoul, Thursday, to urge Shinsegae Vice Chairman Chung Yong-jin to apologize for the recent deaths of two workers. / Courtesy of the Korean Mart Labor Union





Flowers are laid on a counter at E-mart's Guro branch in Seoul to mourn a cashier's death. / Courtesy of the Korean Mart Labor Union
Police stands guard in a street near a place where a man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a popular restaurant in the old city centre of Muenster, Germany, April 7. / Reuters

Special police search a house after a man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a popular restaurant in the old city center of Muenster, Germany, April 7. / Reuters.



A German man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the old city center of Muenster in western Germany on Saturday, killing two of them before shooting himself dead, police and state officials said.



The vehicle plowed into people seated at tables outside the Grosser Kiepenkerl eatery, a popular destination for tourists in the pretty university city.

Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to Muenster, told German television the suspect was a German citizen and there was "no indication of an Islamist background".

Police spokesman Andreas Bode earlier said: "At 15:27 (1327 GMT), a vehicle drove into the outside area of the restaurant ... three people were killed, 20 injured, and six of those seriously injured."



"The perpetrator killed himself in the vehicle," Bode added.

Reul said the three dead included the perpetrator.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in its online edition that the perpetrator was Jens R., 48, who resided some 2 km (1.2 miles) from the crime scene.

Broadcaster ZDF said police were searching his apartment and that he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the man had psychological problems. The Interior Ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Bode said investigators were looking at the possibility that other suspects fled the scene, though they had no evidence that this was the case, he added.



Bild newspaper said police were searching for two possible additional suspects after witnesses said they had seen two people jump out of the van. Jens R. had no police record, the newspaper said.

"The crime scene investigators are checking out the crime scene, trying to identify, investigate and secure traces. That is our current task," Bode said.

A police spokeswoman said: "The danger is over."

Martin Wiech, who said he had studied in Muenster, told Der Spiegel he had driven there to go shopping and was now unable to return to his car.



"Unbelievable that something like this could happen in Muenster. It is one of the most peaceful cities I know," he said. (Reuters)
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Beverage alcohol one of most destructive substances known to mankind
Hello! Im Mark Olsen. Welcome to another edition of your regular field guide to a world of Only Good Movies.

On this weeks L.A. Times podcast The Reel, Jen Yamato, Justin Chang, Trevell Anderson and I round up a few of the weeks new releases and get into some of the bigger-picture issues they point toward. If I may say so myself, its a good talk and went to some places I for one did not expect.

This is also another week with more worthwhile movies that we could rightfully fit into the main portion of the newsletter. Besides the spotlight titles below, there lots more to see. Kay Cannon makes her feature-directing debut with the revisionist raunch-com Blockers. Arnaud Desplechins Ismaels Ghosts opened, starring the French dream team of Marion Cottilard, Charlotte Gainsbourg and Mathieu Amalric. Jason Clarke plays Ted Kennedy in the scandal drama Chappaquiddick. Directing team Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead released their sci-fi horror hybrid The Endless.

Coming up on April 12, we will have a screening of the Western drama The Rider, followed by a Q&A with Spirit Award-winning writer-director Chloe Zhao and lead actor Brady Jandreau. We have already booked some exciting titles and guests over the next few months, so for info and updates on future events, go to events.latimes.com.

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You Were Never Really Here

As far as Im concerned, Lynne Ramsay is among the greatest and most exciting filmmakers working in the world today. Her latest, You Were Never Really Here, is only her fourth feature in nearly 20 years, and is both a fine-cut jewel and a raw, jagged shard of emotions. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix, an actor whose own affinity for interior states is ideally suited for working with Ramsay, in the story of a hitman/vigilante grappling with his own damage as he goes about his brutal work.

The movie also features music by Jonny Greenwood, recently nominated for an Oscar for his work on Phantom Thread, this time turning in something akin to a chopped and screwed reimagining of a gritty 1970s crime-jazz score.

In his review for The Times, Justin Chang explored the films hypnotic power and the emotional complexity of Phoenixs performance, adding of the character that It may be true that he was never really here, but as this hypnotic, hard-to-shake movie reminds us, in the end were all just passing through.

I interviewed Ramsay and Phoenix together recently about their collaboration on the film. Asked to explain his process as an actor, Phoenix said what is likely among the most genuinely candid things Ive ever heard in an interview.

Honestly, man, I feel like I want to do press and I want to say the things that good actors are supposed to say, Phoenix said. And I want to sound like Im a good actor, real professional, but the truth is that I really dont understand three-quarters of what happens in a movie or why it works or not. And I really like it that way.

At rogerebert.com, Sheila OMalley placed the film within the context of Ramsays other films, writing: In her films, Ramsay digs into the in-between spaces, the voids and vacuums where marginalized or inarticulate people try to understand the codes of a baffling world. Theyre outsiders. Theyre survivors. But Ramsay is a tough cookie and she takes a tough approach. Her films are not exactly pleas for empathy  Ramsay doesnt connect the dots for us.

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At the Village Voice, Bilge Ebiri added, Onscreen, our hero is a shadow, literally and spiritually. And by skirting the edge of oblivion, he has somehow turned his self-loathing and self-negation, all his self-destructive impulses, into a kind of secret power. As much as he needs to break free of his demons, his demons are also partly the reason why hes able to do what he does. Ramsay has taken that terrifying paradox  one that many artists can probably relate to  and turned it into a transcendent, at times almost dangerous film.

A Quiet Place

An inventive horror-thriller directed and co-written by John Krasinski, A Quiet Place is built on solid scares and an unexpected evocation of the strength of family. Krasinski stars along with his real-life wife, the always incredible Emily Blunt, as a couple trying to protect their young children from mysterious, murderous creatures attracted by sound.

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In his review for The Times, Chang wrote: I cant recall the last time I found myself caring as intently for the characters in a horror picture as I did for the family in A Quiet Place, the sensationally gripping and emotional new alien-invasion thriller from the actor and writer-director John Krasinski.

I spoke to Krasinski and Blunt for an article that will be publishing soon. Before this, Krasinski didnt consider himself a fan of scary movies. I definitely am a horror fan now. Im late to the party but I want to stay forever, Krasinksi said. Its such an amazing genre storytelling-wise that Ive been so ignorant to stay away from up until now. In the last few years there have been some of the best movies, period, with these amazing elevated horror movies.

At Time, Stephanie Zacharek said of the movie that Krasinski has made one of the most poetic horror movies of recent years. Its sound design alone is glorious, locating the infinite gradations in that thing we so casually call silence. A Quiet Place, its shivery terrors aside, captures the imperfect textures of family life. Families are complicated even when monsters arent hunting them. And a glance often says more than even a whispered endearment can.

Actor Travis Fimmel, actress Chloe Sevigny, director Andrew Haigh and actor Charlie Plummer from the film Lean on Pete, photographed at the Toronto International Film Festival on Sept. 11, 2017. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times )

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Lean On Pete

Directed by the British filmmaker Andrew Haigh, Lean On Pete is set in the Pacific Northwest, the story of a teenage boy named Charley, a horse named Lean On Pete and a desperate search for connection and a place in the world. Starring Charlie Plummer, Travis Fimmel, Chloe Sevigny and Steve Buscemi, along with Steve Zahn and Amy Seimetz, the movie is a relatively simple story that becomes emotionally devastating and ultimately uplifting.

In his review for The Times, Kenneth Turan wrote: What happens to Charley, the film posits, the bad and the good, is not so much the fault of specific individuals but of the indifferent dead ends built into Americas despairing culture of the underclass. Your heart goes out to this striving, yearning young man, and thats a tribute to the fine filmmaking on display.

Emily Zemler spoke to Haigh, who previously made the films Weekend and 45 Years, about the filmmaker he is and the filmmaker he still can be. Im becoming more confident in realizing the type of filmmaker I am and that thats not going to be for everybody, he said. You cant expect to connect with everybody and thats all right. The more I make films Im learning that you dont have to make films for everybody. A film can be made for a smaller group of people than that and it still warrants an existence.

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At the New York Times, Manohla Dargis paid particular attention to Plummers performance and the world of the movie, calling it a very fine movie that I havent stopped thinking about since I saw it, partly because stories about forgotten and mistreated children tend to be reserved for documentaries and foreign-language art cinema. In American movies, children get roughed up plenty, but rarely by poverty.
The composer Nils Frahm. (Alexander Schneider )

Few musicians can take the simple act of walking across a stage and imbue it with as much meaning as Nils Frahm.

The German pianist and composer divided the stage in two at the Immanuel Presbyterian Church in Koreatown on Saturday. On the left, he had a piano and a few vintage keyboards, all at arms reach for melancholic solo passages.

On the right, however, hed built a horseshoe of rack-mounted synthesizers, samplers and cutting-edge electronics, all wired into a central nervous system that synced this tangle of gear together.

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When he moved between them, often midsong, it was a musical gesture in itself. Frahm walked freely between those two worlds all night, and made each feel strange and scintillant all over again.

Frahm is a polymath with few peers in music today. He got his start recording solo piano compositions, which had an otherworldly beauty from the get-go. But once he began melding this craft with the deep analog techno of his Berlin home, he found a very modern new space for his ideas. (Its no coincidence that the album art for All Melody showcases his physical studio as much as its occupant.)

Solo piano requires a certain reverence from the listener; techno is body music that insists you shut up and dance. Somehow, Frahm made these two competing goals interlock, and he unveiled new potential for each.

The bulk of the set came from All Melody, which pulled off the neat trick of making this composer (one so grounded in attention to detail) something of an avant-garde pop star. Frahm can do high drama: Perhaps the best start to his catalog is his score for the 2015 film Victoria, a single-take thriller about a night clubbing in Berlin gone terribly awry.

But on Saturday, he was the cinema. In the total hush of the church, hed tuck into the piano for an Erik Satie-style piece like My Friend the Forest, and the sanctuary filled with a pastoral loneliness. An older track like Hammers showed his intense virtuosity and imagination on piano, and even at his quietest, his playing commanded full attention from the notably young, after-hours-y crowd.

But then minutes later  usually without pause  hed find subtle ways to add heft and context to his playing, and before you knew it, the room was suddenly throbbing with sub-bass and filter-serrated synthesizers, like on the All Melody highlight #2. That was his techno brain at work: being able to see the broad outline of a whole set, one that fills the night with so many moods and possibilities.

It was all but impossible to track how he got from one end of the spectrum to the other. But that was the magic. Frahm wasnt just an incredible player across a range of instruments, any one of which requires a lifetime to truly understand.

He was almost like a surgeon who knows just how all these systems keep a body alive.

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Frahm was witty as a frontman too. At the close of his set, he laid out exactly how his encore was going to be fake, and the whole pop-star performance gambit was an artifice. But even then, as he stood alone onstage, explaining how all these systems worked and what parts were real or a facade, you couldnt look away. And then he walked back across that stage, over to his piano, and he started playing again.

For breaking music news, follow @augustbrown on Twitter.
Authorities say they may have found one of the missing children who likely plunged off a Northern California cliff in a fatal car crash that officials suspect was intentional.

A Washington state couple and three of their children were killed March 26 when their car fell 100 feet off a remote stretch of Highway 1 in Mendocino County into the Pacific Ocean. Investigators pulled five bodies from the wreckage, but havent been able to find the couples other three children  who they believe were also in the car.

On Saturday, a couple vacationing along the Mendocino County coast spotted a body floating in the surf close to the site of the crash, authorities say.

The body appears to be that of an African American girl, but further tests will confirm if its one of the missing children, Mendocino County Sheriffs Lt. Shannon Barney said in a statement. DNA tests could take several weeks, Barney said.

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The three missing children are 15-year-old Devonte Hart, who 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; Hannah Hart, 16; and Sierra Hart, who authorities initially identified as 12 but now say she was 15 at the time of the crash.

Police Sgt. Bret Barnum and Devonte Hart hug at a November 2014 rally in Portland, Ore., where people had gathered in support of protests in Ferguson, Mo. (Johnny Huu Nguyen via Associated Press )

There was no sign of the other two children, authorities say.

It is not uncommon after a significant storm such as the one passing through the north state currently, to bring items to the surface or wash onto the beach, Barney said in a statement.

Authorities believe the missing children were in the car with their parents, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, and their siblings, Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14, when their GMC Yukon dropped onto the rocky Mendocino County shore off Highway 1 near Juan Creek.

The two women, who were married, were found dead inside the car. The three children were found outside, officials said.

California Highway Patrol officials say the fatal plunge appears to have been intentional, based on the lack of skid marks and the fact that the vehicle was at a full stop before accelerating off the cliff. Though the investigation is in its preliminary stages, it appears the SUV had stopped about 70 feet from the cliffs edge, then sped off it, according to the CHP.

Earlier this week, investigators released a timeline of the familys movements after March 23, when their neighbors in Woodland, Wash., reported the parents to social workers with allegations of possible child neglect.

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About 8:15 a.m. the following morning, the family was in the area of Newport, Ore. Investigators believe they continued south along U.S. 101 until they reached California 1 in Leggett. They made it to Fort Bragg about 8 that evening, and stayed there and in the Cleone area until 9 p.m. March 25.

I no longer am calling this an accident, Im calling it a crime, Mendocino County Sheriff Thomas Allman said in an interview Wednesday on HLNs Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield.

soumya.karlamangla@latimes.com

Twitter: @skarlamangla

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Times staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Joseph Serna contributed to this report.

UPDATES:

12:10 p.m.: This article was updated with the correct age of 15-year-old Sierra Hart after Mendocino County sheriffs officials said they had initially misreported she was 12.

This article was originally published at 7:50 p.m.
The paramedics parked their ambulance in downtown Los Angeles during the dark, predawn hours of Sunday, rushing off to help their patient.

When they came back, the vehicle was gone.

Police soon found the missing ambulance about two miles away, crashed a few blocks from MacArthur Park. Whoever had taken the vehicle was gone.

It was the third city emergency vehicle  and second ambulance  stolen within only days.

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Last Tuesday, a woman hopped in an ambulance near downtown L.A.s California Hospital Medical Center and led police on a nearly 40-mile chase before she eventually surrendered in Chino Hills.

Then on Friday, a man jumped into a police SUV that LAPD officers had left behind while they were chasing a vandalism suspect in Hollywood. The thief, whom authorities said was under the influence of narcotics, drove the police vehicle to Woodland Hills, where he was stopped by a spike strip.

The sight of police trailing a pilfered ambulance or one of their own vehicles drew a rapt audience on social media in a city where car chases are a spectator sport.

No single entity tracks the number of ambulances stolen nationwide, experts said, but there are almost monthly news reports of thieves driving off in the emergency vehicles.

In March, a U.S. Marine was arrested in Michigan after allegedly stealing and crashing an ambulance while celebrating his birthday. A month earlier, someone ditched a stolen ambulance by driving it into a river in Florida. Last fall, a woman took an ambulance in Las Vegas, driving 50 miles into California before she stopped.

Emergency response experts said what some might write off as a joyride can pose serious risks.

Without proper training, ambulances are difficult to drive and can cause significant damage or injuries if crashed. They can cost tens of thousands of dollars to repair, even more to replace. And one less ambulance on the road could mean a longer wait for someone who needs critical help.

The thefts can also turn deadly. A paramedic was killed in New York last year after a man hijacked her ambulance and ran over her.

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They are very unusual vehicles in how they perform and how they need to be driven in order to be safe, said Dia Gainor, executive director of the National Assn. of State EMS Officials. They are an inherently dangerous vehicle driven by someone not prepared to handle it.

Sundays theft in Los Angeles happened around 3:25 a.m. as paramedics helped a patient near 7th Street and Grand Avenue, said Officer Rosario Herrera, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles Police Department.

They are an inherently dangerous vehicle driven by someone not prepared to handle it. Dia Gainor, executive director of the National Assn. of State EMS Officials

Paramedics called police to report the missing vehicle, Herrera said, and used a tracking device on the vehicle to pinpoint its location. Authorities found the crashed vehicle at 7th and Rampart Boulevard. There were no apparent injuries caused by the collision.

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No arrests had been made as of Sunday afternoon, the LAPD said.

Peter Sanders, a spokesman for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said the preliminary investigation indicated the ambulance was left running  but locked  and the suspect broke a window to get inside.

Sanders said that the ambulance stolen last Tuesday was outside the emergency room, its engine off, as the paramedics dropped off their patient. After that theft, he said, commanders issued internal directives reiterating preventative and precautionary measures to reduce risk of theft.

Both incidents remain under investigation, Sanders wrote in an email Sunday. Each one is unique.

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Most of the time, people who take ambulances are not really intending to commit any harm but are acting on the spur of the moment, said Vince Robbins, president of the National EMS Management Assn.

Those opportunities can arise in a paramedics regular routine, Robbins said. Some leave their ambulances unlocked to allow for easy access during an emergency. Others will keep the vehicles running to preserve the battery and maintain an appropriate temperature for patients inside.

Its usually the homeless guy that saw the ambulance and got in because he wanted to warm up, or its the person whos been drinking too much, he said. Usually, what we find is that its a joyride.

There are, however, concerns that someone might have more sinister motives in the future, Robbins said. Some experts worry that a stolen ambulance could be used in a terrorist attack, as one was used in a bombing earlier this year in Afghanistan.

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A 2015 bulletin from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security outlined the concern, urging agencies to install tracking devices on emergency response vehicles and to closely monitor their whereabouts.

It is imperative that emergency services organizations continue to educate their personnel and implement best practices to prevent theft of emergency response vehicles and equipment, the memo said.

If an ambulance is stolen, Robbins said, there are a few steps agencies can take to try and prevent it from happening again. Supervisors can remind paramedics to be more diligent. Dispatchers can help monitor the vehicles from afar, using tracking technology to make sure they arent being driven away from scenes.

But the easiest solution, he said, was locking the doors.

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kate.mather@latimes.com

@katemather

UPDATES:

5:45 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about the recent thefts in Los Angeles and elsewhere as well as comments from experts and a city fire department spokesman.

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This article was originally published at 10:50 a.m.
Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has signed an order to send up to 4,000 National Guard troops to to the U.S.-Mexico border but barred them from interacting with migrants detained by the Border Patrol in most circumstances.

The order, issued in response to President Trumps call for using troops to stem illegal immigration, specifies that National Guard troops will assist the Department of Homeland Security along the border but not perform law enforcement missions and will be armed only when necessary for self-defense.

Given the restrictions, its unclear if the Guard units will play a significant role in Trump administration efforts to lock down the border. The Border Patrol has more than 19,000 sworn agents, although not all are assigned in the Southwest, and illegal immigration is at its lowest level in decades.

Trump portrayed it as a victory, however. We are sealing up our Southern Border, he said Saturday on Twitter. The people of our great country want Safety and Security. The Dems have been a disaster on this very important issue!

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Previous presidents have mobilized National Guard troops to help monitor parts of the border. President George W. Bush sent 6,400 troops starting in 2006 and President Obama sent 1,200 in 2010. As with the current deployment, actual policing was left to the Border Patrol, a law enforcement agency.

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing agents, said Guard units could help by freeing agents to do more patrolling to search for smugglers.

We have so many agents working in permanent surveillance duties, in control rooms, watching cameras, he said in an interview. This will free our resources to put more agents in the field.it will increase the certainty of apprehension, which will allow us to target the criminal cartels.

But some critics protested the buildup. In a letter, eight Roman Catholic bishops along the border said they were deeply concerned by the use of the military, saying it distorts the reality of life on the border.

This is not a war zone but instead is comprised of many peaceful and law abiding communities that are also generous in their response to human suffering, they wrote. The harsh rhetoric from the Trump administration, they added, promotes the dehumanization of immigrants, as if all were threats and criminals.

The deployment was announced late Friday in a joint statement by Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirsjen Nielsen. Working closely with the border governors, the Department of Homeland Security identified security vulnerabilities that could be addressed by the National Guard, they said.

The troops will be under state control, but the cost of deploying them will be paid out of the Defense Department budget through the fiscal year than ends in September, according to the order, which was released by the Pentagon. The order did not say where the troops will be deployed along the 1,954-mile border, or which Guard units would be used.

In California, the federal request for troops is still being reviewed but no new California National Guard troops have been sent to the border, according to Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat. Some Guard troops already are deployed on the border for counter-drug operations.

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Texas Gov. Greg Abbot, a Republican, ordered 250 National Guard soldiers deployed to the border within 72 hours, and said additional troops would be called up to join them as soon as next week. Two helicopters lifted off Friday night from Austin, the state capital, to head south.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, another Republican, said his state would deploy about 150 Guard members next week to provide support operations such as air surveillance, reconnaissance and construction of border infrastructure.

But governors of several states that dont sit on the border resisted, signaling potential obstacles in meeting the presidents goal of a surge of 4,000 troops.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, opposed the plan. After consulting with the general in charge of the states National Guard, Sandoval decided there was no appropriate mission definition to justify sending troops, according to his spokeswoman, Mary-Sarah Kinner.

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Further north, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said on Twitter that she would decline any request to send troops, saying she was deeply troubled by Trumps plan to militarize the border.

Administration officials have scrambled to work out the details of the operation since Trump abruptly announced Tuesday that he planned to send the military to help fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Trump has been frustrated that the Republican-led Congress has refused to fully fund his plan to build a border wall. Mexico also has rejected his demands that it pay for the wall.

The Pentagon has not provided an estimate for the cost of the military operation, and it is unclear whether all 4,000 of the Guard members authorized will be mobilized.

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Under federal law, troops are barred from performing law enforcement duties in most circumstances, and the order appears to restrict them to a support role unless Mattis authorizes a wider mission.

National Guard personnel will not perform law enforcement activities or interact with migrants or other persons detained by [Department of Homeland Security] personnel without your approval, the order drafted for Mattis and signed by him reads.

The order adds that troops will carry weapons only in circumstances that might require self-defense.

Its unclear what operations or missions troops will perform along the border that might require them to carry weapons.

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Though barred from interacting with migrants, troops could theoretically be part of joint patrols with Border Patrol officers that could carry risk. Few migrants crossing the border are armed but some patrols focus on interdiction of drug smugglers.

Pentagon spokeswoman Dana W. White told reporters Thursday that planners are looking at sending National Guard units that can assist with aviation, engineering, surveillance, communications, vehicle maintenance and logistics support.

Lt. Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie, Jr., the director of the Pentagons Joint Staff, said the militarys preference was for the troops to be armed for self-protection, as National Guard units used along the border have been in the past.

But an 18-year-old American was killed by a Marine near the U.S. border in 1997, an incident that led to a temporary suspension of troop patrols near the border.

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Gen. Joseph Lengyel, chief of the Pentagons National Guard Bureau, which oversees state Guard organizations, said on Twitter that up to 500 reservists are now headed to the border, equipped with vehicles, helicopters and other equipment.

Despite Trumps repeated warnings about rampant illegal immigration, the number of people apprehended crossing the border  generally considered a roughly accurate gauge of illegal crossings  has fallen sharply in recent years and is now at the lowest ebb since 1971, about one-fifth the level of the late 1990s, according to Border Patrol data.

In fiscal year 2017, about 304,000 individuals were apprehended along the U.S.-Mexico border, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. Thats down from 409,000 in 2016, 331,000 in 2015, 331,000 in 2015, and 479,000 in 2014.

Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions on Friday instructed U.S. prosecutors along the U.S.-Mexico border to get tougher on filing criminal charges against people in the country illegally, ordering them to adopt a zero tolerance policy.

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To those who wish to challenge the Trump Administrations commitment to public safety, national security, and the rule of law, I warn you: illegally entering this country will not be rewarded, but will instead be met with the full prosecutorial powers of the Department of Justice, Sessions said in a statement.

Soon after taking office last year, Sessions instructed prosecutors to be aggressive about filing charges against immigrants in the U.S. without authorization, instead of allowing them to be sent back to Mexico without facing criminal charges.

But the policy did not produce a surge in such arrests. Charges for immigration offenses declined 4.9 % in February, though they were up 14 % from the same month last year, according to data analyzed by the Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, a research organization at Syracuse University.

Staff writer John Myers in Sacramento contributed to this report.

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david.cloud@latimes.com

joseph.tanfani@latimes.com
In the climax of a fight that pitted foes of sex trafficking against advocates of free internet speech, the Justice Department on Friday seized the Backpage.com website and raided the home of its cofounder.

The site, long a haven for sex ads, began shutting down Friday morning, as FBI agents began taking down a network of web pages all over the world . A notice on the site said it had been seized as part of an enforcement action by the FBI, the IRS and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.



For the record: An earlier version of this story said a new law allows states to crack down on websites that assist or support sex trafficking. That measure was passed by Congress but is not yet signed into law.

Agents raided the Sedona, Ariz., home of Michael Lacey, the sites cofounder, according to local media reports, but federal authorities would not comment on criminal charges.

The website Backpage.com was seized by the FBI on Friday.

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Backpage.com has long been under fire from state attorneys general, organizations that fight child sex trafficking and victims of the prostitution business who have tried to sue the company for damages. California prosecutors filed state criminal charges against Backpage last year, but that case and others foundered because of protections in the federal Communications Decency Act, written to protect free speech on the internet.

Congress moved to strip away that shield late last month with a measure to carve out an exception in the communications law after a high-volume political battle. When signed into law by President Trump, the measure will allow states to proceed against websites that knowingly assist or support sex trafficking.

Silicon Valley trade groups and free-speech advocates such as the ACLU fought the new measure, warning that it would create havoc by forcing companies to try to get a handle on wild online speech.

But those arguments were overwhelmed by stories from teenagers about being sold for sex on Backpage. A letter from attorneys general around the country said they had evidence of teenagers being trafficked on the site.

Advocates for victims of trafficking said the takedown of Backpage was long overdue  especially since the Communications Decency Act never restrained federal prosecutions, only state ones.

You heard the stories over and over and over again from kids who were sold there, said Carol Smolenski, executive director of ECPAT USA, an anti-trafficking group. Its ridiculous that kids could be sold on the internet openly. It was outrageous.

A report last year by the Senate Homeland Security Committee found that the website employed software to automatically strip language in ads that pointed to underage girls, including lolita, little girl and amber alert. The ads were then published without those stripped words, the report found.

The report also found that Lacey and other owners, although they reportedly sold Backpage.com to a foreign company, retained significant control through a web of shell companies.

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joseph.tanfani@latimes.com

Twitter: @jtanfani
Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi is not welcome in Trump country, which was probably one reason another top Democrat  her long-term rival Steny H. Hoyer  was zipping through Republican-friendly corners of western Wisconsin this last week.

Hoyer, the Maryland centrist and perpetual leader-in-waiting in the House of Representatives, was on a mission to woo blue-collar voters and help his party win back control of the House.

He was also looking for what could be his last shot.

Would I like to be speaker? Of course. Would I be disappointed if it doesnt happen? No, the No. 2 House Democrat said by phone, reflecting on his long career as he cut through snow-covered rolling hills, a world away from his Chesapeake Bay home turf.

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Hoyer has been eyeing the top spot for more than a decade, living in the shadow of a San Francisco Democrat who has a white-knuckle grip on power. Now, as the party wrestles with its ideological impulses and younger lawmakers push for a generational shift  both he and Pelosi are 78 years old  Hoyer may be looking for one more play.

Replacing one longtime leader with another is not what many Democrats have in mind. Still, Hoyer is actively, if quietly, seeking lawmakers support. His allies put him forward as a possible bridge leader, who might ease a transition to a next generation  if Pelosi ever steps aside. Others find farfetched the notion that a white, male centrist from blue Maryland would be the new face of the Democratic Party.

Those questions, Hoyer insisted, are for another day. On Thursday, he was dashing to keep a lunch date at the Eau Claire Area Chamber of Commerce in Wisconsin to listen to a crowd of Midwestern voters, including some who voted for Donald Trump.

Im going in to talk to Americans, he said. Its not Trump country or Hoyer country. These are Americans.

As Democrats battle to win back some two dozen House seats, the fight for majority control is also a struggle between the liberal and centrist wings over how best to frame the partys image and priorities in the age of Trump.

Several House candidates face bruising primary contests this spring that will showcase the divide. But perhaps nowhere is it more apparent than in the simmering saga of House Democratic leadership.

Younger lawmakers talk about sweeping all the top leaders from office as they hunger for fresh faces. New York Rep. Joseph Crowley is among those often mentioned among up-and-comers, but others are in the wings, and a person close to him said he is focused right now on helping Democrats win the House.

Pelosi, meanwhile, shows no signs of retiring, especially as she has the chance to wield the speakers gavel if Democrats regain the House. Nearly a year younger than Hoyer  they were on staff together in the Capitol decades ago  Pelosi is undeterred by the constant chatter or year-round GOP attack ads pillorying her leadership.

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Asked recently how she felt about potential votes against her from Democrats like Conor Lamb, who won a special election in a Trump district in Pennsylvania but said he wouldnt back Pelosi for speaker, she quipped that its just not as important as winning the seat and the House majority.

That leaves Hoyers allies floating the unusual idea of him becoming a short-term leader  someone who could temporarily take the helm, if and when Pelosi steps down, to ease the transition.

Its a hard sell.

While few lawmakers or aides will talk openly about whats to come, some dismissed the idea as setting up a lame-duck leader who would have little control over the caucus and only prolong the day when younger members could rise.

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Republicans scoff at Hoyers attempt influence the fall midterm by swooping in to Trump districts to drum up support for Democrats.

Its not like... Ladies and gentlemen, the minority whip! and he comes out to strobe lights, said Matt Gorman, a spokesman for the GOPs campaign committee in the House. People dont know who Steny Hoyer is.

Then again, Hoyers ability to show up with his Make it in America listening tour cant hurt. He has stopped in Pittsburgh; Toledo, Ohio; Kansas City, Mo., and other places this election cycle; and while he may not move masses, lawmakers welcome his ability to make inroads in places where Democrats dont always tread.

Steny Hoyer went to Peoria, Ill. Its sort of the epicenter of America, said Rep. Cheri Bustos, who represents a Trump-won district in northwestern Illinois and is also often mentioned for a future party leadership role.

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We have to pick up 23 seats to win back the majority, and most of those are right here in the heartland of America. This is where we need to pay attention.

As Hoyer made his way to Eau Claire in the last week, he spotted an outbuilding on the landscape that reminded him of the tobacco barn on his own property back home in Mechanicsville, Md., in the southern part of the state where he is seeking reelection to a 20th term in office.

Im glad that people welcome me to our districts, he said. We are the party of the people, we are the party of workers ... men and women in this country who are the reason this country is great  historically, and now.

Hosting his arrival was Rep. Ron Kind, one of four Democrats who voted against Pelosi during the last leadership race, at the Chamber of Commerce luncheon.

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Stenys been at the forefront of this. The message works incredibly well around here, Kind said in an interview. Showing up, being respectful and listening.
YouTube is worried you might believe too much of what you see on its website. Amid the clamor for someone, somewhere to do something about fake news, the company plans to attach information cues  excerpts from Wikipedia  to videos that touch on a list of well-known internet conspiracies.

When YouTube, Facebook or Twitter cracks down on some form of expression  conspiracy theories, radical rants, terrorist propaganda  some of the targets inevitably complain that their freedom of speech is under attack. (This feeling of victimhood may be what sent Nasim Aghdam to YouTube headquarters, gun in hand.) There is a strong retort to this: These are private platforms with a right to decide what they publish. It is no more a violation of the 1st Amendment for YouTube to muzzle a channel it finds offensive than it is for this newspaper to refuse to run a column calling for Minnesota to invade Wisconsin.

But what if a private platform suppresses speech because its afraid the government might otherwise step in?

Just as one effective end-run around the 4th Amendment is to ask private companies for data they slurped up on their own, the 1st Amendment can be sidestepped when officials pressure the private sector into self-censorship. The end result can be rules more restrictive than the companies would impose on their own  and more intrusive than the government could get away with if it tried to impose them directly.

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Its happened before.

The Supreme Court ruled in 1915 that free-speech protections did not apply to the movies, a decision rightly reversed in 1952. In the interim, the industry opted to stave off federal regulation by establishing a series of self-censorship systems. The most powerful of these was the Production Code, which was created in 1930 but didnt really grow teeth until 1934, when Congress was mulling several bipartisan bills to tone down motion picture content. Hollywood got the message. Under the code: Seduction was never the proper subject for a comedy, plots couldnt involve sex relationships between the white and black races, and the drug trade should not be brought to the attention of audiences, among other tight constraints.

The 1st Amendment can be sidestepped when officials pressure the private sector into self-censorship.

Some filmmakers found ways to subtly subvert the restrictions. Many others threw up their hands and let their films be bowdlerized.

The Federal Communications Commission directly regulates much of what can and cannot be said over the public airwaves. But private radio and television networks also have created their own internal Standards and Practices departments that control content, sometimes at absurd levels of caution. (Early network censors objected to terms as mild as bloody, bollixed and the W.C.)

Broadcasters are not eager to offend their audiences, so some version of Standards and Practices would probably exist even without the FCC. But the desire to stay on regulators and legislators good side has clearly been at work in those departments decisions as well. You can tell because the self-imposed rules eased up when federal content controls were relaxed in the 1980s.

The comic book industry adopted a Comics Code after the Senate Subcommittee on Juvenile Delinquency held a hearing in 1954 on their products alleged role in fostering crime. The immediate effect was to infantilize the industry, forcing a range of popular horror titles into the dustbin. The parental advisory labels affixed to CDs were invented following another Senate circus, the porn rock hearings of 1985. The stickers kept some records out of certain stores, and prompted some producers to edit songs or change album lineups to avoid the restrictions. In 1993, another set of Senate hearings inspired a comparable ratings system for video games.

Those moves havent had as much force as the rules adopted by Hollywood and the broadcasters, but thats because the threat of direct federal censorship wasnt as strong. A sort of censorship by proxy was just as clearly in effect.

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Now its social medias turn. During last years hearings on Russian-sponsored online speech, Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) was overt about it. You created these platforms, and now theyre being misused, she told representatives from Facebook, Google and Twitter. And you have to be the ones who do something about it  or we will.

Consider the Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act, which has now passed both houses of Congress. By making internet platforms legally liable for the things users post on them, the law encourages sites to crack down indiscriminately on all sorts of sexual discussions  including, ironically, online spaces where sex workers share information that helps them protect themselves against abuse. Risk-averse companies will have every incentive to police their users activities with a heavy hand, deploying algorithms that casually sweep up any posts that contain the wrong keywords. Or theyll just eliminate potentially dicey forums altogether, as Craigslist and Reddit did as soon as the bill passed.

And thats just whats happening in America. Stronger pressure is coming in countries whose legal protections arent as robust as ours. In Germany, a law requires companies to remove hate speech from their platforms within 24 hours or face potentially crippling fines. Sites have subsequently squashed anything that could conceivably prompt such penalties, even if on closer examination the target turns out to be, say, a satirist whos attacking rather than espousing bigotry.

Sometimes the censorship pressure is strong enough to overwhelm countervailing pressure from another set of officials. In 1947, while the House Committee on Un-American Activities was pushing moviemakers to stop hiring Communists, the Department of Justice was prosecuting the same companies for antitrust violations. As the Brandeis-based historian Thomas Doherty notes in his upcoming book, Show Trial, that put the studios in a delicate position: If the producers acted together to dismiss the Hollywood Ten, they were conceding that the studios were in cahoots, conducting a conspiracy in restraint of trade.

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The studio heads stewed about it, but they risked handing ammunition to one wing of the government in order to placate the other. They acted together, and a blacklist was born.

Jesse Walker is an editor at Reason magazine. His most recent book is The United States of Paranoia.

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Teacher strikes in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma manifested growing frustration with state disinvestment in public education over the past decade. But these protests and walkouts are not just a story about state budgets. Teachers are being forced to rise up in part because most state courts are shrinking from their duty to enforce the state constitutional right to education.

All 50 state constitutions entitle children to a quality education. (The U.S. Supreme Court declined to recognize a comparable federal right under the U.S. Constitution.) For decades, many state courts enforced that right, striking down school funding schemes as inequitable and inadequate. State legislatures and governors mostly dragged their feet in response, achieving partial compliance with court orders at best. Still, court interventions led to increased funding that studies showed improved educational achievement.

Teachers need make no apologies about agitating for better wages and benefits.

Then came the Great Recession. States used budget shortfalls to justify cuts to education spending. The devastating effects are still being felt today. General funding per student remains below pre-2008 levels in at least 12 states, down more than 11% in West Virginia, 15% in Kentucky, and a staggering 28% in Oklahoma, the largest percentage decline in the nation. In total, 29 states provided less overall state funding per student in 2015 than in 2008. California was in a similar situation in 2015 with state school funding down 11%. That was notably before the Local Control Funding Formula and Gov. Browns latest budget proposing billions to fund it.

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The recession also emboldened state legislators, and their foot dragging turned into foot-stomping defiance to court-directed increases in school funding. The New Jersey, Kansas and Washington supreme courts have held state legislators feet to the fire, insisting on compliance despite, in some instances, being threatened with impeachment and efforts to unseat them in judicial elections.

Those three courts are the exception, however. The majority of state courts have opted to retreat. For instance, the California Supreme Court  the first state high court to strike down a school funding system as unconstitutional in 1971  recently declined to review two cases invoking its right to education, one challenging teacher tenure statutes, the other alleging that school funding is constitutionally inadequate.

A number of courts retreat by deferring to their state legislatures to devise the remedy. The legislature predictably resists or returns with a modest plan, which then provokes successive rounds of litigation, and in the end judges usually throw up their hands. As one court put it, all but admitting defeat, getting the legislature to make a good faith effort is the best we can do. State legislatures thus win by attrition.

Still other courts have waved the white flag before the first shot, claiming their constitutions vest the legislature with absolute authority over education and therefore courts cannot get involved. The Oklahoma Supreme Court is one of seven state high courts to have surrendered in this manner. The constitutional right to education in these states is thus unenforceable in a court of law.

Amid this crisis of judicial confidence, striking teachers have appealed directly to the court of last resort: the court of public opinion.

Born in desperation, the #55United movement in West Virginia unexpectedly matured into an empowering pro-education crusade that spread in wildcat fashion to Oklahoma, Kentucky, and likely beyond. There are rumblings of discontent in Tennessee and Arizona. California may not be immune: according to a 2018 study, it ranked just below West Virginia in teacher wage competitiveness.

Teachers need make no apologies about agitating for better wages and benefits. Thats what the bulk of school funding is spent on after all  to pay teachers to educate our children. Decades of empirical research confirms that teacher quality is the most influential educational resource affecting student achievement within a schools control.

By that proper framing, these teacher-led demonstrations are attempts to vindicate the constitutional rights of children in perhaps the only viable forum left. The West Virginia teacher strike proves that strategy can work. The resolve of the Oklahoma teachers, who continue to strike despite a preemptive $6,000 pay increase passed by lawmakers, proves that teachers see the bigger picture in their demands for funding to address other school needs. What teachers in West Virginia and Oklahoma accomplished in a matter of days might have taken years of protracted litigation for a court to order, only then to be resisted at every turn by the legislature.

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As inspiring as the teachers movement has become, the dysfunction that helped create it is worrisome. If public opinion eventually turns on teachers, then the fate of public education will be decided exclusively in statehouses where entrenched forces remain hard at work for wealthy, politically powerful communities, not disadvantaged children. In fact, there is an effort underway in legislatures across the country to amend state constitutions to weaken education rights or strip courts of jurisdiction to enforce them.

Just such a bill recently cleared a legislative committee in Kansas. An amendment proposed in Wyoming would have permitted courts to declare that the legislature violated the constitution but disempower courts from ordering increases in school funding. A similar measure proposed in West Virginia would have given the legislature nearly unreviewable authority over education.

With no help forthcoming from the federal government, we need state courts to reengage and fulfill their constitutional duties. Then, we need teachers, parents and students to rise up and demand compliance with the state constitutional right to education.

Joshua E. Weishart is a professor of law and policy at West Virginia University. His scholarship focuses on constitutional rights to education.

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Last month, a small group of protesters at Lewis & Clark College law school tried to shut down visiting lecturer Christina Hoff Sommers, a libertarian feminist critical of feminist dogma on rape culture, the pay gap and other issues. They chanted, shouted, played loud music and sang, We will fight for justice until Christinas gone. Appalled commentators deplored the intolerance, but then came a spate of nothing to see here articles. Free speech on campus is doing fine, progressive pundits scoffed; its absurd to paint a few left-wing students as a danger to freedom when we face right-wing authoritarianism in government.

But it should be possible to be against more than one threat at a time. And the climate on college campuses in recent years is very much a threat to the principles of a free society.

The no problem argument is based mainly on a poll, the General Social Survey, which shows steadily rising support for allowing offensive speakers a platform, especially in the under-35 age group. But its not clear how relevant that survey is to present-day campus speech battles. Its examples of controversial speakers include a homosexual (absurdly dated) and an atheist (ditto). On the one item that is relevant to current controversies  allowing a speech by a racist  support has dropped, notably among young adults.

Another supposedly reassuring poll, the Gallup-Knight Foundation survey, found that 70% of students felt it was more important for colleges to have an open learning environment with diverse viewpoints, even at the cost of allowing offensive speech, than to create a positive environment by censoring such expression.

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And yet, when about 30% of college students favor censorship, it should be a cause for alarm  especially because thats up from 22% two years ago. Moreover, 53% of students believe promoting an inclusive society is a higher priority than protecting free speech rights. Over a third say it is sometimes acceptable to shout a speaker down, and one in 10 approve of violent disruption. The last figure may seem small, but it means some 2 million collegians in the United States believe it can be OK to use violence to stop speech they dont like. Thats not good news.

Some 2 million collegians in the United States believe it can be OK to use violence to stop speech they dont like.

Those who believe the problem is overblown note that incidents of deplatforming  speakers being disinvited or prevented from speaking  are rare. The Foundation of Individual Rights in Education, a speech advocacy group, documented just 35 such attempts in 2017, mostly unsuccessful. While this list is not complete  it omits, for instance, American Universitys cancellation of a panel on feminism, censorship and Title IX in September  it is true that theres no epidemic of campus disinvitations.

But even rare deplatforming efforts can have a chilling effect, especially when they involve violent mobs  as during political scientist Charles Murrays appearance at Middlebury College a year ago. Campus groups may hesitate to bring controversial speakers when it means extra headaches and war-zone-level security.

Besides, disinvitations are only a part of the problem. Faculty members can also get in trouble for wrongthink. In 2015, Northwestern University film studies professor Laura Kipnis was hit with a Title IX hostile environment complaint for writing an essay that criticized what she considers to be hyperbolic claims about sexual violence on campus. She was cleared, but the investigation itself was intimidating.

Others have been less lucky. Andrea Quenette, a professor of communication at the University of Kansas, lost her tenure-track position in 2016 after student complaints about her allegedly insensitive comments in a class discussion of racial issues. One of her offenses was saying the N-word in order to make a point about racial slurs, but she was also accused of lack of empathy for saying that minority students higher dropout rates were due to academic problems rather than feeling unsafe on campus.

Meanwhile, hundreds of schools have created special teams to handle reports of bias, defined broadly enough to include heretical opinions. In some cases, such teams have investigated professors for encouraging classroom debate of contentious viewpoints  for instance, that transgender identities are not necessarily real  and advised them to avoid such topics.

Underlying these trends is a doctrine deeply destructive to liberty: that speech perceived as hurtful not only perpetuates oppression but constitutes violence. The statement issued by the protesters who disrupted Sommers speech at Lewis & Clark asserted that freedom of speech stops when it has a negative and violent impact.

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Yet pundits who pooh-pooh concerns about the illiberal campus left  voiced not only by conservatives and libertarians but by liberals such as Jonathan Chait and Wendy Kaminer  often show a disturbing tendency to minimize attacks on speech.

In GQ, Mari Uyehara suggests that the disruptions of Sommers speech were exactly what Sommers wanted  apparently because a video of the event shows her smiling at one point. Splinters Clio Chang points out that Sommers talk was sponsored by a conservative group  as if this excused trying to silence her  and argues that the real threat to campus freedoms comes from right-wing donors promoting reactionary ideas. (Never mind the overwhelming dominance of left-wing views in the universities.) Another Sommers critic, City University of New York professor Angus Johnston, has defended shout-downs of dissenters with Orwellian euphemisms like noisy contestation.

Yes, some conservatives who deplore hypersensitive campus bullies are hypocrites  for instance, if they have no problem with the press-bashing hypersensitive bully in the White House, or if theyre fine with a leftist adjunct professor being fired after defending a Black Lives Matter event on Fox News. But that doesnt excuse the hypocrites on the left.

Amid the tribal squabbling over which side is worse, free speech is losing. On college campuses, which should be nurturing open minds, that loss is tragic.

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Cathy Young is a contributing editor to Reason and the author of Ceasefire: Why Women and Men Must Join Forces to Achieve True Equality.

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To the editor: Saree Makdisi laments inaccuracy of media coverage of protests by Palestinian Arabs in Israel. (The bare facts about the Gaza demonstrators are correct, but the rest of the story is missing, April 6)

From his perspective, Israeli soldiers are not allowed to protect themselves from violent attack because the border that they are defending is illegal. He berates Israel for not allowing refugees to return to their homes in Israel. He conveniently forgets that Jews have been in Palestine as long as Arabs.

When Israel was established, many Arabs evacuated so their armies could drive the Jews into the sea. After the armistice, there was no Arab effort at peaceful coexistence. They certainly would not allow Jews in any areas they controlled, while those Arabs remaining in Israel were given citizenship.

Israel has taken in Jewish refugees worldwide, including those from the Arab countries that expelled them. Arab nations have taken in very few Palestinians. For 70 years they have been called refugees to be used as political pawns in the battle to deny Israels existence.

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It is a complex story, but clearly, violent confrontation will unfortunately have violent consequences.

Thomas Einstein, Santa Monica

..

To the editor: As English professor Makdisi points out, the passive voice can indeed disguise agency; that is its chief rhetorical use. However, the examples cited pejoratively in the article are not passive voice constructions.

Palestinians die, confrontations leave and day of clashes left are all active voice subject-verb combinations; the fourth example, 15 dead in Gaza demonstrations, simply omits the verb.

Makdisi suggests accurately that they were shot would be more direct, but they were shot is a passive-voice construction with agency omitted (although an alert reader will mentally supply by Israeli troops, since the context is clear.) On the plus side, Israeli troops kill 15 Palestinians would, as the author states, tell a different story.

Makdisis overall point  that more direct language as regards to agency would enhance public understanding of this issue  remains valid.

Alan Pierpoint, Arcadia

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To the editor: Makdisi is correct that the Gaza Strip protesters are occupied. They are occupied by Hamas.

If Hamas did not oppress them them, steal monetary aid meant for them and use them as pawns, they would not be starving, living in such poor conditions and wanting to move away.

What happened was not a peaceful demonstration. Throwing incendiary devices, rocks and more at Israeli solders is not peaceful.

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Esther Friedberg, Studio City

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To the editor: Language does make a difference, as Makdisi argues, and language makes an even bigger difference when used as propaganda, which is what his article was, plain and simple.

As soon as I saw the word massacre in his first sentence, I knew it was going to be a bumpy ride. His entire article was loaded and emotional but not at all convincing.

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My 12th grade English teacher would have sent this back to Makdisi for him to give it another try.

Muriel Schuerman, Downey

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Allies balk at Trump administration bid to block Chinese firm from cutting-edge telecom markets By David S. Cloud Britain and Germany are balking at the Trump administrations call for a ban on equipment from Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, threatening a global U.S. campaign to thwart Chinas involvement in future mobile networks. Both countries are expected to limit Huawei and other Chinese companies from providing core components including routers. But other types of Chinese equipment for next-generation, high-speed communications could still be installed on British and German networks, officials and analysts say. The U.S. push to ban Huawei has provoked a global dispute in recent weeks, with senior U.S. officials, including Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo, publicly urging NATO allies in Europe to exclude the company and warning that the United States might limit its military presence in countries that did not do so. Read More Facebook

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Confucius Institutes: Do they improve U.S.-China ties or harbor spies? By Don Lee Hanging red lanterns welcome visitors to the University of Marylands Confucius Institute, the oldest of about 100 Chinese language and cultural centers that have popped up over the last 15 years on American campuses, subsidized by millions of dollars from Chinas central government. But last fall, when four U.S. Senate investigators walked into the Confucius offices in Maryland and spent hours questioning staff, they werent looking for an educational exchange. The committee has been seeking detailed information from the university about the program, including contracts, email exchanges and financial arrangements that school administrators have kept under wraps since it started in 2004. American colleges once viewed these jointly funded institutes as an economical way to expand their language offerings  one that could also bring warmer ties with China and, importantly, an influx of Chinese international students paying full tuition. Read More Facebook

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U.S. policy toward China shifts from engagement to confrontation By David S. Cloud For decades, China had no closer American friend than Dianne Feinstein. As San Francisco mayor in the 1970s, she forged a sister-city relationship with Shanghai, the first between American and Chinese communities. As U.S. senator, she dined with Chinese leaders at Mao Tse-tungs old Beijing residence. And in the 1990s, she championed a trade policy change that opened a floodgate of Western investment into China. Today the Democratic senator sees China as a growing threat, joining a broad array of Trump administration officials, national security strategists and business executives who once favored engagement with Beijing and now advocate a confrontational approach instead. Read More Facebook

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Mnuchins attempt to calm markets backfires as Trump takes another shot at the Federal Reserve By Jim Puzzanghera An attempt by Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to calm plunging financial markets backfired Monday, further rattling investors with new fears about whether major U.S. banks have enough cash on top of worries about interest rates, political instability in Washington and a slowing global economy. Adding to the volatile mix was a fresh attack on the Federal Reserve by President Trump, who declared that the central bank was the U.S. economys only problem and that it didnt have a feel for the market. The Fed is like a powerful golfer who cant score because he has no touch -- he cant putt! Trump said on Twitter. Read More Facebook

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He speaks to Democratic hearts. But is Beto ORourke a serious White House contender? By Mark Z. Barabak Hes a failed U.S. Senate candidate with an undistinguished congressional record who, for the moment, is a blazing-hot 2020 presidential prospect  despite the fact that he may not run and faces long odds if he does. Beto ORourke suggests the will-he-or-wont-he speculation is something he himself cant quite fathom. I think thats a great question, he responded in a Dallas Morning News interview when asked whether his unsuccessful November Senate bid merited a promotion to the White House. I ask that question myself. Read More Facebook

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Russian disinformation teams targeted Robert S. Mueller III, says report prepared for Senate By Craig Timberg, Tony Romm, Elizabeth Dwoskin Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. (Associated Press) Months after President Trump took office, Russias disinformation teams trained their sites on a new target: special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. Having worked to help get Trump into the White House, they now worked to neutralize the biggest threat to his staying there. The Russian operatives unloaded on Mueller through fake accounts on Facebook, Twitter and beyond, falsely claiming that the former FBI director was corrupt and that the allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election were crackpot conspiracies. One post on Instagram  which emerged as an especially potent weapon in the Russian social media arsenal  claimed that Mueller had worked in the past with radical Islamic groups. Such tactics exemplified how Russian teams ranged nimbly across social media platforms in a shrewd online influence operation aimed squarely at American voters. The effort started earlier than commonly understood and lasted longer while relying on the strengths of different sites to manipulate distinct slices of the electorate, according to a pair of comprehensive new reports prepared for the Senate Intelligence Committee and released Monday. Read more Timberg, Romm and Dwoskin report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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President Trump announces Mick Mulvaney as acting White House chief of staff By Associated Press President Trump says budget director Mick Mulvaney will serve as acting chief of staff, replacing John F. Kelly in the new year. I am pleased to announce that Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management & Budget, will be named Acting White House Chief of Staff, replacing General John Kelly, who has served our Country with distinction. Mick has done an outstanding job while in the Administration....  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 14, 2018 Facebook

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It aint over when its over: In Michigan, Wisconsin and elsewhere, losers seek to undermine election results By Mark Z. Barabak Democrat Gavin Newsom has yet to become California governor, but already a candidate for state Republican Party chairman is promoting a recall effort. In Michigan and Wisconsin, GOP lawmakers have rushed through legislation to thwart their incoming Democratic governors and hamper others in the opposing party from doing the jobs voters chose them to do. In Congress, GOP leaders have echoed President Trump and sought to undermine the legitimacy of Democrats strong midterm performance, raising unsubstantiated allegations of fraud and political malfeasance. Read More Facebook

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New CFPB Director Kathy Kraninger says she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera On her first full day leading the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Kathy Kraninger said she wont be a puppet of Mick Mulvaney, the controversial acting director whom she replaced in the powerful regulatory position. To underscore that point, the former White House aide said she would even reconsider a Mulvaney action that critics saw as a gratuitous jab at Democrats who championed the agencys creation: changing its name to the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection. Kraningers declaration during a meeting with reporters Tuesday addressed one of the main criticisms of her selection. She is considered a protege of Mulvaney, her boss at the White House Office of Management and Budget who has executed a dramatic, industry-friendly shift at the watchdog agency. Read More Facebook

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Trumps pick for chief of staff, Nick Ayers, out of running By Associated Press Nick Ayers, right, with Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch, at the funeral service for George H.W. Bush on Dec. 3. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post via Associated Press) President Trumps top pick to replace John F. Kelly as chief of staff, Nick Ayers, is no longer expected to fill that role. Thats according to a White House official who is not authorized to discuss the personnel issue by name and spoke on condition of anonymity. Ayers is Vice President Mike Pences chief of staff. The official says that Trump and Ayers could not agree on Ayers length of service. The father of young children, Ayers had agreed to serve in an interim capacity though the spring, but Trump wanted a two-year commitment. The official says that Ayers will instead assist the president from outside the administration. Trump announced Saturday that Kelly would be departing the White House around the end of the year. Thank you @realDonaldTrump, @VP, and my great colleagues for the honor to serve our Nation at The White House. I will be departing at the end of the year but will work with the #MAGA team to advance the cause.  #Georgia  Nick Ayers (@nick_ayers) December 9, 2018 Facebook

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U.S. hiring slows to 155,000 jobs, unemployment rate holds at 3.7% By Jim Puzzanghera Job growth slowed significantly in November but still was solid, indicating the economy remains in good shape but not expanding so quickly that it will lead to sharply higher interest rates. U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs last month, well below analyst expectations and a steep decline from Octobers strong 237,000 figure, the Labor Department reported Friday. Still, monthly job gains are averaging 206,000 this year, the best since 2015. Even the slower pace of 170,000 over the last three months is close to last years average of 182,000 and well above the amount needed to keep up with population growth. Read More Facebook

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Trump is expected to pick State Department spokeswoman for U.N. ambassador By Associated Press Heather Nauert at a briefing at the State Department on Aug. 9, 2017. (Alex Brandon / Associated Press) President Trump is expected to nominate State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert to be the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations. Two administration officials confirmed Trumps plans. A Republican congressional aide said the president was expected to announce his decision by tweet on Friday morning. The officials were not authorized to speak publicly before Trumps announcement. Trump has previously said Nauert was under serious consideration to replace Nikki Haley, who announced in October that she would step down at the end of this year. Trump has been known to change course on staffing decisions in the past. Nauert was a reporter for Fox News Channel before she became State Department spokeswoman under former Secretary Rex Tillerson. Facebook

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Senate confirms new consumer financial protection chief: Kathy Kraninger, protege of industry-friendly Mick Mulvaney By Jim Puzzanghera The Senate, in a party-line vote Thursday, confirmed White House aide Kathy Kraninger to head the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and experts predicted a continuation of the industry-friendly shift it has taken since President Trump installed an acting director last year. Kraninger is a protege of acting director and White House budget chief Mick Mulvaney, an outspoken critic of the agency that was created in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis to prevent predatory lending and other abuses that led to it. Democrats and consumer advocates have denounced him for sharply departing from the aggressive watchdog role the bureau had pursued under its first director, Obama-appointee Richard Cordray, including scaling back enforcement and moving to reassess tough new rules on payday loans and narrow the definition of abusive practices by banks and other firms. Read More Facebook

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Shutdown postponed by two weeks under plan approved by Congress By Erik Wasson Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), shown at the Capitol on Tuesday, says President Trumps border wall is a waste of money. (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Congress passed a two-week stopgap spending bill that will delay the chance of a partial government shutdown until Dec. 22 as lawmakers and President Donald Trump negotiate over his demands to pay for a wall on the southern border. The House and Senate passed the measure Thursday without dissent, and Trump has indicated hell sign the bill before the current shutdown deadline of midnight Friday. Negotiations were delayed by memorial services this week for former President George H.W. Bush. The temporary measure gives Democrats and Republicans more time to find a resolution to their biggest hurdle: funding a wall on the U.S. Mexico border wall. Trump says he wants $5 billion for parts of a concrete wall on the southern border and is willing to shut down the government if he doesnt get it. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York has said Democrats will provide no more than $1.6 billion for border security, because the wall is a waste of money. The presidents demands for wall funding from Congress come after he said during the campaign that Mexico would pay for it. This week he said on Twitter that a $25 billion border wall would pay for itself in two months, without providing evidence. Most of the U.S. governments $1.2 trillion discretionary budget has been appropriated already by Congress for the fiscal year that began on Oct. 1. Departments at a risk of a partial shutdown late this month include the departments of State, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Justice, Treasury and Homeland Security. Talks to resolve the differences have been on hold since a meeting among Trump, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California originally slated for Dec. 4 was postponed due to Bush memorial events. The three are scheduled to meet on Tuesday, according to a person familiar with the matter. Senate Appropriations Chairman Richard Shelby of Alabama told reporters the rest of the seven-bill spending package being negotiated is basically done. Shelby in recent weeks had tried to broker a compromise in which Trumps $5 billion request would be split over two years, but Schumer has rejected that. Some Democrats have been willing to trade border wall funding for deportation protections for young undocumented immigrants. Pelosi ruled out such a deal in remarks to reporters Thursday. The stopgap government funding measure also would extend the National Flood Insurance Program, which provides subsidized coverage for homes in flood-prone areas, to Dec. 21. Facebook

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Bipartisan Senate group wants to formally blame Saudi crown prince for journalists killing By Karoun Demirjian Saudi Arabias Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman at the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires. (Associated Press) A bipartisan group of senators filed a resolution Wednesday condemning Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman as responsible for the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, directly challenging President Trump to do the same. This resolution -- without equivocation -- definitively states that the crown prince of Saudi Arabia was complicit in the murder of Mr. [Jamal] Khashoggi and has been a wrecking ball to the region jeopardizing our national security interests on multiple fronts, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in a statement accompanying the release of the resolution. It will be up to Saudi Arabia as to how to deal with this matter. But it is up to the United States to firmly stand for who we are and what we believe. The resolution put forward by Graham and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who are expected to lead the Judiciary Committee together next year, comes just one day after CIA Director Gina Haspel briefed leading senators about the details of the agencys assessment that Mohammed ordered and monitored the killing and dismemberment of Khashoggi in the Saudi Consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. Senators emerged from that closed-door briefing furious not only with Saudi Arabia, but Trump as well for dismissing the heft of the CIAs findings. You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi, Graham said following the briefing, referring to Mohammed by his initials. He added that Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo and Defense Secretary James N. Mattis, who briefed senators last week, were at best being good soldiers and at worst were in the pocket of Saudi Arabia for presenting the evidence of Mohammeds involvement as inconclusive. The release of the resolution condemning Mohammed also comes as the Senate is preparing to move ahead with debate on a resolution to curtail U.S. support for the Saudi-led military campaign in Yemen. Though the Yemen resolution does not directly address Khashoggis murder, its popularity is a sign of how strained the United States patience with Saudi Arabia is on multiple fronts, including its role in worsening the civilian cost of the war in Yemen, cited by the United Nations as the worlds worst humanitarian crisis. Last week, the Senate voted 63 to 37 to advance the Yemen resolution past an opening procedural hurdle. But Graham and Feinsteins resolution on the crown prince has the potential of drawing broader support, especially from Republicans, who are deeply divided about how fiercely to punish Saudi Arabia over Khashoggis killing. Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.), who has been an outspoken advocate for human rights and is seen as one of the more influential foreign policy voices in the GOP, did not vote for the Yemen resolution last week or sign on to a bipartisan measure last month to sanction Saudi officials and cease weapons transfers to the kingdom. But he is an original co-sponsor of the resolution condemning Mohammed over Khashoggis death. So is Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.), who represents the other end of the GOP spectrum in terms of recent Saudi-related votes and endorsements. Young was an initial co-sponsor of the bill Graham wrote with Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) to sanction Saudi officials deemed responsible for Khashoggis killing and stop the sale of anything but exclusively defensive weapons to the kingdom until it ceased hostilities in Yemen. Young also voted to advance the Yemen resolution  something Graham did as well, though Graham has signaled he will not be lending any similar support to the measure, fearing it may establish a precedent of invoking the War Powers Act too broadly. Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) are listed as original co-sponsors of the resolution condemning Mohammed, which also urges Saudi Arabia to negotiate with Houthi rebels to end the Yemen war, work out a political solution to its standoff with Qatar and release political prisoners. But how much sway the resolution has probably comes down to how forcefully the administration decides to heed it -- and thus far, Trump has not shown any interest in condemning the crown prince the way the senators hope he will. Demirjian reports for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Los Angeles County offices and U.S. Postal Service closed Wednesday in honor of George H.W. Bush By Brian Park The Honor Guard carries the casket of former U.S. President George H. W. Bush following his funeral on Dec. 5 in Washington, DC. (Doug Mills - Pool/Getty Images) The U.S. Postal Service will suspend regular mail delivery Wednesday, which President Trump has declared a national day of mourning in honor of former President George H.W. Bush. All retail postal outlets will be closed, and package delivery will be limited. In Los Angeles, all nonessential county departments, offices and libraries will be closed for the day, L.A. County officials said. The Los Angeles County Library said no overdue fines will be assessed for books, and due dates will be moved forward one week. Los Angeles County Department of Public Health offices also are closed Wednesday. The Sheriffs Department, Fire Department, clinics and hospitals will continue to operate, the county said. The Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health clinics are being operated with reduced staffing, and the department asked patients to confirm or reschedule any appointments. All county courts and the disaster recovery centers for the Woolsey fire in Malibu and Agoura Hills will remain open. Larger federal government operations will be closed Wednesday. To honor the life and legacy of President Bush, the Postal Service will observe the National Day of Mourning. Learn how Postal operations will be affected. https://t.co/Mffch7bPCh pic.twitter.com/vG46BsIOpm  U.S. Postal Service (@USPS) December 4, 2018 L.A. County offices and libraries will be closed tomorrow (Dec 5) in observance of the #NationalDayOfMourning for President George H. W. Bush.



The Countys Disaster Recovery Centers in Malibu & Agoura Hills will remain open from 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Sv1J7GoJ7T  Los Angeles County (@CountyofLA) December 4, 2018 @LAPublicHealth offices will be closed tomorrow December 5 in observance of the national Day of Mourning for President George H. W. Bush. Essential Services including clinics and other services will remain open: https://t.co/tZGoGGHRlg pic.twitter.com/ypXsV6vlYY  LA Public Health (@lapublichealth) December 4, 2018 Facebook

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Former Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to skip 2020 White House race, sources say By Associated Press Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick speaks during an interview in Boston on Dec. 15, 2014. (Elise Amendola / Associated Press) Former Gov. Deval Patrick of Massachusetts will soon announce he wont launch a 2020 presidential campaign, according to three sources familiar with his plans. They did not say why the Democrat decided against a run. A formal announcement was delayed as the country observed a day of mourning for President George H.W. Bush, one source said. News of Patricks plans was first reported by Politico. Patrick, 62, served two terms as governor, from 2007 to 2015, was assistant attorney general for civil rights in the Clinton administration and since leaving the governors office has been a managing director for Bain Capital. Patrick traveled the country in support of Democratic candidates in the recent midterm election. Earlier this year, some of Patricks supporters and close advisors started the Reason to Believe political action committee, a grassroots organization dedicated to advancing a positive, progressive vision for our nation in 2018 and 2020. Reason to Believe PAC had been holding meetups across the country, including in early presidential primary states. While Patrick is opting against a 2020 run, dozens of Democrats are considering jumping in, including nearly a half-dozen members of the Senate, several House members, and other Massachusetts politicians. On Tuesday, Michael Avenatti, the attorney for adult film star Stormy Daniels and a vocal critic of President Trump, said in a statement that he would run. Patrick had previously expressed some concerns about breaking through if he sought the nomination, telling David Axelrod, a former advisor to President Obama, that he wasnt sure he could stand out in such a large field. Its hard to see how you even get noticed in such a big, broad field without being shrill, sensational or a celebrity, and Im none of those things and Im never going to be any of those things, Patrick said in a September interview with Axelrod. Facebook

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Former Trump adviser Roger Stone invokes 5th Amendment right and wont testify before Senate Judiciary Committee By Associated Press Roger Stone in 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) Roger Stone, an associate of President Trump, says he wont provide testimony or documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee. An attorney for Stone said in a letter to Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committees top Democrat, that Stone was invoking his 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination in refusing to produce documents or appear for an interview. Stone has been entangled in investigations by Congress and special counsel Robert S. Mueller III about whether Trump aides had advance knowledge of Democratic emails published by WikiLeaks during the 2016 election. Stone has not been charged and has said he had no knowledge of the timing or specifics of WikiLeaks plans. In the letter to Feinstein, Stone said the committees requests were far too overbroad, far too overreaching and far too wide-ranging. Facebook

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Watch live: Vice President Pence and lawmakers honor George H.W. Bush at the U.S. Capitol before he lies in state Facebook

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Rebuilding crumbling infrastructure has bipartisan support. But who gets to pay for it? By Jim Puzzanghera The grades for major U.S. infrastructure would give any parent indigestion if they were on a childs report card. Roads: D; bridges: C+; dams: D; ports: C+: railways: B; airports: D; schools: D+; public transit: D-. The nations overall grade: D+, which translates to being in fair to poor condition and mostly below standards with significant deterioration and a strong risk of failure, according to an evaluation last year by the American Society of Civil Engineers. Read More Facebook

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Trump calls former lawyer Michael Cohen a weak person who is lying By Associated Press President Trump says his former lawyer Michael Cohen is lying to get a reduced sentence. The president is reacting to Cohens guilty plea Thursday to lying to Congress about work he did on a Trump real estate project in Russia. During a surprise court hearing, Cohen admitted to lying in testimony to the Senate Intelligence Committee about a plan to build a Trump Tower in Moscow. Cohen in his guilty plea said he made the false statements to be consistent with Trumps political message. Cohens lawyer says he continues to cooperate with special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation into Russian election interference and possible coordination with Trump associates. Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Mark Z. Barabak When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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As California Republicans confront a congressional wipeout, GOP leader Kevin McCarthy faces a reckoning By Sarah D. Wire When the House voted to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Kevin McCarthy trooped with other Republican lawmakers to a splashy Rose Garden celebration, smiling alongside President Trump as they celebrated the moment. As majority leader, McCarthy had helped round up the votes to narrowly pass the hard-fought legislation, convincing 13 other California Republicans to go along, even though several faced tough reelection fights. Fewer than half will be returning in January. Read More Facebook

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Michael Cohen, President Trumps ex-lawyer, pleads guilty to lying to Congress about Trump real estate project in Russia By Associated Press Michael Cohen, President Trumps former personal lawyer, pursued a Russian real estate project on candidate Trumps behalf well into the 2016 campaign, he said Thursday while pleading guilty to lying to Congress. Cohen had previously said that the project was abandoned in January 2016, but he now admits he continued to pursue a deal and says he updated Trump and members of his family about the negotiations, according to a new court document. Read More Facebook

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James Comey says acting Atty. Gen. Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer By John Wagner Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker speaks at the Justice Department in Washington on Nov. 14. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais / Associated Press) Former FBI Director James B. Comey apparently isnt too impressed with the mental prowess of President Trumps acting attorney general. Matthew Whitaker may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, Comey said during a radio interview on Monday night in which he sized up the man Trump installed this month to replace ousted Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions. Comey was asked by WGBH News in Boston if he thinks Whitaker could derail the investigation of special counsel Robert S. Mueller III into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. Whitaker has spoken critically of the probe, and Trump  as recently as Tuesday  continues to call it a witch hunt. I think its a worry, but to my mind not a serious worry, Comey said. The institution is too strong, and [Whitaker], frankly, is not strong enough to have that kind of impact. He may not be the sharpest knife in our drawer, but he can see his future and knows that if he acted in an extralegal way, he would go down in history for the wrong reasons, and Im sure he doesnt want that, added Comey, who was fired by Trump last year and later wrote a book that portrays the president as an ego-driven congenital liar. Whitaker, a former U.S. attorney in Iowa, was Sessions chief of staff before being picked by Trump to lead the Justice Department. Trump has called Whitaker a very smart man. Earlier this year, Trump called Comey an untruthful slime ball. Wagner writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Interior Department watchdog clears Zinke in investigation of Utah national monument By Juliet Eilperin Secretary of the Interior Ryan Zinke, third from the left, and Gov. Jerry Brown tour fire damage in Paradise, Calif., on Nov. 14. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) The Interior Departments Office of Inspector General has cleared Secretary Ryan Zinke in a probe of whether he redrew boundaries of a national monument in Utah to aid the financial interests of a Republican state lawmaker and stalwart supporter of President Trump. In a Nov. 21 letter to Zinkes deputy, David Bernhardt, Deputy Inspector General Mary Kendall wrote that her office found no evidence that the secretary or his aides changed the boundaries of Utahs Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in an effort to help former Utah state representative Mike Noel, who serves as executive director of the Kane County Water Conservancy District. Last December, Trump shrank the monument, first established by President Clinton in 1996, by 46% based on Zinkes recommendation. Noel owns 40 acres that had been surrounded by the monument, but now lies outside its boundaries. The new boundaries also would make it easier to construct the proposed Lake Powell Pipeline, which would deliver water to sites in Kane County that include Noels property. Earlier this year, the Interior Department had proposed selling off 120 acres of federal land from the former monument that lay adjacent to some of Noels land holdings, but later reversed the plan. We found no evidence that Noel influenced the DOIs proposed revisions to the [monuments] boundaries, that Zinke or other DOI staff involved in the project were aware of Noels financial interest in the revised boundaries, or that they gave Noel any preferential treatment in the resulting proposed boundaries, Kendall wrote. Neither the Interior Department nor the inspector generals office would release the actual investigative report. In the letter, Kendall writes that her office will provide the report to Congress no sooner than 31 days from Nov. 21, when it is provided it to Zinkes office. The Associated Press first reported the inspector generals conclusions Monday night, but did not provide details from the report itself. Noel emailed Zinke about the effort to alter Grand Staircase-Escalante, according to emails released by Interior under the Freedom of Informational Act. But those emails do not make references to Noels land holdings. Noel also pushed to rename a Utah highway in honor of Trump, but abandoned that effort in March after some of his fellow Republicans objected to the idea. Noel did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday. The inspector generals office still has at least two ongoing probes of the secretary, including one focused on his real estate dealings in Whitefish, Mont., and another regarding his decision to deny a permit to two Connecticut tribes who were hoping to jointly run a casino after MGM Resorts International lobbied against it. Interior Department spokeswoman Heather Swift welcomed the watchdogs conclusions. The report shows exactly what the secretarys office has known all along  that the monument boundaries were adjusted in accordance with all rules, regulations and laws, she said in an email. This report is also the latest example of opponents and special interest groups ginning up fake and misleading stories, only to be proven false after expensive and time consuming inquiries by the IGs office. But Kendalls spokeswoman, Nancy DiPaolo, defended the inquiry, even though she said the report has not been publicly released and we will not be speaking specifically about the matter at this time. The OIG opens investigations based on credible allegations and reports our findings objectively and independently, DiPaolo added. Any time or resources spent investigating conduct or activity that may be a violation of law, regulation or policy is a service to the public, Congress and the Department. Rep. Raul Grijalva of Arizona, the top Democrat on the House Natural Resources Committee, said in a statement that he still intended to investigate the way Zinke and his colleague redrew the boundaries for Grand Staircase-Escalante and another Utah national monument, Bears Ears, next year. I have great respect for the inspector general, and I accept these findings, but Secretary Zinke should have known the people he listened to while destroying our national monuments had disqualifying conflicts of interest, he said. Should I chair the Natural Resources Committee in the next Congress, the process he and President Trump used to destroy Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante will be front and center in our oversight and investigations efforts. We need to know why they ignored overwhelming public expressions of support for both Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante, why they ignored Native American tribes throughout their decision-making, and why they removed protections on parcels of land with known mineral deposits. Eilperin and Rein report for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump advisor Larry Kudlow says China must do more to end trade war By Jim Puzzanghera Larry Kudlow, President Trumps top economic advisor, said Tuesday that Chinas response to U.S. efforts to rework the two economic superpowers trade relationship has been extremely disappointing but the planned meeting this weekend between the nations leaders is an opportunity for a breakthrough. They have to do more. They must do more, Larry Kudlow, director of the White House National Economic Council, told reporters ahead of a Saturday dinner between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Group of 20 Summit in Argentina. I think the president is exactly right  to show strong backbone when prior administrations did not, to break through these Chinese walls, Kudlow said. Theyre so resistant to change. We have to protect the country. We have to protect our technology, our inventiveness, our innovation. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders holds a media briefing amid tensions at the border By Los Angeles Times Staff Facebook

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Democrat TJ Cox grabs lead over Republican David Valadao in nations last remaining undecided House race By Maya Sweedler Democrat TJ Cox slipped past Republican incumbent David Valadao on Monday to take the lead in the countrys sole remaining undecided congressional race, positioning Democrats to pick up their seventh House seat in California and 40th nationwide. Cox, who trailed by nearly 4,400 votes on election night, has steadily gained as ballot counting continues nearly three weeks after the Nov. 6 election, a pattern consistent with the states recent voting history. On Monday, he pulled ahead by 438 votes after Kern County updated its results. Read More Facebook

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Former CIA director Michael Hayden hospitalized after suffering a stroke By Deanna Paul Then-CIA Director Michael Hayden testifies before a Senate committee in 2008. (Saul Loeb / Getty Images) Former CIA Director and retired Air Force Gen. Michael Hayden has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke, his family said Friday. He is receiving expert medical care for which the family is grateful, according to a statement issued by his namesake organization. The General and his family greatly appreciate the warm wishes and prayers of his friends, colleagues, and supporters. Hayden, 73, served as director of the CIA and National Security Agency during the George W. Bush and Obama administrations. He retired from the CIA in 2009. Hayden has been a vocal critic of Donald Trumps campaign and presidency. Earlier this year, after Trump decided to revoke the security clearance of former CIA director John Brennan, Hayden was one of several former intelligence leaders who signed a statement in opposition. Criticizing the president for crossing a line, he quickly became one of the individuals whose security clearance Trump threatened to review. Deanna Paul writes for the Washington Post. Facebook

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Trump tells troops hes thankful for what hes done for the U.S. and rails against courts and migrants By Associated Press President Trump talks with troops via teleconference from his estate in Palm Beach, Fla., on Thanksgiving. (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump used his Thanksgiving Day call to troops deployed overseas to pat himself on the back and air grievances about the courts, trade and migrants heading to the U.S.-Mexico border. Trumps call, made from his opulent private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Fla., struck an unusually political tone as he spoke with members of all five branches of the military to wish them happy holidays. Its a disgrace, Trump said of judges who have blocked his attempts to overhaul U.S. immigration law, as he linked his efforts to secure the border with military missions overseas. Trump later threatened to close the U.S. border with Mexico for an undisclosed period of time if his administration determines Mexico has lost control on its side. The call was a uniquely Trump blend of boasting, peppered questions and off-the-cuff observations as his comments veered from venting about slights to praising troops  You really are our heroes, he said  as club waiters worked to set Thanksgiving dinner tables on the outdoor terrace behind him. It was yet another show of how Trump has dramatically transformed the presidency, erasing the traditional divisions between domestic policy and military matters and efforts to keep the troops clear of politics. You probably see over the news whats happening on our southern border, Trump told one Air Force brigadier general stationed at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan, adding: I dont have to even ask you. I know what you want to do, you want to make sure that you know who were letting in. Later, Trump asked a U.S. Coast Guard commander about trade, which he noted was a very big subject for him personally. Weve been taken advantage of for many, many years by bad trade deals, Trump told the commander, who sheepishly replied, Mr. President, from our perspective on the water  we dont see any issues in terms of trade right now. And throughout, Trump congratulated himself, telling the officers that the country is doing exceptionally well on his watch. I hope that youll take solace in knowing that all of the American families you hold so close to your heart are all doing well, he said. The nations doing well economically, better than anybody in the world. He later told reporters, Nobodys done more for the military than me. Indeed, asked what he was thankful for this Thanksgiving, Trump cited his great family as well as himself. I made a tremendous difference in this country, he said. Facebook

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Trump contradicts CIA assessment that Saudi crown prince ordered Jamal Khashoggi killing By Josh Dawsey | Washington Post (Susan Walsh / Associated Press) President Trump on Thursday contradicted the CIAs assessment that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had ordered the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, insisting that the agency had feelings but did not firmly place blame for the death. Trump, in defiant remarks to reporters from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida, defended his continued support for Mohammed in the face of a CIA assessment that the crown prince had ordered the killing. He denies it vehemently, Trump said. He said his own conclusion was that maybe he did, maybe he didnt. I hate the crime .... I hate the cover-up. I will tell you this: The crown prince hates it more than I do, Trump said. Asked who should be held accountable for the death of Khashoggi, who was killed at the Saudi Consulate in Turkey, Trump refused to place blame. Maybe the world should be held accountable because the world is a very, very vicious place, the president said. He also seemed to suggest that all U.S. allies were guilty of the same behavior, declaring that if the others were held to the standard that critics have held Saudi Arabia to in recent days, we wouldnt be able to have anyone for an ally. Trumps remarks came after he held a conference call with U.S. military officers overseas, during which he repeatedly praised his administration and sought to draw the officers into discussions of domestic policy. Facebook

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Former FBI Director James Comey gets subpoena from House Republicans By Bloomberg Former FBI Director James B. Comey said he has received a subpoena from House Republicans, according to a Twitter post on Thursday. Bloomberg News reported last week that Comey would be receiving a subpoena alongside former Atty. Gen. Loretta Lynch as part of continuing probes into their handling of investigations into Hillary Clinton and Russian election meddling, according to a top House Democrat. Happy Thanksgiving. Got a subpoena from House Republicans. Im still happy to sit in the light and answer all questions. But I will resist a closed door thing because Ive seen enough of their selective leaking and distortion. Lets have a hearing and invite everyone to see.  James Comey (@Comey) November 22, 2018 Read More Facebook

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Republican David Valadaos lead slips to 447 votes over Democrat TJ Cox in still-undecided Central Valley House race By Mark Z. Barabak Rep. David Valadao (R-Hanford), right, finds himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox. (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) On election night, it looked like Rep. David Valadao had survived a close shave and was destined to return to Washington for his fourth term. But on Wednesday, when Fresno County announced its latest vote totals, the Hanford Republican found himself in an increasingly harrowing cliffhanger against Democrat TJ Cox, with his lead in the Central Valley district shrunken to 447 votes. Thousands remain to be counted. Valadao, a repeated Democratic target, finished election night with a lead of nearly 4,440 votes. Cox, an engineer and a business owner who unsuccessfully ran for Congress in 2006, has steadily gained ground in the 21st Congressional District ever since. The trend is consistent with historic patterns showing Republicans in California tend to vote early and Democrats later, meaning their mail ballots continue to stream in past election day. Under California law, ballots postmarked up to midnight on Nov. 6 will be counted. Democrats have already picked up six House seats in California. They ousted Reps. Dana Rohrabacher, Mimi Walters, Steve Knight and Jeff Denham and won the seats of retiring Reps. Ed Royce and Darrell Issa. All six represented districts that backed Hillary Clinton over Donald Trump in 2016. Valadao was the seventh California Republican in a district Clinton won, though his previous successes  he last won reelection by a 14-point margin  suggested his ouster was a longer shot for Democrats. If Cox prevails, it would give Democrats a 40-seat gain nationwide, far more than the 23 seats needed to take control when Congress reconvenes in January. Facebook

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Trump says no new punishments against Saudi Arabia in Jamal Khashoggi murder By Eli Stokols In this Oct. 25 photo, candles are lit in front of a photo of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. (Lefteris Pitarakis) President Trump made it clear on Tuesday that he does not intend to punish Saudi Arabia or Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi, an American resident killed by Saudi officials in Turkey in October. In a remarkable statement replete with exclamation points, Trump cast doubt on the CIAs reported conclusions that it has a high degree of confidence that the crown prince ordered Khashoggis murder and sent his closest allies to Saudi Arabias consulate in Istanbul to carry it out. Read MoreThis article has been updated with staff. Facebook

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Sixteen House Democrats vow to oppose Nancy Pelosi as next speaker By Mike DeBonis | Washington Post House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (J. Scott Applewhite / Associated Press) Sixteen House Democrats said Monday that they will vote to deny Rep. Nancy Pelosi another stint as House speaker, a show of defiance that puts her opponents on the cusp of forcing a seismic leadership shake-up as their party prepares to take the majority. Their pledge to oppose Pelosi (D-San Francisco), both in an internal caucus election and a Jan. 3 floor vote, delivered in a letter sent to Democratic colleagues, comes as Pelosi has marshaled a legion of supporters on and off Capitol Hill to make her case. But her opponents said Monday they are convinced it is time to select a new leader. We are thankful to Leader Pelosi for her years of service to our Country and to our Caucus, they wrote. However, we also recognize that in this recent election, Democrats ran on and won on a message of change. Pelosi has expressed complete confidence that she will retake the speakers gavel in January  eight years after she lost it following massive Republican gains in the 2010 midterms and 16 years after she was first elevated to the top Democratic leadership post in the House. Come on in, the waters fine, she said Friday about a potential leadership challenge. The signers might not be able to force Pelosi out themselves. The size of the Democratic majority remains in flux, but Democrats have already won 232 seats, according to the Associated Press, with five races still undecided. All those races have Republican incumbents, but the Democratic challenger is ahead in only one of them. If the leads hold in the uncalled races, Democrats would have won 233 seats, a 16-seat majority. That means Pelosi could lose as many as 15 Democratic votes when she stands for election as speaker on Jan. 3. Read More Facebook

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Democratic senators sue over Whitakers appointment as acting attorney general By Associated Press Acting U.S. Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitaker (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) Three Senate Democrats filed a lawsuit Monday arguing that Acting Atty. Gen. Matthew Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and asking a federal judge to remove him. The suit, filed by Sens. Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Mazie Hirono of Hawaii and Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, argues that Whitakers appointment violates the Constitution because he has not been confirmed by the Senate. Whitaker was chief of staff to Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions and was elevated to the top job after Sessions was ousted by President Trump on Nov. 7. The Constitutions Appointments Clause requires that the Senate confirm all principal officials before they can serve in their office. The Justice Department released a legal opinion last week that said Whitakers appointment would not violate the clause because he is serving in an acting capacity. The opinion concluded that Whitaker, even without Senate confirmation, may serve in an acting capacity because he has been at the department for more than a year at a sufficiently senior pay level. President Trump is denying senators our constitutional obligation and opportunity to do our job: scrutinizing the nomination of our nations top law enforcement official, Blumenthal said in a statement. The reason is simple: Whitaker would never pass the advice and consent test. In selecting a so-called constitutional nobody and thwarting every senators constitutional duty, Trump leaves us no choice but to seek recourse through the courts. The lawsuit comes days after a Washington lawyer challenged Whitakers appointment in a pending Supreme Court case dealing with gun rights. The attorney, Thomas Goldstein, asked the high court to find that Whitakers appointment is unconstitutional and replace him with Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Rosenstein, the second-ranking Justice Department official, has been confirmed by the Senate and had been overseeing special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker is now overseeing the investigation. The Justice Department issued a statement Monday defending Whitakers appointment as lawful and said it comports with the Appointments Clause, the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and legal precedent. There are over 160 instances in American history in which non-Senate confirmed persons performed, on a temporary basis, the duties of a Senate-confirmed position, Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec said. To suggest otherwise is to ignore centuries of practice and precedent. Facebook

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Gov. Rick Scott says Sen. Bill Nelson concedes Florida Senate race By Associated Press Republican Senate candidate Rick Scott speaks with his wife, Ann, by his side at an election watch party in Naples, Fla., on Nov. 7. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas Republican Gov. Rick Scott says incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson called him to concede defeat in their extremely tight race. Scott issued a statement Sunday saying Nelson graciously conceded their Senate race shortly after the states recount ended. The final results show Scott defeated Nelson by just over 10,000 votes out of 8 million cast. Nelson is scheduled to release a videotaped statement later Sunday. The defeat ends Nelsons lengthy political career. The three-term incumbent was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2000. Before that he served six terms in the U.S. House and as state treasurer and insurance commissioner for six years. Scott spent more than $60 million of his own money on ads that portrayed Nelson as out-of-touch and ineffective. Nelson responded by questioning Scotts ethics and saying he would be under the sway of President Trump. Facebook

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Orange County goes blue, as Democrats complete historic sweep of its seven congressional seats By Michael Finnegan Gil Cisneros defeated Republican Young Kim on Saturday in the last of Orange Countys undecided House races, giving Democrats a clean sweep of the states six most fiercely fought congressional contests and marking an epochal shift in a region long synonymous with political conservatism. With Cisneros victory, Democrats will constitute the entirety of Orange Countys seven-member congressional delegation, the first time since the 1930s that the birthplace of Richard Nixon, home of John Wayne and spiritual center of the Republican Party will have no GOP representative in the House. Sitting back in the 1960s, I would never have believed this would happen, said Stuart K. Spencer, a party strategist who spent more than half a century ushering Republicans, including President Reagan, into office. Read More Facebook

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Going, going ... with midterm wipeout, California Republican Party drifts closer to irrelevance By Michael Finnegan For a party in freefall the last two decades, California Republicans learned that its possible to plunge even further. The GOP not only lost every statewide office in the midterm election  again, in blowout fashion  but Democrats reestablished their supermajority in Sacramento, allowing them to legislate however they see fit After major defeats in Orange County and the Central Valley, two longtime strongholds, Republicans will have a significantly smaller footprint on Capitol Hill. (Democrats hold both Senate seats.) When the vote-counting is finished, the GOP may not even have enough lawmakers in Californias 53-member House delegation to field a nine-person softball team. Read More Facebook

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Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter says she will support Rep. Nancy Pelosi for speaker By Maya Sweedler Democratic Rep.-elect Katie Porter is congratulated by volunteers at her campaign headquarters in Irvine. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times) Congresswoman-elect Katie Porter said she plans to support Rep. Nancy Pelosis bid for speaker of the House and will make campaign finance reform her top priority when she enters the chamber in January. Im going to continue to have conversations, but so far I feel like Leader Pelosi is definitely making the things that were a priority to the families that elected me her priorities, including announcing her support for campaign finance reform and anti-corruption as HR1, Porter said in her first public appearance since being declared the winner in Californias 45th Congressional District on Thursday evening. It means a lot to me that she is a Californian. She understands our state, Porter added. When we talk about environmental protections, this is a person who understands as a Californian how fragile our environment is and whats at risk in things like drilling off our coasts. Porter, a law professor at UC Irvine, defeated two-term Republican Rep. Mimi Walters. The 45th District, covering inland Orange County, has never been represented by a Democrat. Porter became the third Democrat to claim a Republican-held seat in Orange County, following the victories of Harley Rouda in the 48th District and Mike Levin in the 49th. A fourth, Gil Cisneros, is running slightly ahead of his Republican opponent in the race for the open seat in the 39th District, which extends into Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. Porter attributed the massive political shift in the county, for decades a conservative stronghold, to increased levels of political engagement. Folks here care about education, they care about the environment, they believe climate change is real, they want healthcare that protects preexisting conditions, they want a tax system that doesnt punish California, they want our schools and places of worship to be safe from gun violence, she said. Those are the issues we campaigned on, and to the extent that Donald Trump and Mimi Walters were on the wrong side of those issues, the voters have made clear what direction they want us to go. Porter was flying back from the East Coast when her race was called, she said. She turned on her phone to find 167 text messages from friends and supporters. Among them was Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), who was one of Porters teachers in law school and with whom she has remained close. The pair spoke via FaceTime this morning, she said. Facebook

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Bitter battle for Senate seat in Florida goes to hand recount By Associated Press Employees look through damaged ballots during a recount Thursday in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) Floridas acrimonious battle for the U.S. Senate headed Thursday to a legally required hand recount after an initial review by ballot-counting machines showed Republican Gov. Rick Scott and Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson separated by less than 13,000 votes. But the highly watched contest for governor between Republican Ron DeSantis and Democrat Andrew Gillum appeared to be over, with a machine recount showing DeSantis with a large enough advantage over Gillum to avoid a hand recount in that race. Gillum, who conceded the contest on election night only to retract his concession later, said in a statement that it is not over until every legally casted vote is counted. The recount so far has been fraught with problems. One large Democratic stronghold in South Florida was unable to finish its machine recount by the Thursday deadline due to machines breaking down. A federal judge rejected a request to extend the recount deadline. We gave a heroic effort, said Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher. If the county had three or four more hours, it would have made the deadline to recount ballots in the Senate race, she said. Meanwhile, election officials in another urban county in the Tampa Bay area decided against turning in the results of their machine recount, which came up with 846 fewer votes than originally counted. Media in South Florida reported that Broward County finished its machine recount but missed the deadline by a few minutes. Counties were ordered last weekend to do a machine recount of three statewide races because the margins were so tight. The next stage is a manual review of ballots that were not counted by machines to see whether there is a way to figure out voter intent. Scott called on Nelson to end the recount battle. Its time for Nelson to respect the will of the voters and graciously bring this process to an end rather than proceed with yet another count of the votes  which will yield the same result and bring more embarrassment to the state that we both love and have served, the governor said in a statement. The recount has triggered multiple lawsuits, many of them filed by Nelson and Democrats. The legal battles drew the ire of U.S. District Judge Mark E. Walker, who slammed the state for repeatedly failing to anticipate election problems. He also said the state law on recounts appears to violate the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that decided the presidency in 2000. We have been the laughingstock of the world, election after election, and we chose not to fix this, Walker said during a morning hearing. Walker vented his anger at state lawmakers and Palm Beach County officials, saying they should have made sure they had enough equipment in place to handle this kind of a recount. But he said he could not extend the recount deadline because he did not know when Palm Beach County would finish its work. This court must be able to craft a remedy with knowledge that it will not prove futile, Walker wrote in his ruling turning down the request from Democrats. It cannot do so on this record. This court does not and will not fashion a remedy in the dark. The overarching problem was created by the Florida Legislature, which Walker said passed a recount law that appears to run afoul of the 2000 Bush vs. Gore decision by locking in procedures that do not allow for potential problems. A total of six election-related lawsuits are pending in federal court in Tallahassee as well at least one lawsuit filed in state court. Walker also ordered that voters be given until 5 p.m. Saturday to show a valid identification and fix their ballots if they have not been counted due to mismatched signatures. Republicans appealed the ruling, but an appeals court turned down the request. State officials testified that nearly 4,000 mailed-in ballots were set aside because local officials decided the signatures on the envelopes did not match the signatures on file. If those voters can prove their identity, their votes will be counted and included in final official returns due from each county by noon Sunday. Walker was asked by Democrats to require local officials to provide a list of people whose ballots were rejected. But the judge appointed by President Obama refused the request, calling it inappropriate. Under state law, a hand review is required with races that have a margin of 0.25 percentage points or less. A state website put the unofficial results showing Scott ahead of Nelson by 0.15 percentage points. The margin between DeSantis and Gillum was at 0.41 points. The margin between Scott and Nelson had not changed much in the last few days, conceded Marc Elias, an attorney working for Nelsons campaign. But he said that he expected the vote tally to shrink due to the hand recount and the ruling on signatures. The developments fueled frustrations among Democrats and Republicans alike. Democrats want state officials to do whatever it takes to make sure every eligible vote is counted. Republicans, including President Trump, have argued without evidence that voter fraud threatens to steal races from the GOP. Facebook

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Democrat Gil Cisneros pulls ahead of Republican Young Kim as more votes are tallied in Orange and San Bernardino counties By Michael Finnegan Congressional candidate Gil Cisneros (Kent Nishimura / Los Angeles Times) Democrat Gil Cisneros pulled ahead of Republican Young Kim in one of Californias undecided congressional races Thursday, an ominous sign for a GOP already reeling from its loss of four House seats in the state. In updated vote counts released by the registrars for Orange and San Bernardino counties, Kim fell 941 votes behind Cisneros in the contest to succeed Republican Rep. Ed Royce in Californias 39th Congressional District. The 39th straddles Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Orange counties. In another unresolved House race, Democrat Katie Porter pulled further ahead of Republican incumbent Mimi Walters in the 45th District, which includes Mission Viejo, Tustin, Irvine, Rancho Santa Margarita and Laguna Hills. Porter, a consumer attorney and UC Irvine law professor, is now 6,203 votes ahead. The Nov. 6 midterm election has been devastating to Republicans in California. If Cisneros and Porter win, the party will have lost six of its 14 House seats in the state, essentially a wipeout in every contest that both parties spent heavily to win. The three Republicans already bounced from Congress are Reps. Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa, Steve Knight of Palmdale and Jeff Denham of Turlock in the San Joaquin Valley. Democrat Mike Levin won the seat of retiring GOP Rep. Darrell Issa of Vista in the fourth district flipped so far. Facebook

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Florida Senate race likely headed to second recount By Associated Press A Palm Beach County Sheriffs deputy walks past boxes of ballots before a recount on Nov. 15 in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee) Unofficial Florida election results show that the governors race seems to be settled after a machine recount but the U.S. Senate race is likely headed to a hand recount. Republican Ron DeSantis is virtually assured of winning the nationally watched governors race over Democrat Andrew Gillum. Florida finished a machine recount Thursday that showed Gillum without enough votes to force a manual recount. Unofficial results posted on a state website show the margin between U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and Gov. Rick Scott is still thin enough to trigger a second review. State law requires a hand recount of races with a margin of 0.25 percentage point or less. Counties have until Sunday to inspect the ballots that did not record a vote when put through the machines. Those ballots are re-examined to see whether the voter skipped the race or marked the ballot in a way that the machines cannot read but can be deciphered. The election will be certified Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Pelosi says she has the votes to become the next House speaker By John Wagner Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in Washington on Nov. 14. (Susan Walsh) House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi insisted Thursday that she has the votes to become the chambers speaker despite solid opposition from more than a dozen Democrats who want fresh leadership when the party takes control next year. I have overwhelming support in my caucus to be speaker of the House, the San Francisco lawmaker told reporters. I happen to think at this point, Im the best person for that. A vote within the Democratic caucus is scheduled for Nov. 28. The full House votes on Jan. 3 to elect a new speaker. During her remarks, Pelosi touted the size of the Democratic victory in the midterms, which she called almost a tsunami. With a few races still to be decided, Democrats are poised to pick up close to 40 seats in the chamber. Pelosi called that the biggest victory for the Democrats since 1974, when the Watergate babies came in. Pelosis comments come as she faces solid opposition from at least 17 Democrats, setting the stage for a battle over who will ascend to one of the most powerful positions in Washington. After a campaign in which some Democrats prevailed in competitive districts by promising to oppose her, a coalition of incumbents and newly elected members has denied her a smooth path to the speakership. The defections, if they stand, would leave Pelosi, who has led the Democrats for more than 15 years, several votes short of the 218 she would need when the full House votes for speaker Jan. 3. However, no Democrat has stepped forward to run against her for a job she held from 2007 through 2010. Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio) told reporters Wednesday that shes being encouraged to stand for speaker if Pelosi doesnt have the votes. In an interview with the Washington Post on Thursday, she said she has been overwhelmed by the support from many of her colleagues for her possible entry into the race for House speaker. Over the last 12 hours, Ive been overwhelmed by the amount of support Ive received, Fudge said, adding that there are probably closer to 30" Democrats who have privately signaled that they are willing to oppose Pelosi. Things could change rapidly, Fudge said. Fudge, 66, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, said she is building a diverse coalition as she mulls a speaker run, talking with allies in the caucus, moderate Democrats and newly elected members. To this point, Pelosi has enjoyed the strong backing of the Congressional Black Caucus. On Thursday, Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.), one of its members, wrote a letter to colleagues praising her insight, fortitude and strategic thinking and urging support for her speakership bid. Former Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr., an African American who is contemplating a 2020 presidential bid, also voiced support for Pelosi, praising her in a tweet as an architect of the recent midterm success. Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), a leader of the resistance to Pelosi, said during an interview on CNN on Thursday that Fudge is the kind of new leader that we need in this party. Shes in touch with middle America. She understands what the American people want. Shes a next-generation leader that people will look to and say, Thats the future of our party, thats the future of our country, and thats exactly the kind of leader that I want to see as our next speaker. Wagner reports for the Washington Post. The Posts Robert Costa, Erica Werner, Mike DeBonis, Paul Kane and Elise Viebeck contributed to this report. Facebook

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GOP Rep. Jeff Denham concedes to Democrat Josh Harder in Central Valley race By Maya Sweedler Rep. Jeff Denham (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has conceded to Democrat Josh Harder in the race to represent Californias 10th Congressional District in the San Joaquin Valley. It has been an absolute honor to serve our community and represent the Central Valley in Congress over the past eight years, the 51-year-old congressman said. The enormity of the responsibility was never lost on me. My wife Sonia and I look forward to starting the next chapter of our lives. Harder said he had spoken with Denham and the two were committed to a productive transition. Denham, an Air Force veteran, previously represented the region in the state Senate for eight years and founded a company specializing in plastic packaging used in agriculture. While a member of Congress, he sat on the Transportation and Infrastructure, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture committees. First-time candidate Harder was born and raised in the district. After graduating from Stanford University, he served as vice president of a Silicon Valley venture capital firm. Since moving back, he has been teaching at Modesto Junior College. Denhams House seat is one of four in California that Republicans lost in the Nov. 6 election, with two contests in Orange County still undecided as of Thursday morning. Jeff Denham called me this morning and we had a very productive conversation. I'm honored that I've been chosen to serve our community in Congress, and we're both looking forward to a productive transition that best serves the people of District 10.  Josh Harder (@JoshHarder) November 14, 2018 Facebook

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Democrat Katie Porter now nearly 3,800 votes ahead of GOP Rep. Mimi Walters By Maya Sweedler Rep. Mimi Walters thanks all of her supporters as she watches election results in Irvine on Nov. 7, 2018. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press) Democrat Katie Porter opened a 3,797-vote lead Wednesday over Republican Rep. Mimi Walters in Orange Countys 45th Congressional District. In the neighboring 39th, Democrat Gil Cisneros has nearly tied the race against Republican Young Kim. Cisneros now trails Kim by a razor-thin margin of 122 votes. The 39th District straddles Los Angeles, Orange and San Bernardino counties; Wednesdays updated ballot counts came from the latter two. There are more than 202,000 ballots left to count in Orange County, which includes parts of seven congressional districts. The 45th is entirely in inland Orange County. In California, the ballots counted first tend to lean Republican and those tallied later skew Democratic. In the Central Valleys 21st Congressional District, Democratic challenger TJ Cox has pulled within 2 percentage points of Rep. David Valadao, who is serving his third term. The Associated Press had projected a win for Valadao on election night, but his 4,839-vote advantage has shrunk to 2,090. Back in CA-21, Valadao (R) wins a batch of ballots from his stronghold in Kings Co., but by a considerably smaller margin (14 points) than his previous ~30-point margin in the county. We're moving to Lean R from Likely R; today a bit scary for Valadao.https://t.co/WqJVUVkqGW  Nate Silver (@NateSilver538) November 15, 2018 A spokesman for Valadao told the Fresno Bee that the changes were expected and that [s]tatistically, David Valadao has won this race. Democrats in California have already flipped four House seats, defeating three Republican incumbents and claiming an open seat previously held by the GOP. Reps. Steve Knight of Palmdale, Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa and Jeff Denham of Turlock have already lost their races, and retiring Rep. Darrell Issas San Diego County seat was claimed by Democrat Mike Levin. Facebook

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Trump aide departs West Wing after rebuke from Melania Trump By Associated Press First Lady Melania Trump. (Alain Jocard / AFP-Getty Images) Deputy national security advisor Mira Ricardel is leaving the White House, one day after First Lady Melania Trumps office issued an extraordinary statement calling for her dismissal. No replacement was named. Aides said Ricardel clashed with the first ladys staff over her visit to Africa last month. Yet it is highly unusual for a first lady or her office to weigh in on personnel matters, especially the presidents national security staff. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Ricardel would have a new role in the administration. On Tuesday, Stephanie Grisham, the first ladys spokeswoman, released a statement saying, It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House. President Trumps White House has set records for administration turnover. Ricardel was the third person to hold the post under Trump. An ally of national security advisor John Bolton, Ricardel began her service in the Trump administration as associate director in the White House Office of Presidential Personnel, then moved to the Commerce Department last year. Bolton brought her into the West Wing shortly after taking the job in April. He is traveling in Asia this week alongside Vice President Mike Pence. Facebook

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Race for House Minority Leader is Kevin McCarthys to lose By Associated Press (Bill Clark / CQ Roll Call) House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy is running to take over next years shrunken caucus in closed-door elections that will set the tone for the new Congress. The race for minority leader is McCarthys to lose Wednesday. But the California Republican, who is an ally of President Trump, must fend off a challenge from conservative Jim Jordan of Ohio. Jordan is a leader of the House Freedom Caucus. The two encountered questions and finger-pointing during a private meeting with lawmakers Tuesday night as the GOP sorted through the midterm defeat that put Democrats in the majority next year. Elections Wednesday will also determine party leadership in the Senate. Voting for the biggest race, Nancy Pelosis bid to return as the Democrats nominee for speaker, is later this month. Read More Facebook

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Melania Trump calls for the firing of deputy national security advisor By Justin Sink First Lady Melania Trump arrives at the Chateau de Versailles outside Paris on Nov. 11. (Alain Jocard / AFP/Getty Images ) First Lady Melania Trumps office said she wants Mira Ricardel, the deputy national security advisor, ousted from the White House. It is the position of the Office of the First Lady that she no longer deserves the honor of serving in this White House, Trumps spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement in response to a question about reports the first lady had sought Ricardels removal. Ricardel is the top deputy to national security advisor John Bolton. She drew the first ladys wrath after threatening to withhold National Security Council resources during Melania Trumps trip to Africa last month unless Ricardel was included in her entourage, one person familiar with the matter said. Grishams statement comes as several media outlets have reported that President Trump is considering a broader shakeup of his administration, including ousting Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. Sink and Jacobs report for Bloomberg. Read More Facebook

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CNN sues Trump over the suspension of Jim Acostas White House press credentials By Jim Puzzanghera CNN said Tuesday that it is suing President Trump and other administration officials over the decision to suspend the White House press credentials of correspondent Jim Acosta after a conflict at a news conference last week. The suit, to be filed in U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, escalates an ongoing battle between Trump and the cable news outlet that he frequently accuses of disseminating fake news for its aggressive coverage of him and his administration. The wrongful revocation of these credentials violates CNN and Acostas 1st Amendment rights of freedom of the press, and their 5th Amendment rights to due process, CNN said in a written statement. If left unchallenged, the actions of the White House would create a dangerous chilling effect for any journalist who covers our elected officials. Read More Facebook

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Maxine Waters to take aim at Wells Fargo and Deutsche Bank as new head of House Financial Services Committee By Jim Puzzanghera Rep. Maxine Waters plans to zero in on two big banks  Wells Fargo & Co. and Deutsche Bank  when she becomes head of the powerful House Financial Services Committee. The Los Angeles congresswoman, now the committees top Democrat, is widely expected to gain the gavel after her party won control of the House in last weeks elections. While Waters has outlined a wide-ranging agenda, she said her focus on bank oversight will target two large institutions she has been tangling with for a while  including one, Deutsche Bank, that spills into her bitter feud with President Trump. With Trump in the White House, I know that our fight for Americas consumers and investors will continue to be challenging. But I am more than up to that fight, Waters wrote in a letter last week to her Democratic colleagues on the committee that was obtained by The Times. Read More Facebook

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Heres how a controversial voting system will decide a congressional race in Maine By Kurtis Lee For the first time in U.S. history, a controversial voting system known as ranked choice is being used to decide a federal election. Its happening in Maine, which adopted the system in 2016. Rather than marking a single candidate, each voter ranks them all, assigning a first-place vote, a second-place vote and so on down the ballot. Read More Facebook

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ACLU files suit to stop Trumps new asylum limits By Associated Press A group of Central American migrants march to the office of the U.N.'s humans rights body in Mexico City on Nov. 8. (Rebecca Blackwell / Associated Press) The American Civil Liberties Union has filed a legal challenge to President Trumps order denying asylum to migrants if they cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally. The lawsuit was filed Friday in federal court in San Francisco and argues the new rules are against the law. Attorney Lee Gelernt said the regulations will put families in danger. The suit seeks to declare the regulations invalid and wants a judge to stop the rules from going into effect while the litigation is pending. The new rules were spurred in part by caravans of Central American migrants slowly moving north on foot, but officials say they will apply to anyone caught crossing illegally. Officials say about 70,000 people who enter the country illegally claim asylum. The order invoked the same national security powers Trump used to push through his travel ban. Read More Facebook

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Trump on new acting AG: I dont know Matt Whitaker By Associated Press President Trump talks with reporters before departing for France on the South Lawn of the White House on Nov. 9. (Evan Vucci / Associated Press) President Trump is moving to distance himself from Matthew Whitaker as he faces criticism over his choice for acting attorney general. Trump told reporters Friday that I dont know Matt Whitaker and said he didnt speak with Whitaker about special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation. Whitaker has made public comments critical of Muellers investigation, and critics have called on Whitaker to recuse himself from oversight of the inquiry. Under former Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, the investigation was overseen by Deputy Atty. Gen. Rod Rosenstein. Of the scrutiny Whitaker is facing, Trump said: Its a shame that no matter who I put in they go after. He also called Whitaker a very highly respected man. Whitaker was Sessions chief of staff before Trump made him Sessions interim replacement. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg out of hospital after fall By Associated Press The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is home after being released from the hospital. She had been admitted for treatment and observation after fracturing three ribs in a fall. The court said Ginsburg was released Friday. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg says she is doing well and working from home. The court had previously said the justice fell in her office at the court on Wednesday evening and went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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Gun-control activist Lucy McBath defeats GOP Rep. Karen Handel in Georgia By Associated Press Lucy McBath speaks during a rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams on Nov. 2 at Morehouse College in Atlanta. (Alyssa Pointer / Atlanta Journal-Constitution via AP) Democratic gun-control activist Lucy McBath has defeated Republican Rep. Karen Handel of Georgia in a suburban congressional district long considered safe for the GOP. Handel had to seek reelection after winning her seat last year in a close special election race against Democrat Jon Ossoff. McBath became an advocate for stricter gun laws after her son, Jordan Davis, was fatally shot at a Florida gas station in 2012 by a man angry over loud music the teenager and his friends were playing in a car. McBaths margin of victory was narrow enough for Handel to have requested a recount. The Associated Press declared McBath the winner Thursday after Handel conceded. Handel conceded in a statement Thursday morning, stating that after reviewing all of the election data, its clear she came up a bit short in Tuesdays vote. Handel congratulated McBath, offering good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her. McBath, who is African American, declared victory Wednesday. Facebook

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Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg hospitalized after fracturing 3 ribs in fall By Associated Press Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press) The Supreme Court says 85-year-old Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fractured three ribs in a fall in her office at the court and is in the hospital. The court says the justice went to George Washington University Hospital in Washington early Thursday after experiencing discomfort overnight. The court says the fall occurred Wednesday evening. Ginsburg was admitted to the hospital for treatment and observation after tests showed she fractured three ribs. Ginsburg broke two ribs in a fall in 2012. She has had two prior bouts with cancer and had a stent implanted to open a blocked artery in 2014. Facebook

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White House suspends press pass of CNNs Jim Acosta after heated exchange with Trump By Associated Press The White House on Wednesday suspended the press pass of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after he and President Trump had a heated confrontation during a news conference. They began sparring after Acosta asked Trump about the caravan of migrants heading from Latin America to the southern U.S. border. When Acosta tried to follow up with another question, Trump said, Thats enough! and a female White House aide unsuccessfully tried to grab the microphone from Acosta. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders released a statement accusing Acosta of placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern, calling it absolutely unacceptable. The interaction between Acosta and the intern was brief, and Acosta appeared to brush her arm as she reached for the microphone and he tried to hold onto it. Pardon me, maam, he told her. Acosta tweeted that Sanders statement that he put his hands on the aide was a lie. CNN said in a statement that the White House revoked Acostas press pass in retaliation for his challenging questions Wednesday, and the network accused Sanders of lying about Acostas actions. This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporters colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Contrary to CNNs assertions there is no greater demonstration of the Presidents support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters...  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 As a result of todays incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.  Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) November 8, 2018 Sanders provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better, CNN said. Jim Acosta has our full support. Journalists assigned to cover the White House apply for passes that allow them daily access to press areas in the West Wing. White House staffers decide whether journalists are eligible, though the Secret Service determines whether their applications are approved. Facebook

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Trump spars with reporters at post-election news briefing, ordering several to sit down By Associated Press  President Trump assails CNNs Jim Acosta at a White House news conference. President Trump sparred with reporters at his post-election news conference, ordering several to sit down and telling another hes a rude, terrible person. He told another reporter hes not a fan of yours, either. The presidents mood turned sour Wednesday after reporters pressed him on why he referred to a migrant caravan making its way to the U.S. on foot through Mexico as an invasion. Trump ramped up his anti-immigrant rhetoric against the caravan in the final days of the midterm elections. Trump was also pressed on why his campaign aired an ad featuring a Mexican immigrant convicted of killing American police officers and linking the mans actions to the caravan. Several television networks pulled the ad after airing it or declined to air it at all. Facebook

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Im living one hour at a time at this point By Christine Mai-Duc Republican congressional candidate Young Kim and gubernatorial candidate John Cox campaign in Rowland Heights. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) Republican congressional candidate Young Kim greeted gubernatorial candidate John Coxs giant campaign bus, the words HELP IS ON THE WAY emblazoned across it, as it rolled into the parking lot outside her Rowland Heights field office. Standing beside Cox on Saturday, Kim predicted that a string of GOP victories Tuesday would start with voters repealing the gas tax hike. Can you imagine Gavin Newsom being our governor? Can you imagine Gil Cisneros being your representative? Kim asked the crowd, to loud boos and cries of Nooo! The former state assemblywoman who worked for retiring Rep. Ed Royce (R-Fullerton) is vying for his seat with Democrat Gil Cisneros. She led the crowd in chants of Enough is enough! and, though short-lived, Drain the swamp! Ive served you in Sacramento and Ive seen dysfunction personally, Kim continued. We cannot continue that route. She urged her supporters to stay and help make phone calls or walk neighborhoods. Lets get out there  the 72 hours is really critical. Its all going to come down to a few votes, it could be your vote, she said pointing to her left, then pivoting right, it could be your vote. So dont sit back and do nothing. Every night I go to sleep thinking, OK, how many more votes can I get or how many more people can I call tomorrow? Kim said. It can be physically exhausting but Im mentally, emotionally very energized. She listed off her events so far that day  and the next one she was heading to. Thats just what I can remember, she said. Im living one hour at a time at this point. Kims campaign invited press to two of her events on Saturday. After she was whisked away to her next event  a high tea fundraiser in Walnut, a couple dozen volunteers remained. John Freeman, a statewide field manager for the state Republican Party, tried to pump them up. This is the Super Bowl. Were not in an NFL stadium, were not getting paid millions of dollars, but you know what? Freeman said. Were walking on the field right now. This is that high-stakes-level game. Facebook

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Its going to be tough out there Democratic candidate Katie Porter speaks to volunteers in Mission Viejo. Jon Bauman, Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na, is in the background. (Victoria Kim / Los Angeles Times ) Judging from the cheers in the crowd, about half those assembled at Katie Porters campaign headquarters in Mission Viejo Sunday morning were old enough to remember 70s rock n roll star Bowzer from the band Sha Na Na. Jon Bauman, as Bowzer is known off stage, said it was her position on senior issues including retirement and social security that has him out supporting Porter over her opponent, incumbent Rep. Mimi Walters. I want you to make sure every phone is called and every door is knocked, he told the crowd of about 80 volunteers. There has never been a more important election. Both Bauman and his nephew, California Democratic Party Chairman Eric Bauman, were interrupted by yells from Trump supporters coming from an adjoining hillside. We love Trump, the voice cried out. We love him too, he makes great fodder, the younger Bauman retorted, before introducing Porter. Porter, a UC Irvine law professor and first-time candidate, acknowledged the uphill battle some of her canvassers might face in this more conservative end of the long-red Orange County district. I know its going to be tough out there, she said, motioning to the hillside. But she said the attacks meant the other side viewed her campaign as a significant threat. This election is going to be close, she said. If we dont fight all the way to the finish line, until 8 oclock on Tuesday, this could slip away. Bowzer then took to a keyboard piano to lead the crowd in a reworded rendition of the song Good Night Sweetheart: Good night, Mimi Walters, he crooned. A woman in a black tank top, jeans and flip flops holding a cup of coffee later joined the crowd with her two sons, 17 and 14, the younger one wearing a Trump 2016 T-shirt. She declined to give her name, saying she was concerned about being attacked, but said she lived up the hill and said she had been the one yelling. She said she was encouraging her sons to talk to people on both sides and make up their own minds. We need to have a government that runs the way government teachers are telling kids its supposed to be run, said the woman, a retired registered dental assistant who voted early for Mimi Walters. Referring to Democrats, she said: Theyve had control over all these years and Californias gone to crap. Among those canvassing was Stacie Campbell, 37, who was at the launch with her husband Jerome and three children, the youngest of whom was 2 months old. Campbell, a Mission Viejo resident who runs a business, had never canvassed or volunteered for campaigns before, and her husband is a French citizen and unable to vote. She said they had been talking to their children  the older ones are 5 and 2  about the presidency and the government since Trumps election. Together, they worked on homemade Katie Porter lawn signs and put them up around town. This is the first time its felt like a big deal and there isnt a president up for election, she said. Because her city is a mix of conservatives and liberals  her next-door neighbor is an NRA-supporting Republican  she the race felt m
President Trump vowed Sunday there would be a big price to pay for a suspected poison gas attack that killed dozens of Syrian civilians, and he issued a rare public rebuke to Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing Syrian President Bashar Assad in the countrys vicious civil war.

Trumps condemnation of the apparent chemical assault on the rebel-held Syrian town of Douma raised the prospect of U.S. military retaliation almost a year after he ordered a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base following a similar poison gas attack  a move that won Trump widespread praise.

Trumps homeland security advisor, Tom Bossert, said Sunday that he wouldnt take anything off the table regarding a possible military response to the illicit use of chemical agents and what he called horrible photos of its victims, including young children.

Trumps secretary of State and national security advisor both were forced out in recent weeks, so the issue is likely to be the top agenda item for John Bolton, an avowed hawk expected to take office Monday as national security advisor.

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Russias muscular military intervention in Syria more than two years ago helped turned the course of the civil war in Assads favor, and together with Iran, Moscow has emerged as a central power in determining Syrias  and the regions  postwar order.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad, Trump tweeted Sunday, in a highly unusual negative reference to the Russian leader by name. Big price to pay.

The White House later appeared to moderate Trumps certainty about the Douma attack. After Trump spoke by phone with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Abadi, a White House statement said they had discussed possible chemical attacks near Damascus.

In his own tweet, Vice President Mike Pence demanded a change in Assads barbaric behavior, but noted that responsibility for what he called a likely chemical attack had not yet been confirmed.

In Douma, Syrian opposition activists and first responders described how entire families were found suffocated in their homes after the gas attack. Horrific photos of the tiny slumped bodies of dead or dying children were widely circulated on social media.

Assads government denied responsibility, as it has in the past, and Russia on Sunday called accounts of a poison gas attack bogus.

The prospect of U.S. military action comes days after Trump  to the dismay of some senior advisors and the surprise of Pentagon officials  indicated he was considering a quick pullout of several thousand U.S. troops from Syria, which is in the eighth year of a grinding multi-sided civil war.

The White House later said U.S. troops would stay to defeat the remaining pockets of Islamic State, but multiple reports said Trump made clear that he wants the Pentagon to withdraw forces by next fall and hand over long-term stabilization of the war-ravaged country to Arab allies.

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The Syria situation also underscores a paradox of Trumps relationship with Putin. He has strenuously sought to maintain good personal relations with the Russian leader even as the administration has moved to punish oligarchs closely tied to the Kremlin, and as Washington and Moscow engaged in large-scale retaliatory diplomatic expulsions.

After British authorities had accused Moscow of using a lethal nerve gas against a former Russian double agent and his daughter in southern England last month, for example, Trump spoke to Putin by phone and invited him to the White House. No summit has been scheduled, but the White House said later that its not been ruled out.

Then, on Friday, the administration finally announced sanctions mandated by Congress last year on members of Russias ruling elite for Russian cyberattacks and meddling in foreign elections, including the 2016 presidential campaign. The group included 17 Russian government officials, a state-owned weapons trading company and seven of the countrys richest businessmen.

Several of those put on the blacklist had links to Trumps campaign or to his associates who have come under scrutiny in special counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs investigation. The group includes the wealthy son of a childhood friend of the Russian president and a billionaire who married his daughter.

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Some senior lawmakers said Trumps latest warning on Syria, as articulated on Twitter, may commit him to taking some action  much as he did last year.

On April 7, 2017, Navy warships launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syrias Shayrat air base for its role in a gas attack with sarin, a banned nerve agent, on the Syrian hamlet of Khan Sheikhoun. The president was spurred in part, the White House said, by images of stricken Syrian children.

Now, if Trump doesnt follow through and live up to that tweet, hes going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran, Sen. Lindsey Graham, (R-S.C.), said on ABCs This Week. He called it a defining moment.

Sen. Susan Collins, (R-Maine), said Sundays warnings were inconsistent with his assertions last week that U.S. troops should leave Syria soon.

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I think the president is going to have to reconsider his plan for an early withdrawal in light of what has happened, Collins said on CNNs State of the Union.

Even as he ramped up the prospect of an airstrike in Syria, the president, who has previously taken a confrontational line on trade with China, appeared to try to tamp down the risk of a damaging trade war with Beijing.

Trump said on Twitter that he expected China would do the right thing, citing his friendship with President Xi Jinping. He did not otherwise explain how he expected the conflict to be resolved.

Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, interviewed on CBS Face the Nation, said he did not expect a trade war with China. He said the objective was to reach a deal and that he did not foresee a clash having a meaningful impact on our economy.

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The prospect of a full-scale trade confrontation with Beijing has sent the stock market into a slump, and drawn criticism from economists who flatly dispute Trumps earlier assertion that trade wars are good, and easy to win.

Trumps trade advisor, Peter Navarro, insisted on NBCs Meet the Press that the administration was moving forward in a measured way on tariffs.

laura.king@latimes.com

@laurakingLAT
The easy analysis of President Trumps relentless attacks on Californias 2016 election results is this: Maybe he simply hasnt gotten over the thumping he took in the Golden State.

But theres more than just Trumps feelings at stake when he keeps claiming theres rampant voter fraud here. Theres real civic danger when the president peddles that whopper.

If it begins to undermine confidence in our democracy, people will begin to wonder whether or not to vote, said Secretary of State Alex Padilla.

Stashing cash for a rainy day isnt as easy as it sounds for California government 

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At a West Virginia event on tax reform last week, Trump began drifting into a riff about Democrats rigging elections.

In many places, like California, the same person votes many times. You probably heard about that, he told the crowd. They always like to say, Oh, thats a conspiracy theory. Not a conspiracy theory, folks. Millions and millions of people.

Well, it would indeed take a conspiracy  and one of historic proportions  to pull off what he pretends is a provable fact.

Like other states, California doesnt hold a single election. Here, that means 58 separate county elections run by local officials who are responsible for voter registration and tallying the ballots cast in all races. Counties in Californias biggest jurisdictions are overseen by a blend of Republican and Democratic supervisors.

Some local registrars are elected, others are appointed. In either case, the scheme that they would need their help (or ignorance) for millions and millions of people to vote fraudulently would be epic in size or stealth. And then ask yourself: Why would this dastardly cabal run up the score  Trump lost in California by more than 4.2 million votes  and therefore draw all that attention?

Then there are the mechanics of how we vote. California elections are built around paper ballots, after the states former top elections official cut off the use of most touchscreen devices more than a decade ago. And 58% of all ballots two years ago were cast absentee. The idea of stuffing the polling place ballot box is nothing short of antiquated.

What we do know is that confirmed cases of voter fraud in California are extremely rare. There were 149 cases investigated by state officials in 2016, more than most years over the past decade. Investigators only found six cases out of 23.1 million votes cast worth sending to local district attorneys.

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Trump said last week that voter fraud is hard to prove in California because the state guards their records. They dont want [anyone] to see it, the president said.

Twice last summer, Padilla refused to give a copy of the states voter database to the now-defunct Trump voter fraud commission. The information is hardly a secret  candidates, political strategists, journalists and others under specific guidelines can purchase the data. Padilla argued the commission wouldnt clarify who theyd share the information with. Even then, its only a list of registration and not of who voted.

One longtime supporter of the president, state Sen. Joel Anderson (R-Alpine), thinks there should be an independent audit. Depending on how such an audit would be set up, there might be solid support to conduct one.

Until then, what Trump keeps repeating has to be categorized as a myth. Its important to remember that no one can say voter fraud is non-existent in California; theres data that proves otherwise. Whats being said is that the confirmed number of cases are exceedingly rare. Anyone, including the president of the United States, who has solid and substantial proof to the contrary should step forward.

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Allen Lund, known in the Foothills as a gentle giant who built a highly successful transportation brokerage with offices across the nation and gave generously to further the education of others, has died, according to a brief statement released by his company Saturday afternoon.

Just recently diagnosed with a very rare and fast moving cancer, Allen was surrounded by family and friends as he said his good byes, stated the news release issued by the La Canada Flintridge-based corporate office of the Allen Lund Co. The exact date of Lunds passing was not given, but it was announced that a funeral mass has been set for 5 p.m on Saturday, April 14 at Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Although his given name was David Allen Lund, he went by his middle name and chose it when naming his eponymous firm. According to voter registration records, he turned 77 last September.

It was as a small boy of 6 or 7, Lund recalled in a 2016 interview with the La Canada Valley Sun, that he became enamored of big-rig trucks, as his father drove an 18-wheeler across the country for a living. That early look at the industry, first from the passengers seat, intrigued him.

I loved it, he told the Sun during that interview, on the occasion of his companys 40th anniversary. I wanted to be the best at the earth-moving business and trucking. I wanted to be the best machine operator.

In 2010, while speaking before a gathering of the La Canada Flintridge Chamber of Commerce, Lund explained that the bulk of the goods his firm brokers transportation for is agricultural. Among the clients Allen Lund Co. served, he said at the time, were Costco, Pepsi Cola and Nestle. He said improved infrastructure and safety measures had resulted in a steady decline in truck accidents nationwide.

Equipment, tires, engine, brakes, better braking materials, better technology  a truck nowadays is cleaner and safer. Its the nut behind the wheel you have to worry about, Lund told the crowd gathered for the meeting.

Devoted to his family and his Catholic faith, Lund held seats on the boards at St. Francis High School, the University of Portland and Homeboy Industries, and had served on the finance committee of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

His firm has been involved in  and a supporter of  the Corporate Work Study program of Verbum Dei High School in Los Angeles, offering corporate internships at the Allen Lund Co. headquarters on Angeles Crest Highway. The school honored the company at its March 2017 gala for its support.

I envision [the interns] becoming model citizens, they are educated young men who know a tough part of life and have risen above it. They can become the very best and most talented people we have in society, Lund said, according to a Verbum Dei announcement of the award.

In 2010, on the day Lund addressed the LCF Chamber of Commerce, Pat Anderson, its president and chief executive, described him as a gentle giant who had grown into an icon in La Canada. She had a close-up look at his contributions, as the chamber rents its office space in the Allen Lund Co. building and the firm sponsors the fireworks show every Memorial Day weekend as part of La Canadas Fiesta Days celebration.

He does so much for the schools, both public and parochial, and he contributes substantially to the community, Anderson said at the time.

This is an incredible man who has taken a business and built it from the ground upand he treats all of his employees like they [are] family, Anderson said in that interview.

carol.cormaci@latimes.com

Twitter: @CarolCormaci
CAMPING

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When, where: 7-8:30 p.m. April 10 at REI stores in Santa Monica, 402 Santa Monica Blvd., and Woodland Hills, 6220 Topanga Canyon Blvd.

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Admission, info: Free. (310) 458-4370 for Santa Monica; (818) 703-5300 for Woodland Hills.

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Angel Castellanos will share his latest tips on traveling with technology, packing and safety and security.

When, where: 6:30 p.m. April 13 at the Adventure 16 store, 11161 W. Pico Blvd., Los Angeles

Admission, info: Free. (310) 473-4574.

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Learn the big five skills need to safely explore the desert landscape.

When, where: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. April 14, Joshua Tree Visitor Center, 6554 Park Blvd.

Admission, info: $70. (760) 367-5535.

Please email announcements at least three weeks before the event to travel@latimes.com.
Hurricane Odile churned toward the western coast of Mexico on Sept. 14, 2014, a Category 4 storm with winds powerful enough to flatten homes, bend lampposts and punch windows out of luxury high-rises.

Officials across southern Baja braced for impact, shuttering schools, grounding flights and opening emergency shelters. In the resort city of Cabo San Lucas, where the storm would make landfall late that night, police officers raced through drenched and blustery streets with megaphones, warning everyone remaining to leave.

More than a thousand miles away in Mexico City, federal government officials watched nervously, hoping their recent investments in an unusual financial scheme would help cover the damage.

With the help of Wall Street and the World Bank, Mexico had issued a series of complex insurance securities called catastrophe bonds, which promise quick payouts when powerful storms or earthquakes strike.

Known as cat bonds, they were designed for events just like Odile  a storm U.S. officials would describe as the "strongest hurricane to make landfall in the satellite era in the state of Baja California Sur."

Indeed, from all reports the government had seen, including from the U.S. National Hurricane Center, they were going to collect $50 million.

And they might have, had it not been for a storm chaser from Los Angeles, whose atmospheric pressure readings from a beachfront hotel would upend the entire system, denying the battered government any payout, while keeping the funds secure for investors through a shell company in the Cayman Islands.

A year later, the same thrill-seekers data would help lower another projected payout, when Hurricane Patricia, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Western Hemisphere, hit the western state of Jalisco.

Combined, the incidents prevented Mexico from collecting tens of millions in recovery funds and exposed fissures in this arcane yet booming financial market  today worth $90 billion.

The market is dominated by private insurance companies, but institutions such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund have promoted it as a potential lifeline for the worlds neediest countries, many of which also happen to be the most vulnerable to natural disasters.

This Sept. 14, 2014, NASA satellite image shows Hurricane Odile off the coast of Mexico. Odile strengthened to a powerful Category 4 storm. NASA

An examination of Mexicos experience by Columbia Journalism Investigations and the Los Angeles Times shows the bond program has often failed to deliver. Investors have seen promising returns from taxpayer-funded premiums, but Mexico has suffered a barrage of storms and quakes that dont meet the technical parameters required for a payout, leaving the government to pick up the bill.

The investigation, stretching from New York to Hollywood, the Caribbean and rural Mexico, is based on thousands of pages of financial documents, interviews with former government officials and industry insiders and dozens of internal documents from the Paradise Papers leak. Those records were obtained by the German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung and shared by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.

Among its findings:

The data used to determine whether Mexico receives payouts from the bonds have at times come from nongovernmental sources, leaving the system opaque and open to manipulation.

Although bond payouts were designed to provide Mexico with immediate financial relief, it can take months to determine whether the country is eligible  and longer to send the money. More than three months passed before a payout decision was made following Hurricanes Patricia and Odile.

While the bonds were designed to cover the biggest disasters, the countrys most destructive storms and quakes have not always triggered payouts  including a 7.1 earthquake last fall in Mexico City that killed 369 people.

Even when payments have been made, Mexican disaster officials have no mandate to spend it on damage from the triggering event, and the government does not specify where that money goes.

Investors, government officials and others argue the bonds serve an important role in a countrys disaster-planning strategy, and Mexico had all the tools to design its bonds in the nations best interest.

Cat bonds have helped build a better financial shield in Mexico and other countries, for the benefit of citizens, a spokesman for the countrys Secretariat of Finance and Public Credit said in a statement.

This is a sophisticated country, with a sophisticated understanding of the capital market, of the risk market, said Alex Klopfer, a World Bank spokeswoman in Washington. At the end of the day, the sovereign has all the information to make a decision.

The World Bank has highlighted and promoted Mexicos experience as other nations follow suit, including Colombia, Chile and Peru, who announced in January they were joining Mexico on a new $1.4-billion cat bond, the largest government-sponsored deal to date.

Rows of damaged houses sit between Homestead and Florida City, Fla., after Hurricane Andrew struck south of Miami in 1992. Vidal Martinez holds his head in August 1992 while viewing the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in front of his trailer in Florida. Wrecked boats sit on the sea wall in August 1992 at the docks at Dinner Key in the Coconut Grove area of the city after Hurricane Andrew passed through southern Florida. Top: Rows of damaged houses sit between Homestead and Florida City, Fla., after Hurricane Andrew struck south of Miami in 1992. Left: Vidal Martinez holds his head while viewing the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew in front of his trailer in Florida. Right: Wrecked boats sit on the sea wall in August 1992 at the docks at Dinner Key in the Coconut Grove area of the city after Hurricane Andrew passed through southern Florida.

Cat bonds emerged in the mid-1990s, after Hurricane Andrew ravaged the Florida coast and bankrupted nearly a dozen insurance companies, which didnt have the money to cover such a massive storm.

Fearful of being overwhelmed by similar and even bigger catastrophes, insurance and reinsurance companies turned to the capital markets, flush with deep-pocketed investors such as hedge funds and money managers.

The bonds they created were often held by shell companies in offshore tax havens, offering high returns in the form of premium payments, from the issuer. Total returns from cat bonds, for years, easily beat those offered by the S&P 500 index. And because they are hedged on natural disasters, not economic indicators, they are less prone to the vagaries of the global economy.

They carry risk, though: If, during the bonds life, a natural disaster of a certain, predetermined size or financial toll triggered the bond, investors lost some or all of their money and the issuer  the insurance company, or government  got the payout.

Analysts and leaders at the World Bank saw potential in the burgeoning market for poorer, developing nations that lacked robust insurance networks for storms and other disasters.

Mexico became the test case.

Mexico became the test case for catastrophe bonds. Above, residents walk along a flooded street in Zoatlan, Nayarit state, after Hurricane Patricia made landfall in October 2015. Eduardo Verdugo / Associated Press

Susceptible to an array of tropical storms, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods and droughts, Mexico had for years struggled to recover financially from its most crippling events. The government created a special disaster fund in the late 1990s to help stabilize the budget, but its funding was inconsistent. In 2005, for instance, the fund took in just $47 million, yet faced $722 million in expenses after an especially ruthless hurricane season.

The next year, with help from Swiss Re, a global reinsurer, the government launched its first cat bond, worth $160 million. A spokesman for Swiss Re said, in an email, that the company has long promoted cat bonds and other forms of risk transfer as part of a comprehensive approach to risk management.

An executive at AIR Worldwide, a risk modeling firm that worked on the deal, hailed it as a landmark transaction that can be used as a model for catastrophe loss protection for developing countries in Latin America and around the world.

But under the terms of the bond, only earthquakes in three slivers of the country were covered, and to trigger a payout they had to register a magnitude of at least 7.5 in one section, or 8.0 in the other two. Moreover, the bond provided no cover for hurricanes.

As the government looked for ways to strengthen future bonds, the World Bank offered a potential solution. The bank had recently helped a group of Caribbean countries create an innovative insurance pool, and now, representatives told Mexico, it was ready to tackle cat bonds through an ambitious program that would spread risk to investors by uniting multiple countries into one collective bond, according to Salvador Perez, an insurance expert who joined the countrys Ministry of Finance in 2007.

They called the program MultiCat, and its inaugural members were to include Greece, Singapore, Colombia and Chile.

Within months, all but Mexico had dropped out. Some decided it was too expensive; others felt they lacked the technical capacity to negotiate an acceptable deal, Perez said. (Klopfer, the World Bank spokeswoman, declined to comment.)

By early 2009, with the World Banks help, it had a new deal in place. The $290-million bond, called MultiCat Mexico, expanded the earthquake coverage and incorporated hurricanes along both coasts.

The bond was again designed by Swiss Re, but this time with additional help from Goldman Sachs, one of many U.S. financial companies jumping into the industry.

When that bond expired, in 2012, a new $315-million deal was launched, further expanding the coverage and creating tiered payouts.

Josh Morgerman, a self-styled storm chaser from West Hollywood. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

It seemed straightforward until Odile hit southern Baja in September 2014.

Outside the Holiday Inn Express in Cabo San Lucas, brutal winds pounded the walls and blew doors out of their frames. Inside, ceiling panels crashed to the ground, while terrified guests scrambled for safety.

Crouched behind an abandoned reception desk and filming the destruction was Josh Morgerman, a self-styled storm chaser from West Hollywood.

Morgerman, now 48, started his career working in the film industry after studying history at Harvard University. In 1999, he co-founded a branding and advertising agency, called Symblaze, whose clients included Vodafone, Google and the cities of West Hollywood and Palm Springs. Unable to shake a childhood obsession with hurricanes, he began chasing storms.

The day before Odile made landfall, Morgerman flew to Cabo San Lucas and set up his equipment: two camcorders, an iPad, a mobile phone, a car charger, a laptop and two Kestrel 4500s  cellphone-shaped barometers designed to record the change in atmospheric pressure as the eye of a storm passed. He slung one of the Kestrels around his neck and left the other in his third-floor hotel bathroom  the safest room in a hurricane.

Josh Morgerman, a self-styled storm chaser, gathered data from Hurricane Odile and sent it to the U.S. National Hurricane Center. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

Pressure readings gathered in the eye of a hurricane are important indicators of a storms strength  in general, the lower the number, the stronger the storm.

As Odiles eye approached between 9 and 11:08 p.m., the pressure outside dropped 40 millibars, bottoming out at 943.1 millibars, according to Morgermans readings. That was more than 21 millibars higher than a U.S. Air Force Reserve reconnaissance plane had recorded hours earlier, and 13 millibars higher than a reading the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported at 11 p.m.

Ellis Simani/Los Angeles Times

Morgerman sent his readings to the U.S. National Hurricane Center, which collects storm information from a variety of sources  government aircraft, satellites, ships, oil rigs, local weather stations and on-the-ground reports. The center uses the data to produce storm reports, widely considered an official statement on the severity and size of hurricanes in the Atlantic and Eastern Pacific.

Those storm reports also determine payouts in the Mexican bonds.

Ive always been uncomfortable with that, knowing what the limitations are in some of these determinations, said James Franklin, former director of the centers hurricane specialist unit.

Franklin, who retired last June, said he avoided becoming familiar with the bonds so that he could evaluate the meteorological data without knowing what any financial consequences might be.

The bond was designed to deliver a 100% payout if the pressure was 920 millibars or below, and a 50% payout if under 932 millibars. After Odile hit, investors and industry insiders watched developments closely, and media commentators predicted a $50-million payout based on an initial hurricane center report of 930 millibars.

In the Cayman Islands, an attorney at Appleby, the law firm managing Mexicos shell company  and the firm at the center of the Paradise Papers leak  shot an email off to a colleague at Kane Holdings Limited, which specialized in cat bond operations.

Anything we should be doing or considering at this point ? wrote the lawyer, Julian Black.

The firm needed to wait and see if it had officially triggered a payout and work from there, the colleague responded, according to emails that were part of the Paradise Papers leak.

Three months after the storm had made landfall, on Dec. 19, the hurricane center declared Odiles landfall pressure 941 millibars  9 millibars too high to trigger a payout. The hurricane center said its number came from Morgerman.

An observation of 943.1 millibars  was measured by a storm chaser at the Holiday Inn Express at Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, the authors of the report wrote. Based on this observation, which is judged to be very near Odiles center at landfall, the estimated landfall pressure is 941 millibars.

Mexico received nothing.

Tourists board a plane at the airport of San Jose del Cabo on Sept. 16, 2014, after Hurricane Odile hit. Ronaldo Schemidt / AFP/Getty Images

I was completely surprised, said Perez, the former Finance Ministry official. His understanding was that if the trigger occurred, OK, [wed get] an automatic payment.

Nearly the same situation played out the next year when Hurricane Patricia passed near Emiliano Zapata, a small town near Mexicos southwestern coast where, again, Morgerman was holed up in a hotel. Using Morgermans readings and those from local stations, the hurricane center revised its initial pressure estimates up again, downgrading the anticipated payout from $100 million to $50 million.

Morgerman works independently and said he had never heard of cat bonds before Hurricane Odile. He said since 2014 he has been paid enough by various media outlets, including the Weather Channel and Discovery, to fund his trips. Before that, he said, he was self-funded.

Im aware of the conflict issues, he said. There cant be even an appearance of impropriety in this. I dont do this to become rich.

Nevertheless, the results of his storm chasing have shaken the industry.

Robert Muir-Wood, chief research scientist at RMS, a risk modeling firm that works with issuers and investors to create the data upon which bonds are based, expressed concern that chasers such as Morgerman could influence bond payouts. Hes also worried that others might be encouraged to join him. In which case, are some of them going to be employed by investor organizations?

Though the National Hurricane Center has no official vetting process for independent data suppliers, both Franklin, the former director, and a hurricane center spokesman said they were confident errant data would be detected and removed. And they said they trusted Morgermans readings.

But Franklin acknowledged that with smaller inconsistencies  a few millibars up or down  somebody who had malicious intent could probably shave something, and we probably wouldnt know.

Karen Clark, the founder of the risk modeling firm AIR Worldwide, said complications over third-party data could become a bigger issue, with more companies claiming to measure data better than the hurricane center.

They see it as a large potential market for a lot of this weather data, she said of the new entrants. So the confusion around what actually happens is likely to become compounded.

Storm chaser Josh Morgerman, holding a weather meter, in his home in West Hollywood. Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times

Measuring storms is difficult along Mexicos coasts, where the infrastructure to gather basic information about wind speed and atmospheric pressure is limited.

Under the terms of the bonds, Mexico only receives money when a large hurricane or earthquake of a certain size strikes within a precisely drawn geographic boundary. This type of bond uses what is called a parametric trigger, which differs from more traditional bonds that base payouts on financial costs or damages.

One of the advantages of the parametric models, experts say, is they are easy to manage and understand: The bonds either trigger a payout or they dont.

Mexicos 2012 cat bond, for example, was designed to pay out if a hurricane with a central pressure of 920 millibars or below neared or struck parts of the Yucatan Peninsula or the countrys northeast coast, according to Artemis, a website that covers cat bonds. For most of Mexicos Pacific coast, storms with pressures at or below 920 millibars generated a full payment, while those with pressures between 920 and 932 millibars triggered a 50% bond payout.

But the model ultimately depends on reliable and sufficient data.

The National Hurricane Center depends on a variety of data sources. Planes are the most accurate because they trace the exact path of a storm, said Franklin, the former center official.

However, the center doesnt send planes to monitor every storm that hits Mexico, he added, and for the ones it does, aircraft are sent far offshore, to gather early warning estimates of a storms intensity.

That leaves scant data at landfall. The countrys National Meteorological Service has built a network of weather stations along Mexicos coasts, but it is far from comprehensive.

Between 2006 and 2016, the National Hurricane Center cited, on average, about five central pressure readings per hurricane that made landfall in Mexico, according to an analysis of cyclone reports. During the same period, the hurricane center had an average of 124 central pressure readings for each storm making landfall in the U.S.

James Franklin, chief of forecast operations, left, and Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist, work at the National Hurricane Center in 2016 Joe Raedle / Getty Images

The dearth of data from official Mexican sources has raised concern in the industry that investors could pay storm watchers to submit information to influence hurricane center reports, taking advantage of the loophole.

A Finance Ministry spokesman expressed confidence in the hurricane center, saying in a statement it has autonomy to select the best ways of estimating and forecasting storms.

Even if ample data had been at the ready, it is unclear whether the bonds would have provided a quick payout.

Speed is a key selling point for parametric triggers. Unlike more traditional catastrophe bonds, which are triggered by a financial tallying of a disaster, parametric bonds are paid out based on observable, on-the-scene data points, such as earthquake magnitude or a hurricanes central pressure reading at landfall.

In a report written by officials with the World Bank and the government of Mexico, the authors touted the Mexican cat bonds as a means to provide cover against the risk of not having enough emergency funds quickly after a major disaster happens.

However, because the hurricane center uses so many disparate forms of information to compile its reports, it often takes months before the agency releases its final verdict.

Between 2001 and 2016 it took an average of 103 days to release a report after a hurricane had made landfall. In the case of Odile, it took 92 days and with Patricia, 100.

For some purposes of these cat bonds, specifically for emergency relief, its too long, said Dario Luna, a former Mexican Finance Ministry official who supports their use.

The hurricane center said it issues reports in as timely a manner as possible, given its available staffing and other responsibilities.

When the bond does pay out, it is difficult to track precisely how the money is spent.

The federal government accounts for its disaster spending in broad terms, without specifying which payments come from which accounts.

A Finance Ministry spokesman declined to say where the $50-million bond payout from Patricia ended up, but said the country followed federal regulations in distributing it.

My opinion is that obviously we should be insured, but the problem is how you spend the insurance resources that you get, said Naxhelli Ruiz, a professor in Mexico City who studies disasters.

Rescue workers ask for silence while they continue looking for victims after a 7.1 earthquake hit Mexico. Members of the Mexican Army rest after assisting in the search and rescue operations in Mexico City. The local government office suffered structural damage from the recent earthquake in Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico. Top: Rescue workers ask for silence while they continue looking for victims after a 7.1 earthquake hit Mexico. Left: Members of the Mexican Army rest after assisting in the search and rescue operations in Mexico City. Right: The local government office suffered structural damage from the recent earthquake in Jojutla, Morelos, Mexico.

On Sept. 7, 2017, an 8.2-magnitude earthquake shook southern Mexico, killing at least 98 people and causing extensive damage in the region.

The earthquake was one of the strongest ever recorded in Mexico. The country had finalized a $360-million bond deal just weeks earlier. The payout to Mexico: $150 million.

With that event and the payout from Patricia, Mexico has received $200 million in bond payments, but it has paid about $222 million in premiums and fees since 2006. The government could lose an additional $44 million if no other catastrophes trigger the bonds over the next two years.

As part of a risk management strategy that incorporates reinsurance and government disaster funds, the bonds have proved effective, a spokesman for the Finance Ministry said in a statement.

Other nations are more circumspect.

Many developing countries have concluded the costs are simply too high, especially given the immensely complex challenge of calculating a once-in-a-century event, as Eduardo Cavallo, an economist at the Inter-American Development Bank, wrote in a blog post last year.

Some within Mexicos own government question their design.

Officials in the Auditoria Superior de la Federacion, a public agency, said in a report the catastrophes the bonds had covered have not been consistent with the events of natural disasters that have occurred in recent years in the country.

In 2013, for example, Mexico was slammed by back-to-back storms. Hurricane Manuel hit the state of Michoacan, generating dangerous mudslides that buried homes and floods that swamped roadways. More than 100 people were killed. The following day, Hurricane Ingrid hit the countrys northeast, killing more than 30 people.

Together, the storms caused $6.6 billion in losses. Yet neither Manuel nor Ingrid triggered the cat bond because their central pressures were too high. (A Finance Ministry spokesman said other insurance policies provided partial coverage after both.)

When Hurricane Odile struck a year later, it caused more than $1 billion in damage. Again, there was no bond payment because, in that case, the central pressure reading, recorded by Morgerman, was too high.

Morgerman was as surprised as anyone that Odile didnt trigger a cat bond payout. It minimizes what was actually a catastrophic event, he said.

James Franklin looks at an image of a storm at the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Lynne Sladky / Associated Press

Susanne Rust, Michael Phillis and Asaf Shalev from Columbia University, and Isabella Cota Schwarz from Quinto Elemento Lab, contributed to this report.

Funding for the reporting on this story was provided by the Blanchette Hooker Rockefeller Fund, Energy Foundation, Lorana Sullivan Foundation, Open Society Foundations, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, Rockefeller Family Fund, Tellus Mater Foundation and the Tortuga Foundation, as well as by the Investigative Reporting Resource at the Columbia Journalism School.
Telegram, the most popular social media app in Iran, will be blocked nationwide, state media reported Sunday, a move expected to deal a severe blow to communications and commerce across the Islamic Republic.

The semi-official Fars news agency quoted Mohammad Javad Azari Jahromi, the telecommunications minister, as saying the app used by an estimated 40 million Iranians  half the population  would be blocked effective 10 a.m. Monday.

Fars carried the news  where else?  on its Telegram channel, illustrating how the app is an almost inescapable part of daily life and used constantly by government officials, clerics, opposition activists, business owners and workaday Iranians alike.

The official reason for the ban was economic nationalism: Iranian officials say they want to promote homegrown apps that could break Telegrams virtual monopoly on social media in a country where authorities tightly monitor internet usage and many websites are inaccessible.

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But critics suspect the real reason is to stifle dissent after protests that began last December and spread to scores of cities nationwide, the most significant social unrest in Iran in years.

Telegram, founded by Russian entrepreneur Pavel Durov, is an instant messaging service that has about 200 million users worldwide  one-tenth the number that Facebook has  but has gained popularity because its messages are said to be secure and less vulnerable to hackers. It offers instant messaging as well as channels through which users can broadcast messages, photos and videos to followers.

Iran has tried to control the app before. During the recent protests, Iran banned Telegram and Instagram for several days as it sought to keep the demonstrations from growing. Last year, Iranian security and intelligence agencies arrested some Telegram users, citing national security reasons.

Iranian hard-liners are believed to have been considering a permanent block for months, opening a new rift with the government of President Hassan Rouhani, a relative moderate who has repeatedly promised to expand Iranians personal freedoms.

Having Iranian messaging apps which are capable, secure and cheap and could solve peoples problems and cater to their needs would no doubt be a source of pride for all, Rouhani said last week, according to the state-run Iranian Students News Agency.

Rouhani argued against an all-out ban, saying that the goal of creating domestic software and messaging apps should not be blocking access and censorship, but it should be done with the goal of removing a monopoly among messaging apps.

But Abolhassan Firouzabadi, secretary of Irans Supreme National Cyberspace Council, the main agency supervising Internet policy, said Telegram was profiting off business in Iran without investing any money in the country.

According to Fars, Firouzabadi referred to Telegrams plans to launch a multibillion-dollar initial coin offering, a form of crowdfunding using virtual currency.

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Telegram benefits from the Iranian domestic economy for its own purposes and interests, Firouzabadi said. Telegram is dominating social networks solely in Iran, not anywhere else.

Amid reports that a ban was coming, Iranians have been scrambling to figure out alternative ways of communicating with friends and loved ones. Many said they would continue to use Telegram via proxy servers that often allow users to bypass local blockages, although the telecommunications ministry said it planned to stop that avenue as well.

I have just started making new channels and groups on WhatsApp and some local apps  and besides, my colleagues and I try to be more active on Instagram, Saman Rastin, a producer of online games in Tehran, said in a phone interview.

Rastin said he also began using Soroush Messenger, the Iranian-made app with about 3 million users that officials hope will be an alternative to Telegram.

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From my personal view [the Telegram ban] has many negative effects on freedom of choice and business paths, but I think the only good point is that finally we Iranians will have our own messenger apps, Rastin said. I know thats radical optimism or wishful thinking  but this is what I learned from living in the Middle East, to find good news from any disaster.

Others said the ban was destined to fail  just like a nominal ban on satellite dishes, to keep out foreign television channels, is very rarely enforced.

Mahmoud Sadeghi, a lawmaker who opposes the Telegram ban, posted an animated picture in his Telegram channel of a man futilely sweeping water from a beach as waves crash behind him  arguing that attempts to stop such technologies are futile.

Many Iranians were skeptical of using Soroush or any other app promoted by authorities, worried they could be used for spying.

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Many people like me are looking for a trustworthy proxy server to keep using Telegram, said Goli Radmanesh, a 28-year-old civil engineer, said via Telegram.

I do not trust any local messenger. People wont trust Iranian apps that are advertised by the regime. Its another example of how top politicians are not trusted either. The theocracy ruling Iran is facing a legitimacy crisis.

The blockage comes as Iran grapples with simmering discontent nationwide over various issues: high unemployment, bank collapses, laws requiring women to cover their hair and environmental degradation. Although security forces quashed major protests in January, small, sporadic demonstrations have continued in many cities.

For the many small-business owners who use Telegram to market their services and communicate with clients, the ban adds to their financial woes.

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The real losers are the many businesses linked with Telegram  it will worsen the existing unemployment problem, said Reza Rahmani, a 30-year-old video game producer, said on Telegram.

Arash Mehrkesh, part of an eight-person company that produces educational apps, said on Telegram that the company had built a community of 250,000 users primarily through Telegram, where it offers after-sale services and answers questions.

If Telegram is filtered, access to our clients will become difficult and time-consuming and we may lose many users of our applications, Mehrkesh said. Above all we will not be able to find new clients as easily as before.

Special correspondent Mostaghim reported from Tehran and Times staff writer Bengali from Mumbai, India.

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shashank.bengali@latimes.com

Shashank Bengali covers Iran for The Times. Follow him on Twitter at @SBengali
Dozens of people were killed in an apparent poison gas attack on a suburb of Damascus as troops loyal to the government pressed an offensive to take back one of the last rebel-held bastions near the Syrian capital, opposition activists and aid groups said Sunday.

Doctors and first responders shared horrific images on social media of men, women and children they said had suffocated in their homes and in makeshift shelters during an intense bombardment Saturday night of the city of Douma, in the eastern Ghouta region. Some of the videos and photographs showed piles of glassy-eyed bodies, many with white foam filling their mouths and nostrils.

President Trump blamed the Syrian government and warned of a big price to pay in a series of tweets that also took aim at Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing his Syrian counterpart, Bashar Assad, whom Trump called Animal Assad.

Trumps condemnation of what he termed a mindless CHEMICAL attack raised the prospect of U.S. military retaliation almost exactly a year after the president ordered a cruise-missile strike on a Syrian air base following a sarin gas attack  a move that won him some of the highest foreign-policy praise of his presidency.

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The United States and eight other countries  France, Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Peru and Ivory Coast  called for the United Nations Security Council to meet Monday to discuss the reports of another chemical weapons attack in Syria.

The Security Council has to come together and demand immediate access for first responders, support an independent investigation into what happened and hold accountable those responsible for this atrocious act, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement.

The Syrian government and its Russian allies, however, dismissed the accusations as rebel fabrications intended to win international support in the face of imminent defeat in Douma.

The state-run Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) quoted an unidentified military source Sunday as saying that an army that is progressing quickly  does not need to use any kind of chemical weapons.

This image released by the Syria Civil Defense is said to show victims of a chemical weapons attack in the rebel-held city of Douma. (Associated Press )

Rescue workers found at least 42 people who suffocated in their homes, according to the Syria Civil Defense, a team of first responders working in opposition areas, and the Syrian American Medical Society, a Washington-based relief organization that supports health facilities in the area.

Some 500 others were brought to medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent, including difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, burning eyes and skin discoloration, the groups said in the statement. One person was pronounced dead on arrival, and six others died after they reached a clinic.

Members of the Syria Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, said the attack was carried out by a Syrian government helicopter, which dropped barrel bombs filled with a chemical agent. Barrel bombs are typically built from oil drums or water tanks that are filled with explosives and metal detritus.

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It was not immediately clear what kind of chemical agent might have been used. Local medics and rescue workers said some of the victims were emitting a chlorine-like odor. Others showed signs of exposure to an organophosphate element, a reference to chemicals found in insecticides and nerve agents.

Opposition activists and first responders described whole families found suffocated, and graphic images of the tiny slumped bodies of dead or dying children were widely circulated on social media.

In one video, a person is heard commenting off camera on the powerful smell as he and other activists race through a building searching for victims. The smell was so intense in places that first responders were unable to evacuate the bodies, the Syria Civil Defense said.

The authenticity of the images could not be independently verified. The Syrian government and its allies  including Russia and Iran-backed militias  have Douma surrounded, making it impossible for independent journalists and aid workers to access the city.

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The suspected attack took place during a barrage of airstrikes, artillery and mortar fire that killed at least 56 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a pro-opposition watchdog based in Britain. The group could not confirm the use of chemical weapons but said at least 21 of the victims suffocated because of smoke inhalation in their basements.

Were talking about hundreds of airstrikes, rockets and mortars on a small area, Rami Abdul Rahman, head of the Observatory, said by phone Sunday. People dont have the ability to withstand this amount of smoke.

The Syrian government has consistently denied the use of chemical weapons during seven years of grinding civil war.

Syrian government soldiers advance in an area on the eastern outskirts of Douma as they continue their offensive to retake one of the last opposition bastions near the capital, Damascus. (AFP )

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A Syrian Foreign Ministry official was quoted by SANA as saying that the claims of using chemical weapons have become a boring record that is unconvincing except to some of the nations that bargain on the blood of civilians and support terrorism in Syria.

Damascus considers all rebels to be terrorists aided by its regional and international enemies.

The State Department issued a statement saying it was closely following the disturbing reports  regarding another alleged chemical weapons attack.

These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community, it said.

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The statement added that the governments use of chemical weapons in the past is not in dispute but said Russia, a key backer of Assad, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks.

In addition to lashing out at Russia and Iran, Trump also singled out his predecessor, President Obama, for not attacking Assad after a sarin gas attack killed more than 1,000 people in the Ghouta region in 2013  a supposed red line that, in lieu of a U.S.-led offensive, resulted in an 11th-hour deal in which Damascus agreed to give up its chemical weapons arsenal.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history! Trump tweeted.

Last year, after another sarin attack killed nearly 100 people in the northern rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, Trump ordered Tomahawk cruise missiles fired at a Syrian government airbase where chemical weapons were said to have been stored.

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Russias Foreign Ministry Sunday dismissed claims of chemical weapons use as fake news.

It is necessary to once again caution that military intervention under false and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen stay at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and may trigger the gravest consequences, the ministry said, according to the Russian state news agency TASS.

More than 1,600 people have been reported killed in eastern Ghouta since Syrian government troops, backed by Russian air power, launched a ferocious campaign to take back the rebel-held enclave in February. Rebel forces have also fired rockets into densely populated neighborhoods of Damascus, spreading fear among its residents.

In recent weeks, the government had offered rebel factions in eastern Ghouta the now-standard deal it has extended to other besieged areas of the country, granting safe passage to those who refuse to lay down their arms to leave to Idlib in the northwest of Syria. Tens of thousands of people have since been bused there from the region, including fighters from Faylaq al Rahman and Ahrar al Sham, Islamist groups backed by Qatar and Turkey.

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A similar deal was offered to the Army of Islam, the dominant faction in Douma, while granting fighters who wanted to remain in the city the chance to join an auxiliary force that would work alongside government troops, on the condition that they hand over their heavy weaponry.

In recent days, a temporary truce had taken hold in Douma, as a trickle of wounded fighters and civilians left the rebel bastion. And though hostilities resumed Friday, there had been reports on Saturday night of a deal to end the standoff.

On Sunday night, Syrian state media reported buses had begun to mass in Douma ahead of a transfer that would see civilians and Army of Islam fighters go to Turkish-held areas in Syrias north. There was no confirmation from the Army of Islam, but Qais Hassan, a Douma-based activist, said an agreement had been forged.

With the battle for eastern Ghouta all but finished, it was unclear what a chemical weapons attack would achieve for either side.

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If the government did it, it would be an effort to break the will of the rebels, a message telling them the war has ended, no one is here to save them, and they have to surrender, said Joshua Landis, a Syria expert at the University of Oklahoma.

If the rebels were responsible, he continued, it would be a last-ditch effort to raise the ante on Assad and make him pay.

The trouble is that there have been so many terrible massacres in this war on all sides that its easy to despair of humanitys altruism, said Landis. The veneer of civilization seems to have completely collapsed.

Tobias Schneider, a research fellow at the Berlin-based Global Public Policy Institute who has been tracking the use of chemical weapons in Syria, said there have been numerous reports of the government using chlorine gas in eastern Ghouta and other rebel-held areas.

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He was skeptical that the government would have anticipated the possibility of a punitive strike by the U.S., saying the only reason that this attack was drawing international opprobrium was because of the scale of the casualties.

This is something the government has been doing consistently for well over five years now, said . If anything, it would be surprising if they stopped doing it.

Trumps warning of a big price to pay follows a week in which the president  to the dismay of some senior advisors and the surprise of Pentagon officials  called for a quick pullout of U.S. troops engaged in the fight against the extremist group Islamic State in Syria. Some senior lawmakers said Trumps comments on Twitter might now essentially commit him to taking some action.

If Trump doesnt follow through and live up to that tweet, hes going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said in an interview with ABCs This Week. He called it a defining moment.

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Special correspondent Bulos reported from Amman and Times staff writers Zavis and King reported from Beirut and Philadelphia, respectively.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis

laura.king@latimes.com

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Twitter: @laurakingLAT

UPDATES:

4:50 p.m.: This article was updated with calls for the United Nations Security Council to meet on Monday and additional reaction and analysis of the reports of a chemical weapons attack.

1:05 p.m.: This article was updated with reaction from President Trump, his homeland security advisor, Tom Bossert, and an analyst.

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3:10 a.m.: This article was updated with additional background.

This article was originally published at 12:25 a.m.
To motorists driving by the Delaware River, the site may look like a repository for old concrete blocks and bricks.

But to Terry Briggs, it's a window into Easton history.

The 68-year-old Williams Township man owns the site of the former Kuebler Brewery. He hopes someday it will be resurrected as the Grand Riverview Hotel, a structure with a breathtaking view that pays homage to its past.

The project is in its early stages. The lot in the 300 block of South Delaware Drive is mostly untouched, although Briggs had an excavator friend dig out a man-made cave once used to store beer. The entrance to the cave was covered over after the brewery shut down in 1953. The site operated as various breweries dating back to the 1800s.

Briggs said the project got a favorable initial review from the planning commission on Wednesday.

"Since the planning commission was very good to me, now I search out a developer. A local one, if I can. I would like to use the best of the best in our area," Briggs said.

Briggs wants the developer to incorporate the cave into the hotel plans, possibly as a place guests can visit to learn about the history of the site.

Although it's in a flood plain, the guests and the utilities would be above the first floor. Plans call for five stories, 76 rooms, a restaurant and parking for 89 cars.

A selling point for Briggs is the view. The river view prompted Briggs to buy the property last year before he came up with the hotel idea.

"I saw a vision after I bought it because it was on water. I love water. If you give me water I'm a happy guy," Briggs said.

Briggs owns 1.23 acres and has an agreement to buy an adjacent 1.16-acre site from the Easton Redevelopment Authority. The site must be consolidated before plans can move ahead. A sketch plan was put together by Portner and Hetke Architects of Emmaus.

While Briggs works to find the developer and then find an engineer and hotel tenant, he'll keep digging to empty out the cave.

"For the next six months I'm going to come down here and work and work and clear and clear until I have it like it was back in the early 1900s."

He's found a few scattered Kuebler "Kub" 7-ounce beer bottles.

An arch near the end of the cave is sealed with a concrete wall. He can't wait to see what artifacts lie back there.

"In there I suspect is the mother lode," Briggs said.

Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Drivers should expect major traffic delays on I-78 West next weekend when it goes down to one lane around the highway's toll bridge on the Pennsylvania-New Jersey border, the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission warns.

The lane closures were originally scheduled for this weekend, but they were postponed due to snow in the weather forecast. The work is part of the commission's nearly $12.7 million I-78 bridges and approach slabs rehabilitation project.

For 57-hours -- from 10 p.m. Friday, April 13 until 7 a.m. Monday, April 16 -- I-78 West will go from three lanes to one lane of travel.

The closures will occur from milepost 0.5 before the Carpentersville Road overpass bride in Jersey to milepost 77.2 in Pennsylvania after the I-78 approach bridge across Route 611.

The first 57-hour shift was March 16-19, and traffic became snarled on I-78 and Route 22.

"Affected motorists are urged to consider adjusting their planned travel times, using other travel routes and/or allowing extra time to reach destinations," the commission stated in a news release.

That's not the only planned closure this week.

Overnight Wednesday and Thursday, the same stretch of I-78 West will go down to one lane from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.

On the eastbound side of 78, one lane will be closed from Sunday through April 14 from the toll plaza in Pennsylvania until after the Carpentersville Road overpass in New Jersey.

The toll bridge commission urges drivers to allow extra time to reach their destination, drive slow and use caution in the construction areas. All of the lane closures are subject to change due to weather and other considerations.

The commission warns five additional weekend-long, single-lane travel periods are expected this spring as part of the project.

Crews are planning to replace slabs at the toll bridge and the approach bridge across Route 611. Later, slabs will be replaced in the area of the approach bridges across Route 519 in Pohatcong Township, and an on-ramp to I-78 East at the interchange for routes 22 and 173 outside Phillipsburg.

The project, which runs between Pohatcong Township in New Jersey to Williams Township in Pennsylvania, is expected to wrap up in fall 2018.

Sara K. Satullo may be reached at ssatullo@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @sarasatullo and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
LifestyleofPeace.com - What is truth? Who is God? What is the meaning of life? On this blog we explore the interactions between Christianity and topics like culture, politics and philosophy. The word says we must love God and love others. Jesus Christ is God come to us; He is alive. God will call all of us to give an explanation of how we lived. Trust in Jesus and receive forgiveness; a new life. Stand for the truth. Glorify Christ in how you live. A new world awaits.
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China will reduce trade barriers, Trump says 08-04-2018 17:44



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Sunday share tips: Greene King, IMImobile 08-04-2018 18:35



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Motoring

Sytske and Bart Kimman, and Lies Sol in Phuket, won the 2018 Christofle Yacht Style Award for Best Asian-Based Charter outfit, presented at Phuket RendezVous last January, and Burgess Yachts took Best International Charter Company, so they have become this years standard-bearers for the industry. Latest exotic destinations offered by charter companies are discussed in detail overleaf.

Apr 08, 2018 | By Yacht Style

Exotic Charters Lovely Locations

The first citation read: With Sytske and Bart Kimman at the helm in Hong Kong, and Lies Sol in Phuket, this multinational team in Asia actually places more charters than a fast-increasing spectrum of other local companies. Operating to benchmark MYBA standards, their experience helps to ensure clients have trouble-free holidays afloat.

Accolades for Burgess Yachts were based on a slightly different perspective: Jonathan Beckett, Chief Executive of Burgess Yachts, booked for the first very well-attended Superyacht Rendezvous in Asia, during the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Show in 1997, and has been active in these waters ever since. Burgess Yachts now has offices in Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai and Tokyo, and offers sales and management services apart from charters. Both operations have undoubtedly provided the experience and commitment on which the charter industry in Asia-Pacific waters has grown.

Singapore-based Burgess Yachts executive Jean-Marc Poullet advises that about 90 per cent of their agencys superyacht charters continue to focus on Phuket and the Maldives.

Asias two great archipelagos, the Philippines and Indonesia, still have restrictions on foreign flag charters, so until those issues are resolved, the type of vessels we handle  substantial superyachts- will not be chartering there except in very special circumstances.

Yacht Style and Burgess Yachts are currently considering an indepth report on the multi-faceted regulations that cover the charter industry in Asia-Pacific, with a view to establishing more Med and Caribbean-style models which have led to significant income for countries that supported their introduction.

Charters in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia and the Philippines, are of course possible using a wide spectrum of smaller craft, from luxury phinisis to the latest sail and power multihulls, and from Hong Kong pleasure junks to quite large motor yachts operating under Asian companies and Asian flags.

In Myanmar, Thailand and Malaysia, Lies mentions new listings like 39m Lady Azul, 30m Dallinghoo, 27.5m Orient Pearl, 40m Gaia Love, 47m Tiare, 46m Mutiara Laut and 38m Adelaar. But there are lots more, which can be perused simply by googling the agents or emailing.

On following pages we look at some of the options in more detail, with the accent on exotic destinations this year. Space precludes an exhaustive line-up, so remember outfits like Boat Lagoon Charters and Sunsail and The Moorings and Dream Yacht Charters have offerings too, and where once only Burgess Yachts stood, two decades ago, there is now also Fraser Yachts, Yachting Partners International, Hong Kong-owned Camper and Nicholsons, Y.CO and a spectrum of others.

Words Bruce Maxwell | Images courtesy of Lies Sol
Lucknow: The Yogi Adityanath Uttar Pradesh is mulling to develop a New Ayodhya township spanning 500 acres. The township which will be built on the bank of river Sarayu, would cost around Rs 3.5 billion.

Earlier, the Yogi Adityanath government had proposed to build a grand 100-meter statue of Lord Ram in Ayodhya at an estimated cost of Rs 3.30 billion.

With an aim to boost the tourism in Ayodhya, the UP has sought the help of the Corporate Social Responsibility fund. The project will be supervised under the Ayodhya Faisabad Development Authority. In fact, the state is seeking CSR funds to the tune of Rs 7.55 billion for various projects in Ayodhya, including the Ram statue, New Ayodhya and new Ayodhya township.
Solskjaer: These are the best games article

Like the rest of us, the boss cannot wait for our first European night at Old Trafford in 2021/22.
HOLYOKE -- Nearly $13.8 million would be borrowed to renovate three schools under a proposal the City Council Finance Committee will consider at 6:30 p.m. Monday at City Hall.

Kelly School at 216 West St. would get a new boiler and Kelly, Sullivan School at 400 Jarvis Ave. and Morgan School at 596 South Bridge St. combined would get about 1,000 new windows.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) has told officials here the state will reimburse the city for 77 percent of the cost.

That would mean the state will pay $10.6 million and the city $3.1 million.

Kelly School opened in 1975 and has 86,302 square feet. It has an enrollment of 587 students in kindergarten to grade eight, said Whitney G. Anderson, maintenance administrator for the Holyoke public schools. (see below)

Pending City Council approval of the borrowing, the boiler would be replaced this year for nearly $1.5 million. After state reimbursement the city share would be over $376,000, he said.

Installation of new windows at the three schools would begin next year, he said.

Replacing the windows at Kelly School would cost over $4.9 million. The city's share after state reimbursement would be $1.1 million, he said.

Sullivan School opened in 1961 with renovations in 1969 and 1989 and has 112,000 square feet. An enrollment of 621 attends kindergarten to grade eight, he said.

Replacing the windows at Sullivan School would cost over $4.9 million. The city would pay $1.1 million after state reimbursement, he said.

Morgan opened in 1963 and was renovated in 1990. Students attend preschool to grade eight and enrollment is 442 with 62,397 square feet of space.

Installing new windows at Morgan School would cost over $2.4 million, with the bill to Holyoke after reimbursement at nearly $567,000, he said.

Details of planned renovations at 3 Holyoke schools: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Details of planned renovations at 3 Holyoke schools: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd

Language of the order to borrow money that the Holyoke City Council is considering: by Mike Plaisance on Scribd
A 21-year-old Becket woman is dead after one-car crash early Sunday, reports the Berkshire Eagle.

Around 1:20 a.m., Massachusetts State Police from the Lee barracks responded to an accident on Route 20, just west of the Route 8 intersection, and found the driver of a 2003 Toyota Camry had slammed into a utility pole.



Chelsea Hurley was airlifted to Berkshire Medical Center where she later died of her injuries. The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

Hurley was a 2014 graduate of Lee High School, according to a GoFundMe site set up to help pay for funeral expenses.
UPDATE 9:10 p.m. The apartment occupant that was injured in the fire has died, according to the New York Daily News. A 67-year-old man, he was taken to Mt. Sinai-Roosevelt Hospital, where he was declared dead.

NEW YORK - A four-alarm fire broke out at Trump Tower in New York City Saturday, leaving at least one person critically injured, according to the New York Fire Department.

Firefighters responded to the skyscraper, located at 721 Fifth Avenue, around 5:35 p.m. The fire occurred on the building's 50th floor.

The President sometimes resides in a penthouse apartment in the building's top floors, but was in the White House at the time that the fire broke out.

FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a press conference Saturday that the fire started in an apartment in the building and that by the time firefighters arrived "the apartment was virtually, entirely on fire."

The occupant of the apartment was critically injured and has been taken to St. Luke's Hospital for treatment, Nigro said.

We found fire on the 50th floor of the building. The apartment was entirely on fire. Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment who is in critical condition -#FDNY Commissioner Nigro gives update on 721 5th Ave 4th alarm  FDNY (@FDNY) April 7, 2018

Three firefighters have suffered non-life threatening injuries, NYFD said.

The fire has since been contained. The cause is currently unknown.

#FDNY members remain on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 721 5th Ave in Manhattan. There is currently one serious injury to a civilian, and 3 non-life-threatening injuries to Firefighters, reported pic.twitter.com/c7qeOlDVcf  FDNY (@FDNY) April 7, 2018

The blaze inspired large crowds in the streets below, and many people posted pictures and video of the fire to social media.

President Trump thanked the New York firefighters over Twitter Saturday for extinguishing the blaze.
SOUTHWICK - Police are asking for help to identify a man and a woman who are suspected of stealing a number of items from CVS on College Highway.

The crime happened on Saturday afternoon and the two people were caught on the store video camera, police said.

Anyone who can identify either person seen in the photographs or knows anything about the thefts is asked to call the Southwick Police Department at 413-569-5348.
SPRINGFIELD -- This year's ceremony commemorating the service of those who fought in the Vietnam War came with a lot of gratitude and recognition from soldiers who fought in later wars.

Paul E. Seifert, Springfield's Veteran of the Year, said some of the most important life lessons he has learned came from Vietnam veterans.

"They probably saw me as a snot nose kid who was in awe of their combat medals...but they sat me down and told me... never hope to go to war; don't be a hero, heroes come home with flags draped over their caskets; trust, respect and loyalty are earned; train, train, train in peace, it's better to sweat in peace than to bleed in war; war is hell, you can't visit hell without losing a piece of yourself there and you can't leave hell without bringing a piece if hell home with you," he said during the commemoration event held Sunday at the Vietnam War Monument across from Springfield City Hall.

Charly N. Lawrence, chairwoman of the Springfield Veterans Activities Committee, said when she returned from Afghanistan and from Iraq the first people to greet her were Vietnam veterans.

"They shook my hand and they thanked me for my service," she said. "They made sure we felt like we were back home."

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War and many veterans and their family and friends gathered in Springfield to pay respect to those who fought and those who were lost. The evnt always includes a laying of a wreathe on the Vietnam War monument and a reading of the names of those killed in action.

Gumersindo Gomez, executive director of the Bilingual Veterans Outreach Centers of Massachusetts, was the guest speaker at this year's event.

"Why weren't we called heroes when we got home? The reality is our heroes never came home," he said, " There are some that have still not gotten home."

He said it was difficult coming home after the war.

"We have done a lot since then. We were not welcome when we came home because we were not understood at that time," he said. "We came home and we were proud because we did not go to Canada, we did not go to Mexico, we did not go to Europe. Our Commander and Chief said you're going to Vietnam and some of us, like myself, volunteered."

Mayor Domenic J. Sarno, Bennet W. Walsh, superintendent of the Holyoke Soldiers' Home and Thomas M. Belton, Sr. of the Winchester Square Vietnam Era Veterans also spoke at the event. He thanked the families who attend the commemoration ever year and stood by their soldiers when they returned.

"This commemoration is particularly important because when we came home from Vietnam we didn't get the recognition for our courage or valor that we deserved. This event is an opportunity tot do the right thing even though it's well overdue."
BEIRUT (AP) -- An alleged gas attack killed at least 40 people in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, local responders said on Sunday. Syrian state media, meanwhile, reported that rebels there have agreed to give up their last foothold in the area.

First responders and a relief organization said they found families suffocated in their homes and shelters in the besieged town of Douma, with foam on their mouths.

They did not identify the substance used, but the Syrian Civil Defense and the Syrian American Medical Society said survivors treated at clinics smelled strongly of chlorine.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The reports, which started circulating late Saturday, could not be independently verified, and the government denied allegations it had used chemical weapon in its assault on the town.

Meanwhile, state news agency SANA said the Army of Islam group agreed to leave Douma on Sunday, after three days of intensive government shelling and bombardment.

SANA said buses had been sent to the town to pick up prisoners released by the militants and to transport rebel fighters to opposition-held territory in north Syria.

The Army of Islam could not be immediately reached for comment.

Talks to surrender Douma collapsed on Friday, leading to the government to restart its campaign to take the town after ten days of calm.

Late Saturday, first responders reported they were treating residents for poison gas exposure.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The Syrian Civil Defense first responder group documented 42 fatalities but was impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave their rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group, which is known as the White Helmets.

Douma has been devastated by close to five years of siege at the hands of government forces. It was once one of the hubs of the 2011 Arab Spring-styled uprising against President Bashar Assad's government.

In recent weeks, government forces have recaptured villages and towns in the eastern Ghouta suburbs of the capital. Douma is the only town left holding out.

A joint statement by the Civil Defense and the Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, said that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning sensations in the eyes. It said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell. Some had bluish skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

It said the symptoms were consistent with chemical exposure. One patient, a woman, had convulsions and pinpoint pupils, suggesting exposure to a nerve agent.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma on Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside them.

"Until this minute, no one has been able to find out the kind of agent that was used," said Mahmoud, the White Helmets' spokesman, in a video statement from Syria.

He said the government was also targeting homes, clinics, and first responder facilities with conventional explosives and barrel bombs. Most of the medical points and ambulances of the town have been put out of service.

Videos posted online by the White Helmets showed victims, including toddlers in diapers, breathing through oxygen masks at makeshift hospitals.

The Syrian government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, strongly denied the allegations. It said the claims were "fabrications" by the Army of Islam, calling it a "failed attempt" to impede government advances.

"The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents," the statement said.

The Army of Islam was negotiating with Russia, an ally of Damascus, to withdraw its fighters and allow government institutions back into the town, according to the Observatory. An agreement was said to have Russia deploy its military police to take guardianship of the town as Army of Islam fighters handed over their heavy weapons, the group added, but those talks collapsed on Friday, prompting the government to start shelling and bombing Douma indiscriminately.

Hundreds of fighters and their relatives had already left Douma for rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a

killed dozens of people. That attack prompted the U.S. to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base. President Donald Trump said the attack was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington was closely following "disturbing reports" of the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma.

"These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," she said in a statement late Saturday.

The Syrian government and its ally, Russia, denied any involvement in the alleged gas attack.

Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted by Russian news agencies on Sunday as saying Russia was prepared to send specialists to Douma to "confirm the fabricated nature" of the reports.

A

in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the U.S. to threaten military action before later backing down.

Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the seven-year civil war, and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia after the attack in eastern Ghouta.

By ZEINA KARAM and PHILIP ISSA, Associated Press. AP writer James Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.
SPRINGFIELD -- Despite a field of GOP rivals and a comparatively small campaign war chest, State Rep. Geoff Diehl says he's confident about his chances of unseating U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren this fall.

The Whitman lawmaker, following a recent campaign stop in Springfield, said he believes his experience as a Beacon Hill legislator, business owner and organizer for ballot and presidential campaigns should give him the edge over other Massachusetts Republicans running for U.S. Senate in 2018.

Beyond the GOP primary contest -- which is expected to heat up at the state Republican Party's convention later this month -- Diehl said he thinks he has a good shot of winning if pitted against Warren on the November ballot.

"Not only do I have the experience of being in office and a record of saving taxpayers money, but also, I have a strong organization and volunteer team that has been working with me for the last now year to spread the message of the fact that this is a winnable race," he said in an interview.

Diehl said that while some of his GOP opponents have promoted their lack of political experience as positives, he believes his time on Beacon Hill has given him valuable insight into how government works, as well as a track record to run on.

The state representative, who opened Boss Academy of Performing Arts in Hanson with his wife, added that his background as a business owner -- experience fellow Republican candidates John Kingston and Beth Lindstrom have respectively touted on the campaign trail -- would also inform his work, if sent to Washington.

"I understand what it's like to invest your life savings and start something and want to employ people, and want to provide a service or a product," he said. "But, at the same time, now I've had the chance to go and see how government works as well on Beacon Hill. I think that's a huge asset when it comes to wanting to go down to Washington and figure out how we can do a better job for Massachusetts."

Although Diehl acknowledged that Warren holds a large fundraising advantage over him and other Republican challengers -- with more than $14 million cash on-hand to his $215,000 to start 2018 -- he argued that his message will resonate with voters who are looking for a lawmaker who will put their interests first.

"I will certainly try to reach out to as many voters as I can with whatever resources we ultimately raise," he said. "And I think that what's good is we have a pretty robust Republican field that's running this year -- very strong congressional candidates in many districts, as well as the governor running for re-election. ...

"I think that voters' attitudes have changed over time as to which party is actually trying to help them versus a party that seems to be prioritizing sanctuary cities and open borders," he said.

Diehl added that he wants to "get back to the basics of having someone go to Washington and actually put Massachusetts first."

"Elizabeth Warren, it seems pretty clear at this point, she wants to make a run for the White House in 2020," he said.

Diehl, who campaigned for Donald Trump in Massachusetts throughout the 2016 cycle, said if elected to the U.S. Senate, he would focus on immigration-related issues like border security and naturalization of those in the country illegally.

The Republican said he'd also prioritize efforts to improve care for veterans, including modernizing U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-run hospitals and increasing the number of women who staff such facilities.

Diehl further said he would like to build on the recent Republican tax policy changes, as well as address federal regulations that make it hard for small businesses to compete in the U.S.

The fiscally conservative Republican led a successful effort in 2014 to convince voters to repeal automatic indexing of the state gas tax. In September, he announced he'd use his congressional campaign to gather 10,000 signatures to put an initiative on the Massachusetts ballot to lower the state sales tax.

Aside from Kingston and Lindstrom, Allen Rodney Waters, of Mashpee, Darius Mitchell, of Lowell, and Heidi Wellman, of Braintree, also have announced 2018 Republican U.S. Senate bids.

Shiva Ayyadurai, an entrepreneur who filed to run as a Republican, announced in November that he would cut ties with the GOP and run as an independent.

Republicans from across the state will gather on April 28 for their state party convention in Worcester, where they will endorse candidates for statewide and congressional offices.
U.S. Senator Jon Tester (D-MT) hosted a press conference in Great Falls on Thursday to talk about funding for public education.

One parent spoke about her son, who she says would not be where he is without funding for public education in Skyline Preschool.

by Elizabeth Transue

http://www.ktvh.com/2018/04/tester-discusses-education-funding-in-great-falls
Homes and businesses with rooftop solar provide a small benefit to NorthWestern Energy through net metering, the company reported this week, although maybe not enough to warrant current compensation.

In a 40-page cost-benefit analysis of solar net metering, Montanas largest utility company concluded that the energy rooftop solar delivered back onto the grid had a net value of about 4 cents per kilowatt hour. Thats about a third of what net-metering customers are currently compensated.

TOM LUTEY [email protected]

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/montana/montana-s-largest-utility-overpays-for-rooftop-solar-energy-study/article_81054853-19ff-5aa2-ae24-0939602f181a.html
Fundraisers

A virtual event to support the league's mission of addressing food insecurity in the community. Get moving at least 1.5 miles per day for the entire month of October, in doing so you will travel virtually roughly the distance across Sangamon county.45 miles just not enough for you? For intense runners and walkers, we challenge you to go out and back through the corn, over the Sangamon river, and past the Capitol for 90 miles of challenge. (217) 544-5557
Moments ago at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada, undefeated world champion Jarrett Hurd unified the IBF and WBA jr. middleweight titles after dropping former champion Erislandy Lara late in the fight to earn a split decision victory. The fight was close and the action was tit-for-tat as both fighters had their moments. As the rounds wore on, Hurd began to impose his size as he walked down Lara and began landing some vicious shots that were doing serious damage. Lara, however, showed heart and stood his ground, landing effective counterpunches.



Unfortunately, he was never really able to slow down the younger Hurd, who continued to come forward applying pressure throughout the fight. In the final round, Hurd landed a beautiful left hook that dropped Lara and ultimately sealed the victory for Hurd. To his credit, Lara shook off the knockdown and finished the fight on his feet, but in the end, the judges scored the bout 114-113 (Lara), 114-113 (Hurd), and 114-113 (Hurd), giving Hurd the split decision victory.



Also on the card, James Degale was able to exact revenge against Caleb Truax, winning a unanimous decision victory to recapture his IBF super middleweight title. Plus Julian Williams silenced the trash talk of Nathaniel Gallimore to score a majority decision victory. Be sure to check back soon for more details from the card.



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JARRETT HURD UNIFIES THE 154-POUND DIVISION WITH SPLIT DECISION OVER ERISLANDY LARA IN ACTION PACKED FIGHT SATURDAY ON SHOWTIME FROM HARD ROCK HOTEL AND CASINO IN LAS VEGAS



James DeGale Earns Back IBF Super Middleweight World Championship With Unanimous Decision In Rematch With Caleb Truax



Julian Williams Wins IBF 154-Pound Eliminator With Decision Over Nathaniel Gallimore In SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING Opener



LAS VEGAS (April 7, 2018) - Jarrett Hurd unified the 154-pound division with a 12-round split-decision victory over Erislandy Lara in an all-action fight Saturday on SHOWTIME before a sold out crowd of 2,579 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.



Hurd (22-0, 15 KOs), who entered as IBF Champion, dethroned WBA Champion in just the seventh unification in division history. The difference in the Fight of the Year candidate was a short left hook that floored Lara in the final minute of the fight. Had the 27-year-old Hurd not scored the knockdown, the fight would have been ruled a majority draw.



"It was a tough one, but I went out there and did exactly what I said I was going to do - fight all 12 rounds and get the victory," Hurd said. "I didn't feel like that (I needed the knockdown). I feel like I was in control the whole fight, applying the pressure.



"I don't think it had anything to do with age. I think it was me and the game plan we had to apply the pressure."



Following the thrilling bout, SHOWTIME Sports reporter Jim Gray asked Hurd if he'd like to face WBC 154-pound champion Jermell Charlo, who was ringside, to further unify the division.



"'Swift' isn't ducking anyone," Hurd responded. "I'm No. 1 now. We're calling the shots."



Hurd applied relentless pressure from the opening round, pressing forward against the crafty southpaw. He pounded the body, yet often neglected defense and ate punishing counter shots for 11 rounds. But the difference for Lara (25-3-2, 14 KOs), who was making the seventh defense of his title, was the brutal 12th round. With blood seeping from a swollen right eye, Hurd connected on a short left hook that floored Lara for the first time in nearly five years.



"Besides the last round, I thought I was winning this fight easily," Lara said. "That's not to decide the fight. I was winning the fight. One punch in a fight doesn't determine the fight.



"It was a great fight for the fans. I stood there, fought and it was fun. I thought I clearly won the fight. Once again a decision goes against me, but hey we just have to do the rematch."



Entering the fight, Charlo was the consensus No. 1 fighter at 154-pounds. He stated his case for a chance to unify against Hurd.



"I'm down. Let's go. We want that work," Charlo told SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING host Brian Custer. "I feel Hurd only took the fight with Lara because he realized the harder fight is with Jermell Charlo.



"We've been there before with Lara. I know what he possesses. Hurd has to get his defense together because he cannot get hit like that by me. Lara doesn't move like he used to. If he moves like he used to he wins that fight."



James DeGale earned back the IBF Super Middleweight World Championship with a unanimous decision in a rematch with Caleb Truax, taking back the title he lost last December in the near-universal upset of the year.



The 12-round championship affair was scored 117-110 and 114-113 twice. DeGale, who was deducted a point in the 10th for pushing, won the championship rounds - 11 and 12 - on all three judges' scorecards to win the decision.



"Two-time world champion. It feels great," DeGale said. "But full credit to Caleb - he shows he can mix it with the top fighters.



"I'm just happy that I'm a two time world champion and I got my IBF world title back. I'm back, Team Chunky, we're back. Two-and-a-half years I had it and I lost it to Caleb. He embarrassed me, but we're back."



DeGale (24-2-1, 14 KOs) overcame a massive cut from an accidental head butt in the third, which was mistakenly ruled as the result of a punch from referee Robert Byrd.



"I couldn't see from my right eye, DeGale said. "I like Robert Byrd (referee), but today he was a bit wrong. I couldn't see. But I'm just glad I got through it. I showed some heart. In my last fight, I was like a weak little kid."



DeGale connected on 37 percent of his power shots compared to 28 percent for Truax. He now returns to London a world champion with some massive potential fights in the future.



"I want to be busy," DeGale said. "I have a couple years left in this sport."



Truax (29-4-2, 18 KOs), who fought for the first time as a world champion, was disappointed and advocated for a rematch after the scores were announced.



"I thought I did enough to win the fight, but I also thought I was pretty flat and didn't get my shots off like I wanted," Truax said. "I was just a little bit flat. I felt really good coming in but I just couldn't get my shots off like the last fight. He never hurt me, but it is what it is.



"I gave him a rematch straight away so why not do it again."



In the opening bout of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader, Julian Williams scored a career-best win, defeating Nathaniel Gallimore via majority decision in an IBF Junior Middleweight World Title eliminator. Williams, who edge Gallimore 116-112, 117-110, 114-114, is now in position to challenge Jarrett Hurd.



Williams (25-1-1, 15 KOs) set the pace with a strong left jab in the opening rounds of the fight, keeping Gallimore at bay and the action on the outside. That changed around the fifth round as Williams abandoned the jab and the fight moved to the inside. Williams had his best round in the 11th, connecting on a massive left hand that set up a barrage of combos that nearly had Gallimore out on his feet. Gallimore (20-2-1, 17 KOs) survived the round, and Williams wasn't able the finish him in the 12th, but it was clear Williams deserved the decision.



"I wasn't surprised a judge had a draw," Williams said. "Sometimes when you're fighting real close like that, it is hard for judges to score. I knew I won. Once I heard 116-112 and 117-111, I knew I won because I knew he didn't win eight rounds.



"He is a strong fighter, but I knew he was going to do what he did. Start strong early, but I knew he wasn't strong after six rounds.



"The hits to the body was all in the game plan. You have to go to the body in a 12 round fight."



Williams connected on 50 percent of his power shots and landed 37 percent of his total shots.



"I didn't really think I won the fight," Gallimore admitted. "I just let too many early rounds go. I just gave him too many rounds. I had him hurt a couple of times, but he was tough. I should have done more combinations. I will look at the fight and review it, and will make adjustments."



Saturday's SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast will replay on Monday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME.



# # #



For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports,www.PremierBoxingChampions.com, follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @PremierBoxing, @TGBPromotions, @MayweatherPromo, or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions. PBC is sponsored by Corona, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

[ Follow Ben Thompson on Twitter @fighthype ]
ABSTRACT

The Chinese government has raised great attention on water resources and environment over the past several years. In dealing with the issues of water pollution, water management, and the imbalance of water resources, Chinas state council released Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan in 2015. This policy has become a guideline to promote water sustainability in the long run. Since then, a number of regulatory policies were released to increase the focus on water conservation. Among those actions, water loss control associated with distribution systems is regarded as a key solution to improve water supply efficiency. This paper provided a comprehensive introduction to the framework of water loss control policy in China.

Keywords:

Water Distribution Networks, Water Loss Control, Water Ten Plan, Water Loss Rate, Non-Revenue Water Rate

1. Introduction

The water distribution network, delivering treated drinking water from water plants to consumers, is a critical part of water supply industry. With the development of economy along with the growing populations, the water demands have been significantly increased. Accordingly, the existing water distribution networks have encountered numerous challenges. Leakage in water distribution networks has been a common problem faced by water utilities worldwide, along with adverse effects on the economy, environment and society, which led to the need for innovative strategies to control water losses and better performance level of water distribution networks. Effective water loss control benefits not only water utilities but also the whole community. For water utilities, water loss control results in reducing non-revenue water and maximizing water supply efficiency. For the community, it can better sustain water resources, and improve the stability and safety of water consumption. Therefore, the regulations, policies and practices promoted and enforced by the government and water utilities have been emphasizing on water loss control.

2. The Current Status of Water Losses in China

In China, two percentage indicators are utilized for assessing water losses in distribution systems, as well as the water supply services of water utilities: water loss rate and non-revenue water rate [1].

According to the standard for water loss control and assessment of urban water distribution system (CJJ92-2016) [2] issued by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, the term water loss is defined as the difference between system input volume and authorized consumption, which consist of real losses (or physical losses), that include water loss from the system as leakage, and apparent losses (such as metering inaccuracies and data errors) and other losses (such as unauthorized consumption), which is slightly different from AWWA Water Balance for there is an extra category for other losses. Hence, water loss rate is defined as the amount of water losses over system input volume. The other term non-revenue water includes the amount of water lost from water distribution systems and the unbilled volumes associated with lost revenue from water supplied, plus the authorized unbilled consumption. And non-revenue water rate is the amount of non-revenue water over system input volume. Calculations are as follows:

The China Urban Water Association (CUWA) releases the Urban Water Supply Statistical Yearbook every year, publishing the data collected from the previous year. According to Urban Water Supply Statistical Yearbook 2016 [3], the national average water loss rate of 2015 is 14.32%. It has been decreased by 1 percentage point compared to 2014. It is supposed to be reduced lower than 12% by 2017 as required in Water Ten Plan. The data for major provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities are shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. Water loss rates from major provinces in 2015.

3. International Water Loss Control Policies

In 1994, the report Managing Water Losses, published by United Kingdom Water Industry Research (UKWIR), including presentation of consistent and systematic methodologies that allowed the understanding, measurement and reduction of losses in distribution networks. These reports have marked a change in attitude on the part of the water supply industry, progressively guiding actions toward management of systems losses. The emphasis currently observed as regards this issue, results in the consequent development of a large number of research activities, whilst a major concern is primarily on the ability of managing utilities to measure and evaluate the performance levels of their water distribution networks.

In 2001, the American Water Works Association (AWWA) conducted a comprehensive survey of the extent of accounting and loss control policies existing in the US [4]. The survey showed the structures in place are cursory and could not validate the performance of water utilities. Over the past several years, the International Water Association (IWA) and AWWA have emphasizing on the quantitative management of water resources, the Water Loss Task Force (WLTF), was formed in 2003, which is aimed to reducing water losses with practical approaches. The WLTF developed the water audit methodology, which was quickly embraced by AWWAs Water Loss Control Committee (WLCC) and was embodied in the AWWA guidance manual M36, Water Audits and Leak Detection, the 4th edition entitled Water Audits and Loss Control Programs was released last year [5].

Given the increasing awareness of water resource conservation, A Blueprint to safeguard Europes water resources [6] was published in 2012 by the European Commission. This is a matrix designed to preserve water resources in Europe, aimed mainly at the problem of leakage in water distribution networks. The Commission states that "these issues should be addressed to assess the environmental and economic benefits of reducing their levels of losses. The situation is very different between member states, where between them, the rates of water losses vary between 7% and 50% or even more. The Commission will work with the European water industry to accelerate the development and dissemination of best practices with regard to economically sustainable levels of leakage. The proposed action consists in a matrix defined in the publication to be made by the Commission, Member States and the water sector, covering best practices and tools to achieve a sustainable economic level of leakage.

4. Current Regulatory Trends

4.1. Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan

In April 2015, Water Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan was released by the State Council, also known as Water Ten Plan. Including National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Housing & Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources and other departments, a total of 12 ministries and government departments have jointly prepared the action plan for 2 years since 2013. It was promulgated as an extension of the new environmental protection law of China. It is an integrated plan that consists of 10 sections with 35 provisions, including 238 specific measures in total, attempt to address urgent water-related issues and set long-term goals. It served as the guideline to promote water sustainability in the long run. This is probably the most comprehensive water policy to date. In addition, the action plan was followed by the Implementation Regulations for Water Pollution Action Plan (Tentative) for evaluating the actual performances of provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities.

Water Ten Plan proposed measures and set out long-term objectives at the national level. On one hand, it initiated the movement of renovating and upgrading aging water pipes in distribution networks that have been in service for more than 50 years and made of outdated materials. On the other hand, it set the long-term goal for the national average leakage rate in water distribution networks, which should be keep lower than 12% by 2017, and be further reduced to 10% by 2020. Additionally, water deficient prefecture-level cities and above should meet the requirements of national water-saving cities standards. It also mentioned that regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei area, Yangtze River Delta and Pearl River Delta should achieve the goal one year ahead of schedule [7].

4.2. National Water Conservation Plan

In October 2016, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and other nine ministries jointly issued the National Water Conservation Plan, which proposed to improve water use efficiency through all industries. It called for public awareness and participation in water conservation actions [8].

Key requirements are as follows:

1) Scientifically develop and implement technical renovation plan for water distribution networks.

2) Promote the development of leakage detection and localization system.

3) Strengthen the supervision and management of water distribution network operations.

Specifically, by 2020, it required to implementation of district metered areas (DMAs) in 100 cities, and the renovation of about 70,000 km of distribution system should be completed. Water-stressed cities such as Beijing and Tianjing were required to take the lead in implementing district metered areas (DMAs).

4.3. Guideline of Urban Water Conservation Action

In order to promote the water-related decision made by the Central Party Committee and the State Council, a guideline on urban water conservation action has been released in November 2016 jointly by Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development and National Development and Reform Commission to guide in deepening water-saving work in urban areas.

The guideline pointed out that water loss control has become the focus of urban water conservation. Three approached were presented in the guideline. First, upgrade aging water distribution systems. Second, promote the construction of DMAs system and complete the corresponding reconstruction project of the pipe networks, pump station, and installation of the partition valves and metering equipment in the district areas. Third, gradually upgrade those facilities in residential areas that cannot meet the requirements [9].

4.4. 13th Five-Year Plan for Water-Saving Society Construction

In January 2017, National Development and Reform Commission, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, Ministry of Water Resources jointly issued 13th Five-year Plan for Water-saving Society Construction. It called for reconstruction of urban water distribution networks, accelerate the renovation of distribution networks that are damaged, made of outdated materials and have been in service for more than 50 years, for reducing water losses and occurrences of pipe bursting. By 2020, the national average leakage rate in public water distribution networks should be controlled under 10%. In addition, it required to improve leak detection and management in water distribution networks by implementing approaches such as district metering areas (DMAs) and water balance test, and conducted DMAs management demonstration projects in cities with severe leakage situation and cities that were water-stressed [10].

5. Implementation and Management of DMAs in Distribution Networks

Given the regulations and policies discussed above, it is clear that district management has become the mainstream water loss control strategy. It is necessary to put the concept of district planning throughout the entire process including network planning, design, construction, maintenance and operation. District metered areas (DMAs) is one of the advanced technologies and management tools to improve water supply network leakage control efficiency. With the construction of DMAs system, leaks can be effectively identified in distribution systems based on water balance test. As a result, it can better guide leakage control and improve water loss management.

Early in 2017, Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development released the Guideline of Management of DMAs in Urban Water Distribution Networks, for the purpose of taking systematic idea throughout urban water distribution networks leakage control, with an emphasis on application of district metered areas, and finally attain the goal of Water Ten Plan [11].

The guideline provided regulatory support for implementation of DMAs. The basic idea of DMAs management is to build a multiple-level system for achieving different levels of metering and develop an DMAs management platform based on distribution network GIS system. The platform should strengthen the data fusion with other management systems such as water dispatching, charging, and secondary water supply facilities management.

Urban water supply departments determine the targets of district metered areas management, and coordinate with water utilities and other relevant departments to provide guarantee for implementation of DMAs. Meanwhile, supervise and assess the operation of DMAs, including water quality and pressure in accordance with the national standards (GB5749, GB50788, etc.). The DMAs management process is described in Figure 2.

6. A Vision of Broad Recognition for Water Loss Control

For water utilities, it is important to get a whole picture of their properties and track the distribution system they manage. On one hand, scientifically upgrade and reconstruct aging infrastructures and distribution systems. On the other hand, implement district metering as the front line to control losses proactively in distribution systems, and develop the management platform for knowing the real-time operation status, and precisely localizing leaks and bursts in order to make responses as soon as possible.

Figure 2. DMA management flow chart.

Moreover, existing regulatory actions are mainly promoted from a macro-level prospective rather than a local perspective. Accordingly, in order to effectively reduce water losses in the long run, local governments could draw up their own action plans with adjusted goals to local conditions, and adjusted plans as needed.

7. Conclusions

Due to the complexity of causes and contributing factors of leakage in water distribution networks, water loss continued as a major problem that concerned by water utilities. Water utilities have put active efforts on water loss control in years, however, they mainly focus on water loss management practices with limited investment, and the result is not satisfactory. At present, the water loss level in China is about the average among the world, and the mission of minimizing water losses is still tough. Fortunately, many policies and practices promoted at the national level by the government have been emphasizing on water loss control. Policies and regulations discussed in this paper drew up the outline for controlling water losses, clarified the responsibilities, and set out long-term objectives. With these progressive movements, both rates of water losses and non-revenue water have been decreasing.

Policies and regulations detailed above have provided regulatory support and better guidance for water loss control program and practices in China, and also called for involvement of the governing body, water utilities and social forces. Further collaborations both from technical standpoint or a legal framework are needed for combating water losses associated with distribution networks in an efficient and economical way.

Cite this paper

Liu, X.Y. and Shu, S.H. (2018) Policy on Water Loss Control in China. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 6, 100-107. https://doi.org/10.4236/gep.2018.63009

References
Let the road-construction season begin

Don't let Wednesday's snowfall in West Michigan fool you. Spring has sprung and construction season is upon us.



It'll be another busy construction season in Grand Rapids as the city continues its Vital Streets program, funded in part by a 2014 voter-approved income tax levy. Other funding avenues include Michigan Department of Transportation grants, and water and sewer funds.

The biggest projects include reconstruction of primary roads, but there are dozens of smaller resurfacing, water main, and bike lane projects in the works. City officials are also working to approve an $11.8 million investment into improving 64 locations for the 2019 fiscal year, which begins in July.

There are also significant construction projects in the not-too-distant future for the Kent and Ottawa county road commissions, as well as the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Not all construction timelines are finalized with bids still up for grabs, but officials have provided a general time frame for several major projects.

Here's a look at construction season 2018 in West Michigan:

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Alger Street SE in Grand Rapids

The 0.5-mile stretch of Alger Street between Kalamazoo Avenue SE and Plymouth Avenue SE is due to be reconstructed. It will be closed for 3-4 weeks in June/July with the goal of being completed before the start of the 2018-19 school year.

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Kalamazoo Avenue SE in Grand Rapids

The 0.5-mile stretch of Kalamazoo Avenue SE between 28th Street and Alger Street, near Woodlawn Cemetery and MacKay-Jaycees Park, will be reconstructed this summer. The road is adjacent to, and will begin at the conclusion of, the Alger Street construction project. The work is expected to narrow traffic flow to one lane in each direction. City officials hope to have the road back open before the end of August and ahead of the 2018-19 school year.

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Century Avenue SW in Grand Rapids

The almost 0.5-mile stretch of Century Avenue SW between Logan Street and Rumsey Street, north of Franklin Street, is scheduled to be reconstructed this year. The project, which will close the road to traffic, is expected to begin in mid-May and conclude in October. It will also include water main, sanitary and storm sewer work.

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Grandville Avenue SW in Grand Rapids

The 0.7-mile stretch of Grandville Avenue between Franklin Street and Bartlett Street will be closed for reconstruction beginning in June and continuing into October. The project will include resurfacing, water main and storm sewer work.

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Lafayette Avenue NE in Grand Rapids

The 0.4-mile stretch of Lafayette Avenue from Hastings Street to about 500 feet north of Bradford Street is due to be reconstructed. Construction has already started, and is expected to wrap up in early July. The project includes water main work as well.

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Michigan Street NE in Grand Rapids

The 0.3-mile stretch of Michigan Street's Medical Mile from Lafayette Avenue to College Avenue is already down to one lane in each direction as part of a construction project. City officials expect the partial closure to last about six weeks, which would mean a mid-May conclusion. The project includes reconstructing utilities and resurfacing the roadway in preparation of a parking ramp to be shared by Grand Valley State University and Spectrum Health.

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Oakes Street SW/Cherry Street SW in Grand Rapids

A 0.1-mile stretch of Oakes Street, and a parallel 0.1-mile stretch of Cherry Street between Ionia Avenue and Ottawa Avenue, will be closed beginning this spring for reconstruction. The work is part of a larger project, which will result in the construction of the $140-million Studio Park complex. The one-block U.S. 131 business route between Oakes Street and Cherry Street will be removed as well.

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Wealthy Street SW in Grand Rapids

The 0.2-mile stretch of Wealthy Street from Division Avenue to U.S. 131 is due to be reconstructed. The project is expected to begin in June and will require a complete road closure until sometime in October. The road's water main is also expected to receive work.

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10 Mile Road in Sparta/Algoma townships

The 2-mile stretch of 10 Mile Road between Alpine Avenue and Pine Island Drive will be reconstructed. The project, which will be completed in phases, will require a full road closure. Work includes tree removal, earthwork, valley gutter, ditches, storm sewer, culvert replacement, and repaving. A timeline has not yet been set.

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13 Mile Road in Sparta Township

The 2-mile stretch of 13 Mile Road from Kenowa Avenue to Peach Ridge Avenue will be reconstructed. The project will be completed in phases and will require the road to close throughout construction. Work includes tree removal, earthwork, valley gutter, ditches, drainage, culvert extensions, and repaving. A timeline has not yet been set.

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Knapp Street NE in Grand Rapids/Ada townships

Much of the 2.9-mile stretch of Knapp Street between Dunnigan Avenue and Pettis Avenue is due for reconstruction in 2018. The roadway will be widened and reconstructed to 3-lanes. Traffic will be maintained throughout construction, with lane restrictions. Work includes tree removal, earthwork, concrete curb and gutter, storm sewer, ditches, drainage, retaining walls, and repaving.

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Cottonwood Drive in Georgetown Township

The 1.5 mile stretch of road between Baldwin Street and Bauer Road is scheduled to be reconstructed this year. Initial work on the project began in February with the removal of trees, and is continuing with utility work including new gas and cable lines, and a new water main. Reconstruction is expected to begin in May with an estimated project-wrap up date in October. The project will include the addition of a left turn lane all the way down the center of the road, as well as a second left turn lane and a right turn lane at the intersection of Cottonwood Drive and Baldwin Street.

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Lakeshore Drive in Grand Haven/Park Township

The 1.6-mile stretch of Lakeshore Drive between Robbins Road and Rosy Mound Road in Grand Haven Township will be reconstructed this summer. The road work could cause traffic snafus on high-traffic summer days like the Coast Guard Festival -- July 27 through Aug. 5.

A 2-mile stretch of Lakeshore Drive between New Holland Street and Riley Street in Park Township is also being reconstructed. Dates for the two projects had not been finalized as of early April.

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Osborn Street/Bass Drive/Warner Street in Robinson/Allendale townships

The almost 5-mile stretch of road between 68th Avenue and 104th Avenue will be resurfaced in 2018, with the addition of a 3-foot paved shoulder on either side of the road. This is the county's longest project, and will require short-term lane closures throughout the project.

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I-96 in Grand Rapids/Walker

A two-mile stretch of I-96 between West River Drive and Plainfield (M-44) will be under construction between March 12 and October 31, 2018. The $10-million MDOT project includes reconstruction at the I-196/U.S. 131 interchange, and between West River Drive and the Grand River. It also includes improvements to highway bridges at U.S. 131, the Grand River, Coit Avenue, Monroe Avenue, and West River Drive.

Eastbound I-96 will be closed and detoured April-June, and westbound I-96 will be closed and detoured June-Aug.

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M-37 in Kentwood

The 2.4-mile stretch of M-37 (Broadmoor Avenue SE) between Patterson Avenue to 44th Street will be under construction between September and November for concrete repairs. The project will require lane closures to all but one lane in each direction.

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M-45 in Grand Haven/Robinson townships

The 4.7-mile stretch of M-45 (Lake Michigan Drive) between U.S. 31 in Grand Haven Township and M-231 in Robinson Township will be resurfaced. Construction is expected to start in April run through June. During that time, one alternating lane will be open under flag control.

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I-196 business loop in Zeeland

The I-196 Business Loop in Zeeland and it's connections to I-196, Chicago Drive (M-121) and Main Street will be reconfigured in 2018 as part of a $7.6-million project. Construction will require closures to Main Street, M-121, and the westbound I-196 ramp to Byron Road for approximately three weeks sometime between July and October.

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U.S. 131 in Algoma Township

The almost 4.5-mile stretch of U.S. 131 between 10 Mile Road and 14 Mile Road is scheduled to be reconstructed between March and October. During weekday mornings and Sundays, traffic will be cut down to one northbound lane and two southbound lanes. On weekday afternoons and all of Fridays, traffic will be cut down to two northbound lanes and one southbound lane.

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U.S. 131 bridge in Plainfield Township

Improvements to the northbound U.S. 131 bridge over 6 Mile Road are scheduled for August 2018. During the project, 6 Mile Road will be closed with a posted detour. Meanwhile, U.S. 131 will experience a traffic shift.

For full lists of construction projects, including updates, check out these lists by organization:

Grand Rapids

Kent County

Ottawa County

Michigan Department of Transportation
UPDATE:

WHITMORE LAKE, MI - Two people were killed and four others were taken to the hospital after a crash Sunday afternoon on southbound U.S. 23 near Whitmore Lake. That's just north of Ann Arbor.

The crash happened about 3 p.m. Sunday, April 8, on U.S. 23 near Eight Mile Road, according to the Michigan Department of Transportation.

Authorities pronounced two people dead at the scene, according to Huron Valley Ambulance spokesman Matt Rose.

Another person was transported to the University of Michigan hospital in critical condition, while three others were transported in stable condition, Rose said.

One additional person was treated by paramedics and released at the scene, Rose said.

Southbound U.S. 23 from Eight Mile Road to North Territorial remained closed as of 4:15 p.m. Sunday.

The Washtenaw County Sheriff's Office sent out a Nixle alert warning drivers to stay clear of the area for several hours.

Further details were not immediately available.

Rose said paramedics from Livingston County Ambulance assisted at the scene along with Michigan State Police, Green Oak Township and Northfield Township fire departments.
YPSILANTI, MI - A possible electrical fire caused about $25,000 in damage to a multifamily home Saturday night in Ypsilanti.

Firefighters were dispatched about 9:40 p.m. Saturday, April 7 to 2 N. Normal St. for a report of a kitchen fire, Ypsilanti Fire Lt. Cliff Pope said.

Upon arrival, authorities found the fire had spread to the balcony. Firefighters attacked the blaze and had it extinguished within 20 minutes, Pope said.

No one was injured during the fire. One male resident was home and said he heard a loud explosion in his kitchen while in his living room, Pope said.

The man grabbed his pets and evacuated the building before calling 911. The home serves as three apartments for multiple families, Pope said. One other resident was home as well but escaped safely.

The male resident also told authorities that the electrical line outside his home was arching and sparking when he went outside. It was completely detached when firefighters arrived, Pope said.

It is not yet determined if that was indeed the cause and authorities are investigating, Pope said.

Ypsilanti Township and Superior Township fire departments assisted at the scene.

All units left the scene about 1 a.m. Sunday, April 8, Pope said.
ANN ARBOR, MI - Although hundreds of students and pot supporters were smoking marijuana Saturday in Ann Arbor, there were no arrests at the 47th annual Hash Bash, police say.

Two people were arrested during the pro marijuana rally Saturday, April 7, but the arrests were unrelated to Hash Bash, University of Michigan Deputy Chief of Police Melissa Overton said.

Thousands came out for the two-hour rally, which had athletes, politicians and activists speak and call for a legalization of marijuana.

Police arrested a record 74 people at Hash Bash in 1999 and 56 in 2000, Overton said. Only one person was arrested at last year's Hash Bash. That was for a violation of the controlled substances act, Overton said.

Overton said the annual rally has had a steady decline of arrests over the past several years due to cooperation between police and attendees.

"Overall, the crowd was cooperative and that is what we ask when they come to the University of Michigan," she said. "The steady decline is due to education and enforcement."

While marijuana is still illegal in Ann Arbor, it is punishable as a civil infraction. The fine usually comes with no court date, according to Ann Arbor police. Selling or illegally distributing, however, will get you arrested.

The rally took place on the University of Michigan Diag. Speakers included finalist of NBC's "The Voice" Laith Al-Saadi, Michigan Democratic gubernatorial candidates Gretchen Whitmer and Abdul El-Sayed, and former Detroit Red Wings' player Darren McCarty, among others.
UPDATE:

Suspect charged in parking lot stabbing at Burton mall

GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Police have arrested a male suspect following the stabbing a 33-year-old Flint woman in a vehicle in the parking lot outside Courtland Center mall in Burton.

Officers with the Burton Police Department responded shortly after 10 p.m. Thursday, April 5 to Courtland Center for a domestic situation and discovered the injured woman.

Burton police Lt. Mike Odette said the woman and a 31-year-old Flint man, the woman's ex-boyfriend, were apparently sitting in a vehicle in the parking lot outside the Old Country Buffet at the mall and got into some type of altercation.

The woman was stabbed more than 10 times, Odette said.

"She got out (of the vehicle) and tried to go back into the restaurant which has closed already," he commented at the scene.

The woman collapsed on the sidewalk outside the restaurant and was taken to Hurley Medical Center in Flint where she was listed in critical condition, while the man fled on foot from the scene.

She has since been upgraded to serious, but stable, condition.

The suspect, whose name has not been released pending arraignment, is currently lodged at the Genesee County Jail awaiting formal charges.

Anyone with information on the incident may contact Burton police at 810-742-2542.

MLive-The Flint Journal reporter Zahra Ahmad contributed to this report.
The U.S. Coast Guard fined an Illinois man $14,000 for signing up passengers for a four-hour tour on Lake Michigan while operating a commercial charter vessel illegally under federal law.

A Coast Guard hearing officer imposed the civil penalty on Jim Finnegan of Prospect Heights last month.

Last July, Finnegan took out a 31-foot cabin cruiser called "Irish Wake," and nine of the 11 passengers on board had paid online for the trip, according to an investigation by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and the Coast Guard.

"Operators who take on paying passengers are considered to be operating a charter vessel. Operating a charter vessel without the required documents and license may be a violation of federal law, and the operator could be subject to criminal or civil liability," the military said in a press release.

Finnegan was found to have violated the following federal regulations:

Operating in commercial service without a licensed operator onboard - $5,000,

Failure to enroll in a drug testing program - $5,000,

Operating with more than six paying passengers without a valid Certificate of Inspection - $2,000, and

Operating with more than six paying passengers without a "Stability" letter issued by the Coast Guard - $2,000.

"Regulations are in place to help ensure the safety of passengers," said Commander Zeita Merchant, commanding officer of Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago. "Illegal Passenger Vessel operations pose a significant hazard to life, property and the marine environment."

If you want to verify the inspected status of a vessel, or report a vessel you suspect of operating illegally, you can contact Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Chicago at 630-986-2155.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
As Fire Prevention Week approaches, Bucks County firefighters urge residents to Learn the Sounds of Fire Safety
April 08, 2018

The MoA Week In Review And Open Thread 2018-15

Last weeks posts:

The false headline is still up.

Our Skripal pieces attracted a large number of readers. Many people seem to distrust the mainstream reporting and came here for an alternative view. Welcome!

The farce continues. As the Skripals are apparently alive and well the British government has a problem. When they talk and tell the world that it was actually food poisoning and not a chemical weapon attack that hit them, the government of Theresa May is toast. The Skripals have to be kept isolated and eventually vanished. The CIA might give them a new identity or lock them into one of its black sites. The Skripals house and the Zizzy restaurant are to be destroyed. (Who will kill the hospital doctors?)

The "doorknob" theory the UK spread to explain the alleged injury of one policeman is so outrageously stupid that many doubt it. To counter the mistrust, HMG comes up with an even more implausible explanation:

Russian agents watched Sergei Skripal for a fortnight and chose to strike on a Sunday morning so no postmen or delivery men would be exposed accidentally to the nerve agent. Any third parties touching the door handle before the Skripals would have required the agents to reapply the gel to the door handle, at the risk of being seen doing so.

Sure, that's why so many neighbors spoke of foreigners milling around in the street for two weeks (not). And its why there was such a large manhunt right after the incident happened (not).

Veterinarians in Salisbury post on Facebook that they had contacted the police several times immediately after they learned that the Skripals were admitted into hospital. They offered to take care of their cats and guinea pigs. The police did not react at all. One cat escaped, the guinea pigs died of thirst and the cat left behind was so starved that it had to be put down.

Use the comments as open thread ...

Posted by b on April 8, 2018 at 16:27 UTC | Permalink

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Men are more likely to overrate their own intelligence than women, a new study has found.



Researchers at Arizona State University asked biology students, "What percent of your physiology classmates do you think that you're smarter than?"

Two-thirds of the male students rated themselves above average, while only 54 percent of women did.

"I would ask students about how their classes were going and I noticed a trend," said Katelyn Cooper, PhD student and author of the study.

"Over and over again, women would tell me that they were afraid that other students thought that they were 'stupid'. I never heard this from the men in those same biology classes, so I wanted to study it."

Each student was also asked to compare their intelligence to the colleague they most closely worked with. Men were 3.2 times more likely to say they were smarter, regardless of their partner's sex.

"This study shows that women are disproportionately thinking that they are not as good as other students, so this is a worrisome result of increased interactions among students," said Sara Brownell, who contributed to the study.

She said this false impression might discourage women from pursuing a career in the sciences.

"This is not an easy problem to fix," said Ms Cooper. "It's a mindset that has likely been ingrained in female students since they began their academic journeys."

Of the 202 students questioned, 70 were men, 130 women and two identified as neither. The research was published in journal Advances in Physiology Education.

Newshub.
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.
WALLINGFORD  More than 50 Quinnipiac business school students spent their Friday teaching children at Cook Hill School about financial literacy, business and entrepreneurship.

The community service day was in collaboration with Junior Achievement, a national organization that focuses on financial literacy, entrepreneurship and workforce readiness. Junior Achievement partners with schools and volunteer groups to allow local community members to connect with young people through prepared lessons, which are provided free from Junior Achievement.

There's nothing more powerful than motivating our next generation, and inspiring them, said Josh Kelly, Junior Achievement education manager. So we're teaching about what kinds of jobs are out there so that even though they're in second grade, they learn a little bit about their interests and skills and jobs that match.

The kindergartners heard stories about earning money and charity giving and were guided through reflection exercises. The first graders learned about the differences between a business selling goods and one selling services. The second grade classes made donuts and learned about assembly lines.

It's definitely important to learn about money and earning money and saving money at a young age so that when you get older it's easier to comprehend. Quinnipiac junior and accounting major Ashley Addona said.

Addona, a Wallingford native, attended Cook Hill.

When I walk through the hallways it's like the same exact hallways. I went to a kindergarten class this morning and I had kindergarten in there too, so that was cool, Addona said.

The community service day was a chance for students in Quinnipiacs business school to get to know each other and give back to the community. It was the second year in a row the college students volunteered for the program at Cook Hill.

The purpose of it is to have a community event for schools like this and share the business knowledge that our students gain with the community, said Grace Peiffer, employer relations senior director at the school of business. The big thing for us is to make an impact on our community.

Cook Hill School principal Kristine Friend said they were happy to have the program back after a phenomenal first year.

The kids loved it, every one of the kids went home saying their day was awesome, she said.

The activities are fun and the college students provide role models for the younger kids to look up to, Friend said.

It naturally presents a way to show them how important learning is and that when they get older they may continue their learning and be like the role models that are there in front of them, Friend said.

bwright@record-journal.com

203-317-2316

Twitter: @baileyfaywright
Two women were injured after a bar fight that ended with a single gunshot on the east side of Madison early Sunday morning.

A bar fight broke out at Connections Bar on 3737 E. Washington Ave. where a 44-year-old mother and her 25-year-old daughter were injured at 2 a.m., according to Madison Police Chief Mike Koval's blog.

Both women reported a very large fight had occurred in the parking lot at bar time, as everyone spilled out into the parking lot. Both victims reported that they had been battered and that there were several fights that broke out, involving upwards of 30 people.

During this large brawl, an unknown person pulled out a gun and fired one round into the air, causing everyone to flee. An officer found one round in the parking lot.

The mother had a swollen eye and cheek, as well as a nose bleed as a result of the fight. The daughter sustained a chipped tooth as a result of the fight. Both denied EMS.

This investigation is ongoing.
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: After Sadhvi Savitri Bai Phule of Bahraich, ChhoteLal Khairwar of Robertsganj, Ashok Dohre of Etawah, another Dalit MP  Dr Yashwant Singh -- of ruling BJP has raised the banner of revolt on the issue of Dalits marginalisation in the country. In a letter written to PM Modi, Singh has talked about the agony and despair of the community in country during the last four years of BJP rule.

Singh, who is BJP MP from Nagina in western UP, has basically raised the issue of reservation for Dalits in private sector and also in promotions. He has also urged the PM to forcefully pursue review petition against supreme courts order diluting SC/ST Act-1989.

Being a Dalit my capabilities have not been put to use. I only became an MP because of reservation, Singh writes to PM adding that the govt has failed to do anything concrete for 30 crore Dalits of the country during the last four years.

READ | SC/ST Act: Centre's review plea 'politically motivated', says BJP UP MLA

ALSO READ | SC/ST Act: Ex-Punjab MLA Mohan Lal Banga quits BJP, joins BSP

An MD from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences and having cleared the United States Medical Licensing Examination, Singh claims that he had met the PM immediately after getting elected to Lok Sabah with the request for a bill providing reservation in promotions . But that has not been done even after four years, writes Singh. The BJP MP adds that reservation is the lifeline for the growth of Dalit community in India.

Singh who belongs to Jatav community, further writes that in judiciary his community has no representation and that is the reason courts, every now and then, keep on giving orders against Dalits diluting their rights and depriving them of their due in society.

ALSO READ | Dalit groom set to ride into caste storm in Kasganj

"Dalits can't grow and progress without favourable government policies," he writes in the letter adding that when elected this government enjoyed the perception of being a pro-deprived and pro-downtrodden dispensation. "But today, we the Dalit MPs are facing resentment and angst seeping into our community. We have no answer to the questions of our people, he maintains.

ALSO READ | SC/ST Act: Dalit Panthers Party pens letter in blood to PM Modi, President Kovind

He urges the PM to get the bill on reservation in promotion passed as soon as possible to further the cause of the community. He has also requested Modi to get the vacancy backlog cleared and provide reservation to dalits in private sector as well.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: Union Minister of State for Home, Kiren Rijiju, on Saturday said a number of serious demands had been dropped from the agenda in the ongoing process of negotiations with the Isak-Muivah faction of major Naga insurgent group National Socialist Council of Nagalim or NSCN-IM.

The Minister disclosed just one demand, which is the sovereignty of the Nagas. It was for sovereignty that a section of the Nagas had taken up the gun seven decades ago.

READ HERE | Territorial integrity of Northeast states will not be compromised: Union Minister Kiren Rijiju

Many people do not understand the Framework Agreement we signed in 2015 (with NSCN-IM). The Naga peace talks are going on for a long time. We have said that we will go by a concrete timeline but before that we need to have some kind of an understanding or a framework on the basis of which the talks can progress "

When the Framework Agreement was signed, it had sovereignty and some more serious demands on the agenda which were later dropped. We said the talks will progress within the framework of the Constitution of India. Hence, it is the Framework Agreement. The talks are going on smoothly and progressing with absolute clarity, Rijiju told reporters at a press conference in Guwahati.

He said during Assembly elections in Nagaland in February, he had told the Nagas that the Centre would come out with a tangible solution to the protracted Naga political problem vis-a-vis Naga insurgency issue.

Given the NSCN-IMs demand for the creation of a unified Naga homeland, called Greater Nagaland, by slicing off the contiguous Naga-inhabited areas, there is a perceived fear among the neighbours that the settlement to the issue would hurt their territorial interests. However, quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rijiju emphatically said, The Naga talks will not have any adverse repercussions on Assam, Arunachal Pradesh or Manipur.

He said the Centre had made much headway in the peace parleys with various insurgent groups of Assam, particularly the United Liberation Front of Assam (Progressive).

The demands of the ULFA (Progressive) are genuine. Thats why, in principle, I have given instructions to give the issue a final shape. There shouldnt be any delay in signing the final agreement, he said.

Asked about Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangmas proposal to the Ministry of External Affairs to issue work permits to Bangladeshi nationals, Rijiju said, It is only a proposal. We wont take any steps which will dilute national interests.


By Express News Service

TIRUCHY: Starting the Cauvery Rights Retrieval March from Mukkombu here on Saturday, DMK working president MK Stalin drew parallels between it and the anti-Hindi rally of 1938 and said there would be a solution to the water dispute by the time the rally concluded in Cuddalore.It was in 1938 that Periyar announced the anti-Hindi rally from Tiruchy to Chennai. Pattukkottai Azhagiri headed the rally that stopped the imposition of Hindi.

From the same Tiruchy, we have started this rally now, which will definitely succeed. We conduct this mega rally after a series of protests demanding the Cauvery Management Board. When this rally concludes at Cuddalore, there should be a favourable solution, Stalin said.

READ | Tamil film fraternity launches hunger strike for Cauvery Management Board

The Supreme Court will be hearing the Centres plea seeking clarification on the Cauvery management scheme on April 9. I hope the outcome will be in Tamil Nadus favour. Otherwise, we will have to strengthen our protests furthermore, he added.Along with the leaders such as Thol Thirumavalavan of the VCK, K Balakrishnan of the CPM, R Mutharasan of the CPI, Duraisamy of the MDMK, Velusamy of the Congress, K Veeramani of the DK, KM Kader Mohideen of the IUML and MH Jawahirullah of the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi, Stalin started the massive rally.

READ | Cauvery Management Board: Stalin announces black flag protest on April 12 against PM Modi

With hundreds rending the air with thunderous slogans, the leaders began marching after hoisting the Cauvery Rights Retrieval flag.If all the MPs and MLAs from Tamil Nadu resign from their posts, it will exert enormous pressure on the Union government. But the ruling AIADMK did not pay heed to this idea, he went on.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Joining the growing chorus for Cauvery Management Board (CMB), the Tamil film industry today jumped into protests by observing a one-day fast at Valluvarkottam in Chennai.

Top film personalities including actor Vishal, general secretary, and Nassar, president of South Indian Film Artists Association respectively, and actor Vijay, his father and noted film maker SA Chandrasekar have participated at the hunger strike.

Actor-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth joined the protest.

Actor Rajinikanth, when speaking to reporters before starting to join the actors protests said the IPL Chennai Super Kings team must consider wearing a black badge when playing the matches to express Tamil Nadu people's disappointment over the failure of the Union government in forming the Cauvery Management Board.

Closure of polluting Sterlite Cooper plant in Thoothukudi is also a demand raised by the film industry during the stir.

Senior artists including Sivakumar and his sons Surya and Karthi have joined the fast.

ALSO READ | Cauvery Rights Retrieval March will succeed like 1938 anti-Hindi rally: DMK working president MK Stalin

#WATCH Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan take part in protest over demand for formation of #CauveryMangementBoard, in Chennai. Music composer Ilayaraja also present. pic.twitter.com/JhIxGxp1QO  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

The police have made elaborate security arrangements in view of the stir.

The State government will not accept anything less than the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) when the Supreme Court hears its contempt petition against the Centre on Monday, it is learnt.

Sources said CM Edappadi K Palaniswami, while chairing a high-level meeting at the Secretariat on Saturday, advised senior counsel appearing for Tamil Nadu on the Cauvery issue to stick to the demand for the CMB and nothing less.

Chennai: Tamil actors Vijay, M. Nassar and Vishal take part in protest over #Cauvery issue. pic.twitter.com/OhZgirdvMf  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

In its petition filed on March 31, the Centre sought clarification about the scheme to be framed for implementing the final award of the Cauvery Water Disputes Tribunal and indicated that scheme need not be formation of the CMB.

The meeting discussed threadbare the key aspects of the February 16 verdict, in which the Supreme Court clearly mentioned about formation of the CMB. During the deliberations, the counsel felt that the argument of Karnataka for forming a dispute settlement body was meaningless, sources said.

ALSO READ | AIADMK's day-long fast on Cauvery issue was farcical, says Makkal Neethi Mayyam president Kamal Haasan

On Thursday, 5 April 2018, Shops in Chennai city remained shut in solidarity with the opposition partys' call for a State wide shut down demanding the setting up the Cauvery Management Board.

The Opposition parties had lead a massive protest march led by DMK working president MK Stalin from Walajah Road to Marina.

Flocked by more than 5000 supporters, Stalin,VCK president Thirumavalavan and State Congress President, S Thirunavukkarasar marched down the stretch raising slogans against the State and Central government.

(with online desk inputs)
Champaign, IL (61820)

Today

Sunshine to start, then a few afternoon clouds. High 88F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Partly cloudy early with increasing clouds overnight. Low near 60F. Winds light and variable.
Doug Ford interrupted at Somali event over support for controversial police unitOntario Progressive Conservative Leader Doug Ford was booed and interrupted this weekend when he told members of Toronto's Somali community that he supports resurrecting a controversial police unit disbanded in 2017.The Toronto Anti-Violence Intervention Strategy, known as TAVIS, was set up in 2006 to curb violence in high crime areas determined by police. Its formation came in the wake of the summer of 2005, the so-called 'summer of the gun' in the city.TAVIS was disbanded in January 2017, according to police, two years after the province cut the unit's annual funding nearly in half.Critics of the unit's tenure say TAVIS increased tensions between police and residents of targeted neighbourhoods, many of them people of colour, because officers often used carding as a policing tool. The much-maligned practice is now prohibited in many circumstances under provincial law.At a meeting dedicated to ending violence in Etobicoke on Saturday, Ford said he supports the creation of a similar program."I'm in favour, 100 per cent, as a premier, to get involved with the TAVIS program as well. The TAVIS program was good, but then it was cut," Ford said on Saturday at the event organized by the Somali Canadian Forum.
Columnist

Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
Hi! TaxSlave



"The Syrian Golan Heights (as the UN refers to the region) was recognized as Syrian sovereign territory by an Armistice Agreement signed between Israel and Syria under UN auspices in 1949. Because of its rich volcanic soils and water resources, the Golan has long been coveted by Zionists. Attempts were made starting in 1891 to buy land there, and Zionist President Chaim Weizmann wrote to British Prime Minister Lloyd George in 1919 expressing designs for the region to form part of the Jewish National Home in Palestine. (Dr Weizmann wrote to oppose the Sykes-Picot Agreement of 1916 by which Britain and France had agreed the carve up of the Ottoman Empire after the World War I. These imperial designs interfered with Zionist schemes for the Levant.)"



"Article 2 (4) of the UN Charter requires the respect of every state's territorial integrity. Newly admitted to the UN in 1949, Israel began almost immediately to encroach beyond its boundaries as agreed under the 1949 Armistice. Fortifications were built in the UN-administered demilitarized zone, while illegally deployed Israeli soldiers obstructed UN observers and even threatened to kill them on one occasion. Arab residents of the area were evicted and their homes looted and destroyed. The UN Security Council (UNSC) passed a resolution in May 1951 demanding that Israel allow the residents to return. Other resolutions against Israeli violations of international law followed in 1953, 1956 and 1962, all to no avail."



"Prior to the 1967 invasion there were many clashes between Syrian and Israel forces. The former Israeli defence minister, Moshe Dayan, later opined that more 80 per cent of these clashes were deliberately provoked by Israel, explaining that kibbutzim covetous of Syrian land had pressed the Israeli government to invade the Golan Heights. Another Israeli, Mattityahu Peled, who served as a member of the General Staff during the 1967 war, also stated in a newspaper interview that all the incidents were Israeli initiated."



"At the time of the invasion during the 1967 war there were 137,000 Arab residents in the area that was occupied. Following the attack, 130,000 of them were expelled from their homes in two cities, 130 villages and 112 farms, all of which were destroyed. (The Golan capital of Quneitra had been a city with 25,000 population. When liberated by Syrian armour in 1973, troops discovered all the buildings destroyed or uninhabitable. This included houses, shops, mosques and the hospital.)"



"UNSC Resolution 242 of 1967 requiring "withdrawal of Israel armed forces from territories occupied in the recent conflict" was ignored by Israel. On 14 December 1981 the Knesset passed the Golan Heights Law, which extended Israeli laws to occupied Syrian areas. The UN Security Council responded to this breach of customary international law by passing Resolution 497 declaring the Israeli legislation "null and void and without international legal effect". The resolution demanded that the legislation be rescinded. No other country has recognized this de facto annexation, but Israel made no attempt to comply with its legal obligations."




MDC-T is trying to play to the gallery by insinuating Government is not interested in free, fair and credible elections as espoused by President Emmerson Mnangagwa, because the opposition is aware of ongoing legislative processes dealing with the issue, a Cabinet minister has said.





This week, Parliament reconvenes to debate the Electoral Amendment Bill. Parliament records show MDC-T has submitted proposed amendments to the Bill, showing that the opposition is aware of what Government is doing to deliver a legitimate poll.





Furthermore, the parties in Parliament  Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC have agreed to a Code of Conduct that could be incorporated into the Act.





In an interview with The Sunday Mail last week, Justice, Legal and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ziyambi Ziyambi said: Some weeks back, (MDC-T chief whip Innocent) Gonese even brought their suggested amendments to Parliament and debated them.





I am surprised that they are going all out to the Press to cry foul. It is clear that they are grandstanding. But we will continue to follow due processes and deliver a free and fair election in line with what President Mnangagwa has constantly said.





Minister Ziyambi said each of the so-called reforms spoken of by MDC-T had been either been already addressed or were work in progress.





I actually do not understand what they mean by electoral reforms. Its high-sounding language that they are using to gain attention, added the minister.





I can categorically state that each and every issue that they have raised has been already addressed under the law, or is in the process of being addressed.





There is also the Code of Conduct for elections which all the parties have signed and agreed to. We have agreed that this Code of Conduct be incorporated into the Electoral Act.





What we are now working on is to focus on the penalties for political parties do not abide by the Code of Conduct.





Minister Ziyambi, who Leader of Government business in Parliament said he had reconvened the legislature to debate electoral issues even though it was supposed to be in recess this month.





The Justice Minister said he was prepared to invoke Parliaments Standing Rules and Orders to extend debate into the night if need be.





We want these amendments to be done so as to allow the President to proclaim the dates for the elections.





Zimbabwe Electoral Commission Chairperson Justice Priscilla Chigumba said Parliament was the right platform for parties to debate reforms.





 this is work in progress and political parties should lobby Parliament for the expeditious promulgation of these reforms.





The responsibility to make laws lies squarely with Parliament and some of the political parties agitating the reforms are represented therein and therefore they are best disposed to bring the reforms to fruition.





MDC-Ts Mr Gonese confirmed his party was part of the reform process.





The opposition has also been agitating for a Diaspora vote, but the judiciary is seized with that matter and last month the Constitutional Court reserved judgment on it.





Another reform demanded by MCC-T is media monitoring of coverage of political parties and candidates, which according to law applies three months before the polls.





Political analyst Mr Alban Gambe said of this: We have seen that ZBC has been giving coverage to opposition political parties, in particular Nelson Chamisa and the MDCs, so it is clear that some of the so-called reforms that are being called for no longer have merit.





Also, allegations by the opposition that chiefs are partisan do not hold merit because traditional leaders have a right to pursue political persuasions of their choice.





Opposition parties have demanded de-militarisation of Zec, but the electoral body has repeatedly stated that it does not employ any serving members of the military.




Former Higher and Tertiary Education minister Jonathan Moyo remains one of former president Robert Mugabes most vocal supporters, five months after the veteran ruler was ousted following a military-led revolt against his 38-year rule.



Moyo, who is in exile in an unknown country after fleeing the country during the November 2017 uprising, is wanted by President Emmerson Mnangagwa for alleged theft of public funds.

He has been linked to a new opposition party, National Patriotic Front (NPF), which is associated with Mugabe.



However, Moyo (JM) told The Standard (TS) after questions were emailed to him that he is not a member of the NPF.



The political science academic also spoke about the forthcoming elections, Mugabes claim that Zapu were responsible for Gukurahundi and his escape from Zimbabwe. Below are excerpts from the interview.





TS: Zanu PF last week received CVs of aspiring councillors, MPs and senators and it is now certain you will not be part of the ruling partys candidates in the forthcoming elections. Do you still have any desire to represent Tsholotsho North in Parliament?





JM: The CV affair for election candidates in Zanu PF is not my business not only because Im not a member of Zanu PF anymore, but also because Zanu PF as it was known is dead; after it was killed by the bloody military coup on November 15, 2017 which toppled President Robert Mugabe and unconstitutionally replaced him by the unelectable Emmerson Mnangagwa, who is in office illegally.





As for Tsholotsho North, I will work with other like-minded comrades to ensure that it gets councillors and a Member of Parliament who respect the community, are committed to its development and are not in any way tainted by the coup.

TS: What would you say is the significance of the 2018 election?

JM: The 2018 poll is what political scientists call a critical election in that it is as historic as the one in 1980, which laid the foundation for Zimbabwes first republic under the Lancaster constitution.





Its a critical election because its going to be characterised and defined by a historic realignment of voters in a major generational way that will lay the foundation for the countrys second republic based on the new 2013 Constitution.

Whereas the 1980 election was dominated by the Independence Generation  which was principally made up of a broad coalition of nationalists, veterans of the liberation struggle, peasants, workers and students  the 2018 election is dominated up to some 64% by the freedom generation, which is largely composed of compatriots who were either 10 years old, or were not yet born in 1980.





Seven years ago, in 2011, I described this demographic as Generation 40 or G40. So, make no mistake about it; the 2018 election is a G40 election. This is historic.

TS: You have been out of the country since the coup, what are your long-term plans? For how long will you remain in exile?





JM: How long I will remain out of the country and my long-term plans is a matter entirely between me and God. However, what should be self-evident is the fact that nothing lasts forever.

TS: Many people have wondered why you and your G40 colleagues did not see the coup coming and why you did not advise Mugabe accordingly. Did you not see it coming?

JM: The claim that the so-called G40 did not see the coup coming is false and preposterous.

Amai Dr Grace Mugabe warned about it on several occasions and in public.

I wrote to President Mugabe about the coup plot under confidential cover more than a year before November 15, 2017 on January 8, 2016 based on what Patrick Chinamasa had told me and on July 5, 2016 based on information I had been given by impeccable sources.

I also raised the matter in the video I presented to the Zanu PF politburo on July 19, 2017 about Mnangagwas coup plot against President Mugabe.





So, of course, we saw the coup coming and gave appropriate warnings at various times.

But we did not ever consider to resist it violently through counterforce, an option that was always available, but which was undesirable and therefore unthinkable.





TS: So why did Mugabe not act to prevent the coup?

JM: I think thats now for historians to unravel. But one unfortunate but true explanation is that President Mugabe never ever believed that Mnangagwa and Constantino Guveya Dominic Chiwenga would ever depose him in a military coup.

President Mugabe was impervious to that possibility because he trusted these two men more than he trusted anyone else.





The fact that Mnangagwa and Chiwenga, of all people, joined hands and used the military to depose him is something that Im 100% sure President Mugabe cannot understand, let alone believe, to this day, yet this is exactly what happened: Chiwenga conspired with Mnangagwa to oust President Mugabe in a military coup.





It is not surprising that both Chiwenga and Mnangagwa are finding it difficult and in fact impossible to go out there and campaign for the 2018 elections because they know only too well that they did the ultimate Judas Iscariot act: they sold out and used the violent arms of war to humiliate the one person who groomed them and made them what they are today.

This fact of treachery and betrayal of President Mugabe by Chiwenga and Mnangagwa is painful and totally unacceptable to an overwhelming majority of members of what was Zanu PF before November 15, 2017.





Thats why Zanu PF is today dead. All you have is Junta PF, which is failing to explain to former Zanu PF supporters what happened to President Mugabe and why.

Its also the reason why the likes of Obert Mpofu are chickening out of representing their constituencies.

They dont want to face the people because they have no explanations for their treachery and betrayal of President Mugabe.





TS: In a recent interview, Mugabe blamed Gukurahundi on Zapu and the Ndebele people. What is your comment on that matter considering that you have been a strident defender of the former presidents legacy?

JM: It can neither be correct nor true that the Ndebele people and Zapu were responsible for Gukurahundi.

The indubitable fact is that gukurahundi was an atrocity whose victims were the Ndebele people and Zapu as a political party.

It cannot, therefore, be right that victims are blamed for the tragedy they suffered.

In any event, theres now quite a strong and reliable body of information about what happened during that dark period in Zimbabwes post-independence history.

It should be noted that what President Mugabe said is the official Gukurahundi and wrong narrative. that is the reason why some of us have always insisted on the need for a truth and reconciliation process to deal with this matter.





The question of what happened during the gukurahundi tragedy cannot and must not depend on any opinion, but must be factual-based on a truth and reconciliation process whose objective is justice. This is the bottom line for me.

But back to what President Mugabe said, it was significant that he accepted and acknowledged that wrongs were done.





It was also revealing and significant that President Mugabe said the lead instigators and enforcers of gukurahundi were Emmerson Mnangagwa and Dan Stannard.

Before that, in July 2000 President Mugabe described Gukurahundi as a moment of madness.





Indeed, the whole Unity Accord was about accepting and acknowledging those wrongs to correct them in the national interest.

The problem though, to this day, is that those wrongs have not been righted and they remain as gross human wrongs.





What is worse is that as a key Gukurahundi instigator and enforcer, Mnangagwa is now a Gukurahundi denialist whose grotesque mantra is that the past is dead.

TS: In that interview it became clear that Mugabe and President Emmerson Mnangagwa share the same views when it comes to Gukurahundi. You have called Mnangagwa a Gukurahundist and attacked him for refusing to apologise for his role in the atrocities. Does Mugabes position change your views in any way?





JM: No, no, President Mugabe and Mnangagwa do not share the same views on Gukurahundi. No, no, they dont.

President Mugabe has acknowledged that wrongs were committed and described the period as a moment of madness.

President Mugabe forged the Unity Accord with the late Vice-President Joshua Nkomo out of this acknowledgment.

In 2011 Mnangagwa said Gukurahundi was a closed chapter and recently he said the past is dead.





Clearly, Mnangagwa is a Gukurahundi denialist and it is for this reason that Ive called him a Gukurahundist.

His disposition and language of cockroaches and the like is genocidal.

TS: How do you rate Mnangagwa as president?





JM: As president of what? Just how does anyone become president through a bloody military coup in a constitutional democracy in 2017?

Mnangagwa is an unmitigated disaster. In constitutional terms, he is no better than [Abel] Muzorewa, whose illegal regime was shortlived and is now forgotten as an obscure footnote in history and a constitutional opprobrium.

Just like Muzorewa, Mnangagwa is illegal and supported by the military because hes unpopular with the masses and is thus unelectable yet he has an exaggerated Muzorewa-like huruyadzo mentality.





Mandarins in the coup government know this and thats why they are currently bent on unprecedented asset-stripping and looting of state resources; they know that they are in an illegal regime with legs made of clay as was Muzorewas regime.





What is striking about this is that as it was that Muzorewa emerged just before Zimbabwes frst republic ushered in by the critical election in 1980, Mnangagwa has emerged just before the countrys second republic to be ushered in by the critical election in 2018.

In historical terms, this means that we should expect a Muzorewa-like personality, which Mnangagwa is, to preface a critical election and a new republic.

So, like that of Muzorewa, Mnangagwas reign will be shortlived and all its unconstitutional

appointments and excesses will be reversed.





TS: Some Zimbabweans believe Grace Mugabes alleged push to be the next president triggered the coup. Did the former first lady plot to be the next president and what could have motivated her?





JM: The claim that Amai Dr Grace Mugabe plotted to be the next president is a Lacoste fiction that became convenient but stupid propaganda to sanitise the indefensible coup.

The fact of the matter is that the reasons for the coup are in the coup minutes and the allegation that the former first lady plotted to be the next president is not one of those reasons.





TS: In the interviews with BBC and SABC, you claimed you did not hide at Mugabes mansion during the coup. Mugabe in his recent interview said you were rescued by Grace who took your family and that of Saviour Kasukuwere in before they asked you to leave. Considering those conflicting statements, which version of the story about your escape is true?





JM: Well, I dont know what you mean by during the coup. The coup is still on as we speak.

Theres a coup government in Zimbabwe. But no, I did not hide at President Mugabes house in the morning of November 15, 2017 when the coup happened.

My family and I were with Cde Kasukuwere and his family when his house came under heavy gunfire from Chiwengas soldiers.

During that gunfire, I got a call from Amai Dr Grace Mugabe, who knew that my family and I had joined the Kasukuweres earlier in the night and she was checking on us after receiving reports of army shootings at Dr Ignatius Chombos house.

When I answered the call, I told her we were under attack, asked for help to rescue the families, especially the children, who were in indescribable disbelief and shock that Chiwenga had sent soldiers to kill them.





Amai Mugabe could hear the heavy and continuous sound of gunfire as I spoke to her and she too became shocked beyond description before hanging up the call.

Some five or so minutes later, she called again and asked me how many we were in the Kasukuwere house.

I told her that Cde Kasukuwere was with his wife and three children while I was with my wife and four children making a total of 11 of us.





TS: So, how exactly did the 11 of you leave Kasukuweres residence to go to the Blue Roof?

JM: Amai Mugabe called again after 10 or so minutes and by this time the gunfire had gone silent and she advised that two Landcruisers, one for each family, were on their way to take us to the Blue Roof, President Mugabes residence, where we could leave our terrified families.





When the first Landcruiser arrived, Cde Kasukuwere put on his bulletproof vest and went outside the house and was driven to the Blue Roof.

We waited for Cde Kasukuwere to come back to advise us what was going on outside as we did not know then that he had already gone alone to the Blue Roof but when he did not return, after a little, we all started getting out of the house one by one but fearing that the soldiers were still in the vicinity.





Then the second Landcruiser arrived and the 10 of us quickly jumped in and somehow managed to fit to our great surprise and relief.

TS: And when exactly did you leave the Blue Roof, how and where to?

JM: Cde Kasukuwere and I left the Blue Roof after our arrival.

Getting out of there was not much of an issue, but getting out of the country took the intervention of angels.
LOSING candidates in the beckoning Zanu-PF primary elections will automatically assume the role of campaign managers for the winning candidates ahead of the forthcoming harmonised elections this year, the partys Commissariat has said.



This comes as the party has also adopted a new system for primary election campaigns where two or more candidates in one constituency will campaign at the same rally. Addressing party supporters at Davies Hall in Bulawayo yesterday, Zanu-PF National Political Commissar Lieutenant-General (Rtd) Dr Engelbert Rugeje said the era of losing candidates de-campaigning elected candidates was over. Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said losing candidates in primary elections should work with elected candidates to ensure the partys victory in the imminent plebiscite. He impressed on the need for party members to work together for the greater good of the party.



Losing candidates should be campaign managers for the winning candidate. Thats the new position. Those that will come out second best during primary elections should help the winners in their campaign. We dont want to hear that losing candidates are campaigning against those that would have been elected to ensure the party wins resoundingly. We should be united and work together for the good of the party, he said.



Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said party members should desist from slogans that denigrate other party members but should adopt slogans that promote unity and development. He said no party member was allowed to chant the pasi na/ phansi lo slogan to fellow party member or members of opposition parties. Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said instead of denigrating opposition members, Zanu-PF members should show them love and woo them to join the ruling party.



Lets not waste time chanting denigrating slogans. We want unifying slogans, slogans that encourage development. This whole pasi na/phansi lo, when you have differences with another party member is not allowed. We should not say pasi nemhandu to another person even if they are from the opposition. Lets show them love. Everyone in Zimbabwe is a potential Zanu-PF supporter and our work as the Commissariat is to bring those people to the party, he said.



Added Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje, The President says Zimbabwe is open for business, likewise Zanu-PF is open for everyone.



Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje also encouraged party members to remain peaceful ahead of primary elections and during the run up to the harmonised elections.



He said Zanu-PF would not tolerate intra-party violence as the party was out to lead by example in the campaign against political violence.



Violence of whatever kind should be condemned, be it intra-party or inter-party violence. Lets desist from pouring scorn on each other ahead of these primary elections. Lets now unite as a party and show the world that we can work together for the good of the party. Its said charity begins at home, so lets lead by example, said Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje.



On the partys 2018 election manifesto which is expected to be out on Saturday, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said the party was working on coming up with abridged and portable versions of the document. He said the manifesto will also be translated in all the countrys 16 official languages.





Meanwhile, the Zanu-PF Commissariat will this week deploy teams from the party headquarters to all provinces, except Harare, to carry out cell verification exercise as the party prepares for its primary elections ahead of the harmonised elections this year.





In a statement yesterday, Lt-Gen Rugeje said the exercise will start on Tuesday and end on Sunday. Harare Province, Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said, would be covered at date yet to be announced.





He said the exercise was meant to bring order and transparency in the party structures to create ground for free and fair elections. Cde George Nare will lead the team deployed to Bulawayo while Cde Omega Sipani Hungwe will lead the Manicaland team and Cde Apolonia Munzverengwi will lead the team in Midlands. In Matabeleland South Cde Lewis Matutu will be the team leader while Cde Kizito Kuchekwa leads the team in Mashonaland East and Cde Munyaradzi Machacha will lead the team in Masvingo.





Retired Air Vice-Marshal Henry Muchena will lead the team in Matabeleland North, while Cde Sydney Nyanungo will lead the team in Mashonaland West and Cde Etherton Shungu will be team leader in Mashonaland Central. Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje said each constituency was expected to prepare three duplicate cell registers around each specific polling station for the verification exercise. He said the verified registers will be used for primary elections.





Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje also directed provinces to identify six verification points in each constituency to aide smooth running of the exercise. He said provinces were also expected to select six officials in each constituency that will work with the deployed teams.





Please be advised that the same verified register will be used during the forthcoming elections. The verification teams will collect copies of cell registers and submit them to the Commissariat Department at party headquarters, he said.





Lt-Gen (Rtd) Dr Rugeje urged the partys provincial chairpersons and provincial commissars to contact their respective team leaders for further details and clarifications. The Commissariat decided to embark on a cell verification exercise after party members in some provinces complained about aspiring candidates establishing parallel structures and registering their own voters. The partys National Deputy Commissar Cde Omega Hungwe while addressing an inter-district meeting in Njube suburb in Bulawayo also urged party members to participate in the coming elections.





We have elections and we are asking Bulawayo to vote for the President (Mnangagwa), we are grateful for the six MPs that we have in this province but now we want more. Bulawayo needs to vote and get a resounding victory in the elections since we have new leadership, said Cde Hungwe.

She applauded President Mnangagwas Command Agriculture Programme that has seen the countrys food security improving and said he was a man of action and was the right candidate for the Presidential elections. Cde Hungwe, however, said some G40 cabal members need to be forgiven for their participation in the events before Operation Restore Legacy.





Some of these G40 members need to be forgiven honestly, some of them were scared and were doing things outside their will, they deserve a chance, she said. Sunday News
Pfizer Shot for Kids May Not

Be Here Until November
Princess Charlotte will make history once her new sibling arrives by becoming the first female royal to retain her position in line to the throne... even if she has a brother





By Dianne Apen-sadler For Mailonline 8 April 2018

For most older siblings, the arrival of a new little boy or girl in the family is a moment of sadness as it means they'll no longer be the centre of attention.But Princess Charlotte certainly won't mind when the next royal sibling comes along later this month as it means she'll be making history.Thanks to the Succession to the Crown Act of 2013, the two-year-old will be the first female royal to retain her position in the succession of the throne, regardless of her new sibling's gender.Prior to the act a younger brother would overtake a female sibling in the line of succession.The act says: 'Succession to the Crown not to depend on gender: In determining the succession to the Crown, the gender of a person born after 28 October 2011 does not give that person, or that persons descendants, precedence over any other person (whenever born).'The same act also meant that members of the Royal Family who marry a Catholic will no longer be disqualified.Last month Clarence House fuelled speculation that the Duchess of Cornwall could yet be made Queen after deleting all references saying she will be styled as 'Princess Consort' when Prince Charles becomes King from his official website.The heir to the thrones office has quietly taken down a statement, made before the couple got married in 2005, in which they said it is 'intended The Duchess will be known as HRH The Princess Consort when The Prince of Wales accedes to the throne.'It was also removed from her personal biography.Clarence House officials insisted that the statement had been removed some time ago from their Frequently Asked Questions segment because the public was no longer interested in the issue.A spokesman said: 'This is one question that Clarence House has not been asked by the public for some time, which is why it no longer features.'
(Newser)  Bonnie and Clyde, eat your heart out. Matthew Dale Bush, 38, was perpetrating a crash-and-drag ATM heist spree across Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware last year when he married Crystal French, 34, and the two committed more robberies together until a bank robbery did them in, federal authorities said Thursday. Bush allegedly started alone by stealing cars and smashing into convenience stores, where he tied or chained ATMs to a truck and dragged them away, the Baltimore Sun reports. Crystal apparently joined him in two Maryland ATM thefts on October 8 and married him a week later. But on the night before they said "I do" Bush is accused of running over Maryland State Police "stop sticks" and fleeing into Delaware on deflated tires as he texted his bride-to-be, "Baby I got three of them on my ass."

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Things got tricky when police detained Crystal and she admitted to partaking in some of the ATM heists, authorities say. Police also apparently found a Dodge van with a few damaged ATMs inside. "Just act like you have no idea whats going on," Bush texted her. "I love you princess." She responded, "I love you too husband. I don't know nothing about nothing." She told him to change his Facebook cover pictures to their wedding shots, which he did, and when Crystal was released she allegedly helped him commit more crimes in Pennsylvania. Finally they were arrested trying to flee a bank robbery on Oct. 23 in Baltimore City. Authorities say they spent money from their crimes on "heroin and other illegal narcotics." They face multiple charges and face up to 20 yearsor more for Bush for alleged firearms offenses, the Miami Herald reports. (The alleged perpetrator of an Austin bombing spree was done in by his pink gloves.)
(Newser)  Want to know where Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley stands in the culture war? Just read the sign outside his office, WSB-TV reports. "Our citizens have concealed weapons. If you kill someone, we might kill you back. We have ONE jail and 356 cemeteries. Enjoy your stay!" Jolley insists it's all "tongue-in-cheek" and he wants out-of-towners to say "wow," but his other quotes suggest a serious ideological bent behind his "Welcome to Harris County, Georgia" signs. "Georgia is very much a Second Amendment state, and Harris County is a strong Second Amendment county," he tells the Washington Post.

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That might explain a sign he posted three years ago reading, "WARNING: Harris County is politically incorrect. We say: Merry Christmas, God Bless America and In God We Trust. We salute our troops and our flag. If this offends you LEAVE!" Meanwhile some Facebook users accuse Jolley of taking things too far, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution notes that Georgia gun deaths have been steadily rising for over 10 years and reached the fourth-highest nationwide in 2016 at 1,571 fatalities. In fact, Georgia residents are twice as likely to be shot as people in New York. But Jolley seems to embrace the controversy. "I've been in office a long time," he says. "So I like to stir the pot." (Read more Georgia stories.)
(Newser)  Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said Sunday that a poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the capital has killed at least 40 people, reports the AP. The alleged attack in Douma occurred late Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group. First responders said they found families suffocated in homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths. The Syrian Civil Defense were able to document 42 fatalities but were impeded by strong odors that gave rescuers difficulties breathing, said a rep for the group, known as the White Helmets. A statement by the White Helmets and the Syrian American Medical Society, a relief group, said more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning of the eyes. It said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell. Some had blue skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

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The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 were killed, including around 40 from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside. "Until this minute, no one has been able to find out the kind of agent that was used," said the White Helmets' rep. He said the government was also targeting homes, clinics, and first responder facilities with conventional explosives and barrel bombs. Videos posted online by the White Helmets showed victims, including toddlers in diapers, breathing through oxygen masks at makeshift hospitals. The Syrian government said the claims were "fabrications. ... The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents," it said. Says a State Department rep, per CNN: "Russia's protection of the Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis."

(Read more Syria stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump responded to news of a Syrian chemical-weapons attack near Damascus with his own weapon of choice: the tweet. "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," he tweeted Sunday, per CNN. "Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price..." and he went on, "....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!" He also blamed President Obama for troubles in Syria, tweeting that "Animal Assad would have been history" if Obama had stuck to "his stated Red Line in the Sand."

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Meanwhile Syrian rebels have surrendered their last positions in Douma, a town in the eastern suburbs of Damascus that was hit with the alleged gas attack, the AP reports. The Army of Islam had been in talks with Russia, a Syrian ally, to let government institutions back into Douma until negotiations fell apart Friday, leading to widespread bombing and shelling of the area and the apparent gas attack. In Washington, Sen. Lindsey Graham called this a "defining moment" for Trump on ABC's This Week, reports CBS News. "If it becomes a tweet without meaning then [Trump has] hurt himself in North Korea, if he doesn't follow through and live up to that tweet, he's going to look weak in the eyes of and Russia and Iran," said Graham, who advised Trump to "show a resolve that Obama never did to get this right." (Read more Syria stories.)
(Newser)  A former Russian spy and his daughter who were poisoned by a nerve agent are not only feeling better, they may move to America. A top Whitehall official tells the Sunday Times that Sergei and Yulia Skripal could be "offered new identities" and relocated to the Westif not the US, then another country in the "five eyes" intelligence-sharing agreement that also includes New Zealand, Australia, and Canada. "The obvious place to resettle them is America because theyre less likely to be killed there and its easier to protect them there under a new identity," the source says, per Reuters. The source adds that MI6 intelligence has been talking to the CIA about resettling the Skripals. The British Foreign Office is yet to say anything about the report. (Read more Russia stories.)
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(Newser)  An Arizona mother has been arrested after authorities allege her nearly 2-year-old daughter ate mac and cheese that was prepared with THC butter. According to police, 25-year-old Alaina Limpert was taken into custody Wednesday after someone in her home alerted authorities that the girl had eaten the marijuana-laced food. Per KTVK, cops say Limpert did not take her daughter in for medical treatment when she realized what had happened. Instead, the police report says Limpert "laughed about the side effects the child experienced during that time and then proceeded to place her into their backyard pool to use the cold water to 'shock' her."

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Two days later, a call to the Department of Child Safety led to all three children being taken away from Limpert and her husband's home. Healthcare officials would reportedly later confirm the girl had THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, in her system. Police say Limpert admitted she made the mac and cheese for her husband, but that he did not know her daughter had ingested it. Per the police report, cops found marijuana grow tents in the home's garage as well as mushrooms, hash oil, and drug paraphernalia. Limpert was arrested on charges of child abuse, marijuana possession and cultivation, and other charges. She is due in court April 19. (Read more marijuana stories.)
(Newser)  President Trump's administration on Sunday appeared to back away somewhat from threats of tariffs on China as global fears of an escalating trade dispute continued to rattle world markets. Per the Wall Street Journal, officials noted that penalties are not imminent and that China would ultimately choose cooperation rather than be forced into it. President Trump personally addressed the issue on Twitter Sunday. "President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade," Trump wrote. "China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!" As the AP notes, Trump did not explain why, amid a week of economic saber-rattling between the two countries that shook global markets, he felt confident a deal could be made.

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Larry Kudlow, director of the National Economic Council, told Fox News Sunday the threats are part of a negotiating tactic. "It's a long process," Kudlow said. "So far, no tariffs and no action have been enacted." The Trump administration has said it is taking action as a crackdown on China's theft of US intellectual property. The US bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year; the US sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind. China has pledged to "counterattack with great strength" if Trump decides to follow through on his latest threat to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goodsafter an earlier announcement that targeted $50 billion. (Read more Donald Trump stories.)
(Newser)  Thousands in the UK are railing against an announcement that a major bridge will be named after the likely future king. The Telegraph reports that some 25,000 have signed an online petition demanding that a bridge that connects England and Wales not be renamed for Prince Charles. Per the paper, people even took to the streets to demand the bridge instead be named after "someone who has achieved something for our nation." The AP reports the opposition is comprised both of Welsh nationalists and anti-monarchists who demonstrated in Cardiff and elsewhere against what many called a "unilateral decision" by the government that came with no warning.

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The government announced Thursday that the Second Severn Crossing is to be rebranded the Prince of Wales Bridge. Welsh Secretary Alun Cairns said the change was a fitting tribute to the heir to the throne for his "decades of continued, dedicated service to our nation." But the news annoyed some in Wales, who said they weren't consulted. Leanne Wood, leader of the Welsh nationalist party Plaid Cymru, tweeted: "Is this a late April fool joke?" Graham Smith of anti-monarchy group Republic accused the government of making "a unilateral decision that will irritate people in England and Wales for years to come."

(Read more Prince Charles stories.)
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New Delhi:

Punjab National Bank (PNB) Managing Director Sunil Mehta on Sunday said that the scam-hit bank will be out of the problem and pain caused by Nirav Modi fraud case in six months.

So worst is behind us. Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in the recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next 6 months, he said.

Earlier in February, PNB Bank detected fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 13,000 crore allegedly made by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta told PTI in an interview.

He said that the PNB banks business grew better than other public-sector banks in the industry despite going through the trying times.

PNB banks credit witnessed a growth rate of about 10 per cent, in line with the guidance that was shared with investors, he said.

Also Read | SBI, PNB put 15 NPAs worth Rs 1,063 crore for sale

Emphasising the long legacy and strength of the bank, Mehta said, it is a 123-year old institution which was founded during Swadeshi movement by Lala Lajpat Rai. This institution has 7,000 branches spread through length and breadth of the country with business of more than Rs 10 lakh crore in the domestic market. So fraud of this nature could not shake the confidence of our customers during this period.

It is now clear that it was a standalone incident in one of our 7,000 branches because of connivance with some of the staff of the branch. We have learned lessons from it. Whenever a problem comes, it gives an opportunity to strengthen our existing systems and processes. We have improved every system and process with more emphasis on offline monitoring, he said.

He also revealed that the PNB bank was mulling reform in its credit process by dividing it into four verticalssourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery.

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Sunday said that the Bharat Bandh, called by the Dalit groups on April 2, has scared Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

''Bharat Bandh protest was largely successful. This has left the BJP scared and authorities in the BJP ruled states have started atrocities towards dalits. Many dalits and members of their families are being arrested,'' said Mayawati.

The Bharath Bandh on April 2, had led to loss of atleast 11 lives. The central government filed a review petition in the Supreme Court.

Mayawatis remarks came after four BJP Dalit MPs  Chhote Lal Kharwar, Yashwant Singh, Udit Raj and Ashok Kumar Dohre, flagged the discontent among the community both in the party as well as in the country.

I believe the proud Dalit communities will not forgive the selfish BJP Dalit MPs, lashed out BSP chief Mayawati.

According to media reports, the Dalits who participated in the protests against the SC/ST Act were being tortured and false case were being filed against them in numerous states. Over 100 people people were arrested for encouraging the protests in Uttar Pradeshs Hapur district.

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New Delhi:

Actor-turned-politician Rajinikanth along with his contemporary Kamal Haasan and other fellow Tamil stars on Sunday gathered in Chennai to protest against the delay in setting up Cauvery Management Board.

Joining the protest called by Tamil actors, Rajinikanth said that holding Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in Chennai at a time when the state was facing Cauvery water crisis was an embarrassment.

It will be nice if IPL is not played this time in Chennai understanding the plight of the farmers due to severe shortage of water, the superstar said.

Rajini also asked the players of IPLs Chennai franchise and his followers to wear black bands when the team plays.

The apex court, in its February 16 verdict had increased Karnataka's water share and reduced Tamil Nadu's per year share to 177.25 TMC.

The top court had given six weeks time to the Centre to formulate a scheme to ensure compliance of its judgment, which modified the Cauvery Water Dispute Tribunal award.

Also Read | Cauvery Row: Tamil Nadu government acting subservient to Centre, says Kamal Haasan

While Kamal Haasan had been raising his voice against Centre for the delay in constituting the Cauvery Management Board, Rajinikanth spoke for the first time on the issue.

Earlier on Wednesday, Makkal Needhi Maiam chief Kamal Haasan accused the Tamil Nadu government of acting like a subservient government to the Centre rather than upholding the states rights.

He said that the ruling AIADMK cannot hallucinate that it has fulfilled its duty towards the people who elected them by just filing a contempt petition after the deadline or by holding a farcical one-day hunger strike.

Apart from Rajini and Haasan, top Tamil actors, including Dhanush, Vishal, Surya and music composer Ilayaraja were also present during the protest.

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New Delhi:

The Chinese military had termed Indias patrolling up the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh as transgression, to which the Indian Army had denied any claims and said that it will continue to traverse.

The Indian Army, meanwhile, objected to the terminology used by the Chinese military to describe its patrolling in Arunachal Pradeshs Asaphila.

The issue of the patrolling was raised at a Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) which was conducted on March 15 in Kibithu, during which the Indian Army claimed that the upper region of Subansiri region in Arunachal Pradesh belonged to India and the Army had been carrying regular patrols there.

China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising, said a source, adding that the Chinese military had intruded several times in the area, and that the Indian side had taken it seriously in the past.

Under the BPM guidelines, both the sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions because of varying perceptions about the border between both the countries.

The delegation of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army mentioned excessive patrolling by the Indian troops in the Asaphila area, and said that such violations may rise tension between both the countries.

However, India denied all such claims and said that they are aware of the alignment of the LAC, adding that the Army will continue to patrol there.

Also Read: Annual exercise between Indian, Chinese armies to resume, says Army Chief Bipin Rawat

The sources added that the Chinese military specially mentioned large-scale patrolling on December 21, 22, and 23 last.

The BPMs are held by both Indian and Chinese troops to resolve high issues which can trigger tensions along the border side. There are, in total, five BPMs along the LAC at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chusul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

At the March 15 BPM, the Chinese Army also accused the Indian Army of damaging its road building equipment. However, India rejected this allegation, too.

A road construction team had crossed into the Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the LAC in the Tuting area in the last week of December. This, however, increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible situations along the LAC following the Doklam standoff, reported the PTI.

Also Read: Indian Army top general says two-front war is not a 'smart idea', bats for strengthening ties with China

A senior Army official said, We are fully prepared to deal with any situation.

Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-days standoff in Doklam from June 16, 2017 to August 28, 2017, after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said that it was time for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to China, prioritising the seriousness of the situation.

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New Delhi:

Sheena Bora murder accused Indrani Mukerjea, who was admitted to South Mumbai's JJ Hospital in a drowsy state in late night on Friday, underwent a series of medical tests including CT scan, ultrasound and MRI.

The scans showed small vessel changes due to her age and blood pressure related issues while a serum acetylcholinesterase blood test pointed towards poisoning or drug overdose.

"Indrani was brought here in disoriented condition. Tests have been done. Preliminary tests point towards poisoning or drug overdose. We're waiting for reports," ANI quoted SD Nanandkar, Dean of JJ Hospital.

According to reports, Indrani was rushed to the emergency ward of the JJ hospital post 11:30 pm on Friday and was later shifted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) owing to her serious condition. Though her vitals were normal, she was in an altered level of consciousness.

Indrani was brought here in disoriented condition. Tests have been done. Preliminary tests point towards poisoning/drug overdose. We're waiting for reports: SD Nanandkar, Dean of JJ Hospital where Indrani Mukerjea, accused in Sheena Bora murder case, was admitted last night. a ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2018

Though Indrani's condition is currently stable, doctors have kept her under observation.

"Her blood pressure, pulse rate, circulatory rates and respiratory rates are normal. There has been an improvement in her health. Earlier, she was not responding to verbal comments but now have started responding to the verbal communication," Medical superintendent Dr Sanjay Surase said.

At the Byculla jail too, Indrani was under treatment for her high blood pressure, diabetes and depression.

Indrani Mukerjea, accused in Sheena Bora murder case, admitted to JJ Hospital in #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/gs1CjOA0yT a ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2018

Mukerjea, who allegedly abducted and murdered her daughter Sheena Bora on April 24, 2012, was arrested in August 2015. She is currently on trial in Arthur Road Jail. Her husband Peter Mukerjea, ex-husband Sanjeev Khanna and former driver Shyamvar Rai were also part of the conspiracy.

The next hearing in the Sheena Bora murder case is scheduled for Wednesday, April 11, 2018.

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New Delhi:

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai on Sunday issued non bailable warrant (NBA) against jewellers Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi in Punjab National Bank scam case.

Both Modi and Choksi are accused of making fraudulent transactions worth over Rs 13,000 crore through fake letters of undertaking (LoUs) issued on behalf of PNB bank. Earlier on April 5, India had submitted a request to Hong Kong government for provisional arrest of Nirav Modi.

The government claimed that he was residing in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Punjab National Bank MD Sunil Mehta has said that the bank will be out of the problem and pain caused by Nirav Modi fraud case in six months. So worst is behind us.

Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in the recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next 6 months, he said.

He also revealed that the PNB bank was mulling reform in its credit process by dividing it into four verticalssourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery.

The public-sector lenders State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have put their 15 non-performing assets worth Rs 1,063 crore for sale.

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New Delhi:

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs on Sunday protested outside Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in Delhi demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

All the 19 parliamentarians were detained and taken to the Tughlak Road police station. Delhi Police said, the MPs were allowed to leave but not to march towards the PM house.

"The prime minister is the person to take decisions on SCS. He has to fulfill his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him," said one of the MPs Jaydev Galla.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who recently met TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, visited the protesters before they were detained.

Also Read | BJP insensitive towards demands, pointless to continue: TDP chief Naidu tells Amit Shah

Reacting to their detention, Kejriwal said, "TDP MPs taken to Tughlak Road Police Stn (station) for demanding Spl (special) status for AP. I went and met them at police stn (station) in solidarity. We condemn their detention and fully support demand for spl (special) status of AP."

Led by Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP withdrew its ministers in the union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP had issued no-confidence motion notices against the government.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress party MPs continued their hunger strike for the third day in a row demanding the Centre to grant a special status to Andhra Pradesh.

(With inputs from agencies)

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New Delhi:

Pakistan is mulling to permanently ban several terrorist organisations and individuals, including 2008 Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeeds Jamaatud Dawa.

Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to replace the presidential ordinance that banned Jamaatud Dawa and other terror organisations and individuals, according to a report published in Pakistani daily the Dawn.

The proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 is likely to be tabled on April 9, the report stated.

The bill is seen as a damage control move by Pakistan after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a proposal to put the country on the international watchdogs money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

The Pakistani government is also taking military establishment in confidence before moving the bill in its National Assembly.

Earlier in February, days before FATF plenary meeting in Paris, Pakistan President Mamnoon Hussain had secretly promulgated an ordinance seeking to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) to ban the United Nations proscribed terrorist groups.

Also Read | Stop harassing Hafiz Saeed, let him perform social welfare activities: Pakistan court to government

The ordinance amended ATAs Section 11-B that sets out parameters for prescription of groups and Section 11-EE that describes the grounds for the listing of individuals.

Pakistan is also preparing a strong database of terrorists and terrorist organisations operating from the countrys soil. The data will be provided to the financial institutions of the country to check the money laundering and terror financing.

Pakistan was given a three-month time by FATF to take substantial actions against money laundering and terror financing.

FATF maintains a grey and blacklist that identifies countries supporting money laundering and terror financing. Pakistan had been on the grey list of FATF for three years from 2012 to 2015.

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New Delhi:

At least 70 people were reported to be dead and many severely injured in an apparent chemical gas attack on a surrounded enclave in Douma, one of the last rebel-held town and a city near Damascus in Syria, news agencies reported.

The incident took place on Saturday when the government forces were trying to recapture the last rebel-held town in Syrias eastern Ghouta, rescuers from the Syrian-American Medical Society (SAMS) said.

Raed al-Saleh, the head of White Helmets, said, Seventy people suffocated to death and hundreds are still suffocating.

The SAMS, in a joint statement with Civil Defense, said, More than 500 people were brought to local medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent. The patients showed signs of respiratory distress, many were foaming at the mouth and also emitted a chlorine-like odor.

The Civil Defense reported that they found the entire families suffocated in their homes and neighbouring shelters. However, they added that it was not possible to confirm the claims independently.

A round of multiple reports from rescue workers and the Syria State Development said, The initial target of the attack was a hospital. The chemicals then spread to surrounding residential areas. It was unclear, however, what type of chemicals may have been used, the State Department adding that it was monitoring the reports.

Heather Nauert, the State Department spokesperson, signalled at the Syrian government and Russia, and said that they "must be held accountable" and urging an "immediate response by the international community.

Also Read| IS kills 19 regime fighters in east Syria: monitor

A United Nations representative said that Secretary General Antonio Guterres was particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma. However, he added that the UN was not in a position to verify these reports.

"We tried to send people to the area to rescue the injured, but even the rescue workers began suffocating," said Mohamed Samer, a medical worker.

World leaders like Pope Francis, US President Donald Trump, and others condemned the chemical attack. Trump took to Twitter and blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin, Russia, and Iran for carrying out the attack on the eastern Ghouta city.

Trump wrote, Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price... ....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Trump also attacked former US President Barack Obama and wrote, If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Since Friday, the Syrian government had been striking on Douma, killing civilians and destroying the citizens infrastructure, said the UN. In response, the Jaish al-Islam launched a row of rockets into the Damascus area, killing or maiming residents.

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A man with a disability was forced to live in a wooden cage on the premises of his house in Sanda, Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, for a long time, possibly more than 20 years, it was learned Saturday.

No notable health damage on the 42-year-old man has been confirmed, but the city government has taken him into protective custody at a welfare facility, suspecting that he may have been abused.

The Hyogo prefectural police department received a report about the man from the government in February.

The father of the man, Yoshitane Yamasaki, was arrested on Saturday on confinement charges. He admitted the charges, citing violent behavior of his son, investigative sources said.

The father, 73, allegedly confined his eldest son into a wooden cage about 1.8 meters wide, about 90 centimeters deep and some one meter high between around 10 a.m. on Jan. 18 and around 10 p.m. on Jan. 19.

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SAN DIEGO, April 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RehabsThatAllowPets.com is a drug and alcohol addiction and treatment website that provides information about pet friendly drug rehab.



There are times when individuals do not want their addictions or their recovery to be a public affair. Public rehab centers have a fairly open door policy and it would be easy to find out patients names. Recovery from addiction can be challenging enough without having to worry about who knows who are there, and why.

Private drug rehabs are normally a lot smaller than regular rehabilitation centers. That means there is more staff to guest ratio and more care for the individual fighting the addiction. There are also a wider variety of aids to help people overcome their addictions. This, along with the one on one care provides the opportunity to get more from the program. Private rehabs are not cattle chutes but small, caring places for healing.

Private drug rehabilitation centers are found on the outskirts of town, normally in a very scenic and relaxing location. They sometimes have a spa-like atmosphere. Many of these centers are beautiful and luxurious places. This enhances the ability to relax and reflect.

More programs are offered at private rehab. Most of them also offer pet friendly rehab centers. Study shows that animal assisted therapies can also be beneficial for a drug addicts treatment and rehabilitation. They go above and beyond the private centers by offering nutritional programs and fitness opportunities. They are very health oriented above and beyond giving up an addiction. Guests have a chance to learn how nutrition affects them and how different vitamins and minerals affect their minds and bodies.

There are also more advanced therapies available since they are private facilities. Motivational enhancement therapy and massage therapy are two that could be found in a private rehab center. By and large, the staff is more highly educated, many having to have achieved masters degrees. The function of the private rehab is to take care to a whole new level. The care is more intense, yet relaxing. It is more thorough than standard rehab programs.

Deciding to go to a private rehab is a personal decision but there are a lot of things to be said for the level of care available at one of these treatment centers. It is worth a phone call to find out everything that is available as well as learn about the many programs available to guests. Private rehabs are inpatient settings and stays are normally 45 days, give or take. Some people are there longer, some not as long.

Contact Info:

Author: Kevin Leonard

Organization: rehabsthatallowpets.com

Address: 27420 Jefferson Ave, Temecula, CA 92590

Phone: 888-325-2454

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/2da40a57-2837-410f-8934-da9845887658
Bernie Ecclestone is making a low-profile visit to the Bahrain grand prix.

Ousted by Liberty Media just over a year ago, the former F1 supremo is attending the race as a guest of his friend, Bahrains King Hamad.

87-year-old Ecclestones visit coincides with a tense time in the F1 paddock, with Liberty having unveiled to the teams its controversial vision of the 2021 regulations.

And notably, Ecclestone in Bahrain wore his familiar white shirt with the former F1 logo displayed on the collar. Prior to this season, Liberty changed the sports logo, much to the chagrin of many fans.

Ecclestone said in Bahrain: "I dont mind change, but only the things that do not work.

"If you start changing just for the sake of changing, thats a waste of time," added the Briton.
An emergency meeting in Bahrain to improve the overtaking situation in formula one broke on Saturday without a solution being agreed.

Technical directors got together at the Sakhir circuit to discuss measures to make it easier for one car to pass another, following the unexciting Australian grand prix.

"They were unable to agree to any new rules" for 2019, Germanys Auto Motor und Sport reports.

There were moves to make alterations to the front and rear wings, including a wider DRS slot that would have increased the speed boost from 20 to 25kph.

"Another suggestion was to allow DRS everywhere on the track," the report added.

But it emerges that every team except struggling Williams voted against making any short-term changes.

Auto Motor und Sport said: "There is still a small chance that teams will find solutions in the strategy group."
They've walked out. They've marched.

And, on Saturday, students from across the state and country asked elected officials what they're doing to reduce gun violence and increase school safety.

At about 240 meetings nationwide -- and at least two in New Jersey -- student-led groups held "Town Halls for Our Lives" to address the issue of gun control following the mass shooting in Florida.

"We are not stopping our movement until we see common-sense gun legislation and know that we are safe," said Laurence Fine, 14, of Ridgewood, a member of Students Demand Action Bergen County. The organization has members from 20 high schools representing 28 towns in the county.

At the Unitarian Society of Ridgewood, Students Demand Action Bergen County hosted a town meeting that drew U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell and U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez to share their efforts on this front.

"This isn't a crusade to take weapons away from people," Pascrell, D-9th Dist., told the crowd. "But, damn it, if you're on a watch list and can't get on a plane but you can buy a gun -- there's something wrong."

He commended the students on becoming activists. "You've said enough is enough," Pascrell said. "You've said to adults, get out of our way."

"By keeping the pressure on ... you are having a profound impact on our national dialogue," the congressman said.

Menendez, D-N.J., said he has been for 26 years an advocate of reasonable safety measures for guns but that he has sometimes lost faith in making a change.

"I have voted time and time again to make those laws a reality, unsuccessfully," he said. "But I think there is a different moment now. And that moment is driven by all of you. And it makes a difference."

Menedez told the students he recognizes how the Parkland tragedy at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School has shifted the thoughts of American high school students from proms and SATs to activism.

"Young people like you across New Jersey and the nation have stood with the students of Stoneman Douglas High School to say, never again," the senator said. And I'm here to say to you, I hear you loud and clear."

The roughly 200 people who attended the event wore orange ribbons that were handed out by student activists. They clapped loudly during the comments, but yielded to students asking questions during the question and answer portion of the event.

Students asked the lawmakers about what role mental health plays in mass shootings and should more funding be directed to mental health. They asked about making background checks more effective. They asked if the movement to quell mass shootings is hindered by being called "gun control" and what approach can they take to get more effective change.

Jena Cheikhali and Frank Velez, both of Belleville, asked about the failures of government agencies to stop shooters about whom red flags had been raised.

"Now is the time to talk. Now is the time to say we need to fill in these cracks," Cheikhali said, after the meeting.

Sarah Brandon, of Westwood, said one of her friends is a Parkland shooting survivor. "What will you do to take on the NRA and get reform passed?" she asked.

Menendez said the number of Americans far outweigh the number of NRA members -- 320 million versus 6 million. Make it a top issue among candidates for office, he said.

"Actively engage in a process in which you challenge individuals to ultimately speak up on these issues and then hold them accountable once they're elected," he said.

Allison Pries may be reached at apries@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @AllisonPries. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- Jersey City residents marched for peace and justice today to commemorate the 50th the anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. who was killed on April 4, 1968 in Memphis.

"We are enough people to do what we want to do," the Rev. Herbert Daughtry told the 20 or so marchers inside The House of the Lord Church on MLK Drive before leading them in the march at about 2 p.m. He said they marched for "Social justice and justice in the workplace."

Among the marchers was Gale Albright, whose son, William E. Albright, was killed with a bullet to the head in Jersey City in 2013.

Albright said she was marching today because "I want the guns off the streets. Every day another kid has a gun. They are so easy to get. It's like buying candy. Anyone who wants a gun gets it."

William Albright was in a wheelchair when he was fatally shot. He could not walk because of spinal damage caused by a previous shooting.

As participants walked the streets of Greenville, they chanted, "No justice, no peace," "Stop the violence," and "Guns off the streets."

Daughtry, a long-time civil rights activist who marched with King, quoted King when asked why today's march was being held. He said "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools."

"I hope, as always, that the people who are involved have a sense of being able to do something," Daughtry said. "I hope the authorities and the powers that be will hear us and put more effort into stopping the violence, and that there will be fairness and respect in the Jersey City Board of Education workplace."

A press release on the march says, "Jersey City Board of Education workers, especially workers in the maintenance department, are being subjected to racial slurs, hostility in the workplace and unfair promotional practices."

A spokeswoman for Jersey City could not immediately be reached to comment on the allegations.

Jersey City Board of Education custodial worker Sheryl Mays said before the march that "It looks like we are moving backwards and we have to keep moving forward."

The procession left the church at MLK and Forrest Street and headed south on MLK before making a left and proceeding to Ocean Avenue. Marcher then headed north on Ocean before making a left and heading back to MLK and the church.

Along the way, marchers paused for prayer at locations where there have been killings.
A couple thousand cat lovers visited the Catsbury Park Cat Convention Saturday at the Convention Hall & Paramount Theatre and took part in special meet and greets at the nearby Asbury Hotel.

The event, which continues Sunday, features celebrity guest cats, speakers, vendors, presentations, seminars about caring for cats and fun activities like Cat Bingo, Cat Trivia and even a Cat Art Show.

For an additional fee, attendees can meet one of the celebrity cats, like Lil' Bub, with the proceeds being donated to cat shelters and rescues. Also, in the morning people can pay for a cat yoga class with participants holding different poses while cats who are looking for adoption roam around them, with proceeds also being donated.

The convention is being run by Catsbury Park, New Jersey's first cat cafe and adoption center, which is located in Asbury Park.

D.J. Bornschein, the owner and founder of the cafe, is a cat lover and wanted to give something back to the friends of the feline community. As a native of Asbury Park, the convention's proceeds are being given to a number of charities, including The Brodie Fund, Jersey Shore Animal Foundation, Camden County Animal Shelter, Catsbury Park, Paul The Cat Guy and Asbury Boardwalk Rescue.

More information can be found at catsburyconvention.com.

Aristide Economopoulos can be reached at aeconomopoulos@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @AristideNJAM and Instagram at @aeconomopoulos. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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Fire officials say a man has been killed in a raging apartment fire at Trump Tower in New York City.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro says a 50th-floor apartment at the midtown tower was "virtually entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived after 5:30 p.m. Saturday.

Fire officials say a man who was in the apartment was taken to a hospital and later died. Four firefighters suffered minor injuries.

President Donald Trump tweeted earlier that the fire was "Very confined (well built building)."

Trump's business is based at Trump Tower and his residence is there, but he has spent little time in New York since taking office.

Nigro says no member of the Trump family was at the building on Saturday.

He says about 200 firefighters battled the blaze.

Video from the scene shows the moment fire broke out on the 50th floor of Trump Tower; at least one person seriously injured, FDNY says. https://t.co/sYR3Dw4wZ1 pic.twitter.com/khMYXDJcql  ABC News (@ABC) April 7, 2018

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018
Autopsy No. A68-252 identified a 39-year-old "Negro" male 69.5 inches tall and weighing just 140 pounds.

The report stated, "Death is attributed to one gunshot wound to the chin and neck with a total transection of the lower cervical and upper thoracic spinal cord and other structures in the neck. The severing of the spinal cord at this level and to this extent was a wound that was fatal very shortly after its occurrence."

The rifle used to kill this man was a .30-06-caliber Remington Gamemaster bolt action, a deadly weapon in the right hands. On the day of this man's murder, the finger on the trigger was that of James Earl Ray. The 1960s, the decade in which the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed, was one of the most violent in our nation's history -- and I never believed that Ray acted alone.

Deadly political actions and beliefs of many Americans seem to be rooted in the very fabric of the nation. One of the most sensible proverbs ever written states that those who live by the sword, so shall they perish. All of us living today in these United States are witness to this truth.

Collectively, we have killed Native Americans for their land; burned and drowned those in Salem thought to be witches and warlocks; enslaved and lynched black people because of their skin color and Jews due to their religious beliefs. White men and women were killed by other white men because they choose to assist blacks during the civil rights movement. Our college campuses have run red with the blood of children who were shot to death because they spoke out against the Vietnam War.

History will record us as one of the most violent societies that ever existed, and whose love of gun culture blinded us to our own self-destruction. But, recently an unexpected ugliness has risen from the bowels of the nation.

We have underestimated, undervalued and marginalized our very own children. Now, we have reached a level of madness and political inaction when our own flesh and blood -- young people who will guide the nation long after many older adults are here no more -- refuse to be silent. They are tired of seeing brothers, sisters and classmates shot down like hogs in a pen. They are direct witnesses to the consequences of cheap, easily available assault-style weapons in the hands of those harboring personal demons or agendas. They watched in stunned silence as adults with the authority and means to protect them in school, instead chose to defend the Second Amendment.

Our children have waited patiently for responsible adults to take steps to make schools safe. Instead, many of those adults have chosen to look the other way and foolishly debate the overall right of citizens to bear arms, which is not really the issue. When the Constitution was being debated, the newly independent colonies were preparing for King George to reclaim his land by force, and they wanted to protect themselves and eat well. They never imagined anything similar to the high-capacity, semi-automatic weapons available today.

After students in Florida finally ignited a national movement to protect themselves and actually survive their high school years without being shot to pieces, several adults, including Rick Santorum, the former presidential candidate and Pennsylvania U.S. senator, initiated political and personal attacks on the students.

Santorum, now a CNN commentator, stated on the network, " How about kids, instead of looking to someone else to solve their problem, do something about it maybe taking CPR classes or trying to deal with situations that when there is a violent shooter that you can actually respond to that.

Now, I will confess that I have said some really stupid things in my life, mostly as a teenager and young adult. As I matured, I learned to think before I spoke, mostly due to family members around me willing to teach me the value of just shutting up.

Santorum later claimed that he misspoke, but what he said was flat-out stupid. Apparently, no one ever taught him when to speak and when to just shut up for his own good. We as adults should solve the national problem of our children being shot to pieces while at school. Once again, I turn my attention to the voters who previously elected Santorum to the U.S. Senate: What in the world were you thinking?

If men like Santorum continue to ascend to leadership positions in society, should we be disappointed in his ignorance, or that of the voters who provided him the opportunity? The answer is obvious.

Milton W. Hinton Jr. is director of equal opportunity for the Gloucester County government. He is past president of the Gloucester County Branch NAACP. His column states his personal views, not those of any organization or agency. Email: mwhjr678@gmail.com.

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Believe it or not, all New Jersey currently requires of parents to get an exemption from vaccinations is a letter that mentions the word "religion" or "religious."



The state can't ask whether you really do, in fact, attend Our Lady of Perpetual Pseudoscience or the Church of Latter-Day Dudes, or what tenet actually prohibits this.



Your refusal to help protect your child and everyone else's against dangerous diseases like measles, mumps and polio is entirely your business. Praise be.

'You are going to hell!' crowd erupts after vote to make it harder to skip vaccines



But now Assemblyman Herb Conaway, an actual doctor, is seeking to narrow the state's religious exemption to require parents to submit a notarized statement explaining how letting their child be vaccinated would violate a religious tenet or practice.



In reality, almost no religions oppose vaccines. Even Jehovah's Witnesses, who refuse blood transfusions, no longer have any official position against this. Christian Scientists may be one of the only exceptions.



The problem this bill seeks to address is parents who claim to have a religious objection, but really just ascribe to one of the half-baked, anti-vaxxer conspiracy theories circulating in the Twittersphere.



The crazy was on full display Thursday, when moments after this bill was approved by an Assembly committee, dozens of protestors leapt to their feet shouting things like, "You are going to hell!"



Rest assured: If our lawmakers end up there, this won't be the reason. Allowing parents to opt out of vaccines based on virtually any rationale poses a serious health risk.



When unvaccinated kids are clustered together - say, at the $20,000-a-year Waldorf School of Princeton, which in a recent year had the most "religious" exemptions - they can spark outbreaks, like the measles that started at Disneyland in 2015 and spread to half a dozen states.



Our only quibble with this bill is that it doesn't go far enough. We should follow California, which since that measles outbreak has not allowed any nonmedical exemptions, period. Its vaccination rate has vastly improved.



What surprised us most on Thursday was the reason Democratic Assemblyman Tim Eustace, a chiropractor, gave for being among the handful to vote against Conaway's bill. His adopted children were born HIV positive, he said, so he had medical reasons to forgo some vaccines.



"I had the luxury of making that decision for my children," he declared.



Yes. But when vulnerable children like his can't be vaccinated, it's the vaccinations given to everyone else's kids that protect them. This is called herd immunity. Other parents refusing vaccinations for silly reasons put fragile kids like his, who can't get all the shots, at risk.



"I don't think any of the reasons are silly," was Eustace's retort. "I think it's a civil liberties issue."



It isn't. It would be terrible public health policy to allow parents to forgo vaccines for measles, mumps or polio based on any false fear.



The anti-vaxxer movement was founded based on the discredited idea that the MMR vaccine causes autism, published by a British doctor who was later stripped of his license, and had an obvious conflict of interest: He wanted to replace the MMR vaccine (measles, mumps and rubella) with his own alternative and make a fortune.



Every mainstream group, from the American Medical Association to the Catholic Church, considers this conspiracy theory silly and vaccines crucial to public health. Today, measles is still a leading cause of death among young children globally. As many as one out of every 20 kids who gets it contracts pneumonia.



American parents no longer fear diseases that used to be common because they've never seen them. But in countries that don't have easy access to vaccines, nobody celebrates their baby's freedom to get sick.

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By Michael R. Strain

There's a moment in this Broadway show when Bruce Springsteen steps away from the microphone in the middle of a song. He continues to play his guitar, continues to sing, and walks to the edge of the stage.

What's he doing? It took a moment for me to realize that he was trying to create a sense of living-room community in a theater on 48th Street. He wanted his audience to hear him singing directly. With no filter. Nothing but air between his mouth and our ears.

The notion of community permeates the show. At the beginning, Springsteen describes his "magic trick" as his ability to demonstrate that "us" actually exists.

The specific "us" -- the specific community -- to which he is referring is not entirely clear. But for the artist who describes his life's work as "judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," my mind immediately turns to the U.S. as a national community.

I'll concede that I'm more skeptical today of the viability of that "us" -- of an American community -- than I've been in a long time. The bonds that hold the American community together are not a shared religion or a shared ethnicity. They aren't even a shared life experience. Lives are different across a continental nation and, increasingly, across a widening income distribution.

Instead, the U.S. has been a community because of a shared national understanding. It's a creedal nation, the core tenets of which include a belief in the equal dignity of all people. The American story is one of diverse peoples seeking better lives, taming the frontier, self-reliant, open to the world and moving into the future with confidence.

Populism is damaging the core of the American identity. It seeks to build walls to keep out immigrants, motivated not by reasonable immigration policy but by animus and anxiety. It attacks the idea of religious liberty through hostility toward Muslims. It attacks institutions, including the free press (and, implicitly, the First Amendment). Rather than bind Americans together, its leaders cultivate angry tribalism and white grievance.

Springsteen spoke to this in his show. "I've seen things over the past year on American streets that I thought were resigned to other, uglier times -- things I never thought I'd ever see again in my lifetime," he said. "Folks trying to normalize hate" and "appealing to our darkest angels, calling upon the most divisive, ugliest ghosts of our past."

I sympathize with this characterization. But rather than fortifying my worry, the show was like a balm. It gave me hope that the current populist moment will pass.

I was reminded that the U.S. has seen hard times before. Springsteen avoided serving in the Vietnam War when he failed his draft physical. He tells a powerful story of visiting the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington and finding the names of his friends on it. He wonders about the person who took his place. Did he live?

The country rose from the difficulties of the Vietnam era, and it can pull us out of this moment, too.

There's a sense in which Springsteen himself is evidence that tribalism need not endure. A cultural icon who has commanded the stage for decades speaks to our desire for a community based not on tribe but on culture and an artistic interpretation of American life.

This particular audience, like every Springsteen audience, had people from all stages and walks of life. My companion, a childhood friend, traveled hours to be there. Those seated near me had similar stories -- people going to great lengths and expense for a common experience. After all these decades, the chords of "Born to Run" themselves have become a shared story, a demonstration that community -- that "us" -- does exist.

The show itself isn't a concert and it isn't the story of Springsteen's life. Instead, through his music and words, he tells the tale of his growing engagement with the country. He starts as a child in Freehold and tells of his hometown, his mother and father, and his desire for a larger life. In the second act, he discovers the beauty of the American desert, grapples with Vietnam and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and meditates on the possibilities and difficulties of the American dream.

His interest in and struggle with the American narrative is required of all active citizens. His engagement bolsters mine. The more public figures who model this form of active citizenship, the weaker the grip of tribalism will be.

To overcome populism, the U.S. needs to recover its national story, providing a compelling counter to the zero-sum narrative of tribal conflict put forward by the populist right. A songwriter won't be enough, of course. But a cadre of national leaders and public figures reinforcing America's core narrative could do the trick.

Springsteen and his audience give me hope that tribalism will pass -- that the story can be recovered and celebrated. Or, in his words, that "the country we carry in our hearts is waiting."

Michael R. Strain is director of economic policy studies and resident scholar at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the editor of "The U.S. Labor Market: Questions and Challenges for Public Policy" and the co-editor of "Economic Freedom and Human Flourishing: Perspectives from Political Philosophy."

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At least two inmates are accused of starting a riot at the Orleans Justice Center jail in October and were booked last week on new charges related to the disturbance. The riot involved "sticks and homemade masks," booking records show, and investigators said inmates shattered glass and beat up a fellow inmate.

Darrian Franklin, 42, and Charles Larvinette, 28, were booked Monday (April 2) on suspicion of inciting a riot and criminal mischief. Franklin was also charged with second-degree battery and simple criminal damage to property. Larvinette was also charged with tampering with monitoring systems.

A warrant for the arrest of the inmates states surveillance video showed that, at about 12:30 p.m. Oct. 26, Franklin could be seen helping another inmate, Dayshawn Celestain, 33, "punching and striking the facial area" of a 36-year-old inmate. Then, at about 1:30 p.m., the warrant says, the video shows Franklin and Celestain using a foot to break glass on a cell door and shattering it.

At about 3:30 p.m. that same day, the warrant states, Franklin, Larvinette, Celestain and another inmate, 32-year-old Steven Bradley, barricaded themselves on the recreation yard and "arming themselves with sticks and homemade masks."

The warrant, sworn by Orleans Parish Sheriff Office Investigative Services Bureau Agent Christopher Powe, was signed by Orleans Parish Magistrate Commission Albert Thibodeaux on Dec. 5. It's possible Celestain and Bradley could face additional charges.

During Franklin's first appearance hearing Tuesday on the new charges, Magistrate Commissioner Robert Blackburn set Franklin's bond at $37,500 and appointed the Orleans Public Defender's office to represent him. During Larvinette's hearing the same day, Blackburn set his bond at $17,500 and also appointed the public defender in his case.

October disturbance was latest of at least 3

The October disturbance is one of at least three disturbances at the jail that resulted in new charges for inmates since the new $145 million jail facility opened in late 2015. Inmates faced charges for a Feb. 2, 2017, disturbance involving the commandeering of a deputy's computer to unlock cell doors and beat a fellow inmate.

A March 17, 2017, disturbance netted charges for several inmates after small fires were set, the computer commandeered and furniture stacked as inmates barricaded themselves in a housing unit. Riot shields, batons and beanbag guns, which were not fired, were used to secure control, the sheriff's office said.

The jail was placed under the control of an interim independent contractor in 2016 after the U.S. Department of Justice, inmate plaintiffs and the City of New Orleans argued Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman had been unable to adequately comply with a 2013 federal consent decree aimed at improving conditions there.

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Gary Maynard, who was previously running the jail as the independent compliance director, resigned in January, a move U.S. District Judge Lance Africk announced in a court order in which the judge also noted his dissatisfaction with "the pace of reform" at the jail. Darnley Hodge Sr., who had been one of the jail monitors reporting to Africk about conditions at the facility, is temporarily running the jail during a search for the next compliance director.

Inmates' past charges included murder, manslaughter

Franklin's other open charges stemming from before the alleged riot include second-degree murder and obstruction of justice.

Larvinette's open charges include second-degree murder in connection to the 2015 shooting death of Stephen Mosley.

Bradley was convicted at trial in December of obstruction of justice but acquitted of murder charges related to the 2014 killings of Reserve couple Kenneth and Lakeitha Joseph. He was sentenced to 35 years in that case.

Celestain was sentenced in October to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter and second-degree rape in the 2008 slaying of 22-year-old Brandon Martes of Metairie and the rape of Martes' girlfriend.

It was not immediately clear if Bradley and Celestain will face new charges related to their alleged roles in the October disturbance.

. . . . . .

Emily Lane covers criminal justice in New Orleans for NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. Reach her at elane@nola.com. Follow her on Twitter (@emilymlane) or Facebook.
Some people in power at the Capitol don't want you to know which public officials and state employees are accused of sexual harassment.

Two bills that are supposed to strengthen protections against harassment in state government now include provisions to keep the identity of both alleged victims and accused offenders secret. Proponents claim they are simply trying to protect victims, but it seems more likely they are trying to protect the harassers.

A Senate committee amendment added Wednesday (April 4) to House Bill 524 says: "Any files or records that reveal the identity of the complainant or the respondent and all information pertaining to the complaint and the investigation shall not be public record."

That is a very broad provision that would severely limit what the public knows about misbehavior in state government. "The only person this is good for is someone who would want to cover this information up," Scott Sternberg, general counsel to the Louisiana Press Association and a First Amendment attorney, said Thursday.

That certainly seems like the intent. But New Orleans Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who authored the amendment, said that wasn't her aim. "Secrecy was most certainly not my intent and this will be changed prior to leaving the Senate," she said in a written statement Thursday about the legislation.

She must ensure that change is made. The public needs to know if government officials are accused of harassment.

Mr. Sternberg said this sort of blanket provision to withhold records of harassment from the public would make it harder to figure out how prevalent sexual harassment is in government.

Senate Bill 369 by Sen. Regina Barrow also would prohibit the release of documents about sexual discrimination accusations "involving a public employee of any public body."

Her legislation may not come up for a vote because of concerns about that lack of transparency.

SB 369 "is so broad in its language that I would be very concerned that it would keep from the public the ability of the citizens to see that the government is treating its employees correctly," Mr. Sternberg said. "It doesn't just protect the identity of the victim. It protects the government itself."

And there is the heart of the problem.

Louisianians have just started to get an idea of how prevalent sexual harassment is in government agencies.

Gov. John Bel Edwards' deputy chief of staff resigned in November amid sexual harassment allegations against him. Johnny Anderson had a history of harassment accusations involving him that dated to 2006, when he worked for then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco. Yet he said those past allegations didn't come up during the hiring process for the Edwards administration.

The latest case involving Mr. Anderson cost Louisiana taxpayers more than $85,000. That is how much the state agreed to pay the former staffer in the Governor's Office who said Mr. Anderson sexually harassed her when they both worked for the governor. The settlement amount doesn't include what the state paid a private lawyer to handle the case.

Neither Mr. Anderson nor the Governor's Office admitted wrongdoing in the settlement, which says the agreement was made to avoid costly litigation.

The accusations against Mr. Anderson prompted Gov. Edwards to appoint a task force to examine state policies against sexual harassment and recommend revisions. The Legislature went through a similar process.

In the midst of all that, a lawsuit was filed Feb. 22 accusing Secretary of State Tom Schedler of propositioning a woman in his department and describing a "sexually hostile and abusive working environment."

The details of the accusations are disturbing. Mr. Schedler bought a townhouse across the parking lot from the woman and watched her movements and who was visiting her, according to the lawsuit. He sent more than 100 cards and letters professing his love and ignored her refusals to his invitations for dates, the lawsuit said. The state has hired an outside lawyer to handle the case, which puts taxpayers on the hook for those costs.

Reporters also requested records on past sexual harassment claims. Taxpayers have paid at least $3.9 million to state employees since 2004 in legal settlements for sexual harassment, gender discrimination and retaliation for reporting abuse.

The list of accused harassers included three professors, three judges, three doctors, a former state legislator, a prison warden, a prison medical director and the former commissioner of the state Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control.

The list only included the 66 payments made by the state Office of Risk Management, not settlements paid directly by state agencies and universities. So, there were likely other payments made in harassment cases.

The public paid those tabs, and the public has a right to know who is accused of harassment.
Live, from New York, it's Alec Baldwin. The actor, and presidential impersonator returned to "Saturday Night Live" this weekend to portray President Donald Trump in the show's cold open.

Ostensibly appearing at a joint press conference with a trio of leaders form the Baltic states, the show-starting sketch on Saturday (April 7) touched on a broad range of current topics, ranging from Chinese tariffs and Vladimir Putin to the Stormy Daniels controversy and the "Roseanne" reboot.

Watch it in the video below. You can find more from Saturday night's show -- which was hosted by "Black Panther" actor Chadwick Boseman and featured musical guest Cardi B -- at the show's official website.
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Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Partly cloudy. High 72F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable.
By Bob Thuemmel

In her March 28 opinion piece, victims' advocate Danielle Tudor says that Judge Kenneth Walker of Multnomah County should resign, because he did not allow a victim to read her entire impact statement at the defendant's sentencing hearing. Well, Ms. Tudor, you're wrong about that.

I practiced in the courts of Multnomah County and Oregon for 40 years, becoming colleagues and friends with many of the circuit court judges. Some were very good at their job, and some weren't.

Ken Walker is very good. His life experiences have given him some very special abilities and skills for the job. As someone who grew up in the tough neighborhoods of Los Angeles in the 1960s and 1970s, Judge Walker knows what it's like to be surrounded by choices, good and bad, every day. He bought himself a bus ticket to Portland and never looked back.

His career as a public defender and criminal lawyer, along with his experience from childhood, made him very well suited for the job he holds today.

Ms. Tudor and others who are quick to condemn a hard-working judge are overlooking one thing. The court is a place to say and do certain things, not everything or anything someone may want to say or do. By law, victims of criminal conduct have these rights in court when they go in a courtroom and talk about what happened to them:

According to ORS 137.013 - Appearance by victim at time of sentencing: "At the time of sentencing, the victim or the victim's next of kin has the right to appear personally or by counsel and has the right to reasonably express any views concerning the crime, the person responsible, the impact of the crime on the victim, and the need for restitution and compensatory fine."

But that's it. They get to "reasonably express" those things. There isn't a law on the books that says they get to say what they want and for as long as they want.

Oregon's victims' rights laws came along in the 1980s. Since that time any judge or criminal lawyer - prosecutor or defense - will tell you that many is the time when a victim's long statement is unfurled for presentation in a busy courtroom only to get trimmed a bit by some gentle judicial nudging. Nothing makes Ken Walker a villain for doing this same thing. It happens every day.

It's a poor yardstick used to measure this Oregon judge's performance by what a judge did in another state, as Tudor sought to do in comparing Judge Walker unfavorably with Judge Rosemarie Aquilina of Michigan. Every case, life, and situation is unique. The fact is that Ken Walker did what he thought was necessary on that day to balance judicial efficiency with the rights of the parties - and the victim - in court. No judge should be called upon to resign if that's the supposed crime. Because it's not a crime at all. It's doing - and doing well - the job they were elected and sworn to do.

Bob Thuemmel, a retired attorney who lives in Washington County, is past president of the Oregon Criminal Defense Lawyers Association and a past commissioner on the Oregon Judicial Fitness Commission.
By Charles E. Kraus

Life is composed of many elements: events, sights, expectations, sad moments and pleasant surprises. Also, sounds. These are a few of the things I've heard during the past 72 years:

Maybe I was 4 or 5, part of a group of neighborhood kids enjoying the afternoon. A truck cab had parked down the block. As exotic as it was gigantic, this was just the kind of attractive nuisance we were looking to climb. And so, we did. Assembled on the cab roof, one of my associates must have lost his balance. He pushed against me to regain stability. The maneuver worked fine, for him. Not so for me. He remained on the roof while I sailed head first onto the sidewalk. Dazed, bloody and suffering from a severe concussion, a bomb bursting between my ears. I can still hear it.

A more pleasant example from my childhood was the exquisite rasp of my father's snoring, elongated rumbles boasting their own unique melodic scale. His snores may have disturbed others, especially my mother, but they lulled me to sleep. If I awoke in the middle of the night, I listed for my father's snoring. Hearing it, I knew he was ok, and that therefore, all of us were just fine.

I found myself in the armory the evening that presidential candidate John F. Kennedy was scheduled for a campaign stop. Inside the old brick edifice came more and more supporters. As the hour grew, space shrank. It felt like Times Square on New Year's Eve, and if it wasn't exactly a new year, politically we were celebrating a New Frontier.

The sound of too many excited people in a confined space can charge a united mindset with massive energy. And if you wait long enough, if you enter a rally as the wave of enthusiasm reaches its peak and, if you are JFK, there is a roar so impossibly exquisite, only the sound of another lone man, in Dallas, pulling the trigger can eventually extinguish the reverberation.

There were two Vietnam associated sounds.

Attached to MCB 71, our base was adjacent the Chu Lai airstrip. Planes took off or landed every 30 seconds 24/7. As Phantom Jets reached altitude, they created an ear-piercing turbulence that could have been the sky ripping apart. One of the most appalling memories of my war days was a drive two of us were making to deliver parts at the far end of the air strip. We heard a Phantom take off, that immense roar filling the senses. Then, all of a sudden, the noise stopped. Just quit. This was an eerie silence. Not merely because of the contrast, but for a more important reason. We knew what it meant. The jet engine had shut down and there would be a crash.

It appeared the trajectory would send the fighter hurling towards a small school house. The pilot could eject, allowing his plane to continue on course. Or he could stay onboard and do his best to alter things. He did not eject. With all the sights and sounds of war, what I remember most is that silence, the moments that followed, and looking off in the distance where the school house remained standing.

Our battalion flew back to the States reaching Davisville, RI in the middle of a January night. After stowing my gear and cleaning up, I set out alone. I crossed a quiet, lonely base, hearing the sound of my boots sinking into the crust of ice that forms on New England snow, thinking that just a plane ride ago, I'd been experiencing the monsoon season and a military exercise called Vietnam. In the span of two days, the war had become part of my past. The walk had a feeling, a feeling that returns when I recall the quiet crunch of steps, the calmest, most serene journey I believe I have ever made.

There was the sound, the sight and sound, of Jackie Wilson arriving late for his spot at a sold out rock and roll revival. After a song or two, he stopped and explained he'd been traveling all day and had not had a chance to rehearse. Looking so weary, he vocalized with the band, exercising his voice. And then, when he was ready, Jackie sang us "To Be Loved," building and building until he reached for and slammed the final note out of the venue.

The sounds that made me the happiest over the years took place during my active parenting phase. It's early morning. I'm up, probably pacing, waiting for one of my kids to come home from a party or event. Lots of cars have driven by, their approaches giving me a taste of relief only to be followed by the fading sound of vehicles continuing down the road. Then, finally, a daughter pulls up in the driveway. A car door closes. There are footsteps on the stairs and my child is home. That's the best, most melodic, meaning full, pleasing, joyful sound known to the human ear.

Charles E. Kraus lives and writes in Seattle.
SITKA, Alaska  A miniature sailboat built by Oregon sixth-graders has been put back out to sea to continue its voyage to Japan after running aground near Sitka, Alaska.

An Alaska fisherman discovered the boat in late February and reached out to teachers at Sitka schools, leading to students at Blatchley Middle School to take part in the international project, the Daily Sitka Sentinel reported.

Students at Otto Peterson Elementary School in Scappoose had launched the boat in December as part of an educational project sponsored by the Columbia River Museum.

The Oregon students built 10 fiberglass vessels equipped with sails and GPS tracking devices. Half of the 5-foot boats were flown to Japan to three partner schools in the Aomori Prefecture where the vessels were deployed.

The project aims to teach students in both countries about ocean currents and different cultures as the boats sail across the Pacific Ocean.

After learning of the boat, Sitka science teacher Stacy Golden said she jumped at the opportunity to have her class participate. The education director of the Columbia River Museum then flew to Sitka to explain the project to the students and help ready the boat for its next voyage.

Golden said the Sitka students dried out the boat, patched the keel and made some aesthetic upgrades. The boat was launched from Alaska on Wednesday and is now at the mercy of the wind and ocean currents to reach its destination.

"All of the sudden, they feel like they're part of something bigger," Golden said of her students.

-- The Associated Press
Updated: 7:45 p.m.

Three witnesses to a fatal officer-involved shooting late Saturday night at a Southeast Portland homeless shelter say the man police killed had burst into the facility and was slashing and stabbing himself with a knife before he was killed by officers.

"It was horrific," said Morgan Thomas Pickering of Portland during an interview Sunday morning across the street from the Cityteam Ministries shelter on Southeast Grand Avenue. Pickering was waiting in the rain across the street from the shelter to retrieve his belongings. "We were all scared for our lives."

Police say the man who was shot was a suspect in an earlier carjacking. They did not release his name, pending an autopsy, but family identified him as John Elifritz, a Portland native who had addresses in Clackamas County. A cousin said Elfritz, 48, had struggled at times with methamphetamine use, but was trying to get his life back in order.

Pickering and the two other witnesses, both of whom declined to be identified and were checked into the facility at the time of the incident, all say the police were justified in shooting the man, who they say was acting erratically.

"The Portland Police Bureau values human life and accepts the authority to use lethal force with great reverence," said Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw in a statement Sunday afternoon. The chief did visit the scene of the shooting Saturday night, a bureau spokesman said.

"I am aware a video was taken of this incident by a community member and that video was posted to the internet," she added. "Please be reminded that deadly force investigations are extremely complex and take time. The Police Bureau is committed to transparency and will ensure the entire investigation is released in a timely manner that does not impact the integrity of the investigation."

A vigil for Elifritz was held on the street corner outside the Cityteam shelter Sunday afternoon. By 4:30 p.m., about 40 people had showed up, some holding signs that read, "More Mental Health Care, Not More Cops." Friends had placed a framed photo of Elifritz at the site, which was surrounded by candles, flowers and a teddy bear by Sunday night.

Memorial outside Cityteam Ministries for John A. Elefritz, 48.

Kirk Smith wasn't part of the vigil, but he was among a small group of men standing outside the shelter doors. He said he was attending a meeting inside the shelter Saturday night when the shooting began.

"There were eight cops here and they could have took him down," Smith said. "They used the bean bags and then they shot him. It didn't make any sense. They could have tased him and took him down and went and got him help. He was begging for help. He wasn't saying anything, but you could tell just from his actions."

Carl Shellhammer was also inside the shelter that night. He said police first shot the man with "bean bag, plastic, knock-down bullets and he just kept getting back up."

"(The police) were doing it in the best way that they could without hurting any of the other people in the building," he said.

Sunday evening, the ACLU of Oregon released a statement from Executive Director David Rogers on the shooting.

"Was there any attempt to de-escalate the situation before officers open fire inside the homeless shelter full of innocent bystanders? If not, why not?" the statement read. "We join many in the community by calling for a prompt, thorough, and transparent investigation into this shooting. The public deserves to get a detailed account of why this man was shot and what actions Portland Police took to avoid yet another fatal shooting."

The ACLU called on Portland officers to use body-worn cameras as a means to "increase transparency, promote police accountability, and help ensure interactions with community members are fair and lawful."

Officers responded at 7:30 p.m. to a report of a crashed vehicle at Southeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Stark Street, according to police. When they arrived, the driver had fled.

Officers learned the car, a silver Honda CRV, had been stolen in a carjacking earlier in the day, Sgt. Chris Burley, a Portland Police Bureau spokesman, told The Oregonian/OregonLive Saturday night.

A short time later, a clerk at Jackson's Gas Station, at the corner of Southeast Grand and Washington Street, called 911 to report a man with a knife, talking about suicide and murder inside the station's convenience store.

Police responding they learned there was a man outside Cityteam Ministries Portland Shelter, a long-term and emergency homeless shelter, holding a knife to his throat. Officers responding located the suspect inside. By then, dispatchers were instructed to call for an ambulance, as there were reports the suspect was bleeding heavily from his neck.

Cityteam Portland Executive Director Mike Giering on Saturday said an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting had just begun at the time of the shooting. The witnesses said the meeting was in progress when the suspect came through the door, shirtless.

One witness said a shelter employee gave the man a jacket. Shortly after, police arrived.

Pickering, who filmed part of the incident on his phone, said the man had a knife and was "stabbing himself in the neck."

(Warning: Video contains graphic material)

Pickering and two others described the man as erratic and shouting, slashing and stabbing himself with a knife. They said police fired either rubber bullets or bean bags, but they didn't subdue the man, who then lunged at officers with the knife in his hand.

At that point, the witnesses said, officers shot him.

"Three, four, five shots," Pickering said. "He just dropped."

Medical responders determined the man was dead at the scene, police said.

Pickering called officers' action "absolutely 100 percent justified," adding, "Cops did everything right."

"I applaud their actions," he said. "They actually saved lives."

The two other witnesses echoed Pickering, calling the chaotic scene terrifying.

The men said buses took most of the between 30 and 40 people at the shelter to another location. Those who remained spent a cold night in the rain, waiting for their belongings to be released from the shelter Sunday morning.

Investigators will work to determine if the suspect armed with the knife posed an immediate threat to others in the shelter, officers or himself when police used deadly force against him.

Sunday evening, Mayor Ted Wheeler released a statement on the shooting.

"Last night officers responded to multiple calls for service regarding a suspect that ultimately ended in an officer involved shooting," the statement read. "The loss of a life is always tragic. My priority is to discover the facts and circumstances regarding this incident. Already, there are those who want to immediately define what happened. It would be highly irresponsible for me to participate in speculation at this time. I urge us all to allow investigators to do their work, to uncover the facts, and to report on their findings."

In 2016, consultants hired by the city of Portland were critical of a longstanding Portland police training tenet, commonly referred to by officers as the "21-foot rule''  the idea that someone with a knife who is within 21 feet of them can attack faster than an officer has time to pull, aim and fire a gun.



"The 21-foot rule should never be seen as a green light to use deadly force or as creating a 'kill zone,''' experts have found, yet that lore seems to remain "inculcated'' in the Portland Police Bureau, the California-based OIR Group wrote in a report in 2016 on Portland officer-involved shootings and deaths in police custody.



The consultants then urged the bureau to clarify training on the 21-foot rule so it's not used to justify a police shooting when a suspect armed with a knife comes within 21 feet of an officer. It's unclear if that training was ever altered.



The rule's origin? More than 25 years ago, a Salt Lake City police officer performed rudimentary tests and concluded an armed attacker who bolted at a cop could clear 21 feet in the time it took most officers to draw, aim and fire their gun. The conclusion was repeated in training videos. But in May 2015, police chiefs attending the Police Executive Research Forum conference expressed concern that some officers consider the 21-foot rule a legal justification to shoot someone, instead of seeing it as a general warning for officers to protect themselves when they encounter a person with a knife, the report said.

Portland police have not said how many officers fired their weapons nor released the identities of the officers involved. The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave until the investigation and a grand jury hearing have concluded, protocol for the bureau.

Elliot Njus, Samantha Swindler and Maxine Bernstein contributed to this report.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker
Reynolds High School students packed the Smith Center Ballroom at Portland State University to celebrate prom Saturday night. About 600 students braved a spring storm full of wind and rain downtown Portland for the event themed "Gold Gala".

Reynolds' party launches the 2018 prom season for the Portland area. Looking for a place you can actually afford to eat on prom night? Check out our 2018 Cheap Eats guide
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Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman visited the headquarters of Apple in San Francisco's Silicon Valley on Saturday. During the visit, the crown prince met with Apple CEO Tim Cook to discuss several joint projects, including app development in Saudi Arabia, as well as enriching Arabic educational content and creativity in classrooms.





After the meeting, Prince Mohammed was given technical presentations on education, health and marketing.





The crown prince also visited the Steve Jobs Theater and was briefed on the contemporary voice applications that the tech giant is working on.

Prince Mohammed was accompanied by Saudi ambassador to the United States Prince Khalid bin Salman and members of the crown prince's official delegation.





The photo above was provided by the Saudi Press Agency. It's unknown if any discussions touched on expediting Apple's first Apple Store in Saudi Arabia that was revealed back in December.

In the last month the Crown Prince met with President Trump where it was announced that the Saudi government spent 12.5 billion in defense contracts. When in Seattle the Crown Prince browsed at the latest advancements from Lockheed Martin in aviation, air defense, missile technology and looked into the THAAD high-tech air defense system. Saudi Arabia is looking to purchase THAAD and localize its production..





The Crown Prince also met with Google Co-Founder Sergey Brin and CEO Sundar Pichai on Thursday.





Apple's CEO in Apple Board room with the Crown Prince looking out at the grounds of Apple Park.





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Mining giant Newmont Ghana Limited has indefinitely suspended mining activities at all its sites in the country as investigations into the death of six of the firms subcontractor staff takes shape.



Six persons, all contractor employees of the construction services company, Consar Limited, died when the roof of a reclaim tunnel at the Ahafo Mill Expansion project, which is under construction, collapsed on them Saturday.



Two others who were with the six, escaped with minor injuries. They have since been treated and discharged. The bodies of the six have since Sunday morning been retrieved from the tunnel.



Newmont, which commenced operation in Ghana in 2006 currently, operates two main mining sites at Akyem and Ahafo in the Eastern and Brong Ahafo regions respectively.



Following the Saturday freak accident, the company ceased mining operations at the Ahafo site in solidarity with the victims and their families as well as colleagues.



But at a meeting with the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources who visited the scene of the accident, acting Mines Manager at the Ahafo Mines, Okyere Yaw Ntram revealed the Akyem mine has also suspended operations.



Our sister company in Akyem have also stopped operations. They suspended operation in solidarity with us until we resume back to work when the place is safe, he told the Minister.



Though the suspension could potentially affect the production of the company and its revenue, Mr. Ntram told journalists money is not of the essence now as the company is focusing on empathising with the families and the employees.



I think at this stage the important thing is to empathise with the deceased and their family and the communities and the employees that worked close with them, he added.



What caused the accident?



The cause of the accident is yet to be established but it is suspected to be the result of a structural defect.



Fresh concrete that was being cast on the roof of the tunnel collapsed on the eight-member crew working in the tunnel at the time, thus trapping them in the process.



The structure

Initial attempts by some other workers around to rescue them from the mortar proved futile due to the extremely large quantity of the mixture, one of our correspondents reported.



John Peter Amewu, minister for Lands and Natural Resources who visited the scene Sunday morning blamed the accident on a complete structural failure



Though he said investigations are ongoing, he said, It is clear that the props that support the slabs probably might not be well placed and that could trigger the surface slab to cave in; over 1000 cubic metres of concrete.



Investigations



Meanwhile, the Minerals Commission has been commissioned to lead the investigations into the accident.



It will have about two weeks to present its findings on the accident. The accident scene has been taken over by the Minerals Commission , which is expected to among other things, establish what really happened and whether there were any breaches of safety regulations.



The investigative team is also expected to go into the structural design of the facility which collapsed to establish whether the roof was designed to take the about 1000 cubic metres of concrete.



Any sanctions against Newmont?



Mr. Amewu noted it was early to be talking about sanctions against the mining firm, which he said, is one of the mining companies in the country that is very concerned about high safety measures.



However, he said, If negligence are detected, the law is there, and the law would have to be applied. From what we are hearing if it is true that they asked workers to go beneath to find out what is happening because they detected that some structural unsoundness happened so the workers had to come down. If that is true, then actually something wrong might have happened he said but added he wouldnt want to pre-empt the outcome of the investigations.

Source: 3news.com









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on Wednesday swore-in five Appeals Court judges, restating his call on the Judiciary to support the work of the Special Prosecutor to stem corruption in the country.



With the Special Prosecutor, Mr Martin Amidu, having been sworn into office to ensure accountability of public officials, past and present, who engaged in acts of corruption and financial malfeasance, it is my expectation that you would help facilitate the work of this Office, he said.



The judges include Justice Nicholas Charles Abbey Agbevor, Justice Alex Berchie Poku-Acheampong, Justice Anthony Kwadwo Yeboah, Justice Merley Afua Wood, and Justice Amma Abuakwa Gaisie (former Solicitor-General).



At a short ceremony at the Jubilee House in Accra, President Akufo-Addo, administered the Judicial, Secrecy and Allegiance oaths, and later presented the judges with a scroll, which is a symbol of their instrument of office.



This is the first time the President, since his assumption to the highest office of the land, is appointing judges to the superior courts of adjudicature.



He reminded the judges of their oaths to dispense justice and apply the laws of the land without fear or favour, affection or ill will, and without recourse to the political, religious or ethnic affiliation of any citizen.



President Akufo-Addo told the new justices that it was important to bear in mind that the growth of our nation demands that we have a judiciary that commands the respect of the people by the nature of its delivery of justice and by the comportment of its judges.



It is vitally important that we have judges who are honest, possess integrity, and a sound knowledge of the law, he said.



When one falls foul of the law, we expect that they must be dealt with accordingly, and the law enforcement agencies, including you at the Appeals Court, must ensure this is done.



The President was emphatic that the Judiciary ought to restore dignity and re-establish confidence in that arm of government, saying, we cannot forget the recent dramatic expose of corruption in the Judiciary, we have still not lived out the trauma of the excruciating embarrassment of seeing officers of our courts in such compromising situations.



Your actions with the strict application of the laws of the land would help in this regard, he said.



President Akufo-Addo restated his administrations determination to building a new civilization.



Where the rule of law was not a slogan but an operating principle for the development of our state, where the separation of powers is real and meaningful, where public officials behave with honesty and integrity and where the liberties and rights of our people are fully protected, and where law and order provide a firm basis for social and economic development, so that the dreams of freedom and prosperity that animated the great patriots who founded our nation can find expression in our generation, he said.



He called on the public sector, the security agencies, the private sector, political parties, civil society, religious bodies and the traditional authorities, irrespective of their differences, to work together for the good Ghana.



It is a collective enterprise to which we should all commit ourselves in unity and in sincerityfor my part, I have unshakable faith in the boundless prospects of the Ghanaian people and in Ghanas future, he said.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Public Sector Reforms boss, Mr. Kusi Boafo has disclosed that, Public sector workers will soon be paid strictly according to the number of hours they work.



He explained that, the implementation of the new policy will lead to the automation of the public service in order to ensure efficiency and productivity.



This comes days after some drivers of the Metro Mass Transit were suspended after they came to work late. Some staff of the Controller and Accountant General were also held up on Thursday for reporting late to the office.



Mr Kusi Boafo not that the new policy which will be launched by President Akufo Addo in May this year will eventually ensure that public sector workers are paid per the number of hours they work.



We are no longer going to entertain absenteeism and for that matter very soon well send circular to all workers. A new public sector reform strategic document has been approved by government, very soon it will be launched by the President. Very soon, time clocking system will be set in place and were going to automate the whole system.



Let me tell you for a fact, in the coming years people will be paid according to the number of hours they sit and stay effectively at the workplace so at the end of the month its not a matter of youre going to be paid ordinarily like weve been doing over the years, Mr Kusi Boafo disclosed.





Source: ghanacrusader









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Deputy Chief of Staff, Samuel Abu Jinapor incurred the rage of Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa Thursday evening when he decided to address the latter in a way he deemed degrading and disrespectful while making submissions on Metro TVs Good Evening Ghana show.



Mr. Jinapor commenting on President Akufo-Addos address to the nation on the Ghana-US military pact Thursday said; The President describes the likes of Okudzeto as mischievous politicians who seeks to mislead the people, a comment which was quickly interjected by Mr. Ablakwa who felt he had been insulted by being referred to in that manner.



You will want to treat me with some respect on this programme. When Im referring to you I dont call you the likes of you. You want to go the way your president has gone tonight?, I will have none of that, I take a strong exception to that he said.



I treat you with respect. I am somebodys son, Im somebodys father. You can just be so flip and say the likes of you. I know power is intoxicating and you think that you will have this power forever, continue, he further stated.



Samuel Abu Jinapor subsequently apologized maintaining that his statements were not in any way targeted at disrespecting the MP.



President Akufo-Addo on Thursday evening addressed the nation over what the controversial US-Ghana military deal which has sparked massive debate in the public for some weeks now.



The President expressed outrage at the opposition NDCs recent outburst on the deal and described it as a kind of cynical manipulation by reckless self-seekers, who will be exposed and condemned by Ghanaians within the shortest possible time.



He, however, explained that Ghana has not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States, however, in consideration of challenges to maintaining peace, his government deems it prudent to continue the Co-operation Agreement already in existence.



Ghana-US pact



On March 23, 2018, Parliament ratified an agreement between the governments of Ghana and the USA on defence cooperation, the status of US forces, access to and use of agreed facilities and areas in Ghana.



The object of the agreement is to set forth a framework for enhanced partnership and security cooperation between the US and Ghana, with the aim of strengthening the defence relationship further.



It is also to address shared security challenges in the region while clouding those related to the protection of government personnel and facilities.

Source: ghanaweb









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Former President Jerry John Rawlings has expressed concern about the choice of words used by President Akufo-Addo on the military agreement with the US, noting that the words were hard.



In his attempt to settle the controversies surrounding Ghanas defence agreement with the United States of America, which was ratified by Parliament on March 23, President Akufo-Addo used words such as cynical, reckless, self-seekers and unspeakable hypocrisy to sort of shut up critics.



A cross section of Ghanaians, largely opposition National Democratic Congress, have condemned the strong words used by the president.



Some felt his choice of words took the shine out of rather precarious situation that deserve serious attention and concise response to allay the fears of rumoured military base embedded in the agreement.



The strong words were not lost on former President Rawlings who wants cool heads to prevail in the agreement.



Though the Presidents address was hard, it was important and timely to hear him and the American Ambassador (earlier) affirm that there would be no military base established in Ghana, Mr. Rawlings commented in a tweeter post.



The former military leader of Ghana added, That was my major concern in my initial reaction to news of the agreement. The spirit of cooperation, be it military or diplomatic has always been there.



If there are details of the agreement that warrant a second look, such details should be examined to create comfort for all sides. 





Source: 3news









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The Executive Director of Danquah Institute, Dr Kingsley Nyarko thinks that former President John Mahama is not conducting himself as a statesman with his recent comments.



Dr. Kingsley Nyarko is accusing the handlers of the former President of doing him a great disservice by allowing him to make certain comments that are not in tune with his integrity as someone who once governed the country.



In a statement, he urged the former leader of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) to elevate the standard of politics in the country by avoiding certain comments that fit in the class of ordinary members of his party.



Mr. Mahama you need to elevate the standard of politics in the country; you need to tell the citizenry, what you can do to improve the living standards of the people, and make their lives better should you get the unlikely opportunity you are seeking to lead the country instead of sounding condescending of the President and demeaning your image. I think President Mahama should be the last person to describe anybody, let alone the high performing, competent, visionary, high flying and highly competent President Akufo-Addo as incompetent, Dr Nyarko stated.



The statement was in response to a call by Mr Mahama for President Akufo-Addo and his government to go for Bishop Obinims sticker to help cure their super incompetence.



The sticker which is said to work wonders, the former President said must be given to the sitting President and his government so they can perform better.



The trend is based on hilarious and outrageous claims people are making and attributing it to a miraculous sticker from Bishop Daniel Obinim, the founder, and leader of International Gods Way Church.



Apparently, church members of Obinim give testimonies at his church regarding the wonderful things the sticker has done for them ever since they bought it. And that has sparked the Obinim Sticker Challenge On Social Media.



But Mr Mahama, addressing NDC members in Wa in the Upper West Region, said the sticker is needed for Akufo-Addo and his team to perform.



I have been watching social media lately, and theres something that has come, and I think it cures everything. Its the Obinim sticker, the President and his government need an Obinim sticker. If it really works, then I think they need the sticker. So I am saying that we cannot depend on their incompetence, we need to work hard to gain the support of the electorate, Mahama said.



But Dr Nyarko, a former lecturer at the University of Ghana Department of Psychology believes the former President must grow beyond such comments in his public discourse.



Below is a copy of the statement



I thought former President Mahamas comment about President Akufo-Addo needing Obinims sticker was a joke, until I heard him speak on TV3 a while ago.



In fact, that comment doesnt reflect a Statesman and I think his handlers are doing him a great disservice.



If he continues with comments like this, he will be exposing himself to public ridicule all the time.



What Prez Mahama is doing clearly shows a drowning and desperate man seeking straw to survive in order to be relevant and increase his chances of leading his party in the 2020 presidential contest.



But, Mr. Mahama you need to elevate the standard of politics in the country; you need to tell the citizenry, what you can do to improve the living standards of the people, and make their lives better should you get the unlikely opportunity you are seeking to lead the country instead of sounding condescending of the President and demeaning your image.



I think President Mahama should be the last person to describe anybody, let alone the high performing, competent, visionary, high flying and highly competent President Akufo-Addo as incompetent.



Mr. Mahama should tell us, apart from sinking the economy, performing poorly on all the macroeconomic indicators, making life for the citizenry unbearable, promoting unprecedented corruption in the country among others, what competent policy he rolled out to soothe our economic pains and challenges? Nothing! Yet, he speaks as if he did anything unique for the country. His handlers are making him look bad and behaving not like a Statesman!



God bless Ghana!!



Dr. Kingsley Nyarko



(Executive Director, Danquah Institute)

Source: Graphic.com









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Leading member of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) Dr Arthur Kobina Kennedy has expressed sheer disappointment in Ex-President John Dramani Mahama for joining Ghanaian political leaders in the league of insults towards one another.



Dr Arthur Kennedys comment on Facebook follows utterances by Mr Mahama who labelled the Akufo-led government as super incompetent at a unity walk rally organized by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Upper West Regional capital, Wa.



According to the countrys former leader, NPPs incompetence is so bad they need the latest craze in town  the Obinim sticker that many jokingly say can solve every problem.



The President and his government need an Obinim sticker to deliver on its promises, he mocked.



On his Facebook wall, Dr. Kennedy, who believes insults was not the best way to go to develop the nation described John Mahamas statement as unfortunate.



Instead of focusing on the exchange of offensive words, Arthur Kennedy emphasized that it was high time the leaders channel their energy towards invigorating ideas and substance to move Ghana forward.



The Facebook post read: INSULTS AND DEVELOPMENT. Ex-president Mahama has, unfortunately, joined the insults! Anokwa, if insults could develop Ghana, nka yedu akyire paa! But as Bill Clinton once said, No insult has ever built a bridge or fed the hungry child. Can we all just stop the insults? Let's focus on ideas and substance ooo tom!".



Meanwhile, Mahama, while addressing the party supporters at the gathering, admonished NDC faithfuls to overlook the ineffectual governance of the NPP and work hard to convince Ghanaians to vote the opposition back to power in 2020.







Source: Ghanaweb.com









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"Baby Joe" had slipped out of the house before, his parents told reporters, but never in the middle of the night and never for this long.

Joe Clyde Daniels's parents told investigators that they went to wake the 5-year-old for school around 5:20 a.m. Wednesday, but he was gone.

His parents said they usually located him within shouting distance of their house in Dickson, about 50 miles west of Nashville, Tenn.

On Wednesday morning, the couple searched their property on Garner's Creek Road for an hour, then called police. The call led to a search that consumed their community and drew in hundreds of volunteers, all looking for an autistic 5-year-old who never talked.

Joseph Ray Daniels, 28, told Nashville ABC affiliate WKRN that he was afraid his son was "lonely, tired, scared and confused." They were hoping for the best, Daniels added, but they were still "really scared."

On Saturday, the search for a missing boy turned into a murder investigation after his father's confession, authorities said.

Daniels told investigators that he killed his 5-year-old son, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, then hid the boy's 65-pound body.

Daniels has been arrested and charged with criminal homicide, authorities said. He is being held in jail, with bail set at $1 million. It was unclear whether he had hired or been appointed an attorney.

"It's just been a devastating end to this, with our hope the whole time being that there would be a safe rescue," Sheriff Jeff Bledsoe told reporters at a Saturday morning news conference. " . . . A lot of people have poured their heart and soul into this in the community, and even outside of our community has rallied around each agency and organization there to support us and carry us through this week."

As authorities turned the rescue mission into a recovery mission and apprised the community of the criminal allegations, one question remained: Why?

Investigators have not released a motive - or even said whether Clyde gave one when he confessed.

Authorities did not immediately suspect foul play when Joe's family called them Wednesday.

"My son has disappeared and we cannot find him," his father told the dispatcher who answered his call, according to a 911 recording obtained by Nashville ABC-affiliate WKRN. "He is 5 and has autism. ... He must have unlocked the door. He got out."

A person passing by the family's house around 1 a.m. reported seeing what appeared to be a boy within 100 yards of the family's home.

Over the ensuing three days, hundreds of neighbors who heard of the disappearance volunteered to join the search, coordinating their efforts at a nearby Baptist church where a mobile command center had been set up. The search was expanded to a one-mile radius, then a three-mile radius. Investigators examined what appeared to be a child's footprints, drained a pond and followed search dogs who indicated that they'd picked up the child's scent. All were dead ends.

On Friday, Daniels told WKRN that the family was still worried about their child.

A day later, the Tennessee Bureau of investigation said it had an update.

"This is not the news that anyone wanted to hear," the bureau said in a statement posted on its Facebook page around noon Saturday. "The father of the Dickson County child who was the subject of an Endangered Child Alert this week has been arrested and changed with the homicide of 5-year-old Joe Clyde Daniels."

(c) 2018, The Washington Post. Story by Cleve R. Wootson Jr.
Five people were displaced by a house fire early Sunday in Lancaster County.

The American Red Cross of Central Pennsylvania says it is assisting two adults and three children after the fire on the 100 block of Hawthorne Drive in Denver.

At least a half dozen fire companies were called to combat the blaze, which broke out around 1 a.m., WGAL is reporting.

5 people displaced by Lancaster County house fire https://t.co/r80Ni6BO2B pic.twitter.com/wIGfS2DbU9  WGAL (@WGAL) April 8, 2018

One person was taken to the hospital and was treated and released for smoke inhalation, according to CBS 21.

An early morning fire in Lancaster Co sent one person to the hospitalhttps://t.co/Aw6QGMcWcK  CBS 21 News (@CBS21NEWS) April 8, 2018

The fire caused $300,000 in damage and is currently under investigation, according to reports.
The bishop of The Diocese of Harrisburg is addressing reports of a grand jury investigation into possible child sexual abuse by clergy through a statement being read by priests at masses in the diocese this weekend.

In the statement, Bishop Ronald W. Gainer says that news media are speculating on when the results of the investigation will be revealed. He said protecting the secrecy of the grand jury is paramount, and assured parishioners that as soon as he is able to make any information public, he will do so.

State Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks, who testified before the grand jury, and other sources say the investigation of six diocese across Pennsylvania is nearing its end. Harrisburg is one of the diocese under investigation.

Another is the Diocese of Erie, whose bishop on Friday announced it was updating its policy on the protection of children and making public a list of 51 clergy and lay people against whom there are credible allegations of misconduct. That misconduct, he said, ranged from use of child pornography to sexual assault.

When asked if the Harrisburg diocese would do the same, diocesan officials told PennLive this week that they had intended to release a list of accused priests in September 2016, when word of the grand jury investigation first leaked out, but they were waved off by the attorney general's office.

"The Office of Attorney General instructed us not to at that time, so as not to interfere in their ongoing investigation," Joseph Aponick, the Harrisburg Diocese spokesman said in a statement.

In light of the Erie diocese's actions, Aponick said the Harrisburg diocese would "revisit" the issue with the attorney general's office.

Aponick declined to say how many priests were on the list that they were prepared to divulge in 2016 or any further information on the subject.

Officials with the attorney general's office declined to comment specifically about Harrisburg's statement.
President Donald Trump's former press secretary and a former governor and chair of the National Democratic Committee will square off in a debate next week at Penn State.

Sean Spicer and former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean will take part in the event at the university, the Centre Daily Times is reporting.

The debate, entitled "Is Perception Reality? The Role of the Media in Shaping a Partisan Climate," is hosted by the Penn State College Democrats and College Republicans.

Tickets are free. The Great Debate event is set for 8 p.m. April 17 and the Freeman Auditorium in the HUB-Robeson Center.
On April 6, 2018, during the rehearsal of military parade for Victory Day 2018, taking place every year May 9 in the center of Moscow, Russian army has unveiled new BMPT fire support vehicle. During Army-2017, the International Military Technical Forum that was held in August 2017, Russias Ministry of Defense has signed a contract for the supply of the first BMPT fire support combat vehicles to the Russian army.



New BMPT Fire Support Combat Vehicle of Russian army at reheasal for Victory Military Parade 2018, April 6, 2018. (Picture source bmpd.livejournal.com)

The first version of the BMPT was based on the chassis of the T-72 main battle tank (MBT). The development of the first variant of the BMPT was launched in the late 1990s. The vehicle is designed to support tank units. The idea to build new heavily armed tank support vehicles emerged on the basis of experience acquired by the Russian military during the First Chechen War in North Caucasus, especially during the urban fighting in Grozny in 1995 when Russian troops lost a large number of combat vehicles to guerrilla warfare tactics used by Chechen separatists.

A new version of the BMPT was unveiled in 2013 during a defense Exhibition in Nizhny Tagil under the name of BMPT-72, which seems very similar to the version showed at the military parade rehearsal of April 6, 2018. But according to our first analysis, the new version is fitted with new reactive armour mounted on each side of the hull.

The main armament of the BMPT presented at the Russian military parade rehearsal 2018 consists of two 30 mm 2A42 coaxial automatic cannons with an ammunition load of 850 rounds, two launchers for anti-tank guided missiles are mounted on each side of the turret guided missiles. Second armament includes on a 7.62 mm PKTM coaxial machine gun.

The BMPT has a crew of three including driver, commander and gunner. The gunner has a combined sight with optical and thermal imaging channels integrating laser range finder and a laser missile guiding channel. The BMPT has the capacity to identify enemy threats a distance of 5,000 m by day via the sight and 3,300 m by night thanks to the thermal imaging system.

The tank commander has a day-night sight including panoramic TV and thermal imaging sight with an integrated laser range finder and independent dual-axis field of view stabilization. It can recognize a tank-type target at a distance of 5,000 m by day via the TV channel and 3,300 m by night.
Two members of the My Step movement that had been detained by Yerevan police early tonight on a graffiti charge were released an hour later.

The My Step (Im Kayl) movement seeks to prevent outgoing Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan from becoming the countrys next prime minister. Its supporters are marching across Armenia to recruit additional members to the My Step movement.

Mesrop Papikyan and Norayr Hayrpetyan were detained and taken to the Arabkir police station after being spotted writing the name of the movement on a Yerevan street.

Nikolay Baghdasaryan, an attorney defending the two, told reporters that police argued that public property had been damaged.

Top photo: Nikolay Baghdasaryan
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 
ISSUES....

Inside, confidential and off the record





The truth about blockchain

Reuters / Dado Ruvic





Recent crypto-currency failures  ranging from this year's $500 million heist of Japan's

Coincheck to the 2016 hack of The DAO, a kind of decentralised venture capital fund 

also undermine the idea that blockchain is more secure than other giant honeypots of data.





HONG KONG - These days, the innovation known as blockchain is almost always mentioned in association with two things. First, as the technology that underpins bitcoin, and second as the brainchild of Satoshi Nakamoto, the anonymous person  or persons  who issued the white paper that supposedly spawned the crypto-currency.

In fact, the concept of a distributed record of digital transactions is older, and has many broader applications. That is easy to forget as bitcoin's wild price swings seize headlines and startups raised almost $1.5 billion by issuing digital coins in the first seven-and-a-half months of 2017. The decentralised aspect of the technology is the existential question where it begins, Michael Casey and Paul Vigna argue in The Truth Machine: The Blockchain and the Future of Everything.

As early as the 1990s, proponents of what became blockchain technology began proposing an alternative status quo, in which individuals could control cryptography. For these so-called Cypher-punks, the idea had revolutionary appeal. A database that can record anything of value across a peer-to-peer network of computers provides an immutable record that can't be disputed or altered. This was obviously attractive to libertarians eager for a world free from the shackles of big government and other central authorities.

Casey, a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, and Vigna, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal, don't simply tell the story of bitcoin. They entreat the reader to take a deeper look at the myriad applications of blockchain  the digital truth serum of their title. The book describes the ways in which the technology has the potential to upend the way we think about real estate, disrupt supply chains, and confer property rights to the unbanked.

The authors share some wondrous examples. In Jordan, the United Nations World Food Programme's Azraq blockchain pilot is coordinating food distribution among 10,000 Syrian refugees. Meanwhile, MIT Media Lab's Digital Currency Initiative, together with the Inter-American Development Bank, is giving Latin American farmers the ability to obtain credit from commodity warehouses backed by blockchain-proven records. More mundane applications include services to remit payments across borders, as well as startups developing cryptographically secured, anonymous currencies.

The virtues of blockchain stand in contrast to the big tech titans which control  and sometimes abuse  personal data, as the latest Facebook privacy row aptly demonstrates. The authors argue that a blockchain solution for social media would be one in which digital tokens are issued and posts are vetted by users, producing a world of only high-quality content. A truly decentralised solution applied across a huge cross-section of industries would allow self-governing individuals to act as their own economic agents and reclaim the rights to their data.

However, it seems fanciful that this idea could achieve the necessary critical mass, especially as users become increasingly reliant on existing platforms. Besides, a sense of interconnectedness is central to social networks' original appeal.

For all the supposed virtues of decentralisation, most blockchain-based solutions remain embryonic. And those nascent projects that are under way are hardly problem-free. Decentralising anything takes work, and consumer habits are difficult to change. Moreover, there are deep reasons why human beings entrust financial records, medical information, and other sensitive data to custodians and government bodies.

In the world of finance, we may grumble at fee-charging institutions and the onerous process by which money is transferred and cleared. But securing assets with a private alphanumerical key that can be lost also has clear drawbacks. Recent crypto-currency failures  ranging from this year's $500 million heist of Japan's Coincheck to the 2016 hack of The DAO, a kind of decentralised venture capital fund  also undermine the idea that blockchain is more secure than other giant honeypots of data.

Then there's the question of which organisations are applying the technology. As the authors acknowledge, some of the major experiments in blockchain are now  somewhat paradoxically  run by the original gatekeepers whose power it was supposed to curtail. Financial institutions like JPMorgan and Accenture have spearheaded projects such as the Enterprise Ethereum Alliance, which offers enterprise-grade software. Tokyo-based online brokerage Monex on Friday announced it would acquire the embattled Coincheck.

Meanwhile, China has established a blockchain research institute and mused about issuing a sovereign digital currency, even as it bans offerings of private tokens. Dubai says it wants to put the entire government on blockchain by 2020. Most recently, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde argued that authorities could fight fire with fire by using blockchain innovations to help regulate crypto-assets.

Surely, this is not what the original Cypher-punks had in mind. While some might fantasise about a world in which self-governing individuals are the sole architects of transactions, a more likely outcome is that intermediaries and traditional gatekeepers will remain involved. Perhaps we are not ready to do away with trusted intermediaries. Perhaps we never will be.

Sharon Lam / Reuters Breakingviews / April 06, 2018





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Tomorrow marks the 20th anniversary of my weekly photo column. That's over one thousand photos of people, places and things (pigeons, umbrellas, shadows) in my weekly feature, "Scene Through the Lens" (a visual exploration of the Philadelphia region).



In the late 90s, I had recently returned to the streets as a photographer, after working as a photo editor for a number of years.



As an editor in our Sunday rotogravure magazine, I worked with our staff photographers and freelancers on the sort of multiple story-telling images like those offered decades earlier by LIFE and LOOK magazines. Almost all of them were story ideas that originated with the photographer, and were presented with a minimal amount of text.



Back at the newspaper then, like now, reporters would find the stories and photographers would be dispatched to illustrate them. There was seldom any room for "standalone" photos other than weather "art," with aesthetically-pleasing images of snow, rain, or sunshine.



So I began formulating proposals to try to get more photographer-generated images into the newspaper. I wanted to get editors at the paper to look at photography as another way to tell stories to our readers.



At the time, there were a bunch of regularly appearing photo-driven columns out there. The University of Missouri spread their story-telling photojournalism philosophy around the country through their grass roots Missouri Photo Workshops, and graduates - many who created photo columns at the newspapers they eneded up at.



I especially admired the community work of Mary Beth Meehan with her "Our Times" column in the Providence Journal; Suzanne Kreiter at the Boston Globe, who rode with the police for her "On the Beat" photo column; and "Florida Found," by Jamie Francis, which was exactly that - found photos - at the St. Petersburg Times.

Earlier Sylvia Plachy, at the Village Voice had an uncaptioned black-and-white photo run every week under the heading "Sylvia Plachy's Unguided Tour." Later on, Edward Keating shot a non-conventional wedding photo every week for the "Vows" column at the New York Times, with writer Lois Smith Brady.



Around that time, our metro columnist left the newspaper, and the position for his replacement was advertised internally. So, inspired by all those great photographer-columnists, I applied for the job.

I showed the editors here my mockups and explained what a photo column could do. Philadelphia has over 100 distinct neighborhoods and I proposed visiting a different each week and finding a "story" I could tell visually with one photo - and a longer-than-usual caption that I would write.



I didn't get the job. But it did get the editors here thinking of pictures a little, and a few months later when they were creating a new page for community news, it seemed like a good match.



Breaking up the grey type on that page of listings of neighborhood news, the City Hall calendar, a traffic report, school information and a list of volunteer opportunities, would be a single image - my idea for the neighborhoods "story."



Chinatown was the first, published on April 9, 1998. Then every week, after consulting the many maps I had collected, and my notebook of ideas gleaned from bulletin boards, or weekly newspapers, I would go to a new neighborhood and get out of my car. I walked the streets, talking to residents, researching their history, and visually reporting on the things I thought looked interesting in each one I visited.

After two years, the community page was eliminated (and I ran out of neighborhoods anyway), but the photo-driven column remained, becoming more of a expression of my "voice" as a visual journalist, and the name was changed.

Now it's called "Scene Through the Lens," but I'm still sharing things I notice while working in the city. Like a coat rack during a business conference:

Or a Phillies game on TV inside the Mayfair Diner:

Over one thousand weekly images later, I am still shooting assignments for the newspaper in the city, suburbs and South Jersey, and still looking for images that are out of the ordinary.

Click here for a gallery of .03 % of the photos that have appeared...

Thanks for watching.
Armenian Minister of Defense Artzrun Hovhannisyan recently posted on his Facebook page that Azerbaijani military forces violated the ceasefire on April 7 and the following night by firing small caliber arms in the direction of Armenian armed forces stationed along the border with Nakhijevan.

The minister wrote that Armenian forces responded and silenced the Azerbaijani gunfire.

Hovhannisyan called on Azerbaijan to cease such provocations, promising that Armenian forces would respond to any future Azerbaijani gunfire.
Police say a 28-year-old man apparently fatally shot his 30-year-old girlfriend then himself in their West Philadelphia home Saturday night while their three young children were in the house. Earlier reports that the couple were married were incorrect.

According to neighbors, their children are ages 11, 4 and 3.

According to police, officers responding to a report of a person with a gun at the home on the 6200 block of Webster Street shortly before 11 p.m. were told a man had shot his girlfriend and was upstairs along with their children.

The gunman did not respond to several police attempts to talk to him, so a barricade was established until SWAT officers arrived. Police removed the children from the home through a rear second-floor window about 11:15 p.m. The bodies of both adults were found in the second-floor hallway.

The children appeared uninjured but were taken to Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for evaluation, police said.

Police have not yet released the couple's names.

"It's just tragic. They were young people. It's just sad," said a 25-year resident of the block.

The man, who did not want his name published to protect his privacy, said he often saw the wife pushing a baby stroller and walking the older children to school. He said the couple were friendly, and he never saw evidence of friction between them.

Mary Dukes, 85, who lives two houses from the couple, said the husband often helped her carry shopping bags from her car to her front door. "If he saw me getting out of the car with a bag he would say, 'I got that Ms. Dukes.' He was a nice, kind, young man," she said. "I wouldn't expect [violence from] him."

Dukes said hearing the gunshots between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m. startled and frightened her. "I locked the door and didn't go near the window," she said. "It's really, really depressing. They were very nice people. That's all I can say about them."
A South Jersey man has been charged with attempted murder in the shooting of a woman in Washington Township on Saturday night, authorities said.

Calvin L. Green, 40, of Brooklawn, was also charged with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, and making terroristic threats in the shooting of 41-year-old Dawn Clark. He is being held pending a detention hearing in Superior Court in Woodbury.

According to the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, Green shot Clark four times around 6 p.m. Saturday during an argument in a vehicle parked at the Millstream Apartments in Washington Township, near the residence of Green's brother. Authorities described Clark, of Maple Shade, as a longtime acquaintance of Green's.

Washington Township police were dispatched to an Express Mart store on Egg Harbor Road and found Clark there. She was treated at Cooper Medical Center in Camden and released.

Clark identified Green as the gunman, according to the prosecutor's office. Her account was corroborated by other evidence, including witness interviews.

Green was arrested overnight during a motor vehicle stop in Brooklawn shortly before police executed a search warrant at his home.
A Gloucester Township police officer has been charged with simple assault and suspended after officials said body cameras captured him hitting a handcuffed teenage girl.

Officer John Flinn was sent to investigate a reported disturbance March 8 and encountered the 13-year-old.

Camden County prosecutors said the juvenile complied with police instructions and allowed Flinn to handcuff her. But prosecutors say he "struck her twice on the side of the face, causing her to cry out in pain."

Prosecutors said his actions were captured on the body cameras of the responding officers. Flinn, 27, who has been on the force since 2015, was suspended. No criminal charges were filed against the juvenile.

Flinn initially was placed on administrative leave while the incident was investigated, and suspended on March 15, said Gloucester Police Chief Harry Earle in a message to the community Saturday. Earle said he referred the matter to the prosecutor's office.

"I am grateful of the relationship that our officers have built with the community, and I am very confident that this incident will in no way will[sic] damage that relationship," Earle said in his statement. "Our community members should rest assured that this incident was uncovered internally through our own checks and balances system and was not the result of a civilian complaint."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.
Kenneth D. Arsenault, 59, of Pemberton Township, N.J., is charged with murder and related offenses in the stabbing death of his wife, Lorraine. Read more

A Pemberton Township man has been arrested and charged with fatally stabbing his wife on Saturday night in front of their home, the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office and Pemberton Township Police said in a joint statement Sunday.

Police were called to the Arsenault home around 10 p.m. Saturday to investigate a report of a woman screaming. Officers observed Arsenault on top of his wife on the ground outside of their home and arrested him.

Lorraine Arsenault, 61, was transported to the Lourdes Emergency Department at Deborah in Browns Mills, where she was pronounced dead an hour later.

The motive for the attack is under investigation, said a spokesman for the Prosecutor's Office.

Arsenault is being held in Burlington County Jail pending an appearance in Superior Court in Mount Holly.
These tools provide officers more flexibility in how to respond to non-deadly threats.

Amtec Less-Lethal Systems ALS Alstac Single-Shot Launcher

Photo: Amtec Less-Lethal Systems

The patented ALS Alstac Single-Shot launcher is available in both 37mm and 40mm versions. This lightweight platform can function in single- or double-action mode and is designed to handle a variety of less-lethal munitions. Its numerous features include an integrated quad MIL-STD-1913 rail and shell removal scallops.

Axon TASER X2

Photo: Axon

Axon's TASER X2 features dual lasers, cross-connect, and a more accurate smart cartridge. This two-shot option was developed with agencies' most requested features in mind, and includes features such as a backup shot and a warning arc. The X2 can be fitted with an Axon Signal PPM that turns on nearby Axon body-worn cameras when an X2's safety is disengaged.

FN 303 Launcher

Photo: FN

The FN 303 Less Lethal Launcher is constructed from durable lightweight polymer with comfortable ergonomics and an easy-to-operate safety. It is equipped with both flip-up iron sights and an integrated MIL-STD-1913 top mounting rail. The lightweight polymer magazine holds 15 projectiles and offers a clear rear cover to allow the operator to instantly verify both the payload type and the number of projectiles remaining.

Mace Tactical Solutions MTS Expandable Baton Series

Photo: Mace Tactical Solutions

Mace Tactical Solutions' all new MTS Expandable Baton series includes both a 21-inch and 26-inch baton made from highly durable hardened steel. These telescoping batons feature a rubber handle for a secure grip.

Mission Less Lethal Mission MLR / MLR-FA

Photo: Mission Less Lethal

The Mission MLR and MLR-FA compressed air launchers from Mission Less Lethal are made to provide up to 200 shots per fill. The patented air-powered feed system indexes the next projectile into the firing chamber with each shot, for continuous feed rates of up to 15 rounds per second. An easy-twist on/off valve is designed to allow launchers to be reliably deployed within seconds. Both the MLR and MLR-FA are 100% mechanical.

Peacekeeper International D.S.E.C Diversionary Strobe End Cap

Photo: Peacekeeper International

The Peacekeeper Diversionary Strobe End Cap (DSEC) fits on the back of a Peacekeeper baton and incorporates a powerful 780-lumen strobe that is designed as an effective diversionary device. The DSEC can be strategically used to gain compliance, or create a window of opportunity to utilize the Peacekeeper baton if necessary. This product is available as a stand-alone end cap to add to an existing 21-inch Peacekeeper baton, or it can be purchased in the company's Less Lethal Kit.

PepperBall TCP Compact Launcher

Photo: PepperBall

PepperBall's Tactical Compact Pistol (TCP) is a pistol-sized multimunition launcher new for 2018. The new PepperBall TCP is 7.5 inches long and weighs approximately 21 ounces. It is designed to be worn comfortably on a law enforcement officer's belt and quickly reloaded with a six-round magazine. The TCP is capable of firing the standard PepperBall round or extended-range VXR projectiles. The TCP can use either CO2 or nitrogen as a power source, allowing it to function properly in extreme cold weather conditions. PepperBall also includes a molded duty holster along with the purchase of the TCP.
LAKE CITY  St. Marks Episcopal Churchinvites the community as it resumes its first free supper after the Lenten season from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday.

The menu features a baked potato with your choice of toppings. Broccoli, lettuce salad, dinner rolls and desserts also will be served.

The church will accept donations for its outreach programs at the Lake City Food Shelf, Lake City School Lunch Program and Lake City Area Minnesota Services for the Blind.

The church is at 110 S. Oak St. in Lake City.

Womens Connection to celebrate Beauty of Spring

"Enjoying the Beauty of Spring" is the theme of the next Rochester Christian Womens Connection monthly luncheon on Tuesday at the Eagles Club, 917 15th Ave. SE.

The luncheon starts at 11:45 a.m. and features speaker Sandi Ordahl, of Cambridge, Minn, who will discuss "How would you Define a Friend?" A special feature will be a presentation entitled "Gladiolas: Growing Showing and Giving" by John and Barb Meyer of Elgin.

Admission is $15 and includes lunch. Reservations are required. Call 507-765-4921 or email mploetz@hbcsc.net.

Toastmasters Club to learn about Bahai faith

The Faithfully Speaking Toastmastersclub welcomes Richard Klan as he speaks on the Bahai faith on Tuesday.

The meeting is from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in room 158 of the Charter House, 211 Second St NW, in Rochester. His presentation will be followed by a members speech and table topics, the spontaneous speaking portion of Toastmaster meetings where all are welcome to participate.

For more information, email MaryPeters1512@msn.com.

Bnai Israel to host Yom Ha Shoah service

Bnai Israel Synagoguewill hold a Yom Ha Shoah service, commemorating Holocaust Memorial Day at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The service will feature Bnai Israel Synagogue students singing the world premiere of a song composed by Victor Zupanc, a composer who came to the synagogue under a Faith Partners grant.

In addition to the musical performance, the service will include the reading of the names of family members of Bnai Israel Synagogue congregants who perished in the Holocaust.

Bnai Israel Synagogue is at 150 Seventh Ave. SW in Rochester.
At least 49 civilians have been killed and many more injured in a lethal chemical attack by Syrian government forces on a rebel-held suburb of Douma in eastern Ghouta. Reuters reports on the attack here, the New York Times here, and the Wall Street Journal here (behind the Journals paywall).

The New York Times adds the caveat that it is not possible to independently verify the reports because Douma is surrounded by the Syrian government, which prevents access by journalists, aid workers and investigators. I think this supports the inference that the Syrian government is responsible for the attack. Indeed, the Wall Street Journal offers this eyewitness testimony: Poisonous gas was unleashed from a barrel bomb dropped by a government helicopter, according to the White Helmets, a Syrian paramedic group. Victims showed symptoms of poisoning by chlorine and nerve agents, doctors said.

The Syrian government is the beneficiary of crucial support provided by the Russian and Iranian regimes. President Trump allocates responsibility as I do. He also dubs the Syrian leader Animal Assad and warns of a big price to be paid.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

.to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

President Trumps attitude to Assad mirrors mine. The whole crew of animals from the Syrian, Russian, and Iranian regimes must be feeling immune from any meaningful reprisal.
In January 2005, I participated in a conference at Harvards Kennedy School on new media. A number of seminal internet figures were therethe founder of Wikipedia, a guy who was regarded as the original blogger, and others, along with some academics. The only old media person I recall being there was Jill Abramson of the New York Times, who seemed depressed.

At one point, another participant who was also a conservative took me aside and expressed concern about the fact that the infrastructure of the internet was controlled by leftists. Google, WikipediaI dont remember who else he had in mind; Facebook and Twitter were still in the future at that point. He was convinced that the Left would use its control over central internet resources to try to control political discourse. I recognized the danger but didnt know what we could do about it. In any event, the day that guy predicted is now at hand.

One could multiply examples endlessly, but here are a few:

* Facebook helped the Obama campaign in 2012, according to Obama For Americas media director, because they were on our side. They still are.

* Dennis Prager is suing YouTube (Google) for restricting or demonetizing more than 50 Prager University videos on the ground that are inappropriate for younger audiences. This is absurd; Prager University videos are among the highest-quality content on the web.

* The CEO of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, labeled a great read an article that calls for the utter destruction of conservatism. Meanwhile, Twitter has been credibly accused of countless instances of discrimination against conservatives, most recently shadow banning Ted Cruz, which means making his tweets invisible to most of his followers.

* Two African-American sisters from North Carolina who call themselves Diamond and Silk and are enthusiastic supporters of President Trump have been carrying on a lengthy battle with Facebook. They say that Facebook has systematically discriminated against them, demonetizing their content and ultimately making their posts mostly invisible:

Finally after several emails, chats, phone calls, appeals, beating around the bush, lies, and giving us the run around, Facebook gave us another bogus reason why Millions of people who have liked and/or followed our page no longer receive notification and why our page, post and video reach was reduced by a very large percentage. Here is the reply from Facebook. Thu, Apr 5, 2018 at 3:40 PM: The Policy team has came to the conclusion that your content and your brand has been determined unsafe to the community.

* Facebook has undertaken to stop the spread of false news and false narratives (!) in time for the midterm elections. They are doing this by empowering fact checkers who are almost monolithically liberal.

One could go on and on, but I dont think there is any serious doubt that much of the infrastructure of the internet is controlled by leftists, and they are putting their thumbs on the scale in favor of left-wing policies and candidates. The question is, what to do about it?

Conservatives could boycott Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, but that would bring about exactly the result that liberals wantan absence of conservative voices from the most-used modes of communication. Conservatives could try to start their own competing services, but network effects guarantee that such efforts would by difficult at best, and probably impossible. (Although Paul, in a different context, suggests something of the sort here.)

Some advocate antitrust action against Google, Facebook, and so on. But on what grounds? Monopolization, presumably, but the trouble with these companies is not that they have used improper means to gain or perpetuate market dominance, but rather that they are misusing their market dominance to further their collateral political goals. I am not aware that courts have recognized such a legal theory, and it is not obvious to me how it would fit within the framework of the Sherman Act or other antitrust statutes. But Glenn Reynolds, for one, has advocated breaking up companies like Facebook and Google.

Google, Twitter and Facebook are all publicly-traded companies, which could make them vulnerable to SEC investigation. Again, though, I dont know exactly what form that would take. Perhaps the FEC could look into whether these companies actions amount to illegal contributions to the Democratic Party and its candidates. At a minimum, activist shareholders could make life more difficult for corporate managements who, by driving away conservatives, are probably making their companies less profitable.

In the meantime, tedious though the task is, it makes sense to continue exposing the leftward bias of the internets key players.
The Government Accounting Office (GAO) has produced a study thats being touted as vindication of Obama administration policies on school discipline. The study finds that black students get suspended from school at nearly three times the rate of white students nationally.

The GAO acknowledges that disparities in student discipline. . .may support a finding of discrimination, but taken alone, do not establish whether unlawful discrimination has occurred. However, its difficult to read the Background portion of the report (e.g. pages 4-5) without concluding that the GAO tilts strongly towards the conclusion that the disparities it identifies are likely the result of discrimination.

Heather Mac Donald demonstrates that the GAO study does not remotely support such a conclusion. First, the GAO report ignores the critical question regarding disciplinary disparities: do black students in fact misbehave more than white students? If they do, then naturally they will be disciplined more.

Theres ample reason to believe that black students do, in fact, misbehave more in school than white and Asian students. As Mac Donald points out:

[B]lack male teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 commit homicide at nearly 10 times the rate of white male teenagers of the same age (the category white in this homicide data includes most Hispanics; if Hispanics were removed from the white category, the homicide disparity between blacks and whites would be much higher). . .Lesser types of juvenile crime also show large racial disparities. It is fanciful to think that the lack of socialization that produces such elevated rates of criminal violence would not also affect classroom behavior.

In addition:

U.S. Civil Rights Commissioner Gail Heriot shows in a forthcoming report [that] the rate of chronic truancy (defined as 18 or more unexcused absences) was five times higher for black elementary school students in California than for white students.

What underlies the lack of socialization that produces such pronounced differences in everything from black and white homicide rates to black and white truancy among males teenagers? The answer might very well lie in family structure. Yet, the GAO report makes no effort to control for family structure in looking at different discipline rates.

Second, though the GAO points to various studies that purport to show discriminatory attitudes (implicit bias) among teachers and staff, it ignores data on actual student behavior. Mac Donald directs our attention to some of that data:

The Justice and Education Departments recently released their annual report, Indicators of School Crime and Safety. Black students self-reported being in a physical fight at school at over twice the rate of white students in 2015a data point certainly relevant to the question of racial rates of school discipline. Schools that were 50 percent minority or more reported weekly gang activity at nearly ten times the rate of schools where minorities constituted 5 percent to 20 percent of the population. Reports of gang violence in schools with less than 5 percent minority populations were too low to be usable statistically. Widespread weekly disorder in classrooms was reported in schools with at least 50 percent minority populations at more than five times the rate as in schools with 5 percent to 20 percent minorities. More than four times as many high-minority schools reported weekly verbal abuse of teachers compared with schools with a less than 20 percent minority student body. Widespread disorder and teacher abuse at schools with less than 5 percent minority populations was again too low to be statistically reliable.

Given these facts, one need hardly resort to discrimination or implicit bias to explain racial disparities in discipline. Indeed, it would be astonishing if an unbiased disciplinary system did not produce significant racial disparities in suspension rates.

Third, the idea that teachers are biased against blacks seems implausible. In many school systems where disciplinary rates are high, the teachers are mostly black. Are they biased against blacks?

The notion that white teachers are biased also seems far-fetched. Mac Donald reminds us:

Teachers are among the most liberal professionals in the country. Education school is one long marinade in white-privilege theory. Yet were supposed to believe that once these social-justice warriors enter the classroom, they are unable to evaluate their black students fairly. Overcome by prejudice, they see disruption and defiance where none exists. The opposite hypothesis is more likely: teachers strive mightily to avoid removing black children from classrooms. They do so only after other means of discipline have been exhausted, and they do so in order to preserve the right of other students to learn in a safe and orderly environment and to instill a sense of consequences in students who break the rules.

The Department of Education is evaluating whether to rescind Obamas school discipline directives. The GAO study will be used to argue that the directives should remain in place. For the reasons Mac Donald presents (not all of which are covered in this post), the study provides no basis for a rescission and, indeed, has very little to teach us about the issue.
George Will argues in favor of broad restoration of felons right to vote. How broad he doesnt say, but his column effectively presents the case for a more expansive restoration than exists in many jurisdictions.

There are good arguments against moving in that direction, however. Roger Clegg presents them in a critique of Wills piece. This is an issue over which reasonable people can differ, but I think Clegg has the stronger case.

Will asks, What compelling government interest is served by felon disenfranchisement? Clegg responds: If youre not willing to follow the law, then you should not have a role in making the law for everyone else, which is what you do when you vote  either directly (in the case of a referendum or ballot initiative) or indirectly (by choosing lawmakers and law enforcers).

I would add that if you havent been willing to follow the laws that prohibit felonies, you stand a good chance of not following it in the future (nationally about a 50 percent chance according to Clegg). Therefore you should not have a role in making the criminal law  directly or indirectly.

Will says it is not a legitimate government objective for elected officials to fine-tune the quality of the electorate. Clegg counters that this is, in fact, a function of government  one that the Constitution implicitly acknowledges when it leaves the choice of deciding who votes to the states (with some specific prohibited qualifications, such as race and sex).

If the government did not fine-tune the quality of the electorate this would mean, as Clegg points out, that not only criminals but also children, non-citizens, and the mentally incompetent must be allowed to vote. In fact, he continues, we do have certain minimum, objective standards of responsibility and commitment to our laws that we require people to meet before they are given a role in the solemn enterprise of self-government.

If politicians dont impose and adjust them, then judges will. I prefer that politicians do it.

Will insists that we must facilitate[e] the re-entry into society of released prisoners who were not improved by the experience of incarceration. Clegg argues that it is precisely because such a high percentage of criminals who are released are so unimproved that. . .it makes sense to wait some period of time, as Florida [the focus of Wills article] does, to make sure that the felon really has turned over a new leaf:

After that period of time  how long would depend on the crime committed, whether there had been previous felonies, how long ago the crime or crimes were committed, and what the felon has done since being released  then the felon could have the right to vote restored. It should be rather like a naturalization ceremony, at a courthouse with friends and family present to celebrate, some official making a nice speech, American flags, and the felon raising his right hand.

This system would incentivize the reintegration of the felon into civil society. Automatic or easy re-enfranchisment would not. And, as Clegg concludes it would re-enfranchise thousands, maybe millions, of felons who have not changed their ways, so that people unwilling to follow the law would be involved with making the law for everyone else.
Polish President Andrzej Duda have extended his condolences to their German counterparts in connection with a tragic incident in the western German city of Muenster, in which two people were killed and 20 injured.

In a message to President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, President Duda extended condolences on behalf of the Polish people and himself. He wrote that he was united in grief with the families of the victims and wished a quick recovery to the injured.

On Saturday afternoon, a German man drove a van into a crowd of people in Muenster, killing two and injuring 20 before shooting himself dead inside the van.

The man ploughed the vehicle into people seated at tables outside of an eatery, a popular destination for tourists in the university city's old town. (PAP/MK)
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DrupalCon Nashville 2018 Agency Leaders Dinner

Axelerant CRO Michael Cannon along with Johanna Bergmann, CEO of amazee.io, and Ashleigh Thevenet, COO of Bluespark, will host an Agency Leaders Dinner on 04/11 in Nashville, Tennessee during DrupalCon 2018over 30 agency CXO's will be in attendance. Discussions will include the state of Drupal business, opportunities for partnership, and other agency success-driven topics. Tickets to the RSVP only event are sold out. Subsequent events are being planned for 2018.

For many agencies in Drupal, growth and talent sourcing has been a challenge. While Drupal agencies have done relatively well this past year, there are growing red ocean sentiments that are changing the way decision makers see the landscape. This is driving collaboration in Drupal at the business level, bringing agency peers together.

Agency Leaders Dinner events have been co-hosted in London, Auckland, Boston, Portland, and other locations around the world. The community is comprised mostly of C-Level peers who come together to build better partnerships and share successes and learnings. Conversations at Agency Leader events follow the Chatham House Rule.

For more information, contact Nathan Roach at nathan(at)axelerant.com.
ProKarma, a global IT solutions company, today announced its acquisition of PluralSoft, a Denver, Colorado-based leader in healthcare data analytics.

The acquisition further strengthens ProKarmas position as a market-leading analytics solutions provider with capabilities, expertise and resources that enable health care organizations to improve care and effectiveness. PluralSoft develops and delivers leading-edge healthcare data management, business intelligence and industry certified analytics to surface meaningful insights on clinical, operational and financial business performance.

The acquisition of PluralSoft allows us to continue to scale and deliver insights that enable healthcare providers to improve and transform to value-based reimbursement models, said Vijay Ijju, CTO, ProKarma. With broad healthcare expertise and a deep commitment to innovation, PluralSofts team understands how to empower users, from executives to front-line staff, to gain insights and take action to improve value of health care delivered by increasing quality, and reducing costs while managing risk and regulation compliance.

We are excited to join forces with ProKarma and integrate our unique capabilities in healthcare analytics, said Ham Pasupuleti, President, PluralSoft. This acquisition will enable us to give even greater access to solutions that support the evolving business intelligence and analytics needs of providers, payers, employers, government, health information exchanges and collaboratives (such as Accountable Care Organizations and Clinically Integrated Networks) in the new era of value-based care and reimbursement.

About ProKarma

ProKarma is an IT solutions company focused on helping businesses re-engineer themselves through powerful digital platforms, customer engagement and emerging technologies. It fuels its clients growth and efficiency through accelerating business activities, enhancing experiences and creating competitive advantages. ProKarma operates in 22 offices across the United States, India, and Argentina and has been ranked as the fastest-growing IT services company in America by Inc. 500. For more information, visit http://www.prokarma.com.
SW1 Clinic (SW1) is blazing a new trail for the aesthetics industry, with its collaborative model of beauty and medicine. Operating as a global wellness village, SW1 defies the conventions  and limitations  of the usual boutique or solo aesthetic practices. Consultations begin with access to a team of aesthetic doctors and plastic surgeons bringing together their collective expertise, an approach which gives patients full creative freedom to discover beauty treatments and services best suited to their needs  a first in Asia.

Founded by Dr Low who left The Sloane Clinic in 2017 to start SW1, SW1 is a sprawling 7,000 square-foot space centrally located at Paragon Medical Centre along Orchard Road, Singapore. Offering the best of both worlds, SW1 offers a comprehensive suite of services from aesthetic to cosmetic & reconstructive surgery. Boasting over 23 intelligently designed treatment rooms and a state-of-the-art MOH accredited day surgery centre, SW1 is the flagship of Singapore Medical Groups aesthetic arm.

Ageing Changes of the Eye area

Both intrinsic and extrinsic aging processes contribute to aesthetic changes. One area of concern has largely escaped attention due to the lack of effective yet safe technology --- the eye area. Advances in the understanding of skin biology in this area have led to the development of a number of technologies for rejuvenating the peri-orbital skin. To address the aesthetic issues of the peri-orbital region for patients who did not want to undergo more invasive therapies, SW1 Clinic launched a HIFU-based eye lifting facial called Golden Eye in December 2017. According to Dr Low Chai Ling, Golden Eye was incredibly well-received by patients. For patients who shun injections or surgery, Golden Eye is a comfortable option to address sagging of the skin in the eye area she said.

Golden Eye wins Best Firming Eye Treatment Award 2018

This month (April 2018), as a testament to their popularity, Golden Eye won the Womens Weekly award for Best Firming Eye treatment. We are happy to have received this award for Golden Eye treatment. It represents a validation of the efforts put in by the team who have come up with and designed this therapy with our patients interests in mind said Dr Low.

Utilizing the gold standard technology of Sygma Lifts patented HIFU, Golden Eye is designed to target the signs of ageing of peri-orbital skin as well as prevent future deterioration. Suited for tired, sagging eyes in need of a quick pick-me-up or for general upkeep of the eye area, Golden Eye is a 30-minute facial for the eye that will refresh, rejuvenate and revitalize the eye area, promoting fresher, younger-looking skin.

Recently, HIFU treatment has received proper medical attention as a 'high-tech' way to improve wrinkles and skin laxity(1,2,3). This technique combines direct ultrasound visualization of targeted tissue with the noninvasive delivery of focused ultrasound energy. Precise microcoagulation zones from the deep dermis to the superficial musculoaponeurotic system (SMAS) have been demonstrated. These zones cause gradual tightening of the skin through collagen contraction and remodeling(4).

Recent studies (2) reported clinical and histopathologic changes after HIFU treatment, and suggested that HIFU was a safe, effective, and noninvasive procedure that can be used to tighten the facial skin of Asian people.

A firm believer in preventive medicine, Dr Low feels that investing in one skin is as important as treating existing concerns. That is why Golden Eye treatments occupy a space that may offer patients the benefits of scientific aesthetic technology but with the comforts of a spa experience.

Golden Eye (30 min) is now available at SW1 Clinic at S$267.50. More information on Golden Eye can be found at http://www.SW1spa.com.

1. Alam M, White LE, Martin N, Witherspoon J, Yoo S, West DP. Ultrasound tightening of facial and neck skin: a raterblinded prospective cohort study. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2010;62:262269. [PubMed]

2. Suh DH, Shin MK, Lee SJ, Rho JH, Lee MH, Kim NI, et al. Intense focused ultrasound tightening in Asian skin: clinical and pathologic results. Dermatol Surg. 2011;37:15951602. [PubMed]

3. Chan NP, Shek SY, Yu CS, Ho SG, Yeung CK, Chan HH. Safety study of transcutaneous focused ultrasound for noninvasive skin tightening in Asians. Lasers Surg Med. 2011;43:366375. [PubMed]

4. Brobst RW, Ferguson M, Perkins SW. Ulthera: initial and six month results. Facial Plast Surg Clin North Am. 2012;20:163176. [PubMed]

About SW1 Clinic

Situated on level 13, in Orchard Paragon, SW1 Clinic is one of the largest aesthetic, plastic surgery and medical spa centers in Singapore, helmed by experienced doctors with a mission to empower the world one face at a time. The clinic believes the only limit is oneself and it seeks to empower individuals through a comprehensive range of aesthetic and cosmetic solutions delivered using cutting-edge technology under skilled, competent hands.

http://www.SW1clinic.com | http://www.SW1spa.com | http://www.SW1shop.com
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Dozens were brutally killed and hundreds more were injured from a suspected chemical attack in Syria on Saturday.

Estimates of the death toll range from about 40 to more than 150. At least 70 people "suffocated to death" and hundreds more were injured in Douma, a suburb of Damascus in the Eastern Ghouta area, the BBC and Al Jazeera reported, citing the White Helmets and other local rescue groups.

A pro-opposition group called the Ghouta Media Center said the attack was carried out by a helicopter, which dropped a barrel bomb containing sarin gas, the BBC reported.

"Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters," The US State Department said in a statement late Saturday night.

Several very graphic images and videos have been posted on social media showing dozens of dead civilians with white foam coming out of their noses and mouths.

A few videos show rooms full of dead women and children who had been hiding in basements from Russian and Syrian regime airstrikes. One disturbing video shows rescue workers aiding a young girl who is choking and screaming.

The "fatalities occurred not just underground, but above ground - suggesting potent chlorine (which sinks) is now a less likely culprit," Charles Lister, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, tweeted.

Related content

The US State Department said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime's "history of using chemical weapons against its own people is not in dispute," and referenced a sarin gas attack that Assad's forces conducted on April 4, 2017 in Khan Sheikhoun, which killed at least 70 people.

The Syrian regime has denied the accusations, blaming opposition rebels for that attack.

The attack in Douma on Saturday came one year after President Donald Trump responded to the sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun by firing 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syrian regime forces.

"The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," the State Department said. "Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syrias most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons. By shielding its ally Syria, Russia has breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor. It has betrayed the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2118."

Russia "refuted the information," dismissing the news, Reuters reported.

"Make no mistake, in addition to being yet another act of sheer brutality, this was undoubtedly intended - in part - as a test of Western resolve in Syria," Lister tweeted.

Syrian and Russian airstrikes in Eastern Ghouta have killed more than 1,600 civilians since February 18, according to AFP.

Trump tweeted about the attack Sunday morning:
After months of praise  calling him "smart", congratulating his reelection, floating forming a "Cyber Security unit"  President Donald Trump finally called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name on Twitter Sunday for the first time since taking office.

Trump placed part of the blame on Putin for the suspected chemical attack that killed at least 40 people in Douma, Syria on Saturday. Putin's government has backed Syrian government forces for years, while the US has sided with the opposition rebels.

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad," Trump tweeted, referring to Russia's support of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "Big price ... to pay."

Ian Bremmer, president of geopolitical-risk firm Eurasia Group, said that if the US can get confirmation that chemical weapons were indeed used, Trump will probably order a strike like he did in April 2017 after the US concluded Assad's regime was behind another chemical attack.

"I think he's probably going to engage in strikes against Syria," Bremmer told Business Insider on Sunday. "He's made very clear both then and now that he's not going to tolerate use of chemical weapons by Assad's regime."

"Trump was quick to call out Assad today, along with the Russian and Iranian governments, on Twitter. The question now is whether he will do anything about it," McCain said in a statement. "The President responded decisively when Assad used chemical weapons last year. He should do so again, and demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes."

A defining moment

Bremmer said Trump's "strange" unwillingness to criticize Putin, and Russia in general, finally changed on Sunday.

"None of us know why it is that Trump decided he was going to be so nice individually to Putin. It's not like he cares about being nice to people," Bremmer said. "Why was he being nice to Putin, and why is he suddenly shifting? Anyone that tells you they know the answer to that question is lying."

The Trump administration is already imposing sanctions on Russian oligarchs and entities, and has expelled dozens of Russian diplomats. Bremmer said the US could decide to impose harsher sanctions on the country, conduct cyber attacks, or even release embarrassing information on Putin.

Former President Barack Obama didn't escalate into this territory, Bremmer said, because Obama "recognized there was a potential for escalation that was quite dangerous."

Trump also criticized Obama in a follow-up tweet on Sunday, saying that his predecessor should have "Drawn A Red Line In The Sand."

"There's one thing we know is that Trump absolutely wants to show that he is the opposite of Obama," Bremmer said.

Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina said on ABC's "This Week" Sunday that Trump has the opportunity to "reset the table" in Syria, and suggested bombing Assad's air force and setting up so-called safe zones to achieve peace.

"If it becomes a tweet without meaning, then he has hurt himself in North Korea. If he doesn't follow through and live up to that tweet, he's going to look weak in the eyes of Russia and Iran," Graham said. "So this is a defining moment, Mr. President. You need to follow through with that tweet. Show a resolve that Obama never did to get this right."

What the international community plans to do about Assad

"One of the few things that Trump has done in foreign policy that really the international community widely supported was the strikes that he engaged in last April," Bremmer said.

The US, along with France, the UK and other nations called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting to be held on Monday "in reference to the horrible chemical weapons attack on innocent civilians in Syria," UN Ambassador Nikki Haley tweeted Sunday afternoon.

"This is becoming all too common," Haley wrote. "Strong action is needed."

The US could partner with France in the strike directly. Bremmer said French President Emmanuel Macron "recently put out his own red lines against Assad, saying that he would strike any base that lethal chemical attacks were launched from. He said he'd do it by himself."

Bremmer said "given that Macron and Trump have both made those statements, I think strikes against Assad do make sense," adding that the US would need to be careful not to hit Russian forces.

One potential downside is that Russia could execute more cyber attacks in response, Bremmer said, which could further deteriorate relations between the US and Russia.
Cecile Richards has never shied away from controversy. Back in seventh grade, she got sent to the principal's office for protesting the Vietnam War. More recently, as president of Planned Parenthood, she defended the organization in a heated 2015 congressional hearing.

For Richards, it's all worth it to be able to do the work she loves.

"You can go a lot of places or make a lot of money, but there's nothing quite like having a job where people actually say to you, 'Thanks for making my life better,'" she told us on an episode of Business Insider's podcast "Success! How I Did It."

Richards' parents were liberal activists in the conservative state of Texas  a state that Richards' mother, Governor Ann Richards, led in the early 1990s.

It was Ann who inspired her to take the job as Planned Parenthood president in 2006, a job she's leaving this year.

Planned Parenthood is a healthcare provider that's partially funded by the government. It offers a long list of services, including cancer screenings and STI treatment. It also provides abortions and birth control, which has made it one of the most controversial institutions in the US.

She has a new memoir called "Make Trouble." I started our conversation by asking her where the title came from.

Subscribe to "Success! How I Did It" on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. Check out previous episodes with:

Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud

Edible Arrangements founder and CEO Tariq Farid

Astronaut Scott Kelly

Flatiron Health founder and CEO Nat Turner

The following transcript has been edited for clarity.

Cecile Richards: Well I think it's because, I think trouble-making has actually led to a lot of the progress we've made in this country. You know, I think about even a hundred years ago, when Planned Parenthood started, women couldn't even vote, right? We didn't have the right to anything. And it really was because people made trouble and women went to jail and they challenged the laws and defied convention that women made progress. And so, I think it's as my friend Congressman John Lewis would say, it's about making good trouble. And I think when you do, and really stand up for things you believe, that's how we make progress.

Richard Feloni: Yeah, and you've never been afraid to be polarizing. Like, for example, feminist icon Gloria Steinem, she's called you, quote, "the best teacher on Earth  someone you trust." Then you have the National Review's editor, Rich Lowry, saying "a skilled defender of the indefensible." How have you dealt with such extreme perceptions of yourself?

Richards: Well, I think if you meet me, that's not really what I'm like and I'm like everyone else. I mean, I don't want to intentionally cause trouble  I really just want to make sure that we stand up for the values that we believe in.

And I've had really good fortune. I've led a very privileged life. You know, I've gotten to choose the work I do and I hope every job I've had has been a little bit about trying to push the ball forward, particularly for folks who may not have the same opportunities that I've had. Sometimes that's women, sometimes that's working people, sometimes that's immigrants. And, as my mom said, you can go a lot of places, you can be successful or make a lot of money, but there's nothing quite like having a job where people actually say to you, "Thanks for making my life better." And I've been real privileged to do that.

Feloni: So is that what drives you? Hearing from those people?

Richards: Well it really does, I think, in the sense of, like, why are we on this Earth? And, you know, I've worked with a lot of people who didn't have any choice in what they did. I worked with women who were nurses and workers, women who worked in hotels, janitors who basically cleaned buildings, worked two jobs just to support their family. And, it really taught me a lot about how much opportunity I had to do anything I wanted to with my life. And so, when you do have that chance, I think it's on all of us to make the decisions about how we want to use our time on this Earth.

Feloni: Yeah. So it's like a really fundamental drive, like, what are we even here for? Let's do something about it.

Richards: Yeah and, you know, it's funny when I started my first nonprofit, this little dinky nonprofit in Texas, and I had no idea what I was doing, but I just 

Feloni: When was that?

Richards: Oh, my God, that was years ago, although it's now been operating for decades. So, it was right after my mom lost her re-election. And I just felt like, wow, someone needed to do something about public education and standing up for some basic civil liberties. I really didn't know what I was doing, but I did it anyway.

And, it was funny, during the time older men would come and say, "Can I just come volunteer with you guys?" Because, I think they were at a point in their life where they thought, "Wow what is it all about?"

And so I've always kind of tried to keep that in mind. This is the only life you have, so you've got to make the most of it.

Growing up the daughter of Governor Ann Richards

Feloni: And did you have this, like this kind of streak in you, when you were a kid?

Richards: Well my parents, of course, were complete troublemakers. We lived in Dallas, Texas, and it was pretty conservative and my parents were very liberal. My dad was a civil rights lawyer and he was actually defending conscientious objectors to the Vietnam War. My mother, she was just a rabble-rouser. I mean, she was a housewife but she was fighting for the farm workers and she was, when the women's movement came to town, she just jumped head first. And, so I think as a kid, and I have siblings, all of just saw our parents and saw politics as  it wasn't drudgery or it wasn't dirty; it was actually where all the action was. And so I think it was logical that I chose this path.

Feloni: Yeah, and even like, as you were saying, growing up in Dallas, controversy wasn't a problem. It was something you were comfortable with, right?

Richards: Well, it was something you had to do. I mean, again, that was a time in which everything was segregated. The schools were segregated. The pools were segregated. I mean, people of color in Dallas had very few options. And, I know, we've made progress, but not enough. And women  I mean, none of the women and none of the moms I knew had the chance to work outside the home. So there's just a lot of things where people had to really fight to say, "You know what? We need more opportunity." And, of course, my mom began to take her own path, and finally kinda left that life as a housewife, which was rewarding but not enough for her. And eventually ran for office herself.

Feloni: Yeah, so your mom, governor Ann Richards, served as governor from '91 to '95. And, when you got to see this transformation throughout your childhood of her ascent through politics, what was that like, even when you started to join her as a kid with this activism?

Richards: Well, it was kind of amazing and I think, one of the things I learned from it is that no one ever thought she could do what she thought she could do. I mean, there would never have been a woman elected in her own right in Texas as governor. And my mother was like completely the wrong profile. I mean she was a liberal, she was divorced, she was a recovering alcoholic and we never had a poll showing that she could win. And the fact is, she just did it anyway because she thought it needed doing.

And I think like a lot of women who run for office or maybe get into business, they look at who's in the job and think, "Well, I think I can do a better job." And that really was what motivated her. And, of course, we did win that election and what we're seeing today is women winning elections that no one thinks they can win. So I think it's a lesson for us to, you know  don't ever let your practicality step on your idealism, or what you really think you need to do and want to do. Because that's the only way things happen.

Figuring out who she wanted to be

Feloni: And even before that, when you were a teenager, for example, were you like joining her in her political activism?

Richards: Well, you know what, it's interesting, I went away to college. I kind of escaped Texas. I never lived outside of the state and I went pretty much as far as you can go. I went to Rhode Island and 

Feloni: To Brown?

Richards: To Brown, and that was the first time my mother had run for anything. She was running for county commissioner. And so it was all very different. And then, of course, whenever she ran for something else we'd all come home and help her out. And so it was really very late, you know, in my life, that she became this feminist icon. Before she had just been Mom. I think it's another lesson that I hope that she showed and that women are seeing, which is it's never too late to have a great life or to do what you're destined to do.

Feloni: Yeah. And when you were at Brown, sophomore year, you dropped out actually, right?

Richards: I did, yeah.

Feloni: Why'd you make that decision?

Richards: There was a labor strike, actually. The janitors at Brown went on strike and I had never been involved in anything like that but I got very deeply involved, because my own janitor, who had been cleaning our dormitory, was now out on the picket line and I was somewhat disillusioned. I thought, "Wow, are these the values of my university?" I think I probably just needed to get out and get my head clear.

So I went to Washington and worked for a nonprofit. And then I eventually came back to Brown, and made a lot of trouble, but also got my degree. But it was a really great education. I think it was, for me, a lot of the education we get in life is not necessarily what is being taught in the classroom, it's the experiences we get outside of that and that was absolutely true at Brown.

Feloni: What was it like returning to Brown? How was it different after you had this experience?

Richards: I think one is I just had the confidence to question authority and stand up for the things I believed in. I got very involved in the divestment movement. It seems like ancient history now  but it's relevant because of what young people are doing on campus now  but one of the international movements to support folks in South Africa that were trying to overthrow the apartheid government, or at least change and have a democracy, was to get universities to divest their holdings in South Africa. And believe me, at the time people said students were crazy, it would never happen, it was disruptive, you know, fill in the blank. And we did it anyway. And it was really a great experience. I learned so much. I learned a lot about Africa, I learned a lot about organizing, and, eventually, Brown did divest and then several universities divested. I've learned, as others have, just how critical that global movement was. And years later, in an interesting twist of fate, they gave Nelson Mandela an honorary degree at Brown.

Feloni: When do you think you first realized that you have to not let things get you down, that you have to take a long-term perspective?

Richards: Well, probably, an unsuccessful thing I did at Brown, I was involved in the anti-nuclear movement to try to keep the Seabrook nuclear plant from being built and I think it's now been operating for decades. So sometimes you just lose and you just have to keep going on.

When I left Brown  probably an unlikely path for a Brown graduate  I became a union organizer. I worked for garment workers in the southern United States and in Texas and along the Rio Grande border. And I realized this was going to be a long haul. These are women who had been working at minimum wage for decades, you know. And, to make a change in their life was going to take a long, long time. It helped me be a tad more patient than I was in college, realizing that this is work that you have to be committed to for your life, and so I have been.

Fighting for Planned Parenthood

Feloni: When you were offered the role at Planned Parenthood in 2006, you called your mom for some advice. What was that call like?

Richards: Well the truth was  and I think this is relevant for women who are trying to think about what to do next  I didn't think I was skilled enough to take the job. I mean, I had run smaller nonprofits, but I had never raised that much money, been responsible for a huge national organization with this almost hundred-year history, and so I was afraid of failing. And so I called my mom and she said, you know, "Get over yourself. You never know unless you try and the things you really regret in life are the chances that you didn't take." And so I went for the job interview. And then, lo and behold, you know 12 years later I've had the honor or being the president of Planned Parenthood and really having a window into some of the most important work happening for women in the country.

Feloni: I'm sure that she was always a go-to person for advice, right?

Richards: Well, and she had a lot of advice. Yes.

Feloni: Even if you didn't want it.

Richards: That was something everyone would agree on! Yes.

Feloni: What do you think maybe is the single best piece of advice that she gave you in your life?

Richards: She spent a lot of years just doing what society expected her. She was just to raise kids, be a perfect wife, throw the perfect dinner party, and she did that for several years. And it wasn't until she had the chance to break out and do what she wanted to do for her  I think she was always regretful that she, you know, missed some time. You know, she let social convention get in the way. So her best advice was, "This is the only life you have, so do it." And whatever it is, never turn down a new opportunity. And, you know, she used to say when I was worried about taking a new job  or to other women who would say, "You know, I'm not sure if I'm qualified"  she said, "Look. What's the worst thing that could happen?" And I think that's really good advice when you're thinking about starting a new business or changing jobs. It's just, "what's the worst thing that can happen," because usually, once you can imagine that, it's not that bad.

Feloni: And so what ultimately drew you to the Planned Parenthood job?

Richards: Well, like a lot of women  like one in five women in the country  I had been a Planned Parenthood patient. When I was at Brown, that's where I got my birth control. And so I knew about the organization, had been a supporter, and, to me, it was one of the most important organizations in the country in terms of helping women live out their lives and have opportunity to finish school, and start a career, and support a family. So, to me, there was no question that if this was something I could do, it would be such an honor. And the job has been big and challenging, but I never even imagined how great it would be. So I'm so glad that I did go for that interview and, obviously, glad they chose me.

Feloni: And you were tasked with kind of making it more political, right? Bringing it back to its activist roots in a sense?

Richards: Well, I think one of the challenges that Planned Parenthood had was we were an excellent healthcare provider. We provide healthcare to about 2.5 million people every year, but politics was getting in the way. More and more laws were being passed, and restrictions, and so I think it was not necessarily to be more political, but just to really rebuild our movement roots.

But then there were other things that we figured out, too, like we needed to use technology more and invest in new ways of getting care to people  which I'm proud to say we really have done. And investing in young people. Investing in a whole new generation of young people as patients, because they want different things than young people when Planned Parenthood was started, or even when I went to college at Brown. So that has been part of the exciting thing, is just thinking about healthcare delivery in a new way, as well as bringing in another generation of activists.

Feloni: And what was the biggest challenge that you faced as the head of it?

Richards: The biggest challenge is the disruption in the healthcare world. And we specialize in serving folks that don't have a lot of options, often. Sometimes they're uninsured, they're younger, they may be more mobile. And the healthcare system hasn't always been an easy place to navigate, and so one of the most exciting things was the fight for the Affordable Care Act. Because we made a lot of progress and that has fundamentally changed life not only for women that come to Planned Parenthood but millions of others.

You know, the most successful moment I think of my life was the day that President Obama called me, and said he was about to announce that now all women that get insurance would get birth control covered at no cost. That has been revolutionary for women. And we're now at like a 30-year low for unintended pregnancy in this country and I'm really really proud of that.

Feloni: Can you tell me a little bit more about what that fight was like?

Richards: Yeah, I think it was a good lesson in that sometimes you have to fight with your friends, not just people who are your opponents, because getting this done was a big lift 

Feloni: Within the Democratic Party?

Richards: Yeah, within Congress, within the White House. We really did have to mobilize young people on college campuses  dressed up in giant pill packs, go to Congress, write to the White House, and so it did take a lot. And, you may even remember, there was a moment in which Congress was holding a hearing about whether birth control should be covered where they refused to let a Georgetown law student testify because they said they needed experts. And when we saw the panel of experts there was one thing they had in common: They never used birth control because they were all men.

So we really had some pretty big obstacles, but I think the exciting thing is now, and, of course, unfortunately this administration is trying to unravel this birth control benefit, but once you win something that big, it's much harder to take it away. Women in this country are very aware of what that means for them. They'll be able to have that economic freedom and access to care.

Feloni: So are you worried about the future of Planned Parenthood and any of the accomplishments that you made with it?

Richards: Well, nothing's ever finished, so we always have more progress to make. But one of the reasons I felt like I could leave after 12 years is the organization is as strong as it's ever been. We have more than 11 million supporters, we're delivering healthcare all across the country, we're delivering healthcare in some states online. Birth control is getting better. I feel really hopeful. And, most importantly, we have a generation of young people who are their own advocates, and, you marry that with the excellent healthcare we provide  I feel good about the future, even though I'm sure there are going to be battles ahead.

Feloni: Yeah and you explained in the book this meeting that you had with Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump where they invited you to talk. What was that about? That was shortly after Trump's inauguration.

Richards: Basically, they wanted to meet about Planned Parenthood because I think they knew this was going to be  Paul Ryan had already declared they were going to defund Planned Parenthood. And so, even though I was, frankly, a little anxious about having that meeting, because I didn't know what to expect, I felt like I owed it to our patients to try. But, in the end, I really believe, certainly, what Jared Kushner expressed was that he wanted us to quit providing abortion services to women in this country in exchange for keeping our public funding. And I just said we really stand for the right of women to get the reproductive healthcare they need and that's a legal service, and that it's really important that women can get it and we're not going to trade that off for money.

So, it didn't go that well, but at the end of the day we were able to mount a campaign with hundreds of thousands of people around the country that supported Planned Parenthood and were able to keep our public funding, and I hope we continue to do so. Because it makes a big difference. A lot of women have come to us. We're their only healthcare provider.

Feloni: Yeah. So when you were having that conversation, what was going through your head when this proposal was made?

Richards: I thought this was my chance to educate the two of them about who we see, what we do, and of course reeducate them if they needed to know that federal funding doesn't go to abortion services so, in fact, the money that they were talking about cutting off from Planned Parenthood provides access to breast cancer screenings and birth control and STI testing and treatment. And, again, for a lot of the women and young people that come to us, there's no one else in town to do that work. So even though they understood that, I felt like they were trying to make a political deal and that's just not who we are at Planned Parenthood.

Feloni: Was this an example of how you have always had to kind of balance politics with your personal ideals, as well as leading an organization?

Richards: Well, you know, it's interesting, because I have been through congressional hearings. I've done a lot of other things in this 12 years at Planned Parenthood. I think the things that's important to me is that we always keep women at the center of everything we do, decisions we make and positions we take. And so for me it isn't hard. It's not a political game. It's actually about women whose health and sometimes lives are at stake. And I think if we can continue to lift up their stories and create more empathy in this country for what women need, which is basically access to affordable healthcare no matter where they live, no matter their immigration status, their geography, their income, then we'll have done the right thing. So I just try to keep that in mind.

Feloni: When did you decide that you were going to step down from Planned Parenthood?

Richards: Well, after we beat back this effort to defund Planned Parenthood, I felt like we sort of got  and that was with the help of two really important Republican senators, Susan Collins from Maine and Lisa Murkowski from Alaska. They are national heroines to me in terms of really standing up for women in their caucus. But once that happened, I had really made a commitment to invest in a new generation of leaders, and even though it's really hard to leave an organization that you love, I think it's important to demonstrate sometimes that you can step aside and let someone else take the reins and so we'll have a really smooth transition at Planned Parenthood. A lot of women are interested, and probably some men are interested in this job, and that's great and I will tell them I'll be cheering on the sidelines every step of the way for what they do next.

Feloni: So what's next for you?

Richards: I don't know, and that's kind of exciting, too. I've been a little bit of an entrepreneur in the past. I've started nonprofits and I've been always involved in movements. There's a lot of work that needs to be done in this country. And one of the things I'm most focused on right now is making sure that every single person is registered to vote and that they vote this November. I really think we need to restore democracy in the sense of having people not only have the right to vote, but then exercising that right. And I think if we do, we can change the direction of some of the areas that I'm concerned about.

Feloni: Are you going to run for office at some point?

Richards: It's not really in my plan, but you never want to say never! That's one thing my mother told me, right? Never turn down a new opportunity. But, I am excited about all of the women running for office  twice as many women running for Congress as two years ago, up and down the ticket. I mean there's all kinds of women running and so I'd love to do everything I can to help them, support them, and again just change the face of who's in office a bit.

What shes learned

Feloni: So throughout your career, whether you were with unions, or even with the Democratic Party, or with Planned Parenthood, you've gravitated towards jobs that have had lots of intense opposition, sometimes even violent threats. Do you seek out jobs that have that type of thing?

Richards: You think I'm just like a magnet for controversy?

Feloni: Well, yeah  there's a struggle involved.

Richards: Well, I guess, I think that you really should stand up. I believe, if you can, if you have the privilege that I have, you should really stand up for the things that you believe in and fight hard for hard stuff. I think if it's easy, someone else has probably already done it. And so, it's not that I'm a glutton for controversy, but I do think when it comes to LGBTQ rights, when it comes to women's rights, when it comes to the right of everyone to have equal pay and a fair chance, those are hard fights. And I know we've learned people don't give up power without a fight.

If I think about all the time I've spent in Congress fighting for women's access to affordable healthcare and just access to be able to make their own decisions about their healthcare, I feel like I'd love to be still alive to see the day when half of Congress can get pregnant, and then I think we'd finally quit fighting about birth control and reproductive healthcare. So that may be inciting controversy, but I think it really more is just hoping for a world that can be a little bit better than it is now.

Feloni: It's like these are fights worth having, you're not seeking out opposition.

Richards: Yeah, definitely not seeking trouble just for the sake of it. And again, I think some of the most important things that we've been able to do at Planned Parenthood have been to just continue to push the envelope. Not sit back and rest on our laurels and say, "Well, it's good that birth control is legal." It doesn't matter if it's legal if not everyone can get it. And again, I think we're making huge progress, and we're at a record low for teenage pregnancy in the US  that's something I'm very proud of  but I will also say it's not equal, that rates of teenage pregnancy are still too high among young women who have low incomes, young women of color, young women in the southern United States, and so there's just work left to do.

Feloni: What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a career like yours?

Richards: If you're really young and just getting started, sometimes it's hard to get into big nonprofits. I think volunteering, finding a cause you care about  one of my first jobs, I remember I volunteered for someone running for city council in Austin and like two days later I was in charge of the phone bank. They were just so excited to have a volunteer and I learned a ton of skills that way. So I think it is important sometimes to just get on a board of an organization that you care about. Throw a fundraiser for them. Those are the kinds of things that help you begin to know if this is the organization that you want to be with either as a job or just as something you do in your volunteer time. But there are so many opportunities now and I think there's never been, frankly, a better time to be a volunteer and to stand up for something that you really, really do care about.

Feloni: And when you've been part of all of these different organizations, what would you say is the common thread among all of them?

Richards: I think it's to try to get people just a better shake and really I hope, whether it's economic activity, whether it's women having equal chance, we're doing better but we're still not doing near enough. And one of the things I learned from this, being at Planned Parenthood all these years, is just literally the difference it can make, the fork in the road that someone can be in. And whether they can't get a breast cancer screening, or they did and Planned Parenthood was able to actually get them the treatment that saved their life, or what it means for a young woman to be able to get affordable healthcare and get birth control that gets her through college, that can mean the difference about what her opportunities are. And so getting to be part of a movement like that is unbelievably rewarding. I realize it's a huge privilege. And so I always feel like every day I need to pay back it some way.

Feloni: Was there ever a moment in your life where you questioned this burden that you had?

Richards: Well it's never really felt like a burden. But I've never tried to take a straight job, that's true.

I had the good fortune when I was young to meet Kirk, my husband, who was also an organizer. Finding someone that actually has the same ideas and dreams and idealism that you do makes it a lot easier. It was easier to have three kids and raise them with someone who understood that sometimes I needed to be off on a picket line or had to be traveling and doing this. Wwe both tried to balance that. But it's meant building a life that really has had great meaning for us and now, of course, all three of our kids, I think they're all activists in their own right. And that's the best reward for any parent.

Feloni: It's like the family business.

Richards: Well, except it's not a business so much, but yeah.

Feloni: I know, of course.

Richards: But it is. It's a family passion. It's a family passion and look, I'll say there have been some great moments with my kids, but nothing better than all five of us being at the inauguration of Barack Obama as president of the United States because all of them had had a role in that. Even though the twins weren't even old enough to vote, they volunteered, they door-knocked, and it felt like a huge accomplishment.

Feloni: When you're looking at the entirety of your career so far, what do you think would be a big time you failed and it taught you something?

Richards: There's been so many. One was I went to work on Capitol Hill, and actually it was a great job.

Feloni: When was this?

Richards: We had moved to Washington and I can't even remember the year, but actually it was when Nancy Pelosi first became the Democratic Whip. She was the highest-ranking woman ever in Congress. And I'd never worked on Capitol Hill. I had no idea how things worked there, but I spent about a year and a half on the Hill and then left to start a new nonprofit. But it was one of these things where even though I always felt like a failure because there were people there who knew everything about every rule and how Congress worked and all this  I don't feel like I was successful  I learned so much from Nancy Pelosi and from the people who had built their entire career working in government. So even though I realized it wasn't the job for me, I wouldn't trade that experience for anything.

And I think that's also one of the things to learn, is that you can try something and it's OK to say it didn't work out. But you almost get something from every single job or new adventure that you take, even if it doesn't work out in the long run. And Nancy Pelosi is still a really good friend and we worked together on passing the Affordable Care Act and a lot of other things, so those relationships have become some of the most important in my life.

Feloni: And what did that experience teach you specifically going forward?

Richards: Well, one was that I wasn't cut out to work in government. I was impatient and I really wanted to be out making things happen, and right then it was really, really difficult. But it reminded me of a lesson that I feel like I've learned and had to relearn, which is any time you can take a job with someone who can teach you something, go for it. And again, I learned a lot from Nancy, I learned a lot from the people on the Hill, and so just soaking that up, it was like taking a graduate course on Capitol Hill.

I advise young women in particular to always look for someone who can be a mentor to you or who can teach you about something that you don't know about. Because you never know when that's going to come in handy.

Feloni: Well, thank you so much, Cecile.
The West Africa Senior School Certificate Exam, WASSCE for final year students in the various Senior High Schools (SHS) is ongoing and we are very sure the schools below will blow the papers.

The expectations and hopes of both students and parents are high during this period. For most students, this is the time to prove that their stay in SHS was never a waste of resources.

Truth is, the grades of most SHS students, ten times out of nine depends greatly on the schools they attend.

Products of A-listed schools mostly to record higher pass marks as compared to students of B or C class schools.

However, that is not the case for students of some schools. The low quality of education in some schools leads to the failure of students.

Pulse.com.gh brings you 10 schools we know will surely excel in the WASSCE

1.PRESEC Legon

The Presbyterian Boys Senior High School (PRESEC Legon) is expected to perform well again like they always do in previous years exams.

2. Wesley Girls

The school is named as one of the best in the country with remarkable passes in the WASSCE.

2016 saw three of their students sweep the WAEC awards, including the flagship best student in West Africa.

3. St. Peters

St. Peters Senior High School is undoubtedly one of the best schools if not the best in the country. It also tops as the best performing Catholic schools. Students of the school are once again expected to take their place among the highest performers in the WASSCE like they always do.

4.Prempeh College

The Oseikrom gentlemen who took the trophy for the National Science And Maths Quiz is definitely going to excel in this years WASSCE.

Prempeh is mostly ranked in the top 10 when it comes to student performances in the WASSCE.

5. Achimota SHS

The Achimota Senior High School is one of the highly reputed senior high schools in the country.

In 2016 WASSCE, they recorded a 100% pass, which had most of the students getting ones in all subjects. We are pretty sure the Achimotans will do well once again.

6. Adisadel College

Adisadel College has made a name for itself as a top-notch Senior High school here in Ghana with the history of remarkable WASSCE results. It is one of the best secondary schools in Ghana.

READ ALSO:

7. St. Marys

The girl school has an impressive record in the WASSCE and should once again be able to produce the goods.

8.Mfantsipim Mfantsipim Senior High

The school is one of the schools that should be looked out for in the 2018 WASSCE exams. The school would definitely be among the best performers this year too.

9. Opoku Ware Senior High

The school is counted amongst the best school in the Ashanti region, and in Ghana as a whole. The school will not disappoint in this years WASSCE that we know for sure due to their past records.

10. Aburi Girls Senior High School
The deadly accident occurred on Saturday at Newmont Ghanas Ahafo Mill Expansion project, a statement confirming the accident from the mining company said.

Newmont said it has suspended operations, adding that the police and the appropriate regulatory institutions have been notified.

The entire Newmont family is devastated by this tragic accident and our priority is to provide support to the families, friends and co-workers of the deceased, the Regional Senior Vice President of Newmonts Africa Operations Alwyn Pretorius said in a statement.

It said: "All other employees working in the area have been safely relocated and the scene of the accident has been secured.
READ MORE: undefined

Speaking on Accra-based Oman FM last Thursday, the firebrand politicians alleged that the 'shady' transaction took place after Mr Mahama lost the 2016 polls.

He disclosed that when Mr Agyekum, who he says is Mrs Mahama's surrogate, went to withdraw the money, he uncounted some challenges.

As a result, he noted, Mr Agyekum got angry and created a scene at the bank.

The Assin South MP said he has reported the issue to the National Security Minister, Kan Dapaah.

He also claimed to have in his possession emails of the financial transaction as well as correspondence between Mrs Mahama and Mr Agyekum.

He said: I have all the emails of the transaction. I will deal with them. Whoever they are. This Bank, (he pointed to the document) Lordina, she and my in-law Agyekum I and his cousin have two children. Deputy Minister.. thats where they were keeping the money.

"Yes. Deputy Minister local government. Yes. They give the money to the guys to do trading for them. When they (NDC) lost and they went to the guy at the bank to collect their money, there were issues on the money. Agyekum was standing there openly making noise. He wasnt shy. Yes at the Bank. I have the documents here.We have done investigations and we still sit down for NDC to make noise. I dont understand., he said.

READ MORE: Mahama comes under fire over 'Obinim sticker' commentsOn the Fortiz, they all went to Prempeh College. They are cronies from Prempeh College, I will expose them. They are both NPP and NDC
READ MORE: Mahama suggests NDC has lost trust of voters

His call follows the barrage of criticism they often direct towards the founder of the party, who they accused of flirting with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and making statements the brings the image of the NDC's into disrepute.

He was speaking at the party's unity walk in Wa in the Upper West Region on Saturday.

I want to talk about our Founder," he said.

"You might not like something he says or an action he is taking. You might disagree with his views but do not insult his person, he added.

Weeks ago, Mahama's running mate in the 2016 election and former Vice President Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur rejected claims the tough talking Rawlings has been soft on the NPP and President Akufo-Addo.

He said: I dont know what this thing about romancing is. When he attends the State of the Nation, people say that he is romancing the NPP. I say that he is a former President of the Republic. We paid him as President for eight years. It means that we have taken his life like ours and for the next 20, 30 years, as long as he lives, he is our property, and he should participate in all those things.
"A president who may need an Obinim's sticker is still 100% more competent than an odwan funu (Dead Goat), Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei posted on her Facebook wall.

The incompetence is so bad the President and his government need an Obinim Sticker. If it really works, they may need an Obinim sticker, Mr Mahama said.

The sticker, which is said to be working miracles, has lit social media after several church members of the International Godsway Church gave testimonies.

The sticker has the image of the head pastor and founder of the church, Bishop Daniel Obinim, embossed on it.

Nana Ama Dokua in her Facebook post described Mr Mahama as "Ghana's worst ever president" while listing series of scandals involving the former president.

She said: "2012 presidential election malpractices in Ghana you were the suspect and beneficiary.

"2017 presidential elections in Kenya you went as an observer.... worst observer ever

"2018 presidential elections in Sierra Leone you went as an observer.... once again, most incompetent observer in the history of Africa.

"An ex-president who cant monitor elections.... is that one too an expresident?
The latest arrest brings the total number of suspects in the custody of the police to three (3).

Police will arraigned the three suspects before the court on Tuesday, the Director-General of Public Affairs at the Ghana Police Service, ACP David Eklu, has said.

He also disclosed to Accra-based Citi FM that the police are hunting for more suspects and will be made to face the full rigours of the law once they are arrested.

ACP David Eklu said: They are in custody, and they will be appearing before the court on Tuesday. Eyewitness have indicated that there were more than ten people involved in that attack on the patrol team before they went on to attack the house.
Brassner -- a Trump Tower resident identified by US media as an art dealer -- was pronounced dead after being taken to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, according to police, which said the medical examiner's office would determine the cause of death as part of an ongoing investigation.

"This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke," the New York City Fire Department said.

It said the four firefighters had "non-life threatening" injuries and the blaze had been brought under control.

Smoke began rising from the skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan around 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).

The building, which is owned by US President Donald Trump, serves as the headquarters for The Trump Organization and houses the president's penthouse. Surrounding streets were closed off as tourists snapped pictures on their phones.

The fire department earlier tweeted a picture of the building with several windows of the 50th floor ablaze.

Trump later said the fire had been extinguished.
We have been very insular in that we have not looked beyond the boundaries of Edinboro, the college president told a group of staff and students who had gathered at a meeting in this town tucked away in Northwestern Pennsylvania to hear the details of the colleges strategic plan. When were judged against our peers, its a punch in the eye for us.

While it was difficult for many in the room to hear, it was a reality years in the making for Edinboro, a four-year public university with an enrollment of about 6,000 students that is part of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. In the past decade, enrollment has plummeted, faculty salaries have caused expenses to skyrocket, and completion rates have dissipated.

No longer is the schools most promising pipeline the average teenager going to college for the first time. More likely, it is the adult who may need to go back for a second or third. After 160 years as an anchor of rural Pennsylvania, the university is becoming obsolete.

Theres a reckoning that has to come, Walker said in an interview in early March.

For Walker, the reckoning came just a few weeks later. He resigned March 27 after he enraged faculty and students with comments he made about his reform tactics to the The Chronicle of Higher Education.

It is one of the most striking, but not unusual, signs of tumult gripping higher education institutions across the nation as they look for ways to thrive in the next century. Amid a growing disillusionment with higher education, thousands of institutions, including Edinboro, are seeking ways to adapt to a rapidly changing landscape that has been destabilized by skeptics, an impatient workforce and a fierce conservative populace streak.

For colleges, that means re-examining centuries worth of practice. At Edinboro, that means gone are the days of educating for educations sake.

Edinboros provost, Michael J. Hannan, who started as an assistant professor at the university 30 years ago, will lead the school on an interim basis, and he has signaled that he plans to follow the course set by Walker. I have every confidence that we will address our present challenges, guided by our values and an unwavering commitment to our students, Hannan wrote in a statement to the school community following Walkers resignation.

Hannan said the university had been ignoring signs for at least a decade when, even amid a demographic downturn, it was building new dormitories instead of bracing for the market changes. Unfortunately, in our case, there was no concerted, strategic effort, and were trying to change that at this point, he said in an interview as provost. I dont know if we thought wed be the exception.

A Changing Landscape

In Washington, congressional Republicans have set their sights on the Higher Education Act  the law governing the nations roughly 4,000 colleges and universities  to dismantle what they see as bloated, liberal-leaning bureaucracies that have left 6 million unfilled jobs and more than $1 trillion in student debt. Elite institutions like the Ivy Leagues have already experienced the effects of the backlash, after they were targeted with an endowment tax in a sweeping Republican tax bill passed by Congress in December. President Donald Trump has even called for vocational schools to replace community colleges.

The efforts are driven in part by a 20-point divide between Democrats and Republicans in their confidence in colleges, shown in the most recent Gallup Poll that assesses attitudes in the country toward higher education. The results are clear: No longer is a college degree the crucible it once was.

Too many Americans, particularly working-class Americans, are not sure that the return on investment is as high as it could be anymore, said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of government and public affairs at the American Council on Education. And thats where we have to do a better job.

Among both political parties, the chief reasons for losing faith in higher education are a cause for concern. Democrats cite colleges rising costs while Republicans, 58 percent of whom said that college has had a negative impact on society, think colleges are too ideological.

The effect of this divide on views of higher education  a pivotal element of the American dream for so many  raises questions about the future of higher education in this country, a Gallup analysis said.

That is particularly true for universities like Edinboro, which have thrived on their ability to convince white, working-class families that their limited resources were well spent sending their teenagers to be shaped into the next generation of great thinkers. Now, with shifting demands, Edinboro and other universities are looking at eliminating several programs that have traditionally carried that goal, a move that some call the next war on the liberal arts.

This shows that the self-referential style of higher education driven by faculty with Ph.D.s is waning, said Mark Schneider, a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute who wrote the study Saving the Liberal Arts with Matthew Sigelman, chief executive of Burning Glass Technologies.

All of a sudden, you woke up one day and students were dropping English majors because they want jobs, Schneider said.

Among the programs being cut at Edinboro are degrees in music, geography and a masters in social science. The university will add programs like a master of business administration and a bachelors of science degree in health sciences.

Hannan said the school was sensitive to preserving liberal arts majors  like political science and history  in its review, although some specialties would be discontinued. Without some of those programs, you have to question whether or not you are a university, Hannan said. But for better or worse, many students are career-minded, and we have to respond to that.

The university plans to emphasize co-curricular activities, leadership and life skills, and experiential learning opportunities in its new plan. It will also double the size and budget of its career center.

Nationally, Gallup polling shows that colleges have been particularly slow to recognize the demand for workforce preparation, said Schneider, pointing to the 16 percent of students who reported using career centers on college campuses and found them useful.

While the evidence of the benefits of higher education has never been more pronounced, the prevalence of stories about the lack of jobs and high student loan debt has put colleges on notice.

But it wouldnt be the first time. The demise of colleges and universities has been forecast time and again, Hartle said. And higher education is often targeted as a culprit of societal misgivings, usually during the most politically divisive eras  they emerged in narratives during the communist hearings and Vietnam protests.

Anything thats been around in the same place, doing the same function for 150 years, has shown it can change, Hartle said. But nobody can be comfortable, and any institution that assumes that past success guarantees the future is being foolish.

Different Expectations

Besides, higher education is facing a new threat in the business of creating and transmitting information.

That keeps Joseph E. Aoun, president of Northeastern University in Boston, up at night. While other presidents in local college towns worry about competing for endowments and enrollment, Aoun sees another threat: robots.

More than the latest polls, he is driven by a 2013 Oxford University Study that predicted that nearly half of the jobs in the United States are at risk of being taken over by computers within the next two decades. We said if robots are going to replace human beings we need to help students to be robot-proof, and we built a strategic plan around that, Aoun said.

That thinking positioned Aoun on the fringe of higher education strategizing just a few years ago, but he is now called on weekly to advise other institutions on how to help their students outsmart the workers of the future.

He calls this strategy humanics  a staple of Northeasterns program that requires computer science majors to take theater classes. The idea is to give students the ability to solve the worlds most pressing problems in a way that robots cannot  with empathy. Or as he puts it: I havent seen a computer that weeps.

During his 12-year tenure, Aoun has essentially turned over the reins of the institution to students and employers. The schools acclaimed cooperative education and career development program, called Co-op, sends more than 90 percent of its students into paying jobs around the world. Students complete two Co-ops, sometimes three, over the course of their college careers, for six months at a time.

While other colleges are trying to get their students to use the career center, Northeastern has students in companies in 136 countries and on every continent, including Antarctica. The students are the ones who are in tune with the world, Aoun said. Theyre bringing the experience to us and getting us out of our comfort zone.

The urban campus is described as having a workaholic vibe, and a running joke is that nobody looks twice at a student walking around campus in a suit. Chaitri Gulati, a third-year student at Northeastern, was drawn to the school because of the Co-op program and because sitting in class would not just be for the sake of taking examinations and intellectual enrichment.

Gulati, who is studying economics and political science, is at Wellington Managements London office, where she is working with an investment team and, more important, applying theoretical concepts learned in her classes to understanding the investment process. The more such experiences I have, the more I learn what role I wish to play now but also later in life, Gulati said.

Northeastern is not hurting for students: it has posted record application numbers for the past nine years and last fall got 62,000 applications for 2,800 freshman seats. But Aoun is hoping to meet another demand  what Northeastern calls the lifetime learner. For too long, Aoun said, lifelong learning had been deemed a second-class operation.

A recent poll conducted by Northeastern and Gallup found that only 37 percent of workers said that if they lost their job to a machine they would turn to a college or university for retraining. Aoun hopes to lure more of those potential students.

Where others see a challenge, Aoun sees an opportunity. Theres a lot of anxiety right now, he said. But I believe were in the golden age of higher education.

Trying to Move Forward

Edinboro University, on the other hand, is trying to climb out of the Dark Ages. The overhaul will touch virtually every corner of the college, starting with who walks through the door.

The school toughened admissions requirements to weed out local students who have traditionally turned to Edinboro as their only education option. It is a painful reality, but so are their outcomes. Although the college has accepted nearly everyone who applied, its enrollment has plummeted nearly 30 percent in the past five years. It has a 38 percent attrition rate and poor four-year and six-year graduation rates, at 27 percent and 49 percent.

The admissions move seems counterproductive, given that it is sure to result in fewer students. Already, Edinboro stands to be among the hardest hit in its region by demographic shifts that will see declining high school graduates and fewer births. But the school has set its sights on a new group of students  specifically, the 100,000 adults who have been identified by a state analysis who are living in the region who have completed some college but not obtained a degree.

Marc Sylvester, president of Edinboros faculty union, said the faculty supported key elements of Edinboros plan forward, including raising admission standards and overhauling program offerings.

But, Sylvester said, more important than a plan was for the campus to have faith in the leader implementing it. There are changes that need to be made, he said. And we also need to respect our traditions. Otherwise, were losing our identity.



PROVIDING STUDENTS WITH NEW STRATEGIES

Colleges and universities across the country are exploring new ways to lure  and keep  a changing campus population and help the students succeed.

Philadelphia Community College

The college offers 12 credits worth of classes tuition-free for any resident who has been laid off from a nonseasonal full-time job. With the manufacturing base of Pennsylvania in decline, the college aims to assist workers who need a new career path.

Tennessee Public Colleges

In 2015, Tennessee stopped requiring students with low math and English test scores to pass pre-college remedial classes. Instead, the students took college-level introductory classes accompanied by extra class time. The result: the lowest-scoring students were 18 times more likely to pass college-level math.

University of Maine at Presque Isle

To raise graduation rates (only 11 percent of its students finish in four years) and upgrade northern Maines workforce, the university has begun using proficiency-based learning. Many students failing at the end of a semester will get a not proficient rather than an F. The students then sign a contract with their professor outlining the work they must do over the next 45 days to earn passing mark, so they do not have to take the course again.

Drexel University

College students who stop out, sidelined by work and family issues, the university found, might finish college if they could pursue stackable credentials that add up to a degree. It has added 30 online certificate programs, many in niche areas like LGBT health and NCAA compliance. The certificates can be applied toward masters degree programs.

THE HECHINGER REPORT
That was back in 1997. Balakrishnan, still a teenager, had just arrived from Sri Lanka  where a long-standing civil war was raging  with a high school degree and little else. His next job was washing dishes, 10 hours a day, in a restaurant in Piacenza, on the Po River in northern Italy, earning about $200 a month.

I was afraid, not knowing anything, and Italy seemed immense, he tells me. But there were opportunities. What you need is will.

His break came with his next job at another restaurant under a chef who decided to educate him. Hed be in the kitchen at 7 a.m., learning the ingredients and the time needed for each dish. On the hills nearby, he learned, everyone makes tortelli  a stuffed pasta often filled with ricotta and spinach  in a slightly different shape, some with a double tail like a candy wrapper, some with just one. When the water is different, so is the taste.

Its all about a qualcosina, a little something, Balakrishnan says in his now fluent Italian. The little something holds the secret, as anyone who has tried to reproduce an Italian dish outside Italy knows.

Vittorio, the chef, told him how to recall an order by studying each clients expression and associating a dish with a face. It worked.

Balakrishnan has thrived. He now manages the Palazzo dei Camini restaurant in Agazzano, a small town about a half-hour drive from Piacenza. Its a quiet sort of place in a conservative sort of region where the anti-immigrant party the League is strong. Matteo Salvini, the Leagues leader, told a rally, We are packed with drug dealers, rapists, burglars, whom he wants to send home.

Attilio Fontana, a senior League politician who was elected president of the nearby Lombardy region in a landslide in March, said in January, We need to decide whether or not our ethnic group, our white race, our society should continue to exist or be wiped out.

Italy, having seen a thing or two, including several foreign armies, is not about to be wiped out. Its an adaptable country. In Agazzano, an Indian couple runs the gas station, and a lot of the manual work on nearby dairy farms is done by Sikhs who are willing to work six-day weeks and long hours.

Balakrishnans wife, Gowry Ariharan, whom he married in Sri Lanka in 2011, is in charge of the kitchen, with two Italian sous chefs working for her. She knew no Italian cuisine when she arrived six years ago, but she now makes even better risotto than a Milanese, says the co-owner of the restaurant, Manola Arcelloni.

The local community appears to agree. This Sri Lankan-run Italian restaurant serving local specialties like pisarei e faso  small gnocchi of flour and breadcrumbs in a piping hot sauce of beans and lard  is thriving.

Manolas husband, Mariano, was a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Milan, until his retirement a few years ago. He bought the restaurant premises in 2005, originally with the idea of a salami business, before opening the restaurant in 2007. His best decision, he says, was to hire Balakrishnan, who has a very strong feeling for business. Various chefs  too many prima donnas  came and went before Manola decided to teach Gowry to cook.

Some clients were reticent but their hesitation soon faded. We were lucky to find them, Arcelloni says of Balakrishnan and his wife. Unlike a lot of young Italians, they are still hungry to get ahead. Italians are big savers. The birthrate is low. Many children dont leave home until they are at least 30. When you know you will have money in your hands one day, motivation suffers.

There are immigration issues in Italy, which took some 64 percent of the 186,000 migrants who reached Europe in 2017 through Mediterranean routes. It took the most of these migrants in 2016, too. But anti-immigrant rhetoric, plenty of it vile, is a political lightning rod that masks a more nuanced picture.

Gowry, like her husband, spoke no Italian when she arrived. She had never left her village in Sri Lanka. She started out cleaning for a wealthy Agazzano family. You have to respect Italians, she tells me. If you come and expect everything, its a terrible mistake. I was a house cleaner, and then I became a cook and my former employers came here to eat. I felt so honored. It was extraordinary. They could have said, What are you doing here?'

She was sobbing.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
According to a tweet shared by the official Twitter page of the student association, the students were being forced out of their hostel over a three day sit at home which is part of the introduction of a new N100,000 Professional Training Levy.

ALSO READ: VC explains why medical students have to pay N100k for training

See the post below:

The reports revealed that the levy will be added to their fees.

Medical students protest as hostel fee increases from 14k to 30k

Medical students of the University of Ibadan have started a protest as the school management increased their accommodation fee from N14,000 to N30,000.

The university management announced the over 100 percent increase in accommodation fee on the school website on Wednesday, April 4, 2018.

While protesting, the students reportedly locked the halls gates to express their displeasure over what they consider as inhumane development from the management.

A student who spoke to newsmen under the condition of anonymity said the fees hike is an attack on poor students.

I believe this increment is a direct attack on all students in the university, especially the poor who cannot afford it. Over the years, the University management has been complaining of insufficient funding of the universities, but it has refused to be transparent on how much it takes to run the university, nor what direct impact these unbearable levies will have on our learning experience. They want us to pay more for less, he said.

Another student, who chose to be anonymous to avoid victimisation said, nothing has been done for students to see as the reason for the increment. We live in a nation where academics is now strictly for the rich. I doubt if this university is still a federal university.

Some of the protesting students carried placards with different messages such as: ''Say no to hike in fees'', Education is the hope of common man''

Apart from the accommodation fees, the university management has also reportedly introduced Health Professional Training Levy which according to SaharaReporters would cost the students over N50, 000.

The hike is necessary- VC

Meanwhile, the University Vice Chancellor, Prof Idowu Olayinka has said that the hike became necessary because of lack of funding from the government.

''It is also important to note that the Federal Government, many years back, had stopped providing funds for the running of the halls. As a result, the university spends about N100 million over what is collected as accommodation fees, for the running of the halls. The university is no longer in a position to continue to provide this subsidy''.

Earlier, before the announcement of the accommodation hike, the University management had expelled 328 students over what it called 'shameful academic performance'
According to him, the officers stopped him right in the middle of the express with a trailer right behind him.

As if that was not bad enough, they shot at his vehicle, bursting the tire during his attempt to escape the trailer.

Watch the video below:

Fortunately, CDQ got the plate number of the van the officers were riding in and shared it in a bid to make sure justice is served.

5 celebrities who have suffered police harassment

Some celebs have found themselves in trouble with the law enforcement officers and in true Nigerian way, they ended up being harassed by the operatives.

Unfortunately, in the course of these harassments, some celebrities have ended up being brutalized by law officers who sometimes had to be reprimanded after recognizing the status of these victims.

We take a look at five celebrities who have been harassed by police officers.

1. Tillaman

Tillaman is the most recent of celebrities to have gone through some really horrible times with the Nigerian Police Force. Tillaman was stopped on his way from his construction site in October 2017 and according to the musician, he wasn't even asked to properly identify himself before he was rough-handled by the police officers. Tillaman had to introduce himself as the son to the Alaafin of Oyo before he was let go.

2. African China

On February 7th, 2017, African China shared a video of a policeman threatening to shoot him while leaving the set of Sound Sultan's music video shoot in Ajegunle - a suburb of Lagos. According the artist, he had gone to shoot a video with Sound Sultan in the area and was accosted by some "Area Boys" who wanted some money. After giving them the money, a fight broke out and an he attempted to escape from the scene, a police officer came out of nowhere threatening to shoot him. The matter was resolved after he introduced himself to the officers.

3. 2shotz

In the case of rapper, 2shotz, he was harassed and even spent a night in the Langbasa Division of the Nigeria Police Force in 2015. According to him, he was arrested for no reason, even after trying to explain his identity to the policemen he was still dragged into the station where he was detained.

4. Vector

Vector's case might have been a case of a legal tussle when he had issues with his former record label, YSG, but the rapper revealed he was harassed by men of the Nigeria Police Force on two different occasions. According to him, on the second occasion of his arrest, he was with the police from 3 pm to 10 pm.

5. May D
Indeed, Wuese Yaku is lucky to be alive after she and her two elder brothers were battered and hacked with cutlasses by the notorious nomads who have been terrorising the country in the last two years.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media at Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Apiah Ephraims, disclosed that the herdsmen hacked the siblings with machetes and threw them into a well, leaving them for dead.

LIB reports that the young girl survived the gruesome attack, and with deep cuts on the neck and hands, managed to crawl out of the well.

The embattled child was discovered by residents while she struggled to find her way back home.

She is currently recuperating in a local hospital.

Sadly, her brothers, Saater Yaku and Vershima Teryima died and as of the time of this report, were yet to be recovered from the well.

The report also read in part, "She was matcheted severely on the neck as well as hand and equally thrown in a well with her two elder brothers, Saater Yaku and Vershima Teryima.

"This little girl was covered by the blood of Jesus Christ as she did not die in the well but managed to crawl out with the battered injuries inflicted on her by the sword of the dreaded Fulani militia.

"As she searched for her way home, she encountered some Tiv locals who rushed her to the hospital in Jato Aka in the poll of her blood.

"This lucky Miss Wuese Yaku is recuperating in a local hospital in Jato Aka amidst severe pains.

"She would have been better at a bigger medical facility but for poverty.

"Up to this moment, the corpses of his two brothers, Saater and Vershima are yet to be recovered just as that of one Zungwenen Ungwaga Orhungur who was killed same day by the militia.

"Zungwenen Ungwaga Orhungur is a younger brother to Comrade Joe Shimaor, Honourable Commissioner for Arts, Culture and Tourism, Benue state.

"Am making this post to attract the attention of public-spirited individuals and cooperate bodies to come to the aid of little Miss Wuese Yaku whose parents are relatively poor and in psychological trauma to help facilitate her medical bills having cheated death in the hands of dreaded and merciless Fulani militia."

May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

Man who survived Fulani herdsmen attack in Benue has cause to thank God

But for the grace of God, a young man who travelled to his hometown in Benue State, Ochigbo Job, would have been dead by now after suspected Fulani herdsmen stormed his Orokam community in Ogbadigbo Local Government Area of the state and wrecked havoc on the people.

According to Job who works with an airline in Lagos State, the herdsmen who wielded guns, machetes and other dangerous weapons, took his people by surprise and shot sporadically, stabbing people and chasing them out of the community before setting their houses, food stuff and livestock on fire.

ALSO READ: Fulani herdsmen and their license to kill

Job whose brothers and other close relatives were also attacked, survived but with a lifelong scar on his face, took to Facebook to thank God for surviving the attack with the following words:
Instablog9ja reports that the suspect identified as Rilwan Wasiu, who hails from Oyo state, was arrested on Thursday, March 29, 2018, at about 10 p.m while beating his girlfriend at Adeniji Adele under bridge.

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ALSO READ: Lagos police arrest robbers who posed as law enforcement officers with fake guns

According to the reports, the operatives saw Wasiu beating his girlfriend late at night by the side of the road.

When the officers stopped to intervene in the dispute, a toy gun fell off his body.

Wasiu reportedly attempted to flee the scene as soon as the toy gun was spotted by the operatives, but he was immediately apprehended and taken to the RRS Headquarters.

Upon further interrogation, the suspect confessed that he is one of a three-man robbery team who attacks stranded motorists and passers-by.

Wasiu added that his two gang members include Salami and Sakiru who reportedly operate at night after working as bus conductors during the day.

Bricklayer, mechanic docked for allegedly robbing residents with toy gun

Two men  Ahmed Ogunjimi and Rasidi Abiola  who allegedly broke into some houses and robbed residents of their valuables with a toy gun, were hauled before an Ikeja Magistrates Court in Lagos.

The accused Ogunjimi, 30, a bricklayer and Abiola, 29, an auto mechanic  were arraigned before the Magistrate, Mr J.A. Adigun, on a three-count charge of conspiracy, burglary and stealing.

The accused, both residents of Alausa, Ikeja, however, pleaded not guilty and were admitted to a bail of N100,000 each with two sureties each in like sum.

Adigun said the sureties should be gainfully employed with an evidence of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

According to the prosecutor, Sgt. Godwin Awase, the accused committed the offences on September 1 at 2.00 a.m. on Kudirat Abiola Way, Ikeja.

He said the accused and others still at large, who were armed with a toy gun, conspired to burgle the apartment of Messers Uchenna Oluigbo, Lawrence Oyinda and Yusuf Abubakar to steal their valuables.

ALSO READ: Mob descend on teenager who used toy gun for robbery

Meanwhile the prosecutor said that the men were arrested by the vigilance group of the community.

The accused were arrested while others escaped with the stolen items.

The police discovered that the gun in their possession is a wooden toy gun, Awase told the court.

The offences contravened Sections 287, 307 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015(Revised).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused may be jailed seven years if found guilty, according to the provisions of Section 307.
At the start of the week, the Tottenham-born musician hosted the Homecoming concert, the fourth of four events, hosted by BBK Africa and celebrating what he called the return of the prodigal son.

Skeptas visit then made the news more when he was conferred with the title of Aare Amuludun of Oke-Ado, Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State.

The real win here is that the number of collaborations he made possible and the doors he opened for a generation of Nigerian creatives.

Opening Doors

Among the highlights of the Homecoming events was the unveiling of an exclusive collaboration design between Virgil Ablohs Off-White and an urban wear brand, Vivendii

Young photographers and content creators were given a seat at the table and they did not disappoint.

On the same stage graced by Nigerias pop princes and the best of the UKs afro-swing scene, Odunsi, Wavy the Creator and Zamir showed what could be next for Nigerian music.

The new crop of creatives who many have taken to calling the New Wave has enjoyed a lot of publicity in the last year and Skeptas cosign as well as the gift of newer stripes on their resume is a massive step up the ladder for most of them yet untested and untried.

Skeptas been opening doors for Nigeria since Wizkids Ojuelegba and this win is one that reflects consistency and a love that goes beyond numbers and wave-hopping.
Mohammed told newsmen in Ogbomoso on the sideline of an empowerment programme organised by Rep. Segun Ogunwuyi (APC-Ogbomoso North/South/Oriire) for his constituents.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ogunwuyi had through the programme empowered 827 beneficiaries, including various associations and traditional rulers.

Mohammed, who represented the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara, at the event, stated that the delay in passing the budget was due to lack of cooperation from some ministers.

When a budget is laid, it is our duty to ask for detail information because we wont manufacture figures. That is the problem. I am sure that by the end of April we will have a budget, he said.

He urged the executive arm of government to work harder in generating more revenue to implement the budget, adding that budget performance in recent times is dropping.

The lawmaker urged the people to ensure Ogunwuyis re-election to the National Assembly in 2019, saying the type of lawmaking template they operated was in consonance with longevity.

When you go to the National Assembly as a first timer, it takes you more than three years to learn the process and by the end of four years you will have nothing to show, according to him.

Sen. Abdulfatai Buhari (APC-Oyo North) commended Ogunwuyi for bringing the dividends of democracy to the constituents, saying he has demonstrated love for his constituents.

Buhari urged the constituents to support Ogunwuyi for another term, adding that his quality of representation improves as long as he stayed.

Similarly, Rep. Segun Odebunmi, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information and National Orientation, as well as Rep. Abiodun Olasupo, Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Legislative Compliance, corroborated Buhari.

The duo urged the people to support Ogunwuyi and the APC at all levels to ensure continuity, which they said enhances good governance in terms of development as well as quality representation.

Ogunwuyi said that the programme, which he tagged `Reconnecting the Disconnect, was to empower his people and allow them benefit from the dividends of democracy.

The lawmaker, who sought their support for another term, stated that he would not relent in his efforts at empowering constituents to compete favourably with others outside the constituency.

Some of the beneficiaries who spoke to NAN commended the lawmaker for the gesture, pledging to give him more support to uplift the constituency.

The legislator distributed 11 cars, 136 grinding machines, 216 bags of fertiliser, 33 hair dryers, 60 motorcycles, 73 generating sets, five laptops, 112 gas cookers and 112 gas cookers, among other items.

Ogunwuyi had also trained several people in various skill acquisition programmes, facilitated employment for some unemployed youths and empowered traders across the constituency.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) gathered that the prayer held at the Offa Central mosque may not be unconnected with the recent armed robbery attack in the community.

It would be recalled that some armed bandits had on Thursday raided five commercial banks in the town, killing some policemen and residents, and carted away undisclosed amount of cash in the process.

The prayer, led by the Deputy Chief Imam of the mosque, Alhaji Qosim Olatunji, witnessed recitation from the holy Quran and other supplications by selected Quranic students whose ages are not above 10 years.

Olatunji said the prayer was intended to seek Gods adequate protection of life and property for the indigenes and non-indigenes, economic prosperity and peaceful co-existence among the people.

He described the recent bank robbery in the community as one which required the collective responsibility of every stakeholder, especially through prayers to nip such crime in the bud.

Our prayer is to seek Almighty Allahs protection, unity, peace and tranquility in our dear community, Offa, the state and the country in general.

More importantly, we prayed Allah in His infinite mercy to unravel the perpetrators as well as their collaborators of this dastardly act, he said.

Alhaji Nojim Yasin, the President, National Union of Road Transport Workers, (NURTW), said the prayer had been a continuous exercise for the safety and unity of the community.

Yasin, who was accompanied by Hajia Wosilat McCarthy, General Secretary, Offa Descendants Union, implored the authority to find a lasting solution to the menace of bank robberies in parts of the country.
Shehu stated that the president while in Britain would hold discussions on Nigeria  British relations with Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May, prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings scheduled for April 18 to 20.

ALSO READ: 2018 budget will be ready in April  Lawmaker

The President will also meet the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Mr Ben van Beurden in connection with Shell and other partners plan to invest $15b in Nigerias oil industry.

These investment ventures will lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.

Shehu said that President Buhari would also renew discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, a good friend of the President on inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and World-wide.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft carrying the president and some of his aides took off from the Umaru Musa YarAdua International Airport, Katsina, at about 10.45a.m.

The aircraft landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 11.28a.m.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Malam Abba Kyari, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Alhaji Muhammed Bello, some security heads and other presidential aides welcomed the President at the airport.

It would be recalled that Buhari on Friday joined the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouq and other community members to observe the third day prayers for late Sen. Mustapha Bukar (APC-Katsina North).

The President, who arrived Daura on Friday afternoon, made straight for the residence of the late senator where he was received by the Emir, members of the Daura Emirate Council and members of the family of the deceased.

Buhari also on Saturday received some serving Senators who paid a condolence visit at his country home Daura over the death of Bukar.

He thanked the senate members for their support and show of solidarity with the people of Katsina North senatorial district in particular and Katsina state in general.
According to Daily Post, Hembaor called on President Buhari to order the military to flush out the group from the state.

This is coming on the heels of reports that Buhari has ordered rehabilitation of those displacedduring the deadly attacks by Fulani herdsmen.

The TYO President also asked the President to enforce the anti-grazing law passed by the Benue state government.

Hembaor said The herdsmen are still occupying some of our lands. They are still there. Thats why our people are still in IDPs camps. If President Buhari directs the military to get them out it will be done in a jiffy. We dont know why this has not been done.

The most important thing here is that we have a validly made law prohibiting open grazing in Benue state. It is left for the President to direct that the law should be fully enforced by law enforcement agencies so that there can be peace in Benue.

If there is no peace, you can build mansions but they would eventually be destroyed by herdsmen. So let the President solve our problems before rebuilding our communities. What we need is ranching, if you want to do livestock business in Benue, obey our ranching law.

If the President Buhari led government is sincere with what they are saying, they should give a strict instruction to security agencies to enforce our grazing law.

When that is done, we can now sit back as comfortable people and start talking of how our destroyed communities can be rehabilitated and rebuilt so that these recurrent killings and destruction of our communities can stop for good.

For now we all know that close to 180,000 persons are displaced in Benue because their villages have been taken over by herdsmen. If they are not dislodged for the people to return to their ancestral homes, who will the federal government rehabilitate the communities for?

Our position on this matter is clear, support our grazing law, give a presidential directive to the military and security agencies to dislodge the herdsmen from occupied Benue communities and then embark on the rehabilitation and our people will support the government and its initiative, he added.

Herdsmen shoot at soldiers

Recently,suspected herdsmen engaged in a shootout with troops of 707 Special Forces Brigade of the Nigerian Army in Guma Local Government Area of Benue State.

Also, four officers reportedly went missing following an attack on a police team by suspected herdsme in Logo Local Government Area of Benue State.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that the village was attacked by gunmen and killed over 30 people on February 15.

Speaking while presenting the items to the state government in Gusau on Sunday, the Coordinator in charge of Sokoto Operations Office of the Agency, Malam Sulaiman Muhammad said the assistance was provided by the Federal Government to assist the victims of the attack.

According to him, the food items are 300 bags of beans, 100 bags of rice, 100 bags of sorghum and 100 bags of millet.

Other items include 150 sets of women clothes, 120 sets of children wears and 50 sets of men clothes and other provisions.

On behalf of the Director-General of National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), I am presenting these items to the Zamfara government as assistance to the families of deceased of the recent bandits attack in Birane village he said.

He said the agency had also submitted its reports on the similar attack in Bawar-Daji village in Anka local government area of the state.

Any time from now, we are expecting similar assistance for them from the Federal Government, he added.

Responding on behalf of the state government, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Abdullahi Shinkafi commended the Federal Government for the donation.

He described the assistance as a great concern of the Federal Government to the affected communities, I am using this medium to commend NEMA for the assistance it has been given to victims of disasters in the state.

Shinkafi directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to ensure immediate distribution of the items to the families of the victims.

Earlier, the Executive Secretary SEMA, Malam Sanusi Kwatarkwashi said five bags of grains would be given to each of the deceased family comprising two bags of beans, one bag of each of the rice, millet and sorghum.

Kwatarkwashi added that the clothes would also be distributed to widows and children of the deceased.
Fayose wondered how the robbers could carry out their operation without hindrance for over an hour.

The Governor also criticised the police for not deploying their helicopters to trail the robbers.

He said that there has been no concrete plan from the Federal Government despite the killings.

He said I sympathize with victims of the Offa, Kwara State robbery that led to the death of over 30 people.

It is sad that such a terror attack could go on for more than one hour and the robbers were able to escape. It is another clear vindication of the call for self defense.

Killing of over 30 people in an operation that lasted for over one hour cannot be regarded as mere robbery, it is terrorism! It further shows that under this govt of President Buhari, the country is not secured and Nigerians are now at the mercy of killers. It is sad, very sad.

Im still wondering how long it will take Police Helicopters to get to Offa from Abuja or Lagos. Robbery operation lasted for over one hour and there were no police helicopters to trail the robbers? Are those helicopters owned just for decorations?

Sad that these days, mass killings in Nigeria is no longer Breaking News, it has become a normal occurrence.

Over 30 people killed in Offa and we are yet to see concrete action from the FG that controls security apparatus? Just imagine this happening in any European country.

FG sympathises with families of victims

The Federal Government on Saturday, April 7, 2018, sympathised with family members of those who were killed during an armed robbery attack in Offa, Kwara state on Thursday, April 5, 2018.

The robbers attacked on Union Bank, Eco bank, Guarantee Trust Bank, First Bank, Zenith Bank and Ibolo Micro Finance Bank, according to NAN.

According to a tweet from the handle @NGRPresident, the Federal Government said We sympathize with the families of victims, residents of Offa, and the Government & people of Kwara State, on Thursdays violent robbery attack. @PoliceNG have arrested a number of suspects & deployed extra personnel to the town, to assist in investigations and beef up security.
Fayose, on Saturday, April 7, 2018,warned Kalu not to come to the state to campaign for President Buhari.

In his response, the former Abia state Governor said that the Ekiti state Governor is his boy.

Kaul also revealed that Fayose stayed in his house for 90 days after he was impeached during Olusegun Obasanjos tenure.

He said My attention was called from Ondo State on Saturday that Governor Fayose said I should not come to Ekiti , Fayose is my boy, he cant stop me from coming. He is my boy and he knows he cant stop me on anything.

Governor Fayose was in my house for 90 days after he was impeached, he is my friend but he has gone beyond his limit by saying a bonafide elder statesman like me should not come to Ekiti.

Fayose was in my state, Abia last week, nobody said he should not come, so I have declared war on him. Even if I sleep on the floor, I will still defeat Fayose on any issue.

Fayose acting like a thug

Kalu also said that Governor Fayoses comment is simply a manifestation of thuggery.

The former Governor called on Ekiti people to vote Femi Bamisile as Governor during the upcoming Ekiti governorship elections on July 14, 2018.

I am ready to support whoever you bring up as candidate here in Ekiti for the July 14 election, because I am part of you.

If I am to choose for you, I will choose Hon Bamisile, but this lies on Ekiti delegates. However, as a national leader of APC, I am ready to support whoever you bring up, he added.

OBJ most corrupt president ever

According to Orji Kalu, former President Olusegun Obasanjo is the most corrupt Nigerian leader ever.

He also described the former President as the most incompetent President the country has ever had.

The former Governor revealed that OBJ came into office with less than N20,000 and he later built multi billion naira Otta Farm, Library Project and the Hilltop Mansion.

That is why somebody like me is in Ekiti to tell our people not to listen to Obasanjo.

Nigerians should tell former President Obasanjo to stop writing frivolous letters.

It was sad that some who behaved badly while in government by not listening to advice could talk like this.

Let me tell you emphatically that President Buhari will contest again, dont listen to letter writers like Obasanjo.

Obasanjo has been president twice, so he should keep his letter in Otta for himself.

If anyone will caution President Buhari, it should not be Obasanjo. If you check your records very well, he remains the most corrupt president ever, he added.

Kalu also said The economy was in comatose when this government came on board, today President

Buhari has raised the foreign reserve from $23 billion to as much as $47 billion while the menace of Boko Haram has been defeated.

So, some people are out to destabilise his government. We want Nigerians to embrace love, peace and show understanding.
This is coming after a group of clergymen from 19 Northern states under the aegis of Arewa Pastors Non-Denominational Initiative for Peace, promised to support the President.

The president hosted the delegation at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, April 5, 2018.

The Christian leaders also vowed to expose religious leaders causing instability in the country.

According to John Richard, the leader of the delegation, the group is aware that Buhari is being sabotaged by the opposition despite the great work he's doing for the country.

Richard also condemned religious leaders who are fond of making careless utterances that are likely to worsen the already delicate situation in the country and lead to more violence and loss of lives.

Buhari denies allegations of religious bias

In his response, the President said that he does not discriminate on the basis of religion or under any other guise.

Speaking on the reported endorsement, the PDP said that the FGs search for endorsements is despicable and betrayed the nervousness of a sinking leadership, desperately trying to save its face, having been rejected by the people.

Nigerias integrity ridiculed

The party also alleged that the integrity of Nigeria has been ridiculed because of Buharis desperation for endorsements.

Citing the confusion that surrounded the award which was recently given to Buharireportedly by the Martin Luther King Jrs family, the opposition party said Having failed to gain any endorsement from reputable international figures, such as Bill Gates and the Martin Luther Kings Jr group, the Presidency has now  resorted to cheaper ways and means, particularly, along the unregulated and porous religious and sectional lines.

It is now overtly manifest that the Buhari administration is ready to even stage anything, no matter how ignoble, including fake rescue missions, to deceive Nigerians.

According to Punch, this was made known in a statement signed by the PDP spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday, April 8, 2018.
Daily Post reports that things got out of hand when Sowore greeted Shittu and referred to the minister as a member of the outgoing government.

He said Minister, it is great to see you. This is the minister of an outgoing regime; the Buhari regime will be kicked off power by 2019.

The statement angered the minister, who fired back at Sowore calling him a dreamer, and a verbal war ensued.

You are a dreamer. By your wish or by Gods wish? You are just dreaming. You are a day dreamer, the minister replied.

From then on, the two men released harsh words on each other, with Shittu describing the SaharaReporters publisher as inconsequential.

The minister said You are inconsequential. Thats rubbish. I have been in politics since you were born. For forty years, I have been in politics and I was already a lawyer before I joined politics forty years ago. You cant be here and talk rubbish.

This is rubbish! You want to become president? You are a day dreamer. Who will make you president? You will be president of your Ife not Nigeria. Go and be president in Ife. You think it is cheap as that? We will see.

Sowore, what is your electoral worth? Whether in your Ife, home or any part of this country? he asked.

Sowore fires back hot

In his response, the publisher told the minister that Buhari came into power on the backs of Nigerian youths.

He said My electoral worth brought you to power in 2015. Nobody even heard about many of you in 2014.

This was the same way Jonathan people were sounding in 2014 you are gonna be shocked in 2019, the Nigeria of the future is for dreamers like me, Sowore added.

Minister blasts Sowore

Following Sowores reply, the minister of communication lost his temper and called the publisher a minion.

Shittu said You think the presidency is for people like you? Go and start from being a councillor. I have been a member of the House of Assembly, I was a commissioner twice, I was already a lawyer you wouldnt know, you were too small.

How old are you? How old are you? This is not a platform for minions like you to come you think the presidency is something you can just buy in a market place? You are a giant in university politics (and) by the grace of God you will be put to shame.

Sowore asks Nigerians for help

SaharaReporters publisher, Omoyele Sowore recently asked Nigerians to contribute to his 2019 presidential campaign.

Sowore set up his GoFundMe account on Tuesday, March 13, 2018, to raise $2m.
This was disclosed to newsmen by the Minister of Defence, Mansur Dan-Ali on Wednesday, April 4, 2018, after President Buhari presided over a meeting with the National Security Council at the Presidential Villa.

According to Daily Post, the Senate President said that Mr. President would have discussed the matter with the legislature before giving his approval.

Saraki said this while speaking at a retreat organised by members of the Senate Press Corps in Jos, Plateau state on Saturday, April 7, 2018.

He said So long as the process for the passage of the budget is not based on participation, engagement and collaboration, much will not be realised.

The Executive and the legislature are partners. We need each other: the constitution does not allow one arm to work alone, that is why there is checks and balance.

There is no security architecture of this country that can work without a strong synergy between the executive and the legislature.

When you see certain agencies, who by their actions and utterances frustrate the relationship between the two arms, you begin to wonder.

What do we need to do? Do the police need more funding or more powers? Do they need new legislations to strengthen them. These are the issues where the executive and the legislature must work together.

Just few days ago, there was the issue of providing funding for the purchase of security equipments. In a good environment, such an issue needed to have been discussed with lawmakers."

Senators are angry

The Senate President also revealed that some lawmakers are angry and are ready for a showdown with the Executive arm of government.

He said Already, some senators are angry. They said they were not consulted by the executive before such a decision was taken. These are the issues we are talking about.

I needed to be here to speak on these issues. It is not just about today. Posterity will be here to judge us that what I am saying is true. If we do not change the way we behave, we will remain like this for many years to come."

There will be friction

The Senate President also said there is bound to be friction between the Executive and Legislative arms of government, but it has to be healthy.

If you do not defend the legislature, there is no way that our democracy will be strengthened because government is not built on individuals. It is built on institutions.

That is why in developed countries, governments can change, but it does not affect the stability of their democracy because their institutions are strong.

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We decided to run a presidential system of government. By its nature of checks and balances, there are bound to be frictions. The question now is how healthy is that friction, Saraki added.

PDP not happy too

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has also accused the Federal Governmentof using the fight against Boko Haram to siphon funds for the 2019 general elections.

The party also condemned Buhari for 'unilaterally' approving the release of the sum of $1b from the nations coffers to fight insurgency.

It called on the National Assembly to begin appropriate constitutional legislative actions against the President for taking such an action.

Adesina clarifies issues

Meanwhile, Buhari's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, has disclosed that the $1b is not just to fight Boko Haram.
Mrs Emmanuel disclosed this during the maiden edition of Eket Womens Day Celebration in Eket Local Government Area of the state on Saturday.

She said that the houses were built and furnished through the Family Empowerment and Youth Re-Orientation Initiative (FEYReP), her pet project.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Mrs Emmanuel commissioned a fully furnished two-bedroom bungalow for a widow, Mrs Adiaha Udo, in Ede Obok in Eket during the occasion.

Mrs Udo was earlier living in a shack for over 10 years.

She said that FEYReP was providing shelter to the hopeless, succour to widows, restoring hopes and touching the lives of most vulnerable people across the three senatorial districts of the state.

The aim is to create a robust economic empowerment for families and re-orientate the youths to eschew all form of moral decadence, she said.

Mrs Emmanuel advised Eket women to form cooperative groups so as to benefit from the State Government empowerment programme.

She also inaugurated a staff canteen, office block and 10 mini buses to convey staff to work.

According to her, the gesture is to complement the developmental strides of her husband.

She also donated N3 million to support the project for Eket women, saying that women are worth celebrating because they are pace setters.

The Chairman of Eket Local Government Council, Mr Frank Archibong, said that Eket women were celebrated because of the critical role they played in the development of the area.

He said the pet project of the governors wife was focused on providing economic alternatives to people and families who hitherto had been injured by poverty.

Through FEYReP, you have built and furnished 24 houses for widows and widowers in order to alleviate their poverty and suffering, he said.

While thanking Mrs Emmanuel for extending the building of houses to Eket , Archibong described Mrs Emmanuel as a life changer.

We, as Eket people, are very happy for the house you have built and furnished, through FEYReP, for one of our widows, popularly known as `Adiaha Ntiin.

He said that Emmanuels commitment to the economic empowerment of Eket people had continued to manifest in the various life-touching policies and programmes of his administration.

Mrs Bright Archibong, the wife of the council chairman, said that Eket Womens Day Celebration was important not only for Eket women but for all women who seek to establish the fact that women are pacesetters for sustainable progress.

She underscored the importance of women, saying that women are home makers and nation builders.

The celebration is significant because it affords Eket women the opportunity to reflect on their activities and the progresses they have made so far, she said.

Rep. Ekpoatai Uwoidighe said that she has also attracted development projects worth over N400m to Eket.

Uwoidighe donated kitchen utensils to the widow and promised to give her N10,000 every month for her upkeep.

Responding, the beneficiary expressed appreciation to God for making the governors wife to remember her in time of need.

Mrs Udo thanked the wife of the governor for her kind gesture, saying that the Mrs Emmanuel had put roof on her head and smile on her face.
Her lawyer Aamer Anwar said he cannot find any conduct in Spain's European arrest warrant which could be punished under Scots law, a key test for Scottish courts, and claims her life would be in danger if she is extradited.

Ponsati, who is currently free on bail in St Andrews, said she was in tears before she surrendered to Scottish police on March 28.

Writing in the Sunday Herald, she said she is looking ahead to the court proceedings, which are expected to last several weeks, "with a mixture of determination and confidence".

"I am hopeful that justice will prevail but the abuses of human rights by Spanish authorities are unprecedented -- they get worse and worse day by day," she said.

"I am weary of what evil they are capable of in their relentless crusade to crush the Catalans' will to be free."

Ponsati faces up to 35 years in prison for charges including "violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds".

Anwar will urge Scottish courts to reject Spain's European arrest warrant on human rights grounds, which protect the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression and thought, and the right of association, liberty and security.

"Spain appears hell-bent on ripping up its image as a modern democracy and returning to its dark Francoist past," he said, referencing the former dictator Francisco Franco who ruled the country from 1939 to 1975.
Douma is the last rebel-controlled town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, a sprawling suburb of Damascus that was once the opposition's bastion on the edge of the capital.

Backed by Russia, Syrian troops have recaptured 95 percent of Ghouta through a fierce air and ground assault, as well as negotiated withdrawals.

In an apparent bid to pressure Jaish al-Islam -- the Islamist group that holds the town -- to withdraw, Syria's government on Friday resumed bombardment of the town after a more than week-long lull.

Air strikes and shelling on Friday left 40 civilians dead including eight children, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group.

The Britain-based Observatory said warplanes were hitting across Douma on Saturday, as regime artillery fire hit neighbouring agricultural fields.

Syrian troops matched the renewed bombardment on Friday with a ground operation in the orchards surrounding Douma.

"The regime is trying to tighten the noose around Douma from the west, east, and south," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The resumed assault comes after the apparent failure of negotiations between Jaish al-Islam and regime backer Russia over a rebel withdrawal from Douma.

Top Jaish al-Islam political figure Mohammad Alloush on Friday blamed international supporters of Syria's government for hamstringing the talks.

"The talks were going well," he said, but power struggles between the regime's allies had caused them to break down.
"We are pressing hard on our investigation into all possible avenues."

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Armin Laschet were to hold a press conference at 1215 local time (1015 GMT).

Authorities were near-certain that there was no Islamist connection to the violence in the historic centre of Muenster as had initially been feared. On Sunday they said they believed the driver had acted alone.

Media reports said the 48-year-old German driver, identified only as Jens R., had a history of mental health problems.

The two victims killed were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- some life-threateningly -- amid the broken and upturned tables and chairs seen strewn across the pavement. The Dutch foreign ministry said two of those hurt were Dutch, one of whom was in a critical condition.

In the van, police found the gun used by the driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the man's Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information, setting up a website where people can upload photos and videos.

'No Islamist connection'

Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault.

"I was on my way home through the city here and saw firefighters and ambulances everywhere. I thought something really terrible must have happened," said Hubert Reckermann, a local man in his late 60s.

"It's still unbelievable for me, but these days anything can happen. You can't really defend yourself against people with psychiatric problems."

Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group.

But in the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, there was "no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul.

Far-right politicians had sprung to denounce what they assumed was a jihadist attack, hoping to tap more political capital from Chancellor Angela Merkel's 2015 decision to open Germany's borders to more than one million mainly Muslim refugees and migrants.

While stressing the investigation was still ongoing, Reul said that the perpetrator was "not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that".

Public broadcaster ZDF reported the driver had recently attempted suicide while rolling news channel NTV said he had spoken of a desire to bring as much attention as possible to his death.

ZDF also said that he had possible links with far-right movements.

'Deeply shaken'

Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and pledged that "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims".

The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, as well as Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sent their condolences.

The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places.

In a Berlin assault in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86.
It said a total of 691 Afghan migrants would be deported this week with two more flights expected from Erzurum to Kabul later. The flights are being provided by an Afghan airline.

Dogan news agency quoted migration officials in Erzurum as saying Turkey planned to deport all 3,000 Afghan migrants who were currently in Erzurum.

In Kabul, officials denied that the refugees were being deported, insisting they were coming back home at their own choice.

"A number of Afghan refugees are coming back to the country of their own will," said Islamuddin Jurat, spokesman for the ministry of refugees and repatriations.

"They are the ones who wanted to use Turkey as a transit route to other countries, but when they failed they decided to come back."

'Will come back'

Turkey is a major hub for migrants from Afghanistan and other troubled nations seeking to cross from Asia into Europe in search better lives and work.

Over a million migrants and refugees entered Europe largely through Turkey in 2015, prompting the EU to agree a deal with Ankara on curbing the migration in 2016.

There has been a major influx of migrants into Turkey from conflict-plagued Afghanistan in recent weeks, with reports saying almost 18,000 have entered the country illegally in the last three months.

The Afghan migrants are believed to have crossed from Iran into Turkey's eastern Van province and then moved -- sometimes walking on highways on foot -- to Erzurum, one of the major cities of Turkey's east.

The deportations came as Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim visited Kabul for talks with Afghan leaders. On Sunday he met Afghanistan's chief executive Abdullah Abdullah.

Turkish state media quoted Yildirim as saying at a news conference with Abdullah in Kabul that Turkey was grateful for Afghanistan's cooperation over the issue.

"There is no problem here," said Yildirim.

But Turkish television carried interviews with some of the migrants about to be deported -- many of whom spoke excellent Turkish -- who insisted that they would try and come back to Turkey.
Four firefighters suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro said at a news conference.

He said the apartment, a large unit that was heavily furnished, was virtually entirely on fire. Video footage showed flames bursting through broken windows.

Neither President Donald Trump nor his family was in the building, a Fifth Avenue skyscraper that is the calling card of his real estate business.

The commissioner said firefighters went with the Secret Service to inspect the presidents residence. While the rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke, it was not immediately clear if it reached Trumps unit, he said.

More than 200 firefighters responded to the fire, the cause of which was unknown, the commissioner said.

Trump, who was in Washington at the time, said on Twitter that the towers construction helped confine the fire.

The commissioner said the upper floors that are home to residences do not have fire sprinklers. Its a well-built building, he said. The building sure stood up quite well.

While the building is subject around the clock to extra security by law enforcement, extra fire protection happens only when the president is there, Nigro said.

Authorities restricted passers-by from the area directly in front of the tower, keeping them out of the street and on the sidewalk on the opposite side of Fifth Avenue.

Lalitha Masson, a 76-year-old resident, called it a very, very terrifying experience.

When I saw the television, I thought we were finished, said Masson, who lives on the 36th floor with her husband, Narinder, who is 79 and has Parkinsons disease. I called my oldest son and said goodbye to him because the way it looked everything was falling out of the window, and it reminded me of 9/11.

She said that she did not get any announcement about leaving and that when she called the front desk no one answered.

Dennis Shields, who said he lived on the 42nd floor, described the scene.

You could smell the smoke, and you could hear things falling like through the vents, he said. It just smelled like sulfur.

He said there were no orders to evacuate but he received a text message from Trumps lawyer, Michael D. Cohen.

Shields, who said he grew up with Cohen, continued: He said, Are you in the building? I said, Yes. He said, You better get out ASAP. Thats how I knew to get out, otherwise Id still be in there.

In January, a small electrical fire broke out near the top of the building. Officials at the time indicated it was in the buildings heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system. A firefighter was hurt by falling debris, and two civilians were injured.

The New York Times
His parents, both teachers, were tapped out; his mother was selling cookies to pass along whatever extra cash she could. Martinez worked part time, leaving little time to socialize with his wealthier classmates, who were enjoying the full college experience.

I never really felt fully comfortable at Princeton, based on, frankly, the amount of money that my family had, he said. " I felt like a fish out of water.

Ultimately, he persevered and got a bachelors degree there in 2005 and a masters from Babson College in 2015.

But when he became dean of student life at Haverford College last summer and started seeing low-income students going through the same challenges he had, he decided to do something about it.

He helped spearhead the Low-Income and First-In-Their-Family Assistance and Resources program, which offers low-income students financial assistance to cover unexpected expenses. They could include academic-related costs, such as art supplies, laptop repair fees and dance class shoes. It also includes nonacademic costs, like winter coats, emergency medical and dental treatment, and help with plane tickets for unexpected trips home because of a family emergency or even to get home over winter break.

Since the program began in September 2017, it has handled 115 requests from 78 students at a cost of about $25,000, Martinez said. (The school has 1,250 students).

Haverford is among a growing number of colleges that have set up programs to help low-income students with unexpected financial expenses. Among them are Brown University, the University of Chicago, Washington University, Swarthmore College, Syracuse University and Williams College.

Ive known students who contemplated dropping out  not because they couldnt do the work, but because they felt they didnt have enough money to buy new clothes or commute to school or a family member was sick and they couldnt travel to see that family member, said Ohiro Oni-Eseleh, a psychotherapist for 25 years and now director of the School of Social Work at Adelphi Universitys Hudson Valley Center in Poughkeepsie, New York. He is proposing a similar program at Adelphi.

The colleges hope that by removing financial stresses, students are better able to learn and flourish at college.

A stressed brain cannot learn, and a stressed brain cannot retain knowledge, said Erin Shannon, a psychologist in St. Louis.

There are also social benefits. College is not only about learning skills for a career but about socializing and exchanging views with people from other races, cultures and economic classes, Shannon said.

If students are holding down three jobs or cant afford to join students for social evenings off campus, theyll miss a big part of the college experience.

Ricky Sanchez, a 21-year old economics major at Haverford, became depressed when he couldnt afford the plane ticket to Houston to spend Christmas with his mother, even though he had three jobs on campus  in the mail room, dining center and campus information desk. The program helped him.

This program definitely helps students like me, he said. Its tough sometimes making ends meet.

Another Haverford student, Mercedes Davis, 19, was raised by her great-aunt in Philadelphia and was the first in her family to go to college. When she discovered her financial aid package didnt cover many everyday items, she turned to the program to buy a raincoat and boots.

It definitely took the burden off having to worry about what I was going to do when it gets cold outside, she said. She also liked that the program was confidential. Its nice that its not broadcast to everyone that I needed these things.

Costs for low-income students can be horrific  even for those with scholarships, student loans and other financial aid. On GoFundMe, about 200,000 campaigns have raised $88 million for college tuition and related education expenses since 2014.

Its one of the top five categories and probably the fastest-growing category, said Rob Solomon, chairman and chief executive of GoFundMe. Hidden costs is one of the big drivers of these campaigns  theres a lot of kids who fall through the cracks.

One of the pioneers in such efforts was Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, which started its program about eight years ago.

About half of Williams 2,200 students receive financial aid, and this year alone the program will provide $60 million in need-based financial support, said Elizabeth Creighton, dean of admission and financial aid at Williams.

Our goal is to relieve students of the burden of having to constantly ask for help, she said.

Richard Locke, provost at Brown University, helped prepare Browns E-Gap (Emergency, Curricular and Co-curricular Gap) Funds, and its FLi (First Generation Low-Income) Center in late 2015 after hearing stories from students who were struggling financially.

I was struck by it, he said, adding that it brought back memories from his student days at Wesleyan University decades earlier, when he needed assistance despite having financial aid grants and scholarships.

I remember feeling both lost and ashamed, never wanting to ask for help, he said. (Locke graduated from Wesleyan, received a masters degree from the University of Chicago and a doctorate from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.) When he saw Brown students facing similar troubles, he said, I thought, wow, that still goes on!

In its first year, E-Gap Funds received more than 775 applications for assistance, of which 90 percent were approved, Locke said.

Locke said he expected more colleges to offer similar programs.

We cant fix the structural inequalities of American society, he said. But we can make sure that the students who we bring to campus  these incredibly promising students  dont have barriers to their success, and thats what were trying to do.

The New York Times
Several others were rushed to Mariakani hospital in critical condition following the Saturday morning crash.

The accident happened when the driver of the lorry attempted to overtake another vehicle along the busy road and rammed into the matatu.

The driver of the lorry which was heading to Mombasa from Nairobi escaped unhurt and fled the scene shortly after the accident.

Among those killed include a 4-year child who was in the matatu that was ferrying mourners to a funeral in Wundanyi.
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AP, March 2, 2018



People gather at the site of a suspected suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 2, 2018. (Photo: Reuters) People gather at the site of a suspected suicide bomb attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, March 2, 2018. (Photo: Reuters)

KABUL, Afghanistan -- A large explosion in the eastern part of Afghanistan's capital city on Friday morning killed at least one person, a young girl, and wounded 15, Afghan officials said. Basir Mujahid, spokesman for the Kabul police chief, said the blast occurred in the eastern neighborhood of Qabil Bay, in an area that is home to a police station, the government's customs offices and some guest houses.

Mohammad Musa Zahir, a doctor at the area's Wazir Akbar Khan hospital, said 15 people were also wounded in the blast, including five children and two women.

Najib Danish, spokesman for the Interior Ministry said the source of the explosion was a vehicle belonging to a foreign company but did not name it or specify if the blast was a bombing.

The police have not confirmed a casualty toll and no militant group claimed responsibility for the explosion.

At the blast site in the Qabil Bay neighborhood, blood pooled on the pavement amid rubble in front of a destroyed building. Residents in the area said the explosion was a suicide attack, speaking on condition of anonymity for fears for their safety.

Kabul has recently seen a spate of large-scale militant attacks by the Taliban and also the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), whose affiliate in Afghanistan has grown stronger since it emerged in 2014.

In late January, a Taliban attacker drove an ambulance filled with explosives into the heart of the city, killing at least 103 people and wounding as many as 235.

The Taliban claimed the ambulance attack, as well as an attack a week earlier in which militants stormed a luxury hotel in Kabul, killing 22 people, including 14 foreigners, and setting off a 13-hour battle with security forces.

The recent attacks have underscored the weaknesses of Afghan security forces more than 16 years after the U.S.-led invasion toppled the Taliban.

On Wednesday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to take part in peace talks to "save the country," offering security and incentives such as passports to insurgents who join the negotiations.

Separately, the Taliban said Friday they released five of a total of 19 people they say they abducted on Tuesday along the boundary between the southern Kandahar and Uruzgan provinces.

At the time, Gen. Abdul Raziq, Kandahar's police chief, said insurgents wearing army uniforms stopped a bus and abducted 30 people. There was no information on the fate of the others.
Reuters, March 9, 2018

By Hamid Shalizi & Mohammad Aziz

A suicide bomber blew himself up in the Afghan capital on Friday, killing at least seven people in an attack on a crowd gathered to commemorate a political leader from the mainly Shiite Hazara minority, officials said.

One policeman and six civilians were killed and 15 civilians wounded when the bomber was stopped at a security checkpoint in the Mosalla-e Mazar area of Kabul, said Najib Danesh, an interior ministry spokesman.

There was some doubt about the toll, which some witnesses said was higher than the official figure. Shah Shir Azara, a security marshal at the site, said 13 people had been killed.



Afghan fire fighters clean the site of a suicide bomb attack near a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan March 9, 2018. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters) Afghan fire fighters clean the site of a suicide bomb attack near a Shi'ite mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan March 9, 2018. (Omar Sobhani/Reuters)

The bomber appeared to have intended to attack a crowd gathered to mark the anniversary of the killing of Hazara political leader Abdul Ali Mazari by the Taliban in 1995, but he was stopped before reaching the main gathering.

Islamic State claimed responsibility. It has done so for several attacks on Shiite mosques and Hazara gatherings over the past two years.

Little is known about the group and its capacity to conduct sophisticated attacks remains disputed, with many Afghan and Western security officials saying they doubt it works alone.

Afghanistan, a mainly Sunni Muslim country, has not seen the level of sectarian violence common in Iraq, but the attacks have fueled increasing anger among the Shiite Hazara, a group that has long faced discrimination.

In December, dozens of people were killed in a suicide attack on a Shiite cultural center claimed by Islamic State, and two months earlier two separate mosque attacks killed at least 72 people.

Fridays attack came less than two weeks after President Ashraf Ghani called on the Taliban to join peace talks in a country which has been at war for decades.

The conflict kills thousands each year, with fighting continuing across large parts of the country and Kabul itself hit repeatedly by attacks.

On Thursday night, Taliban fighters attacked a joint army and police outpost in the northern province of Takhar, killing seven soldiers and 10 policemen, according to Khalil Aseer, a provincial police spokesman.

The Taliban said in a statement that 29 soldiers and police were killed in the attack, including four commanders.
The New York Times, March 21, 2018

By Fatima Faizi and Rod Nordland

KABUL, Afghanistan  A suicide bomber detonated explosives in a crowd celebrating the Persian New Year in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Wednesday, killing 31 and leaving desperate family members searching among bodies and body parts for their loved ones remains.

The victims were strewn around the courtyard in front of the Ali Abad Hospital in Kabul, where relatives preparing for burials tried grimly to match trunks with limbs or heads with trunks, and doctors searched for anyone with a pulse. While it was hard to know for sure, there were at least 10 dead just in that area, plus limbs, hands, and other pieces of flesh that were impossible to identify.



Afghan men mourn at a hospital compound after a suicide attack in Kabul on Mar. 21, 2018. Dozens of people were killed in the attack. (Photo: Omar Sobhani) Afghan men mourn at a hospital compound after a suicide attack in Kabul on Mar. 21, 2018. Dozens of people were killed in the attack. (Photo: Omar Sobhani)

In one corner, lying face down on a staircase, was a boy named Mustafa of about 12, who at first glance looked alive. Then it was obvious that one of his legs was blown nearly off; a new black-and-white sneaker remained on the foot. His other leg was nowhere to be seen. For more than an hour no relatives appeared, until finally his mother and father arrived.

The father restrained his wife, trying to prevent her from seeing their sons gruesome remains; she lashed out in anger. Why are you alive? she shouted at him. Mustafa is dead, why are you alive?

The bomber struck about noon Wednesday, according to Afghan government officials. The explosion happened right outside the hospital: The bomber was apparently stopped before reaching a Shiite shrine in the Kart-e Sakhi area of western Kabul, where much larger crowds had gathered.

Wahid Majrooh, the spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, put the death toll at 31, with 65 others wounded.

The mother of Mustafa ripped off her head scarf in her grief, and rebuffed attempts by her husband and friends to put it back on. Beside herself, she engaged her dead son in desperate conversation. Mustafa, why have you left me alone? You were so happy to celebrate Nowruz, you so wanted to go. You said to me, Look mother, you dont know about style. I have dressed up, and my shirt matches my shoes.  The shirt was also black and white.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing, according to a report on its website, Amaq, cited by the SITE Intelligence Group. The Islamic State in Khorasan, the groups local affiliate, has repeatedly targeted Shiites in the Afghan capital over the past year, most recently on March 9, when 10 people were killed in a suicide bombing at a Shiite mosque complex. That blast set off protests by the Hazara minority, a long-oppressed ethnic group whose members are mostly Shiite.

In her soliloquy to her dead son, Mustafas mother reminded him of his sister, killed in an attack on the Kart-e Sakhi shrine last year. When we lost Musqa, you came to me and you said, Look mother, I am here, dont worry, I am with you. But now, you are not, and what should I do without you?

Judging from the survivors, the victims of Wednesdays bombing were Sunnis, both Pashtuns and Tajiks, as well as Hazaras. Although the Sakhi shrine is mainly a Shiite institution, it had been regarded as a safe place because it was heavily guarded after the previous attacks on Hazaras. It had been a popular venue on Wednesday with many ethnic groups.

Nowruz is the beginning of the year on the Persian calendar, but it also serves as a celebration of the end of winter, the first day of spring and the beginning of the school year. Its associated with outdoor festivities and picnics, usually with many children present; it is also a traditional time to try on new clothes, and many dress in their finest to promenade in the city.



The New York Times: Many of those in the courtyard were furious, yelling at journalists to leave, and denouncing political leaders. Doctors joined in the anger, yelling for blood, for more ambulances, for medicine. Many in the crowd repeatedly chanted Death to Hekmatyar, referring to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the insurgent leader who last year made peace with the government, but is widely remembered as the Butcher of Kabul for his Hezb-i-Islami groups relentless shelling of Kabul in the 1990s. There is no indication that his group was involved in Wednesdays bombing. (Photo defaced by RAWA) Many of those in the courtyard were furious, yelling at journalists to leave, and denouncing political leaders. Doctors joined in the anger, yelling for blood, for more ambulances, for medicine. Many in the crowd repeatedly chanted Death to Hekmatyar, referring to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the insurgent leader who last year made peace with the government, but is widely remembered as the Butcher of Kabul for his Hezb-i-Islami groups relentless shelling of Kabul in the 1990s. There is no indication that his group was involved in Wednesdays bombing. (Photo defaced by RAWA)

In the courtyard of the hospital, one family arrived to find three members among the dead: an older woman in a pink traditional Hazara dress; a young man named Sajad, already in a body bag; and a boy of about 4 or 5. The boy wore a new red shirt, and his father, wearing old clothes, lifted him in his arms. He seemed too shocked for words or tears as he laid him in an ambulance beside Sajad, his older brother.

Another relative came and shook the young mans corpse, saying, Sajad, please stand up, why wont you talk to me? What will I say to your mother?

A fashionably dressed young woman, about 22 years old, her hands decorated with elaborate henna tattoos, mourned an older brother; doctors lifted a corner of the sheet covering him so she could identify him. She cried so hard that she ran out of tears, and began tearing her hair and scratching her face. Lala jan, she said, using the affectionate term for an older brother, I want to come with you  I dont want to be alive any longer.

Many of those in the courtyard were furious, yelling at journalists to leave, and denouncing political leaders. Doctors joined in the anger, yelling for blood, for more ambulances, for medicine. Many in the crowd repeatedly chanted Death to Hekmatyar, referring to Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the insurgent leader who last year made peace with the government, but is widely remembered as the Butcher of Kabul for his Hezb-i-Islami groups relentless shelling of Kabul in the 1990s. There is no indication that his group was involved in Wednesdays bombing.

Mustafas mother spent her ire on President Ashraf Ghani, with a maternal curse: May God kill your own son so you will understand what it means to lose one.

She looked confused when asked her name. My name? I dont remember my name, do I have a name? Then she resumed screaming and cursing.

Her husband told her their younger son, Mujtaba, was on his cellphone. She composed herself and took the phone, telling Mujtaba not to worry, that his brother was still alive. Mustafa is just in the hospital, they are operating on him now, and hes O.K. She hung up and burst into tears again. Some young boys who knew her children were nearby, and she scolded them fiercely. Do not tell Mujtaba his brother is dead. I dont want him crying, too.

Suicide attacks are now one of the biggest killers of civilians in Afghanistan, according to United Nations figures. A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said his group had not been responsible for the latest attack; it has similarly denied any role in previous attacks on Shiite religious targets.

The mother of Mustafa wiped her tears away with both hands, readjusted her head scarf, and resumed speaking to her dead son: You see, Mustafa, I am O.K. now. I am not crying, like you asked me not to do when Musqa died. Im here now, why are you not here?

When you left this morning, you wanted to go to the Sakhi Jan shrine, and you said you wanted to pray for your future, for a better future, for the future of our family, for Afghanistan, she added. Oh my Mustafa. Now who will pray for you?
The New York Times, April 2, 2018

By Rod Nordland

KABUL, Afghanistan  Afghan military helicopters bombed a religious gathering in the northern province of Kunduz on Monday, killing at least 70 people and wounding 30 others, according to a local official in the area.

The official, Nasruddin Saadi, district governor of Dasht-e-Archi, said that the helicopters attacked a religious ceremony for which about 1,000 people had assembled in a mosque and surrounding fields around noon.

Witnesses reached by telephone said that the mosque was also a madrasa, or religious school, and that members of the Taliban had been present at the assembly, which had been organized to recognize graduates, appoint mullahs and elevate junior mullahs.

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.

A 40-year-old farmer from the district, who gave his name only as Mohammad, said that there had been a small number of armed Taliban fighters among the crowd at the assembly, but that most of the attendees were civilians, including madrasa students and graduates. He said that many children had been present, and that the first rockets fired by the helicopters had hit a group of youngsters. The farmer was unable to say how many had been killed or hurt, but added that one of the wounded was his nephew, age 10.

Children come to any gathering where there is a free lunch, he said.

A spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said that the death toll was far higher than the official figure and that no insurgents had been present at the gathering, which was strictly religious in nature. Many Taliban commanders are also mullahs.

Bombing civilians and then calling them mujahedeen is a habit of the Americans and their slaves, Mr. Mujahid said, adding that 150 people had died in the military strike. Those responsible for killing civilians and insulting religion will be brought to justice.
by Sumon Corraya

Law enforcement released a report covering the last two years. Of the 1,346 militants released on bail, 219 fled to organise new terrorist actions. The government plans to build 560 model mosques and Islamic cultural centres to teach that "Islam is a religion of peace".

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  Bangladeshs police anti-terrorism unit released its latest report on the fight against Islamic terrorism covering the past two years. It identifies 4,031 Islamic militants: 3,022 are currently in detention and 1,346 are out on bail.

The militants belong to five Islamic groups banned by the government, namely Harkat-ul Jihad, Hisbut Tahari, Ansurulla Bangla Team, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, and New Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen.

The report says that in two years 70 terrorists were killed in shootouts, including those who carried out the attack against the Holey Artisan Bakery Cafe in Dhaka, in which 20 people were killed, including nine Italians. After the attack, the government went after militants across the country.

The authorities also announced that the security forces killed all the leaders of the five terrorist organisations in military operations. However, among the militants released on bail, 219 have fled and are trying to organise new terrorist activities.

"Fighting extremism is our mission, said Shariful Islam, additional Inspector General of Police and head of the anti-terrorism unit, speaking to journalists.

We are really working to remove all forms of militant activity from Bangladesh, he explained. We have taken the problem seriously after the Gulshan cafe attack.

The extremists have harmed Bangladeshs image by attacking foreigners, he lamented. However, Our operations have won us admiration.

Still, militants are operating in silence, and several terrorists have become radicalised on the Internet, he noted.

Meanwhile, Bangladeshs Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated nine model mosques and centres of Islamic culture via videoconference from Ganabhaban, her official residence.

"We want to build a country that is not sectarian, she said. People must be free to practice their own religion. This is the basic principle of Islam."

To achieve this, the government is planning 560 model mosques in each of the countrys districts. From these, "We want people to learn the true teachings of Islam, the prime minister explained. We want the image of our sacred religion to be upheld. Islam is a religion of peace. We want peace to prevail."
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Prince Charles met with the Irwin family, including siblings Bindi Irwin and Robert Irwin and mother Terri Irwin, on Friday during his Royal Tour of Australia.

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Charles, who is being accompanied on the tour by his wife, Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, met with the Irwins to discuss how to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

"Our family feels extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to meet with His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and other dignitaries today at Lady Elliot Island," Bindi said on Instagram alongside a photo of Charles posing with her family on the beach.

"We joined together to discuss important methods to protect the largest living structure on Earth, The Great Barrier Reef. We must work together to make a difference and protect these sensitive ecosystems for the generations to come #RoyalVisitAustralia," she continued.

Robert also commented on the meeting on Instagram. "Truly honoured to meet His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales today," he said.

"It was great to speak about the conservation of this Wonder of the World with such a passionate and influential person."
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Yesterday, the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts issued a 47 page opinion in Worman v. Healey, No. 1:17-10107-WGY, dismissing the Plaintiffs' challenge to the Enforcement Notice issued by Attorney General Maura Healy in July 2016 and granting summary judgment to Defendants on the Plaintiffs' claim that the Massachusetts Assault Weapons Ban violates the Second Amendment and the phrase copies or duplicates is unconstitutionally vague.

In January 2017, the Plaintiffs filed suit challenging Massachusetts' assault weapons ban that largely mimicked the federal ban which expired in 2004. Notably, the law made it a crime to sell or possess a number of assault weapons including Colt AR-15s, duplicates, and copies. It also criminalized the sale or possession of fixed or detachable magazines capable of holding more than ten rounds. Firearms owned prior to September 13, 1994, were grandfathered in.

In July 2016, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey issued an Enforcement Notice to the public. The Notice was designed to provide a framework for dealers and others to understand how the term assault weapon was defined in Massachusetts law. In particular, the Notice specified that a firearm was a duplicate or a copy of a prohibited firearm if the firearm's internal functional components are substantially similar in construction and configuration to those of an Enumerated Weapon, or if the firearm has a receiver that is the same or interchangeable with the receiver of an Enumerated Weapon. The Notice specified that it would not be applicable to the possession, ownership, or transfer of a firearm owned prior to July 20, 2016.

The Plaintiffs claimed that the Notice violated their right to due process due from retroactive enforcement rather than future enforcement. The Court dismissed this claim, finding that the Notice lacked a binding effect, force of law, and did not constitute a final agency action. Specifically, the Court rejected the notion that the Notice would have a retroactive effect because the Attorney General had stated that interpretation would not be enforced retroactively against individuals.

More concerning is the Court's determination with regard to the Plaintiffs' first claim that the law infringes upon their Second Amendment rights. The Court immediately declared that Assault weapons and LCMs [large capacity magazines]  the types banned by the Act  are not within the scope of the personal right to bear Arms' under the Second Amendment. While the law bans a slew of firearms, the Plaintiffs and the Court focused their analysis on the AR-15.

The Court found that the undisputed facts in the record convincingly demonstrate that the AR-15 and LCMs banned by the Act are weapons that are most useful for military service.' In reviewing case law, the Court found that Heller had rejected the proposition that only those weapons useful in warfare are protected. It went on to state that weapons that are most useful in military servicefall outside the scope of the Second Amendment and may be banned. After engaging in a rather lengthy recap of the AR-15's history, the Court declared that the AR-15's present day popularity is not constitutionally material. The opinion then quotes the late Justice Scalia in order to further its purported point.

Lastly, the Plaintiffs challenged the vagueness of the phrase copies or duplicates within the law. The Court, again, rejected this challenge, finding that the phrase's plain meaning provides a person of ordinary intelligence fair notice as to what is prohibited Moreover, it stated that the general definition [of semiautomatic assault weapon] contains both a list of enumerated weapons and several features-style tests that citizens may use as a second data point if they are uncertain as to what constitutes a copy or duplicate'.

The opinion concludes with something rather rare and what can only be described as a judge's commentary.

The AR-15 and its analogs, along with large capacity magazines, are simply not weapons within the original meaning of the individual constitutional right to bear Arms. Both their general acceptance and their regulation, if any, are policy matters not for courts, but left to the people directly through their elected representatives. In the absence of federal legislation, Massachusetts is free to ban these weapons and large capacity magazines. Other states are equally free to leave them unregulated and available to their law-abiding citizens. These policy matters are simply not of constitutional moment. Americans are not afraid of bumptious, raucous, and robust debate about these matters. We call it democracy. Justice Scalia would be proud.

I suspect we will see this appealed to the First Circuit.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Adam Kraut is a firearms law attorney practicing in southeastern PA and across the country federally. He hosts The Legal Brief, a show dedicated to crushing the various myths and misinformation around various areas of the gun world and The Gun Collective Podcast. He was also the general manager of a gun store in the suburbs of Philadelphia.
'If ever I served my country, it was by earning the label 'anti-national' in the age of Modi,' says Mitali Saran.

Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

Since the last award I won was in college, and since I expected to go to my grave without ever getting another, my ears became pink with pleasure when a friend showed me that I'd been featured on a kind of honour roll poster put out by some Web site.

It's one of those Web sites that lives in the gutters of the Internet, and one of those posters where they steal your face off a newspaper column and paste it among other faces on a saffron and yellow background, with explicatory text about leftist rumour-mongering anti-nationals, and artworks consisting of explosives and jolly red blood spatters.

One does not like to be boastful, but one did allow oneself a brief moment of emotion.

Recognition at last! -- and sweeter still for being shared with a number of other faces that I know and respect.

I immediately began composing an imaginary acceptance speech in my head, and got as far as "This award really belongs to us all..." before choking with imaginary stage fright.

I shared my modest accomplishment with my family. My mother, who is impossible to please, did not even try to look happy.

My sister said she felt sick. 'Honour', 'hit list' -- you say potato, I say potahto.

My brother didn't answer his phone, which is so normal that I think he may have secretly listed the whole family under 'Don't Pick Up'.

Anyway none of them was happy for me, which I plan to keep in mind when I write my will.

Luckily there are friends and colleagues and perfect strangers on social media to step in when your family lets you down, and several people congratulated me warmly.

Of course, awards inevitably come with a comet tail of envy and recrimination.

Why wasn't I on this list? people asked angrily.

Why you, or her, or him? You must have pulled strings.

Where do I apply to get on this list? I'm just as anti-national as these people, why are they ignoring me? And on and on.

Some of them even rang up other people to needle them about not being featured despite being fully deserving of a spot.

People can be so petty. But at least it was because they, unlike Some People who may no longer be my nominees, could see that making it into such a publication means something good.

I am hardly blind to the nasty intent of this poster, and of all the other similar lists that are routinely compiled and shared on Facebook and on Whatsapp, of people who have criticised the right wing or the BJP government, or signed inconvenient petitions. Circulating these lists is mostly meant to intimidate, and if something bad happens, well, what's a list compiler to do?

But there is nothing funny about homicide, so it's a good thing that at least one co-awardee has taken this poster to the police.

And it's equally a good thing that despite knowing all of this, so many other people are clamouring to be on it too.

For my part, I am going to print out a screenshot, and frame it, and hang the whole tiny thing on my wall.

Let me say it again: It feels good to be an anti-national pin-up, even if the pins are meant to poke one's eyes out.

Because if ever I served my country, it was by earning the label 'anti-national' in the age of Modi.

I'm trying not to begrudge my family for throwing cold water on my warm glow. But they should know that one can only try -- I don't promise anything witnessed and notarised.
At the border personnel meeting, China also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

Manash Pratim Bhuyan reports.

In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a border personnel meeting on March 15 in Arunachal's Kibithu but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the Line of Actual Control between the two countries.

The delegation of China's Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the LAC and the army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
Rahul Gandhi also predicts a NDA collapse 'not seen in many years'



Forget the Bharatiya Janata Party winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."

"...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"

And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."

"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.

He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..."

"Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.
'I decided to work as a labourer but my human shield tag walks a pace ahead of me'

'I wanted to make it big by making a beautiful Kashmiri shawl but I became famous for all the wrong reasons'

'What was my mistake? Going to the polling booth and casting my ballot?'

'Is this the message that India wants to send to Kashmir?'

An embroidery artisan who created magic on fabric till a year ago and now shunned by neighbours as the army's "human shield" against stone-pelters, Farooq Ahmed Dar is a broken man, struggling to pick up the threads of his life.

Suffering from insomnia and depression, boycotted by villagers branding him a government agent and unable to find a job, even as a manual labourer, the 28-year-old says his life was upended exactly 12 months ago.

On April 9 last year, a team led by Major Leetul Gogoi tied Dar to the bonnet of an army jeep to escape heavy stone pelting in central Kashmir's Budgam district, the image going on to make global headlines and spotlighting once again the civilian-security polarisation in the Valley.

It was election day in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Dar says he was on his way to cast his vote, braving the boycott call by separatist organisations.

Eight people were killed in police firing on the day.

Investigations by central agencies and local police backed Dar's account of events of the day, blowing away the army's claim that he was a stone-pelter.

Investigations found he was on his way to his sister's place for a condolence visit after voting when the army picked him up and beat him mercilessly before tying him with ropes and parading him through nearly 28 villages.

"What was my mistake? Going to the polling booth and casting my ballot? Dar asked with tears rolling down his cheek.

"I am unable to sleep. Even medicines are ineffective. No one is giving me any work. The government is silent and the judiciary is moving at its own pace," Dar told PTI in a an interview.

Prodded to speak about his life after the incident, Dar said he faced a social boycott as people in his village Chill, in Budgam district, had distanced themselves after they learnt he had participated in the election process.

"I regret moving out of my house on that day," he added in Kashmiri, as a friend who had stuck by him through the 12 months consoled him.

One of five brothers and sisters, Dar, whose father passed away some years ago, said the incident has snatched his fundamental right to live.

"No one is giving me any work. I decided to work as a labourer but my human shield tag walks a pace ahead of me. At times, I wonder whether such an act of cowardice could be rewarded by the army. Is this the message that India wants to send to Kashmir? he asked, referring to Gogoi being commended by the army chief for his act.

"I am not a politician nor do I intend to become one. But if casting a ballot is crime, who is going to come out to vote," Dar said.

Dar pointed to television discussions on the issue. "Neither those who defended me nor those who defended the army officer had even the remotest idea of my mental state," Dar said.

He said his mother Fiza Begum suffers from heart disease and he does not have money for her treatment. "I have been living on dole from my friends and some relatives as I have no source of income.

"I wanted to make it big by making a beautiful Kashmiri shawl but I became famous for all the wrong reasons," Dar said.

His ordeal has entered mainstream discourse. The human shield episode is even referenced in the recent Bollywood film Baaghi 2, where the hero, an army officer, is reportedly shown tying a civilian to his jeep for disrespecting the national flag, leading to criticism that the film was trying to glorify human rights abuses.

Last July, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission awarded Dar Rs 10 lakh as compensation.

But this was rejected by the state's PDP-BJP government, which said there were no rules under which it could pay the money.

"The news about the compensation made this worse for me. People in my neighbourhood made sarcastic remarks about the compensation and criticised me for seeking justice for myself.

"It is not about the money but my dignity. If it is proved I was pelting stones, hang me. Or punish those responsible for my miserable present and and bleak future," Dar said with a note of desperation in his voice.

"If Ahsan Untoo and advocate Zafar Qureshi had not highlighted my plight, the world would have never known what I underwent," he said.

Mohammad Ashan Untoo, head of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights group in the Valley, has filed a review petition against the decision to not give Dar compensation in the State Human Rights Commission.

A plea on the matter has also been filed in the Jammu and Kashmir high court.

"One day we will get justice," Untoo said.

In his view, New Delhi should be eager to hear the case of a person who believes in democracy but has become a victim of the army's high handedness.

Untoo added that is also planning to sue the producer and director of Baaghi 2.

"An act of cowardice is being used to stoke so-called nationalistic passions, he said.

The video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the Gogoi's jeep had gone viral, triggering a public outcry.

Some former generals said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army.

The state police registered a case of abduction with intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

The police, in its investigations, said Dar was "tied to an army vehicle as human shield under threat, kept in wrongful confinement and has been paraded around...
The powerful military establishment, which enjoys considerable influence over policy decisions in Pakistan, was also on board to ban JuD and other terror groups.

Pakistan is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other terror groups and individuals on the watch list of the interior ministry, a move which has the backing of the powerful military establishment.

The bill will replace the presidential ordinance that banned outfits and people already on the watch list of the interior ministry, Dawn reported on Sunday.

Citing its sources in the law ministry, the paper reported that the proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled to commence on Monday.

The law ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft bill, the sources said, adding that the military establishment was also on board.

The powerful military establishment enjoys considerable influence over policy decisions in Pakistan.

The government decided to prepare a draft bill to amend the ATA as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the United States, the United Kingdom, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdog's money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain had promulgated the ordinance amending the ATA to include entities listed by the UNSC as proscribed groups but it will expire in 120 days.

The National Assembly can extend it for another four months after which it has to be tabled before both the houses -- National Assembly and the Senate -- for further extension.

Through the ordinance, amendments were made to ATA's Section 11-B that sets out parameters for proscription of groups and Section 11-EE that describes the grounds for listing of individuals. In both sections, Sub-Section 'aa' was added.

According to the sub-section, organisations and individuals "listed under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948 (XIV of 1948), or" will be included in the First Schedule (for organisations) and Fourth Schedule (for individuals), respectively, on an ex parte basis.

Under Section 11-EE, the requirements were: "(a) concerned in terrorism; (b) an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation under section 11D or proscribed under section 11B; and (c) in any way concerned or suspected to be concerned with such organisation or affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism or acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, any person or organisation proscribed under this Act."

In addition to the draft bill, Pakistan is also preparing a consolidated database of known terrorists and terrorist organisations which will be accessible to financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies of the country to strengthen the regime against money laundering and terror financing.

For the enforcement of prohibition of funds and financial services, it was recommended to the authorities to ensure that statutory regulatory orders issued under UNSC Resolutions-1267 and - 1373 (issued under ATA) are implemented without delay. The government would also frame the ATA's freezing and seizure rules and ensure that Anti-Terrorism Amendment Ordinance 2018 is enacted through the parliament, according to the draft action plan.

The amendment to the ATA would also enable investigation officers to be trained to investigate sources of funding besides other financial aspects in terrorism cases.

The presidential ordinance has already been challenged by Saeed in the Islamabad high court. He claimed that the ordinance had been promulgated due to external pressure and hence was not only prejudicial to the sovereignty but also contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

His JuD is believed to be the front organisation for the Lashkar-e-Tayiba 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.

When contacted, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, special assistant to the prime minister, said that the amendment to the ATA was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new, as it would basically ensure compliance to the UNSC Resolutions.
The BJP's charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family.

The Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday claimed that it was the only "pro-Dalit" party and accused opposition parties, including the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party, of abetting violence over issues concerning the community as part of a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere.

The BJP fielded Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot to launch a counter attack on opposition parties, which have targeted the saffron party over Dalit issues.

They accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of fuelling the fire with his "lies and rumour-mongering".

The BJP leaders, however, parried queries on the statements of several Dalit MPs of their party, with Prasad maintaining that the party would talk to them and listen to their concerns.

Violent protests during a Bharat Bandh called by several Dalit groups on April 2 left at least 11 people dead.

It brought to fore the grievances of the community and also triggered a war of words between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gehlot, the most prominent Dalit leader of the BJP, said Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram never supported violent protests as he attacked the Congress and the Mayawati-led BSP.

Prasad accused the two parties besides the Samajwadi Party of abetting violence as part of a conspiracy and said they were politicising the matter to polarise the country.

"The opposition should not work to divide the country for political interests," he said.

The BJP's charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family and the BJP had largest number of Dalit and tribal MPs and MLAs in its fold.

Prasad claimed that the maximum violence was seen in those parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the Congress and the BSP had influence.

Opposition parties were trying to spread bitterness, casteism and regionalism in the country to target the BJP, he alleged.

Gehlot said the Narendra Modi-led government had strengthened the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with amendments in 2016 and done a lot to celebrate Ambedkar's legacy, including observing his birth anniversary with year-long events and building memorials in places linked to him.

Citing Gandhi's reported comments that the act had been abrogated, Prasad alleged that he was fuelling the fire with his lies.

To a question about Gandhi's planned fast, he said that the Congress leader had a right to do so but should refrain from spreading rumours.

Gehlot said Modi had been able to make his image of a "messiah" for weaker sections of the society, causing heartburn in the opposition.

Parties like the Congress and the BSP did nothing for Dalits and at times even worked against their interests, Prasad and Gehlot alleged.

It was Mayawati who as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007 wrote to the state police to stop misuse of the act while the Congress did not accord Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar for decades following his death in 1956, Prasad claimed.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the party had now discovered love for Ambedkar.

Citing the government's work to empower Dalits, Gehlot said the BJP was the only pro-Dalit party.

BJP's Dalit MPs have exposed 'anti-Dalit' Modi govt: Congress

Dubbing the Union government as "anti-Dalit," the Congress has said its criticism by Bharatiya Janata Party's Dalits MPs has exposed it and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to break his "silence" and respond to their concerns.

Quoting from the statements five BJP Dalit MPs, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill claimed that they proved Modi was working to make India 'Dalit-mukt.'

The condition of scheduled castes can be understood when even the ruling party's MPs were underlining their fear and concerns, he told reporters.

Taking a dig at Modi's 2014 poll campaign around 'Chai pe charcha' and his monthly radio broadcast 'Mann ki Baat,' the Congress spokesperson asked the prime minister to engage in a 'charcha' (discussion) with his own party's Dalit MPs to listen to their 'Mann ki Baat'.

He said the situation due to rising atrocities on Dalits amid the government's lack of concern and inaction over the malady has reached such an alarming level that even the BJP MPs were now saying that the Modi government has done nothing for the community and that their condition has deteriorated under the government.

"The prime minister must break his never-ending silence on rising atrocities against Dalits and respond to the concerns and questions of his own MPs. BJP MPs' statements prove beyond doubt that PM Modi was working towards a Dalit-mukt' India," Shergill said.

BJP MPs have exposed Modi's "anti-Dalit" mindset and policies, he added.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister's directive to his party MPs to spend a night in a village with over 50 per cent Dalits and tribals population, he said the prime minister should first call his party's Dalit MPs to his house to address their concerns rather than doing these "PR stunts".

The statements of BJP's Dalit MPs -- Udit Raj, Savitri Bai Phule, Chhote Lal Kharwar, Ashok Kumar Dohre and Yashwant Singh -- have punctured the government's tall claims, he said.

These Lok Sabha members have expressed concerns over issues facing Dalits. While some of the MPs like Udit Raj and Dohre have not targeted their party's top brass outright others like Singh and Phule have been explicit in their criticism of the government.

Modi's "stoic silence" shows the BJP-RSS is working towards making India Dalit-free and he was "enjoying" the anguish and pain of the scheduled castes and tribes, Shergill alleged.
Shiv Sena said that the party has no intention to change its political line of contesting all future polls independently.

The Shiv Sena has indicated there will be no change in its strategy of going it alone in polls after Bharatiya Janata Party chief Amit Shah reached out to his bickering ally in a bid to pacify it.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on April 6, Shah had said the BJP hopes the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will continue to remain in the NDA fold.

"They (Sena) are in the government with us now, and it is our strong desire that they remain with us," Shah had said.

In January, the Sena had announced it will not align with the BJP and go solo in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls.

The Sena is currently part of the BJP-led ruling coalitions in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, but it has often criticised both governments' decisions and policies.

Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai has said that the BJP has suddenly changed its tone and is now talking about its allies in the NDA.

"Even in 2019, we will form an NDA government though the BJP will win a majority (on its own in Lok Sabha polls)," Shah had said at the press meet.

"The BJP, which all along said it would come to power on its own, is now remembering its friends. Its tone has changed in the past six months. It now talks about the NDA," Desai said at a public meeting in Maharashtra's Thane on Saturday.

Thackeray was the "most popular" leader in the state and the party, under his leadership, would capture power on its own strength, Desai said.

"The Sena chief has said we will fight the polls alone and all Sainiks should works towards that aim," he said.

A Sena office-bearer said the party has no intention to change its political line of contesting all future polls independently.

He said the BJP has a policy of using its allies for political gains and then discarding them.

"In Goa, they (BJP) used Maharashtrawadi Gomatak Party to grow and in Maharashtra, it expanded its base with Shiv Sena's help. But, the Shiv Sena is not the MGP," said the officer-bearer, who preferred to remain anonymous.

"Not just the Shiv Sena, but the entire country is witnessing the BJP's arrogance," he said.

The Sena will also have nothing to do with Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the office- bearer maintained.

However, the BJP does seem perturbed by the Sena's cold shouldering.

A state BJP leader said the rank and file is enthused by the good response the party's rally on its 38th foundation day here on April 6 received.

The rally saw "unprecedented" turnout of BJP workers from different parts of the state, he said.

"The event has enthused the cadre and going by the participation, the Shiv Sena should realise the BJP may not require it at all (in polls)," the BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the BJP has never said the Sena was not a valuable ally. "The Shiv Sena has problems with us and it is not the other way round. We never said we don't need you," he maintained.
Justice J Chelameswar, who courted controversy by virtually revolting against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, also said that impeachment cannot be an answer to every problem and there was need to correct the system.

Justice J Chelameswar, who courted controversy by virtually revolting against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, said that impeachment cannot be an answer to every question and problem and there was need to correct the system.

Justice Chelameswar, the senior-most judge after the CJI, said the January 12 press conference he held along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, was the result of anguish and concern as their deliberations with the CJI did not achieve the desired results on the issues raised by them regarding the functioning of the top court.

The judge, who was holding a talk on the topic Role of judiciary in democracy, also answered questions on the priority of the CJI in constituting benches and allocating cases to different judges as the master of roster.

The CJI is the master of roster. Undoubtedly, the CJI has this power. The CJI has the authority to constitute the benches but under constitutional system every power is coupled with certain responsibilities. The power is required to be exercised not because it exists but for the purpose of achieving public good. You dont exercise the power merely because you have it, he said.

He replied in the affirmative when asked whether the power of setting up of benches and allocation of cases should be exercised arbitrarily.

Asked by eminent journalist Karan Thapar, who was in conversation with the judge, if there is sufficient ground for seeking impeachment of the Chief Justice of India, Justice Chelameswar said: Why this question is asked?

The other day, someone was asking for my impeachment. I dont know why this nation is worried about impeachment so much. In fact we (along with Justice Gogoi) wrote in the judgment of Justice C S Karnan that apart from that there must be mechanisms to put the system in order.

Impeachment cant be the answer for every question or every problem. A few days ago I heard somebody asking for my impeachment. Like the saying goes, I dont agree with you but I shall protect your right to say so, he said.

His response came in the backdrop of moves by opposition parties to initiate impeachment proceedings against the CJI. No CJI has ever faced impeachment in the country.

On being asked whether he was apprehensive or feared that Justice Gogoi, who was part of the November 2017 letter written to the CJI and the presser, will not be elevated as the next CJI, Justice Chelameswar said he hoped it does not happen and if it happened, it will be proved that what they said in the January 12 press conference was true.

I am not an astrologer... I am not (worried). I hope that does not happen (Justice Gogoi being denied CJIs position). If it happens, it will only prove what we said in the press conference was true, he said.

Regarding the current status of the collegium, whether its divided 4:1 or dismantled after the discord between the four seniormost judges and the CJI, Justice Chelameswar said the five judges who are part of collegium met on Friday evening as well as last week and even if they have differences, this does not mean they dont see eye to eye.

None of us are fighting for private property. Differences are on institutional issues, that does not mean that we do not see eye to eye, he said.

In the programme organised by Harvard Club of India, which consists of people who have studied from the American university and are residing here, the judge made it clear that after his retirement on June 22, he would not seek any employment from the government.

I am saying it on record that after my retirement on June 22, I will not seek any appointment from the government, he said.

Thapars conversation with Justice Chelameswar which lasted for 70 minutes was focused on all the recent controversies ranging from appointment of judges to higher judiciary to setting up of benches and allocation of cases on preferential basis, hearing on sensitive cases like judge B H Loyas death, turf war between judiciary and executive over the Memorandum of Procedure.

When asked his view on the criticism being made for going public with the presser on the functioning of the institution, he said anybody who enters public office cannot avoid criticism and there was no such principle barring judges interacting with the media.

Anybody who enters a public office can never avoid criticism. And I was wondering where this principle come from? What was the context that this principle came from? Judges were not expected to debate in the press about the judgments.

I go somewhere, press would be there, they report something and if I interact with them, is it prohibited? Similarly we were talking about the administrative problems. We were not breaching any of the time-honoured principles that we should not address the press, he said.

Justice Chelameswar refused to answer whether preferential benches were chosen to benefit the government?

I am not answering this question, he replied.

He also avoided answer to a question that the preferential benches are constituted to get an order or judgment which the chief justice desired.

When asked whether the selective allocation of cases is undermining the faith in the institution, he said I believe so and if the process is not transparent, it will lead to suspicion.
Some unlikely celebrities are behind multiple campaigns to fight the fake news menace.

Sai Manish reports.



Illustration: Uttam Ghosh/Rediff.com

While the Narendra D Modi government burnt its fingers over an unsuccessful attempt to 'rein in' the mainline media over alleged fake news dissemination, India's nascent fake news-busting business is finding high-profile takers.

Three of them -- OpIndia, Alt News and Boom Live -- stand out for the intensity of their coverage and the hawk (if sometimes jaundiced) eye they keep on fact-checking news and calling out the so-called fake news.

Writer-activist Arundhati Roy's trust donated to Alt News, while Manipal Global Education Chairman T V Mohandas Pai and Infosys founder N R Narayana Murthy have put their weight behind the right-of-centre OpIndia.

Lie busters or political agents?

"Most of the fake news is originating from people aligned with the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party). People aligned with the Congress have not propagated fake news with the same frequency yet," says Govindraj Ethiraj, promoter of Boom Live, which started operations in 2016.

"We try to bust fake news irrespective of the political spectrum and we do not have any political affiliations," Ethiraj adds.

OpIndia's Chief Editor Nupur Sharma has a different take: "Those peddling fake information come from all kinds of political or ideological affiliations. I have very honestly told you that it is the leftist narrative that we are up against."

"We do not claim to be ideologically neutral," says Sharma, "unlike many in the mainstream media who are leftist but pretend to be centrist or neutral. We will continue to be right-leaning."

Alt News founder Pratik Sinha has a more nuanced view. "I have an ideological leaning. I am oriented towards the left. But I don't have a political leaning. I don't support a political party. Not even the left."

"The problem of fake news and inaccurate information is more acute in TV. They are always in a hurry to put out news without checking the veracity of the facts," says Sinha.

"In the case of the stay on the order of disqualification of Aam Aadmi Party MLAs, many channels put out the opposite of what the court had ruled. The problem is not ideological. The problem is with the business model of news," Sinha points out.

Alt News: Control Alt Left

Alt News receives individual donations ranging from Rs 9 to Rs 1,000.

True to Sinha's left leanings, Alt News has been set up as a non-profit firm.

According to him, an organisation called the Zindabad Trust donated an unspecified sum to his Web site, which operates out of Sinha's home in Ahmedabad with just three employees including Sinha.

Arundhati Roy reportedly set up Zindabad Trust with her 1997 Booker Prize money.

In a written reply, Roy confirmed she had donated to Alt News "because it is doing a wonderful job of trying to set the record straight and counter the propaganda masqueraded as news."

While it is not clear when this donation was made, Alt News carried a story on January 22, defending Roy over statements floating around in social media that the Web site found she had never made.

Alt News counter-checked Roy's interviews with the BBC and verified other sources to conclude that Roy had never said 'Islamic terrorism isn't the real problem. Mothers and teachers are real terrorists.'

While much of the year-old Alt News's coverage is factual, its focus is evidently on media organisations like Arnab Goswami's Republic TV and the Times group's Times Now.

Goswami, the chief of Republic TV, is known to be a sharp critic of Roy.

"These channels and many other channels are pro-establishment. There is a need to have someone taking an anti-establishment stance. It would be wrong to say we focus on a few channels. Big media houses have various channels -- some are pro-establishment while others not quite," says Sinha, when asked about his overwhelming coverage of select media houses.

Sinha, a software engineer based in Vietnam, returned to India and set up the Web portal Truth of Gujarat around the time the second chargesheet in the Ishrat Jahan encounter case was filed.

Sinha says his father Mukul Sinha, who was the lawyer for the Gujarat riot victims, had so much information that it deserved to be put out for public consumption.

OpIndia: 1 step forward, 2 steps right

While Alt News is taking baby steps in one direction, its antipode OpIndia has better financial muscle and editorial firepower.

OpIndia is owned by Kovai Media which also operates the right-leaning Swarajya magazine.

The highest-profile investor in Kovai Media is former Infosys director Mohandas Pai.

As of March 31, 2017, Pai held 39,786 shares, representing a little above 3 per cent stake in the company.

According to Sharma, OpIndia was taken over by Kovai Media in October 2016.

A smaller stake, amounting to 23,872 shares (almost 2 per cent), is held by Catamaran Ventures, whose promoter is Infosys co-founder N R Narayana Murthy.

Kovai Media's financial performance has slowly picked up over the years.

Its revenue from operations was almost Rs 7.7 million in 2016-2017, a threefold growth rate over the previous year.

It received Rs 3.5 million in advertisement revenue and almost Rs 2.3 million in subscriptions.

It also upped the ante in paying freelance writers. In 2016-2017, it paid almost Rs 12 million to freelance writers -- double the amount it paid the previous year.

Understandably, OpIndia would constitute a small portion of Kovai Media's scheme of things.

Most of the fake news-busting articles on the Web site do not have bylines.

Unlike Alt News, OpIndia seems to have paid greater attention to political fact-checking.

In particular, it seems to have a strong dislike for Congress President Rahul Gandhi and New Delhi-based NDTV and some of its anchors.

Of late, OpIndia has also taken upon itself to defend a few Cabinet ministers who have been accused of impropriety by some Web-based news sites.

"The most obvious form is where incidents or facts/figures are invented and fiction is peddled as real event," says Sharma.

"The biggest source of such forms of fake news is, unfortunately, the social media, especially WhatsApp," Sharma adds.

"However, such news is the easiest to debunk. The other kind, which cannot categorically be called fake news but is qualitatively no better is when you fuddle information on purpose and confuse people -- such manipulation is widespread and even accepted in the mainstream media, and that is what is more difficult to debunk. That is our focus," Sharma says.

OpIndia was founded in 2014 by Rahul Raj and Kumar Kamal before being acquired.

Boom Live: Ecosystem of fact-checking

Sharma's definition of fake news finds resonance with Ethiraj -- he agrees on the role of non-institutional sources like social media and messaging platforms like WhatsApp in the proliferation of fake information.

Social media's inherent viral nature, according to Ethiraj, "adds velocity and veracity to fake news."

Ethiraj isn't new to the business of lie-busting. He is the brain behind IndiaSpend and FactChecker, both of which use primary or secondary data, unlike OpIndia and others, to separate the wheat from the chaff and call a bluff.

Ethiraj, a business journalist, says that those taking political sides in the business of fake news-busting won't be able to carry on doing so for long.

Boom Live is part of Ethiraj's Ping Digital Broadcast Network, based in Mumbai and with a branch in Dubai.

In 2016-2017, it clocked an impressive turnover of Rs 439 million -- a 153 per cent rise over 2015-16. It dubbed Rs 278 million worth of payments to those who contributed to its platforms as 'talent share fees'.

Its top guns, including Ethiraj and two other directors, took home pay checks of over Rs 10 million a year each.

Its shareholding patterns look straight out of a Silicon Valley soap opera -- an angel investor in Los Angeles with a small share, Ethiraj with 68 per cent, and a generous sprinkling of company stock with various junior employees.

By the look of it, Boom Live has a wider canvas than OpIndia and Alt News.

Ethiraj's editorial approach is more issue-based than that of Alt News and OpIndia. He doesn't expect his fake news-busting venture to be a money spinner.

"It's all about a crusade against misinformed propaganda," he says.

Roy is more sceptical about the impact of such initiatives.

"Factually false news, deliberately faked news, deliberately spread lies and rumours and outlandish assertions that are based on prejudices that arise from caste-based and religious bigotry all overlap to form the ecosystem of misinformation that we live in," says Arundhuti Roy.

"How can it be checked in any formal, systematic way when the most powerful sections of the establishment have the highest stakes in it?"
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Responsible supply chains sine qua non for diamonds, other precious stones

09 april 2018 Analytics

The Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KP), which was established by the southern African diamond-producing countries in 2000, came into effect on 1 January 2003 in a bid to eliminate the use of rough diamonds to finance armed conflict.



The scheme, currently under the leadership of the European Union (EU), also aimed at protecting the legitimate diamond industry, upon which many countries depended.



KP, which was also endorsed by the United Nations General Assembly, made a massive contribution during its formative stage to the implementation of then fragile peace agreements in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Liberia and Sierra Leone by blocking resources to potential spoilers.



The scheme members are now said to be responsible for stemming 99.8 percent of the global production of conflict diamonds.



Trouble



However, some non-governmental organisations (NGOs) are not convinced that KP had made such an astounding progress.



IMPACT, previously known as Partnership Africa Canada (PAC), recently left the KP arguing that it was giving consumers false confidence about where their stones come from.



Theres no meaningful assurance that a diamond is conflict free, Joanne Lebert, executive director at IMPACT, was quoted by the Financial Times as saying.

IMPACT, together with other NGOs, had previously called for reforms to reinforce internal controls at national and regional levels to strengthen traceability and minimise illicit trade.

It claimed that the Kimberley Process did not make enough progress on any of the reforms.



We have come to the conclusion that the Kimberley Process has lost its will to be an effective mechanism for responsible diamond governance, Lebert said in December 2017.



The Human Rights Watch (HRW) also said in 2016 that KPs long-term credibility and relevance had been undermined by a narrow focus on the activities of anti-government rebel groups and its unwillingness to incorporate human rights protections into its standards and operations.



It said although KP had made important progress in curtailing the trade in conflict diamonds, it should adopt a broader focus on the full range of human rights abuses connected with diamond production, regardless of whether they are committed by governments, rebel armies, or private actors.



HRW has also observed institutional failures by the Kimberley Process in both identifying violations of its standards and holding member states accountable for noncompliance, it said.



There is little independent monitoring of compliance with Kimberley Process rules and few penalties for violations.



Supply chains



KP was acknowledged by a multi-stakeholder group that comprised of 50 representatives from industry, civil society and government that met in Paris in April 2013 for its efforts to advance responsible sourcing for rough diamonds.



The stakeholders who met at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) to discuss responsible supply chains for precious stones stressed the need for ongoing and continuous improvement in responsible sourcing practices due to evolving risks that the trade in precious stones may be associated with conflict and human rights abuses.



HRW also studied the supply chains of 13 leading jewellery brands that collectively represent about 10 percent of global jewelry sales.



These 13 companies are estimated to generate over $30 billion in annual revenue, according to HRW.



Globally, about 90 million carats of rough diamonds and 1,600 tonnes of gold are mined for jewellery every year, generating over $300 billion in revenue.



Of the companies researched, Boodles, Bulgari, Cartier, Chopard, Christ, Harry Winston, Pandora, Signet Jewelers, Tanishq, and Tiffany & Co. responded to its request for information while Kalyan, Rolex, and TBZ ignored its inquiries.



It said in a report released earlier this year that the majority of the companies do not have full traceability for their diamonds and gold.



All jewelry companies need to put in place strong human rights safeguards  otherwise, they risk contributing to human rights abuses, reads part of the recommendations made in the report.



Hope



Despite the short-comings identified by HRW in its report, it was heartening to see that some diamond producers are doing their best to promote transparency using the blockchain technology.



De Beers chief executive Bruce Cleaver recently said they are investing in a new platform that will provide "a single, immutable record that traces a diamonds individual journey through the value chain".



"This diamond traceability platform is underpinned by blockchain technology, which allows for a highly secure digital register that creates a tamper-proof and permanent record of interactions  in this instance, a diamonds path through the value chain, he said.

In a blockchain, each event or transaction is registered in a database backed by advanced information security technology.



This chain maintains a record of the activities that have taken place, the order they occurred in, who they occurred between and what they involved.



HRW said some of the companies it scrutinised for their report had taken important steps to address human rights risks in the gold and diamond supply chain.



For example, Tiffany and Co. can trace all of its newly mined gold back to one mine of origin and conducts regular human rights assessments with the mine, reads the report.

Cartier and Chopard have full chain of custody for a portion of their gold supply. Bulgari has conducted visits to mines to check human rights conditions.



Pandora has published detailed information about its human rights due diligence efforts, including on noncompliance found during audits of its suppliers and steps it is taking to address them.



It said Boodles had pledged to develop a comprehensive code of conduct for its gold and diamond suppliers, and to make it public.



The company had also pledged to report publicly on its human rights due diligence from 2019, and to conduct more rigorous human rights assessments.



Christ, it said, had also pledged to publish its supplier code of conduct and other information on its human rights due diligence efforts in the coming year.



While these are promising signs, we found that most companies still fall short of meeting international standards, said HRW.



While some companies are actively working to identify and address human rights risks in their supply chains, others rely simply on the assurances of their suppliers that their gold and diamonds are free of human rights abuses, without rigorously verifying these claims.

It also advised that the Responsible Jewellery Council should become a true multi-stakeholder body by giving civil society and industry representatives equal decision-making power at all levels and strengthening its standards and auditing practices to set a higher bar for responsible sourcing practices by the industry.



Responsible sourcing of precious stones is of necessity, especially at a time lab-grown diamond producers were telling millennials to avoid natural stones as they were mined unethically.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




Founder and Chairman of the Mediterranean Gemmological and Jewellery Conference, MGJC, Branko Deljanin kindly agreed to answer questions from Rough&Polished related to synthetic diamonds and the upcoming 4th session MGJC in May in Budva, Montenegro.

Can we talk about the threat of synthetic diamonds?

In the last few years, more and more parcels of natural near-colourless diamonds are salted with synthetic diamonds and have put the industry on high alert.

Major threat coming from smaller and melee diamonds that are not sent to labs for proper testing and grading, where they could be identified with combination of standard and advanced instruments.

Its even bigger problem when they are mounted in jewellery so some fast melee screening: instruments cannot be used. Though amount of lab-grown diamonds is only few percent of natural diamond market every year production is doubling.

Do they deserve a share of low quality small stones in the total volume of the market?

Price of melee synthetic HPHT-grown diamonds is not much lower than natural melee diamonds, and when they are lower quality not so great alternative to natural diamonds. Melee and small CVD diamonds are especially difficult to source and price is very close or similar to natural diamonds.

What is the market share of synthetic diamonds, according to your assessment?

Difficult to say, production is still larger than consumption, maybe around 4-6% the most. World synthetic diamond production volume between 2014 and 2017 increased from 350,000ct to 4.5 million carats per year what is quite impressive (Zohar, IDEX 2017).

Millennials help to increase the demand for synthetic diamonds, succumbing to the image created by its producers, assuring that their diamonds are not associated with the exploitation of labor and do not harm the environment. Do you see here a problem?

Problem is really that in this decade production of natural diamonds decreased, and it requires lot of time to find and then finance and open new diamond mines. Millennials are more open to buy synthetic diamonds and could switch more to this product for same ethical reasons as they switched from fur to synthetic leather.

How do you feel about the emergence of a large number of small and medium-sized diamond producers?

I study synthetic diamonds since 2000 when I certified first synthetic diamond in the world in New York and worked with 10 major producers from 4 countries who openly certify and proudly sell their product as lab-grown.

In last 5 years there are so many small and medium producers from India, China, former Soviet Union countries and Asia and I cannot track their names anymore. I think its problem because majority do not necessary want to certify and laser their production, making job of screening and identification with standard instrument more important.

What are the MGCJ priorities for the 2018 session?

We always make sure we have lectures from leading experts with original research on topics that are of most concern to the jewellery industry and this year focus is on Synthetic Diamonds and Gems.

Our conference positioned itself as bridge between many business and appraising conferences and a few highly scientific conferences as trade-technical conference that brings up current trade problems and offers solutions with standard and affordable instruments.

Over the last 3 annual Mediterranean Gem and Jewellery conferences and over 30 workshops given in 17 countries, CGL-GRS Swiss Canadian gemlab Chief Gemmologist Branko Deljanin, IGL Greece Director George Spyromilios and Australian Gemetrix instrument maker John Chapman assembled a NEW Portable Synthetic Diamond Identification Kit with AGIL Hong Kong Director Dominic Mok that will be launched at MGJ conference e 2018 in Montenegro.

Education is what it takes for the Diamond and Jewellery industry to grow and to endure the difficult times, so we prepared 6 practical workshops with latest research samples on natural, treated and synthetic diamonds, rubies, sapphires and emeralds.

A Round Table on "Marketing of Synthetic Diamonds and Synthetic Gems in 21st century" with 6 international experts will discuss issues and answering questions from other delegates. Beside gemologists and appraisers, we are having more retail jewelers and dealers attending, meaning they are concerned about synthetic gems.

Due to the central position of Montenegro in Europe and Mediterranean, many participants are expected from Western Europe and USA, but also from Russia, Turkey and other Mediterranean countries.

Alex Shishlo, Editor of the Rough&Polished European Bureau in Brussels




Metalex widens losses Metalex Venture, which has optioned the Viljoenshof diamond project near Kimberley in South Africa, has incurred cumulative losses of $103 million as of July 31, 2021, compared to $102 million, a year earlier.

NDC announces ASSURE Program 2.0 to protect consumers and support DVI manufacturers The Natural Diamond Council (NDC) has announced the expansion of the market-leading ASSURE Program designed to protect consumers and safeguard the integrity of the natural diamond supply chain by supporting Diamond Verification Instrument (DVI)...

Mountain Province announced extension of revolving credit facility, repayment of term loan Mountain Province Diamonds Inc. announced the extension by six months of its US$25M Revolving Credit Facility with Dunebridge Worldwide Ltd, and the full repayment of its US$35M term loan.

African Gold achieves 66% increase in delivered gold ounces African Gold Group has recorded a 66% increase in mineral reserve to 1.25 million ounces of gold at its Kobada gold project in Mali. This was an increase of 497,772 ounces from the previous reserve estimate in the 2020 definitive feasibility study...
Features

Alobo Naga released his second album Kini last year. Post a very successful international promo-tour, the Naga pop-rock sensation has started an exhaustive India tour to showcase his newer electro-pop offering.

Being born and brought up in Nagaland's Dimapur, every time I hear somebody talking about the Northeast of India, it drives me back to nostalgia - a tiny town with basic facilities, limited infrastructure, an easy life without any breathing issues and most importantly a community where everyone is a known face  a happy face. And when it comes to its music, I can vouch for its anything but forceful attitude. I grew up watching the young northeast prodigies jamming on the terraces. The sheer spontaneity of musical expression in Northeast has been a constant attraction for the rest of India.

Why I am repeating this familiar story? Because now I live in New Delhi and the dusty, noisy by-lanes of busy South Delhi has become a part of my identity. Make no mistake, I love it; however, once in a while when I do get to relive whatever "North-east culture" the other metropolitan cities decide to experience, I never shy away. Last Sunday was one such ocassion. In the midst of a busy street in Saket, I was thrown back to the memory lane  and the person responsible for this splendid effort was none other than Alobo Naga. As dreamy as it may sound, when I first watched Alobo Naga & Bands video Painted Dreams shot on a terrace with mountains, scattered buildings on the background and five confident Naga guys doing what they knew best, I realised the rising hype around the songwriter was surely justified. I started to observe his rise, the compositions and evolution of Alobo Naga.

Alobo continued his musical journey and there was no looking back. The proof of his evolution as a songwriter can be deduced with the topics and the issues that dictated current affairs. After the Delhi gangrape case in 2012, the band released the song  Let Her Live  to remind men of the horrors that women face in this unfair system. The band composed another song to inculcate hope in young people titled ' All We Have Is Now ' that highlights socio-political scenario of the country at large, how money and connections work better than talent and Alobo Naga would also consider him a victim of such bias.

Apart from being a leader of his band, Alobo also chooses to perform music through his solo project. Songs like  Chasing Ghost , Laughter and Tears are a result of that decision. With the band, the genre is mostly pop-rock and the solo project also lets me explore further the folk sounds to which people can groove,says Naga. Naga gradually joined the exclusive league of established faces and voices that not only represented the North-east in possibly the most humble manners but invited the rest of the country to collaborate with the region. Alobo recently bagged three awards at the Artist Aloud music awards. (Naga won the most awards in 2018 at the Artist Aloud Music Awards ). He won Best song for 'Chasing Ghosts', Best English Song for 'WOLO' and also won the Best Artiste from Northeast India. That was not the only time when Alobo Naga received critical recognition. 'Painted Dreams' was selected as the Theme Song for the prestigious International Short Film Festival 2011 held in Guwahati. The song also went up to No.4 at the International Top 10 chart on VH1 and was successively announced as one of the top 50 videos of 2011 by the same music channel. They were nominated for MTV Europe Music Awards 2012 nominations for Best Worldwide Act and won the Best Indian Act award.

Alobo is always known for his mainstream rock appeal but he's venturing into new styles and genres to stay in the competition. He emphasises, "Music is art and whats the point of that art which people cant relate to. His new album Kini put the songwriter in experimental mode with different genres and sounds, especially electro-pop has dominated the album. 'Kini', his latest studio effort, arrives six years after the last one.

I spoke with Alobo Naga after his second show of the ongoing tour, at K Boulevard, Delhi. Alobo shared the existing tour plan, his contribution to the society, the support for local musicians, his current and future music projects and how he trying to promote local dialects through his songs. Heres the entire conversation:

In 2018, how easier has it become for bands to arrive from a small town like Dimapur and make noise as you did back in 2011?

"World has become really small because of the internet. Anything and everything is easily accessible. One can record anything and people will get to listen to it. Thats the major difference. Having said that, to make an impact first of all, one needs to come up with good material; no matter if you are active on social media or have a great following. If you dont have good production, it wont work. Number one, one should have a good commodity. Secondly, its about promotion. I believe 50% is the music and remaining 50% is your PR & marketing. Also advantages like - being from a small town in a city like Nagaland, it is easier to reach out to people compared to Delhi. Even access to media in Nagaland is easier comparatively. But back in 2011, it was more of word-of-mouth and good music. No doubt there were other good bands as well in the scene but there was hardly any band who was making music videos and trying to take another step. On the other hand, we came up with a music video for our single Painted Dreams which became an instant hit in 2011. There were only 4-5 bands whose videos used to come at that time. We were not competing with Indian bands any longer, the song had reached International Top Ten amongst the pop artists like Lady Gaga, Maroon 5 etc. So, I can say the genre also worked well for me."

So, musicians are still doing something wrong or falling short, you believe?

"The problem what I feel with most of the Indian artists today, is that they make music for themselves. They make music they like, they play and they sing what they love and what they believe in, but at the end of the day you also need to understand what the audience wants. They dont need complicated stuff; if you look at all the hit songs right now, say 'All Of Me', look at the meaning - "all of me loves all of you". Its so simple. But then again from an artist's perspective, creating something simple but beautiful is difficult. Unfortunately, this is what usually works with the audiences nowadays. There are bands who are trying to put all the technical stuff, lyrically, too, they are writing poetic material that people dont even understand, although I am a musician so I know how good the content is, but people? They don't care. I feel that kind of music can garner maybe only 20% of the audience but 80% only cares about good melody, good beat, simple lyrics, so that they can sing along and dance. So, in my recent album Kini, most of the songs belong to the same nature and its working. So, I think song selection also matters a lot. Why is Bollywood working? Its because majority of people can relate and connect to that kind of music. Music is an art, so if people cant relate to your art, whats the point then. So independent musicians also need to think that way.

In album Kini, I dont only have songs which people can dance on, but there are songs like ' Poisa ' (featuring Borkung and Big Deal) and ' Mistery Gaana ' feat Moto that focus on social awareness. My idea is to share my musical art in a manner that everyone can relate and trust me that really works."

How is the response to your live performances in other cities compared to your hometown or neighbouring cities?

"Fortunately, I enjoy a lot of support outside my hometown as well. Be it any region in Northeast - Shillong, Manipur etc. Initially, it was majorly from only the northeast community. When I travel to places like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore etc., northeast community majorly comes out to support me. So, my priority after two three years, post first release was to reach out to more audience and traverse beyond northeast where people already know me. And it has started happening already. Perhaps, it mostly started coming up post 'BreakFree Tour' project. Now, I also get support from places likes Goa, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Kuwait, Hong Kong Singapore etc."

Starting from gospel songs to exploring new genres, what has been your personal favourite genre? What do you think is working for you?

"Gospel songs was never a professional project or anything. I began singing in the church as a kid, and even now, I will visit church and sing songs. Pop music, however, is something I have been doing from the beginning - professionally. I have two projects: one is the solo act and Alobo Naga & Band project. In solo effort, I also cover hip hop/ pop apart from folk sounds whereas the band is purely pop rock. Pop rock music works really well for us. The band is gearing up for an electro pop album release towards the end of the year."

Tell us about your international tours? What was the first international tour as an artist and how did you get that opportunity?

"Singapore, in 2011. It was through one of our friends in Nagaland who shared our Painted dreams song to a promoter in Singapore, they liked it and they called us and we performed, as random as it may sound."

There's an obvious emphasis on social and political commentary in your album. How did that happen?

"Being musician is one thing, but you can also call me a philanthropist. I love to help and believe in giving back to the society. So, I spread awareness - I have followers and I have a voice. I utilise that to educate people about the cleanliness, importance of education etc. The single named ' Achipiu Mlahnni ' featuring Moto speaks about doing it right. Basically, the idea was simple - to remind politicians to do their jobs in the rural areas. The song speaks about the poor roads, electricity issues etc. and the problems that haunt us daily. The song was released a month prior to the social awareness campaign. It was a two weeks campaign across Nagaland. Within a month people knew the lyrics, people were singing along during our social awareness campaign before elections. Another song 'Poisa' from the album revolves around elections. Its about educating people to not sell their votes but choose wisely."

Tell us about your political association and social awareness programs

"I was appointed as a brand ambassador for the Swacch Bharat Abhiyan for Nagaland by the Governor in 2015. I have also done SVEEP Campaign concert all over the 11 districts of Nagaland, spreading awareness through music in the Lok Sabha election 2014. Other contributions are: Sponsoring 17 orphans to school for academic year of 2015 from Bright morning star children Home, Kohima. Raised money for Manipur Earthquake victims 2016, Nepal Earthquake victims, raised fund & operated 10 children with clef palate at Mon district, Poor patient fund, Mokokchung Hospital, Children with cancer, Kohima Naga Hospital, churches, raised funds for the education of children at the refugee camp affected by Rengma-Karbi conflict and many more."

What are you doing to uplift the local music scenario in the Northeast?

"I do a workshop every year named 'Out Of The Box'. We cover different topics for local musicians like: How to sell your music, Dos & Donts on the stage, online marketing, how to acquire more gigs, how to approach the promoters etc. We bring sound engineers, they talk about ABCs of soundcheck. We get music professionals in our workshops. Last year we got CEO of Hungama music. I myself give stage appearance tips. I have already done two editions, we are doing the third edition this year. We have seen a very nice response to the workshop so far. People across northeast participate in these workshops. Apart from this I also keep doing small workshop, last month I did a songwriting workshop with a professional song writer from Hyderabad named Allen Ganta. So, I use all my connections to support local musicians from Northeast. We are also making music with some local artists from Nagaland."

Hows Kini album response been so far?

"First, I will tell you why the name Kini. Kini in Sema (Nagamese) dialect means number 2, like dos in Spanish. Kini is my second album, hence Kini. I am also promoting Nagamese through my album names. We launched Kini in Hard Rock Cafe, Worli in the presence of Kailash Kher & Uday Benegal last year September. I didnt release CD, its just pen drive and online. I have done gigs across different countries- Bangladesh, Kuwait, Singapore, Hong Kong and the response has been really great so far. I have just started the first phase of the tour in India which will end on first week of May. The tour kicked off from Delhi, heres the schedule- 31st March Turquoise Cottage, 1st April- K Boulevard and then 5th April, HRC Worli, 6th April, HRC, Pune, 13th April-16th April in Manipur (Ccpur, Ukhrul, Imphal, Senapati respectively, 20th April Siliguri, 21st April Gangtok, 28th & 29th April in Bhutan and lastly in Kohima on 5th & 6th of May. We will start our second phase."

Each song in your album has different essence to it. Be it Wolo to Mistery to Poisa ft. Moto. What song has got the best response so far?

"Personally, I like ' Last Train '. I broke up when I wrote that song. 'Wolo' for some reason is clicking really well. It's a Naga folk song, an old chant saying 'Goodbye my lover'. Overall, the entire album is a relationship story.

First song 'A Song for Aiko' is a proposal song (inspired from a famous folk tale), second song is about commitment, called 'Never Let You Go'. The following song 'Wolo' covers the fights and the ego clashes in a relationship, and then comes the 'heartbreak song', titled 'Chasing Ghosts'. The album's final three tracks pushes the lyrical aspects towards post-break up phases."

What should we expect next?
Japan will on Monday release February figures for current account, highlighting a modest day for Asia-Pacific economic activity.

The current account is expected to show a surplus of 2,196.0 billion yen, up from 607.4 billion yen in January. The trade balance is tipped to show a surplus of 1,390.2 billion yen - down from 2,022.6 billion yen in the previous month.

Japan also will see March results for the eco watchers survey. The survey for current conditions is expected to show a score of 48.0, down from 48.6 in February. The outlook is pegged at 51.0, down from 51.4 a month earlier.

Australia will see March results for the Performance of Construction Index from AiG; in February, the index score was 56.0.

The Philippines will release February numbers for imports, exports and trade balance. In January, imports were worth $8.54 billion and exports were at $5.22 billion for a trade deficit of $3.22 billion.

For comments and feedback contact: 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.
Newmont Mining Corp. (NEM) expressed deep sorrow over the loss of six colleagues in a tragic accident at the Ahafo Mill Expansion or AME project in Ghana.

A contractor crew of eight people was working inside the reclaim tunnel of the Ahafo Mill Expansion project when the roof of the tunnel collapsed. Of these eight, two individuals escaped with minor injuries. Emergency response teams were immediately dispatched to scene of the accident but six people lost their lives in the roof collapse.

Newmont Ghana immediately notified authorities and is cooperating with the police in their investigation. Operations at Ahafo have been suspended, and the Ahafo Mill Expansion project will be suspended until Newmont is satisfied that work can recommence safely. Company representatives are notifying the families of the deceased, and providing them and co-workers with support and counseling.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
At least 70 people have died in a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, media reports said.

Syria's government reportedly has called the allegations of a chemical attack a "fabrication".

The US state department said reports suggested "a potentially high number of casualties", including families in shelters.

It said Russia - with its "unwavering support" for Syria's government - "ultimately bears responsibility" for the alleged attacks.

The US state department noted that the Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately. Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syria's most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons. By shielding its ally Syria, Russia has breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor. It has betrayed the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2118. Russia's protection of the Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis and to larger non-proliferation priorities.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Hungarians cast their ballots in a national election Sunday, a test of whether Prime Minister Viktor Orban a fierce nationalist and leading figure on the European rightwill retain his lock on parliament following a campaign in which he denounced immigrants and international institutions.

Orban, seeking his fourth term in power, is heavily favored to win, though projections wavered in recent weeks as corruption scandals and last-minute attempts to unite Hungary's divided opposition led some analysts to scale back their predictions of an incumbent victory.

Mr. Orban's party Fidesz is facing more than 20 different rivals on the ballot, ranging from centrist Politics Can Be Different faction to the ultranationalist Jobbik party.

The Hungarian leader lined the country's southern border with barbed wire in 2015, becoming a hero to Europe's nativist movements, the signature accomplishment he hopes will give him a landslide victory similar those he won in 2010 and 2014. A series of constitutional changes favor his party: Fidesz helped draw the voting districts and eliminated runoffs, giving the party an edge over its fractured opponents. Polls project it to get close to 50% of the vote.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Dear Editor,

Re: In support of chicken tax

Auimatagi, I respectfully disagree with you on your support on taxes on chicken for health reasons.

Straight to the point; this tax on chickens has got nothing to do with health, it is the way Stui and his government are looking for more revenue to pay the government debts, or support their expensive lifestyles as we are currently witnessing.

If they are serious about a healthy population, taxing them is not the solution. The solution is EDUCATION, teach, provide the population with information, set up health seminars, etc to inform the public how to stay healthy.

It is a bogus idea that taxing people will make them stay healthy.

Chicken is the only affordable meat in Samoa, so Stui figured it out this is a good way to earn more money.

Our govt is broke, so Stui taxes the faifeau, Head of State and added more taxes.

I am surprised they have not come up with an excuse that the reason why Stui is taxing faifeau is to make them healthy.

Fiaola
Dear Editor,

Re: P.M. laughs at village threat

Once this matter reaches Court, I will call on all members of the public who were affected by the roadblock to testify in Court.

This would be a good thing to do by the P.M. having those people testify will prove the illegality and criminality of the Luatuanuus action taken against the public.

But it does not support the P.M defaming the village neither gave him the right to label the village and the council dogs, since he is not the father of the nation, so those who were affected were not his children.

And Wendy is right, hopefully the district constituencys M.P. will stand up and tell the P.M. that he did apologize for his Constituencys action and its time for him to apologize for defaming his constituency.

On another matter, I could never understand a faamaki, and I dont believe in publishing what people give or not give.

Let not your right hand know what your left hand is doing.

When you give alms, you give in secret and the God who sees in secret shall reward you openly.

But you just testified of why you were in that condition, when you lay down to sleep at night and you can see the sky, it means no one is doing any work not even weaving thatch to cover to the house, pe ako foi i lau.

If no one could do that simple task, it meant no one was clearing the land and planted crops for the family.

Now you gonna blame somebody else?

Galufatioo Tautuailevao
Dear Editor,

The rejection of the new tax law by the C.C.C.S (E.F.K.S) in my own view as a Christian is definitely a right move. It is a step to the right direction for our government. The H.R.P.P. and our government will never learn a single lesson from their wrongdoings unless a powerful body such as the E.F.K.S. Church teaches them a lesson through a conflict between the State and Church. As we know about it, the conflict between the State and the Church is the current issue about the new tax law to tax Church Ministers earnings.

I believe the first positive outcome of the rejection of the new tax law by the E.F.K.S. Church was the first lesson for the H.R.P.P. The first lesson is the difference between the malo vale and the malo tiaa.

The other lesson will come out of the E.F.K.S. Churchs decision after its annual conference in the middle of this year. The decision by the E.F.K.S Church will reveal its purpose in Samoa, its history in Samoa, its accountability and its responsibility for the truth of God. Its existence is ensuring that the truth prevails.

Therefore without questioning, the decision by the E.F.K.S. Church will be based on the truth and facts. Some of those facts are presenting in the following lists.

List of Facts:

1) The Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa is founded on God. The narrative Samoa is founded on God is on the cover of the Supreme law of Samoa, the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa.

The other narrative that is on the preamble of the Constitution presents more facts 

IN THE HOLY NAME OF GOD, THE ALMIGHTY, THE EVER LOVING

WHEREAS sovereignty over the Universe belongs to the Omnipresent God alone, and

the authority to be exercised by the people of Western Samoa within the limits prescribed

by His commandments is a sacred heritage; WHEREAS the Leaders of Western Samoa have declared that Western Samoa should be an Independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and tradition;

2) WHEREAS sovereignty over the Universe belongs to the Omnipresent God alone.

3) the authority to be exercised by the people of Western Samoa within the limits prescribed by His commandments is a sacred heritage.

4) WHEREAS the Leaders of Western Samoa have declared that Western Samoa should be an Independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and tradition;

Christian principles in the Bible offers more facts  (Hebrews 7:5) And in deed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham. (Hebrews 7: 12) For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

5) the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law

6) For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.

It is crystal clear according to (Hebrews 7:5) the priesthood and tithes are commandments and laws of God. Add to that Scripture is the declaration on the preamble of the Constitution. It says in our Constitution, WHEREAS sovereignty over the Universe belonged to the Omnipresent God alone, and the authority to be exercised by the people of Western Samoa within the limits prescribed by His commandments is a sacred heritage In other words, the authority of God is sovereign but Prime Minister Tuilaepas authority is limited. The commandments and the law of God is the limit of the authority of man.

The authority of man cannot change the commandments and the law of God. Only God can change his commandments and his law according to His own will. The proof is in the same book of Hebrews and the book of Matthew. (Hebrews 7: 12) For the priesthood being changed of necessity there is also a change of the law. Priesthood was set specifically on the tribe of Levi but was changed in the times of Jesus. Jesus was a priest from the tribe of Judah which means the changing of priesthood was started from Jesus. (Matthew 5:17) Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill

The Law and Prophets that Jesus fulfilled are facts. In other words, those accounts from the New Testament can lead us to more and more facts about prophecies, Gods commandments and Gods law in the Old Testament. Those are facts. Gods commandments and Gods law are not philosophies or traditions of man.

Gods commandments and Gods law are Christian principles. So for those who do not understand the spiritual side of Gods law, it does not matter if we are not tribes of Levi and Judah but it says in our Constitution, WHEREAS the Leaders of Western Samoa have declared that Western Samoa should be an Independent State based on Christian principles and Samoan custom and tradition;

7) Cabinet Handbook 2011

After going through all the pages of the Cabinet Handbook 2011, I have found out, there are key procedures that should have been followed by the Cabinet and government for making proposals in relation to the new tax law have not been followed by the Cabinet and government on two separate occasions. That is before and after enactment of the new tax law to tax Church Ministers earnings.

Procedures in the Cabinet Handbook 2011 

SYNOPSIS (3)

Ministers would be enabled to make policy decisions that are well-informed and consistent with Government overall strategic objectives and priorities. This is because Ministers will be presented with Cabinet papers through which, as summarized in paragraph 0.4 below, individual Ministers and their Ministries are to provide full, accurate and necessary facts and detailed analysis of their proposals to support their recommendations on policy options and action strategies.

SYNOPSIS (0.4)

The Cabinet Handbook provides guidelines to all Ministries to assist them in improving the quality of their policy submissions to Cabinet. This includes the clarity of the purpose; the accuracy and preciseness of supporting background information; a clear identification of the key issues involved; the comprehensiveness and thoroughness of objective analysis of all these issues; the completeness of the consultations which, of necessity, must be carried out beforehand with all the Ministries directly involved and with sectors in the wider community that may be impacted upon; the clear and precise statement of the recommendations in a lucid, practical and action-oriented manner to facilitate the implementation of Cabinet decisions by the Ministries concerned; and the on-time delivery of the submission to the Secretary to Cabinet before 12 noon on Friday before the Cabinet meeting on the following Wednesday. To ensure all these, Cabinet has placed special responsibility upon all Ministry Chief Executive Officers [C.E.O.s] to oversee and co-ordinate both the preparation and on-time delivery of the Ministrys submissions to Cabinet, and also the speedy and effective implementation of the Cabinet decisions thereon.

CABINET BUSINESS

2.8 On papers for discussion and decision, the following are matters which Ministers and their Ministries must bring to the Cabinet:

1. Major policy issues to allow Cabinet to set clear direction on policies and strategies for individual Ministries and the Government as a whole.

2. Proposals requiring legislation in the form of a new enactment by Parliament, amendments to existing legislation, or enabling regulations.

3. Any developments relating to the maintenance of law and order and national security.

4. Any developments that impact on Samoas society and its Christian religious and cultural and customary traditions.

OTHER BUSINESS

2.10 In Cabinet, a Minister may verbally raise under Other Business current or emerging issues of public and political interest. Cabinet does not make decision on matters raised orally. The rule remains that on any significant issue that involves government policy a written submission must be made to the Cabinet. However, it is very helpful to keep colleagues informed on matters of concern to the people. A Minister who wishes to raise an issue under this item must notify the Prime Minister beforehand either directly or through the Secretary to Cabinet. If a Minister seeks a Cabinet decision on any such issue, the Minister concerned must submit a written submission or memorandum in the usual manner

ISSUES AND ANALYSIS

3.14 This is the main analytical part of the paper. The specific issues to be considered are highlighted. An analysis is then undertaken of each, to identify the best option for policy and follow up action. The constitutionality and legality, the cost/benefit, the wider socio/economic and cultural and natural environment impact, and the inherent risks of each option, are each evaluated and assessed.

PROPOSALS REQUIRING LEGISLATION

3.18 A Ministry which requires legislation either in the form of a new legislative enactment or an amendment Bill by Parliament, or new or amended Regulations by Cabinet, should discuss their proposal in the first instance with the Office of the Attorney-General. With the A.G.s support, the Ministry concerned should then make a submission to the Cabinet for approval for the drafting of such legislation.

The focus in this first submission is on the policies to be pursued or implemented through this proposed legislative action The Ministry must clearly explain to Cabinet the various possible options for achieving the objectives of the policy initiative and why legislative action is considered the most feasible and efficacious option. If approval is given, the Secretary to Cabinet will convey Cabinets approval both to the responsible Minister and the CEO and also to the A-G for drafting to proceed.

3.19 The second stage of the process is when the drafting is completed and the Office of the Attorney-General convenes a meeting of the Chief Executive Officers of the originating and other interested Ministries and Agencies to scrutinise the draft and make final preparations for the presentation to Cabinet by the originating Minister.

3.20 The submission to the Cabinet must be accompanied by the draft Bill or Regulations and a certificate of confirmation by the Attorney-General that the proposed Bill or Regulations has been vetted and cleared by his Office. In addition, as already stated, the submission to Cabinet must also include a draft second reading explanation of the policy objectives of the Bill, to be used by the sponsoring Minister. For draft Regulations, a draft public explanation of the Regulations must be included in the submission to Cabinet for endorsement by Cabinet.

IMPORTANCE OF CONSULTATION

3.21 The importance of consulting all relevant Ministries and stakeholders is again re-iterated here. The Secretary to Cabinet is under firm instruction from the Prime Minister not to accept a submission for a Cabinet meeting unless the Ministry concerned has undertaken all necessary consultations and the outcomes of these are clearly stated.

[1] Attorney-Generals Office

3.22 If constitutional questions or legal issues are involved, or if legal advice is required, in the course of the preparation of a submission to Cabinet the Office of the Attorney- General must be consulted and the advice or opinion tendered should be stated in the submission or attached to it.

8) Standing Orders for Parliament

All members of Cabinet including the Prime Minster, they did not comply with the Standing Orders for Parliament in relation to the Constitution of the Independent State of Samoa as listed below. In the same way, all members of Parliament who have been agreed with the law to tax Church Ministers earnings, they did not comply with Standing Orders for Parliament.

STATEMENT OF INTENT

It is the personal responsibility of every Member of Parliament to maintain the highest standards of ethical behaviour to protect and maintain integrity of Parliament and to make every endeavour to uphold the principles of the Constitution.

The following principles are intended to provide guidance to, and standards against which each Member of Parliament, individually and collectively should discharge their duties and responsibilities.

THE PRINCIPLES

(1) Loyalty to the nation and its people:

Every member shall uphold the contents of the Oath of Allegiance at all time and maintain the dignity and integrity of the Independent State of Samoa; its institutions and its people.

(2) Respect for the Law:

Every member shall uphold the laws of Samoa and safeguard the principles contained in the Constitution.

(3) Respect for all Persons:

Every member shall treat other members, the public and officials with respect and dignity, honestly, fairly; and acting with integrity at all times.

The requirement for making of policies as mentioned above shows that the entire new tax law to tax Church Ministers earnings should have never been established due to it being built on a false premise. In other words, the Cabinet, the Parliament and government, they did not follow their own policies and procedures and as a result, they ignored facts and their sources.

As a consequence of that situation, the bill for the new tax law became a serious issue to the people of our country and Churches such as Methodist and E.F.K.S. Despite of the availability of facts and their sources and despite of the strong rejection of the bill from the public and Churches based on facts and the truth, nothing works to change the plans of the H.R.P.P. None of any of those things stops the power of the H.R.P.P party from pursuing of its goals according to its political agenda. They went ahead and passed that bill into law illegally.

However, the enactment of the new tax law did not affect the rejection of the new tax law by the C.C.C.S (E.F.K.S) because it is wrong. The E.F.KS has already made an official move about that situation through a letter to prove its position to the H.R.P.P, Parliament and our government. It tells us that the new tax law is still an unsolved issue and it also tells us that the defending of the truth by the E.F.K.S is the right move. That is the same position that the H.R.P.P and Parliament must changed its old position for before and after enactment considering the procedures in Cabinet Handbook 2011 and Standing Orders for Parliament that should have been followed in the first place but they did not follow those procedures. That is the right move the H.R.P.P and Parliament should have made in the beginning before they passed the new tax bill into law.

According to the specifications in the Cabinet Handbook that are pointing directly to any issues, therefore the Cabinet and Parliament are the right parties that should have made the first move about the issue but not the parties that are rebelling against the new tax law. They are the ones that are supposed to make the first move by listening to the voice of the country and take the countrys argument into consideration. The purpose of the Cabinets existence and the governments existence is to serve the country according to the right standard but not the setting up of defenses against the country to defend untruths.

Nanai Malonuu Lealaiauloto Nofoaiga
A man who stole a vehicle and took the Police on a wild chase through a cattle farm has been fined $3,000 by the Supreme Court.

The decision against Chong Nee, who apparently suffers from bipolar disorder, was delivered by Chief Justice, His Honour Patu Tiavaasue Falefatu Sapolu.

Oliver Chong Nee was convicted of theft, two counts of intentional damage and endangering transport. He was found guilty after a trial.

The incident occurred on Sunday 22 October 2017 when the complainant went in his brand new pick up vehicle to buy a cake and ice cream for his wifes birthday.

The complainant left his car on at the supermarket. The doors were unlocked. Chong Nee was in front of the supermarket and he knew this. He got inside and drove off in the car.

When the complainant came out of the supermarket, his vehicle was gone. He then called his older brother and the police on his mobile phone for help, the Court heard.

When the Police arrived, they went with the complainant to Aleisa to look for the complainants vehicle but the complainants vehicle was nowhere to be seen.

Somehow, the Owner of the vehicle was able to track down his car and he informed the Police about it.

When the police vehicle arrived, the accused turned the complainants vehicle around from where it was parked and drove towards the road. He tried to head seaward to the main road but his vehicle was blocked by the Police vehicle.

The accused then drove further inland on a rough and bumpy vehicle track while pursued by the police and the complainants brother in their vehicles.

The vehicle track ended at a fenced cattle farm and the accused drove into the cattle farm through the gate, still being pursued by the Police vehicle inside the cattle farm.

Chong Nee turned around inside the cattle farm and attempted to head back to the gate of the farm.

Unfortunately for the accused, the gate was blocked by the complainants brothers vehicle that had got stuck there in the soft and slippery mud. So the accused rammed the complainants vehicle into the vehicle of the complainants brother and that was where the complainants vehicle stopped.

The police came out of their vehicle and arrested the accused.

Chong nee, 39, was born in Wellington, New Zealand where he grew up. When the incident happened, he had just arrived in Samoa for a holiday.

The accused told the probation service that he has a mental illness, namely, a bipolar disorder. He also told the probation service that it was due to his bipolar disorder that he committed the present offences, Chief Justice Patu noted.

The accused further told the probation service that his brothers from Australia have already paid $12,000 to the complainant to fix his vehicle. Defence counsel in her submissions says that the accused, through his family, has given funds to the complainant to repair his vehicle.

As for the damage to the vehicle of the complainants brother, the defence claims that that is covered by insurance. The prosecution sentencing memorandum shows that the value of the damage to the complainants vehicle is $12,330 and the value of the damage to the vehicle of the complainants brother is $12,214.30.

Chong Nee did not give evidence. But his defense team called Dr. George Tuitama, the General Psychiatrist at the Mental Health Unit of the National Hospital to give evidence.

Dr Tuitama, apart from his oral testimony, produced a report of the psychiatric examinations that he had conducted on the accused. According to the report by Dr. Tuitama, the accused made two visits to the mental health unit of the National Hospital.

Dr. Tuitama said that at the time of the offending, the accused who had not been taking his medication, was significantly impaired by his mental illness.

His illness is quite significant and when unwell he is greatly impaired. Dr. Tuitama then stated the accused would also need a follow-up visit for his medications review, blood tests and mental clearance before flying back to New Zealand with the assistance of a mental health escort.

The Chief Justice noted that its clear from the psychiatric report by Dr. Tuitama that the accused suffers from a bipolar disorder.

Given the evidence of Dr Tuitama, I am satisfied on the balance of probabilities that there was a nexus or causative link between the accuseds bipolar disorder and his offending. This makes the accuseds bipolar disorder a mitigating factor, His Honour Patu said.

The accuseds family is in Australia and New Zealand where he was born and grew up. Since he came to Samoa in October 2017 for a holiday, he has been staying with relatives who have not been able to give him the same degree of care given to him by his own family in New Zealand.

He ran out of his medication because on his first visit to Dr. Tuitama, he wanted a refill of his medications. Furthermore, he could not remember what his medications were or the right dosages.

The accused, as he told Dr. Tuitama, had also not taken his medications for many weeks before the incident in question occurred. He now wants to return home soon.

I am also conscious that there may be a civil claim by the complainants brother against the accused for the damage caused to his vehicle. This is disputed by the defence as the accuseds brothers from Australia claim that the vehicle of the complainants older brother is covered by insurance.

I am also conscious that the accuseds consultant Psychiatrist is in New Zealand and he may be more familiar with the accuseds condition.

We also do not have an institution for mental patients as they have in New Zealand or Australia. As a result, such unfortunate people when they commit criminal offences are often kept in prison for security reasons.

Having weighed all the circumstances of this case, I have decided to impose a non-custodial sentence.
To achieve success, there are obstacles to overcome.

Peru Laeimau Tugaga knows this very well.

She created a milestone achievement for herself during the National University of Samoa graduation on Friday where she was the only student to graduate with a Masters of Education.

The mother of eight, from the village of Vaivase-Tai, lost her husband in 2012 and there was no better way to overcome her loss then focusing on becoming the best.

I am like on top of the world, but I feel very humbled with my achievement. There was a lot of struggle but I made it, Peru shared.

Right now I do not want to look back at all the struggle because nothing good comes easy. You really have to go through hardships to get to the best.

When my husband died it left a big hole, which I wanted to replace with education and it was a tough journey. The Lord has been so good to me, said the 66-year-old.

One of the biggest challenges Peru faced during her studies was using technology.

I am not good at using computers because I left Samoa College and went to New Zealand. When I was studying in Fiji, I really struggled with it, but I did a lot of computer training so I can deal with these challenges.

At the same time I am training teachers and I wanted to get a Masters to show my students what I achieved that.

Your students will concentrate on you when they know you are qualified not with just a Bachelor. So I wanted to show my students that I can do it.

Peru explained: I went to Suva, Fiji and I did my postgraduate studies there. When I got back in 2015, I took a course every semester. I did not want to take a break because otherwise I lose the grip of it.

From then until now, I could feel how good it is now in 2018. I did all the family work as a parent and at the same time I trusted myself that I can achieve what I have set out to do.

Being a single parent for six years and a lecturer at the National University of Samoa came naturally to her, Peru was very motivated.

If you have a lot of kids, it is all part of teaching, you are a teacher, a mentor and you are a supervisor, so all of those small things helped me to master education.

I was a businesswoman, I was a professional designer but everything changed when I had kids.

Being a mother and a teacher is the same thing. The roles are very similar to the other.

Peru is challenging every Samoan woman that nothing is impossible if they believe in themselves.

I think every woman can do it and get qualified. Pick and choose whatever qualification you want here. Do not go far or go abroad when you can study here.
NEW YORK (AP)  Facebook's No. 2 executive says the company should have conducted an audit after learning that a political consultancy improperly accessed user data nearly three years ago.

Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg told NBC's "Today" show that at the time, Facebook received legal assurances that Cambridge Analytica had deleted the improperly obtained information.

"What we didn't do is the next step of an audit and we're trying to that now," she said.

The audit of Cambridge Analytica is on hold, in deference to a U.K. investigation. But Facebook has been conducting a broader review of its own practices and how other third-party apps use data.

In addition, Facebook announced on Friday that it will require advertisers who want to run not just political ads, but also or so called "issue ads" which may not endorse specific candidates or parties but discuss political topics to be verified.

Facebook is trying to strengthen its system ahead of this year's U.S. midterm elections as well as upcoming elections around the world. Facebook has already required political ads to verify who is paying for them and where the advertiser is located. The issue ads requirement is new.

Facebook will also require the administrators of pages with a "large number" of followers to also be verified. The company did not say what this number would be. The move is intended to clamp down on fake pages and accounts that were used to disrupt the 2016 presidential elections in the U.S.

Facebook says page administrators and advertisers will be verified by being asked to provide a government-issued ID. To verify addresses, it will mail a postcard with a unique code that the recipient can then enter into Facebook. This is similar to how Airbnb and other services verify addresses.

The company is facing a global backlash over the improper data-sharing scandal. Hearings over the issue are scheduled in the U.S., and the European Union is considering what actions to take against the company.

Sandberg also told NBC that if users were able to opt out of being shown ads, "at the highest level, that would be a paid product." This does not mean the company is planning to let users do this. Zuckerberg has made similar statements in the past, but has added that Facebook remains committed to offering a free service paid for by advertising.

Facebook users can opt out of seeing targeted ads, but can't shut off ads altogether. Neither can they opt entirely out of Facebook's data collection.

Sandberg gave several interviews this week as Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg prepares to testify before Congress next week, where the issue of elections meddling is almost certain to come up.

Facebook is also facing an investigation by the Federal Trade Commission in what's become its worst privacy crisis in its 14-year history.

It started with revelations that Cambridge Analytica, a data-mining firm, improperly accessed the private information of tens of millions of users to try to influence elections around the world. Over the past three weeks the scandal continued to spiral. For one, Facebook executives took nearly five days to respond to the Cambridge Analytica reports.

Then, some users who logged in to Facebook through Android devices discovered that Facebook had been collecting information about phone calls they made and text messages they sent. Facebook also acknowledged this week that nearly all of its 2.2 billion users may have had their public data scraped by "malicious actors" it did not name.
Dear Editor,

Re: P.M. vs Luatuanuu

If someone did something wrong they deserve fair trial.

How does this happen when the leader of the country as well as the Minister of Police has broadcast all over the world that the people are dogs?

Id opt for a trial by jury.

It will have to be thrown out for lack of being able to find impartial jury members because of the P.Ms power, bullying and control.

As for his praise on Parker, the P.M. thinks its ok to stand with an athlete from N.Z., not from Samoa, give him tons of Samoan tax payer money, talk about how proud he is of him, but when a true Samoan hero wins an Olympic medal she is treated like a dog.

It must be nice to be close to the P.M but not always so nice to be a Samoan from Samoa.

Wendy Wonder
Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has blasted lawyers working for different Government bodies, saying they spend too much time doing personal affairs.

In a letter to Ministers of Cabinet leaked to the Samoa Observer, P.M. Tuilaepa accuses the lawyers of being overpaid and underworking.

Today, many lawyers in Ministries and Corporations do not own up, Tuilaepa writes. Why? High pay and excess time to do personal affairs are more important now than it used to be.

Dated 3 April 2018, the letter from the Prime Minister, written in a mixture of Samoan and English, is to remind all Government bodies about the critical role of the Attorney Generals Office.

The Chairman of the Public Service Commission, Aiono Mose Sua, is copied.

There is the Attorney General who can carry out all the legal work for Government Ministries and Corporations, a translation of the letter reads.

Ive been advised by the Attorney General that most legal matters are brought back to his Office to be resolved.

Tuilaepa added that Corporations and Government bodies cannot keep their lawyers and legal officers busy for eight hours a day.

This will only cost the Government more money, which is unnecessary, the Prime Minister said.

In moving forward, the Prime Minister urges Cabinet Ministers to inform the Corporations and Ministries to liaise with the Office of the Attorney General whether they need to hire a permanent lawyer.

He said most of the work could be easily done by the Office of the Attorney General.

Lastly, Tuilaepa had a go at the Development Bank of Samoa over the matter.

It is the Development Bank of Samoa who started this stupid practice of having their own lawyer in 1976, some 42 years ago and now everyone is following suit, Tuilaepa writes.

This lawyer resigned after the first year of doing very little in the D.B.S because they couldnt fully utilize his skills as a lawyer given the small scope of the work.

He became knowledgeable after one whole year of doing very little. Today, many lawyers in Ministries and Corporations do not own up. Why? High pay and excess time to do personal affairs are more important now than it used to be.

Attempts to get a comment from Attorney General, Lemalu Hermann Retzlaff, about the letter were not successful.

Questions emailed to him were not responded to at press time.

The letter in Samoan is below:

3 Aperila 2018

Minisita o le Kapeneta

Faalapotopotoga uma a le Malo

LOIA

1. O loo i ai le Loia Sili e mafai ona faatino uma galuega faaloia a Matagaluega ma Corporations o le Malo. O loo fautua mai ai pea le Loia Sili e toe oo atu lava le tele o mataupu e fofo e le Ofisa o le Loia Sili.

2. E le o mafai e Corporations ona faaaoga tatau loia ma faapisi i le 8 itula o le aso. O le mea e tupu na o le atili ai ona taugata i le Malo le faiga lea e tapa pea e Corporations ia Loia mo latou galuega. E lelei ona fesootai outou uma ma le Loia Sili ina ia tau faatonutonu tatau ai le toe faafaigaluega pea o ni Loia  o galuega e faigofie ona fai e le Ofisa o le Loia Sili.

3. O le DBS na muai faia le faiga valea lea o le fai o le latou lava loia i le 1976  42 tausaga talu ai lea ua faataitai i ai le toatele i le taimi nei. Na toe faamavae le alii loia after the first year of doing very little in the DBS ona  ele mafai ona faaaoga atoa lona loia i ni galuega pumoomoo tele. He became knowledgeable after one whole year of doing very little. Today, many lawyers in Ministries and Corporations do not own up. Why? High pay and excess time to do personal affairs are more important now than it used to be.

Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi

PALEMIA

kopi: Taitaifono, Komisi o Galuega a le Malo
Do your best and let God do the rest.

Soteria Sekuini lives by this motto and it is one of the reasons for her success.

She was among the 428 students who graduated from the National University of Samoa (N.U.S.) on Friday, attaining a double degree in Medicine and Surgery.

Five years of hard work paid off for the 24-year-old because she was also announced the Top Student in Medicine in the School of Medicine.

Dr. Sekuini is a former student of St Marys Primary School and St Marys College.

She is the eldest of four children of Vaele Paiaaua Iona Sekuini and Tupuola Matimaivasa Sekuini.

In 2011, following her Foundation studies at the N.U.S, she scored a scholarship to study at the Fiji School of Medicine.

Unfortunately, being her first time away from her family, she found it difficult to adjust and eventually returned home.

But her tenacious will to be a doctor persevered when after studying at the N.U.S. School of Medicine from 2012-2017, she finally achieved her goal.

She has her parents to thank for making her dream a reality.

I was reluctant to come back, I put my pride before what I really wanted to do, she told the Samoa Observer.

I was going to take Dentistry but luckily mom and dad pushed me to come back and reminded me that I always wanted to become a doctor. Here I am today.

So I came back and applied to Oceania University of Medicine (O.U.M. now the N.U.S. School of Medicine) and it was the best decision ever.

Referring to what happened to her in Fiji, she said: Unfortunately, I couldnt make it. I couldnt connect everything and I found it hard and plus it was very lengthy and I was new to everything, especially it was my first time away from families and it was my first time out of Samoa.

But despite what happened then, she is thankful that she got to achieve her dreams with her parents and family by her side.

I am honoured to become a graduate from the School of Medicine and for this, I also thank the Dean and lecturers and staff of the School of Medicine, for they have made us the doctors we are today, she said.

But her journey hasnt been easy and if it wasnt for God, she wouldnt have been where she is today.

Yes, I got my scholarship through O.U.M. in 2012 which took six years with many challenges. Medical school is not easy, it requires a lot of your time and dedication and so not much time is spent at home and other occasions outside of Medical School, she shared.

Its a selfish profession really, but why a doctor? I am thinking you are asking, because I spent most of my time when I was young at the hospital. My brother he was always sick and seeing the doctors helped him, it has always motivated me to become one.

But despite the challenge to become a doctor, she strongly encourages other locals to take up studies at the N.U.S. School of Medicine.

I 100 percent encourage our local students to take up studies in the school of medicine, not only does it have a curriculum thats the same everywhere else in the world, but you get to practice medicine within our hospital and it gives us a chance to know our people better, to know how to communicate with them.

Dr. Sekuini strongly believes one becomes a doctor to treat our people in the best way we can offer, for our people deserve the best and I am proud and grateful for the opportunity to be able to help them.

She acknowledged the presence of God first in her success and everyone for their support.

I want to thank the staff of the School of Medicine, the Dean, Dr. Le Mamea Limbo, Dr. Malama Tafunai, Dr. Dyxon Hansell, Dr. Ben Matalavea, Dr. Faitasi Gaee, Veronica Wong, Matila and Tina and all the staff.

Not only that, but also to my fellow graduating colleagues of Medicine 2018, all the Medical Students of the School of Medicine.

Not forgetting all the doctors in the health sector within the T.T.M. hospital, faafetai tele, malo le tau!

To my parents Paiaaua Iona and Matimaiava Sekuini, my grandparents, Paiaaua Vaivaa Sekuini and the late Tuunasoli Tuliese, the late Iula Pasia and my grandmother Sauimoana Itula, uncle Utaileuo Tui Itula and aunt Taofi Teo, thank you for everything and your encouragement from time to time.

To my spiritual fathers at the C.C.C.S. Vaitele-Uta, the late Rev. Fomai Lafaialii, Rev. Muao Fagasua and Rev. Lauititi in Matavai Safune, your prayers and support in so many ways have helped me endure the challenges and to achieve my dream of being a doctor.

At the graduation, Dr. Sekuini spoke on behalf of the graduates.

To the graduates of 2018, we made it, Dr. Sekuini cheerfully said during her speech.

We made it to this day, this day in which through all the years that we have studied in this university, its the day we all looked forward to.

And how did we get to today? How did we get this degree?

How did we get to wear this hat and gown? Well we certainly did not do it alone.

We give thanks to God for He has guided us through every step we took.

Dr. Sekuini also thanked the Government of Samoa for providing scholarships which enabled them to continue their education.

To our mentors and lecturers, thank you for unselfishly sharing your time, talent and knowledge with us, she said.

Yes we know it was your job to do it, but what you did for us went beyond the call of duty, from the extra tutorials, the repeated explanations and not forgetting the repeated headaches.

You demanded excellence from us whether or not we wanted to give it, and for that we thank you.

To our parents, thank you for supporting us in more ways than one.

You are our first teachers and will forever be our teachers and no words can express how each one of us graduates is thankful for your support throughout. We love you.

To our families and friends, thank you for your support and guidance we could not have done it without you.

To all our loved ones who have passed away, and could not be here, we know youre all looking down on us, on this day, and we hope weve made you proud.

Thank you, this is for you!

She cited the book of Jeremiah 29:11.

For I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Dr. Sekuini ended with a quote You cannot let the fear of failure, or a fear of comparison, or a fear of judgment stop you from doing the things that will make you great.

Dr. Sekuini was among 10 other medical students who graduated from the School of Medicine this year.

Hailing from the villages of Matavai Safune, Saaga Siumu and Vaitele-uta, Dr. Sekuini is also a Sunday school teacher and church member of the Congregational Christian Church at Vaitele-Uta.
In China, the Bible is treated as a publication for internal distribution by government-sanctioned bodies. Business but especially political considerations are behind the move, namely the Bibles growing appeal and the expanding size of Chinas Christian population. According to some sociologists, China will have the most Christians in the world.

Beijing (AsiaNews)  Since 30 March, many Chinese online sales sites have stopped selling Bibles.

This has generated complaints against online retailers like JD.com, Taobao, Amazon.cn and Dang Dang for removing the Scriptures from their catalogue. Many blame the Chinese government of trying to restrict its distribution.

Chinese authorities have long categorised the Bible as a publication for internal distribution, i.e. to be sold only by government-sanctioned bodies to Catholics and Protestants.

However, the Bible has been a bestseller for years, perhaps because many Chinese are on their own spiritual quest. This has favoured the circulation of authorised as well as unauthorised copies.

"We can't sell [. . .] spiritual books ... without an ISBN* code," a seller explained. That can only be issued by the General Administration for Press and Publications (GAPP) under the State Council.

A few days ago, the authorities released a white paper on religion that said that more than 160 million copies of the Bible had been printed in more than 100 languages for over 100 countries and regions, including 80 million copies printed in Chinese, 11 ethnic minority languages as well as braille.

Online people have been trying to make sense of the new restrictions on Bible sales.

Some see them as a commercial move, to eliminate competition from private sites and force people to buy Bibles from government-sanctioned bodies.

Others see it as an attempt by the government to limit the circulation of the Scriptures, in perhaps a desperate response to the growth of Christianity in the country.

According to some Chinese sociologists like Fenggang Yang, the various Protestant denominations and the Catholic Church are growing so much that by 2030 China will have the largest number of Christians in the world.

There is one problem though, namely most of the new Christians will belong to unregistered groups.

* ISBN: International Standard Book Number.
Four men from Laulii have been charged with murder in connection with the death of a man who died in the boot of a car last week.

This was confirmed by Police Superintendent, Auapaau Logoitino Filipo.

The men are each facing murder charges and will appear in court on 30 April, 2018, he said.

Auapaau said he could not reveal the identities of the men but they will be make known when they appear before the Court.

Police sources told the Samoa Observer that the death involves a man in his 40s who caught a taxi to Laulii.

When the taxi arrived in Laulii, the passenger took off running without paying his taxi fare. Bystanders in the village went after him and brought him back to the taxi.

The man was placed in the trunk of the taxi, and the taxi driver drove to the Police station to report the passenger for not paying his fare.

However upon arrival at the Police station, the man was found dead in the trunk of the taxi.

The deceased is from Fusi Safata. He was visiting his sister who lives at Laulii.

Auapaau also confirmed that a 51-year-old man of Vaitele has been criminally charged with murder.

According to Police sources the deceased a 44-year-old man of Vaitele fou was in a drinking session with another man.

Around 2am, the 44-year-old man started to make unreasonable noises and its alleged the suspect got into his car and ran over the victim.

He died due to the severity of the injuries he sustained.
A decision on whether Samoas notorious prisoners Tagaloasa Filipaina and Ovaleni Poli could be transferred back to Tafaigata Prison from the Apia Police cells is expected in two weeks.

That was the outcome after a two-day hearing before Supreme Court Justice, Vui Clarence Nelson, last week.

Tagaloasa and Poli had been moved to Apia after a failed mass prison escape plot at Tafaigata. Now they have hired a lawyer to try and get them out of the Apia cell so they can return to Tafaigata.

In Court, Jeffery Ainuu is representing the Police and the Samoa Prison and Correction Services while Pau Mulitalo Tafaogalupe is representing the two prisoners.

In Paus submission, he has two key argument points, the first is whether the Apia Central Police Station is a prison.

A prison is a place where inmates, dignity, privacy and control are given up to guards and prison administrators and where the simplest of necessities seem like luxuries, said Pau.

A prison is a long term resident for convicted offenders, whereas a Police station is a place where criminals are detained temporarily in a cell for purposes such as answering bail and for criminal.

Section 16 (6) of the 2013 Act does not prevent the use of Police stations and holding cells at the Courts for the purposes of keeping prisoners in custody, but only temporarily.

Section 5 of the Act outlines examples why temporary prison is required to be designated by the Commissioner such as over crowdedness, outbreak of disease, or when a prison is unfit for human habitation or for keeping prisoners in custody as temporary transferees.

Temporary means lasting, existing, serving or effective for a time only, not permanent, for example a temporary need.

Therefore, the provisions in Section 16 of the 2013 Act strongly highlight the notion of temporariness of designated locations or places by the Commissioner where prisoners should be kept for a limited time.

That implies that while the Apia Police Central can be used as a facility to hold prisoners under the designated powers of the Commissioner by its ordinary meaning, the Apia Central is not a prison.

Any ordinary reasonable person in Samoa when asked if I said to you which one is a prison Ofisa Leoleo I Apia poo Tafaigata, the answer would be clear, Tafaigata, not the Ofisa Leoleo at Apia.

Paus second argument is whether the detention of the applicants has exceeded the temporary timeframe for which the applicants should be kept in custody at the Apia Central Police.

The applicants have been locked up for three months now and there is no time limit the Commissioner has given as to when the applicants would be kept at the Apia Police Central, he said.

The Commissioner did not specify when the investigations against the applicants are going to be completed, or whether the criminal charges are going to be made against the applicants.

So my submission is that the application by the applicants should be allowed because their detention at Apia Central Police exceeded the temporary arrangements allowed for by Section 16 of the Prisons and Corrections Act 2013.

Without any specific time limit given by the respondent as to how long the applicants are to be kept in the Apia Police Station would be unjust and unreasonable.

Mr. Ainuu argued the Commissioner can designate the Police central as a prison because he has the power to do so.
A 52-year-old man has been jailed for three years and two months on eight counts of sexual connection against a 14-year-old girl.

Lupematasila Sila Tai, is a single male from one of the villages in the district of Aiga o le Tai.

The decision was handed down by Supreme Court Justice, Mata Keli Tuatagaloa.

Prosecution was Lucymarie Sio while Lealiifano Dr. Iopu Tanielu represented the defendant.

The Court issued a suppression order against the victim but it did not extend that to the defendant.

According to reports, the victim has a four months old baby as the result of the crime committed by Lupematasila.

According to the Police summary of facts that was read in open Court, the defendant is a good friend of the victims father. They are very close because they always go fishing together.

On the first incident, it was on 30 April, 2017, on a Sunday around midday, the victims family went to sleep after toonai and the victim was the only one awake at the time.

The victim went to the back (umukuka) to get a plate and saw the defendant behind the coconut trees waving at her to come.

The victim went to the defendant and thats when he asked her to have sexual intercourse with him. He was intoxicated when he approached the victim.

The victim agreed and they had consensual sexual intercourse and afterwards the defendant left for his home.

The second incident occurred on 7 May, 2017, on a Sunday afternoon when the victims family went to sleep after their toonai.

She was the only one awake at the time and was at the back of the kitchen (umukuka) washing the dishes. The defendant threw a stone on the roof of the house to get the victims attention.

The victim looked up and saw the defendant standing from behind the coconut trees and calling her. The victim went to the defendant and he gave her $10 and told her to have sex with him where she agreed.

The victim kept the $10 and they had consensual sexual intercourse.

The third incident occurred on 14 May, 2017 on a Sunday afternoon, the victim, after toonai, went to the kitchen to wash the dishes.

The defendant, at the time, was also under the coconut trees behind the victims kitchen waiting for the victim to come.

He called out to her as soon as he saw her, and she went to the defendant and they had consensual sexual intercourse.

The fourth incident occurred on 21 May, 2017 on a Sunday afternoon.

The victim was sitting outside of their shower waiting for the defendant to call her.

She saw him behind the pig sty calling out to her so she went to him and they had consensual sexual intercourse.

The fifth incident occurred on 28 May, 2017 on a Sunday afternoon again when the victims family was all asleep after toonai.

She walked to the back to wash the dishes and the defendant threw stones on the kitchen roof to get the victims attention.

He called out to her to come and the victim went to him and they had consensual sexual intercourse.

The sixth incident occurred on 1 June, 2017 during the Independence Day, when the victims father and the defendant arrived home from fishing.

They arrived home intoxicated.

The defendant then went to his home to drop off his shopping and returned to the victims home.

He then went to the back of the pig sty and waited for the victim there until he saw her and he called out to her.

The victim went to the defendant and they had sexual intercourse.

The seventh incident occurred on 2 June, 2017 around 7am when the victim went to prepare food with her younger siblings.

While she was sitting at the kitchen, the defendant approached her and asked her to go with him to have sex.

She agreed and followed him to the coconut trees where they had sex.

The last incident was on 4 June, 2017 on a Sunday afternoon when the victims family was all asleep after a family toonai.

She was sitting at the back of the kitchen when the defendant called out from the back of the pig sty.

She went to the defendant and they had sex.

According to reports, the matter came to light when the victim fell pregnant.

She was asked by her grandmother of whom the father of the baby was and thats when she told her grandmother that she is pregnant with the defendants baby.

The matter was then reported to the Police whereby the defendant was apprehended and cautioned accordingly.

The defendant is charged with eight counts of sexual connection with a young person under 16 years old which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment.

On 1 March, 2018 on the day of hearing, the defendant, through counsel, vacated his not guilty pleas and substituted it with a guilty plea to all eight charges against him.

Inside the Courtroom, Justice Mata asked the defendant if there were any parts of the Police summary of facts that he disagreed on.

He replied no.

However, he also asked the Court for the opportunity to say something, which Justice Mata granted.

On the day of the incident, the father of the victim and I were in Apia selling fish, we were drinking there and then we came home and continued drinking at his home, Lupematasila told the Court.

The victims father fell asleep and then I was ready to go home, until the victim called on me, I ask her what she wants and she asked me for $10 and in return we can go have sex.

I was shocked when I heard this, but we went to the back of the coconut trees and we had sexual intercourse there.

It was there as well that I found out that the victim had done this so many times with some other men as well because she told me everything.

I asked her about her age and she told me shes 19 years old. She kept coming to my house wanting to have a family with me, but I told her to give me some time.

Your honour, thats the reason why I did what I did.

But Justice Mata did not have any of it.

She told the defendant that being drunk is not an excuse to what he did.

Secondly, the victim was 14 years old, and under the law, this is not allowed even if the victim agrees to it, you cannot have sexual intercourse with a young girl.

Thirdly, you are a friend of the victims father and yet you used that relationship to get to the victim.

You are 52 years old and the victim is 14, there is an age gap of 38 years and you should know better.

The maximum penalty for this kind of crime is 10 years imprisonment for one charge and yet you are facing eight charges of sexual connection.

So if the Court sentences you to 10 years imprisonment term for one charge, so you do the math that means you would spend your life there and who knows maybe your life will end inside jail if that is the case.

I know the name Lupematasila is a matai title, so if the young girls of Samoa are not safe under the care of the villages and the matai, then who will they turn to?

So this Court decision of imprisonment term is appropriate and also to send out a strong message to those men of your age who are thinking of committing such crime.

Starting point for imprisonment term for your sentencing is five years. I will deduct six months for your previous good character, three months for the village decision to ban you from the village and 25 percent for your guilty plea.

Lupematasila you have been convicted and sentenced to three years and two months, any time you were held in custody will be deducted from the three years.
Early in his career as a financial advisor, third-generation San Diegan Jim Chilton, began noticing two very distinct traits of his soon-to-be clients. First, almost all of them had no written financial plan. Second, after having initial fact-finding interviews, most confessed that they basically got their financial knowledge, not at school, but from their parents.

Those two themes set Chilton on a mission to create financial literacy for all. In 1993, The Society For Financial Awareness, SOFA, was founded in San Diego.

Today, with a membership of approximately 450 members, in most metropolitan areas, SOFA workshops are being presented at companies, places of worship, organizations, and city, state and federal agencies all across America. Last year, SOFA conducted almost 1,000 financial literacy workshops.

Q: Tell us about SOFA.

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A: Its a 501c(3) Public Benefit Corporation. Keeping it simple, SOFA is a non-profit, educational speakers bureau. Its membership is comprised of financial advisors, accountants, estate planning attorneys, real-estate agents, health and wellness professionals, and mortgage brokers.

Our mission is to end financial Illiteracy across America, one community at a time. Our members provide pro bono advice to employees, members, anyone who is affiliated with some type of company, place of worship and organization. We conduct financial workshops at no cost with absolutely no selling of products, nor promotion of companies. Its strictly generic.

Q: You say clients never learned about money issues in school. Why is that?

A: Its a definite head scratcher. Every year state Departments of Education across America build out their core curriculum for students... defined as: learning essential life skills. I get it, computer technology, math, sciences, all designed for critical thinking. Yet most Americans from a very young age deal with money 7/24 in their lives. So using the Education Departments logic, I guess learning how to handle money is not an essential item in ones life development. Its amazing.

Q: Most Americans do not have a written financial plan. What is the reason for that?

A: Over my 37-year career I have seen various studies, and the one statistic for which the needle never moves is: 3 out of 100, or 3 percent, do true planning while 97 percent do not. Why? Its all in ones behavior. That is the foundation of how we manage money. Most often its the ready-fire-aim mentality in which we seek instant gratification, get mired in debt and make poor decisions. Use of credit cards, buying things unneeded with money we dont have, at a price we cant afford is a continuous cycle. It creates a never-ending whirlpool of poor choices.

Q: What techniques do you recommend for success with finances?

A: First, develop a current budget with historical data. Budgeting shows trends. Its important to know where your money is going. Prioritization is key.

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Next, build a financial plan in five tiers:

Protection  All your insurances

Retirement  Individual, employer, government

Investing  Asset allocation, diversification

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Taxes  Planning and preparation

Estate Planning  Distribution at death

Q: Why do you feel educating the public about money is so important?

A: Its not taught in schools. Our state governments, along with city governments, are going broke. The federal government is about $21 trillion in the red. As citizens, weve been told by our elected leaders that when the economy is slowing that its the citizens fault for not spending enough and running up even more debt with car loans, student loans, and our credit cards. If you think about it, its kind of counter-intuitive to common sense. We should be praising those who save, maximize their 401ks and pay off their debts. Not the opposite.

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Q: As the founder and CEO since 1993, what would you say is your biggest hurdle leading SOFA?

A: Without a doubt, its the David-and-Goliath saga of having America realize that were raising generation after generation of financial illiterates. Were not talking about stupidity. No, its providing our citizens ongoing essential information of how to handle money. If its not going to occur in the schools, then I believe every human resource manager in America ought to allow financial literacy into their places of employment. As well, places of worship ought to be educating not only adults but the children as well on the principles of stewardship. This ignorance has been occurring too long.

Q: Whats the best advice you ever received?

A: Never quit. Measure ones commitment through their performance. Successful people do what the unsuccessful dont want to do. I try to live those Big 3 every day.
California drivers already pay more for gasoline than motorists in just about every other state.

But even after taking into account state gas taxes, blending requirements aimed at reducing air pollution and other environmental and climate fees attached to each gallon of fuel, it appears drivers in the Golden State pay a lot more than they should.

UC Berkeley professor Severin Borenstein calls the price differential Californias mystery gasoline surcharge that roughly translates into a premium of 20 to 30 cents on every gallon pumped in the state.

And thats not chump change when one considers Californians consume 40 million gallons a day. Multiply that over an entire year and Borenstein says that comes to between $3 billion to $4 billion that is unaccounted.

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And heres the kicker: A state committee that looked into the price discrepancy and turned in its report to the California Energy Commission last fall did not come up with a firm explanation.

Severin Borenstein, professor at the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley (Photo from Haas School of Business )

I dont know why it is, said Borenstein, who was the chairman of the Petroleum Market Advisory Committee, which was made up of five members from the public and private sectors.

Theories range from suspicions about gasoline refiners and marketers to criticisms that the states regulatory burdens have made California unfriendly to business but Borenstein says they are just that  theories.

Borenstein is calling for the formation of a commission to find the exact reasons for the price differential.

Somebody should keep looking at this, he said.

The story has taken on a bit more urgency now that gasoline prices are trending back up. The average price of regular reached $3.50 a gallon in California this week, the highest since August 2015.

What happened?

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Californians get hit hard at the gas pump. In addition to the 18.4 cents per gallon they pay in federal taxes, drivers also pay more than most when it comes to state gas taxes. Besides excise taxes, drivers pay for cleaner-burning gasoline that costs about 10 cents a gallon to make.

Then theres the states cap and trade program that adds, in its most recent iteration, about 12 cents a gallon. California also has a Low Carbon Fuel Standard that adds about 7 cents a gallon.

Between 2000 and 2014, the price difference between California and the rest of the U.S. in real dollars moved in one direction or the other. Sometimes the excess price difference was positive and sometimes it was negative, generally in a range of about 20 cents.

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In February 2015, an explosion occurred at a refinery in Torrance  one of the biggest in the state. The plants outage caused gasoline prices in Southern California to jump as high as $1.50 above the national average.

But even after the refinery came back online, the surcharge remained in positive territory and in every month since then, Californians have paid a premium at the pump.

There is no year prior to 2015 in which we didnt have at least one month with a negative gasoline surcharge and now weve gone three years without such a month, said Borenstein, professor of Business Administration and Public Policy at the Haas School of Business

The mystery surcharge was as low as 11 cents a gallon at the end of 2016 and has popped up to 30 cents more than can be accounted for. But the figure has never dipped into negative territory since the Torrance explosion.

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The Petroleum Market Advisory Committee (PMAC) tried to figure out why but by the time the committee closed shop in September 2017, its members could not come up with any clear reasons.

The PMAC said it didnt have the staffing and financial resources to reach specific conclusions  as well as the inability to compel participation from decision-makers in the fuel industry.

The committee was also bound by Californias Bagley-Keene open meetings rules that restricted members to meet only when they were physically in one location. That, the committee said in its final report, limited the number of meetings to a quarterly basis because the five members lived in different parts of the state.

Possible explanations

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Is the differential due to Californias narrow gasoline market or market manipulation? Its a question that has been raised before in state hearings and investigations but the answers have been inconclusive.

The oil refinery industry has consolidated in recent years, leaving the California market in the hands of just a few companies. Tesoro and Chevron have been estimated to make up nearly half of the states refining capacity

Santa Monica-based Consumer Watchdog told the PMAC in 2016 the oil industry is to blame for the price premium.

The inside information refiners know about each others supplies and prices allow them to rig the market to keep gas supplies low, prices high, and drive out competition, Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog, said during a presentation.

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But one of the committees members, David Hackett, president of Stillwater Associates, a transportation energy consulting company in Irvine, sees potential explanations that are less sinister.

I think it is a whole bunch of little things that have restricted competition, Hackett said in a telephone interview. Theres not much competition at the pump in California these days as there used to be, or as there is in other parts of the country.

Some of the major oil companies such as ExxonMobil and Shell have divested themselves from retail gas stations in recent years. Their brand is still used but they dont physically own the stations anymore.

I know 20 years ago when I worked for Mobil we realized gas stations werent making any money and we scraped them and sold the land, Hackett said. What had been a Mobil station is now a Starbucks, for example.

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The number of public retail gasoline stations in California between 1996 and 2012 decreased from just over 14,000 to 10,100, according to figures from the National Petroleum News.

But data compiled from the California Energy Commission between 2009 and 2016 broke down the numbers by fuel type  such as gasoline, propane and diesel  and showed the number of gas stations fluctuating between 6,329 in 2014 to 8,456 in 2016.

Hackett also pointed to government rules, such as limits imposed by the South Coast Air Management District restricting how much gasoline a station can pump monthly or in a given year, out of concern for the amount of air pollution generated.

That, Hackett said, really hurts low-priced gas stations like Costco who have to interrupt service. And that may account for the overall higher price Californians pay, as well as contributing to a reluctance of some fuel companies coming into the state.

There are aggressive brands that are growing their businesses outside of California (but) they wont come to California because California is a such a difficult place to do business they dont want to put up with it, Hackett said.

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However, Hackett emphasized his explanations represent his opinion.

Borenstein said, I have tremendous respect for Dave but questioned why things suddenly changed in 2015.

He also said he would not rule out Consumer Watchdogs explanation, either, or imply that California gasoline producers are acting anti-competitively.

All of these are possible but right now theyre just theories, Borenstein said. If were actually going to find out what the problems is and address it, were going to have to go beyond people speculating  We need a lot more information.

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What next?

Borenstein wants to form a commission to dig into the problem.

The California Attorney Generals Office, Borenstein said, could be a logical place.

Its not under Bagley-Keene, its well-financed, they actually hire economic experts and they sink real resources into investigating, Borenstein said. They have some power to compel testimony or at least get answers the Petroleum Market Advisory Commission was not able to get.

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When asked if the AGs office is considering launching such a commission, the departments press office said in an email to the Union-Tribune, To protect its integrity, we cant comment on, even to confirm or deny, a potential or ongoing investigation.

The Sacramento-based Western States Petroleum Association declined requests from the Union-Tribune to comment on whether it would support or oppose the formation of a commission. The trade group also passed on responding to accusations by Consumer Watchdog that the oil industry is responsible for the price differential.

Borenstein said he was not sure how much it would cost to establish a commission.

It would definitely be in the millions of dollars, he said. I doubt it would be in the tens of millions.

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On the other hand, Borenstein said, the surcharge is estimated to be costing California motorists $12 million a day.

So even if (the commission) cost $20 million or $30 million, which would be a huge amount of money for an investigation like this, its still pretty minor compared to what were paying.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
CITY COUNCILS

DEL MAR

The Del Mar City Council met in closed session Monday to discuss personnel. The council discussed protection and potential improvement to the North Bluff Preserve (James G. Scripps Bluff), including accessibility for the disabled and some kind of barrier where it abuts a resort. The council agreed, 4-1, to allow dogs off-leash from dawn to 8 a.m. year-round from 25th Street north to the border with Solana Beach. The council discussed amending the city charter and decided to have staff do more research.

ESCONDIDO

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The Escondido City Council met in closed session Wednesday to discuss property negotiations. In regular session, the council voted 4-1 to support the passage of the Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018, a response to Proposition 47, which reclassified certain non-serious, nonviolent crimes as misdemeanors. The council also voted 4-1 to support filing a legal brief on the side of the federal government and against the state of California designating itself a sanctuary state. An item requesting that the council approve changes that will dissolve the Board of Review was postponed.

POWAY

The Poway City Council met Tuesday for a hearing and approval of a permit to build a drive-thru Chick-fil-A restaurant at 13464 Poway Road. The council also declared properties at 16943 Valle Verde Road and 12805 Beeler Creek Trail to be public nuisances, and ordered that they be remedied.

VISTA

The Vista City Council canceled its consolidated workshop meeting scheduled for Tuesday.

SCHOOL DISTRICTS

CARDIFF

The Cardiff School District board met in closed session Tuesday to discuss litigation. In regular session, the board approved a collective bargaining agreement with the Cardiff Elementary Teachers Association; and a raise for classified, confidential and classified management employees.

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DEL MAR

The Del Mar Union School District board met in closed session Wednesday to discuss property negotiations for the site of a new elementary school. The district is considering combining Del Mar Hills and Del Mar Heights elementary schools into one new school to be built west of Interstate 5.

FALLBROOK

The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District board met Monday and approved a tentative two-year agreement with the California School Employees Association and an increase to all salaries and schedules for management, confidential and unrepresented employees.

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POWAY

The Poway Unified School District board met in special closed session Tuesday to discuss labor negotiations.

VALLEY CENTER

The Valley Center-Pauma Unified School District board met in closed session Thursday to discuss labor negotiations, litigation and the proposed Lilac Hills development. In regular session, the board adopted the opening contract proposals from the California School Employees Association Chapter #795 and the Valley Center-Pauma Teachers Association for the 2018-2019 year. The board also approved a resolution eliminating some classified employee positions and cutting some hours.

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laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Some arrived an hour early for a chance at the closest unreserved seats, scores of folding white chairs lined in neat rows on the sidewalk and driveway outside D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla.

More and more people turned out as the appointed hour drew closer, a 2 p.m. Saturday date with the actor Sean Penn delivering the first public reading of his introductory novel, Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.

By the time Penn made his way under the same wooden ceiling where giants like Allen Ginsberg and Gore Vidal shared their words with grateful audiences of the past, every seat was filled and 100 more peered into the tiny bookshop from their feet.

I like trains, so instead of chapters there are stations, Penn began. This is Station One.

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The two-time Academy Award-winning actor explained his inspiration for the title character, a septic-tank king who dabbles as a government hitman. The name and story came to him a few years ago, in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election, he said.

Bob is Gods squared-away individual, Penn said. He knows how to get up in the morning and just do stuff.

1 / 24 Sean Penn looks out over the crowd just before he reads from his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 2 / 24 Sean Penns new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff are stacked up at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 3 / 24 Sean Penn walks across Girard Avenue as he arrives at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 4 / 24 People applaud as Sean Penn arrives at D.G. Wills Books. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 5 / 24 Harmony Moussighi, 9, starts to read Sean Penns new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff, bought by her mother Symphony Moussighi, left, as they wait for Sean Penn to arrive at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 6 / 24 Terry Marsh writes down a question for Sean Penn at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 7 / 24 Bookstore owner Dennis Wills introduces actor Sean Penn, right, before Penn reads from his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 8 / 24 Sean Penn lights up a cigarette as he prepares to read from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 9 / 24 People sit outside at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla on Saturday as they listen to actor Sean Penn, who is inside, talk about his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff over a speaker system. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 10 / 24 Sean Penn reads from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 11 / 24 With friend and author Robert Kerstetter, left, sitting next to him, actor Sean Penn reads from his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 12 / 24 Sean Penn lights up a second cigarette after reading from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 13 / 24 People gather outside at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla on Saturday as they listen to actor Sean Penn, who is inside, talk about his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff over a speaker system. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 14 / 24 Sean Penn speaks before reading from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 15 / 24 The few people who were able to sit inside listen to actor Sean Penn as he promotes his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 16 / 24 Actor Sean Penn pauses as he answers questions people had written down for him. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 17 / 24 Sean Penn reads another passage from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 18 / 24 Bookstore owner Dennis Wills, right, applauds as actor Sean Penn reads from his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 19 / 24 Actor Sean Penn, center, gestures as he answers questions that people had written down for him after he read from his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 20 / 24 People outside listen to actor Sean Penn, foreground, speak into a microphone as he talks about his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 21 / 24 Actor Sean Penn answers questions people had written down for him. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 22 / 24 Two women take photos through a window as actor Sean Penn, foreground left, speaks into a microphone as he talks about his book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 23 / 24 As he leaves D.G. Wills Books, Isemene Felizor, right, who is from Haiti, gives Sean Penn a hat that school children in Haiti had painted as a gift for his work in Haiti after Penn promoted his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff at the bookstore in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune) 24 / 24 People take pictures as Sean Penn gets into a waiting car after promoting his new book Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff at D.G. Wills Books in La Jolla. (Hayne Palmour IV / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Penn, who said he has wanted to write a novel for 50 of his 57 years, read for 15 minutes before taking pre-submitted questions that were read aloud by a childhood friend of his from San Diego. Penn lit a cigarette as soon as he finished and smoked throughout the discussion. Someone had placed a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue on the counter, but it went unused.

The first question was not about the book, but his 2015 meeting with the infamous drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman for a Rolling Stone magazine profile.

It was enormously maligned, and I still think it was a good piece, said Penn, who said he was trying to draw the nations attention to the demand side of the drug war rather than to suppliers.

He also was asked about his work in Haiti, where an earthquake killed more than 300,000 people in 2010. The nonprofit he co-founded in the wake of the catastrophe now employs hundreds of Haitians and promotes health, education and economic development.

My organization is doing well, but we are always dealing with political problems, the author said. Nationalism diminishes peoples interest in foreign aid. That makes things difficult.

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But the public appearance was about the novel, and Penn turned most of his responses back to the book. Critics have not been kind, but the author was fine with that.

Its much more melody than lyrics, in a sense, he said. I just told a story.

Penn cited writer Jane Smileys assessment at a promotional event in Los Angeles just last week.

She said about 25 percent would love it and 75 percent would loathe it, he said. I thought that was a much better ratio than Ive gotten in my personal relationships.

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At one point, Penn described his title characters response to a newly elected president that won the White House by exploiting the most divisive issues and stoking the worst fears of the American people.

We dont need an intervention, the character says. We need an assassin.

The audience gasped  and applauded its loudest of the day. The book is not an opinion piece, Penn reminded the crowd.

In just under an hour, the event ended and the author retreated to an interior office. Readers lined up out front to purchase pre-signed copies of Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff.

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Nik Schrager was impressed with the whole presentation.

He takes history and American culture and combines the two, the recent UCLA graduate from Solana Beach said. It makes a really awesome narrative.

Penn will appear Sunday at the University of San Diego for another discussion of the book. Tickets are available on eventbrite.com for $26 each and include a signed copy of the book.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
When the White House announced the latest sanctions against Russia, the list of targets included seven of the countrys billionaires. But just who are these wealthy oligarchs?

Collectively, they have a net worth of about $30 billion. Most of them have business ties to Russias key state-controlled sectors, including oil and gas, natural resources and banking. Some are among Russian President Vladimir Putins closest supporters and advisors.

The U.S. Treasury Department said those on the new sanctions list profit from their close links to the Kremlin and, in some cases, contributed to Moscows attempts to meddle in the 2016 U.S. election, as well as Russians occupation of Crimea, its efforts to supply Syrian President Bashar Assad with weapons and its attempts to subvert Western democracies.

The Russian government operates for the disproportionate benefit of oligarchs and government elites, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said in a statement.

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The sanctions, announced Friday, also singled out 12 Russian companies owned or controlled by the seven oligarchs. Also sanctioned were 17 senior government officials, a state-owned weapons trading company and its subsidiary, a Russian bank. The Treasury Department said the sanctioned parties will have their assets frozen, and U.S. persons are generally prohibited from dealings with them.

Although President Trump has been reluctant to publicly criticize Putin, the U.S. and Russia have slapped sanctions on each other in recent weeks. The U.S. and other countries in late March expelled about 150 Russian diplomats in retaliation for the poisoning of a former Russian spy living in England. Moscow responded by expelling diplomats as well and has denied responsibility for the nerve agent attack.

Here is a quick look at some of the top names on the Treasury Departments sanctions list.

Oleg Deripaska, 50, is a Russian metals magnate with an estimated worth of $5.8 billion, according to Forbes. His name has come up in the U.S. investigation into Russian election meddling because of his business ties with former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. In February, videos showing Deripaska discussing U.S.-Russia relations with a Kremlin deputy prime minister on a yacht again raised questions about his involvement.

Eight of Deripaskas companies, including EN+ and Rusal, were named on the sanctions list. The Treasury Department statement harshly criticized Deripaska, saying the oligarch was accused of threatening the lives of business rivals, illegally wiretapping a government official, and taking part in extortion and racketeering. There are also allegations that Deripaska bribed a government official, ordered the murder of a businessman, and had links to a Russian organized crime group.

Viktor Vekselberg, 60, is an aluminum magnate who Forbes estimates is worth $14.6 billion. He made his fortune in the 1990s and has close ties to Deripaska and other Russian oligarchs. He is the chairman of Renova, an investment group which has stakes in Rusal, the Russian aluminum giant also placed on Fridays sanctions list. His owns an extensive, world-class art collection and once bought nine Faberge eggs worth $100 million from the Forbes family.

Kirill Shamalov, 36, is believed to be the ex-husband of Putins daughter Katerina Tikhonova. He is worth an estimated $1.43 billion, according to Forbes, and owns stakes in the Russian petrochemical company Sibur. His father, Nikolai Shamalov, is a major shareholder in Rossiya Bank and a close ally of Putin.

Shamalov is believed to have used his family connections to work his way up in state-run energy and banking sectors. His business links to Russias energy sector landed him on the sanctions list. The Kremlin has never confirmed either the name of Putins daughter or her marriage to Shamalov.

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Suleiman Kerimov, 52, is a Russian senator who owns Russias largest gold producer, Polyus. Kerimov is worth an estimated $5.2 billion, according to Bloomberg. Putin once gave him an award for his services to the fatherland.

Kerimov is currently being investigated for accusations of tax fraud in France, where authorities believe he brought in suitcases full of hundreds of millions of euros to purchase villas in the name of shell companies. He is a senator representing the largely Muslim region of Dagestan. He is known as a playboy who throws lavish parties. In 2006, he crashed a $650,000 Ferrari in Nice.

Konstantin Kosachev, 55, is the head of the foreign affairs committee in Russias upper house of parliament. Kosachev frequently uses social media to defend Kremlin policy and blame the U.S. for deteriorating relations between Moscow and Washington. On Friday he told Interfax the sanctions were illegitimate and unjustified. Russia will not be broken.

Nikolai Patrushev, 66, is the secretary of Russias Security Council. He is a former director of the FSB, the successor agency of the Soviet-era KGB. Patrushev is believed to be part of Putins close circle of former KGB agents.

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Alexey Miller, 56, is the chairman of Gazprom, Russias state gas giant and the worlds largest natural gas producer. Miller is a close ally of Putins. Gazproms oil arm was sanctioned in 2014 after Russias annexation of Crimea.

Vladislav Reznik, 63, is a deputy in the Duma, Russias lower house of parliament. He is currently on trial in Spain with 17 other suspects accused of accused of massive money-laundering for a Russian mafia gang. Reznik is worth about $5.5 billion, according to Russian Forbes magazine.

Ayres is a special correspondent.
Two World War II veterans visiting San Diego County this weekend are still in pretty darned good shape.

One is still spry enough to go 310 mph and the other is still strong enough to carry 6 tons of cargo. The two vets are aircraft  the B-25 Mitchell Bomber and the Douglas C-47/DC-3 transport plane, respectively  visiting Gillespie Field in El Cajon through Sunday.

And fans of the planes can take the planes airborne.

Flights are scheduled Sunday at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 5 p.m. A ride in the DC-3 costs $295 and a ride in the B-25 is $425.

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What is called a history flight experience includes a pre-flight briefing, a discussion of the each planes history and about a half-hour flight. Children may be included at the discretion of the lead pilot.

1 / 17 With Historic Flight Foundation pilot John Sessions, and co-pilot Bill Mnich at the controls, Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors makes a low pass over the Gillespie Field runways as they return from a morning flight during a weekend visit to Gillespie Field, part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 2 / 17 Historic Flight Foundation co-pilots, Bill Mnich, left, and Doug Burton, right, turn one of the two propellers on Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors as they prepare the plane for a morning flight during a weekend visit to Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 3 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 4 / 17 Historic Flight Foundation co-pilot, Bill Mnich, foreground, and pilot John Sessions, background at the controls, Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors taxis to the runway at Gillespie Field before a morning flight during a weekend visit as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 5 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 6 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 7 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 8 / 17 Historic Flight Foundation co-pilot, Bill Mnich, cleans the plexiglass nose of Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force on display at Gillespie Field through the weekend as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 9 / 17 With Historic Flight Foundation pilot, John Sessions, foreground, and co-pilot Bill Mnich, background at the controls, Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors taxis after landing at Gillespie Field as they return from a morning flight during a weekend visit to Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 10 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 11 / 17 Doug Burton, a Historic Flight Foundation co-pilot, left, takes a photo of Bill, Fitzgerald, center, and his grandson, two-year-old, Jackson, right, in front of a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. The DC-3, and a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors are visiting Gillespie Field through the weekend as part of the Historic Flight Foundations tour stop in San Diego. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 12 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San DIego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 13 / 17 With Historic Flight Foundation pilot, John Sessions, right, and co-pilot Bill Mnich, left, at the controls, Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors taxis after landing at Gillespie Field as they return from a morning flight during a weekend visit to Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 14 / 17 A fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 15 / 17 The inside of the fully restored Douglas DC-3 pained in Pan American Airways colors is one of two World War II era airplanes on display at Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation weekend tour stop in San Diego County. Also on display and flying throughout the weekend is a North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 16 / 17 With Historic Flight Foundation pilot, John Sessions, and co-pilot Bill Mnich at the controls, Grumpy, a World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors does a Doolittle takeoff from Gillespie Field during a morning flight around San Diego County, part of a weekend visit to Gillespie Field as part of the Historic Flight Foundation tour. The Doolittle takeoff refers to how the B-25s, known as Doolittle Raiders, after Gen. Jimmy Doolittle took off from the USS Hornet in 1942 to bomb Japan by holding the brakes, applying full power to the engines and then releasing the brakes, causing the nose to come up quickly as the planes gained airspeed. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune) 17 / 17 The nose gun, a .50 caliber machine gun on Grumpy, the Historic Flight Foundations World War II era North American B-25D Mitchell bomber painted in Royal Air Force colors visiting Gillespie Field during a weekend visit as part of the Historic Flight Foundations tour. Also on display is a fully restored Douglas DC-3 in Pan America Airways colors. (Howard Lipin / The San Diego-Union-Tribune)

Between flights, the planes are open for tours for a suggested donation of $5.

This is where weve been, said John Sessions, CEO of the Seattle-based Historic Flight Foundation, the organization that collects and operates vintage aircraft and brought the pair to San Diego this weekend. The DC-3 was designed in 45 days with slide rules. No computers, no artificial intelligence, just hard-working people  Its just a testimony to innovation for that period and a breakthrough for air travel.

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rob.nikolewski@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1251 Twitter: @robnikolewski
Could California residents play a role in Mexicos historic July 1 election?

Catalina Sanchez, a 36-year-old graphic designer who lives in Poway, certainly intends to  without ever leaving San Diego County.

Like Sanchez, a record number of Mexicans living abroad are preparing to vote in this presidential contest playing out amid uncertainty over the future of U.S-Mexico relations.

These voters will not only help choose a new president to lead Mexico for the next six years but also for the first time participate in Senate elections and in six states, choose new governors. Also for the first time, those from Mexico City will be able to cast ballots from abroad in the capitals mayoral contest.

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With some 12 million Mexicans estimated to live abroad, the potential is huge, enormous, said Rafael Fernandez de Castro, director of the Center for U.S.-Mexican Studies at University of California San Diego. They have rights, they send remittances to Mexico, they are very active in Mexico in many ways. Why not vote?

For Fernandez de Castro and other observers of U.S.-Mexican politics, that question is drawing much interest. Mexicans living abroad are a potentially powerful political force in their home country, but one that has yet to come into its own. The higher their numbers, and the tighter the election, the greater the chance they can make a difference.

With the election less than three months away, more than a half-million Mexicans living abroad have received voting cards issued by Mexicos National Electoral Institute. They are spread all over the globe  from Abu Dhabi to Athens, from Cairo to Caracas  but the majority by far lives in the United States. And of those, the largest numbers are residents of California.

The last day to apply for a card was March 31, and consulates across the state saw a flurry of last-minute activity as voters such as Sanchez arrived with birth certificates, passports, drivers licenses, and other documents to show their Mexican citizenship and U.S. residency.

It made me feel very special, being Mexican, Sanchez said as she walked out smiling of the San Diego consulates Little Italy offices. In these elections, its going to be very important to vote, to put the right person in power.

They will be voting at a moment of strain and uncertainty over the future of the U.S.-Mexico relationship. President Donald Trumps criticism of the North American Free Trade Agreement, vow to build a continuous border wall and make Mexico pay, his shifting stances on young unauthorized immigrants in the DACA program, and most recently dispatching the National Guard to the border have been setting a new tone.

In Mexicos presidential race, the next few weeks of campaigning are expected to be intense  bringing out concerns about corruption, violence, Mexicos economic future. But also about Mexicos relationship with the United States.

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Daniela Valdez-Jasso, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at UC San Diego, has previously flown home to vote in Ecatepec outside Mexico City. But this time, shell be sending in her ballot from San Diego.

I am strongly against what the current government is, she said. If I am going to criticize it, I need to make sure that I am doing something to change that.

The front-runner in the polls is a left-of-center candidate making his third presidential bid, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, often known as AMLO. His closest rival, Ricardo Anaya Cortes, is a member of Mexicos center-right National Action Party, the PAN, the partys former national president who heads a coalition that includes two smaller center-left parties. Trailing in third place is former Mexican finance secretary Jose Antonio Meade, candidate for a coalition dominated by Mexicos ruling Institutional Revolutionary Party, the PRI.

Also on the ballot is a political independent, Margarita Zavala, the wife of former Mexican President Felipe Calderon. She was in San Diego on Friday giving a talk on the UC San Diego campus, stressing the strong connections between the United States and Mexico to an audience that included students, professors, some her supporters from Baja California and Mexicans living in San Diego.

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Voter identification cards

Nearly 89 million Mexicans have valid voter identification cards, but that high number is no indication of how many will vote on July 1. Many people obtain the card because it is needed for a range of transactions such as opening a bank account or obtaining a credit card.

It is our national identification card, said Enrique Andrade, a counselor with Mexicos National Electoral Institute. Many Mexicans have it as an ID, not necessarily because they plan to vote.

More than 510,000 Mexicans living abroad have received voter ID cards that would allow them to participate in the July election. But in order to vote from abroad, they must first activate the card through an online process.

Andrade estimated that fewer than a third of these voters will do so by the April 30 deadline: In reality, Id expect about 150,000, Andrade said in an interview last week.

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Theres still a great need for Mexicans living abroad to know about their right to vote, Andrade said. Bit by bit, I think its a right that will become better known.

In San Diego, more than 11,300 voters had received cards to vote from abroad issued by the National Electoral Institute by March 26, though it remains to be seen how many activate their cards.

But in San Diego and other U.S. border communities, the institutes numbers dont reflect the untold numbers of Mexicans who dont apply to vote from abroad, and instead are preparing to simply cross the border on election day with a card issued to a Mexican address.

Marcela Celorio, the Consul General in San Diego, believes that could help explain the regions relatively low numbers compared with other cities that are farther inland. Its because of our geographic situation, she said.

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The largest of 50 Mexican consulates in the United States, the Los Angeles consulate had also received the greatest number of applications, and by March 26, the National Electoral Institute reported sending out more than 85,000 voting cards to Los Angeles voters.

But with some 1.7 million Mexicans living in Los Angeles, the total amount of applications that we got compared to the population was low, said Carlos Garcia de Alba, the consul general in Los Angeles.

Its a mix of reasons, Garcia de Alba said. Despite outreach efforts to the Mexican community, not everybody is aware, he said. There is a second group that says, I know I have the right to vote, but I dont want to. People think its complicated.

Genaro Lozano, a political scientist from the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City, said though electoral officials in Mexico are doing their best at getting Mexicans to go out and vote, many living abroad are reluctant to do so out of mistrust for the government, even though the electoral institute holds autonomy.

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Lozano and others see attitudes changing in the coming years. This is something that Mexicans are getting used to, the binational politics of elections, he said.

The ties that bind

The first time that Mexicans were able to participate from abroad was 2006; 32,621 did so, and the majority backed Calderon, the PANs victorious candidate. In 2012, Mexicans abroad emitted 40,714 votes, and again backed the PAN candidate who this time lost the election to the PRIs Enrique Pena Nieto.

As greater numbers of Mexicans living abroad obtain the voter ID card  and activate it so that they can vote  the participation from abroad is only expected to increase.

At least some of those expected to vote from abroad are dual U.S. and Mexican citizens. And those California residents registered in both countries will have a chance to cast ballots both in Mexicos election and in Californias June 5 gubernatorial primary.

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One of the issues on the ballot is our relationship with Mexico, said David Ayon, senior strategist and advisor at Latino Decisions. But at the same time, Mexico is having a presidential campaign in which one of the big issues is the relationship with the U.S., Ayon said. The future of the relationship is on the ballot in both countries at the same time.

Waiting outside Mexicos San Diego consulate while his wife Catalina Sanchez finished her paperwork, Guillermo Mallen said its at a very complicated moment for U.S.-Mexico relations.

The next president will have to be very skilled in managing the relationship, said the Mexico City native, who is preparing to vote from California on July 1.

Email sandra.dibble@sduniontribune.com

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Twitter @sandradibble

UPDATES:

April 9 at 1:55 p.m.: This article was updated with additional details about voters in San Diego.

This article was originally published April 8, 2018 at 6 a.m.
You would be hard pressed to find more divergent opponents on the San Diego County June ballot than in the race for district attorney.

One is the countys prosecutor: the insider, establishment candidate with nearly three decades of experience who has risen through the ranks to the top of her profession, making changes to the DAs office along the way.

The other is a public defender: the outsider with more than a decade on the job who has become part of a national movement to elect district attorneys who believe the U.S. criminal justice system is stacked against minorities and the underprivileged and must be overhauled.

Both claim the mantle of reformer in vastly different ways.

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District Attorney Summer Stephan is viewed by many as the heir apparent to former DA Bonnie Dumanis and the movers and shakers in town would like to make that a certainty.

Deputy Public Defender Genevieve Jones-Wright is the choice not only of San Diego progressives but criminal justice reform advocates Shaun King and possibly billionaire George Soros.

Both appear whip-smart with campaign styles as different as their backgrounds. Jones-Wright is fiery and goes for the roundhouse political haymaker; Stephan is low-key and delivers stinging jabs to potentially set up a knockout punch.

We need change. Its that simple, said Jones-Wright, a San Diego native who started off as a neighborhood pro bono attorney. We need change and were not going to get it under the status quo.

If you define reformer in a non-political sense. . . then I would be the ultimate reformer, Stephan said. Im constantly the one driving change in the office.

Both spoke during lengthy interviews with the editorial board and reporters at the Union-Tribune last week.

Jones-Wright said she would create a DA-appointed panel to review shootings by police officers that would nevertheless remain independent of the DAs office. She said that between 2005 and 2015 there were 155 officer-involved shootings and all were determined to be justified by the District Attorneys Office. She said the odds of that are very long and maintains a new process is needed.

We have to get away from the district attorney being a rubber stamp, she said, contending the DAs office is too close with police agencies.

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She believes the states cash-bail system borders on criminal  and a California appeals court in January suggested the system is unconstitutional because defendants too poor to afford bail remain in jail while those with means get out quickly.

Jones-Wright supports bail reform legislation in Sacramento, SB 10, that would not allow people to be held because of their inability to pay and instead base the bail decision on severity of the crime, flight risk and economic means. A lot of people would be let out on their own recognizance, or required to wear ankle bracelets.

Jones-Wright, who sits on the citys Commission on Gang Prevention and Intervention, says local authorities can move more quickly to make bail changes on their own.

She would act to keep low-level, non-violent offenders out of jail through diversion programs and would avoid charging for quality of life crimes such as vagrancy, disorderly conduct and loitering.

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Shes an adamant opponent of the death penalty and indicated she would not seek it, but added that she would have a balanced process to assess potential death penalty-eligible cases.

But she called the death penalty discriminatory, costly and ineffective.

Theres just so many reasons the death penalty doesnt work, she said, pointing to cases where mistakes were discovered in convictions of people on death row.

Jones-Wright objected to the way the District Attorneys Office is run, contending that defendants are routinely overcharged.

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I see that day in and day out . . . I see it as a public defender, she said.

She takes a harsh view of how Stephan was appointed to replace Bonnie Dumanis, who resigned last year to run for county supervisor.

To me that smells, and that smells of corruption, she said.

She further said Stephan, who was Dumanis top lieutenant, should investigate whether Dumanis had a greater role than publicly revealed in the illegal campaign financing scheme of Mexican businessman Jose Susumo Azano Matsura. He was convicted on dozens of federal counts related to his illegal effort to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to benefit San Diego candidates, including Dumanis when she ran for mayor in 2012.

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I think that is the obligation of the district attorney to look into that, she said.

Jones-Wright would not commit to investigating Dumanis if elected, but added, I would do my job as district attorney.

Stephan already was a candidate for DA when Dumanis stepped down and said she really didnt want the appointment. She further said she actually didnt think it would benefit her campaign. Stephan ultimately applied, she said, at the urging of the deputy district attorneys, whom she felt she could not let down.

I didnt need it. I didnt want it, she said. ...I didnt feel I had a choice.

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She dismissed the notion of investigating Dumanis. Its been a federal investigation for five years, she said.

She also notes that shes worked for three district attorneys and has been promoted by all of them.

Stephan does not concede the mantle of reformer. She pioneered the DAs sex crimes and human trafficking division and has been nationally recognized for her work in that area.

She also helped establish diversion programs aimed at keeping veterans with substance abuse, homeless and people who commit low-level, non-violent crimes out of jail. The goal is non-conviction for these people, not convictions that are expunged.

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What people complain about is when people make stupid mistakes and their life is derailed, Stephan said.

She said the DAs office already is at work on a risk-based bail system, ahead of whats happening in Sacramento. Jones-Wright said Stephan only started talking about bail reform after she did.

In data from October, 24 percent of the county jail population had not yet had their case determined by the court, meaning the overwhelming majority incarcerated had been convicted, according to the District Attorneys Office.

Stephan said she is further contemplating the creation of an officer-involved shooting task force to bring a second set of eyes to those investigations.

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All of these things Im examining as the new DA, she said.

Stephan wouldnt give her personal view on the death penalty, but said making that determination is difficult, and rare, but it is the law.

She points to her 15 years of management experience, and contends Jones-Wright has none. She suggested a Kardashian effect was in play, questioning whether Jones-Wright had the accomplishments to match her rising profile as a DA candidate.

I have internal credibility and external credibility to make the change, she added.

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Jones-Wright said she would bring to the job a perspective that would be balanced. Stephan suggested Jones-Wright would tilt things too far in one direction.

We cant have a system where you have two public defenders, she said.

Stephan added the DAs office cant be an experiment. Peoples lives depend on it.

These are indeed two very different candidates. But weve learned they have at least one common trait: For first-time candidates, they know how to take a pretty good swing.

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Tweet of the Week

Goes to Kristina Davis (@kristinadavis), staff writer for the Union-Tribune.

Best subject line for a press release in my inbox today: Nudists Smile from Cheek to Cheek During May: National Smile Month
A van that may have been carrying explosives was driven into a crowd of people in the western German college town of Muenster on Saturday, killing two people and injuring least 20, police said.

The driver of the vehicle shot himself and died at the scene, police said. He was described by police as a German man with possible psychological problems. Authorities said it was too soon to tell if the man was affiliated with any terror organizations.

German media identified the man by his first name and surname initial  Jens R  as is the custom for individuals alleged to have committed a crime.

He was additionally described by German news magazine Der Spiegel on its website as a 48-year-old graphic designer. NTV television cited mental health episodes going back to 2016 and 2014.

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According to several reports, the man lived just a few miles away from the scene of the incident.

(Los Angeles Times )

Since there have been several attacks by Islamist extremists in Germany in recent years, some committed by refugees who arrived in Germany in waves since mid 2015, there had been speculation that the attack might have been committed by such a refugee.

Andreas Bode, a police spokesman in Muenster, said six of the 20 people injured were in critical condition and that the driver took his own life with a gunshot while still in the vehicle.

There was a potentially suspicious object in the vehicle, Bode added. We are investigating what it is.

German media reports said the object had protruding wires.A large crowd of people was enjoying a sunny and warm afternoon at a popular outdoor sidewalk restaurant when the van smashed into them. The crash happened at 3:27 p.m. local time, in a part of town designated mainly for pedestrians near the citys cathedral, the police spokesman said. Police had investigated initial witness reports that two other suspects may have been involved and fled the scene.

But later the state of North Rhine-Westphalias top police official, Interior Minister Herbert Reul, told reporters in Muenster that police believe that the attack was carried out by the one German man acting alone.

The assailant who arbitrarily drove furiously into a crowd of people was a German citizen and not, as has been claimed, a refugee or anything like that, Reul told reporters, referring to speculation that some of the refugees from Syria and the Middle East who arrived in Germany in recent years could have been behind the incident.

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The details of this are under investigation right now. Reul said. And thats why we cant yet say what the motives were. At the moment there is no indication whatsoever of an Islamic background to this. We have to wait and see. We will be investigating in all directions. We need time for that.

The truck was traveling at a speed of about 30 mph in the pedestrian-filled area normally devoid of vehicle traffic when it crashed into the crowd, police said.

It was the first warm afternoon of the spring, with temperatures above 70 degrees outside the Kiepenkerl restaurant, according to NTV television. German media reported that police searched the truck for explosives.

German counter-terrorism authorities believe there are also 760 people considered threats to public safety in the country, many of them German citizens who returned to the country in recent years after training with or fighting for Islamic State.

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The whole city of Muenster is in mourning, said Muenster Mayor Markus Lewe. We dont yet know at this point what was behind this horrible incident.

Muenster is a small city in western Germany about 270 miles west of Berlin. On Dec. 19, 2016, 12 people were killed in Berlin city in an attack committed by Anis Amri, an asylum-seeker from Tunisia. He deliberately drove a stolen truck into a crowd of revelers at a Christmas market in an attack which Islamic State claimed responsibility.

With a population of 311,000, Muenster is little known outside Germany but famous inside the country as a pedestrian-friendly city with an exceptionally high number of bicycle riders.

Gabriele Ruegner, an eyewitness to Saturdays incident, told NTV television that she had been sitting at an outdoor cafe nearby in the city center when the crash happened.

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We were told by police that we should evacuate the area immediately, that there had been a terror attack. We werent even allowed to pay our bills. Police told us it was a terror attack and there was a danger of a further attack and thats why we should leave immediately.

Kirschbaum is a special correspondent.

UPDATES:

2:30 p.m. This article was updated with additional information about the crash and to clarify that two people were killed by the van, not three. The third person dead was the driver of the vehicle, who took his own life with a gunshot while still in the van, police said.

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9:45 a.m. This article was updated throughout with staff reporting that includes eyewitness accounts.

9:10 am. This article was updated with a report of three dead.

8:50 a.m. This article was updated with a report that driver killed himself.

This article was originally published at 8:20 a.m.
Union-Tribune reporter Peter Rowe discusses reporting todays In Depth story about Echo Yard, an experimental program at Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility on Otay Mesa.

Q: How did you hear about Echo Yard?

A: George Varga, the Union-Tribunes pop music writer, alerted me to a concert taking place inside Donovan last summer. I filled out the required forms, attended the performance headlined by guitarist Wayne Kramer  formerly with the rock group MC5  and wrote a short feature story. But certain aspects about the setting, Echo Yard, nagged at me.

Q: What sort of aspects?

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A: I had been to prison before  more on that later  and knew that the races did not mix. At Echo Yard, though, I saw blacks, whites and Hispanics talking together and sitting together. The audience at the concert included transgender inmates and guys in wheelchairs.

Perhaps most striking was the eagerness of inmates, again of all races and backgrounds, to be interviewed. No one shied away from the reporter and photographer (in this case, John Gibbins).

I had to wonder: What was going on?

Q: Then what happened?

A: I talked to my editor, Mark Platte, who encouraged me to move forward. That meant getting clearance from Donovan, again, and arranging times to be on the yard.

Q: How often did you visit?

A: Four times, counting Kramers concert. Photographer K.C. Alfred and I took a tour of the yard, led by inmates Josh Nichols and Burnell Kelly, both of them candid and charming  more on that later. We attended a meeting of an inmates committee planning an art show and visited a cell where we watched inmates train service dogs.

Finally, we sat in on an art class led by Miramar Colleges Laura Pecenco.

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Q: What makes Echo Yard different?

A: At least on the surface, theres a lack of what one Donovan official called politics  gangs, racial tensions, hostility toward transgender inmates. And everyone programs, meaning everyone takes courses and/or attends 12-step meetings.

Q: You mentioned this wasnt your first time in prison?

A: Thats true, Ive been to a few prisons. Perhaps the most memorable was San Quentin, which photographer Scott Linnett and I visited in 2005. We reported on college scholarships annually awarded by a group of imprisoned Vietnam veterans.

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Q: How did that make you feel?

A: Impressed, moved and confused, as I would be years later at Echo Yard. To all outward appearances, these men are pursuing laudable goals and working hard to improve themselves. Then you remember why they are here, the unbearable suffering they caused and the heinous acts they committed.

Q: You met several volunteers who work with inmates. How do they deal with this?

A: Pecenco noted that these men have already been tried, judged, sentenced. That jobs been done. Moreover, many of these men will leave prison and return to our neighborhoods and workplaces. Their success on the outside means a better, more peaceful society for all of us.

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Q: How about the LWOPs, the lifers without parole? Why care about them?

A: A rabbi told me why. He visits all five of the yards at Donovan but one day stepped into a yard he rarely visits  a yard very different from Echo Yard. He was confronted by a lifer whose entire face was covered in tattoos, often a sign that the inmate has given up on rehabilitation.

This morning, the lifer said, I knew I was going to do something terrible. Im not a religious man, but I asked God for a sign. And now Im not going to do it.

Why? What happened? the rabbi asked.

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You, the lifer said. You were the sign.
A woman fired a volley of gunshots inside an Oak Park barbershop Saturday during a dispute with its two male owners, San Diego police said.

The shooter and another woman arrived in a white Chevy Impala in a parking lot behind the Fam Mart store on Euclid Avenue about 10:40 a.m. and got into an argument with the owners of the barbershop that operates inside the store, police said.

One of the women then pulled out a gun and fired three shots toward the men. She went back to the car and tossed the gun to the second woman, who fired two more parting shots at the men before driving away.

No one was injured.

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The empty Impala was found a short distance away with the gun inside.

The women were not immediately located, although the men know who they are.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @kristinadavis
When Oscar Leal died in sheriffs custody on the last day of February, the department did not acknowledge the death publicly until two days later, after The San Diego Union-Tribune learned about the case and requested details.

Leal passed away after being pepper-sprayed by a deputy responding to several 911 hang-ups from a home in Vista.

The same thing happened last week, after Michael Sullivan apparently killed himself at the South Bay Detention Facility in Chula Vista. The Sheriffs Department did not alert the public but confirmed the death six days afterward, again in response to questions from the newspaper.

The issue of news releases upon a death in sheriffs custody is addressed in the departments policy and procedure manual, a 475-page document spelling out how Sheriff Bill Gore and his deputies perform their duties.

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Under the communications section, where department employees are directed how to respond to media requests and inquiries from the public, the manual says, The suspicious or accidental death, or suicide, of any person in sheriffs custody will be reported via a news release prepared by a representative of the homicide unit. The news release will be submitted to the communications center watch commander for release.

On Tuesday, department spokeswoman Lt. Karen Stubkjaer thanked the Union-Tribune for bringing the policy to her attention.

We believe bringing publicity to suicide can promote more suicides, she said by email. We will critically review that policy and work to balance the interests of transparency and overall public safety.

Later in the week, Stubkjaer said the policy was not designed to require a news release, but to govern who would send it.

The passage is not, and was not intended to be, a policy mandate directing the issuance of a press release whenever there is an in-custody suicide, she said by email on Thursday.

Because inmate deaths of any kind fall under the responsibility of our homicide detail, and homicide handles their own media releases, this passage is intended to make clear that if and when a release is issued, it must be done by the homicide detail, she added.

Stubkjaer did not respond to questions about why the department did not alert the public to Leals death. The case was not a suicide; it is being investigated as a possible drug overdose following the pepper-spraying incident.

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Other law enforcement agencies take a different approach responding to in-custody deaths.

In Sacramento County, deputies posted the news Thursday that inmate Defei Chen had been found dead inside his cell the day before.

The Sheriffs Department will complete a thorough inmate death investigation in accordance with department procedures and state laws, the news release said.

Chen had been arrested March 21 on suspicion of felony marijuana cultivation and sales, it added.

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The Riverside County Sheriffs Department said keeping the public informed about crimes, arrests and other operations is a high priority. The office has a three-person team responding to media calls and churning out press releases, including 16 in the first week of April.

San Diego County has experienced a notable run of homicides and other deaths in its jail system over the past decade.

According to Sheriffs Department data, five people have died in county jails so far this year. They include one natural death, one suicide and three cases that are still awaiting a finding from the county medical examiner.

Since 2007, 132 people have died in the custody of San Diego County, or about one a month.

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Of those, 57 were classified as natural deaths and 40 others as suicide. Twenty-two deaths were ruled accidental or overdoses, six others as homicides and three due to use of force, the department said. One death from 2016 and three from this year remain undetermined.

The deaths are significant not only for the loss of life, but also for the cost to taxpayers. San Diego County has paid millions of dollars in recent years to resolve lawsuits over in-custody deaths, including $3.2 million to the family of Daniel Sisson, who died in 2011 from drug-withdrawal complications, and $2.3 million to the family of Bernard Victorianne, who died in 2012 after deputies failed to respond to symptoms of a drug overdose.

The county is currently defending at least four other suits filed by relatives of inmates who died in custody.

San Diego attorney Christopher Morris has represented numerous plaintiffs in wrongful-death cases against the county. He said there is no excuse for the Sheriffs Department not to report the death of someone in custody.

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Morris, who has four inmate-death cases pending in court, said withholding information about detainees who die behind bars can limit the legal options available to relatives.

In-custody death cases have extremely short statutes of limitation and require that a claim is filed within six months, he said. It looks like the failure to issue press releases is designed to limit county exposure to claims rather than the result of a genuine concern about publicizing suicides.

Stubkjaer said the Sheriffs Department issued two press releases in the past decade announcing suicides in county jails, one in 2009 and one in 2014.

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Watchdog Videos On Now Sexual misconduct accusers worry deputy is being protected 6:16 On Now City funded $2-million waterfront bathroom 1:26 On Now Public water district charges customer for legal work, response to records request On Now Video: Tiny homes won't be reused amid housing, homeless crisis On Now Attorney General seeks documentation for Miss Middle East On Now Rep. Hunter probe covers possible fraud On Now Video: SDG&E delaying solar credit for some low-income housing tenants On Now Video: Former San Diego Junior Theatre teacher sentenced for sex with teen girl 0:24 On Now Video: Shelter volunteers believe they were fired for finding a dog a home 0:49 On Now McKamey Manor is leaving San Diego 3:35

jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
Learning curve for Trump should be over

Re Give the president a chance to prove himself (April 5): I get it. A majority of voters in the right states decided they did not want a president with experience in public service. Many of these voters need four references to hire a plumber.

The president chose many people with no public service knowledge. OK, after a year, the presidents team should have the public service thing down, right? Not so you can tell.

Elections are to decide the direction of the country. It assumes the people in the administration will act like honest people.

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This administration seems to be bush league in that and cant keep its hands out of the public cash register. This administration is past learning to be a steward of the public trust.

Richard Schauer

San Diego

I cant understand it when Trump supporters consistently cling to the idea that because he was duly elected president that we should support everything he says and does. After he is in office for a couple of years, then well see how his platform will make America great again.

This is the philosophy that devoted followers of past world leaders embraced when their candidates were duly elected leaders of their respective countries. Give him time and well see how his platform will make our country great again.

I wish they wouldnt have given them that time.

Jeff Horvitz

North Park

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Trump treats his staff like at-will employees

Trump is running his presidency just like his own corporation and its not at all the sensible way.

He will fire anybody who disagrees with him by way of disrespectful tweet and without prior discussion to the person.

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Trump doesnt give respect to a persons rights, where a fired person was summoned to the office to learn the cause.

Seems Trump cant work together among people who are more rational and intelligent than him.

His regular tweets are clear analogies just like emails to a subordinate employees in a corporation.

Eduardo C. Dizon

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San Diego

Being elected is not a blank check

A recent letter to the editor criticized some Democrats and the media for attacking Trumps deeds and personal characteristics.

The writer summed up his position by saying, No matter what we say or talk about Donald Trump, he is the elected president.

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The implication seems to be that we should blindly support Trump despite the fact that he has consistently and repeatedly proven himself to be a self-serving, mean spirited, uninformed, lying bully who regularly reverses his stated positions and seems to take pride in doing so.

Jim DeMocko

Santee

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.
Top agents of RE/MAX Direct were recognized by RE/MAX International for their production and dedication to customer service in 2017. This is the 22nd year that RE/MAX Direct has recognized its outstanding agents for their amount of annual transactions closed.

These agents tireless dedication to helping members of our community find the right home has allowed them to achieve this high honor, said Jan Ryan, Broker/owner of RE/MAX Direct.

Peter San Nicolas, Mary Lambert and Andrea Stykel were awarded the Executive Club medallion. Lori Hoge, Tarrah Roane, Susan Willis and Cris Vaughn were awarded the prestigious 100% Club medallion, which is given to a select few RE/MAX agents. Were extremely proud that these agents represent RE/MAX Direct, said Jeff Gan Broker/owner of RE/MAX Direct.

RE/MAX Direct at 1410 Main St., Suite A, is a locally owned and operated full-service real estate brokerage. Founded in 1996, the brokerage specializes in residential and commercial real estate and may be contacted at 760-788-1000.


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ANGARA WELCOMES APPOINTMENT OF INCOMING PNP CHIEF ALBAYALDE

Senator Sonny Angara welcomed the appointment of National Capital Region Police Office head Director Oscar Albayalde as the next chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP).

According to Angara, Albayalde's appointment offers an opportunity to further improve the image of the PNP, especially when it comes to upholding human rights.

"I wish incoming PNP Director General Oscar Albayalde good luck and I hope he will lead a police force that has high regard and respect for human rights," Angara said.

Angara said he expects the PNP under Albayalde's watch to "fulfill its mandate of enforcing the law, preventing and controlling crimes, maintaining peace and order, and ensuring public safety and internal security with human rights in mind."

"Albayalde's leadership should give higher priority to the promotion and protection of human rights," he added.

Angara also asked the Albayalde to address extrajudicial killings that are linked to the government's war on drugs.
Press Release

April 8, 2018 Sister, son also targets of bizarre fake news - De Lima Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has deplored moves by some sinister groups to target some of her family members, notably her sister and son, as unwitting victims to fake news across social media platforms. Noting that no one has become immune from fake news nowadays, De Lima vowed to fight back the tide of fake news, including lies and deceits, directed not only to her and her family but also to those who are critical of the present Duterte administration. "My sister was reported to have been arrested in Beijing for drug trafficking. Her friends called her about that. When that fake news came out, my sister happened to be at the hospital, watching over my sick mother," she recalled. "Another fake news targeted my youngest son, Vincent, who was reported to have been arrested at an airport in Berlin, for possession of drugs. My son has never set foot in another country," she added. The fake news articles about De Lima's sister and son both circulated in social media in December 2016 and were mostly shared and re-shared by pro-Duterte pages and websites to various social media platforms, including Facebook and Youtube. De Lima, one of the human rights defenders under threat, lamented how some of the fake news stories and videos uploaded online may have easily corrupted the public's mind in trying to differentiate between what is real and what is fake news. "Absurd and incredible these fake news are, the sad reality is some people tend to be fooled into believing them," she said. The Senator from Bicol recalled instances where several fake news articles peddled against her made their rounds on Facebook and Youtube, causing her relative and friends to worry about her condition. "I remember there were relatives and friends who frantically contacted me or my family to check on my well-being when it was reported that I had committed suicide, or was suffering from one ailment or another," she shared. Last January 2017, De Lima delivered a fiery privilege speech to denounce the unabated proliferation of fake news on the Internet and other social networking sites, where she likened fake news to a "virus" that could "bring about a zombie apocalypse." She has been at the receiving end of more than 33 fake news stories as part of the well-oiled and orchestrated campaign to damage her good name and discredit her due to her vocal opposition to the Duterte administration's murderous war on drugs.
GRACE POE'S MESSAGE ON ARAW NG KAGITINGAN

We join the Filipino nation in commemorating the Day of Valor and the Philippine Veterans' Week, and salute our veterans who exemplified true patriotism and gallantry for our democracy.

Time and again, we have faced challenges and threats that displayed genuine courage of the Filipinos--the soldiers in Marawi City, the SAF 44, peacekeepers, crime fighters, ordinary civilians who guard their communities.

And, there are those who are fighting not the enemies in the battlefield but hunger, poverty, homelessness, ignorance, greed, injustice.

History calls upon us to live out the same courage and bravery of our forefathers by doing our duties as channels of peace, builders of society, movers of economy and generators of ideas.

Let us forever be grateful to the Filipino veterans for our hard-won liberties, and let us not waver in our resolve to continue what they started.
Kiwi merino wool clothing maker Icebreaker Holdings was sold to US apparel giant VF Corp for $288 million in a competitive tender process, Overseas Investment Office documents show.

North Carolina-based VF Corp withheld the price paid when it announced the deal was completed with OIO approval. The acquisition added Icebreaker to VF's Smartwool brand, which the US firm said would position it as a global leader in merino wool and natural fibres.

The OIO granted consent for the deal on March 13, putting a $288 million price tag on the takeover. Icebreaker's shareholders sought a tie-up with "an established international entity or group for global market access, logistics and management opportunities" to "fully realise Icebreaker's growth potential" and picked VF as its preferred buyer after a competitive tender process, a summary of the decision said.

Pencarrow Private Equity is the biggest shareholder with a 38 percent stake it bought three years ago, followed by founder Jeremy Moon who directly holds 6.4 percent and indirectly owns 22.5 percent via Moon Comm with his ex-wife Sarah Catherall. Stephen Tindall's K One W One owns 9.4 percent.

The foreign investment screening body was satisfied "the individuals who will control the investment have the relevant business experience and acumen and are of good character," and that they "demonstrated financial commitment to the investment," the summary said.

Icebreaker had annual sales of $220 million in the last financial year, of which 86 percent were from overseas markets, and is expected to immediately add to VF's earnings.

NYSE-listed VF Corp has a market capitalisation of around US$29.5 billion and its portfolio includes The North Face, Timberland, SmartWool, Vans, Wrangler and Lee. The company lifted 2017 revenue 7 percent to US$11.8 billion, generating a profit of US$615 million. It previously said the "purchase price is not material to VF."

Icebreaker signed a 10-year, $100 million supply contract with New Zealand merino wool growers a week after the deal was first announced in November, with the clothing company paying a premium to recognise grower loyalty and let the firm use farm imagery and storytelling in its global marketing efforts.

(BusinessDesk)

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Hong Kongs Bishop Emeritus Kong was recognised by the Stephanus Foundation and the International Service for Human Rights. "I hope many in the world will pay attention to human rights and religious freedom, which unfortunately are absent in China", the cardinal said. There are new possibilities for an agreement between China and the Vatican.

Hong Kong (AsiaNews)  Hong Kongs Bishop Emeritus, Card Joseph Zen, has received a human rights award from the Stephanus Foundation.

For the cardinal, this prize does not belong to him but to all Christians persecuted in China. "I hope many in the world will pay attention to human rights and religious freedom, which unfortunately are absent in China", the cardinal told the Apple Daily two days before he left to pick up the award.

Past recipients include Chaldean Patriarch Mar Louis Sako, Syriac Orthodox Sister Hatune Dogan, and Brother Andrew, nicknamed Gods smuggler for his exploits smuggling Bibles into the countries behind the Iron Curtain.

The prelate noted that those who received the award before him suffered persecution, but "did I? I suffered nothing."

Speaking about a recent meeting with the pope, he noted that the pontiff reminded him that "the crimson colour of the cardinals choir dress means that one must be ready for martyrdom. I told him it was a pity for I have no opportunity of becoming a martyr. My crimson colour is for the blood of the others who are persecuted."

Card Zen was told of the award in late 2017 just as an "imminent" agreement between China and the Vatican was being discussed, a deal the cardinal criticised as detrimental to the freedom of the Church in China.

He said that he initially thought of not going to Germany to receive the prize. "If there was an agreement, I could not oppose the Pope. However, For now, there is no agreement, and I can express my thoughts. I hope that more and more people will pay attention to this."

For Card Zen, the fact that the agreement is not "imminent" leaves room for new possibilities.

Hong Kongs bishop emeritus will use the award to help Chinas persecuted Christians.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The aromas of barbecue and brews filled the air Saturday as 1,000-plus foodies from all over packed the streets of Historic Richmond Town for the seventh annual New York City BBQ Cookoff.

The five boroughs' only International Kansas City Barbecue Society-sanctioned event was a fun excuse for all to eat -- and drink -- big.

The regional NYC BBQ Cookoff has gone digital: A "People's Choice" competition was done entirely through texts. Attendees used cell phones to cast votes.

Protein pros were outside in the wee hours prepping for crowds: "Pit Brothers," a borough-based barbecue crew priding themselves on being five-time NYC BBQ Cookoff champs, told passers-by they prepped 320 pounds of pork for this event.

A SWEET SURPRISE: Egger's Ice Cream, a staple in Staten Island dessert, debuted its "Bacon Maple Syrup" flavor and announced the opening of a new shop on the grounds of HRT.

Yes, South Shore folk, you won't have to travel all the way to West Brighton anymore. There will be two locations to snag some sweets at. Danielle Raleigh, Egger's owner, says the HRT location is set to open in June 2018.

COMFORT FOOD PARADISE: Mac and cheese from Food Network Star's Dominick Tesoriero's Mac Truck and heroes from Montalbano's were also up for grabs. Mike's Hard Lemonade served free samples of fruity drinks.

While they lasted, competitors offered free samples of pulled pork, ribs and brisket to the crowd. (We will let the comments section handle the success of this particular portion of the day.)

That said, this event attracts self-proclaimed meatheads from all over the country. But organizers said the root of this annual feast is bringing together families and letting them explore the landmark buildings of Historic Richmond Town.

"Each year, [this event] expands," said Gale Cirigliano, co-chair of the NYC BBQ Cookoff and a member of the HRT board Of directors. "People bring their families and enjoy the best BBQ in the world. It's really nice to see people come together for this."

THE WINNERS: Here are the barbecuers who smoked out the competition.

People's Choice

3) Richmond County Pit Brothers

2) Big Dogz BBQ

1) Corner House BBQ

Chicken

3) Smokin' Hoggz BBQ

2) Backdraft Bar BQ (CT)

1) Beerbeque

Pork Ribs

3) Smokin' Hoggz BBQ

2) Humphrey's BBQ

1) Wally BBQ

Pork

3) Reed Boyz BBQ

2) Moon River BBQ

1) Backdraft BBQ (CT)

Brisket

3) Weekend Smokers

2) Piggin' Whiskey

1) Ribs Within

Overall
"Jersey Shore" is back ... "yeahhhhh ... buddy." The highly popular MTV reality series has been missed, but after almost six years, the reality series is making its grand return as "Jersey Shore Family Vacation." Many fans are excited to see the gang reunite and watch their shenanigans unfold. But others argue that "Jersey Shore" is trash and has always been trash. What do you think?

PERSPECTIVES

Trash TV is good TV.

Jersey Shore is back tonight and if you think my grown self is gonna waste an hour of my life once a week watching that trash then youre 100% correct. The cabs are hea!!  Greg Gonzalez (@GGONZALEZ6) April 5, 2018

But others can't get with it.

Jersey Shore is the epitome of trash television idc idc  slymee (@spcghstOG) April 4, 2018

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.
BY TRACEY PORPORA and MAURA GRUNLUND

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A 67-year-old man is confirmed dead and four firefighters were injured in a blaze that erupted on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday.

City firefighters removed an unconscious and unresponsive 67 year-old male -- identified as Todd Brassner from the 50th floor of 721 Fifth Ave., according to police.

EMS transported the male to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital in Manhattan where he was pronounced dead, said police.

The Medical Examiner's office will determine the cause of death and the investigation is ongoing, said police. The identity of the deceased is pending family notification.

FIREFIGHTERS INJURED

In addition, four firefighters were injured, Commissioner Daniel Nigro told the media in a televised conference.

Two of the four firefighters who were injured were burned, Nigro said, but all are expected to recover from their injuries.

The four-alarm fire was called at about 5:35 p.m. and is being fought by about 200 firefighers, Nigro said.

The civilian who died in the blaze was an occupant of an apartment in the building where the fire is thought to have started, Nigro said.

"We found fire on the 50th floor of the building," Nigro said, according to the FDNY Twitter feed. "The apartment was entirely on fire. Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment."

"We had many floors to search, and stairways, and right now the only civilian injury [who has since been pronounced dead] is to the occupant of that apartment," Nigro said, according to the FDNY Twitter feed.

The NYPD reports on Twitter that current street closures due to the fire at Trump Tower are Fifth Avenue from W. 55th Street to W. 57th Street and W.56th Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The FDNY is fighting a fire at Trump Tower in Manhattan on Saturday.

Five people so far are injured, including four firefighters, Commissioner Daniel Nigro told the media in a televised conference.

Two of the four firefighters who were injured were burned, Nigro said, but all are expected to recover from their injuries.

The fire is on the 50th floor of the building at 721 Fifth Avenue, according to the FDNY.

The four-alarm fire was called at about 5:35 p.m. and is being fought by about 200 firefighers, Nigro said.

The civilian who was critically injured was an occupant of an apartment in the building where the fire is thought to have started, Nigro said.

"We found fire on the 50th floor of the building," Nigro said, according to the FDNY Twitter feed. "The apartment was entirely on fire. Members pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment who is in critical condition."

"We had many floors to search, and stairways, and right now the only civilian injury is to the occupant of that apartment," Nigro said, according to the FDNY Twitter feed.

The NYPD reports on Twitter that current street closures due to the fire at Trump Tower are Fifth Avenue from W. 55th Street to W. 57th Street and W.56th Street from Madison Avenue to Fifth Avenue.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Police are seeking the whereabouts and identity of a male suspect in connection to an armed robbery inside a South Beach barbershop on Friday.

Police say the suspect entered Richie's Barbershop, located at 19 Olympia Blvd. on Friday at about 8:27 p.m. waving a gun and announcing a robbery.

The alleged gunman then engaged in a struggle with a 27 year-old male, at which point the victim was struck in his head and body numerous times with the firearm, police said.

The victim sustained lacerations to the head and abrasions on his back, for which he received 20 staples in head, and was released from an area hospital, police said.

The suspect removed $300 in cash, a Rolex watch, a necklace, a bracelet, and a wedding band, said police.

The alleged gunman is described by police as male, dark skinned black, 25 to 35 years-old, slim build, wearing a blue colored jacket, dark colored pants, a dark colored hood, and Nike sneakers.

Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call the NYPD's Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).

The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime stoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or by texting their tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then enter TIP577.

All calls are strictly confidential.

FOLLOW TRACEY PORPORA ON FACEBOOK and TWITTER
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Best Buy is warning that customers' payment information may have been compromised in a data breach.

The retailer is the latest cyber attack victim, as a data breach affected Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Off 5th, Lord & Taylor shoppers and Panera Bread customers.

In a blog post, Best Buy said it's third-party firm, [24]7.ai, which they use for online and mobile chat services for customers, were affected by the cyber intrusion. The dates for this illegal intrusion were between Sept. 27 and Oct. 12, 2017.

Best Buy said in the blog post that a number of Best Buy customers have had their payment information compromised.

"Since we were notified by [24]7.ai, we have been working to determine the extent to which Best Buy online customers' information was affected," the blog post said. "We have done that in collaboration with our third-party vendor and have notified law enforcement."

The company said only a small fraction of its overall online customer population could have been involved.

The breach may have exposed names, addresses, credit card numbers, card security codes and expiration dates.

Best Buy encourages customers with questions or concerns to visit a website it has established in response to the incident. Best Buy will also contact any affected customers directly; they will not be liable for fraudulent charges that result from the issue, Best Buy said.

Free credit monitoring services will be available if needed.

FOLLOW ANNALISE KNUDSON ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER.
By DAVID CHAVERN

ARLINGTON, Va. -- Every day at the News Media Alliance headquarters, a stack of newspapers arrives for myself and the staff. But with the Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission currently considering tariffs on Canadian newsprint, those days of screen-free reading could be coming to an end.

The fact that newsprint is being threatened is the work of one newsprint mill in the Pacific Northwest, NORPAC. In August 2017, NORPAC petitioned the United States Department of Commerce to begin applying tariffs to newsprint imported from Canada, claiming the imported paper was harming the U.S. newsprint industry.

But NORPAC is not acting in the best interests of newsprint consumers or the U.S. paper industry at large -- they are acting in their own interest and no one else's.

The buying and selling of newsprint has always been regional without regard for the border. Consumers of newsprint -- from newspaper and book publishers to telephone directory manufacturers -- tend to buy newsprint in their region, close to their printing operations. The printers who typically utilize Canadian newsprint are those in the northeast and Midwest, where there are currently no U.S. mills operating.

But those regions are not newsprint deserts because of unfair trade by Canadian paper mills. Rather, newsprint mills shut down or converted to producing other, more profitable paper products when the demand for newsprint fell, something that has been happening steadily for decades. Since 2000, the demand for newsprint in North America has dropped by 75 percent.

But affordable Canadian paper has helped keep the printed news alive and flourishing well into the 21st century. With new tariffs, many smaller newspapers will feel their belts tightening.

The combination of preliminary countervailing and antidumping duties increases the cost of imported newsprint by as much as 32 percent, and a number of newspapers have already experienced price increases and a disruption in supply. If the International Trade Commission and the Department of Commerce make these tariffs permanent in the coming months, it could lead some small local publishers to cut their print product entirely -- or even shut their doors.

Some, like NORPAC, may argue that by imposing duties on Canadian imports we're saving American jobs and boosting our own economy, but while that may sometimes be true for other industries, the opposite is true of newsprint.

What we're seeing with the newsprint tariffs is not a government acting to try to better the economy for its citizens. Instead, it is "political arbitrage" by one private investment group -- where they are effectively looking to use the U.S. government to tax local and community newspapers across the United States in order to bolster their own bottom line.

When considering whether to take NORPAC's claims seriously, the Department of Commerce excluded input from U.S. newsprint mills owned by Canadian companies -- specifically Resolute Forest Products and White Birch.

Excluding manufacturers who, during the period of investigation, had three functioning newsprint mills in the U.S. because they have sister mills in Canada shows an unwillingness to understand the borderless newsprint industry and the restructuring that has taken place in recent decades.

If the tariffs on Canadian newsprint are allowed to stand, we're not only risking a centuries-old relationship with our neighbors to the north, but we're putting our own U.S. news industry in jeopardy. While the big national and regional papers may have less trouble finding the funds to keep their print editions coming, we could see small publishers lose footing, and those tiny local papers are some of the most vital members of our news community.

Under the right conditions, those papers can find a way to maintain their footing, but if the newsprint industry can't support them, those communities will become news deserts, and that's a future none of us want.

We may not be able to save the entire industry by keeping tariffs off our paper, but we can keep it thriving while we re-position ourselves for the years to come. Having affordable newsprint will help us do that.

(David Chavern is chief executive officer of the News Media Alliance, a trade organization representing 2,000 newspapers in the United States and Canada.)
Pakistan's Pashtuns rally against abuses by security forces



Peshawar, Pakistan, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2018



In a rare public challenge to Pakistan's powerful armed forces, thousands of Pashtuns rallied Sunday in the northwestern city of Peshawar to call for an end to abuses by police and troops.

The crowd chanted anti-military slogans as speakers took to the stage demanding an end to forced "disappearances" and harassment by authorities.

"I salute the Pakistan army but if they are cruel I hate them," said one female burqa-clad speaker to roars of applause.

Hundreds held posters or photos of missing family members and friends, whom they say have been seized by security forces during military operations against insurgents.

Speakers at the rally organised by the Pashtun Protection Movement demanded better treatment for ethnic Pashtuns, who make up an estimated 15 percent of the population and have largely borne the brunt of Pakistan's war on terror.

Norab Jan's two brothers and son were abducted three years ago.

"We knocked at every door to get some knowledge but yet we have no clue where they are," the 80-year-old said.

"If they are alive or dead, we don't know. We want them presented in a court of law. If they are guilty they should be punished, if not they should be released."

A senior police official who spoke to AFP estimated about 30,000 people attended the rally in a field outside town.

"We are not against anyone but this movement is against cruelty," said its leader Manzoor Pashteen as heavy rain drenched the crowd.

"We are against all cruelty, whether it is from the good Taliban or bad Taliban, or from peace committees, ISI (Inter Services Intelligence), MI (military intelligence) or the army."

According to organisers, at least 2,000 new cases of forced disappearances were registered during the rally.

The Pashtun Protection Movement rose to prominence after the killing of a young social media star in Karachi unleashed festering anger at extrajudicial murders and at the police accused of orchestrating them.

Hundreds of people die each year at the hands of law enforcement officers under pressure to crack down on kidnapping, murder and gang crime in a city routinely ranked among the most dangerous in the world.

But the fatal shooting of 23-year-old Naqeebullah Mehsud, an aspiring model whose goofy dance videos and airbrushed brown locks had earned him a large Facebook following, brought thousands onto the streets to urge an end to impunity.

The country's Pashtun belt in the northwest bordering Afghanistan has suffered from militant violence for over a decade as the Afghan war spiled over the border, leading to repeated military operations.
Mali prisoner killings decried as 'summary executions'



Bamako, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2018



Fourteen suspected jihadists killed during an alleged escape attempt by Mali troops were "summarily executed," community leaders told AFP Sunday.

"This was in no way an escape attempt. Our sources are certain. These people were victims of summary executions," Nouhoum Sarr of Tabital Pulaaku, the main association of Mali's Dogon community, told AFP.

"We have the names of these people," added Sarr, saying the group were detained on April 5 near the central town of Dioura.

On Friday, a Malian army statement said the 14 were killed during an escape bid on April 6 after they were taken in for questioning the previous day.

"It is not normal for soldiers tasked with protecting the population to kill civilians," said Sarr, who said Defence Minister Tiena Coulibaly had personally assured him that he would "shed light" on the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

Two relatives of some of those killed have also alleged that they were summarily executed.

"My cousin Moussa Nay Diallo is among the people killed. They did not try to flee as they had done nothing wrong," said one local resident.

The Dogon community are routinely suspected of collusion with the armed group loyal to extremist cleric Amadou Koufa, who backs an Islamic state.

Amnesty International last week called on the authorities to look into extra-judicial killings after six bodies were discovered in a common grave.

Once a beacon of democracy and stability in Africa, Mali in recent years has been dogged by a coup, civil war and Islamist terrorism.

Extremists linked to Al-Qaeda took control of Mali's desert north in early 2012, but were largely driven out in a French-led military operation launched in January 2013.

In June 2015, Mali's government signed a peace agreement with some armed groups, but the jihadists remain active, and large tracts of the country remain lawless.
Shaheed Al-Hafed, April 8, 2018 (SPS) - President of the Republic, Secretary General of the Polisario Front, Brahim Ghali, has received the Head of MINURSO Liaison Office in Tindouf, Yusuf Jidian, who handed him a message of condolence from UN Secretary-General Antonio Cotteris following the passing away of Sahrawi diplomat Boukhari Ahmed.

"I have been deeply saddened by the news of the passing away of the representative of the Polisario Front in New York, Mr. Boukhari Ahmed, after months of struggle with illness. At these difficult moments, I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to his family and the Polisario Front," said Mr. Guterres in his message.



"Al-Bukhari was an enthusiastic, respectful and principled envoy who was relentlessly pushing for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Western Sahara and left a significant contribution through his diplomatic efforts in New York." His passing away is a great loss for the Polisario Front and the people of Western Sahara, he added.



The UN Secretary-General reiterated the commitment of the United Nations to help end the protracted conflict in Western Sahara by facilitating the negotiation process initiated by the Security Council in order to accelerate the achievement of a mutually acceptable political solution ensuring the self-determination for the people of Western Sahara. (SPS)



062/SPS/TRA
by Mathias Hariyadi

Most Churches stayed away from the religious event meant to boost support for Islamist governor among Christian voters. Critics attack the latters political use of Easter. Organisers had announced the presence of the Catholic Bishops Conference and the Protestant Christian Synod without their consent.

Jakarta (AsiaNews)  The Catholic Church and several Protestant denominations refused to take part in Easter celebrations that the Bethel Church of Indonesia (GBI) organised at the Monumen Nasional (National Monument) or Monas.

Referred to affectionately by Indonesians as Lapangan Monas (Monas Field), the monumental complex, which includes a tower, is located in the middle of Medan Merdeka (Independence Square) and is the symbol of the Indonesias struggle for independence.

As it did during the Christmas holidays, the choice of site, backed by Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan and his deputy Sandiaga Uno, seemed to many inopportune. The suspicions it raised about the ulterior motives of the Islamist politician led to a refusal to participate.

Moderate nationalists have accused the governor of promoting the Islamism and identity politics, which have divided the country, undermining its pluralist vocation.

Baswedans policies have proven controversial since he took office, especially in transportation and trade, drawing criticism from civil society groups.

Thus, for many, the Easter invitation by some of his supporters seemed to be a political ploy to use the religious holiday to gain support among Christian voters.

Among the latter, many are still outraged at Baswedans election campaign in April 2017, when he attacked his predecessor, Basuki "Ahok" Tjahaja Purnama, an ethnic Chinese Christian.

At Christmas the Gerindra Party supported the governors initiative. This party backs the governor together with the more extremist Justice and Prosperous Party.

At Easter, the Bethel Church of Indonesia (GBI) organised the event. Rev Gillbert Lumoindong heads the community whose members met on Sunday at 5 am to celebrate Easter at Monas. The governor was present.

In February, the Catholic and other Protestant leaders dissociated themselves from the initiative. Fr Agus Ulahayanan, of the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops 'Conference of Indonesia issued a statement (picture 3) calling on the Bethel Church to remove the symbol of the Bishops Conference from its announcement (picture 2) since it was included without its consent.

The Catholic Bishops Conference had no prior knowledge as to the reasons and type of meeting planned, but the latters organisers had announced the presence of the Catholic Church and the Protestant Christian Synod (PGI).

Two days before Easter, Fr Suyadi, of the Commission for inter-religious dialogue of the Archdiocese of Jakarta, told AsiaNews that Catholics in the capital would not take part in the event. Instead, they would celebrate Easter "in their respective churches, as usual".

At the end of the solemn service on Easter Sunday in Jakarta cathedral, Archbishop Ignatius Suharyo (picture 1) reiterated that "Catholics would never celebrate the solemnities of Easter in the open air".

"Never! We have our tradition of observing it in church, the archbishop said. There are many liturgical symbols that must be presented and that can only be experienced in a place of worship".

The day before, the Protestant Synod also issued a statement stating that Monas, which is located in front of the State Palace, should not be used by anyone to host "religious gatherings".

"Lapangan Monas is a public space that belongs to everyone and should not be exploited to generate bad feelings among religious communities," the statement read.

Inaugurated in 1975, the monumental complex became the site of many Islamic events and celebrations over the years, until former governor Ahok decided to make it a "neutral" public space.

Anies Baswedan, who took office last October, changed regulations that banned religious and cultural ceremonies in the park.

On 29 November he allowed some Islamic organisations to hold a rally in which he and some important radical leaders participated.

The rally was held on 2 December 2017, exactly one year after violent protests in 2016 against his predecessor.
SYRACUSE, N.Y.--Students and staff at Lincoln Middle School were delighted when they heard Michele Ragussis, a finalist on the eighth season of "Food Network Star," was going to cook with 20 families who had signed up to make chili with her on Friday.

The food would be served the next day for "Sandwich Saturday," a weekly event run by We Rise Above the Streets, a local nonprofit that serves food to the homeless and those living in poverty while connecting them with volunteers who come from all over to help.

Lincoln Middle School had been preparing for weeks for the event. Students created flyers to advertise it around school, and the staff began organizing for the big day.

But sometimes, in both cooking and in life, things don't turn out as planned.

Twenty-four hours before she was supposed to work with the participants at Lincoln, Ragussis came down with the flu and was too ill to travel.

It was the second time the appearance was threatened with cancellation. In February, administrators were forced to postpone when a Syracuse snowstorm canceled flights and afterschool activities.

Principal LaJuan White didn't know what to do, but then she remembered meeting a man and his wife who could help last Saturday at a local restaurant.

Chris and Katharine Johnson run "We Eat CNY," a food blog dedicated to bringing Central New Yorkers closer to both the farmers growing the foods they eat and the chefs who prepare the meals they order at local restaurants.

The Johnsons were sitting at a table next to White and struck up a conversation with her, and she shared her excitement for the upcoming program with them.

When she heard the news about Ragussis, White contacted the Johnsons to see if they could help.

"Who do I reach out to? Chris, who I'd just met on Saturday, and I go, 'We're in a bind, and I know you're in this restaurant community,'" White said. "'Is there anyone that you can reach out to at the very last minute to get them in our school in less than 24 hours?'"

Johnson did have someone in mind: Michael Brown, a chef at Grover's Table in Fayetteville.

"I immediately thought of Mike," Johnson said, "and the amazing way that he can teach people to do stuff--not only cook in the kitchen but tell people how to do that, too."

Brown said he was happy to help out.

"It's something I couldn't say no to, especially when [Johnson] told me it was for a middle school," Brown said. "I'm not going to let these kids get let down, and it's a great cause, so I jumped all over it."

With patience and humor, Brown showed the staff, students and families gathered how to make the chili step by step, from properly cutting the vegetables to allowing the hamburger to simmer until fully cooked.

Christine Leonard and her son, Isaiah Glover, a student at Lincoln Middle School, prepare their chili that will be served for "Sandwich Saturday," an event held every week by Al-amin Muhammad and his team at We Rise Above the Streets, a nonprofit organization that feeds the homeless and those in need in Syracuse.

Christine Leonard, a Lincoln Middle School parent, was at the event with her son, Isaiah Glover.

"I came to do this with my son and to show him things," Leonard said.

Nirrianna Whitehirst, a seventh grader at Lincoln, was also excited to help.

"I just like helping people," Whitehurst said.

Whitehurt said she always wants to help Syracuse's homeless population when she sees them, and volunteering at events like this help her to do so.

Julie Sayles, an assistant principal at Lincoln, said it's the second time the school has teamed up to help make the meals Al-amin Muhammad, the founder of We Rise Above the Streets, and his team distribute to over 600 people every Saturday.

Sayles believes events such as this show the generosity of the Syracuse community.

"People like to give," she said. "They just don't know how to do it sometimes, so we give them the means."

Al-amin Muhammad, founder of We Rise Above the Streets, a nonprofit organization that holds "Sandwich Saturdays" every week in order to feed over 600 people in Syracuse, works with a Lincoln Middle School student to prepare chili to serve on Sandwich Saturday.

Muhammad, who was at Friday's event, said he loves teaming up with Lincoln Middle School because the staff and students are so wonderful. When he came in to help with the chili, the staff presented him with a stack of birthday cards the students had made for him.

At the beginning of the program, Muhammad addressed the staff, students and families who had gathered to help out, and who would return the next morning to heat up the chili, which was stored overnight in the cafeteria's refrigerators, before delivering it to Muhammad and his team for Sandwich Saturday.

"I love each every one of you guys," he said, "because you took the time to be here."

Before the chili-making commenced, the group repeated the phrase Muhammad and his team of volunteers say every weekend before serving the homeless.

"If we eat, they eat!" they yelled.

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SANDWICH SATURDAY FEEDING THE HOMELESS Thank you so much to all the volunteers and Lincoln Middle School teachers and... Posted by We Rise Above The Streets Recovery Outreach on Saturday, April 7, 2018
For a rundown of the week in the cartoons, just follow President Donald Trump's Twitter feed:

On the security of the 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

On the controversy of Sinclair Broadcasting's "false news" statement:

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

On the president's feud with Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos:

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. Also, our fully tax paying retailers are closing stores all over the country...not a level playing field!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

Self-explanatory:

An honor to host the Annual @WhiteHouse Easter Egg Roll! pic.twitter.com/bOMJRK8FyK  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 2, 2018

On putting troops at the Southern border:

WE WILL PROTECT OUR SOUTHERN BORDER! pic.twitter.com/Z7fqQKcnez  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2018

On tit-for-tat tariffs with China:

We are not in a trade war with China, that war was lost many years ago by the foolish, or incompetent, people who represented the U.S. Now we have a Trade Deficit of $500 Billion a year, with Intellectual Property Theft of another $300 Billion. We cannot let this continue!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 4, 2018

On embattled EPA Administrator Scott Pruitt:

Do you believe that the Fake News Media is pushing hard on a story that I am going to replace A.G. Jeff Sessions with EPA Chief Scott Pruitt, who is doing a great job but is TOTALLY under siege? Do people really believe this stuff? So much of the media is dishonest and corrupt!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 6, 2018

Other topics in the cartoons this week: Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announces privacy fixes as he prepares to testify before Congress; commemorations of the 50th anniversary of the assassination of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.; Parkland shooting survivor David Hogg stares down Fox News.

Cartoons were drawn by Chan Lowe, Dan Wasserman, Dana Summers, Drew Sheneman, Scott Stantis, Walt Handelsman, David Horsey and Joel Pett of Tribune Content Agency; Mike Lester, Darrin Bell, Jeff Danziger and Jack Ohman of the Washington Post Writers Group; and Tom Toles of Andrews McMeel Syndication.
The first ever NASA mission to send a probe to the sun now prepares for the historic launch expected to happen this summer.

Final Preparations At The Sunshine State

NASA's Parker Solar Probe, the robotic spacecraft designed to study the outer corona at a relatively close distance from the solar surface, and humanity's first mission to the sun, is now in Florida to start the final preparations for its launch, which will happen on July 31.

The spacecraft was transported from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center at around midnight on April 2, to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where it was flown by the 436th Airlift Wing of the United States Air Force to Florida's Space Coast Regional Airport.

The spacecraft arrived in the Sunshine State at 10:40 a.m. EDT, and was then moved to Astrotech Space Operations in Titusville to undergo further testing, final assembly, and mating to the third stage of the heavy-lift launch vehicle Delta IV.

On April 4, the probe was taken to a clean room at Astrotech and removed from its protective shipping container. A series of tests were then conducted to verify that the spacecraft safely made the journey.

"This is the second most important flight Parker Solar Probe will make, and we're excited to be safely in Florida," said Parker Solar Probe project manager Andy Driesman, from the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory.

The spacecraft will go through comprehensive testing over the next several months. The solar probe will then be installed with the thermal protection system (TPS), one of its most critical components, before it will be fueled.

The TPS is the technology crucial to the success of the space probe mission. It will allow the spacecraft to survive extreme temperatures.

Humanity's First Mission To The Sun

Once launched, the probe will orbit directly through the sun's upper atmosphere, the corona, closer to the solar surface than any man-made object has ever gone.

It will approach within 4 million miles of the sun, facing heat and radiation, to provide new data on solar activity, which could make crucial contributions to mankind's ability to forecast major space-weather events that can affect life on Earth.

The mission in particular aims to shed light on solar wind, the stream of charged particles from the corona that influence planetary atmosphere and impact space weather near our planet.

"This mission will provide insight on a critical link in the Sun-Earth connection. Data will be key to understanding and, perhaps, forecasting space weather," NASA said.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Japan's vaunted alert system runs up against limits



Tokyo, April 8 (AFP) Apr 08, 2018



On January 5, as Tokyo's commuters were struggling back to work after their long New Year break, blaring sirens from every phone pierced the sleepy atmosphere: "strong" earthquake coming.

The message delivered via the country's alert system, part of its much-hyped J-Alert mechanism, warned of a big one directly hitting the Japanese capital -- potentially on the scale of the devastating 2011 earthquake that wrought massive destruction.

Millions braced for impact... but it never came.

It turned out that the system, which aims to give a precious few seconds to find shelter before a major earthquake strikes, had been tricked by an unusual seismological coincidence.

Two minor tremors struck at almost exactly the same time in separate locations, making the alert system mistakenly believe a massive jolt was on its way, the meteorological agency admitted.

Even Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was caught off-guard -- with TV footage showing him checking his phone as alarms echoed in his office ahead of a cabinet meeting.

It was not the first false alarm for the system, a major component of Japan's J-Alert launched with great fanfare in 2007 as a way to save lives in a country constantly under threat of earthquakes and -- more recently -- North Korean missiles.

Several countries have introduced similar early warning systems for major earthquakes, with most focused on a particular, quake-prone area.

But Japan's system is unique in its breadth of coverage, said Issei Suganuma, a scientific officer at the meteorological agency.

"Our system covers the entire country with some 1,000 observation points across the nation," he told AFP proudly.



- 'Safety tips' -



At the agency's Tokyo headquarters, at least seven uniformed officers keep watch around the clock in the earthquake observation room.

Large screens hang on the walls showing real-time seismic waveform data.

In the case of a cataclysmic earthquake, they detect initial minor tremors through seismometers and immediately warn local governments via J-Alert seconds before the first strong jolt is felt.

The agency also directly sends SMS messages and whooping alarms to local residents' phones.

Broadcasters receive signals to flash breaking news alerts and bullet train services are immediately suspended.

When the 9.0-magnitude earthquake hit Japan in 2011, the system successfully warned residents between six and 40 seconds before the first major jolt.

The J-Alert system also warns of missiles, particularly relevant during a rise in tensions with North Korea last year.

In the case of a missile launch, US spy satellites or Japanese Aegis ships detect the initial signals and transmit them to Japan's defence ministry.

The ministry swiftly plots the course and speed of the missiles before the prime minister's office triggers the system, issuing a warning between two and five minutes before they fly over the country.

With the 2020 Tokyo Olympics looming and 40 million tourists expected to visit, the government has started providing alerts in multiple languages through a "safety tips" app.



- 'Not good enough' -



But J-Alert has also faced criticism. In addition to technical difficulties that can result in false alarms, many feel the warnings do not come soon enough.

When North Korean missiles flew over Japan in August and September, residents complained there was no time to find shelter.

"We were told to go inside a stable building or underground, but how can we find such places in a few minutes?" said Atsuko Koide, 64, a housewife in Akita, northern Japan.

"It's especially useless for elderly people who can't move quickly," Koide told AFP.

A government survey conducted last year found just five percent of respondents actually evacuated or took protective measures in response to the missile warnings.

Some respondents said they had no time or did not know where to go, while others said evacuation was pointless.

"J-Alert alone is not good enough," said Mitsuru Fukuda, professor of risk management at Nihon University in Tokyo.

"It is clear that there is a limit to what the country and local governments can do," Fukuda told AFP.

Fukuda urged authorities to raise people's awareness of the measures they can take to protect themselves before government help arrives, saying: "It is individuals who decide and act after a warning."

Following the false alarm earlier this year, the meteorological agency has introduced a new analysis tool to avoid mistaking multiple smaller quakes for a single big one.

However, agency officer Suganuma acknowledged the system's limitations.

"Since we have to issue a warning in quite a limited time, sometimes things may not go as planned.... It's hard to achieve 100 percent for sure," he said.
Some years ago, voters approved a half-cent sales tax for a road repair. Then the voters approved using three-quarters of that for road widening. Is the remaining one-quarter of the half-cent tax being used for road repairs? If so, what roads have been done recently? If money is still being used for this, how do I get my street on the list?

City-parish Transportation and Drainage Director Fred Raiford says projects funded by the tax are still moving forward.

"Road widening is part of the half-cent funding program and rehabilitation of our streets is included. Our staff has just completed the list of roadways that will be patched, milled and overlaid, and many will be milled with a total reconstruction of the road base followed by an overlay of the road.

"We have approximately 51 miles of roadway scheduled to be let this year and hope to be evaluating additional streets to add later this year.

"We are currently providing the list of streets to the City Parish Information Service Department for them to set up on the city-parish website for our citizens to look over. If you would like, send me an email to fraiford@brgov.com and I will be happy to send the list to you. You can also request that your street, if not on the list, be considered to be added at later date."

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What is the time frame for replacing damaged guardrails? There was one on Airline Highway at the Jefferson Highway overpass that had taken months to be replaced.

This particular structure was damaged twice, says Bill Grass, a state Department of Transportation and Development spokesman.

"The guardrail in this location was damaged on Nov. 10, 2017. It was repaired on Dec. 26, but on Feb. 20, we were notified that it had been hit again," Grass said.

"It usually takes DOTD approximately four weeks to replace a damaged guardrail, but there are many factors involved such as severity of the damage, location of the rail, number of repairs in progress, and safety implications for the traveling public.

"So far this fiscal year, weve had 128 damaged guardrails in the Baton Rouge region. Statewide, DOTD spends between $2 million and $2.5 million annually to repair guardrails."
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Monday 05 September, 2016 Reliable information reaching Biafra writers desk has it that the life of Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indi...
More people are becoming heavily indebted by buying rental properties and shared accommodation is flourishing, as third party tech platforms help people find a place without a real estate agent.

A new report from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute explains how the private rental market is changing over time for both landlords and tenants.

Over the 10 years to 2016, the number of renters grew 38%  twice the rate of household growth. More renters now are couples, or couples with children, so it seems the sector is shaking its image of unstable housing or perhaps these people are left with few other options.

Households by type, 2006 and 2016



>> BACK TO THE NEWSLETTER: Click here to read other articles from this weeks newsletter

Published by The Conversation

Author: Chris Martin. Research Fellow, City Housing, UNSW
Niels Ahlmann Olesen/AFP/Getty Images

Our weekend look at some of the grandest brooches in royal jewelry boxes lands in Denmark today, where Queen Margrethe wears a magnificent diamond and pearl brooch that has been in Denmarks royal vaults for several generations. Heres how the diamond and pearl brooch that belonged to Queen Louise of Sweden ended up in Copenhagen.

KELD NAVNTOFT/AFP/Getty Images

The brooch features a central diamond piece with scroll and floral elements, topped by a pearl and diamond button cluster. Five pear-shaped pearl pendants are suspended from the bottom of the brooch.

Wikimedia Commons

In 1825, Princess Louise, daughter of King Friedrich Wilhelm III of Prussia, married Prince Frederick of the Netherlands. Among her wedding gifts was a pair of matched pearl and diamond jewels: a tiara with eighteen pear-shaped pearl pendants and the brooch were discussing today. Because the bride was a Prussian princess, some have speculated that both the tiara and brooch may have been made in present-day Germany, perhaps in Berlin. (You can read a lengthy post about the tiara here.) Louise wore both the tiara and the brooch in the portrait above, which was painted by Jean-Baptiste van der Hulst in 1836.

Wikimedia Commons

Princess Louise passed her diamond and pearl brooch along to her daughter, also named Louise. In 1849, the younger Louise married Crown Prince Carl of Sweden, and the couple eventually became King Carl XV and Queen Louise of Sweden and Norway. Queen Louise was depicted wearing the diamond and pearl brooch in the portrait above, which was painted by Amalia Lindegren. She also eventually inherited her mothers pearl drop tiara, but because very little time elapsed between their deaths, she never got to wear it.

Instead, the tiara and brooch were passed along to Queen Louises only surviving child, Princess Lovisa of Sweden. When Lovisa married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 1869, she added additional pearl and diamond pieces to her personal collection, and she began wearing them all as a set (or a married parure, as the jewels coordinate, but were not made to match).

Wikimedia Commons

Lovisa paired her mothers pearl drop brooch and tiara with a pearl and diamond necklace given to her by the Khedive of Egypt. (Part of that necklace was later repurposed to create a matching set of earrings.) A pearl and diamond double cluster brooch, a gift from her Russian in-laws, Tsar Alexander III of Russia and his wife, Maria Feodorovna, rounded out the set. Frederik and Lovisa became King Frederik VIII and Queen Lovisa of Denmark in 1906, and the pearl drop brooch graced the gowns of a queen consort once more.

The set has become, in practice, reserved for the use of Denmarks queens. Lovisa eventually passed the jewels along to her daughter-in-law, Queen Alexandrine, who wore them occasionally. When Alexandrines elder son became King Frederik IX in 1946, her daughter-in-law, Queen Ingrid, began wearing the pearl and diamond jewels, including the brooch. Above, Ingrid wears the pearl drop brooch pinned at the neckline of her gown at the wedding of Princess Ragnhild of Norway in May 1953.

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

The brooch, along with the rest of the married parure, is now worn by Ingrids daughter, Queen Margrethe II. Above, she wears the brooch and jewels at the very beginning of her reign, for a dinner given at Amalienborg for the diplomatic corps in May 1973.

Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Margrethe has continued wearing the suite throughout her reign, often in the same configuration. Youll generally find the brooch pinned at the center of the neckline of her gowns, just as her mother wore it. Margrethe wore it in that position in June 2010 for one of the biggest royal events of a generation, the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden in Stockholm.

KELD NAVNTOFT/AFP/Getty Images

But youll sometimes also see Margrethe wearing the brooch in other ways. She has occasionally used it as the centerpiece of a pearl necklace, and for the Belgian state visit to Denmark in March 2017, she used it to secure the sash of the Order of Leopold. Princess Louises brooch and tiara may not have been made to match all pieces of this married parure, but they continue to coordinate well with the rest of Queen Lovisas wedding pearls today.
Two conservative authors have assessed Pope Francis pontificate with devastating results

Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading His Flock by Philip Lawler (256 pages, Gateway Editions, 2018)

To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism by Ross Douthat (256 pages, Simon & Schuster, 2018)

Five years into his papacy and poor Pope Francis is under fire. For a long time he has been given the benefit of the doubt, but now there is little benefit and plenty of doubt.

In Pope Francis and the Caring Society world-class economists took apart his encyclical Laudato Si, revealing it to be a naive and often shallow analysis. The tabloid titled Dictator Pope is apparently a Vatican insiders gossip rag portraying the pope as a petulant tyrant. Added to these books are the increasing number of websites, journals, and blogs that are taking an openly critical stance against Pope Francis, his policies, and his puppets. Some are analytical and intellectual, others sarcastic, some cynical, still others angry and bitter in tone.

In the meantime, two conservative authors have assessed Pope Francis pontificate with devastating results. Philip Lawlers Lost Shepherd: How Pope Francis is Misleading his Flock, and Ross Douthats To Change the Church: Pope Francis and the Future of Catholicism do not make for comfortable reading.

Mr. Lawler introduces his critique by expressing what many Catholics felt about Pope Francisat first an enthusiasm for the fresh vision, then an increasing bewilderment, and finally disenchantment and dismay. After the popes more unsettling off-the-cuff remarks, explanations were found and journalists like Mr. Lawler made efforts to clarify the popes wordsplacing them in the larger context of Church teaching and tradition.

However, as events unfolded, the enthusiasm to defend the pope began to wither. Explaining and making excuses became an increasing burden. Mr. Lawler describes the straw that broke his back. In a homily on February 24, 2017, Pope Francis seemed to contradict Jesus clear teaching on marriage. Suddenly, Mr. Lawler felt that the pope was not simply being pastoral and merciful, but that he was also intent on altering the timeless teaching of Christ.

Mr. Lawler then does a flashback to chronicle the resignation of Benedict XVI and the election of Jorge Bergolgio. He recalls the initial Francis Effect and the gradually developing controversies: the popes ambiguous comments and actions about homosexuality and gender ideology, the flawed and off-target environmentalist agenda, the missed opportunities while speaking at the U.N. and the American Congress, the rogue phone calls, heterodox opinions about hell, and the disastrous interviews with atheist journalist Eugenio Scalfari.

All of this was unsettling, but Mr. Lawler then goes on to chronicle Francis stalled attempts at reform in the Vatican. Like some Medici papacy, sexual scandals persist, financial skulduggery continues, cronyism, backroom deals, and whisperings of a gay mafia in the Vatican wont go away. Mr. Lawler details it all before going on to discuss the Machiavellian manipulations of the Synod on the Family. From there, he accuses the Pope of stacking the college of cardinals with liberal allies while bullying, marginalizing, firing, and excluding conservatives.

Mr. Lawlers book is well documented and difficult to put down. It must be admitted that there is an air of despair about his tone. He has presented the facts to support his proposal that Pope Francis is misleading his flock, and it is hard to dispute his opinion that the pope has brought division and confusion to Catholics. In his conclusion, Mr. Lawler calls for the bishops to support orthodox Catholic teaching, but he doesnt hold out much hope. Instead, he calls for the laity to continue to hold fast to the faith once delivered to the saints.

Mr. Lawler details the problems with Francis papacy, but he doesnt spend much time putting the problems in the larger context of history and the global Church. Ross Douthats To Change the Church is much better in this area. Mr. Douthat covers much of the same territory as Mr. Lawler, with the same critical attitude. However, Mr. Douthat considers some of the wider divisions in the Church, beginning with three different narratives about the Second Vatican Councilthe liberal, the conservative, and what might be called the realistic.

Mr. Douthat places Francis papacy firmly within the liberal-conservative divide in the Church, showing how the liberals who were in retreat during the John Paul and Benedict papacies staged a turnaround in Bergoglios election. For Mr. Douthat, the ecclesial civil war explains all the tensions within not only the present papacy, but within the Church for the last sixty years and beyond. Furthermore, Mr. Douthat does us a great service is showing how the same trends existed in the Arian controversies in the fourth century and in the conflict between Jansenists and Jesuits in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

I found this section of the book to be the most valuable. Mr. Douthats comparison of the present conflict to the Arian controversy was especially illuminating. Quoting Cardinal Newman, he shows how the Arians appealed to reason, took a sensible view of the faith, and continually expressed themselves in ambiguities and subtle half-truths. His discussion with Jesuit Fr. James Martin about situation ethics in complex cases is also illuminating, showing the sincerity of the liberals, but also revealing how the complexity of situations leads to what seems like deception and doublethink.

Mr. Douthat is at his best showing that the superficial controversies are symptoms of a much deeper divide within Christianity. The real divide is between those who believe the Christian faith is a religion revealed by God whose basic tenets cannot be changed by human initiative, and those who believe Christianity is a human construct originating in a particular historical context, which must be adapted to the changing times and cultures in which it finds itself. This is the true divide, and while it may not seem very wide, it is certainly very deep.

Mr. Douthat also spends more time attempting to predict possible futures for the Church. While liberalism seems to be in the ascendant under Francis, Mr. Douthat points out that, on the ground, liberalism tends to empty churches, convents, and seminaries. He sees that the younger priests and religious are conservative and notes the conservatism of the rising, young, and energetic Catholics in Africa. Mr. Douthat agrees that Francis is stacking the college of cardinals so that the changes cannot be rolled back, but he remembers that everyone thought John Paul II and Benedict had successfully done the same, precluding the election of a liberal like Bergoglio.

Both authors might have done well to put their subject in perspective by visiting their local parishes and speaking to some of their pastors who are on the front line, asking them how much the intrigues in Rome affect them. Mr. Douthat touches on this somewhatsuggesting that the Francis Effect was only a media headlinenot for nefarious reasons, but for down-to-earth ones. The only thing Francis has done that affects me as a parish priest is to tinker with the annulment process.

What is it like in the front line? I am blessed to work in South Carolina where the Catholic Church is growing. I struggle, as every priest does, with how to help my people deal with broken marriages and broken families. Our parish is in the poor part of town, and we work every day with the homeless, the unemployed, the prostitutes, and their pimps. At the same time we struggle to maintain and improve our parish school, and we work hard and sacrifice much to build a beautiful new church, improve our liturgy, and offer the sacrifice of praise.

I see at the grassroots level an enormous amount of hard work, simple faith, and joyful Catholicism. Some of my people and colleagues are more inclined towards liberalism, others towards conservatism, but they dont quarrel. In their own way, they want to be faithful Catholics, believing and living the historic faith. To be honest, they are not much interested or concerned by rich, liberal bishops in Germany or corrupt left-wing bishops in Honduras. Most of them regard the pope the way English people regard the queena necessary figurehead and symbol. Theyre happy that he kisses babies and is nice to poor people. They pay little attention to synodical struggles in Rome.

They have their catechism, their Bible, their devotions, and their liturgy. They have their daily work to do and their daily prayers to say. Theyre Catholics. The Church will go on. When I asked one of my young fathers what he thought of the present situation in the Church he shrugged and said bluntly, We have had some good popes. Now I think we have one who is not so good. Later we will have another pope.

It is tempting to play the ostrich and simply mind my own business and put my head in my own sand; but then I read Mr. Douthats warning about how insidious the liberal agenda is. They say they do not wish to make any radical changes, but only to adjust the pastoral method about divorce and remarriage. Then they slip in a paragraph about being open to same-sex marriage. They say they are only adapting to real pastoral needs in a few complex cases, but then they come up with a formula for a service of repentance which, in effect, normalizes the irregular marriages. They say they are not changing anything, then they announce that the crucial footnote provides a new paradigm to reassess everything. Mr. Douthat paints a chilling future scenario in which nothing is changed formally, but the liberal agenda progresses step by stepnever changing the words but always changing the interpretation. Never changing the principles, but always changing their application. Never changing the doctrines, but always changing their meaning.

Mr. Lawler and Mr. Douthat have both provided excellent critiques of the present papacy, but I felt both authors lacked a certain fire in the bellyan underlying faith that God really is with His Church. The adventure of faith is to be always on the lookout for how God is going to redeem the very worst and bring out of it the very best.

While Mr. Douthat suggests various possible future scenarios, there is one possibility he does not consider. Church history shows that periods of complacency, confusion and corruption are followed by revival and renewal. This is not the reform engineered by clergy with five-year plans, draconian decrees or long, drawn-out synods. Instead, true revival and reform starts at the grassroots level and grows among the people.

This was the way of the Benedictine movement, the Franciscan movement, the Dominican movement, the Methodists, the Great Awakening, the Anglo-Catholic Revival, and the Charismatic movement.

Such revivals and renewals, like Pentecost itself, are invariably unpredictable, powerful and unstoppable.

This is the way true renewal happens. Who says it cannot happen again?

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politicswe approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.
The first missionaries arrived in 1868 centred on the most distant and remote groups: the tribes of the eastern regions. PIME contributed to the foundation of the local Church with five dioceses: Taunggyi, Toungoo, Kengtung, Lashio and Loikaw. Between 1950 and 1953 five PIME priests became martyrs, including the Blessed Fr Mario Vergara. Two, Fr Clemente Vismara and Fr Paul Manna, have been elevated to the honour of the altars. Meanwhile, the beatification process of Brother Felice Tantardini is underway.

Taungngu (AsiaNews)  Today and tomorrow, churches in Taungngu (Bago region) will solemnly celebrate the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) in Eastern Burma.

Crossing the Sittang River, four priests led by Eugenio Biffi brought the Gospel for the first time to the farthest and most isolated region of Burma, among the Shan, Karen, and Kayan peoples.

To celebrate the anniversary, PIME Superior General Fr Ferruccio Brambillasca came to Taungngu together with the bishops of Myanmar (picture 1).

This morning, the festivities began with the blessing of the Catholic cemetery (picture 2), where some of the first missionaries are buried, followed by Mass attended by the prelates, about 200 priests and thousands of believers from the dioceses where PIME has served for 150 years.

The high point of the celebrations will be the solemn service scheduled for tomorrow.

Card Fernando Filoni, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, sent his best wishes to the "small but lively Church", "the Lord's vineyard in Eastern Myanmar", in a message to Mgr Isaac Danu, bishop of Taungngu.

In congratulating the local Church on this important anniversary, the cardinal noted "the heroism of the first missionaries" and "the perseverance and faith of those who joined them in preaching the Gospel with love".

The Gospel first arrived in Myanmar with Armenian traders in the Middle Ages, followed by Indian painters in the 13th century, Portuguese sailors in the 16th century, and finally mercenaries and pirates at the dawn of the modern era.

A number of missionary orders began arriving starting in the early 18th century, including the Barnabites, Oblates, PIME, Salesians, Sisters of the Holy Child Mary, to spread Christianity in the country.

In PIMEs case, the first missionaries arrived in 1868 among some of the most distant and remote groups, the tribes of the eastern regions, who were not under British rule and therefore untouched by the modern world.

PIME contributed greatly to the establishment of the local Church. Six dioceses were created by PIME missionaries: Taunggyi (archdiocese), Toungoo, Kengtung, Lashio, Loikaw and Pekhon.

The Institutes presence in the country was shaped by some of the most critical phases of its history, such as the expulsion in 1966 of all foreign religious who had arrived in the country before its independence in 1948, and the seizure of Church properties.

At that time 29 missionaries chose to remain until they died, including Fr Clemente Vismara, who was beatified in 2011. He was raised to the honour of the altars like Fr Paolo Manna and Fr Mario Vergara.

The latter was one of five PIME martyrs killed in Burma between 1950 and 1953. He was beatified in 2014 with Isidore Ngei Ko Lat, the first native martyr of the Church of Myanmar.

Brother Felice Tantardinis process of beatification is still underway.

About 89.2 per cent of Myanmars population is Buddhist. Christians are 5 per cent; Muslims, 3.5 per cent; and Hindus, 0.5 per cent.

Christians have always been a minority in Myanmar. After great efforts and testimonies, including the martyrdom of missionaries, the country is home to 675,745 Catholics, just over 1 per cent.
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Linkedin - (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Mon, April 9, 2018

Indonesia will host the first-ever Indonesia-Africa Forum (IAF) from April 10 to 11 at the Bali Nusa Dua Convention Center, Bali. The Forum marks a historical milestone in friendship and cooperation between Indonesia and the countries of Africa.

The IAF 2018 is expected to attract 550 delegates from Indonesia and African countries. High-level delegates will include ministers from both Indonesia and African countries.

The connection between Indonesia and Africa goes back to ancient times. In terms of anthropological ties, some studies have revealed that the ancestors of the Madagascar people may have come from Indonesia. In South Africa, a Malay community exists, whose members are descendants of Sheikh Yusuf, an Islamic religious leader from South Sulawesi.

The IAF aims at translating the modern political proximity and friendship that have existed between Indonesia and African countries ever since the Asia-Africa Conference in 1955, into closer and concrete economic cooperation.

As such, the forum shall serve as an avenue for multi-stakeholder engagements involving representatives from governments and the private sector.

The IAF 2018 is also in line with President Joko "Jokowi" Widodos instruction on the imperative to increase Indonesias exports to and investment in Africa.

Optimism about stronger economic collaboration with African countries through the IAF 2018 is well founded.

African countries are potential trading partners for Indonesia. Data compiled by the Trade Ministry show that Indonesias total exports to all African countries in 2017 amounted to US$4.86 billion, an increase from the previous year, which stood at $4.16 billion. Indonesia is also ready to increase its imports from Africa by importing several products including crude oil, cotton and other key commodities.

To enhance economic ties, Indonesia will also encourage countries in Africa to reduce their tariffs, which are among the main obstacles to economic cooperation.

Indonesia has investments in a number of countries in Africa  a continent with a gross domestic product of $2.17 trillion and a potential market of 1.22 billion people (2016). Several African countries have invested a total of $743 million in Indonesia. So far, key sectors in Indonesian-African economic cooperation include the palm oil and automotive sectors, as well as textiles.

Africa has also contributed to Indonesias energy resilience, with countries like Nigeria and Angola being among Indonesias key suppliers of oil and gas, vital elements in Indonesias rapid development.

Moreover, as fellow emerging markets, African countries are reliable partners in advancing common and, particularly, Indonesian national interests in strengthening its presence in the global market. For example, Indonesia has worked together with key African countries like Nigeria and Madagascar to advance sustainable palm oil as one of the key drivers to realize sustainable development goals (SDGs).

Against this background, the IAF 2018 will provide a space for its participants to unleash potential and explore various opportunities between Indonesia and Africa. It will also discuss ways and means to boost existing and future cooperation, including in the area of development cooperation, both in terms of quality and quantity.

Among the elements of development cooperation that both parties seek to increase is vocational training and scholarships for the citizens of Indonesia and countries in Africa. Last year, around 131 participants from several countries in Africa attended, and benefited from, vocational training in Indonesia, as well as benefiting from their countries developing cooperation with Indonesia.

At the IAF 2018, there will also be business deals signed as well as business-contract announcements. Strategic projects to be announced during the forum include Indonesian state-owned construction firm PT Wijaya Karyas (WIKA) construction projects in Niger and Algeria; Indonesias oil trade with Nigeria and Angola; as well as Senegals interest in purchasing CN-235 aircraft made in Indonesia. It is also hoped that PT INKA can participate in a project in Zambia.

To ensure follow ups, the forum will also provide an opportunity for its participants to make the necessary preparations for an upcoming Indonesia-Africa Infrastructure Dialogue, which will take place in the second half of 2019. The forum will also feature an exhibition highlighting Indonesias strategic industries as well as retail businesses.

Bound by the spirit of the Bandung Asia-Africa Conference of 1955, the New Asian-African Strategic Partnership (NAASP) of 2005 and other related forums, the ties between Indonesia and the African continent go well beyond economic realms.

Indonesia and many countries in Africa are fellow and active proponents of the Non-Aligned Movement. In a world divided by political blocs, such a standpoint reflects on Indonesias and other countries stance as independent-minded nations. During the same period, Indonesia has been active in advocating the independence of African countries. Indonesia also walks the talk through its contributions to various peace-keeping and peace-building missions in Africa.
The historically important Farnese Blue diamond, which was passed down through European royal families for some 300 years, is to go on sale for the first time next month, auctioneers Sothebys said.

Expected to fetch between $3.7 and 5.3 million, the 6.1 carat, dark grey-blue stone from the Golconda diamond mines of India was first given to Elisabeth Farnese, daughter of the Duke of Parma, in 1715 when she married Philip V of Spain.

Read also: Why diamonds are not an investor's best friend

It was passed down through more than seven generations and, as their descendants married into other European families, it traveled from Spain to France, Italy and Austria.

All this time, it was hidden away in a royal jewelry box. Except for close relatives, and of course the family jewelers, no one knew about its existence, Sothebys said.

The stone will appear in Sothebys Geneva Jewellery sale on 15 May.
Those yet to visit Komodo and Rinca islands in East Nusa Tenggara might be curious about varanus komodoensis, better known as the Komodo dragon. Here are eight facts you need to know before visiting them, as reported by Kompas Travel.

Long lifespan

The Komodo dragon can live for 40 to 50 years. Older Komodo dragons can be identified by the number of small yellow dots near the eyes. The more yellow dots, the younger a Komodo dragon is.

Fast runners

Komodo dragons can run up to 18 to 20 kilometers per hour, or similar to a human beings average running speed. Their speed is one of their success factors in hunting their prey.

Love to sunbathe

These cold-blooded reptiles love to sunbathe to help them digest their food. This means that the perfect time to see Komodo dragons is in the morning when they are basking in the sunlight.

Talented swimmers

Aside from their prowess in the running department, Komodo dragons are also known for being able to swim up to 300 meters. This is how they are able to move between neighboring islands.

Read also: Surabaya Zoo welcomes birth of 11 Komodo dragons

Enthusiastic mating season participants

At the age of six to seven years old, female Komodo dragons will be ready to mate. Their male counterparts will be ready to mate at nine to ten years old. The mating season traditionally happens between June and July every year, so if you happen to visit during this period, you will witness male Komodo dragons fighting over females.

Egg-hatching

When a Komodo dragon hatches eggs, it will guard the eggs for up to two months. A Komodo can produce up to 20 eggs at one time.

Tree-dwelling babies

After a safe hatching process, baby Komodo dragons will live atop a tree to avoid predators such as wild boars, monkeys and other Komodo dragons. On the tree, Komodo babies consume lizards, birds or mice.

Turns out they're venomous

Until recently it was thought that Komodo dragons had deadly bacteria in their saliva, which helped to kill their prey. However, recent research has shown that the lizards kill their prey with venom, and in fact their saliva contains relatively few bacteria. (asw)
In the movies Salman Khan always wins. But offscreen, the Bollywood tough guy hero may have met his match in a 530-year-old Hindu sect that puts animals above humans -- especially superstars.

The determination of the Bishnoi community forced Khan to spend two sleepless nights in a Rajasthan jail following his conviction last week for killing rare antelopes on a hunting trip.

The Bishnoi -- self-styled ecological guardians whose guiding principles forbid them to kill animals or even sterilise a bull -- have been pursuing Khan ever since a fateful night in October 1998.

Their testimony had seen the actor detained three times over the past two decades before his shock conviction last week.

The Bishnoi say Khan was seen killing two black buck antelopes while on safari in the Rajasthan desert, where most of the community live.

It was a grave sin in their eyes.

The black bucks are protected by law and the Bishnoi also consider the antelope reincarnations of their 15th century saint Guru Jambheshwar.

They believe their perseverance paid off. As Khan was ordered last Thursday to serve a five-year jail term, the Bishnoi set off firecrackers and danced in celebration.

After Khan was granted bail on Saturday, the Bishnoi said they would take the fight to the high court and even India's Supreme Court if needed.

"We are doing our duty," Ram Nivas Dhoru from the Bishnoi anti-poaching activist group, Bishnoi Tiger Force, told AFP.

"If you kill our children (wildlife), we will make sure you are brought to justice. It doesn't matter if you are Salman Khan or anyone else."

Poonamchand Bishnoi and Chhogaram Bishnoi, two Bishnoi villagers, told successive court hearings that they saw Khan and four other actors on a poaching mission.

Khan strongly denies killing the animals.

Bishnoi villagers say they heard gunshots in the night and found carcasses in the bush.

The two witnesses say they followed the actors' car on a motorcycle and took down its number, passing the information to the authorities.

The Bishnoi also alleged that Khan killed chinkaras, a Central Asian gazelle. Khan was convicted of the offence in 2006 and ordered jailed for five years. He spent a week behind bars before being granted bail but was acquitted ten years later.

Read also: Bollywood hero Khan now Prisoner 106 in fight for bail

A way of life

The testimony of the Bishnoi was striking in a country where witnesses often become forgetful, or turn hostile due to fear and intimidation -- especially in high-profile cases.

The episode has strengthened the legend of the Bishnoi, who for centuries have devoted their lives to protecting animals and trees from hunters and loggers.

The Bishnoi trace their origins to Guru Jambheshwar, whom they consider an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu, and whose 29 founding principles they live by.

It includes a pledge not to kill any living creature.

Legend has it that 294 Bishnoi men and 69 women sacrificed themselves or were hacked to death in 1730 when they tied themselves to trees which a local king wanted to fell to build a new palace.

Today there are around two million Bishnoi spread across northern and central India, community figures say.

In the past two decades up to nine Bishnoi have been shot dead by hunters, the Bishnoi Tiger Force says.

The community say their name "Bishnoi" comes from their 29 guiding principles -- 20 is "bis" and nine is "noi" in their dialect.

"We have to follow our guru's orders and that means protecting trees and animals. That is the way of life for us," said Dhoru.

For centuries, he said, Bishnoi women have been known to feed and treat abandoned fawns like their own children.

Khan has maintained his innocence, saying he was framed by the state forestry department for publicity purposes. His lawyers argue that the black bucks died of natural causes as there was no evidence they were shot.

Dhoru urged the actor to come clean. "If you have committed a sin, own up to it and face the consequences, do not run away," he said.
The Orang Asli indigenous people have lived in seclusion in the rainforests of southern Thailand since ancient times, but more than a few of them have lately changed the way they live because forest food has gradually grown scarce.

In hopes of a more secure future, Pise, a man in his 50s, and 11 of his family members have decided to abandon their jungle lifestyle and work in a rubber plantation to earn a living.

Talking to Kyodo News through a translator, Pise said cassava, the main food of the Orang Asli people, was easily found in the past, but the forest's ecology has gradually changed after Bang Lang Dam on Pattani River was built and completed in 1981.

Orang Asli, or Asli in short, are indigenous people living deep in the Hala rainforest, situated near the Thai-Malaysian boundary in Yala Province.

They are very discrete and will instantly relocate their huts if they spot any "outsider" nearby their areas. They find it hard to trust people outside their ethnic group and still blame the angry forest spirits when bad things happen to them.

Pise used to hunt small wild animals for food with bamboo blowpipes that spit poison darts, but he no longer wanted to do this when he realized the forest food is not as abundant as it once was.

"I miss living in the deep forest, but it is not easy to find sufficient food anymore. The food is in decline while our population is growing day by day," Pise said.

The Orang Asli communities number about 300 in Yala and Narathiwat, Thailand's two southernmost provinces long known as hotbeds of insurgency.

Another 300 are scattered in the other Deep South provinces of Phatthalung, Trang and Satun, where they are known as the Mani people.

Unlike the Orang Asli, ethnic Mani people have been given Thai identity cards and Thai surnames for their civil registration.

The Orang Asli population in Thailand is forecast to rise. However, the total number is still far behind that across the border in Malaysia, which is home to more than 170,000 Orang Asli people.

Yet, working from Monday through Friday for 1,000 baht ($32) a week does not allow Pise and his family to stave off hunger.

His family and other Orang Asli people, therefore, greatly rely on the border patrol police, who care for them by delivering clothes, packages of raw rice, instant coffee, cans of fish, and other foodstuffs.

Paramin Nathornjaroensuk, a 46-year-old border patrol police officer, said the Orang Asli in the two southernmost provinces now have access to healthcare services after initially having difficulty to gain this basic right because they lacked Thai ID cards.

"We raised the issue with the state agencies to grant them the right. Now they are able to receive medical treatment when needed, free-of-charge," Paramin said.

Orang Asli people are generally healthy and rely on herbal plants to heal their ailments. Still, toothaches are a common problem for them due to poor oral hygiene, according to the border patrol police.

In exchange for clothes, food and painkillers to treat toothaches, the Orang Asli people give the border patrol police things gathered in the jungle such as honey and tongkat ali, an herb that has long been used in Southeast Asia as a general health tonic and libido booster.

"Orang Asli people never take anything from us for free. If we refuse to take their stuff, we insult them," Paramin said.

Because of their existence in well-known literature like the folktale "Sung Thong," composed by King Rama II and "Ngoh Pa", written by King Rama V, Thai people are familiar with their curly hair and dark-skinned features.

But Paramin dispelled misconceptions among most ethnic Thais that it is okay to refer to the Orang Asli people as Sakai, a label meaning "slave" that stems from past centuries when they were subjected to slave raids by Malay and Batak forces, causing many to retreat further inland and to avoid contact with outsiders.

"The term Sakai can provoke this indigenous group," Paramin explained, adding that its members consider it strongly offensive.

Read also: Jokowi gives green light for indigenous people bill deliberation

To Paramin, the Orang Asli people play a great role in guarding the forest as they have alerted authorities to the presence of armed poachers and illegal loggers entering the forest.

"I was scared to death when the poachers threatened to kill me if I informed an officer, but this forest is my home," an elderly Orang Asli man said.
Prince Charles was made a "kastom chief" during a visit on Saturday to Vanuatu where he also meet briefly with a residents from an island who worship his 96-year-old father Prince Philip.

Kastom denotes high chief status promoting harmonious coexistence, peace and reconciliation.

Charles was named Chief Mal Menaringmanu by Chief Seni Mao Tirsupe, President of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, which is the South Pacific nations chiefly body.

The 69-year-old heir to the British throne was given a kastom dress -- a woven pandanus skirt -- for the occasion and drank a shell of kava, a traditional drink in the South Pacific.

However, he was spared the traditional killing of a pig, which usually seals all important ceremonies according to Vanuatu culture.

The Prince tried his hand at speaking some of the local Bislama language, saying: "Tenkyu tumas bilong gudfella welkom. Hemi wan bigfalla honour bilong kam wan chief." (Thank you for the great welcome, it is a big honour to become a chief).

Read also: Britain's Queen makes surprise visit to London Fashion Week

Charles also met Jimmy Joseph from the Vanuatu island of Tanna where his father has god-like status with a cult known as the Prince Philip movement.

"I gave him a walking stick for his father made by the hands of the Prince Philip Movement," Joseph told reporters.

Charles later returned to Australia where he is on a week-long tour that has included opening the Commonwealth Games.
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Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Mon, April 9, 2018 05:00 1269 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd7dd41 1 National #Jambi,EarlyMarriage,child-marriage Free

A 30-year-old man in Merangin, Jambi, will reportedly marry an elementary school student, identified only as AY, in Nalo district, Merangin regency, Jambi.

AYs teacher, Ermai, said the girls parents wanted their daughter to get married that young.



The school has summoned them and asked them why they are letting their daughter get married at such a young age. But they said AY has agreed [to get married], Ermai added recently. AYs parents and siblings were also married at a young age.



AY has not been attending school for a month, which according to Ermai, happened after she realized that her friends knew about her upcoming wedding.



Were trying to persuade AYs parents so that she can go to school again. Well keep trying until the wedding takes place, she said, noting that previously there was another student at the school who got married soon after her graduation.



The Indonesia Health Demographic Survey recorded an increasing percentage of child marriages in Jambi. The figure rose from 20.1 percent in 2012 of all marriages to 21.6 percent last year.



Jambi National Population and Family Planning Board head Mukhtar Bhakti said most of the minors involved in child marriages in the province were under the age of 19.



Were hoping that we can push it down to 21 percent this year, he said, adding that he had implemented a special program to prevent youngsters from getting married too soon. (vla/evi)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 8, 2018 12:20 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd6e4a4 4 City #fire,fire,#JakartaPolice,Jakarta-police,firefighters Free

South Jakarta Fire and Rescue Agency head Irwan said the fire on Saturday afternoon at the Jakarta Police headquarters in South Jakarta was allegedly caused by an electrical short circuit.

It took around an hour for firefighters to extinguish the flames at Jakarta Police headquarters' Human Resource Bureau building in South Jakarta on Saturday afternoon. The six fire trucks that were deployed to put out the fire arrived at the scene some 30 minutes after the flame had sparked.

Read also: Breaking: Building at police headquarters catches fire

By the time the firefighters arrived, thick smoke had engulfed some of the rooms in the building, he said as quoted by kompas.com on Saturday, adding that the blaze had caused the Jakarta Police to suffer Rp 125 million (US$9,000) in losses.

Another building at the Jakarta Police headquarters had also caught fire in 2011. The resulting fire burned down the Vehicle Document Registration Center building. (vla)
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Linkedin Jastinder Khera (Agence France-Presse) Budapest, Hungary  Sun, April 8, 2018 10:35 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd6d1b0 2 World Hungary,election,populism Free

Hungarians will head to the polls Sunday in an election being keenly observed across Europe to see whether firebrand nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban will win an expected third term.

Polling stations will open at 6 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and will close at 7 p.m. local time.

Opinion polls have consistently put Orban and his right-wing Fidesz party 20 or more points clear of their nearest rivals, Jobbik, a far-right party that has been moving towards the centre, which in turn has been a few points ahead of the centre-left Socialists.

A mainly first-past-the-post election system designed by Fidesz also gives it an edge over a divided opposition but a high turnout and anti-Fidesz tactical voting could add an element of unpredictability.

Preliminary results are expected to emerge one or two hours after polls close, with broader trends expected to become clear only slowly over the course of the evening.

Even if Fidesz does gain its expected majority in the 199-seat parliament, analysts will be watching to see whether it falls short of the two-thirds "supermajority" that has enabled it to pass some of its most far-reaching and controversial bills.

These include some of the measures that have put Orban on a collision course with Brussels, such as eroding the independence of the media and the judiciary, as well as its crackdown on civil society groups, particularly those funded by Hungarian-born US billionaire George Soros.

The government has been accused by critics of using anti-Semitic stereotypes in its relentless campaign against Soros, who is Jewish.

Orban accuses Soros and the organisations he funds of promoting mass Muslim and African immigration into Europe in order to undermine its Christian identity.

Orban's sometimes lurid rhetoric against immigrants resulted in February in a spat between the government and the UN's top human rights official, Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein, who accused Orban of xenophobia and racism.

Although Orban's actions, including refusing to participate in the EU's refugee resettlement scheme, have sometimes annoyed other European governments, Fidesz is afforded a measure of protection by virtue of its membership of the main centre-right EPP grouping in the European Parliament.

Senior EPP leaders have themselves courted controversy by wishing Orban luck ahead of the poll.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 8, 2018 13:26 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd70637 4 National #SusiPudjiastuti,fisheries,Interpol,aceh,illegal-fishing Free

The Indonesian Navy reportedly has detained one of Interpols most-wanted fishing vessels, STS-50, in the southeastern part of Weh Island waters in Aceh on Friday.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastuti said on Saturday the arrest was made after Interpols National Central Bureau (NCB) notified the Indonesian government that the STS-50 vessel was heading to Indonesian waters on Thursday.

The ship is among the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing boats listed on the record issued by the regional fisheries management organizations' Convention for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources, she said as reported by kompas.com.

The Simeulue ship, which was dispatched on Friday at 5:30 p.m., captured the STS-50 vessel some 60 miles from the southeastern part of Weh Island.

The stateless fish-poaching boat had 20 crew members onboard, 14 of which are Indonesian while the remaining six are Russian. The vessel was equipped with 600 sets of gill nets. Each gill net is 50 meters long, indicating that the ship has the capacity to sweep up to 30 square kilometers in the water.

Officers from the military, the ministry and the police will work under Satgas 115 to investigate the crime, Susi said. Satgas 115 is the government's task force for combating illegal fishing in Indonesia.

According to Article 92 in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Indonesia's government has the authority to take any measures on the stateless vessel, either reusing it or sinking it. (vla)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 8, 2018 16:39 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd7277d 4 National #Jokowi Free

Looking sporty in matching denim outerwear and a pair of sneakers, President Joko Jokowi Widodo rode his chopper in Sukabumi, West Java, on Sunday.



Before departing from Bantar Gadung district office and heading 30 kilometers to the south to Pelabuhan Ratu Beach, Jokowi showed his vehicle registration and ownership documents (STNK and BPKB) as well as his personal driving license (SIM).



I have everything; all administrative documents should be complete, he said as reported by kompas.com.



Jokowi purchased the modified Chopperland for Rp 140 million (US$10,000) from Elders Garage workshop in Lebak Bulus, South Jakarta, in January.

Read also: President Jokowi purchases custom motorcycle to boost local businesses



He was accompanied by Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi, Presidential Chief of Staff Moeldoko and dozens of local bikers.



Aside from his gold motorcycle, Jokowis denim jacket also attracted attention from the Sukabumi crowd, with a red-and-white map of Indonesia crossing the chest and letters in batik spelling Indonesia on the back.



The event took place after Jokowi visited several infrastructure projects in the regency, one of which was the Cigombong-Cicurug double-track railway construction site on Saturday. (vla)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, April 8, 2018 17:00 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd72cee 4 National #trains,train-accidents,ngawi,#EastJava,KAI,#KAI Free

The Sancaka train heading to Surabaya from Yogyakarta was hit by a truck at kilometer 215 between Kedungbanteng and Walikukun stations in Ngawi, East Java.



The incident, which occurred on Friday evening, killed the train driver, Mustofa, and injured one crew member and three passengers. The deceased has been buried while the remaining victims are currently receiving medical treatment at Attin Husada Hospital.



The crossing has no boom gates and there are several construction projects nearby where many trucks pass by, said KAI Regional Operation 7 Madiun spokesman, Supriyanto, as quoted by tempo.co on Saturday.



The train consisted of 13 cars and carried 500 passengers. One of the cars was derailed due to the crash.



KAI chairman Edi Sukmoro said the incident had caused the company to incur billions of rupiah in losses.

To help Mustofas family, KAI decided to give his widow, Dian Kartika Sari Utami, a job in the company.

Several trains were canceled due to the fatal accident, namely Gajayana, Bangunkarta, Bima, Turangga, Matarmaja, Mojopahit and Mutiara Selatan trains.



Well immediately repair the railway, he added. (vla)
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Linkedin Jon Afrizal (The Jakarta Post) Jambi  Sun, April 8, 2018 20:23 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd77d2f 1 National #Jambi,Jambi,child-abuse,sexual-abuse Free

The Tebo Police have received 20 child abuse cases in the regency this year, raising their concerns over unchecked social media access among children.

Most of the cases were sexual abuse, Chief Brig. Diansyah, head of the Tebo Police's women and children protection unit, said Sunday.

The Tebo Police said the cases were spread across 12 districts in Tebo Tinggi regency, but most of them happened in Rimbo Bujang, Rimbo Ilir, Rimbo Ulu, Tebo Ulu and VII Koto.

The police organized meetings with residents of VII Koto and Tebo Ulu districts to cooperate in keeping the crime in check. Diansyah said the police identified several causes of such crimes. Mostly, they are caused by social media influence, lack of supervision from parents and financial troubles, he said. Diansyah said children were exposed to inappropriate adult content spread through social media.

Most of the perpetrators fall within the low-income bracket, he said.

He said that in 30 percent of the cases, there was a close relationship between the victim and the perpetrator, indicating an urgent need for parents to supervise their children more strictly to protect them from becoming a victim. (evi)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New York, United States  Sun, April 8, 2018 09:32 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd6c0a0 2 World trump,fire-accidents,New-York-City Free

An elderly man died late Saturday after a blaze erupted on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York which also injured four firefighters, officials said.

The New York Police Department said the 67-year-old man was found "unconscious and unresponsive" when officers arrived at the scene of the fire.

The man was pronounced dead after being taken to Mount Sinai Roosevelt Hospital, according to police, which said the medical examiner's office would determine the cause of death as part of an ongoing investigation.

"This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke," the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said.

It said the four firefighters had "non-life threatening" injuries and that the blaze had been brought "under control."

Smoke began rising from the skyscraper in Midtown Manhattan around 6:00 pm (2200 GMT).

Streets surrounding the building owned by US President Donald Trump that serves as the headquarters for The Trump Organization and houses the president's penthouse were closed off as tourists snapped pictures on their phones.

Another angle of the fire at #Trump tower. pic.twitter.com/ma7LxyejoH  Strategic Sentinel (@StratSentinel) April 7, 2018

The FDNY earlier tweeted a picture of the building with several windows of the 50th floor ablaze.

Trump later said the fire had been extinguished.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" he said.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Yangon, Myanmar  Sun, April 8, 2018 16:29 1270 2c798a31c212039f000dc5df9cd72738 2 SE Asia #Myanmar,Rohingya,#Rohingya Free

Conditions in Myanmar's crisis-hit northern Rakhine state are "not conducive" to bringing back Rohingya from Bangladesh, the UN told AFP, in remarks that jar with the country's insistence that it is ready for returnees.

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled over the border since August to escape a bloody military crackdown that has left a trail of torched villages in its wake as refugees allege murder and rape by Myanmar's armed forces.

The army denies the allegations and casts its campaign as a legitimate response to Rohingya militant attacks on August 25 that killed about a dozen border guard police.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal in November but not one refugee has returned.

"Right now, the conditions are not conducive to a voluntary, dignified and sustainable return," said Ursula Mueller, assistant secretary general for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Speaking to AFP at the end of a six-day trip to the country during which she visited northern Rakhine, Mueller said Myanmar needs to address "critical issues of freedom of movement, social cohesion, livelihoods, and access to services".

For years members of the stateless Muslim minority have been deemed immigrants from Bangladesh, forced to live under apartheid-like conditions with severe restrictions on their movement and limited options for education and healthcare.

Myanmar has repeatedly said it has completed the groundwork to accept back Rohingya refugees.

"We are ready. The buildings are ready. The hospital and clinics are ready," Aung Tun Thet, chief coordinator of a government-backed organisation working on resettlement in Rakhine, told state media this week.

"We have done what we can. If they don't feel safe then there isn't anything we can do."

During her trip, Mueller also spoke to Rohingya Muslims who have been confined in "deplorable" camps and settlements within Rakhine since a previous wave of inter-communal violence six years ago.

"We cannot, and must not, forget the plight of over 400,000 Muslim people still living in Rakhine state who continue to face a life of hardship and marginalisation due to movement restrictions," she said.
In the Selo subdistrict, Boyolali, Central Java, coffee is hardly a new thing.

Back in the colonial era, Lencoh, Stabelan and Tlogolele villages were filled with coffee plantations. However, after Indonesia achieved independence, the villagers shifted to growing vegetables as they were considered more profitable.

Almost everyone planted coffee around their homes. They were not necessarily tended to, but left to grow on their own as yard fences. When they bore fruit, the beans were left on the ground, said Suwondo, 46, a resident of Lencoh who is attempting to revamp Selos coffee industry.

Suwondo became interested in studying coffee after learning from Firmansyah, also known as Pepeng, 34, the owner of Klinik Kopi, a coffee shop in Yogyakarta, in 2004.

Klinik Kopi sold coffee picked in Lencoh. At first, we couldnt believe how good it tasted. That was the starting point for us, to seriously process and promote Lencoh coffee, he said.

Read also: Temanggung tourist villages to provide coffee, hand-rolled cigarettes

The coffee plants, which are cultivated 1,600 meters above sea level and around three to six kilometers from the top of Mount Merapi, are considered unique. Selo coffee has medium consistency, with hints of lemon and nuts.

Currently, our coffee harvest is still considered low. But we are certain that the business will thrive, said Widodo, head of Tlogolele village.

Around 20 villagers have started to plant and cultivate Arabica coffee plants in their yards.

In 2015, their first harvest of the coffee cherries was priced at Rp 7,000 (around 50 cents) per kilogram. It was surprising, as previously the cherries were bought at Rp 1,000 per kilogram.

Currently, the green beans are sold for Rp 75,000, while roasted beans sell for Rp 200,000 per kilogram. Selo coffee is also sold in coffee shops in Yogyakarta and Surakarta, while every homestay and cafe in Selo serves Selo coffee, said Heri Setiawan, owner of Kopi Selo coffee shop on Jl. Raya Selo-Borobudur.

Heri is making use of a 7,000-square meter plot of land that belongs to his parents to grow coffee.

Coffee plants from my own yard wouldnt meet the demand. Especially nowadays, as people buy coffee as souvenirs, he said.

The residents of Selo have also included coffee as part of tourism packages, such as a coffee plantation tour together with a mountain tour. During harvest time, tourists can pick the cherries and learn about the coffee making process, such as sorting and roasting.

Read also: Crazy about Indonesian coffee? Here are the basics of java

Enjoying coffee while gazing at Merapi is something else. Too bad its not harvest time. So we only visited the plantation and learned to roast coffee, said Widawati, a tourist from Semarang.

For tourists visiting New Selo, coffee has become a trademark souvenir. While enjoying the views of Merapi and Merbabu mountains as well as vegetable farms, tourists can also partake in nature-based activities, such as flying fox rides.

Tourism in Selo is starting to pick up. On weekends, homestays in tourism villages are always fully booked. Tourists also favor coffee over beer, said Heri. (wng)
Traveling to Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara usually means island hopping to visit the various islands that make up Komodo National Park.

With such a setting, accommodation in the region is generally divided into two types, namely staying in a regular hotel or staying aboard a boat during the trip.

"Living aboard [a boat] is popularly done by travelers from Jakarta. So, they would, for example, come on a Friday and would go straight to the boat and not a hotel. Then on Sunday, they'd head straight back to the airport," said Julianus Ebol, guest activity coordinator at Plataran Komodo Resort and Spa, on Thursday as quoted by kompas.com.

It is more time efficient, said Julianus, adding that there were a variety of boats to choose from, ranging from a one-cabin, two-cabin and even a luxurious phinisi (traditional Indonesian sailing ship) that is on the same level as a five-star hotel.

The boat functions as accommodation as well as transportation for island hopping to Komodo National Park, which consists of several islands such as Komodo Island, Rinca Island and Padar Island. Travelers can also dine on board.

Read also: Five must-visit places in Komodo National Park

Depending on the type of boat, the prices also vary widely. According to kompas.com, packages begin at Rp 2.5 million (US$182) per person for a three-day, two-night trip on a standard boat. Meanwhile, an upscale vessel, such as Plataran Komodo Resort and Spa's phinisi, can be hired for Rp 25 million to Rp 60 million per night, which can accommodate six to 12 people.

One of the challenges of living aboard, however, is that it can be unsuitable for people who get seasick and find it hard to travel and sleep on board. In that case, visitors can stay in a hotel on land and rent a boat for short trips during the day.

Accommodation in Labuan Bajo, the largest city near Komodo National Park, starts from Rp 100,000 per night in a homestay.

Meanwhile, there are several options for island hopping, where travelers can either find agents to organize boat trips or privately rent boats for return trips at approximately Rp 2 million for eight people, or individual travelers can also head to the dock and bargain with boat owners for each trip.

"The price would depend on the deal," Julianus said.

For the more luxurious option, there are also yachts with different engine types, such as those available from Plataran Komodo Resort & Spa, that could go for Rp 20 million to Rp 35 million per day and accommodate up to six people. (liz/kes)
Srinagar: Son sacrificed life for a pious cause and it is the responsibility of people of Kashmir to carry forward their mission, says father of martyr

April 08, 2018 Pulwama, April 07: Father of resistance leader, Musavir Hassan Wani, who was martyred by Indian occupation forces in an orchard in Kangan village of Pulwama district on Friday, has appealed people to carry mission of martyrs to the local conclusion.

Mussavir Ahmad Wani (21)of Delipora Pulwama was a B.Tech final year student of Ramdevi College of Education Chandigarh, India. He was a final semester student of engineering at university in Mohali, Punjab in India and had done his schooling from Boys Higher Secondary School Pulwama.Ghulam Hassan Wani, father of Musavir said his son sacrificed life for a pious cause and it is the responsibility of people of Kashmir to carry forward their mission.Musavirs father said his son joined resistence struggle because for him it was only way to stand against oppression.He was a religious minded person and always used to say that fighting oppression is the only way to seek closeness of Allah, he said. I am feeling very proud that my son achieved what he desired, Wani said. He was seen consoling other members of his family and asking them not to shed tears.This is a proud movement for all of us. We should not cry but rejoice over his martyrdom, Wani was telling his relatives, who broke into tears during Musavirs funeral.Musavir, is survived by parents and elder brother.He was laid to rest in martyrs graveyard , thousands amidst pro-freedom and anti-Indian sloganeering on Saturday morning.

-RK
If youve opened this piece, thinking its too late for Easter articles, then you really need to read on.

Despite the oversaturation of Easter stuff around April, there is little talk about orthodox Christian Easter, the little known older brother of Catholicism and the Church of England. As I prepare to celebrate what is a very communal day pretty much on my own, I figured I might as well share whatever tips I developed since starting uni here.

Whats orthodox Christianity and why do we celebrate Easter differently?

Christianity started out as a small movement a long time ago in the Roman empire, which was then sprawling all across southern and north-western Europe, northern Africa, and modern day Turkey.

Since being decriminalized in the fourth century, it had become the dominant religion in the empire. However, changing geopolitics and economics made it so that by the 11th century, the rival churches of Rome and rising economic and cultural powerhouse Constantinople (now Istanbul) were irrevocably separated.

So what does this incredibly short history lesson mean for us? Mostly, that we get to celebrate on different dates, since the two sides use different calendars. As a rule of thumb Western churches (Catholic or Protestant) use the newer, more scientifically Gregorian calendar, while Orthodox churches use the more inaccurate Julian calendar to calculate which day Easter falls on. Terribly inconvenient, but one of the times tradition matters.

That means while the bank holiday weekend thats just passed by has been an opportunity for some to celebrate Easter or the beginning of Passover, for us Orthodox Christians it has just been Palm Sunday, the one right before Easter. This years Orthodox Easter falls on Sunday, April 8.

How is Orthodox Easter any different besides the date? How to celebrate it in England?

The Easter bunny is a new addition to the festivities, having been imported from the west with the idea to sell more chocolates come April. That, of course, brings its own critics, but for now, its just a fun activity for children that lets them celebrate by consuming lots of chocolate.

Otherwise, Orthodox Easter tends to be rather more community-driven rather than observing of the religious formalities. Though traditions vary from country to country, theres always roasted lamb, boiled eggs, which are painted mostly red, and a variety of sweet breads .

Preparations begin on Holy Thursday, or on the Saturday , if youre lazy; whats important is to avoid doing housework on Friday, as it is a day of mourning.

As the Day of Easter starts, traditions differ, but for devout Bulgarians, for example, its important to go to church at midnight and light a special candle, which then we have to bring back to their house without it extinguishing.

Though definitely not well advertised, there are places which hold orthodox Christian services for the religious or those who are homesick and might feel this might help.

For example, two churches in Birmingham (where I currently live) will be holding services for Easter - the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Trinity in Erdington, and the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Dormition of Theotokos and St Andreas in Summer Hill, Birmingham city centre.
esque

insta

life,

photos

not,

Whenever we log onto social media sites, its really difficult to avoid thinspiration, detox tea promotions, Kardashian-models and clean eating bloggers. Every day, whether we follow these accounts or not, our social media feeds are inundated with images of the ideal body. For women, this ideal usually looks like a dainty tanned white woman, with Kim K hips, mile-long legs and a waist the circumference of an average wrist. Her hair is always immaculate, with dazzling white teeth and effortlessly flawless skin, and she is always, always under thirty. For men, the ideal looks like a 6 foot or taller Greek statue, with hairless limbs, yet unblemished skin, a strong hairline and muscles that could only be obtained by spending each waking hour at the gym. These ideals are people who we rarely, if ever, see in real life. These ideals are often the product of heavy editing or, for many models, an unhealthy lifestyle. But what happens when we, the social media consumers, dont look like these 'ideals' that are worshipped online? Well, research has shown that its not just our body confidence that plummets, but our overall self-esteem is jeopardised by our constant exposure to the new social media ideals. Whether we are aware of it or not, social media is having a major influence on how we view ourselves. More and more, we are basing our self-worth on the number of likes and followers we have. At the better end of the spectrum, a lucky few of us escape this social media pressure storm unscathed, realising that beauty isnt defined by social media stars selling fitness or weight loss products online. Somewhere in the middle is the vast majority of social media users, feeling a constant sense of inadequacy because we dont possess the features that the-famous men and women do. At the worse end of the spectrum, social media can lead to psychological disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia. Despite this, I would be a liar if I told you that social media was a purely negative force. I myself am a mental health and body positivity blogger, so I know first-hand the positive power that social media can have. After years of struggling with Anorexia and Bulimia and being negatively influenced by social media, I actually used it as a tool to turn my life around through the body positive community. But how can we all limit the damage that social media has on our confidence, and learn to use social media in a way that inspires, educates and motivates us? Well, to get you started here are some straightforward ways to cut the toxicity out of social media, and start using it enhance, not jeopardise your confidence.Dont worry, this doesnt involve only drinking green juice for two weeks. Go through the list of people you follow on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat or whichever social media platforms you use, and determine which accounts make you feel good and which accounts make you feel insecure, anxious or generally bad. Unfollow those accounts. Even if you follow someone from work or school whose posts make you doubt yourself or your body, its better that you cut that negativity from your feed than constantly absorb it every day. The accounts that often make people feel this way include fitness, clean eating, bodybuilding or lifestyle accounts, so just keep an eye out for those genres and be wary when following new people if you think their content might not be healthy for you to see every day. When I was recovering from eating disorders, unfollowing toxic influences on social media was a hugely important step in redefining my beauty standards.Recently there has been a boom in the number of people following body positive accounts, which is a great sign for the future of social media. Replace the negative influencers in your feed with people who promote beauty at all weights, in all genders and races and regardless of what your body looks like. A good place to start is by typing in Body Positivity in the search bar of any social media platform, and youll find a plethora of accounts that embrace beauty in all its forms, not just beauty in the form of Calvin Klein men and Victoria Secret women.Airbrushing used to be a tool handled only by the editors of Vogue magazine and bus stop posters, but with the rise of apps like FaceTune and other user-friendly airbrushing software, everyone and his dog seem to be brushing the imperfections from their skin and slimming down their waists before uploading pictures to social media. So the next time you look at a selfie and feel insecure because your *insert body feature here* doesnt look like that persons, just question whether or not that image was edited. Youd be surprised at how unnoticeable editing can be. Gone are the days when photoshop fails were common online.This might be slightly difficult for lots of people, especially younger people who grew up believing that happiness is synonymous with looking like the beauty ideal. But starting from today, start acknowledging elements of your character that you admire, that cant necessarily be captured in a photo and uploaded to Instagram. Remind yourself of your talents, personality traits and moral values that you admire, and recognise that these qualities define beauty just as much as your appearance does. A sense of humour, a kind heart and an adventurous spirit cant be uploaded to Snapchat but theyre still parts of you that people notice and admire. So, dont just look for gratification from your selfies online when there are a hundred other elements of your character that are equally valuable!Im sure you wouldnt upload a photo of yourself to Instagram if you took it on a day you felt insecure, from an unflattering angle and with uncomplimentary lighting, so why would anyone else? Too often people see the images on their peers and celebrities social media accounts as a real reflection of their day to daywhen really youre mostly seeing their best photos. Its easy to get caught up in the idea that everyone else is always on holiday with pristine skin and hair and an enviable figure. Whats harder to remember is the power of good lighting, posture, makeup, photographer and editing software. Behind mostthere is a catalogue of efforts made to make it look effortless, and nearly all photos are taken on a good day. What we dont see are the greasy hair days, the acne days, the before editing photo or the bodies before they are poised and posed to look their best. We should never look at anyones social media as a diary of their life, as for most people their social media is a portfolio of their photographic greatest hits. Social media is powerful. It has the ability to build us up, to educate us, unite people from all over the world and enable us to do things we could never achieve without it. Unfortunately, with that comes its ability to drag us down, delude us and poison us with toxic messages from toxic industries. Education is key. We need to educate ourselves on what is real and what isand encourage others to do the same, especially younger people and children who are just starting to use social media. With such an influential resource at the tips of our fingers, we need to take control of how we use it, rather than let it control us.
Jenna Bass' body-swap teen drama is too blunt to cut deep.

Cobbling together spare parts from other cultural properties can work wonders, and director Jenna Bass clearly understands that. High Fantasy, her second feature, pot-boils stark South African vistas, teen drama, found-footage, and a fantastical body-swap drama to spice up the mixture. Each component, however, is neglected in its own right; Bass has merely thrown them together in the hopes that they will create satisfying cinema. They don't.

South African teen Lexi embarks on a camping trip to her family's farming estate in the country's barren desert. She invites friends to join her and a clashing of ideologies commences. Xoli, Lexi's black friend, is passive-aggressively incensed by the colonialist means by which Lexi's family still has control of the land.

Tatiana is a diplomatic - and consequently meek, largely docile - foil to the strong personalities populating the rest of the group. And tagging along for the ride is braggadocious Thami, whose sexist language doesn't entirely deter the others from connecting with his more boyish charms. The group wakes up one morning to find that each now inhabits the body of another person.

Body-swap stories on screen rely primarily on its cast to either bring the farce or dial it back. Of these particular players, Francesca Varrie Michel probably has the most to work with as Lexi-slash-bodyswapped-Xoli. Xoli has found herself suddenly in the body of a white girl, and coming to terms with it becomes even more difficult with the arrival of a mouthy fifth friend.

Michel nails both elements of her role - Xoli's black anger and Lexi's subsequent white guilt. But given Jenna Bass' bluntly expressed derision towards the racism in South African society, it seems odd, and rather self-defeatingly ironic, that the onscreen mouthpiece for both sides of this thorny argument should be a white character. Elsewhere, the other performers are talented enough to get as much fun as they can out of their swapped personalities (Nala Khumalo having to emulate Liza Scholtz' weediness as Thami-turned-Tatiana hit a few right notes). But the entire experience is too fleeting to dig deeper into this cast's innumerable talents.

The found-footage element feels like a novelty. As a genre, it always implies intent with the cinematography - the camera is a part of the drama rather than an observer of it. Here it adds very little as a dramatic device, and even less from an aesthetic point of view. Does it make everything feel more real? Just barely, and that's mostly because of the cast. It almost feels as though the mockumentary structure was only there to facilitate flash-forward interviews with each character to simultaneously narrate and deconstruct the onscreen story.

It also makes the affair blunter than such a complex story should be. The issues discussed have centuries of debate behind them, and Bass' film goes a small way towards inserting itself into that debate. Her expression of white guilt is perhaps the strongest sentiment the film has, and even that is treated with clashing sympathy and scorn. Her cast come out seeming too good for such a hit-and-miss script, their talents likely to be served better elsewhere.

High Fantasy is set to premiere at the East End Film Festival on 12th April. Find more details here.




Bad behaviour such as smoking on trains, obstructing footpaths with electric bikes, not paying fines and jaywalking will give lower ratings. Those who are caught by China's 20 million Artificial Intelligence CCTV cameras have their names blacklisted. Citizens who find themselves on the list are restricted from using credit cards and given domestic travel bans - President Xi Jinping said these bans could last up to a year. The system is to be tested on trains from 1st May, and the Chinese government plans to phase in all of its 1.3 billion citizens by 2020.Smoking in the train's non-smoking area and riding with the incorrect ticket could result in a 180-day travel ban. The offender will not be allowed to purchase train tickets until their ban has lifted. Other punishments include slowing down internet speed for unpaid bills and publically being named as a bad citizen. Companies looking to hire will consult the blacklist, chances for employment will be decreased if applicant's name appears on the list. The move to rapidly implement mass surveillance and a point based system falls in place with Jinping's plan to restore the principles of "once untrustworthy, always restricted." Along with the plan is a system that will allow government bodies to share information on its citizens' trustworthiness and then issue further penalties in addition to domestic travel bans and credit restrictions. Zhang Yong, deputy director of China's National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), said the trials were taking place across China's provinces over the next two years. There are, however, signs that the use of social credit started years ago. In early 2017, the country's Supreme People's Court said that 6.15 million Chinese citizens had been banned from taking flights for social misdeeds.
Nope nursing is a crap salary and there taking up to 70 a month off me in student loans  Caitlin (@csrudgex) April 5, 2018

The Government has confirmed that 804 nursing and healthcare students have been informed that their expected loan instalments will be reduced or withheld entirely due to previous overpayment errors. The total number of affected Universities has reached 20, twice the number previously anticipated. Among the universities affected are Brunel, Cardiff University, London Met, Reading, Salford, Southampton, Leeds and Manchester. Each university has at least one nursing student who has received an overpayment of a grant or maintenance loan since the beginning of the academic year.After receiving overpayments ranging from 600 to 6,000 earlier in the year, students have now been told that they will not receive their full loan payments at the start of the next term. The administrative errors were made by the government-owned Student Loans Company (SLC) and were disclosed after Universities minister Sam Gyimah responded to a series of parliamentary written questions from Conservative MP Gary Streeter. The largest overpayments were made to the poorest of students, such as those receiving means-tested grants and mature students without parental support. After making enquiries to the SLC earlier in the year, students were falsely reassured that their loan amounts were correct.The errors came to light after UCAS revealed yesterday that the number of students applying to nursing courses at University in England was 5,000 less than this time last year. There are further fears that there will be a larger fall in the number of trainees that begin in September. The Royal College of Nursing has called upon ministers to examine the issue with the SLC and use their statutory power to write off the amounts. Janet Davies, Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College warned that "a sharp reduction in loan payments could have a catastrophic effect on limited student budgets and drive some to leave their studies." Rupert Davies, a nursing student in London, said he is deeply concerned about the current situation and the effect it could have on his studies: "On top of being a busy student nurse, I am also the main caregiver to two young children and I am worried about the devastating effect that a considerable reduction in payments will have on my family." "Hospital placements and high childcare costs mean I am unable to take on extra paid work so I may have to consider whether or not I can remain on my course as a result of the error." However, Universities Minister Mr Gyimah stated that "none of the students affected should suffer hardship as a result of the error." Any affected students should contact the SLC.
Price of a pint

It is imperative to try a cold glass of Guinness whilst in Ireland. Even if you dont like the taste in England, you will there.

In the city centres, the price of a pint in Belfast is generally cheaper than in Dublin where youll more than likely find yourself paying above the odds. Remember that in Dublin youll have to get your money changed to euros, but with Brexit having made the pound drop, the exchange rates dont make much of a difference anyway!

Experience

Titanic Belfast is an all-round experience with nine interactive galleries to explore. Tickets bought online are 18.00, which isnt bad for a full day out with a fun ride included.

However, head to Dublin and you could be taking in the history of the Irish pint with a visit to the Guinness Storehouse. Buy your tickets online and you actually save 30%, with a price of 17.50 which is roughly 15. Not only do you get to see how Guinness is made and relive their past adverts, you also get to professionally pour your own pint to enjoy in the 360 high rise gravity bar.

Eat

There is nothing better than starting your day with a full Irish breakfast, with all the same ingredients as a full English, plus fried potato. You'll tend to find that breakfasts in Belfast are cheaper than Dublin, but this depends on where you go.

For city centre eating, Belfast wins this one. In Belfast, make Sunday morning hangovers a little easier by heading to St Georges Market for a huge bin lid breakfast butty. In Dublin, head to Urbanity for a good cup of coffee with breakfast.

Drink

Wherever you go in Ireland, youre bound to have a good night out.

Belfast has something for everyone; whether its Filthy McNasties or Alibi for a more sophisticated night. In Dublin, the main strip is centred around Temple Bar, a famous pub named after Sir William Temple. The strip is hugely popular with tourists and going to Temple Bar itself is a must do whilst youre there. The live music is great but the prices and the fact that its more like a sardine tin than a pub... not so much.

Stay

If youre heading to Belfast with a group of friends, your best bet is to use Airbnb to find a house share in the city. Sharing means youre cutting the costs down even more, without losing out on a modern and stylish stay. You can get an 11-bed townhouse for 186 per night, which works out at about 17 each!

In Dublin, hotels close to the city centre can be rather expensive. For example, one nights stay at the Clayton Hotel comes in at around 100 per night. However, if you make a weekend of it, you can enjoy views of the River Liffey while dipping in a hot tub.

Whether you choose Dublin or Belfast, make sure to walk around, sip a pint of Guinness and enjoy a big breakfast in the morning.
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Four teenagers charged for throwing a sandbag from an Ohio highway overpass that killed a Michigan man have been sentenced to a youth treatment facility program.

Police say the boys, who were then each 13 or 14, threw rocks and sandbags onto Interstate 75 near downtown Toledo in December. One sandbag smashed through a car windshield and hit a rider, 22-year-old Marquise Byrd, of Warren, Michigan. He later died.

The boys apologized to Byrd's family in juvenile court Friday. The judge said they could end up in juvenile detention for years if they don't complete programming of unspecified length at the youth treatment center.

Byrd's family was upset, calling the sentence too light.

The judge says the treatment program could help change the boys' behavior better than juvenile detention can.

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Srinagr: Shopian district in southern part of Kashmir observeda complete shutdown for the 8th straight day against the killing of militants and civilians last Sunday.

Reports reaching here said that all the business establishments are shut while traffic is off the roads.

13 militants, 12 of them residents of Shopian, and 4 civilians, 3 of them residents of Shopian, were killed by government forces on Sunday during 3 separate anti-militancy operations.

The educational institutions have also remained shut across the district since the killings.

Meanwhile, reports said that 2G internet services have been restored in the district after remaining suspended for last seven days.

A complete shutdown was observed in Pulwama town also on Sunday to mourn the killing of a local militant by Indian forces on Friday.

Authorities on Sunday said that class work will remain suspended in some colleges and higher secondary schools of Kashmir valley tomorrow. However, primary and high schools will function normally across the valley.

Officials said the decision has been taken as a precautionary measure to avoid student protests in the campuses.
Banned Indian notes find no mention during PM's Delhi visit

Senior Indian officials have claimed that banned Indian currency notes and the Budhi Gandaki hydropower project did not figure during the state visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to India that concludes on Sunday.
Watertown's Faehn influenced, helped many others

Bob Faehn changed radio and news in Watertown, but also lived a life of giving guidance and inspiration for countless others.
Catch the corrupt

Nepals new leaders have a duty and opportunity to redefine and wipe out corruption
Organisation: United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees

(UNHCR)

Position No.: 10028895

Vacancy Notice: 021/2018

Reports to: Associate Protection Officer

Duty Station: Uganda

Post Grade: NOA

About UNHCR:

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees was

established on December 14, 1950 by the United Nations General Assembly.

UNHCRs mandate under the Statute of the Office of the United Nations High

Commissioner for Refugees is to lead and co-ordinate action for international

protection to refugees; seek permanent solutions for the problems of refugees

and safeguard refugee rights and well-being. UNHCR has an additional mandate concerning

issues of statelessness, as it is given a designated role under Article 11 of

the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness.

Job Summary: The Assistant Protection Officer (SGBV) works

closely with programme and other team members to create a multi-sectoral SGBV

prevention and response mechanism. S/he is required to set up coordination with

inter-agency partners, government authorities and persons of concern. The

incumbent contributes to the development of action plans and SOPs, capacity

building and organizing SGBV workshops for a range of audiences including

partners, authorities and persons of concern. The incumbent will also take part

in reviewing the current SGBV prevention and response framework on the ground

to identify critical gaps to be filled. Furthermore, the incumbent will be

tasked with ensuring that SGBV-related responsibilities are fully incorporated

into the existing protection staffing structure.



Responsibilities: Key Duties andResponsibilities:

Serve as the SGBV focal point for the area

of responsibility and coordinate implementation of SGBV programmes for the

operation.

Work closely with relevant local

authorities and other UN agencies to shape and enhance the related working

groups as well as technical meetings.

Provide technical support and guidance to

operational and implementing partners to ensure good quality

implementation of projects in line with the operations SGBV Strategy.

Ensure monthly reporting, including GBVIMS

statistics with trends which informs policy, projects development.

Stay abreast of political, social,

economic and cultural developments that have an impact on the protection

environment.

Consistently apply International and

National Law and applicable UN/UNHCR and IASC policy, standards and codes

of conduct in the implementation of activities.

Support the initial needs/gaps and capacity

assessments on SGBV in close coordination with any on-going joint/common

assessments being conducted in the early stages of an emergency response.

Provide support to integrate SGBV

prevention and response in humanitarian action plans of all programme

areas.

Actively contribute to the planning and

monitoring for multi-sectoral SGBV programming using the Results Framework

and Focus in close collaboration with Programme and different sectors.

Contribute to establishment/strengthening

of SGBV coordination mechanisms throughout the operation.

Contribute to establishment and/or

strengthening of new strategic and innovative partnerships for SGBV both

with community-based, local, national, and international organizations.

Provide support in mapping existing services

to address SGBV in the various affected areas, including identifying

community capacities and structures for potential partnership.

Advocate with senior management in UNHCR

and other partners, to ensure prioritization of SGBV prevention and response

as a life-saving response.

Keenly monitor SGBV programs implemented

by UNHCR and partners (both implementing and operational) and adjust

programming as required.

Monitor Standard Operating Procedures

(SOPs) for all GBV activities and case management systems.

Receive and compile data including on

GBVIMS from field units to prepare monthly operation report on SGBV

informing mid-west operation progress and major issues and challenges in

regards to SGBV prevention and response interventions.

Contribute to the identification of

durable solutions for persons of concern through voluntary repatriation,

local integration and where appropriate, resettlement.

Implement capacity-building activities for

all actors, the refugees, service provides including relevant Government

institutions and NGOs to strengthen the prevention and response to SGBV

and the enhancement of overall protection situation.

Provide technical support and guidance to

field units ensuring the implementation of activities is aligned to the overall

UNHCR and country SGBV strategy.

Key Performance Indicators:

Multi-sectoral SGBV prevention and

response programs based on needs and capacity assessment results are

established and programmed.

SGBV coordination mechanisms function with

all relevant stakeholders and partners.

Multi-sectoral UNHCR staff, key partners

and persons of concern are trained on SGBV prevention and response.





Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

The ideal candidate for the United Nations

UNHCR Assistant Protection Officer (SGBV) job placement should possess an

undergraduate degree (equivalent of a BA/BS) in International Development,

Cultural Studies, Human Rights, International Social Work, Social Science,

Political Science, Anthropology, Law or other clearly related disciplines

One year of relevant professional

experience.

Extensive knowledge and understanding of

SGBV prevention and response in displacement.

Excellent written and oral communication

skills.

Knowledge of local institutions.

Excellent knowledge of English and local

language.

How to Apply:

All interested Ugandan nationals who wish to join the United Nations

High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the aforementioned capacity are

encouraged to click on the link below and follow the application instructions

after reviewing the job details.

Deadline: 9th April 2018
Chand partys activities getting non-political: Minister Thapa

Home Minister Ram Bahadur Thapa has said the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal (CPN) are gradually venturing out into non-political activities.
The United States punished dozens of Russian oligarchs and government officials on Friday with sanctions that took direct aim at President Vladimir Putins inner circle, as President Donald Trumps administration tried to show hes not afraid to take tough action against Moscow.

Seven Russian tycoons, including aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska, were targeted, along with 17 officials and a dozen Russian companies, the Treasury Department said. Senior Trump administration officials cast it as part of a concerted, ongoing effort to push back on Putin, emphasizing that since Trump took office last year, the U.S. has punished 189 Russia-related people and entities with sanctions.

Rather than punishing Russia for one specific action, the new sanctions hit back at the Kremlin for its ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of bad behavior, said the officials, who werent authorized to comment by name and briefed reporters on condition of anonymity. The officials ticked through a list of complaints about Russias actions beyond its borders, including its annexation of Crimea, backing of separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine, support for Syrian President Bashar Assad, and cyber-hacking.

Above all else, Russias attempts to subvert Western democracy prompted the U.S. sanctions, officials said, in a direct nod to concerns that the U.S. president has failed to challenge Putin for alleged interference in the 2016 election that brought Trump to power.

Deripaska, whose business conglomerate controls assets from agriculture to machinery, has been a prominent figure in special counsel Robert Muellers Russia investigation over his ties to former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort. The Treasury Department said Deripaska was accused of illegal wiretaps, extortion, racketeering, money laundering and even death threats against business rivals.

On the London Stock Exchange, global depositary receipts of En+, an energy company majority-owned by Deripaska, dropped by 19 percent on news of the sanctions. Deripaskas conglomerate, Basic Element, said it regretted the sanctions and was analyzing them with its lawyers.

Putins government dismissed the sanctions as absurdity, arguing that the U.S. was punishing companies that have longstanding business ties to the U.S. The Russian Foreign Ministry said the U.S. was striking at ordinary Americans by jeopardizing thousands of jobs.

American democracy is clearly degrading, the ministry said. Of course, we will not leave the current and any new anti-Russian attack without a tough response.

To the dismay of Trumps critics and of Russia hawks, the president has continued to avoid directly criticizing Putin himself and recently invited the Russian leader to meet with him, possibly at the White House. Yet in recent weeks Trumps administration has rolled out a series of actions  including several economic and diplomatic steps  to increase pressure on Putin and those presumed to benefit from his power.

Nobody has been tougher on Russia than I have, Trump said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Yet even as it rolled out the new penalties, Trumps administration left open the possibility of a good relationship with Russia in the future. And at the White House, spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said discussions with Moscow about a Trump-Putin summit would not be called off.

Not at all, Sanders said. Well continue.

Those being punished arent necessarily involved in the Russian actions in Syria, Ukraine or elsewhere that have drawn consternation from the West. But officials said the goal was to put pressure on Putin by showing that those who have benefited financially from his position of power are fair game.

The target list includes some who are closely tied to Putin himself, including top-tier officials involved in Kremlin decision-making and heads of the top state-controlled business entities. Yet others on the list are far from the Kremlins orbit, including some who long have fallen out of favor or hold technical positions.

Targets include:

Kirill Shamalov, who is reportedly Putins son-in-law, married to his daughter Katerina Tikhonova, although neither Putin nor the Kremlin have acknowledged that she is his daughter.

Igor Rotenberg, the son of Arkady Rotenberg, a friend of Putins since they were teenagers.

Andrey Kostin, named among government officials, heads the nations second-largest bank, VTB, which is controlled by the state.

Alexei Miller, the longtime head of Gazprom, the state-controlled natural gas giant. Both Miller and Kostin are longtime key members of Putins team.

A state-owned arms-dealing company, accused by the U.S. of selling to Assad, was also targeted, along with a subsidiary bank. Many other targets were associated with Russias energy sector, including parts of Gazprom.

The sanctions freeze any assets that those targeted have in U.S. jurisdictions and bar Americans from doing business with them. But the administration said it would give guidance to Americans who may currently have business with them about how to wind down that business and avoid running afoul of the sanctions. Some, but not all, of the individuals sanctioned will also be prohibited from entering the United States.

It was not clear whether any of those hit have significant holdings in the U.S. that could be seized, and if they did previously, they may have already moved their money elsewhere in anticipation of the sanctions. In January, lists of Russian officials and oligarchs were published by the State Department and Treasury. The lists, required under a law passed last year, were informally seen as lists of potential future sanctions targets, even though the public version of the oligarchs list was merely a reprint of Forbes list of billionaires in Russia.

The U.S. also has punished Russia for other troubling activity, including its alleged involvement in the poisoning an ex-spy with a military-grade nerve agent in Britain. In tandem with European allies, the Trump administration expelled dozens of Russian diplomats and shut down the Russian consulate in Seattle. And last month, the U.S. targeted 19 Russians and five Russian entities with sanctions in the first use of the new sanctions powers Congress passed last year in response to the election meddling.

(AP)
Tony Hetherington is Financial Mail on Sunday's ace investigator, fighting readers corners, revealing the truth that lies behind closed doors and winning victories for those who have been left out-of-pocket. Find out how to contact him below.

D.H. writes: Last May I entered into a contract with claims company Action Direct (UK) Limited to determine whether I had a claim for payment protection insurance compensation.

Several weeks later the company called requesting information about the lender, Abbey National, which I was unable to supply.

I had no more contact until recently when I was called by an Action Direct representative.

Ban: The Ministry of Justice took steps against Action Direct (UK) Limited

I said I had heard nothing for more than six months and considered the matter closed. He asked if I wanted to cancel the agreement and, thinking this was a mutual closure, I agreed.

Then I received a further call saying that because I cancelled, I owed 400 for work completed.

I asked what work and was told Action Direct was not obliged to tell me. If I did not pay, I would be taken to court.

Tony replies: Action Direct (UK) Limited is licensed as a claims management company. But in 2011 the Ministry of Justice carried out an investigation into its conduct and banned it from taking on any more employment claims work and from representing customers before any employment tribunal or similar body.

It is still authorised to handle payment protection insurance claims.

The company is based at Bridgend in South Wales, but Companies House filings show it is owned by Fields Holdings Limited which is controlled by Bridgend businessman Jamie Hamilton Wallis.

He was a director of Action Direct when the Ministry of Justice imposed its ban and he stepped down soon afterwards.

The sole director of Action Direct is Natalie Ferry. I repeatedly invited her to comment on what you told me. Just as repeatedly, she did not respond.

A comment did come from an assistant at the company. She would not say whether she holds any position at Action Direct but claimed she had the authority to speak for Ferry.

She told me: 'Mr H agreed to be bound by our terms when he signed and returned our documentation.

'Our terms it [sic] clearly state the fees that shall be applicable if the client wishes to cancel after the initial 14 day cancellation period.'

The assistant refused to say what work Action Direct had carried out. You have told me the company rang you up and asked for details of a loan you had many years ago.

You explained that you no longer had the details. That is it. If Action Direct did anything more, then it is not saying so.

I believe Action Direct's threat to sue you is a cruel bluff. You were steered over the phone into cancelling the agreement  and you are now being steered into handing over 400. But for what?

Action Direct's contract says: 'If we do not recover you anything, you do not pay us anything.'

The 400 demand you received is not legally a demand at all. It is a 'pro forma invoice'.

This is a document used in some trades to show a price before goods or services are provided. It is not a legal invoice and not a demand for payment. Let us see Action Direct try to enforce that in court.

The mysterious assistant wants you to contact Action Direct 'to try and reach a satisfactory remedy'.

She is upset that you contacted The Mail on Sunday. Frankly, I would ignore her.

You have given me copies of complaints you sent to the company before you contacted me. All she need do is reply to them.

But if you receive any more threats or demands, let me know  and perhaps the claims management regulator might be interested too.

Mobile phone giant was going to charge for its billing clanger

I.B. writes: A text message from O2 advised that my regular mobile phone bill credit card payment had been rejected. If I did not settle the bill within four days I would face a late payment fee.

I called O2 and paid the bill but I also called my card company and was told no previous charge had been made against my card and no charge had been rejected.

The card company said it had been inundated with similar enquiries.

Text shock: O2 mobile phone users faced card payment fault

O2 and its parent company Telefonica confirmed to me you always pay your monthly phone bill in full, by way of a continuous authority to charge the bill to your credit card.

I was told: 'We sent our payment request for Mr B's bill as normal but unfortunately this was not processed correctly.

As a result, this triggered the text message Mr B received regarding a late payment. The issue has since been fixed'.

O2 did not tell me who slipped up, or how, but it did explain: 'We have been working with our payment solutions partner who process our continuous card payments as part of our investigation.'

This suggests that O2 billed you correctly but an outside contractor failed to charge your card.

O2 has apologised and credited your account with 25 for the inconvenience. I hope lots of O2 customers did not receive similar texts or pay the penalty fee.

I'm a pensioner, but Revenue demanded 14k corporation tax

N.M. writes: I am sending you a letter from Revenue & Customs, delivered by hand to my home while I was on holiday.

The letter demands more than 14,000 in corporation tax. My initial reaction was this was a hoax as the letter is addressed to a limited company and not to me.

But the Revenue confirmed it is genuine and says it has information that the company's director resided at my address.

I can understand your concern. The letter is not just a demand for more than 14,000. It is headed: 'Warning of enforcement action.'

It begins: 'I called today to collect payment of the above amount or to determine your assets for sale at auction.'

Not unreasonably, you have been afraid that Revenue officials or bailiffs will now turn up on your doorstep and try to seize your furniture, car and any personal belongings that could be sold to cover the tax bill.

Yet you have lived at the same address since 2004, you are 70 years old and retired and you have never heard of the construction company named in the Revenue's demand. There is also the small legal point that an individual should not be pursued for the debts of a limited company.

It took me around ten minutes to cross-check Companies House records and the electoral register. I found the real address of the director whose company owes all this money.

I asked staff at Revenue headquarters to see whether anyone misused your address and nobody has. Rather, it was a clerical error by tax office staff. Your address has now been removed from its records and you have received an official apology.

I flagged up ID theft and was hit by a penalty fee

J.W. writes: A Barclaycard was taken out fraudulently in my name. The first indication I had was a demand for a late payment fee of 12.

I reported this to the fraud department at Barclaycard and asked for the account to be closed. But they sent me a replacement card.

I cut it up and sent it back, but I still receive demands.

Scam: A Barclaycard was taken out fraudulently in my name

This was an unsuccessful fraud by whoever applied for the card in your name. The card was used just twice, running up a bill of 16. Barclaycard accepted that the card was not yours.

It cancelled the balance due but failed to scrap the interest and penalty fees, which grew to 48. You even had an adverse entry placed on your credit file showing you were in arrears.

A Barclaycard official told me: 'We are sorry Mr W's account was not immediately cleared and for the confusion this has caused.'

The fees have been scrapped, your credit file has been cleaned up and by the time you read this you should have received 50 from Barclaycard as a gesture of goodwill.
The AA chairman sacked for hitting a colleague had earlier faced a police investigation for allegedly punching a woman in the street.

Bob Mackenzie struck Catherine Dodkin in the face, splitting her lip, and pushed her against a wall splitting her head open, it is claimed.

During the fracas, Mackenzie also allegedly broke his leg after being knocked over by the womans boyfriend who tried to protect her.

The father-of-five told colleagues at the AA he was injured after tripping on a pavement. It came ten months before he attacked a fellow executive at the company, leading to his dismissal and an ongoing legal battle over its terms.

Last night Mackenzies spokesman refuted Dodkins version of events and said he was separately launching a private prosecution for assault against her and her then-partner, Warren Spires.

Describing the incident to the Daily Telegraph, Dodkin claimed she was attacked after challenging a chauffeur driving Mackenzie and his wife home from a black-tie dinner, for driving too fast.

She said: This car went past. I thought it was going too fast and I was concerned. I went to speak to the driver and knocked on the window and said: Crikey! You were going very quickly. What were you doing?

The next thing I know this man got out of the back and came around and started shouting at me.

He [Mackenzie] was inches from my face. His body language was so aggressive. And then he punched me. He smacked me in the face. That is when my lip split.

Dodkin, 40, said she was floored by the punch but got back up, only to be shoved into the wall. She was left pouring with blood from a resulting head wound.

Dodkin said her boyfriend  who had been parking his car  then intervened. She claims Mackenzie broke his leg and ankle after he went for her partner, who defended himself.

Mackenzies spokesman said: Having heard these allegations from Dodkin, which we completely repudiate, we are instructing lawyers to issue criminal proceedings for assault against Catherine Dodkin, of LPP Estates, and Warren Spires, of Euro Car Parks.

Mackenzie, 65, claimed he was acting in self-defence to protect his wife Jane. He denied punching Dodkin but said he shoved her. Mackenzie was sacked from his 1.2m-a-year job after he attacked the AAs head of insurance, Mike Lloyd, in July last year. He blamed it on stress and exhaustion from his job, and mixing prescription drugs with alcohol.

He said the incident, at the five-star Pennyhill Park Hotel, in Surrey, was out of character.

He is suing the AA for 220m but the motoring organisation is likely to counter-sue and demand the return of 1.2m bonuses owing to gross misconduct. The legal fight will take place in the High Court.

Dodkin, who runs a property management business in Mayfair, said she was attacked ten months earlier in Bermondsey, south-east London, in September 2016.

An investigation by the Metropolitan Police was dropped because neither side wanted to press charges. There was also a lack of CCTV evidence.

Mackenzie claims Dodkin acted first in the fracas. He said: The woman scratched at my wife. I tried to hold the woman at arms length. She ripped my hearing aid and threw it down the road.

A spokesman for Catherine Dodkin said: The police interviewed all parties at the time and she would be very happy to cooperate with them again or anybody else.

Warren Spires could not be reached for comment.
Tika R Pradhan is a senior political correspondent for the Post, covering politics, parliament, judiciary and social affairs. Pradhan joined the Post in 2016 after working at The Himalayan Times for more than a decade.
Sir,



What a shock one experienced on Saturday morning of March 31, 2018. Driving into town and then reading from the posts, this headline: Gideon Mahlalela dies. Obviously, the first question was: was he sick and why did we not know about this?

Or: has he died from a car accident, this being a long and busy weekend? All these questions ran fast in my mind while driving to find parking and then run to the News Stands to buy the paper in order to get answers to all the questions; the rest is history.



Who was Gideon Mahlalela and why does he deserve tributes from all those of us who knew him and worked with him? In 1990, I joined the Board of Directors of the Federation of Swaziland Employers, representing the Wholesale, Retail and Distributing Trades. Gideon Mahlalela and Alpheos K. Sibiya were the few black Swazis in this board at that time, but very effective in their contributions. This period also coincided with Governments demands for the localisation of the position of Executive Director, a position orchestrated by African Unions and Employers in Geneva during those years annual ILO conferences.



Our Government of that time yielded to this scandalous pressure which used claims I cannot repeat here.



Due to pressure



Due to this pressure, we began looking for a credible and suitable Swazi who could understudy Peter Dodds, who had excellently served the employer community of Swaziland. But due to the political pressure of that time, we had to do something - try to recruit this suitable Swazi from among the crop of emerging human resources managers.

Gideon, Alph and myself were among the team charged with finding this suitable candidate and we went through so many candidates such that one day, when we failed to agree on one candidate, whom I believed was the suitable one, I quit the team in protest thinking that my colleagues were looking for just another white expatriate.



It was Gideon who called me first and chastised me for being impatient and not asking the appropriate questions of what sort of qualities were we looking for. I told him to go to hell and put down the phone.

To my shock and surprise, the next call came from Dr. Derek Von Wissell, asking me to join him for tea at his office at Swaki. Not suspecting anything to do with the recruitment saga, I went there. To my further shock and anger, Dr. Von Wissell told me that I was betraying the trust of my colleagues by pulling out of the process because they were just unable to tell me the truth, which was that the person they actually needed was myself. I left him without saying anything except thanking him for the tea . The rest is history - except to say I was further amazed to receive a call from the Prime Minister of the time - one Obed Mfanyana Dlamini, accusing me of not willing to serve the nation.



Once I was in the office as Executive Director, I looked up to people such as Gideon, Alph, Dr. Gosnell of Ubombo Sugar, Dr. Von Wissell, although he was in Cabinet by that time, Tom Dlamini, Mark Ward and one newspaper owner - Doug Lofler. These are the people who made my arrival at the FSE the success I believe it turned out to be.

Now, taking Gideon Mahlalela exclusively, the 1990s were not easy years in Swaziland. What of the Mass stay-aways? What of a Government which only relied on force; sometimes killing some of the striking workers? What did all these mean to the employers in this country who were hurting because the strikes were targeting them? It was during this testing time that Gideon self selected himself to be on the frontline of confronting this situation.



group in mediating



He became the leader of the employers group in mediating between the Government and the Swaziland Federation of Trade Unions (SFTU) during Prince Mbilinis time as Prime Minister. It was during this time of crisis that Gideons leadership reflected itself as a unifier.



After the most destructive Mass Stay away of March 12 and 13, 1995, with Government totally unable to manage the Unions and their 27 demands, Gideon came up with an idea which he presented to his colleagues in the board. The idea was to engage the unions through a formal setting, either of dialoguing or for training or conflict resolution, facilitated by professionals from either South Africa or negotiated with the American Embassy in Swaziland.

Fortunately, the Americans had already created or established a capacity building structure called Stride, which was being funded by USAID. It was this outfit that responded quickly to this request and helped the two sides find one another.



It, therefore, came as no surprise when from May 2-4, 1995, at Ezulwini Inn, Gideon led all of us to develop a futuristic agenda of Vision 2020, which became the forerunner of Vision 2022. Such was Gideon Mahlalela. He had such foresight and such energy to do things that would benefit the nation.



thoroughly disappointed



In the late 1990s, the FSE, having been thoroughly disappointed with the Governments misleading of our King by letting him launch a fake 2022 Vision, turned to other strategies of harnessing the national mindset to adopt other ways and means of getting this nation to a better future of peace and prosperity. This time it sought permission from His Majesty the King to try the concept of Smart Partnership.

With that mandate given, it wrote to Dr. Mihaela Smith in London, informing her and her team that it had been instructed by His Majesty the King that she considered establishing the hub here as well. She jumped at the challenge and it came as no surprise that we held both our national, as well as the global Smart Partnership conferences in Swaziland in 2003.

However, readers must remember that at the close of that National Smart Partnership Conference, the Prime Minister of that time stood up in front of our King and Queen Mother and all of us, to say that he was the Lightning Arrestor and we immediately knew what he meant - killing the process, as it is dead right now in Swaziland!



But Gideon kept the light on , representing an unwilling nation at CPTM since that time in 2003 until he met his death. We, therefore, mourn with all those whose minds worry about the lack of development in this country 50 years after independence. We mourn with the business community of Swaziland for losing one of its very faithful and hardworking members in Gideon Mahlalela. We mourn with his family for having lost a husband, father, brother, uncle and or cousin. Your loss is a national loss, hence we are all mourning the death of our beloved brother and colleague. I have no doubt that his peers at CPTM are also mourning his untimely departure. He truly shall be missed!



But let us take solace in the knowledge that God had given him to us all, and that it is the same God who has now called him to Himself, and May His name be praised. Amen.



By Musa Hlophe




LOMAHASHA  It was 6:33am when Gideon Mahlalelas body touched down at the deep end of his grave yesterday in Lomahasha, his parental home.



His wife, Mary, who came all the way from Canada to bury her husband, was inconsolable when she saw the Mbabane Burial Societys pall bearers lowering the casket into the ground.



Mahlalelas son, Jama, was inconsolable too. However, he tried to comfort other relatives who were also in tears. Despite that prominent people were conspicuously absent; more than 1 000 mourners paid their last respects to the former chief executive officer of Swaziland Railway (SR) who was, throughout the vigil, described by mourners as a legend in corporate governance.



The hearse ferried his casket to the gravesite just before 6am. By then, it was still dark. Pall bearers waited for about 20 minutes at the graveyard in the hope that the sun would rise soon to give light as they did not want to experience hiccups when they lowered the casket to the ground.



The sun rises in the East and Mahlalela was also buried in the East. As if to say goodbye to him, two birds flew over the mourners.

The family graveyard overlooks South Africa and Mozambique. Mahlalelas parental home is a stones throw away from the fence separating the boundaries of the two countries - Mozambique and Swaziland.



His home is situated two kilometres away from Mbuzini in Mozambique, where President Samora Machel and 43 others were killed in a Tupolev Tu-jetliner crash on October 19, 1986.

Therefore, some of his relatives live in Mozambican and South African territories.



They also came to pay their last respects to the man who was instrumental to the success of the Smart Partnership dialogue.

In fact, Mahlalela was buried by ordinary people. There were so many of them in attendance. They spoke highly of him. The CEOs, MDs, GMs and PSs were nowhere to be seen. However, members of the rank and file hired minibuses to ferry them from Mbabane to Lomahasha.


NGWENYA  Barely five months after tying the knot with Prime Minister Sibusiso Barnabas Dlamini, Gugu Precious Simelane has been elevated to the position of Head teacher at Ngwenya Central Primary School.



she has been at the school since January as deputy head teacher after being transferred there.

Coincidentally, Simelane steps into the shoes of another Simelane, Bheki, who has been Head teacher at the school for as little as two years after being transferred there recently.



Her promotion is, however, clouded with controversy as it has been made against the Teaching Service Regulations of 1983.

The promotion has been effected without the vacant post having been advertised and potential candidates interviewed.



Section 25 (1) of the regulations clearly spells out that: If a promotional post exists in the teaching service, including the post of head teacher and deputy head teacher, the Teaching Service Commission shall advertise the post and shall invite applicants for it.



INvite candidates to interview



In sub-section (2), the regulation also provides that: The Teaching Service Commission shall invite candidates referred to in sub-regulation (1) for an interview and shall thereafter communicate its decision directly to the candidates and shall also notify any other person affected by the outcome of the interview.



Teaching Service Commission Executive Secretary Mduduzi Nkambule confirmed that the post that Simelane has been promoted into was never advertised.



There was no need to advertise the vacant post at Ngwenya Central Primary, Nkambule said, stating that this was because Simelane had already been previously interviewed for the position of Head teacher sometime last year but the vacancy was in another school.

So now there was no need and we had promised her that we would look for another school for her. We had agreed on that one, Nkambule stated.



He wondered why there was suddenly an interest in the post at Ngwenya Central Primary School not being advertised because they were normally not asked this by the media regarding vacancies in other schools.

Why are you asking now, especially regarding this post? What has triggered this, is it because she is the PMs wife? he asked rhetorically.
Delays prevent naming chief of anti-graft body

The delay in appointing a chief to head the countrys anti-graft authority impairs it from working to its full potential.
by Louis Raphael Sako*

To mark tomorrows commemoration, Mar Sako says that the bloodshed is "a source of inspiration" that can give hope. Overcoming all forms of terrorism can lead to stability. The goal is to preserve the Christian presence in the country and the Middle East and "disperse darkness from this land".

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  The blood of Iraqi martyrs is a "source of inspiration" that can provide spiritual values" to fill our life with hope, human dignity, tolerance and peace, writes Chaldean primate Mar Louis Raphael Sako in a message to the Chaldean community and sent to AsiaNews for wider circulation. The occasion is the Day of the Chaldean Martyrs, which will be celebrated tomorrow, 6 April.

In his letter, the prelate looks at the violence the Chaldean Church endured in the recent years of darkness, hoping that the nation can rid itself of "all forms of terrorism" and find stability". Noting the Churchs long trail of blood  from the first martyrs and the genocide of 1915 to the death of Mgr Rahho , Mar Sako calls for faster reconstruction of the villages and cities destroyed in the conflict.

At this historical juncture, the aim of this is to help displaced people return and preserve the remaining number of Christians in Iraq as well as disperse darkness from this land". The patriarchs message follows.

The commemoration of the martyrs of our Church takes place on the Friday following Easter, which means it comes within the celebration of the Easter-Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Historically, our Church has been generous in shedding blood for the sake of faith, such as Mar Shimon Barssabai and his companions in early centuries, followed by Bishops: Adday Sher, Jacob Abraham, Thomas Audo and hundreds of others. As well as the unforgettable genocide in 1915 and recently in 2008 Archbishop Faraj Rahho, Father Ragheed Kenny, their comrades by the extremists of al-Qaeda.

The resurrection and the blood of the martyrs are a source of inspiration and have a spiritual value that fills our life with hope, human dignity, tolerance and peace. Our nation will rise up and get rid of all forms of terrorism, killing, destruction and displacement, and will enjoy security, stability, economic and social prosperity.

Remembering Martyrs at Easter time provides us with hope, renew our trust in life, and fulfil our wishes.

Currently, there is more awareness among the church leadership in the Middle East, that strength comes from our unity, the same thing applies to Christians at-large at this region. Therefore, they are looking forward for more interaction between the church leadership at this critical time.

As, we hope that the clergy and the faithful will be aware of the challenges and threats, we encourage them to realize their responsibilities in working as one team, because their existence and strength relies on unity, which is the only way to make changes. Christians are also called to be committed to their sacred homeland, believing deeply that good deeds, love and peace will ultimately overcome injustice.

Joining Pope Francis, I would like to stress, that the spiritual, human and social message of the Church is universal: stating that our mission is to serve and love by following Christ. We must find ways to provide more comfort, stability and well-being to people after all the anguish they have suffered from terrorism and destruction. One of these ways, is to build the villages and cities that were destroyed by conflict in order to allow the internally displaced people returning to their homes.

We hope that this special occasion will provide a new vision for the mission of the Church, especially that we need in such circumstances to preserve the remaining number of Christians in Iraq and create more interaction between clergy and their faithful on one hand and between them and their fellows of other religions on the other hand to disperse darkness from this land of civilizations.

* Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad and president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Iraq
Helping people on the move

Nepali government should pay attention to the fact that Nepal is now a hub for asylum seekers.
[April 08, 2018] Honor World Carnival is Coming to Vietnam

HO CHI MINH CITY, Vietnam, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Honor, a leading smartphone e-brand, today announced its biggest sales event of the year, Honor World Carnival, will start this week to celebrate its overwhelming success in overseas markets during Q1 2018. According to sales figures as of March 25, Honor's sales outside of China almost doubled in the first quarter of 2018. To thank fans for their support, Honor World Carnival will offer an unmatched US$270 million in cumulative savings to consumers. The discounts will be available across tens of Honor's global markets including Vietnam, one of the key markets in South East Asia for Honor. "We want to thank our fans and consumers all around the world for helping us to succeed as a leading e-brand. We are offering unparalleled deals this year for Honor World Carnival," said Mr. George Zhao, President of Honor. "Honor World Carnival is part of our longstanding dedication to providing unrivaled products at unbeatable prices. We look forward to co-creating more fun experiences with our fans in Vietnam and bringing quality products which best fit in the needs of local young generations." In Vietnam, Honor World Carnival promotions will start on April 10 on different platforms including LAZADA, Tiki and Shopee. Great deals will be promoted to Vietnamese customers who purchase Honor phones on these sites. Promotion details are as below:







Platform Date Time Product on promotion Promotion details LAZADA April 10, 2018 10am  12pm Honor 9 Lite Voucher valued at 300,000 VND

and the earphones 10am  12pm Honor 7X Voucher valued at 500,000 VND Tiki 12pm  1pm Honor 9 Lite Voucher valued at 300,000 VND 10am  12pm Honor 7X Voucher valued at 500,000 VND

and the UBL earphones Shopee 12pm  6pm Honor 9 Lite Voucher valued at 300,000 VND 12pm  6pm Honor 7X Voucher valued at 500,000 VND

With a unique Internet-powered business model, unrivaled product, and unbeatable value, Honor has taken its successful business model from China to the global market. As Mr. George Zhao, President of Honor, announced in a launch event in London last December, Honor aims to become a top-five smartphone brand by 2020. Since then, Honor has continued building up its young, innovative, and trend-setting brand image in the Europe and US markets - the brand received ten "Best of CES" awards in the US in January and collaborated with fashion brand KOCHE at Paris Fashion Week in February. During this year's first quarter, Honor has made major progress across Asia, where its massive consumer base represents significant growth potential. In Myanmar, Honor opened its first overseas experience store in January, integrating product experience together with lifestyle trends for a young generation. In Indonesia, Honor set up a local manufacturing line in March, demonstrating its commitment to Indonesian users and the local business environment. In Thailand, Honor signed agreements with over 3,000 stores across the nation, ensuring that Honor fans could purchase devices conveniently at the sales channel of their choice. According to Sino Market Research, an independent market research firm, Honor surpassed all industry players in China, from January to December, in terms of sales volume and revenue, with shipment volume at almost 55 million, and sales revenue at CNY79 billion (over US$12 billion). Honor World Carnival was first established in 2014 as a sales event to recognize its global fan base and consumers. This year marks the event's fifth consecutive year, and the company has more to celebrate than ever, following a spectacular year. Honor World Carnival will offer unprecedented prices, making it the prime time to purchase the brand's award-winning devices, with deals to be found for almost all Honor products, such as the Honor 6A, Honor 6C, Honor 6X, Honor 7X, Honor 8 Lite, Honor 9, Honor 9 Lite, Honor View10, and more. About Honor Honor is a leading smartphone e-brand under the Huawei Group. In line with its slogan, "For the Brave", the brand was created to meet the needs of digital natives through internet-optimized products that offer superior user experiences, inspire action, foster creativity and empower the young to achieve their dreams. In doing this, Honor has set itself apart by showcasing its own bravery to do things differently and to take the steps needed to usher in the latest technologies and innovations for its customers. For more information, please visit Honor online at www.hihonor.com or follow us on:

https://www.facebook.com/honorglobal/

https://twitter.com/Honorglobal

https://www.instagram.com/honorglobal/

https://www.youtube.com/honorglobal Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180408/2099174-1-a

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20180408/2099174-1-b SOURCE Honor

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[April 08, 2018] Socure CEO to Discuss Online Identity Verification Challenges at LendIt FinTech Conference

Socure, a leading provider of predictive analytics for digital identity verification, today announced its CEO Sunil Madhu has been invited to present at LendIt Fintech USA 2018 in San Francisco next week. Sunil will join an expert panel to discuss how to fight financial crimes now that online and mobile have become primary transaction channels for consumers and businesses.







WHO: Sunil Madhu, founder and CEO of Socure, is a data science, identity, and financial services expert. He has more than 20 years of experience developing technology innovations in analytics, machine learning, and identity/access management. Sunil has helped create interoperability standards for online identity and transactions including SAML and XACML. Moderator: Andrew Dix, Co-Founder and CEO, Crowdfund Insider Other Panelists: Sarah Clark, Senior Vice President, Global Product Management, Mitek Systems Charles Delingpole, Founder and CEO, ComplyAdvantage WHAT: Verifying the identity of online users for new account openings is a major obstacle to fighting financial crime. Depending on the approach used, it can lead to high fraud rates, low acceptance rates, and too many manual reviews. In this session, Sunil will discuss how advances in data science, analytics and machine learning can be applied to static offline and dynamic online data sources to reach unprecedented levels of accuracy and reliability for online identity verification. WHEN: Monday, April 9, 2018, 4:10pm - 4:50 PM PDT WHERE: Using ID Verification to Fight Financial Crime LendIt Fintech USA 2018, Moscone Center West, 800 Howard St., San Francisco http://www.lendit.com/usa/2018/agenda HOW: To schedule a conversation with Sunil Madhu in San Francisco or by phone, contact Marc Gendron at marc@mgpr.net or +1 781.237.0341.

About LendIt

LendIt is the world's largest event series dedicated to connecting the fintech and lending community. Our conferences bring together the fintech firms, investors, and service providers in our industry for unparalleled educational, networking, and business development opportunities. LendIt hosts three conferences annually: our flagship conference LendIt USA as well as LendIt Europe in London and LendIt China in Shanghai. Learn more at http://www.lendit.com/. About Socure

Socure is the leader in high-assurance digital identity verification. The company's predictive analytics platform applies artificial intelligence and machine learning to trusted online/offline sources including email, phone, address, IP address, social media and traditional GLBA/DPPA data to authenticate identities in real-time. The Socure ID+ platform reduces fraud by up to 90 percent, lowers manual review/knowledge-based authentication (KBA) rates by as much as 80 percent, and automates Customer Identification Program (CIP), Know Your Customer (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) compliance initiatives. For more information visit www.socure.com. View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180408005013/en/

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[April 08, 2018] StreamSets Expands International Footprint With Sydney Office

SAN FRANCISCO and SYDNEY, Australia, April 08, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- StreamSets Inc., provider of the industrys only enterprise Data Operations Platform, announced today that it has extended its overseas presence with a new office located in Sydney. In the heart of the Central Business District, the Sydney office is the the hub for operations in the region, serving Australia and New Zealand and positioning StreamSets to meet strong demand for its solutions. The new office is the companys third international location and first outside of Europe and North America.

StreamSets already has several Australian customers, including multiple government entities, a transportation and logistics company, plus a leading IT consultancy in New Zealand. With major firms in banking, mining, telecommunications and retail, as well as a sophisticated government sector, Australia and New Zealand are critical markets for the company. StreamSets new local presence takes advantage of these opportunities and builds on its business momentum in the region. Organizations around the world struggle to efficiently, reliabl and continuously flow data to their data-driven initiatives, from data lakes to customer 360, cybersecurity and IoT, said Shekhar Iyer, president, StreamSets. Companies and government agencies in Australia and New Zealand have been quick to recognize the value of modernizing their complex data movement through the StreamSets Data Operations Platform. Weve expanded our coverage to the region to ensure local responsiveness and capitalize on our early success.



About StreamSets

StreamSets provides the industrys only Data Operations Platform that enables companies to build, execute, operate and protect the continuous dataflows that feed their business initiatives such as data lakes, IOT, cybersecurity and streaming applications. The platform combines award-winning open source Data Collector software that executes batch and streaming data movement while uniquely handling data drift, with a cloud-native Control Hub for enterprise-scale automation and management of continuous dataflow topologies. Founded by Girish Pancha, former chief product officer of Informatica, and Arvind Prabhakar, a former engineering leader at Cloudera, StreamSets is backed by top-tier Silicon Valley venture capital firms, including Battery Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and Accel Partners. For more information, visit www.streamsets.com. StreamSets and associated marks and trademarks are registered trademarks of StreamSets Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Media Contact:

Reynaldo Silva

BOCA Communications

streamsets@bocacommunications.com

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[April 08, 2018] Minister Carr Issues Statement regarding Trans Mountain Expansion

OTTAWA, April 8, 2018 /CNW/ - "The Government of Canada believes that the Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline is in our national interest, which is why we approved the project and why we continue to stand by our decision. This crucial resource project will expand export markets for Canadian resources and create thousands of good, middle class jobs and no one should be standing in the way of those jobs and the families that stand to benefit. The Government of Canada calls on Premier Horgan and the B.C. government to end all threats of delay to the Trans Mountain Expansion. His government's actions stand to harm the entire Canadian economy. Ata time of great global trade uncertainty, the importance of Canada's role in the global energy market is bigger than individual projects and provinces.



We will act in Canada's national interest to see that this project is built. Our government's approach to resource development will grow our economy and protect the environment. These are not competing interests, they are shared priorities. We have the responsibility to ensure the stability and growth of the Canadian economy and to get our resources to market, and British Columbia shares in this responsibility. Our government stands behind this project and has the jurisdiction in this matter. Under Canadian constitutional law, this is well-established and clear and has been reaffirmed by multiple courts, including the Supreme Court of Canada.

We are determined to find a solution. With all our partners, we continue to consider all available options. As our Prime Minister has said, this pipeline will be built." Follow us on Twitter: @NRCan SOURCE Natural Resources Canada

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Hindu religious leader shot and injured in Biratnagar

A Hindu religious leader was shot by unknown assailants at Jatuwa of Biratnagar Metropolitan in the wee hours of Sunday morning, police said.
Joint statement during the state visit of PM Oli to India

1. The Rt. Honble Mr KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, is on a State visit to India from April 6-8, 2018, at the invitation of the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi.
WASHINGTON (CNS) - About 2,000 people gathered on the National Mall April 4 to mark the 50th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and to commit themselves to fighting racism and discrimination. The gathering - called the "A.C.T.
Kansas City Global Climate Change

Winter refuses to go away: Snow returns to Kansas City Posted: Sunday, April 8, 2018 6:26 PM EDT Updated: Sunday, April 8, 2018 6:28 PM EDT KANSAS CITY, MO (KCTV) - Yes, you're not imaging that snow you're seeing outside right now. A band of snow has entered the Kansas City metro area.

Golden Ghetto Burnout

Eleven rescued, twenty displaced from O.P. apartment fire OVERLAND PARK, Kans. - UPDATE: APRIL 8, 10:45A.M. -A person in a nearby playground called 911 about 8:20 reporting smoke coming from the apartment building. It happened in a building at the Magnolia Parc apartment complex off of 80th Street in Overland Park.

Kansas City Scribe Contemplation

Writer with The Call recalls KC riots and the one good thing that may have come out of it KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- After the fires were out and the dust settled in the 1968 riots, questions lingered. Why would Kansas City police use that level of force on unarmed teenage students? How did white Kansas Citians respond? And what came after?

Today's KCMO Runaround

Police chase ends with driver in custody; two passengers suffer critical injuries KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- A police chase ended on Saturday with a driver in custody and two people hospitalized with critical injuries. Police said a silver Pontiac Grand Prix struck a parked KCPD police cruiser at a crash scene near 59th Terrace and Jackson.

New Hope For Fanboys

Kansas City Royals: It is time to appreciate Ian Kennedy Ever since Ian Kennedy signed his 5-years/$70 million deal in 2016 with the Kansas City Royals, Kennedy has been beaten down by fans. Whether that is because of the structure of his contract, having an opt-out after 2017, or the fact that he signed the second highest contract in franchise history, Kennedy has not really received a fair shake in Kansas City.

Local Cinderella Via MO Rage

Opera's Miss Congeniality Takes On a Rare 'Cinderella' "My character, after a flame with a Roman soldier in woods," she said, "runs to Norma's hut, drops to her knees and begs her friend for forgiveness. And I did the same gesture I had done for five weeks of rehearsal: I collapsed on my knees and cradled my head - the same physical gesture Joe had done.

First, a pop-diva puts life for the plebs into perspective:And then we review some of the top news links for the day:And this thefor right now . . .
TKC TOLD YOU SO!!! KCPD AND CITY HALL TARGET DOWNTOWN DRIVERS IN A DESPERATE EFFORT FOR MORE REVENUE AND TO SPEED UP SLUGGISH TOY TRAIN STREETCAR!!!

The new downtown parking crackdown is a turning point for Kansas City, MO because police are now actively working to enforce development focused policy that mostly benefits the luxury condo dwellers and developers.

Public Works and KCPD partner to improve downtown parking access

As Kansas Citys downtown momentum continues to attract more residents, visitors and businesses, the Parking Services Division of the Public Works Department and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department have partnered to support downtown businesses and residents through a parking enforcement upgrade.





As part of the budget process, the city allocated $145,000 to KCPD to increase downtown parking enforcement operations. As a result, starting Monday, April 9, 2018, KCPD will increase downtown parking enforcement. Warning tickets will be issued for a short period of time, however, if the parking violation is a safety concern, or impedes the natural flow of traffic, a citation could be issued.





We know that we can best support our downtown businesses with adequate levels of parking enforcement to encourage parking turnover. This fits into the Citys efforts to implement parking policies based on community input and best practices, says Public Works Director Sherri McIntyre.





The City already has online parking garage reservations, mobile payment for metered parking, electric vehicle charging stations, and car-share services. Other parking improvement efforts include recent parking studies in the River Market and Crossroads Arts District. The City is implementing recommendations from those studies, including development of technology that would offer real time parking availability with a new smart-phone app. The City also recently rolled out a demo of several smart parking meters downtown with the goal of using community feedback to choose one vendor for permanent installations.





You can find updates on parking policy improvements by visiting kcmo.gov/parking

At the outset of this year our blog community was the only news outlet in KCMO to put this crackdown in the proper perspective and now it's news fact . . .To wit . . .Talk of public safety is mostly to appease the plebs and give corporate newsies more copy to regurgitate . . . Following this logic, when this parking crackdownenforced - Authorities were simply risking local lives . . . Unlikely.Check the notice . . .Deets:########Developing . . .
Saudi Arabia plans to dig a 60-km-long maritime channel along its border with Qatar, effectively turning the small Gulf peninsula into an island, reported Saudi news website Sabq.



The project -- if approved by the Saudi authorities -- will be slated for completion within 12 months, stated the website.



The project will reportedly be carried out by a consortium of nine local investors at a total cost of SR2.8 billion ($750 million).



The canal will ostensibly have "touristic" applications as well, creating fresh shoreline that could be used for hotels and beach resorts, according to Sabq.



The waterway will reportedly be 60 km long, 200 m wide and 15 to 20 m deep, allowing it to accommodate mid-sized cargo and passenger vessels.



Five mega-hotels and holiday resorts, along with two new harbors, have also been planned within the context of the project.



The canal along the length of the Saudi-Qatari border is the latest surprising twist in the ongoing diplomatic and economic standoff between the two countries.



Last summer, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain collectively severed ties with Qatar, creating one of the biggest crises in inter-Arab relations in recent history, stated the Sabq report.



The commercial rationale is to develop tourism resorts along the new waterway, with plans for at least five hotels. Ports will also be constructed and a free trade zone set up, it added.
European Investment Bank (EIB) was always ready to support Lebanon in the implementation of the governments investment plan, said its president, while pledging up to 800 million ($985 million) in public investments by 2020.



Werner Hoyer was speaking at the CEDRE conference organised in Paris recently.



"We have provided nearly 1.8 billion of financing to projects in Lebanon, of which 45 per cent has been allocated to public investments in critical infrastructure, primarily in wastewater and transport sectors," he stated.



Hoyer commended the Lebanese authorities for the reforms implemented so far. He highlighted that the pursuit of such reforms and the new measures presented during the conference would enable the EIB to deploy investments of up to 800 million.



Hoyer said Lebanon would be supported via the EIBs Economic Resilience Initiative for the Western Balkans and Southern Neighbourhood (ERI) which is intended to encourage investment in the EU Neighbourhood Countries.



The EIB, he stated, was a longstanding partner to Lebanon. The Bank signed recently a financing agreement of 68 million for the expansion of Al Ghadir water and wastewater plant.



Over the years, the Bank provided financing across many sectors; energy ( 112 million), transport (335 million), equity (26.5 million), water and wastewater (401 million) as well as private sector development (705 million).



EIB is working closely with the government of Lebanon to provide necessary finance for needed projects.



It EIB is able to substantially scale up financing activities in Lebanon, as well as other EU neighbours, thanks to the donor funds raised from EU Member States, including Croatia, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Slovakia and the UK, it added.-TradeArabia News Service
Students from six major UAE Universities will participate in the upcoming Global Aerospace Summit 2018, which will analyse key issues and solutions that face the aviation, aerospace, defence and space sectors in Abu Dhabi, UAE.



The event takes place at the St Regis Saadiyat Island Resort in Abu Dhabi between the April 30 and May 2.



The students from Abu Dhabi University (AD University), American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK), Khalifa University (KU), University of Sharjah, United Arab Emirates University (UAEU), and New York University  Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) will showcase a number of aerospace projects under development at their respective institutions.



The growing importance of space science, exploration and technology will be on display as students from AURAK, KU, University of Sharjah and NYUAD will showcase five different types of CubeSat or CanSat satellite projects under development at their respective universities.



Meanwhile on the aerospace front, the students from AD University and UAEU will highlight a variety of projects related to commercial drones, hybrid rockets, aerospace engineering, aircraft simulation for modern flight management systems, and the fabrication of heavy lift aircraft.



Along with showcasing their work, participating students and local youth will also be taking part in the Young Space Leaders Forum. The signature event of the final day of the Summit, the Forum brings together inspirational role models from the international space sector and young Emirati space pioneers for a day dedicated to the development of young professionals and students advancing their career ambitions in space and aerospace.



The forum will open with a keynote from Shaesta Waiz, the youngest women to fly solo around the globe in a single-engine plane. Following Waizs story of overcoming challenges and pursuing her dreams, participants will attend a series of panel discussion on themes such as: How can you contribute to improving life on Earth by joining the space industry; is the space industry the new entrepreneurial haven; the not so obvious choice  why work in space; understanding what it means to be involved in a space exploration mission; and what are the next generation space technologies.



Miglena Zhekova, project manager at SMG Aerospace, which is organising the Global Aerospace Summit, said: We are proud to have students and Emirati youth play a key role in the Global Aerospace Summit 2018. Inspiring young minds to take up STEM education, develop new aerospace technologies, or found a space start-up is essential for the long-term growth and development of the international aerospace and space sectors. We believe that the Summit and the Young Space Leaders Forum are ideal platforms for the exchange of knowledge and expertise necessary for the growth and success of our industry.



The Global Aerospace Summit is an exclusive, invitation-only event for C-level executives, senior decision makers and government officials involved with the aerospace, aviation, defence and space industries.  TradeArabia News Service
US-based Philip Morris, a leading international tobacco company, and Scuderia Ferrari are celebrating the GCC debut of their new Ferrari Formula 1 car at the ongoing Bahrain Grand Prix as part of their joint initiative for a smoke-free world.



The Formula 1 2018 Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix which kicked off on April 6 will conclude later today (April 8), at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC).



It will be the cars second race globally, and its first appearance in the GCC, said a statement from Philip Morris.



Scuderia Ferrari is the official name of the racing division of luxury Italian auto manufacturer, Ferrari, and the racing team that competes in Formula One racing.



The two companies recently extended their partnership until 2021, to advance the cause of a smoke-free world  a world in which all people who would otherwise continue smoking switch to scientifically substantiated less harmful smoke-free alternatives, it stated.



The agreement is another example of how Philip Morris is shifting resources from its cigarette business to activities that encourage all smokers to switch to better alternatives, and raise awareness among key stakeholders to accelerate the change, it added.



Lana Gamal El Din, corporate affairs director, Philip Morris Middle East, said: Having the Ferrari Formula 1 car make its debut appearance in the GCC at the Grand Prix holds great significance.



Not only will it cement the commitment that we have made to the region, but it will also position Bahrain as a leader having taken steps in support of our vision towards providing smoke-free choices to adult smokers. This is an extremely bold move, and were very proud to have Ferrari as our longstanding partner, she said.



Philip Morris International CEO Andre Calantzopoulos said: "We want to give the worlds 1.1 billion men and women who smoke the opportunity to make better and informed choices.



We are committed to use all available resources, including our motorsports related activities, to accelerate momentum around this revolutionary change for the benefit of people who smoke, public health and society at large. We deeply appreciate Scuderia Ferraris support in this cause, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Singapore Airlines has chosen Lufthansa Technik's GuideU 1000-Series emergency floor path marking system to be installed into its new Boeing 787-10 fleet.



A total of 49 aircraft of this type are scheduled to be delivered to Singapore's flag carrier since the first quarter of 2018.



Singapore Airlines already relies on GuideU for its Airbus A350 fleet.



"We are delighted that Singapore Airlines has decided to install GuideU in its new Boeing 787 aircraft," said Torben Biehl, head of Product Development for GuideU at Lufthansa Technik. "GuideU with its highly individual design options goes beyond the pure functionality of an emergency system. Not only is it the world's flattest and lightest floor path marking system, it is also totally maintenance-free."



The GuideU 1000-Series is the next-generation non-electrical floor path marking system, using photoluminescent strips to guide passengers to the exits if cabin lighting fails. GuideU 1000-Series is available in many different colors that can be integrated into any cabin design, making it almost invisible under normal lighting conditions. Fillers in various sizes allow adapting the light strip assembly height to different carpets.



The GuideU 1000-Series will be presented at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg from April 10 to 12 at the Lufthansa Technik stand in hall 6, booth 80. - TradeArabia News Service




Khaptad tourism bodys funding cut off due to irregularities

The number of tourists visiting Khaptad in far west Nepal has been increasing continuously, and various campaigns and programmes are being held at the national and international levels to boost arrivals to the region.
Oman Air, the sultanate's national carrier, has appointed Paul Starrs, an industry veteran, as its new chief commercial officer.



Bringing with him many years of professional experience in the aviation industry, Starrs will mainly focus on developing a comprehensive and sustainable plan to improve Oman Airs commercial operations.



Starrs previous roles include regional manager commercial operations with Emirates and General Manager Worldwide Sales for Oman Air.



He started his aviation and airline stint with British Airways moving his way up there before joining Oman Air as regional manager - commercial operations in 2009.



Welcoming the appointment, Acting CEO Abdulaziz Al Raisi, said: "We are delighted to welcome Starr back into Oman Air to help further strengthen the companys commercial operations as we continue our exciting expansion plans."



"In the new role, the revenue management, network and scheduling, sales, marketing, e-commerce, Oman Air holidays, guest experience, call centers and commercial cargo sales will report to him," he stated.



"Starr is a welcome addition to our team and his new role is vital in the next phase of the turnaround focusing on how to sustain our position as a leading international carrier, and develop our innovative customer centric services," he added.



Prior to this, he was the senior VP Global Sales, Distribution and Ancillary products for Emirates.



On his new role, Starrs said: "It is an exciting time to join Oman Air as it continues to build on its position as an award winning international airline. It would be my targeted priority to assist and support Oman Airs expansion plans during this growth period."



"Inbound tourism is a key focus area for Oman Air and now with the new fantastic world class passenger terminal, there has never been a better time to visit Oman for leisure, business or any other purpose. Im very much looking forward to working with the teams to attract more visitors to Oman and Oman Air," he added.-TradeArabia News Service
NEA urges govt to take final decision on Tamor project

Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA), the state-owned power utility, has asked the Ministry of Energy to take a final decision on increasing the installed capacity of Tamor Hydropower Project to 762MW.
New channels of cooperation open

Nepal and India have agreed to open up new vistas of bilateral partnership and cooperation during the state visit of Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli to New Delhi where the two sides have agreed to link the two countries with a new railway line and waterway navigations.
Sandeep Dikshit

Sandeep Dikshit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to gather impressive flying miles in June and July. Next month, he flies to Chinas eastern tip, just across the Yellow Sea from South Korea, for a summit of heads of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member countries. After logging this roundtrip of 8,000 km to China in June, PM Modi will make a gruelling visit to Johannesburg in July to participate in the BRICS heads of government summit.

But the diplomatic thunder among all of the Prime Ministers peregrinations this summer will certainly be stolen by the Commonwealth Heads of Government summit beginning next week. All its elements are bound to tug at our heartstrings. The nostalgia of the Raj will sweep over us as the British will lay thick to make up for their post-Brexit isolation in Europe while PM Narendra Modi is expected to be in his elements as he serenades a responsive crowd of Indian expatriates in London.

The SCO and BRICS summits on the other hand will be a blip on this years diplomatic calendar. Qingdao and Johannesburg anyway are hardly metropolises we relate with. They will be remembered, if at all, for providing the setting for PM Modis bilaterals with the Chinese President and, possibly, the Pakistani PM. Admittedly, both the regional organisations sit lightly in the consciousness of Indias strategic elite. On occasions, especially when there is need to demonstrate greater closeness to the West, South Block has feigned frostiness towards them.

The times have changed and the Indian foreign policy ship is now facing the challenge of charting through unprecedented unpredictability in relations between major powers. In simple terms, all options have to be on the table and no permutation can be rejected at a time when a major power is a friend one moment and foe the other. Diplomatic ties with the West have been easier to build after the end of the Cold War. The ballast was provided by the common linkages of language, trade, immigration, commonality of interests among the elite and shared administrative systems during colonialism.

As India continues to lift itself from poverty, it cannot depend on these powers to help level the international playing field for the third world. BRICS has already erected an alternative to the World Bank and the IMF. The BRICS-owned New Development Bank (NDB) is today an object of wonder and envy among other developing peers. And it has already swung into action by providing a leg up to Indias Act East policy by meeting 80 per cent of the cost for a bridge over the Brahmaputra. Another major NDB project is to upgrade 1,500 km of major district roads in Madhya Pradesh.

The composition of BRICS  India, China and Russia from Eurasia, and Brazil and South Africa from two other continents  reflects todays reality of wider diffusion of power in the international system. This even geopolitical spread of its members on the world map positions BRICS as an important springboard to persuade other countries to join hands to push for global financial reform as well as provide a concerted push back to efforts to marginalise the WTO. Now that BRICS has gone past the stage of pious promises, India needs to take the initiative in trimming its flab. BRICS has to shed a host of ancillary activities it had taken upon itself during the initial years and bring the focus on economy and finance even though China and Russia will be tempted to use the forum to settle political scores with the US.

The SCO meeting that precedes the BRICS summit will be where the India and Pakistani Premiers are certain to share the stage. But India had bought into the usefulness of SCO long back. Both India and Pakistan had long back signed up for its regional anti-terrorist structure (RATS). Though the mainstream media narrative is transfixed by the US heavy-lifting to keep in check the Indian bete noire Hafiz Saeed, the real threat may be incubating in what is known as the Crescent of Instability: the highlands of Central Asia, the mountains of Caucasus and Afghanistan whose fighters have fluidly moved from one theatre of conflict to another.

In the past, fighters from the former Soviet Union provided some of the toughest and more determined resistance on Pakistans borders and in Afghanistan. Tahir Yuldashev-led Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan had kept an entire Pakistani army battalion at bay, killing about 170 soldiers and permitting the Commanding Officer to get away after village elders intervened. Yuldashevs predecessor, Jumma Namangani, was a source of strength for the Taliban government and his fighters were instrumental in the escape of Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden to Pakistan.

SCOs RATS, which has inputs from governments located in the Crescent of Instability will be invaluable for Indian security planners in identifying future matrix of threats, inspiration and training grounds. But Russia and China will be interested in giving it a political-military orientation because of their difficulties with the West. The screws are tightening on Moscow and Washington could even sanction Russian arms exports. India has to tread a delicate line because of its strategic alignment with the US on the right to freedom of navigation in the Indo-Pacific.

The State Department is disorientated and distracted because of the change of guard at the top and the paucity of diplomatic resources: a quarter of US ambassadorships and eight of the top US State Department posts are vacant. Indias trade relationship with the US is not holding up too well, neither is the strategic proximity yielding immediate dividends except to whet the American appetite to unload more arms on India. US diplomacy is currently not in the right shape to sustain its earlier scrutiny and persuasion of potential allies who might be gravitating to the enemy camp.

This might be the right opportunity for PM Modi to invest more vigour in BRICS and SCO even though China will remain slotted in the frenemy category. Indian participation in both these bodies will open up locked up trade routes and diversify its energy imports with oil and gas pipelines. The lessons of economic integration in North America, China-Eurasia and the EU, where conflicts have precipitately declined, need to be brought to bear on South Asia that still remains the worlds least integrated area.

sandeep4731@gmail.com
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

New York, April 8

A Sikh organisation in the US has created a world record by tying thousands of turbans within a few hours as members of the community commemorated the annual Turban Day at the iconic Times Square here, spreading awareness about the faith amid incidents of hate crimes against the community.

The Sikhs of New York organised the Turban Day as part of the annual mid-April celebration of Vaisakhi, which is commemorated by millions of Sikhs annually.

This year, the organisation was aiming to set a world record for tying the most turbans during the day-long celebration in Times Square yesterday.

Chanpreet Singh, the founder of the non-profit organisation, told PTI that they tied over 9,000 turbans and are thrilled to set the world record for tying thousands of turbans in a few hours.

The organisation won a certificate from the Guinness World Record for the most turbans tied in 8 hours was achieved by Sikhs of NY (USA) in Times Square in New York, USA on April 7, 2018.

The Turban Day brought together hundreds of volunteers from the Sikh community who tie colourful turbans on New Yorkers, tourists and Americans from across the country visiting Times Square.

While tying the turbans, they also talked about the Sikh identity, making people aware of the culture.

The event has been aimed at spreading awareness among Americans and other nationalities about the Sikh religion and its articles of faith, especially the turban, which has often been misconceived and misidentified as being associated with terrorism particularly in the years since the 9/11 terror attacks.

Sikhs for New York said thousands of New Yorkers and visitors from around the globe crowd into Times Square and came away for the first time wearing a turban on their head and learned about Sikhism, one of the largest religions in the world.

On Turban Day, we tied turbans regardless of age, colour, gender or race, Singh said.

These are core Sikh values and American values that make us Sikh Americans. Our diversity is our strength.

The Turban Day has been commemorated in New York since 2013 to educate people about Sikhism, which preaches equality of mankind and all human beings.

Representatives from Guinness World Record judged the event in Times Square and presented the organisation with a successful world record breaking attempt by tying the most turbans in one place in the world.

The day-long event also included cultural and musical presentations.

We greatly appreciate the many volunteers who lent their time and contributed generously to support Turban Day, Singh said.

This educational endeavour would not be possible without our hundreds of volunteers and supporters.

Last year, a proclamation by Congressman Gregory Meeks of the 5th Congressional District of New York had declared April 15, 2017 as Turban Day, lauding The Sikhs of New York for its dedication in educating other communities about the Sikh faith.

Those who got the turbans tied, including young children, were seen excitedly taking pictures and proudly walking around with their new head gear.

Cheryl Mendz, a young student, said she got the turban tied on her head as she liked exploring different cultures.

Its nice to see a different culture. I am not a Sikh so its nice to learn about different cultures, she said, proudly wearing her pink turban.

She added that the message of the organisation that Sikhs should not be targeted in hate crimes because of their identity is amazing. Everyone should be treated equally, everyone should be welcome no matter what religion you believe in, she said.

Sporting a pink turban, Natasha Zenger said, Its nice to embrace a culture that is different from ones own.

According to Sikh rights group Sikh Coalition, in the 15 years following 9/11, Sikhs remain hundreds of times more likely to be targeted in cases of profiling, bigotry and backlash than the average American.  PTI
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Tribune New Service

Panchkula, April 8

The Opposition Congress on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government under Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar of selling jobs, as a scandal involving recruitment to the Haryana Staff Selection Commission continues to rock the state.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who was addressing Mahila and Yuva Adhikar sammelan in Indradhanush auditorium in Panchkula, questioned the governments extension to the commission despite the scandal.

A person who were not even eligible for peon job was made HSSC chairman and was given extension for three years. Why Khattar not scrapping HSSC? Surjewala asked, accusing the state government of arresting smaller employees while protecting big names, involved in bribery scam. He added that the scam showed the lack of transparency in Khattars government.

Surjewalas accusations come days after eight people were arrested for the scam. The Congress had previously demanded a judicial probe into the allegations.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh), April 8

In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Armys "transgression" into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a Border Personnel Meeting (BPM) on March 15 here but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called Indias patrolling in the area a transgression and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

Chinas protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising, said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.

The delegation of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such violations may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about 1 km inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

We are fully prepared to deal with any situation, said a senior Army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. PTI
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Maj Gen Raj Mehta (retd)

There are heroes and there are heroes. So goes the popular perception of bravehearts. In the military sense, heroism is often an event, an episode or a happening quite often unplanned but sometimes planned as well. This is when there is an opportunity; a chance to do something unexpected; something out-of-the-box; something extraordinary either individually or in a buddy pair, sub-team or team action. The soldier gets involved in a manner led by gut instinct, grit, enterprise, cold courage tested almost always against impossible odds. Such a braveheart is led by selflessness and unit/country-first ideals always and every time.

So, there are heroes and there are heroes. By implication, this means that some heroes rise above heroism itself. When they do, they need to be respected, admired; placed on an altar where only the finest examples of humanity belong: deathless heroes. I was proud to come across one such person: Brig NS Sandhu, MVC.

Then Lt Col NS Sandhu was in command of 10 Dogra in the climacteric Battle of Dera Baba Nanak (DBN) during the 1971 Indo-Pak war. This 3 Cavalry veteran of the Battle of Khemkaran (1965 Indo-Pak war) had, as a Major, delivered a gritty performance during that battle (his C squadron destroyed 14 Patton tanks) which saved Punjab for India. As CO of 10 Dogra, he handled the enormously complex challenge of capturing the strategically important DBN Bridge as only a high-grade war veteran could  with admirable presence of mind, courage, coolness and situational awareness.

Everything that could go wrong went wrong but Lt Col Sandhu was that kind of person who brought order to a convoluted battlefield situation rapidly spiraling out of control. He did this on a pitch-dark night amidst elephant grass (sarkanda)-driven disorientation of vital battlefield force-multipliers; accurate enemy ground fire and artillery fire. He did the right thing  he took charge leading from the front. He handled the amorphous battlefield situation with the instinct of a seasoned veteran instead of taking counsel of his fears; an escapism which the iconic British-Indian General, Bill Slim, had learnt to avoid while assiduously converting defeat into victory in Burma during World War II.

Narinder Sandhu too achieved spectacular success despite casualties to his officers/men and he himself getting wounded. It came as no surprise when the DBN Bridge was captured by 10 Dogra on the misty morning of December 6, 1971. Equally unsurprising was the award of Maha Vir Chakra to Lt Col Sandhu for his exceptional leadership.

This was a straight-legged narration of the officers heroic acts in two successive wars, but we were talking about a bit more; about deathless heroism, remember?

November 22, 2016 was a day which the young Research Team members of the Directorate of Defence Services Welfare, Punjab, are unlikely to forget in a hurry. On this day, Brig NS Sandhu was host to the Research Team at his gracious, well-appointed home in Chandigarh. The association of young researchers with this real life hero goes back to the time in early 2015 when the Punjab State War Heroes Memorial and Museum research work began with initially raw research rookies on board. He was one eagerly awaited veteran who always met them with a smile, encouraged them with kind, motivational words, leaving them spell-bound.

The meeting on November 22 was therefore planned as a brief get well sir visit to check on their mentors health which, they were aware, had been under severe stress and scrutiny.

Dressed in a French grey jacket-and-black-trouser combination with a peach pocket square and attitude to match, Brig Sandhu was waiting on his lawn with a smile that matched his jaunty pocket square. Expecting to find him bed-ridden and surrounded by tubes and catheters, the Research Team was far too shocked to ask about his well-being because the inquiry seemed so irrelevant. It was only later that the young researchers learnt, albeit reluctantly, from their deathless hero how he had combated grave health-related adversity without losing his infectious smile, composure or equanimity.

There are real life heroes after all and a few of them are deathless.
ROBINSINGH@TRIBUNE.COM

Smita Sharma

As a cultural melting pot with global eateries, the national capital could well be the frontrunner for food capital of the country. Add to it authentic spices and flavours promoted by diplomatic missions here and you have perfect ingredients for Food Diplomacy.

The Mexican Embassy is hosting a fun Nachos Gone Wild competition that aims to bring Mexican and Indian taste buds closer. Imagine Desi Nachos Chaat, Rodeo Nachos to Pizzachos  test your knowledge of Mexican cuisine through the embassys social media pages and win vouchers to a prominent cafe partnering this spicy tango!

Meanwhile, journalists and diplomats got a taste of authentic Dhakai Kachchi Biryani as the Bangladesh High Commission showcased the countrys culinary skills beyond steamed Hilsa and sweet Sandesh.

High Commissioner Syed Muazzem Ali introduced the legendary biriyani of chef Fakruddin Bawarchi with its origin in old Dhaka at an event hosted by the Press Club of India. Funds collected through sales were donated towards development of the media body.

The chefs family with outlets in London and New York claims to give Hyderabadi, Lucknowi and Kolkata biriyanis a serious run for money. Cooked only with goat meat in large-size dekchi (utensil), traditional kachchi biriyani is no less a labour of love as preparations begin overnight and the rice, spices and mutton stew in their own juices on low wooden and coal flames for hours.

If you have to win hearts, the way runs through the stomach, remarked Muazzem Ali, a veteran diplomat no stranger to people-to-people ties that bind the two neighbours.

On Sunday, Ali flew to Dhaka to receive Vijay Gokhale on his first visit to Bangladesh as Foreign Secretary. More than 14 lakh Bangladeshis visited India last year, highest among foreign nationals, majority for medical purposes.

Not surprisingly, the mission plans to celebrate Pohila Boishakh or Bengali New Year on April 14 with zeal. Bangladeshi cultural group Srishti will perform in Delhi, while envoys wife Tuhfa Zaman Ali, an alumnus of JNU, will lead a Mongol Shubha Jatra, a procession in diplomatic enclave of Shantipath showcasing Bangladeshi secular cultural nationalism and usher in a new year of bilateral ties as well.

New envoys in town

Speaking of new beginnings, diplomatic corps welcomed the new Ambassadors of Argentina and Lebanon. Ambassadors of Cyprus, Lithuania and Macedonia said goodbye to India and embarked upon their next journeys.

Congress MP and chairman of parliamentary standing committee on external affairs Shashi Tharoor shared thoughts on diplomacy at the high tea organised on the occasion by Dean Hans Dannenberg. Well much before it became a political slogan, chai pe charcha always paved the way for food for thought, more so in diplomacy!
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Chennai, April 18

Tamil film fraternity led by veteran actors-turned-politicians Kamal Haasan and Rajinikanth on Sunday observed a silent protest demanding the setting up of a Cauvery Management Board and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee (CWRC).

It also opposed the operation of copper smelter plant of the Vedanta group in Tuticorin.

The protest organised by the South Indian Film Artistes Association, popularly known as Nadigar Sangam, saw the participation of members of Tamil Film Producers Council and Film Employees Federation of South India.

Leading actors, movie and music directors and other technicians participated in the protest. Among those present were music directors Illayaraja, Shankar-Ganesh, actors Surya, Vijay, Vishal, Prashanth and others.

According to Nadigar Sangam President Nasser, the silent protest is held to convey one message the constitution of the CMB and the CWRC.

He said allowing participants to speak might divert the issue instead of showing the solidarity with the farmers.

Earlier, speaking to reporters outside his residence, Rajinikanth said the central government would earn the wrath of Tamil Nadu people if the CMB and CWRC were not set up.

He also said the players of Chennai Super Kings (CSK) should wear black badges while playing the Indian Premier League (IPL) match here so that the issue was known throughout the nation.

He said the spectators too should wear black badges.

TN bandh

DMK leader M.K. Stalin said on Sunday that his party would extend support to the shutdown called by the National Democratic Alliance ally PMK on April 11. It will also stage black flag protests during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here on April 12.

The PMK has called for the shutdown demanding that the central government to constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC).

In a statement issued here, Stalin said PMK founder S. Ramadoss had requested the support of all political parties for the strike.

The DMK leader said his party was of the strong view that the united voice of Tamil Nadu in respect of Cauvery river water should be heard by the Centre.

As a result, the DMK would extend its support to Wednesday's shutdown strike, Stalin said.

A shutdown called by the DMK on April 5 derailed normal life in the state.

Stalin, who is leading the Cauvery Rights Retrieval March, said black flags would be shown to Modi when he comes to inaugurate the DefExpo 2018 near here on April 12.

Speaking in a village in Thanjavur district on Sunday, Stalin said apart from showing black flags, people should also wear black shirts on that day and fly black flags atop their houses to show their agony over the Cauvery issue.

The Supreme Court on February 16 reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than the 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007, while Karnataka's share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC.

The court also ordered the central government to set up the board to settle the decades long dispute over sharing of Cauvery waters. Karnataka, which is scheduled to hold elections on May 12, opposes the board.

The court's six-week deadline for the board ended on March 29 without any action on the central government's part.

Tamil Nadu has been accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party, which leads the NDA at the Centre, of deliberately dragging its feet in view of the elections. The central government however argues that the issue is sensitive and is likely to cause law and order problems in Karnataka.

Some political parties have announced they would protest outside the Chidambaram stadium in Chennai on April 10, when the Chennai Super Kings are scheduled to play Kolkata Knight Riders. IANS/ Agencies
PM Oli off to Uttarakhand

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who is on a three-day state visit to India, has left for a visit to Pantnagar-based Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Uttarakhand.
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Ghaziabad, April 8

Two motorbike-borne men barged into the residence of a TV journalist here on Sunday and shot him in the stomach and right hand following which he was rushed to a hospital, a police officer said.

Anuj Chaudhary, who works with a Hindi news channel, is the husband of a BSP councillor and the police are looking at past enmity as being a motive behind the crime, he said.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Krishna, said two bike-borne assailants, who were wearing helmets, barged into the scribe's residence and fired at him.

"The firing incident occurred due to old enmity," Krishna said.

Chaudhary's wife Nisha was elected a councillor on a BSP ticket, according to a police officer. The injured scribe was rushed to a nearby hospital where he is undergoing treatment, he said.

Chaudhary had just returned home after a visit to Razapur village, where road construction work was on, the officer said.

"The family members have identified the assailants, though a complaint is yet to be received," he added. - PTI
amansharma@tribunemail.com

Kuljit Bains

A recent news report about the Punjab Police trying out new smart glasses that let the wearer identify criminals by just looking in their direction provided fodder for much amusement. There was speculation if the cops could afford to look at each other, or whether they needed a mirror more than this gadget. Fridays shocking deposition by one of the DGPs in the High Court, however, presents the appalling prospect that those jokes may be for real. The top brass of the police appears to be walking into a minefield, along with many of the critical cases they are steering.

The person in charge of the Home Department  in this case Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh himself  has to take personal responsibility for the mess the police and bureaucratic leadership in the state has been allowed to descend into. It can only be seen as the result of a policy of inaction on critical investigations, including that into drugs. Certain tasks and assignments have also apparently pitted one section of police officers against another.

After one year of promises of action against all those related to drugs, irrespective of how powerful they be, there seems to be an effort to sit tight on all information, causing anxiety among the states people, and eroding the credibility of the state government. The situation warranted the stepping in of the High Court to ask questions on the investigations. During the rather complex proceedings that are under way in the court, one DGP has ambiguously suggested his investigations were leading up to the top two DGPs in the state, including the state police chief. In what may well be an intra-departmental battle, no claim can be trusted, nor can anything be dismissed out of hand.

While the tension may have been building up for long, the first salvo was fired by Cabinet Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu, who claimed a report submitted to the High Court by the Special Task Force formed against the drug trade had found reason for investigation against Akali MLA Bikram Singh Majithia. The report has thereafter been forwarded by the High Court to the state government. The document has now been several weeks in the hands of the Home Department, but there has been no indication from the government whether it has even read it.

The inaction, or paralysis, is giving occasion not only for anxiety among the common people but also speculation among the officers handling the matters as to where their career interests lie. If the police top brass believe their cutting each other down over various investigations is going to help them chart their personal growth path, then the Chief Minister is responsible for letting that impression grow from his apparent wait-and-watch approach.

Punjab may have to pay a heavy price for this high intrigue. Not only is it going to hamper the investigations into the drug trade, there may also be a setback to the several advances the police had made in law and order matters, including terror cases.

There may be political implications too for Capt Amarinder Singh. The situation gives the impression the government machinery he is presiding over is slipping from his grip. Whats more, the very sincerity of the government in taking tough action is coming into question. For very long this inaction prevailed in the matter of sand mining too with the Chief Ministers reluctance in relieving Rana Gurjit Singh of ministership. It continued till the government could no more take the embarrassment that came from the unending flow of reports of illegal mining by leaders of his own party.

As with the mining matter, it may be time for Capt Amarinder Singh to take another flight. This time to send out a clear message he means business in hunting down the last drug peddler; starting, of course, with the big guns.
editorial@tribune.com

Moga, April 8

Kuldip Singh (32) of Kothe Samalsar village in the district has been allegedly shot dead by an unidentified gunman in Manila, late Saturday night.

Balpreet Singh, deceaseds brother, said Kuldip went to the Philippines in 2005 and was doing his own business for the past few years. His wife and daughter were also living with him in Manila. It is learnt that Kuldip was getting threats to his life from criminals for the past few months. Kuldips wife and daughter have left for India on Sunday. His body will arrive here in a few days after the post-mortem examination.  TNS
editorial@tribune.com

Rachna Khaira

Tribune News service

Jalandhar, April 8

Concerned over the rising number of illegal migration cases of maids to Gulf countries, the Indian Embassy in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has written to the Chief Secretaries of Punjab and other states, urging them to spread awareness particularly in the districts sending unskilled and semi-skilled women workers.

The consulate had sent a similar advisory in September and November last year, but illegal emigration of maids from India continues unabated. According to consulate sources, Punjab has sent over 40 house slaves in the age group of 18 to 30 years in the past three months to Saudi Arabia.

The consulate received 210 complaints in 2014, 341 in 2015 and 404 in 2016. In 2017, the number of maids cases rose to over 526, mostly from Punjab. Sources said a majority of the cases went unreported due to lack of awareness among the unskilled and illiterate workers.

Ahmed Javed, Indias Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, said recruiting agents (RAs) arranged to get a valid Saudi visa en route, legalising the illegal journey undertaken from India.

He said, To transport illegally recruited workers to Saudi Arabia, RAs send them on a tourist visa to another country, such as the UAE. The agents also provide them a return air ticket so that the Indian immigration authorities dont suspect the workers of being illegal migrants.

Javed added that on entering Saudi Arabia, these maids came under the ambit of the Saudi law pertaining to migratory workers and had to abide by the work contract signed with their employer.

He said despite the Indian Governments campaign, Surakshit jao, Prashikshit jao (Go safe, go trained), female workers continued to emigrate through third-country visas. As there is no arrangement between the Indian and Saudi governments to share details of work permits issued by the latter to Indian workers, the Indian consulate comes to know about harassment cases only when they post videos online or approach the authorities by other means.

As per Saudi law, the sponsor is entitled to get reimbursement of his recruitment expenses when an expatriate worker wants to return to his country prematurely. The amount towards recruitment goes up to Rs 5 lakh, which a poor worker is unable to pay, and hence is forced to work without salary.

Even though its the responsibility of an RA to resolve the matter by compensating the Saudi sponsor or providing a replacement, most of the local agents wash their hands of the case as they are not registered and hence not liable to confiscation of the deposit (up to Rs 50 lakh) mandatory for registered RAs.
Harvinder Khetal

Harvinder Khetal

Honestly speaking, stories of honesty spark a hundred songs in our essentially simple hearts. As devices for devious dishonesty develop into deep disgraceful deeds by dishonourable devils, those who dare to deviate from deceitful designs do stand out: like Dipchand did. The simple story of this simple man simply touched me.

Dipchand Gupta (30), a ragpicker, while picking up discarded stuff recently from the railway tracks near Thane station, came across a purse lined with debit and credit cards and wads of notes worth Rs 33,000. Indeed, a temptation, specially the cash. But, the upright Gupta didn't pocket it. The squeaky clean man very diligently handed over the lost property to the stationmaster. Its rightful owner, who had been frantically looking for her belongings that included her pay packet, was overwhelmed by the poor mans honesty. As a token of appreciation, she and the stationmaster, gave Gupta Rs 2,500 each. The conscientious man got an honest award.

The story reminds me of that devastating time when I felt my purse lighter. Taking advantage of the massive multitude of movie-goers surging up the narrow staircase for the matinee show, a slick thief slipped away after sleekly pulling out my wallet from the purse dangling from my shoulder. It had cash and important documents: debit and credit cards, ID, driving licence, car registration certificate, cash. After the initial shock, I gathered my wits  too bad, but for now, I thought, let me enjoy the film (Devdas). My friend had to foot our coffee-popcorn bill (the thief must be splurging and slurping somewhere in the hall on coffee-popcorn-burger-cold-drink-and-more!). With this auto-suggestion, I actually got over my desolation and managed to appreciate Sanjay Leela Bhansalis production with a cool air about me. Amazed, my friend said she wouldnt have been able to sit through calmly in that state of mind.

I learnt a lesson that day: always hold the purse close to yourself, in the front.

Post the movie, I got down to the nitty-gritty of recouping my loss: blocking the cards, lodging an FIR. In the following week, I was just bracing myself to go through the whole haul of getting my documents remade in government offices  a tough call, specially in those pre-online work days,  when a phone call had me again feel lighter. I was beaming widely. All these few days of lamenting my lethargy and putting off the visit to government offices, gave way to celebrating my laziness. My wallet had been found!

A cop had called to inform me that a wallet with documents bearing my phone number had been found abandoned near the Sukhna Lake, but there was no cash. I rushed to the police station, relieved to have recovered the documents. Truly, I happily bore the loss of money.

Then, a couple of years later, I again became a victim of wallet-snatching. But this time, I was not so lucky; I had to undergo the ordeal of getting the documents made all over again. A friend recounted how she had received her stolen documents by post, perhaps sent by the thief who was only interested in cash bounty! A part-scrupulous thief is better than an uncaring one!

To tell the truth, its difficult to be squeaky clean (beyond reproach; without vice). Honesty has its shades, too, just as there are white lies and black lies.

Honest stresses adherence to such virtues as truthfulness, candour, or fairness. Its etymology can be traced to Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin honestus honourable, from honos, honor honour. Honourable suggests a firm holding to codes of right behaviour and the guidance of a high sense of honour and duty.

A white lie is a harmless or trivial lie, especially one told to avoid hurting someone's feelings. It lacks evil intent, as opposed to a black lie, which is most certainly malevolent. The origin of these terms is not known, but whiteness has long symbolised purity and innocence.

While we are all guilty of telling white lies, it is the politicians who are notorious for their black, dishonest dealings. The straight and narrow (the honest and morally acceptable way of living) among their breed are rare. One of them is Manik Sarkar, MLA since 1980 and four-time CM of Tripura from 1998 to March 2018. Though the impeccable man won the Assembly seat in last months election too, his party failed to get the majority and lost power. Known as the poorest CM of India, he does not even own a house. The 66-year-old leader leads a no-frills life with his wife Panchali. The couple do not have children. He has been donating his salary to the CPM and in return, the party pays him a meagre subsistence allowance.

As Thomas Jefferson said, Honesty is the first chapter of the book wisdom.

But in one story, a father, who in all goodness resorted to a white lie, learnt that honesty is the best policy the hard way.

Worried about her Papa going bald, Tina asked him, "Papa, why is your hair reducing every day?"

He smiled, "It's the hair thief. He visits my head at night when I'm asleep. One by one, he pulls out my hairs, as many as he likes. And there's no way to catch him!"

Tina determined to help him. She grabbed a hammer and tiptoed into her sleeping parents room at night. Soon, there was a shadow on her Papas head. With all her might, she swung the hammer down.

Thwack! Her father let out an enormous yelp and leapt out of bed. The lump on his head was already big, and growing. Trembling, he turned the light on, and saw Tina brandishing the hammer.

"I nearly got him, Papa! But it seems he escaped!"

The mother burst out laughing."Well, that's what happens when you tell silly stories," she said, amused.

hkhetal@gmail.com
Aman Sood & Karam Parkash

The problem with politicians is that they expect too much of politics from students. And the problem with students is that they have no contemporary politicians to look up to. The widening aspiration gap has only spawned cynicism: we have student leaders who are expected to be heard only on campuses, outside, they are branded rightists, leftists or centrists.

And if there is a gap of over three decades in holding elections to student bodies  like in the case of Punjab  one can imagine how unpredictable the events could turn out, given the circumstances under which the elections were discontinued.

But thats a fear about good news: the Punjab government has allowed student polls from 2018-19. Whats good in it? The first is the ruling Congress claim of fulfilling its promise; second is the state would finally follow what the Lyngdoh Committee has recommended; and the third  the most significant  is that these polls would take place when secessionists are all but forgotten, militancy is a sad chapter, and there is a strong feeling in the student as well as academic community to excel.

The Tribune team gauges mood on the campuses at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU) and Punjabi University, Patiala:

Past remains tense

Amritsar: There is a severely knotted past from the mid-eighties up to the 90s and much later that needs a relook for GNDU, the state-run university, which will complete 50 years next year:

The sudden banning of student polls eroded the base of the Left parties from colleges and the universities. Veteran communist leader Joginder Dyal recalls that Akali stalwart Gurcharan Singh Tohra had once emphasized ridding the universities and college off the Left-leaning groups. In the mid-eighties until the ban, the student groups mostly allied with Left parties such as the All India Student Federation (AISF), Punjab Student Union (PSU) and Indian Student Federation (ISF).

Two prominent leaders of the then student electoral politics Baldev Singh Maan, a resident of Bagga village in Ajnala border sub-division, and Tarn Tarans Deepak Dhawan, a GNDU student, were gunned down by militants. Maan was brutally murdered and his severed head was left on a wall of his village school. Both belonged to the Students Federation of India (SFI).

After the militant movement penetrated the university and colleges, the government had put a blanket ban on the students electoral politics, says Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal, who had been state general secretary of the PSU from 1981 to 1990. He is now AAP Majha Zone in-charge.

The pro-BJP ABVP came in with the arrival of Mandal Commission report.

Though out of college electoral politics, the All India Sikh Students Federation (AISSF) had captured the attention of Sikh students. Its leaders had played a pivotal role in student and state politics. Most of these went on to join the mainstream parties like the SAD and Congress. These included Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, Jagmeet Singh Brar, Amrik Singh, Amarjit Singh Chawla, Rajinder Singh Mehta and Harminder Singh Gill.

Potential danger

Former AISSF chief Rajinder Singh Mehta, who headed the group for about 13 years, is against reintroducing student politics. He poser: did the government receive any demand for holding the election? He says the government decision would divide the students on religious and ideological lines.

At grassroots level, the student politics is nothing but furthering the cause of established political families, says AAPs Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal.

At present the university has the following key issues to grapple with:

Lack of Industry linkages: The students dont get adequate exposure to the industry that demands skilled hands. Harjot Singh, a PhD scholar, says: Most students have no idea about job-oriented opportunities. Thats the reason why many of them migrate aboard.

Financial emergency: The university has been facing acute financial shortage. There is also a need to improve infrastructure of some of the regional campuses. A few departments are facing problems in their functioning.

Jaspal Singh, head of university financial studies, said: We are not getting the required funds from the state government. Being a state university, we cannot raise fees.

Permanent teaching staff: Various wings such as Punjabi, law and computer science departments have teachers kept on ad-hoc basis. Balwinder Singh, sectary, of the University Teachers Association, said: Most permanent teachers are reaching their retirement.

Administrative delay: In the administrative sector, heaps of pending files are affecting the working of the university.

Vice Chancellor Dr Jaspal Singh Sandhu says the university is signing a number of MoUs to improve the industry linkages. We have also signed a memorandum with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry. They will have an office on the campus.

About financial emergency, he said the university has come into the UGC elite category. There will be no dearth of funds. We shall look into other financial issues. We are also opening directorate of open and distance learning for all constituent colleges to attract students.

For administrative delay, the university is introducing a new file tracking system. A file has to be cleared within two or three working days, said the V-C.

Neeraj Bagga

Caution Ahead

Patiala: In 1992, Chandigarh allowed student elections and went on, in 1996, to permit direct polls in Panjab University. But Punjab inexplicably remained aloof. The essentially bureaucratic argument against permitting politics on campuses in Punjab got a major fillip in the wake of the assassination of then chief minister Beant Singh in 1995.

This is a debatable decision. Many extremists have been visiting the university in Patiala. A close aide of a former terrorist is still putting up at the university. Once elections are scheduled, the politics will spoil university atmosphere, says a serving professor. I think government should rethink and first ensure that gangsters and politicians have the least say polls.

Terrorist groups have been closely linked to university hostels. But for that matter, many leaders who are top politicians now are also close to university polls. It is a welcome step as the voice of students is not reaching the authorities. Elections will ensure that student issues are raised at the right platform, says former head Punjabi University, Department of Journalism and Mass Communication Navjit Singh Johal. It will, however, be a challenge for the government and police to tackle violence and ensure free and fair polls, he said.

Key issues

Library Timings: Last month, a girl raised her voice against the timings of the library. The main library closes its gates for students at 8 pm. But, the reading room can be availed of 24 hours, but only for boys. Sandeep Singh angrily said, This patriarchal mindset of the authorities is becoming a hindrance to the progressive society. Each student party has protested against it, but our requests have fallen on deaf ears.

Hostel Seats: Only one hostel has been constructed in last one decade despite the fact that every year university initiates new courses, thereby, student intake has increased. Therefore, new hostels must be constructed. By adjusting three to four students, in a room, meant for just two, the authorities are creating a non-academic environment for the students.

Indolent administrative block: Most students complain that work at the administrative block moves at a snails pace. The lethargic staff has created a huge backlog. Sometimes, it takes months to get a single work done.

Hostel timings for girls: There is a long pending demand of extending the hostel timings. Currently, the hostel timing for girls in summer are 8 pm and 7 pm in winters. We will get the timing extended if we are elected, says Gurpreet Singh of PSU Lalkaar.

 Aman Sood & Karam Parkash
Aman Sood, Karam Parkash & Divya Sharma

Education institutions are supposed to explore new ideas by questioning the existing ones through dialogue and other democratic means. These places of learning encourage innovative experimentation. The decision to hold the polls is widely hailed as bold. Campuses that were seen as hotbeds of militancy are still viewed with suspicion by intelligence wings. Criminals had also got entrenched on campuses as recent arrests show. Several former student leaders have vigorously campaigned against the ban. Those who have joined politics through the campus accuse mainstream leaders of not encouraging student politics and leaders for fear that it would affect the prospects of their own children.

The recent student leaders from Punjab who became MLA are Brahm Mohindra, Prem Singh Chandumajra, Raja Warring. Similarly Sanjiv Bittu who is now Patiala mayor was a long-time student leader.

I think it is a welcome step and would go a long way in grooming the future generation. Towards the fag-end of militancy in 1990, extremist groups would force shutdowns whenever a terrorist encounter would take place. We opposed them, says Mayor Sanjiv Bittu. Those shutdown calls by radical youth outfits led the student polls being banned. The students got divided on caste land communal lines. Things have changed and the youth are against terrorism. So it is an ideal time to groom future leaders, he said.

There are two clear routes available, says Patiala Mayor Amarinder Bazaz, a youth Akali Dal leader. One is students engagement with politics on college/university campuses. That enables the youth to interface with larger issues that the country is grappling with, and create a resource pool of talent. That, in turn, can impact political parties. The second channel is you leave the youth to join local toughs or henchmen of local politicians and hope he would graduate to the higher league to emerge as an MLA or an MP.

In Amritsar, the GNDU campus is brimming with excitement. Academics say student elections are required so that the youth understand the basic concept of democracy. It is a positive step for students. It gives me immense joy to have such elections. We would ensure that the elections are conducted in a fair manner, says Jaspal Singh Sandhu, vice-chancellor,

At present, the university has its own redress system in the form of Innovation and Development Board. The board has representation from professors and students across all departments of the university on a rotation basis. Besides, a specific email ID is also available for the students to help them raise their issues directly with V-C. The authorities are also holding regular meetings with students.

The elections will not impact the working of the university or the academic calendar. If everything is done as per rules, this is going to change the working of our university for the better, says registrar, GNDU, Karanjeet Singh Khalon,

There are many who fear the politicization of educational institutes. Dr Mehal Singh, principal, Khalsa College, said: There was a reason for banning these elections. Student activities, not the politicians selfishness, should be promoted on the campus.

Former Vice-Chancellor, GNDU, Harbhajan Singh Soch said: Higher education in Punjab has been free from any kind of political activities. Direct political interference may harm the environment. I feel political parties should stay away from colleges.

I was a college student at Gurdaspur when the elections were banned. I still remember the time. Today, we must focus on empowering the students, says Prof NPS Saini, president of GNDUs Teachers Association.

Even though the re-introduction of elections is being welcomed, many say there is an urgent need to keep an eye on aspiring student leaders.

SP Singh, former V-C, says certain measures should be taken to prevent misuse of power. We must ensure criminals dont get inside the campus. Merit should be the only criteria to study in a university. The aim is to produce leaders and give a fair chance to each and everyone, said Singh.

We must encourage a culture of dialogue rather than of mudslinging, says a senior GNDU professor Lakhwinder Singh Kang.

 Aman Sood & Karam Parkash in Patiala and Divya Sharma in Amritsar
laxmi@tribune.com

Jotirmay Thapliyal

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, April 8

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli was on Sunday conferred with the honorary title of Doctor of Science (Honoris causa) at the Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, Pantnagar, here.

Addressing a gathering during a convocation at the university, the Nepalese Prime Minister described India and Nepal as predominantly agricultural economies. He said although two-thirds of Nepals population depended on agriculture, the sectors contribution to the countrys economy was not as significant.

He sought the research expertise of the university in his endeavour to revolutionise agriculture in his country.

Oli said two agricultural universities had been set up in Nepal, but expertise of research faculty of the Pantnagar university would be needed to strengthen these institutions, which were at a preliminary stage. He stressed the need to establish a rapport with India and the Pantnagar university for research and faculty-based exchange programmes.

Referring to a long-term relationship between India and Nepal, Oli said the Nepal Government and its people needed to join hands with the Indian populace to eliminate poverty.

Oli also appreciated the university management for its contribution in the sphere of agriculture.

Governor KK Paul, who conferred the honorary degree on the Nepalese Prime Minister, said both India and Nepal had much in common and people- to-people contact between the two countries was very old.

Paul said it was a coincidence that the Pantnagar university was in close geographical proximity to Nepal and was working in similar conditions.

He suggested that the university and the Nepal Government could work together in the fields of horticulture and herbal farming.

Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat said Uttarakhand and Nepal had close relations since both share proximity in food, culture and other matters.
pardeepdhull@gmail.com

Islamabad, April 8

The Pakistan government is working on a draft Bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other groups and individuals on the watch list of the Interior Ministry.

The Bill will replace the presidential ordinance that banned outfits and people already on the watch list of the Interior Ministry.

Citing its sources in the Law Ministry, Dawn reported that the proposed draft Bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled to commence on Monday.

The Law Ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft Bill, the sources said, adding that the military establishment was also on board.

The government decided to prepare a draft Bill to amend the ATA as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdogs money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain had promulgated the ordinance amending the ATA to include entities listed by the UNSC as proscribed groups but it will expire in 120 days.

The National Assembly can extend it for another four months after which it has to be tabled before both the houses - National Assembly and the Senate - for further extension.

Through the ordinance, amendments were made to ATAs Section 11-B that sets out parameters for proscription of groups and Section 11-EE that describes the grounds for listing of individuals. In both sections, Sub-Section aa was added.

According to the sub-section, organisations and individuals listed under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948 (XIV of 1948), or will be included in the First Schedule (for organisations) and Fourth Schedule (for individuals), respectively, on an ex parte basis.

Under Section 11-EE, the requirements were: (a) concerned in terrorism; (b) an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation under section 11D or proscribed under section 11B; and (c) in any way concerned or suspected to be concerned with such organisation or affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism or acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, any person or organisation proscribed under this Act.

In addition to the draft Bill, Pakistan is also preparing a consolidated database of known terrorists and terrorist organisations which will be accessible to financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies of the country to strengthen the regime against money laundering and terror financing.

For the enforcement of prohibition of funds and financial services, it was recommended to the authorities to ensure that statutory regulatory orders issued under UNSC Resolutions-1267 and - 1373 (issued under ATA) are implemented without delay. The government would also frame the ATAs freezing and seizure rules and ensure that Anti-Terrorism Amendment Ordinance 2018 is enacted through the parliament, according to the draft action plan.

The amendment to the ATA would also enable investigation officers to be trained to investigate sources of funding besides other financial aspects in terrorism cases.

The presidential ordinance has already been challenged by Saeed in the Islamabad High Court. He claimed that the ordinance had been promulgated due to external pressure and hence was not only prejudicial to the sovereignty but also contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008.

His 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.

When contacted, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, special assistant to the prime minister, said that the amendment to the ATA was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new, as it would basically ensure compliance to the UNSC Resolutions. PTI
PM Oli returns home after India trip

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has returned home completing his three-day state visit to neighbouring India.
gspannu7@gmail.com

Muenster (Germany), April 8

German authorities investigating a deadly van ramming attack focused on Sunday on mental health problems of the driver, as the city of Muenster mourned for the two people killed on a sunny afternoon at an open-air restaurant.

There are strong indications at the moment that this was a lone perpetrator and that there were no links to the terror scene, federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told reporters at the site of Saturdays attacks, where local people laid flowers in memory of the victims.

Far-right opponents of Chancellor Angela Merkels refugee policy had suggested in the immediate aftermath of the attack it might be an Islamist act of terror, while some media reported the killer had links to right-wing extremist organisations.

But there are no indications of a political motive, said Hajo Kuhlisch, chief of police in the western city where the attack took place.

Rather, he added, the motive and origins (of the crime) lie within the perpetrator, a 48-year-old German identified as Jens R who shot himself dead immediately after the crime.

A source close to the investigation told AFP there was a record of incidents related to the perpetrators impaired mental health since 2015, and that he had talked of suicide in late March.

Prosecutors said he faced allegations of threats, property damage and fraud in 2015 and 2016, all of which were dropped.

And broadcaster NTV reported he had threatened family members with an axe in 2014 and 2015.

The two victims killed in Muenster were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injuredsome life-threateningly.

The foreign ministry in the Netherlands said two of those hurt were Dutch, one of whom was in a critical condition.

In the van, police found the gun used by the driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the mans Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information, setting up a website where people can upload photos and videos.  AFP
uttara@tribuneindia.com

Munster (Germany), Apr 8

German investigators were puzzled this morning by the motives of a man who drove a van into a crowd at an open-air restaurant the day before, killing two people before shooting himself.

"So far there are no clues to a possible motive for the act," said Martin Botzenhardt, senior prosecutor in the northwestern city of Muenster where the attack happened, in a statement issued in the early hours.

"We are pressing hard on our investigation into all possible avenues." Late on Sunday, authorities were near certain that there was no Islamist connection to the violence in the historic centre of Muenster as had initially been feared.

The two people killed were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injuredsix of them seriouslyamid the broken and upturned tables and chairs seen strewn across the pavement in images of the scene.

Police had to wait for a bomb disposal team to clear the vehicle used in the attack after noticing suspect wires inside.

In the end, they found only the weapon used by the 48-year-old driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the mans Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information about the attack, setting up a website where people can upload photos or videos.

"There was a bang and then screaming. The police arrived and got everyone out of here," an employee of the restaurant hit by the terrace told NTV.

"There were a lot of people screaming. Im angry -- its cowardly to do something like this."

Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault.

Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group.

But in the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, there was "no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection", said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul.

Media reports said the driver, identified only as Jens R., had a history of mental health problems.

Public broadcaster ZDF said the man had recently attempted suicide while rolling news channel NTV said he had spoken of a desire to bring as much attention as possible to his death.

ZDF also reported that he had possible links with far-right movements.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims".

The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, each sent their condolences.

The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places.

In a Berlin attack in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market in central Berlin.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86.

And in Spain, the jihadists also claimed a rampage along Barcelonas Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured. AFP




Rara Lake visitors to be housed in villages

Preparations are being made to accomodate domestic and foreign tourists, who visit Rara Lake, in villages located inside the buffer zone of Rara National Park, as Karnali Province struggles to prolong the length of stay of visitors in the tourist attraction of Mugu district due to lack of standard hotels.
Brazil: Crazy fans filled their stadiums at training before the derby!



Crazy scenes in Brazil ahead of the big derby between Palmeiras and Corinthians (kick-off Sunday 8th of April).

This is the real derby of Sao Paulo, as this is the final of Paulista A (competition among teams in the state of Sao Paulo).

To avoid trouble in the streets, fans of Palmeiras and Corinthians wasn't allowed by the authorities to attend the training at the same time. Palmeiras had to open their stadium Saturday morning for fans, while Corinthians could open their doors Friday evening.

According to our sources, both clubs had nearly 40 000 fans at each training!

Palmeiras:

Corinthians:

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Syria war: At least 70 killed in suspected chemical attack in Douma

At least 70 people have died in a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, BCC reported quoting rescuers and medics.
Air Force, Army Developing Multidomain Doctrine by Jim Garamone, DoD News April 7, 2018 Air Force Gen. James M. Holmes, commander of Air Combat Command, said he is working closely with Gen. David G. Perkins, commander of the Armys Training and Doctrine Command, to develop the concept.



Holmes started his talk at the think tank with a history lesson, recalling that 27 years ago, the U.S. military was nine days into Operation Desert Storm. That battle to get Saddam Husseins forces out of Kuwait was a test of the AirLand Battle Doctrine.



It was an overwhelming success.



Fast-forward to Iraq in 2003, and American and allied forces went from the berm to Baghdad using all aspects of AirLand to cut through the Iraqi military, dominate the air and end the active phase of the conflict quickly. Near-Peer Competitors Took Note



American conventional power was never more evident, Holmes said, and near-peer competitors took note. That drove the world to start looking for new options to try to counter what U.S. forces could bring to the battlefield, he said.

January 25, 2018 - Air Force Gen. James M. Holmes, left, commander of Air Combat Command, speaks with the Brookings Institutions Michael E. OHanlon about the challenges of developing doctrine to fight the multidomain battle. (DoD photo by Jim Garamone) Over the next decade, the U.S. military had to deal with counterinsurgency warfare and counterterrorism operations. Our adversaries kept thinking and kept working, Holmes said. Now we face an environment with a rising China [and] with a resurgent Russia that bring integrated, multidomain approaches to try to counter that conventional might that they saw us display.



Adversaries are using a mix of conventional forces, special operations forces, cyber tools, space tools and sophisticated electronic warfare tools in place of conventional forces and alongside conventional forces, the general said.



To an extent, the general said, this is also dictated by the complexity of threats today. He used Syria as an example, noting that U.S. forces are in Syria advising a primarily Arab and Kurdish force going after the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. U.S. airmen share the skies with Syrian and Russian aircraft. Turkish aircraft are attacking into Syria to negate what they see as a terror threat on their border.



Adapting to Change



The whole thing requires a flexibility to understand the rules, understand what to do when the rules or adversaries change and how to adapt, Holmes said.



Weapons married to technical assets and the ability to communicate quickly means there are no hiding places from that unblinking eye of unblinking multidomain awareness, Holmes said.



There are no sanctuaries where we can unload our forces, get them ready for a battle and then move into a battle area, he added.



The question becomes how the United States can counter this, he said. The lesson from history is our armed forces cooperate and work together best when we can at least contemplate defeat, Holmes said. I think we are still the most powerful conventional force in the world. We still bring advantages that no one else can bring to the battlefield. But when we square off and think about the peer adversaries of a rising China and a resurgent Russia,  theres no birthright that we have to win. We have to think, We have to fight. We have to work hard at it.



As for bringing all domains together in a way to put pressure on adversaries, the Navy and Air Force worked together to form Air-Sea Battle, Holmes said. Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he noted, has talked about multidomain, multiregional conflict and using U.S. forces and their ability to be all over the world to put pressure on adversaries anywhere. We will continue to work forward and refine it, Holmes said.



Tabletop Exercises



Over the next year, Training and Doctrine Command and Air Combat Command will host a series of tabletop exercises to see how the services can work together and turn that into a doctrine and concept that we can agree on, Holmes said.



We have developed 13 initiatives  that the Air Force and Army can work together on, and  our goal is to try to find a way that the joint force, working together, can hold the initiative -- because in this world where both sides can see everything and know everything, both sides have long-range fires  the side that wins will be the side that can command the initiative by driving an optempo that the other side cant keep up with.



This will require multidomain awareness and advanced battle management to gather forces and concentrate them precisely where and when they are needed, the general said. It will take agile, resilient comms to be able to communicate across that force, he said. by Jim Garamone, DoD News

Copyright 2018 Comment on this article
Defeating Katko is a priority for Democrats because they want to win back the House majority. If Balter's poll numbers weren't high enough for the DCCC's liking, they may have urged Perez Williams to enter the race by helping get her campaign off the ground. (Perez Williams said Thursday that running for Congress was her decision.)

Fundraising could be another factor. Before winning the Democratic designation in February, Balter didn't have a lot of money in the bank. At the end of 2017, her campaign had $46,626.47 cash on hand. By comparison, Katko had more than $1 million in his campaign war chest.

Balter was competing with other candidates, most notably Anne Messenger, for Democratic dollars. It's true that some donors are hesitant about donating to candidates involved in a primary.

But if Balter's fundraising didn't significantly improve after winning the designation in February, the DCCC could have decided to go in a different direction. Based on what occurred this week, it's apparent that they believe Perez Williams can raise the money necessary to compete in the 24th district race.
UML leader Nepal off to China

CPN (UML) leader Madhav Kumar Nepal left here for China on Saturday night to participate in a programme
Brazil`s most popular ever ex-President is in custody, beginning a twelve year jail term for corruption convictions he strenuously denies, accusing political foes of sabotaging his bid as the front runner of competing in October`s Presidential Election.

By James Blears

Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva decided to go to familiar territory, at the Metal Workers Union in his home town of Sao Bernado de Campo and hold out for two days, before exiting the building, wading through a crowd of supporters, to reach Brazilian Federal Police, who took him into custody.

Earlier in the day, alongside his impeached successor Dilma Rousseff, Lula delivered an almost hour long impassioned speech. He said: "I`m not above the law. If I didn`t believe in it I wouldn`t have started a political party, but a revolution. I`m not afraid, I`m not running and I`ll prove my innocence."

He accuses his enemies of preventing him from competing in October`s Presidential Election, but vows he`ll be back.

Lula has been convicted of money laundering and accepting a luxury seaside apartment from engineering firm Odebrecht, now known as OAS. He denies all of the charges

President of Brazil from 2003-2011, Lula`s social programs are credited in lifting more than 20 million Brazilians out of dire poverty and changing a nation. The biggest name to be felled by the so called "Carwash Scandal," Lula is determined to go down politically fighting and re-arise. A survivor of throat cancer, Lula aged 72, confirms he`s now preparing for the biggest political battle of his life, in challenging a 19 year ban on running for office and getting out of jail.
Pro-Syrian forces advance toward the town of Douma (AFP or licensors)

The Syrian government resumed an offensive against the town of Douma on Saturday. Allegations are surfacing that chemical weapons were used in the attack.

By Nathan Morley

According to opposition activists the poison gas attack killed scores of people in the town of Douma. They claim that in addition to those killed, around 500 people were treated for suffocation and other symptoms after barrel bombs containing Sarin, a toxic nerve agent were dropped.



The allegations are denied by the Syrian government, which resumed an offensive on Saturday evening. Reports of the attack could not be independently verified.



For its part, Russias Ministry of Defense dismissed reports of the attack, according to the Interfax news agency.

In response to the reports, Washington called on Moscow to stop supporting the government of Syria and work with the international community to prevent further such attacks.
Illustrative image (Source: VNA)

To that end, the province is working actively with international organisations to call for FDI projects, namely the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the Association of German Chambers of Commerce and Industry (DIHK), the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham), the Australian Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (AusCham), the Dutch Business Association Vietnam (DBAV), the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham), and the Hong Kong Chinese Enterprises Association.

Nghe An will also accelerates the progress of existing ODA projects covering a range of fields, including infrastructure development for Vinh city funded by the World Bank, the upgrading of irrigation systems funded by JICA, and the upgrading of infrastructure in flood-prone areas funded by the Saudi Arabia Fund.

The province will review the list of prioritized projects and sectors calling for ODA and preferential loans from sponsors by 2020.

The locality expects to mobilise 2-3 million USD from international non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in 2018 for its approved projects, in line with the provinces plan for the 2017-2020 period.

Together with expanding cooperation and seeking measures to effectively lure FDI projects and international aid, the province will also make greater efforts to expand export markets, in a bid to earn 950 million USD this year.

Currently, Nghe An has established cooperative ties with numerous foreign partners, which have been proven effective in boosting the provinces socio-economic development.
The US military has resumed air operations in the East African nation of Djibouti, a critical location in the fight against terrorism, a US defense official tells CNN.

The move comes days after the US grounded its aircraft at the request of the Djiboutian government following two accidents.

Both accidents happened Tuesday and involved a Marine Corps Harrier jet crashing at the country's international airport and a Marine Corps CH-53 Super Stallion helicopter sustaining damage while landing during a military exercise known as Alligator Dagger.

After the accidents, the Djiboutian government requested the US halt all flying operations, three defense officials told CNN.

The US decision to halt air operations has also led the military to cancel the Alligator Dagger exercise.

There are about 4,000 US personnel in Djibouti, based at Camp Lemonnier, and US forces there support military operations against the terrorist groups in neighboring Somalia and nearby Yemen. The grounding of aircraft could affect counterterrorism operations in both Somalia and Yemen, such as drone strikes, and support to Camp Lemonnier the officials said.

Following the halt to operations, the US military and the State Department worked with the government of Djibouti to get approval for flights on a case-by-case basis to ensure support for those missions continued, two defense officials told CNN. Medical evacuation and search-and-rescue flights were allowed to proceed during the pause, two US military officials said.

Despite the grounding of aircraft, the US military was able to carry out an airstrike Thursday against Al Shabaab militants near Jilib, Somalia, killing three fighters and destroying a vehicle with a mounted heavy machine gun, according to a statement from US Africa Command, which oversees operations on the continent.

The US military places a lot of importance on its ability to base forces in Djibouti given its critically strategic location near countries like Somalia and Yemen, where the US regularly targets terrorists in airstrikes.

"Djibouti is a very strategic location for us," Gen. Thomas Waldhauser, the head of Africa Command, told Congress last month. Central Command, Special Operations Command, European Command and Transportation Command also use the location, he added, "so it's very, very important to us."

But US officials have recently expressed concern about the growing influence of China in Djibouti, noting its establishment of a military base there its close economic links with the country.

Waldhauser acknowledged both challenges during his appearance before Congress last month.

"We are taking significant steps on the counterintelligence side so that we have all the defenses that we need there, there is no doubt about that," he said, referring to the proximity of the new Chinese base.

"But I think that one of the challenges that we're going to have is things like this," he said. "I mean, the Djiboutian government is probably over $1.2 billion in debt to the Chinese. At some point in time that money needs to be collected," which raised the possibility that China might be given control of the port of Djibouti to help pay off the debt.

"The worst-case scenario if it happened, if the Chinese did take over that port -- and, again, we have assurances from the Djiboutians they won't -- but if they did, I mean, down the way that that restricts our access, that restricts the Navy's ability to get in there and just simply offload supplies and the like," he said.

"It's a strategic geography location for us, and we need to keep it," he added.
Its getting a bit sticky at Australian-founded, Singapore-listed tech group Yuuzoo, set up by Sydney music entrepreneur Ron Creevey and former Nokia Asia Pacific chief executive Thomas Zilliacus.

Yuuzoo, which makes bespoke social networks for clients (whatever that is), has spent the last few months fighting off allegations by American investors and a conga line of former Yuuzoo chief financial officers that the group has unusual business practices.

Music and media entrepreneur Ron Creevey says he hasn't been involved with Yuuzoo since 2012. Credit:Edwina Pickles

Now the Commercial Affairs Department, a unit of the Singapore police no less, has been called in, according to a statement put out by the company this week on the Singapore Exchange.

The CAD is investigating Yuuzoo for possible breaches of the countrys Securities and Futures Act. The investigation relates to Yuuzoo's franchise arrangements.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will declare it is "business as usual" as he wrestles with a backbench revolt over energy policy and confronts the possibility of losing more polls than his predecessor Tony Abbott.

Mr Turnbull on Sunday night recorded his 30th consecutive Newspoll loss - the same record he cited to challenge Mr Abbott for the prime ministership in 2015.

The Newspoll - released overnight - found the Coalition trailing Labor 48:52 on a two-party preferred basis.

A Fairfax/Ipsos poll published on Saturday also showed the government behind 48:52, based on preference flows at the last election.
Its often easy to forget how unique some of our institutions are, particularly when it comes to providing services to those who might not have access to them otherwise.

The School of the Air, which delivers lessons to children on remote outback stations, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service spring to mind.

And so it is with the Parliamentary Budget Office, certainly less heroic in the nation's imagination, but no less practical.

It is not widely appreciated but the PBO is among the only independent fiscal bodies in the world that costs the policies of opposition, to give them some of the economic heft afforded to government through Treasury.

There are many budget offices that operate as a watchdog - keeping government promises realistic and putting a lid on debt - but only Australia and the Netherlands have a charter to work for the opposition.
It's sold in a bottle that looks like soft drink and it tastes like soft drink, says VicHealth's principal program officer for alcohol Maya Rivis. Young kids who are inexperienced around alcohol drink it very quickly and before they know it they're in a lot of trouble. While ciders share of the alcohol market is still relatively small compared with beer and wine, figures from IBIS World show it is the industry's fastest growing drink and worth $361 million in annual revenue. One 1.25 litre bottle of Little Fat Lamb contains eight standard drinks and can be bought for as little as $4. Credit:Paul Jeffers Younger people appear to be part of this trend. Data shows that cider consumption among school students - particularly girls - has skyrocketed in recent years.

According to the Australian Secondary School Alcohol and Drug Survey taken in 2014, 9 per cent of girls aged between 12 and 17 said cider was their most common drink - up from less than 1 per cent in 2008. And while Somersby, Rekorderlig and Strongbow are among the most purchased ciders, sales data seen by Fairfax Media shows that Little Fat Lamb was in the top 10 brands at the start of 2017. Going by the brand's popularity on social media, where fans share memes and photos about getting drunk on Little Fat Lamb, its sales can only have increased since then. One post on Facebook with hundreds of likes uses the "name a more iconic duo" meme template, along with a bottle of Little Fat Lamb and a person slumped face down on a bench. Another says "raise your hands if you've personally been victimised by Little Fat Lamb". Dr Nicholas Carah says the Facebook pages, if they are run by the distributor, are "so far outside" the Alcohol Beverages Advertising Code Scheme, a self-regulated body which fields complaints about booze marketing.

A meme on the Little Fat Lamb Facebook page. "It's this continuous celebration of excessive consumption," he says. "Sometimes you'll see brands on social media winking at that but not in this totally explicit way." The distributor of Little Fat Lamb, Drink Craft Pty Ltd, has fallen foul of the code in the past. In 2015, a complaint was upheld about its packaging having a strong appeal to minors. The company did not respond to a list of questions put to it last week by Fairfax Media, including whether it runs the Facebook pages or what Little Fat Lamb is made from.

The reason Little Fat Lamb is able to be sold so cheaply is tax. When then-treasurer Wayne Swan introduced the so-called alcopop tax in 2008, it was a social measure aimed at reducing binge drinking. Under that scheme, premixed spirt drinks are taxed by alcohol volume. Ciders, however, fall under the Wine Equalisation Tax, which is calculated at 29 per cent of the wholesale price. The cider industry is concerned that the Wine Equalisation Tax is being used to sell what is basically a mixed alcoholic drink more cheaply. "It's an RTD [ready to drink] type product but it's taxed like a cider," says Cider Australia CEO Jane Anderson, who believes the drink is most likely made by fermenting cheap fruit juice imported from China.

The cider industry believes Little Fat Lamb is made form cheap apple juice imported from China. Credit:David Hil As well as taxing by volume, there are calls for a minium price to be introduced on alcohol to help curb binge drinking. In the UK, where cider has been described as "more deadly than heroin", a levy was introduced last year to stop it being sold so cheaply. Similar policies are on the way in Australia. In the Northern Territory, a recent review of alcohol abuse recommended a $1.30 floor price per standard drink. "The evidence around price is really clear, it's a real deterrent for people," says Maya Rivis from VicHealth.
Australia is missing out on a global "renaissance" of research into use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health problems, two psychologists say.

International research projects investigating the use of psychedelics, such LSD and psilocybin, the psychoactive compound in so-called magic mushrooms, to treat addiction, anxiety and depression have gained momentum in recent years.

Psychedelic drugs have a reputation as illicit recreational drugs. Credit:Louie Douvis

Dr Stephen Bright, who is vice-president of PRISM or Psychedelic Research in Science and Medicine, a not-for-profit lobby group, said there had been a "renaissance" in psychedelic science research after a decades-long global ban on the subject began to soften in the early 2000s.

However, he said Australia had been left behind and there were no trials afoot.
Julie Bishop judged to be the best chance of taking the LNP to victory at the next election. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

Strange days indeed, most peculiar. On Thursday evening the most tweeted about subject on social media was #LibSpill.

Yes, clearly, while Id been out, seeing a man about a dog, something must have happened! They really were coming for Malcolm Turnbull after all, and going to cut him down, using the same measure he had applied to Tony Abbott, by organising to vote him out on the very day he lost 30 Newspolls in a row.

Quickly, I went to the Fairfax website. Not a word. Over to the News website. Same thing! Somehow, Twitter was convinced that the whole thing was happening, when, in reality, no actual move was afoot. (Insurance policy: I write this on Friday morning  and there really is nothing happening right now. I am not responsible for what blows up this weekend!)

Still, in the spirit of it all, I posted a Twitter poll, asking the twitterati if there was a spill, who of Malcolm Turnbull, Julie Bishop, Peter Dutton and Josh Frydenberg they judged to be the best chance of taking the LNP to victory at the next election.
''The least he could do is pay me properly.'' Mr Hilakari said Trades Hall had been in talks with Victorian Labor over the issue and was ''reasonably optimistic criminalising wage theft will become an election commitment. ''This is what a good government should do; if they say no, we are going to campaign on it. The former South Australian Labor government took a policy to last months election to make wage theft a crime while the NSW Labor opposition is moving in a similar direction. Senior Andrews government insiders have ruled out wage theft legislation this year but have left open the possibility of taking a policy to this year's election.

The government is considering multiple requests from union, business and community lobbies ahead of both the budget and the November poll. Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive James Pearson said employers already faced significant financial penalties for wage underpayment. ''Nobody wins if employees lose their jobs when a business closes because of the size of the fine or because the employer has been imprisoned. ACCI chief executive James Pearson is opposed to making wage underpayment a crime. Credit:Andrew Meares He said the Fair Work system was highly complex with workplace awards of over 100 pages. That can be challenging for small business to navigate.

Young Workers Centre coordinator Keelia Fitzpatrick said the union campaign will be launched at a conference on wage theft this Friday. Unions engaged law firm Gordon Legal and a barrister to draw up proposed amendments to the Crimes Act that would regard the intentional underpayment of wages a criminal offence. Ms Fitzpatrick said they had legal advice that its amendments would not contradict existing federal workplace laws. They want a special unit in Victoria Police to deal with the issue. Ms Fitzpatrick cited figures from the Fair Work Ombudsman that showed in 2014/15 it received 14,291 allegations relating to underpayment but launched only 42 litigations on the issue. Victorian Industrial Relations minister Natalie Hutchins said in a brief statement the Andrews government was looking at how to deal with the underpayment of wages.

Victorian Industrial Relations minister Natalie Hutchins did not rule out making 'wage theft' a crime. We take the issue very seriously and are looking at the best way to tackle this growing problem, which particularly affects vulnerable workers. Michelle has been at her wits end to try to claw back wages and entitlements owed to her 17-year-old son Anthony. Anthony, with his mother Michelle, who is attempting to help the 17-year-old recover lost wages. Credit:Paul Jeffers He was owed at least $1000 in unpaid wages and entitlements, she said, from his time working at a restaurant in Melbourne's outer east. In one week he worked 28 hours but was paid for only 13 hours.

When she contacted the restaurant's owner, she was ignored. The owner did not respond to requests for comment from The Age. He also did not attend a mediation session with the Fair Work Ombudsman, she said. Michelle even called police to ask if it would be OK if she could hand out leaflets at his restaurant highlighting her sons case (it was). "I havent done that yet, she said. She is frustrated with how hard it is to resolve this issue. ''Hes never been late to one shift and this is what happened, she said. That belongs to Anthony that money, its a theft, it should be a crime.
A Perth march in support of white farmers in South Africa is expected to be attended by up to 3000 people.

Conservative Liberal MP Andrew Hastie is one of the speakers at the midday rally, organised by South African Events.

A bumper sign during a blockade of the freeway between Johannesburg and Vereeniging, in Midvaal, South Africa, last year in protest against the murder of farmers. Credit:AP

"It's going to be a big one," an event organiser said.

"We support land reform but not the way we're doing it now."
Moscow: To understand how President Vladimir Putin is weaning Russians off foreign food, look no further than the apple trees growing in the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea, where a Soviet-era orchard once flourished. They're mostly from Italy.

To become self-sufficient, Russia has started to import trees rather than fruit.

Russia is the world's largest apple importer because local varieties spoil faster than those grown in Europe or China and shoppers often prefer the taste of imported fruit. When farm operator AFG National Group sought to upgrade supplies in 2015, rather than use domestic crops, the company shipped in 143,000 trees from fields 3000 kilometers away. It's new orchard near the Caucasus Mountains will produce about 8000 metric tonnes of Gala, Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples this year.

"Deciding to use the latest technology in planting orchards, we realised that, unfortunately, national research in this area lags behind the leading European and global trends," said Oleg Ryanov, who runs the orchard unit at AFG, which until the apple investment in Krasnodar was growing mostly rice on 173,000 acres in southern Russia. "From the very start, we took a cue from European countries."

Increasingly, Russia is acquiring equipment and know-how from outside the country to expand agricultural output. Over the past decade, that strategy helped to create an exporting juggernaut for major crops like wheat and barley. But consumers still rely on foreign dairy, fruits and vegetables, so farmers are importing better seeds, greenhouses and even milking cows to improve domestic capacity.
Washington: North Korea has confirmed directly to the Trump administration that it is willing to negotiate with the United States over potential denuclearisation, administration officials said.

The confirmation on Sunday evening, US time, offers the administration greater assurances that North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is committed to a potential meeting with President Donald Trump by the end of next month.

"The US has confirmed that Kim Jong-un is willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula," an administration official said.

South Korean emissaries, in a visit to the White House last month, had presented Kim's invitation to meet with Trump, who quickly agreed.
The Arizona Republican said Assad and his Russian and Iranian supporters heard Trump and, "emboldened by American inaction, Assad has reportedly launched another chemical attack against innocent men, women and children." Assad's government has denied responsibility. McCain said Trump "responded decisively" last year by targeting a Syrian air base with cruise missiles after a poison gas attack. He urged Trump to respond decisively again to "demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes." Iran's official IRNA news agency, however, reported that the country's Foreign Ministry has condemned the alleged gas attack, saying the claims aimed to justify military action by the US. The spokesman for the ministry, Bahram Ghasemi, was quoted in the Sunday report as saying "Such claims and accusations by the Americans and some western countries is an indication of a new plot and excuse for military action against the Syrian government and nation."

He added that since the Syrian army now had the upper hand against "armed terrorists", the use of chemical weapons was not logical, and that Syria had cooperated with UN to abolish its entire chemical weapons arsenal. The allegations of chemical warfare come at a time when the US administration is pulling in different directions over Syria policy, with Trump calling for a speedy American pullout over the objections of the state and defence departments. Trump suggested the US wouldn't sit idly by, blaming Russia and Iran.

He also blamed former president Barack Obama for not ending the conflict. Le Drian said France strongly condemned attacks, as well as other weekend bombings raids by Syrian government forces in Douma. He called them a "gross violation of international humanitarian law." France would work with allies to verify reports that chemical weapons were used, he said. Referring to President Emmanuel Macron's warning that France could strike unilaterally if there was a deadly chemical attack, Le Drian said that Paris would assume all its responsibilities in the fight against the proliferation of chemical weapons. Syria's official Sana news agency said the rapidly advancing army "doesn't need to use any chemical weapons as the media channels that support the terrorists are fabricating." It cited an official it didn't identify.

Russia, whose military backing of Assad turned the course of the war in his favour, denied that Syrian government forces deployed chemical weapons in Douma, according to the Tass news service, which cited Major General Yuri Yevtushenko. Russia plans to send specialists to analyse the scene once militants are expelled from the area, and said the data would refute claims of chemical use, Tass reported. The Foreign Ministry in Moscow warned that any foreign military strike against Syria over "fabricated" reports of chemical warfare may lead to the "gravest consequences." Loading More than 40 people suffocated to death due to exposure to an unknown chemical agent, the White Helmets, an opposition-linked civil defence force that operates in rebel areas, said on Twitter.

Images of lifeless children and women foaming from their mouths were circulated on social media. Fatalities could exceed 100 people, according to the Syrian National Coalition, an opposition umbrella group. "Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters," the US State Department said in a statement. "These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community." The US Tomahawk missile strike last year increased tensions with Russia, which has backed Assad in his battle to suppress an uprising that morphed into a regional proxy war. The State Department said in its statement that Russia "'ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks" and has "breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor" to a 2013 agreement to strip Syria of its chemical weapons stockpiles.

Internal rift The internal divisions in the US administration over Syria policy leaves Russia, Iran and Turkey "calling the shots in Syria, not the US," according to Andreas Krieg, assistant professor of defense studies at King's College, London. "Washington is in no position to take any action, and Russia knows that," Krieg said. "The Trump administration's rhetoric about pulling out of Syria hasn't helped the US' bargaining position. The regime knows now that it will get away with murder." More than seven years of war in Syria have killed half a million people and dispersed millions more as refugees. The fighting has also drawn in Iran, Russia, the US and Turkey, and a postwar scenario could include a continuation of Syria's de facto partition into spheres of foreign influence.
Vatican City: The Vatican said on Saturday its police had arrested a monsignor who worked as a diplomat at its embassy in Washington and is suspected of possessing child pornography in the United States and Canada.

A statement identified the accused as Monsignor Carlo Alberto Capella and said he was arrested earlier on Saturday in the Vatican after a warrant was issued by the Holy See's chief magistrate at the end of an investigation.

Pope Francis delivers a speech in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, on Saturday. Credit:AP

The Vatican statement said Capella, who was recalled from the Vatican embassy in Washington last August, was arrested according to articles of a 2013 law signed by Pope Francis. The articles cited by the statement related to child pornography.

If indicted, the monsignor will have to stand trial in the Vatican and faces up to 12 years in jail.
By West Kentukcy Star Staff Apr. 07, 2018 | 04:57 PM | McCRACKEN COUNTY

Jamisen Abernathy was selected to be the State Vice President of Community Service. She is the first MCHS student to achieve the opportunity to serve as a state officer. Mrs. Lauren Williams was awarded the title of Master Adviser (only 3 advisers were given this award across the whole state). The MCHS chapter was one of only 5 chapters in the state to be recognized as a Gold Chapter for their program of work this year.





The following students placed in their category in state competitive events. First place has the opportunity to go on the National competition this summer.





1st Place

Recycle and Redesign-Emma Denton

Fashion Design-Alexis Carter (also received a $6,000 scholarship)

Chapter in Review Portfolio-Brianna Russell and Jasmine Perry

Life Event Planning-Kristen Collier and Elise Jez





3rd Place

Chapter Service Project Display-Nicole Houser

Chapter in Review Display-Jordan Morris and Paden Shell

Chapter in Review Portfolio-Kali Everette and Alexa White

Say Yes to FCS-Jamisen Abernathy





Kristen Collier participated in a signing ceremony to major in Family and Consumer Sciences Education in college.





The MCHS chapter was also recognized for participating at a high level in Unite to Serve, Community Service, Student Body, and Sepsis Alliance.



The McCracken County High School Chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America has received multiple honors in recent state competition.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 07, 2018 | 11:23 PM | PADUCAH, KY

A Belknap, IL man has been charged in connection with Thursday's shooting at Paducah's Elmwood Apartments, which left one dead and another injured.Paducah Police report that Michael Evers was arrested by the Metropolis Police Department on a Kentucky warrant charging him with 1st degree assault. He was lodged in the Massac County Jail.Police are still looking for another person of interest in the case. Lonnie J. Moore is described as a 34-year-old black male, 510, 245 pounds, with a bald head and facial hair. Moore currently has an outstanding warrant from Massac County that charges him with fleeing or attempting to elude an officer and resisting an officer.Moore is considered to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached.An autopsy was performed Friday morning in Louisville on the body of one of the victims, identified as 42- year-old Sheila A. Lang of Paducah. Preliminary results indicate she died due to a gunshot wound.The other victim injured in the shooting, 31-year-old Clifford D. Moore, also of Paducah, was transported to a local hospital where he is currently listed in critical condition.Anyone with information about the incident, or Moores whereabouts, is asked to call the Paducah Police Department at 270-444-8550 or Crime Stoppers at 270-443-TELL. Tipsters also may access the online tip form through the City of Paducah website at http://paducahky.gov/west-ky-crime-stoppers. Information leading to an arrest or indictment may result in a reward of up to $1,000.
1. Yes. The district should offer a virtual learning option, even in a modified format.

2. Yes. The bill limits the number of students who use it, but it does provide state funds.

3. No. Its too late in the year for the district to try to rework its teaching platforms.

4. No. The bill only allows 10% of students to access it, and also has other restrictions.

5. Unsure. It seems like a half-measure, but it may be worth pursuing.

Vote

View Results
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 07, 2018 | 03:35 PM | MURRAY, KY

This course is a way to learn proven safety strategies to maintain confidence behind the wheel. Seniors 50+ who take the class are eligible for a discount on their auto insurance premium for up to 3 years. All insurance companies that operate in Kentucky are required to offer a discount to those that complete the class.





Pre-registration is required and the class size is limited, and AARP members may register at a discounted rate. For more information on cost and age requirements, or to register, call (270) 762-1348 or come to the front desk at the Murray-Calloway County Center for Health and Wellness.





The AARP Driver Safety Course will be held Wednesday, May 2nd, from 8am to 12:30pm at the Murray-Calloway County Center for Health and Wellness.
By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 07, 2018 | 02:27 PM | CALVERT CITY, KY

Calvert City Community Advisory Team (CCCAT), approved donating $4,454.00 in educational-grants to the Roblox Rebels Team and Marshall County High School teacher Lisa Devillez. Jenny Darnall, who teaches at Marshall County High School, and Bill Colp, a software engineer at CSI in Paducah, are the Roblox Rebels Team sponsors. Darnall and Colp received $755.00 in grant money to support the robotics team. The Roblox Rebels Team consists of eight members between the ages of 9-11 years old.



There are three scored components in our curriculum. They are research/presentation, teamwork/gracious professionalism, and robot design and mission completion, Darnall said. Our kids focus on these three areas at all our team meetings, and all these components are essential skills in todays job market, she continued.



Darnall and Colp will use the grant money to purchase two Fire Kindle HDXs so that team members can program two robots on the mission table at the same time, and to buy parts that will enable the students to rebuild robots and improve their functions

.

When South Marshall sixth grade student Will Darnall learned of the grant, he told his father, Chad Darnall, Thats awesome! Well no longer have to share a computer while programming our robots. We also have limited parts so, hopefully, we can buy some additional motors.



Lisa Devillez teaches chemistry at Marshall County High School chemistry. She received $3,699.00 in grant money for the purchase two pieces of science equipment: An Inventables X-Carve desktop CNC machine that will add to the science departments fabrication capabilities for student inventions and support the robotics team in building specialized parts. (A CNC (Computer Numeric Control) tool is used in prototyping and full production for cutting, carving, machining and milling in wood, MDF, plastics, foams, and aluminum), and A Vernier Mini GC Plus Gas Chromatograph that will add to the AP Chemistry lab curriculum as well as support independent studies for the advanced students. (The Mini GC is a portable instrument for separating, analyzing, and identifying substances contained in a volatile liquid or gaseous sample.)





Ive been looking at ways to provide real-world experiences to our students that you dont typically see in a high school, said Devillez. It will be amazing for them to have the opportunity to explore their interests with professional level equipment that they will likely encounter in their future careers, she continued.



Each spring semester, the CCCAT currently donates up to $5,000.00 to area schools through major-grants. These major-grants are in addition to the $6,000.00 mini-grants awarded to area schools each spring and fall.





"These major-grants help us support our local teachers, students, and schools with the purchase of STEM-related educational equipment that is not available through their regular school budgets," said Toni Darnall, Evonik Corporation Environmental Manager. Teachers from Marshall and Livingston County schools will be asked each spring to apply for up to $5,000.00 in grants that support their curriculum.



The Calvert City Community Advisory Team was formed in 1992. The membership includes residents and representatives from 11 Calvert City chemical and industrial plants. The team meets regularly with each other to discuss issues of concern to both residents and the plants. The advisory group provides a forum for the plants to respond directly to the communitys questions, comments or concerns.



Calvert City companies that participate in the team are Arkema, Inc.; Ashland, Inc.; Clean Earth, Inc.; Carbide Industries, LCC; Cymetech Corporation; Estron Chemical, Inc.; Evonik Corporation; Lubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.; Sekisui SC; Wacker Chemical Corporation; and Westlake Vinyls, Inc.



The Calvert City Community Advisory Team has awarded major grants to area schools.
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But some people still don't like reading about it. And I know that because my coverage of the Mass Riot release was the subject of some more drive-by feedback.

Left in The Citizen's mailbox this week was a clip of the article covered in scrawlings: "This is why I do not subscribe!" "You are a joke of a newspaper." "Is this really news?"

Yes, it is. And I'm going to continue writing about it. I don't expect this column to make the man on the street, the person with the angry handwriting or anyone else like craft beer. They'll read the headline, and probably only the headline, and roll their eyes. Some of them might prepare another way to tell me I suck at my job, as the clip did.

And that's OK. You don't have to like craft beer. But I don't see how you can continue to deny the news that it's making in Cayuga County.

What's on tap

Aurora Ale & Lager
Here are the stories our DC insiders are talking about in this week's "Inside Politics" forecast, where you get a glimpse of tomorrow's headlines today.

1) Bolton's beginning

Bolton's first day as National Security Adviser is Monday and he may shake up the White House Get ready for some possibly contentious hearings over Trump's nominees for CIA, State and Veterans' Affairs

John Bolton starts his new job as National Security Adviser Monday and he'll have plenty on his plate. President Trump's team has seen a major reshuffling over the past year, and Bolton's arrival could bring changes to the White House and its foreign policy.

The Washington Post's Josh Dawsey explains:

"You have John Bolton coming in with a more hawkish worldview. You have the Iran deal decision -- the President has to decide if he's going to rip it up. You have North Korea talks that the President wants to do, and you have someone with a different idea in many fronts than the President on foreign policy, someone the President seems to have some charisma with," Dawsey reports.

"I think there's some reticence at the NSC (National Security Council) and at the State Department possibly on John Bolton, but I think it will be interesting to watch."

2) Contentious confirmations?

As Trump's cabinet and staff go through makeovers, Congress gears up to weigh in on Trump's replacement picks. Trump's new choices for State, Veterans' Affairs and CIA director may face contentious confirmation hearings.

Politico's Eliana Johnson explains:

"Republicans in the Senate are annoyed and fatigued at having to push these (candidates) through, and Democrats have a real opportunity to energize their base by opposing these," she says. "I'm looking at which one they're going to try to oppose, one or more, and I think that one of these has a real chance at failing."

3) The Pompeo pick

Speaking of that, Mike Pompeo's confirmation hearing is Thursday. There's already trouble brewing for him with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee because Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) has announced his opposition.

As CNN's Manu Raju reports, there's a one-vote advantage for the GOP on that committee, but Dems might actually help the president's pick here.

"There are two Democrats who voted for him for CIA director when he was confirmed by a 66-32 vote. That's Senator Tim Kaine, Senator Jeanne Shaheen. They both sit on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee," Manu reports.

"Of course, the State Department secretary versus being CIA director, much different positions ... a lot of questions about whether or not they will support him going forward...we'll see if any Democrats decide to jump ship because otherwise he could be in trouble on the floor, too."

4) Teachers get political

Teachers in a handful of states are voicing their displeasure with low pay or lack of resources by striking or walking out. Educators in West Virginia, Kentucky and Oklahoma are trying to pressure state lawmakers to meet their demands.

Time's Molly Ball tells us the political impact of this trend.

"There are 36 gubernatorial elections this November, the majority of them Republican-held. These teachers, surprising even the teachers unions by rising up, demanding better pay, and Democrats are looking at this thinking this could be part of the wave of activism that they expect to power any success," Ball says.

"This is about women. The teachers are mostly women. It affects moms. A lot of teachers are even running for office. To the extent that this feeds the wave that is being driven by women voters this fall, it could help Democrats."

5) No quit in John McCain

Congress is back from recess, but notably still missing is the senior senator from Arizona. Senator John McCain, absent from Capitol Hill since mid-December, is staying back home as he receives treatment for brain cancer.

As CNN's John King reports, McCain's staff hasn't discussed a timetable for his return after they initially promised he would be back at work in January.

"The senator's friends will be happy to know McCain was highly annoyed by a Washington Post story last week noting that there are quiet conversations in Arizona and in Washington about replacing Senator McCain if he cannot return and decides to retire," King says.

"McCain told several friends in recent days, 'I'm not going anywhere,'" King adds. "He is said to be in good spirits, working on building his strength and determined to return to work."
SWEDEN, N.Y. (AP) - Authorities say a woman used a "large-bladed kitchen knife" to sever the head of her 7-year-old son in their home.

Police arrested 36-year-old Hanane Mouhib (hah-NEEN moo-HEEB) after Abraham Cardenas was found dead Thursday night in a home in the town of Sweden, just west of Rochester, New York. She was charged with second-degree murder.

Court papers say Mouhib stabbed the boy in the upper back then cut his neck, severing his head. Mouhib's husband, mother-in-law and a 10-year-old boy were also home.

Mouhib had recently called the sheriff's office seeking assistance with mental health problems. She had been admitted to a hospital from March 8 and March 26.

Mouhib is being held in the county jail without bail. She had not been assigned a public defender at midday Friday.

___

Information from: WHEC-TV, http://www.10nbc.com

(Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)




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A frantic grandmother in New York called 911, asking police for help after her daughter-in-law was suicidal and waved a knife around.

When officers arrived, they found 36-year-old Hanane Mouhib waving a large kitchen knife.

Sheriff Todd Baxter said at a news conference that after she was subdued, officers searched her home and found Mouhibs 7-year-old son, Abraham Cardenas, with severe injuries.

Mouhib stabbed the child in the upper back and cut his neck, which caused his head to be severed from his body, Baxter said.

The word evil comes to mind. Theres absolutely no explanation for this, he added.

Ironically, Mouhib worked at the Rochester Regional health as a licensed nurse practitioner who specializes in mental health.

She was hospitalized twice for mental health issues in recent weeks.

10 days after being released from the psychiatric hospital, Mouhib killed her son.
Air ambulance attends medical emergency in Caia

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Apr 8th, 2018

Update: The air ambulance has left the area. One emergency ground unit was also sent to the emergency.

Original information below

The Welsh Air Ambulance are assisting a medical emergency this afternoon in Caia Park.

The air ambulance landed at 5:09pm on a very small patch of grass just off Moorland Avenue in Caia.

Thanks to Gary for the top image.

More shortly.
Chance for Plas Madoc tenants to view housing improvement plans at public event

This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 9th, 2018

Council tenants in the Plas Madoc area will this week have the chance to view plans for improvement works due to be carried out to their homes.

Hundreds of properties on the estate are undergoing major refurbishment works as part of Wrexham Councils ongoing modernisation programme  which aims to bring council houses across the borough up to the Welsh Governments Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

The improvements include re-roofing and installing External Wall Insulation to help keep houses warmer, improve their appearance and extend the lifespan of the buildings.

The first phase of the work is now well underway in the Bodlyn, Bran, Aled, and Idwal areas of the estate. Some properties in Idwal have already been completed.

The second phase is due to start soon and will cover homes in the Alwen, Dinas, Glaslyn, Gwynant and Peris areas.

Plans to demolish 22 difficult to let properties in the Gwynant and Peris were approved by the Executive Board in April 2017. During the meeting last year it was noted that the three storey properties offer little to landscape and environment as well as being unpopular and difficult to let.

This week an information will take place at Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, offering an opportunity for

tenants to come and view the design plans for their homes. Housing officers will also be on hand to answer any queries about the work.

There will also be a chance to view some initial proposals/plans for new-build properties which Wrexham Council are planning to build on the estate.

In February Executive Board members approved a further 50.3m investment for housing improvement work to continue in 2018/19. This includes a Major Repairs Allowance grant, which the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: We have committed to this huge investment to help us continue improvement work across the County Borough over the next 12 months.

Our aim is to ensure that all our tenants homes meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by 2020 and Im pleased to say we are well on track to achieve this.

The information event will be held at the Aqua Lounge, Plas Madoc Leisure Centre, 11 April, from 2pm-6pm. It is a drop-in event and anyone is welcome to attend.

For further information contact Plas Madoc Estate Office with any queries  01978 813000 or email plasmadoc.estateoffice@wrexham.gov.uk
Committee to review if Kingdom are enforcing to standards council expects  no bullying tactics witnessed by council officers

This article is old - Published: Monday, Apr 9th, 2018

Councillors are set to review if the Kingdom littering enforcement officers are executing their role to the standards the council expects, with a report telling them that no bad behaviour show on a Panorama programme has occurred locally.

In December 2017 Wrexham.com reported that an Audit Committee had asked several questions about the Kingdom enforcement, with the answers now set to be examined by the The Homes and Environment Scrutiny Committee this week  after it was referred to them for examination due to possible reputational risk to the council.

Two years ago in April 2016 Wrexham Council engaged the services of Kingdom for a 12 month pilot period. Following the trial period, Kingdom were then re-appointed last April on a further two year deal. There is an option to extend the contract by a further year.

Kingdom are used by many councils across the UK, with nearby Gwynedd Council recently binning the firm without even completing the trial period due to issues over how the enforcement took place.

The manner of enforcement has angered many in Wrexham, with Kingdom being described as using bully boy tactics on the very first day by the manager of Eagles Meadow  an area of the town centre that subsequently is effectively off limits to Kingdom, an opt out that does not appear open to others.

An angry debate took place, and continues on the topic on if Kingdom and Wrexham Council are working to the law or to UK Government guidance to the enforcement. In effect a political decision has been taken to enforce things in a zero tolerance letter-of-the-law manner, rather than a little more lenient manner give by the guidance often cited.

Since the trial first started and that debate, we have had a round of local council elections last year, with a similar group of controlling councillors returned and the policy (with the then and now Lead Member taking part in our candidate Q&A answering a question on this topic) being continued under a fresh mandate.

As we have documented before the first six months of the pilot saw more than 3,200 fines issued, worth 263,475 , as with the only attempt at a pre-election public debate on the topic was stopped at the Town Centre Forum as there was no relevant Council Officers present. At that meeting it was also stated a debate would be inappropriate as the new contract had yet to be agreed, although it was later revealed it had actually been done days earlier.

Prior to Kingdom taking on the job, Wrexham Council did the enforcement job in house  however only 43 fines were issued by the council in 2015-2016, the period before outsourcing.

In December 2016 we asked Cllr Bithell if Kingdom issuing more tickets in the first three days than Wrexham Council in a year meant the council had not been doing the best job, something he said was absolutely right.

Questions have been raised recently over communications, with a community council invite declined by Kingdom  despite the Community Council in question being under the impression they were due regular updates from the enforcement company. This is something referred to in the report before councillors this week, which states: Elected Members and Community Councils receive regular monthly updates on Kingdoms activities.

In December we documented the strong concerns raised in an Audit Committee meeting, including questioning how independent the appeals process really was when there is a financial interest between Wrexham Council and Kingdom.

Mr OKeefe told that meeting in a scenario where the 1,000 cases where FPNs were not paid, but Wrexham Council had an obligation to pay out on them to Kingdom which could create a situation where a sizeable sum of money was effectively owed. The new report before councillors this week refers to the process as robust, sufficiently independent and fair.

That meeting also revealed the startling statistic that 2,534 fixed penalty notices were issued for cigarette butts alone, 92% of all tickets issued in the dataset before Councillors.

The cigarette butt data is simply explained as: The fact that more offences are enforced for smoking related litter is therefore due to the fact that it is the most commonly discarded piece of rubbish.

Questions were also asked over an apparent mismatch between the manner the enforcement takes places and the Councils own Environmental Enforcement Policy. Councillors are being told in the meeting report that things appear to be compliant, and again notes it it is a policy decision.

The explanation then changes tack from saying the policy does not need to be specific, to explain that a new and more comprehensive code of practice is being developed specifically for the FPN enforcement, noting the Welsh Government are also reviewing its own guidance on the issuing of FPNs as it is now outdated.

BBCs Panorama famously broadcast undercover film from an investigation into Kingdom , that was raised in December and subsequent questions asked about the ethical policy of Wrexham Council.

At the time Cllr Bithell gave the concerns short shrift: As for ethicalyou dont allow your dog to foul or drop litterthats my ethical policy.

Councillors get a slightly expanded response this week, with the report noting: An assurance that the issues identified in the Panorama programme in respect of Kingdom had not occurred in Wrexham.

As part of the governance arrangements for the monitoring, management and control of the contract, monthly, quarterly and annual contract management meetings are held with Kingdom.

Located at Abbey Road on Wrexham Industrial Estate, Council Officers are in daily contact with Kingdom staff and work closely with them.

As part of the contract monitoring arrangements, a number of videos per month are viewed whilst reviewing offences for court action. Any such activities like bullying tactics and covert surveillance would be seen at this point.

No such activity as that portrayed on the Panorama programme has been witnessed by Council officers regarding Kingdoms operations in Wrexham.

Councillors are tasked with considering the report and to ensure that the contract with Kingdom for the enforcement of low level environmental crime is being delivered to the standards the Council expects.

The report recommends Councillors to follow the advice that the Scrutiny Committee note the contents of the report, however councillors often create their own recommendations.

The Homes and Environment Scrutiny Committee will take place at 2pm on Wednesday 11th April. The meeting wont be webcast live but as usual is open for the public to sit and view proceedings in the public gallery.
Roger Stone, a longtime associate of President Donald Trump, said he knew the date of upcoming WikiLeaks disclosures in October 2016, despite claiming on Friday in an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper that he didn't.

"I had no advanced notice of the content source or exact timing of the WikiLeaks disclosures including the allegedly hacked emails," Stone said on CNN. "I never received anything whatsoever from WikiLeaks, Julian Assange, anyone associated with them, or anyone else, including allegedly hacked emails, and passed them onto Donald Trump."

Stone's comments on Friday further complicate an already murky picture of what he knew and when he knew it.

On CNN, Stone, while discussing comments he had made claiming to have had dinner with Julian Assange in August 2016, also "categorically" denied having advance knowledge of the contents of the hacked emails.

Those comments stand in sharp contrast with ones he made on the October 2, 2016, episode of InfoWars' radio show, to discuss a tweet he had sent a day earlier that read, "Wednesday @HillaryClinton is done. #Wikileaks."

"Now, an intermediary met with him (Assange) in London recently -- who is a friend of mine and a friend of his, a believer in freedom," Stone said. "I am assured that the motherlode is coming Wednesday. It wouldn't be an October surprise if I told you what it was, but I have reason to believe that it is devastating because people with political judgment who are aware of the subject matter tell me this. So right now, you see a terrible scrambling by the Clintonites to attempt to discredit Assange, to try to soften the blow."

The emails were not released that Wednesday, October 5, but on that same day, Stone wrote on Twitter, "Libs thinking Assange will stand down are wishful thinking. Payload coming #Lockthemup."

Two days later, WikiLeaks began releasing the first installment of John Podesta's hacked emails.

In an email with CNN on Saturday, Stone did not address the conflicting statements. But he did say he got the release date wrong because, "My source changed his prediction."

Stone did not respond to a follow-up question about why his answer about his source conflicted with his statements to Anderson Cooper denying having advance knowledge of the date of the release of WikiLeaks documents.

Stone has previously said the comments about the dinner were said in jest and that he has never met or spoken with Assange.
Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump's physician and pick for secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs, said in his first interview since being nominated that he's "got what it takes" to lead the department.

In a Sunday profile of Jackson in the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, a newspaper located near Jackson's hometown of Levelland, Texas, the White House doctor said: "I've been in leadership school for 23 years now. ... And I've been able to rise to the level of an admiral, a flag officer in the Navy. I didn't just stumble into that. So I've gotten a lot of leadership background."

"You know, I'm not just an officer in the Navy; I'm an emergency medicine physician in the military. I've been confronted on a day-to-day basis with life and death decisions," Jackson told the paper.

Jackson, whom Trump picked to be the VA's next secretary last month, first worked in the White House under President George W. Bush, where he was assigned to care for first lady Laura Bush. After Bush left office, then-President Barack Obama appointed Jackson as his own physician, and he maintained the role under Trump.

Jackson, a rear admiral, told the paper that former Bush employees who were on the Trump transition team helped him keep his job under Trump.

"Some of the people that were working on the Trump transition had been a part of the Bush 43 administration, and they knew me," Jackson told the paper. "They talked to President Trump about it, and I talked about it with him, and he just immediately appointed me as his physician as well."

If confirmed, Jackson said he "won't stay on active duty, I'll be a vet right away." His predecessor, who was dismissed by Trump last month, was not a veteran, which was widely noted after he was nominated in 2017.

According to the paper, Jackson noted in his interview that it's in "his best interest and his children's best interest to do what is right for veterans."

"We owe the vets the absolute best care that's available out there," Jackson said.
TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI)- Brigadier General Jeffery Hauser was the center of attention at the 181st Military base Saturday. It's a location he knows quite well.

"I tell ya it was almost thirty-eight years ago this week that I walked into this hanger," said General Hauser.

General Hauser served decades in the Indiana Air National Guard. He wanted to return to his roots in Terre Haute for his retirement ceremony.

"Most of them do the war memorial in Indianapolis. Its very formal but I felt much more comfortable doing it in the hanger where I stated and wear the uniform I used most of my career when I was flying."

Leading up to retirement, General Hauser served as the air component commander at the Indiana joint force headquarters in Indianapolis, but he first served as a weapons loader in Terre Haute.

Under his leadership, the base transitioned from a fighter wing to an intelligence wing.

"I was the wing commander again when we switched that and I tell you the moral of those folks is unbelievable. Hopefully, we can pick up some new missions or expand the ones we have. You know the future, there is just so much they can do," said Hauser.

General Hauser received many prestigious honors including the Indiana Distinguished Service Medal as well as the Sagamore of the Wabash.

At the end of Saturdays ceremony, Hauser walked off the stage as a retired officer but he is eager to see the future of the air national guard with the next generation of servicemen.

"they are awesome everything they do is just second to none and it didn't matter if we were flying airplanes or doing the intelligence wing and we are so proud of the airmen that we have that I would like to let them all know that," said Hauser.

Even though Hauser is retired from the air guard, has not stepped away from his passion for planes. He will still continue to work as the executive director of the Terre Haute Regional Airport.
DAMASCUS, Syria (CNN) -- Dozens of Syrians were killed and hundreds of others were affected by a suspected chemical attack on the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, rescue workers and an aid group said Sunday.

Anti-government activists claimed Syrian military helicopters dropped barrel bombs filled with chemicals on Douma, east of the capital Damascus, on Saturday night, suffocating some residents and sending others into violent convulsions.

Graphic footage shot by rescuers and activists show people -- including children -- dead and injured, some ghostly white and foaming at the mouth in makeshift medical centers. Others were found suffocated in their homes, according to first responders.

On Sunday the Syrian government and Russia, its key ally, vehemently denied involvement and accused rebels in Douma of fabricating the chemical attack claims in order to hinder the army's advances and provoke international military intervention.

US President Donald Trump has been briefed on the attack, a White House official told ABC News on Sunday. The State Department described the incident as "horrifying" and said that if the use of chemical agents in the attack was confirmed, it would "demand an immediate response by the international community."

At least 48 people died and 500 others displayed symptoms similar to exposure to "toxic gas" in the Douma area on Saturday, said the White Helmets rescue group and the Syrian American Medical Society, a charity, in a joint statement on Sunday.

Other groups have announced varying death tolls in the wake of the attack. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage or the reports.

Following the attack on Saturday night, doctors in Eastern Ghouta saw patients convulsing and some who appeared to be paralyzed and unresponsive, an official with the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) told CNN.

The official, who asked to be identified as Dr. Jad and is in touch with local doctors, said one of the affected areas was the residential area of Masaken, where hundreds of civilians reside in underground shelters.

Syrian army poised to retake Douma

The attack comes as Syrian forces are on the verge of recapturing Douma, the last town held by rebels in Eastern Ghouta, following a brutal offensive launched in mid-February.

Sources close to the Syrian army told CNN that the military had advanced nearly a kilometer into the Douma area on Saturday.

On Sunday the government said it was negotiating with Jaish al-Islam, the last remaining rebel group in Douma, to evacuate its fighters from the town to Jarablus in northern Syria, the state-run news agency SANA reported.

Talks between Russia and the rebel group collapsed on Friday. The Syrian government later resumed airstrikes in the rebel-held town, killing scores of people. Rebels responded with mortar attacks on Damascus, killing at least 12 people.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more wounded in the offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which was once home to an estimated 400,000.

Around 130,000 people have left the enclave in the past month, according to the United Nations. Of these, 83,000 have gone to eight collective shelters in government-controlled areas on the outskirts of Damascus.

Many have also fled to Idlib in the northwest, the largest remaining rebel-held area in the country.

Underground weapons factory?

The Syrian military took CNN to what it claimed was an underground weapons factory belonging to rebels in Eastern Ghouta. Inside they showed off chemicals, fuses and mortar casings they said were used by rebels to manufacture weapons.

Government officials also showed CNN a handwritten manual detailing instructions for how to build incendiary weapons, including white phosphorus munitions, amongst other things. Officials say the manual was left behind by the rebels.

At another site, the military showed an underground storage facility they say belonged to the rebels inside a civilian area. The facility included an SA-5 surface-to-air missile.

CNN could not independently verify these claims.

One year after Khan Sheikhoun

The Syrian regime has been accused many times of turning chemical weapons on its people over the course of the war.

In April 2017, more than 80 people were killed in a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.

That attack prompted the United States to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

A joint report from the United Nations and international chemical weapons inspectors last October determined Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's government was responsible for the attack. Damascus denied it was behind the attack and has repeatedly denied it has any chemical weapons.

Saturday's attack comes amid uncertainty about what role, if any, the US will play in Syria in the future.

The US has approximately 2,000 troops in Syria, where they advise local forces fighting ISIS. President Trump has said he wants to bring American troops home, but last week agreed to keep them in Syria for the short-term to help defeat the terror group.

Tamara Qiblawi and Fred Pleitgen reported from Damascus, Sheena McKenzie wrote in London. Steve Almasy and Milena Veselinovic contributed to this report.

TM &  2018 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved.
MUENSTER, Germany (AP)  A van crashed into people drinking outside a popular bar Saturday in the German city of Muenster, killing two people and injuring 20 others before the driver of the vehicle shot and killed himself inside it, police said.

A top German security official said there was no indication of an Islamic extremist motive but officials were investigating all possibilities in the deadly crash that took place at 3:27 p.m. on a warm spring day.

Witnesses said people ran away screaming from the city square after the crash. Police quickly set up a large cordoned-off area for their investigation and ambulances rushed to the site.

Six of the 20 injured were in severe condition, according to police spokesman Andreas Bode.

Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Muenster is located, said the driver of the gray van was a German citizen. He stressed that the investigation was at an early stage but said at the moment, nothing speaks for there being any Islamist background.

We have to wait, and we are investigating in all directions, Reul said, adding that it was clearly not an accident.

Reul said two people were killed in the crash and the driver killed himself  lower than the earlier police toll of three dead plus the driver.

Police spokesman Peter Nuessmeyer told The Associated Press that he could not confirm German media reports that the perpetrator reportedly had psychological issues.

Bode told reporters that police were checking witness reports that other perpetrators might have fled from the van at the scene. Hours later, police spokeswoman Vanessa Arlt said we didnt find anything (to those reports) but were still investigating in all directions and not excluding anything.

Police tweeted that residents should avoid the area near the Kiepenkerl pub in the citys historic downtown area where a large-scale police operation was underway.

Police also said they found a suspicious object in the van that they were examining to see if it was dangerous. They told German news agency dpa that was the reason authorities cordoned off such a large area.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung newspaper said the suspects apartment was being searched Saturday night for possible explosives.

The Muenster University Hospital put out an urgent call for citizens to donate blood  and so many people rushed to help that long lines of donors formed. Jan Schoessler, who was among those in line, said dozens of people were waiting shortly after doors opened at 7 p.m.

The university cancelled the call after only an hour and thanked everyone on Twitter for your overwhelming support.

A statement from the White House press secretary said that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the vehicle attack.

While the German authorities have not yet announced a motive for this cowardly attack on innocent people, we condemn it regardless, and pledge any support from the United States Government that Germany may need, the statement said.

Muenster, a major university city, has about 300,000 residents and an attractive medieval city center that was rebuilt after World War II. TV footage showed a narrow street sealed off Saturday with red-and-white police tape. Dozens of ambulances were near the cordoned-off area and helicopters were flying overhead.

The Kiepenkerl is not only one of the citys best-known traditional pubs, but also the emblem of the city, depicting a traveling salesman with a long pipe in his mouth and a big backpack on his back.

Ugur Hur was working at a nearby cafe in downtown Muenster when the crash took place.

I heard a loud bang, screaming. And the police arrived and everyone was sent out, he said. A lot of people were running away screaming.

Lino Baldi, who owns an Italian restaurant near the scene of the crash, told Sky TG24 that the city center had been packed with people out enjoying a Saturday market and summer-like temperatures, which had risen to 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit) from just 12 degrees (54 degrees F) a day earlier.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was deeply shocked by the terrible events in Muenster.

Everything conceivable is being done to investigate the crime and to support the victims and their relatives, Merkel said in a statement. My thanks go to all the responders at the scene.

___

Grieshaber reported from Berlin. Geir Moulson and Frank Jordans in Berlin and Colleen Barry in Munich contributed reporting.
VERMILLION COUNTY, Ind. (WTHI) - A man is facing charges after being accused of drunk driving.

It happened Saturday night, just after 7, at County 1425 South and County Road 100 West. That's in Clinton, Indiana.

The Vermillion County Sheriff's Office says Daniel Shew, 47, of Clinton, was driving his truck erratically and at high rates of speed. When deputies tried to stop Shew, police say he kept going and refused to stop.

About two miles south of CR 1300 South, police say Shew was finally pulled over.

Police say Shew showed signs of being intoxicated and told police he saw the patrol vehicle trying to stop him.

Police gave Shew field sobriety tests and a certified chemical test. Officials say Shew's BAC level was .14%.

Shew was arrested and taken to the Vermillion County Jail. He has since posted bond.
President Donald Trump called out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name on Sunday for backing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and warned of a "big price" after reports of a chemical weapons attack in Syria almost a year to the day since the US struck a Syrian air field after a previous attack.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump tweeted. "Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price..."

He continued, "....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Trump's tweet about Putin apparently marks the first time the President has publicly attacked the Russian leader by name. Trump also pinned blame for the situation on former US President Barack Obama's Syria policies.

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" Trump tweeted.

Vice President Mike Pence said in a tweet later Sunday morning that he and Trump were "monitoring the likely chemical attack" and echoed Trump's language about potential consequences.

".@POTUS & I closely monitoring likely chemical attack in Syria. We condemn in the strongest possible terms the assault on innocent lives, including children. The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior. As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!" Pence tweeted.

Syrian activist groups on Saturday said toxic gas inside barrel bombs dropped from helicopters over a rebel-held city in Syria killed dozens of civilians and wounded scores more. Syrian state news said an "official source" denied the allegations.

National Security Council principals will hold a "small group" meeting to discuss Syria on Monday afternoon, led by John Bolton on his first day as White House national security adviser, two administration officials told CNN.

A small group meeting is typically held to discuss options for the President, one of the officials said.

Trump also spoke with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi, according to a White House readout. The pair discussed the "situation in Syria and the alarming reports of possible chemical attacks near Damascus," as well as the countries' continued fight against ISIS, the White House said.

The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday on the alleged chemical weapons use, the US mission to the United Nations announced. Russia has requested a separate Security Council meeting later in the day, two UN diplomats told CNN.

In April of last year, the US launched tomahawk missiles at a Syrian air base as the US and others accused Assad's forces of perpetrating a deadly chemical weapons attack, which the Syrian military denied.

Speaking on ABC's "This Week" in an interview taped prior to the President's tweets, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert said he was struck by the "timing" of the reported attack, around the anniversary of last year's missile strike. He said the President and his advisers had been discussing the strike and would not rule out another one.

"I wouldn't take anything off the table," he said.

Russia responds to attack

The Russian Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Sunday calling the reported chemical attack a "hoax" and an "information attack" aimed at shielding "terrorists."

"Information attacks about the use of chlorine or other poisonous substances by the Syrian government troops are continuing. Another such hoax about the chemical attack that supposedly took place in Douma emerged yesterday," the statement said.

"We have warned of such dangerous provocations many times before. The purpose of these false conjectures, which are without any basis, is to shield the terrorists and the irreconcilable radical opposition, which reject a political settlement while trying to justify possible military strikes from outside," it added.

"It is necessary to warn once again that using far-fetched and fabricated pretexts for a military intervention in Syria, where Russian servicemen are deployed at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to the most serious consequences," the statement continued.

Trump's recent call for withdrawal from Syria

St-phane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary General Ant-nio Guterres, said in a statement Sunday that Guterres was "deeply concerned" about the violence and called for "all parties to cease fighting."

"The Secretary-General is particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma," the statement continued. "While the United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports, the Secretary-General notes that any use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, is abhorrent, and requires a thorough investigation."

Trump's tweets on Sunday against Assad and his key allies would mark another pivotal moment in the United States' winding position regarding the Syrian civil war.

Trump has said in recent weeks that he wants the US to leave Syria soon, despite the ongoing missions to fight ISIS and support some rebel forces. A top general nevertheless said on Thursday that Trump had not given a "specific timeline" for bringing troops home as the anti-ISIS campaign continues.

Maine Republican Sen. Susan Collins said in an interview Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union" that Trump "is going to have to reconsider his plan for an early withdrawal in light of what has happened."

She also said the US should consider another strike on Syria and called for increased economic pressure on Russia.

"Last time this happened, the President did a targeted attack to take out some of the facilities," Collins said. "That may be an option that we should consider now, but it is further reason why it is so important that the President ramp up the pressure and the sanctions on the Russian government, because without the support of Russia, I do not believe that Assad would still be in office."

Republican Sen. John McCain, of Arizona, said in a statement Sunday that Trump's withdrawal comments had emboldened Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies.

"President Trump last week signaled to the world that the United States would prematurely withdraw from Syria," McCain, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said. "Bashar Assad and his Russian and Iranian backers have heard him, and emboldened by American inaction, Assad has reportedly launched another chemical attack against innocent men, women and children, this time in Douma."

"President Trump was quick to call out Assad today, along with the Russian and Iranian governments, on Twitter," McCain added. "The question now is whether he will do anything about it. The President responded decisively when Assad used chemical weapons last year. He should do so again, and demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes."

A 'red line' on chemical weapons

Obama famously warned in 2012 against the use of chemical weapons in Syria, calling that "a red line" that would lead to a US military response.

In 2013, the US and its allies accused Assad's forces of perpetrating a chemical weapons attack. After the United Kingdom's Parliament voted not to join potential military action against Assad's forces, and as Obama deferred to Congress before ordering a US response, Russia and the United States announced a framework agreement to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons.

Trump himself warned Obama against striking Syria in 2013, but later would rail against Obama for his "red line" on Syria, as he did on Sunday.

Before the alleged chemical weapons attack last year, the Trump administration signaled an openness to Assad staying in power as the protracted civil war raged on. But last April, the US opted to strike a Syrian air field in response to the attack. The US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria said in February it had carried out strikes against pro-Assad forces in "self-defense."

In March, the Syrian civil war entered its eighth year.
As images of Syrian children gasping and convulsing spread around the world, US President Donald Trump and other international leaders denounced the Syrian regime for their alleged role in a suspected chemical attack.

At least 48 people died Saturday in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, the White Helmets rescue group and the Syrian American Medical Society charity group said in a joint statement.

"The evidence points toward yet another chemical attack by the regime," said Maja Kocijancic, spokeswoman for European Union Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

"Almost a year to the day of the horrific attacks in Khan Sheikhoun, it is a matter of grave concern that chemical weapons continue to be used, especially on civilians."

US President Donald Trump described the attack as "sick" and criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for supporting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. Trump threatened that there would be a "big price to pay" for the attacks.

But the Syrian government and its key ally, Russia, vehemently denied involvement in Saturday's attack. Instead, they accused rebels in Douma of fabricating the chemical assault claims in order to hinder the army's advances and provoke international military intervention.

Russia's Foreign Ministry called the reported attack a "hoax" that interfered with a deal to end fighting in Douma and evacuate civilians as well as Jaish al-Islam rebels and their families.

Iran, another ally, also defended the Syrian regime.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran strongly condemns the use of such (chemical) weapons by any party and anywhere in the world," Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi told the state-run Islamic Republic News agency. He said the allegation that the Syrian regime is behind the attack "is not compatible with reality."

Emergency UN security council meeting convened

Saturday's attack occurred almost a year to the day after the United States struck a Syrian airfield in response to a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Anti-government activists claimed Syrian military helicopters dropped barrel bombs filled with chemicals on the town, suffocating some residents and sending others into violent convulsions.

Graphic footage shot by rescuers and activists show victims -- including children -- dead and injured, some ghostly white and foaming at the mouth in makeshift clinics. Others were found suffocated in their homes, according to first responders.

At least 48 people died in the Douma area, and 500 others displayed symptoms similar to exposure to "toxic gas," the White Helmets rescue group and Syrian American Medical Society said.

Other groups said the death toll was higher. CNN could not independently verify the authenticity of the footage or the reports.

The State Department described the incident in Douma as "horrifying" and said that if the use of chemical agents in the attack was confirmed, it would "demand an immediate response by the international community."

The US, United Kingdom, France, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d'Ivoire will participate Monday in an emergency UN Security Council meeting, the US mission to the United Nations said.

"The Security Council has to come together and demand immediate access for first responders, support an independent investigation into what happened, and hold accountable those responsible for this atrocious act," US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement.

Following the attack, doctors in Eastern Ghouta saw patients shaking uncontrollably and some who appeared to be paralyzed and unresponsive, an official from the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM) told CNN.

The official, who asked to be identified as Dr. Jad, is in touch with local doctors and said one of the affected areas was the residential area of Masaken, where hundreds of civilians reside in underground shelters.

State TV: Deal reached to evacuate Douma rebels

The attack comes as Syrian forces are on the verge of reclaiming the last rebel-held areas in the country. Douma is the last town held by rebels in Eastern Ghouta, which was besieged for six years and had been heavily bombarded since mid-February.

On Sunday, Syrian state TV reported that the government had reached an agreement with Jaish al-Islam, the last remaining rebel group in Douma, to leave the enclave in the next 48 hours. As part of the agreement, the group's fighters would be transported to Jarablus in northern Syria. In exchange, the rebels would release all captives they are holding in Douma.

Later Sunday, dozens of buses entered Douma to take detainees released by Jaish al-Islam to government-held territory, according to Syrian state TV. The vehicles will also transport rebels and civilians to northern Syria, state TV said.

Jaish Al-Islam didn't immediately respond to CNN's request for confirmation.

Talks between the rebel group and Russia collapsed on Friday. The Syrian government later resumed airstrikes in the rebel-held town, killing scores of people. Rebels responded with mortar attacks on Damascus, killing at least 12 people.

Sources close to the Syrian army told CNN that the military had advanced nearly a kilometer into the Douma area on Saturday.

Hundreds of people have been killed and thousands more wounded in the offensive on Eastern Ghouta, which was once home to an estimated 400,000.

Around 130,000 people have left the enclave in the past month, according to the United Nations. Of these, 83,000 have gone to eight collective shelters in government-controlled areas on the outskirts of Damascus.

Many have also fled to Idlib in the northwest, the largest remaining rebel-held area in the country.

Turkey, which earlier this year launched its own military offensive against Kurdish groups in Afrin, northern Syria, said in a statement Sunday that countries with leverage over the Syrian regime had an obligation to help "prevent future war crimes and crimes against humanity in Syria."

Underground weapons factory?

The Syrian regime has long accused rebel groups of launching chemical attacks in the country, and last week the Syrian military took CNN to what it claimed was an underground weapons factory belonging to rebels in Eastern Ghouta. Inside they showed off chemicals, fuses and mortar casings they said were used by rebels to manufacture weapons.

Government officials also showed CNN a handwritten manual detailing instructions for how to build incendiary weapons, including white phosphorus munitions, amongst other things. Officials say the manual was left behind by the rebels.

At another site, the military showed an underground storage facility they say belonged to the rebels inside a civilian area. The facility included an SA-5 surface-to-air missile.

CNN could not independently verify these claims.

One year after Khan Sheikhoun

The Syrian regime has been accused many times of turning chemical weapons on its people over the course of the war.

In April 2017, more than 80 people were killed in a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.

That attack prompted the United States to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

A joint report from the United Nations and international chemical weapons inspectors last October determined that Assad's government was responsible for the attack. Damascus denied it was behind the attack and has repeatedly denied it has any chemical weapons.

Saturday's attack comes amid uncertainty about what role, if any, the US will play in Syria in the future.

The US has about 2,000 troops in Syria, where they advise local forces fighting ISIS. President Trump has said he wants to bring American troops home, but last week agreed to keep them in Syria for the short-term to help defeat the terror group.
BELDEN, Miss. (AP)  The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is charging owners of a northeast Mississippi trailer park with illegal discrimination for evicting an interracial married couple and their children.

HUD said Thursday that Linda and Gene Baker wouldn't rent a trailer in their Belden park to a couple after discovering one is African American.

The Clarion Ledger reported in 2016 that Gene Baker rented to Erica Flores Dunahoo before meeting her husband, Stanley Hoskins, who is black. Baker evicted the family after meeting Hoskins.

Baker told the Clarion Ledger he evicted the couple because "the neighbors were giving me such a problem."

An administrative law judge could fine the Bakers, order them to pay damages and attorney fees to the couple, or order other steps.
BILOXI, Miss. (AP)  A Mississippi Gulf Coast city plans to launch a new fireboat this month.

Biloxi Fire Chief Joe Boney tells WLOX-TV that the $260,000 boat "is like putting a fire truck on the water."

The 33-foot-long (10.05-meter-long) boat can spray 1,500 gallons (5,700 liters) of water per minute from its bow and stern. That's three times as much as the city's current, 17-year-old firefighting craft. It's even more than most city fire trucks.

Boney says the new boat's engines push it as fast as 42 mph (68 kph). The vessel will also be used to respond to medical emergencies on water, with two patient bays inside the cabin. The current boat has no interior cabin.

Firefighters are now training on the all-aluminum boat, constructed by North River Boats in Roseburg, Oregon.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (AP)  Police say a man who shot and killed another man at an apartment complex in Mississippi has turned himself in.

Hattiesburg police tell news outlets 26-year-old Jonathon Darnell Jones shot 20-year-old Mark Gould on Thursday. Police say Jones' cousin, 23-year-old Theodore Jones, also turned himself in. Jonathon Jones is charged with murder and Theodore Jones will be charged with accessory after the fact of murder.

Police spokesman Ryan Moore says officers who were called out to the apartments found Gould's body. Police believe he may have been involved in a fight moments before the shooting and was attempting to leave when he was shot.

Moore says an investigation is ongoing.

It is unclear if either Jones has a lawyer.




Willamette Week: Howas it going?

Jessa Reed: Hold on one secamy kids have a strict policy against me talking on the phone, so Iam going to go hide in the closet.





OK. What drew you to standup comedy?

Discovering this was my gift was a major turning point in my life, and actually an accident. I was a compulsive liar when I was young. I was going to watch a lot of comedy in a98, and one day at work everyone said I was funny, and so I said I did stand-up on Monday nights. The following Monday a bunch of my co-workers surprised me at the comedy club, so I got up there and was surprisingly good at it. Iave tried to quit a couple times, but my life doesnat work without comedy in it.





How do your experiences as a parent and former meth addict inform your comedy?

I think my experience as a parent, having lived underground, outside society and addicted to drugsaIave got a pretty jaded perspective and now Iam doing all the mom things, so I try to weave all that together. People are really interested in the drug thing, especially with my 19-year-old daughter, since sheas at the age where experimenting is normal. I have a pretty simple comedy style: Iam very candid about things moms think and are afraid to say. Itas shocking for a lot of people but cathartic at the same time, because moms wonat say these things, but I will.





Have your kids seen you perform?

My 19-year-old has seen me. Sheas a pretty good sport, since I do spend a lot of time making fun of her. A lot of times sheas proud that her momas a comedian. Every time I post a video, she takes it really well and will repost. Then her friends see it and use all my punchlines on her.





So your kids think youare funny?

Iam more goofy at home and pretty dirty on stage. At home Iave got puns and irony. Theyare my kids and they mostly think Iam a dork. Iam pretty sure theyare programmed and obligated to think Iam not cool.









You used to live in Portland. What do you miss about the city?

Well, Iam a full hippie. They donat have organic food here. I guess I miss pretty much everything but rain and the hipsters. Thereas also a good comedy scene there.





Howas the comedy scene in Delaware?

I am the comedy scene in Delaware!





Can you tell me something unexpected or random about you?

Iall let the husband answer this. Heas a dick so this should be good. [Asks her husband.] Oh yeah! I have dentures because I lost some of my teeth from meth, and I take them out and glue them in constantly. I think the world canat see, but apparently my husband says they can. They are five to 10 sizes too big, but Iam afraid my face is going to shrivel up if they are too small, so I keep using the big ones. This is one of those things people think I should keep to myself, but I think itas cool. Every 20 minutes the damn things, top or bottom, are popping off. My husband says everyoneas always watching me as I try to reassemble. Thatas probably the grossest random fact.




PARIS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The French foreign ministry expressed Saturday night its solidarity with Germany following a deadly incident in the German university town of Muenster, where a minivan ploughed into a crowded cafe area.

"We are aware of the terrible event that killed several people and injured dozens in Muenster today," the ministry said in a statement.

"Our thoughts are with the victims, their relatives and the German authorities and people," the ministry said.

"All my thoughts for the victims of the attack on Muenster," French President Emmanuel Macron said in a tweet, adding that France shares the suffering of Germany.

According to German news agency dpa, three people died in the incident, including the driver of the minivan who committed suicide. Another 20 were injured, six of them seriously, according to RAI public broadcaster.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 05:06:46|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Flowers are laid in memory of the dead in the truck attack in Stockholm, Sweden, on April 7, 2018. A memorial service and concert were held in central Stockholm on Saturday to mark one-year anniversary of the truck attack which killed four and injured 15 others. (Xinhua/Wei Xuechao)

STOCKHOLM, April 7 (Xinhua) -- A memorial service and concert were held in central Stockholm on Saturday to mark one-year anniversary of the truck attack which killed four and injured 15 others.

The commemoration began at noon, with a memorial service at the Adolf Fredrik Church, located just a block away from Drottninggatan, the pedestrian street where the attack took place on April 7 last year when an Uzbek national rammed a hijacked truck into the crowds on the busy shopping street.

Relatives of victims, people directly affected by the attack, police officers and medical and emergency services personnel were among those who attended the church service, in addition to several government ministers and Prime Minister Stefan Lofven.

The service was followed by an afternoon concert at a public square in the city center, organized by the City of Stockholm to honor the victims and their families.

According to a statement on the government's website, the aim of the memorial event was to "remind us all that Stockholm is and should be an open and democratic city".

Addressing the crowds at the event, which was also attended by members of the royal family, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said: "I hope that those of you who are grieving, those who were injured, those who bear the wounds of that day, feel the love, support and solidarity from an entire nation, and not least from all of us gathered here today."

A number of Swedish artists performed during the memorial event and in-between performances, there were speeches by first responders who worked on the day of the attack as well as members of the public who helped injured people.

People also laid down flowers at the site of the terror attack and there were several other memorial services and concerts in the city on Saturday, including one in honor of an 11-year-old girl who was the youngest victim of the attack.
PARIS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Haunted by mounting public disenchantment, French President Emmanuel Macron will appear on TF1 television on April 12 in an attempt to reach discontent public, the private TV channel announced on Saturday.

During one-hour live interview, the head of state "will be questioned on the subjects related to the daily life of the French", and explain the reforms that public opinion is opposing, the TV channel said in a statement.

Macron's TV appearance came as a wave of strikes at SNCF rail operator, civil servants, students and Air France flag carrier have fuelled social tension and put on test his reform drive.

Earlier this week, Macron said unions' movements were "legitimate" but "should not prevent the government to govern, to continue making decisions and to do important things for millions of our fellow citizens".

In May 2017, France's youngest president in modern history won 66.1 percent of the votes on a reformist project to modernize eurozone's second leading power. Then, the rising political star vowed to serve the country well and bring change after he had shaken the country's political landscape.

Nearly one year on, he lost public support as his package of reforms he planned to inject dynamism in labor market, improve education system, or that regarding civil services had triggered street protests and massive strikes.

A recent Kantar poll showed 40 percent of respondents trust Macron to fix the country's problems, down by 3 percentage points compared to March figures.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 06:26:56|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian government on Saturday evening slammed the rebels' allegations that the Syrian army used chemical gas in the ongoing battle on the Douma district east of Damascus.

Such claims are an attempt to hinder the advance of the Syrian army in the battles against the Islam Army, Syrian state news agency SANA cited an anonymous official source as saying.

The remarks come as activists said the Syrian forces used chlorine gas in the current attack on Douma, causing suffocation among people in Douma.

The official source said media arms of the Islam Army had fabricated the Syrian army's use of chemical weapons to frame the government forces.

The source added that the Syrian army is rapidly advancing without the need to use any kind of chemical materials, which the government has repeatedly denied possessing.

The Syrian army on Saturday said it stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in the Douma from farmlands east of Douma amid a state of collapse and chaos among the militant group, according to SANA.

Meanwhile, the Islam Army said on its official social network site that its militants foiled the advance of the Syrian army from the farm area on the outskirts of Douma.

Local TVs are airing footages of the targeting of Douma, a day after announcing that the Syrian Republican Guard units have started operation at Douma.

The escalation of violence comes as the Islam Army backed down on its agreement to leave Douma in Eastern Ghouta toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Douma was supposed to witness a similar evacuation of rebels as other areas in the Eastern Ghouta, where 43,000 rebels and their families withdrew under a deal with the government toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Three batches of the Islam Army and families have withdrawn from Douma recently, but as the fourth batch was preparing to leave, the agreement in Douma, which was mediated by Russia, collapsed.

The group also didn't live up to its part of the deal in terms of releasing thousands of kidnapped people in its captivity in accordance with the deal.

The release of the kidnapped people is a main demand of the Syrian government. Instead, the Islam Army militants have presented new demands for staying in Douma.

The Islam Army mainly demanded to remain in Douma with its weapons, while the Russians demanded the rebel group to hand over heavy weapons and allow the formation of a police force in that district supervised by the Russians.

But such demands haven't been approved and intense battles have raged in Douma since Friday.

The ground and aerial offensive of the Syrian army on Douma was coupled with mortar attacks by the militants on residential neighborhoods in Damascus, killing five people and wounding 30 others on Saturday.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 07:44:21|Editor: Liangyu

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Workers work at the construction site of the Galashan Tunnel in Lhasa, southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region, April 7, 2018. The 4,373-km-long tunnel, about 3,600 meters of altitude, is part of the Lhasa to Nyingchi railway. (Xinhua/Zhang Rufeng)
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 07:22:02|Editor: Zhou Xin

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Former President of Brazil Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reacts during a mass in memory of his wife Marisa Leticia in front of the headquarters of the Metalworkers' Union in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in the outskirts of Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to federal police on Saturday, after supporters tried to prevent him from handing himself over to the authorities. (Xinhua/Rahel Patrasso)

SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to federal police on Saturday, after supporters tried to prevent him from handing himself over to the authorities.

After supporters blocked his vehicle, Lula left the headquarters of the Metalworkers' Union in this city in Sao Paulo state on foot.

The embattled former head of state had spent the last two nights in the building, where he began his political career as a union leader.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 07:32:04|Editor: Liangyu

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Grass seed growers in the U.S. west state of Oregon are keeping close watch on the ongoing U.S.-China trade skirmishes, which they fear would impact their exports to the Asian economic powerhouse, an Oregon daily said Saturday.

The United States and China are locked in a trade dispute after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened unilaterally to impose steep tariffs on Chinese imports worth 50 billion U.S. dollars last month. In response, China announced tariffs up to 25 percent on U.S. exports to China, including farm products, especially corn, soybeans and hogs, which come primarily from the Midwest.

The Albany Democrat-Herald daily said in its online edition that many residents in the Oregon counties of Linn and Benton are paying close attention to the sectors that may be hit by the U.S.-China trade frictions.

"Oregon and the mid-valley may not escape the trade skirmishes, but it's too early to pinpoint which sectors might be affected," it said.

"At this point, from what I hear, grass seed is not included on the proposed tariff list," the paper quoted Mike Baker of Pennington Seed in Lebanon of Linn County as saying.

Baker said the sale of grass seed from the mid-valley to China is significant and the market is expanding, "growing leaps and bounds over the last 10 years."

"We have one really large customer in China to whom we ship many loads of seed," he said.

He noted that China bought a lot of tall fescue and tetraploid annual ryegrass, and they "also buy perennial ryegrass and some Kentucky bluegrass, which mostly comes from central Oregon."

"Anything that increases costs is a real concern to us," he said, adding that tariffs could give a leg up to annual ryegrass growers in Uruguay and Argentina, apart from Oregon's traditional competitors in Europe and Canada.

China announced tariffs on a list of items from the U.S. exports, including soybeans, corn, cotton, brewing/distilling dregs, wheat, beef, fruits, tobacco, SUVs, passenger cars, airplanes of certain sizes, and a variety of chemicals.

Oregon shipped more than 290 million dollars in agricultural products to China in 2017, according to Andrea Cantu-Schomus, director of communications for the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
ALGIERS, April 7 (Xinhua) -- The ruling party in Algeria, namely the National Liberation Front (FLN), on Saturday pleaded incumbent president Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a fifth term, ahead of election of April 2019, local media reported.

"FLN wants the president to continue his mission he started in 1999, as head of the state," said FLN Secretary General Djamel Ould Abbes, during a meeting with officials of his party in Algiers on Saturday.

Yet, Ould Abbes noted Bouteflika will be notified of the FLN request, adding that "the last word returns to Abdelaziz Bouteflika."

For his part, Foreign Minister Abdelkader Messahel, a member of the FLN Central Committee, endorsed the request of Ould Abbes, adding that "under the leadership of Bouteflika, Algeria regained peace and security, and has become a reference in the field of de-radicalization, and resolution of international conflicts."

As for the calls of the opposition for the retirement of ailing Bouteflika, Messahel said: "The opposition can say what it wants, but we have the right to defend the achievements of Bouteflika, including democracy which remains a strategic choice for Algeria."

President Bouteflika has been suffering health problems after he was hit by a stroke in 2013, as he makes rare public appearances.

The Constitution allows the current president to run for a new term of five years.
Photo taken on Jan. 8, 2018 shows Trump Tower in New York, the United States. A small electrical fire ocurred in a cooling tower on the roof of Trump Tower on Monday morning. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

NEW YORK, April 7 (Xinhua) -- One person was seriously injured after a fire broke out at the Trump Tower in midtown New York City on Saturday.

"#FDNY members remain on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 721 5th Ave in Manhattan. There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported," tweeted the Fire Department New York (FDNY) Saturday evening.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" responded U.S. President Donald Trump on Twitter. He has an office and a home in the building, but he was not in New York on Saturday.

Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron Trump, were both in Washington, D.C., according to the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.

The fire broke out in multiple units on the 50th floor of the tower shortly before 6 p.m. It was knocked down by 6:45 p.m., according to the FDNY.

Videos on social media showed thick, black smoke and flames rising from the building as people watched below.

At least five fire trucks were seen responding to the fire on Fifth Avenue shortly after the blaze started.

A blaze at the same Trump Tower injured three people, two civilians and a firefighter, in January. The fire started in the building's rooftop heating and air conditioning system and left smoke billowing from the roof.
ISLAMABAD, April 8 (Xinhua) -- At least two people were killed and eight others injured in an explosion occurred in an oil field in Pakistan's southern port city of Karachi on Saturday, said an official.

Shiraz Nazeer, senior superintendent police in the city, said that the explosion happened in a private company's storage tank for molasses near Shereen Jinnah Colony in Karachi, the provincial capital of the country's southern Sindh province.

Thousands of litres of molasses spilled after a pipe carrying the fluid ruptured due to the explosion, said Geo News, adding that police have launched an investigation into the incident to determine the cause of the blast.

According to the official, all the injured have been shifted to the Civil Hospital Karachi, where they are receiving medical treatment.

Doctors at the hospital said that two of the injured people were in critical condition.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 10:02:25|Editor: Liangyu

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SEOUL, April 8 (Xinhua) -- China's reform and opening-up policy has contributed to economic growth domestically and globally for the past four decades, a South Korean trade expert said.

The trade expert also expected China's further contribution to the global growth with a deepened reform and opening-up policy.

"Since the reform and opening-up, China has experienced many ups and downs, but it brought to China a rapid growth in hard power and soft power as well as in contents," said Kim Young-ju, chairman of the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), in an interview with Xinhua on Friday.

Kim, who went into public office in 1975, said he has witnessed China's rapid growth with the reform and opening-up for the past 40 years. He was invited to the upcoming Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) as a representing trade expert of South Korea.

The 2018 annual meeting of BFA, scheduled for April 8 to 11 in Boao, a town in China's southern island province of Hainan, has the theme of "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."

It comes as this year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy. The four-day event, which more than 2,000 guests will attend, includes some 60 sessions under four key topics: an open Asia, globalization and the Belt and Road Initiative, innovation and reform.

Since the launch of the reform and opening-up policy, Kim said, China has enjoyed rapid economic growth, thus dragging down the poverty rate in the country significantly and greatly improving people's livelihood, the KITA chairman said.

China's contribution to the world's economic growth is also significant and it currently leads the global economic growth, he noted.

Kim said the future is bright as the Chinese government is actively tackling the fourth industrial revolution and the global environmental crisis, expressing the hope that China would contribute further to global growth by deepening its reform and opening-up.

"It is very well-timed to propose opening-up and innovation as key words (in the BFA) given Asia now is leading the world economy," said Kim.

The KITA chairman spoke highly of China's commitment to building a community with a shared future for humanity, which he said aims to create a global governance being inclusive and balanced while pursuing co-prosperity.

Globalization can cause wealth inequality and social conflict, but the slogan of building a community with a shared future for humanity is expected to help overcome conflict and create harmony, Kim noted.

He said China has played a role in building a world economic order and a global governance by creating an economic model of reform and opening-up, noting that it is represented by the Belt and Road Initiative and the establishment of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) to support the initiative.

Kim anticipated China will play an exemplary role in building a world economic order and a global governance by meeting its status as the world's No. 2 economy.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 11:22:36|Editor: Zhou Xin

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RIO DE JANEIRO, April 7 (Xinhua) -- At least four people were killed and 142 arrested on Saturday in a wide-ranging Brazilian police dragnet in Rio de Janeiro.

The operation was part of a crackdown against paramilitary organized criminal groups in the Santa Cruz neighborhood in west Rio.

Police raided a party attended by Wellington da Silva Braga, believed to be the leader of the city's largest paramilitary group. The four victims were his bodyguards while Braga managed to have escaped.

Police said they rounded up weapons, including grenades, bulletproof vests, and stolen vehicles.

The criminal groups, which run extortion rings that demand money from local businesses, are comprised of former police officers, ex-members of the military or active security personnel, authorities said.
BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh was born in Ulan Bator in June 1968. He graduated from the Defense University of Mongolia in 1989, majoring in political science. Subsequently, he studied public administration at the Institute of State Administration and management development and law at the National University of Mongolia.

He was a parliamentary member three times and was general secretary of the Mongolian People's Party.

He was deputy prime minister twice between 2014 and 2017, and became prime minister in October 2017.

He is married and has two daughters.

The Mongolian prime minister is on his first official visit to China since assuming his current office. The visit from April 8-12 will also see him attending the Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in Hainan.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 12:12:44|Editor: Liu

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BUENOS AIRES, April 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policy of protecting domestic interests will end up harming both American companies and consumers, according to Argentinean political observer Patricio Giusto.

The public policy analyst and university professor discussed with Xinhua recently about the White House shake-up of international trade and how it is bound to do more harm than good, especially to the world economy.

"The Trump administration has taken a surprising turn in trade policy, seeking to unleash an absurd (trade) war with China, in opposition to the globalized world," said Giusto.

Escalating sanctions and retaliatory measures "are going to end up doing a lot of damage to the stability of the global economic system," he added.

Trump does not appear to have a clear grasp of the consequences of his actions, said Giusto, who heads the Political Diagnosis consulting group.

"What Trump doesn't understand is that these measures will, above all, end up impacting U.S. companies and consumers, leaving his country increasingly more isolated from international consensus," said the analyst.

"In that sense, Trump is unleashing other ridiculous mini-wars domestically by, for example, accusing online sales giant Amazon of making a profit at the expense of the U.S. post," said Giusto.

Among the protectionist measures the Trump administration has taken are steep tariffs of 25 percent on steel imports and 10 percent on aluminum imports that are expected to dent global trade and as a result slow global economic growth.

Trump also called for tariffs on some 60 billion U.S. dollars in Chinese imports, and restrictions on Chinese investment in the United States.

China responded with a proposal to impose an additional 25 percent tariff on some 50 billion dollars in U.S. imports, including soybeans, automobiles and chemicals.

"China definitely seems to be the target of the White House's protectionist policies," said Giusto.

"China has no alternative but to respond to Trump's onslaught. China is doing the right thing, not just for himself, but also for the rest of the world's countries that have chosen the path of deepening globalization and free trade," he added.

Raising tariffs and placing obstacles to trade "is not the way to resolve the differences with China. That way, you just increase tensions and problems for the U.S. economy," said Giusto.

Trump's "protectionist turn is a departure from his predecessors' policies in favor of free trade. You could say that Trump's is conducting an anti-American policy, keeping in mind the pro-market history and tradition of the United States," noted the analyst.

Unlike former U.S. presidents, "Trump is alone, with his back to the world. Protectionism is an approach that has fallen into disuse globally, after having attested the counterproductive effects that these types of policies have on the domestic economy of those who practice it," Giusto said.

The White House is betting on the strength of the U.S. economy to pressure small- and medium-sized countries into making concessions, but without any long-term vision.

"It's a combative strategy that runs counter to the rules of international trade that the United States itself promoted, a paradox that is tough to explain," he said.

"The damage to the international order is very great, since the United States is the leading global power. It heightens uncertainty and mistrust in the multilateral sphere," warned the analyst.

"Trump has destroyed the paradigms of international trade negotiation. Now the partners of the U.S. don't know when there might be new trade sanctions, increasing their uncertainty and dependence on the United States," said the analyst.

"It is exactly the opposite model to the one China is proposing based on expanding free trade, international cooperation and seeking a win-win relationship," said Giusto.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 13:02:49|Editor: Liu

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ULAN BATOR, April 8 (Xinhua) -- On his first official visit to China since assuming office last year, Mongolian Prime Minister Ukhnaa Khurelsukh hopes to develop bilateral ties and cooperation, saying it is a priority in Ulan Bator's foreign policy.

During the April 8-12 visit, Khurelsukh will attend the 2018 Boao Forum for Asia annual conference in southern China, to be held from April 8-11.

"It is a foreign-policy priority for Mongolia to strengthen the friendly relations and cooperation with China," Khurelsukh told Xinhua in an exclusive interview.

"During Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to Mongolia in 2014, our two countries upgraded bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. It has become a historic decision to develop bilateral ties for decades."

The prime minister said the Mongolia-China comprehensive strategic partnership needs to be taken forward by respecting each other's core interests and strengthening political mutual trust.

During his visit, the two sides are expected to sign cooperation agreements in areas such as investment and industry. Mongolia is aiming to raise the trade turnover and diversify exports.

China is Mongolia's largest trade partner and a major foreign investor. Bilateral trade grew 36 percent to reach 6.7 billion U.S. dollars in 2017, accounting for 63 percent of Mongolia's total trade. The two sides have upped the ante, raising the target to 10 billion dollars by 2020.

Back in 2002, the two-way trade stood at just 324 million dollars.

Khurelsukh said bilateral cooperation plays an important role in Mongolia's social and economic development. Mongolia is implementing major projects with Chinese soft loans and non-refundable assistance, covering infrastructure development, trade, energy, environment and education.

"These projects are ... significant to intensify Mongolia's trade and economic activities, improve our people's livelihoods, and protect the environment," he said.

Mongolia is also seeking regular high-level exchanges to boost ties. A joint council for cooperation in the humanitarian sector was established last year and its first meeting was held in Beijing in January.

Khurelsukh said the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the two sessions of China's top legislative and advisory bodies have outlined a blueprint for China's development and set the goal of building a community of shared future for mankind. This will contribute to global peace and prosperity, bringing opportunities to neighboring countries like Mongolia as well.

Praising China's success in implementing reform and opening-up over the past 40 years, he said, "As a traditional friendly neighbor, we are proud of the success."

Mongolia will explore ways to integrate its development policies into China's development policies. One way is to dock its Prairie Road development plan, a transborder transportation project, with the Belt and Road Initiative.

The two governments have signed a memorandum on initiative coordination and are discussing a joint plan to implement the memorandum.

Proposed by China in 2013, the initiative aims to achieve policy, infrastructure, trade, financial and people-to-people connectivity along and beyond the ancient Silk Road trade routes, thus building a new platform for international cooperation to create new drivers of growth.

Also under the Belt and Road Initiative, Mongolia, China and Russia signed an agreement in 2016 to build an economic corridor linking the three neighbors and boost transportation connectivity and economic cooperation in border regions.

On China's growing global influence, Khurelsukh said Mongolia sees China's development as an opportunity and China's pledge to continue opening-up and pursue deeper economic integration is important for Mongolia's development.

"Mongolia is always ready to cooperate with China to contribute to regional stability and prosperity," he said.
KABUL, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. and NATO-led coalition, together with Afghan army air force, struck 11 Taliban narcotics production facilities in western Farah and Nimroz provinces within three days, the latest raid against the Taliban and its supply lines, the coalition forces said Sunday.

"The precision airstrikes, conducted by U.S. F-16s, A-10s and MQ-9s, are the first in western Afghanistan in support of the counter-revenue campaign designed to degrade the Taliban's primary means of funding its operations -- narcotic production," a coalition statement read, adding the strikes were launched on April 3 to April 5.

"The Taliban will have no safe havens. We will continue to exploit their networks and decimate their ability to develop narcotics," Gen. James Hecker, commander, 9th Air and Space Expeditionary Task Force-Afghanistan, was quoted as saying in the statement.

"They have become a criminal organization that profits from selling drugs and use those funds to conduct operations that maim and kill Afghans. By cutting off the Taliban's economic lifelines, we also reduce their ability to continue these terrorist activities," he said.

The counter-revenue campaign, which began in November 2017, has continued without pause through the winter, impacting narcotics processing that generates an estimated 200 million U.S. dollars in revenue for the Taliban through production and taxation, the statement noted.

In 2017, some 9,000 tons of opium were produced in Afghanistan, a country notorious for growing opium-producing poppies for the illicit drug trade.
TIRIN KOT, Afghanistan, April 8 (Xinhua) -- As many as 22 militants affiliated with the Taliban were killed and 10 others wounded following a series of the U.S. and NATO-led coalition's air raids in Afghanistan's southern province of Uruzgan, a statement said Sunday.

Acting on a confirmed tip-off, the operations were launched late on Saturday in Khas Uruzgan district of the province, leaving up to 22 militants dead and 10 other wounded, Afghan army Corps 205 Attal, based in the region, said in the statement.

No civilian was hurt during the sorties, the statement added.

The Taliban insurgent group, which has been waging an insurgency of more than 17 years, has yet to make comments.
by Farid Behbud

KABUL, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Scarcity of female health workers still remains a challenge in conservative Afghanistan despite improvement in women's status and progress in the health sector within the last 17 years.

Malalai Noori, 19, a dedicated lecturer and medical worker, provides health service to people in safe and insecure areas despite social, cultural barriers in the poverty-stricken country.

Malalai, a native from eastern mountainous Paktia province, is among the those of hard working female aid workers in the province, 100 km south of Kabul who help upgrade women status in Paktia, one of the conservative places of the country. In Afghanistan, many families do not allow their girls to go to school.

When Malalai told her family that she wanted to become a nurse, they supported her decision. The neighbors, however, tried to talk them out of it, according to a story updates obtained by Xinhua from United Nations Development Program recently.

"My neighbors told my father not to let me go to nursing school," said Malalai. "They thought that if I went, it would encourage their daughters to go to school as well. They said I had no future as a nurse."

The Afghan maternity-related death toll has reduced to 396 in 100,000 live births in 2015 from 1,600 in 100,000 live births in 2002. Afghan Public Health Minister Firuzuddin Firuz, addressing a ceremony marking the World Health Day on Saturday April 7, said that the number of death of the children under five is also reduced to 55 in 1,000 live births from 257 in each 1,000 live births in 2002.

But Malalai's father ignored the neighbors and she became a student at nursing school. The UNDP and the Global Fund, in coordination with the Afghan Ministry of Public Health, have been funding six nursing schools in Baghlan, Farah, Nooristan, Paktia, Takhar and Sari Pul provinces.

In spite of some challenges, Malalai finished the course in 2016 and she is now a lecturer in a private medical institute where she earns 15,000 afghani (217 U.S. dollars) per month. She not only shares her knowledge by teaching but also assists neighboring patients living with severe conditions.

"We cannot overcome the challenges in providing health service to people particularly in remote areas but the service of dedicated midwives and female medical staff must not be ignored. We really appreciate and praise their hard working," Minister Firuz said.

In remote Afghanistan's districts and villages people do not allow women to be treated by male aid workers.

"We still need thousands of female doctors as well as nurses and midwives," the minister noted.

But Malalai gets a lot of joy from helping people.

One evening not long ago, Malalai returned home tired after work, and was sitting in her yard, marking some test papers. A knock came at the door. A young woman stood there in tears as she asked Malalai for help.

Her daughter had been bitten by a poisonous snake and was gravely ill. Malalai ran towards the woman's house and found the girl lying on the floor surrounded by grief-stricken relatives.

"I was able to provide first aid and make sure her condition was stable until she could reach a hospital. Three days later, I saw the same eight-year old girl playing on the street with the other kids," said Malalai. "This made me really happy."

The nursing schools set up by UNDP and the Global Fund have trained more than 200 nurses like Malalai. No doubt they will go on to save many lives.

Three decades of war have had a devastating impact on the health sector in Afghanistan.

Two fresh polio cases were detected in Afghanistan late in March, bringing to five the number of confirmed cases of polio virus since January this year.

The ongoing insurgency and conflicts have been hindering the efforts to stamp the infectious disease out in the mountainous country.

In 2002, only 9 percent of people had access to health services but the health centers accessibility has increased to 60 percent and 90 percent respectively by one hour and two hour walk between the said years, Firuz said.

He said only five U.S. dollars were allocated for one Afghan to access health services each year, the lowest sum compared to other countries.

At the same ceremony to mark the World Health Day, Dr. Rich Peppercorn, country representative of the World Health Organization (WHO), praised Afghanistan's development in health sector, saying that the organization would work with the war-torn country to expand quality health services to the country's remote areas.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 13:57:58|Editor: Liu

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BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The number of traffic accidents across China saw a 38-percent decrease year on year during the Tomb-Sweeping holiday from April 5 to 7, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The death toll caused by traffic accidents was down 35.3 percent from the same period of last year, a statement from the ministry said, attributing the decrease partly to increased efforts of traffic police in emergency response, road patrols, and safety awareness campaigns.

According to figures from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, China saw 100 million domestic trips during the holiday, up 8.3 percent from last year's holiday.

Tomb-Sweeping Day, also known as Qingming Festival, is an important occasion for Chinese to honor their ancestors. Many also spent the three-day holiday on leisure travel.

More than 9.7 million Chinese visited cemeteries to honor their deceased relatives during the holiday.
CANBERRA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Australian state of Victoria has announced a major funding boost for its hospitals to cope with the upcoming flu season after a horror outbreak in 2017.

More than 48,000 Victorians were diagnosed with the flu in 2017 with hospital emergency departments inundated by patients.

Approximately 4,000 of those cases were children, a rise from 871 in 2016, and eight-year-old Rosie Anderson died in September after contracting the illness.

Jill Hennessy, Victoria's health minister, on Sunday announced that Victorian hospitals would benefit from 50 million Australian dollars (38.3 million U.S. dollars).

the minister said that the money would fund additional doctors, nurses and beds in 17 regions.

"Our hospitals were under challenging times last year with the flu. We saw four times more flu cases last year than ever before," Hennessy told reporters.

Despite the extra funding, Hennessy urged people to get vaccinated.

An audit by the Australian Aged Care Quality Agency released in November found that a low staff immunisation rate was responsible for the deaths of 10 residents in one aged care facility in north-east Victoria.

"(We're) not in a position to confirm whether or not we're going to have a horror flu season or not," Hennessy said.

"Increasingly what we're seeing with flu is that it's becoming able to mutate and therefor the flu vaccination, as it was last year, is not as effective as we would like and more frighteningly for some of the mutations they're resistant to antibiotics."

"That's why we saw such high death rates last year."

"What we know is the most effective preparation is for people to get the flu vaccination."

Under an initiative announced by the state government in February, children aged between six months and five years are eligible to receive free flu vaccinations.
NEW DELHI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian police on Sunday detained as many as 24 lawmakers from a regional party for holding a sit-in protest outside the official residence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the national capital.

The lawmakers of regional Telegu Desam Party (TDP) staged the protest, demanding special status for the southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.

"We have detained the TDP lawmakers for protesting outside the prime minister's residence. However, no cases have been slapped on them. All the lawmakers will be freed later in the day," a senior police official said.

TDP last month pulled out of India's ruling coalition led by Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party and unsuccessfully attempted to bring in a no-confidence motion against the government in the Parliament over the latter's refusal to grant special status to Andhra Pradesh.

N. Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP chief and the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh, has been furious over the Indian government's refusal to grant the southern state "special status" as promised after Telangana was carved out of it in 2014.

Andhra Pradesh is to go to polls next year and opposition parties are upping the ante against the "deprivation".
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 14:58:08|Editor: Lifang

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Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban talks to the media outside a polling station after he cast his vote in Budapest, Hungary on April 8, 2018. Hungary started general elections on Sunday to elect a 199-seat parliament, which could make the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban succeed in a third straight term. (Xinhua/Attila Volgyi)

BUDAPEST, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Hungary started general elections on Sunday to elect a 199-seat parliament, which could make the current Prime Minister Viktor Orban succeed in a third straight term.

Some 8 million voters cast their votes in more than 10,000 polling stations from 6 am (0400 GMT) local time until 7 pm (1700 GMT). Preliminary results are expected in the evening before midnight.

Polls predicted the triumph of Orban's Fidesz party and its allied Christian Democratic People's Party (KDNP). Orban came to power in 2010 and is seeking a third consecutive term.

At a final campaign rally Friday, he urged his voters to turn out in masses on election day.

In last elections of 2014, Orban's coalition Fidesz-KDNP won 133 seats, securing two thirds of the parliament, also known as a super majority.

Some Hungarians living abroad have already started to vote on Saturday.
OTTAWA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A Canadian fertility doctor may face a class action lawsuit in which he is accused of using his own sperm to inseminate 11 of his clients without their knowledge or consent.

In a statement, Nelligan O'Brien Payne LLP, the law firm behind the case, said that DNA investigation shows that Dr. Norman Barwin is the biological father in 11 individuals whose parents went to the doctor for assistance with fertility.

The law firm said it has been in contact with more than 150 people who have allegedly been "adversely affected" by Barwin's fertility practice dating back to the 1970s, according to the statement released Thursday.

In addition, the firm said it has been aware of another 51 cases in which the identity of the biological father remains unknown.

Among these cases, 16 individuals who were to be conceived using their father's sperm are not a biological match to their father, while 35 individuals who were to be conceived using anonymous donor sperm may not be a biological match with the intended donor.

The proposed lawsuit against Barwin was first launched in 2016 by Davina and Daniel Dixon, an Ottawa couple who turned to the doctor for help in 1989. Their daughter was born the following year.

It took more than two decades for the couple to discover the dark secret. In 2016, they underwent a blood test due to concerns over how two parents with blue eyes could have conceived a daughter with brown eyes.

The test result showed their daughter had type O-positive blood and Daniel had type AB blood, proving it was impossible that they were father and daughter, reported the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in 2016, citing the initial statement of claim.

The law firm said it is finalizing the materials for the certification of the class action and expects the action to be certified in the coming months.

In 2013, Barwin was suspended from practice for two months after he admitted inseminating four women with the wrong sperm and stopped practicing the following year.
BOSTON, the United States, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Recent U.S. threats to slap additional tariffs on Chinese imports were met with a chorus of criticism here Saturday, with leading experts emphasizing that no winner can emerge from a trade war.

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday threatened to slap tariffs on 100 billion U.S. dollars worth of imports from China, drawing strong opposition from China and threatening America's own economic growth.

Earlier, the president planned to add tariffs on 50 billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods flowing into the United States.

China will fight "at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures" if the United States continues its unilateral protectionist practices, a spokesperson with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

The trade disputes between the the world's largest and second-largest economies have already sent jitters through markets, causing a nosedive in the U.S. stock market.

Gathering at the Harvard China Forum, an annual conference in Boston that focuses on China-U.S. relationship, leading scholars, business leaders and former government officials warned that a trade war will not only yield no winner, but will also destabilize bilateral relations.

"No one's going to win from the trade war," Anthony Saich, director of the Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the event, referring to "a trade war where no one's really going to win and where we have an unpredictable president that makes resolution of it problematic.".

There were already severe strains in the relationship, Saich warned, and further hawkish rhetoric will only lead bilateral relationship to become more confrontational.

The concern was shared by Michael Szonyi, director of the Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, who said China and the United States share a "very delicate, important and complex" relationship, not one that "we should put into jeopardy without careful consideration."

"Constructive engagement has not failed the United States and China," Stephen Orlins, chairman of the National Committee on U.S.-China relations, noting that the two countries "are not strategic competitors."

Discussing how the idea of a trade war has formulated in Trump's head, experts said it came from campaign promises that were built on false assumption.

The campaign-like threats have already been met with strong opposition from U.S. business groups, who are worried that the tariffs may backfire.

"U.S. firms have spoken out strongly against this latest round (of tariff threats) by Mr. Trump," Harvard Professor Richard Cooper told the forum, predicting the opposition may hurt Trump and the Republican party in upcoming elections.

"Trump has the business community against this policy and that will filter into the Republican members of Congress over time," the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council said, "And so the American domestic politics of this is complicated and Trump will not necessarily, in my view, likely be on the winning side."

According to Saich, due to the different levels of development of U.S. and Chinese businesses, U.S. companies are more vulnerable if the two countries engage in a trade war.

"America is in the much weaker position as this (trade war) expands because American business investments in China are strategic, they're part of a global structure or global value chains and global production," which makes the United States the side that has "more to lose," Saich said.

Despite the challenges, the experts still voiced confidence that China-U.S. ties are durable enough for "bumps in the road."

"I think there's a lot of potential there for China to work creatively at the non-Washington level," as exemplified by a previous visit by California Governor Jerry Brown to China to discuss climate change, Saich said.

"There's a lot more commonality of interest around trade issues around climate issues, around ocean protection outside of Washington than perhaps there is in Washington," Saich said.

"I am confident that enough people recognize the importance of the relationship, and that wiser heads will prevail," Szonyi said.

Related:

U.S. tariffs move violates WTO's principles, harms U.S. economy itself

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Donald Trump initiated the tariffs offensive on steel and aluminum in March and planned more on its imports from China, experts and officials have noted that the U.S. move is in violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s principles and would harmed U.S. economy itself.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 15:58:22|Editor: Lifang

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DAMASCUS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations between the Islam Army militants and the Syrian government will soon start on Sunday about the situation in Douma district east of Damascus, state TV reported.

The state TV said Sunday that the Islam Army rebels, who are in control of Douma, the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, have asked for negotiating with the Syrian government.

The government side will start the negotiation about the situation in Douma within two hours on Sunday.

The fresh negotiations come after two days of an intense military showdown in Douma after the Islam Army rebels backed down on a previous agreement for their evacuation from that district as well as rejecting to release thousands of kidnapped people.

The militants also launched mortar attacks on several residential areas inside Damascus.
Source: Xinhuanet| 2018-04-08 16:20:35|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhuanet)  American farmers, companies and workers will be attacked by Trump administrations announced tariffs, said John Ross, Senior Fellow at Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies, Renmin University of China.

He made the remarks when talking about recent China-U.S. trade tensions with Xinhuanet.

While Trump administrations announced tariffs are negative for China, they are also seriously negative for the U.S., he stressed.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday asked the U.S. Trade Representative to consider 100 billion U.S. dollars in additional tariffs on products imported from China.

Responding to this, China said it will fight "at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures" if the United States continues its unilateral, protectionist practices, according to the Ministry of Commerce (MOC).

U.S. business groups have also expressed their concerns that the rising U.S. protectionist trade policy against China will have serious impact on American farmers.

Max Baucus, a former senator from the U.S. state of Montana and U.S. ambassador to China, said American farmers "are going to get squeezed" by the tariff proposal "from all sides."

"First, the tariffs the U.S. announced today will make the (agricultural) equipment and inputs they rely on more expensive. Then they'll face new tariffs on their exports when China retaliates," said Baucus, who now serves as the co-chairman of the farm lobbying group Farmers for Free Trade.

John Heisdorffer, president of the American Soybean Association, also said that a 25 percent tariff on U.S. soybeans into China will have a devastating effect on every soybean farmer in America.

"But there is still time to reverse this damage, and the administration can still deliver for farmers by withdrawing the tariffs that caused this retaliation," he added.
Aerial photo taken on March 22, 2018 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Convention Center in Boao Town, Qionghai City of south China's Hainan Province. The 2018 BFA is scheduled for April 8-11 in Boao, a town in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Originally a small fishing town little known to the outside world, Boao, in China's southern island province of Hainan, has earned a reputation as Asia's Davos for its annual Boao Forum for Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of this year's conference, a four-day event that started Sunday under the theme of "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."

Launched in 2001, the forum has always served as a platform to build Asian consensus, promote regional cooperation and advance the continent's influence on the world stage.

The word "Asia" has appeared 19 times in the themes of the forum's annual conferences from 2002 to 2018, illustrating a dedication to improving the continent's economic and social well-being. Other key words, including "win-win," "world" and "opening-up," also indicate an Asian approach to promoting world prosperity and an embrace of globalization.

NEXT PHASE OF GLOBALIZATION

The forum brings together leaders in government, business and academia to discuss the future role of Asia. The world is entering the next phase of globalization amid a rising tide of populism and protectionism in parts of the West, especially in President Donald Trump's United States.

The Trump administration's imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports as well as its threat of a trade war against China have ignited a worldwide firestorm of frustration and confusion.

Photo taken on April 4, 2018 shows the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo has warned of a potential "domino effect" in the wake of Washington's increasingly protectionist policies.

"Unilateral" announcements like those made by Trump tend to spark countermeasures, said Azevedo.

"Once you enter the path of reciprocal reprisals, you know when it begins, you know how it begins, but you don't know how or when you will be able to stop the process," Azevedo said.

"In light of recent announcements on trade policy measures, it is clear that we now see a much higher and real risk of triggering an escalation of trade barriers across the globe," he added.

"This process of action and reaction leads, sometimes, to trade wars that are not in anyone's interest, where there are only losers, since there are no winners in a trade war," he warned.

While some countries have been taking a step back from globalization, Asian countries, which have enjoyed rapid development over the past few decades, have always embraced rather than rejected globalization and free trade.

Visitors pose for photos with a model of the Chinese high-speed Fuxing bullet train in Pak Chong, Thailand, Dec. 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang)

In particular, since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, Asia has served as a major engine for the recovery and growth of the world economy, contributing nearly half of global growth.

In recent years, Asia's outbound investment has been noticeably active. A large population and growing middle-income class in Asia have provided huge consumption opportunities and an investment market for the world at large.

For its part, China's contribution to global economic growth has exceeded 30 percent in the past five years.

A TV reporter tries out a shared bicycle in Sapporo, Japan, on Aug. 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Hua Yi)

WIDER DOORS TO CHINA

As 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy, this year's Boao forum is expected to review China's successful experience over the past four decades and explore new possibilities for China's growth.

"With some advanced economies turning inward, a successful reset of globalization may depend on whether China throws its considerable weight behind a new approach," the Chicago-based McKinsey Global Institute said in a report last year.

China has reiterated its commitment to further opening up as well as its support for economic globalization.

At this year's annual session of China's top legislative body last month, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a government work report that China will open its doors wider to foreign investors and further liberalize and facilitate trade and investment.

"We will strengthen alignment with international business rules, and foster a world-class business environment," Li said.

Warning that protectionism is mounting, the premier also voiced China's support for promoting economic globalization and protecting free trade.

"China calls for trade disputes to be settled through discussion as equals, opposes trade protectionism, and will resolutely safeguard its lawful rights," Li said, noting that the country is ready to work with all parties to advance multilateral trade negotiations.

A customers uses Alipay to pay for his pill at a shop in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, July 24, 2017. Malaysia's second largest bank CIMB joined hands with Ant Financial, an affiliate company of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba, on Monday to cater to local mobile payment demands. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)

Reform and opening-up was "a game-changing move in making China what it is today," and "it now remains a game-changing move for us to achieve China's two centenary goals," said the premier.

The two goals are to build China into a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the ruling Communist Party of China celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2021, and into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2049.

Later this year, the country will host the first China International Import Expo to help more foreign goods enter China. It is one of a series of major events China will host in 2018 to promote win-win international cooperation.

Liu He, a senior Chinese official, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year that China "has to advance reform and open up at a faster pace" to accomplish its development goals.

"In the face of both the opportunities and challenges of economic globalization," Xi said in Davos a year ago, "the right thing to do is to seize every opportunity, jointly meet challenges and chart the right course for economic globalization."

Photo taken on April 15, 2017 shows an aerial view of the start area of China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) Temburong Bridge project in Temburong District, Brunei. (Xinhua/Chen Yong)

SHARED FUTURE OF COMMON PROSPERITY

The Chinese president has laid out and championed the vision of building "a community with a shared future for mankind," which stresses making economic globalization more open, inclusive and balanced so that its benefits are shared by all.

As China's major proposal for realizing the grand vision, the Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Xi in 2013, has offered the world a new vision to promote global prosperity.

Last May, representatives of more than 140 countries participated in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, a clear vote of confidence from the international community. To date, more than 80 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China within this framework.

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, Chinese enterprises made 14.36 billion U.S. dollars of non-financial direct investment in 59 countries along the Belt and Road in 2017, much of which went to Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia and Pakistan among other Asian countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative is "the best public goods" that China has offered the world, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of the Asia Innovation Study Center in Indonesia. It also embodies a bit of Chinese wisdom: harmony and co-existence, he added.

Fishing boats berth in the bay at Gwadar port in southwest Pakistan's Gwadar, Jan. 29, 2018. The first phase of Gwadar Port's Free Zone in southwestern Pakistan was inaugurated. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Another China-initiated platform, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), has been emerging as a key source of investment in Asia and beyond. The 84-member multilateral development bank, dedicated to supporting regional development, has in the past two years funded more than 20 sustainable infrastructure and other productive projects to the benefit of tens of millions of people.

A large number of China-funded projects are well underway, boosting the economic and social development of the participating Asian members.

For example, the AIIB has approved funding for a flood management project in drainage areas in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The project will construct new and modernize existing pumping stations and their supporting infrastructure to ensure millions of residents are less vulnerable to floods.

China is also building more than a dozen power stations for Pakistan, the largest of which is supplying electricity to tens of millions of Pakistanis. When all of them are completed, power cuts and shortages are expected to be a thing of the past in the South Asian country.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 16:23:25|Editor: ZD

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NANCHANG, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Wuyuan, an east China county famed for its cole flowers and pastoral beauty, is investing big to improve the environment.

Wuyuan is located in east China's Jiangxi Province.

The county will spend one billion yuan (about 158 million U.S. dollars) to renovate toilets, roads, ponds, and other rural infrastructure in over 1,400 villages, said Yu Hemao, director of rural affairs in the county. All projects will be finished by the end of this year.

The fund will include government money which is earmarked for rural projects, bank loans, and public funds, he said.

Last year, the county received 22 million tourists, up 24 percent year on year. Tourist spending totalled 16.8 billion yuan, up 52 percent. It is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Jiangxi.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 16:48:28|Editor: Lifang

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RIYADH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud flew to France from the U.S. after an official visit, and he will discuss with the French side the efforts to boost bilateral ties, Al Arabiya local news reported Sunday.

His visit comes on an official invitation from the French government.

The Crown Prince is set to meet French President Emmanuel Macron and a number of officials to promote bilateral relations, and discuss issues of common concern, a statement from Saudi Press Agency said.

The visit of the Saudi Crown Prince to the U.S. brought about various bilateral agreements, mainly business-related ones.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 16:58:31|Editor: Lifang

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DAMASCUS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Negotiations between the Islam Army militants and the Syrian government will soon start on Sunday about the situation in Douma district east of Damascus, state TV reported.

The state TV said the Islam Army rebels, who are in control of Douma, the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta countryside of the capital Damascus, have asked for negotiating with the Syrian government.

The government will start the negotiations within two hours, it added.

The fresh negotiations come after two days of an intense military showdown in Douma, since the Islam Army rebels backed down on a previous agreement for their evacuation from the district and refused to release thousands of kidnapped people.

The militants also launched mortar attacks on several residential areas inside Damascus.

According to pan-Arab al-Mayadeen TV, the Civil Committee of the Douma district, which represents the Islam Army rebels, said negotiations with the Russians have resumed after two days of flaring battles between the Syrian army and the militants.

Meanwhile, the pro-rebel Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Douma witnessed a two-hour calm on Sunday morning during the negotiations between the Russians and the Islam Army.

However, the London-based watchdog said the shelling continued in the area.

A day earlier, the Syrian army stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in Douma from farmlands east of the area, according to state news agency SANA.

Douma was supposed to witness a similar destiny as other areas in Eastern Ghouta, where 43,000 rebels and their families have withdrawn under a deal with the government toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Three batches of the Islam Army evacuated Douma recently, but as the fourth was preparing to leave, the Russia-brokered agreement collapsed.

The Islam Army mainly demanded to remain in Douma with its weapons, while the Russians said the rebel group must hand over heavy weapons despite allowing the formation of a police force in the district supervised by the Russians.

The ground and air offensive of the Syrian army on Douma was coupled with mortar attacks by the militants on residential neighborhoods in Damascus, which killed five people and wounded 30 others on Saturday.
MANILA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A total of 5,537 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have tested positive for HIV or have full-blown AIDS, a Philippine lawmaker said on Sunday.

Aniceto Bertiz, a member of the House of the Representatives, also said that as of the end of February this year, the Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 52,280 Filipinos infected with the HIV virus since January 1984.

Bertiz said the number of HIV-infected OFWs comprises 11 percent of the total cases.

"This is very unfortunate, because if we look at the median age of these OFWs -- at 32 to 34 years old -- they are actually at the top of their lives in terms of potential workforce productivity," Bertiz said in a statement.

Bertiz said that from January to February this year alone, 140 OFWs -- 129 males and 11 females -- were diagnosed with HIV.

"Almost all of the OFWs in the registry acquired the infection via sexual contact," Bertiz said.

Of the 5,537 OFWs in the government's HIV/AIDS registry, Bertiz said 86 percent, or 4,763, were male.

"We do not have the figures as to how many OFWs are actually dying as a result of HIV/AIDS or complications thereof, because the registry does not track mortality by special population groups," Bertiz said.

Bertiz urged the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) "to invest more aggressively in HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention among workers in general and OFWs in particular."

"Awareness and prevention are our best tools against infection," Bertiz said.

Bertiz said OFWs are susceptible to HIV infection because they are exposed to foreign cultures that usually encourage high-risk behavior, including casual sex.

"Filipino sailors are especially vulnerable at their foreign ports of call after spending lengthy periods at sea," Bertiz said, adding the sailors "have the money to pay for readily available commercial or transactional sex services in foreign ports."

Of the 52,280 cases in the registry, Bertiz said 2,511 deaths have been reported.

In 2017 alone, he said an average of 41 Filipinos (not necessarily OFWs) died every month due to HIV/AIDS.

HIV refers to the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, which causes AIDS, or the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

There is no known cure for HIV/AIDS, which destroys the human body's natural ability to fight off all kinds of infections.

However, treatments have been known to slow down the course of the syndrome.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 17:13:36|Editor: ZD

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BOAO, Hainan, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Trade protectionism cannot secure an everlasting impetus for economic growth, but instead imposes restrictions on the sustainability of economic development, according to a report released by the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Sunday.

Asia's export-oriented economies should not fall into the trap of protectionism but adapt to new changes of the external environment and take proactive measures to explore new growth points based on innovation, according to the BFA Asian Competitiveness Annual Report 2018.

The report evaluates the comprehensive competitiveness of 37 Asian economies. The Asian economy remains to be an important engine for global economic growth and becomes more resilient against the backdrop of trade protectionism, the report said.

The Asian economies have more cooperation than competition. With different development stages, resource endowments as well as policies and systems, Asian economies can complement and benefit each other, according to the report.

In face of anti-globalization, Asian economies should continue to stick to trade liberalization and investment facilitation, and make greater efforts to push forward regional integration, the report said.

Driven by the Belt and Road Initiative and its development dividends, Asian regional economic integration has accelerated. Chinese enterprises have built 56 economic and trade cooperation zones in over 20 countries, creating about 180,000 jobs and about 1.1 billion U.S. dollars in tax revenues, it said.

The BFA annual conference, under the theme of "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity," runs from April 8 to 11 in Boao, south China's Hainan Province.
Aerial photo taken on March 22, 2018 shows the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Convention Center in Boao Town, Qionghai City of south China's Hainan Province. The 2018 BFA is scheduled for April 8-11 in Boao, a town in the southern Chinese island province of Hainan. (Xinhua/Guo Cheng)

by Xinhua writer Gao Wencheng

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Originally a small fishing town little known to the outside world, Boao, in China's southern island province of Hainan, has earned a reputation as Asia's Davos for its annual Boao Forum for Asia.

Chinese President Xi Jinping will deliver a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of this year's conference, a four-day event that started Sunday under the theme of "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of Greater Prosperity."

Launched in 2001, the forum has always served as a platform to build Asian consensus, promote regional cooperation and advance the continent's influence on the world stage.

The word "Asia" has appeared 19 times in the themes of the forum's annual conferences from 2002 to 2018, illustrating a dedication to improving the continent's economic and social well-being. Other key words, including "win-win," "world" and "opening-up," also indicate an Asian approach to promoting world prosperity and an embrace of globalization.

NEXT PHASE OF GLOBALIZATION

The forum brings together leaders in government, business and academia to discuss the future role of Asia. The world is entering the next phase of globalization amid a rising tide of populism and protectionism in parts of the West, especially in President Donald Trump's United States.

The Trump administration's imposition of tariffs on steel and aluminum imports as well as its threat of a trade war against China have ignited a worldwide firestorm of frustration and confusion.

Photo taken on April 4, 2018 shows the World Trade Organization (WTO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. (Xinhua/Xu Jinquan)

WTO Director-General Roberto Azevedo has warned of a potential "domino effect" in the wake of Washington's increasingly protectionist policies.

"Unilateral" announcements like those made by Trump tend to spark countermeasures, said Azevedo.

"Once you enter the path of reciprocal reprisals, you know when it begins, you know how it begins, but you don't know how or when you will be able to stop the process," Azevedo said.

"In light of recent announcements on trade policy measures, it is clear that we now see a much higher and real risk of triggering an escalation of trade barriers across the globe," he added.

"This process of action and reaction leads, sometimes, to trade wars that are not in anyone's interest, where there are only losers, since there are no winners in a trade war," he warned.

While some countries have been taking a step back from globalization, Asian countries, which have enjoyed rapid development over the past few decades, have always embraced rather than rejected globalization and free trade.

Visitors pose for photos with a model of the Chinese high-speed Fuxing bullet train in Pak Chong, Thailand, Dec. 21, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Mangmang)

In particular, since the outbreak of the international financial crisis, Asia has served as a major engine for the recovery and growth of the world economy, contributing nearly half of global growth.

In recent years, Asia's outbound investment has been noticeably active. A large population and growing middle-income class in Asia have provided huge consumption opportunities and an investment market for the world at large.

For its part, China's contribution to global economic growth has exceeded 30 percent in the past five years.

A TV reporter tries out a shared bicycle in Sapporo, Japan, on Aug. 22, 2017. (Xinhua/Hua Yi)

WIDER DOORS TO CHINA

As 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy, this year's Boao forum is expected to review China's successful experience over the past four decades and explore new possibilities for China's growth.

"With some advanced economies turning inward, a successful reset of globalization may depend on whether China throws its considerable weight behind a new approach," the Chicago-based McKinsey Global Institute said in a report last year.

China has reiterated its commitment to further opening up as well as its support for economic globalization.

At this year's annual session of China's top legislative body last month, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said in a government work report that China will open its doors wider to foreign investors and further liberalize and facilitate trade and investment.

"We will strengthen alignment with international business rules, and foster a world-class business environment," Li said.

Warning that protectionism is mounting, the premier also voiced China's support for promoting economic globalization and protecting free trade.

"China calls for trade disputes to be settled through discussion as equals, opposes trade protectionism, and will resolutely safeguard its lawful rights," Li said, noting that the country is ready to work with all parties to advance multilateral trade negotiations.

Reform and opening-up was "a game-changing move in making China what it is today," and "it now remains a game-changing move for us to achieve China's two centenary goals," said the premier.

The two goals are to build China into a moderately prosperous society in all respects by the time the ruling Communist Party of China celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2021, and into a great modern socialist country that is prosperous, strong, democratic, culturally advanced, harmonious and beautiful by the time the People's Republic of China celebrates its centennial anniversary in 2049.

Later this year, the country will host the first China International Import Expo to help more foreign goods enter China. It is one of a series of major events China will host in 2018 to promote win-win international cooperation.

Liu He, a senior Chinese official, said at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this year that China "has to advance reform and open up at a faster pace" to accomplish its development goals.

"In the face of both the opportunities and challenges of economic globalization," Xi said in Davos a year ago, "the right thing to do is to seize every opportunity, jointly meet challenges and chart the right course for economic globalization."

SHARED FUTURE OF COMMON PROSPERITY

The Chinese president has laid out and championed the vision of building "a community with a shared future for mankind," which stresses making economic globalization more open, inclusive and balanced so that its benefits are shared by all.

As China's major proposal for realizing the grand vision, the Belt and Road Initiative, put forward by Xi in 2013, has offered the world a new vision to promote global prosperity.

Last May, representatives of more than 140 countries participated in the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, a clear vote of confidence from the international community. To date, more than 80 countries and international organizations have signed cooperation agreements with China within this framework.

According to China's Ministry of Commerce, Chinese enterprises made 14.36 billion U.S. dollars of non-financial direct investment in 59 countries along the Belt and Road in 2017, much of which went to Singapore, Malaysia, Laos, Indonesia and Pakistan among other Asian countries.

The Belt and Road Initiative is "the best public goods" that China has offered the world, said Bambang Suryono, chairman of the Asia Innovation Study Center in Indonesia. It also embodies a bit of Chinese wisdom: harmony and co-existence, he added.

Fishing boats berth in the bay at Gwadar port in southwest Pakistan's Gwadar, Jan. 29, 2018. The first phase of Gwadar Port's Free Zone in southwestern Pakistan was inaugurated. (Xinhua/Ahmad Kamal)

Another China-initiated platform, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), has been emerging as a key source of investment in Asia and beyond. The 84-member multilateral development bank, dedicated to supporting regional development, has in the past two years funded more than 20 sustainable infrastructure and other productive projects to the benefit of tens of millions of people.

A large number of China-funded projects are well underway, boosting the economic and social development of the participating Asian members.

For example, the AIIB has approved funding for a flood management project in drainage areas in Metro Manila in the Philippines. The project will construct new and modernize existing pumping stations and their supporting infrastructure to ensure millions of residents are less vulnerable to floods.

China is also building more than a dozen power stations for Pakistan, the largest of which is supplying electricity to tens of millions of Pakistanis. When all of them are completed, power cuts and shortages are expected to be a thing of the past in the South Asian country.
MEHATARLAM, Afghanistan, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Two mine planters and one civilian were killed and four others critically injured, as militants were carrying out an attack with Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in a motorcycle in Afghanistan's eastern province of Laghman, authorities said Sunday.

The incident happened Saturday afternoon in Qassaban area of Alingar district of the province, where several armed militants were trying to blow up their explosives-laden motorbike in a crowded area of the district centre, Afghan army 201 Selaab Corps based in the region said in the statement.

"Two militants and one passerby civilian were killed and four others including two civilians were injured in the blast," according to the statement.

Taliban militants and Islamic State fighters have been using IEDs to make roadside bombs and landmines for targeting security forces, but the lethal home-made weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 18:53:59|Editor: Lifang

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BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- As U.S. President Donald Trump initiated the tariffs offensive on steel and aluminum in March and planned more on its imports from China, experts and officials have noted that the U.S. move is in violation of the World Trade Organization (WTO)'s principles and would harmed U.S. economy itself.

Trump's strategy was to wipe out all commercial agreements signed by Washington after World War II which could lead to unprecedented trade disputes, said Joaquin Infante, the winner of Cuba's national economy prize, in a recent interview Xinhua.

Meanwhile, Trump's contempt for multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations and the World Trade Organization, aims to return to the decades when the U.S. showed off its economic supremacy, according to him.

"In a world where globalization is irreversible due to technological development and where multilateral trade prevails, Trump is doing quite the opposite with policies that will harm the American economy," he said.

"These tariffs that have targeted China confirm that the Trump administration intends to bypass the WTO's dispute settlement body and unilaterally rely on U.S. law alone regarding the ongoing trade dispute with China," said Jon R. Taylor, a political science professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas.

"That is a big mistake," he said.

WTO rules and regulations were established to provide a global mechanism to resolve trade disputes, he said.

The American protective measures severely violate the multilateral trade mechanisms, as well as the WTO, said Andras Inotai, research professor at the Centre for Economic and Regional Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Science's Institute of World Economics.

He described the U.S. tariffs move as a "own-goal", noting a sound solution to any trade dispute should be filed at the WTO.

The U.S. protectionism measures would backfire on the United States' own economy, Inotai said last month after Trump unveiled his plan to impose tariffs on steel and aluminum.

On March 23, the U.S. tariffs move was largely criticized during a WTO meeting in Geneva.

The WTO said in a statement that trade representatives of more than 40 members, including the 28 from the European Union (EU), took the floor to warn against U.S. tariff measures, during a meeting of the Council for Trade in Goods.

Russia said the new tariffs exceed the bound rates the United States had committed to under WTO rules. It sought further clarification how the measure can be justified under WTO rules.

The European Union (EU) does not support measures that would run counter to WTO law, Daniel Rosario, spokesman of the European Commission, told reporters Wednesday on Washington's proposed list of Chinese goods subject to additional 25 percent tariffs based on the investigation of the so-called Section 301.

"We call on the relevant parties to ensure WTO compliance of their trade actions. We will analyze the measures being taken in terms of their WTO compatibility," Rosario told Xinhua.

According to the spokesman, the EU has noticed the U.S. action against China under Section 301 and has been closely following the investigations since they were launched in August 2017.

Rosario also underlined the importance of the role of the WTO in dealing with trade differences. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 19:09:02|Editor: Yurou

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NANJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Li Min, a woman from east China's Jiangsu Province, has made a fortune by opening an online store to sell locally produced Chinese roses.

Li, 28, lost her left arm in a car accident at the age of seven. Despite only having one hand, Li managed to open a flower shop on Taobao, China's biggest online marketplace, with yearly sales reaching 1 million yuan (about 158,000 U.S. dollars) last year.

An online shop was once out of the picture for Li.

Graduated in 2012 as an apparel design major student, Li dreamt of finding a job in the fashion world. However, it was difficult. "The missing arm had hardly been a problem for me, but at that time, I realized that it was," Li said.

Setbacks in securing a dream job made Li, an optimistic and confident person, feel frustrated. "I went back home, idling all day long and feeling sorry for myself."

One day, when Li saw her mother's graying hair, she decided to make a change.

Li's hometown, Xinhe Township in Shuyang County, east China's Jiangsu Province, is a major growing area of Chinese roses. "Why not open a shop online to sell the flowers?" thought Li.

Determined to lead an independent life, Li opened her online shop without help from her parents.

She does all the work at the shop by herself -- purchasing, uploading products, sales, packaging and customer service. On learning the county government was organizing free courses on e-commerce to support local people, Li signed up.

"At the beginning, packing flowers was extremely challenging for me. The thorns always hurt my hand badly," Li said. "I worked ceaselessly from seven in the morning until eleven at night. After a day's work, I used to leave the computer and go straight to bed, having even no strength to deal with the packaging waste piled high on the floor."

Li's hard work paid off. Her online shop thrives with as much as 400 orders in one day.

She is also considering giving back.

"I got tremendous help from the government and the village folks during the startup of my business, and now I want to contribute more to society," she said.

Li successfully ran for the vice head of the Communist Party of China organization in her village last year.

"I thought it a long shot at the time and it really excited me when I got the position."

Li plans to use her knowledge and experience in e-commerce to help more people in her village increase their income and live better lives. She believes that, as every flower is different, so she has her own unique advantages in helping inspire others.
File photo shows fishmen pulling a boat to the bank at the fishing port of Jamestown in Accra, capital of Ghana, Jan. 5, 2012. (Xinhua/Shao Haijun)



ACCRA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese government will from this year begin financing of a major fishing landing site at the James Town Beach in Ghana's capital, the Chinese Ambassador to Ghana Sun Baohong said Friday.

Sun and Ghana's Minister for Finance Kenneth Ofori-Atta signed and exchanged notes to this effect at a brief ceremony.

The Chinese ambassador said both the James Town fishing port project and the phase two of the University of Health and Allied Sciences will be funded by the Chinese government.

"At the request of Ghana government we are providing development assistance within our capacity. The project providing satellite TV for 300 villages in Ghana will be implemented in May. And the James Town Fishing Port Complex will kick off within this year," Sun said.

There is also an ongoing feasibility studies on the phase two of the university as well as feasibility for a cocoa processing project in Sefwi Wiawso in Ghana's Western Region, while China has also begun the donation of police vehicles and equipments.

"We do not attach any political strings to our aid to Ghana, and the nature of aid is for development and we fully support Ghana Beyond Aid initiative of the government and we wish that this aspiration will be realized with the help of international partners," the ambassador said.

The Chinese government, according to Sun, hopes that the projects will improve the infrastructure of Ghana and increase the driving force of Ghana's economy.

Last year, economic and trade cooperation between the two countries grew strongly as bilateral trade reached 6.67 billion U.S. dollars, representing an increase of 11.7 percent. China is Ghana's largest trading partner and Ghana's export to China surpassed 1.85 billion dollars last year.

China's financial investment in Ghana last year reached 123 million dollars, covering 25 projects, and the number of projects ranked top among all the foreign investment countries in the West African country.

Ofori-Atta expressed gratitude to the Chinese government for its continued support for Ghana, with the expectation that the project will ensure job creation in the fisheries sector.
by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Greek Orthodox Christians celebrated Easter Sunday, one of the most significant holidays on their calendar without forgetting those in need.

As relatives and friends gathered around the family table to eat the traditional lamb roasted on spit and crack Easter eggs, wishing health and happiness, many municipalities and humanitarian organizations across the country laid out tables to offer a festive meal and some moments of joy to thousands of homeless and other people in need.

Retail markets representatives, shop owners and consumers said in Athens earlier this week that most households have cut back on their spending for the Easter meal this year as well due to the eight-year debt crisis, although economic indexes have improved lately.

Official Eurostat statistics in recent years have shown that one in three Greeks were at risk of poverty and social exclusion after years of harsh austerity, recession and record unemployment rates.

For those who were unable to buy even the minimum, municipalities, church charities and NGOs stepped in front and in cooperation with supermarket chains and other enterprises and private donors were serving the traditional Easter delicacies, providing a helping hand.
HARARE, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Botswana's new President Mokgweetsi Masisi is expected in Zimbabwe Monday on a working visit, state media reported Sunday.

Masisi took over from former president Ian Khama on April 1. This is part of a long-standing tradition in the Southern African Development Community region where new heads of state pay courtesy calls on their neighbours, the Sunday Mail said.

A statement issued by Botswana's Ministry of International Affairs and Cooperation said the visit would deepen bilateral ties between Harare and Gaborone.

"The working visit will serve to deepen and broaden the scope of bilateral cooperation between Botswana and Zimbabwe. It is expected that the two leaders will also discuss regional, continental and global issues of mutual concern," the statement said.

Last month President Emmerson Mnangagwa was in Botswana for his first official state visit after taking over from former president Robert Mugabe last November as the two nations sought to build bridges following icy relations between Mugabe and Khama.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 19:49:09|Editor: Lifang

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TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said that domestic experts have managed to renovate Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

Ali Akbar Salehi said that TRR with the age of 40 years needed complete renovation and "efforts were made by the Iranian researchers and youths to do so."

Now, a rejuvenated reactor is available for the Iranian researchers, said Salehi.

In addition to the renovation of the reactor, a nuclear fuel test loop has been manufactured and installed for the first time to test the resilience of the nuclear fuels due to be used in power plants, he said.

The TRR is a 5 megawatt-thermal (MWth) pool-type light water research reactor.
MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- At least five people were killed and four others were injured after a minibus collided with a train in the northern part of the Crimea Peninsula on Sunday, local police said.

The bus operating the route between Sevastopol in the southwest and Armyansk in the north crashed with the train running from Kerch in the east to Armyansk at a railway crossing in the suburb of Armyansk, said Olga Kondrashova, spokesperson for the Interior Ministry's Crimean branch.

The bus was carrying 13 people when the accident happened. No children were among the casualties.

Crimea was incorporated into Russia in March 2014 following a local referendum. Ukraine says the peninsula was annexed.
National flags of China and the United States

Trade disputes between China and the United States have made headlines around the world, and continue to escalate. In the ongoing tussle between the two economic giants, here is what you need to know:

How did the dispute arise?

January 22 (American Eastern Standard Time)

Import tariffs on solar panels and washing machines

U.S. President Donald Trump approved a tariff up to 30 percent on solar panels and a tariff up to 50 percent on washing machines. The move had a heavy impact on China's exports.

March 8

Import tariffs on steel and aluminum

Trump ordered to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum of 25 percent and 10 percent respectively.

U.S. President Donald Trump ordered to impose steep tariffs on imported steel and aluminum of 25 percent and 10 percent respectively

March 22

U.S. broader tariffs & China's first countermeasure

China said it will impose tariffs on American goods of 3 billion U.S. dollars. The move is in response to the Trump administration's earlier decision to impose steel and aluminum tariffs.

On the same day, Trump signed a memorandum that could impose tariffs on up to 60 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China.

April 4

China unveiled a list of products worth 50 billion U.S. dollars imported from the United States that will be subject to higher tariffs, including soy bean, automobiles and chemical products.

April 5

Trump threatens to slap tariffs on 100 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China.

In response, a spokesperson with China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) said, China will fight "at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures" if the United States continues its unilateral, protectionist practices.

"We don't want a trade war, but we are not afraid of such a war," the spokesperson said.

What has China said towards Sino-U.S. trade issue

The Lujiazui Financial District in Shanghai

China has reiterated its strong objection towards U.S. protectionist and unilateral actions under different circumstances.

On March 23, the MOC said the U.S. should "pause on the brink of a precipice" and make prudent decisions.

It called the U.S. restrictive measures on China "a very bad precedent" and said it went against "the interests of China, the United States and the world at large."

China will not sit idly watching its legitimate rights and interests being damaged under any circumstance, the MOC declared.

On April 6, the MOC clarified that there have been no talks over economic and trade issues between China and the U.S. recently.

Calling tariffs on 100 billion U.S. dollars of imports from China "unreasonable" and "extremely wrong," Gao Feng, a spokesperson with the MOC said the U.S. has misjudged the situation and will only "shoot itself in its foot."

What will the trade quarrel bring to the U.S.?

A container ship is docked at the Yangshan port in Shanghai

China's last tariff list targeting U.S. imports, including beef, whiskey and passenger vehicles, has sent U.S. market into tailspin, and put industries under pressure.

The new tariffs on imported steel and aluminum would actually cost the U.S. nearly 146,000 jobs, according to a latest research by the Trade Partnership, a Washington-based consulting firm.

Service sectors will be hit the hardest, the research found. Consumers are likely to reduce spending when they are hit by higher costs and lost wages from unemployment.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that retaliatory tariffs will hurt U.S. farmers at a time they are already struggling. Their earnings are expected to fall 6.7 percent this year to 59.5 billion dollars, about half of the United States' 2013 record high.

The threatened tariffs, if realized, may hurt China. But the damage would be done at the expense of American interests.

As Chinese Ambassador to the United States Cui Tiankai put it earlier, "If people want to play tough, we will play tougher with them, and see who lasts longer."
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:04:25|Editor: Yurou

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ZHENGZHOU, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Cloned peonies made their debut show at the ongoing peony festival in Luoyang, central China's Henan Province, with their full blossoming set for mid April.

As an imperial capital during 13 dynasties, Luoyang claims to have the country's best peonies. The flower was a favorite of royal families for its luxuriant blossom, which came to symbolize prosperity and wealth.

The city hosts the annual festival from April 5 to May 5 to celebrate the auspicious flower.

Kong Xiangsheng, professor with the Henan University of Science and Technology, said 125 cloned peony plants were on the exhibition in Luoyang. Tourists can enjoy the blossoming for a week from mid-April.

The plants were cloned from peony tissue ranging from roots, stems and leaves in a sterile environment, he said.

The Luoyang academy of agriculture and forestry science completed the sequencing of the peony genome last year, recording 65,898 peony genes, and putting together a database of 1,000 peony varieties.

Mapping of the genome will lead to better protection of wild peonies and precision seeding, and expand the use of peonies for making cosmetics and other commercial products.

Wang said that with the cloning technology, scientists could make fast cultivation of rare breed peonies on a large scale.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:14:26|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Buses to evacuate militants of the Islam Army as well as the kidnapped people enter the Wafideen area near Douma, northeast of Damascus, Syria, on April 8, 2018. The Islam Army rebels will evacuate the Douma district east of Damascus and release the kidnapped people under a new deal reached Sunday with the Syrian government forces, state TV reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Islam Army rebels will evacuate the Douma district east of Damascus and release the kidnapped people under a new deal reached Sunday with the Syrian government forces, state TV reported.

The priority of the new deal is the evacuation of the kidnapped people in the captivity of the Islam Army militants in Douma, the last rebel-held area in the Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus.

And the rebel group will evacuate Douma toward the rebel-held city of Jarablus in Aleppo province in northern Syria near the Turkish border.

Negotiations between the Islam Army militants and the Syrian government were renewed on Sunday about the situation in Douma after the militants asked to launch new negotiations with the government after they backed down on a previous deal that technically contained the same details in Douma.

The state TV said the Islam Army rebels, who have been in of Douma since 2012, have asked for negotiating with the Syrian government after two days of a wide-scale military offensive on Douma following the failure of the first agreement.

The Islam Army rebels backed down on the previous agreement with the Russians and the Syrian side for their evacuation from that district as well as rejecting to release thousands of kidnapped people.

The militants also launched mortar attacks on several residential areas inside Damascus.

A day earlier, the Syrian army stormed the frontlines of the Islam Army in Douma from farmlands east of that area amid a state of collapse and chaos among the militant group, according to state news agency SANA.

Douma was supposed to witness a similar destiny as other areas in the Eastern Ghouta, where 43,000 rebels and their families withdrew under a deal with the government toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

Three batches of the Islam Army and families withdrew from Douma recently, but as the fourth batch was preparing to leave, the agreement about Douma collapsed.
By Tao Jun, Bui Long

HANOI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), a multilateral development bank, has helped many Asian countries have better infrastructure, deeper regional integration and accelerated poverty reduction, an AIIB official told Xinhua here recently in an exclusive interview.

"We have three mandates -- sustainable infrastructure, regional connectivity and private capital mobilization... As a Chinese proverb saying, "Better roads lead to better life," Supee Teravaninthorn, Director General of AIIB's Investment Operations Department, who spoke in English but pronounced the proverb in Chinese.

Regarding regional connectivity, one of the three mandates, or the three strategic priorities of AIIB, the bank prioritizes cross-border infrastructure, ranging from roads and rails, to ports, energy pipelines and telecommunications across Central Asia, the maritime routes in South East and South Asia, and the Middle East, and beyond, she said.

Concerning sustainable infrastructure, the multilateral development bank promotes green infrastructure, and supports countries to meet their environmental and development goals.

Regarding private capital mobilization, AIIB devises innovative solutions that catalyze private capital, in partnership with other multilateral development banks, governments, private financiers and other partners, she said.

In the first year of operation in 2016, AIIB approved investment of 1.7 billion U.S. dollars for nine infrastructure projects in seven countries, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Tajikistan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Azerbaijan and Oman, Teravaninthorn noted.

In 2017, another 2.5 billion U.S. dollars worth of investment were approved by AIIB for Egypt, Georgia, India, the Philippines, and China.

Regarding Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS) countries, AIIB has already financed or approved or prepared funds for infrastructure projects there, including an energy efficiency improvement project in Myanmar, and an air quality improvement project in China.

"The third project (in the six-member GMS) we are about to do this year is for Laos. It is the National Road No. 13 improvement and we will allocate 40 million U.S. dollars for Laos. The next thing we are discussing to do is in Vietnam, about water resources, energy, and sustainable city development. This project could start in 2018 or 2019," the AIIB official said.

AIIB has yet to finance projects in Cambodia and Thailand, but it is considering technical assistance in the electricity sector in Cambodia, and potential projects in both private and public sectors in Thailand, including one relating to high-speed trains, she added.

AIIB directly invests in infrastructure, which indirectly helps facilitate poverty reduction. "Even though we do not really target poverty reduction, but if we invest successfully in infrastructure, it will have a trickle-down effect the poor benefit from," Teravaninthorn stated, noting that poor people can enjoy cheaper electricity charges with fewer or no blackouts if electricity infrastructure gets improved.

AIIB has helped facilitate infrastructure development and regional integration, bringing about positive direct and indirect impacts, including smoother transport and accelerated poverty reduction, in many Asian countries, but this Beijing-headquartered multilateral development bank is rumored to be dominated or controlled by China.

"A lot of people say: You are a Chinese bank, you are a Belt and Road bank, you are a Silk Road bank. No, we are none of those. The uniqueness of AIIB is that we really focus on Asia," Teravaninthorn stated.

This is the first time the major shareholders of a multilateral development bank are developing countries. "You know, the biggest shareholder (of AIIB) is China, 30 percent, India -- 10 percent," she said, noting that the major shareholders of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are developed countries.

"China doesn't want to borrow from AIIB, so that money can be utilized by other countries. It is very generous. I can say that it is very generous of the Chinese government," Teravaninthorn stated, adding that China has reserved the right to borrow later for only two types of projects.

"One is anything to do with climate change. Because we consider climate change is not a one-country obligation. It's a global obligation. And the second one is regional connectivity," the AIIB said.

As a Beijing-headquartered multilateral development bank operating by international standards, with a mission to improve social and economic outcomes in Asia and beyond, AIIB now counts 84 members -- rising from 57 at its commencement in January 2016.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:24:29|Editor: Yurou

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LHASA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region lifted 1,705 villages out of poverty last year, according to local authorities.

A total of 150,000 people were pulled out of poverty last year, bringing the impoverished population in the region from 590,000 in 2015 to 330,000 last year.

A total of 16.7 billion yuan (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) was invested in 2017 to help locals increase income, relocate and support the development of over 1,700 anti-poverty projects in the region.

More than 85 percent of the land in Tibet is located more than 4,000 meters above sea level. Harsh natural conditions have been part of the causes of entrenched poverty.

People in a total of 2,440 villages still live in dire poverty in Tibet, and the region plans to invest 11.7 billion yuan this year to lift another 2,100 villages out of poverty. It also aims for an annual growth of 16 percent in disposable income for people living under the poverty line, which is defined as a per capita annual income of 2,300 yuan at 2010 prices.

The region will also continue to expand social security coverage to improve living conditions for people with disabilities, no income, inability to work, as well as for teenagers under 16 and senior people above 60.

China aims to lift all citizens out of poverty by 2020 to create a "moderately prosperous society." There were around 30 million Chinese still living below the national poverty line at the end of last year, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:24:30|Editor: Yurou

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FUZHOU, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Leaving behind their jobs, houses and lives in the cities, a group of artists went to a remote ancient Chinese village and made it their new home.

Longtan village, tucked deeply in the mountains in Pingnan County, east China's Fujian Province, has seen painters, designers and freelancers flock there since 2017.

"We couldn't believe it at first," said Chen Ziban, a local villager. "Young people used to leave here for jobs in the cities, now it's the other way around."

Two years ago the village, now with a registered population of more than 1,000, had only around 200 residents living there. The local school was shut down and houses were abandoned.

Last year, the local government launched a project to boost ancient villages through cultural and creative industries.

"The best way to revive the village is to bring talent in," said Lin Zhenglu, who is in charge of the project to revive Longtan village. Born in Fujian, Lin spent many years teaching painting in Shanghai.

"Many people in the cities envy life in the countryside, especially one with a rich history and culture," Lin said. "But they also worry about the poor living conditions."

Lin's plan includes renovating traditional houses and teaching villagers to paint. The former helps draw people in, and the latter, Lin said, makes the artists stay.

The old houses, once forgotten, have been connected to public utilities, reinforced and decorated inside.

One house has been changed into a museum for Siping Opera, the traditional form of opera once considered lost but later found well preserved in Longtan village.

The others are put up for a fixed-term rent for 15 years. With around 200,000 yuan (31,724 U.S. dollars), one can rent a three-floor house for 100 square meters.

So far, more than 50 houses have been rented, mostly by Lin's artist friends and previous students.

"The village stands out with lush mountains, unique buildings and gifted villagers who can paint pictures. It's a great destination for artists," Lin said.

Many artists have come for a "different lifestyle," where they can be close to nature, appreciate local culture while running businesses. Some have converted their houses into personal studios, bookstores, bistros, pubs and cafes.

"The Internet, e-commerce and a fast logistics system have made life away from cities much easier," said 32-year-old Zeng Wei, a bookstore owner and a new inhabitant of village.

Attracted by the beautiful scenery and Siping Opera, Zeng decided to move to the village. He changed the first floor of his house into a bookstore, and plans to make cultural products based on opera.

He also helped local villagers sell farm products online. Last year, villagers sold around 500 kilograms of persimmon, raking in more than 20,000 yuan, with his help.

As more people came, Lin re-established the elementary school and invited his friends and qualified new inhabitants to teach.

Zeng's wife is now teaching Chinese in the school and Gao Rongrong, a former freelance translator in Shanghai and a student of Lin, teaches English.

"I didn't hesitate to come here when Lin called," said Gao, who is also a cartoonist. "It's so beautiful and I like the old houses. It's like walking in history."

Gao created a series of cartoons themed on a girl traveling in the pictures of the traditional village.

In one of the works, a smiling girl with a pink dress leans forward against a worn-out stone wall of a traditional house, poking her head out as if she was playing hide-and-seek.

The series of cartoons went viral, and got 500,000 views on Weibo, China's answer to Twitter.

"I am happy that people have got to know the village and its beauty through my work," Gao said. "I'll keep creating."

Though away from the city, Gao said she still finds the village "full of energy." Musicians gather regularly in the pub and play live music.

"Many elderly villagers come to watch their performances," Chen said. "I think they feel less lonely here than staying at home in the evening."

Chen's son Chen Zhongye, a 24-year-old graphic designer working in the provincial capital Fuzhou, is considering moving back after seeing all the changes in the village.

"Sometimes I stayed up late to watch the videos about our village that my father sent in our group chat," said Chen Zhongye, referring to the village WeChat group of 404 people.

"Now with so many artists coming, I think more possibilities and opportunities will come in the future." Chen Zhongye said.
SKOPJE, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia's main opposition right-wing VMRO-DPMNE party leader Hristijan Mickovski told reporters on Sunday that the opposition will end its parliamentary boycott next Wednesday and vote for a no-confidence motion for the ruling Social Democrat-led government of Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

"I expect the no-confidence motion to be successful, followed by early elections," Mickovski told the reporters.

The motion is unlikely to pass as the opposition lacks the minimum of 61 Members of Parliament (MP) needed in the 120-seat parliament to bring down the government.

In November 2017, VMRO-DPMNE MPs stopped attending parliament after police arrested six of their MPs who were suspected of playing roles in the mob attack on parliament nearly one year ago.

Five MPs are now among 30 people facing terrorism charges, for what the prosecution claims as an organized attempt, to destabilize the country.

The Macedonian parliament has only about ten days to pass several key reforms suggested by the European Union (EU), such as the reforms in the judiciary, that need a two-thirds majority to pass.

Macedonian Prime Minister Zaev welcomed the opposition's expected return to parliament and that dialogue with the opposition was "moving in a good direction."

The no-confidence motion was a legitimate move that should not jeopardize the country's EU-related priorities, underlined Zaev.

Macedonia hopes the European Commission will restore its invitation to start EU accession talks after its latest progress report is published on April 17.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:49:37|Editor: Xiang Bo

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by Xinhua writers Liu Chang, Shang Jun

BOAO, China, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Over a year ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping vigorously defended free trade at the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, impressing the world with China's staunch support for globalization.

That defense has become more relevant today.

Globalization, the historic process which has brought different countries and peoples closer over the past two centuries, is now under attack and regarded with growing doubts. Isolationism is rising, along with trade protectionism and economic chauvinism.

In particular, Washington's protectionist pivot is not only worrying, but damaging as well. Over the past year or so, it has tried to bully its trading partners into making concessions by wielding the big stick of punitive tariffs. What's more, the so-called "America First" doctrine touted by U.S. President Donald Trump in Davos in January poses a serious challenge to the rules-based multilateral trading system once established by Washington itself.

At this defining moment when globalization desperately needs support, the annual Boao Forum for Asia conference is setting the stage for President Xi to further define China's stance.

There can't be any better venue. Boao, once a barely known fishing hamlet in China's southernmost Hainan Province, has today become one of the Asian country's gateways to the wider world with its annual global gathering that is gaining clout.

The emergence of this beach resort is but one example of China's rise from an isolated and underdeveloped country to the world's second-largest economy. The magic formula for this is China's opening-up to the outside world and becoming actively involved in the globalization of the world economy.

Ironically, the Western world where globalization originated has now become hostile to globalization in one way or another. Skeptics argue that globalization, which means free and open trade, is costing them their jobs at home and their way of life.

What's more, it seems that the policymakers in these countries are pandering to these sentiments, either because they too believe in the arguments or because they want to court votes. But those who rant against globalization tend to forget that the West remains the biggest beneficiary of economic globalization.

The rich countries boast the largest number of the biggest multinational corporations (MNCs), like Apple, McDonald's and IKEA. These MNCs have operations overseas, where operation costs are lower, to jack up their profits and then remit back the lion's share of that, leaving the assembly line workers in developing countries with only crumbs.

When Boao participants bring their iPhones to the forum, some calculations might be helpful before they head into brainstorming on globalization.

John Bellamy Foster, a professor of sociology at the University of Oregon, quotes the Asian Development Bank in his book "The Endless Crisis: How Monopoly-Finance Capital Produces Stagnation and Upheaval from the USA to China." He wrote, "Chinese workers that assemble iPhones for Foxconn, which subcontracts for Apple (in China), are paid wages that only represent 3.6 percent of the final total manufacturing cost (shipping price), contributing to Apple's huge 64 percent gross profit margin over manufacturing cost on iPhones."

But that's just money matters. Western powers' dominance of global institutions has brought them even greater payoffs. Following the end of World War II, the United States, along with its allies, has been leading the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the pillars of the global financial system. Indeed, the post-war world order is seen by many as an age of "Pax Americana."

So what has led to the rise of anti-globalization sentiments in the West? The key reason is the increasingly unequal distribution of the economic pie despite the fact that it is growing larger.

According to last year's World Inequality Report by the World Inequality Lab at the Paris School of Economics, the top 1 percent captured 28 percent of the aggregate increase in real incomes in North America and Western Europe between 1980 and 2016, while the bottom 50 percent received just 9 percent of it.

In the face of this widening wealth gap, politicians in some Western countries have failed so far to look inward in search of solutions. Instead, they look outside for scapegoats, blaming foreign countries for job losses and cashing in on domestic populism.

Though the path to globalization has not been a smooth one, yet the reality is that the world has become increasingly more prosperous thanks to it. So the right way to approach globalization is not to abandon or even try to reverse it, but to embrace and improve it.

China supports globalization because it has contributed to the well-being of its people. More importantly, improved globalization will benefit people around the globe. To make globalization more inclusive so that its benefits can be shared more extensively, Beijing has proposed the Belt and Road Initiative, and is asking others to join it in building a community with a shared future for mankind.

In sum, policymakers in some Western countries should pull their heads out of the sand to find better answers to their long-standing socio-economic problems and stay open-minded. This may not be easy, but it is necessary.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening-up policy. On the occasion of the Boao forum, President Xi is expected to unveil a set of major new measures on reform and opening-up, according to Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. It demonstrates that, despite rising anti-globalization sentiment around the world, China remains a staunch supporter and champion of globalization and a fairer world order.

The success story of the Chinese economy is a perfect reminder that the courage to push forward domestic reforms and embrace the outside world can lead to greater and more sustainable development. After all, globalization begins at home.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 21:54:37|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Yan Yan)

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan Sunday in Beijing.

The two sides should work together against protectionism and maintain the world trading system with the World Trade Organization at the core, Wang said.

He suggested the two countries deepen cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and build three major platforms on interconnection, financial support and tripartite cooperation to inject new impetus to bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

Balakrishnan said Singapore is against protectionism, and hopes the world free trading system is well protected.
MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday refuted reports purporting that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons in Douma district, a besieged enclave near capital Damascus, calling the allegation "fabrication" and "provocation."

The purpose of the "groundless" reports on Saturday is to protect "terrorists" and radical opposition and justify possible military actions from abroad, the ministry said in a statement.

"It is necessary to warn once again that military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where Russian servicemen are located at the request of the legitimate government (of Syria), is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to the most serious consequences," it said.

The Russian military also rejected allegations that Syrian government forces dropped a chlorine barrel bomb in Douma and used other toxic substances in the area, which caused dozens of deaths.

Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying that the reports were fabricated by so-called independent non-governmental organizations, including the White Helmets, which he said is widely known for its fake news.

After Douma is liberated from militants, Russia is ready to send specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection to collect data to confirm that these statements are false, he said.

Controlled by the Army of the Islam rebel group, Douma is the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops nearly regained full control thanks to a Russian-backed campaign since February.

Syrian government forces launched a latest offensive on Friday after the rebels breached an evacuation deal and refused to release thousands of kidnapped civilians.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 22:04:40|Editor: Lifang

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TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The value of trade exchange between Iran and Pakistan rose by 13.5 percent in a period of 11 months up to this February, Financial Tribune daily reported on Sunday.

The volume of bilateral non-oil trade was 2.27 million tons, with the value standing at 1.176 billion U.S. dollars.

According to Islamic Republic Customs Administration, Iran exported 1.94 million tons of goods worth 822.20 million U.S. dollars to Pakistan during the period.

Pakistan exported some 330,000 tons of goods worth 353.89 million U.S. dollars to Iran during the same period.

According to official IRNA news agency, the exported items of Iran comprised iron ore, iron scrap, dates, detergents, transformers, chemicals, bitumen, polyethylene, propylene etc, while the imported items from Pakistan included rice, fresh fruits, meat, cloth and mechanical machinery.

Iran and Pakistan have agreed to enhance the bilateral trade volume to 5 billion U.S. dollars in the next five years.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 22:14:42|Editor: Xiang Bo

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KUNMING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Donning a rooster-shaped hat, a flower-patterned blouse and pair of black, white and pink trousers, Li Ruxiu swaggers on the catwalk like a supermodel.

Li, 56, is one of the models on "Yi Embroidery Street" in Yongren County in southwest China's Yunnan Province. She was employed by the county government last year to present clothes made by the Yi people, an ethnic minority, in Yongren's Zhizuo Village. The village is one of the poorest areas in the country.

"When I am on stage, I am the happiest girl in the whole world," Li said. "On stage, I get to show our unique clothes designed and made by ourselves, which boosts sales on the street."

The street is part of a government effort to lift the villagers out of poverty. Seeing the potential of the embroidered clothes and using the village's thousand-year tradition of fashion shows, the government set up the street in the county center, employing people from Zhizuo to showcase their garments. The government also offers free street stores to help the Zhizuo people sell Yi clothes.

Since the street opened to the public in early 2017, more than 1.77 million tourists have visited.

"Life is getting much better these days," Li said.

YI FASHION SHOWS

The fashion show tradition originated more than 1,300 years in Zhizuo Village, about 70 km away from Yongren county seat. The village has more than 2,000 registered residents, mostly of the Yi ethnic minority.

"Women in the village have always been very good at embroidery," Li said. "There is a saying in our village: If you cannot embroider your own wedding dress, you will never find a husband."

At the beginning of every lunar new year, locals would wear the ethnic clothes and stage a "costume contest," which has evolved into the fashion shows in recent years.

The event is also an occasion for trading among locals, and an opportunity for young people to get hitched.

At such events, a host wearing a mysterious hat starts by burning incense and bowing to ancestors. Men wearing tiger-headed clothes then blast horns. And the fashion show begins.

"There are usually five groups of models, the Grandpa Team, Grandma Team, Men's Team, Women's Team and Children's Team,' and they take turns to walk into the stage," Li said. "We wear the most unique clothes made by women in the family."

People as old as 80 and children just a few years old participate.

"I started taking part in the fashion shows when I was five," Li said.

Following the contest, locals would organize other activities, such as walking on stilts and tug of war.

Despite its fashion, the village has been mired in poverty. Zhizuo sits deep in the mountains of Yunnan, and transportation is very difficult. In 2006, the first highway connected the village with the outside world. In recent years, many Zhizuo people have left for big cities to make money, leaving behind the elderly, children and women.

Some thought about selling clothes embroidery to make money.

"The images embroidered on the clothes are unique," Li said. "We embroider birds, flowers, ox heads, butterflies and tiger heads." Tiger heads are a totem of the locals.

"But it was too difficult to find buyers because Zhizuo is a remote place," Li said. "We had no knowledge of e-commerce."

WALK OUT OF POVERTY

To help locals escape poverty, the county government decided to use the fashion shows to lure visitors. A blitz of promotions featuring the "costume contest" and the "Yi embroidery" have been launched in recent years, drawing great attention.

In 2016, Chinese model Mary Ma caught wind of the Yi embroidery and added Yi elements to her clothes presented at 2016 China Fashion Week.

Last year, the government set up the "Yi Embroidery Street." Every Saturday night, Yi models like Li Ruxiu are invited to present their clothes on the catwalk. The villagers then hold their "costume contest" ceremony, which begins by paying tribute to ancestors and ends with the fashion shows.

The decision proved positive. Visitors swarmed in and business in the street soared.

By February 2017, Yi clothes sales revenue reached 6.65 million yuan (1.1 million U.S. dollars).

Riding on the back of the catwalk success, the government launched "Yi Costume Contest Week" and a "Weekend Costume Contest" in Yongren. The contest has been listed on the provincial intangible cultural heritage list.

"I am just happy that our tradition helped many Yi people out of poverty," Li said. "I hope our fashion shows will be better and more international in the future."
ISLAMABAD, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Pakistani Foreign Ministry on Sunday released details of a wide ranging agreement with neighboring Afghanistan on cooperation in key areas.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani reached the agreement in their talks in Afghan capital Kabul during his visit to Afghanistan on Friday.

The ministry said Pakistan and Afghanistan agreed on key principles to operationalize the working groups under Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS), which is a joint action plan for cooperation in key areas of counter-terrorism, reduction of violence, promotion of peace and reconciliation, repatriation of refugees and joint economic development.

The ministry said that Pakistan and Afghanistan will "undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either of the two countries."

"Both countries commit to deny use of their respective territory by any country, network, group or individuals for anti-state activities against either country," according to the new mechanism.

Both will put in place a joint supervision, coordination and confirmation mechanism through Liaison Officers (LOs) for realization of the agreed actions.

An official at the ministry told Xinhua that the LOs could be deployed in capital cities of Islamabad and Kabul and will share information if any armed opponents of the two countries would take possible actions against them.

Pakistan will support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation for the political solution to the Afghan conflict, the ministry said.

The Prime Minister's Office said Abbasi welcomed Ghani's peace and reconciliation offer to the Taliban and both leaders called on the Taliban to respond positively to the peace offer and join the peace process without further delay.

Both countries will establish working groups and ensure necessary cooperation mechanism as per the APAPPS for its full implementation and the mutually reinforcing principles.

Earlier the Prime Minister's Office said the APAPPS provided a useful framework for broad based and structured engagement on all issues of mutual interest and decided to operationalize the five working groups under the APAPPS.
DHAKA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The central bank of Bangladesh has suggested encouraging Islamic Shariah compliant investment certificate Sukuk in the capital market.

Bangladesh Bank (BB) made the suggestion in its latest quarterly report on Capital Market Developments in Bangladesh', leading English newspaper The Financial Express reported on Sunday.

A Sukuk is an Islamic financial certificate, similar to a bond in mainstream finance that complies with Sharia or Islamic religious laws.

Instead of interest bearing traditional bond, the issuer of a Sukuk generally sells a certificate to an investor group, and then uses the money to purchase an asset.

The investor group has to have partial ownership on the asset and the issuer has to make a contractual promise to buy back the bond at a future date at par value.

Capital market regulator BSEC (Bangladesh Securities and Exchange Commission) may motivate government infrastructure developing bodies and private sector to issue Sukuk for financing the large infrastructure projects, the BB said in its report.

It pointed out that other Muslim majority countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, KSA, UAE as well as non-Muslim majority countries like the UK and Singapore have Sukuk in their capital market.

The review report also stressed on some pragmatic steps to be taken by the BSEC to ensure good corporate governance, motivate good companies for floating bonds, shares and continue legal facilitation with more attractive incentives, especially for the foreign participants.

"Banks are not in a position to finance a long term productive investment activities continuously following higher level of non-performing loan and risk of maturity mismatch of funds," it observed.

"Given this, Bangladesh needs to undertake measures to expand capital market for financing productive investments and infrastructural projects," the report believed.

Finance Minister AMA Muhith has recently expressed his plan to assign "a small group" within two months to build capital market efficiency to pave the way for its long-term financing.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 22:24:44|Editor: Lifang

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KUWAIT CITY, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait is keen on boosting economic ties with Iraq and expanding development projects, Kuwait Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) said on Sunday.

KCCI exerts maximum efforts, in cooperation with the Iraqi embassy, to enhance investments and attain joint goals, Ali Al-Ghanim, Chairman of KCCI, said while meeting with Iraqi Ambassador to Kuwait Ala Al-Hashemi.

Development projects in Iraq are attractive and promising investment opportunities in various sectors including energy, transportation and construction, said Ali Al-Ghanim.

The Iraqi diplomat expressed his appreciation for KCCI's keenness to improve Kuwaiti-Iraqi economic relations and commercial exchange between them.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 22:44:47|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran on Sunday reaffirmed its constant support for Lebanon's solidarity and stability, according to Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qasemi.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has always supported stability and security in Lebanon and has made its utmost to maintain solidarity among the country's ethnic and political groups," said Bahram Qasemi.

Qasemi's remarks followed an article published in Iranian newspaper Jomhouri Eslami, which criticized Iran's role in Lebanon over the past decades.

The article runs counter to Iran's positive approach in Lebanon over the past four decades, the spokesman noted.

The peaceful coexistence of religions and ethnicities in Lebanon has turned the country into a model for other countries, Qasemi said, adding that his country has always encouraged solidarity among the Lebanese.

"Respecting the sovereignty of all countries, including Lebanon, and showing respect for the political figures of the country is the most important principle in the foreign policy of Iran," he stressed.

In a phone conversation with Lebanese President Michel Aoun in November, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said his country would always stand by Lebanon and spare no effort to help improve Lebanon's stability.
Smoke rises after the Syrian army's shelling targeted the Douma district in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus, Syria, on April 7, 2018. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

MOSCOW, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Russian Foreign Ministry on Sunday refuted reports purporting that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons in Douma district, a besieged enclave near capital Damascus, calling the allegation "fabrication" and "provocation."

The purpose of the "groundless" reports on Saturday is to protect "terrorists" and radical opposition and justify possible military actions from abroad, the ministry said in a statement.

"It is necessary to warn once again that military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where Russian servicemen are located at the request of the legitimate government (of Syria), is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to the most serious consequences," it said.

The Russian military also rejected allegations that Syrian government forces dropped a chlorine barrel bomb in Douma and used other toxic substances in the area, which caused dozens of deaths.

Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, was quoted by Russia's TASS news agency as saying that the reports were fabricated by so-called independent non-governmental organizations, including the White Helmets, which he said is widely known for its fake news.

After Douma is liberated from militants, Russia is ready to send specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection to collect data to confirm that these statements are false, he said.

Controlled by the Army of the Islam rebel group, Douma is the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta, a Damascus suburb where Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's troops nearly regained full control thanks to a Russian-backed campaign since February.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 23:14:55|Editor: yan

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GAZA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A few hundred meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, a group of young Palestinians sat near a tent, enjoying the traditional poetry and music played by aged Mahmoud Abu Diab.

The dark night did not prevent Abu Diab, a refugee originally from Beer Sheva in northern Israel, from joining a mass Palestinian rally that demands the return of Palestinian refugees.

March 30 was the start of a six-week anti-Israel protest, which is expected to peak on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "Day of the Catastrophe."

Sitting near the tent, the 70-year-old man amused young people with his traditional poetry about Palestine's right to return.

"Oh old days, hopefully you will return and we are sitting here in spite of the Jews," Abu Diab, who wore the traditional Palestinian costume, sang amid the cheers of the audience.

Feeling homesick, the old man also expressed his happiness as he can smell the breeze of his nearby town of Beer Sheva.

"Being here today is a message that we will never give up our right to return to our homeland," Abu Diab told Xinhua, adding that the peaceful protest will continue until the entire world acknowledges the right of the Palestinian refugees to return.

The mass protest, known as the "Great March of Return," is a very creative idea and a strong message to the world that the issue of the Palestinian refugees has not been resolved yet.

The Palestinian refugees' struggle to return home has been one of the key and thorniest issues in the final status negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

Near Abu Diab's tent, groups of young Palestinians performed traditional Dake dance around flames of fire they lit for lightening and warmth.

Palestinians have pitched dozens of tents along the Gaza-Israel border as part of the protest. The tent cities are erected in agricultural lands 700 meters away from the border fence in eastern Gaza.

Not far away from Abu Duab's tent, Um Khaled, a Palestinian refugee from Jafa near the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, came to the rally with her daughter and son-in-law to demand their right of return.

"It is not only a help for the people at the rally, but also a revival of the Palestine heritage," the woman in her 50s said while making traditional Palestinian bread for the protesters.

"I will join any activities calling for our return until this dream comes true," she said.

Um Khaled is not the only woman to join the rally.

Near her tent, a group of old women were cooking a traditional Palestinian food known as Somagiya.

"We want to feed the people at the rally. This dish is always made on happy occasions and this rally is one of the best occasions for us," one of the women told Xinhua.

Since the beginning of the anti-Israel rally, 29 Palestinians, including a journalist and two children, have been killed, and about 800 others injured, with 79 in critical condition, according to the health ministry in Gaza.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-08 23:19:57|Editor: Liangyu

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Chinese Vice Premier Liu He (1st R), also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, attends the inauguration ceremony of the China Banking and Insurance Regulatory Commission in Beijing, capital of China, April 8, 2018. (Xinhua/Ding Haitao)

BEIJING, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu He said Sunday that China will push forward financial supervision reform and win the battle against financial risk.

Liu made the remarks when attending the inauguration ceremony of the new China banking and insurance regulatory commission.

The reform of financial supervision system is an important part in China's overall institutional reform and will play a significant role in building a modernized financial oversight framework and preventing risks, he said.

Prevention of financial risks is key for China in what policymakers called the "three tough battles," namely controlling risks, reducing poverty and tackling pollution.

The move will also help solve problems such as cross-regulation and absence of supervision, according to Liu.

The vice premier also asked the new regulator to conduct supervision on the track of rule of law.

China announced to merge the banking and insurance regulators earlier last month in an effort to step up scrutiny of those fast-evolving industries.
On Jan. 1, 1981, Rauber received some sad news. A fisherman found an eagle body, the male of the very last wild pair in New York that Rauber had observed for so many years. But on March 13, 1981, he observed a miraculous thing: the widow had a new mate. On March 19, Rauber got a closer look at this new fella, and a yellow tag on his wing indicated that he was a product of the eagle hacking tower at Montezuma.

"This eagle originally came from Minnesota in June 1977 and was raised and released at the Montezuma hack site that same summer," Rauber wrote in his journal. "Were it not for the hacking project, there is a good possibility this eyrie would be inactive. Contemplating on these events it is comforting to note in a relatively short period of time this female and male were able to find one another and return to this excellent habitat which, in my opinion, offers everything to satisfy the eagles' needs."

Mistretta said her family had a cottage on Skaneateles Lake, and if she ended up driving there with her dad, there were always pit stops at Allen's house and at the Montezuma refuge along the way. The Montezuma pit stops were more of a crawl, as Rauber would scout out eagles.
DHAKA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale arrived in here on Sunday to hold talks with senior Bangladeshi officials on a host of bilateral and regional issues.

Gokhale is expected to meet the top Bangladeshi leadership including Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali on April 10 before returning home.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement Sunday said the Indian foreign secretary and his counterpart Md Shahidul Haque will discuss areas of bilateral cooperation on Monday. They will also talk about a proposed meeting of Bangladeshi and Indian prime ministers.

The proposed meeting of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in London during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) on April 16-20 would also come up prominently at the meeting, leading English newspaper The Daily Star reported Sunday.

During his talks with Hasina and Ali, the Indian foreign secretary is expected to convey his country's firm commitment to further consolidating bilateral ties with Bangladesh under the rubric of 'neighbourhood first' policy underlined by Modi.

However, Bangladesh and India also have some rough edges in their relations as Dhaka still waits for a breakthrough on the Teesta water-sharing treaty and expects New Delhi to put more pressure on Myanmar to begin repatriation of the Rohingya refugees.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 00:25:09|Editor: ZX

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DAMASCUS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- It seems like the decision to completely end the presence of rebels in Eastern Ghouta countryside of Damascus is serious, as the rebels' latest attempt to stay in their last stronghold in Douma didn't work out and was met with a ferocious response.

A fresh agreement between the Islam Army and the Syrian government under the mediation of Russia was reached on Sunday, after two days of an intense military showdown in Douma, the last rebel-held area in Eastern Ghouta.

The escalation of battles came against the backdrop of the rebels' failure to live up to their previous pledges to leave Douma toward the rebel-held city of Jarablus and release the kidnapped people to the government side.

But after over 2,963 rebels of Islam Army and their families evacuated Douma in three batches earlier this month, the fourth batch didn't leave as planned on Friday, with the state media in Syria saying the conflict among the Islam Army commanders was the reason.

Later on, the militants started firing mortar shells on the capital and suspended the release of thousands of kidnapped people from their captivity, which later appeared to be a new bid to adjust the previous deal reached with Russia.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the Islam Army rebels who evacuated Douma faced difficulties when reaching areas under the control of the Turkey-backed rebels in northern Syria.

Instead, the militants wanted to stay in Douma while keeping their weapons with them, contrary to what had been agreed upon previously that the rebels must hand over their heavy and medium weapons to the government side ahead of evacuating Douma.

The Russian side, however, made a list of demands, mainly that the rebels need to surrender their weapons and enlist in a police force, which is to be formed by the Russian side in Douma.

But this didn't resonate with the rebels and the falling negotiations prompted the government side to launch a massive assault by airstrikes and ground shelling on Douma, succeeding to storm the farmlands east of Douma.

The intense shelling has pushed the Islam Army rebels to call for renewed negotiations on Sunday morning, which led to agreeing on a new deal, technically similar to the first one as they must release the kidnapped people and evacuate Douma.

The process of evacuation and release of kidnapped people will start within 48 hours after the new deal was reached on Sunday.

Meanwhile, the state news agency SANA said tens of buses, which had withdrawn from the vicinity of Douma when the first agreement failed, returned to the Wafideen area on Sunday after the new deal was reached.

The buses should be evacuating the Islam Army rebels toward Jarablus.

Citing an official source, SANA said the Syrian government agreed to engage in the new negotiations on Sunday to spare the blood of the civilians in Douma and to ensure the release of all the kidnapped people from the Islam Army's prisons.

The unnamed source was cited by SANA as saying the Islam Army militants gave in after the "painful strikes" they received during the "decisive military campaign."

The full evacuation of the rebels and their families from Douma will be the last evacuation of Eastern Ghouta, as the entire region has been captured by the Syrian army after 43,000 rebels and their families left other areas of Eastern Ghouta late last month.
KAMPALA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Health authorities in the mid-western Ugandan district of Kagadi and the World Health Organization have set up an isolation center to control the spread of cholera.

James Olowo, the district health officer, told Xinhua by telephone on Sunday that the center can accommodate at least 100 patients.

"So far we have put three patients in that isolation center as we continue to contain the spread of the disease," he said.

A cholera outbreak in neighboring Hoima district has left at least 40 Congolese refugees dead since February.

The refugees, who fled fighting in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo, are now settled at Kyangwali and Kyaka II Refugee Settlements.

According to Uganda Red Cross, the influx of Congolese refugees has overwhelmed health facilities in the area and led to squalid conditions in the settlements, fueling the outbreak that started in mid-February.

The organization estimates that 70,000 Congolese have arrived in Uganda since the start of the year, 80 percent of them women and children.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 00:35:12|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Petroleum Ministry said on Sunday that a delay in the implementation of an oil swap deal with Iraq is related to Baghdad's unpreparedness and their technical problems.

In a note to the Tasnim News Agency, Iran's Petroleum Ministry said the problem of the four-month delay lies in the Arab country's failure to remove the obstacles.

"The slight delay in implementing the major deal on swapping the crude oil produced in northern Iraq is mainly because of unprepared infrastructures and some logistical deficiencies on Iraq's part," it said.

Oil swap operation will begin soon, the letter said, dismissing reports on "oil diplomacy negligence" or secret issues behind the delay.

On Saturday, Hamid Hosseini, the secretary-general of Iran-Iraq Chamber of Commerce, said that the long-delayed project to swap Iraq's Kirkuk crude oil with Iran is expected to be launched later this month.

Hosseini said that during Iran's First Vice President Eshaq Jahangiri's recent visit to Baghdad, Iraq asserted that it is committed to the bilateral agreements, including laying a pipeline for swapping Kirkuk oil and importing natural gas from Iran.

Following the Iraqi Kurdistan region's independence vote in last September, Baghdad took steps to bring oil exports under federal control, calling on other countries to deal exclusively with the central government regarding oil trade.

"If crude oil transfer venture from Kirkuk is launched, nearly 650,000 barrels of oil can be delivered to Iran per day," Hosseini said.

Earlier, he said that "we can also provide them with engineering services to complete their energy and power projects in return for transferring crude to Iran."

Although Iraq and Iran are rivals in the global oil market, they can collaborate on oil projects as they share a large number of massive hydrocarbon reserves, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 01:30:21|Editor: yan

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TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Iran has resumed gas swap with Turkmenistan since March 28 following negotiations held between the presidents of the two neighbors, official IRNA news agency reported Sunday.

Last January, Iran stopped gas swap with Turkmenistan because of its low quality.

Turkmenistan is a "strategic partner" of Iran in energy sector and Iran's Petroleum Ministry has already declared its readiness to Turkmenistan for long-term cooperation, said Amir Hossein Zamani-nia, Deputy Petroleum Minister for International and Commercial Affairs.

The two neighbors could also cooperate in joint exports of energy to India, Pakistan and littoral states of the Persian Gulf, he said.

The Iranian official confirmed receiving Turkmenistan's proposal to develop three gas fields in the Caspian Sea, and said that the proposal is being positively viewed by Iran.

Iran has developed the coastal infrastructure in its northern port city of Neka, some 200 km north of Tehran, and raised its oil and gas swap capacity.

Iran started its oil and gas swap with the Caspian Sea and Central Asian states in 1997.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 01:55:28|Editor: ZX

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Despite the short term negative effects of sales, U.S. vintners are concerned about the potential backlash from Chinese consumers, said Michael Parr, vice president of international sales for Wente Family Estates, on Sunday.

The escalation of the tariff battle between the United States and China has made the California winemakers worry about the potential backlash from Chinese consumers not only on wines, but also on overall U.S. products.

There will be tremendous ramifications in terms of Chinese consumers' buying habit, said Michael Parr.

"I'm not talking about the 15 percent tariff, I'm talking about what people are willing to do based on supporting their country," said Parr, who has engaged in the Chinese market for 23 years.

"There could be pushback by Chinese consumers deciding to buy wines from other countries," he said, adding that they indeed have several choices," he explained.

Currently, wines from Chile, Georgia and New Zealand enter the Chinese market tariff free. Australia wines will be tariff free in China starting from 2019.

China is one of the fastest growing wine markets in the world, driven by the growing middle class and the millennial generation. It is expected to be the second only to the U.S. in value.

The exports of U.S. wine, 97 percent produced in California, have seen a 450 percent increase in the Chinese market in the past decade. Last year, the U.S.' wine exports to the Chinese mainland and Hong Kong were up 10 percent in to 197 million U.S. dollars. According to California Wine Institute, an advocacy and research group representing more than 1,000 wineries.

"Hopefully, the U.S. and Chinese leaders are going to utilize diplomacy and negotiations so that we can all put all of these trade wars behind us and move on," said Parr.

China started implementing a 15 percent added tariff on a total of 128 U.S. products, including wine, on April 2, in retaliation against U.S. President Donald Trump administration's proposed tariff on China's steel and aluminum.

President Trump on Thursday threatened to consider 100 billion U.S. dollars of additional tariffs on Chinese products in less than a week after the U.S. government announced new tariffs on 50 billion dollars worth of Chinese goods.

The Chinese Commerce Ministry responded on Friday that it will follow through to the end and will not hesitate to fight back at any cost.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 03:25:43|Editor: yan

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KUWAIT CITY, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait strongly condemned attacks on populated areas in Douma district in Syria, the Kuwaiti Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

Kuwait called the attacks "dangerous and systematic violations of international humanitarian law, human rights and relevant Security Council resolutions," the Kuwait News Agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying.

Kuwait, through its non-permanent UN Security Council (UNSC) membership, said it would call for an urgent UNSC session on the issue.

The foreign ministry source expressed concern over the large number of victims among civilians, calling on the international community to investigate the attacks.

Kuwait also called on all parties to fully abide by UNSC resolution 2401 to lift the siege on Eastern Ghouta, and reach a peaceful resolution to the current crisis.

Altogether five civilians were killed and 30 others wounded Saturday by the rebels' mortar shells amid intensifying military showdown in Damascus' Douma district, according to the state news agency SANA.

A day earlier, two people were killed and 20 others wounded by the rebels' mortar attack on Damascus.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 03:25:43|Editor: yan

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RAMALLAH, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Sunday said the upcoming Arab Summit should fight against Israeli measures and the U.S. decisions against the Palestinians' rights in the issues of Jerusalem and refugees.

Abbas made his remarks in a meeting of his Fatah Party's central committee held at the headquarters in the West Bank city of Ramallah, noting that the Palestinians will join the Arab Summit that will be held next Sunday in Saudi Arabia.

"The Arab Summit ... is important because it is held in a time the city of Jerusalem is facing a surly attack due to the Israeli measures and the recent U.S. decisions," Abbas told the meeting.

Abbas expressed hope that the Arab Summit will be called "Jerusalem Summit" in order to confront this brutal attack the city is facing following the U.S. decisions of recognizing the city as the capital of Israel and moving its embassy to it.

"We will not listen to anything as long as it doesn't recognize the two-state solution, and doesn't recognize east Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Palestine," Abbas stressed.

Meanwhile, he said that the Palestinian National Council, or the parliament of Palestine Liberation Organization, will be held as scheduled on April 30 in Ramallah, adding "it's held for the first time in nine years."

Speaking about internal reconciliation, Abbas noted that "our Palestinian government has to take full power in the Gaza Strip; if they (Hamas) refuse, we won't be responsible for what is happening there (Gaza)."
LONDON, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A ban on the sale of the most dangerous corrosive products to under-18s and tough restrictions on online sales of knives were announced Sunday by the Home Office, Britain's interior ministry.

The move comes as politicians and senior police officials grapple with a wave of stabbings and killings in London, which so far this year have left more than 50 people dead.

In the latest incident, police in London arrested a woman on suspicion of attempted murder Saturday night after a man was stabbed outside Highbury and Islington station in north London.

The government is to make it a criminal offence to possess corrosive substances in a public place, and publicly consult on extending controversial stop-and-search powers to enable the police to search for and seize acid from people carrying it in public without good reason.

A new Offensive Weapons Bill, to be brought forward within weeks, would also make it illegal to possess certain offensive weapons like zombie knives and knuckle-dusters in private.

The commitment of new legislation will form part of a government Serious Violence Strategy to be launched Monday.

"It will mark a major shift in the government's response to knife crime and gun crime, and strike a balance between prevention and robust law enforcement," said a Home Office spokesperson.

Other measures which the Home Office intends to bring forward within weeks include stopping knives being sent to residential addresses after they are bought online and banning the possession of a knife within colleges and further education premises.

Also banned will be rapid firing rifles, and certain powerful firearms and bump stocks.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said: "To tackle violent crime effectively, robust legislation and powerful law enforcement must be in place. That's why we will introduce a new Offensive Weapons Bill that includes a new offence of possessing acid in public without good reason, prevents sales of acids to under 18s and stops knives being sent to people's homes when bought online.

"We will consult on extending stop and search powers to include acid. Stop and search is a vital policing tool and officers will always have the government's full support to use these powers properly."

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, Rudd rejected claims by opposition Labour politicians that more crime was fuelled by reduced resources to the police.

Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott said: "While it is welcome to see the Tories acknowledging the epidemic of violence that has risen on their watch, by cutting 21,000 officers since 2010 they have completely undermined the ability of the police to enforce any new powers."

"Talking tough is not enough. This announcement ignores the factors which we know contribute to crime, including a lack of decent work opportunities for young people, cuts to health services and decline in community policing. They need to give the police the resources they need to keep people safe and pursue a collaborative approach to tackling violent crime on our streets."
Palestinian protesters take part in clashes with Israeli troops on the Gaza-Israel border, east of Gaza City on April. 6, 2018. (Xinhua/Wissam Nassar)

GAZA, April 8 (Xinhua) -- A few hundred meters away from the border fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, a group of young Palestinians sat near a tent, enjoying the traditional poetry and music played by aged Mahmoud Abu Diab.

The dark night did not prevent Abu Diab, a refugee originally from Beer Sheva in northern Israel, from joining a mass Palestinian rally that demands the return of Palestinian refugees.

March 30 was the start of a six-week anti-Israel protest, which is expected to peak on May 15, the day after the 70th anniversary of Israel's declaration of independence but marked by the Palestinians as the Nakba Day, or "Day of the Catastrophe."

Sitting near the tent, the 70-year-old man amused young people with his traditional poetry about Palestine's right to return.

"Oh old days, hopefully you will return and we are sitting here in spite of the Jews," Abu Diab, who wore the traditional Palestinian costume, sang amid the cheers of the audience.

Feeling homesick, the old man also expressed his happiness as he can smell the breeze of his nearby town of Beer Sheva.

"Being here today is a message that we will never give up our right to return to our homeland," Abu Diab told Xinhua, adding that the peaceful protest will continue until the entire world acknowledges the right of the Palestinian refugees to return.

The mass protest, known as the "Great March of Return," is a very creative idea and a strong message to the world that the issue of the Palestinian refugees has not been resolved yet.

The Palestinian refugees' struggle to return home has been one of the key and thorniest issues in the final status negotiations between Palestinians and Israelis.

Near Abu Diab's tent, groups of young Palestinians performed traditional Dake dance around flames of fire they lit for lightening and warmth.

Palestinians have pitched dozens of tents along the Gaza-Israel border as part of the protest. The tent cities are erected in agricultural lands 700 meters away from the border fence in eastern Gaza.

Not far away from Abu Duab's tent, Um Khaled, a Palestinian refugee from Jafa near the Israeli city of Tel Aviv, came to the rally with her daughter and son-in-law to demand their right of return.

"It is not only a help for the people at the rally, but also a revival of the Palestine heritage," the woman in her 50s said while making traditional Palestinian bread for the protesters.

"I will join any activities calling for our return until this dream comes true," she said.

Um Khaled is not the only woman to join the rally.

Near her tent, a group of old women were cooking a traditional Palestinian food known as Somagiya.

"We want to feed the people at the rally. This dish is always made on happy occasions and this rally is one of the best occasions for us," one of the women told Xinhua.
BRUSSELS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The Facebook data scandal that erupted in the media in recent weeks has added fuel to a heated debate about the effects of "new media" on contemporary society.

In an interview with Xinhua, Patrick Verniers, Professor of Advanced Social Studies in Belgium and President of the Higher Council for Media Education, explained that due to the many "side effects" presented by new forms of media such as social networks, it becomes "very urgent to focus on educating people about media".

Since the age of the internet, the media landscape has shifted drastically from a time when news was delivered by a narrow band of professional journalists to a new digital era with a plurality of sources, and Verniers believes that, in this context, it is important to cultivate the ability to distinguish right from wrong and think critically about the wealth of information that circulates.

"Media education can help people improve their ability to understand, select, question, judge, and think about reactions in the face of media information," he explains.

Cultivating the ability to use the mass media constructively is the purpose of media literacy education. Verniers also believes media education should apply to "news providers" as well as "consumers".

"One of the duties for professional journalists is to clearly explain where their information was sourced, and to review and reflect on flaws, mistakes, and even inaccuracies in reports, earnestly learn lessons, and improve the work flow so as to maintain credibility."

He said one of the reasons media education has grown awareness in recent years is due to the popularization of smart phones and finding ways to improve children's network security.

To this end, "schools and other public institutions should become the main drivers behind the media education of young people", said Verniers, who is also an expert consultant at the European Council and the European Commission. For him, schools should continue to promote an agenda of media education.

Currently, Belgium has established the Higher Council for Media Education to coordinate work across the country, and classes on media education have entered some schools in southern Belgium.

However, although the demand is very urgent, media literacy education is still far from being fully implemented in Belgium, and more coordinated work needs to take place at the national and European level, according to the expert.
HELSINKI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Finnish authorities are investigating how a 50-car train carrying highly inflammable and poisonous liquid was left for two weeks on a lone side track in Eastern Finland without notifications to local rescue services, media reports said on Sunday.

Two of the cars had got lose and rolled down unattended against the track barrier and began leaking. The driver of a passing freight train observed the scent of chemicals in the air and made an alert on Saturday, and the event was initially reported in local media as "a leak from a tank car".

On Sunday, media reports said 35 tons of the liquid in total were leaked.

Tomi Anttila, a supervisor at the national transport safety agency, Trafi, told national broadcaster Yle that leaving chemical trains on distant side tracks is legal, but rescue services must be given an advance notification.

Veli-Pekka Nurmi, director of the national disaster investigation authority, told Yle the reason for the cars to get lose was not known.

"The train has been there for at least two weeks", he said. Nurmi said it was lucky that the incident did not happen in a populated area.

According to media reports, the cars came across the border from Russia and was now under the responsibility of the Finnish state railroad company VR. The company refused to specify the destination of the cars, nor the exact owner of them, on the grounds that a police investigation was underway.

The chemical MTBE (methyl tert-butyl ether) is used in the processing of petrol. Local environmental officials told Yle that the chemical is fatal to fish and other marine species.

It was reported that the leaked chemical reached waterways through ditches around the railroad. As the lakes and rivers are frozen, the chemical cannot evaporate to the air but continues moving on. Results of water samples will be available on Monday.

The location of the accident was the former railroad station of Kinni in eastern Finland.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani delivers a speech to muslim leaders and scholars at a meeting in Hyderabad on Feb. 15, 2018. (AFP photo)

TEHRAN, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Ali Akbar Salehi, on Sunday warned the United States against any move which undermines the 2015 landmark nuclear deal between the Islamic republic and the world powers.

In case the United States decides to walk away from the deal, Iran would be able to resume 20 percent enriched uranium in four days, Salehi told Iran's Parliament news agency.

Returning to the production of 20 percent enriched uranium "bears messages for the United States," he said without elaboration.

Iran has long considered the appropriate responses to the possible quit of the nuclear deal by the United States, he said, adding that "we hope the Americans do not drop the deal ... since it would be a scientific challenge for them."

On Thursday, Salehi warned the United States not to make any more move against the 2015 Iranian nuclear deal.

"We are seriously looking to preserve our national interests and sovereignty, but if the United States withdraws and Europe and other great powers retreat from this agreement, we will definitely do something different," said Salehi.

Salehi described U.S. President Donald Trump as a businessman who tries to advance his international agendas with unpredictable decisions.

Trump has repeatedly demanded the elimination of sunset clauses for some of the restrictions the United States places on Iran from the nuclear deal, stronger inspection rules, and limitation to Iran's development of long-range missiles.

But Iran says it will neither tolerate anything beyond its commitment to the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), nor accept changes to the agreement.

Iran also said it would be "humiliating" for the European countries to follow the U.S. policy on the nuclear deal, according to Press TV.

Iran's atomic chief said the main responsibility of his organization is to make preparations to deal with this scenario, adding that the organization has already got ready in this regard.

The U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Thursday that Washington would probably get out of the Iran nuclear deal and reimpose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

She accused Iran of supporting terrorism and violating the terms of the JCPOA. Europeans were closing their eyes to this, she added, saying that the United States would not do so.

Iran has categorically dismissed the allegations.

On Saturday, a senior Iranian lawmaker said that his country will definitely walk away from the 2015 nuclear deal if the United States reimposes sanctions on Iran.

"The most important objective of the JCPOA was the lifting of sanctions" against Iran, said Alaeddin Boroujerdi, Head of Iran's Majlis, or parliament, National Security and Foreign Policy Commission.

"If sanctions are reimposed on Iran, we will definitely not remain in the JCPOA," Boroujerdi was quoted by Press TV as saying.

Iran said it will not take any measure beyond its commitment to the JCPOA, nor will it accept changes to this agreement now or any time in the future.

Salehi said that domestic experts have managed to renovate Tehran Research Reactor (TRR), a 5 megawatt-thermal pool-type light water research reactor, Tasnim news agency reported on Sunday.

He said 40-year-old TRR needed complete renovation and efforts were made for it.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 05:16:04|Editor: Yurou

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United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi (L) and Rwandan Minister of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs Jeanne d'Arc de Bonheur (R) visit Gihembe Refugee Camp in Gicumbi District in northern Rwanda, on April 8, 2018. Grandi promised on Sunday to find ways to address food issues facing Congolese refugees in Rwanda by engaging with other partners. (Xinhua/Stringer)

KIGALI, April 8 (Xinhua) -- United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on Sunday promised to find ways to address food issues facing Congolese refugees in Rwanda by engaging with other partners.

"We are going to experiment new approaches. We are going to talk to World Food Program about food aid," Grandi told journalists after visiting Gihembe Refugee Camp, in Gicumbi district in northern Rwanda.

He said there is need to further empower Rwandan government efforts to help refugees, adding that the need to be given opportunity to access work and other services.

Refugees who spoke to the media cited nutritional challenges as the main problem, saying families have only one meal a day.

Gihembe refugee camp hosts about 12,000 Congolese refugees, according to Rwanda's Ministry of Disaster Management and Refugee Affairs (MIDIMAR).

MIDIMAR minister Jeanne d'Arc de Bonheur said the lasting solution lies in empowering refugees to sustain themselves through ways such as equipping them with life skills to create jobs until peace returns to their country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Grandi, who arrived in Rwanda from the DRC, is expected to travel on to Burundi and Tanzania before winding down the trip.

His visit followed protests at Kiziba Refugee Camp in Karongi District in western Rwanda, which hosts thousands of DRC refugees, over reduced food rations.

The protests happened after the World Food Program decided to cut food assistance to all refugees hosted in Rwanda by 25 percent, due to funding shortage, according a Rwandan government statement issued in February.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 05:16:04|Editor: Shi Yinglun

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Buses to evacuate militants of the Islam Army as well as the kidnapped people enter the Wafideen area near Douma, northeast of Damascus, Syria, on April 8, 2018. The Islam Army rebels will evacuate the Douma district east of Damascus and release the kidnapped people under a new deal reached Sunday with the Syrian government forces, state TV reported. (Xinhua/Ammar Safarjalani)

DAMASCUS, April 8 (Xinhua) -- The first bus transporting the released people from rebels' captivity in Syria's Douma reached the Syrian army position near the capital Damascus on Sunday, state TV reported.

The bus reached Wafideen area northeast of the capital, transporting people kidnapped by the Islam Army in Douma, the last rebel-held area in Damascus' Eastern Ghouta.

A live coverage showed the civilians in the first bus to reach Wafideen area with soldiers chanting and celebrating their release.

The release of kidnapped people from Douma is the priority of the Syrian army in a deal reached Sunday for the evacuation of the Islam Army rebels and their families in exchange for the release of the kidnapped civilians.

The released people will be taken to the Faiha stadium in Damascus to celebrate their release after four years of captivity in rebels' prisons in Douma.

"With soul and blood, we sacrifice for you Bashar," the soldiers at the Wafideen area chanted for President Bashar al-Assad.

It's the first batch of thousands of kidnapped people to be released from Douma as thousands more are expected in other batches.

Most of those civilians have been kidnapped when the rebels stormed the Adra Omaliyeh town near Damascus in 2013.

In an earlier report, the state TV said a total of 40 buses transporting rebels of the Islam Army and their families as well as kidnapped people are ready to leave Douma district toward the adjacent Wafideen area.

The families of the kidnapped people have been waiting at Wafideen for days.

The fresh agreement between the Islam Army and the Syrian government under the mediation of Russia is the second to be reached recently after the rebels' failure to live up to their previous pledges to leave Douma toward Jarablus and release the kidnapped people.

After 2,963 rebels of Islam Army and their families evacuated Douma on three batches earlier this month, the fourth batch didn't leave as planned on Friday, with the state media in Syria saying the conflict among the Islam Army commanders was the reason.

Recent estimates placed the number of the militants who will evacuate Douma at 8,000 and their families at 40,000.

The agreement on Sunday was reached also after the Syrian army unleashed a wide-scale offensive against Douma after the failure of the first deal as the Islam Army rebels halted their evacuation and rejected to leave Douma.

The full evacuation of the rebels and their families from Douma will be last the evacuation of Eastern Ghouta, as the entire region has been captured by the Syrian army after 43,000 rebels and their families left other areas of Eastern Ghouta late last month.
Source: Xinhua| 2018-04-09 06:36:18|Editor: yan

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by Keren Setton

JERUSALEM, April 8 (Xinhua) -- Past prosperity is fading in Tel Aviv's garment district, with bustling streets calming down and customers turning away from retail shops to online shopping, especially buying goods from abroad.

Many shops are closed, plastered with "For Rent" notices, and for those remain open, there is much time for the owners to drink coffee on the sidewalk. Clients are not rushing in.

In the 1970s, Israel's textile industry was at its peak, but it then hit a crisis, employing now only around 10,000 people.

The same has happened to Israel's retail industry. Both sectors are competing with a growing appetite of consumers to shop online.

The year 2011 is a changing point for the online shopping industry in Israel, when the government gave a value-added tax (VAT) exemption to online purchases from abroad.

The VAT exemption is one of the steps taken by the government when hundreds of thousands of Israelis took to the streets against the high cost of living seven years ago.

Slowly but surely, Israelis turned to virtual shopping, with a major increase in 2017.

Israel's postal company reported a record-breaking dispersal of 60 million packages last year, while the country has a population of approximately 8 million.

The number of packages is expected to grow to 100 million annually in the coming years.

The postal company recently announced the long-term rental of huge storage space in central Israel in order to cope with the influx of packages.

Uriel Lynn, president of the Federation of the Israeli Chambers of Commerce, lamented the situation and accused the government of discrimination.

"Whoever buys from foreign sources will not pay ... (VAT), while on the same product bought here locally, he will have to pay VAT, this is discrimination," Lynn said.

He believed the policy should be reversed in order to help both the textile and retail sectors in the country.

"Private consumption is really one of the real engines of growth in our country," Lynn said, adding that the policy is "not only directly destroying existing business but it really will have its mark on our total GDP."

However, other experts viewed the deline in retail and textile industries as a situation where "the economy is moving from more tradition manufacturing ... to more advanced industries ... that provide better employment opportunities," according to Gilad Brand, a researcher from the Taub Center for Social Policy Studies in Israel.

Brand added that the government should invest in better education and training for the population so that they will be able to undertake high level jobs in different sectors.

"This workgroup has mostly moved from low paying jobs in manufacturing to low paying jobs in trade and services," Brand said.

Last month, in attempt to raise awareness to their troubles, several hundred workers from the textile and retail sectors staged a protest against Israel's finance minister Moshe Kahlon.

Kahlon's main election promise was that he would lower the cost of living, but for the demonstrators, his policies come at their expense.

Avi Shichrur, a shop owner in Tel Aviv, said Kahlon only cares for Amazon and eBay, adding that "40 and 50-year-old businesses here are crashing, people are going home!"

Some of the shops posted on their store fronts that say "we are sorry to announce the firing of 400,000 workers."

Several Israeli fashion chains have filed for bankruptcy or are in different stages of insolvency.

A once robust industry is on a speedy decline, as Israel's economy is booming, and the incentive to help the crippled and shrinking sectors is low.

According to an economic survey released by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development last month, the Israeli economy "continues to register remarkable macroeconomic and fiscal performance." Unemployment is at an enviable low.

Dani Elharar is a small business owner who manufactures clothes. His shop is in Tel Aviv and he has small factories in northern Israel and in the West Bank.

As one of the leaders of the protest, he believed that the government must intervene to actively help revive the industry, and Israel cannot survive solely on its booming hi-tech sector.

The Israeli government has announced a plan to further eliminate tariffs on consumer goods, a move that will probably be another blow to the textile and local retail industry.

Israeli media has also reported that custom fees for packages under the value of 1,000 U.S. dollars may soon be scrapped.

The prospects for Elharar and his counterparts are not good.

As globalization deeps and e-commerce continues to grow, he and others will need to make the necessary adaptations in order to survive.
According to the polls, Fidesz and its president, Viktor Orban are most likely to win the elections due on Sunday. What will it mean for Europe if he wins again? BBC presents a lengthy portrait of a politician who, it says, critics attack "as a racist and an authoritarian".

Not long after the attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban blamed immigrants for the violent acts in Europe, a narrative that was strengthened in the following years, says the BBC article, headlined "The man who thinks Europe has been invaded". It was written by Nick Thorpe, the respected East and Central Europe Correspondent at BBC News, and a longtime Budapest-based correspondent.

Apart from the danger of terrorism, Orban also warned against "a Europe with a mixed population and no sense of identity", if illegal migration was permitted in the EU. This fear has been further deepened by a European Commission proposal in May 2015 to impose quotas to redistribute asylum seekers. "Noone will tell us who we let into our own house," the BBC quotes Orban.

Orban has not always been a conservative politician. He became so in the mid-1990s, having first followed a liberal line. The turn was successful, bringing Fidesz two consecutive victories in elections, which Orban used to change the constitution, media law, election law and purged critics from civil service, state companies, schools and even hospitals, says Thorpe.

While many Hungarians feel better than four years ago and wages have risen, there is a growing labor shortage and allegations of corruption. An intense campaign against billionaire philanthropist and financier George Soros was launched, and critical NGOs have begun to be referred to as "Soros mercenaries" in government-controlled media.

As for the seeming close ties with Russia, "Orban is not Putins puppet. In fact, Orban thinks he can manipulate Putin," a close ally of the prime minister told Thorpe. Meanwhile, relations with Germany have significantly worsened, while Hungary is looking now at a much closer cooperation with the Visegrad Group countries: Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland.

As for the future, the BBC analysis cites Sandor Csintalan, a friend of Orbans former ally Lajos Simicska, who is now one of his chief foes. If he wins again, the only way he can keep power is more autocracy. You cannot consolidate a system like this, because only fear and feudal relations hold it together," Csintalan said.

The full report is available here.
The PM candidate of the opposition Socialist-Parbeszed alliance hailed the high turnout at Hungarys general election, saying it indicated serious criticism of the Orban regime and President Janos Ader.

Speaking at a press conference in Budapest, Gergely Karacsony called on Hungarians to go to the polls and cast their votes.



Low turnout will benefit ruling Fidesz, whereas a high turnout will benefit those who want a change in government, he said, adding that Fidesz had been making its last desperate efforts to mobilise its supporters.



Karacsony called on Ader to refrain from even trying to entrust Viktor Orban to form Hungarys next government should the incumbent prime minister lose his parliamentary majority in Sundays election.



We know well that none of the opposition parties would be willing to govern in alliance with this Fidesz gang, he said.



MTI photo: Mathe Zoltan


Hungarian embassies in Europe have been ordered by the MFA in Budapest to collect negative stories about immigration in order to support the re-election campaign of Viktor Orban, an article by The Telegraph reveals.

In an internal email, obtained by the British newspaper, Tamas Menczer, the deputy Under-Secretary of Communication and Parliamentary Coordination tells the embassies to send negative stories about migrants, integration problems, no-go zones, educational difficulties in order to serve the Orban governments campaign, which focuses on migration.

I need all the specific news and declarations about the problem of migration in a given country. If an official says this  which can also happen  I need it even more, Menczer writes. The letters were addressed to the ambassadors and first counsellors of Hungarian missions in Sweden, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium and Italy,

In his email, Tamas Menczer, the deputy Under-Secretary, concludes that the embassy reports on immigration issues are important to us, and then finally requests diplomats to find Hungarian citizens who have had bad experiences of migration.

Especially, if you can get hold of Hungarian citizens planning to move back home or have serious negative experiences and would be willing to talk about them, please do let me know, he writes.

The full letter was published by Index.hu in Hungarian.

The Telegraph notified the OSCE about the letter, but they declined to comment on the email, citing a policy never to discuss ongoing campaigns. The OSCE will make a preliminary statement on the conduct of the election on Monday and will, as in all elections, examine whether state resources have been misused during the campaign.



MTI photo: Balogh Zoltan
By 6.30pm on Sunday, 68.13 percent of all voters, over 5.36 million people, had cast their ballot in Hungarys parliamentary election, according to the National Election Office (NVI). Turnout in Budapest was 72.75 percent, it was lowest (63.55 percent) in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County, in the northeast. The NVI did not report a turnout figure at 6.30pm four years ago.

At 1pm on Sunday, 42.32 percent of all voters, around 3.3 million people, had cast their ballot in Hungarys parliamentary election, the National Election Office (NVI) reported - a record for recent years.



Turnout was the highest (45pc) in Pest County at 1pm, and the lowest (37.7pc) in Szabolcs-Szatmar-Bereg, in the north-east.



In Budapest it was 45.52 percent, with turnout at 1pm in 2014 being 34.33 percent and 35.88 percent in 2010.



MTI photo: Monus Marton
Hungary's incumbent government secured a sweeping victory in the country's general election on Sunday. The opposition is disintegrating rapidly: Jobbik head, Socialist head, LMP co-head, and Egyutt heads all immediately quit.

A triumphant Viktor Orban took to the stage in front of crowds of party supporters just before midnight after Hungarys electorate returned Fidesz to power for a third consecutive term - making history by doing so.



Weve secured a historic victory, and created the possibility to protect Hungary, Orban said. He thanked voters for standing by us over the years before leading the celebrating crowd in a rendition of the Lajos Kossuth 'Nota', "Long live Hungarian freedom" - see video below.



Weve won, he declared in his victory speech, that Hungary is not yet where it wants to be, but has embarked down its chosen path. We will go down this path together, he pledged.



Orban expressed his gratitude to Hungarians beyond the border who had voted in the election and helped protect the motherland.



He also thanked Jaroslaw Kaczynski, leader of Polands ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party, and Mateusz Morawiecki, his Polish counterpart, for their support. Go Hungary! Go Hungarians! he finished his victory speech.



The Fidesz-led alliance is set to gain a two-thirds majority, based on preliminary results with 88.57 percent of the votes counted, and is on course to win 133 seats in the 199-seat parliament.



Right-wing Jobbik came in second strongest, however leader Gabor Vona has resigned as promised since he didn't win election. Vona said the party board would make plans concerning tasks ahead on Monday afternoon.



Vona acknowledged the election victory of the Fidesz-Christian Democrats, adding that Jobbik had planned to replace the government but had not succeeded. He thanked everyone who cast their votes and said the high turnout was a celebration of democracy.



Green opposition party LMPs Akos Hadhazy has tendered his resignation as the partys co-leader. He told MTI that he would not return his mandate for the time being.

Chairman Gyula Molnar announced that the Socialist Partys (MSZP) board all resigns.

The small opposition Egyutt party acknowledges the outcome of the election and the party board will resign, Egyutt leader Peter Juhasz said. He told a press conference that Egyutt was disappointed about the oppositions performance.

We cannot congratulate Fidesz; we cannot congratulate Viktor Orban, the leader of Momentum Movement, Andras Fekete-Gyor, said. Fekete-Gyor insisted that the prime minister and the ruling party had committed political crimes in Hungary over the past eight, and especially in the last four years.



Momentum could not secure five percent of the votes cast on national lists, and so failed to make it into parliament.



The satirical Two Tailed Dog Party is being blamed for the loss of opposition seats.



Source: MTI, XpatLoop.com

MTI Photo by Laszlo Beliczay
News

Washington, DC - NASA has awarded a contract to L&M Technologies Inc. of Albuquerque, New Mexico, to provide logistics support services at the agencys Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The Marshall Logistics Support Services (MLSS) is a performance-based, firm-fixed-price, indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract that has a potential mission services value of $28.2 million and a maximum IDIQ potential value of $60.5 million. The contract begins May 1 with a one-year base period followed by four one-year options.

Under the contract, L&M Technologies Inc. will be responsible for providing services for equipment; motor pool and transportation; flight hardware support operations; shipping and receiving; mail; moves and furniture; property disposal and material, property and warehouse management.

For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov
Arizona News

Yuma, Arizona - Blythe Station Border Patrol agents arrested a male United States citizen who attempted to smuggle 10 pounds of methamphetamine through the Highway 78 Immigration Checkpoint Friday.

At approximately 7:45 p.m., agents referred the 38-year-old man to secondary inspection after a canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect emitting from his vehicle in the primary inspection lane. A subsequent search of his vehicle yielded 10.076 pounds of methamphetamine hidden in the air intake manifold, worth an estimated $30,228.

Agents arrested the subject, who resides in Mohave Valley, Arizona, for possession of a controlled substance. The vehicle and narcotics were seized.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows for the filing of criminal activity charges without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to illegally transport people and contraband through southwestern Arizona and California. Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers can remain anonymous.
Arizona News

Tombstone, Arizona - Willcox Border Patrol agents arrested a 41-year-old Bisbee woman Sunday morning after finding two Mexican nationals locked in the trunk of her vehicle during a secondary inspection at the State Route 80 Immigration Checkpoint near Tombstone.

After an agent working the primary inspection lane referred the driver of a Mercury sedan for a secondary inspection, a Border Patrol canine alerted to an odor it was trained to detect coming from the vehicles trunk. When agents opened the trunk, they discovered a 32-year-old man and 44-year-old woman who had entered the U.S. illegally.

Agents arrested the driver on human smuggling charges and seized the vehicle. The Mexican nationals are being processed for immigration violations.

As temperatures continue to climb, Border Patrol officials warn that Arizonas high temperatures can kill humans riding in the trunk of a car. Other dangers include carbon monoxide poisoning or being crushed in a rear-end collision.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless and until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free. Reporting illicit activity could result in saving someones life.
Border News

Sasabe, Arizona - Multiple U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents in Tucson combined their skills to rescue an injured 34-year-old Guatemalan man Sunday morning who had been abandoned by smugglers north of Sasabe.

A Tucson Station Border Patrol agent tracking a group of suspected illegal aliens requested emergency medical assistance and air support when he found one of the subjects with serious head and shoulder injuries. A nearby Air and Marine Operations Blackhawk flight crew with Border Patrol Search Trauma and Rescue agents onboard immediately responded.

After BORSTAR agents stabilized the man, who was also severely dehydrated, he was flown out of the mountains to meet an air ambulance for transport to a Tucson hospital. Meanwhile, BORSTAR agents returned to the initial location and found 11 more illegal aliens, and treated two for dehydration.

Agents transported the group to the Tucson Station to be processed for immigration violations. The injured man will be processed following his release from the hospital.

In the Tucson Sectors harsh desert environment, Border Patrol security operations often turn into humanitarian rescue missions. Border Patrol officials encourage anyone in distress, or witnessing others in distress, to call 9-1-1 or activate a rescue beacon before a casualty occurs.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free.
Border News

Sasabe, Arizona - Tucson Station Border Patrol agents arrested a previously convicted child sex offender Tuesday evening after he re-entered the United States illegally near Sasabe.

While processing Moises Bautista-Ortiz, a 31-year-old Mexican national, agents conducted a records check and learned he had been convicted in Maricopa County of child molestation in January 2013 and given life probation.

Bautista will be processed for immigration violations and faces prosecution for re-entry as a felon.

All persons apprehended by the Border Patrol undergo criminal history checks using biometrics to ensure illegal immigrants with criminal histories are positively identified.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free.
Latest News

Lukeville, Arizona - A group of Mexican nationals activated a rescue beacon Saturday morning in a remote mountain pass northwest of Lukeville, and were soon rescued by Ajo Station Border Patrol agents.

When Border Patrol agents arrived to the desolate area approximately 20 miles west of Ajo, they found seven men, ages 25 to 44, who had entered the United States illegally. Responding agents conducted a preliminary medical evaluation on the exhausted subjects, and ensured their health and safety before transporting them to the Ajo Station for processing due to the immigration violations.

Currently, there are 34 rescue beacons strategically located throughout Tucson Sector in areas where migrants are more likely to fall victim to the environment when abandoned by unscrupulous human smugglers. In Fiscal Year 2017, Tucson Sector agents rescued 750 people, many of whom had activated a rescue beacon.

Individuals crossing the border illegally will face environmental dangers and are vulnerable to injury. Border Patrol officials encourage anyone in distress to call 9-1-1, or activate a rescue beacon, before becoming a casualty.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials welcome assistance from the community. Citizens can report suspicious activity to the Border Patrol and remain anonymous by calling 1-877-872-7435 toll free.
Latest News

Grants, New Mexico - El Malpais National Monument is hosting an astronomy talk and telescope viewing on Saturday, April 14, 2018 at 8:00 pm. Discover how human curiosity connects us to the sky above during a free 45 minute park ranger program.

Head outside for telescope viewing after the ranger talk.



Please bring warm layers of clothing and a red flashlight. Red lights are easily made by covering any flashlight with red cellophane, nail polish, or permanent marker. Telescope viewing is weather dependent and may be cancelled due to adverse weather conditions. Please call 505-876-2783 for more information.



El Malpais Visitor Center is located at 1900 East Santa Fe Avenue, Grants NM. Visitors will find a Western National Parks Association park store in the visitor center. Purchases from the store help support the National Park Service Mission at both El Malpais and El Morro National Monuments.
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Topock, Arizona - Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents in Blythe, California seized sizable amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl following a vehicle stop early Wednesday morning near Topock, Arizona.

Blythe Station Border Patrol Integrated Targeting Team agents conducted an immigration stop on Interstate 40 at approximately 1:15 a.m. The registered owner of a 2009 Acura TSX, a female passenger and 22-year-old United States citizen, consented to a vehicle search. Agents discovered 32 pounds of methamphetamine valued at $96,000, and 5,000 tablets of fentanyl in a speaker box located in the trunk of the vehicle. The fentanyl is valued at $100,000.

According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid 30-50 times more potent than heroin and 50-100 times more potent than morphine. A very small amount of fentanyl, as little as two milligrams, may be lethal for most people.

The 23-year-old male driver and female passenger, both United States citizens, were traveling from Los Angeles, California to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The two suspects were arrested, and narcotics and property seized were taken into custody by the Mohave County Sheriffs Office.

Federal law allows agents to charge individuals by complaint, a method that allows the filing of charges for criminal activity without inferring guilt. An individual is presumed innocent unless or until competent evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Yuma Sector Border Patrol agents effectively combat smuggling organizations attempting to illegally transport people and contraband through Southwestern Arizona and California. Citizens can help the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection by calling 1-866-999-8727 toll-free to report suspicious activity. Callers may remain anonymous.
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...
Karachi: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf on Sunday postponed his plan to return to the country, saying he will not return until an interim government is formed, a media report said on Sunday.

The former president and chief of All Pakistan Muslim League (APML), who has to appear before a special Pakistani court in a high treason case, has postponed his plan to return from the UAE as the incumbent government will not provide him the security he had applied for, a party leader said.

He is likely to return by end of May or even start of June as soon as a caretaker government is formed, the party leader told the Express Tribune.

APML's central leadership will finalise the date, he said.

The 74-year-old retired general has been living in Dubai since last year when he was allowed to leave Pakistan for medical treatment.

Musharraf, who had ruled Pakistan from 1999 to 2008, had sought adequate security from the government for his return and his lawyer had moved a petition to the interior ministry, stating that the former president faced security threats.

The party has decided that a new application will be filed to the federal government seeking foolproof security for Musharraf.

The former military ruler was indicted in March, 2014 on treason charges for imposing emergency in the country which led to the confinement of a number of superior court judges in their houses and sacking of over 100 judges.

He has been declared "proclaimed offender" by courts in the treason and the Benazir Bhutto assassination cases.

Musharraf is set to reach out to his political allies in May, the daily said.

Quoting party sources, the daily said Musharraf's party will look to form an alliance against the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to step out as political force in the upcoming elections.

Up till now the party has allied itself with the Pakistan Awami Ittehad which will later be renamed as Muttahida League and will take part in the general forthcoming elections.

Musharraf will try to garner support from other parties including PTI, PML-Q, PML-F, BAP and MQM-P.

He will meet the leadership of these parties on his return, the daily said.
New Delhi: Bhojpuri cinema's 'Power Star' Sanjeev Mishra has finished shooting for his upcoming film 'Badrinath'. Confirming the news, Sanjeev's PRO has revealed that 'Badrinath' is Mishra's dream project.

The film has been shot in Gujarat and it also stars Bhojpuri industry's fitness queen Gargi Pandit. They have wrapped up the shoot and the film is currently in its post-production phase. The makers are finalising a date to unveil the first trailer of the film. Badrinath has been helmed by famous Bhojpuri director Dhiru Yadav.

Talking about the film, Dhiru said that the film is youth-centric and he is looking forward to getting a great response from the youth. The film has great dialogues, action and songs that might become a hit among the youth. Dhiru believes the film has a beautiful story and he has managed to retain the beauty of the story on the screen as well. He added that the whole team has worked really hard for the film and they are hoping to get a humungous response from the audience.

Lead actor Sanjeev Mishra also talked about his role in the movie. He had said that Gargi Pandit plays the female lead in the film and she is an amazingly talented actress. Mishra added that he had a great time shooting this coming of age romantic film with Gargi Pandit and Dhiru Yadav. The 'Badrinath' team is hopeful that the audience would enjoy watching this film as much as they have enjoyed making it.
New Delhi: The shooting of Bhojpuri film 'Sasura Dhokhebaaz', being made under the banner of Rina Films House, has been completed and the film is currently in its post-production phase.

Film producer Reena Singh and Rajesh Shukla confirmed the news and told reporters that the post-production work is being carried out at a great pace and the film will soon hit the theatres. As per the makers, the film will not only entertain the people but will also leave a great social message for the viewers.

The film shoot was carried out at Sonebhadra in Uttar Pradesh. Although the release date of the film is yet to be finalised, the makers are expected to release a trailer of the film in coming days.

Here are few stills from the films:

The producers also revealed that the film has a sequence which will reflect the social campaign carried out by the Bihar government against dowry and child marriage. Meanwhile, the film has a number of action sequences and songs and dance numbers which will woo the audience.

'Sasura Dhokhebaaz' has been directed by Vijay Kumar. Artists like Rimjhim, Bablu Current, Bandini Mishra, Anand Mohan, Atul Shrivastava, Rajesh Shukla, Pinki Sinha, Ashish Tambe, Jay Maurya, Anurag Pandey, Aamir Shaifi among others will be seen in the film.

The story has been written by Rajesh Shukla whereas film dialogues, as well as lyrics, have been penned down by Kumar Yadav. Once again, Sanjay Korve will be seen leaving the audience mesmerised with his brilliant choreography in the film.
Actress Alia Bhatt, who is awaiting the release of the period-thriller film 'Raazi', took to social media to share a small video from the film. In the video, a burqa-clad Alia is seen talking secretly to somebody on phone and tells the person to meet in two days.

Watch the teaser here:

The actress captioned the video writing, "Parso milte hain.. subah! @meghnagulzar @vickykaushal09 @dharmamovies @jungleepictures @karanjohar". The trailer of Raazi is finally set to be unveiled in two days that is, April 10, 2018.

The young actress has been teasing her fans with fresh stills of the film regularly. Earlier on her birthday, she had shared new stills from the film on the social media. Take a look:

Thank you amazing-er human ___ https://t.co/EzNF6C2hJM  Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) March 15, 2018

Alia, who will be making her comeback almost after a year since her last film 'Badri Ki Dulhaniya', will be seen alongside Vicky Kaushal in 'Raazi'. Directed by Meghna Gulzar and produced by Karan Johar, 'Raazi' is an adaption of Harinder Sikkas novel 'Calling Sehmat', about a Kashmiri spy married to a Pakistani man.

The film story is set against the backdrop of 1971 Indo-Pak war.

Meghna, who is returning to direction after a long hiatus post 'Talvar', had earlier shared the first look of the film on her Twitter handle.

In the movie, Alia plays the role of a Kashmir Muslim woman who married a Pakistani army officer so as to provide the Indian intelligence with valuable information during the war. The film is scheduled to release on June 1 this year.
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan received a rousing welcome from his fans as he arrived at his Galaxy Apartments in Bandra, Mumbai from Jodhpur, where he was granted bail by a district and session court in the 1998 black buck poaching case.

Not just his fans, the actor was also greeted by his closed ones from the industry who were eagerly waiting for his release from the jail.

Meanwhile, his release from the jail has also came as a big relief for the industry in terms of finances. As per a report, Salman has nearly Rs 400-600 crore riding on him in the industry and as per the trade analyst, the verdict will affect three major film projects.

The 52-year-old actor recently completed the Abu Dhabi schedule of Remo D'Souza' 'Race 3'. A Times of India report claimed that since, Salman has been granted bail till May 6 by the Jodhpur court, the makers of 'Race 3' will try to wrap up the film schedule by the end of this month.

Salman was recently in Abu Dhabi along with 'Race 3' star cast Bobby Deol, Jacqueline Fernandez, Saqib Saleem and Daisy Shah, where they shot for the climax scene.

The producer of the film confirmed the report and told a media portal that only a song of the film is left to be shot and that the film shoot will be wrapped up by the month end. He added further that they are not bothered about the film but the star, and are glad that he is out of the jail.

Meanwhile, the Bishnoi community is unpleased with the Jodhpur court's decision to grant a bail to the actor and is planning to move their case to the Rajasthan High Court.
Several popular Tamil actors are protesting over Cauvery water management issue, which has been a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Among the actors who staged protest on the issue on Sunday were superstar Joseph Vijay (popularly known as Vijay) and noted veteran actor M Nassar.

Chennai: Tamil actors Vijay, M. Nassar and Vishal take part in protest over #Cauvery issue. pic.twitter.com/OhZgirdvMf  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

Protests have continued unabated in Tamil Nadu over Centres alleged failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board. On Thursday last, a bandh was called across Tamil Nadu over the issue. Both road and rail traffic were hit, primarily in Chennai, during the bandh.

In a bid to put pressure on the Centre for swift action on formation of board, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister E Palaniswami and Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam also went on a hunger strike Tuesday last.

Taking the law enforcement agencies by surprise, Palaniswami and Panneerselvam sat on the hunger strike at 8 am on Tuesday and continued the same till 5 pm. They were joined by several party members while hundreds gathered to protest against Centres alleged inaction. In several districts too, junior ministers and other AIADMK leaders held protests.

The hearing of state government's contempt petition in Supreme Court over the issue is on April 9. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had said, "We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue."

On February 16, the Supreme Court had in a verdict reduced Tamil Nadus 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, poll-bound Karnataka`s share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC. 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 Centre failed to set up the board within six weeks of the Supreme Court`s February 16 order. The deadline ended on March 29.
A quick glance at the top news of the day:

1. Commonwealth Games 2018 Live updates, Day 4, Gold Coast

Weightlifter Punam Yadav (gold) and shooters Manu Bhaker (gold) and Heena Sidhu (silver) got India off to a rousing start on day four of the competition in gold coast. Read full report

2. PNB scam: Mumbai court issues non-bailable warrant against Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi

A CBI court in Mumbai issued a non-bailable warrant on Sunday against diamond jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the multi-million PNB fraud. Read full report

3. Woman attempts suicide outside Yogi Adityanath's residence, alleges rape by a BJP MLA

A woman and her family allegedly tried to attempt suicide in front Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow on Sunday morning. Read full report

4. Amid defacing and vandalism spree, UP police to shield statues of famous figures

In the wake of statue defacing and vandalism incidents, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department on Sunday directed the state police to ensure the security of the sculptors of famous figures in the state. Read full report

5. Real life Hindi Medium: Man fakes poverty for sons admission in school, arrested

A person named Gaurav Goel was arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday for allegedly faking poverty to get his son admitted to a prominent school in the national capital. Read full report
LUCKNOW: In the wake of statue defacing and vandalism incidents across the country, the Uttar Pradesh Home Department on Sunday directed the state police to ensure the security of the sculptors of famous figures in the state.

The state police will monitor and ensure the security of the statues of famous personalities in the state, said Arvind Kumar, principal secretary of Home Department.

Despite strong words by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and clear directives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, there seems to be no end to incidents of vandalism of statues of iconic leaders and ideologues. Several incidents of statue vandalism have been reported from various parts of the country over the last few months.

In addition, Uttar Pradesh Director General of Police (DGP) Om Prakash Singh wrote a letter to Superintendents of Police (SPs) of all districts regarding the issue and asked them to work in ensuring the statues' security.

The latest development comes after several incidents of vandalism of famous personalities, including Mahatma Gandhi, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, E V Ramasamy Periyar and Vladimir Lenin were reported across the country.

A statue of the Father of Indian Constitution, B R Ambedkar, was vandalised in Bhind's Kheria Village of Madhya Pradesh on Saturday and another one on in Rajasthan's Achrol on Thursday.

Reports of incidents of vandalism of statues started pouring in soon after the results of the Assembly elections in Tripura were declared. Following the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Left bastion, a mob demolished a statue of Communist ideologue Vladimir Lenin in Tripura.

These incidents have sparked a war of words between political parties as well. PM Modi, however, had recently made an appeal to people to not indulge in the vandalism of statues. Following this, the Union Home Ministry had issued a directive to states to ensure that no such incidents take place.

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of maintaining a "stoic silence" over the concerns of Dalits and said it indicated that the BJP and RSS were working towards a 'Dalit-mukt Bharat'.

"It is often said that when rebel voices come from within the house, it means the situation is tense, worrisome and alarming. Feeling concerned, scared and anguished over rising violence against Dalits and the anti-Dalit mindset of the Modi government, even the BJP's Dalit MPs are raising questions," Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergil told reporters here.

He said despite massive protests and outcry on the streets over the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in the wake of a Supreme Court ruling on March 20, the Prime Minister has maintained silence.

"Modi's stoic silence on the concerns of the Dalits shows that the Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh are working towards 'Dalit-mukt Bharat' and Modi is enjoying the anguish and pain of the SCs/STs," the Congress leader said.

The Congress attack on the government and the BJP comes at a time when the ruling party's Dalit MPs Udit Raj, Savitri Bai Phule, Chhote Lal Kharwar, Ashok Kumar Dohre and Yashwant Singh have written to Modi to express anguish over alleged ill-treatment of the SCs/STs.

Seeking reply from the Prime Minister, Shergil wondered if he would respond to the concerns of his own party MPs or "as usual turn a blind eye".

He said the Congress had been continuously highlighting the plight of these weaker sections, but the "hypocrite BJP leadership seems to be busy playing with fire by deliberately dividing society".

The Congress leader also slammed the Prime Minister's advice to BJP MPs to stay at the houses of Dalits in villages, saying Modi should, instead, first call his Dalit MPs and other representatives of the Dalits to his house and provide them answers on rising atrocities against Dalits.


NEW DELHI: The Opposition is raking up Dalit issue and Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideals for political benefits, alleged Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday. His statement came hours after Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati claimed that Bharat Bandh called by Dalit groups on April 2 has left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scared.

Speaking to media persons in the national capital, the Law Minister said that the BJP is working towards the upliftment of the members of Dalits and SC/ST communities. Our party is working to strengthen the SC/ST Act. This is being opposed by Rahul Gandhi, said Prasad, adding, The opposition is indulging in politics in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar.

He alleged that the Congress, Samajwadi Party and BSP have supported violence and disrupted the peace of the country because a large number of SC/ST/Backward classes and people from economically weaker sections are now choosing to connect with the BJP.

Babasaheb Ambedkar said that the Dalit movement should never be violent. The rights of Dalits must be protected but the medium cannot be violence, said Prasad.

Earlier, Mayawati alleged that BJP is indulging in atrocities on members of the Dalit community, with several Dalit leaders and members of their families being arrested by administrations in BJP-ruled states. She also targeted Dalit MPs hailing from the BJP saying members of the community would never forgive them.

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, Mayawati said, Now things have come to such a phase that Dalits cant even protest. Dalits are being targeted for protesting and video footage show authorities implicating them deliberately.

The Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, had led to a loss of at least 10 lives. The Supreme Court, however, declined to stay its order on the SC/ST Act. On the other hand, the government maintained that it was not responsible for any dilution of the Act and said that it was fully committed to protecting the interests of the backward communities.
All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) chief Asaduddin Owaisi has said that an environment of fear is being instilled in the country by the same forces who were responsible for the assassination of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi.

Addressing a public gathering in Hyderabad on Saturday, Owaisi said, Mulq mein khauf ka mahaul paida kiya jaa raha hai. Is mahaul ko paida karne mein un logon, un takaton ka pura role hai, jinhone Mahatma Gandhi ko goli maara, jinhone Hindustan ki azadi mein hissa nahin liya balki angrezo ka saath diya (An environment of fear in being instilled in the country. People behind this are the same forces who shot at Mahatma Gandhi, who did not fight for Indias freedom and instead helped the British).

This comes days after the Hyderabad MP blamed Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre for using Muslims as vote banks and doing injustice to them. Speaking at Zee India Conclave, Owaisi had said, "PM Modi doesnt believe in consensus politics. BJP does not want Muslims to come into the mainstream."

"PM Modi has broken the myth of Muslim Vote Bank. Muslim vote bank is a myth, Hindu vote bank is truth," Owaisi had further said.

Owaisi also said that the Modi wave is fading in the country which is evident from its defeat in the recent Lok Sabha bypolls in Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies.

In March as well, Owaisi had raked up the issue of Mahatma Gandhi assassination. Referring to Nathuram Godse as 'Number 1 Hindu Ratna terrorist', he had dared anyone to serve him a notice on his statement.

He had said that Muslims have never tried to sell India but have been oppressed and threatened for the past 70 years. We have been threatened for the past 70 years. But now we are not willing to get frightened. The most you can do is kill us, then do it. But if we live, we will live here and if we die, we will die here, said Owaisi.
Bengaluru: Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Congress president Rahul Gandhi asserted on Sunday that not only will BJP lose the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat if his party, the Samajwadi Party and the BSP were united against him.

He also predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years." "Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."

"There are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Rahul said at an informal media interaction during the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 Assembly elections in Karnataka.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, he asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats? And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over," PTI reported.

When asked about forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Rahul expressed confidence of overcoming it. "We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it. The basic thing is how to get the country out of the mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out the emergence of any 'third front'.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in UP and claiming that he understands the politics of the state, Rahul said when the three parties will come together "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck." He said even PM Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and if the three parties (Congress, SP, BSP) are united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," Rahul added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by UP CM Yogi Adiytanath and deputy CM Keasav Prasad Maurya.

(With PTI inputs)
NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday announced its first list of 72 candidates for the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections 2018. A meeting of the party's Central Election Committee was held in the evening to decide over the candidates.

"The central election committee of the party has decided the first 72 names for the ensuing Karnataka legislative assembly elections," said the BJP's state unit in a statement.

Here is the first list of BJP candidates for upcoming Assembly Elections as announced by the party's Central Election Committee. We wish them the very best! pic.twitter.com/DoeSPpgOe7  BJP Karnataka (@BJP4Karnataka) April 8, 2018

The committee met at BJP's Headquarters in New Delhi with party President Amit Shah and committee members including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj present.

With just a month to go for Karnataka Assembly Elections, both ruling Congress and opposition BJP have entered a high-pitched battle on the ground and on social media.

Karnataka polls are scheduled to be held in a single phase on May 12 and the counting of votes will be done on May 15. VVPAT machines, apart from EVMs, will be deployed in Karnataka for the polls.

The date of notification is April 17 and the last date to file nominations is April 24. The scrutiny of nominations will take place on April 25 and the last day for withdrawal is April 27.

The 224-member Assembly expires on May 28 in the state where the Congress is currently in power, with 122 seats against the BJP's 43. Karnataka is one of the eight states where polls were scheduled this year.

While Siddaramaiah-led Congress is eyeing a second term in the state, BJP wants to spread its wings to the 22nd state.
AURANGABAD: Days after Karnataka government granted a separate religion status to the Lingayats community in the state, the Lingayats in Maharashtra demanded a constitutional recognition for their community on Sunday.

The members of the All India Lingayat Coordination Committee in Maharashtra carried out a protest rally outside the Divisional Commissioner's office Aurangabad demanding the same.

Aurangabad: All India Lingayat Coordination Committee carried out a Mahamorchato the Divisional Commissioner's office demanding constitutional recognition of #Lingayat in Maharashtra & also a minority status to the community on national level. #Maharashtra pic.twitter.com/Bxx55RbEtD  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

They further demanded that the Lingayat community should be recognised nationally as a religious minority group.

Led by 103-year-old Shivling Shivacharya Maharaj, the Mahamorcha saw the attendance of several spiritual gurus from the Lingayat community and leaders from several other states.

"As long as the government doesn't grant the Lingayat an independent religion status till then morchas (rallies) such as these would continue," said Shivling Shivacharya Maharaj.

The Lingayat religion is one of the oldest religions and there are around four crores followers in Maharashtra, added the spiritual guru.

Seeking the support of people, he mentioned that the fight for recognition must go on.

National convener of Lingayat Coordination Committee, Avinash Bhosikar, along with Pradip Burande District Co-Ordination convener, Dyneshwar Kharde Appa city chief among others political parties leaders also participated in the morcha.

Later on Sunday, the delegation submitted their memorandum to Dr Purushotam Bhapakar - the Divisional Commissioner.

A seven-member Nagamohan Das committee headed by retired high court Judge H N Nagamohan Das submitted its report on March 2, 2018 and stated, "Lingayats in Karnataka may be considered as a religious minority."

On March 23, Bhosikar had said that the Maharashtra government should send in their recommendation for the constitutional recognition of Lingayat to the central government on the lines of Karnataka government.

On March 19, the Karnataka government accepted the recommendation to recognise the Lingayat community as a separate religion. The state Cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and okayed the religion based on the suggestions of Nagamohan Das committee. Following this, the Cabinet forwarded its recommendation to the Centre.

Earlier, a group of Lingayat seers met Siddaramaiah, urging him to implement the report of an official committee that recommended conferring a spearate religious and minority status to their community. The seers, led by Gadag-based Tontadarya Mutt's Siddalinga Swami, had also requested to recognise the Lingayats as a religious minority.

The demand for a separate religion tag to Veerashaiva/ Lingayat faiths surfaced from the numerically strong and politically-influential community, amidst resentment from within over projecting the two communities as the same.

While one section led by Akhila Bharata Veerashaiva Mahasabha has demanded separate religion status, asserting that Veerashaiva and Lingayats are the same, the other wants it only for Lingayats as it believes that Veerashaivas are one among the seven sects of Shaivas, which is part of Hinduism.

(With inputs from ANI)
New Delhi: A massive accident was averted at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Sunday after a Jet Airways aircraft hit a food truck. The wing of the aircraft got stuck under the Taj Sats' food truck on the runway, ANI reported.

Earlier, in May 2017 too, Jet Airways was involved in a major incident when the tail of a Patna-bound aircraft had hit the wings of another plane that was heading to Srinagar.

The collision had taken place when both the planes were on their way to runway number 29 at Delhi's IGIA around 3:00 pm on May 7, 2017, reports had said.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Jayant Sinha told the Rajya Sabha on March 15, 2018, that a total of 24,791 defects/snags were reported by various airlines in 2017 in connection with the recent grounding of 11 Airbus 320 neo aircraft. Out of the 11 grounded planes, eight belonged to Indigo Airlines and three to Wadia group's Go Air.

Sinha had said that technical snags in airlines have gone up from 15,048 in 2014 to 21,500 in 2016.

Out of 2017's total, Jet Airways planes had 9,689 snags, followed by SpiceJet which reported 4,903 snags and Air India group at 4,563. GoAir reported 1,888 snags, AirAsia (1,367), Vistara (1,225), Blue Dart (793), IndiGo (340) and Zoom Air (23), the data had shown.

(With Agency inputs)
After Tamil Nadu actors Vijay and M Nassar, superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan and Dhanush also joined the protest over formation of Cauvery Management Board in Chennai on Sunday. It was a galaxy of Tamil stars that protested against alleged delay by the Centre over formation of the Cauvery Management Board on the directives of the Supreme Court for resolution of Cauvery water dispute between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

#WATCH Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan take part in protest over demand for formation of #CauveryMangementBoard, in Chennai. Music composer Ilayaraja also present. pic.twitter.com/JhIxGxp1QO  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

There have been massive protests in the state over the formation of the board in Tamil Nadu, with even Chief Minister E Palaniswami and Deputy CM O Panneerselvam joining the same. They went on a hunger strike on Tuesday last.

Palaniswami and Panneerselvam sat on the hunger strike at 8 am on Tuesday and continued the same till 5 pm. They were joined by several party members while hundreds gathered to protest against Centres alleged inaction. In several districts too, junior ministers and other AIADMK leaders held protests.

The hearing of state government's contempt petition in Supreme Court over the issue is on April 9. The Supreme Court bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud had said, "We understand Tamil Nadu's difficulty of not getting water. We will resolve the issue."

On February 16, the Supreme Court had in a verdict reduced Tamil Nadus 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, poll-bound Karnataka`s share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC. 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 Centre failed to set up the board within six weeks of the Supreme Court`s February 16 order. The deadline ended on March 29.
In 2017, a film starring noted actor Irrfan Khan and Pakistani actress Saba Qamar hit theatres. The movie, Hindi Medium, was about a rich couple faking poverty to get their child admitted to a high-profile school in New Delhi. It now seems that the story of the film was not far from reality.

A person named Gaurav Goel was arrested by Delhi Police on Saturday for allegedly faking poverty to get his son admitted to a prominent school in the national capital. The man had allegedly faked poverty and got his son admitted to the school under economically weaker section (EWS) category way back in 2013.

He was arrested by Delhi Police after a complaint was filed against him by the school concerned.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, New Delhi, Madhur Verma, the accused had made false EWS certificate, residence proof and Income Tax return documents to get through the admission process. He had reportedly forged several other documents as well for the purpose.

In 2015, the crime branch of Delhi Police had busted a racket wherein EWS documents/certificates were forged for admissions in premier educational institutions in the national capital. A prime accused named Neeraj Kumar was arrested for running the racket.

According to reports, the accused charged as much as Rs three lakh to ensure admission of candidates under economically weaker section category.

In the film Hindi Medium, Irrfan and Saba play a couple from Chandni Chowk area of Delhi. They own a shop and are rich, but are not educated and so fail to get their child admitted to any top school of the city. Compelled by the situation, they leave their residence and start living in a slum, faking poverty to get their daughter admitted to a school. They even succeed in the same but later confess the truth themselves.
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati has said that the Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, has left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scared, alleging that the party is indulging in atrocities on members of the community.

Mayawati alleged that many Dalit leaders and members of their families are being arrested by administrations in BJP-ruled states. She also targeted Dalit MPs hailing from the BJP saying members of the community would never forgive them.

Attacking the Narendra Modi-led NDA government at the Centre, Mayawati said, Now things have come to such a phase that Dalits cant even protest. Dalits are being targeted for protesting and video footage show authorities implicating them deliberately.

Naming some BJP-ruled states, the former UP chief minister alleged that Dalits were being targeted in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. When BSP comes to power in UP and MP, we will scrap all false cases on Dalits. All officers registering case against Dalits will be suspended when we come to power she said.

Referring to the changes in the SC-ST prevention of atrocities act by the Supreme Court, the BSP chief blamed the BJP and the NDA government for diluting the act. BJP is scared of Dalit outrage and now they have realised that power can go out of their hand, she said.

Warning the BJP of the consequences that if they dont stop playing with fire on the Dalit issue, they will meet the same fate that the Congress met with after proclamation of Emergency by then Indira Gandhi government in 1975. She also condemned incidents of vandalisation of statues of Dr BR Ambedkar.

Meanwhile, BJP MP Udit Raj also took to Twitter to allege that Dalits are being tortured at after the April 2 Bharat bandh. He said that people from Badmer, Jalore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Meerut, Bulanshahr, Karoli and other parts have called and informed him that police personnel are resorting to violence and slapping false cases on members of Dalit community.

The Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, had led to loss of at least 10 lives. It came even as the central government filed a review petition in the top court.

The apex court had declined to stay its recent order on the SC/ST Act. On the other hand, the government maintained that it was not responsible for any dilution of the Act and said that it was fully committed to protecting the interests of the backward communities.

Speaking about the issue, PM Modi had said that no other government was as concerned about the backward classes as the incumbent government. BJP chief Amit Shah had also targeted Congress and other opposition parties, holding them responsible for the lives lost during Bharat bandh.
NEW DELHI: A journalist on Sunday evening was shot at by unidentified men at his residence in Ghaziabad. Journalist Anuj Chaudhary was immediately shifted to the hospital.

He works with Sahara Samay - a Hindi language 24/7 news channel owned by Sahara India Pariwar.

According to police, four to five unidentified gunmen riding two-wheelers went to Anuj Chaudhary's house in Rajapur locality in Kavi Nagar police station jurisdiction around 6.15 pm. They fired six shots at Anuj, who was standing at the house entrance.

While two bullets hit him in the abdomen, two hit him in the right arm. They fled the spot, after which Ajay, who is Shramjivi Patrakar Sangh President, was rushed to Yashoda Hospital in the city.

His condition is said to be critical and has been taken for surgery.

"We are collecting closed-circuit television footage from the area. A team will be formed to arrest the culprits," SP City Akash Tomar said.

"We told Kavi Nagar Inspector Samarjit Singh that Rs 10 lakh had been paid to sharpshooters to eliminate Ajay, whose wife Nishi Chaudhary is a local councillor. However, the crime was committed even though the information had been passed on to authorities concerned," claimed Deepak Tomar, brother-in-law of the journalist.

(With inputs from IANS)
Bunts' Sangha, Pune honoured the worlds most beautiful woman Aishwarya Rai Bachchan with a Woman of Substance title at an event held by the Bunt community to felicitate the achievements of their people. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, who belongs to the Bunt Community, was present at the event to receive the award and also inaugurated Buntera Bhavana

The event took place on Saturday.

Aishwarya has become the first Indian woman to be bestowed with the French Honor Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters), thus making the nation proud.

Here are few pictures from the event:

While the beauty queen has been the first one to receive numerous awards in her life, what makes her personality stand out so vibrantly is her poise, class, talent, her kind natured soul and values that she strongly believes has made not only her community but the entire nation proud.

The youngest Padma Shri awardee is a Global Icon and has established herself as one of the most popular and influential celebrities in India by being associated with various charities like Smile Train Foundation, UNAIDS, CPAA, Polio, Eye Donation etc.
New Delhi: Comedian-turned-actor Kapil Sharma has grabbed the headlines yet again after he posted a series of unsavoury tweets accusing a journalist of doing negative stories about him. He also filed a police complaint against his ex-managers Neeti Simoes, Preeti Simoes and the journalist accusing them of trying to extort Rs 25 lakh from him.Now, his rumoured ex-girlfriend and producer Preeti Simoes has opened up and expressed concerns over Kapil's mental health.

Talking to Hindustan Times, Preeti, who has had a rather long association with Kapil, said, "I am hoping its not Kapil who has posted these tweets. The Kapil I know is a very intelligent, bright, young and dynamic man. Its most certainly his girlfriend Ginni Chatrath or maybe some friend, who is using his phone and doing all this. And if this is what Ginni and her one year with Kapil has brought him to, I feel sorry for both of them  Kapil for the choices he has made, and Ginni, because she didnt know how to handle a Kapil Sharma."

Reacting to Kapil's flagrant Twitter rant and the abusive phone call to the journalist, Preeti added, "This is a sick mans behaviour. As for those abuses, in 8 years of my life with him, where we were in a [romantic] relationship as well, Ive never heard him abuse. I was shocked to hear such condescending way of talking about women. Whoever the journalists daughter is, I apologise to the woman. Its really sad what he said on record."

Kapil Sharma on Friday tweeted a copy of the complaint filed by him against Spotboye editor Vicky Lalwani, Preeti and Neeti. He captioned it, "Some people just want to defame you for few bucks, but it will take ages to take a stand against the wrong ...I shall do it today n forever."

Some people just want to defame you for few bucks but it will take ages to make a stand against the wrong.. I shall do it today n forever.. pic.twitter.com/Vg8bJoWwhF  KAPIL (@KapilSharmaK9) April 7, 2018

In his complaint, Kapil has alleged harassment by Spotboye editor Vicky Lalwani on the insistence of Preeti and Neeti. The report further stated that negative posts by Spotboye kept increasing and began to affect his mental and emotional health as false and malicious remarks were made about career, finance and relationships.

Kapil's abusive tweets on Twitter came as a shocker for all his fans and the media fraternity. All his abusive tweets were later deleted and a tweet stating that his account was hacked was posted from his account.

"Hi all, please ignore the previous offensive tweets as my account was hacked. Apologies for the inconvenience caused. Love and regards to all," the tweet read.

However, Kapil soon revealed that his tweets were deleted by his team and his account was not hacked. He targeted the media again in his tweet.

"Maine jo b likha tha apne dil se likha tha.. it was my team who deleted my tweets .. But main is kutte bikaayu reporter se darne wala nahi hu.. he can write anything for anybody just for few bucks. Shameless," he wrote.

Maine jo b likha tha apne dil se likha tha.. it was my team who deleted my tweets .. But main is kutte bikaayu reporter se darne wala nahi hu.. he can write anything for anybody just for few bucks. Shameless  KAPIL (@KapilSharmaK9) April 7, 2018

Kapil made a comeback to small screen recently with 'Family Time With Kapil Sharma' but it has failed to garner a positive response. Rumours were rife that soon the show will go off air. He hogged the limelight last year for his infamous mid-night brawl with fellow actor Sunil Grover. Followed by which Grover left his show along with other actors.
Actor Kartik Aaryan is riding high on the success of his last release 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety', which has turned out to be the second biggest hit of this year. The actor made headlines again after he took to the ramp with none other than Kareena Kapoor Khan in Singapore for celebrity-designer Manish Malhotra.

Kartik's video with Kareena had become the talk of the talk for not less than a week. And now, the young actor has been spotted with a mystery girl in Bandra's Farmers Cafe. Though the actor has time and again refuted claims of he being into a relationship and has always maintained that he is very much single, the buzz has it that the lady is none other than Kartik's girlfriend.

Reports said that Kartik had been going around with this girl for some time and the young actor wants to keep it under wraps for the time being. The actor along with the lady, who tried her best to hide her face under a cap, was seen exiting the famous Bandra-based cafe.

Check photos:

Earlier, there was a strong buzz that Kartik and his 'SKTKS' co-star Nushrat Bharucha are an item. However, the actor, at a recent time, clarified that while he shares a great relationship with Nushrat, there is no such thing as 'affair' with her.

While Kartik may not want the paparazzi to click and follow his 'mystery' girl, he did something unexpected at his recent outing when he went out and lifted somebody in his arm, thus making a spectacle of it.

Here's the picture proof:
Mumbai: Actor Varun Dhawan believes it is too early to make a biopic on Salman Khan but jokes if it has to be made, no one but the superstar will himself feature in it.

Salman was granted bail on Saturday after he spent the two nights in Jodhpur Central Jail over the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case.

Varun says Salman and his family respects the law and everyone is happy that the actor is out of jail. "Everyone is relieved. I said this earlier in a tweet that he and his family really value, respect and believe in the Indian judiciary and they will go about it in the best legal way possible.

"But as someone, who has a personal relationship with him, I am very very happy that he's home. I went to meet him yesterday and it feels really good to see him," Varun said in a media interaction.

When asked that a lot of people feel he is the perfect choice to play the role of the 52-year-old actor in a biopic, Varun quipped, "He is too young to make a biopic on."

When further quizzed about what does he feel about the idea of him featuring in Salman's biopic, he said, "No, not right now. I think he will star in his own biopic. But in all seriousness, I am just glad he is back."

Varun will be next seen in Shoojit Sircar's romantic drama 'October'. The film, penned by Juhi Chaturvedi and featuring newcomer Banita Sandhu, is scheduled to release on April 13.
The one-hour flight service between Jalandhars Adampur airport to Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport is all set to begin from May 1, 2018. Bookings for the same will begin on April 14. The information was shared by Jalandhar Deputy Commissioner VK Sharma as he inspected the airport over preparations for the inauguration.

The much-awaited Adampur-Delhi flight booking will commence on Ambedkar Jayanti, ie. April 14, shared the Jalandhar DC.

The Jalandhar-Delhi flights service was launched under the Centre's UDAN (Ude Desh Ka Aam Naagrik) Regional Connectivity Service that aims to promote affordable air travel. Ludhiana and Pathankot are the two other Punjab cities which will witness flights to the national capital soon. Ludhiana-Delhi and Pathankot-Delhi flights are expected to start in July 2018.

According to reports, Spice jet carrier manage the flight bookings.

High powered X-ray machines have been setup in the visitor and VIP lounge, said DC Sharma, adding that the civil work of the airport is over and now the decks have been cleared for flight take-offs.

In February, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani launched the inaugural flight of Bhubaneswar-based airline Air Odisha here. The flight, also launched under the Centre's UDAN scheme, Odisha's Mundra with Gujarat's Ahmedabad.

In April last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi flagged off the first flight under the UDAN scheme. The maiden Shimla-New Delhi flight fares was capped at Rs 2500 per seat per hour.

The UDAN Scheme is a key component of the National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP) which was released on June 15, 2016.
Hyderabad: An apex body of Telugu film industry on Sunday ruled out giving membership to an aspiring actress, a day after she caused a flutter by stripping in front of the film chamber office here, citing her behaviour.

"Because of her behaviour, the actress (Sri Reddy) cannot be given a membership," Movie Artistes Association (MAA) office-bearer Sivaji Raja told reporters here.

Though application for the membership was given to her earlier, she did not fill it up properly, Raja and other office-bearers claimed.

Sri Reddy had on Saturday stripped in public and staged a protest in front of the film chamber office, alleging that local artistes were not being given enough opportunities in the industry.

She had also alleged that the association did not give her membership.

Rejecting her charges, the office-bearers said several Telugu actresses had over the years got adequate opportunities in their film career.

Police have booked the actress under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (obscene acts in public place).
Hyderabad: A video of a Hyderabad-based woman abusing traffic cops and pelting stones on roads has gone viral. The woman created a ruckus after her friend was booked for drunk-driving on Saturday night. The incident reportedly took place in Hyderabad's Jubilee Hills area.

The traffic police caught a person in a Swift car driving in a drunk state at a checkpoint at Film Nagar main road here, Traffic Inspector in Gopalpuram, Majid, told news agency ANI.

The woman was allegedly sitting beside the drunk friend in the car. After being caught, she overreacted and threw stones at people around.

#WATCH Hyderabad: A woman created ruckus & pelted stones at media personnel after her friend was booked for drunken driving by traffic police in Jubliee Hills area last night. pic.twitter.com/K1AthMih70  ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

In the 51-second video, the woman is seen threatening cops, arguing in a loud voice. She then picks up stones and throws at people around. The incident took place at Jubilee Hills area when traffic police were conducting drunk and driving checking.

A case has been registered against the driver and his car was seized, he said. No action has so far been taken against the woman.

With agency inputs
Lucknow: A video of a cop showering notes on women dancers at an event in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao has surfaced on the web. The police personnel was deployed for security at the local fair event.

The incident took place on Saturday night. The cop has now been suspended.

In the video, a bespectacled policeman, armed with a rifled, is seen throwing notes on dancers at the event. Many more men are also seen showering notes on the lady dancers.

Watch the video:

#WATCH Police personnel throws currency notes at dancers at an event in Unnao. He was deployed at the event for security. The police personnel was suspended after the incident. (7.04.18) pic.twitter.com/VQZYLAKwKS  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2018

In 2015, two constables were caught on camera throwing money at a dancer at wedding after-party event in Gujarat's Vadodara. The same year, police personnel were caught showering money on dancers in Varanasi.

With ANI Inputs
Shahjahanpur: A man-eater crocodile has been caught in Uttar Pradesh's Shahjahanpur. He had devoured a villager Ram Prasad a week back and was supposedly living in a pond in a village in the district.

As per reports, the crocodile had also eaten many animals of the area. It was caught by a team of Wild Life India who had come from Agra. Later, the crocodile was released in Ram Ganga river, following which the villagers belonging to Bijpuria village of Allahganj police station heaved a sigh of relief.

The crocodile is said to have come to the village during floods and had made the big pond his home. He had eaten the villager when Ram Prasad had gone near the pond to relieve himself.

It was caught by a team of six people who put up a cage outside the pond and kept a cock inside it to bait the crocodile. It was finally caught after six days of effort.

Earlier in March 2018, members of an NGO had managed to catch a 4.4-foot long crocodile stuck in a drain near a construction site in the residential area of Yogi Hills in Mulund.

As per a DNA report, Resqink Association for Wildlife Welfare (RAWW) had received a distress call on their helpline from residents of Yogi Hill and had rescued the crocodile from a five-foot-deep pit full of water with the help of Mumbai Range of Forest Department.
LUCKNOW: After being pestered by girlfriend for getting married, a man in Uttar Pradesh's Muzaffarnagar throttle her to death. Throwing the girl's body in the forest of Rai village, he went absconding.

Following her disappearance, the girl's family lodged a complaint with Chapar police station. The accused boyfriend was arrested on Saturday evening.

21-year-old Rukhsana, daughter of Liaquat, is a resident of Khapda village in Chapar police station area. She went missing since March 30, 2018.

Local people informed Rukhsana's family that she was seen with Naushad, also a resident of Chapar, on the day she disappeared.

The police then took Naushad, a vegetable seller, into custody and interrogated him. Even though he initially denied all allegations, Naushad eventually admitted his crime.
LUCKNOW: A proposal to introduce negative marking in the Uttar Pradesh Subordinate Services Selection Commission (UPSSSC) exams has been mooted. The proposal has already been sent to Uttar Pradesh government for approval, informed commission Chairman Chandra Bhushan Paliwal.

Notice for negative marking was earlier issued for the benefits of candidates aiming to appear for the exam. The commission is likely to deduct one-third (1/3rd) of the marks alloted to each question for every wrong answer.

The negative marking will initially be introduced in examinations for gym instructors, regional youth development officer posts.

The recent changes suggested, will be applicable to the posts related to Gym instructors and Regional Youth Welfare and Regional Development Team Officer. UPSSSC Chairman Paliwal added that taking such a step is for the welfare of the students because then the latter would only answer questions they know and not end up marking answers for the heck of doing so.

The decision to implement negative marking was floated after the commission stated that aspirants from other states such as Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jharkhand are increasing. Some of the examinations conducted by the UPSSSC are:

Junior Assistant Examination- top class

Conductor Examination.

Stenographer Examination.

Clerk

Forest Guard

Boring Technician

Lekhpal

Pharmacist

Revenue Inspector

Junior Engineer

By introducing negative marking, students will now only answer questions they can attempt and not not end up marking answers for the heck of it, said Paliwal.

In March, the UPSSSC announced 652 vacancies for regional youth development officer posts. Registration for the will continue till April 17.
Lucknow: A woman and her family allegedly tried to attempt suicide in front Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow on Sunday morning. The woman has claimed that she was raped by Bharatiya Janata Party MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his accomplices.

I was raped. I have been going from pillar to post for one year but no one listened to me. I want all of them arrested otherwise I will kill myself, said the alleged rape victim to news agency ANI.

Despite several attempts, cops have refused to file a complaint, claimed the woman.

I had even gone to the CM to no result. When we lodged FIR we were threatened, said the woman.

Lucknow: A woman & her family allegedly attempted suicide outside CM Residence. Her family alleges the woman was raped by a BJP MLA & his accomplices & no action is being taken. pic.twitter.com/Srl5yQqhXP  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2018

Authorities, on the other hand, claimed that both the parties have been involved in the dispute for more than a decade.

They alleged that Kuldeep Singh Sengar raped her, no action was taken and they were beaten up by the other party. On further probe it was found that both parties are in a dispute since 10-12 years, said Rajiv Krishan, ADG Lucknow.

The case has been transferred to Lucknow, he added

"Allegations can be proved only after a thorough probe, added Krishan.

According to reports, the woman tried to set herself ablaze outside Yogi's residence and then later at the Gautam Palli Police Station.

Meanwhile, Sengar claimed the entire incident was planned to trap him.

This is a pre-planned incident. There was an incident in their family, case was registered. Police saved 2 innocent people, being made scapegoat by them, said Sengar.

These people thought I helped them and they haven't left any platform to defame me. I request the administration to probe this well and punish the real culprit, he added.
Beirut/Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" after medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town in Syria.

As international officials worked to try to confirm the chemical attack which happened late on Saturday in the town of Douma, Trump took the rare step of directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the incident.

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad`s most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.

"Many dead, including women and children, in the mindless chemical attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The White House declined to clarify what consequences Trump had in mind. Last year, the United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base days after a sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria blamed on Assad.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against any military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses", saying this could lead to severe consequences.

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack. Others put the toll even higher.

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon on the chemical attack at the request of the United States and eight other members, diplomats said.

Last week Trump said he wanted to pull US troops out of Syria, though his advisers have urged him to wait to ensure Islamic State militants are defeated and to prevent Assad`s ally Iran from gaining a foothold there.

There are about 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in the country working to help fight Islamic State militants.

A top Trump security aide said on Sunday the United States would not rule out launching another missile attack. "I wouldn`t take anything off the table," said Tom Bossert, the White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser, in an interview.

"We are looking into the attack at this point," he said, adding that the photos of the incident are "horrible."

In one video shared by activists, the bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some with foam at the mouth, were seen. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

One factor in Trump`s decision to bomb Syria last year was the television images of dead children.

Trump will be joined at the White House on Monday by John Bolton, who takes over as White House national security adviser.

Trump has shaken up his core national security team in the past two weeks, replacing national security adviser HR McMaster and firing Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

Bolton, a hard-charging former UN ambassador, praised Trump`s missile response last year, though he has generally focused more on Iran as a bigger national security threat.

Trump was set on Monday to talk with senior military leadership at a previously scheduled meeting at the White House.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had warned in March during a trip to Oman that chlorine attacks would be "very unwise," saying Trump had "full political maneuver room" to respond, though he stopped short of threatening retaliation.

The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said it could not confirm whether chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by heavy bombardment.

Medical relief organisation SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, which operates medical facilities and supports medics in Syria, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at a nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.

The joint statement from SAMS and the civil defence said medical centres had taken in more than 500 people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

Tawfik Chamaa, a Geneva-based Syrian doctor with the Syria-focused Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), a network of Syrian doctors, said 150 people were confirmed dead and the number was growing. "The majority were civilians, women and children trapped in underground shelters," he told Reuters.

Douma is in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta from rebel groups in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.

The Ghouta offensive has been one of the deadliest in Syria`s seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Taking Douma would seal Assad`s biggest victory since 2016, and underline his unassailable position in the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it mushroomed from protests against his rule in 2011.
Islamabad: Pakistan is in direct talks with the Russia for the procurement of sophisticated military hardware, including air defence systems, fighter jets and battle tanks, a media report said on Saturday.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan confirmed that Islamabad was interested in buying weapons from Moscow in an interview to the Russian news agency Sputnik, The Express Tribune reported.

"Air defence system is a different kind of weapon we are interested. We are very much interested in a very wide range of the Russian weapons technology. We are in negotiations [on air defence systems] and once we conclude negotiations, we will be able to announce them," Khan said.

The defence minister also outlined that Islamabad was interested in acquiring T-90 tanks from Moscow as part of a long-term deal rather than committing itself to a single purchase.

"We are interested in tanks T-90 and it is not going to be a one-time purchase but it is going to be a long-term commitment," Khan was quoted as saying by the agency.

He added that negotiations for the purchase of Russian Su-35 fighter jets are in their early stages, and an agreement in this regard may be reached "in the next few years", according to the Russian website.

The defence minister noted that both Pakistan and Russia were interested in a stable and democratic Afghanistan.
Vatican City: Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria after a suspected attack in an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people.

"Terrible news comes to us from Syria with dozens of victims, many of them women and children... so many people are struck by the effects of the chemical substances in the bombs," the pope told thousands of people gathered in St Peter`s Square.

"There is not a good war and a bad one, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations," he added.

Renewed air strikes have hit Douma, the last rebel-held town near Damascus, where first responders accused forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of using "poisonous chlorine gas" in attacks on Saturday.

"Pray for political and military leaders to choose the other path, that of negotiation, the only one that can bring peace that is not that of death and destruction," the pope said.

Syrian state media, quoting an official source, has said reports of chemical weapons use were rebel "fabrications".

Russia, one of the Syrian regime`s main allies, has also dismissed the allegations.
Today, on April 28, Christians of the Eastern Rite celebrate Easter - the most important religious holiday, the day of the Resurrection of Christ.



In Orthodoxy, its importance is reflected in the words "holiday of holidays and celebration of celebrations."



Date of celebration



The date of Easter every year is calculated according to the lunisolar calendar (there is a special table - the Alexandrian Easter), which makes the holiday transitional. This should be the first Sunday after the first full moon, which comes after the vernal equinox.



The range of the celebration of the Resurrection of Christ in different years can be from April 4 to May 8. From the date of Easter depend all the other passing church holidays.



Orthodox and Catholics celebrate the Resurrection of Christ on different days due to the fact that these churches use chronology of different calendars.



History of Easter



The Old Testament Passover became the prototype of the Easter. It was celebrated in memory of the Jewish people's exodus from the 400-year-old Egyptian slavery. Pesach (Jewish Passover) - in Hebrew "Passah" (literally "passed", "passed by") - a symbol of the Angel of Death passing the Jewish houses, while killed the first-borns of Egypt.



It is worth noting that the custom of celebrating Easter appeared before the exodus and was originally associated with cattle breeding, and later with farming.



In the New Testament, the name of the holiday acquired a new interpretation - liberation from the bondage of sin through the death and resurrection of Jesus.



According to legend, after Jesus Christ died, his body was carried to a cave and the entrance was closed with a huge stone. A day later, women came there to pour oil on his body, but they saw that the cave was empty. On the ground there was only a veil, in which the body of Christ was wrapped. The angel who appeared in the cave said that Christ rose from the dead.
112 Agency

Four Ukrainian servicemen were injured in the area of the anti-terrorist operation in Donbas in the first half of the day on April 8. This is reported by the press center of the headquarters. All of the servicemen were sent to medical institutions and received medical help, assured at the headquarters.



Militants from the beginning of the day opened fire on the positions of the Armed Forces 12 times.



On the Donetsk direction from grenade launchers and small arms, the aggressor fired at our fortifications near Vodiane and twice - at Lebedynske. Also from the grenade launchers, were attacked Ukrainian positions near Shirokine, from heavy machine guns - in the Vodiane area, and from small arms - positions near Avdiivka.

On the Luhansk direction, from the grenade launchers of various systems, defenders of Krymske settlement were fired, and not far from Svitlodarsk worked the sniper, the headquarters repotred.



Related: Nord vessel crew tried to leave territory of Ukraine
9 members of the crew of the Nord fishing vessel, detained in the Sea of Azov by Ukrainian border guards, tried to travel to the territory of the Russian Federation with the help of representatives of the Consulate General of Russia.

This was reported by the press center of the State Border Service.





According to the information, the team tried to cross the border at night through the car checkpoint Hoptivka in the Kharkov region.

They were assisted by representatives of the General Consulate of the Russian Federation under the guise of their immunity.





"Two Volkswagen vehicles with diplomatic numbers of the Russian Federation arrived at the checkpoint at about 9:00 p.m. During the border control, persons who traveled as passengers instead of passport documents presented certificates of return to the Russian Federation,"

the report said.





Ukrainian border guards have established that the owners of the documents are members of the crew of the Nord, and they are also citizens of Ukraine.

The latter means that the documents presented by them do not give the right to cross the border.





"For the attempt to violate the state border, protocols were compiled in accordance with Part 1 of Article 204-1 of the Code of Administrative Offenses. In view of the fact that the citizens of Ukraine did not have proper documents for crossing the border, they were not allowed to cross the state border and returned to the rear of Ukraine"

.





Together with this, representatives of the Russian consulate tried to prevent Ukrainian border guards from closing the crew in minibusses.

This was announced by Oleh Slobodyan, an assistant to the head of the Ukrainian border service, on the air of the 112 Ukraine TV channel.





"Representatives of the diplomatic corps of the Russian Federation tried to prevent the actions of the border guards, because the crew members were kept closed in minibuses, as a result of which border guards did not have access to them, this situation lasted until almost midnight and was resolved in the morning," he said.





According to Slobodyan, all the crew members , together with the diplomatic representatives of the Russian Federation, returned to Kharkiv.

At the moment, their whereabouts are unknown.
Open source

The Russian Embassy in Britain requested a meeting with the head of the British Foreign Ministry, Boris Johnson, to discuss the situation surrounding the poisoning of Sergei Skripal and his daughter. This is stated in a message on the embassy's website.



The embassy noted that it was long overdue for the meeting of Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.



"In this regard, Alexander Yakovenko sent a personal note to Boris Johnson, we hope for a constructive response from the British side and look forward to organizing such a meeting in the near future," the message said.



As reported by Sky News, the British Foreign Office received a request and subsequently provide an answer.

As we reported earlier, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in British Salisbury. Later, Theresa May, British PM, stated that Russia was responsible for that, and the investigation has confirmed the use of the Novichok nerve agent, which is produced in Russia.

The Great Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats, which was supported by the USA, Canada, Ukraine and many other European states.

The representative of the OPCW promised to provide the results of the substance examination.

As it was reported earlier, Yulia Skripal recovered consciousness and started speaking after she was poisoned in Salisbury. Later, the doctors said that she was getting better, she could eat and drink without any help.

The Russian Embassy in Britain demanded to have access to Skripals daughter, but the British authorities rejected the request.

The London Police has made the first statement of Yulia Skripal public. She thanked everyone for the support, she thanked the doctors and bypassers for their help.

The doctors stated that Sergei Skripals health condition is no longer considered critical.
Open source

From the beginning of the year 9 militants surrendered to the police of Donetsk region. Most of them did it last week. As the press service of the Main Directorate of the Regional National Police informs, now all of them "provide valuable testimonies about the military service in the DNR.



Most of those who surrendered are residents of the territory under Ukraine's control, among them one woman. Two of them left the occupied cities.



The police say that in some cases, special operations are carried out to withdraw former militants from the occupied territory.



Law enforcers emphasize that from the beginning of the year 74 militants were brought to justice, and in just three years - more than 1200.



We recall, in March, was announced the number of militants who returned to Ukraine. In general, this is 200 people.



The courts released 125 participants of the program from criminal liability, another 9 - from serving their sentence.



The program of the Security Service is designed to return citizens to the territory controlled by Ukraine, who voluntarily refused to participate in the armed formations of militants. It is valid from August 18, 2015.

Related: Demarcation line crossing reduced for 72 hours due to Easter, - Donbas HQ

Related: Russian mercenaries are transferred to Syria from Russia, - mass media
Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia will be offered to move to the USA

Sergei Skripal, ex-GRU officer, and his daughter Yulia will be offered to have their names changed, and then to be transferred to the USA to protect them from further murder attempts, as Sunday Times reports.

The officers of the British Secret Intelligence Service MI6 were the initiators of this. They conducted the negotiations with their colleagues from the CIA.

They will be offered new identities, the resource in the British Government informed.

According to the resource, the special services have considered several states for Skripals removal  Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA.

The representatives of the Intelligence Service stated that the USA is the safest place for them.

As we reported earlier, Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were poisoned in British Salisbury. Later, Theresa May, British PM, stated that Russia was responsible for that, and the investigation has confirmed the use of the Novichok nerve agent, which is produced in Russia.

The Great Britain expelled 23 Russian diplomats, which was supported by the USA, Canada, Ukraine and many other European states.

The representative of the OPCW promised to provide the results of the substance examination.

As it was reported earlier, Yulia Skripal recovered consciousness and started speaking after she was poisoned in Salisbury. Later, the doctors said that she was getting better, she could eat and drink without any help.

The Russian Embassy in Britain demanded to have access to Skripals daughter, but the British authorities rejected the request.

The London Police has made the first statement of Yulia Skripal public. She thanked everyone for the support, she thanked the doctors and bypassers for their help.

The doctors stated that Sergei Skripals health condition is no longer considered critical.
Such decision was made due to the fact that people use open flame massively, including candles and icon lamps during the divine service

Open source

The units of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine will intensify the work on Sunday, on March 8 due to the Easter celebrations, a s the press office of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine reported.

During the Easter celebrations starting from 09:00 on April 7 to 09:00 on April 10 the unit of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine will intensify their work. The rescuers will be on duty in the temples and churches throughout Ukraine at Easter night and on April 8, the message says.

It was noted that such decision was made due to the fact that people use open flame massively, including candles and icon lamps during the divine service.

The officers of the Emergency Service will monitor fire and technotronic security of the places with big crowds.

Around 7,000 rescuers and 2,000 units of equipment of the Emergency Service are on the 24 hour service. When necessary, the amount of rescuers can be increased to 14,000 officers and 4,000 units of equipment, the representatives of the Emergency Service reported.

The air-power of the Emergency Service remains on alert, Antonov An-26 plane and Eurocopter helicopter.

The Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter on Sunday, on April 8.

Easter is dedicated to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ - the central part of the entire Bible story and the basis of the Christian beliefs. Old Testament Easter, just as Pesach (Jewish Easter), was celebrated in memory of exodus of Jewish people from Egypt, when they were emancipated from slavery.
Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, is another possible place to hold the meeting

Open source

Nonpublic discussion of Trumps meeting with Kim Jong-Un is being conducted at full pelt. This was reported on CNN with a reference to the resource in the White House.

Michael Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, and the team from the CIA are dealing with the preparations to the summit. The representatives of the USA and North Korea have already met in a third country.

Unnamed American civil servants informed that the DPRK insists on Pyongyang as a place for the future Trumps meeting with Kim Jong-Un. Washington has not commented on the point.

Ulan Bator, the capital of Mongolia, is another possible place to hold the meeting.

The date of the meeting remains unknown. The sides mentioned the end of May  beginning of July as a current target.

Trump informed about the preparations for the meeting with the leader of the North Korea on March 9. According to the Head of the White House, the DPRK promised not to conduct any missile tests before the meeting.

According to the mass media, Kim Jong-Un will raise the question of the diplomatic relationship between the states.
The President visited a couple of churches in Kyiv and congratulated people with the Resurrection of Christ

Ukraines President Petro Poroshenko with his wife Marina and their children participated in the festive divine service in the Easter night. The Head of the State brought baskets with paskas (an Easter bread eaten in Eastern European countries including Ukraine, -ed.).

Easter is a special day this year, because this holiday brings faith that the hardship is left behind. Let us pray for our defenders and the peace in Ukraine today, Poroshenko noted.

The presidential couple along with Filaret, the celebrant of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Kyivan Patriarchate, and the religious walked the Cross Procession.

The President with the family visited the St. Basils Church, where they took part in the solemn Easter St. Common Prayer.

Then Poroshenko joint the festive liturgy of the congregations of the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, where metropolitan Onuphrius, the current Head of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, carried out a worship in the Refectory Church.
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!)
A special pre-opera dining experience before the performance. Reservations recommended.

Join La Fonda del Bosque at the National Hispanic Cultural Center for a special Pre-Opera Dining before performances of Bellinis Norma. Reservations strongly encouraged.

To RSVP Visit: https://www.lafondadelbosqueabq.com/special-events

------------------------------

About Norma:

Opera Southwest Presents Bellinis Norma

April 8  April 15

April 8, 11, 13, 15, 2017

2 pm  Sundays

7:30 pmWednesday & Friday

Bellinis Norma is a fully-staged opera with orchestra, sung in Italian with English supertitles and presented in two acts with one intermission. This will be the New Mexico premiere of Bellinis bel canto masterpiece.

Norma tells the story of the Druid priestess who sacrifices it all for love and loyalty, despite ultimate betrayal. Watch one of the most challenging, and breathtakingly beautiful, roles in the soprano repertoire. From Casta Diva to Mira to Norma, theres not a second of music in the opera that wont leave you feeling awestruck and inspired. Maestro Anthony Barrese conducts.

$15, $29, $45, $59, $75, $89; discounts for groups of 8+ and patrons 30 and younger

The title, content, photos/images and description for this event were provided to the NHCC by the organization renting the NHCC venue for the event. By serving as a venue and posting the event on its website, the NHCC is not endorsing any views expressed in the title or description of the event, nor is it endorsing the content of the event.

For Tickets, Visit: http://www.nhccnm.org/event/opera-southwest-presents-bellinis-norma-rental/
When a delegation from Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America went to visit their Congressman, Ralph Norman [R-SC; @RalphNorman; (202) 225-5501; email], he drew a loaded handgun on them and placed it on the table between himself and his voters for "several minutes."



The Congressman explained that he carried his gun because "I'm not going to be a Gabby Giffords. I don't mind dying, but whoever shoots me better shoot well, or I'm shooting back."

Gabby Giffords was a member of Congress who survived being shot in the head by a rampaging gunman in 2011. Her husband affirmed Norman's position, in part, tweeting "Congressman Norman is right  he's no Gabby Giffords. When I think of @GabbyGiffords, I think of courage and public service, not intimidating constituents."

Norman told the Post and Courier that he had no regrets about pulling a loaded firearm on his constituents and that he plans to do it again: "I'm tired of these liberals jumping on the guns themselves as if they are the cause of the problem. Guns are not the problem."

Lori Freemon, a volunteer who attended the meeting, said in a news release that she felt unsafe when Norman displayed his firearm. "Rep. Norman's behavior today was a far cry from what responsible gun ownership looks like," Freemon said.

'I'm not going to be a Gabby Giffords': Congressman Ralph Norman pulls out loaded gun at constituent meeting [Marwa Eltagouri/Washington Post]

(via Naked Capitalism)
Business / Economy

by Staff reporter

China has written off Zimbabwe's debt to the Asian giant's institutions. The decision was reached after meetings between Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Mnangagwa in Beijing.  ZiFM News (@ZiFMNews) April 5, 2018

China has reportedly written off Zimbabwe's debt to the Asian giant's institutions, paving the way for more funding to the southern African country whose ability to access new funding has been crippled by among other things, huge debt.This is according to a local radio station, ZiFM Stereo, owned by Zimbabwe's ICT Minister Supa Mandiwanzira, who also accompanied President Emmerson Mnangagwa on a state visit to China.Mnangagwa is understood to have been instrumental in helping Chinese companies obtain vast diamond mining concessions in Zimbabwe.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Mnangagwa returns home from China tomorrow without the $1.5 billion liquidity rescue package, which government desperately needs, although he managed to secure funding for infrastructural projects and elevated relations between the two countries to a higher strategic level.Sources close to the Chinese embassy said during his visit. Mnangagwa clearly learnt that China is not the proverbial Santa Claus and that everything which Zimbabwe gets must be on the basis of commercial arrangement and sustained strategic engagement for mutual benefit.However, Mnangagwa's bag was not completely empty when he left as he received the usual gifts given to visiting African head of state by China. Although it is not clear how much he got, China usually gives out a token of between $20 - 30 million to visiting African leaders, which they are free to use at their discretion.On top of Mnangagwa's agenda on his visit was the financial bailout. This comes at a time government is desperate for funds to ease the liquidity crunch and cash shortages gripping the economy.Mnangagwa also wanted acceptance and to legitimise his leadership as well as to comment international relations. This was Mnangagwa's first state visit outside Africa since seizing power in November last year through a military coup.The government has always considered China as its "all-weather friend." The relationship dates back to the liberation struggle, where the Asian nation assisted Zimbabwe with weapons and provided training to many cadres, including Mnangagwa.
News / National

by Staff reporter

While there are pics, video evidence & media interviews of illegal gold miners on Pres Mugabe farm in Mazowe, one obese lunatic masquerading as a minister of govt chooses to lie to the whole world that there are no illegal mining activities at Pres Mugabe farm. #JuntaPFMustFall pic.twitter.com/Do2JjQGsz5  mawarire jealousy (@mawarirej) April 6, 2018

Jealousy Mawarire the spokesperson for what is alleged to be former president Robert Mugabe's new political project, the NPF, has released a photo of illegal gold miners on former President Mugabe farm in Mazowe.Mawarire said, "While there are pics, video evidence & media interviews of illegal gold miners on Pres Mugabe farm in Mazowe, one obese lunatic masquerading as a minister of govt chooses to lie to the whole world that there are no illegal mining activities at Pres Mugabe farm."
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

MDC-T Bulawayo Province and on behalf of Provincial Chairman Gift Banda has hailed the supporters for attending the, MDC alliance rally in Bulawayo on Saturday in their numbers."As MDC Alliance hereby express our profound thanks to President Advocate Nelson Chamisa, the Alliance Principals, all Party Leadership from the MDC Alliance, CSO's and all in attendance thereof," said Felix Magalela Sibanda the provincial spokesperson."Bulawayo has spoken we are now calling all and sundry to focus on elections by making sure that we encourage those that have not registered as voters to do so as the voting process is still on going and let's remember that Unity of Purpose is now crucial more than ever in removing Zanu because when divided we will fall but United we will overcome anything."
One team of area students earned the right to compete at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals with an impressive showing at the state competition Saturday.

The state-level competition of the problem-solving challenge was held at Binghamton University. Teams from several area schools had advanced to the state level based on the results of the March 10 regionals at Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES in Aurelius.

At the state level, just the top two scoring teams in each category and three special award winners advance to the next level.

State Street Elementary School B from Skaneateles came in first place Saturday in the Division I category for: Classics ... Mockumentary! Seriously?

The team is now qualified for the world finals to be held May 23 to 26 at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.

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Opinion / Columnist

Around the world there are politicians trying to gain potential voters by telling them they will place their nation first. Unfortunately, in Zimbabwe, we have a politician who has said openly that he will make the people and the nation subordinate to his political aims.At a recent rally in Chiweshe, MDC Alliance President Nelson Chamisa admitted openly that the sanctions the U.S. has placed on Zimbabwe, that have seen our economy and people suffer, are part of their election campaign strategy."Ndakaona America ichitaura, ndozvinoita kuti tibvise hurumende iripo iyi (We saw the US talking about it saying sanctions will help us to remove the current government)," said Chamisa.While this might seem like idle chatter, we should remember this is the same Chamisa, who together with People's Democratic Party leader Tendai Biti, travelled to Washington in November, almost immediately after Mugabe had been removed, where they met several officials in the US administration.Not long after these meetings, the U.S. made the extremely unfortunate decision to renew their sanctions against Zimbabwe.Unfortunately, this is not Chamisa's only outrage concerning the U.S.After returning from that trip, Chamisa said President Trump pledged to bail out an MDC Alliance government with $15 billion for reconstruction and economic recovery programmes, should they win the elections.Of course, Chamisa's absurd dreams were immediately shot down by reality.United States embassy spokesperson David Macguire rejected these comments saying "We do not make such promises to individuals or political parties."While in this instance, Chamisa's loose lips and lies led to little more than his embarrassment and foolishness, on the sanctions issue, Chamisa's action are actively leading to the suffering of average Zimbabweans.It now appears the US government made its recent decision to extend sanctions against Zimbabwe last week on the basis of misinformation given by Chamisa and other elements within the opposition parties.Much of what came out of the U.S. surrounding the extensions of sanctions appears to be verbatim distortions by leaders of the MDC.What is interesting is that when foreign officials have met President Emmerson Mnangagwa, and other government officials, they have noticed the change in policy and atmosphere in Zimbabwe and they have spoken very highly of it.Many nations and large companies have expressed their confidence in the new leadership and have signed agreements worth billions of dollars.So while Chamisa is traveling around trying to tell foreigners, not only not to invest in Zimbabwe, but to actually make it harder for the people, ED has been traveling around and receiving guests in Zimbabwe to ensure a better economic future and more jobs for Zimbabweans.It is of course possible to criticise how much ED has done and look at his record. However, placed up against his main challenger who is actively looking to suppress investment in Zimbabwe, there is no contest about who is trying to put their country first.In fact, while Chamisa criss-crosses the country campaigning and politicking, ED has to run a country and bring in crucial foreign investment, and has no time to extend himself towards the upcoming elections.This is the difference between a leader and a politician. A politician always looks at any opportunity and thinks about what they can get out of it to further their political career, whereas a leader puts their nation and its people above all else.Chamisa it seems is the former, and ED is an example of the latter.
Opinion / Columnist

Dear Minister July Moyo,REF; Wish to expose the rot at Mvurwi council that has been covered for a long time by the Mugabe regime.Honourable Minister please allow me to expose the embezzled $10 000 by Mvurwi Town Council in 2012 in the name of Suwoguru Investments (PVT) LTD.$10k was given to Suwoguru Investment by Mvurwi Town Council for the operation of this company using public funds.In 2012 one of the company directors who is also a councillor ,Vincent Murengwa, addressed the community on the day the beer hall ,was officially opened and revealed that they were given US$10 000 by the council.They operated from 2011 up to 2016 when it ceased to operate but nothing was returned to Mvurwi council.Furthermore the bar was not paying any rentals hence they was abuse of office by public officialsWe formed a Mvurwi residents' association and registered it but it was vehemently denied by council.Our investigations proved that the reigning Town Secretary who was the District Administration for Mazowe at that time was supporting the council to syphon cash as she had a strong bond with Mugabe's allay Ignatius Chombo.It is our wish honourable Minister if indeed we are in the New Era this issue must be investigated and those found wanting should be brought to book.That is all l wish to say ,Zimbabwe is open for business down with corruption !Yours faithfullyConcerned Citizen.
Chinas President Xi Jinping doesnt have a Twitter, or Weibo, the Chinese equivalent of Twitter. But he has multiple channels to address the trade tension with the U.S. to Chinese people  in the form of state-run media outlets.

As President Trump lobs tweets and comments, Chinese media are using harsher language toward the U.S. Some outlets, especially those that are considered mouthpieces of the government, also grab the opportunity to build national pride among citizens by characterizing China as a victim of tariff threats that tries to fight back.

Firmly and strongly, hit America where it hurts, reads the headline on Fridays Peoples Daily, an official newspaper of the Chinese Communist Party. By quoting experts in Chinas think tanks, the article accuses the U.S. of ignoring international trade rules and stresses the nations confidence about winning a trade war.

Here are other headlines on Peoples Daily this week:

This trade war, China has the confidence to win

Americas only way to stop loss is to rein in at the brink of the precipice

The White House wants to play bigger? Who fears whom?!

Chinese President Xi Jinping walks to deliver his speech at the closing session of the National Peoples Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China March 20, 2018. Picture taken with a slow shutter speed. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Playing the nationalism card

While state-run newspapers like the Peoples Daily may not have a large circulation among regular Chinese readers, they play an essential role in the partys power to frame public discussion. The editorials are considered the message from top leaders. And on the Twitter-like social media site Weibo, the hashtag retaliate in trade war has been used in more than 330,000 tweets.

Media coverage on the trade dispute usually carries the message that the U.S. is a bully by initiating tariffs on steel and aluminum and a 301 investigation without first bringing the issue to the World Trade Organization. Global Times, another daily Chinese tabloid newspaper known for it hawkish editorials, characterizes China as a fighter that doesnt yield to pressure from the U.S.

Washington probably had a hope that Beijing, like Tokyo, Seoul, or Ottawa, begged for the United States to exempt the steel and aluminum tariffs, and accepted the harsh conditions proposed by the US, a Global Times editorial wrote on Wednesday. However, Beijing has announced tit-for-tat reciprocal measures and resolutely fired the first shot against pressure from the U.S. on trade.

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U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinas President Xi Jinping arrive at a state dinner at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Thomas Peter

Many also see the US highlighting theft of intellectual property (IP) using Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 as part of Americas strategy to contain Chinas rapid rise. When Washington released the proposed tariff list of Chinese products on Wednesday, it said some products benefit from Chinese industrial policies, including Made in China 2025, referring to Beijings plan to dominate certain industries.

The fundamental reason [for the tariffs] is that the development of China in recent years has hit the nerves of some Americans, according to a Peoples Daily article on Friday. Many high-tech industries in China have made great progress, and the gap between China and developed countries has gradually narrowed. We are even in the leading position in some areas. These people see [that] China grows at their cost.

And China is telling its citizens their strong country has the ability to win a trade war.

After the trade war has been fully launched, China will never retreat, writes a Global Times editorial on Friday. The unity of the whole society around the party and the government to fight and the strong will to go through hardships together is what the U.S. cant match.

Krystal Hu covers technology and economy for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.

READ MORE:

Trumps blustery tweets could undermine his China negotiations

How China can hurt America in Trumps trade war

Chinas Xi has a key advantage over Trump in any trade war
20 years after B.C. inquiry into the leaky condo crisis, it's still buyer beware

James Balderson was thrilled when he purchased his Vancouver townhouse in 1991  until the rain started to fall and drip through the lights in the ceiling.

"I bought a brand-new, four-bedroom, leaky, rotten condo townhouse," Balderson said. "It was full of holes. It leaked and rotted."

Balderson had purchased his new home in the Fairview Slopes neighbourhood  for $533,000 and change  before the words "leaky condo crisis" had been uttered in the province.

It didn't take long before Balderson, and the media, began to notice a slew of other condo owners also complaining about the same issues.

By 2003, the B.C. Homeowner Protection Office had identified about 65,000 leaky condos across the province.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation defines leaky condos as a "catastrophic failure" of building envelopes, which lets water into the building frame and leads to rot, rust, decay and mould.

The crisis was caused by a combination of poor design and shoddy construction during a building boom. Many homeowners, suddenly facing thousands of dollars in repairs, went bankrupt. The crisis is said to have cost the B.C. economy billions of dollars.

Twenty years ago this week, the province established the Barrett Commission of Inquiry into the Quality of Condominium construction in the Province of British Columbia to look into the problem.

Experts say the inquiry provided higher home construction and design standards that persist today. But they also warn that leaky condos are still out there  and buyers should know what to look for before potentially purchasing one.

'California-style' construction

As the leaky condo crisis unfolded, Balderson was the subject of so many news stories that others experiencing the same issues began to call him.

Eventually, he created the Coalition of Leaky Condo Owners.

"There was a number of us that owned these damn things and we had to spend a huge amount of money repairing them," he said.

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Balderson said he spent at least $160,000 to fix his townhouse, which he lived in until last year.

Tony Gioventu, executive director of the Condominium Home Owners Association of B.C., said the leaky condo problem was prompted by several factors.

One of them was a rising trend in what was then called California-style construction, which was better suited for semi-arid climates than the "Wet Coast."

The other issue was a building boom brought on by Expo '86  high demand for workers and materials led to lower quality construction and materials.

"There was a huge demand and things basically popped up everywhere," he said.

Multi-billion-dollar problem

Gioventu estimates the problem eventually cost the provincial economy between $3 billion and $5 billion.

He said condo developers had established a warranty program, but it didn't have the resources to pay out everyone affected by the issue.

When the program folded, the province stepped in to establish an interest-free loan for leaky condo homeowners. It ended in 2009.

Gioventu said the Barrett inquiry, which rolled out in two parts, eventually led to higher standards in the real estate development sector  including design, engineering and building codes.

"The Barrett Commission resulted in a really great outcome for the province," he said.

'Those buildings are out there'

Despite those improvements, Gioventu said up to 200 leaky condo buildings still remain in the Lower Mainland, Kelowna and Vancouver Island because they were never properly repaired.

"Those buildings are out there and people need to be incredibly cautious," he warned.

Gioventu advises prospective homeowners to hire a certified building inspector to thoroughly check the property, and to ensure it has a reliable depreciation report.

He also recommends they ask if the building has ever had a rainscreen installed  an air cavity that protects the outside finishing from the walls and interior.

Twenty years after the Barrett Commission, former leaky condo owner Balderson still gets calls asking for his help.

"People talk about the leaky condo crisis as if it's over, but it's not over. It never ended," he said.

"The condo market is a very tricky market and remains that way today. You can buy into a lot of trouble."
A 31-year-old man has died in hospital after a shooting on Friday evening, marking the seventh homicide of 2018 in Montreal.

Two men were rushed to hospital in critical condition Friday after a shooting on Bercy Street near Ontario Street, where police found two men lying on the ground with gunshot wounds to their upper bodies.

Police also found shell casings on the ground.

The other victim, a 42-year-old man, is in hospital with serious upper-body injuries. He is now in stable condition, police say.

The suspect has yet to be identified, but police say the person got away in a vehicle going south down Bercy Street.

"A description of the vehicle is still to be identified at this moment," said Montreal police spokesperson Raphael Bergeron.

Officers from the SPVM's major crimes unit are investigating.
Car insurance hikes shaping up to be highest in decade, consumer advocate says

Car insurance premiums have been rising by up to 10 per cent, says the New Brunswick consumer advocate for insurance, who calls the increases unfair.

Michele Pelletier said the indications so far are that increases will be the highest the province has seen in 10 years, and she warns drivers about them in her latest annual report.

"When you're a consumer and you're paying roughly $800, and all of a sudden you have a $100 increase, that's a lot of money for consumers to absorb at one time," Pelletier said Friday.

- Auto insurance rates rising as companies blame costs of accident claims

- Auto insurance rate shock possible in 2017 due to rising claims

- Auto insurance claims hit 12-year high in New Brunswick

The higher premiums are being imposed after years of stability, when increases hovered around three per cent or less, she said.

Those more stable charges were the result of industry not wanting to go before the New Brunswick Insurance Board, which has to hold hearings if high increases are sought, Pelletier suggested.

"If companies are asking for less than three per cent, they don't have to appear in front of the New Brunswick Insurance [Board]," she said. "They've been filing for less than three per cent in order to avoid that."

But in 2013, the province introduced a $7,500 cap on what people can claim for pain and suffering for minor injuries such as sprains, whiplash and contusions. The cap had been $2,500.

As a result, companies say they need to charge much more to cover what they've had to pay out, and they're going before the insurance board to justify it, Pelletier said.

"The companies are saying now, 'We're starting to see more claims of the injured, they're costing more money because of them.

How cars are put together has also led to higher costs for the insurance industry, she said.

"Now cars, they're more sophisticated with all the electronics, it costs more money to repair cars. That would be another factor.

Story continues

"They're saying, 'We're losing money and we want to charge more to the consumers.'"

Auto insurance accident claims in New Brunswick have been escalating in recent years, up $90.5 million (39 per cent) between 2012 and 2016, and several companies say their profit margins in the province have disappeared.

Largest increase in 10 years

New Brunswick's largest auto insurer, Wawanesa, was approved for its largest premium increase in more than a decade  an average seven per cent hike on more than 92,000 privately owned vehicles in New Brunswick.

For Wawanesa customers, it amounts to an average increase of $42 per vehicle, although that will vary significantly from driver to driver.

The company indicated earlier that 42 per cent of its policy holders would start being charged premium increases of between 10 and 15 per cent this year.

Intact, which covers 60,000 privately owned vehicles in the province, applied for a 9.5 per cent increase late last year, although the Insurance Board rolled that back to seven per cent.

Intact's new rates started in November for new customers and after Dec. 22 for existing customers.

Although Pelletier applauded the New Brunswick Insurance Board for its work, she said it's bound by the provincial Insurance Act, which says if companies can justify an increase, they can have it.

"What's just and reasonable for the company is not necessarily what's just and reasonable for the consumer," she said.

Time for change

Pelletier said it's time for the province to modernize the Insurance Act, and give it an in-depth review every seven to 10 years.

The last in-depth review was done in 2004, a much longer gap than in other provinces including Nova Scotia, which reviews its act every seven years.

"We would have a thorough review and look at what's not working anymore, what needs to be tweaked, what needs to be arranged or modified or amended or included again," she said.
A doctor who fought the Ebola outbreak in West Africa ended up being the successful guinea pig for an experimental treatment to fight the virus.

On Friday, he visited Winnipeg's National Microbiology Lab to thank the scientists who saved him, in person.

Dr. Kent Brantly, a family physician from Fort Worth, Texas, was part of the medical response to the Ebola outbreak in Liberia, where he was living and practising, in 2014. But while there, he contracted the deadly virus himself.

"I'm really glad to be able to meet you in person and tell you thank you," Brantly said to Dr. Gary Kobinger, a professor at the universities of Laval and Manitoba, who was involved in developing the treatment.

Brantly's recovery from what his doctors believed was death's doorstep was widely credited to the drug ZMapp, an antibody cocktail designed at Canada's National Microbiology Laboratory.

He reported feeling his fever break just 15 minutes after receiving the treatment.

"It's really a tremendous honour and privilege to meet him. I've seen your picture, I've watched interviews with you, but it is a great privilege to say thank you to someone who saved my life," Brantly said to Kobinger.

The treatment had never been used on a human being before, so when Brantly got sick, he was the first test subject.

"My story is just one of thousands," he said. But "through the attention that was given to my story, we saw a tremendous boost in support of the work that's required years and years in advance to have options available when an outbreak occurs."

Kobinger, in return, thanked Brantly for his visit. He noted there was a huge team involved in both the treatment and in getting Brantly evacuated to a hospital in Atlanta, where he and another worker who had been exposed were treated.

"I would say that it's very humbling and very touching that he took the time to come and say thank you," Kobinger said.

Story continues

Treating Brantly all happened so fast, he added.

"Despite the complexity of the environment, very important decisions can be made when people work together," he said. "Extraordinary achievements can be can be made also when we work together to resolve and solve problems and find solutions."

Before going to speak to a group at the University of Manitoba Friday, Brantly said he hopes what they take away from his visit is the importance of choosing compassion over fear.

"Choosing to do the right thing for your fellow human being rather than reacting out of fear and self preservation. That is not only true in my particular clinical story, but that's true of the work that happens in the lab every day  is setting aside the fear of working with deadly diseases to do good for others."

Brantly, who was the face of the Ebola fight on Time's 2014 Person of the Year cover, is speaking at a brunch Saturday morning at McDermot Avenue Baptist Church.
Dozens gathered at Old City Hall on Sunday to honour those who served in the Battle of Vimy Ridge.

The service marked the 101st anniversary of the battle as well as the centenary of World War I.

Flags were raised at the ceremony, wreaths were laid and there was a moment of silence.

Both the French and Canadian national anthems were played and poems In Flanders Fields and Nimrod were also read.

Sports commentator Dana McKiel was at Sunday's service and says he had a great grandfather and two great uncles who took part in the battle. He hopes that people will look back at history and understand the mistakes that were made.

"We have to be very careful to emphasize, especially to the younger people that we need peace in order to be able to continue civilizations as it is," he said. "If we don't, we're going to have some major problems later on down the road."

Joanne Sutherland says she attended the service in memory of her father and that as a child she didn't hear much from him about the war.

"As a small child, I used to bug him, I guess you would say, asking him questions," she said. "He would talk about the terrible weather of the battle, the rats, the bully beef they were fed, but he wouldn't talk about what took place."

She learned about the war later on through research and the Vimy Foundation, but she said that her father's part in the war remained a mystery much of her life.

"I came to realize this as I got a bit older  seven, eight years of age  that it was a wall I shouldn't come to, that I was not to ask questions anymore," Sutherland added. "Before he died, I tried to get a little bit more out of him, and again the wall was still there. I was not to ask."

For Sutherland, she said she got very emotional during the ceremony as she didn't understand what her father went through when he was alive.

She also found herself wondering what could have happened to the men who lost their lives in the war.

"They had no idea, I think, of what they were getting themselves into," she said. "You wonder how many of those lying in the fields of France might have been a prime minister of Canada or what their contribution to Canada [might have been] if they had the opportunity to live."
By Julie Gordon VANCOUVER (Reuters) - British Columbia must diversify its economy away from real estate speculation and the housing market needs to be moderated but the province is not looking at further new measures to cool it, the province's finance minister said on Friday. "You don't build a long-term, sustainable economic plan for your province based on speculation in the real estate market," Carole James told Reuters in an interview. The West Coast province's New Democratic government in February moved to crack down on real estate speculators, expanding a foreign buyer tax and introducing a new speculation tax, in an effort to cool sky-rocketing prices in Canada's most expensive real estate market. The plan has been criticized by the development industry, which has said tax increases could deter investment in new supply, needed in both the tight rental and real estate markets. Critics have also said the measures, particularly the speculation tax, unfairly target Canadians from other provinces who have bought vacation homes in British Columbia that they plan to live in when they retire. But James said it would be a "huge risk" for the province to continue with the status quo, with an affordability crisis causing labor shortages that are threatening other sectors of the economy that are important for long-term growth. When people "don't have a home in the areas they work in, it causes labor market challenges, because you can't recruit and retain people," she said during a visit to several eastern U.S. and Canadian cities, adding the government is hoping for a "moderation" in housing prices. British Columbia, once a forestry and mining powerhouse, has in recent years become dependent on the real estate and construction industries. The province is now eyeing its burgeoning tech sector for future economic growth. Seattle-based Amazon is investing heavily in Vancouver, despite the high housing prices, and tech hubs have popped up in the Metro Vancouver region, along with Victoria. Beyond tech, British Columbia sees growth opportunities in tourism and agriculture, among other sectors. (Reporting by Julie Gordon in Vancouver; Editing by James Dalgleish)
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church might be tiny, but it has a big personality.

Sunday is Pascha  or Easter  for Orthodox Christians around the world, who use the Julian calendar to set the date for the holiday.

The pint-size Saint John church hosts its massive celebration this weekend, a week after Roman Catholics and other Christians.

Leading up to Pascha are seven days of special services, processions, meals and traditions known as Great and Holy Week.

The Saint John church has been the hub for Great and Holy Week celebrations in New Brunswick for decades.

The holiday is "the pinnacle of the life of the Orthodox Church," said Rev. Andrew Allain.

The celebration is "utter insanity," the parish priest said. "It pours out onto the streets."

Tiny church, big legacy

St. Nicholas church was built by Greek immigrants to Saint John in 1952 at 33 Dorchester St.

With narrow stained-glass windows and a rounded copper dome, the sanctuary seats just 40 people.

"At that time, [the Greek community] was very poor,' Allain said. "They went around door to door collecting money and had other fundraisers and were fortunate enough to find the plot of land on Dorchester Street."

The church has become a lasting monument to the role of Greek immigrants in the cultural life of Saint John.

"This is the oldest Greek Orthodox parish in New Brunswick and the only one with its own church building at this point," Allain said.



While many of the traditions  like the key role of iconography, the veneration of saints, and choral music  are similar to Catholicism, the churches are separate from one another.

Allain conducts services in Greek and English, as well as Russian and Old Church Slavonic, the language used by the Orthodox Church in Eastern Europe.

Processions, lamb intestine soup

Holy Week starts March 31, called Lazarus Saturday, and runs until Pascha on April 8.

During the Paschal season, Greek Orthodox Christians greet each other with "Christ is Risen!" (" !" in Greek) to which the other person responds,"Truly, He is risen!" (" !")

Story continues

On Good Friday, which was April 6 this year, women of the church decorate an elaborate wooden bier called the epitaph, or tomb, which is covered in fresh flowers. Members of the congregation carry it in a procession down Dorchester, Carleton, and Coburg streets, bringing it to the front of the church. A richly embroidered velvet cloth bearing an icon of Christ's burial is also brought in the procession and placed inside.

On Saturday, at the stroke of midnight, the church is kept in total darkness as the priest lights either a candle, a series of three candles, "or, if you're young and brave like myself, two sets of 33 candles," said Allain.

After lighting their own candles from the fire, members of the crowd spill onto the sidewalk to hear a Gospel reading.

According to the Slavic tradition, the priest also blesses Easter baskets containing food given up for Lent: kielbasa or sausages, horseradish sauce (or haroset), eggs, butter moulded into the shape of a lamb, and wine, eaten after the service, as well as kulich, a sweet bread with white icing.

After church ends at midnight or 3 a.m., the Greeks "will make probably my least favourite Greek dish  one that I refuse to have in my household," said Allain, referring to magiritsa, a soup made with lamb intestine and romaine lettuce.

On Sunday, Allain said, "whenever we finally wake up  either in the morning or afternoon as the case may be"  everyone partakes of a Paschal meal of lamb.

Dyed-red eggs, called kokkina avga in Greek, are also eaten to symbolize rebirth and the blood of Christ.

All are welcome

As with most traditional churches, times are changing for St. Nicholas.

"There have been ups and downs," Allain said. "The economic situation here in Saint John has sort of cleared us out of the next generation of Greeks who would be attending.

"A great many of them find work outside the city, they attend university, and a lot of them have no plans to come back."

But recently, Allain said, the decline in the Greek population has been "balanced somewhat from immigration."

St. Nicholas has found its ranks unexpectedly swelling with newcomers to Saint John from Russia, Ukraine, Serbia and Ethiopia.

An influx of Romanians in New Brunswick to work in the aquaculture industry has led to the founding of a Romanian Orthodox Mission by another priest, Rev. Cezar Pelin.

"God willing, the Romanians will be building [their own church] within the next few years," said Allain.

As many as 100 people are expected to attend this year's Pascha celebrations, Allain said.

"It's the biggest day of the year in our calendar."
The Progressive Conservative government wants members of the Manitoba Metis Federation and Manitoba Hydro to convene this month in the aftermath of public disagreements with the Crown corporation and subsequent legal threats from the federation.

Crown Services Minister Cliff Cullen reached out to the leadership of both organizations to meet but wouldn't say why.

"We don't know," said MMF president David Chartrand, identifying April 20 as the expected date of the meeting.

Manitoba Hydro spokesperson Bruce Owen said he could only confirm that a meeting is being arranged and that corporation president and CEO Kelvin Shepherd will attend.

All but one member of Manitoba Hydro's board of directors resigned last month  only Progressive Conservative MLA Cliff Graydon stayed on  amid accusations from former board chair Sandy Riley that requests over the past year to meet and discuss policy issues directly with Premier Brian Pallister were ignored.

That set off a war of words in the media, with Pallister instead claiming Hydro's board really resigned because the province refused to permit a deal that would see $67.5 million flow from the Crown corporation to the Manitoba Metis Federation over 50 years in exchange for no opposition to future projects, including a Minnesota-Manitoba transmission line.

'Persuasion money'

Pallister killed the deal in March and characterized it as "persuasion money," which drew the ire of Chartrand and a sharp rebuttal from Riley.

"The agreement with the Manitoba Metis Federation was carefully vetted by the board. It met our legal obligations, encompassed a multiplicity of projects, covered a 50-year period, and was structured to ensure the money went to the people who should benefit from it," Riley said in a statement in March.

Chartrand claimed the premier was resorting to divisive "race baiting," suggested Pallister resign and then threatened to take the province to court.

Story continues

On March 28, Chartrand announced the federation would head to court to fight the provincial decision to stop the deal before construction on the transmission line got underway.

"It's something I tried to avoid, if you look at how many years it's taken us to negotiate this deal," Chartrand said Friday.

Turning the page

On Friday, Cullen confirmed he hopes to get some face time with Chartrand and Shepherd.

"While multiple dates and times have been proposed, this meeting has not been confirmed by either of the other affected parties," a spokesperson with Cullen's office said in a statement Friday.

"We will not be speaking to the agenda of the meeting at this time, only to say that this meeting falls under the purview of the Turning the Page Agreement signed by all three parties."

Lawyers and consultants representing the three sides have already met "in hopes of clearing up outstanding matters" but to no avail, leaving the possibility of a face-to-face meeting between the leaders as the final option before things go to court, Chartrand said.

But Chartrand says he already feels like the meeting with Cullen is just a legal formality and the premier hasn't changed his mind about stopping the deal.

"Right now under the Pallister watch, it's very clear ministers don't have authority nor power," Chartrand said.

"No minister I've ever yet met with since he's been elected, every minister has told me point-blank they have to go back to the premier to get direction."

'Tried to avoid' legal action: MMF

Before it was quashed, the transmission deal was approved by the former iteration of Manitoba Hydro's board based on recommendations by senior management at the utility. The terms of the agreement were passed along to the Pallister government last summer.

The line would move from a dam in the north of the province to U.S. customers, weaving through traditional Metis and First Nation lands along the way.

Chartrand said such deals are common between governments and First Nations and Metis Nations in Canada, but Infrastructure Minister Ron Schuler previously denied that it was "normal practice."

"It is not compensation to land rights, it is money to ensure that they will not oppose the project, and that is clearly stated in black and white in the agreement," Schuler said last week.

Chartrand said working with the current administration has been challenging, citing $650,000 in funding earmarked for Metis health care that was cut in November 2016 as an example.

He said the province has failed to communicate with Indigenous partners in other cases, including one involving Lake St. Martin.

Chartrand criticized Schuler for his role in granting sole-sourced contracts for a road to flood-ravaged Lake St. Martin and a channel to help alleviate future flooding issues in the community. The minister previously said the contract went through a tendering process, but it was later revealed that wasn't the case.

Based on the current controversy with Manitoba Hydro, the Southeast Stakeholders Coalition, which represents a group of landowners living near the proposed transmission line location, called on the National Energy Board to pause public consultations on the Minnesota-Manitoba project, scheduled to begin this June, and asked for an investigation.

Sagkeeng wants pause on transmission project

And now Sagkeeng First Nation, one of the affected groups, also says it isn't confident with negotiation efforts from Hydro and the province.

"Sagkeeng said very clearly to Manitoba, 'We are not done consulting, we do not consider the consultations to be completed, we need to talk about accommodation,' and Manitoba said, 'consultations are over,'" said Corey Shefman, a lawyer representing the First Nation. "That's not how consultation works.

"When you consult with First Nations you must do so with the intention of substantially addressing the impacts of these projects on their rights. Manitoba Hydro and the Manitoba government have trod on the rights of First Nations for too long already."

Legal counsel for Roseau River First Nation filed a noticed Thursday saying the community supports Sagkeeng's position and it deserves additional consultation.

"[Roseau River First Nation] insists that Manitoba Hydro provide a detailed assessment of appropriate compensation to all affected Indigenous groups impacted by the project, and along with the evidence that the project is able to support such compensation," reads the letter addressed to National Energy Board secretary Sherri Young from lawyer J. R. Norman Boudreau.

"It is the position of [Roseau River] that no further hearing on this matter should proceed until Manitoba Hydro has satisfactorily addressed these issues."

Chartrand said the MMF is confident it has a case if things go to court.

"Everybody knows that nothing goes through without Pallister's approval," Chartrand said. "Everybody knows he runs the ship by himself. He's a single captain and the rest aren't even sailors. In fact, they're the ones who wash the boat and take care of the rooms.

"Trust me, we won't forget this come election time."
Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..blogs.timesofisrael.com..05 April '18..Images of thousands of Palestinians massing near the fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel, coupled with the news that almost 20 young men of fighting age were killed in the March 30 confrontation between Hamas and the IDF, looks like a public relations nightmare for the Jewish state.But as bad as the optics are in the short-term, what is unfolding is a win for Israel. What the riots really tell us is that Hamas ability to disrupt Jewish national life every two years or so is being degraded. And that is a very good thing.Hamas, a group that was previously able to terrorize Israelis with suicide bombings, kidnappings and rocket attacks, is now reduced to staging riots, setting truck tires on fire and getting its young leaders killed in hopeless confrontations with the IDF to generate sympathetic media coverage. News outlets assist Hamas in its PR war, but the fact is, Israelis are increasingly safe from Hamas attacks  and thats the story that matters.A terror organization historically dedicated to killing Jews in an effort to demoralize them and drive them from their homeland has failed in its quest and that failure is becoming too obvious to ignore. Hamas is now desperately trying to stay relevant with attention-seeking demonstrations that accomplish nothing other than generating news coverage.As Hamass ability to kill Israelis diminished over the past decade, it used the tragic deaths of Palestinians during confrontations with the IDF as a tool in its propaganda war against Israel, but even this strategy has lost its power to incite the Arab street and force the hands of leaders in the Middle East to attack Israel. As the Gaza riots have unfolded, Egypt has told Hamas to bring them to an end and a Saudi Arabian has acknowledged what Hamas keeps denying  the Israelis have a right to their own land.A number of factors were necessary to degrade Hamas status as a player in the Middle East  which was rooted almost entirely in its ability and willingness to kill and terrorize Jews.First, the construction of the security barrier between Israel and population centers in the West Bank made it harder for terrorists to murder Israelis in suicide bombings. Second, Israels missile defense system assured Israelis that for the most part they will be safe from Hamas rocket attacks, as frightening as they are. Third, Israel was aggressive in confronting Hamas tunnel-digging into Israel. As a result of these strategies  and intense intelligence gathering  Hamas simply cant get close enough to Israeli civilians to kill them.All this has forced Hamas to go for broke with something akin to a peoples march on Israel. Salting crowds of civilians with armed Hamas operatives who use these civilians as cover as they attempt to pierce Israels defensive barrier is a war crime that has gone unnoticed by the international media, which has fixated on the Palestinian deaths.But even with the poor coverage, the average person can see the riots for what they are  an attempted invasion. The riots will continue and the death toll will rise, but eventually, Hamas will run out of young men to put in harms way and the inhabitants of Gaza will get sick of being used as human shields for failed attacks on Israel and stop showing up at the fence.Israelis will maintain the resolve necessary to protect their borders and their dignity.One of the most profound moments in my life came while I was sitting in Ben Gurion Airport in 2014 waiting to return home to the U.S. I heard a siren, then a boom. I was scared to death, but calmed down substantially as I stood under a stairwell with Israelis who talked excitedly, but without fear, on their cell phones telling their friends and families that they were all right.The message is clear.And there isnt a damn thing Hamas can do about it.
The central factor behind the European pressure on the government of Rwanda to withdraw from the agreement to take the infiltrators from Israel was the New Israel Fund.



The Fund is a foreign organization funded by foreign governments and forces hostile to Israel, such as the funds linked to George Soros. The primary objective of the Fund is to erase the Jewish character of Israel and turn it into a state of its citizens, on 1967 lines, next to a Jew-free Palestinian nation-state whose capital is Jerusalem



I dont know of any Western democracy, in particular the US, that would suffer for very long hostile activities financed by foreign powers, like those that have been going on here in Israel with the New Israel Fund for decades [my tr.]

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blog spot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work.

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..Abu Yehuda..08 April '18..Before you can discuss solutions to the problem of the African infiltrators, migrants, asylum seekers or refugees in Israel  call them what you want  you should know the facts. You are strongly encouraged to read about them here; but in summary there are about 38,000 people from various countries in Africa who crossed our Egyptian border illegally and want to stay in Israel. The government has tried to find a way to deport them that will be both effective and humane, but so far has been stymied at every turn.The position of the government is that only a small number deserve refugee status, and the rest are illegal immigrants who should leave the country one way or another. The majority of Israelis (66% of Jews and 50% of Arabs) agree.Initially, illegal migrants faced detention (they were allowed to work during the day, but required to return to a detention facility in the evening) or even imprisonment, in order to encourage them to leave. But Israels Supreme Court declared this policy illegal.Since the majority of them cannot be deported to their home countries  for example, because they will be prosecuted for draft evasion (Eritrea) or for travelling to Israel with which a state of war exists (Sudan)  an agreement was reached with third countries (Rwanda and possibly Uganda) to accept them. The migrants and the destination countries would both receive payments, and the migrants exit would be of their own free will, even though both carrots and sticks would be deployed to encourage them.Naturally, the migrants would prefer to stay in Israel. Their case was taken up by the Israeli Left, along with numerous international and foreign organizations such as Amnesty International, the European Union, the New Israel Fund, the Union for Reform Judaism (in the USA) and others. The Supreme Court froze the plan, and massive international pressure was applied to the government of Rwanda, which  embarrassed by what was portrayed as enabling anti-black racism  backed out.PM Netanyahu blamed the New Israel Fund (NIF), an organization primarily based in the US but with an Israeli branch. According to the very reliable NGO Monitor, the NIF gives millions of dollars annually to groups promoting BDS, and engaging in incitement and demonization of Israel. In a Facebook post (Hebrew), Netanyahu wrote,The PM then negotiated a deal with the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. The plan was that over five years some 16,000 migrants would be resettled in Western nations, while another 16,000 would get temporary residency in Israel. The ones that stayed would get job training and be dispersed around the country to relieve the pressure on South Tel Aviv. This time it was the Right that objected, and not just the extreme Right. For one thing, the resettlement of the migrants would take five years, and given the involvement of the UN, there are serious doubts that it would take place at all, or that more than a very few of them would actually go.The remaining 16,000 would have a temporary status which, with the passage of time would certainly become permanent. Once people have established families and have Hebrew-speaking children that know no other home, it becomes extremely painful (for everyone involved) to relocate them. Finally  and I think this is the most important consideration  such an arrangement makes Israel a desirable destination again for migrants.Israel stopped the flow of migrants in part by building a fence along the Egyptian border, but also by making it difficult for them to get work, benefits and residency here. If that were not the case, no fence would keep them out. The new arrangement would make Israel a magnet again for migrants who knew that if they could get in they could stay or move on to Europe or North America.As I write this (Wednesday), the PM has declared that the deal is off, and everything is being rethought from the beginning. The Left and the various foreign organizations that favored the deal are furious. Netanyahu is talking about passing a law permitting the imprisonment of those who have entered the country illegally (until they agree to leave voluntarily), with a clause saying that the Supreme Court cannot overturn it. I have no idea how this would play out, but its clear that the political storm wont be over for a while.So why is this so important? Why cant a country with 8.5 million people fit some 38,000 new ones in somewhere?First of all, there is the magnet argument. If Israel becomes a desirable destination, we will not be able to put limits on the flow. And 8 million is still a small country, with a housing shortage and a labor market that is getting increasingly sophisticated every day. The migrants are from cultures very different from the Jewish and Arab cultures that (uneasily) coexist in Israel. One can expect conflict, and that is borne out by the experience of South Tel Aviv.Second, there is the problem of South Tel Aviv. 90% of the migrants have congregated there and have trapped the residents in what they call a living hell of crime, dirt and stress that they cannot escape. They cant afford to move since their property is almost worthless. They cant sleep at night because of noise or walk the streets without encountering human waste. The area has always been neglected, but the advent of the migrants has made it ten times worse. It is the obligation of the government to take care of its own people  first.Third, and very important, is the struggle for a Zionist majority. Some will read this and immediately accuse me of racism. This is a misunderstanding of Zionism, which is not a belief in the superiority of Jews, or that they have some kind of special status in the world. It is fundamentally the idea that in order for the Jewish people to survive and thrive they must have a state of their own. Zionism asserts that living as a Diaspora minority has been tried and it doesnt work.It should be obvious that in order for there to be a state of the Jewish people, it must have a Jewish majority. And if it is also a democracy, it must have a Zionist majority, because if it does not, then its elected representatives can decide that it will not be a state that exists for the Jewish people anymore, but rather a state like Canada or the US which is a state belonging to its inhabitants. The Left, and organizations like the New Israel Fund  as PM Netanyahu quite accurately points out  at least in theory believe that this is the only kind of state that is truly legitimate, and that a nation-state that exists on behalf of a specific people does not belong in the 21st century.In practice, they look past all the dictatorships and monarchies, and the countries where people of the wrong religion or ethnicity (or sex!) are persecuted. They welcome the creation of yet another such state in Palestine while they focus all of their moral condemnations on Israel.And the controversy about the African migrants is an absolutely perfect vehicle for it. The migrants are black, so they can accuse Israel of racism, while ignoring the airlifts that have brought more than 125,000 black Ethiopian Jews to Israel as part of the realization of the Zionist dream of the Ingathering of the Exiles.The government and a majority of Israeli citizens believe that absorbing the migrants and inviting more will strain the fabric of their society dangerously. At the end of the day, they are the ones that live and work here, defend their nation, and pay the price of whatever happens in this tiny country.They are the ones who get to decide  and not the representatives of the EU, Amnesty International, the Union for Reform Judaism, or the New Israel Funds donors.
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Problems of torture, illegal detention and extrajudicial killings have been passed down from one administration to another.





The mention of the notorious Abu Ghraib prison brings up searing memories that critics say mirror the moral bankruptcy and convulsive violence exercised by local governments and interventionists in Iraq. Comparing todays context of torture, critics add, to the decrepit and lurid acts that US troops performed on Iraqi inmates renders Abu Ghraib a breeze.





Four months following the Iraqi governments victory announcement against the Islamic State (ISIS), prison cells and hovels are filling fast with suspected ISIS fighters, sympathisers and alleged operatives whose fast-track death sentences one month ahead of elections are raising eyebrows.





Human rights organisations accuse Iraq of conducting sham trials and accepting forced confessions as evidence to demonstrate guilt in Iraqi courts.





Damning evidence reported by the Associated Press in the form of spreadsheets that catalogue the names of almost 28,000 terror suspects was used to calculate stupefying numbers of inmates held on terror charges. The running total, AP concluded, stands at 19,000  almost half of whom (8,861) were arrested in 2013. Those assigned the death sentence number about 3,000.





The intelligence arm of Iraqs Interior Ministry was mentioned for detaining 11,000 suspects. The depth of Irans reach into ministerial ranks, however, casts doubt on the ministrys judicial autonomy and its foremost priority  hunting down suspected elements belonging to the former Saddam regime.





At the highest levels of power, fast-tracked death sentences, enhanced interrogation and outright barbarity in the form of torture have been condoned as policies necessary to rid Iraq from terrorism.





In 2007, British officers mistakenly stormed the office of an Iraqi government intelligence agency, uncovering 30 prisoners that, contrary to tip-offs, were not al-Qaeda operatives and whose bodies bore fresh markings of torture.





As a leading pro-death penalty proponent, former Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki expressed great outrage about the actions of the British government but no remorse over the dirty secret Britains raid revealed.





APs findings, therefore, force a re-examination of Iraqs legal proceedings and court verdicts, among other problems, to smash the wall of silence keeping international criticism of Iraqs procedural posture in handling political prisoners at bay.





Death sentences act as an expression of power, especially when built around the normative judgments of presiding judges, agents or secret informants whose identities the government claims to protect.





Among the tallest barriers in the way of reform is the governments zero-tolerance strategy of officials who oppose death sentences. Coercive strategies by a coalition of cross-party MPs in 2015 forced Iraqs acting President Fuad Masum to renege on his refusal to ratify 100 death sentences in 2015.





Liberation has only amplified the problem. Sweeping arrests have become particularly rife in areas freed three years since the incursion of the Islamic State (ISIS), Amnesty Internationals Iraq campaigner and researcher Razaw Salihy said by phone from Beirut, pointing to a line of actors  Iraqi, Kurdish and Popular Mobilisation Forces.





Quarantined prisoners are held anywhere between 15 days to 3 or 5 months and exceedingly high numbers were taken and never seen again Salihy said.





We had people held on death row in Nasiriyah for 12 years and 8 years, totally forgotten, she said with reference to the citys infamous prison facility.





The picture that emerges is one of legal indeterminacy over the status and identity of those held captive.





The issue of disappeared persons, Salihy said, was a problem that came up in almost every camp across the nine governorates in which Amnesty International conducted field research. The missing are usually of fighting age, she said, as young as 13 in Nineveh and some as young as 9 from Anbar.





Salihy recalled accounts in which families saw their men separated, marched away and fired at.





It seems that what can be gleaned from the APs report is an impartial picture; obscured by the thousands of men unaccounted for. True figures are expected to rival those AP uncovered.





While the death penalty offers a temporary fix from the governments perspective, it does not ease the problem of ballooning prison populations that the government is wrestling with.





Access, another problem Salihy highlights, is not granted [by the federalist government] for terrorism-related offences on the basis that it affects the integrity of the investigation.





Overcrowding, as Fadhel Gharwari, a member of Iraqs parliament-appointed human rights commission, told AP, could be resolved through the appointment of more investigators. Lack of resources, as Salihy has noted is no excuse.





As numbers swell, the trickier control of large prison populations becomes, as the tale of Camp Bucca that spawned the earliest ISIS recruits lives to tell. Inmate-led recruitment in that facility, which housed upward of 20,000 detainees, was an outcome that was detectable from the onset of their incarceration. Many fear that conditions that allow for a repeat of those mistakes are being nurtured by incompetence and an over-reliance on death penalties.





US Coast Guard Lieutenant-Commander Vasilios Tasikas wrote in 2009 that 100,000 detainees have passed through American-run detention centres in Iraq since the inception of the war but lessons are waiting to be learned.





In 2009, 14,000 detainees languished in US-managed prisons, having fallen from 26,000 in 2007, at the height of Iraqs sectarian conflict.





Like an infectious disease, numbers rise. Pressure from bodies such as Amnesty International has shown promising results in which prisoners who have not faced trial were released.





Problems of torture, illegal detention and extrajudicial killings have been passed down from one administration to another and Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has demonstrated neither the will nor ability to bring each to an end.





Reform, when promised but unrealised, can be read as a cruel joke to those who suffer directly beneath it, when pro-death advocates remain undisputed wielders of power.





Many say they are not asking for leniency but are calling for justice to be non-negotiable.





Source: The Arab Weekly , Nazli Tarzi, April 8, 2018. Nazli Tarzi is an independent journalist, whose writings and films focus on Iraqs ancient history and contemporary political scene.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
We want to lead normal lives, lives where our religion and our traditions translate into tolerance.





For me, liberalism simply means, live and let live. This is a splendid slogan.





Who could have imagined that these equally conciliatory concepts would result in such conflicting consequences?





Yet in Saudi Arabia, the advocate of one is heralded as a reformer, while the other is harassed for being a radical.









Born one year apart, these millennials have given expression to the vision and values of a younger generation, one that is empowered by the digital age, implicated in a globalizing world and impervious to the religious orthodoxy of some clerical elite.





However, while the Crown Prince travels the world touting a transformed Kingdom, Badawi has languished in a Saudi prison for almost six years now, for professing his vision for remaking the region.





Using a blog to exercise his right to freedom of expression, Badawi unmasked a culture of corruption and criminality, as well as the impunity that underpinned them; he challenged religious intolerance and extremism, and sparked a discussion on modernization. In short, Badawi paved the way for todays discourse and developments in Saudi Arabia concerning what the Crown Prince himself has called a  moderate Islam  and combating the  cancer of corruption .





But will these commendable principles and policies have permanence, or were they simply a prelude to the Crown Princes Western tiesbuilding tour and PR campaign ? The litmus test for legitimacy is the freeing of Raif Badawi  the champion of these changes.





Indeed, releasing Raif would be in the kingdoms own self-interest.





As the Crown Prince looks to raise foreign direct investment to 5.7% of GDP , he is seeking to create an environment attractive to foreign investors, and earn their confidence in the resilience and potential of [the Saudi] national economy. Building this investor confidence will require increasing trust in Saudi legal norms, including those of constitutions and contracts  a crucial assurance for investors against arbitrary treatment.





Yet the treatment of Raif Badawi is in standing violation of domestic Saudi law and further obligations that Saudi Arabia has assumed under international law. The Court that convicted Badawi lacked jurisdiction. The witnesses in his case were inadmissible. He was denied his right to counsel  his lawyer and brother-in-law Waleed Abu Al-Khair was himself imprisoned  and he was not informed of the charges against him, nor given the necessary time and means to prepare his defense. His sentence of lashings was itself illegal  as physical torture is prohibited under the Arab Charter on Human Rights, ratified by Saudi Arabia in 2009, and the U.N.s Convention Against Torture, which the nation ratified in 1997. The criminalization of Badawi was ultimately the criminalization of the protected rights he sought to exercise and of freedom itself.





In the face of these standing violations of their own sacred laws and treaty agreements, why should investors trust that Saudi Arabia would respect their business commitments? Investors could just as easily be treated with the same arbitrariness. However, it is not too late for Saudi Arabia to make an important statement to the international investor community about rule of law and remedy these standing violations by releasing Badawi and his lawyer.





To release Badawi would also be a stroke of geostrategic genius.









But when the Saudi ambassador to Canada tried to host a major press conference on Qatar with his Egyptian and Emirati counterparts in July 2017, his message was lost. Journalists asked about Badawi at the Conference  and the ambassadors were forced to abandon their advocacy on Qatar to defend the unjust imprisonment.





Indeed, Raif Badawi may be the most celebrated prisoner of conscience in the world today. Nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize, he is a recipient of scores of prestigious human rights awards and honorifics, including the Sakharov Prize of the European Parliament, the PEN Pinter Prize and the Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Prize. Foreign Policy named him as one of 2015s 100 Leading Global Thinkers, and he received the Courage Award from a coalition of 20 human rights groups from around the world at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy. His case and cause have been championed by a broad and inclusive cross-section of leaders from both civil service and civil society.





Rather than distract from Saudi efforts, releasing Badawi would help advance their campaign. Indeed, Badawi would be an articulate ally and spokesperson for shining a spotlight on Iran and Qatar, which are among the most regressive and repressive regimes in the world  and as a human rights activist Badawi has been a forceful critic of each. Living in liberty, Badawi  with his established and influential global network  can play a transformative role in growing a grassroots campaign and cultivating a collective coalition against the state-sanctioning and support of extremism of the Regimes in Iran and Qatar.





With such a critical mass of reasons to release Raif, any claims to the contrary are certainly surmountable.





The slippery slope argument  that the Saudi state would face an emboldened movement to release other prisoners, some of whom may pose a risk to national security  is mitigated by the exceptional nature of Badawi  an international icon, whose views now largely parallel those of the new Saudi leadership. His release would have a positive worldwide resonance, and attest to the genuine authenticity of reforms to this global audience.





Ultimately, Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman has full authority to grant clemency. When he releases the list of pardons in advance of Ramadan next month, the Crown Prince should take the opportunity to propel his agenda forward  both within Saudi Arabia and across the globe  by freeing Raif Badawi and allowing him to join in Quebec, Canada, his wife Ensaf, and children Najwa, Terad and Miriyam.





Source: TIME , Brandon Silver, Evelyne Abitbol, April 5, 2018. Silver is a member of Raif Badawis international legal team; Abitbol is cofounder of the Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom.

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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
New Delhi: CII president Shobana Kamineni on Sunday asked leaders of the industry that it is time for industry to start investing given the improvement in domestic and global GDP.

It is time for industry to take the risk and build new capacity, she said at the annual jamboree of India Inc at the CII Annual Session 2018.

She also urged overseas companies to invest in the huge present and future opportunity of India.

She asked companies to do business ethically and transparently. We cannot have scams. Doing business responsibly is critical to the success of industry, she said.

CII president said that the Indian industrys R&D spending is too low at 0.3 per cent of GDP and companies must set aside a proportion of profits to invest in innovation.

She urged the government for widening of tax base through lowering of corporate income tax, better allocation of resources and right pricing, and deregulation of labour laws. We value the assurance of a red carpet but cannot live under fear that it can be pulled out from us at any moment, she emphasised.

Meanwhile, DIPP secretary, Ramesh Abhishek, said that that several initiatives have been done by the Central and state governments to facilitate ease of doing business.

Recently, 14,000 reforms have been done by all the states combined to ensure procedures are streamlined, said Mr Abhishek.
ISTANBUL: It's a busy afternoon at Istanbul Modern, Turkey's premier modern art museum, and the gallery is packed with visitors taking selfies or discussing the artworks in hushed tones.

Some pause in front of a massive canvas by celebrated German artist Anselm Kiefer, while others look in amazement at a masterpiece by Turkish abstract painter Fahrelnissa Zeid or gasp at iconic black and white images of old Istanbul by legendary local photographer Ara Guler. Since opening on December 11, 2004, Istanbul Modern, spectacularly situated on the Bosphorus with a view of the Ottoman-era Topkapi Palace, has become a symbol of 21st century Istanbul, open to outside influences but proud of its past.

The rapid success of the museum was one of the reasons Newsweek magazine famously declared in a 2005 cover story that Istanbul was "one of the coolest cities" in the world. But within a few days of the visit, all the artworks will have been taken down, carefully catalogued and put into protective cases.

The building, a maritime warehouse known as Antrepo No. 4 in Turkish and beloved by many Istanbulites since the museum's opening, will be demolished. However it will not be the end for Istanbul Modern.

'Nourish our souls'

After closing its doors on March 18, the museum will reopen in a historic mansion in the central Beyoglu district in May. The mansion will be a temporary home until a new museum is built on the site of the old Istanbul Modern to showcase its collection to even greater effect.

The new building will be designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, who was behind London's iconic skyscraper The Shard, and is expected to be finished in three years. Istanbul Modern's director Levent Calikoglu admitted there was some sense of huzun -- the Turkish word for melancholy -- over leaving the building that had been the museum's home for the last 14 year.

"Yes, in fact, we have a kind of melancholy and a nostalgia," he told AFP inside the museum, which was devoid of visitors as staff carefully took down and packaged the art. "But a new future is in front of us and we have a completely different aim. This new building will bring a new vision to the art world and to Istanbul."

The opening of Istanbul Modern was supported at the time by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then prime minister, who gave his approval for the use and refurbishment of the maritime warehouse. For some, the museum's sheer existence was proof that the arts could prosper in Turkey under Erdogan's Islamic-rooted ruling party, which came to power in 2002.

Artistic expression in Turkey has had some difficult periods since, but Istanbul Modern is proud not just that it has attracted seven million visitors since opening but that they have come from right across the country's hugely diverse society. And on one of the museum's final opening days before its temporary closure it was filled with Turks of all ages and backgrounds, as well as a sprinkling of tourists.

"There are things here that I am seeing for the first time, it's interesting and I appreciate this," said Gokberk, a 19-year-old who had come with his friends. Visitor Nesrin Aktar, a fan of the museum, hoped the revamp would go smoothly. "We come to see the exhibitions, to nourish our souls, that really inspires us."

'500-year timescale'

The main financial backers for the new project are the museum's founding sponsor Eczacibasi Group, a major backer of the arts in Turkey, and the Dogus Group-Bilgili Holding conglomerate. As with many art projects in Turkey, there is no state funding.

The new museum will be located in a specially dedicated area within the new $1-billion (815-million-euro) Galataport project, which aims to revitalise Istanbul's historic harbourside with new living and office spaces beside an overhauled cruise terminal. But it has not met with universal enthusiasm.

The Istanbul Chamber of Architects has denounced the Galataport project as being in violation of planning rules -- a claim rejected by its developers -- and risking "causing damage that will not be able to be reversed".

In an interview with the Hurriyet daily, Oya Eczacibasi, the chairwoman of the museum's board, rejected concerns that the new museum would lose its identity within Galataport. She said Galataport will "add a lot to Istanbul" when completed, insisting Istanbul Modern's leadership will remain in full control of the museum's programme.

Calikoglu said the Renzo Piano building -- whose design is set to be unveiled later in 2018 -- should become a new symbol for Istanbul. "For this building he is looking on a timescale of 500 years, he is not looking at a timescale of 20 years," Calikoglu said.
Instead of Dubai, the agent sent her to Sharjah in United Arab Emirates, where she was initially confined in an office. (Photo: File | Representational)

Hyderabad: A Hyderabad woman, who was offered the job of a salesgirl in Dubai was recently rescued from Sharjah where she was sold to a sheikh to work as a domestic help.

The young woman had accepted the job hoping for freedom from poverty and difficulty-laden life back in India.

Instead, what she was put through was nothing less than horror and torture- confinement, overwork and not enough food in a foreign country.

The woman narrated that the job of a saleswoman in a Dubai supermarket came to her through an agent in Hyderabad.

However, the agent sent her to Sharjah in United Arab Emirates on March 18, where she was initially confined in an office.

"Later a Sheikh bought me and took me to Bahrain. From there I was taken to Oman and kept as a domestic help," she said.

She also added that she was not given adequate food, was tortured and made to work excessively.

Somehow, she was able to reach out to her mother and informed her about the situation, after which the family reached out to the Indian embassy in Muscat.

The foreign ministry was also alerted after which they intervened and rescued the woman.

Now safely back in Hyderabad, the woman said she would like to thank External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Indian Embassy in Muscat for rescuing her.

"I was finally rescued and I would like to thank Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj and the Indian Embassy," she said.

This is not the first time Indian workers have been trapped in UAE.

The incidents became so regular that in 2017 a helpline was set up along with a new centre to help such trapped workers.

With this helpline and a team of advisers, the Indian Workers' Resource Centre in Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates aims to help the multitude of workers in the region who maybe trapped, hence in need of help.

Workers with complaints ranging from torture and abuse to non-payment of wages can call up the multilingual toll free number (800 INDIA).
New Delhi: In what may be a major cyber-war offensive that sent the security establishment into a tizzy, the websites of a few Union ministries, including ministry of defence (MoD), the ministry of home affairs (MHA), and the law and labour ministries were possibly hacked on Friday afternoon.

The MoDs homepage, which was brought down at about 2 pm, showed up a blank page with a single Chinese character for some time while the MHA homepage said it was offline due to technical issues.

Reacting to the development, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman tweeted: Action is initiated after the hacking of MoD website (http://mod.Nic.In). The website shall be restored shortly. Needless to say, every possible step required to prevent any such eventuality in the future will be taken. Defence ministry officials also said there were strong indications that organised hackers may be behind the effort and were possibly involved in defacing the MoD website.

On the other hand, National Cyber Security chief coordinator Gulshan Rai blamed it a storage system hardware failure. Mr Rai told this newspaper: There is no cyber attack. There is no hacking of any government website.

Denying that the MHA site had been broken into, an official spokesperson said the National Informatics Centre, which hosts the MHA site, is upgrading the security system of the website and taking extra precautions leading to its temporary suspension.

As of now, both the possibilitiesof a deliberate hacking and of technical issues in the Central Management Systemappear equally plausible. The situation and the causes will be clear only after some time, said Rohit Srivastwa, an information security expert who actively collaborates with the government and police on cyber crimes.
New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli who is on a three-day visit to India, received a ceremonial welcome at the Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday. Prime Minister Oli arrived in Delhi on Friday and was received at the airport by Home Minister Rajnath Singh. He met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday evening.

This is PM Oli's first visit to the country after he took charge as the prime minister for the second term in February.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli issued a joint press statement on Saturday afternoon.

Also Read: We first expect friendship: Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli at Rashtrapati Bhavan

Here's what Prime Minister Narendra Modi said during the joint press statements in New Delhi:

We (India) will continue to support Nepal as per that country's priorities

We have agreed to expedite implementation of all connectivity projects

We have agreed on new railway line to link Kathmandu with India

India and Nepal have close ties in defence and security. We will work together to stop misuse of our open border

In our meetings over the last two days, Prime Minister KP Oli told me about Nepal's economic progress and inclusive development

I believe my motto of Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas and Mr Oli's motto of Samriddh Nepal, Sukhi Nepal are complimentary

Both of us (PM Modi and his Nepali counterpart PM Oli) are working for the prosperity and well-being our citizens

I assured him (PM Oli) India will continue to be a strong partner for Nepal

I have assured Nepal PM Oli that India will cooperate in Nepal's economic and social development

Ahead of the joint press statement Prime Minister of Nepal KP Sharma Oli and PM Modi inaugurated India-Nepal petroleum products pipeline from Delhi.

PM of Nepal Khadga Prasad Oli & PM Modi inaugurateIndia - Nepal petroleum products pipeline from #Delhi. pic.twitter.com/30wvtoVe1t  ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2018

Here's what Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli said during the joint press statement in New Delhi:
At the Border Personnel Meeting, China also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December 2017 following a protest by India. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Kibithu: In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military in March strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on March 15 in Kibithu but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told news agency PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.

The delegation of China's Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries. Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border. There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December 2017 following a protest by India. The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December. The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity. The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior Army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off. India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olis April 6-8 India visit evoked less interest in the electronic media than in the bailing-out of actor Salman Khan in Jodhpur, after being held guilty for blackbuck killing two decades back. This disinterest in the extremely important relations with the only neighbour that has an open border with India is shocking. The joint statement issued after talks acknowledges the shared historical and cultural links and people to people contacts. Nepals geostrategic significance, however, has increased manifold due to its domestic political developments and the mounting Chinese presence this side of the Himalayas. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invested heavily in the relationship by high-profile visits, including addressing the Nepalese Constituent Assembly functioning then as its de facto Parliament. The realignment of political forces preceded the critical 2017 election. The Communist Party (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, abandoned its ally Nepali Congress (NC) to form an alliance, followed by merger, with the more powerful Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist).

The two won two-thirds of the seats in the 275-member Parliament, the latter bagging 121 against Prachandas 53. The Nepali Congress won 63 seats and the Madhesis, considered pro-India due to their links to Indias Terai region, hold 16-17 seats. While on a visit to Kathmandu a week ago for a talk, I found newspaper speculation that Mr Oli wanted the seven-clause merger agreement implemented before his India visit to strengthen his diplomatic hand. That has not happened, perhaps due to intra-party rivalries within the CP(UML) among pre-eminent leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, J.N. Khanal, etc, who chafe at Mr Olis arch-nationalist image, built on countering Indian dominance. Mr Prachandas demand for an equal share in the merged party is resisted by Mr Oli and his associates as they not only fought 60 per cent of the seats but won a significantly higher number. Indias future role as a stabiliser rests on this distrust, as theoretically the old Maoist-NC alliance totals 116 members, and with the Madhesis outnumbers the Oli group.Thus, despite Mr Oli in his public speeches in Nepal often indulging in targeting Mr Modi and India-baiting, he realises that he cannot offend India beyond a limit. He has balanced the mis-step in hosting the Pakistani Prime Minister immediately after his election win by sticking to the tradition that Nepalese leaders visit India first after assuming power. The vitiation of this atmosphere commenced with the blockade ordered by the Modi government in 2015. Similar steps during Congress governments in the past were partly successful as India dealt with a monarch and an autocratic power structure that could be counted on not to take differences to the street.

Also, the Madhesis were not a factor in the kingdom period as political power-sharing was not at stake, only India-Nepal relations were. In 2015, India acted to coerce Nepal to address the Madhesi demand for more representation in the new Parliament and fair redrawing of provincial boundaries which did not marginalise them. In retrospect, this was an unwise move as the hurt has been internalised across the Nepalese population, which the Communists continue to exploit successfully. Mr Olis visit begins the process of containing that harm. The geo-strategic factor is Chinas more assertive role in Nepal. Although it is true that Nepal has for centuries used China to balance pressure from those ruling the Indo-Gangetic plain, it has also done the reverse. Under the Sino-Nepalese Peace Agreement of 1792, Nepal had agreed to pay five-yearly tributes to the Qing Emperor. This stopped after the Tibetans asserted their sovereignty and signed the Thapathali Treaty with Nepal in 1856. Nepal thereafter chose to side with the British and the Tibetans in asserting their authority against China. Thus, the balancing act by Nepal today has a long history.

Three events over the past year raised Indian concerns. Chinas defence minister Gen. Chang Wanquan visited Nepal on March 24. Traditionally, it is the Indian Army that has pre-eminence as it not only still recruits Gurkha soldiers, but also Indias Chief of Army Staff gets an equivalent honorary rank in the Nepalese Army. In the following month, the first-ever 10-day Sino-Nepalese military exercise named Sagarmatha (Nepalese phrase for Everest) Friendship was held, having a counter-terror focus. Nepal has also been sending a large number of its military officers to Chinese military academies for training. The Nepalese have also been more enthusiastic in apprehending Tibetan refugees, apparently at Chinese behest. Finally, in May 2017, Nepal joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, with connectivity proposals between Nepal and China. In any case, both Mr Prachanda and Mr Oli have in the past sought closer links with China. Mr Oli came seeking a new way of India-Nepal engagement. India met him halfway to contain any further slippage. Prime Minister Narendra Modis domestic slogan Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was extended to the neighbourhood. Mr Oli responded with Samriddha Nepal Sukhi Nepal.

Samriddha can mean self-sufficient or abundant. Either way, India has to play along. Connectivity and agriculture were the dominant themes. Three standalone joint statements that were issued cover integrated checkpoints, upgraded rail and road links and cooperation in agriculture. The construction of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum products pipeline was flagged off. Inland water transportation was mooted, but this still needs a lot of study. India presented its counter to the Chinese proposals and an alternative vision of global connectivity for Nepal. The oil products pipeline gives India both a carrot and a pressure point for keeping Nepal on a friendly path. The joint statement articulates that strengthened bilateral relations will benefit Indias progress and prosperity. But success depends on Nepal too perceiving benefit in them for its own prosperity. Hopefully, both sides have become somewhat wiser after the 2015 standoff.
Pretend you dont know anything. Nothing at all about this kind of stuff. Which shouldnt be too hard: tax amnesties and the like are for the ultra-rich. For the 99 per cent, its all gobbledygook and baffling. There are only two questions: why would the government offer such a scheme now; and who will be willing to bite?Both questions sit at the intersection of politics and the economy, so the answers could be dramatically simple or fairly complex. But the answers to the questions must follow logic and incentives, which helpfully can be traced by anyone. Theres an automatic hit to the governments reputation in concocting amnesty schemes, so there must be something the N-League hopes to gain from the scheme. As for those who bite, anyone who takes up the governments amnesty offer, there must be a cost they are looking to avoid that is greater than the hit they could take when declaring such assets here. Declaring assets means the public will know who the beneficiaries are and the state will know what theyre worth. Thats risky stuff in a place like Pakistan, so theres got to be something worse than declaration that beneficiaries will be looking to avoid. So what could the incentives and costs be?

Start with the government. The best-case scenario is that the N-Leagues finance team believes the amnesty could net a great deal of money. That is unlikely, but there could be a couple of reasons informing that thinking. For money parked abroad, the global financial regime has gr-own and will continue to grow tighter and more restrictive. That means where it was once relatively easy to buy an expensive apartment or villa in Dubai or park money in an account somewhere in West Asia or Europe, now its not that easy at all. So rich Pakistanis with undeclared money and assets inside Pakistan could calculate that its better to whiten their wealth and take advantage of investment opportunities in the formal, documented sector. Thats the best-case scenario: fear of losing their money abroad or concern about fewer investment avenues for undeclared money inside Pakistan may cause a bunch of people to avail the amnesty scheme. So why not squeeze the hell out of the amnesty-seekers?

Surely, between losing a hundred per cent of your money in a tightening net abroad and paying a paltry two or five per cent to bring it back to Pakistan, there can be a higher percentage the government can extract. But its not. Which is the simple answer: the amnesty is to help out some special friends or family in trouble. Straightforward and unholy corruption. Theres the flipside, though. Youre a potential beneficiary of the amnesty. The incentive to participate exists, but thats not enough: you need certainty that the scheme will stick, that it wont be rescinded. That someone wont run to the Supreme Court and get the amnesty scheme invalidated retroactively or that the next government wont set investigators after you if you whiten your assets now. If the government was serious about the amnesty, there was a way to promote confidence in the scheme: present a draft bill with all the details, have the federal Cabinet approve it and ask the SC its opinion whether the bill is legal and constitutional. The N-League has done none of that. In the current political climate, whos to bet against a court striking down the amnesty as manifest corruption? As a potential amnesty-seeker, would you be willing to take that risk?

That, yes, the government has set up a sweetheart deal for you, but it can be snatched away and you could be exposed to God-knows-what civil and criminal liability if the court decides to wade in in populist mode. The ordinary amnesty-seeker will surely be skittish and the super-connected amnesty-seeker has serious reason to worry. So what the hell is going on? Either the system is more rigged than outsiders can comprehend or smart people attempt stupid things when in government. Neither is very encouraging. Especially for the 99 per cent who know nothing of such gobbledygook and baffling stuff.

By arrangement with Dawn
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olis visit to New Delhi on Friday-Saturday, his first after assuming office for the second time in February, appears to have introduced a new dynamic into the relationship between the two countries, with the Nepal leader being in a position of far greater reassurance than earlier, and perhaps greater than any other previous PM. He has signed up on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. New Delhi was in no position to influence Kathmandu in this matter. With China, the Oli government has reached an agreement for a trans-border rail network through Tibet. China will also prospect for oil in Nepal. The value of these is obvious, especially for a China-leaning leader.

In addition to this, the new element for Mr Oli is a buoying one in domestic politics. His Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) has agreed to unite with Mr Prachandas CPN (Maoist) to form the CPN, and he is the first PM of this united Communist bloc. The Nepali Congress, the bourgeois bloc, was the largest single party if the Communists were not one party. The Nepali Congress took a bad beating in Februarys elections. Mr Oli is thus in a position to have the best of both worlds regarding Nepals ties with Beijing and New Delhi. It was a recognition of this reality that made Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell the Nepal PM that Indias bilateral assistance would be directed by the priorities set by Kathmandu.

Mr Oli also made a meaningful observation  that he would aim to build an edifice of trust with India in keeping with 21st century realities. That probably says it all. In light of the changing scenario, its quite pointless for India to make too much of the fact that it was Mr Olis first port of call on his second coming as PM. The Nepal leader said before reaching New Delhi that his country has two neighbours. In fact, India should have long learnt not to expect any special relationship with Kathmandu, but build normal friendly ties with stakes in Nepals stability. Only that can ensure that Kathmandu will not permit itself to be used by others to prejudice Indias security interests across the open India-Nepal border.

During the Oli visit, the two nations agreed on a trans-border rail link between Raxaul (Bihar) on the Indian side and Kathmandu. This is an important connectivity factor that will help the transit of goods and people. India also agreed to build an inland waterway link to the sea for Nepal, which drew Mr Olis praise. The agreement on Indian support to Nepal in agriculture is also deemed important. These are good agreements, but there must be a meeting of minds politically for anything to take the desired shape.
(Photo: NASA)Star clusters are the key ingredient in stellar models because the stars in each grouping are at the same distance, have the same age, and have the same chemical composition.

Astronomers using NASAs Hubble Space Telescope have for the first time precisely measured the distance to one of the oldest objects in the universe, a collection of stars born shortly after the big bang.

This new, refined distance yardstick provides an independent estimate for the age of the universe. The new measurement also will help astronomers improve models of stellar evolution. Star clusters are the key ingredient in stellar models because the stars in each grouping are at the same distance, have the same age, and have the same chemical composition. They, therefore, constitute a single stellar population to study.

This stellar assembly, a globular star cluster called NGC 6397, is one of the closest such clusters to Earth. The new measurement sets the clusters distance at 7,800 light-years away, with just a 3 per cent margin of error.

Until now, astronomers have estimated the distances to our galaxys globular clusters by comparing the luminosities and colours of stars to theoretical models, and to the luminosities and colours of similar stars in the solar neighbourhood. But the accuracy of these estimates varies, with uncertainties hovering between 10 per cent and 20 per cent.

However, the new measurement uses straightforward trigonometry, the same method used by surveyors, and as old as classical Greek science. Using a novel observational technique to measure extraordinarily tiny angles on the sky, astronomers managed to stretch Hubbles yardstick outside of the disk of our Milky Way galaxy.

The research team calculated NGC 6397s age at 13.4 billion years old. The globular clusters are so old that if their ages and distances deduced from models are off by a little bit, they seem to be older than the age of the universe, said Tom Brown of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) in Baltimore, Maryland, leader of the Hubble study.

Accurate distances to globular clusters are used as references in stellar models to study the characteristics of young and old stellar populations. Any model that agrees with the measurements gives you more faith in applying that model to more distant stars, Brown said. The nearby star clusters serve as anchors for the stellar models. Until now, we only had accurate distances to the much younger open clusters inside our galaxy because they are closer to Earth.

By contrast, about 150 globular clusters orbit outside of our galaxys comparatively younger starry disk. These spherical, densely packed swarms of hundreds of thousands of stars are the first homesteaders of the Milky Way.

The Hubble astronomers used trigonometric parallax to nail down the clusters distance. This technique measures the tiny, apparent shift of an objects position due to a change in an observers point of view. Hubble measured the apparent tiny wobble of the cluster stars due to Earths motion around the Sun.

To obtain the precise distance to NGC 6397, Browns team employed a clever method developed by astronomers Adam Riess, a Nobel laureate, and Stefano Casertano of the STScI and Johns Hopkins University, also in Baltimore, to accurately measure distances to pulsating stars called Cepheid variables. These pulsating stars serve as reliable distance markers for astronomers to calculate an accurate expansion rate of the universe.

With this technique, called spatial scanning, Hubbles Wide Field Camera 3 gauged the parallax of 40 NGC 6397 cluster stars, making measurements every 6 months for 2 years. The researchers then combined the results to obtain the precise distance measurement. Because we are looking at a bunch of stars, we can get a better measurement than simply looking at individual Cepheid variable stars, team member Casertano said.

The tiny wobbles of these cluster stars were only 1/100th of a pixel on the telescopes camera, measured to a precision of 1/3000th of a pixel. This is the equivalent to measuring the size of an automobile tire on the moon to a precision of one inch.

The researchers say they could reach an accuracy of 1 per cent if they combine the Hubble distance measurement of NGC 6397 with the upcoming results obtained from the European Space Agencys Gaia space observatory, which is measuring the positions and distances of stars with unprecedented precision. The data release for the second batch of stars in the survey is in late April. Getting to 1 per cent accuracy will nail this distance measurement forever, Brown said.

(Source: NASA)

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The perpetrator who recklessly sped into a crowd of people after 3:00 pm is, according to the current stage of the investigation, a German citizen. (Photo: AP)

Berlin: A van drove into a group of people in the western German city of Muenster on Saturday, killing two bystanders before the driver shot himself, police said.

German authorities have found no evidence of an Islamist motive behind the rampage, state interior minister Herbert Reul said.

"The perpetrator who recklessly sped into a crowd of people after 3:00 pm is, according to the current stage of the investigation, a German citizen and not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that," Reul, of North Rhine-Westphalia state, told reporters.

"There is no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," he said, after correcting the number of total dead down to three including the driver, who shot himself.

Also Read: At least 3 dead after vehicle smashes into diners in Germany

Germany has experienced a number of terror attacks in recent years, including through the deadly use of vehicles.

In December 19, 2016, Tunisian national Anis Amri, 24, hijacked a truck and slammed it into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.
U.S. Ambassador to the Republic of Congo Todd Haskell kicked off Embassy Brazzavilles GoAGOA Week on March 19.

The inauguration event was the first in a week full of activities to educate Congolese entrepreneurs and government workers on the benefits of the African Growth and Opportunity Act, or AGOA.

Signed into law in 2000, now extended through 2025, AGOA provides 40 eligible Sub-Saharan Africa countries in 2018 the ability to export more than 6,500 different types of products into the United States duty-free. Through its eligibility criteria, AGOA encourages countries to make progress in establishing policies that support a market-based economy, a strong rule of law, poverty reduction, and systems to combat corruption and bribery, while not erecting barriers to U.S. trade and investment.

Embassy Brazzaville brought AGOA expert, Kara Diallo, from the USAID West African Trade Hub to present to packed auditoriums of business owners, public officials, and members of the media to help all Congolese understand the law, the steps necessary to export to the United States, and available resources for business owners to find more information at www.agoa.info.

Currently, more than 80 percent of exports to the United States from the Republic of Congo are from petroleum-based products. However, the future health and expansion of the Congo economy will rely on export diversification.

Through the multitude of media interviews, articles, meetings with ministry officials, business owners, and entrepreneurs throughout the GoAGOA week, Embassy Brazzaville hopes to see an increase in both the amount and diversity of Congolese products entering the United States marketplace in the coming years, while strengthening the Congolese market for increased U.S. exports to the country.

Congo has tremendous potential for economic diversification in the areas of agriculture, eco-tourism, and transportation, said Ambassador Haskell in his remarks. This potential cannot be realized by one ministry or one business. Developing the Republic of Congos economy he said, is a team project.
President Donald Trump recently welcomed the leaders of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania to the White House.The President noted that this year marks the 100th anniversaries of the three Baltic Nations independence. Throughout decades of Soviet occupation, the United States never ceased to recognize the sovereignty of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

At the U.S.-Baltic Centennial Summit, President Trump said, were inaugurating 100 years of renewed partnership among our nations, grounded once more in our shared commitment to independent sovereignty and a total respect of the rule of law.

This includes boosting defense and security cooperation. In particular, the United States plans to provide nearly $100 million for procurement of large-caliber ammunition and over $70 million in training and equipping programs to the three Baltic nations to build the capacity of the security forces of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania.

President Trump noted the vulnerabilities the Baltic States face in regard to their energy infrastructure. To address this, the U.S. will provide expertise to help prevent, detect, thwart, and recover from hostile cyber-attacks. The U.S. will also offer technical assistance to support energy diversification projects, including synchronizing the Baltic and European electric grids.

In an effort to guard against those who would undermine democracy and freedom via disinformation in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, the United States will commit 3 million dollars to strengthen independent media outlets, public service broadcasters, and media literacy skills in the region.

The Baltic States remain strong NATO Allies and European Union partners who are meeting their pledge to invest two percent of GDP in defense spending. They also continue as partners with the United States in the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan. The U.S. commitment to the collective defense of our NATO Allies remains ironclad.

The United States admires all that Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania have accomplished these past 100 years and the United States looks forward to continuing its strong partnership in security and prosperity in the years to come.
Farmers from eastern part of Isfahan have staged a protest rally near historic pol-i Khaju (Khaju Bridge) in the heart of the provinces capital, Isfahan on April 7.

Videos posted on social media show frustrated protesters chanting slogans, while the security forces try to disperse them.

Isfahan has been the scene of large protest assemblies held by angry farmers in recent weeks. The protesters believe that over the years the government has deprived them of their right to the water sources of the region. They say that either by mismanagement or receiving bribes government officials have diverted water from Isfahan to its neighboring province, Yazd.

The protests gained momentum when farmers from Varzaneh, a town in the eastern part of the province, invaded the Friday Prayer ceremony on March 18.

In an unprecedented symbolic gesture, the protesters turned their backs to the Prayer Leader, implicitly branding him and his fellow clergy as the enemy, chanting, Turning away from the enemy, eying the motherland.

President Rouhanis administration and local authorities have repeatedly promised the enraged farmers in recent week to address their grievances by paying them compensation for not being able to irrigate their lands.

Farmers are mainly angry because of the diversion of Zayandeh Rood's water (Isfahans main river) to the neighboring provinces.

Protesting farmers have also slammed President Hassan Rouhani and the state-run Radio and TV with a series of vitriolic slogans, citing mismanagement of water resources.

The state-run Radio and TV which is under the direct supervision of the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has totally ignored the farmers protests, so far.

These protests have frequently led to violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces.

The state-run news agency Mehr (MNA) had earlier cited an MP from Isfahan as blaming the violence on the government.

In a report published on March 11, Mehr quoted Isfahans conservative MP Hassan Kamran-Dastjerdi as telling an open session of the parliament that Iran's energy ministry has "plundered" water from farmers of Varzaneh by diverting it to steel factories and refineries in neighboring areas.

He noted that the farmers, who had been working on the land along Zayandeh Rood for centuries, are frustrated with the governments water mismanagement.

Accusing Energy Minister Reza Ardakanian of not properly implementing a water distribution law, the conservative MP also cautioned, The security and intelligence forces shouldnt investigate our farmers. The water rights are theirs.

In their new round of protest rallies on Saturday, the farmers assembled around historic Khaju Bridge in the heart of Isfahan, chanting slogans, including, Water of Zayandeh Rood is our absolute right, Farmers Moaning, Zayandeh Rood wailing and blasting Energy Minister by insisting, Ardakanian Yazdi! Youre water mafia!

Meanwhile, Isfahans Governor-General Mohsen MehrAlizadeh has warned that the province is facing an intense problem of drinking water shortage due to lack of precipitation.

Approximately 97 percent of the country is experiencing drought to some degree, according to Irans Meteorological Organization (IMO).



Towns and villages around Isfahan have been hit so hard by drought and water diversion that they have emptied out and people who lived there have moved, said Hadi Ghaemi, the executive director for the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI), a New York-based advocacy group, told Reuters
The Tehran City Council rejected the resignation of Mayor Mohammad Ali Najafi on April 8. There were four votes in favor of him stepping down and 16 against in the latest episode of the factional conflict over power and influence among regime insiders.

Najafi announced he was resigning for health reasons, but some members of the all-reformist council have said he was bowing to political pressure.

After promising to explain his resignation at the April 8 meeting, Najafi reiterated that he required medical care for a hard and long process, adding he would not be able to work for a long time following his treatment.

He said he had received the diagnosis in the past month.

Speaking of his seven months in office, Najafi said, I kept silent in the face of threats and insults in order to reform a corrupt system.

Referring to attacks by the hard-line media on Tehran Municipality, Najafi added, Most of the attacks targeted me, and finally one of those hit me hard. He did not elaborate, but the hard-line judiciary has made both public and reportedly private threats against the mayor.

Council member Mohammad Javad Haghshenas said he was unhappy about the mayors resignation, but added, If he insists on leaving City Hall, we should decide on the next mayor right way.

However, some members -- such as Nahid Khodakarami and Zahra Sadr-Azam Nouri -- maintained that illness was not Najafis reason for stepping down.

Morteza Alviri, chairman of the Tehran City Councils planning and budget committee, said the council should publicly announce why Najafi resigned.

It is not right for the council to succumb to pressure, he said.

Alviri had said on live television on April 7 that Najafi had declared he was under too much pressure to step down.

Previously, several Iranian news websites reported that the IRGC Intelligence Organization had exerted pressure on Najafi to quit.

Reformist activist Mostafa Tajzadeh, a former member of the Participation Party, implicitly confirmed on his Twitter page that Najafi was under pressure from Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and his hard-line aides to step down.

Council members Bahareh Arvin and Mohammad Naimipour also said that last summer, when the council offered the mayoral post to Najafi, an intelligence organization had threatened to send dossiers to the court about Najafis previous activities should Najafi accept. They did not name the intelligence organization.

Arvin also said the postponement of the council and Najafis planned meeting with Khamenei and the Tehran Prosecutor Offices humiliating treatment of Najafi following his presence at a ceremony where young girls danced were further reasons for his resignation.

Meanwhile, reports in recent months said Najafi and his aides were trying to expose the corruption of former conservative Mayor Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf. The attempt was criticized by the Tehran prosecutor and other hard-line supporters of Qalibaf.

But Najafi said on April 8 that under Qalibaf the municipality had taken a loan of a 5 trillion tomans ($5 billion) from the bank, adding to the citys financial liabilities.

Taking the issue of corruption under Qalibaf to a new level, council member Hassan Rassouli said, Najafi should explain the fate of the 12 reports he submitted to the court about financial matters.

Rassouli added that some six months ago the spokesperson for the judiciary officially announced that one of Qalibafs deputies was under arrest on charges of financial corruption. But we have not heard about the case.

In a January 14 report to the council, Najafi accused the former mayor and his aides of spending the municipalitys funds on presidential election campaigns, employing 13,000 people in a sudden move immediately before the election, withdrawing sums from the municipality workers pension fund, and the illegal transfer of the title of 674 city properties.

Najafi had also said he was planning to send some of these cases to the judiciary for investigation.

A week following this announcement, Tehran Prosecutor Abbas Jafari Dolatabadi said he had called on Najafi to present his evidence to the Prosecutors Office immediately.

Najafis resignation and aftermath are part of the ongoing rivalry between hard-liners and reformists in Iran. The two sides have been criticized for their performance in the Iranian regime, and both were singled out by demonstrators in the widespread protests that swept across Iran this winter.

Conservatives controlled the Tehran City Council for 14 years between 2003 and 2017.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

Trend:

Over the past 24 hours, Armenias armed forces have 86 times violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops, the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry said April 8.

Armenians were using large-caliber machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on withdrawal of its armed forces from the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 9

Trend:

The Nagorno-Karabakh conflict sides in order to advance in negotiations need to give up their distrust of each other while using the achievements of the Kazan summit of 2011, said Sergei Lavrov, Russian Foreign Minister, according to RIA Novosti.

"The most important thing is to move away from distrust, which is still sometimes manifested during talks, and concentrate on realistic, pragmatic ideas that are available," Lavrov said in an interview with Armenian TV channels.

Lavrov noted that preparation for the Kazan summit in 2011 was intensive, including the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs preparations.

But during the summit there were additional questions and comments. It happens. We do not make a tragedy out of this. The work will be continued. I am sure that much of what is contained in the so-called Kazan document is still demanded," Lavrov stressed.

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 8

By Elchin Mehdiyev  Trend:

The holding of the ministerial conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Baku shows Azerbaijans authority on the international arena, Azerbaijani MP Aydin Huseynov told Trend.

Huseynov added that the holding of NAM conference in Azerbaijan is both political and economic success of the country.

The MP stressed that thus, Azerbaijan made another contribution to ensuring peace and stability at the global level.

"Of course, it is worth emphasizing that the final document has reflected the support for Azerbaijan's fair position in the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the need to resolve this conflict within Azerbaijans territorial integrity, the MP said. This is Azerbaijans another achievement. The fact that politicians from different countries are well aware of Azerbaijan is of great importance from the point of view of promoting Azerbaijan throughout the world."

The Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), titled Promoting International Peace and Security for Sustainable Development was held in Baku on April 5-6.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

Trend:

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a letter of condolences to President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili.

I was deeply saddened by the news of casualties and injuries as a coal mine collapsed in the region of Tkibuli, President Aliyev said in his letter.

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend deep condolences to you, families and the loved ones of those who died, and all the people of Georgia, and wish the injured swiftest possible recovery, added the president.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

By Ilkin Shafiyev  Trend:

The Astara-Rasht railway, to be constructed in Iran, will help increase the attractiveness of the North-South project, First Deputy CEO of Russian Railways Logistics (RRL) Eduard Alyrzaev told Trend.

"Probably, the main obstacle to development of the North-South projects potential is the Astara-Rasht section," he said, adding that at the section it is necessary to switch the cargo transportation from railways to road transport, which leads to an increase in transportation time and a reduction in transportable goods.

Azerbaijan and Iran signed the "Agreement on Financing the Construction of the Astara-Rasht Railway in the Territory of Iran" in Baku on March 28.

According to Alyrzaev, the commissioning of this railway section will play a positive role in the development of the North-South project.

"It will be possible to cut the time and costs of transportation. It is not a secret that road transportation is more expensive than maritime transportation. But the delivery period remains a priority. When the North-South starts operating at full capacity, shippers will see its advantages over sea transportation," he said.

The Qazvin-Rasht-Astara (Iran)-Astara (Azerbaijan) railroad is a part of the North-South transport corridor that will connect northern Europe with southeast Asia, as well as by uniting the railways of Azerbaijan, Iran and Russia.

The cargo will be transported through India and further through the Persian Gulf, Iran, Azerbaijan and Russia in the direction of the Scandinavian countries and Northern Europe within 14 days.

Russian Railways Logistics is the largest multimodal logistics operator in the CIS and Baltic countries. The company is one of the leaders of the Russian market of logistics outsourcing for industrial enterprises, providing integrated services for managing supply chains.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, April 8

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

It is planned to hold the 9th meeting of transport ministers of member countries of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) in Turkmenistans Avaza on May 3, 2018, the Turkmen government said in a message.

During a governmental meeting, Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said that in modern conditions, interaction in the transport sector is an integral factor of sustainable development, directly affecting the efficiency and balance of world economic relations.

Turkmenistan has repeatedly become a venue for major events, on the agenda of which the priority aspects of international partnership in the abovementioned area were included.

The first Global Sustainable Transport Conference, held in Ashgabat in November 2016 under the aegis of the United Nations, is one of them.

The Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) is an intergovernmental economic organization, created in 1985 by Turkey, Iran and Pakistan. Since 1992, ECO activities have intensified in connection with the accession of Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

At this stage, Ashgabat believes that the prospects for optimizing the transport network along the North-South and West-East lines with using road, rail and sea links are justified. These projects can connect vast areas from the Pacific to the Caspian and Black Seas, from the north of the European continent to the Indian Ocean. The key links in the transnational transport corridors are the Kazakhstan-Turkmenistan-Iran and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Tajikistan railways, airports in Ashgabat and in regions, highways, bridges across the Amu Darya River, the international seaport of Turkmenbashi and other facilities that are being built in the country.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

More than 424,000 tons of non-oil goods, worth $220 million, were exported through customs in Irans northwestern city of Astara in the last Iranian fiscal year, ended March 20, Rasoul Omidi, head of Astara Customs Administration, told reporters.

Omidi said that agriculture and food products, cement, plaster, chemicals, detergents, handicrafts, textile, shoes, bags, carpet, construction materials, mineral products, metals and plastic products were the main export items, IRNA news agency reported.

Azerbaijan, Georgia and Russia were the main destinations for the exported items, the official added.

Omidi further said Iran imported about 259,000 tons of goods, worth $105 million, including chemicals, woods, machinery, electric goods and iron products via Astara customs during the 12-month period.

Over 291,000 tons of goods, worth $1.318 billion were transited through Astara customs to foreign countries in the last Iranian fiscal year, he said.

The value and volume of transit via Astara customs witnessed significant rise by 23 percent in terms of volume and 37 percent in terms of value, respectively, year-on-year, he added

Goods including electrical appliances, cars, furniture, machinery, medical equipment, construction materials, cement, plaster, textile products, chemicals, glass containers and agricultural products were transited to Ukraine, Georgia, Russia and Azerbaijan, Omidi noted.

Also 75,000 tons of goods, worth $131 million, including petroleum products, cotton, synthetic fibers, iron ingots and iron sheets, copper, fibreglass and wood were transited via the Astara checkpoint, the official said, adding the figures indicate an increase by 28 and 10 percent in terms of volume and value, respectively, year on year.

He noted that the goods were transited from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Georgia and Russia to Iraq, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey.

The Islamic Republic also exported 121 tons of goods, including agricultural and food products as well as plastic materials, worth $331,000 to Azerbaijan via the suitcase trade from Astara customs during the 12-month period, Omidi said.

More than 737,823 people crossed the border checkpoint in Astara during the last fiscal year, he added.

He said that the passenger traffic into Azerbaijan from Iran via Astara registered 5 percent fall in the period, meanwhile the figure for passenger traffic from Azerbaijan to Iran decreased by 3 percent.

Iran's Astara Customs total income reached 564.19 billion rials (each USD makes 37,800 based on official rate) during the one-year term, which is 3 percent less compared to the preceding year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

By Gazenfer Hamidov  Trend:

Iran exported 1,668 tons of banana, worth $1.287 million, during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (ended March 20), Irans deputy agriculture minister, Abdolmehdi Bakhshandeh, said.

Irans banana exports registered a rise by 1,531 percent in terms of value, year-on-year, Bakhshandeh said, according to the agriculture ministry.

The volume of the exports also witnessed an increase by 1,555 percent, the official said.

Meanwhile, banana was among the top 10 goods, Iran imported in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year as well.

Iran imported $483 million worth of goods in 11-month period from March 20, 2017 to Feb. 20, 2018, the countrys Trade Promotion Organization (TPOI) said earlier.

The figure is equal to 1 percent of Irans overall imports in the period. Irans banana imports registered an increase by 17 percent, year-on-year.

In total, Iran exported 5.3 million tons of agricultural products, worth $5.1 billion during the first 11 months of the last fiscal year.

The agricultural products shared 4.5 percent of Irans overall non-oil exports in terms of volume and 12.2 percent in terms of value, respectively, Bakhshandeh said,

Agronomic products topped the list of agricultural exports with 61.4 percent share in terms of volume, followed by horticultural products (24.3 percent) and livestock (11.4 percent), the official added.

In terms of value, horticultural products ranked first with 48.8 percent share, followed by agronomic products (24.9 percent) and livestock (16.1 percent), he said.

Iran exported 1.3 million tons of horticultural products, worth $2.475 billion, 3.3 million tons of agronomics, worth $1.264 billion, 606,000 tons of livestock, worth $816 million and 102,000 tons of fishery products, worth $369 million in the 11-month period, according to Bakhshandeh.

He added that pistachio ($1.1 billion, 119,000 tons), saffron ($286 million, 206 tons), date ($216 million, 219,000 tons), apple ($195 million, 4667,000 tons) and grape ($149 million, 99,000 tons) topped the list of Irans agricultural exports in terms of value.

Irans date exports increased by 20.5 and 19.5 percent in terms of volume and value, respectively, meanwhile the countrys apple exports witnessed a 39-percent increase in terms of volume and 85 percent in terms of value year-on-year, respectively.

Exports of dairy products amounted to $552 million, tomatoes (fresh or chilled) to $301 million, and potatoes (fresh or chilled) to $241 million in the period, Bakhshandeh added.

Irans wheat exports increased by 1,371 percent in terms of weight and 766 percent in terms of value year-on-year during the same span of time. The country exported 380,000 tons of wheat, worth $98 million in the period, he added.

A report by Irans Trade Promotion Organization (TPO) put the value of Irans agricultural exports in the 11-month period at $3.814 billion or 4 percent less, year on year.

The volume of the exported agricultural products was 3.814 million tons in the first 11 months of the last fiscal year, 10 percent less in comparison to the same period of the preceding year, according to the TPO data.

Another report provided by Irans industry ministry says that export of agricultural products stood at 3.802 million tons, which is 7.3 percent less as compared to the 11-month period of the preceding year.

The value of Irans agricultural exports stood at $2.973 billion or 3.8 percent less, year on year, according to the ministrys data.
Tehran, Iran, April 8

By Kamyar Eghbalnejad  Trend:

An Iranian industrial official has estimated that the construction of a gypsum factory by an Azerbaijani manufacturer would cost about $10 million.

The head of mining and industrial organization of Semnan Province, Behrouz Asfadi, has said that the factory is expected to become on stream in near future.

Earlier in the day, the deputy minister of industries, mining and trade, Jafar Sarghini, told Trend Matanat A, an Azerbaijani manufacturer of cement and gypsum-based products has utilized a mine in northern Iran and is expected to launch the gypsum factory there.

The latest official statistics indicate that export of Irans minerals and mineral industry products has increased in terms of value. However, the volume of the exports of the products has dropped.

Exports of the products amounted to $8.396 billion over the first 11 months of the last fiscal year (March 20-Feb.20), six percent up year on year.

In volume terms, the exports of minerals fell by 3 percent to 58.1 million tons in the 11-month period.

The exports included cement, ceramic and tiles, steel and iron products, all types of stones, copper, coal and coke as well as chromium, mica, nickel, precious metals, and aluminum, Molybdenum, titanium, lead and zinc production chain products.

Irans daily output of minerals stands at 1.2 million tons and the countrys proven mineral reserves stand at 37 billion tons.

Iranian cement factories produced 49.697 million tons of cement during the first 11 months of last fiscal year (March 20, 2017-Feb. 20, 2018), a fall by 1.8 percent year-on-year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, April 8

By Ilhama Isabalayeva  Trend:

The support of the foreign ministers of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) member-states for Azerbaijan's position on the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is extremely important for Azerbaijan, Elman Nasirov, Azerbaijani MP told Trend.

He said that the support of the foreign ministers of the NAM member-states for Azerbaijan's position has been reflected in the final document of the mid-term ministerial conference held in Baku.

Azerbaijan joined NAM, which includes 120 countries, as a full member in 2001, Nasirov said, adding that NAM is the second biggest organization for the number of participants.

"Guided by the balanced foreign policy pursued by the president, Azerbaijan carries out successful activity within NAM, he said.

The Mid-Term Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), titled Promoting International Peace and Security for Sustainable Development, has been recently held in Baku. The summit of the heads of states participating in NAM will be held next year. From this point of view, membership in this organization is of great importance for Azerbaijan."

Nasirov stressed that the NAM member-states always support Azerbaijan in international organizations.

"NAM always supports the settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within Azerbaijans territorial integrity, which was reflected in the final document of the movement adopted at the conference in Baku, he said. This means that all 120 NAM member-states unequivocally support Azerbaijan's position on the settlement of this conflict. I think that the reflection of this position in the final document of the conference is very important for Azerbaijan."

The final document of the ministerial conference has reflected the issue about the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. According to the document, the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict poses a threat to international peace and stability and it must be resolved on the basis of the principles of international law and within Azerbaijans territorial integrity which was recognized at the international level.
The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon over the recent chemical attack in Syria at the request of the United States and several other members, diplomats said on Sunday, Reuters reported.

UK, France, US, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote dIvoire have called an emergency meeting of #UNSC to discuss reports of chemical weapons attack in #Syria. Meeting expected on Monday, the British mission to the United Nations tweeted.

Meanwhile, Russia also called for a Monday meeting of the US Security Council concerning international threats to peace and security, diplomats said on Sunday.

The precise topic of what the Russians wished to discuss was not immediately clear.

However, the request came after President Donald Trump took to Twitter on Sunday, where he said there would be a big price to pay for the chemical attack against a besieged rebel-held town in Syria where medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas.

A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday in the town of Douma. US and other officials said they were working on Sunday to verify details of the attack.
German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said to NTV channel on Sunday that the ramming in the town of Muenster is not terror-related, adding that there was evidence that the attacker acted alone. Still, he stressed that the attack should be thoroughly investigated, Sputnik International reports.

The police have discovered a moulage of the AK-47 rifle and fireworks at the house of the 48-year-old perpetrator of the ramming attack that occurred in Germany's Muenster yesterday, a joint statement issued by the city's Prosecutor's Office and the police says.

"There is still no information about the potential motive behind the crime. The comprehensive investigation is ongoing" the statement reads.

It also adds that "an unusable AK-47 rifle" and fireworks had been found during the search operation at the perpetrator's house, while another batch of detonators and a gun were found in the van that was used in the attack.

A van rammed into a group of seated people at Kiepenkerl cafe in the western Germany town of Muenster on April 7 at 3:30 p.m. local time, killing two - a 51-year-old woman and 65 year-old-man and injuring 20. The perpetrator killed himself upon performing the attack.


Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias has said that he believes there is no alternative to peaceful coexistence with Turkey and he does not consider the war between the two countries inevitable, Sputnik reported.

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Kotzias made relevant statements in an interview with the German magazine Der Spiegel, the text of which was circulated by the press service of the Greek Foreign Ministry. The whole interview was devoted to the Greek-Turkish relations.

"No, there is no alternative to peace and peaceful coexistence, but that does not mean that we do not take into account the behavior of any of our neighbors and how they solve the problems. All the neighbors and even all the best families have problems. They must be resolved peacefully, on the basis of international law," Kotzias said when asked whether Greece was preparing for a possible war with Turkey.
Fifteen people were injured when a gas canister exploded at a crowded Geneva restaurant Saturday, blowing out windows and spraying diners with shards of glass, rescue workers said, The Local reported.

The explosion at Italian restaurant Les Tilleuls near the centre of the Swiss city happened in the middle of the lunchtime rush, with the alarm going off at 1.18pm, rescue services captain Frederic Jaques told AFP.



"It appears to have been an accident. A small gas canister exploded," he said, adding that Geneva forensic police were investigating the cause of the explosion.



The exploding canister had been attached to a small blowtorch used to make creme brulee and similar desserts.



"The volume of gas was quite small, but the blow-back effect was impressive," Jaques said.



The kitchen area had been completely destroyed, and two people working there at the time of the explosion had suffered burns.



The restaurant's windows were meanwhile blown out, spewing glass across a crowded terrace.



In all, 15 people were injured, including eight who were sent to hospital, Jaques said, adding that no one had suffered life-threatening injuries.



A full 21 firefighters and other rescue workers, in 12 vehicles, took part in the operation to secure the area and five ambulances also rushed to the scene.



Jaques said accidents involving exploding gas ca;nisters happened from time to time, but that they were rare in a restaurant setting.
In informal contact earlier this year, North Korea reiterated its position that abductions of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s had been resolved, sources close to bilateral relations said Saturday, The Japan Times reports.

Japan is eager to make progress in the decades-long abduction issue, possibly through a summit like that between North and South Korea scheduled for April 27, or the proposed first-ever summit between the leaders of the United States and North Korea before the end of May.

But Tokyo appears to be left behind in the recent flurry of diplomatic activity and easing of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, with no meeting in sight between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japan has informed North Korea of its desire to hold a bilateral summit through several channels since February, as Tokyo views such a meeting as essential to resolving the abduction issue.

According to the sources, Pyongyangs message about the abduction issue being settled was conveyed to Tokyo around March through an unofficial route, and not via the Japanese Embassy in Beijing as in past contact between the Japanese and North Korean governments, as Japan currently has no direct diplomatic relations with North Korea.

The Japanese government views that message as a possible attempt by Pyongyang to test Tokyos position of insisting on the abduction issues resolution as a precondition for improved relations, the sources said.
Six people were killed on Saturday when a tunnel roof collapsed at one of Newmont's gold mining sites in Ghana, the company confirmed to local media on Sunday, Xinhua reports.

The tragedy happened following the collapse of the reclaim tunnel roof at the mining company's Ahafo Mill Expansion project, located some 307 km northwest of Accra.

Eight crew members were working inside the reclaim tunnel at the time of the collapse, said Newmont, the world's second largest bullion producer, in a statement.

The dead were workers of Consar Company Limited, a firm contracted to construct the reclaim tunnel roof, the statement said.

Other workers were evacuated and operations have been suspended until Newmont is satisfied that work can restart safely, said the statement posted on the company's website.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the collapse.
The Russian Aerospace Forces will get three regimental sets of the S-400 air defense system this year, a Russian Defense Ministry official told TASS in the run-up to the Air Defense Day.

"In 2017, four missile regiments were armed with S-400 Triumf missile systems. Other three S-400 [regimental sets] will enter service with the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2018," the source said.

The S-400 Triumf is the Russian long-and medium-range air defense missile system intended to hit attack and reconnaissance planes, including stealth aircraft, and any other air target. The S-400 can engage up to 80 targets at a time at a distance of 400 km and an altitude of 30 km.

Deputy Commander of Russias Aerospace Force Viktor Gumenny said last April that Russia S-400 air defense systems had begun receiving missiles capable of destroying targets in the near space.
A tanker crashed into a historic mansion on the shores of Istanbuls Bosphorus on Saturday after its steering equipment became locked, Reutres reported citing broadcaster CNN Turk said.

Broadcaster adding that traffic in the strait had been suspended in both directions.

Towboats and coast guard vessels were sent to the area after the crash and the Vitaspirit tanker, carrying a Maltese flag, was pulled back from the crash site and brought to shore, CNN Turk said.

There were no immediate reports of casualties, but footage from the crash showed extensive damage to the historic seaside mansion located under the Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridge, one of the three crossings between Istanbuls Asian and European sides.

The Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion has stood on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait since the 18th century and is used to host weddings and concerts, according to the mansions website.

The Bosphorus is one of the worlds most important choke points for maritime oil transports, with more than 3 percent of global supply - mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea - passing through the 17-mile waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

It is also used by vessels carrying grain from Russia and Kazakhstan to international markets.
The Turkish Interior Ministry is conducting a productive plan to cut illegal Afghan migrant inflow, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said on April 8 in the Afghan capital Kabul Hurriyet Daily News reported

Our brothers who have come to Turkey through legal ways are more than welcome here. But those who come via illegal ways are causing trouble. The [Turkish] Interior Ministry is conducting very efficient works. The process of voluntarily sending them back is also continuing. I would also like to thank you [Afghan authorities] for this business partnership, Yildirim said at a joint conference with Chief Executive of Afghanistan Abdullah Abdullah.

Yildirim arrived in Afghanistans capital Kabul on April 8 for a day-long visit.

Nearly 20,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have arrived in Turkey over the past three months, an unprecedented number according to the latest figures from the General Directorate of Security.

A total of 17,847 undocumented Afghan migrants have been captured by security forces from the beginning of 2018 until March 29.

On April 8, 227 Afghan migrants were deported with charter flights to Kabul from the eastern province of Erzurum after completing their deportation procedures.

Turkish authorities will deport nearly 600 Afghan migrants in eastern Turkey back to Kabul this weekend, the Interior Ministry said on April 7.

The Afghan migrants had crossed into Turkey through Iran due to ongoing terrorist activities and economic troubles in Afghanistan, the ministry said, and security forces had handed the migrants over to provincial immigration authorities.

It said deportation procedures had been completed for 591 migrants in Erzurum and that charter flights to Kabul would be arranged on April 7 and 8 to send the migrants back.

Following the completion of deportation procedures for illegal migrants in our other provinces, deportations will speed up and continue in the coming days, the ministry said in a statement.

Turkey urges Taliban to join Afghan peace process

Yildirim urged the Taliban in Afghanistan to enter peace talks with the Kabul government, calling Kabuls offer of peace talks to the Taliban a very brave step.

The peace process, which Afghanistan has recently put forward to completely resolve the terror issue in the country, is a very brave and a meaningful step, Yildirim said.

Mostly, we expect Taliban to benefit from this historic opportunity. Now, it is time to move from the past and build the future, he added.

He also underlined the importance of Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis recent trip to Kabul.

He assured that Ankara would continue to support Afghanistan in fighting terrorism and would also enhance bilateral ties in other fields including trade and defense.

Abdullah thanked Turkey for its role in ensuring peace and development in Afghanistan, adding that Yildirims visit to Kabul will further strengthen ties between the two countries.

The Turkish premier was accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Hakan Cavushoglu, Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmush, Transport, Maritime Affairs and Communications Minister Ahmet Arslan, Turkey-Mongolia inter-parliamentary friendship group head Mehmet Erdogan, Turkey-Afghanistan inter-parliamentary friendship group head Huseyin Kocabiyik and member of parliament Aydin Nal.
Killeen, TX (76540)

Today

Sunshine and clouds mixed. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. High 87F. Winds S at 10 to 15 mph..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. A stray shower or thunderstorm is possible. Low near 70F. Winds SSE at 10 to 15 mph.
Three people were found shot to death on a party bus early Saturday in the Rockford area, authorities said, Chicago Tribune reported.

About 3:30 a.m. officers were called to the 400 block of North Springfield Avenue for a report that several people had been shot. Officers from the Rockford Police Department found three people on a private charter bus who had been shot to death, according to a news release from the agency.

Police said the shooting happened in the area of Auburn Street and Johnston Avenue and the driver kept going as he called police before stopping on Springfield Avenue.

The party bus had been rented for a Friday night event, police said. The three people who were found dead have not yet been identified by the Winnebago County coroner.

The preliminary investigation showed that a passenger on the bus was the shooter, officials said.
President Trumps homeland security adviser said Sunday its possible the U.S. could hit Syria with a missile attack or other military action following reports of another chemical attack on its citizens, The Hill reports.

Thomas Bossert said on ABCs This Week that the Trump administration is looking at the details of the alleged attack on a hospital in Douma, Syria, which left dozens dead. The death count will likely rise.

I wouldnt take anything off the table. These are horrible photos, were looking into the attack at this point, Bossert said.

President Trump on Sunday also blasted his predecessor, former President Obama, for not responding to previous chemical attacks by Syria with military force.

Trump clashed with many of his national security and military advisers last week when he said he plans to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria very soon. He has suggested that the U.S. could extend its military presence in Syria if other countries, including Saudi Arabia, pay for it.
KYODO NEWS - Apr 8, 2018 - 09:08 | Urgent, All

In informal contact earlier this year, North Korea reiterated its position that abductions of Japanese citizens in the 1970s and 1980s had been resolved, sources close to bilateral relations said Saturday.

Japan is eager to make progress in the decades-long abduction issue, possibly through a summit like that between North and South Korea on April 27, or the proposed first-ever summit between leaders of the United States and North Korea before the end of May.

But Tokyo appears to be left behind in the recent flurry of diplomatic activity and easing of tension on the Korean Peninsula, with no meeting in sight between Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Japan informed North Korea of its desire to hold a bilateral summit through several channels since February, as Tokyo views such a meeting as essential to resolve the abduction issue.

According to the sources, Pyongyang's message about the abduction issue being settled was conveyed to Tokyo around March through an unofficial route, and not via the Japanese Embassy in Beijing as in past contact between the Japanese and North Korean governments, as Japan currently has no direct diplomatic relations with North Korea.

The Japanese government views that message as a possible attempt by Pyongyang to test Tokyo's position of insisting on the abduction issue's resolution as a precondition for improved relations, the sources said.

Abe, however, has responded by telling senior officials of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party and others that Japan does not need to feel pressured to arrange a summit with Kim, the sources said.

In 2002, five of the 17 Japanese nationals officially listed by Tokyo as abductees returned to Japan after then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi made a visit to Pyongyang. Japan suspects North Korea's involvement in many more disappearances.

(File photo shows five abduction victims returning to Japan from North Korea at Tokyo's Haneda airport on Oct. 15, 2002)

In July 2014, Pyongyang set up a panel to reopen an investigation in the abduction of Japanese nationals by North Korean agents, in exchange for Japan easing sanctions on the country.

But Japan reimposed the sanctions after a series of nuclear and ballistic missile tests by North Korea, which resulted in Pyongyang disbanding the investigation panel in February 2016.

Since then, North Korea has said the abduction issue was resolved.
Kerala's COVID-19 death toll to cross 32,000 mark as 8,000 more to be added

The deaths which had been left out from the list for various reasons till June 14 will now be included in the official list
2018 Fed 100

Federal 100: Marianne Bailey

Name: Marianne Bailey

Title: Principal Director, Deputy CIO for Cybersecurity

Agency: Department of Defense

Threat detective. If such things were possible, Bailey could have won two Federal 100 awards for her work in 2017. For the first part of the year, she was principal director for the Defense Departments chief information security officer and led DODs threat-based cybersecurity architecture review. A longtime NSA employee before coming to DOD, she returned to the agency last spring to be the lead cybersecurity adviser for all U.S. government national security systems deemed critical for military and intelligence activities. Virtually all those efforts are classified but absolutely vital to national security.

Click here for the full list
Spectrum

Why acquisition management is the SENSR project's secret weapon

Coordinating air traffic is akin to synchronizing a ballet performed over a pit of alligators, but four federal agencies have banded together in hopes of conducting that performance more effectively and efficiently.

Just over a year ago, the Federal Aviation Administration, the Department of Defense, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration unveiled an idea to combine air traffic control, air defense and surveillance, border and critical infrastructure protection, and weather forecasting prediction into a single, spectrum-conserving "system of systems" by 2024.

It's a dauntingly complex undertaking -- so much so that Congress last fall told the Department of Transportations inspector general to keep a special eye on the project. But a combination of legislative incentives and careful coordination seem to be paying dividends.

The Spectrum Efficient National Surveillance Radar project, said Mike Freie, the FAA's acting SENSR program manager, is aimed at starting from scratch to replace agencies piecemeal legacy systems with new technology, while also making more effective use of federal spectrum.

Starting from scratch doesnt mean proprietary, custom-made equipment and systems, however. Freie and his team are in discussions with industry about commercially available solutions that could fill their needs.

Freie and Benjie Spencer, NOAA's chief engineer and director of engineering standards, recently spoke with FCW about the project.

SENSRs primary goal, Frei said, is to provide more efficient use for mission by deploying a new architecture of systems, which can better keep track of the congested airspace that is commonly monitored by all four agencies on separate systems.

SENSR also takes a new tack on leveraging federal spectrum. The plan is for the agencies to vacate 30 MHz of the 1300-1350 MHz band to make it available for reallocation for shared federal and non-federal use. If the project is successful and the spectrum is freed up, it will be auctioned by the Federal Communications Commission in 2024 to commercial providers who could pay the government billions to get it.

That move was authorized under the Spectrum Pipeline Act of 2015, which was instrumental in setting the foundation for SENSR, said Freie. The teams began planning how it might leverage the act to handle SNSR even before the law took effect, according to Freie.

In the summer of 2017, the Office of Management and Budget gave $71.5 million to the four agencies for the project. Without the acts funding, Freie said, there was a very low likelihood SENSR would have been conceived.

The inter-agency team also decided early on in development that trying to meld separate acquisition processes at four agencies to handle SENSR would be a significant obstacle. The team set the FAA and its Acquisition Management System as project leads. AMS is the FAAs acquisition lifecycle framework that helps the agency balance acquisition resources and assess risks.

Thats what makes this interesting, said Spencer, noting the complexity of both the acquisition processes and the technology involved.

Spencer is no stranger to complex, multi-agency tech acquisitions. He helped develop the NEXRAD doppler weather radar system in the 1980s and 1990s with NOAA, DOD and FAA. SENSR is his third big multi-agency acquisition, Spencer said, and the lessons learned from those previous projects are already being put to use.

The team has also been talking with the tech industry about the project, recently concluding an industry week at the end of March at drew 60 companies to discuss it, said Freie. The information and feedback gleaned from those meetings and discussions will be forged into a second request for information, which Freie said will be issued in June.

The need for the combined system is obvious to both the agencies and aircraft operators, since all four agencies have similar radar-related missions or needs.

Melissa Rudinger, vice president of regulatory affairs/government affairs at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, called SENSR a good thing that might mark a new way of thinking about joint mission operations among federal agencies and spectrum use.

Although Rudinger noted she is not following all details of the project, she said past discussions over increasingly limited spectrum resources had been hard to have, since stakeholders have been quick to protect their existing resources. This sends a signal that maybe a more collaborative approach or new technologies that can offer ways to free up spectrum are out there, she said. Combining existing radar systems is not a bad idea.
(Recasts with deadline passing, court rejecting appeal)

By Gram Slattery and Tatiana Ramil

SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil, April 6 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva defied a judge's order to turn himself in to police on Friday and start serving a 12-year prison sentence for bribery that likely ends his bid to return to the presidency.

Lula remained holed up inside the headquarters of a steelworkers union in metropolitan Sao Paulo with aides and allies after the federal judge's deadline of 5 p.m. (2000 GMT) to surrender to authorities. However, Lula's legal team was negotiating his surrender with federal police, a source with knowledge of the matter told Reuters.

Federal police in Sao Paulo declined to say if they would attempt to forcibly take the former president into custody, a move that could trigger intense clashes with his supporters. A union spokesman said Lula was mulling his options with lawyers.

His legal team, which lost their last-minute appeal to a higher court, argued they had not exhausted procedural appeals and painted the case as an effort to remove Lula from the presidential race he is leading.

Hundreds of supporters filled the street outside the union headquarters, cheering defiant speeches calling the case a political witch hunt. A banner hung from the building showed Lula's smiling face on an electronic voting machine.

"We are here to show that the workers will resist this attack against democracy," said Jorge Nazareno, a union leader who said he had met briefly with Lula on Friday morning.

Lula himself had not addressed the crowd nearly 24 hours after arriving at the building, although union leaders said in an statement posted on their website that he would speak to the crowd Friday afternoon.

Many of those in the crowd, including workers, students and land rights activists, camped overnight Thursday in the streets.

The same steelworkers union in Sao Paulo's industrial suburbs where Lula sought refuge served as the launch pad for his political career nearly four decades ago, when he led nationwide strikes that helped to end Brazil's 1964-85 military government.

Story continues

Lula's everyman style and unvarnished speeches electrified masses long governed by the elite and eventually won him two terms as president, from 2003 to 2011, when he oversaw robust economic growth and falling inequality amid a commodities boom.

He left office with sky-high approval of 83 percent and was called "the most popular politician on Earth" by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Lula's downfall has been as stunning as the unprecedented corruption probes that have convulsed Brazil for the last four years, jailing dozens of politicians and business leaders long considered above the law.

THE FALL

Federal Judge Sergio Moro, who has handled the bulk of cases in Brazil's biggest-ever graft investigation and issued Lula's prison order, wrote that he should not be handcuffed and would have a special cell in Curitiba, where he stood trial.

Lula was convicted last year for taking bribes from an engineering firm in return for help landing contracts with state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Lula's plea to remain free until he exhausts all his appeals, in a case he calls a political witch hunt.

The ruling likely ends his political career and blows October's election wide open, leaving Brazil's left without an obvious candidate to regain power following the unpopular current president, Michel Temer.

Under Brazilian electoral law, a candidate is forbidden from running for office for eight years after being found guilty of a crime. Rare exceptions have been made in the past, and the final decision would be made by the top electoral court if and when Lula officially files to be a candidate.

Brazilian financial markets rallied on Thursday after the Supreme Court cleared the way for Lula's imprisonment, which increased the chances of a market-friendly candidate winning the election, according to analysts and political foes.

Cassio Goncalves, a labor safety specialist at the union headquarters, said Lula's Workers Party had not considered alternatives in the presidential race.

"We have no other plan," he said. "Plan A, B and C is Lula, because he is innocent. He will be our president." (Reporting by Gram Slattery and Tatiana Ramil in Sao Bernardo do Campo Additional reporting by Ricardo Brito in Brasilia, Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo Writing and additional reporting by Brad Brooks Editing by Brad Haynes, David Gregorio, Rosalba O'Brien and Tom Brown)
By Gram Slattery

SAO BERNARDO DO CAMPO, Brazil, April 6 (Reuters) - Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Friday spent his last hours before a 12-year prison sentence surrounded by supporters who vowed to fight for his right to run in a presidential race he is currently leading.

Ordered to turn himself in after he lost an appeal of his bribery conviction, Lula huddled with aides and allies at the headquarters of the steelworkers union in metropolitan Sao Paulo where he got his start in Brazilian politics.

"We are gathered here with our supporters in the birthplace of the Workers Party ... so we can combat this injustice," said party leader Gleisi Hoffman. "Lula is innocent!"

Lula's lawyers filed a last-minute request to an appeals court to suspend the prison order, arguing they had not been given time to exhaust procedural appeals. It was not clear if the higher court would intervene before a 5 p.m. (2000 GMT)deadline for the former president to turn himself in.

Hundreds of die-hard supporters in red shirts thronged outside the union offices late into the night on Thursday, cheering spirited defenses of Lula, who sought refuge inside. Many remained camped outside the building early on Friday.

The same union was the launchpad for Lula's political career nearly four decades ago, when he led nationwide strikes that helped to end Brazil's 1964-85 military government.

Lula's everyman style and unvarnished speeches electrified masses long governed by the elite and eventually won him two terms as president, from 2003 to 2011, when he oversaw robust economic growth and falling inequality amid a commodities boom.

He left office with sky-high approval of 83 percent and was called "the most popular politician on Earth" by former U.S. President Barack Obama.

Lula's downfall has been as stunning as the unprecedented corruption probes that have convulsed Brazil for the last four years, jailing dozens of politicians and business leaders long considered above the law.

Story continues

THE FALL

Federal Judge Sergio Moro, who has handled the bulk of cases in Brazil's biggest-ever graft investigation and issued Lula's prison order, wrote that he should not be handcuffed and would have a special cell in the city of Curitiba, where he stood trial.

Lula was convicted last year for taking bribes from an engineering firm in return for help landing contracts with state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

Brazil's Supreme Court on Thursday rejected Lula's plea to remain free until he exhausts all his appeals, in a case he calls a political witch hunt.

The ruling likely ends his political career and blows October's election wide open, leaving Brazil's left without an obvious candidate to regain power from the unpopular President Michel Temer.

Under Brazilian electoral law, a candidate is forbidden from running for office for eight years after being found guilty of a crime. Rare exceptions have been made in the past, and the final decision would be made by the top electoral court if and when Lula officially files to be a candidate.

Brazilian financial markets rallied on Thursday after the Supreme Court cleared the way for Lula's imprisonment, which increased the chances of a market-friendly candidate winning the election, according to analysts and political foes.

A defiant Workers Party, founded by Lula, said its supporters would take to the streets to defend his right to run.

Cassio Goncalves, a labor safety specialist at the union headquarters, said the party had not considered alternatives in the presidential race: "We have no other plan. Plan A, B and C is Lula, because he is innocent. He will be our president." (Reporting by Gram Slattery Additional reporting by Eduardo Simoes in Sao Paulo Writing and additional reporting by Brad Brooks Editing by Brad Haynes and Chizu Nomiyama)
U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shakes hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017.

In the trade war between the US and China, the ball is once again in Beijings court.

Yesterday (April 5), US president Donald Trump threatened to levy new tariffs on $100 billion of Chinese products, on top of the $50 billion that the White House announced earlier this week. The latest move is in response to what Trump calls Chinas unfair retaliationa plan to apply reciprocal tariffs on $50 billion of American goods including soybeans and automobiles.

Prior to the reciprocal agricultural tariffs, Beijing had already announced punitive duties on $3 billion of US products, in response to earlier US tariffs on Chinese steel and aluminum products worth the same value.

In its latest statement, Chinas commerce ministry said (link in Chinese) that Beijing would fight the US at any costbut Washingtons three rounds of proposed tariffs are so large that China wouldnt have enough additional American imports to penalize if it continues to seek proportional retaliation. Last year, China exported $506 billion of goods to the US while the US only exported $130 billion in goods (pdf) to China. The White House has already proposed tariffs on Chinese goods totalling $153 billion.

But the absolute number is not the only thing that matters in the spat. Chinas most recent retaliatory actiontargeting farm products such as soybeanscould be hitting Trump where it hurts the most. China is the worlds top buyer of American soybeans with trade worth about $14 billion last year. Eight of the nine US states that are the biggest producers of the crop voted for Trump. As a Chinese scholar noted to the New York Times (paywall), the USs agricultural sector is so influential in Congress that Beijing wants the American domestic political system to do the work.

Trump has suggested in the past that resolving trade disputes with China is dependent on geopolitical issues such as North Korea and Taiwan. Beijing might well take the same approach. Last week, North Korean leader Kim Jong-un paid a secret visit to Beijing before his potential meeting with Trump, a sign that Beijing is flexing its muscles on the Korean peninsula.

Story continues

To win a trade war, the Chinese leadership is armed with ammo that Trump could only dream of, such as an autocratic political system united under one mans indefinite reign in power, and a state-controlled media to rally support for the government. Trump, meanwhile, will have to justify his threats to his constituents as the November mid-term elections draw nearer.

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By Benjamin Jumbe.

The Uganda Communications commission has defended the proposed tax on Social media platforms

This comes amidst growing criticism from various circles following a directive by president Museveni to have these platforms taxed as one way to widen the countrys tax base.

The President in a March 12 letter to Finance minister Matia Kasaija proposed tax measures that seek to help government raise between Shs400 billion and Shs1.4 trillion from social media users annually.

However the commissions director corporate affairs Fred Otunnu says the decision followed protracted discussions and is already happening in other developed countries

He also dismisses arguments that it will be double taxation

Last week the minister for ICT defended the tax saying the presidents intention was to promote local innovation and creation of local apps and content instead of relying on foreign content.
Deutsche Bank AG's supervisory board is leaning toward naming Christian Sewing to succeed Chief Executive Officer John Cryan and promoting Garth Ritchie to sole investment banking head as part of a management overhaul, people with knowledge of the discussions said.

No final decision has been made as the supervisory board prepares to meet Sunday evening to discuss the situation at the top of the bank, the people said, asking not to be identified because the talks are private. The Frankfurt-based lender, which said it expects to announce a decision after the board meeting, is preparing the third top leadership appointment in six years amid pressure from investors to improve profitability and reverse a share slump.

Sewing, a lifelong Deutsche Bank veteran, is co-deputy CEO along with investment banking co-head Marcus Schenck. Sewing jointly heads the private and commercial bank with Frank Strauss, who the company is also considering naming sole head of that unit, people familiar with the matter said.

Officials for Deutsche Bank declined to comment on the likely appointments.

Ritchie would become sole head of the corporate and investment bank, which he has run with Schenck for the past year, as Schenck considers leaving, people with knowledge of the matter said

Investment Banking

At stake is the future direction of Germany's biggest lender. At the heart of the internal struggle are questions about its U.S. investment banking operations and how big a role they should have within the broader company in the future. Cryan has started a review of the activities with a view to scaling them back.

Sewing won plaudits for successfully negotiating job cuts in the German retail unit with the influential workers' councils, implementing the agreement on schedule and without a strong media backlash. He also headed Deutsche Bank's internal probe into its role into alleged money laundering at the bank's Russian unit, the so-called mirror trades, which led to the lender shuttering its securities unit in the country.

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Ritchie, a two-decade veteran of Europe's biggest investment bank who oversees all trading operations, has been weighing options about his future as his contract comes up for renewal later this year, people said last week. He joined Deutsche Bank in 1996 and rose through the ranks of its equities-trading division to become sole head of that business in 2010.

Trading Tumbles

Deutsche Bank's revenue from trading stocks and bonds, its biggest single source of income, has tumbled 32 percent since the end of 2015, triggering concern among investors.

Over recent weeks, Achleitner intensified a search for a successor. Discussions focused on a leader who speaks German and who works well with regulators, people familiar with the matter said. Sewing, along with Schenck and Chief Financial Officer James von Moltke, had been seen as the top internal contenders, while the bank and its backers have also reached out to external candidates including Bank of America Corp.'s Christian Meissner and ex-JPMorgan Chase & Co. executive Matt Zames, people familiar with the matter said last week.

Achleitner broke off his vacation to meet with stakeholders the past week to discuss his next move, people familiar with the discussions have said. The run of CEOs and strategy changes since he became chairman in 2012 has also led some analysts and investors to question Achleitner's responsibility.

Mixed Views

Even in recent days, investors have expressed mixed views on Cryan and who should replace him. At least two key investors have been pushing for his ouster, while another has signaled it won't stand in the way if Achleitner removes him, said people familiar. But another major owner is still backing the CEO, one person said.

Cryan, then a supervisory board member himself, took over in mid-2015 with a mandate to stabilize and clean up the company. He has struggled to restore revenue growth at Europe's largest investment bank after cutting risk, settling billion-dollar misconduct cases and raising fresh capital. Just over a year ago he named Schenck and Sewing deputy co-CEOs as part of the company's latest strategy overhaul.

Sewing was tasked with helping to run a new private and commercial banking unit, as well as corporate clients and wealth management. Sewing has served as deputy chief risk officer from 2012 to 2013 and head of group audit from 2013 until 2015.

See original article on Fortune.com

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(Corrects first name of Senator Ernst in paragraph 20, Joni instead of Jodi)

By Tom Polansek

OVERLAND PARK, Kan., April 6 (Reuters) - U.S. lawmakers and the farm industry were skeptical of the Trump administrations promise to shield farmers from the rapidly escalating trade dispute between the United States and China, concerned about the lack of details in protecting the U.S. agricultural export sector now embroiled in the back-and-forth.

Major farming states supported U.S. President Donald Trump in big numbers in the 2016 election, but lawmakers from those states were harsh in their criticism on Friday of proposed tariffs that have unsettled both the industry and agricultural trading markets.

It is unclear what types of options exist to protect the sector, though expectations were that the omnibus farm bill, the U.S. government's main food and agricultural policy tool, could include crop insurance and potentially other subsidies that could address the concerns. That bill is up for renewal this year.

"This is not a good situation. It just isn't," said U.S. Senator Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican who heads the Senate Agriculture Committee.

However, no specific proposals for protecting farmers have been suggested, and farming industry representatives were leery of tariff relief.

"We have heard no specific proposals and haven't offered any," said Will Rodger, director of policy communications at the American Farm Bureau Federation, the largest farm lobby group in the nation. "Our preferred outcome is a negotiated solution so that neither China nor the U.S. actually imposes tariffs."

Beijing rattled markets on Wednesday by threatening extra levies on U.S. goods including soybeans, the most valuable U.S. farm export to China, in retaliation for earlier U.S. trade actions. Fears later eased as many cited China's reliance on U.S. soybeans.

But on Friday, China warned it was fully prepared to respond with a "fierce counter strike" if the United States follows through on Trump's latest threat on Thursday to impose tariffs on an extra $100 billion in Chinese goods.

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The administration has said it would find a way to protect farmers, but U.S. Department of Agriculture Under Secretary Bill Northey told Reuters on Thursday there were no specific plans yet. "There's a lot of different options out there," he said.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran of Kansas, a Republican, said on the sidelines of a commodities conference in Kansas on Friday that he would support help for farmers, even though taxpayers would have to foot the bill for additional support for agriculture. Kansas was the nation's largest producer of wheat and sorghum in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

He added that the "better way to handle this is not to put the farmer in the damaging position in the first place."

On Thursday, before Trump threatened extra tariffs, Roberts said the trade conflict created a background of uncertainty for negotiating the farm bill. The current bill was passed in 2014 and was expected to cost $489 billion over five years; it expires at the end of 2018.

"Farmers have to have some degree of predictability and stability," he said on the sidelines of the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission conference in Kansas. "This kind of environment certainly doesn't provide that."

U.S. farmers  particularly those who grow commodity grains and oilseeds, such as corn and soybeans  already benefit from a number of government-backed programs. These include subsidized premiums for federal crop insurance, which helps protect farmers against weather and insect damage and against low prices for their crops.

But whatever options the White House chooses, they could cause more problems than they solve, said Chad P. Bown, a trade expert with the Peterson Institute for International Economics. He said tariff-specific subsidies to U.S. farmers could incentivize them to produce more goods at a time when global grain supply is at near-historic highs.

In the previous century, farm bills subsidized farmland and grain purchases, a practice that was eventually ended.

The question is: What kind of support would he have in mind? Bown said, referring to Trump.

Soybean futures have dropped 1.5 percent over the last five days as the dispute has heated up.

"If (farmers) are worried about the price that theyre going to get eventually, theyre going to invest less, theyre less likely to spend on fertilizer and seed, though most of those decisions have been made already," said Jonas Oxgaard, senior analyst at Sanford C. Bernstein & Co.

"It is my hope the Trump Administration will reconsider these tariffs and pursue policies that enhance our competitiveness, rather than reduce our access to foreign markets," U.S. Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa said in a statement.

Iowa is the No. 2 U.S. agriculture state in terms of farm cash receipts, led by corn, hogs, soybeans, cattle and dairy products. Its soybean production was valued at nearly $6 billion in 2016, according to the USDA.

(Reporting by Tom Polansek in Overland Park, Kansas; P.J. Huffstutter and Karl Plume in Chicago, Ayenat Mersie in New York and Richard Cowan in Washington Writing by David Gaffen Editing by Susan Thomas and Matthew Lewis)
Photo credit: Getty

From Popular Mechanics

Colonies of breeding king penguins move like molecules in liquids, attracting and repelling each other in a familiar pattern, according to a new study by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and other agencies. This movement pattern helps the penguin community to stay close while protecting themselves against predators. In a video, as a seal approaches a penguin colony, only the penguins closest scurry away while the remainder stay in place, unperturbed.

King penguin couples lay a single egg each breeding season, then take turns cradling and incubating the egg on their feet. Breeding pairs gather to form large dense colonies (a king penguin colony on South Georgia Island at Salisbury Plain holds over 100,000 breeding pairs). The communities are full of early and later breeders, with an extended breeding cycle of over 14 months.



To study the colonies' structures, scientists monitored the movement of colonies on Crozet and Kerguelen islands over two years using aerial photographs taken from a helicopter. Using radial distribution function, a mathematical relationship that describes how atoms are arranged in solid, liquid or gas forms, they found the connection between breeding king penguins and liquid molecules.

"This liquid state is a compromise between density-or how compact the colony is-and flexibility, which allows the colony to adapt to both internal and external changes," explained senior author Daniel Zitterbart, a physicist at WHOI and adjunct scientist at the University of Erlangen-Nuernberg. The findings will help researchers better understand the species' vulnerability, especially as climate change threatens their habitats, forcing them to move further South.



source: Phys.org

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The Apollo 11 Lunar Module ascent stage, with astronauts Neil A. Armstrong and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr. aboard, is photographed from the Command and Service Modules in lunar orbit in this July, 1969 file handout photo.

Chad Anderson is CEO of Space Angels, the worlds leading source of capital for entrepreneurial space ventures. Space Angels has invested in numerous space startups and conducts extensive market research into global startup activity and private funding within this emerging industry.

March 31 was supposed to be a landmark day for the private space industry. It was the official deadline for Googles Lunar X Prize: the historic 10-year privately funded race to the moon, with top startups competing for a $30 million grand prize.

There was just one problem: None of the finalists were able to complete their spacecraft in the required time. Google eventually had to cancel the contest altogether.

While on the surface this may seem like a setback for space startups, in reality the X Prize still accomplished what it set out to do, which was to encourage space entrepreneurship and new pathways toward a more efficient, low-cost access to space.

Private launchers are coming online at a rapid pace.

Several of the Lunar X Prize finalists  most notably Astrobotic  achieved a number of critical milestones for lunar landing, mobility and imaging, which are especially remarkable when one considers the short amount of time and resources they had to accomplish such engineering feats. At least a couple of these startups are also on track to launch their moon landers and rovers in the next few years.

An artists illustration of Astrobotics CubeRover (foreground) and Peregrine lunar lander on the surface of the moon.

But more importantly, with or without the Lunar X Prize, the commercial space industry is speeding ahead at a record pace, and startups are definitely in the drivers seat.

Between the landmark achievements by Blue Origin and SpaceX in successfully demonstrating reusable rocket systems to NanoRacks creating the first commercial airlock on the International Space Station, startups are achieving a number of critical firsts in the outer space market.

Over the next 10 to 15 years, they are likely to push the envelope even further.

Within five years, global commercial launch capacity will rival that of the government. This increased commercial launch capacity will further decrease the price of admission to space (estimated to be 36 percent less expensive than government launches, according to Space Angels) and create new demand for private launch pads around the world.

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Lunar outposts are coming closer to reality

Startups are developing new capabilities for exploring the moon, delivering large cargo shipments on a regular basis and establishing fixed structures on the lunar surface. The moon itself will become a critical platform for deep space operations, serving as a combined launch pad and refueling station. Key operations by Astrobotic and others are already in the works, with mission dates scheduled for the next couple of years.

Global investment in space has surged since 2009. In 2017, private investment in space startups set an all-time high of $3.9 billion. (Screenshot/Space Angels)

As NASA begins its transition toward a Deep Space Gateway near the moon, earth-orbiting space stations will be taken over by commercial interests. Over the next decade, startups will create these in-space biospheres for astronauts and in-space manufacturing. One such company is NanoRacks which is already underway with a plan to repurpose the upper stages of rockets into habitable space station components.

Then there is the funding picture. Last year, private investment in space startups set an all-time high of $3.9 billion, according to Space Angels year-end investment report. This included private funding from over 120 venture capital firms, which is a 35 percent increase in the last two years.

Since 2009, the worlds space startups have raised a total of $12.8 million in private funding and achieved over $25 billion in exits, according to Space Angels research.

Startups are bringing incredible innovation to the space industry through new technologies, business models and efficiencies. In the next 10 to 15 years, we can expect to see significant disruption across the commercial space industry.
ACCRA, April 8 (Reuters) - Six construction workers were killed in an accident at Newmont's Ahafo gold mine in Ghana on Saturday, forcing the surface mine to suspend its operations, a local Newmont manager said on Sunday.

The six died after a tunnel roof collapsed on them at the construction site of an expanded gold processing plant. Two others who sustained minor injuries are out of hospital, Agbeko Azumah, external relations and communications manager said. (Reporting by Kwasi Kpodo. Editing by Jane Merriman)
By Katya Golubkova and Gleb Stolyarov

MOSCOW, April 6 (Reuters) - The U.S. government's decision to include Russian magnate Oleg Deripaska on its sanctions blacklist on Friday will reverberate around the world because his business empire has a global footprint and counts major multinationals as partners.

Washington imposed sanctions on seven Russian oligarchs, 12 companies they own or control, as well as 17 senior Russian government officials because, it said, they were profiting from a Russian state engaged in "malign activities" around the world.

Deripaska, estimated by Forbes magazine to have a net worth of $6.7 billion, is the main owner of the conglomerate EN+, which in turn is the co-owner of some of the world's biggest metals producers, Rusal and Nornickel.

Deripaska's inclusion on the U.S. sanctions list could potentially create complications too for companies with which he does business; they include German car giant Volkswagen and commodities trader Glencore.

Deripaska has made no public comment about the sanctions. Part of his empire, Rusal, said it regretted its inclusion on the U.S. sanctions list, adding that its advisors were studying the situation.

Hong Kong-listed Rusal is one of the world's biggest aluminium producers. It says exports to the United States account for over 10 percent of its output.

Rusal owns assets in Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Nigeria, Guyana, Guinea. It owns a stake in Australian QAL, the worlds top alumina refinery.

Nornickel has assets in Finland, in Australia, where it holds a licence to develop the Honeymoon Well Project, and in South Africa, where it has a 50 percent stake in the country's only nickel concentrate producer, Norilsk Nickel Nkomati.

A Nornickel representative declined to comment on the risks resulting from the sanctions on their shareholder.

FOREIGN PARTNERS

In its statement announcing the sanctions, the U.S. Treasury Department said U.S. entities will be "generally prohibited from dealings with" the people and firms on the sanctions list.

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In addition, it said, companies outside the United States "could face sanctions for knowingly facilitating significant transactions for or on behalf of" sanctioned entities.

Volkswagen has a joint plant with GAZ, a Russian carmaker which is a subsidiary of Basic Element, another of Deripaska's businesses. Basic Element was also sanctioned on Friday. Under a contract that runs until 2025, the plant assembles vehicles from the Volkswagen stable.

The German automaker has been in talks to buy a stake in GAZ, five sources familiar with the discussions told Reuters in December last year.

Swiss-headquartered Glencore is a shareholder in Rusal, and his said it plans to switch those shares to Deripaska's newly-created holding company, EN+.

According to a Rusal prospectus, its major customers include Glencore, Toyota, and Rio Tinto Alcan.

Other foreign firms with ties to Deripaska's empire include Austrian construction company Strabag, in which the Russian's firm Rasperia has a blocking stake, and Singapore's Changi Airports International, which is a partner with a Deripaska-owned airports firm.

KREMLIN CONNECTIONS

In his life and career, Deripaska has frequently intersected with the Kremlin and Russian officialdom.

He holds regular meetings with President Vladimir Putin, he invested heavily in building infrastructure for Russia's 2014 Sochi winter Olympics, and has said his own interests are indivisible from the state's interests.

The mother of Deripaska's children, Polina, is the daughter of Valentin Yumashev, who was presidential chief of staff under former Russian president Boris Yeltsin. Yumashev later married Yeltsins daughter, Tatyana Dyachenko. Yeltsin and his entourage were instrumental in elevating Vladimir Putin to power as the anointed successor to the ailing president.

In February, the website of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny published a report alleging that Deripaska met Sergei Prikhodko, Russias deputy prime minister, on a yacht belonging to the businessman off the coast of Norway in 2016.

Deripaska accused Navalny and others of spreading lies that he had committed unlawful actions and obtained an injunction from a court requiring media outlets stop disseminating the disputed content. The Russian state telecoms watchdog blocked Navalnys website.

TRUMP CAMPAIGN MANAGER

Deripaska did business in the 2000s with Paul Manafort, who later became campaign manager for Donald Trump when he was running for president.

At the time he was doing business with Deripaska, Manafort, a Republican operative, was providing campaign advice to Viktor Yanukovich, a pro-Moscow challenger for the presidency of Ukraine. Yanukovich was elected president in 2010.

A Cyprus-based company tied to Deripaska, Surf Horizon Limited, sued Manafort and his aide Rick Gates, in a New York state court in January, accusing them of misappropriating more than $18.9 million earmarked for deals in Ukraine in 2008.

That lawsuit emanated from a business partnership that dates to 2006 when Manafort and Gates convinced Deripaska to invest in a private equity fund that would make investments primarily in Russia and Ukraine, according to an offering memorandum referenced in the lawsuit.

Jeffrey Eilender, who is representing Manafort in the lawsuit, told Reuters last month he planned to argue for dismissal based in part on the assertion that Surf Horizons claims are past the statute of limitations.

On Friday, Eilender said he believed the sanctions would make the pursuit of the lawsuit meaningless. As a practical matter, he cant take money or assets out of the United States, Eilender said, referring to Deripaska. Gates currently does not have counsel in the Surf Horizon case.

Despite the lawsuit, Manafort sought to stay in contact with the oligarch. Last year the Washington Post reported that Manafort sent an email in July 2016 through an intermediary offering Deripaska private briefings about Donald Trumps presidential campaign. Manafort was chairman of the campaign at the time.

The Post quoted Manafort spokesman Jason Maloni at the time as saying that the email exchanges reflected an innocuous effort to collect past debts. (Additional reporting by Anastasia Lyrchikova in MOSOCW and Nathan Layne in NEW YORK Writing by Christian Lowe Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
FILE PHOTO: Logo of Saudi Aramco is seen at the 20th Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference (MOES 2017) in Manama, Bahrain, March 7, 2017. REUTERS/Hamad I Mohammed/File Photo

By Erwin Seba

HOUSTON (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's national oil company Saudi Aramco on Saturday is expected to disclose initial steps toward a multibillion-dollar chemical plant in Texas, according to sources familiar with the company's U.S. operations.

Saudi Aramco has been weighing an expansion of its U.S. subsidiary Motiva Enterprises LLC's [MOTIV.UL] Port Arthur, Texas refinery, already the largest in the United States by capacity.

But Motiva wants to first move into petrochemicals, using abundant natural gas from U.S. shale fields to make the precursors for plastics, the sources said.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott is expected to attend an event in Houston on Saturday where Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih and Saudi Aramco Chief Executive Amin Nasser are to discuss the plans, according to a Saudi Aramco representative.

"Motiva is actively exploring a number of opportunities as part of its growth strategy," the company said on Friday. "These opportunities include locations where we currently operate as well as new ones."

Saudi Aramco last year said it would invest $18 billion in Motiva's Port Arthur refinery, which can process up to 603,000 barrels of crude oil per day (bpd).

Motiva wants to add an ethane cracker near its refinery that could produce more than 1.5 million tons of ethylene a year, the sources said.

Saturday's announcement will also include an agreement with TechnipFMC (FTI.N) for a study of producing materials used in gasoline and industrial solvents, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Motiva Chief Executive Brian Coffman last month said the company had yet to win approval for its major expansion projects.

Other U.S. companies, including Chevron Phillips Chemical Co [CHEPH.UL] - a joint venture of Chevron Corp (CVX.N) and Phillips 66 (PSX.N) - and Exxon Mobil Corp (XOM.N), have recently have opened plants to process ethane into ethylene. Chevron Phillips is considering building a second ethane cracker on the Gulf Coast of Texas.

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The price tag for a large ethane cracker is typically over $6 billion, according to Steve Lewandowski, vice president of Global Olefins at researcher IHS Markit.

"Ethane crackers make a lot of hydrogen which refiners can use in hydrocrackers and hydrotreaters" to make motor fuels, Lewandowski said.

Exxon is separately proposing to build with another Aramco unit, Saudi Basic Industries Corp , a $9 billion petrochemical plant near Corpus Christi, that would process ethane.

Refiners see petrochemicals as a new market as demand for motor fuels is expected to plateau later in the century, said Sandeep Sayal, vice president, downstream energy research at IHS Markit.

"Refinery industry growth is fairly subdued," Sayal added.

(Reporting by Erwin Seba, editing by G Crosse)
Photos show a handful of Google execs and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman rubbing elbows during his visit to Silicon Valley this week.

The Prince also met with tech executives like Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz and Virgin founder Richard Branson.

Pics or it didn't happen.

The Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman met with a host of Silicon Valley executives this week, including Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Magic Leap CEO Rony Abovitz, and Virgin founder Richard Branson, photos show.

Widely known as "MBS," the Prince stopped by Google's headquarters in Mountain View, California. to rub elbows with a handful of company leaders.

Here he is shaking hands with Hiroshi Lockheimer, the Google SVP who runs Android, Chrome, and other platforms, while CEO Sundar Pichai, Google's SVP of technical infrastructure, Urs Holzle, and leader of Google's cloud business, Diane Greene, appear in the background.

He and Sergey Brin, Google's cofounder and current president of parent company Alphabet, also met. They discussed cloud computing and the establishment of a research and development center for Saudi youth, according to an Arabian news publication .

The chief executive of the world's largest energy company, Saudi Aramco, told CNBC last month that the company wanted to partner with the likes of Amazon and Google to build a tech hub in the kingdom.

No word on whether Google's other cofounder, Larry Page, showed up.

The Prince also met with Rony Abovitz, CEO of augmented reality company Magic Leap.

He apparently got his own demo of the extremely secretive product.

MBS also stopped by to chat with Virgin Group's Richard Branson and was also slated to meet with Apple CEO Tim Cook.

While he may have received a warm reception from these tech leaders, not everyone was happy about bin Salman's visit.

Earlier this week people protested outside the Four Seasons Hotel where he was staying, arguing that Silicon Valley should not establish any kind of partnership with the Prince until Saudi Arabia ends its military intervention in Yemen.

Story continues

Although MBS is known for being progressive, Saudi Arabia's government is still also known for being generally repressive , with laws punishing homosexuality and preventing women from traveling without male permission.





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Child hands making Christmas holiday gingerbread cookie house.

When you get your paycheck every two weeks, odds are you feel the sting of what your pay could be versus what it actually is after taxes are taken out. Many people try to justify the chunk of cash by believing it is going towards the greater good  but do you really know what your tax dollars are going towards?

Keep reading to see some of the strangest things your tax dollars help fund.

No. 1: Fish on Treadmills

If youre a little out of shape, hitting the gym might make you feel like a fish out of water. For these aquatic creatures at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, thats literally what they were. The Institution used a $560,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to force fish to exercise to exhaustion on treadmills. Yes, you read that correctly  treadmills. Scientists reportedly chose mudskippers, thanks to their unique ability to use fins like legs for extended periods of time when out of the water.

No. 2: Earthquake-Proof Gingerbread Houses

Architects in earthquake-prone areas should take some pointers from Kris Kringle and the elves since apparently gingerbread houses proved impervious to even some of the most intense tremors around. The $150,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services funded the workshop in Oregon  and despite the head-scratching nature of the experiment, they get an A-plus for their choice of name: How Does the Cookie Crumble?

Related: How Much It Really Costs to Protect Your Home Against Natural Disasters

No. 3: Odontophobia

Next in line after the sky is blue, and dogs bark, the National Institutes of Health spent $3.5 million to study why half of all Americans reported being afraid of visiting the dentist. Spoiler alert: It might have had something to do with the use of power tools designed to gouge out bones embedded in your face. A few million dollars later, they came to the astute conclusion that dental anxiety is most often derived from  you guessed it  fear of pain.

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No. 4: Confirming College Students Drink

In other obvious news, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism received a $5 million grant to study the party habits of college students  specifically, the drinking habits of college students. In findings that shocked nobody who graduated college, members of fraternities and sororities accordingly drink more than the larger university population on average (especially on game day).

Click through to keep reading about taxes.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: See These Shocking Things Your Taxes Paid For
* Man shot himself after driving into restaurant, police say

* Perpetrator German, no sign of 'Islamist background' -minister

* Sueddeutsche Zeitung says he had psychological problems

* Politicians express shock (Adds Trump statement in paragraph 20)

By Elke Ahlswede

MUENSTER, Germany, April 7 (Reuters) - A German man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the old city centre of Muenster in western Germany on Saturday, killing two of them before shooting himself dead, police and state officials said.

The vehicle ploughed into people seated at tables outside the Grosser Kiepenkerl eatery, a popular destination for tourists in the pretty university city.

Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to Muenster, told German television the suspect was a German citizen and there was "no indication of an Islamist background".

Police spokesman Andreas Bode earlier said: "At 15:27 (1327 GMT), a vehicle drove into the outside area of the restaurant ... three people were killed, 20 injured, and six of those seriously injured."

"The perpetrator killed himself in the vehicle," Bode added.

Reul said the three dead included the perpetrator.

The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in its online edition that the perpetrator was Jens R., 48, who resided some 2 km (1.2 miles) from the crime scene.

Broadcaster ZDF said police were searching his apartment and that he had contact with far-right extremists, but there was no evidence thus far that he was a far-right extremist himself.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the man had psychological problems. The Interior Ministry in North Rhine-Westphalia would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Bode said investigators were looking at the possibility that other suspects fled the scene, though they had no evidence that this was the case, he added.

Bild newspaper said police were searching for two possible additional suspects after witnesses said they had seen two people jump out of the van. Jens R. had no police record, the newspaper said.

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"The crime scene investigators are checking out the crime scene, trying to identify, investigate and secure traces. That is our current task," Bode said.

A police spokeswoman said: "The danger is over."

Martin Wiech, who said he had studied in Muenster, told Der Spiegel he had driven there to go shopping and was now unable to return to his car.

"Unbelievable that something like this could happen in Muenster. It is one of the most peaceful cities I know," he said.

MERKEL 'SHAKEN'

The incident came one year to the day after a truck attack in Stockholm that killed five people.

It also evoked memories of a December 2016 truck attack in Berlin that killed 12. In that attack, Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, hijacked a truck, killed the driver and then ploughed into a crowded marketplace, killing 11 more people and injuring dozens of others.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement she was "deeply shaken".

"Everything possible is now being done to clarify the facts and to support the victims and their relatives", she added.

On Saturday evening, the White House issued a statement sending U.S. President Donald Trump's "thoughts and prayers" to the families of those killed.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: "All my thoughts are with the victims of the attack in Muenster. France shares in Germany's suffering".

Der Spiegel reported that police were investigating a similar incident that occurred in the eastern German city of Cottbus on Friday evening, when a man drove his car into a group of people, injuring two, before fleeing.

(Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold and Andrea Shalal in Berlin, Matthias Inverardi in Duesseldorf, and Sarah White in Paris, Patrick Rucker in Washington; writing by Paul Carrel; editing by Dale Hudson, Hugh Lawson and G Crosse)
WASHINGTON, April 8 (Reuters) - The U.S. Army on Sunday identified two pilots killed in a helicopter crash during training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, in the fourth American military aircraft mishap in less than a week.

The soldiers - identified as Chief Warrant Officer 3 Ryan Connolly, 37, and Warrant Officer James Casadona, 28 - died when their AH-64E Apache helicopter went down at Fort Campbell's local training area late on Friday, the 101st Airborne Division said in a statement.

Connolly was an instructor pilot with the 101st Combat Aviation "Destiny" Brigade and joined the Army in 2001. He had been awarded the Air Medal twice and was a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan, the statement said.

Casadona, also a pilot with the brigade, had joined the Army in 2012 and arrived at Fort Campbell in 2016.

The Destiny Brigade has suffered a great tragedy and our thoughts and prayers go out to the families of the deceased, Colonel Craig Alia, the unit's commander, said in the statement.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The Fort Campbell crash came after a Marine helicopter went down during training in Southern California on Tuesday. All four crewmembers were believed to be killed.

A Marine jet also went down in Djibouti on Tuesday. The pilot was later reported in stable condition.

On Wednesday, a U.S. Air Force pilot with the traveling Thunderbirds exhibition squad died when his F-16 fighter plane crashed in Nevada. (Reporting by David Morgan; Editing by David Gregorio)
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Tens of thousands of ethnic Pashtuns -- led by the young activist Manzoor Pashteen -- gathered in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on April 8 for a mass demonstration to demand the protection of the rights of Pashtuns.

RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal correspondents say as many as 60,000 people took part in the gathering, despite a media blackout in much of the country on reports about the demonstration.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), or Pashtun Protection Movement, was started mainly by young Pashtun activists who are demanding an end to what they say are human rights violations by authorities in the country's tribal regions.



They have been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances" in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.

Pashteen, the founder leader of the PTM, told the gathering on April 8 that Pakistan's government needs to form a judicial commission to investigate alleged extra-judicial killings in Pashtun-dominated regions of Pakistan.

He said police and security officials must bring before the courts all Pashtuns who have been detained and listed by authorities as "missing."

If found not guilty of allegations against them, Pashteen said, authorities must free detained suspects.

Pashteen also said Pakistan's government needs to clear landmines from the war-torn tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

Hundreds of women and children were among the participants in the April 8 demonstration, with some addressing the gathering

One woman who spoke to the rally, Basro Bibi from the Khyber tribal area, said her husband has been listed for several years by authorities as "missing."

She accused Pakistan's powerful Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agency of being behind his disappearance and many other "enforced disappearances" in the tribal regions.

Missing Relatives

Hundreds of other people attending the rally held photographs of their missing relatives, including captions with their names and the dates they went missing.

Two left-wing Pakistani political parties, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Balochistans National Awami Party, took part in the April 8 demonstration. But prominent leaders of other Pashtun nationalist and religious parties did not participate, despite vows in February that they would give their full support to the PTM.

Pakistan's government rejects allegations that security forces or its intelligence service is responsible for enforced disappearances.

Authorities say military checkpoints are necessary in the tribal areas in order to combat Islamic extremist militants, including Pakistani and Afghan Taliban fighters.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement first staged a 10-day sit-in protest in Islamabad in February in response to the January killing of 27-year old Naqeebullah Mehsud during what Pakistani police described as a raid on a terrorist hideout in eastern Karachi.

Pakistani police claimed Mehsud was a member of the Pakistani Taliban.

'Encounter Killing'

Mehsuds relatives in his native South Waziristan, where he was buried, deny that he was a militant.

They claimed he was the victim of an "encounter killing" -- a situation where police allegedly carry out an extrajudicial killing because they do not have enough evidence to convict a suspect in court.

The PTM halted its first Islamabad sit-in protest in mid-February after the government provided written assurances that it would address the group's complaints.

But the PTM relaunched demonstrations in March, saying it was disatisfied with the government's progress toward keeping its promises.

Meanwhile, the PTM appears to have been gaining popular support in the tribal regions and in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province with continued calls for an end to what it describes as the "persecution" of ethnic Pashtuns.

Rights groups also have said so-called "encounter killings are common in Pakistan.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HCRP), an independent rights organization in Islamabad, says Pakistani police reports listed the killing of at least 318 suspects during raids and shootouts in Karachi during 2016.

The PTM says it is simply demanding the rights that Pakistani citizens are meant to be guaranteed under Pakistan's constitution.

Similar demonstrations in solidarity with the PTM protest were held on April 8 in Germany, Sweden, Australia, London, Washington and Afghanistan.
Pakistan's Foreign Office has summoned the U.S. ambassador to Islamabad to lodge a "strong protest" after a motorcyclist was killed in a road crash involving an American diplomat driving an embassy vehicle.

U.S. Ambassador David Hale "expressed his deep sympathy and sadness" over the tragic death and "assured that the embassy would fully cooperate in the investigation," the ministry said on April 8.

It added that "justice will take its course" in accordance with local and international laws.

In a statement, the embassy expressed "deep sympathy" for the family of the dead man and for another person who was injured in the accident, and said that it was cooperating with Pakistani investigators.

Police said Atiq Baig, 22, died of head injuries sustained when his motorcycle collided with a U.S. Embassy SUV at traffic lights late on April 7. His cousin Raheel Ahmed, who was also on the motorbike, was injured in the accident.

Police said the SUV was being driven by the defense and air attache at the U.S. Embassy, who gave a statement at a local police station before being released.

Interior Minister Ahsan Iqbal said a case had been registered against the driver of the SUV, without providing further details.

The family of the dead motorcyclist lodged a complaint against the U.S. diplomat, saying he ran a red light.

Police on April 8 said they are examining footage of the accident from a surveillance camera.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
Re: Until the European Convention on Human Rights came into effect in 2000 [ #permalink

argha wrote:

Hi All,



What is wrong in (E)? The verb "acknowledged" should precede "came". Hence should it not be "had been no acknowledged"?







Regards



Argha

completely changes the intended meaning

intended meaning

== until 2000,british courts dindnt pass any law of privacy

===> UNTIL 2000 THERE WAS NO LAW IN BRITAIN ON PRIVACY.

USE OF HAD IS ALSO WRONG HERE.YOU CAN EXPRESS WITH SIMPLE PAST ALSO ...



The verb "acknowledged" should precede "came". Hence should it not be "had been no acknowledged"?



hi argha,option E is wrong because itof the original question.Until the European Convention on Human Rights came into effect in 2000, no law of privacy was as yet acknowledged by British courts.opton E:E. there had been no acknowledged law of privacy in BritainI didnt understand what you meant to say with this:hope it helps.
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"The average hourly wage of television assemblers in Vernland has long been significantly lower than that in neighboring Borodia." - So we have people assembling televisions in these two places, and the assemblers in Borodia have, for a long time, earned more money per hour doing so.

Three years ago, Borodia dropped all tariffs on Vernlandian televisions. That means that Borodia can import televisions from Vernland without paying any tariffs (taxes on imports).

Ever since the tariffs were eliminated, the number of total televisions sold each year in Borodia has not changed. In other words, removing the tariffs did not cause an INCREASE in the number of televisions sold annually in Borodia.

Ever since the tariffs were eliminated, the number of television ASSEMBLERS in Borodia has decreased.

Quote:

A. The number of television assemblers in Vernland has increased by at least as much as the number of television assemblers in Borodia has decreased.

Quote:

B. Televisions assembled in Vernland have features that televisions assembled in Borodia do not have.

Quote:

C. The average number of hours it takes a Borodian television assembler to assemble a television has not decreased significantly during the past three years.

Quote:

D. The number of televisions assembled annually in Vernland has increased significantly during the past three years.

required

Quote:

E. The difference between the hourly wage of television assemblers in Vernland and the hourly wage of television assemblers in Borodia is likely to decrease in the next few years.

might

This passage is hard to follow, so let's pick it apart, starting with the conclusion: "Updated trade statistics will probably indicate that the number of televisions Borodia imports annually from Vernland has increased." Now let's think about how the author arrived at that conclusion.The author sees a supply and demand problem. The number of televisions demanded in Borodia (i.e. the number sold annually) has not changed. However, the number of assemblers has decreased. According to the author, if the number of assemblers decreases, then the SUPPLY of televisions produced in Borodia would also decrease. Thus, Borodia would have to get televisions from somewhere else (i.e. Vernland) to meet the unchanging demand. Thus, the author concludes that Borodia has probably started to import more televisions from Vernland.Is this logic sound? If the number of assemblers in Borodia decreases, does the supply of televisions produced in Borodia necessarily decrease? Which of the following is an assumption on which the author's argument depends?The problem with (A) is that we don't know the rates at which Vernlandian assemblers and Borodian assemblers can assemble televisions. What if Vernlandians assemble televisions three times as quickly as Borodians? In that case, we would only need, for example, 100 Vernlandians to replace the output of 300 Borodians. Furthermore, what if Vernlandia already has an excess supply of televisions available for sale? In that case, Vernland would not need to significantly ramp up production in order to meet the demand from Borodia. The author's argument does not rely on this assumption, so eliminate (A).The author's argument rests on the idea that there is excess television demand in Borodia. If Vernlandian televisions had the SAME features as Borodian televisions, then surely Borodia would be willing to import the Vernlandian televisions to meet that demand. If Vernlandian televisions did NOT have the same features as the ones made in Borodia, that might weaken the author's argument. However, as is, choice (B) is not a required assumption.The author's argument is based on the idea that Borodia's television supply has decreased because the number of Borodian assemblers has decreased. But what if the Borodian assemblers have simply become more efficient? What if there are new methods or technologies that allow Borodian assemblers to make televisions twice as quickly as they did three years ago? In that case, Borodia would need half as many assemblers to meet the existing demand.In order for the author's supply-demand argument to hold, we have to assume that the productivity of Borodian assemblers has not significantly improved. Otherwise, the supply of televisions could remain the same despite a decrease in the number of assemblers. Thus, (C) is a required assumption.As described for choice (A), it is possible that Vernland has an excess supply of televisions that could be sold to Borodia. Alternatively, Vernland could simply decide to sell a higher proportion of the televisions it makes to Borodia and keep a smaller proportion in Vernland. Thus, Vernland could export more televisions to Borodia without significantly increasing the number of televisions it assembles annually. Thus, (D) is not aassumption and can be eliminated.The author's argument has nothing to do with wages. Sure, you could speculate that if wages don't increase in Vernland then Vernlandian assemblersmove to Borodia, decreasing the need to import televisions from Vernland, but there is nothing in the passage to suggest that this will happen. Even if wages do not change, Vernlandian assemblers might go on making televisions and exporting them to Borodia. The author's reasoning does not rely on this assumption, so eliminate (E).Choice (C) is the best answer._________________
Was ISIS (aka the Islamic State) invited to enter the Eurovision song contest this year? No, that's totally not true. A false story that made this claim originated on a satirical British website but there is no truth to it at all.

The story originated from an article published on April 8, 2018 by the Southend News Network which was titled "Islamic State invited to enter the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest" (archived here) which opened:

There has been an angry reaction online after it was announced that Islamic State has been invited to enter the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in an 'act of friendship.' The show is due to take place on May 12th in Lisbon, and many have expressed concern about their chosen song, The Heroic Goats of Raqqa. According to sources in the Middle East, the tune glorifies the work of the Caliphate's 'Intelligence Goats,' animals who are specially trained to gather information about members of the population who may be breaking the law with non-regulation beards.

The Eurovision Song Contest (often simply called Eurovision) is the longest-running annual international TV song competition. It has been held primarily among the member countries of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) since 1956. This year's edition takes place in Lisbon, Portugal. But ISIS does not feature on the official list of participants (which has 43 countries on it).

If the parts in the story about the beards and the goats didn't give it away: we can assure our readers the story was satirical in nature.

But some people might have only seen the summary of the story on social media which may have led them into believing it was real:

Islamic State invited to enter the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest There has been an angry reaction online after it was announced that Islamic State has been invited to enter the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in an 'act of friendship.' The show is due to take place on May 12th in Lisbon, and many have expressed concern about their chosen song, The Heroic Goats of Raqqa....

The Southend News Network is a satirical site pretending to be a news organisation by the English coast in Southend. They have a disclaimer on their about page that reads (in part):

Southend News Network was originally started in October 2015 with no real aims or objectives in mind other than to add a satirical/spoof-like touch to issues that people are passionate about in Southend On Sea. Above all else, SNN is all about having the occasional 'dig' at the powers that be, as well a slightly bigger and more frequent 'dig' at certain elements of local media!

Several of their stories have been mistaken for real news in the past and the site was recognized by the local authorities as an "official news outlet".

We wrote about southendnewsnetwork.net before, these are our most recent articles that mention the site:
NEW YORK  A raging fire that tore through a 50th-floor apartment at Trump Tower on Saturday killed a man inside and sent flames and thick, black smoke pouring from windows of the president's namesake skyscraper.

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the cause of the blaze is not yet known but the apartment was "virtually entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived after 5:30 p.m.

"It was a very difficult fire, as you can imagine," Nigro told reporters outside the building in midtown Manhattan. "The apartment is quite large."

A 67-year-old man who was in the apartment was taken to a hospital and died a short time later, the New York Police Department said. His name was not immediately released. Officials said four firefighters also suffered minor injuries.

Shortly after news of the fire broke, Trump, who was in Washington, tweeted: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

Asked if that assessment was accurate, Nigro said, "It's a well-built building. The upper floors, the residence floors, are not sprinklered."
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
* A court in the northern state of Amazonas has levied a R$11.7m (US$3.5m) fine on Facebook for failing to cooperate with Operation Misguided Paths, which investigates irregularities in health spending. They alleged the US company did not provide crucial evidence from conversations on WhatsApp, which is owned by Facebook. The value of the penalty is the sum of daily R$1m (US$300,000) fines accrued from 13 June 2016 when the court order was given to 20 September 2016, the final deadline for Facebook to comply. Facebook has said it is cooperating with the authorities and considered the fine unfair. It has the right to appeal to higher courts.
Private colleges and universities are growing in popularity around the world. One-third of all higher education students worldwide take classes at such schools. That finding is from a study published earlier this year in the journal Higher Education.

Experts say the number of students attending private colleges and universities has been increasing for many years. But the study, from the University of Albany, is said to be the most complete collection of information on private higher education yet.

The universitys researchers studied information from the Institute of Statistics at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. They also used education records from national organizations in different countries and cross-border agencies.

The researchers found that in the 192 countries named in the study, private colleges and universities enrolled 56.7 million students. That total represents about 33 percent of the worlds higher education student population.

Daniel Levy says the findings provide evidence of interesting changes to the nature of higher education worldwide. Levy is the director of the Program for Research on Private Higher Education at the University of Albany. He also wrote the study.

Levy says that for hundreds of years, the United States was different from many other countries in terms of higher education.

In Europe, for example, most of the colleges and universities have long been operated by the state. But many of Americas earliest colleges and universities were private and often operated by religious groups. These schools have become some of the most widely known and respected schools around the world.

Yet in recent years, private colleges and universities have become less popular in the United States than they once were, Levy notes. Private school enrollment was, at one time, higher in the U.S. than in any other country. Now, only 27.5 percent of American students attend a private institution, well below the international average.

Levy adds that as other countries have developed and grown economically, so too has private higher education. In Latin America, for example, about 49 percent of higher education students attend a private college or university. In Asia, about 42 percent of higher education students attend such schools.

Levy adds that private higher education has had a successful history in some places because of a lack of competition.

In some of these regions, national independence wasnt achieved until the 1960s or afterwards, he told VOA. And so, higher education systems werent begun  until that time. So its not like there was always a very long history of public education before there was private higher education.

The growth of private higher education systems has resulted from several other factors, argues Harold Hartley. He is the senior vice president of the Council of Independent Colleges. His organization represents hundreds of private colleges and universities in the U.S. as well as several schools in other countries.

Hartley suggests that many Americans have begun to question the value of a liberal arts education. Yet liberal arts programs are, in part, what has made American higher education so popular around the world. And many newer, private institutions offer such programs as a way to train students in one area of specialization while also educating them in other subjects. Such schools often appeal to international students.

Hartley adds that as more and more people are attending college, public higher education systems in some countries are running out of space.

The state governments, the national governments in these countries just simply cant keep up with the demand, Hartley said. And so private institutions are stepping in to fill that void, and thats part of whats fueling this rapid growth.

But Philip Altbach says there is more to this issue than classrooms not having enough seats for all the students. Altbach directs the Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, a private Catholic research university in Boston, Massachusetts.

Altbach suggests there is now movement from public to private control of industries and different parts of modern life. People have grown dissatisfied with large governments and paying taxes in general, he says. But most public colleges and universities depend on government support. And with less tax money to spend, many governments have reduced that support in recent years.

Both Altbach and Levy have concerns about the growth of private higher education worldwide. They say that most private higher education is more costly than public systems. Also, historically and now, private higher education outside the U.S., in general, has been of lesser quality than the public systems, Altbach adds. That is because private schools in many countries do not have to follow the same rules that ensure a good education.

However, U.S. officials have also faced problems in governing the private sector, says Altbach. He notes the rise of several private colleges and universities that only seemed interested in making a profit.

For example, Corinthian Colleges was a for-profit company that operated schools all over the country. In 2015, the government found the company guilty of lying to students about things such as how likely they would be to find a job after finishing their studies.

So, Altbach suggests that in order for the private sector to improve itself, private schools must be willing to find ways to punish the bad ones. There may not be one perfect way of doing so. But as the nature of higher education changes, so too must the laws surrounding it.

In a way its trying to get the private sector to contribute to the broader public interest, he said. And thats not impossible. The United States has done it for several centuries. Only in recent times, with  these for-profits, have we had real problems with that system.

In addition, Altbach admits that not every college and university can be the best in the world. But they do not need to be, he says. Private institutions need to work with each other and with government officials. In doing so, they can be open about their actions and create systems for governing the private education industry.

Im Pete Musto.

And Im Dorothy Gundy.

Pete Musto reported this story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. How do you think countries should govern private higher education? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

QUIZ

Quiz - One Third of Higher Education Students Worldwide Attend Private College or University Start the Quiz to find out Start Quiz



_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

journal  n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people

enroll(ed)  v. to take someone as a member or participant

institution  n. an established organization

achiev(ed)  v. to reach a goal

factor(s)  n. something that helps produce or influence a result

liberal arts  n. areas of study such as history, language, and literature that are intended to give you general knowledge rather than to develop specific skills needed for a profession

void  n. a large empty space

rapid  adj. happening in a short amount of time

sector  n. an area of an economy

contribute  v. to help to cause something to happen
In the United States, the federal government is working to detain undocumented immigrants and get them removed from the country.

Yet some U.S. city and state governments have started programs to defend undocumented individuals.

More than 10 state and local governments have joined a group to expand legal representation for immigrants facing detention and possible expulsion, officials said.

Helping local communities

That group is called the Safe Cities Network. It promises to keep communities "safe and strong by protecting due process and providing legal representation to immigrants facing deportation."

"We're not just talking about one person going through, noted Annie Chen. One person going to court. One in detention and going through the deportation process. You're talking about families, entire families and communities being impacted, she said.

Chen is program director at the New York-based VERA Institute of Justice. Her group partners with state and local officials to change the U.S. justice system.

She added that with increased enforcement of immigration policies, local officials have a better understanding of the issue, and see how it affects their communities.

Recently, the city of Baltimore, Maryland established a legal defense fund for undocumented immigrants. City officials approved $100,000 in public money to help immigrants fight deportation.

The money was added to a collection of private money, with additional financial support coming from VERA.

Catalina Rodriguez is director of the Baltimore Mayor's Office of Immigrant and Multicultural Affairs. She told VOA that after the launch of a campaign for increased immigration enforcement in February 2017, city officials started hearing from people living there.

"All of these individuals [arrested] were not necessarily criminals. Their crime' was they were here [in the U.S.] undocumented, and they had already a deportation order. However, they were members of our city, (and) business owners, said Rodriguez. She added that a lot of people in Baltimore were concerned.

Being in the U.S. unlawfully is not a criminal violation, but a civil one. Rodriguez said Baltimore officials learned from New York, the first U.S. city to have a legal fund program. The Baltimore fund is expected to help about 40 people identified for deportation.

Good and bad effects

The immigration data tracker TRAC reports that out of 304,642 immigrants detained from 2002 to February 2018, only 62,697 had legal representation.

Immigration lawyers and activists told VOA that access to legal representation "greatly" increases an immigrant's chance to win their case.

Chen said that in the U.S. criminal justice system, if you do not have enough money for a lawyer, you have a right to a public defender. However in immigration court, you do not have that right. This means that someone who cannot pay for a lawyer will not have one to represent them in court.

Not everyone agrees with public money going into a legal defense fund for undocumented immigrants.

A spokesman for Maryland's Republican Party chairman Dirk Haire said that Maryland Republicans questioned whether the money is being wisely spent.

Haire said that most people in the city, would prefer to have that money spent on heat and air conditioning in Baltimore public schools" instead of legal costs. The Baltimore Sun newspaper reported his comments.

Baltimore city councilman Zeke Cohen told the Sun that increased enforcement of immigration laws has resulted in the arrest of many community members.

What kind of a country do we live in that would orphan a child in order to enforce its broken immigration laws?" Cohen said.

A recent study found that the Baltimore area is home to 281,109 immigrants, or about 10 percent of the local population.

In 2014, immigrants paid about $3.4 billion in taxes and had a spending power of $7.7 billion in the same region.

The story was a project of a group called the New American Economy. It is a coalition of business leaders and city mayors working toward immigration reform.

Im Phil Dierking.

Aline Barros reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

Do you think that public money should be used for legal defense funds for illegal immigrants? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page. ________________________________________________________________ Words in This Story

air conditioning - n. a system used for cooling and drying the air in a building, room, etc.

deport - v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

due process - n. fair treatment through the normal judicial system, especially as a citizen's entitlement.

fund - n. an amount of money that is used for a special purpose

impact - n. a powerful or major influence or effect

orphan - n. a child whose parents are dead

jurisdiction - n. the power or right to make judgments about the law, to arrest and punish criminals, etc.


Colleges and universities are not the first places most people would think to find government spies. But reporter Dan Golden said that is not the case.

Theres an awful lot more international students, international professors at American universities. Some of them are here to gather information for their countries."

Golden recently spoke with VOA about his book Spy Schools. In the book, he gives examples of spying at U.S. colleges and universities. He says the free exchange of ideas and mix of cultures at universities increase the chances for spying to take place.

Charlie McGonigal leads the counterintelligence division at the Federal Bureau of Investigation in New York. He said spying at universities is a big problem.

Theres a lot of research and development at major universities in the United States that a foreign government would look to exploit by sending students to study at these universities.

Americans studying in other countries can also become targets of foreign governments. McGonigal says often these students are asked to seek jobs in the U.S. government.

...Then theyre asked to go and apply for employment with the U.S. government or in a sensitive private sector area where we know those governments are targeting that type of specific information.

But the United States also uses intelligence-gathering operations in universities. Alex van Schaick was a student in Bolivia researching organized labor movements. He met a U.S. government official in Bolivia for what he thought was a usual security meeting.

But Van Schaick grew concerned by the officials request.

He said, Oh, and if youre out doing field work out in the countryside, if you run into any Cuban doctors or Venezuelan officials, wed like you to report their whereabouts back to the U.S. embassy.

McGonigal says that these kinds of recruitment efforts are not common. He adds that the U.S. does not use these methods as often or in the same ways as the Chinese or Russian governments.

Dan Golden says raising awareness about the high incidence of spying is important. He notes the 2010 discovery of Russian spies who pretended to be Americans.

The vast majority of them were going to American colleges and universities, or had gone to them.

Golden added that he believed that Russia considered it important for spies to have an American college degree.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Tina Trinh reported this story for VOA News. Jonathan Evans adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

exploit  v. to use someone or something in a way that helps you unfairly

sector n. an area of an economy or group of industries

specific adj. relating to something particular or special

recruitment n. the process of getting someone to join a group, organizations or business

pretend  v. to imagine and act out a particular role, situation, etc.

vast  adj. very great in size, amount, or extent
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Bellatrix Exploration Ltd., an oil and gas company, engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of oil and natural gas reserves in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Saskatchewan in Canada. It primarily focuses on developing its two core resource plays, the Cardium and the Spirit River in Western Canada. The company was founded in 2000 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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China Mobile Limited provides mobile telecommunications and related services in Mainland China and Hong Kong. The company offers local calls; domestic and international long distance calls and roaming services; and value-added services, such as caller identity display, call waiting, conference calls, and others. It also provides wireless Internet service, as well as digital applications comprising music, video, reading, gaming, and animation; wireline broadband services; and wireline voice services. In addition, it offers dedicated line and IDC services to corporate customers in a range of industry sectors; and basic corporate communication products comprising corporate VPMN and SMS, and tailor made solutions. Further, the company provides international telecommunications services, which includes IDD, roaming, Internet, MNC, and value added business services. Additionally, it offers telecommunications network planning, design, and consulting services; roaming clearance, IT system operation, and technology support services; value-added platform development and maintenance services; mobile data, and system integration and development services; network construction and maintenance, network planning and optimizing, and training services; electronic communication products design and sale of related products; and non-banking financial services. It also provides mobile cloud research and development services; call center services; e-payment, e-commerce, and Internet finance services; and mobile Internet digital content services, as well as operates a network and business coordination center. The company serves 950 million mobile customers and 187 million wireline broadband customers. The company was formerly known as China Mobile (Hong Kong) Limited and changed its name to China Mobile Limited in May 2006. The company was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. China Mobile Limited is a subsidiary of China Mobile Hong Kong (BVI) Limited.

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Steelcase Inc. manufactures and sells integrated furniture settings, user-centered technologies, and interior architectural products. It operates through Americas, EMEA, and Other Category segments. The firm's furniture portfolio includes panel, fence and beam-based furniture systems, storage products, fixed and height-adjustable desks, benches, and tables, as well as complementary products, including work tools and screens. Its seating products comprise ergonomic task chairs; seating for collaborative or casual settings; and specialty seating for specific vertical markets, such as healthcare and education. The firm's interior architectural products include full and partial height walls and architectural pods. It also provides textiles, wall coverings, and surface imaging solutions for architects and designers; and ceramic steel surfaces for use in various applications, including static whiteboards and chalkboards through third party fabricators and distributors, as well as workplace strategy consulting, data-driven space measurement, lease origination, furniture and asset management, and hosted event services. The company markets and sells its products to corporate, government

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KAZ Minerals PLC, together with its subsidiaries, engages in mining and processing copper and other metals primarily in Kazakhstan, Russia, and Kyrgyzstan. It operates through Bozshakol, Aktogay, East Region and Bozymchak, and Mining Projects segments. The company operates the Aktogay and Bozshakol open pit copper mines in the east region and Pavlodar region of Kazakhstan; three underground mines in the east region of Kazakhstan; and the Bozymchak copper-gold mine in Kyrgyzstan. It also develops greenfield metal deposits; operates Koksay deposit in Kazakhstan, and the Baimskaya licence area in the Chukotka region of Russia; and produces and sells various by-products, such as gold, silver, molybdenum, and zinc. In addition, the company supplies and distributes heat, water, and electricity; and offers construction, project management, financing, management, sales and logistics, and repairs and maintenance services. The company was formerly known as Kazakhmys PLC and changed its name to KAZ Minerals PLC in October 2014. KAZ Minerals PLC was founded in 1930 and is based in London, the United Kingdom.

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Acacia Mining plc, together with its subsidiaries, mines, processes, and sells gold in Africa. The company has three gold mines in north-west Tanzania, including Bulyanhulu, Buzwagi, and North Mara; and a portfolio of exploration projects at various stages of development in Tanzania, Kenya, Burkina Faso, and Mali. It also produces co-products, such as copper and silver. The company was formerly known as African Barrick Gold plc and changed its name to Acacia Mining plc in November 2014. The company was incorporated in 2010 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Acacia Mining plc is a subsidiary of Barrick Gold Corporation.

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The Bank of Nova Scotia provides various banking products and services in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Peru, Chile, Colombia, the Caribbean and Central America, and internationally. It operates through Canadian Banking, International Banking, Global Banking and Markets, and Global Wealth Management segments. The company offers financial advice and solutions, and day-to-day banking products, including debit and credit cards, chequing and saving accounts, investments, mortgages, loans, and insurance to individuals; and business banking solutions comprising lending, deposit, cash management, and trade finance solutions to small businesses and commercial customers, including automotive financing solutions to dealers and their customers. It also provides wealth management advice and solutions, including online brokerage, mobile investment, full-service brokerage, trust, private banking, and private investment counsel services; and retail mutual funds, exchange traded funds, liquid alternative funds, and institutional funds. In addition, the company offers international banking services for retail, corporate, and commercial customers; and lending and transaction, investment banking advisory, and capital markets access services to corporate customers. Further, it provides Internet, mobile, and telephone banking services. The company operates a network of 952 branches and approximately 3,540 automated banking machines in Canada; and approximately 1,400 branches, 5,200 ATMs, and 22 contact centers internationally. The Bank of Nova Scotia was founded in 1832 and is headquartered in Halifax, Canada.

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Rentokil Initial plc, together with its subsidiaries, provides route-based services in North America, the United Kingdom, rest of Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and internationally. It offers a range of pest control services from rodents to flying and crawling insects, as well as to other forms of wildlife management for commercial and residential customers. The company also provides hygiene services, including the provision and maintenance of products, such as air fresheners, sanitizers, feminine hygiene units, hand dryers, paper and linen towel dispensers, soap and hand sanitizer dispensers, toilet paper dispensers, and floor protection mats. In addition, it engages in the supply and laundering of workwear, uniforms, cleanroom uniforms, and protective equipment. Further, the company installs and services interior and exterior plant displays, flowers, replica foliage, Christmas decorations, and ambient scenting for commercial businesses; offers property care services consisting of damp proofing, property conservation, and woodworm and wood rot treatment; and provides a range of specialist cleaning services, such as deep cleaning of kitchens and washrooms, trauma cleaning, and flood or fire damage cleaning, as well as graffiti removal, specialist deep cleaning, and disinfection services, including the professional and discreet disinfection of areas that have been exposed to bio-hazardous situations, such as crime and trauma scenes, prison cells, void properties, emergency vehicles, and healthcare establishments. Additionally, it offers a range of healthcare waste management services comprising the collection, disposal, and recycling of hazardous and offensive waste produced by businesses and organizations associated with the provision of healthcare; and color-coded sharps disposal bins to deal with various types of waste. Rentokil Initial plc was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Camberley, the United Kingdom.

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American Water Works Co., Inc. engages in the provision of complementary water and wastewater services. It operates through the following segments: Regulated Businesses; Market-Based Businesses; and Other. The Regulated Businesses segment provides water and wastewater services to customers. The Market-Based Businesses segment is responsible for Military Services Group, Contract Operations Group, Homeowner Services Group, and Keystone Operations. The Other segment includes corporate costs that are not allocated to the Company's operating segments, eliminations of inter-segment transactions, fair value adjustments and associated income and deductions related to the acquisitions that have not been allocated to the operating segments for evaluation of performance and allocation of resource purposes. The company was founded in 1886 and is headquartered in Camden, NJ.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Valero Energy: AIR BP-PBF DEL PERU SAC, BELFAST STORAGE LTD, CANADIAN ULTRAMAR COMPANY, COLONNADE TEXAS INSURANCE COMPANY LLC, COLONNADE VERMONT INSURANCE COMPANY, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY LLC, DIAMOND ALTERNATIVE ENERGY OF CANADA INC., DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL HOLDINGS LLC, DIAMOND GREEN DIESEL LLC, DIAMOND K RANCH LLC, DIAMOND OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., DIAMOND SHAMROCK REFINING COMPANY L.P., DIAMOND UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., DSRM NATIONAL BANK, ENTERPRISE CLAIMS MANAGEMENT INC., GCP LOGISTICS COMPANY LLC, GOLDEN EAGLE ASSURANCE LIMITED, HAMMOND MAINLINE PIPELINE LLC, HUNTWAY REFINING COMPANY, MAINLINE PIPELINES LIMITED, MAPLE ETHANOL LTD., MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT GP LLC, MICHIGAN REDEVELOPMENT L.P., MRP PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, NECHES RIVER HOLDING CORP., NORCO METHANOL LLC, OCEANIC TANKERS AGENCY LIMITED, PARKWAY PIPELINE LLC, PENTA TANKS TERMINALS S.A., PI DOCK FACILITIES LLC, PICKARD PLACE CONDOMINIUM ASSOCIATION, PORT ARTHUR COKER COMPANY L.P., PREMCOR USA INC., PROPERTY RESTORATION L.P., PURE BIOFUELS DEL PERU S.A.C., PURE BIOFUELS HOLDINGS L.P., Parkway Pipeline, Premcor, Pure Biofuels Del Peru, SABINE RIVER HOLDING CORP., SABINE RIVER LLC, SAINT BERNARD PROPERTIES COMPANY LLC, SUNBELT REFINING COMPANY L.P., THE PREMCOR PIPELINE CO., THE PREMCOR REFINING GROUP INC., THE SHAMROCK PIPE LINE CORPORATION, TRANSPORT MARITIME ST. LAURENT INC., ULTRAMAR ACCEPTANCE INC., ULTRAMAR ENERGY INC., ULTRAMAR INC., Ultramar Diamond Shamrock, V-TEX LOGISTICS LLC, VALERO (BARBADOS) SRL, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS GP LLC, VALERO (PERU) HOLDINGS LIMITED, VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO ARUBA ACQUISITION COMPANY I LTD., VALERO ARUBA FINANCE INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA HOLDING COMPANY N.V., VALERO ARUBA HOLDINGS INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO ARUBA MAINTENANCE/OPERATIONS COMPANY N.V., VALERO BROWNSVILLE TERMINAL LLC, VALERO CANADA FINANCE INC., VALERO CANADA L.P., VALERO CAPITAL CORPORATION, VALERO CARIBBEAN SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO COKER CORPORATION ARUBA N.V., VALERO CUSTOMS & TRADE SERVICES INC., VALERO EAST BAY LLC, VALERO ENERGY (IRELAND) LIMITED, VALERO ENERGY ARUBA II COMPANY, VALERO ENERGY INC., VALERO ENERGY LTD, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS GP LLC, VALERO ENERGY PARTNERS LP, VALERO ENERGY UK LTD, VALERO ENTERPRISES INC., VALERO EQUITY SERVICES LTD, VALERO FINANCE L.P. I, VALERO FINANCE L.P. II, VALERO FINANCE L.P. III, VALERO FOREST CONTRIBUTION LLC, VALERO GRAIN MARKETING LLC, VALERO H2 PIPELINE COMPANY LLC, VALERO HOLDCO UK LTD, VALERO HOLDINGS INC., VALERO INTERNATIONAL HOLDINGS INC., VALERO LIVE OAK LLC, VALERO LOGISTICS UK LTD, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY (PANAMA) LLC, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY COMPANY, VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPLY DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO MARKETING AND SUPPY INTERNATIONAL LTD., VALERO MARKETING IRELAND LIMITED, VALERO MKS LOGISTICS L.L.C., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEDERLAND COOPERATIEF U.A., VALERO NEW AMSTERDAM B.V., VALERO OMEGA COMPANY L.L.C., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONAL SERVICES DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO OPERATIONS SUPPORT LTD, VALERO PARTNERS CCTS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS EAST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS CORPUS WEST LLC, VALERO PARTNERS EP LLC, VALERO PARTNERS HOUSTON LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LOUISIANA LLC, VALERO PARTNERS LUCAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MCKEE LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS MERAUX LLC, VALERO PARTNERS NORTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS OPERATING CO. LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PAPS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS PORT ARTHUR LLC, VALERO PARTNERS SOUTH TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS TEXAS CITY LLC, VALERO PARTNERS THREE RIVERS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST MEMPHIS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WEST TEXAS LLC, VALERO PARTNERS WYNNEWOOD LLC, VALERO PAYMENT SERVICES COMPANY, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE LLC, VALERO PEMBROKESHIRE OIL TERMINAL LTD, VALERO PLAINS COMPANY LLC, VALERO POWER MARKETING LLC, VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL OPERATIONS DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO RAIL PARTNERS LLC, VALERO REFINING AND MARKETING COMPANY, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-ARUBA N.V., VALERO REFINING COMPANY-CALIFORNIA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-OKLAHOMA, VALERO REFINING COMPANY-TENNESSEE L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-MERAUX LLC, VALERO REFINING-NEW ORLEANS L.L.C., VALERO REFINING-TEXAS L.P., VALERO RENEWABLE FUELS COMPANY LLC, VALERO SECURITY SYSTEMS INC., VALERO SERVICES INC., VALERO SKELLYTOWN PIPELINE LLC, VALERO TEJAS COMPANY LLC, VALERO TERMINAL HOLDCO LTD, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION COMPANY, VALERO TERMINALING AND DISTRIBUTION DE MEXICO S.A. DE C.V., VALERO TEXAS POWER MARKETING INC., VALERO ULTRAMAR HOLDINGS INC., VALERO UNIT INVESTMENTS L.L.C., VALERO WEST WALES LLC, VRG PROPERTIES COMPANY, VTD PROPERTIES COMPANY, WARSHALL COMPANY LLC, and ZELIG COMMERCIAL INC..
Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman said in an interview published Monday that Irans supreme leader is more dangerous than the former German ruler Adolf Hitler, in a rhetoric which confirms the cold war between Saudi Arabia and its regional rival Iran.

Answering questions in a lengthy interview with The Atlantics reporter Jeffrey Goldberg, the heir of the Saudi throne equated Ayatollah Khamenei, the Iranian supreme leader, to Hitler.

I believe that the Iranian supreme leader makes Hitler look good, he told Goldberg.

Hitler didnt do what the supreme leader is trying to do. Hitler tried to conquer Europe. This is bad, he added.

For the 32-year old royal who is also defense minister of the largest Sunni nation, Khamenei is the Hitler of the Middle East with his belief that he owns the world.

The Crown Prince also laid into the Iranian regime for failing to meet the needs of the Iranian people despite its return into the international community through the 2015 nuclear deal signed with world powers.

The economic benefits of the Iran nuclear deal are not going to the people. They took $150 billion after the dealcan you please name one housing project they built with this money? One park? One industrial zone? Can you name for me the highway that they built? he said.

The Saudi young royal placed Iran in the Triangle of Evil alongside the Muslim Brotherhood and extremist jihadist groups including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Saudi Arabia and Iran have been in proxy war for the control of the Middle East region. The two countries have accused each other in the Yemen conflict which erupted three years ago.

Riyadh accuses Tehran of funding and equipping the Houthi rebels opposed to the Saudi-backed government of President Mansour Hadi.
Cody, 31, who fell back into addiction in February, is checked by paramedics as he enters the Safe Station program at the Central Fire Station in Manchester, New Hampshire

Tucked away in the corner of a US fire station are two plastic chairs, a tiny poster saying "anyone, anytime, can recover," and a poem in memory of a 20-year-old woman who fatally overdosed in 2016.

The space is little more than a cubby hole, but has become a safe harbor for drug addicts in New Hampshire and symbol of hope in the US fight against the opioid crisis, a group of drugs, which like morphine, dulls pain and induces euphoria.

Born out of over-prescription of powerful painkillers, the opioid epidemic is such that President Donald Trump declared a national public health emergency in October. In 2016, the epidemic killed on average 175 people a day, from all walks of life.

After overdose emergency calls blew up in 2015, firefighters in New Hampshire's largest city set up the "Safe Station" program in May 2016 that allows anyone with a drug or alcohol problem to stop by 24-7 and be welcomed with kindness and without judgment.

"Would you like some water? A coke?" Christopher Hickey, the Manchester fire department paramedic who heads the program, asks addict Brendan, just dropped off by a friend in an obvious state of anxiety.

After two years clean, the 33-year-old, who doesn't want to give his full name, says he started using again in November and has since "overdosed 18 times." He wants help to get well again.

The fire department takes those who drop in to their partner in the self-help community, Granite Pathways, to evaluate their needs and put them in a detox program.

After Brendan, 31-year-old Cody arrives. Homeless, with a black eye and a right arm covered in track marks, he fell back into addiction in February.

"This is my first time coming to this program," he says. "I came because it was quick and efficient. I am hoping to get it ... not do the same stuff over and over again."

Firefighters talk as they wait for individuals who may want to enter the Safe Station program at the Central Fire Station in Manchester, New Hampshire, which has become a symbol of hope in America's opioid crisis

Fentanyl invasion

White and in their 30s, Brendan and Cody are typical of the opioid crisis, which has hit New Hampshire, Ohio and West Virginia particularly hard. New Hampshire holds the worst fentanyl overdose rate per capita in the entire country.

Fentanylan opioid 50 or 100 times more powerful than heroin, has flooded the market since 2015, says Hickey. Traditionally a pain killer, it is now being reproduced by drug traffickers, particularly in China and Mexico and is sold in the United States.

A few milligrams bought on the street for $5-7 is enough to overdose, says Hickey. Manchester, a former textiles hub recently given a new lease of life thanks to high-tech firms such as Segway, is in the eye of the storm.

Between January and March 2018, firefighters responded to 152 overdose calls. "It will affect anybody ... even wealthy neighborhoods," says 28-year-old firefighter Jim Terrero.

It was after looking after the brother of a colleague, on the brink of suicide, that Hickey suggested opening city fire stations to anyone struggling with substance abuse.

The idea was that "someone could just walk up" and "be treated like a human ... treated without stigma, without any preconceived notions," he explains.

Hickey thought it would be just a couple of people, but 80 people showed up the first month and two years down the line, they average 160 people a month.

Firefighter Jim Terrero, of the Manchester Fire Department, drives on a call for a possible overdose in Manchester, New Hampshire, which has the United States' worst per capita overdose rate for the opioid fentanyl

'Starting to change'

In less than two years, firefighters have welcomed more than 3,300 people, not just from New England, but from as far away as Texas or Alaska.

Success is such that, perversely, the initial partner of the program, service provider Serenity Place, became overwhelmed and ended up going bankrupt in late 2017.

Hickey and Manchester fire department chief, Daniel Goonan, became experts on dependency and met urgently with other partners: Granite Pathways, but also hospitals, insurance companies and taxis to transport those beating down their doors.

Safe Station has also become a model of how to mobilize in the face of a crisis: a dozen other cities elsewhere in the United States have adopted similar programs and several dozen others are hoping to do so.

Goonan went to the White House three times. Trump visited on March 19 and the National Institute on Drug Abuse has initiated a study to analyze its success.

If overdoses have not dropped, the number of deaths, have been in decline since 2017.

"Fatalities are where we usually measure our success," says Hickey.

"That stigma is finally starting to change, there is not that level of embarrassment anymore that there once was," he adds. "There is still a long way to go but we are starting to see the changes."

Safe Station is "a beautiful example of a community response to a crisis," says Lisa Marsch, an opioid expert at Dartmouth College. But much more is needed to combat the crisis.

"Like I told the president, we are just trying as a community to kind of tread water," says Goonan. "We need all hands on deck, I don't know what else to do, but we will treat it like a crisis cause it certainly is."

Explore further Opioid overdoses in ERs up 30 percent as crisis worsens

 2018 AFP
By EFF Deeplinks Blog

The European Commission dropped a surprise announcement last week that following the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Brexit), British domain owners may no longer be entitled to keep their .eu domain names.

Not only will it no longer be possible for United Kingdom residents or organizations to register or renew these domain names, but the remaining period for which existing domain names have been registered could also be cut short as soon as Brexit occurswhich is currently scheduled for March 30, 2019. Unless a transitional arrangement is negotiated in the meantime, this could mean the loss of the content associated with over 300,000 domain names.

The availability of a special domain name may seem like a relatively minor inconvenience compared to some of the other likely outcomes of Brexit for the United Kingdom, including effects on the cost of good and services, incomes, and migration levels.

But unlike most of those changes (and as significant as those are), the deletion of .eu domain names would carelessly impact the expressive content of thousands of domain owners, along with the ability for unknown millions of users to use the websites and other services hosted at those domains.

The European Commissions announcement doesnt have legal force in itself, but it is based on a reading of Regulation (EC) No 733/2002 which authorized the establishment of the .eu top-level domain.

The Commission summarizes the effect of this regulation to mean that following Brexit organisations that are established in the United Kingdom but not in the EU and natural persons who reside in the United Kingdom will no longer be eligible to register .eu domain names

However, the regulation doesnt actually say that. It says that the registry for .eu (currently EURid) is obliged to register domains for the use of organizations based in the European Union, and for individuals resident there. But theres nothing forbidding the registry from opening up the .eu domain for some non-residents.

On the contrary, the rule specifically envisions that, in at least some cases, parties from third countries (meaning non-EU members) could be given access to the .eu domain space:

The .eu TLD can accelerate the benefits of the information society in Europe as a whole, play a role in the integration of future Member States into the European Union, and help combat the risk of digital divide with neighbouring countries. It is therefore to be expected that this Regulation will be extended to the European Economic Area and that amendments may be sought to the existing arrangements between the European Union and European third countries, with a view to accommodating the requirements of the .eu TLD so that entities in those countries may participate in it.

Although not specified at the time, ensuring the continuation of domains registered in the .eu top-level domain while the United Kingdom was a European Union member is another purpose that EURid could decide to allow, consistently with Regulation 733/2002.

And theres good reason why it should, both as a matter of principle and practice. As far as principle is concerned, freedom of opinion, freedom of expression and the right to information are enshrined in Article 11 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. The deletion of hundreds of thousands of domains without appeal threatens these values, and is an interpretation of EURids responsibilities that it ought to actively avoid.

And in terms of practice, there are many examples of domain names registered in redundant top-level or second-level domains being grandfathered, meaning that they are allowed to continue to exist, even though no new registrations in those domains are permitted.

Examples include the still actively-used .su domain which was originally used for the former Soviet Union, and the .oz.au domain, which was the original subdomain available for registration under Australias .au domain space. Even the .uk top-level domain name itself is an example of a kind of grandfatheringsince it was adopted before the decision to base country-code domains on the ISO 3166 standard, under which the United Kingdom ought to have a .gb rather than a .uk top-level domain.

If EURid follows the European Commissions misguided advice to eliminate UK-registered domains from the .eu domain space, enough time exists for the lost content to be archived, as occurred before the 2009 shutdown of Geocities. But it shouldnt have to come to that.

Despite what the Commissions announcement suggests, the maintenance of legacy .eu domains held by British residents and organizations is consistent both with EU regulations, and with previous practice of other domain name registries. We strongly encourage EURid to push back against the European Commissions announcement and affirm that it will be safeguarding these domains following Brexit.

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A gunman is at large after shooting dead three people aboard an adult themed charter bus in Illinois.

Rockford Police Chief Dan O'Shea says the driver of the Distinguished Gentleman bus called 911 shortly before 3:30am Saturday, Daily Mail reported quoting the Rockford Register Star.

The driver left the shooting site and parked the bus in a fuel lane at a gas station where police then came.

O'Shea says a 'suspect on the bus shot other individuals on the bus.'

The victims were not immediately identified.

Winnebago County Coroner Bill Hintz says he cannot comment on details about the victims or how many times they were shot.

The alleged shooter, 22-year-old Raheem D. King, of Rockford, will be charged with four counts of first-degree murder.
Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva, the ex-president of Brazil who had been ordered to start serving his 12-year prison sentence on a corruption charge conviction, has surrendered to police, according to a live coverage by the Globo TV.

According to the channel, a Federal police convoy of 15 vehicles took the former head of state to the Sao Paolo police headquarters from the Metalworkers' Union headquarters, where he remained since Thursday. The convoys route was kept secret for safety reasons, TASS reported.

Later, Lula Da Silva underwent a medical examination, mandatory for all inmates who are starting to serve their jail term.

After that, he was flown by a helicopter to the Sao Paulo-Congonhas Airport and subsequently to the city of Curitiba in the south of the country, where he will serve his prison sentence.

According to the channels report, the helicopter transporting the former president landed at a helicopter pad on the roof of the Curitiba Federal Police department and group of police officers met him and convoyed him inside the building. In line with the court ruling, the ex-president was not handcuffed.

Separate groups of Lula Da Silvas supporters and opponents gathered outside the Curitiba Federal Police department.

The UOL news portal said police had to use tear gas and rubber bullets against the crowd of ex-presidents supporters after they tried to break into the building.

Police sources told Globo that at least nine people, including one child, were injured in the clashes.

Lula Da Silva will become Brazils first ex-president sent to jail as a result of a criminal trial.

On Wednesday night, Brazils Supreme Federal Court has ordered to send Lula da Silva to jail following a guilty verdict in the corruption case, related to the purchase of a luxury apartment in the resort city of Guaruja. The judge issued an arrest warrant for him, calling on the former president to surrender to police by 17:00 local time (23:00 Moscow time) on Friday, April 6.

The former president failed to fulfill the requirement in time, but declared he was ready to go to jail.
Home | News | General | Osinbajo backs calls for restructuring

The Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has thrown his weight behind those calling for the restructuring of the country.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, on a One on One interactive and mentorship session with young innovators and entrepreneurs earlier today at the Civic Innovation Lab in Abuja.

Osinbajo made his support for restructuring known after the Great Nigeria Pastors conference at the Emeritus Prof. Theophilus Ogunlesi Hall, University Teaching Hospital (UCH) Ibadan.

The VP said he agreed with Nigerians saying for things to be better, the country must be restructured. He however said that the restructuring must be clearly defined.

According to him, Restructuring is very important to us as a people and as a nation. But we also have to be careful with what we mean by restructuring.

One of the issues raised which I agree with is that states should be able to control their resources, control their own security; they should be able to generate more income and exercise greater freedom.

We discussed security and we believe we should do more. We agreed that people feel more secured when they can control their security which brings to fore the issue of state police. It will give them confidence.

Speaking on the theme of the conference, Nigeria of our Dream, the Chairman of Oyo State Chapter of Penticostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), Bishop Taiwo Adelakun told the Vice President that Nigerians deserve to know the truth about how government was handling some issues which have been of concern to them.

The PFN chairman also wanted the Vice President to explain why most of the Security Heads in Nigeria were appointed from one ethnic group if the government observed the first stanza of the National Anthem that recognizes fairness and justice.

He said, We Pastors want to know what the government that put fighting against corruption in the front burner is doing about Mainagate and other government officials accused of corruption. Many Nigerians believe that the anti corruption war is selective and that is why it is not effective.

On the spate of killings and kidnappings by the terrorist Boko Haram group in the North East, the cleric demanded that government should explain its seeming lukewarm attitude to curb herdsmen attacks.

According to him, We have been told that Boko Haram had been technically defeated but they have killed many and kidnapped over 120 people this year alone.

Adelakun, also wanted the Vice President to speak on the clash among security agencies such as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and men of Department of State Security (DSS).

Pastor Adelakun said Christians would continue to pray for the release of the Dapchi School girl, Leah Sharibu, who is still in the captivity of Boko Haram for not converting to muslim. He added that Nigerians need to know if the young girl was safe.

In his response, Prof Osinbajo said, This is a meeting of Pastors, it is a family meeting, you know I am a Pastor. I belong to the Greater Pastor Of Nigeria.

Also speaking, Reverend Abayomi Kasali, said, Some years back, some Pastors will gather in Lagos to pray for Nigeria. We see that things work better in other countries but not in Nigeria. Pastor Yemi Osinbajo was one of us, our prayer was how to change things in Nigeria. But in 2014, God answered our prayers and he became the Vice President. We want to tell him the truth today and he will answer us as a Pastor not as a Professor.

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Home | News | General | Ayeni Foundation empowers widows as renowned cleric clocks 81

Ibadan  A foundation to empower widows and other indigent persons was on Saturday in Ibadan inaugurated in honour of the renowned cleric and retired Superintendent of the Apostolic Church, Pastor Israel Ayeni.

Pictures of widows on queue to get relief items

Inaugurating the foundation at a reception for the cleric who also clocked 81 years, Prof. Iyiwunmi Falaye, the Chairman of the occasion, described the celebrator as a devoted cleric and public spirited personality committed to uplifting the living conditions of widows and the less privileged.

Falaye, who is of Fisheries and Wild Life Department of the University of the Ibadan, urged other well to do Nigerians to emulate the founders of the Pastor Israel and Deaconess Beatrice Ayeni Foundation.

The son of the celebrator, Solomon, said the inauguration of the foundation was in fulfilment of the childrens desire to honour their parents who had devoted their lives to serving humanity.

Recalling that his father had spent over six decades in both the civil service and as a cleric in the Apostolic Church, the younger Ayeni said the foundation would continue to promote the virtues for which their parents were known.

 One of the virtues which the holy scriptures preaches is to take care of the widows and the needy in society.

 We will not just give fish in our empowerment initiatives which would now be annual, we will ensure that we teach people how to fish.

 This is the basis for the empowerment tools which are to enable the beneficiaries to fend for themselves and their families, he said.

No fewer than 12 widows went home with empowerment tools and cash in the first phase of the programme.

Also a thanksgiving service was earlier held for Ayeni at the Nalende Assembly of the Apostolic Church in Ibadan where Pastor C. A. Adeleye urged members of the congregation to emulate the celebrator by ensuring diligence in career and ministry.

 The celebration of Pastor Israel Ayeni today can be attributed to his faithfulness and obedience to Gods injunctions. We are celebrating him today because like Noah in the bible, Pastor Ayeni is a man of successful ministry.

In his remarks, Ayeni described his six decades in the civil service and evangelism as eventful, attributing his success to the leading of God.

To succeed in preaching the gospel, he said God warned him against unbridled love for money, promiscuity and fetish practices.

 I would like to capture my journey through life in one phrase: we went, we saw, we conquered, he added.

Born in Ilesa, Osun, on March 25, 1937, Ayeni completed his First School Leaving Certificate at the Apostolic Central School in 1954. He was to sit for his GCE London and passed the three papers at one sitting.

He, however, did not pursue higher education at the University of Cardiff which offered him admission and rather concentrated on his pastoral work.

The cleric was to obtain the Associate Certificate in Education of the University of Ibadan in 1980.

Ayeni worked at the Ibadan Municipal Government School from 1970 to 1989 before retiring to focus on his pastoral work at the Apostolic Church where he ended his career as Superintendent of Ado-Ekiti Area. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | LASG demolishes houses in Toga area of Badagry

Badagry (Lagos State)  The Lagos State Government on Saturday demolished some houses illegally constructed on reserved land belongs to the Ministry of Agriculture at Wayinna in Toga area of Badagry.

bulldozer demolishing illegal structures at Ladipo

The demolition was carried out under the supervision of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture and security agencies.

It was further gathered that the ministry had served the residents an evacuation notice in November 2017, informing them about the demolition.

A visit by NAN correspondent to the scene indicates that over 45 houses were demolished by the ministry.

Some of the house owners were seen removing some of their valuables from the debris.

One of the affected resident, Mr Idowu Taiwo, noted that he lost his family house in the demolition.

Im finished and I really dont know where to start from here because it was practically my life savings that I used in getting and building this house.

The government should have given us more time so that we could move our things because I have lost my property in the demolition, he said.

Another affected resident, Mrs Adebola Adamu, who was weeping uncontrollably, said that her life had been ruined.

I dont know where to begin from as I dont have any relative to go to as I have always been on my own.

The government should come to our aid as most of us are homeless and dont have any place to go, she said.

A senior official of the ministry who didnt want his name mentioned told NAN that the occupiers of the land were aware that the land belonged to the Ministry, yet they bought and built houses on it.

There is no form of ignorance when it comes to the law of the land because most of them knew that the land was for the Ministry yet they purchase it.

We have more intention to use the land for the purpose it was purchased for in the first place so this exercise is necessary, the official said. (NAN)

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Home | News | General | Nigeria unjustly denies Igbo of 80 local governments  Hon. Nzeribe

By Olalekan Bilesanmi

A two-term member of the House of Representatives representing Ihiala Federal constituency, Chuma Nzeribe is eyeing the Senate to represent Anambra South. In this interview, Nzeribetalks about his plans for his senatorial district and the nation if elected.

What is fuelling your aspiration for the Senate?

There are two interests if you nurse a Senate ambition. First is the interest of the Nigerian state while the second is the interest of your own people (district). At the national level, there is urgent need for people with experience in the legislative chambers to guide the process of transition. Without the legislature, there is no democracy; because it is usually the first casualty any time there is change of government.

So we need experienced hands to initiate constructive engagement with the executive arm of government. We need people with the requisite experience to address the Igbo question. What are the specific interests of the Igbo man? The average Igbo man does not really care who the president is.

He cares about that person who will create an enabling environment for him to carry on with his trade, his politics and his social activities. This is because we are upwardly mobile nation. Then there is the problem of lack of development in the South-East. So, we need legislators who will engage deeply with the leadership of the National Assembly and the leadership of the executive; to be able to do key life-enhancing projects in the zone. We talk about power stations, major railway trunks, major highways and, above all, river transportation.

Take where I come from, Ihiala-the Ose-Akwa in Ihiala, and Ose-Moto in Odekpe in Ogbaru are the deepest natural harbors in Nigeria and lie only 28 nautical miles to the Atlantic Ocean. Yet it is not dredged. So, you need to have a vision to open up the Urashi basin and link it up to the Atlantic Ocean; and open a new vista of trade and development in the area

Is not surprising that neither the local/state government nor any of the several persons who had been representing these areas had drawn any attention to these gaping realities?

Well, it depends on the strategic vision. It depends on those who seek to represent us. Because if you are committed to service, if you have the need and drive to serve your people, you will look for those areas where your people have comparative advantage. And be able to present it in the various fora to the executive and the National Assembly for them to see the need to invest in these sectors. It is really nobodys fault if your legislator do not project and highlight those areas of your need.

And beyond that, you must have a vision on how to solve these problems. That includes -how do I attract the federal governments attention and the need to invest huge money to build up our rice fields, irrigation projects and the dredging of the Niger.

Dredging of the Niger has remained topical for years; every federal administration has spoken about it. Ironically nothing serious appears to have been done to open up the river to trades, transportation and other maritime activities.

I will certainly make it a priority area when I get elected into the next Senate.

In other climes, active lawmakers are encouraged to stay on in the Senate or the House of Representative because it encourages being ranked. How and when do we begin to see it like that?

I was in the government of Anambra and also a two-time member of the House of Representatives. So I see myself as experienced enough to go to the Senate. More so, if you look at the politics of the South-East, its not actually dominated by career politicians as such. But you see a lot of people with vast experience in industry and commerce coming to make huge impact in the nomination of their friends and cronies as candidates.

That seems to impact negatively on the quality of those who aspire to the National Assembly because these rich big men stay four years, and even insist that their wives, friends, cousins and other relatives be nominated for elective offices. This is unlike the North where you see career civil servants being encouraged to move up to represent their people.

And you hardly see businessmen aspiring for political offices. Look at the likes of Dangotes, you dont hear of them fielding their brothers, wives, cousins or in-laws as members of any of the legislative houses or even governor. But it is virtually the norm in the South-East. But I believe that with time, we would overcome the norm.

Nigeria has been under the APC for three years; can you say its been so far so good, compared to PDPs first three years?

Given the circumstances, I believe Mr President has given his best to the office. But in our peculiar circumstances, his best is not good enough because the core issues of governance like the economy and security need careful attention. From the circumstances of the rising insurgency, militancy agitations and the likes of Boko Haram/herdsmen menace, Nigerians are not happy that they have not been given adequate attention.

Bill Gates the other day told us we need more investment in human capital. You need to develop your educational sector, as much as the infrastructure. So, it is for the government to really sit down and look at our frameworks for drawing up the budget to see whether they are addressing the needs of the nation. And in this area, I am going to make very visible contribution in the Senate.

Fight against corruption is one of the key promises on which the APC rode to power in 2015. Are you happy so far with the achievement of that fight?

Corruption is like cancer. It has eaten real deep into the fabric of this nation. It tends to diminish the quality of life, as well as the improvements we made in our national economy over the years. It sucks away a lot of economic energy from the system by transferring substantial public resources to private hands. You cannot build capital; you cannot talk of going to bank for loan if the rate of savings and investments in your economy is very low because stolen funds have been taken out of the country.

So the government has experienced a lot of challenges in this regard which I believe the next administration would have to put in sharper focus. Let us deal with corruption and poverty and see the nexus between the two instead of always shouting anti-corruption, anti-corruption. Because the word anti-corruption in this regard is a misnomer, hence the need to make a clear distinction between that. The attention the present government is giving to these issues is not adequate. Its probably not that they are unable to fight corruption. But that we need greater attention. Somebody has to constantly supervise and strengthen the institutions that have the responsibility to fight corruption

Some days ago, the PDP dared the government to name the alleged looters of the national treasury after the party apologized for its missteps when it was in power. Consequently the names of some PDP leaders and even non-members were released. This has ignited another round of controversy.

The list drawn up by the APC-led Federal Government and read out by the Minister of Information is misguided. None of those on that list has been convicted for corruption. And if government continues to label mere suspects or people who were called in for one interrogation or the other as being corrupt, that will jeopardize the judicial process. Government is making unnecessary intervention in matters that are clearly in court.

Boko Haram and herdsmen problems appear recurring and intractable. True?

No. I do not believe so. We have had challenges of insurgency before and it was curtailed. We have had occasions where herdsmen quarrelled with villagers, and such were curtailed. But then, these things are on the rise because nobody is paying due attention to them.

My advice is that the Federal Government should appoint a responsible and responsive Deputy National Security Adviser to deal with these internal crises rather than leaving it to the multi-agency platforms currently being used to tackle them. I intend to be part of the search for solutions for optimal security attention to some of these issues when I get to the Senate.

The IPOB, MASSOB and other pro-Biafra groups and the issue of Biafra question, what is your view?

The agitations in Igboland take their roots from the issue of marginalization. What you see here is a deliberate attempt to deny access to the South-East of benefits of governance, of development and of representation in some sensitive and strategic areas and positions of national discourse. This is structurally embedded in the constitution. While some zones have seven states, like the North-West, others have six. Only the South-East has five.

The deficiency of two states is a huge revenue loss. Just check how much that accrues to each state every month. My estimation is that we are being denied of about 80 local governments that should accrue from two states that ought to be created from the South-East.

Look at the revenue streams to the states and local governments and the monthly Federation Allocation Account Committee and you will then see the quantum of losses being suffered by the South-East.

Then you go to the issues of national politics. While zones with seven states have times three senators making up twenty- one senators, like the North-West; the South-East has only fifteen. Also, the Constitution says that each state should have a Minister.

Therefore in the South-East we have five Ministers, while the North-West has seven Ministers. Likewise we have forty-three members of House of Representatives while the North-West has ninety-three. We must look for a legislative solution to the issue.

Since the National Constituent Assembly (Confab) recommended for the creation of at least one more state in the South-East, the leadership of the South-East caucus should sponsor a bill on the floor of the National Assembly seeking for the creation of additional state in the zone. You must not continue to wait for the executive or constitutional amendment periods to do that. You have to sponsor a Bill; lets move it up and see how far we can go to realize the real friends and the real enemies of the people.

That way you start addressing the Igbo question. The Igbo question is not the issue of Igbo presidency. Igbo question is lack of representation, inferiority of states, inferiority of local governments, denials of revenues accruing to the South-East. That is what I call the marginalization of the South-East. It should therefore be addressed in the larger context of the Igbo question.

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Home | News | General | 2019: Presidency raises alarm, urges religious leaders to pray

- The presidency has called on Nigerian clerics to keep praying for the nation as it approaches the 2019 elections

- Presidential aide, Femi Adesina, said people are getting desperate to carry out their "evil desires"

- He said with prayers of spiritual fathers, it will be well with Nigeria

As the 2019 election draws near, the presidency has called for the spiritual support of respectable clergy, saying the country needs it at this time.

Religious leaders were urged to keep on praying for the unity, peace and prosperity of the nation, especially for the 2019 elections.

The special adviser to the president on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, said politicians are becoming desperate to achieve ill-motivated desires, Daily Trust reports.

He said this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, April 6, while receiving pastors of the Gospel Faith Mission International led by the deputy general overseer of the Mission, Pastor Emmanuel Oluwayemi.

The pastors pledged to give spiritual support to Nigeria, and to President Muhammadu Buhari. Photo Credit: Femi Adesina Facebook

READ ALSO: Don't come to Ekiti state - Fayose rejects Orji Kalus peace advocacy visit

As we approach the election year, please continue to pray that all will be well with our country. People are getting desperate to ensure that their desires, often ill-motivated, are actualised.

"But by the prayers of spiritual fathers like you, it will be well with the country, the presidential spokesman said.

Adesina noted that God is the ultimate solution to all challenges, adding that no man has the solution to happenings around him.

He expressed gratitude to the Gospel Faith Mission International for choosing to offer spiritual support to the federal government.

The presidency once again reiterated President Muhammadu Buhari's statement that he is not a religious bigot and can never be one.

The team came from the Gospel Faith Mission International, led by the deputy general overseer, Pastor (Dr) Emmanuel Oluwayemi, and his wife, Deaconness Blessing. Photo Credit: Femi Adesina Facebook

Speaking earlier, Oluwayemi had said the church and the nation had a lot to do together, especially at a time like this, when tension was high in the country.

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According to him, the role of the church is to advise and pray for leaders of the country as commanded by God in the scriptures.

Acknowledging the role of religious leaders as co-builders in Nigeria, he gave assurance that the Gospel Faith Mission International would continue to support the government and not heat up the polity.

In an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) dissociated itself from a group of northern clergy who visited President Muhammadu Buhari recently.

The group which described itself as Arewa Pastors Peace Initiative, Nigeria (APPIN), visited the president on Thursday, April 5, at the presidential villa, Abuja. They pledged their support to the president and said those accusing his administration of nursing an Islamisation agenda were opposition elements trying to destabilise the government.

In a statement sent to journalists on Friday, April 6, CAN President, Rev Dr Samson Olasupo Ayokunle, media aide, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji, urged the members of APPIN to produce a list of clergymen on payroll of the opposition party.

What does Nigeria need right now? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Some senators are angry: Saraki speaks on Buharis approval of $1bn for arms purchase

- Some senators are angry they were not consulted over the $1 billion approved by President Buhari for the procurement of security equipment

- According to Bukola Saraki, it was wrong for the executive to take the step without consulting the legislative arm of government

- He added that the friction between both arms of government, he said it goes beyond party affiliations

Senate president Bukola Saraki has said some senators are not happy that President Muhammadu Buhari did not consult with the leadership of the National Assembly before approving the release of $1 billion for the purchase of arms to fight insecurity in the country.

Speaking in Jos, Plateau state, during the Senate Press Corps Retreat on Saturday, April 7, Saraki said it was wrong for the executive to take the step without broaching the matter with the National Assembly, Vanguard reports.

Minister of defence, Mansur Dan Ali, had, last week, said, Buhari gave approval for the purchase of equipment for the military worth $1 billion.

READ ALSO: 2019: Politicians getting desperate to carry out evil agenda - Presidency

Warning that the executive could not do it alone, the Senate president noted that it was imperative that the legislative arm must be strengthened at all levels of government for Nigeria to truly achieve democracy.

"Just few days ago, there was the issue of providing funding for the purchase of security equipment. In a good environment, such an issue needed to have been discussed with lawmakers. Already, some senators are angry. They said they were not consulted by the executive before such a decision was taken. These are the issues we are talking about," he said.

On the delay in the process of budget passage and addressing issues of security challenges in the country as well as other national issues, Saraki said it was due to avoidable friction between the executive and legislative arms of government.

Speaking on the friction between both arms of government, he said it goes beyond party affiliations.

Even during the last administration of President Goodluck Jonathan, when PDP was in charge of the executive and the legislature, there were frictions. It means it is not about the party. It is not about any individual. It is about the system, he said.

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The Senate president also said that the leadership of the National Assembly was not aware of the plan by the executive to get N4.2 billion bonds until Buhari wrote to the Senate and the House of Representatives seeking approval for the issuance of promissory note to offset inherited local debts.

NAIJ.com eralier reported that the chairman, House of Representative committee on Army, Rimande Shawulu, on Thursday, April 5, said President Muhammadu Buhari is courting trouble if he approves one billion dollars for arms procurement without the approval of the National Assembly.

He said there would be serious trouble if any money goes out for such purpose in that the president lacks the constitutional powers to embark on such solo procurement without the mandate of the legislature.

Nigeria is practicing Oligarchy (Nigerian Street Interview) on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | God wants to use Saraki - Primate Ayodele reveals what will happen if he refuses to contest for 2019 presidency

- There would be dire consequences if Bukola Saraki refuses to join the 2019 presidential race, Lagos-based seer, Primate Ayodele has said

- According to him, God has big things in store for the Senate president

Primate Elijah Ayodele who is the founder and spiritual leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church has said there would be dire consequences if Senate president Bukola Saraki refuses to contest for presidency in the forthcoming 2019 elections.

Speaking during the dedication of an ultra-modern auditorium in Isheri-Olofin Lagos, the cleric said God wants to use Saraki to fix so many things in Nigeria. The Lagos-based seer urged the former Kwara governor to join the presidential race, The Nation reports.

He said: God wants to use Saraki for something big in this country. He wants to use him to fix so many things. So he has to come out and join the race. God will punish him if he refuses to join because anyone that disobeys Him will suffer for it."

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

Primate Ayodele said the dedication of Emi Ni Aseyori Kan Pro Cathedral, a.k.a. Sope Parish was in fulfillment of Gods vision and faithfulness to the church. "God is the one doing things for us. If you look at what He does for us, you will know only Him could have done it, he said.

All Progressive Congress (APC) South West Women Leader, Chief Kemi Nelson, cut the tape to dedicate the church. Congratulated members of the church for the feat, she appealed to them not to relent in spreading the gospel of Christ.

Earlier, NAIJ.com reported that Saraki described as false, reports that he is planning to contest in the 2019 presidential election. The Senate president's media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, sai that if it was true that Saraki was planning to run for the presidency, the news would have been in major dailies by now.

He said: The report is false. If it is true that he is contesting, you would have seen the report it (sic) in major dailies since last week Saturday when the news broke out on social media. But as you can see, there is nothing like that," Olaniyonu said.

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The Boss newspaper had reported that Saraki will join the 2019 presidential race. The dismissed report stated that Saraki was considering adopting deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his running mate.

Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Social media reacts as 19-year-old father reveals how he lost two girlfriends shortly after they gave birth for him

- A 19-year-old boy has left many people stunned and concerned after he recent post

- According to the story, he lost two babymamas when he was 17 and 18-years of age

- What has got people concerned is the fact that they both died immediately after childbirth

Despite the huge curve ball life has been throwing at this American dad, he proves to be one of strong determination and hope for a better future.

Now a father of two, the 19-year-old boy revealed how he lost a girlfriend at age 17 and another one at age 18, shortly after they had given birth for him. He stated that despite the tragedies, he vows to never give up.

Currently working two jobs in college to take care of his kids, he appears to be a proud and happy father. Sharing a photo with his kids on Twitter, he wrote: At 17 I had my first child my girlfriend got killed in a drive by. At 18 I had a daughter and my 2nd girlfriend died of cancer but im still strong . 19 2 kids with 2 jobs in college. Will never give up #GrindDontStop"

READ ALSO: BBNaija 2018: Imo State University vice-chancellor says Nina will undergo moral rehabilitation when she comes home

See post below:

While this type of post would normally garner sympathy, most people on the microblogging platform couldn't help but notice what seemed like a weird pattern as some even attributed his predicament to having a 'kiss of death'.

Others however, feel the span in which the two women died is too short. It only seemed like he didn't mourn the first one and immediately moved on to pregnant another woman.

See reactions below:

READ ALSO: Do the needful or I shall use the gram to get my money - Nollywood actress Uche Jombo warns her debtor

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Home | News | General | Nigerian Army records another victory against Boko Haram as it rescues 149 hostages from Sambisa

- Three Boko Haram insurgents have been killed by the Nigerian Army as it continues its clearance operation

- Troops rescued 149 people who were being held hostage by the insurgents

- The logistics of the Boko Haram sect was also destroyed during the operation

The Nigerian army on Sunday, April 8, said its troops rescued 149 persons in the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of Boko Haram insurgents at Yerimari-Kura community in Sambisa axis.

Col. Onyeama Nwachukwu, the deputy director, Army public relations, said in a statement that the troops killed three insurgents and captured five others in the encounter, NAN reports.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have continued to make progress in clearance operations to smoke out Boko Haram insurgents who escaped from their previous stronghold in the Sambisa Forest.

On Saturday, the troops made further operational exploit into Boko Harams hideout at Yerimari-Kura, in a deliberate operation to extricate and rescue hostages held by the insurgents in their hideout. In the encounter, troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents and captured five, he said, adding that the troops also destroyed insurgents logistics in the operation.

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

Nwachukwu explained that the rescued persons included 54 women and 95 children, noting that they were being profiled and receiving medical attention at the 21 Brigade Medical Centre.

According to him, the troops also neutralized two suicide bombers at Mandanari community in Konduga, Borno, when they attempted to infiltrate the community on April 7.

Nwachukwu disclosed that the suicide bombers strapped with Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) vests, attempted to sneak into the community at about 8:00 pm on Saturday.

The suicide bombers were sighted by vigilant troops who challenged them from a safe distance. The patrol engaged them as they refused to halt and ran towards the community, detonating their IEDs. Only the suicide bombers were killed in the incident, while three persons who sustained minor injuries were receiving medical attention," he added.

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Meanwhile, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on Friday, April 6, neutralised suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Barkin Dutse area of Adamawa state following a distress call from hunters.

According to a statement sent to NAIJ.com by the director army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu, the terrorists on sighting the troops opened fire which resulted in exchange of fire.

Five Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized while some escaped into nearby caves during the encounter. Also, one hunter lost his life during the operation, the statement said.

Items recovered include 5 AK 47 rifles and 5 magazines loaded with 22 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition.

Boko Haram Kidnappings: Dapchi Protests Abduction of Their Daughters by Boko Haram - on NAIJ.com TV

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Home | News | General | Nigerian comedian Seyi Law reveals he won't let his daughter suffer from inferiority complex like he did

- Nigerian comedian, Seyi Law, may just be preparing his little daughter for the showbiz business

- He recently brought her on stage during one of his shows

- According to him, building her confidence is something he views as important

Earlier on, Nigerian comedian, Seyi Law, wowed his audience in Dublin after he brought his little daughter, Tiwa, on stage with him. It was simply a beautiful moment that melted the hearts of many who were there.

From the video clip, Seyi Law is seen asking his daughter questions ranging from the name of her country, to the name of the governor of Lagos State, and Tiwa answered correctly, receiving cheers from the audience.

Being the first time he would be appearing on stage with his daughter, it soon went viral. In a recent interview with Saturday beats, he revealed that the questions were not rehearsed or planned.

READ ALSO: BBNaija 2018: Imo State University vice-chancellor says Nina will undergo moral rehabilitation when she comes home

He had this to say:

No, we did not rehearse before I brought her on stage. It was only the audience that was shocked by her brilliant responses, I was not.She has been taught a lot from school and those were part of what she was taught. I have always put her in front of the camera and so she didnt have stage fright.

READ ALSO: Do the needful or I shall use the gram to get my money - Nollywood actress Uche Jombo warns her debtor

I try as much as possible to build her confidence as I suffered serious inferiority complex growing up.

Speaking on how he was able to rid himself of inferiority complex, the humour merchant simply said, I had to study more and learn to get involved in discussions more intelligently. I would say my intelligence helped me.

Although it was a beautiful moment when he brought her on stage, not everyone was pleased with this as they believe he was exposing her to unnecessary attention.

Speaking on the criticism, he had this to say: It is their problem because I didnt help their parents train them, so they should allow me to train mine. When I need their opinions I would ask. For now, it is not needed.

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Would you rather have money or be poor and have a good family? O=on NAIJ.com TV:

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Source: Naija.ng

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Home | News | General | I can't apologize for stating a fact that everybody can see - Noble Igwe speaks on criticizing Ahneeka

Despite the criticisms and even the disappointment expressed by former housemate, Ahneeka, Noble Igwe is still standing by his words.

While Ahneeka was in the Big Brother Naija reality show, she received major backlash majorly for what people perceived to be her unhygienic ways. One of the people most vocal about this was Lagos fashionista, Noble Igwe.

After Ahneeka was evicted from the show, she got to see the harsh comments made by Noble Igwe and was particularly disappointed in him. According to her, nobody should be allowed to talk about another person like that on social media.

Well, it appears Noble Igwe remains unapologetic about the comments he made concerning her. Sunday Scoop reached out to him to speak on the issue and this is what he had to say:

READ ALSO: BBNaija 2018: Imo State University vice-chancellor says Nina will undergo moral rehabilitation when she comes home

I have said a lot of good things about her in the past. There was a time I said she speaks good English. Why didnt anybody raise eyebrows at that. I like it when things are balanced; they make a lot more sense that way. Dotun of Cool FM also tweeted about Big Brother housemates.

READ ALSO: Do the needful or I shall use the gram to get my money - Nollywood actress Uche Jombo warns her debtor

"The truth is that everybody has an opinion about the housemates. It could be about their hygiene; the way they dress or any other thing. I dont think anybody has an issue with people commenting on the show. These guys are on national TV and we watch them all day; so, theres nothing wrong about passing comments about whatever happened in the house.

Whatever I said about BBN was strictly about what I saw the housemates do. On a particular day, there was a close-up shot of her underarm and the viewers saw that it was not well-shaven; I tweeted about it.

On another day, the cameras showed this particular housemate peeling her face and I tweeted that it would be nice for this housemate to wash her face often and stop peeling it. I speak about everything in the house so far it is caught on camera.

On whether he was going to apologize or not, he said,

"You are supposed to apologise when you feel that you have done something wrong. You apologise when you feel it was a personal attack. You cannot apologise for stating the fact that everybody can see. Criticising a person doesnt mean that I dont like him or her.

Meanwhile Ahneeka has released photos of her new look. The reality star and TV presenter who was formerly on low afro shaved off her hair completely and is currently rocking a bald look.

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BBNaija 2018: Dee-One from BBNaija reveals fake housemates on NAIJ.com TV:

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Source: Naija.ng

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- NIO, one of China's EV startups, plans to deliver 30,000 new vehicles and gain revenue of RMB 11.4 billion in 2018, but the startup also expects to have a loss of RMB 5.1 billion in 2018, according to the insiders from NIO.

Sales of new models contribute most to NIO's income. Other earnings come from battery sales, leasing and membership services. The company had released the official price of the ES8, NIO's first mass-produced model and will deliver to customers in the first half of this year. NIO expects to deliver 30,000 vehicles in 2018 with revenue of RMB 9.8 billion. Besides, NIO will release another new model, the ES 6 this year and plans to hand over the new model to customers in 2019.

Battery-swapping services will be available to all NIO models. Take the ES 8 as an example. The ES8 can have a price reduction of RMB 100,000 if customers adopt NIO's battery leasing scheme, which boasts monthly battery-leasing fees of RMB 1,280. Earnings from battery sales, battery leasing and membership services will reach RMB 1.6 billion this year.

As a fledging startup, channel and network building, brand promotion and early-stage investment need a great sum of money, leading NIO to undergo budgetary deficit and be expected to have a loss of RMB 5.1 billion this year. Previously, NIO has reportedly hired eight banks to work on its initial public offering in the United States this year as planned, including Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs. The IPO is expected to be worth up to 2 billion dollars. Once NIO finishes the IPO, it will be the second Chinese company which boasts largest IPO in America after Alibaba.

NIO expects its sales will be up to 450,000 units and net profit to RMB 16.1 billion in 2021. It even targets to be at the same level as Tesla and BYD in market valuation.
Home | News | General | Arewa Pastors visit: PDP chides APC, Presidency over procured endorsement

By Dirisu Yakubu

ABUJA-The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has described as stage-managed, the recent courtesy visit to President Muhammadu Buhari by the Arewa Pastors Non-denominational Initiative for Peace, saying the visit was aimed at procuring political endorsement for the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Presidency.

President Muhammadu Buhari in a handshake with a cross-section of the National Chairman Northern Pastors forum, Bishop John Abu Richard, National Secretary, Archbishop Musa Usman Katshina, National Deputy Secretary Bishop Fali Jasibu Indagawa, Bishop Adamu Danja and others after an audience at the Council Chambers State House Abuja

The party also said the Buhari Presidencys hiring of supposed Arewa Pastors was a second attempt to orchestrate fake endorsements ahead of the 2019 election.

PDP said both procured endorsements, which had turned out to be fake, are, to say the least, despicable and betray the nervousness of a sinking leadership, desperately trying to save its face, having been rejected by the people.

In a statement signed by the partys spokesperson, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday, the PDP said the controversial endorsement has called into question, the highest elective political office in the land.

It is heartrending that because of the desperation of one man, the integrity of Nigerias seat of power has again been ridiculed as the world watched religious bodies and groups in the country disowning the procured band.

The fact that this disgraceful drama came barely a week after our nation suffered an international show of shame over President Buharis presentation with a procured award fraudulently linked to Martin Luther King Jr, speaks volumes of this administrations proclivity for falsehood, lies and deception.

Having failed to gain any endorsements from reputable international figures, such as Bill Gates and the Martin Luther Kings Jr group, the APC and the Presidency have now shamelessly resorted to cheaper ways and means, particularly, along the unregulated and porous religious and sectional lines.

It is now overtly manifest that the Buhari administration is ready to even stage anything, no matter how ignoble, including fake rescue missions, to deceive Nigerians, the statement read in part.

While fingering three unnamed Presidential aides as the power behind the endorsements, the largest political party in the country further tasked the ruling party to brace up for its imminent defeat awaiting it in the 2019 general elections.

These disgraceful endorsements are being coordinated by three presidential aides, a cabinet minister from the South-South and certain officials of the APC, a project for which billions of naira have been earmarked.

This cabal is also responsible for the renting of crowds, who are usually conveyed in buses, trucks and trailers, to fill the space during President Buharis visits to various states of the federation, as witnessed in Benue during the last visit of Mr. President.

That President Buhari could be begging for endorsements only points to the fact that he and his cabal have lost the support of Nigerians whom his administration has subjected to horrible economic hardships, traumatic bloodletting and a bleak future.

If President Buhari and his dysfunctional APC had performed to the least expectations of Nigerians, even by implementing the littlest of their numerous fake campaign promises, they would have no need for mundane gimmicks of procuring awards from well known street quacks ahead of the elections.

We charge all credible groups in the country to be at alert and resist any attempt by the Presidency and APC to induce them to compromise their integrity, as well as guide against plots to use money to infiltrate and divide their ranks.

The APC and Buhari Presidency must admit that their time is up as Nigerians are now rallying with the repositioned PDP in the national quest to rescue our dear nation from the incompetent, failed and deceptive administration of the APC, come 2019, the party added.

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Home | News | General | Dont relinquish your responsibility to teachers, Adeboye charges parents

By Olayinka Latona

WIFE of the General Overseer of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, RCCG, Pastor Folu Adeboye has urged parents, especially mothers, to imbibe Godly virtues in the upbringing of their children in line with biblical injunctions.

Adeboye made the appeal Friday night, during the April edition of the churchs monthly Holy Ghost Service at the Redemption Camp New Auditorium, Simawa, Ogun State specially packaged for children. The theme of the programmed was: Stronger Than Your Enemies, Part 4: Children of conquerors.

Commending an eight-year old boy who recited the 176-versed Psalms 119, Mummy G.O as she is fondly called on parents not to relinquish their patental roles to school or church teachers alone, noting that passive involvement of parents in their childrens upbringing had contributed to the immorality, juvenile delinquency amongst other vices in the society.

Adeboye argued that since parents play a vital role in the lives of their children, they have to build a solid foundation for them to lead decent lives.

In her words: This is a great example to us as parents, a boy who is not yet to clock eight, reading Psalm 119. I sat down with his parents during the rehearsal and the father said the boy learnt one verse each day.

Many of us have money, we buy iPad for our children where they watch several things that might not be of benefit to them. Why not sit with them and ensure that they learn a verse of the Bible in a day.

Please do not leave your parental responsibilities to teachers alone, nurture your children well in the way of the Lord. It is the parents role to show the children the way of the Lord.

I have been a children teacher for 40 years and I know what these children are capable of doing. Church of God, we have conquerors, the Bible says our children will defend us at the gate but when we fail to teach them how will they be defensive? I pray they will not be offensive to us in Jesus name, the martriach of RCCG further admonished.

In his sermon based on the theme of the programme, the General Overseer of the church, Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, who thanked God for answered prayers with particular referenced to the abducted schoolgirls, also prayed God to release all the remaining girls still in captivity.

Adeboye led the large congregation which included Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to supplicate on behalf of all schoolgirls including 15-year old Leah Sharibu still being held by Boko Haram insurgents, emphasising the need for all concerned parents to fervently pray God to release the girls and convert their abductors to renounce their current devilish acts and embrace Christianity.

He urged participants to embrace the lives of holiness and righteousness for them to have victory and remain conquerors.

The cleric who hinted that he was collaborating with the Archbishop of Canterbury, to restore the UK to Godly ways, also called on parents to ensure that they leave a Godly life which he explained will bring divine blessing on their children.

The cleric also frowned at marriage through social media, saying such online relationship carry series of challenges. I tremble at this generation of youths who want to marry on Facebook. If you marry on Facebook, you will encounter series of challenges. If the girl or the boy is cursed, you also carry such curse and what do you think will happen to the children?

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The New Zealand dollar has fallen during the trading session on Friday but found enough support underneath at the 0.7250 level to turn things back around to form a hammer. The hammer is a very bullish sign, and if we can break above the top of that hammer we could go much higher, perhaps reaching towards the 0.73 level. If we can break above the candle from the Wednesday session, then I think we go to the 0.7350 level, and then eventually the 0.75 level. Remember that the New Zealand dollar is highly sensitive to risk appetite, so pay attention to the stock markets and of course the commodity markets as the New Zealand dollar is so highly sensitive to it.

The market rallying it would be indicative of a very bullish move to the upside. If we break down below the 0.7150 level, its likely that the market unwinds down to the 0.70 level. This is a market that I think has plenty of things to think about, especially between the US and China, as some type of breakdown between the 2 would lead to commodity markets rolling over rather significantly. I think that the rhetoric between the United States and China slowing down could send the New Zealand dollar higher. In general, I think that this market is trying to be bullish but obviously we have a lot of noise, and I think that we will eventually find value hunters, at least in the short term. Longer-term, theres a lot to consider out there still.

NZD/USD Video 09.04.18

This article was originally posted on FX Empire

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Australian paratriathlete Bill Chaffey toughed it out for a memorable Commonwealth Games bronze medal after brutalising his left hand for seven kilometres following a crash on his bike.

Englishman Joe Townsend won the PTWC event, finishing 49 seconds ahead of Australia's Nic Beveridge.

Incredibly, Chaffey was just 94 seconds behind the winner despite a nasty incident that left him stuck in one gear and with a hard spike for a handle for the final two laps.

The 42-year-old, a five-time world champion, won the hearts of the Gold Coast crowd after recovering from the crash, which occurred while he was in second place.

Chaffey took the blame for the crash, which he pinned down to racing too hard to hold off a closing Townsend.

"It was the pressure," Chaffey said.

It was a painful day out. Pic: Getty/AusParalympics

"I knew Joe was catching me and so I tried to cook it a little bit too fast around the corner."

"It was just a dumb mistake."

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The reason why he pushed through was simple: pride.

"I've never ever not finished a race," he said.

"I have had a few accidents in the past but I've never not finished a race and I'll never not finish a race."

But missing out on gold means he will be "kicking myself for years to come" as he shunned the idea that he's worked hard enough to be able to celebrate.

"You always get people who are good-hearted and they mean well, to say that you did well," he said.

"Only an athlete knows you're not going out there try and win bronze. I was going out there to try and win gold.

"It was my mistake, I stuffed up. I was really dirty about that but it's something I'm going to have to live with."

with AAP
Istanbul (AFP) - Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Britain in May, a top official said Saturday, as Ankara sticks to its position of refusing to blame Russia for an attack on an ex-spy.

Relations between London and Ankara have over the last years been relatively robust, without the tensions that have plagued relations between Turkey and other European powers such as Germany.

But while EU nations have rushed to join Britain in condemning Russia and expelling diplomats over the attack in England on ex-spy Sergei Skripal, Turkey has been much more circumspect.

Erdogan "will be paying a visit to the UK in May," presidential spokesman Ibrahim Kalin told foreign reporters in Istanbul, without giving a date.

"We look forward to this visit."

The Turkish president has made relatively few bilateral visits to Europe since the failed 2016 coup although he did travel to France at the start of this year.

Kalin denied that Britain should be disappointed with Turkey's reaction to the attack on Skripal, saying "we would like to see the perpetrators of this attack brought to justice."

But he reaffirmed Turkey's unwillingness to follow London and most of its EU allies by blaming Russia for the poisoning.

"There seems to be a lot of discussion still going on.

"The question of who exactly did it and what is the full story is still unfolding," Kalin said.

Turkey has built flourishing relations with Russia after overcoming a 2015 crisis over Syria and President Vladimir Putin paid a two day visit to Ankara last week.

"We have good relations with Russia, we have good relations with the UK. We would not want to see any further tension between two countries with whom we have good relations," said Kalin.
Hungary's all-powerful premier Viktor Orban, his party victorious in elections Sunday, is the self-styled defender of Christian Europe against the "poison" of immigration, an admirer of "illiberal democracy" and a thorn in the European Union's side. Preliminary results from the elections put Orban's Fidesz party on course to win a thumping 49 percent of the vote, likely giving him a commanding two-thirds majority in parliament once again. With his disdain for the "globalist elite", Orban's fiery, nationalist populism has made him a poster boy for "patriots" everywhere. Steve Bannon, US President Donald Trump's former strategist, calls him a "hero". But to detractors Orban, 54, is a xenophobic demagogue aping Russian President Vladimir Putin by eroding democracy in the EU member state, allowing corruption to flourish and public services to rot. - Soviets go home - At 26 as a law student in Budapest in 1989, the country boy became a household name in Hungary in the dying days of communism with a stirring speech demanding democracy and that Soviet troops go home. Co-founding the Alliance of Young Democrats party (Fidesz), Orban was one of "new" Europe's brightest stars, becoming an MP in newly democratic and optimistic Hungary in 1990. Soon, however, he shed his image as a radical youth and began moulding Fidesz into a new force of the centre-right keen on family and Christian values. It paid off in spades, and with Orban developing a rare knack for connecting with ordinary voters, he duly became prime minister in 1998 at just 35. - Tearing it up - His first period in office was rocky, however, and Orban lost to the Socialists in 2002 and again in 2006 before bouncing back, older and wiser, in 2010 -- and with a vengeance. This time, armed with a two-thirds majority in parliament, Orban implemented a root-and-branch reform of Hungarian state institutions and introduced a new constitution steeped in conservative values. Critics at home and abroad, including in Brussels and Washington, worried that the sweeping changes undermined the independence of the judiciary, muzzled the press and rigged the electoral system. Orban maintains that he was repairing years of left-wing mess, while his unorthodox economic policies like special "crisis" taxes on foreign companies helped Hungary balance the books. He was re-elected in 2014, again with a super-majority, and Europe's migrant crisis the following year saw Orban morph into a lightning rod for opposition to German Chancellor Angela Merkel's "open-door" refugee policy. - Border fence - As hundreds of thousands of people streamed through Hungary bound for western Europe, and with Budapest train stations resembling squalid refugee camps, Orban erected a fence on Hungary's border with Serbia. Illegal immigration -- a "Trojan horse for terrorism" -- was made punishable by lengthy jail terms. It was Hungary's duty to defend the outer frontier of Europe, just like against the Ottomans in the 17th century. Orban's strident stance has turned Hungary, along with Poland's like-minded government which has also raised concerns with its own reforms, into a headache for Brussels and the rest of the EU. Jaroslaw Kaczynski, head of Poland's governing party, said the Hungarian election was a decision "about the road to freedom, not only in Hungary but also in Europe and the world. But Orban is now the darling of nationalists, from Bannon to France's Marine Le Pen to Geert Wilders of the Netherlands. White supremacists have wanted to settle in "racially pure" Hungary. - Soros in his sights - Orban's latest target meanwhile is George Soros, the Hungarian-born US financier and philanthropist who helped Fidesz get off the ground and whose scholarship funded Orban's time at Oxford in 1989. Orban has plastered Hungary with billboards urging resistance to the alleged "Soros plan" of destroying Europe with immigration and the civil society groups that the 87-year-old funds. For critics, the imagery and language used in this campaign against the Jewish Soros have more than a whiff of anti-Semitism. Hungarys enemies, Orban said in a recent speech "are not national, but international. They do not believe in work, but speculate with money. They have no homeland, but feel that the whole world is theirs." Whether Orban is an opportunist or a visionary is unclear, Andras Schweitzer, senior lecturer at Eotvos Lorand University, told AFP. "It's the million dollar question," Schweitzer said. "Either way lots of people who have met him, including if they don't support him, notice his ability to understand things very quickly." "Orban is a blessing for this country, and also I think for the whole of Europe," retired voter Karin, 65, told AFP on Sunday.
Moscow on Sunday rejected claims the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta, after the US said Russia bore ultimate responsibility for any attack. "We firmly deny this information," said General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, in comments reported by news agencies. "We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he added. The previous day Douma was pounded by renewed airstrikes that killed 70 civilians in around 24 hours -- while 11 people also suffered breathing problems. First responders have accused forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of using poisonous chlorine gas. "These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. "The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," she added. "Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks." The Syrian regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons, with the United Nations among those blaming government forces for a deadly sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun in April 2017. Since February 18, the regime's Ghouta offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians. The regime has used a combination of a fierce military onslaught and two negotiated withdrawals to empty out 95 percent of the enclave near Damascus, but rebels are still entrenched in its largest town of Douma.
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Ltd., Golden Pass LNG Terminal Investments LLC, Golden Pass LNG Terminal LLC, Gulf Coast Growth Ventures LLC, Imperial Oil Limited, Imperial Oil Resources Limited, Imperial Oil Resources N.W.T. Limited, Imperial Oil/Petroliere Imperiale, Infineum Italia s.r.I., Infineum Singapore Pte. Ltd., InterOil Corporation, Jurong Aromatics Corporation Pte Ltd, MPM Lubricants, Marine Well Containment Company LLC, Mobil Australia Resources Company Pty Limited, Mobil California Exploration & Producing Asset Company, Mobil Caspian Pipeline Company, Mobil Chemical Products International Inc., Mobil Corporation, Mobil Equatorial Guinea Inc., Mobil Erdgas Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Mobil Exploration & Producing Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil International Petroleum Corporation, Mobil Oil Australia Pty Ltd, Mobil Oil Exploration & Producing Southeast Inc., Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited, Mobil Producing Nigeria Unlimited, Mobil Producing Texas & New Mexico Inc., Mobil SerLimited, Mobil Venezolana De Petroleos Inc., Mobil Yanbu Petrochemical Company Inc., Mobil Yanbu Refining Company Inc., Mountain Gathering LLC, Mozambique Rovuma Venture S.p.A., Palmetto Transoceanic LLC, Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas Global Company LDC, Permian Express Partners LLC, Phillips Exploration LLC, Qatar Liquefied Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited, Ras Laffan Liquefied Natural Gas Company Limited (II), SPI Limited, Saudi Aramco Mobil Refinery Company Ltd., Saudi Yanbu Petrochemical Co., SeaRiver Maritime Inc., South Hook LNG Terminal Company Limited, Tengizchevroil LLP, Terminale GNL Adriatico S.r.l, Trend Gathering & Treating LLC, Wolverine Pipe Line Company, XH LLC, XTO Delaware Basin LLC, XTO Energy Canada, XTO Energy Inc., and XTO Holdings LLC.
The following companies are subsidiares of Occidental Petroleum: 1PointFive Inc., 1PointFive P1 LLC, APC Aviation Inc., APC International Holdings LLC, APC Midstream Holdings LLC, APC Venezuela Srl, ARCO Long Beach, Altura Energy, Amarok Gathering LLC, Anadarko 20-25 Company, Anadarko 20-36 Company, Anadarko 20-47 Company, Anadarko 20-48 Company, Anadarko 20-49 Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 403 c/e Company, Anadarko Algeria Block 406B Company, Anadarko Algeria Company LLC, Anadarko Algeria Oil & Gas Company, Anadarko Brazil Investment I LLC, Anadarko Brazil Investment II LLC, Anadarko Canada E&P Limited, Anadarko China Holdings 2 Company, Anadarko Colombia Company, Anadarko Consolidated Holdings LLC, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Block 103 Company, Anadarko Cote d'Ivoire Company, Anadarko DBMOS Operator LLC, Anadarko Development Company, Anadarko Development Holding Limited, Anadarko E&P Onshore LLC, Anadarko Egypt Holdings Company, Anadarko Energy Holding Limited, Anadarko Energy Services Company, Anadarko Exploracao e Producao de Petroleo e Gas Natural Ltda., Anadarko Finance Company, Anadarko Gabon Company, Anadarko Ghana Mahogany-1 Company, Anadarko Global Energy S.a.r.l, Anadarko Global Funding 1 Company, Anadarko Global Funding II Ltd., Anadarko Guyana Company, Anadarko Holding Company, Anadarko International Development S.a.r.l, Anadarko International Energy Company, Anadarko International O&G Company, Anadarko International Trading Corporation, Anadarko Jordan Company, Anadarko Kenya Company, Anadarko LMM S.a.r.l, Anadarko Land Corp., Anadarko Mexico B.V., Anadarko Mexico S.a.r.l, Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell BR Corp., Anadarko Midkiff/Chaney Dell LLC, Anadarko Natural Gas Company LLC, Anadarko New Zealand Company, Anadarko OGC Company, Anadarko Offshore Holding Company LLC, Anadarko Offshore Well Containment Company LLC, Anadarko Oil & Gas 5 LLC, Anadarko Peru B.V., Anadarko Petroleum, Anadarko Petroleum Corporation, Anadarko Realty LLC, Anadarko Rockies LLC, Anadarko Royalty Holdings Company, Anadarko UK Corporate Limited, Anadarko US Offshore LLC, Anadarko USH1 Corporation, Anadarko Venezuela Company, Anadarko Venezuela LLC, Anadarko Venezuela Srl, Anadarko WCTP Company, Anadarko West Texas BR Corp., Anadarko West Texas LLC, Anadarko Worldwide Holdings C.V., Atlantic Rim Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Aventine LLC, Baseball Merger Sub 2 Inc., Bear Branch Exploration LLC, Big Island Trona Company, Bitter Creek Coal Company, Bravo Pipeline Company, Cain Chemical, Cain Chemical Inc., Carbon Finance Labs LLC, Concord Petroleum Corporation, Conn Creek Shale Company, D.S. Ventures LLC, DMM Financial LLC, Deerwood Exploration LLC, Downtown Plaza II, Elk Hills Field, FLAG Development LLC, FP Westport Commodities Limited, FP Westport GmbH, FP Westport LLC, FP Westport Limited, FP Westport Services LLC, FP Westport Trading LLC, Fosters Mill Exploration LLC, Glenn Springs Holdings Inc., Globrep Representaciones S.A., Grand Bassa Tankers Inc., Grupo OxyChem de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Headwater II LLC, Houndstooth Resources LLC, INDSPEC Chemical B.V., INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Corporation, INDSPEC Chemical Export Sales LLC, INDSPEC Holding Corporation, Ingleside Cogeneration GP LLC, Ingleside Cogeneration Limited Partnership, Interore Trading Ltd., Joslyn Partnership, KERR-McGEE TT E&P LTD., KM BM-C-Seven Ltd., KM International Insurance Ltd., Kerr-McGee Corporation, Kerr-McGee Natural Gas Company Inc., Kerr-McGee Oil & Gas Onshore LP, Kerr-McGee Shared Services Company LLC, Kerr-McGee Stored Power Corporation, Kerr-McGee U.K. Energy Corporation, Kerr-McGee Worldwide Corporation, Kerr-McGee do Brasil Ltda., Kerr-McGee of Canada Northwest Ltd., Laguna Petroleum Corp., Laguna Petroleum LLC, Liwa Oil & Gas Ltd., MC2 Technologies LLC, Mariana Properties Inc., Marico Exploration Inc., Miller Springs Remediation Management Inc., Moncrief Minerals Partnership L.P., NGL Ventures LLC, Natural Gas Odorizing Inc., New OPL LLC, OEVC Energy LLC, OEVC Midstream Projects LLC, OIH LLC, OLCV CE Holdings ULC, OLCV CE US Holdings Inc., OLCV Net Power LLC, OLCV Services LLC, OOG Partner LLC, OOOI Chem Holdings LLC, OOOI Chem Sub LLC, OOOI Chemical International LLC, OOOI Chile Holder LLC, OOOI Ecuador Management LLC, OOOI Oil and Gas Sub LLC, OOOI South America Management LLC, OPM GP Inc., OPM Holdco LLC, OTCF LLC, OTH LLC, OXY CV Pipeline LLC, OXY Campus LLC, OXY Inc., OXY LPG LLC, OXY Libya E&P Area 103 BR4 B.V., OXY Libya E&P Area 35 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P Concession 103 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 102 B.V., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1981 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P EPSA 1985 Ltd., OXY Libya E&P NC 143 144 145 150 B.V., OXY Libya Exploration SPC, OXY Libya LLC, OXY Little Knife LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings I LLC, OXY Mexico Holdings II LLC, OXY Middle East Holdings Ltd., OXY Oil Partners Inc., OXY PBLP Manager LLC, OXY Support Services LLC, OXY Tulsa Inc., OXY USA Inc., OXY USA WTP LP, OXY VPP Investments LLC, OXY West LLC, OXY of Saudi Arabia Ltd., OXYCHEM (CANADA) INC., OXYMAR, Oakwood Exploration LLC, Occidental (Bermuda) Ltd., Occidental (East Shabwa) LLC, Occidental Advance Sale Finance Inc., Occidental Al Hosn LLC, Occidental Angola Holdings Ltd., Occidental CIS Services Inc., Occidental Canada Holdings Ltd., Occidental Chemical Asia Limited, Occidental Chemical Belgium B.V.B.A., Occidental Chemical Chile Limitada, Occidental Chemical Corporation, Occidental Chemical Export Sales LLC, Occidental Chemical Far East Limited, Occidental Chemical Holding Corporation, Occidental Chemical International LLC, Occidental Chemical Investment (Canada) 1 Inc., Occidental Chemical Receivables LLC, Occidental Chemical de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Occidental Chile Investments LLC, Occidental Chile Minority Holder LLC, Occidental Colombia (Series G) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series J) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series K) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series L) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series M) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series N) Ltd., Occidental Colombia (Series O) Ltd., Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (Canada), Occidental Crude Sales Inc. (International), Occidental Dolphin Holdings Ltd., Occidental Energy Marketing Inc., Occidental Energy Ventures LLC, Occidental Exploradora del Peru Ltd., Occidental Exploration and Production Company, Occidental Hafar LLC, Occidental International (Libya) Inc., Occidental International Corporation, Occidental International Exploration and Production Company, Occidental International Holdings Ltd., Occidental International Oil and Gas Ltd., Occidental International Services Inc., Occidental Joslyn GP 2 Co., Occidental LNG (Malaysia) Ltd., Occidental Latin America Holdings LLC, Occidental Libya Oil & Gas B.V., Occidental MENA Manager Ltd., Occidental Middle East Development Company, Occidental Midland Basin LLC, Occidental Mukhaizna LLC, Occidental Oil Asia Pte. Ltd., Occidental Oil Shale Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas (Oman) Ltd., Occidental Oil and Gas Corporation, Occidental Oil and Gas International Inc., Occidental Oil and Gas International LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas Pakistan LLC, Occidental Oil and Gas of Peru LLC, Occidental Oman (Block 27) Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 51 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 65 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 65 LLC, Occidental Oman Block 72 Holding Ltd., Occidental Oman Block 72 LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Company LLC, Occidental Oman Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oman North Holdings Ltd., Occidental Oriente Exploration and Production Ltd., Occidental Overseas Holdings B.V., Occidental PVC LLC, Occidental Peninsula II Inc., Occidental Peninsula LLC, Occidental Permian Ltd., Occidental Permian Manager LLC, Occidental Permian Services Inc., Occidental Peruana Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 101) Inc., Occidental Petrolera del Peru (Block 103) Inc., Occidental Petroleum (Pakistan) Inc., Occidental Petroleum Corporation, Occidental Petroleum Corporation Political Action Committee, Occidental Petroleum de Venezuela S.A., Occidental Petroleum of Nigeria, Occidental Petroleum of Oman Ltd., Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd., Occidental Power Marketing L.P., Occidental Power Services Inc., Occidental Qatar Energy Company LLC, Occidental Red Sea Development LLC, Occidental Research Corporation, Occidental Resource Recovery Systems Inc., Occidental Resources Company, Occidental Shah Gas Holdings Ltd., Occidental South America Finance LLC, Occidental Specialty Marketing Inc., Occidental Tower Corporation, Occidental Transportation Holding Corporation, Occidental West Texas Overthrust Inc., Occidental Yemen Ltd., Occidental Yemen Sabatain Inc., Occidental del Ecuador Inc., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Bab) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi (Shah) Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Abu Dhabi LLC, Occidental of Abu Dhabi Ltd., Occidental of Bahrain Ltd., Occidental of Bangladesh Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Chipiron) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Cosecha) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Medina) Inc., Occidental of Colombia (Putumayo) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia (Teca) Ltd., Occidental of Colombia PUT-36 LLC, Occidental of Dubai Inc., Occidental of Iraq Holdings Ltd., Occidental of Iraq LLC, Occidental of Oman Inc., Occidental of Russia Ltd., Occidental of South Africa (Offshore) Inc., Occidental of Yemen (Block 75) LLC, Oceanic Marine Transport Ltd., Opcal Insurance Inc., Oryx Crude Trading & Transportation Inc., Oxy BridgeTex Limited Partnership, Oxy C & I Bulk Sales LLC, Oxy Canada Sales Inc., Oxy Carbon Solutions LLC, Oxy Carbon Storage LLC, Oxy Climate Ventures Inc., Oxy Cogeneration Holding Company LLC, Oxy Colombia Holdings LLC, Oxy Colombia TopCo Ltd., Oxy Delaware Basin LLC, Oxy Delaware Basin Plant LLC, Oxy Dolphin E&P LLC, Oxy Dolphin Pipeline LLC, Oxy Energy Canada Inc., Oxy Energy Services LLC, Oxy Expatriate Services Inc., Oxy FFT Holdings Inc., Oxy Holding Company (Pipeline) Inc., Oxy International Ventures Ltd., Oxy LPG Terminal LLC, Oxy Levelland Pipeline Company LLC, Oxy Levelland Terminal Company LLC, Oxy Low Carbon Ventures LLC, Oxy Midstream Strategic Development LLC, Oxy Oleoducto SOP LLC, Oxy Overseas Services Ltd., Oxy Permian Gathering LLC, Oxy Permian Plaza LLC, Oxy Petroleum de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Oxy Renewable Energy LLC, Oxy Salt Creek Pipeline LLC, Oxy TL LLC, Oxy Taft Hub LLC, Oxy Technology Ventures Inc., Oxy Transport I Company LLC, Oxy Vinyls Canada Co., Oxy Vinyls Export Sales LLC, Oxy Vinyls LP, Oxy Westwood Corporation, Oxy Y-1 Company, OxyChem Ingleside Ethylene Holdings Inc., OxyChem do Brasil Ltda., OxyChile Investments LLC, Oxychem Shipping Ltd., Permian Basin JV Tax Matters Member LLC, Permian Basin Limited Partnership, Permian VPP Holder LP, Permian VPP Manager LLC, Phibro, Placid Oil LLC, Ramlat Oxy Ltd., Rio de Viento Inc., Rodeo Midland Basin LLC, San Patricio Pipeline LLC, Scanports Shipping LLC, SequestCo LLC, Stetson Exploration LLC, Sun Offshore Gathering Company, Swiflite Aircraft Corporation, Transok Properties LLC, Troy Potter Inc., Turavent Oil GmbH [in liquidation], Tuscaloosa Holdings Inc., UP Petroleo III Ltd., Upland Industries Corporation, Venezuela US SRL, Vintage Gas Inc., Vintage Petroleum, Vintage Petroleum Argentina Ltd., Vintage Petroleum Boliviana Ltd., Vintage Petroleum International Finance B.V., Vintage Petroleum International Holdings LLC, Vintage Petroleum International LLC, Vintage Petroleum International Ventures Inc., Vintage Petroleum Italy Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America Holdings Inc., Vintage Petroleum South America LLC, Vintage Petroleum Turkey Inc., WGR Asset Holding Company LLC, WGR Canada Inc., Wardner Ranch Inc., Western Gas Resources Inc., Western Gas Resources-Westana Inc., Western Midstream Holdings LLC, Woodlands International Insurance Ltd., and YT Ranch LLC.
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE engages in the manufacture of luxury goods. It operates through the following business segments: Wines & Spirits, Fashion & Leather Goods, Perfumes & Cosmetics, Watches & Jewelry, Selective Retailing, and Other Activities & Eliminations. The Wines & Spirits segment produces and sells high quality champagne wines and sparkling wines. It also distributes vodka and white liquor. The Fashion & Leather Goods segment engages in the manufacture of luggage items, bags, accessories, shoes and clothes. The Perfumes & Cosmetics segment engages in the production and distribution of make-up, perfume and skin care products. The Watches & Jewelry segment manufactures luxury watches and accessories form men and women. It specializes in the field of chronographs and ultimate precision. The Selective Retailing segment is organized to promote an environment that is appropriate to the image and status of the luxury brands. It engages in the sale of luxury products to international travelers and on board cruise ships. This segment also manages beauty stores that combine direct access and customer assistance to customers. The Other Activities & Eliminations segment i

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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.

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Standard Chartered PLC, together with its subsidiaries, provides various banking products and services primarily in Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East. The company operates through Corporate & Institutional Banking, Retail banking, Commercial Banking, and Private Banking segments. It offers retail products, such as deposits, savings, mortgages, credit cards, and personal loans; wealth management products and services that include investments, portfolio management, insurance and advices, and planning services; and transaction banking services, such as cash management, payments and transactions, and trade financing products. The company also provides corporate finance products and services that comprise structured and project financing, strategic advising, and mergers and acquisitions; and financial market services, such as investment, risk management, debt capital markets, and securities services. In addition, it offers digital banking solutions. The company serves corporations, financial institutions, governments, investors, small businesses, and individuals. It operates through approximately 1,026 branches. The company was founded in 1853 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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At a panel at De/Centralize 2018, issues affecting the blockchain industry, such as raising capital and building a community, were discussed

(L-R): Mohan Belani, Co-founder of e27; Pavel Bains, CEO, Bluzelle; Chng Kai Cheng, Co-Founder and CEO, DigixGlobal; Amrit Kumar, Head of Research, Zilliqa; Dipesh Sukhani, Co-Founder, Indorse;

Stefano Virgilli, Chief Strategy Officer, INVICTUS Group

Over the past couple of years, capital has flowed into blockchain startups and Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) faster than bordeaux at a wine-tasting event; and despite recent knocks to cryptocurrencys value and scares over its security and legality in recent months, the tech ecosystems appetite for cryptocurrency and its underlying blockchain technology remains strong.

In Singapore, stakeholders in the ecosystem are warming up to the idea that blockchain is here to stay, but there remain many challenges.

Today, at a panel discussion in the De/Centralize 2018 event moderated by Mohan Belani, Co-founder and CEO of e27, blockchain experts discussed the issues Singapores ecosystem still face and the steps that can be taken to overcome them.

The experts consisted of:

Pavel Bains, CEO, Bluzelle;

Chng Kai Cheng, Co-Founder and CEO, DigixGlobal;

Amrit Kumar, Head of Research, Zilliqa;

Dipesh Sukhani, Co-Founder, Indorse;

Stefano Virgilli, Chief Strategy Officer, INVICTUS Group

The general sentiment was that blockchain technology is still nascent and many people in the tech industry, as well as those outside of it, were still unclear about its use cases and reliability.

Building a community

The genesis of any industry begins with a community: a group of like-minded individuals with similar ambitions. For young startups, community support is vital.

Kumar said that when his startup Zillliqa  a public blockchain platform designed to scale to thousands of transactions per second  was starting out in Singapore, his team was lean and everything was done in-house  from product development, crafting of the whitepaper, and marketing  so you can imagine how thinly-stretched his resources were. Getting connected to the community for extra support is therefore critical.

Story continues

Now, there exists a healthy slew of blockchain and cryptocurrency events. But one aspect that is still missing is a strong developer-focused community, the panel said.

According to Bains, the blockchain community in Singapore can do more to get people get excited to work on blockchain projectspeople who can get their hands dirty.

In fact, the lack of blockchain developers in Singapore is so acute that blockchain investors actually outnumber them (though they did not provide any figure). This presents a problem. In Sukhanis case, it made it difficult for him to find the right tech talent who understood blockchain; who has the right mindset to approach this field. Because of that, he has had to find talent from outside the country and region, in places like Europe and India.

Even among blockchain developers, there is a certain distance and divide amongst them. According to Kumar, though there are a few blockchain projects being worked in the public universities such as the National University of Singapore (NUS), they remain isolated from the general blockchain and tech ecosystem.

Working with VCs

In the past, it was difficult to pitch blockchain projects to VCs, since their primary objectives are to analyse exit opportunities for their portfolio companies and make money for their investors. And there were, and still are, many unknowns  such as whether blockchain projects are truly scalable.

But thanks to the proliferation of cryptocurrency and blockchain startups, they have become more receptive; some are already active in participating in the financing of such startups. Chng mentioned that there are also cryptocurrency funds such as Kenetic Capital which is helping startups to conduct ICOs.

For Chngs startup DigixGlobal, an Ethereum-based platform that tokenizes gold, and Bains startup Bluzelle, a decentralised database platform, they were able to clinch a partnership with Japanese VC Global Brain. It saw the rise of ICOs and were able to adapt their business model to leverage this new vertical.

Also Read: This blockchain platform helps brands implement CSR activities efficiently, thereby getting more visbility

But a key question remains: how can VCs add more value to blockchain startups beyond financial support?

Global Brain took a hybrid approach to DigixGlobal. Chng said the VC gave the company the freedom to create its own tokens. One of them is the DGX token (tokenised gold)  set to release this Sunday. Global Brain also helped connect DigixGlobal with supply chain solutions and form relationships with other enterprises.

As a Japanese company, Global Brain also has connections to major Japanese MNCs such as Sony. For a deep tech company like Bluzelle, having a seasoned investor partner with strong connections helps add credibility to its brand.

The important thing to note is that there needs to be greater awareness and education about blockchain. VCs can help evangelise blockchain (only if they are properly convinced, of course) to their wider business network, and in turn, pull in more backing for the blockchain support  from large corporates to SMEs.

Real-world applications

Blockchain solutions could possibly change how society is run, but the operative word here is possibly. At this stage, many groundbreaking blockchain solutions are still in their proof of concept phase. If these projects do not take off the ground and are not implemented in society, then the blockchain hype would have been just hot air without substance and fade into the annals of history.

Bains explained that there are currently two types of blockchain applications that have been successfully executed: those that service the needs of the cryptocurrency market and those that support the infrastructure for cryptocurrency. The problem with this is that none of these applications have any real world use. Soon, the time will come for these conceptual world real-world applications to prove that they are more than just a theoretical experiment.

Regulation

Putting money into Bitcoin, Ether or an ICO project is akin to gambling: one goes in with the expectation they will lose every dime they put up, after all, cryptocurrency is all speculative (although, of course, Ether has more use cases than that).

Governments need to come in and regulate the ecosystem, the panel said, but not to the point it stifles the development of blockchain, such as an outright ban. At this stage, the Singapore government is still cautious about regulating cryptocurrency (its probably a good sign they are weighing their options carefully and not overreacting to cryptocurrencys volatility).

Also Read: How blockchain can transform urban planning

Chng said that he hopes the Singapore government will adopt a bottom-up approach and level the playing field for all blockchain companies, because right now, the community is pretty much self-contained and therefore self-regulating its members.

The Singapore government also needs to ensure that blockchain companies that conduct their ICOs in the country actually contribute to the blockchain ecosystem and run their operations here, as opposed to setting up a shell company to take advantage of its favourable business environment, Bains said.

The blockchain ecosystem is growing fast, and just like the wild west of early 90s internet, there are many uncertainties. But as long as every stakeholder in the industry can work together to iron out these issues, the blockchain community will only grow stronger.



The post Singapore is warming up to blockchain but many challenges remain, say experts appeared first on e27.
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Brazil's leftist icon Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva served the first day of a 12-year prison sentence for corruption Sunday, but was already hoping for a way out through the courts this week, threatening to extend the drama ahead of presidential elections. The 72-year-old, who served two terms as head of state between 2003 and 2010, entered prison in the southern city of Curitiba late on Saturday, becoming Brazil's first ex-president to be jailed on a criminal conviction. His cell is located in the same federal police building that serves as the base of operations for "Car Wash," the expansive anti-graft investigation that brought him down. Since World War II, Brazil's presidents have often ended up in trouble -- impeached, felled by a coup and even suicide -- but Lula is the first to have been convicted and put behind bars. He was found guilty last year of accepting a luxury apartment as a bribe from a construction company and is the biggest scalp so far in the "Car Wash" probe. He insists on his innocence and says he was framed to stop him running in October presidential elections in which polls show him as frontrunner. But there could be surprises ahead, with a potentially explosive legal development coming as early as Wednesday, when local media say the Supreme Court could revisit the current law on incarceration during appeals. As things stand, anyone convicted and losing a first appeal, as in Lula's case, must conduct further appeals from prison. But there is pressure to change that provision so that higher court appeals could be pursued while free -- which could provide a reprieve for Lula. - 'Everything is possible' - Analysts are quick to point out that, given the country's history of rapid and unexpected changes, anything could happen. "In Brazil, everything is possible, so he could spend a week in prison and then a judge from the Supreme Court could send him to house arrest, for example," Oliver Stuenkel of the Getulio Vargas Foundation told AFP. "For a long time, we have been living with the unprecedented, so it is very difficult to predict what is going to happen." With just six months until Brazil's presidential election, and Lula still the frontrunner, the stakes are high. "From prison, he will continue exerting his influence and he could also exploit the symbolism of his victimization," said Andre Cesar, an analyst at the Hold political consultancy. Being locked up almost certainly means Lula will be out of the presidential election, throwing the race wide open. In polls, he currently scores more than double his nearest rivals. - 'A political prisoner' - Lula's imprisonment triggered a barrage of protest from leftist Cuba and Venezuela, both of which denounced it as a political plot to sideline him from the presidential race, with Caracas saying he was the "victim of a judicial inquisition." Havana took a similar line, saying Lula had suffered "unjust persecution" at the hands of the political system, the judiciary and the media. And in Mexico City, a small group of mostly Brazilian supporters held a protest, waving banners reading: "Free Lula!" and "Moro, your justice is fraudulent!" in reference to the judge who ordered his arrest and who has been in the driving seat of the Car Wash graft probe. Meanwhile in Curitiba, around 150 of Lula's diehard supporters were still gathered near the prison, where Workers' Party president Gleisi Hoffmann pledged that the city would become a center of political action to campaign for his release. Lula, she said, was "a political prisoner, the first since the reemergence of democracy" in 1985. "Curitiba will be the center of our political action. We will only leave when Lula leaves. This vigil will be permanent." Officials from the Unified Workers' Central (CUT), Brazil's largest trade union federation, said they were expecting dozens of convoys to arrive, bringing in supporters from across the country. - From palace to prison cell - But others in the city expressed satisfaction over the ex-president's fate, coming to take pictures in front of the prison, which they dismissively called "Lula's house." "Let Lula stay there for a long time and all his bunch with him. He deserves it," said businessman Mauro Celli, 49. Glaucio Zeni, 53, said: "Justice was done in this country." Lula's new home, a cell measuring roughly 160 square feet (15 square meters), is almost luxurious by the standards of Brazil's often violent, desperately overcrowded prisons. It has its own private toilet and hot shower -- and even a television, officials said, so he should be able to watch his favorite football team, Corinthians, taking on Palmeiras in Sunday's final of the Sao Paulo championship.
By Dahlia Nehme and Roberta Rampton

BEIRUT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" after medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town in Syria.

As international officials worked to try to confirm the chemical attack which happened late on Saturday in the town of Douma, Trump took the rare step of directly criticizing Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the incident.

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump wrote on Twitter.

The White House declined to clarify what consequences Trump had in mind. Last year, the United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base days after a sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria blamed on Assad.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against any military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses", saying this could lead to severe consequences.

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack. Others put the toll even higher.

The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon on the chemical attack at the request of the United States and eight other members, diplomats said.

'HORRIBLE' IMAGES

Last week Trump said he wanted to pull U.S. troops out of Syria, though his advisers have urged him to wait to ensure Islamic State militants are defeated and to prevent Assad's ally Iran from gaining a foothold there.

Story continues

There are about 2,000 U.S. troops on the ground in the country working to help fight Islamic State militants.

A top Trump security aide said on Sunday the United States would not rule out launching another missile attack. "I wouldn't take anything off the table," said Tom Bossert, the White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser, in an interview on ABC's "This Week."

"We are looking into the attack at this point," he said, adding that the photos of the incident are "horrible."

In one video shared by activists, the bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some with foam at the mouth, were seen. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

One factor in Trump's decision to bomb Syria last year was the television images of dead children.

Trump will be joined at the White House on Monday by John Bolton, who takes over as White House national security adviser.

Trump has shaken up his core national security team in the past two weeks, replacing national security adviser H.R. McMaster and firing Rex Tillerson as secretary of state.

Bolton, a hard-charging former UN ambassador, praised Trump's missile response last year, though he has generally focused more on Iran as a bigger national security threat.

Trump was set on Monday to talk with senior military leadership at a previously scheduled meeting at the White House.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis had warned in March during a trip to Oman that chlorine attacks would be "very unwise," saying Trump had "full political maneuver room" to respond, though he stopped short of threatening retaliation.

SHELTERING IN BASEMENTS

The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said it could not confirm whether chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by heavy bombardment.

Medical relief organisation SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the U.S.-based vice president of SAMS, which operates medical facilities and supports medics in Syria, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at a nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.

The joint statement from SAMS and the civil defence said medical centres had taken in more than 500 people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

Tawfik Chamaa, a Geneva-based Syrian doctor with the Syria-focused Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), a network of Syrian doctors, said 150 people were confirmed dead and the number was growing. "The majority were civilians, women and children trapped in underground shelters," he told Reuters.

Douma is in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus. Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta from rebel groups in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.

The Ghouta offensive has been one of the deadliest in Syria's seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Taking Douma would seal Assad's biggest victory since 2016, and underline his unassailable position in the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it mushroomed from protests against his rule in 2011.

(Reporting by Dahlia Nehme and Tom Perry in Beirut, Mustafa Hashem in Cairo, Roberta Rampton, John Walcott, Mark Hosenball, Michelle Price and Sarah Lynch in Washington, Michelle Nichols in New York, Suleiman al-Khalidi in Amman, Stephanie Nebehay in Geneva, Anthony Deutsch in Amstersdam, John Irish in Paris, and Polina Ivanova in Moscow; Writing by Tom Perry and Roberta Rampton; Editing by Adrian Croft and James Dalgleish)
Saudi Arabia's crown prince dined with French President Emmanuel Macron at Paris's Louvre museum on Sunday after arriving on a three-day visit aimed at reshaping his kingdom's austere image as he presses ahead with plans to reform the conservative petrostate. Macron faces a diplomatic tightrope in talks with Prince Mohammed bin Salman, set to focus on cultural ties and investments as well as the war in Yemen, dubbed the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and the kingdom's arch-nemesis Iran. After much speculation on the prince's schedule, Macron's office said he hosted a dinner for the 32-year-old prince at the historic museum. The dinner, held behind a tight security cordon, sets the tone for the official part of the visit starting Monday, which follows a weeks-long tour of the United States, Britain and Egypt where he courted a host of multimillion dollar deals. Around 18 memorandums of understanding in energy, agriculture, tourism and culture are set to be signed at an official Saudi-France CEO Forum on Tuesday, a source close to the crown prince's delegation told AFP. A Franco-Saudi deal to develop Al Ula, a Saudi city richly endowed with archeological remnants, is also set to be a central highlight of the visit, the source added. The agreement calls for the creation of a dedicated agency modelled on the lines of the French museums agency, which spearheaded the setting up of the Louvre museum in Abu Dhabi. But in an apparent setback, the prince's visit to the Paris-based tech start-up campus Station F, scheduled for Monday with French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, was cancelled. In another embarrassment, dozens of people staged a protest Sunday in the southern city of Aix-en-Provence, where the prince had previously been expected to attend a concert. One picket sign read "Don't sell arms to Saudi Arabia", according to an AFP reporter. - 'Young, visionary, ambitious' - The visit by the heir to the Saudi throne comes after a tumultuous period at home that saw a major military shake-up and a royal purge as he consolidates power to a degree well beyond that wielded by previous rulers. The prince has used his global tour to project his reforms -- including the historic lifting of a ban on women driving, cinemas and mixed-gender concerts -- as part of his pledge to return the kingdom to moderate Islam. Backed by high-power lobbying and public relations firms, the prince is seeking to rebrand Saudi Arabia as a modernist oasis instead of an austere kingdom known for exporting jihadist ideology and subjugating women. Prince Mohammed's tour is meant to project "Saudi Arabia is open for business," Bernard Haykel, a professor at Princeton University, told AFP. "He is marketing Saudi Arabia as a strategic and business partner to the West and a force of stability in the region, as compared to rival Iran which he presents as a destabilising force," he said. Saudi officials project strong relations between Prince Mohammed and Macron, both young leaders undertaking challenging reforms to transform their countries. "Saudi Arabia is not resetting diplomatic ties with France," a source close to the Saudi government told AFP. "The leadership of both countries share much in common. They are both young, visionary and ambitious." - Underlying tensions - But the trip follows a period of underlying tensions, with Macron seeking to bolster ties with the Arab world's biggest economy while also managing other relationships with Middle Eastern nations. Macron waded into a regional crisis last November when Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri tendered his resignation on live television from Riyadh, apparently under pressure from the crown prince. Macron invited Hariri to Paris for talks and he has since rescinded his resignation, a development that analysts say exposed the limits of the prince's authority. As US President Donald Trump threatens to tear up the 2015 nuclear cooperation deal with Iran, Macron also faces the challenge of convincing the prince that some agreement to curb Tehran's atomic ambitions is better than no deal at all, experts say. The crown prince, however, has emphasised closer ties with Washington just as Macron has sought to improve relations with Iran. Macron faces seething criticism over French weapon exports to Saudi Arabia, including Caesar artillery guns, sniper rifles and armoured vehicles, despite the kingdom's role in the Yemen crisis. Three out of four French people believe it is "unacceptable" to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia, according to a poll last month by independent research group YouGov. Last week, 10 international rights groups implored Macron to pressure Prince Mohammed over the Saudi-led bombing campaign in Yemen, claiming it is exacerbating a humanitarian crisis for thousands of civilians. burs-ac/har
German police were scrambling in the early hours of Sunday to understand the motives of a man who drove a van into a crowd at an open-air restaurant, killing two people before shooting himself. It was not clear whether he hoped to commit a so-called "murder-suicide" or had political motivations. But authorities appeared near-certain that there was no Islamist connection to the violence in the historic centre of Muenster. As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- six of them seriously -- amid the broken and upturned tables and chairs seen strewn across the pavement in images of the scene. Germany has been on especially high alert for such terrorist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group. The worst of those saw a Tunisian asylum seeker ram a truck into crowds at a Berlin Christmas market in December 2016, killing 12. In the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, there was "no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul. - Psychological problems - While stressing that the investigation was still ongoing, Reul said the perpetrator was believed to be a German citizen "and not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that". Media reports said the driver, identified only as Jens R., had a history of mental health problems. Public broadcaster ZDF said the man had recently attempted suicide while rolling news channel NTV said he had spoken of a desire to bring as much attention as possible to his death. ZDF also reported that he had possible links with far-right movements. News website Spiegel Online reported that Jens R. lived in Muenster and police had found an assault weapon at his flat. Police in the university city of 300,000 did not immediately confirm the reports. They said that "a potentially suspicious object" had been found in the vehicle that might possibly be an explosive, and experts had been called in to deactivate it. "There was a bang and then screaming. The police arrived and got everyone out of here," an employee of the restaurant hit by the terrace told NTV. "There were a lot of people screaming. I'm angry -- it's cowardly to do something like this." Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault. - 'Deeply shaken' - Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims". The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, each sent their condolences. The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places. In the Berlin Christmas market attack, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through the festive market in central Berlin. He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run. In France, IS claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86. And in Spain, the jihadists also claimed a rampage along Barcelona's Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured. Like other European nations, Germany remains a target for jihadist groups, in particular because of its involvement in the coalition fighting IS in Iraq and Syria, and its deployment in Afghanistan since 2001. A court last month sentenced a man to life in prison for killing one and wounding six others with a knife in a Hamburg supermarket out of a "jihadist" motive last July. IS also claimed responsibility for a number of attacks in 2016, including the murder of a teenager in Hamburg, a suicide bombing in the southern city of Ansbach that wounded 15, and an axe attack on a train in Bavaria that left five injured. Germany's security services estimate there are around 10,000 Islamic radicals in Germany, some 1,600 of whom are suspected of being potentially violent. Political opponents of Chancellor Angela Merkel have charged that the security situation has worsened with the arrival of more than one million migrants and refugees since 2015, many from African and Middle Eastern conflict hotspots.
German authorities investigating a deadly van ramming attack focused Sunday on mental health problems of the driver, as the city of Muenster mourned for the two people killed on a sunny afternoon at an open-air restaurant. "There are strong indications at the moment that this was a lone perpetrator and that there were no links to the terror scene," federal Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told reporters at the site of Saturday's attacks, where local people laid flowers in memory of the victims. Far-right opponents of Chancellor Angela Merkel's refugee policy had suggested in the immediate aftermath of the attack it might be an Islamist act of terror, while some media reported the killer had links to right-wing extremist organisations. But there are "no indications of a political motive," said Hajo Kuhlisch, chief of police in the western city where the attack took place. Rather, he added, "the motive and origins (of the crime) lie within the perpetrator," a 48-year-old German identified as Jens R. who shot himself dead immediately after the crime. A source close to the investigation told AFP there was a record of incidents related to the perpetrator's impaired mental health since 2015, and that he had talked of suicide in late March. Prosecutors said he faced allegations of threats, property damage and fraud in 2015 and 2016, all of which were dropped. And broadcaster NTV reported he had threatened family members with an axe in 2014 and 2015. The two victims killed in Muenster were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany. As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- some life-threateningly. The foreign ministry in the Netherlands said two of those hurt were Dutch, one of whom was in a critical condition. In the van, police found the gun used by the driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks. A search of the man's Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle. Police have appealed to the public for information, setting up a website where people can upload photos and videos. - 'No Islamist connection' - Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack Saturday, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault. "I was on my way home through the city here and saw firefighters and ambulances everywhere. I thought something really terrible must have happened," said Hubert Reckermann, a local man in his late 60s. "It's still unbelievable for me, but these days anything can happen. You can't really defend yourself against people with psychiatric problems." Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group. But "we know with high probability that it was a lone perpetrator, it was a German, not a refugee," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul. "We know with high probability that there was no Islamist background" to the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, he added. "It will take a few more hours and days" until the case is cleared up, Reul added. - 'Deeply shaken' - Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and pledged that "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims". The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, as well as Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy sent their condolences. The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places. In a Berlin assault in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market. He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run. In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86. And in Spain, the jihadists also claimed a rampage along Barcelona's Las Ramblas boulevard in August 2017 that killed 14 and left more than 100 injured.
Washington has agreed to allow US defence contractors help Taiwan construct its own submarines, Taipei said, welcoming the breakthrough in long-standing ambitions to build up its fleet to counter the threat from China. Taiwan last year launched a plan to manufacture its own submarines amid deteriorating relations with China after its hopes of buying them from the US came to nothing. The US State Department has approved granting the licence necessary to sell Taiwan the technology needed for its submarine project. The approval was a "breakthrough," Taiwan defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said Sunday. "It is part of a process. We'll take it step by step," he told AFP, declining to provide further details. The agreement is likely to anger Beijing, which regards the island as part of its territory even though the two sides have been ruled separately since the end of a civil war in 1949. Washington's approval comes after President Donald Trump last month signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan. China has protested at the move, saying the US should stop official exchanges with Taiwan to avoid "damaging Sino-US relations". Washington switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979 but maintains trade relations with the island and is its main arms supplier. Since coming to power in May 2016, President Tsai Ing-wen has pushed for Taiwan to develop and build more of its weapons domestically. Her office expressed thanks to Washington for the licence approval. "The US government's decision will not only help Taiwan in raising its defence capabilities, it will also greatly benefit security and stability in the region," it said in a statement Saturday. Taipei has long struggled to procure submarines from the US. In April 2001 then-president George W. Bush approved the sale of eight conventional submarines but there had been no progress on the deal, prompting Taipei's decision to build its own. The United States has not built conventional submarines for more than 40 years and Germany and Spain reportedly declined to offer their designs for fear of offending China. Taiwan's navy currently operates a fleet of four submarines, bought from abroad but only two of them can be deployed in the event of war. The other two were built by the United States in the 1940s and are only used in training as they are too old for combat. The first domestically-built submarine is expected to be deployed within 10 years.
2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #14

Posted on 8 April 2018 by John Hartz

Opinion of the Week... Opinion of the Week... Toon of the Week... SkS Spotlights... Coming Soon on SkS... Poster of the Week... Climate Feedback Reviews... SkS Week in Review... 97 Hours of Consensus...

Story of the Week...

Solar geoengineering too uncertain to go ahead yet

The world must urgently agree controls on solar geoengineering to weigh up its possible risks and benefits before deciding to go ahead, one expert says.

Brightening marine clouds is one suggested solar geoengineering approach. Image: By Ron Reeves, US Navy, via Wikimedia Commons

Progress to deploy solar engineering, experimental technology designed to protect the world against the impact of the changing climate, must pause, a former United Nations climate expert says, arguing that governments need to create effective guardrails against any unforeseen risks.

Janos Pasztor, who served as a UN assistant secretary-general on climate change, is using a speech to Arizona State University, broadast via Facebook Live by ASU LightWorks, 6:30-8pm Arizona time (9:30pm EDT  US Eastern Daylight Time) today, to warn the world that governments are largely ignoring the fundamental question of who should control geoengineering, and how.

There are widespread misgivings, both among scientists and more widely, about geoengineering, with many regarding it as at best a strategy of last resort to help to avoid calamitous climate change.

Mr Pasztors warning comes as researchers prepare for what is thought to be the worlds first outdoor experiment on stratospheric aerosol injection (SAI), one type of solar geoengineering. The test is due to take place later this year over Arizona.

Pasztor heads the Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative(C2G2), an initiative of the New York-based Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs. The Initiative wants solar geoengineering deployment to be delayed until the risks and potential benefits are better known and governance frameworks are agreed.

Solar geoengineering too uncertain to go ahead yet by Alex Kirby, Climate News Network, Apr 6, 2018

Opinion of the Week...

A new Gallup survey shows that independent voters are less concerned about climate change than they were a year ago. In the last year, independents have become less likely to accept that global warming is happening and that humans are the cause, and less likely to perceive that theres a scientific consensus about global warming.

In 2017, 71 percent of independent voters were aware that most scientists believe global warming is occurring; this year its 65 percent. There has long been a significant gap between public perception of global warming and the scientific consensus: Between 90 percent and 100 percent of climate scientists agree humans are causing global warming, with studies converging on 97-percent consensus. But surveys since 2010 offered hope that the consensus gap had been shrinking over the last eight years. Gallups new data indicates this trend has reversed. The consensus gap widened over the last year.

Independents arent the only ones on the move. The American public has become more polarized on climate change in the last year: Climate concern and acceptance has dropped among Republicans, and Democrats have become more accepting of climate change.

There are a few ways to account for these shifts in public opinion. One is the cues weve heard from our political leaders, which are a leading driver of peoples concerns and perceptions about climate change.

Trumps Climate Change Denial Is Already Reshaping Public Opinion. Opinion by John Cook, HuffPost, Apr 3, 2018

SkS Highlights...

Carnegie Climate Geoengineering Governance Initiative

C2G2 seeks to catalyze the creation of effective governance for climate geoengineering technologies by shifting the conversation from the scientific and research community to the global policy-making arena, and by encouraging a broader, society-wide discussion about the risks, potential benefits, ethical and governance challenges raised by climate geoengineering.

The C2G2 initiative is not for or against the research, testing or potential use of climate geoengineering technologies. That is a choice for society to make.

C2G2 is an initiative of the Carniege Council for Ethics in International Affairs

Toon of the Week...

Quote of the Week...

Critics say the National Park Services editing of the report reflects unprecedented political interference in government science at the Interior Department, which oversees the park service.

Jonathan Overpeck, a climate scientist and dean of the University of Michigans School for Environment and Sustainability, said the deletions are shocking from a scientific point of view, but also from a policy point of view.

To remove a very critical part of the scientific understanding is nothing short of political censorship and has no place in science, he said. Censorship of this kind is something youd see in Russia or some totalitarian regime. It has no place in America.

Wipeout: Human role in climate change removed from science report by Elizabeth Shogren, Reveal, Apr 2, 2018

SkS Spotlights...

The Climate Atlas of Canada is an interactive tool for citizens, researchers, businesses, and community and political leaders to learn about climate change in Canada. It combines climate science, mapping and storytelling to bring the global issue of climate change closer to home, and is designed to inspire local, regional, and national action and solutions.

The Atlas explains what climate change is, how it affects Canada and what these changes mean in our communities. Various aspects of climate change can be explored using maps, graphs and climate data for provinces, local regions and cities across the country. Plain-language description and analysis make climate science understandable and meaningful.

Documentary videos, collaboratively developed with local and Indigenous knowledge holders as well as other experts, help make local sense of the global issue of climate change. These voices of lived experience provide personal perspectives that complement the climate data and help explain the reality and the meaning of climate change in Canada.

The Atlas is one of the only tools in the world that integrates interactive web design with climatology, cinema, and cartography to connect scientific data with personal experience in compelling and easy-to-use ways.

Coming Soon on SkS...

New resource: The Fact-Myth-Fallacy slide-deck (Baerbel, JG)

(Baerbel, JG) EPAs war with California over fuel efficiency proves America needs a carbon tax (Dana)

(Dana) Climate denial explained Part 1 (qwertle)

(qwertle) Scientists are marching Saturday to make politicians listen to evidence (Dana)

(Dana) New research this week (Ari)

(Ari) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming News Roundup #15 (John Hartz)

(John Hartz) 2018 SkS Weekly Climate Change & Global Warming Digest #15 (John Hartz)

Poster of the Week...

Climate Feedback Reviews...

Rush Limbaugh falsely claims there is no evidence of human-caused global warming

Claim

"There isnt yet any empirical evidence for their claim that greenhouse gases even cause temperatures to increase."

Verdict

Source

Rush Limbaugh, The Rush Limbaugh Show, April 2, 2018

Details

Factually Inaccurate: It is an unequivocal fact that Earths climate has warmed over the past century. Also, the conclusion that the human-caused increase of greenhouse gases is causing warming is supported by a wide range of empirical data.

Key Take Away

Human-caused global warming is not a theoretical, future predictionit has already occurred. Warming of the atmosphere and oceans is extensively documented, and the role of increased greenhouse gases in this warming has been determined from multiple lines of evidence.

Rush Limbaugh falsely claims there is no evidence of human-caused global warming by Scott Johnson, Climate Feedback, Apr 4, 2018

SkS Week in Review...

97 Hours of Consensus...

Michael Oppenheimer's bio page

Quote provided by email

High resolution JPEG (1024 pixels wide)
Ahead of high-profile congressional testimony by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a Republican senator is warning that the government may have no choice but to start regulating the social media giant. Our promised digital utopia has minefields in it, Sen. John Kennedy from Louisiana said on CBS Face the Nation. I have many, many questions, Mr. Zuckerberg. But my biggest worry with all this is that the privacy issue and what I call the propagandist issue are both too big for Facebook to fix, and thats the frightening part. When asked whether that meant lawmakers need to be regulating Facebook more closely, Kennedy said that may be the case.

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Kennedy said Facebook hasnt exactly been open about how it plans to prevent user data from being misused again and its unfair to expect users to have the responsibility of understanding what theyre signing up for considering the site has gotten so big. Look, weve got to talk about the initial bargain. Is it fair for me to give up all of my personal data to Facebook and apparently everybody else in the Western Hemisphere in exchange for me being able to see what some of my high school buddies had for dinner Saturday night? Who owns my data? Do I own it or does Facebook own it? Kennedy said.

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The Louisiana senator, who sits on the Senate Judiciary Committee, emphasized that the problem wasnt just about privacy but about Facebooks role in propagating false information. We can do it the easy way or the hard way. I do not want to regulate Facebook half to death but we do have two major problems weve discovered, he said. One is the privacy issue and the other is the propagandist issue. Now Facebook needs to talk with us frankly about how we can fix that and if it doesnt know how to fix it, which is my biggest worry, it needs to be be very frank in that regard too.

Meanwhile, Christoher Wylie, the Cambridge Analytica whistleblower, said on NBCs Meet the Press that the data the firm gathered from Facebook could be stored in Russia. And the number of users affected could be higher than the 87 million Facebook has acknowledged. It could be stored in various parts of the world, including Russia, given the fact that the professor who was managing the data harvesting process was going back and forth between the UK and to Russia, Wylie said.
President Donald Trump was angry Sunday morning following a long, deeply reported piece in the Washington Post that claimed Chief of Staff John Kelly no longer has the power he once did inside the White House. The Post is far more fiction than fact, the president wrote. Story after story is made up garbagemore like a poorly written novel than good reporting. Trump then added flatly that the papers story on Kelly isnt true and amounts to just another hit job!

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The Washington Post is far more fiction than fact. Story after story is made up garbage - more like a poorly written novel than good reporting. Always quoting sources (not names), many of which dont exist. Story on John Kelly isnt true, just another hit job!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

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This marks only the presidents latest attack against the paper, and its owner, Jeff Bezos. But the president is going to have to attack more than the Post to dismiss the story about a chief of staff in peril, considering it has become something of a theme. The clashes between Kelly and the president are recurring and escalating, wrote the Post. Both his credibility and his influence have been severely diminished.

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Although Kelly was once seen as the man who could bring order to the White House, he is increasingly being left out of key decisions. And he no longer has the trust and support of some of the key members of Trumps staff. The Post even notes he once angered First Lady Melania Trump. This is all par for the course when it comes to Trumps White House. The Post explains:

Kelly is the latest high-profile example of a West Wing Icarus  swept high into Trumps orbit, only to be singed and cast low. Nearly everyone who has entered the White House has emerged battered  rendered a punchline (former press secretary Sean Spicer), a Justice Department target (former national security adviser Michael Flynn) or a diminished shell, fired by presidential tweet (former secretary of state Rex Tillerson). No one knows how many days remain for Kelly, but when he leaves  either by the presidents hand or because of his own mounting frustration  he is almost certain to limp away damaged.

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The Post is hardly alone in its assessment. Shortly before the paper published its story, Axios reported that Kelly threatened to quit on March 28 after a loud argument in an Oval Office meeting. Very few people inside this White House feel secure or satisfied, given the wild, unpredictable mood and policy changes of Trump, noted Axios Jonathan Swan. Kelly months ago restored some order and sanity to the place but most of that is gone.

Earlier in the week, the Associated Press also pointed out that Kelly has receded from view, his clout diminished, his word less-trusted by staff and his guidance less tolerated by an increasingly go-it-alone president. Trump is so frustrated by Kelly that he has even speculated about whether he could get rid of the chief of staff job entirely
President Donald Trump wants everyone to know he isnt being swayed by the scandals increasingly engulfing Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt. The official who has been under fire for his excessive spending and possible ethics violations is doing a great job, Trump tweeted on Saturday night. The president took to Twitter to defend Pruitt on the day that an Associated Press report revealed the EPA chiefs concerns about his own security have cost taxpayers some $3 million, when pay is added to travel expenses.

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Trump seems to buy the message the EPA has pushed all along: Pruitt needs more security because of the increased number of death threats. While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA, Trump wrote. What about the $50-a-night bedroom that Pruitt rented from a lobbyist? About market rate, ruled Trump. (The Washington Post talked to realtors who say the most bizarre thing about the agreement was that Pruitt only paid for the days he actually occupied the room.) And how about all the claims of expensive first class travel? Travel expenses OK, wrote Trump.

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While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

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Trumps tweets make clear that he is siding with Pruitts allies who have said the EPA chief has made great progress in pushing the presidents agenda forward. The presidents support comes amid a campaign by prominent conservatives to come to Pruitts defense. But that doesnt mean the pressure is suddenly off. The House of Representatives Oversight Committee, chaired by Republican Rep. Trey Gowdy has started to look into Pruitts room rental.

Pruitt came under mild criticism from a few Republicans on Sunday. Sen. Lindsey Graham, for example, said that it doesnt look good but he still praised his actions as head of the EPA. I think hes done a good job, but Im looking to see what the oversight committee is going to say, Graham said on ABCs This Week. Republican Sen. Joe Kennedy said on CBS Face the Nation that Pruitt should stand up to the press and explain his actions. I would do a full blown press conference and say Okay here are your criticisms. Thats fair. Im going to stop doing it. Heres what I think is not fair, Kennedy said.

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Doctors and rescue workers in Syria said at least 42 people were killed in an apparent chemical attack on a rebel-held town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta, located near the capital of Damascus. Rescue workers said they found families suffocated in their homes and shelters and videos spread online showing purported victims of the attack. The attack was near bomb shelters and so it spread quickly in them, a paramedic who helped treat a group of victims said. The gas was concentrated and in a place where people thought they were safe.

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The opposition-linked Syrian Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, made clear the death toll is likely to rise as rescue operations continue. A joint statement with the Syrian Medical Society, a relief organization, said more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were taken to medical centers with signs of respiratory distress, central cyanosis, excessive oral foaming, corneal burns, and the emission of chlorine-like odor. After the chemical attack, the targeted area and the hospital that was treating the injured were attacked with barrel bombs, which hindered the ability of ambulances to reach the victims. The White Helmets posted several devastating videos and photos showing victims of the attack, including toddlers in diapers with foam coming out of their mouths.

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Another Video showing cases of suffocation among civilians, mostly children and women, following the chemical attack against the civilians in #Douma city. #AssadHitsDoumaWithChemicals pic.twitter.com/ItEpVLq5zM  The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) April 8, 2018

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The Syrian and Russian government both denied the use of chemical weapons, blaming rebels for trying to create an international outcry as the government is moving quickly to retake control of the suburb, which is one of the last rebel strongholds close to the capital. but that didnt stop foreign governments from expressing outrage at the reports. The British Foreign Office called for an investigation, noting that it would be further proof of Assads brutality. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, took to Twitter to affirm that it was indeed a mindless CHEMICAL attack and blamed President Putin, Russia and Iran  for backing Animal Assad. He called on Syria to open area immediately for medical help and verification before pointing the finger at his predecessor: If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago!

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Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

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....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

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If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

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This latest reported attack comes at a complicated time for Trump, who had ordered a strike after a chemical attack last year but has said recently he wants the United States out of Syria. For now, the administration is keeping its options open. I wouldnt take anything off the table, White House Homeland Security and counterterrorism adviser Thomas Bossert said on ABCs This Week.

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With concerns over another chemical attack in Syria, @TomBossert45 tells @MarthaRaddatz: This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed, and have agreed since WWII, is an unacceptable practice I wouldnt take [military action] off the table. pic.twitter.com/c7I9NidTy6  This Week (@ThisWeekABC) April 8, 2018

In a statement, the Syrian government said the claims of the use of chemical weapons were nothing short of fabrications from rebels who are losing to government forces. The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents, the statement said. For its part, the Foreign Ministry in Moscow, warned that any military strike as a response to fabricated reports of chemical attacks would lead to the gravest consequences.
A man has died of his injuries following a four-alarm fire at Trump Tower in New York on Saturday afternoon. Four firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries. The man who died was a 67-year-old resident on the 50th floor of the high-rise that is on Fifth Avenue, where an automatic alarm sounded shortly after 5:30 p.m. Firefighters pulled him out of the fire when he was unconscious and unresponsive and he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

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#FDNY members are on scene of a 3-alarm fire at 721 5th Ave Manhattan. There are currently no injuries reported pic.twitter.com/PKuPZBu70E  FDNY (@FDNY) April 7, 2018

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The apartment was virtually entirely on fire. They pushed in heroically, they were knocking down the fire, they found one occupant of the apartment on the 50th floor, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said. No member of the presidents family was in the building during the fire, according to Nigro.

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Video posted on Twitter showed flames shooting out of the building. Residents who talked to the New York Times said they did not hear any announcements to evacuate. One resident said Trumps lawyer, Michael Cohen, whom he has known since childhood, told him in a text message to leave the building. He said, Are you in the building? I said, Yes. He said, You better get out ASAP. Thats how I knew to get out, otherwise Id still be in there.

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Fire in Trump Tower worsening pic.twitter.com/6T1VsOCsuP  Peter Thomas Roth (@PeterThomasRoth) April 7, 2018

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Shortly before news of the death, President Donald Trump took to Twitter to praise the work of the firefighters and say that the fire was out and had been very confined (well built building). His son, Eric Trump also praised the fire and police departments. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere! he wrote.

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Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018

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Thank you to the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment at @TrumpTower. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!   Eric Trump (@EricTrump) April 7, 2018

The fire took place almost three months after two people were injured in a minor fire that broke out in a cooling tower on the roof of Trump Tower.
The connectivity todays technology offers means you can connect with your team anytime and anywhere. But remember your employees need off time too and a new regulation in New York City may see they can get it. New York City Council member Rafael Espinal has proposed a bill to protect employees from any retaliatory action if they choose not to respond to after work emails when theyve clocked out for the day.

In an interview on Fox Business, Espinal said his goal is to protect employees who choose not to answer after work for fear of reprisals. He goes on to say, if both parties agree to communicate after work hours, they are free to do so.

The bill will only affect organizations with 10 or more employees, and anyone violating the law will be fined $250, which goes to the employee. In case of emergencies or overtime work, the law will not apply.

Similar Laws Around the World

Recently South Korea passed a similar law regarding computers. The Seoul Metropolitan Government is trying to stop employees from working too much. State employees will no longer be able to work after 7 PM beginning May 2018.

France, Germany, Italy, the Philippines and other countries are also evaluating proposals tackling the same issues.

What is Driving this After Work Emails Movement?

Regarding the issue of responding to emails after work, Samantha A. Conroy, assistant professor of Management at CSUs College of Business, said, They are not able to separate from work when they go home, which is when they are supposed to be recovering their resources.

Conroy, along with Liuba Belkin of Lehigh University and William Becker of Virginia Tech authored a study titled, Exhausted But Unable to Disconnect. They said employees are being drained because of the anticipatory stress and expectation of answering after work emails.

The authors wrote, Email is notoriously known to be the impediment of the recovery process. Its accessibility contributes to experience of work overload since it allows employees to engage in work as if they never left the workspace, and at the same time, inhibits their ability to psychologically detach from work-related issues via continuous connectivity.

Recommendations From the Study

Simply put, if your employees are working all the time, you will not get the best out of them when they show up in the morning. Providing work/life balance is key if you want them to be happy, stay longer and remain productive.

While no two businesses are exactly alike, the researchers recommend managers implement email-free days, rotating after-hours email schedules, and if possible eliminating emails after work altogether.

They go on to say undertaking this type of effort for the well-being of your employees shows you are making efforts to find the balance they are looking for. This can lead to finding a workable solution between a company, its employees and the time they working and off work.
Google launched its goo.gl link shortener back in 2009, but when March 30, 2019, rolls around the service will be shut down. The closing was announced on March 30, 2018, on the companys official blog. In the same post, Google announced its much-improved replacement Firebase Dynamic Links (FDL).

The move to FDL comes as the way people use and find content across different devices and platforms has changed in the past decade.

The solution FDL provides simplifies how users find the content they are looking for as well as how developers, site owners, creators, and marketers make it available.

For small businesses, it will mean being able to easily send your customers to locations within Android, iOS, web applications and even connected devices. And Google says it will be free forever  so that is a definite plus!

Michael Hermanto, Software Engineer for Firebase, writes in the post how things have changed since the goo.gl link shortener was launched.

Hermanto adds, 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 web pages to apps, mobile devices, home assistants, and more.



How goo.gl Link Shortener Changes will Impact your Business Site

Google says it will sunset most of the features of goo.gl, but All of the existing links will continue to redirect to the intended destination.

The change begins on April 13, 2018, when anonymous users and users who have never used the service prior to March 30, 2018, will no longer be able to create new links through the goo.gl link shortener console. Google is recommending not only Firebase Dynamic Links, but also Bitly and Ow.ly as possible alternatives if you want to create new short links.

After the 2019 sunset date, any existing short links you still have will not be migrated to the Firebase console, but you can export link information from the goo.gl link shortener console.

If you are a developer, only projects which have accessed URL Shortener APIs before March 30, 2018, can create short links. If you need to create short links, Google recommends FDL APIs. However, you can continue to call URL Shortener APIs to manage goo.gl short links until March 30, 2019, at which time the APIs will be discontinued.

Why You Should Use FDL

As a small business, you need to make yourself available on as many different platforms as possible. And these platforms must work together seamlessly so your audience can find you on their mobile devices, PCs, home assistants and more. The Dynamic Links of FDL make this possible.
Love of languages takes her far

At first she was not happy about having to learn languages.

Katarina Skacaniova from Zilina is the head of the Department of Slovak Interpreters at the European Commission. She speaks French, German, Dutch, English and plans to learn Italian.

She started to study languages as a small child at primary school when her mother decided to enroll her in a language school.

I didnt like it very much, my classmates were attending various interesting courses and I was attending a German language course, she recalled, as quoted by the TASR newswire.

Her professor of German made a great impression on her. Besides German, English and few other European languages, he spoke a little Hebrew and Swahili.

The language of love

Skacaniova decided to learn French during high school. Her mother supported her, sending her to a neighbouring village to have extra classes.

The teacher was originally from Paris. She fell in love with a Czech guy and during the time of communism she moved to Czechoslovakia and earned money by teaching French, Skacaniova explained for TASR.

While in high school, she decided to study languages.Her next step lead to Comenius University in Bratislava.

Katarina Skacaniova (Source: Igor Calpas, TASR)

I was lucky again, because after a long time they opened the language combination of French-German, she recalled, as quoted by TASR. She studied translating and interpretation. She was also lucky because a new subject  Dutch  opened up.

A Dutchman, who in that time lived in Brno and commuted to teach the language, infected us with his love of the Dutch language, she said.

Thanks to learning Dutch, Skacaniova managed to get to her first stay abroad in Utrecht. After finishing her studies, she worked at the French Institute in Bratislava for the French Embassy as an interpreter.

European institutions

After more courses and tests of accreditation, she has worked for European institutions as an accredited interpreter since 2000.

I worked for the European Parliament, European Commission and even European Court of Justice in Luxembourg, she said for TASR.

She got an offer from the European Commission in 2003 when translating departments of the ten newly joined countries were about to form. She started to work for the European Commission exactly one year before Slovakia entered the EU  May 1st of 2003.

I was the very first, then I got two colleagues and the rest of the job was done by freelancers, she recalled, as cited by TASR.

Today, we have 14 colleagues. They do about a half of the job and the rest is done by freelancers, of which we have 66 accredited freelancers, she said for TASR.

8. Apr 2018 at 7:05 | TASR, Compiled by Spectator staff
Life of Brian, Slovak style

Slovakias political opposition has been losing for years due to the "narcissism of small differences".

Life of Brian is a film by the British comedy troupe Monty Python. It tells the satirical story of Brian, who was born in the barn next to Jesus, and his belief that the Romes occupation of his homeland, Judea, is illegitimate. He joins a rebel group called the Peoples Front of Judea  because of a pretty girl  which is different than Judean Peoples Front or the Judean Popular Peoples Front. In the end, the failure of these similar groups to unite, despite sharing a common goal, guarantees that the Romans keep ruling Judea and Brian is condemned to death.

The movie is absurdly funny because it accurately reflects how people with very similar political concerns can be so badly organised. Sigmund Freud called this the narcissism of small differences, writing: It is precisely the minor differences in people who are otherwise alike that form the basis of feelings of hostility between them. Slovakias political opposition has been losing based on this premise for years, and still is. Meanwhile, oligarchs, fascists and other dangerous actors who lack genuine political convictions  at least none they are not willing to sacrifice for greed, power and victory  form alliances of convenience.

8. Apr 2018 at 21:40 | Benjamin Cunningham
Tiger Swan is definitely operating in Louisiana
ONEOK, Inc. engages in gathering, processing, fractionating, transporting, storing and marketing of natural gas. It operates through the following segments: Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids and Natural Gas Pipelines. The Natural Gas Gathering and Processing segment offers midstream services to producers in North Dakota, Montana, Wyoming, Kansas and Oklahoma. The Natural Gas Liquids segment owns and operates facilities that gather, fractionate, treat and distribute NGLs and store NGL products, in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, New Mexico and the Rocky Mountain region, which includes the Williston, Powder River and DJ Basins, where it provides midstream services to producers of NGLs and deliver those products to the two market centers, one in the Mid-Continent in Conway, Kansas and the other in the Gulf Coast in Mont Belvieu, Texas. The Natural Gas Pipelines segment provides transportation and storage services to end users. The company was founded in 1906 and is headquartered in Tulsa, OK.

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Suncor Energy Inc. operates as an integrated energy company. The company primarily focuses on developing petroleum resource basins in Canada's Athabasca oil sands; explores, acquires, develops, produces, transports, refines, and markets crude oil in Canada and internationally; markets petroleum and petrochemical products under the Petro-Canada name primarily in Canada. It operates in Oil Sands; Exploration and Production; Refining and Marketing; and Corporate and Eliminations segments. The Oil Sands segment recovers bitumen from mining and in situ operations, and upgrades it into refinery feedstock and diesel fuel, or blends the bitumen with diluent for direct sale to market. The Exploration and Production segment is involved in offshore operations off the east coast of Canada and in the North Sea; and operating onshore assets in Libya and Syria. The Refining and Marketing segment refines crude oil and intermediate feedstock into various petroleum and petrochemical products; and markets refined petroleum products to retail, commercial, and industrial customers through its other retail sellers. The Corporate and Eliminations segment operates four wind farm operations in Ontario and Western Canada. The company also markets and trades in crude oil, natural gas, byproducts, refined products, and power. The company was formerly known as Suncor Inc. and changed its name to Suncor Energy Inc. in April 1997. Suncor Energy Inc. was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Valvoline, Inc. is engaged in producing, marketing and supplying of engine & automotive maintenance products and services. The company operates through three segments: Quick Lubes, Core North America and International. The Quick Lubes segment provides services to passenger car and light truck quick lube market through company-owned and independent franchised retail quick lube service center stores and independent express care stores that service vehicles with valvoline products. The Core North America segment sells engine and automotive maintenance products in the United States and Canada to retailers, installers, and heavy-duty customers to service vehicles and equipment. The International segment sells engine and automotive products in more than 140 countries outside of the United States and Canada for the maintenance of consumer and commercial vehicles and equipment. Its products include motor oil, gear oil, pro-v racing and antifreeze and radiator. Valvoline was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Lexington, KY.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Up to now, four major Japanese automakers have already released their sales performances in China in the past three months. From the data the reporter summarized as below, Nissan ranked first by both March sales and Q1 sales. Affected by the CR-V engine quality issue, Honda was the only one that suffered losses in both March sales and Q1 sales.

Nissan

Nissan vehicle sales in China rose 2.4% in March from a year earlier to 122,959 vehicles (including imported vehicles), according to the data the company released on April 4.

Among that, the PV sales of Dongfeng Nissan and Dongfeng Venucia in March reached 99,060 units in total, growing 3.4% from a year earlier. Meanwhile, the sales performance of the CV units (including Dongfeng Automobile Co., and Zhengzhou-Nissan) faced a slight year-on-year decline of 0.8% to 20,143 units last month.

For the first three months of the year, China sales volume totaled about 336,131 vehicles for Nissan, up 6.9% from the same period a year ago. The PV sales climbed 7.2% year on year with 283,087 units delivered in the first quarter, while the CV sales reached 44,674 units, increasing 11.4% from a year ago.

Toyota

Toyota Motors China sales rose 5.4% in March from a year earlier to about 118,500 vehicles, according to relevant reports.

For the first three months of this year, sales volume totaled about 321,900 vehicles, up 8.7% year on year.

Toyota aims to sell 1.4 million vehicles in China this year, around 9% more than its annual sales in 2017.

Honda

GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda posted a total delivery of 97,587 vehicles in March, dropping 13% year on year, according to the data released by Honda China on April 3rd. To be specific, GAC Honda reached a delivery volume of 58,950 units last month, edging up 1.9% from a year earlier, while Dongfeng Honda suffered a year-on-year decrease of 28.9% to 38,637 units, mainly curbed by the declining sales of CR-V and CIVIC that involved engine quality issue.

In the first quarter of this year, deliveries of GAC Honda and Dongfeng Honda reached 300,826 units in total, ticking down 2.3% over the previous year. Among that, GAC Honda boasted a year-on-year sales growth of 3.3% to 172,045 units, while Dongfeng Honda delivered 128,781 units during the first three months, falling 8.9% year on year.

Mazda

Mazda China announced on April 3rd that the company sold 23,406 vehicles in China last month, edging down 1.0% from the previous March. Among that, FAW-Mazda faced year-on-year sales decrease of 2.7% to 10,106 units last month, while Changan Mazda handed over 13,300 units with a slight growth of 0.4% over the previous year.

In addition, the company delivered a total of 77,450 vehicles in China in the first quarter of this year, jumping 20.2% year on year, which reached a new high of cumulative sales in China in the first three months. Both FAW-Mazda and Changan Mazda accomplished year-on-year sales growth during the first quarter of 5.0% and 33.5%, with 31,641 units and 45,809 units delivered respectively.
If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales. Albert Einstein
The following companies are subsidiares of Caterpillar: Advanced Tri-Gen Power Systems LLC, Anchor Coupling Inc., Asia Power Systems (Tianjin) Ltd., AsiaTrak (Tianjin) Ltd., Banco Caterpillar S.A., Berg Propulsion International Pte Ltd., Bucyrus, Bucyrus Australia Surface Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Holdings Ltd., Bucyrus Europe Limited, Bucyrus International (Chile) Limitada, Bucyrus International (Peru) S.A., Bucyrus Mining Australia Pty. Ltd., Bucyrus Mining China LLC, Bucyrus UK Limited, Cat Rental Kyushu LLC, Caterpillar (Africa) (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar (China) Financial Leasing Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (China) Machinery Components Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (HK) Limited, Caterpillar (Huainan) Machinery Service Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Langfang) Mining Equipment Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Luxembourg) Investment Co. S.a r.l., Caterpillar (NI) Limited, Caterpillar (Newberry) LLC, Caterpillar (Qingzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Suzhou) Logistics Co. Ltd., Caterpillar (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar (U.K.) Limited, Caterpillar (Wujiang) Ltd., Caterpillar (Xuzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar (Zhengzhou) Ltd., Caterpillar Acquisition Holding Corp., Caterpillar Americas C.V., Caterpillar Americas Co., Caterpillar Americas Funding Inc., Caterpillar Americas Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Asia Limited, Caterpillar Asia Pacific L.P., Caterpillar Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Asset Intelligence LLC, Caterpillar Belgium S.A., Caterpillar Brasil Comercio de Maquinas e Pecas Ltda., Caterpillar Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Brazil LLC, Caterpillar Castings Kiel GmbH, Caterpillar Centro de Formacion S.L., Caterpillar China Limited, Caterpillar Commercial Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Commercial LLC, Caterpillar Commercial Northern Europe Limited, Caterpillar Commercial S.A., Caterpillar Commercial S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Commercial Services S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Communications LLC, Caterpillar Corporativo Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Cote DIvoire, Caterpillar Credito S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., Caterpillar DC Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Digital Services & Solutions SARL, Caterpillar Distribution International LLC, Caterpillar Distribution Services Europe B.V.B.A., Caterpillar East Real Estate Holding Ltd., Caterpillar Emissions Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Energy Solutions GmbH, Caterpillar Energy Solutions Inc., Caterpillar Energy Solutions S.A., Caterpillar Energy System Technology (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Engine Systems Inc., Caterpillar Equipos Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Eurasia LLC, Caterpillar FS (QFC) LLC, Caterpillar Finance France S.A., Caterpillar Finance Kabushiki Kaisha, Caterpillar Financial Acquisition Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Aftermarket Solutions Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Australia Leasing Pty Limited, Caterpillar Financial Australia Limited, Caterpillar Financial Commercial Account Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Corporacion Financiera S.A. E.F.C., Caterpillar Financial Dealer Funding LLC, Caterpillar Financial Funding Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Kazakhstan Limited Liability Partnership, Caterpillar Financial Leasing (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial New Zealand Limited, Caterpillar Financial Nordic Services AB, Caterpillar Financial Nova Scotia Corporation, Caterpillar Financial OOO, Caterpillar Financial Receivables Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Renting S.A., Caterpillar Financial SARL, Caterpillar Financial Services (Dubai) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services (Ireland) plc, Caterpillar Financial Services (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Argentina S.A., Caterpillar Financial Services Asia Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Financial Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Financial Services CR s.r.o., Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation, Caterpillar Financial Services GmbH, Caterpillar Financial Services India Private Limited, Caterpillar Financial Services Leasing ULC, Caterpillar Financial Services Limited Les Services Financiers Caterpillar Limitee, Caterpillar Financial Services Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Caterpillar Financial Services Netherlands B.V., Caterpillar Financial Services Norway AS, Caterpillar Financial Services Philippines Inc., Caterpillar Financial Services Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Financial Services South Africa (Pty) Limited, Caterpillar Financial UK Acquisition Funding Partners, Caterpillar Financial Ukraine LLC, Caterpillar Fluid Systems S.r.l., Caterpillar Fomento Comercial Ltda., Caterpillar Forest Products Inc., Caterpillar France S.A.S., Caterpillar GB L.L.C., Caterpillar Global Investments S.a r.l., Caterpillar Global Mining America LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Equipamentos De Mineracao do Brasil Ltda., Caterpillar Global Mining Equipment LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Europe GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Expanded Products Pty Ltd, Caterpillar Global Mining Germany Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining HMS GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Holdings GmbH, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong AFC Manufacturing Holding Co. Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining Hong Kong Limited, Caterpillar Global Mining LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Global Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Global Mining SARL, Caterpillar Global Mining U.S. Parts LLC, Caterpillar Global Services LLC, Caterpillar Group Services S.A., Caterpillar Holding (France) S.A.S., Caterpillar Holding Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Holdings Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Hungary Components Manufacturing Ltd., Caterpillar Hydraulics Italia S.r.l., Caterpillar IPX LLC, Caterpillar IRB LLC, Caterpillar Impact Products Limited, Caterpillar India Private Limited, Caterpillar Industrial Inc., Caterpillar Industrias Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Industries (Pty) Ltd, Caterpillar Insurance Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Insurance Company, Caterpillar Insurance Holdings Inc., Caterpillar Insurance Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Finance Designated Activity Company, Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Finance Luxembourg S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Holding S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg I S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Luxembourg II S. a r.l., Caterpillar International Product SARL, Caterpillar International Services Corporation, Caterpillar International Services del Peru S.A., Caterpillar Investment Limited, Caterpillar Investment One SARL, Caterpillar Investment Two SARL, Caterpillar Investments, Caterpillar Japan LLC, Caterpillar Latin America Services S.R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Latin America Services de Panama S. de R.L., Caterpillar Latin America Servicios de Chile Limitada, Caterpillar Latin America Support Services S. DE R.L., Caterpillar Leasing (Thailand) Limited, Caterpillar Leasing Chile S.A., Caterpillar Leasing GmbH (Leipzig), Caterpillar Leasing Operativo Limitada, Caterpillar Life Insurance Company, Caterpillar Logistics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Logistics (UK) Limited, Caterpillar Logistics Inc., Caterpillar Logistics ML Services France S.A.S., Caterpillar Logistics Services China Limited, Caterpillar Luxembourg Group S.ar.l., Caterpillar Luxembourg LLC, Caterpillar Luxembourg S.a r.l., Caterpillar Machinery Nantong Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Marine Asset Intelligence, Caterpillar Marine Power UK Limited, Caterpillar Marine Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Maroc SARL, Caterpillar Materiels Routiers SAS, Caterpillar Mexico LLC, Caterpillar Mexico S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Mining Canada ULC, Caterpillar Mining Chile Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Motoren (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Motoren GmbH & Co. KG, Caterpillar Motoren Henstedt-Ulzburg GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Rostock GmbH, Caterpillar Motoren Verwaltungs-GmbH, Caterpillar Netherlands Holding B.V., Caterpillar North America C.V., Caterpillar Operator Training Ltd., Caterpillar Overseas Credit Corporation SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Investment Holding SARL, Caterpillar Overseas Limited, Caterpillar Overseas SARL, Caterpillar Panama Services S.A., Caterpillar Paving Products Inc., Caterpillar Paving Products Xuzhou Ltd., Caterpillar Pension Trust Limited, Caterpillar Poland Sp. z o.o., Caterpillar Power Generation Systems (Bangladesh) Limited, Caterpillar Power Generation Systems L.L.C., Caterpillar Power Systems Inc., Caterpillar Power Ventures International Ltd., Caterpillar Precision Seals Korea, Caterpillar Prodotti Stradali S.r.l., Caterpillar Product Services Corporation, Caterpillar Propulsion AB, Caterpillar Propulsion International Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Italy S.R.L., Caterpillar Propulsion Namibia (Proprietary) Limited, Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB, Caterpillar Propulsion Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar Propulsion Singapore Pte. Ltd., Caterpillar R&D Center (China) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe LLC, Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Ramos Arizpe Servicios S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar Reman Powertrain Indiana LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Drivetrain LLC, Caterpillar Remanufacturing Services (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Renting France S.A.S., Caterpillar Reynosa S.A. de C.V., Caterpillar SARL, Caterpillar Services Germany GmbH, Caterpillar Servicios Limitada, Caterpillar Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Servizi Italia Srl, Caterpillar Shrewsbury Limited, Caterpillar Skinningrove Limited, Caterpillar Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd., Caterpillar Special Services Belgium S.P.R.L., Caterpillar Switchgear Americas LLC, Caterpillar Switchgear Holding Inc., Caterpillar Tianjin Ltd., Caterpillar Torreon S. de R.L. de C.V., Caterpillar Tosno L.L.C., Caterpillar Transmissions France S.A.R.L., Caterpillar Tunneling Canada Holdings Ltd., Caterpillar Tunnelling Canada Corporation, Caterpillar Tunnelling Europe Limited, Caterpillar UK Employee Trust Limited, Caterpillar UK Engines Company Limited, Caterpillar UK Group Limited, Caterpillar UK Holdings Limited, Caterpillar Undercarriage (Xuzhou) Co. Ltd., Caterpillar Underground Mining Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar Used Equipment Services Inc., Caterpillar Venture Capital Inc., Caterpillar Work Tools B.V., Caterpillar Work Tools Inc., Caterpillar World Trading Corporation, Caterpillar Xuzhou, Caterpillar of Australia Pty. Ltd., Caterpillar of Canada Corporation, Caterpillar of Delaware Inc., Centre de Distribution de Wallonie SPRL, CleanAir Systems, Downer Freight Rail, ECM Railway Evolution Romania s.r.l., ECM S.p.A., EDC European Excavator Design Center GmbH, EMC Holding Corp., EMD International Holdings Inc., ERA Information & Entertainment (BVI) Limited, ERA Mining Machinery Limited, Electro-Motive Diesel Limited, Electro-Motive Locomotive Technologies LLC, Electro-Motive Technical Consulting Co. (Beijing) Ltd., Energy Services International Limited, Equipos de Acuna S.A. de C.V., Eurenov S.A.S., F. G. Wilson (Proprietary) Limited, F. Perkins Limited, FG Wilson (Engineering) Limited, GB Holdco (China) Inc., GFCM Comercial Mexico S.A. de C.V. SOFOM E.N.R., GFCM Servicios S.A. de C.V., Gremada Industries - Assets, Hong Kong Siwei Holdings Limited, Inmobiliaria Conek S.A. de C.V., JCS Co., Kemper Valve & Fittings Corp., Leo Inc., Locomotive Demand Power Pty Ltd., Locomotoras Progress Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Lovat, M2M Data Corporation, MGE Equipamentos & Servicos Ferroviarios, MWM, MWM Austria GmbH, MWM Benelux B.V., MWM Energy Australia Pty Ltd, MWM France S.A.S, MWM Real Estate GmbH, MaK Americas Inc., MaK Americas Inc. (Canada), Magnum Power Products LLC, Marble, Maschinenbau Kiel GmbH, Mec-Track S.r.l., Metalmark Financial Services Limited, Motoren Steffens GmbH, Nippon Caterpillar LLC, P. T. Solar Services Indonesia, PT Caterpillar Finance Indonesia, PT. Bucyrus Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia, PT. Caterpillar Indonesia Batam, PT. Caterpillar Remanufacturing Indonesia, Perkins Engines, Perkins Engines (Asia Pacific) Pte Ltd, Perkins Engines Group Limited, Perkins Engines Inc., Perkins Group Limited, Perkins Holdings Limited LLC, Perkins India Private Limited, Perkins International Inc., Perkins Japan LLC, Perkins Limited, Perkins Machinery (Changshu) Co. Ltd., Perkins Motores do Brasil Ltda., Perkins Power Systems Technology (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines (Wuxi) Co. Ltd., Perkins Small Engines LLC, Perkins Small Engines Limited, Perkins Technology Inc., Progress Metal Reclamation Company, Progress Rail Arabia Limited Company, Progress Rail Australia Pty Ltd, Progress Rail Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Equipamentos e Servicos Ferroviarios do Brasil Ltda., Progress Rail Equipment Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Holdings Inc., Progress Rail Innovations Private Limited, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems GmbH, Progress Rail Inspection & Information Systems S.r.l., Progress Rail International Corp., Progress Rail Leasing Canada Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing Corporation, Progress Rail Leasing de Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Progress Rail Locomotivas (do Brasil) Ltda., Progress Rail Locomotive Canada Co., Progress Rail Locomotive Chile SpA, Progress Rail Locomotive Inc., Progress Rail Maintenance de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Progress Rail Manufacturing Corporation, Progress Rail Raceland Corporation, Progress Rail Rocklin Corporation, Progress Rail SA Proprietary Limited, Progress Rail Services Corporation, Progress Rail Services Holdings Corp., Progress Rail Services LLC, Progress Rail Services UK Limited, Progress Rail Switching Services LLC, Progress Rail Transcanada Corporation, Progress Rail Welding Corporation, Progress Rail Wildwood LLC, Progress Rail de Mexico S.A. de C.V., Pyroban Group, Pyroban Group, Pyrrha Investments B.V., Pyrrha Investments Limited, S&L Railroad LLC, SCM Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., SPL Software Alliance LLC, Sabre Engines, Servicios de Turbinas Solar S. de R.L. de C.V., Shandong SEM Machinery Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines, Solar Turbines (Beijing) Trading Services Co. Ltd., Solar Turbines (Thailand) Ltd., Solar Turbines CIS Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Canada Ltd./Ltee., Solar Turbines Central Asia Limited Liability Partnership, Solar Turbines EAME s.r.o., Solar Turbines Egypt Limited Liability Company, Solar Turbines Europe S.A., Solar Turbines India Private Limited, Solar Turbines International Company, Solar Turbines Italy S.R.L., Solar Turbines Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Solar Turbines Middle East Limited, Solar Turbines New Zealand Limited, Solar Turbines Saudi Arabia Limited, Solar Turbines Services Company, Solar Turbines Services Nigeria Limited, Solar Turbines Services of Argentina S.R.L., Solar Turbines Switzerland Sagl, Solar Turbines Trinidad & Tobago Limited, Solar Turbines West-Africa SARL, Tangshan DBT Machinery Co. Ltd., Tecnologia Modificada S.A. de C.V., Towmotor Corporation, Traction & Mining Motor Repairs Pty Ltd, Turbinas Solar S.A. de C.V., Turbinas Solar de Colombia S.A., Turbinas Solar de Venezuela C.A., Turbo Tecnologia de Reparaciones S.A. de C.V., Turbomach, Turbomach Endustriyel Gaz Turbinleri Sanayi Ve Ticaret Limited, Turbomach France SARL, Turbomach GmbH, Turbomach Netherlands B.V., Turbomach Pakistan (Private) Limited, Turbomach S.A. Unipersonal, Turbomach Sp. Z o.o., Turner Powertrain Systems Limited, UK Hose Assembly Limited, Underground Imaging Technologies Inc, United Industries LLC, VALA Inc., Vasky Energy Ltd., Wealdstone Engineering, Weir - Oil & Gas Division, West Virginia Auto Shredding Inc., Western Gear Machinery LLC, Wetland Sustainability Fund I LLC, Williams Technologies, Yard Club, Zhengzhou Siwei Mechanical and Electrical Equipment Sales Co. Ltd., and okyo Rental Ltd..
Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited primarily engages in the mining, preparation, and sale of coal in China and internationally. It offers thermal, PCI, and coking coal for electric power, metallurgy and chemical industry, etc.; produces and sells coal chemicals, including methanol, liquid wax, stable light hydrocarbon, acetic acid, ethyl acetate, etc., as well as electricity and related heat supply services; and explores for potash mineral. The company also manufactures, installs, repairs, and sells coal mining and excavating equipment, cable, and electrical equipment. In addition, it provides railway, river, and lakes transportation services; and sells construction materials. Further, the company is involved in the wholesale of coal and non-ferrous metals; house and financial leasing; logistics storage and leasing; development of charcoal products; LTCC technology development and equipment rental operations; manufacturing and sale of cable and rubber products; and production and processing of steel engineering components. Additionally, it provides underground mines management; mining materials testing; equity investment fund and corporate asset management, investment advisory and management, foreign investment fund, import and export, and international trading; solar and wind power, and production management; educational software development and event planning; and coal mining technology development, transfer, and consultation services. The company is also involved in the processing, production, and sale of FischerTropsch synthesis catalyst, composite pipe, and plastic profile products; provision of real estate development and operation, property management, garden greening engineering, and sewage treatment and rental housing agency services; and issuing subordinated capital notes. The company was founded in 1973 and is based in Zoucheng, the People's Republic of China. Yanzhou Coal Mining Company Limited is a subsidiary of Yankuang Group Corporation Limited.

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Legal & General Group Plc provides various insurance products and services in the United Kingdom, the United States, and internationally. It operates in four segments: Legal & General Retirement (LGR), Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), Legal & General Capital (LGC), and Legal & General Insurance (LGI). The LGR segment offers annuity contracts with guaranteed income for a specified time; longevity insurance products for company pension schemes; lifetime mortgages; lifetime care plans; and retirement interest only mortgages. The LGIM segment provides index fund management; active fixed income funds and liquidity funds; active equity management; solution and liability driven investment; multi-asset funds; corporate pension scheme solutions; and real estate funds. The LGC segment offers investment strategy and implementation, and direct investment and structuring services. The LGI segment provides protection products, such as health, disability, critical illness, and accident; individual term assurance; reinsurance; savings and death benefits; and annuities. The company is also involved in the unit trust and institutional fund management, mortgage finance, treasury, building project and modular housing development, general insurance, and open-ended investment businesses, as well as manufacture of sheds. It also engages in the real estate investment, operation, management, and trading, fund general partner, fund trustee, commercial lending, venture capital investing, contractual scheme, management, pension tracing and transfer, investor alternative investment fund, collective asset-management, and investment management activities; and provision of investment advisory, business information consultancy, and technology services. The company was founded in 1836 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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The following companies are subsidiares of The Procter & Gamble: "Procter & Gamble Services" LLC, "Procter & Gamble" LLC, Agile Pursuits, Agile Pursuits Franchising, Arbora, Arbora & Ausonia, Arborinvest, Billie, Braun (Shanghai) Co., Braun GmbH, Braun-Gillette Immobilien GmbH & Co. KG, Celtic Insurance Company, Compania Procter & Gamble Mexico, Compania Quimica S.A., Corporativo Procter & Gamble, Cosmetic Products Pty. Ltd., Detergent Products B.V., Detergent Products SARL, Detergenti S.A., Eurocos Cosmetic GmbH, FPG Oleochemicals Sdn. Bhd., Fameccanica Data S.p.A., Fameccanica Industria e Comercio Do Brasil LTDA., Fameccanica Machinery (Shanghai) Co., Fater S.p.A., Fountain Square Music Publishing Co., Gillette (China) Ltd., Gillette (Shanghai) Ltd., Gillette Aesop Ltd., Gillette Australia Pty. Ltd., Gillette Canada Holdings, Gillette Commercial Operations North America, Gillette Diversified Operations Pvt. Ltd., Gillette Egypt S.A.E., Gillette Group UK Ltd, Gillette Gruppe Deutschland GmbH & Co. oHG, Gillette Holding Company LLC, Gillette Holding GmbH, Gillette India Limited, Gillette Industries Ltd., Gillette International B.V., Gillette Latin America Holding B.V., Gillette Management LLC, Gillette Nova Scotia Company, Gillette Pakistan Limited, Gillette Poland International Sp. z.o.o., Gillette Poland S.A., Gillette U.K. Limited, Gillette del Uruguay, Giorgio Beverly Hills Inc., Hyginett KFT, Industries Marocaines Modernes SA, LLC "Procter & Gamble Novomoskovsk", LLL "Procter & Gamble Distributorskaya Compania", Laboratorios Vicks, Liberty Street Music Publishing Company, Limited Liability Company 'Procter & Gamble Trading Ukraine', Limited Liability Company with foreign investments Procter & and Gamble Ukraine, MDVIP, MERCK KGAA NPV, Marcvenca Inversiones, Modern Industries Company - Dammam, Modern Products Company - Jeddah, New Chapter, New Chapter Canada Inc., Olay LLC, Oral-B Laboratories, P&G Distribution Morocco SAS, P&G Hair Care Holding, P&G Industrial Peru S.R.L., P&G Innovation Godo Kaisha, P&G Israel M.D.O. Ltd., P&G K.K., P&G Northeast Asia Pte. Ltd., P&G Prestige Godo Kaisha, P&G Prestige Service GmbH, P&G South African Trading (Pty.) Ltd., PGT Health Care (Zhejiang) Limited, PGT Healthcare LLP, PPI ZAO, PT Procter & Gamble Home Products Indonesia, PT Procter & Gamble Operations Indonesia, Phase II Holdings Corporation, Procter & Gamble (Chengdu) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (China) Sales Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (East Africa) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Egypt) Manufacturing Company, Procter & Gamble (Enterprise Fund) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Consumer Products Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Enterprise Management Service Company Limited, Procter & Gamble (Guangzhou) Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Health & Beauty Care) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Jiangsu) Ltd. China, Procter & Gamble (L&CP) Limited, Procter & Gamble (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, Procter & Gamble (Manufacturing) Ireland Limited, Procter & Gamble (Shanghai) International Trade Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Acquisition GmbH, Procter & Gamble Administration GmbH, Procter & Gamble Algeria EURL, Procter & Gamble Amazon Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Amiens S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Argentina SRL, Procter & Gamble Asia Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Australia Proprietary Limited, Procter & Gamble Azerbaijan Services LLC, Procter & Gamble Bangladesh Private Ltd., Procter & Gamble Blois S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Brazil Holdings B.V., Procter & Gamble Bulgaria EOOD, Procter & Gamble Business Services Canada Company, Procter & Gamble Canada Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Chile , Procter & Gamble Chile Limitada, Procter & Gamble Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Commercial LLC, Procter & Gamble Commercial de Cuba S.A., Procter & Gamble Czech Republic s.r.o., Procter & Gamble DS Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Danmark ApS, Procter & Gamble Detergent (Beijing) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Deuttschland GmbH, Procter & Gamble Distributing (Philippines) Inc., Procter & Gamble Distributing New Zealand Limited, Procter & Gamble Distribution Company (Europe) BVBA, Procter & Gamble Distribution S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Eastern Europe, Procter & Gamble Ecuador Cia. Ltda., Procter & Gamble Egypt, Procter & Gamble Egypt Distribution, Procter & Gamble Egypt Holding, Procter & Gamble Egypt Supplies, Procter & Gamble Energy Company LLC, Procter & Gamble Espana, Procter & Gamble Europe SA, Procter & Gamble Export Operations SARL, Procter & Gamble Exportadora e Importadora Ltda., Procter & Gamble Exports, Procter & Gamble Fabricacao e Comercio Ltda., Procter & Gamble Far East, Procter & Gamble Finance (U.K.) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Holding Ltd., Procter & Gamble Finance Management S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Financial Investments LLP, Procter & Gamble Financial Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Financial Services S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Finland OY, Procter & Gamble France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH, Procter & Gamble Germany GmbH & Co. Operations oHG, Procter & Gamble GmbH, Procter & Gamble Grundstucks-und Vermogensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, Procter & Gamble Gulf FZE, Procter & Gamble Hair Care, Procter & Gamble Hellas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Holding (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Holding France S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Holding GmbH, Procter & Gamble Holding S.r.l., Procter & Gamble Holdings (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Home Products Private Limited, Procter & Gamble Hong Kong Limited, Procter & Gamble Hungary Wholesale Trading Partnership (KKT), Procter & Gamble Hygiene & Health Care Limited, Procter & Gamble Inc., Procter & Gamble India Holdings, Procter & Gamble Indochina Limited Company, Procter & Gamble Industrial - 2012 C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial Colombia Ltda., Procter & Gamble Industrial S.C.A., Procter & Gamble Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Costa Rica, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Guatemala, Procter & Gamble Interamericas de Panama, Procter & Gamble International Operations Pte. Ltd., Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, Procter & Gamble International Operations SA-ROHQ, Procter & Gamble International S.a.r.l., Procter & Gamble Investment Company (UK) Ltd., Procter & Gamble Investment GmbH, Procter & Gamble Italia, Procter & Gamble Japan K.K., Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan Distribution LLP, Procter & Gamble Kazakhstan LLP, Procter & Gamble Korea, Procter & Gamble Korea S&D Co., Procter & Gamble Lanka Private Ltd. Sri Lanka, Procter & Gamble Leasing LLC, Procter & Gamble Levant S.A.L., Procter & Gamble Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Belgium N.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Berlin GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing GmbH, Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Procter & Gamble Manufacturing SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Marketing Romania SRL, Procter & Gamble Marketing and Services doo, Procter & Gamble Maroc SA, Procter & Gamble Mataro, Procter & Gamble Mexico Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Mexico Inc., Procter & Gamble Middle East FZE, Procter & Gamble Nederland B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Investments B.V., Procter & Gamble Netherlands Services B.V., Procter & Gamble Nigeria Limited, Procter & Gamble Nordic, Procter & Gamble Norge AS, Procter & Gamble Operations Polska Sp. z o.o., Procter & Gamble Overseas India B.V., Procter & Gamble Overseas Ltd., Procter & Gamble Pakistan (Private) Limited, Procter & Gamble Partnership LLP, Procter & Gamble Peru S.R.L., Procter & Gamble Pharmaceuticals France SAS, Procter & Gamble Philippines, Procter & Gamble Polska Sp. z o.o, Procter & Gamble Portugal - Produtos De Consumo, Procter & Gamble Product Supply (U.K.) Limited U.K., Procter & Gamble Production GmbH, Procter & Gamble Productions, Procter & Gamble Productos de Consumo, Procter & Gamble RHD, Procter & Gamble RSC Regional Service Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Retail Services BVBA, Procter & Gamble S.r.l., Procter & Gamble SA (Pty) Ltd, Procter & Gamble Satis ve Dagitim Ltd. Sti., Procter & Gamble Seine S.A.S., Procter & Gamble Service GmbH, Procter & Gamble Services (Switzerland) SA, Procter & Gamble Services Company N.V., Procter & Gamble Services Ltd., Procter & Gamble Share Incentive Plan Trustee Ltd., Procter & Gamble South America Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Spol. s.r.o. (Ltd.), Procter & Gamble Sports and Social Club Ltd., Procter & Gamble Sverige AB, Procter & Gamble Switzerland SARL, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Limited, Procter & Gamble Taiwan Sales Company Limited, Procter & Gamble Technical Centres Limited, Procter & Gamble Technology (Beijing) Co., Procter & Gamble Trading (Thailand) Limited, Procter & Gamble Tuketim Mallari Sanayii A.S., Procter & Gamble UK, Procter & Gamble UK Group Holdings Ltd, Procter & Gamble UK Parent Company Ltd., Procter & Gamble Universal Holding B.V., Procter & Gamble Verwaltungs GmbH, Procter & Gamble Vietnam, Procter & Gamble d.o.o. za trgovinu, Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.C.A., Procter & Gamble de Venezuela S.R.L., Procter & Gamble do Brasil S/A, Procter & Gamble do Brazil, Procter & Gamble do Nordeste S/A, Procter & Gamble-Rakona s.r.o., Progam Realty & Development Corporation, Redmond Products, Richardson-Vicks Real Estate Inc., Richardson-Vicks do Brasil Quimica e Farmaceutica Ltda, Riverfront Music Publishing Co., Rosemount LLC, SPD Development Company Limited, SPD Swiss Precision Diagnostics GmbH, Scannon S.A.S., Series Acquisition B.V., Shulton, Surfac S.R.L., Sycamore Productions, TAOS - FL, TAOS Retail, Tambrands Inc., Temple Trees Impex & Investment Private Limited, The Art of Shaving - FL, The Dover Wipes Company, The Gillette Company, The Gillette Company LLC, The Gillette co., The Procter & Gamble Distributing LLC, The Procter & Gamble GBS Company, The Procter & Gamble Global Finance Company, The Procter & Gamble Manufacturing Company, The Procter & Gamble Paper Products Company, The Procter & Gamble U.S. Business Services Company, This is L., US CD LLC, Vidal Sassoon (Shanghai) Academy, Vidal Sassoon Co., WEBA Betriebsrenten-Verwaltungsgesellschaft mbH, Walker & Company Brands, and iMFLUX Inc..
Brookfield Asset Management, Inc. engages in the management of public and private investment products and services for institutional and retail clients. It operates through the following segments: Asset Management, Real Estate, Renewable Power, Infrastructure, Private Equity, Residential Development, and Corporate Activities. The Asset Management segment includes the management of its listed partnerships, private funds and public securities. The Real Estate segment is comprised of the ownership, operation and development of core office, core retail, LP investments and other properties. The Renewable Power segment encompasses the ownership, operation and development of hydroelectric, wind, solar, storage and other power generating facilities. The Infrastructure segment consists of the ownership, operation and development of utilities, transport, energy, data infrastructure and sustainable resource assets. The Private Equity segment refers to the broad range of industries, and is mostly focused on business services, infrastructure services and industrials. The Residential Development segment represents homebuilding, condominium development and land development. The Corporate Activiti

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Civeo Corp. engages in the provision of workforce accommodations, logistics and facility management services to the natural resource industry. It operates through the following business segments: Canada, Australia, and U.S. The Canada segment provides accommodation services through lodges, open camps and mobile assets, which supports workforces from oil sands and in a variety of oil and natural gas drilling, mining and related natural resource applications, as well as disaster relief efforts. The Australia segment provides accommodations services on a day rate basis to mining and related service companies, such as construction contractors. The U.S. segment provides open camp facilities and highly mobile smaller camps that follow drilling rigs and completion crews as well as accommodation, office and storage modules that are placed on offshore drilling rigs and products platforms. The company was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Houston, TX.

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Wall Street analysts have given Source Energy Services 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 Source Energy Services wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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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.

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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.

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Wentworth Resources Limited, an independent energy company, engages in the exploration, development, production, and transportation of natural gas and other hydrocarbons in Tanzania and Mozambique. It primarily holds 31.94% interest in the Mnazi Bay concession covering an area of approximately 756 square kilometers in south-eastern Tanzania; and 85% participating interest in the Rovuma Onshore Block in northern Mozambique. The company was formerly known as Artumas Group Inc. and changed its name to Wentworth Resources Limited in September 2010. Wentworth Resources Limited is based in Calgary, Canada.

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FULL TEXT OF THE ITAT ORDER IS AS FOLLOWS:-

This appeal filed by the Revenue is directed against the order of ld. Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals)- 1, Indore [in short referred to as the CIT (A)] dated 27.09.20 16 arising out of the order u/s 271(1)(c) of the Income Tax Act dated 27.03.20 15 framed by the Income Tax Officer-2(5), Indore pertaining to Assessment Year 2009-10.

2. Briefly stated of facts as culled out from the records are that assessment u/s 143(3) of the I.T. Act was framed in the case of assessee on 29.12.2011 assessing income at Rs. 2,52,000/- and agriculture income at Rs. 85,000/-. Subsequently the Learned Assessing Officer (in short Ld.A.O) on the basis of information received regarding sale of land on 28.9.2008 wherein stamp valuation authority adopted stamp valuation at Rs. 2,90,80,000/- as against sale consideration shown at Rs. 1,83,20,000/- , reopened the assessees case and issued notice u/s 148 of the Act. Due to non compliance on the part of the asseesee as the notices were not sent to the proper address, there were no submission on record given by the assessee and the Ld.A.O accordingly framed ex-parte order u/s 154 rws 143 of the Act calculating the long term capital gain at Rs. 96,93,340/-.

3. Simultaneously penalty proceedings u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act were initiated. In quantum appeal before the Ld. CIT(A) assessee partly succeeded. Subsequently the Ld.A.O issued notice u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act vide order dated 27.3.2015 and imposed penalty of Rs. 19,38,700/- on the alleged concealment of income of Rs. 96,93,340/-. Against this penalty assessee preferred an appeal before the Ld.CIT(A) and succeeded. The Ld. CIT(A) was of the view that the alleged transaction of sale of land has been shown by the assessee in the return of income through Hindu Undivided Family (HUF) and all necessary details have been submitted therein and therefore there was no case of furnishing incorrect particulars of income.

4. Now the revenue has filed an appeal before the Tribunal against the order of Ld.CIT(A) and supported the penalty order of Ld.A.O. The Ld. Counsel for the assessee relied on the findings of Ld. CIT(A).

5. We have heard rival contentions and perused the records placed before us. The revenues sole grievance is against the order of CIT(A) deleting Rs. 19,38,700/- levied by the A.O u/s 271(1)(c). We find that the impugned penalty is levied on concealment of long term capital gain arised on account of sale of agricultural land situated at Bijalpur near Rejendra Nagar, Indore. The sale agreement was entered on 25.9.2008. The agriculture land was jointly held by Smt. Nandi Bai Patel, Narayan Mali (assessee) and Dayaram Mali. The alleged transactions of sale of agriculture land and long term capital gain was shown in the return of income filed by the assessee on 31/12/2011 in the status of HUF. It was contended by the counsel for the assessee before the lower authorities that the sale transaction and long term capital gain were shown in the return of income of HUF on the advice of Tax consultant. However, all necessary details including the claim of deduction/rebate u/s 54B as well as 54F in respect of purchase of new agriculture land and residential house were shown in the return of income filed by the assessees HUF.

6. Now the issue before us is whether the Ld.A.O was justified in levying penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act on the long term capital gain assessed in the hand of assessee. We find that the Ld.CIT(A) deleted the impugned penalty observing as follows;

5. Ground Nos. 1 to 3: All the above grounds of the appellant are directed against the levy of penalty of Rs. 1938700/- u/s 271 (1)(c) of the Act. The detailed facts of the case as per the penalty order are reproduced at Para No. 2 above and the detailed submissions of the appellant are reproduced at Para No. 3 above.

5.1 The crux of the appellant,s argument is that the penalty order has been passed by the AO without taking note of the submission that the LTCG was shown by the appellant in the hands of Narayan Patel Mali HUF in the return filed in the case of HUF before the ITO 2(1), Ujjain. It is also argued that the order has been passed without issuing notices at the current address. During the course of appellate proceedings the appellant has also contended that there was no concealment and or submission of inaccurate particulars of income was all the facts were disclosed in the return filed in the case of HUF and the LTCG was shown in the hands of the HUF on being advised that since the property was ancestral property it will amount to be property of HUF.

5.2 On perusal of the assessment order and penalty order, it is seen that penalty has been levied on the addition of Rs. 9693340/- being LTCG determined without even allowing the cost of acquisition and expenses incurred towards the transaction and without examining the claim of exemption u/s 54B/54F which was shown in the hands of HUF. Thus a claim was made by the appellant and a view had been adopted based on consultation that the property belonged to the HUF. The AO was however not in agreement with such claim. No doubt return of income showing LTCG in the hands of the appellant individual was not filed however all relevant facts were already on record by way of the return in the case of the HUF. The claim even if disallowed that the property belonged to HUF has been negated on a difference of opinion and therefore the claim warranted to be seen on merits. The dis allowance was thus merely a rejection of a claim on account of difference of opinion which does not attract the rigours of penalty u/s 271 (1)(c)of the Act.

5.2 From the material on record it is evident that all details in respect of the claim were available on record. It is not the case that the claim has been established to be bogus or untrue by way of any material evidence placed on record. No material facts were suppressed or concealed and the particulars placed on record were in no way found to be false or incorrect. In the light of the above the contention of the appellant that no penalty was attracted is found to be justified in the light of the various judicial pronouncements including the judgment of the Hon,ble Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. Reliance Petro Products 322 ITR 158 (SC), wherein it has been held as under:

The argument of the revenue that submitting n incorrect claim for expenditure would amount to giving inaccurate particulars of such income is not correct. By no stretch of imagination can the making of an incorrect claim in law tantamount to furnishing inaccurate particulars. A mere making of the claim, which is not sustainable in law, by itself, will not amount to furnishing inaccurate particulars regard the income of the assessee.

In view of the above the penalty of Rs. 1938700/- is directed to be deleted. These grounds of the appellant are therefore allowed.

7. From the detailed findings of the Ld.CIT(A) and in light of judgment of Honble Supreme Court in the case of CIT vs. Reliance Petro Products 322 ITR 158 (SC) as well as given facts and circumstances of the case we are of the considered view that the assessee has filed all the details of the alleged transaction of sale of agriculture land as well as various rebates and exemptions claimed which have been shown in the income tax return filed by the assessee in the capacity of his HUF. It cannot be presumed that the assessee concealed particulars of income or furnished inaccurate particulars of income because the assessee has shown transaction of sale of agriculture land in the hands of assessees HUF as the property in question was ancestral. We, therefore find no reason to interfere in the findings of Ld. CIT(A) deleting the penalty u/s 271(1)(c) of the Act levied at Rs. 19,38,700/- by the Ld. A.O.

8. We accordingly dismiss the appeal of revenue.

The order pronounced in the open Court on 12.01.2018.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
The number of people who desire to be vaccinated against rabies at a major health center in Ho Chi Minh City has increased dramatically during the past recent days, as the metropolis faces a shortage of vaccines against the disease.

Many have flocked to the Vaccination Center for Children and Adults (VNVC) in Phu Nhuan District in order to be injected with rabies vaccines, said Bach Thi Chinh, a doctor at the facility.

They are residents in the city or come from neighboring provinces like Binh Duong, Dong Nai and Long An, or even from as far afield as An Giang and Kien Giang in the Mekong Delta.

On April 5, 76 people arrived at the center for rabies vaccination, compared to only 30 to 50 patients on normal days, according to VNVC figures.

The rise is attributable to the large-scale insufficiency of vaccines as of April 4 in many other medical locations.

The visitors include not only those with pet bites but also those of regular exposure to animals like veterinarians, students in veterinary science, and people keeping multiple dogs.

The shortage of vaccines poses a problem for patients having received shots of one type earlier as they may need to switch to a different one at the risk of medicinal incompatibility.

VNVC has both the India-produced Abhayrab and France-made Verorab vaccines available, with the latter highly recommended for pregnant or breastfeeding women.

Caution should be taken when the former is used as its generation of birth defects has not been definitively proved or disproved.

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-- It is only the beginning of the dry season but the south-central Vietnamese province of Ninh Thuan has been in dire need of water due to severe drought.

-- The driver of a passenger bus was checking his vehicle following an engine breakdown along an expressway in the southern province of Long An when he was fatally hit by a crane truck on Saturday morning.

-- Tran Huy Thong, director of the Dong A Security Service Company and his deputy, Vo Quoc Tuan, were arrested by police in the southern province of Dong Nai for disturbing public order following a street confrontation between them and a local gang, in which they used rubber bullet guns while the gang members were wielding machetes.

-- Le Quoc Hung, an official from the department of taxation in the northern province of Quang Ninh, has been apprehended after being caught red-handed receiving bribes worth tens of millions of dong (VND10 million = US$440) from a local business, officers affirmed on Saturday.

-- Seven houses in the Mekong Delta province of Tien Giang were burned down by a fire that lasted for about two hours on Saturday afternoon.

-- Police in the south-central province of Binh Dinh confirmed on Saturday evening they had caught a pickup truck that was illegally transporting about 18,000 packs of cigarette. The suspects have been switching between three license plates in order to avoid police attention.

-- Officers in Dong Nai Province have arrested two suspects who were involved in the assault on a 55-year-old man at a rubber tree plantation on Thursday night, which resulted in his death.

-- Inspectors in the south-central province of Khanh Hoa announced on Saturday they had discovered multiple violations at five firms specializing in the production of plant protection products.

-- Hanoi police have broken up a ring that smuggled more than 2,200 pills of synthetic drugs and some 500 grams of crystal meth.

Business

-- Local carriers including Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, and Jetstar Pacific are expected to provide hundreds of additional flights, both domestic and international, during the upcoming holiday marking Reunification Day (April 30) and International Workers Day (May 1).

Lifestyle

-- The Department of Tourism in Khanh Hoa Province has carried out an inspection of 15 groups of Chinese tourists in Nha Trang, one of the countrys most famous beach cities, and discovered up to 10 violations regarding tour guides and means of transportation.

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Police in Hanoi have broken up a ring that smuggled more than 2,200 pills of synthetic drugs from central provinces to northern localities.

The municipal Department of Police has discovered the racket which transported narcotics from central Vietnam to the northern provinces of Lang Son, Bac Ninh, and Bac Giang for distribution.

Following an investigation, police were able to identify Do Duy Thu, who resides in Dong Anh District, Hanoi, as an important link in the gang, responsible for the transportation of the drugs.

Thu had five prior convictions and finished his jail term in 2016.

Competent agencies started following the smuggler as he was traveling from the Vietnamese capital toward the central region.

The drugs are confiscated by police officers. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The suspect was caught red-handed as he headed back to the north with the illegal products.

Officers apprehended Thu and confiscated his car, which was containing over 2,200 pills of synthetic drugs and about 500 grams of crystal meth.

Thu admitted he had been hired to smuggle the stimulants to Bac Ninh Province and expected to be paid VND15 million (US$660) when the job was done.

Officers are expanding their investigation in order to capture those involved in the ring.

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An express boat shuttling between Ho Chi Minh City and the southern beach city of Vung Tau has partially sunk after hitting an unknown object as it was docking at a wharf.

The express boat was part of the route linking Ho Chi Minh City, outlying Can Gio District, and Vung Tau, a popular beach city in the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau.

It got into the accident as it was approaching the stop in Can Gio District at around 8:00 am on Sunday, said Tran Song Hai, director of Ho Chi Minh City-based GreenlinesDP Company, operator of the express boat route.

The ship appeared to slam into an unidentified object before partially sinking, Hai continued, adding that no passenger was harmed.

According to an official from the Ba Ria-Vung Tau inland port authority, the boat was traveling from Vung Tau to Ho Chi Minh City.

The vessel was carrying 42 passengers, all of whom were safely brought ashore following the accident.

Cars were later mobilized to transport the passengers to their destination.

Competent agencies are working with GreenlinesDP Company to find out how to salvage the boat.

The Ho Chi Minh City - Can Gio - Vung Tau express boat route was put into operation on February 10.

A total of 10 ships travel on the journey.

The boats run between Bach Dang Wharf in District 1, Thach An Station in Can Gio District, and Ho May in Vung Tau City.

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A man in Vietnams Mekong Delta has been taken into police custody as he allegedly decapitated a neighbor and slashed an official who was trying to catch him.

Nguyen Thanh Tam, a 48-year-old resident of Sa Dec, a city in Dong Thai Province, has been apprehended on suspicion of murder, Nguyen Chi Cong  the citys police chief  said on Sunday.

According to preliminary investigation, people in the area found a decapitated body at around 5:50 pm on Saturday.

Police officers found the head lying about 25 meters away and blood traces led them to the house of Tam, who was drunk at the time.

Nguyen Thanh Tam is seen in police custody in Sa Dec City, Dong Thap Province, southern Vietnam, April 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

The man shut the door and brandishing two large knives inside after being advised to turn himself in to local authorities.

Facing his stubbornness, Pham Van Minh, a lieutenant colonel, broke into the house only to be assaulted by Tam.

The officer was taken to a hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, more than 160km away, to have a deep cut into his arm treated, and his two detached finger bones replanted but to no avail.

Tam was educated by the government between 2010 and 2011 for his antisocial behavior and attitude.

Police are probing the case further.

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OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's private-sector trade unions reached a deal on Sunday with employers over wages, pensions and other compensation, averting the outbreak of major strikes, a state-appointed mediator said after five days of negotiations.

Almost 35,000 employees had been scheduled to go on strike if no agreement was found, and a conflict could eventually have escalated to include more than 200,000 workers.

A strike would immediately have idled aluminium smelters, fertiliser plants, ship yards and chemical factories, and could eventually have been extended to hit output of oil and gas, unions said ahead of the talks.

The deal remains subject to a vote by labour union members, mediator Nils Dalseide told reporters.

The agreement gives workers an estimated average pay rise of 2.8 percent in 2018, slightly more than the maximum 2.7 percent employers had said they were willing to pay.

Some adjustments were also made to pensions for low-paid workers, although a union demand for more wide-ranging pension reform was rejected and will be subject to a future government study.

A separate claim of compensation for travel-related expenses was resolved, unions said.

(Reporting by Terje Solsvik, editing by Gwladys Fouche)
Arizona and Texas have answered Donald Trump's call for troops to help fight drug trafficking and illegal immigration at the US-Mexico border.

The states will send 400 members of the National Guard by next week, with 250 of them arriving via helicopter from Austin, Texas, over the weekend.

Doug Ducey, governor for Arizona, said his state would deploy about 150 members to "provide air, reconnaissance, operational and logistics support and construct border infrastructure".

President Trump is hopeful more will follow, having told reporters on Wednesday that he wanted to send up to 4,000 troops.

He added in a tweet: "Our Border Laws are very weak while those of Mexico & Canada are very strong. Congress must change these Obama era, and other, laws NOW!

"The Democrats stand in our way - they want people to pour into our country unchecked....CRIME! We will be taking strong action today."

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis approved using Defence Department money to pay for as many as 4,000 National Guard personnel to perform border security missions on Friday evening.

The attempt to direct the deployment of National Guard troops comes under a federal law known as Title 32, which sees them receive state pay and benefits but remain under the command and control of state governors.

It means some governors could turn the President down, and there has not yet been any response to his request from New Mexico and California.

Previous deployments include Barack Obama sending 1,200 members to the border eight years ago and George W Bush sending 6,000 back in 2006.

In 2014, around 1,000 Guard members were deployed by Texas governor Rick Perry - now Mr Trump's energy secretary - in response to a surge in the number of unaccompanied children crossing into the state from Mexico via the Rio Grande river.

Mr Trump has said he wants to deploy at least 2,000 to combat "the lawlessness that continues at our southern border", suggesting he wants to use the military there until progress is made on his proposed border wall.

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The ambitious project, infamously proposed during his election campaign, has so far stalled in Congress as Mr Trump continues to make the case for it to be built by criticising "weak" US immigration laws.

Although the Border Patrol caught around 50,000 people last month, more than three times as many as in March 2017, overall apprehensions at the border are still well below levels under Presidents Bush and Obama.

They deployed the National Guard to fix vehicles and fences, maintain roads, and carry out aerial surveillance and intelligence work.

Earlier this week, the Department of Homeland Security said Guard members could once again support Border Patrol agents with such tasks, with a focus on "technology and surveillance", but federal law restricts the military from carrying out law enforcement duties.
Bestway (Shenzhen: 300008.SZ - news) has completed the buyout of the retail divisions of Conviviality (LSE: CVR.L - news) in a 7m deal, it has been confirmed.

The deal will see the food wholesaler, which is founded and chaired by billionaire Sir Anwar Pervez, gain control of Bargain Booze, Wine Rack, WS Retail and Select Convenience.

It is thought that 2,000 jobs have been saved as part of the deal. Administrators PwW say in total 4,000 jobs have been protected.

On Wednesday it was announced that Magners owner C&C had bought the wholesale arm of the stricken Conviviality through a pre-pack administration.

The Irish cider company gained brands Matthew Clark, Bibendum, Catalyst, Peppermint, Elastic, and Walker & Wodehouse in the deal.

Last week, Conviviality confirmed its plans to appoint administrators within the next 10 days after profit warnings and the discovery of a 30m tax bill, putting 2,600 jobs at risk.

Conviviality's shares had been suspended after its tax admission, leaving it with a market value of just 185m.
Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren is squashing rumors that she'll run against President Donald Trump in 2020, stating in no uncertain terms that, if reelected to the Senate this November, she'll serve the full six years in office.

Yes, thats my plan," Warren said on Thursday, at a town hall for the Boston Teachers Union. "Im running for the United States Senate in 2018. I am not running for president of the United States. Thats my plan."

People have speculated for months whether Warren would challenge Trump in the next presidential race, especially as the president continues to sling insults at Warren, mounting what appears at times to be a systematic attack on a potential political opponent.

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Trump routinely refers to Warren as "Pocahontas," a dig at the senator's self-identified Native American heritage. Warren has largely responded to these disparaging comments by embracing her stated background: Just in February, she delivered an unexpected address at a gathering of 500 tribal members at the National Congress of American Indians.

"Ive noticed that every time my name comes up, President Trump likes to talk about Pocahontas. So I figured, lets talk about Pocahontas," Warren told the crowd at the time. "In the fairy tale, Pocahontas and John Smith meet and fall in love... In reality, the fable is used to bleach away the stain of genocide."

Elizabeth-Warren-Trump

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

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Remarks like these have led many to see Warren as a worthy adversary for Trumpnot that the president would ever admit seeing her as such.

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Earlier this year, amid plummeting approval ratings, Politico reported on Trump's views on his rumored 2020 rivals. Along with dismissing potential candidates like Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, whom he deemed too old for another presidential run, Trump said he wasn't threatened by Warren either. She'd be "easy to beat," he said.

Even if Warren doesn't run for President in 2020, it's likely Trump will still have to contend with her as a very vocal opponent in the Senate. Recent polls show Warren with a 30-point lead in her Senate race and a 53 percent approval rating.

Warren's office did not immediately return Newsweek's requests for further comment.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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The family of a taxi driver who died after an alleged assault at Manchester Airport have paid tribute to him.

William Brent Taylor, 57, died after an incident at a car park at the airports Terminal 2 just after 8.25am on Friday.

Two men, aged 55 and 26, were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and have been released under investigation and Greater Manchester Police said enquiries are ongoing.

Investigation  police are investigating the death of Mr Taylor (Picture: Rex)

In a tribute released by the force, Mr Taylors family said: First of all can we say thank you to the family that was with our dad at his final moments.

We would like to thank the emergency services for all their efforts with our dad and GMP who have been amazing with keeping us informed and up to date.

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Dad will be home soon so our family can try and come to terms with the circumstances and wed ask that people please refrain from pointing the blame and let the police do their job.

We will miss him so much and respectfully ask for time to grieve as a family.

The family of a man who died after an alleged assault at Manchester Airpot has paid tribute to him

It has emerged that Mr Taylor was apparently waiting to pick up passengers when the incident happened.

A final post on his Facebook page read: Just dropped off at East Midlands now sat at Manchester waiting for the plain [sic] to land living the dream xx.

Detective Chief Inspector Carl Jones, from Greater Manchester Polices Major Incident Team, said: We are continuing to support Williams family who are understandably devastated by their loss.

Our investigation to establish the exact circumstances surrounding this incident remains ongoing and I would ask anyone with information that could assist our enquiries to please get in touch.
George Soross $26 billion hedge fund is planning to trade cryptocurrencies, Bloomberg reported on Friday, months after the billionaire investor called the virtual currency a bubble.

Adam Fisher, who oversees macro investing at the New York-based Soros Fund Management, got internal approval to trade digital assets in the last few months, though was yet to make a wager, the report said, citing people familiar with the matter.

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A Soros representative declined to comment.

The financial world has been divided about betting on bitcoin, a digital token.

Billionaire Warren Buffett and JPMorgans Jamie Dimon have said they will not invest in cryptocurrencies, while Wall Street banks Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have been open to clearing bitcoin futures.

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In a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January Soros described cryptocurrency is a "typical bubble."However, he said the underlying blockchain technology enabling cryptocurrency could be put to "positive use."

Last year, Soross hedge fund took an 8.99 percent stake in Overstock.com Inc to become the third-largest shareholder in the online retailer. The shares of the company surged when its unit held an initial coin offering.

The bitcoin price today, as of 9:15 a.m. EDT, is $6,860. It has been a bad 30 days, and 2018, for the price of bitcoin. Bitcoin started the year coming off record highs in December, and climbing to more than $17,000 in January. It briefly fell below $6,000 in February.

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Hungary's anti-migrant Prime Minister Viktor Orban has won a third consecutive term, according to election office data.

Mr Orban's ruling Fidesz party and its small ally the Christian Democrat party are projected to win 133 seats, which would give them a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat Hungarian parliament.

The 54-year-old said the result meant an "opportunity to defend Hungary", adding that the high voter turnout had "cast aside all doubts".

He declared: "Hungary has won a great victory."

The right-wing nationalist Jobbik party was set to win 19.9% of the votes (26 seats) and its chairman Gabor Vona resigned after the result.

The alliance of the left-wing Socialist and Dialogue parties had 11.8% of the vote, which would give them 20 deputies in parliament.

Two other parties - former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsany's Democratic Coalition and the green Politics Can Be Different party - were expected to surpass the 5% required for representation in parliament.

Some 98.5% of the votes have been counted and turnout was 68.8%.

Mr Orban had been accused of fuelling xenophobia but had also been praised for keeping the country's budget deficit under control, reducing unemployment and debt while growing the economy.

While campaigning, he had avoided public debates with opponents or interviews with independent media, instead speaking to supporters at carefully-managed events.

Sky News Europe Correspondent Michelle Clifford said the preliminary results showed Fidesz had improved on its 2014 performance.

She said: "Viktor Orban was always predicted to win a third consecutive term - they call him the strongman of Hungary, they believe he protects the borders."

Clifford added that the opposition parties were "very fractured", despite some efforts to bring them together to defeat Mr Orban.

The opposition had focused on corruption and Hungary's deteriorating public services, as well as the country's high rate of emigration.

Mr Orban had responded by claiming that they were collaborating with the United Nations, the European Union and philanthropist George Soros to turn Hungary into an "immigrant country".
The US has called on Russia to end its support for the Syrian regime after at least 70 people were killed in an alleged chemical attack.

The State Department in Washington said it was closely following the "disturbing reports" from the city of Douma in eastern Ghouta, which an aid group with links to opposition forces in the region said had been subjected to "one of the worst chemical attacks in Syrian history" late on Saturday.

As well as the dead, more than 500 other civilians were injured in the strike, the Union of Medical Care and Relief Organisations (UOSSM) told Sky News.

:: 'Hell on earth': What's happening in Syria?

Volunteer rescue service The White Helmets, which also has links to anti-Assad forces, said many of the victims of the alleged attack were women and children.

The group published graphic images showing a number of dead children who appeared to have been frothing at the mouth.

The Syrian American Medical Society also described patients foaming at the mouth, saying victims suffered corneal burns and smelled of a "chlorine-like odour". One woman had convulsions and pinpoint pupils, the society said.

"The reported symptoms indicate that the victims suffocated from the exposure to toxic chemicals, most likely an organophosphate element," it said.

The medical relief group also claimed an "explosive barrel" attack on Douma hospital and its surrounding area had prevented ambulances from reaching victims.

It demanded "an immediate ceasefire in the city of Douma and the entry of international investigation teams from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) to investigate this heinous chemical attack".

There has been no independent verification of the allegations of a chlorine gas attack - which have been denied by the Syrian government and Russia.

The alleged strike has triggered widespread alarm, with Britain and the US calling for an "immediate response by the international community" if the claims are proven.

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"These are very concerning reports of a chemical weapons attack with significant number of casualties, which if correct, are further proof of Assad's brutality against innocent civilians and his backers' callous disregard for international norms," the Foreign Office said.

"An urgent investigation is needed and the international community must respond. We call on the Assad regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, to stop the violence against innocent civilians," it added.

"The United States continues to use all efforts available to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable," the State Department said in a statement, which referenced the deadly sarin gas attack by the Assad regime on the town of Khan Sheikhoun last year .

In a further sign of tensions between Moscow and the West, it added: "The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately.

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syria's most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons."

The statement went on to accuse Russia of breaching its commitments to the United Nations and the Chemical Weapons Convention, and said it must withdraw its support for Mr Assad to prevent "further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks".

Reuters and Getty also released pictures showing the aftermath of what both news agencies described as a "poisonous gas attack" by the Syrian regime, including a number of dead youngsters.

Other children, including crying babies, were shown in deep distress and receiving medical treatment.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported 11 cases of symptoms of suffocation in the besieged city, including five children, but has not said what agents may have been used or whether there had been any deaths.

Syrian state media said rebels in Douma were in a state of collapse and making "chemical attack fabrications".

The Syrian government has recaptured nearly all of eastern Ghouta from rebels in an offensive that began in February, leaving just Douma in the hands of insurgent group Jaish al Islam.

Last year, a joint inquiry by the UN and the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons found the Syrian government was responsible for the sarin attack in April 2017.

The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015, and that Islamic State militants had used mustard gas.

Pope Francis closed his traditional Sunday blessing saying "nothing can justify" the use of chemical weapons against "defenceless people", and called on those responsible to seek negotiations to "bring peace" to the war-torn country.
Beer lovers will be able to celebrate with another cold glass this weekend during the annual National Beer Day. The holiday honoring the most widely consumed alcoholic beverage is observed each year on April 7, which lands on a Saturday this year.

The Cullen-Harrison Act, which marked the beginning of the end of Prohibition in the United States, was enacted on April 7, 1933 after being signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. National Beer Day has been celebrated since 2009, when friends Justin Smith of Richmond, Virginia and Mike Connolly from Liverpool, England created a National Beer Day Facebook page.

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Gulshan Khan/AFP/Getty Images

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Newsweek has rounded up seven interesting facts about beer for your brew-filled celebrations.

New Hampshire consumes the most beer than any other state, according to a report by 24/7 Wall Street. The 2017 report found that the Live Free or Die state drinks 41.7 gallons of beer annually per capita. Montana and South Dakota followed closely behind with 39.1 gallons and 38.6 gallons of beer respectively. During Prohibition, a group of brewers, physicians and beer drinkers tried to convince Congress that beer was vital medicine. According to Smithsonian Magazine, Congress allowed doctors to prescribe medical beer in March 1921. However, legislators changed their minds in November 1921 and once again banned beer. In 1814, eight people were killed in London when a 15 foot tidal wave of beer flooded the neighborhood of St. Giles Rookery. The incident, known as the London Beer Flood, did not result in any charges as the jury ruled it an act of God, The Independent reported. Don't miss: Fortnite Update 3.5 Adds New Quests, Arid Map, Weapons & Bug Fixes Egypt is believed to be the first civilization to tax beer. According to Forbes, Queen Cleopatra claimed she imposed a beer tax to discourage public drunkenness. However, historians believe it was used to raise money to fund a war with Rome. Cenosillicaphobia is commonly touted as being the fear of an empty beer glass. The phobia is not included in major phobia lists, but any beer drinker will tell you that it is very much real. Beer was George Washingtons favorite drink and he even produced beer at Mount Vernon. The first president of the U.S. kept a recipe for small beer, a weak beer consumed by both servants and children, in a manuscript notebook in the late 1750s. The day before National Beer Day is known as New Beer's Eve. Those celebrating the national day can do so by drinking responsibility and sharing the hashtag #NationalBeerDay.

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North Korea has told the United States for the first time that it is prepared to discuss denuclearisation.

Washington had previously heard from South Korea that the North was willing to negotiate on the issue - but no direct discussion had taken place.

Secret talks between the US and North Korea have now reportedly seen Pyongyang reveal directly its willingness to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula.

Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un are due to meet in May, after the US President tweeted he would meet with the North Korean leader several weeks ago.

"Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached," Mr Trump tweeted. "Meeting being planned!"

The extraordinary turn of events came after South Korea's national security adviser revealed Mr Kim was willing to meet with Mr Trump, and that he would "refrain from any further nuclear or missile test" and was "committed to denuclearisation".

If it goes ahead the meeting will follow a summit between the leaders of North and South Korea on 27 April - only the third ever to be held between the two countries.

A date for the historic event was set last month, shortly after Mr Kim told China he was committed to denuclearisation during a trip to Beijing - his first foreign trip as North Korean leader.

The shift in tone around North Korean diplomacy has come as a surprise to many - particularly since Mr Trump promised to bring " fire and fury " to the state if it continued with nuclear threats.

No serving US President has ever met with a North Korean leader, the two countries do not have formal diplomatic relations and they are still technically at war following the 1950-53 Korean conflict.

Former US ambassador to South Korea Christopher Hill said North Korea's invitation was "quite extraordinary", saying that North Korean officials had previously extended invitations, but the US had not agreed.

More questions than answers still remain over the planned meeting, however, including over understood definitions of "denuclearisation" and what expectations on the US and South Korea might involve.
OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's $1 trillion sovereign wealth fund should be allowed to invest in unlisted renewable projects such as solar parks and wind farms, the ruling Conservative party voted on Saturday.

The world's largest sovereign wealth fund, which invests Norway's oil and gas revenues in stocks, bonds and real estate, has for many years sought permission to invest in unlisted infrastructure assets.

"Let the fund invest in unlisted infrastructure for renewable energy with the same demand for profitability as for other investments," said the motion.

The decision strengthens the possibility that the fund could invest in the new asset class as the Conservatives are the leading party in Norway's minority coalition government.

The other parties are the rightwing Progress Party and the centrist, pro-green Liberals.

(Reporting by Gwladys Fouche, editing by Terje Solsvik)

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On Thursday, Japan's Shinmoedake volcano erupted and hurled hot rocks into the sky, producing a plume of gas thousands of feet high. Shinmoedake became active in October 2017 and has erupted occasionally since then.

"This is a very active volcano, so this is quite normal," Janine Krippner, a volcanologist at Concord University in West Virginia, told Newsweek. She added that Japan in general is quite used to dealing with small eruptions, which makes them better prepared to deal with situations like this.

"As long as people are listening to the local authorities, it's not a huge concern." The Japanese Meteorological Agency, which monitors volcanoes, has warned people to keep away from the crater itself.

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Kyodo/via Reuters

Remotely operated news cameras, like those run by the Kyodo media agency, have produced some stunning images of the eruption in progress, including photographs of the volcano spewing ballistics, the scientific term for solid rocks produced during an eruption.

"The rock is so hot that we can see it glowing," Krippner said, comparing it to a stove. "You can actually see the energy." These ballistics are also one of the key hazards of the volcano. During a larger eruption in 2011, ballistics from Shinmoedake hit speeds of 450 feet per second on landing.

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Shinmoedake is one of more than 20 vents at a volcanic complex called Kirishimayama, which has erupted dozens of times in recorded history.

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In addition to spotting lava eruptions and clouds of ash, the cameras have caught a glimpse of volcanic lightning. Volcanic lightning is still a bit of a mystery; it's the same basic phenomenon as normal lightning but scientists aren't sure what causes it. Satellites can see lightning flashes from space, which means scientists can use the phenomenon to track new eruptions and follow where ash plumes are drifting.

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Kyodo/via Reuters

Scientists are also monitoring how much sulfur dioxide gas Shinmoedake produces, which can measure hundreds of tons per day. "They're very gassy things," Krippner said of volcanoes.

That's not necessarily a bad thing, since studying the released gas can tell scientists how an eruption is changing. "It's telling us about the magma that's coming up," Krippner said. Magma produces different types of gas depending on how far below the surface it has been storeddeeper magma emits more carbon dioxide, shallower magma more sulfur dioxide. "It's definitely a key tool in the toolbox of volcano monitoring."

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Kyodo/via Reuters

But there's no ironclad way to predict what will happen next at Shinmoedake or any other volcano. "This could just keep doing this for a while, it could stopit really depends," Krippner said.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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A rally driver and his co-driver badly misjudged a corner on Saturday during a race in Belgium and smashed their Ford Fiesta into the barrier. A video of the incident showed Tanguy De Mulder and Jan Crommelinck flying up to the bend in Oosthoek with so much speed that they can't round the corner and smash side-on into the barrier. Fortunately, they're able to get under way again and went on to finish the R2 Rally van Tielt 2018.
This article originally appeared on Verdict.

Last month, the city of San Francisco, in a unanimous vote by the Board of Supervisors, banned the sale of new fur in the city, including online sales but not including sheep and lamb skin. Some have hailed the new law as an important victory for animal rights. Others have expressed skepticism about the likely impact of the law. In this column, I want to explore and analyze some of the assumptions implicit in a fur ban, including the view that fur is a luxury (and leather a necessity) and the view that wild animals (but not farmed animals) have a right to live. By considering these assumptions, we can better evaluate the new law, which goes into effect in January 2019.

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There are some, among those who either favor animal rights or consider themselves allies of those who do, who believe that banning fur in San Francisco is a positive step towards achieving rights for animals. And just to be clear, by rights, I mean freedom from human violence, including both the cruelty of captivity and the subsequent slaughter involved in bringing an animal product, such as a fur coat or a slice of dairy cheese pizza, to market.

If people are willing to stop themselves and others from selling the pelts of electrocuted and clubbed baby seals, minks, raccoons, and foxes, thenthe thinking goesthose same people will eventually stop themselves and others from buying and selling leather, chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys, cows, pigs, fishes, chickens eggs, and the breast milk stolen from nursing baby calves to create cheese, yogurt, etc. Also, even before the expansion of animal rights, fur ban supporters could argue that removing fur from the market will at least protect the animal targets of the fur industry from cruelty and violent death. That is a positive thing, on this theory, regardless of what might happen next.

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And last but not least, the campaign to end fur sale in San Francisco may have created communities of likeminded people who could gather, in person and online, to share their commitment to animal rights. With the passage of the law, such communities can work toward even more ambitious objectives together.

Fur Coat

REUTERS/Yorgos Karahalis

Concern

Not everyone who seeks rights for animals regards the fur ban as a cause for celebration. On a less celebratory approach, the animal movement (which mixes advocates of animal rights and animal welfare along with random others) has long focused its energy on fur. This focus is arguably both arbitrary and problematic. It may be arbitrary because there is nothing about fur or the animals from whom fur is taken that makes it morally distinguishable from any other animal products. It is all violent, so why emphasize fur?

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The focus on fur, however, has to be more than arbitrary to be truly objectionable. After all, one must start somewhere, so choosing a place at random, if that is what fur represents, might make some sense. The choice of fur is not just arbitrary, though, but also problematic. Why? Because it singles out for moral stigma an animal product that is primarily used by women while leaving untouched those equally violent animal products that men are likely to use too, including leather (jackets, shoes, car upholstery) and wool (sweaters, carpets). Trying to protect animals through sex discrimination (or any invidious discrimination) does little to further the cause of animal rights but does alienate potential allies who oppose bigotry.

When I was much younger, long before I became aware of how much cruelty and abuse is involved in creating animal products of all kinds, I opposed fur. I saw a video on the street in which a man was killing what looked like a group of black foxes. I cried in response to what I saw and subsequently learned that lots of people were against fur. My mom had a fur coat, so I told her that fur is wrong because it involves animal cruelty. She still wore the coat but less frequently than before. I still wore my shearling coat, concluding that for some reason, it did not count as fur. (Incidentally, the San Francisco law draws that same line, exempting lamb and sheep skin from the ban). Meanwhile, my mother and I both continued to wear leather shoes and wool and cashmere sweaters, and we continued to eat meat, fish, dairy, and eggs and do everything else just as we did before. I did not change any of that for over 20 years and did not truly perceive the inconsistency.

I tell this story because it illustrates what skeptics might predict about a campaign urging people to boycott fur, the sort of campaign that might culminate in laws like the San Francisco fur ban. I was exposed to materials about the cruelty of just one form of animal exploitation, fur. I made a commitment to refrain from buying or wearing what I regarded as fur (which did not include my shearling) but failed to extend the empathy that the materials ignited to any other animal or to extend the opposition that had developed to other animal products.

One can, of course, expose people to the truth behind fur and then add that there lies a similarly horrifying truth behind all animal products. It makes sense to present the fate of particular animals rather than limit oneself to inaccessible statistics in ones advocacy about the world of animal exploitation. But follow-up is necessary. Otherwise, fur becomes a token issue rather than the advertised entry into concern about animal rights. People in the US now, for example, condemn Asians for consuming the flesh of dogs, while refusing to end their own consumption of animals who are quite similar to dogs in many ways (such as calves and pigs).

But maybe the ban on fur will, if it does nothing else, spare a subset of the animals who would otherwise have been tortured and killed. That would be a good thing, even absent anything else. One response to this argument, though, is that a ban on fur will likely have little impact on demand for the product. San Francisco has not legally prohibited the wearing of fur, just the sale of it. The people who were planning to buy fur in San Francisco might accordingly go to a neighboring city and buy it there instead. If fur were truly stigmatized, then a fur ban might be unnecessary. And as long as it is not, the ban might not actually save any animals, especially if the people who previously sold fur in San Francisco move to selling other animal skins (including the fur of lambs and sheep) instead, a seamless transition.

Finally, on the critics side of the ledger, is the wasted opportunity. The work that went into politically organizing around a fur ban could have gone in a different direction. The very same people who favor animal rights and were able to find each other through the fur ban campaign could have united to challenge animal slaughter and use more broadly. They could perhaps have tried (though undoubtedly without success) to ban the sale of all animal skins, including that of cows, sheep, and lambs. People persuaded to stop wearing leather shoes would almost certainly avoid fur, though things do not go as smoothly in the other direction.

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Whats the Difference?

If asked to distinguish between the animals who are tortured and killed for fur and those who suffer and die for leather and for foods, many people would cite the luxury distinction. Fur is a luxury product that people do not need (even in cold climates, and certainly not in San Francisco), so it is wrong to inflict suffering and death on an animal for such a luxury. People use leather and food, by contrast, for necessitieseveryone needs shoes and foodso harming animals for these products is justified. In reality, the argument trades on a lack of precision about the level of generality or specificity at which we describe the product in question. Shoes and food may be a necessity, but leather shoes and animal-based food are not. There are many vegan shoes, and there are plentiful vegan foods, both healthful and delicious. Just as one might need a coat but not a fur coat, then, one might need breakfast, but not a breakfast that includes the flesh of a pig or a product involving cruelty to baby roosters and a grieving mother cows breast milk.

Another distinction between the fur animals and those whom we hurt and kill for leather and food is that the former are typically wild (or free living) and the latter are domesticated. A defender of the distinction might say that wild animals are entitled to live on their own and be free of human intervention and violence, because they ask nothing of us but to be left alone. I have spoken to at least one person, for instance, who says that hunting is wrong but feels no hesitation about paying for slaughterhouses to terrorize and end the lives of farmed animals. Some people have a certain respect for the animals who can live on their own in the wild without depending on humans to take care of them (as it were). With respect for their independence may come the willingness to view violence against these animals as real violence.

This distinction is not absolute, to be sure. The same people who respect wild animals and oppose fur and hunting might feel that we should refrain from hurting domesticated dogs precisely because they are vulnerable and dependent. And, going in the other direction, all bets seem to be off when it comes to fishes, who live on their own, want little to do with human caregivers, but whose slaughter is nonetheless associated with the calm and meditative silence of a fisherman near a body of water.

Still, I think there is a wild/domesticated line that helps us to understand the fur/other animal products distinction. We can say that we have arranged a kind of trade between the domesticated animals and ourselves. We give them food and shelter and, in exchange, they give us their skin, their flesh, and their bodily secretions (and, after enduring torture, their lives).

Quite apart from its inconsistent application, though, the wild/domesticated distinction does not actually justify anything. The domesticated animals whom we use are dependent on us because we have bred them to be, finding their wild traits inconvenient. Many of them (like pigs, for instance) might actually do fine in the wild, if we released them, and we could stop breeding those who must live with us, so that after living out their lives, their niche might be filled by wildlife.

We have done animals no favors by making them docile and defenseless in the face of our guns, knives, and bloody clubs. No animal ever sat down with us and said, if you agree to give me slop and some semblance of shelter, I will agree to endure torture and slaughter, for me and all of my descendants. Just imagine if someone were to argue, I conceived and gave birth to this dependent human child because I wanted a heart donor for my other child. We have an unwritten agreement. I have given the donor child a life that he would not otherwise have had, along with food and a place to live, and he owes me his heart in return.

Creating someone does not entitle us to cause him harm or to take his life. Indeed, it makes us responsible for guarding his wellbeing and his right to live. We understand that in the human context, regardless of why we might have decided to have the child. There is no good reason to invent spurious contracts and entitlements just because we are talking about nonhuman animals and we want to rationalize exploitation.

The line between fur and other animal products is ultimately indefensible, however attractive it might appear to many people. And perhaps because so many people draw that line, it seems unlikely that a fur ban will lead to a ban (or, even better, a refusal to consume) the more common animal products. All animal products require shocking cruelty, and all animal products are luxury items, because we do not need them. They accordingly require utterly unnecessary violence against animals.

A campaign culminating in a ban such as the one in San Francisco, might therefore be useless, especially because people can easily go elsewhere to buy fur. It might not, however, be too late to make lemonade out of lemons. In advertising the San Francisco fur ban, proponents of it can begin to let people know that there is plenty of vegan food, in San Francisco and elsewhere, and that no one needs to spend another moment participating in cruelty to animals. If you oppose fur, then you have already embraced the ethic of veganism, even if you never thought about it that way before. The next step is up to you.

Sherry F. Colb, a Justia columnist, is Professor of Law and Charles Evans Hughes Scholar at Cornell Law School. Her recent book, Mind If I Order the Cheeseburger?: And Other Questions People Ask Vegans, is currently available on Amazon.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Several Fatalities Reported In Germany After Car Drives Into Crowd of People

Updated | A man drove his van into a crowd of people in the German city of Muenster on Saturday, causing at least two fatalities and more than a dozen injuries, according to authorities.

Excluding the driver, at least two people were killed and 20 more seriously injured, police told the Associated Press. Authorities said the suspect killed himself at the scene, near Kiepenkerl, a bar in the downtown area that has high foot traffic on weekends. Police initially said they were searching for other suspects who may have fled the scene.

"There are deaths and injuries," the Muenster police department tweeted. "Please avoid the area."

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The suspect, who has not yet been identified by police, is believed to be a middle-aged German national with a history of mental instability, the German Interior Ministry said.

"At the moment, nothing spears for there being any Islamist background," said Herbert Ruel, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, where Muenster is located.

Police found a suspicious device inside the van and were in investigating what it was and whether it could be dangerous shortly after the incident. Emergency responders were on the scene treating injured, police said.

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Authorities urged people to avoid the area while they investigate. Muenster Mayor Markus Lewe said the reason for the crash wasn't yet clear. A few hours after the attack, multiple local news agencies said that the culprit was a German national, including newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung, one the largest dailies in Germany.

Pictures of the incident appear to show an outside patio completely demolished. The BBC reported that the driver of the car had shot himself.

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"There are several dead, probably including the suspect, a police spokesperson said in a statement.

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The incident sent fear rippling throughout Muenster on a bright and sunny Saturday afternoon. The city, which is located in Northwest Germany, has a population of about 300,000. The area where the incident occurred is popular with tourists and the city's large college student population.

Lines snaked down the street from Muenster University Hospital, where people nearby gathered to donate blood and offer support. The response was so overwhelming that the hospital released a statement thanking the public, adding that no more volunteers were needed.

I am shocked by the news from Muenster, Andrea Nahles, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats and junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkels ruling coalition, told Reuters. My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives. I hope that our authorities can quickly clarify the background to this incident and wish the local forces much strength for their work.

The incident marks the 1-year anniversary of a terrorist attack in Stockholm, Sweden, in which a highjacked truck rammed into a crowd of people at a department store. Five people were killed and 14 others were seriously injured in that attack.

This story is developing. Check back for updates.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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This article originally appeared on the History News Network.

Thomas Jefferson, it is well known to historians, had marked anti-city sentiments. I am not a friend to placing growing men in populous cities, writes Jefferson to Dr. Caspar Wistar (21 June 1807), because they acquire there habits & partialities which do not contribute to the happiness of their after life. Years earlier (23 Sept. 1800), he says to Dr. Benjamin Rush: I view great cities as pestilential to the morals, the health and the liberties of man. True, they nourish some of the elegant arts, but the useful ones can thrive elsewhere, and less perfection in the others, with more health, virtue & freedom, would be my choice. To David Williams (14 Nov. 1803), he states that cities encourage too many citizens to try to live by their heads, and not their handsthat is, they discourage husbandryand that is for Jefferson an impossible state of affairs for human happiness. They also bode ill for any who have a turn for dissipation. So great was his enmity of cities that in the 1800 letter to Rush he states that the yellow-fever epidemic that hit Philadelphia and wiped out a large number of its citizens might just be Providences way of discouraging the growth of great cities in our nation.

Cities for Jefferson marked a sort of natural decaya slip away from the bucolic, agrarian ideal that Jefferson consistently championed, though he made certain concessions concerning the need of some manufacture later in life. In cities that degree of freedom that gives citizens a wholesome control over their public affairs is absent. What is missing, he tells John Adams (28 Oct 1813), is ownership and care of land, which conduces to law and order. Owning land, citizens come to know its true valuethe yield of arable land is cornucopianand will wish to defend it in times of intra- or international strife. The mobs in citiesand a mob is a mere instrument of those with rank and birthwallow in ignorance, poverty, and vice, and thus are incapable of rational activity. The mobs of great cities add just so much to the support of pure government, as sores do to the strength of the human body, writes Jefferson in Query XIX of his Notes on the State of Virginia in 1787. To James Madison in the same year (Dec. 20), he writes: I think we shall be [virtuous], as long as agriculture is our principal object, which will be the case, while there remain vacant lands in any part of America. When we get piled upon one another in large cities, as in Europe, we shall become corrupt as in Europe, and go to eating one another as they do there.

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Thomas Jefferson

White House

Jeffersons anti-city arguments are several, but one stands out. Cities offer an unnatural overcrowding of citizens, and where there is overcrowding and land is wanting, the spirit of commerce and attention to making money trumps the desire for liberty and for living off the land. In Query XVII of his Notes on the State of Virginia, Jefferson assumes an atypical somber tone. From the conclusion of this war we shall be going down hill. The people and their rights will be forgotten. They will forget themselves, but in the sole faculty of making money, and will never think of uniting to effect a due respect for their rights.

Are Jeffersons views on the evils of urban living applicable today?

To answer that question, ethologist John Calhoun conducted research first on rats and then on mice from 1947 to 1972.What Calhoun did, in effect, was to create in several experiments what was in effect a rodent utopia. The animals were given a large living space and an abundancy of food and water free of predators in a climate-conditioned milieu, which was kept clean to discourage disease. In perhaps the most famous experiment, Universe 25, in a paper published in 1973 and titled Death Squared: The Explosive Growth and Demise of a Mouse Population, Calhoun constructed a large room, 2.7 meters square, with four separate, but interconnected pens. The mice had 256 apartments for living, each fitting 15 mice, 16 tunnels that led to nourishment, and many access ramps throughout their universe.

Beginning with four pairs of mice, Calhoun saw first an adjustment phase of roughly 104 days. After adjustment, there was an exploit period, in which the population of mice doubled every 55 days till the population grew to 620. Though the living space could accommodate some 3,000 mice, it soon became cramped, because of overcrowding in certain places of the universe, where food was present, and because of the neglect of other spaces. Yet as eating had become social, the rate of birth soon plunged to some one-third of what it used to be. Of the newly born mice, many were showing signs of social ineptitude.

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At around the 315th day, social ineptitude among many male mice became prominent. Without places to emigrate, the socially inept mice no longer protected their spaces or females, were outcast from all groups, and merely tended to wander in the center of the universe to eat, fight among themselves for no obvious reason, and mount other mice, gender being irrelevant. Thus, they exhibited hyper-violence and hyper-sexuality. Female mice, without the protection of males, quickly became aggressive, overly so, in response to lack of male protection, and males abandonment of their social functions. They began to cast out their young before fully weaned, to ignore their young, and even to attack or kill their young. Infant mortality rate in pockets of the universe became as high as 90 percent. The population doubling every 55 days slowed to doubling every 145 days.

By the 560th day, there was no discernible population increase and a death phase began by the 600th day. Violent, hypersexual displays and lack of social roles brought about a new generation of mice without interest in normal social rodent behaviorscourting, mating, protecting, fighting, and rearing young. Females now showed no interest in reproducing. The indifferent males Calhoun called beautiful ones, as they would spend all their time in asocial activities, such as eating, sleeping, and grooming. They were sexually inactive and nonviolent, hence the lack of bodily scars. This phase Calhoun dubbed first death. The mice, it seems, were merely biding their time till their actual, second deatha bromidic existence.

By day 920, the population peaked at 2,200 mice. With that peak and a population of mostly uncaring, asocial mice, there began a speedy behavioral sink, a rapid decline in population that would very quickly lead to extinction.

Calhoun sums: For an animal so simple as a mouse, the most complex behaviours involve the interrelated set of courtship, maternal care, territorial defence and hierarchical intragroup and intergroup social organization. When behaviours related to these functions fail to mature, there is no development of social organization and no reproduction, hence quick extinction.

Those results, thought Calhoun, are equally applicable to humans. If opportunities for role fulfilment fall far short of the demand by those capable of fulfilling roles, and having expectancies to do so, only violence and disruption of social organization can follow. Individuals born under these circumstances will be so out of touch with reality as to be incapable even of alienation. The most complex behaviours will become fragmented. Acquisition, creation and utilization of ideas appropriate for life in a post-industrial cultural-conceptual-technological society will have been blocked. Just as biological generativity in the mouse involves this species most complex behaviours, so does ideational generativity for man. Loss of these respective complex behaviours means death of the species.

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Calhoun did not see his studies boding inevitable extinction for humans with increases in population. The rodent behavior was merely a stark warning of a possible, if not probable, future.

Calhouns study is more ominous than Malthuss observations of populational increase and availability of food. Whereas Malthus warned that population growth outstrips the capacity for humans to provide food for themselves, hence a keen competition for available food and a massive dying off of humans, Calhouns studies suggest strongly that humans, like rodents, are hard-wired for social activities on account of the need to survive, and in a safe and healthy milieu in which there were no threats to survival, social roles would soon be abandoned, to the detriment of the animals. In sum, social apathy invariably leads to extinction.

Calhouns experiments also strongly suggest that social animals are biologically socialthat failure to nurture social instincts early in life lead to their extinction. Cramped spaces might be much of the causal picture.

Was Jefferson in his anti-city sentiments so far away from Calhoun? His comments in Query XVII point to indifference of rights in the sole pursuit of making money, once rights are secured. Yet Jefferson was consistently clear that political offices corrupt men and so citizens must always fight for their own rights through recurrent constitutional renewal with each generation, through carefully overseeing elected officials, and through fullest activity in political affairs. Guaranteed the rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, they also have the right to revolution, when government consistently abuses its power and trumps the rights of citizens. Moreover, Jefferson always at least theoretically championed smaller government to prevent the corrupting effects of urban living, conducive of abusive, centralized government.

Today, it might be said we, without clear socially defined roles or duties, live in a sort of Universe 25, perhaps just prior to Calhouns behavioral-sink phase. We are taught to pursue what we want to pursue, without any strong senses of social responsibilities and of other-concern. The elderly, many of whom are cast off in assisted-living facilities, are frustrated and neglected. The working class, though politically polarized on issues of national significance, is much indifferent to local politicsthere is no time for itand busying itself in Jeffersons prophetic words in the sole faculty of making money. The youths of adult age, characterized by bromidic indifference, a sort of learned helplessness, might reasonably be fitted into what is the beginning of Calhouns death phase. Are we too leaning toward extinction?

Perhaps Thomas Jefferson with his anti-city views was not such a false prophet.

M. Andrew Holowchak, Ph.D. is the author of many books about Thomas Jefferson including "Framing a Legend: Exposing the Distorted History of Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings" (2013).

This article was first written by Newsweek

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FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump delivers remarks at the Local 18 Richfield Training Site in Richfield, Ohio, U.S., March 29, 2018. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

Thomson Reuters

By Jarrett Renshaw

NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will review a list of potential changes to the nation's renewable fuel laws at a meeting with members of his cabinet on Monday, two sources said, as biofuels groups warned against any action that would weaken ethanol demand.

Trump in recent months has waded deep into the controversial issue of reforming the U.S. Renewable Fuel Standard, a 2005 law requiring refiners to blend increasing amounts of biofuels into their fuel pool each year, or buy credits from those who do.

Merchant refiners like Valero and PBF Energy pulled Trump into the debate, arguing that complying with the regulation has grown too costly and will kill off the types of blue-collar jobs Trump had promised to defend.

But Trump's efforts to reform the law have been met by fierce opposition from corn farmers and ethanol producers who are quick to remind the president that he also vowed to preserve the RFS during corn-belt campaign stops.

Monday's meeting will include Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt and Agricultural Secretary Sonny Perdue. Pruitt heads into the meeting under pressure from lawmakers to resign over allegations he broke ethics rules by renting a room in a Washington condo owned by the wife of an energy industry lobbyist.

Pruitt and Perdue have spent the last several weeks compiling a list of options for Trump to consider on the RFS, ranging from more aggressive tactics like capping the prices of the blending credits at the center of the program, to deferring the whole issue to Congress.

In recent weeks, advisers have urged Trump to let lawmakers tackle the issue, and use the threat of executive action to coerce them to make it a priority.

Iowa farmers and biofuel groups sent a letter to Iowa Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst on Friday, urging them to reach out to Trump to express their anger.

"We urge you to reach out directly to President Trump to make clear that any Administration action to waive or cap RINs will be viewed as nothing less than a declaration of war on rural America and a complete abdication of his repeated promises to protect the RFS, according to the letter, orchestrated by the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association.

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Biofuel groups are also frustrated with the administration over reports that the EPA was exempting small refineries from the program, including three owned by one of the nation's largest refining companies, Andeavor.

(Reporting by Jarrett Renshaw; Editing by Tom Brown)

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Donald Trump has warned Russia and Iran there will be a "big price to pay" for backing the Syrian regime after a suspected chemical attack.

The US President condemned as "mindless" and "SICK" reports of at least 70 people being killed, and a further 500 injured, in an alleged chlorine gas attack in the city of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

Mr Trump and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron also vowed a "strong, joint response" during a phone conversation, the White House said on Sunday evening.

It added that the regime of Syrian President Bashar al Assad "must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses".

:: 'Hell on earth': What's happening in Syria?

There has been no independent verification of the claims - made by the White Helmets rescue service and other opposition-linked medical relief groups - of a chemical attack.

However, the EU has said the "evidence points toward yet another chemical attack".

:: Several dead after missiles hit airfield in Homs

Nine countries have called for an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the reports: the UK, France, the US, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Ivory Coast. It is due to take place later.

The allegations have been denied by the Syrian government and Russia, with the latter separately calling for a Security Council meeting over "threats to international peace and security".

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Syrian media accused anti-Assad fighters in Douma of making "chemical attack fabrications" and added that allegations of toxic gas use are an "unconvincing broken record".

Iran branded the allegations as a "conspiracy" against Mr Assad, and warned that any US military intervention would "certainly complicate the situation" in Syria and the wider region.

The country's official IRNA news agency said the alleged attack had been condemned by the foreign ministry, which said in a statement: "Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action."

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It continued: "With the Syrian army having the upper hand on the ground against the armed terrorists, it would not be rational for it to use chemical weapons."

Mr Trump had earlier tweeted: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...

"....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson described the allegations of a chlorine gas attack in the rebel holdout as "deeply disturbing" and called for an immediate investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

"It is truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from airstrikes in underground shelters," he said.

"Despite Russia's promise in 2013 to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Assad regime responsible for using poison gas in at least four separate attacks since 2014."

"These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "The horrific deaths and injuries in Douma point to a chemical attack which must be fully investigated by the UN and those responsible held to account.

"The need to restart real negotiations for peace and a political settlement in Syria could not be more urgent."

The EU has called on Russia and Iran as "supporters of the regime" to use their influence with Damascus to prevent a similar attack.

Last year, the UN was among those blaming Syrian government forces for a deadly sarin gas attack on the opposition-held village of Khan Sheikhun in which at least 100 people died.

That attack prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base, which President Trump said was meant to "prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly weapons".

Responding to the latest allegations, the Russian foreign ministry warned: "The goal of these false speculations, which are not substantiated by any facts, is to cover up terrorists and irreconcilable radical opposition, which opposes political settlement, and to simultaneously try to justify potential external military strikes.

"It is necessary to once again caution that military intervention under false and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen stay at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and may trigger the gravest consequences."

British MP Johnny Mercer, who has previously claimed it was "the biggest foreign policy mistake of the decade" not to take military action in Syria, tweeted: "Look at the consequences of inaction."
President Donald Trumps administration approved the license necessary for American firms to sell Taiwan the technology needed to build its own submarines, while Trump continued his apparent trade war with China.

Taiwans Central News Agency first reported the approval Saturday, according to Reuters, stating the Southeast Asian nations defense minister, Chen Chung-Chi, confirmed the State Departments go-head.

An unnamed State Department official told Reuters that its policy toward American-Taiwan defense trade was consistent with previous administrations.

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Our longstanding policy on defense sales to Taiwan has been consistent across seven different U.S. administrations, the official said. This policy has contributed to the security of Taiwan and also supported the maintenance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.

Taiwan announced a year ago that it planned to build eight new submarines just prior to Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit to meet with Trump in Florida for the first time.

Despite the State Departments assertion, the report of the U.S. government essentially helping Taiwan obtain such defense technology comes as Trump has placed heavy tariffs on Chinese goods worth billions of dollars.

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GettyImages-655848974

AFP via Getty Images/Sam Yeh

The president tweeted that he had not started a trade war because it had already been lost by past administrations poor decisions.

On Saturday, the president reiterated his stance.

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The United States hasnt had a Trade Surplus with China in 40 years. They must end unfair trade, take down barriers and charge only Reciprocal Tariffs. The U.S. is losing $500 Billion a year, and has been losing Billions of Dollars for decades. Cannot continue!, Trump tweeted.

After already suggesting $50 billion in tariffs on China, Trump announced Thursday he was considering another measure that would place an additional $100 billion in tariffs on the worlds second largest economy.

Chinas commerce minister Gao Feng responded by stating Friday his nation was fully prepared to hit back forcefully if the U.S. moved forward with the tariffs.

The marketing license granted to Taiwan could further exacerbate Trumps continued feud with China. Taiwan has long claimed to be a sovereign nation independent of China, but China has claimed the island to be part of the mainland republic since its civil war in 1949.

Trump initially caused a stir in the contentious China-Taiwan relationship when he spoke directly over the phone with Taiwans president Tsai Ing-wen during his transition to the White House. The call was actually a plan thought out by Trumps advisers in order to establish the tough tone Trump had taken against China on the campaign trail, according to The Washington Post.

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The UN condemned on April 6 a mortar attack which killed two peacekeepers and injured at least ten others in Mali on April 5. Through a spokesperson, the secretary general said that attacks which target peacekeepers may be considered war crimes.

The spokesperson said that such acts "only reinforce the commitment of the United Nations to support the people and the Government of Mali in their quest for peace.

MINUSMA, The UNs stabilization mission in Mali, is one of the most dangerous peacekeeping missions in the world the UN said, observing that more than 160 peacekeepers have died since the launch of the mission.

The killed peacekeepers were both from Chad. Credit: UNIFEED via Storyful
Smoking is always bad for you, but new research suggests that picking up this habit in your teens could be even worse than lighting up later in life. Thats because early exposure to nicotine may change the way the brain responds to rewards and put users at greater risk to abuse alcohol, a new animal study has found.

The research, published online in Cell Reports this week, focused on how nicotine exposure effects rats behavior and brain activity. For their research, the team exposed rats to nicotine during their adolescence via daily injections and had a control group of adolescent rats raised without nicotine exposure. In addition, there was a third group of rats who were exposed to daily nicotine injections during adulthood. When all rats reached adulthood, the groups were allowed to push a lever in order to obtain a slightly sweetened alcoholic drink when they chose.

Results revealed that rats who were exposed to nicotine during adolescence drank more alcohol than rats who were not exposed to nicotine and more than rats where were exposed to nicotine during adulthood.

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04_06_coffee

Joe Klamar/AFP/Getty Images

The study also looked at the brain of the three groups of rats, especially the neurotransmitter GABA. This neurotransmitter is associated with regulating anxiety and works to calm down certain brain activity.

The brains of mice who were exposed to nicotine during adolescence had their GABA signals altered. This alteration affected the rats reward system, leading them to seek out more self-administered alcohol as adults.

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Although an animal study, lead study researcher John Dani, chair of Neuroscience at Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, told Newsweek that this research still has important implications for humans. According to Dani, although teenage tobacco use is decreasing, in recent years nicotine vaping and electronic cigarette use has increased among young Americans.

The evidence continues to accumulate that adolescent nicotine also is associated with a greater likelihood of using other addictive drugs, Dani told Newsweek. These problems are compounded because nicotine vaping appeals to a group of adolescents who would not otherwise use addictive drugs.

In addition, Dani explained that nicotine use during adolescence in rats not only enhanced alcohol self-administration but also cocaine self-administration. Although a large number of teenage e-cig users may not use any other traditional drugs, the nicotine may put them at risk for other addictive substances when they would not have been at risk otherwise.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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China will reduce its trade barriers "because it is the right thing to do", the US president said.

In remarks made via Twitter on Sunday morning, Donald Trump said: "President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!"

The same day, in an interview with Fox News Sunday, the Director of the National Economic Council, Robert Kudlow, said: "we're not gonna end up in a trade war."

Separately, on CNN, Kudlow said "I think it's going to generate very positive results which will grow."

Nevertheless, he also said he would back resorting to tariffs if talks with Beijing failed.

Meanwhile, in remarks to NBC's Meet the Press, White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Washington's threat of tariffs was not just a negotiating ploy.

Navarro also reminded his interviewer of the recent change in China's classification under the US national security strategy to 'strategic competitor'.

Rather, he said, "We're moving forward in a measured way."

According to Navarro, those talks would be headed-up by US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and the country's Trade Representative, Robert Lighthizer.

Among those critical of the US administration's moves on the trade front, Nebraska Republican Senator Ben Sasse told NBC: "Hopefully the president is just blowing off steam again, but if he's even half-serious, this is nuts [...] The president has no actual plan to win right now. He's threatening to light American agriculture on fire. [...] This is the dumbest possible way to do this."

On the other hand, over prior weeks Mohammed El-Erian and Martin Feldstein had argued that what mattered was not trade deficits but getting China to respect intellectual property rights, which in the longer term could bring about a better global trading system.

Nonetheless, to that UniCredit chief economist on Sunday Erik F.Nielsen responded: "I hope they are right, but I'm doubtful".
European stocks fell in early trade on Monday with auto issues under the cosh as investors digested the latest data on the eurozone manufacturing and services sectors.

At 1045 BST, the Stoxx Europe 600 index was down 0.5%, while Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were off 0.8% and 0.4% respectively.

David Madden at CMC Markets said: "European equity markets are offside today as traders are still spooked by Fridays sell-off. The major decline that we witnessed at the end of last week rattled dealers and that bearish sentiment hasnt gone away. The announcement from Ryanair that fares could be cut to order to fend off competition has put pressure on the entire airline sector. The strength of the euro is still causing problems for Continental equity markets."

Autos were under pressure after the EU antitrust body confirmed it is investigating allegations of collusion between the big car manufacturers over diesel emission treatment systems and cost agreements. The Stoxx 600 autos and parts index was down 2.1%.

On the data front, surveys released by from Markit showed eurozone services and manufacturing sector growth remained strong in early July, though both came in slightly less strong than expected.

A preliminary, or 'flash', euro area manufacturing purchasing managers' index for July showed a slight easing back to 56.8 from 57.4 in June, falling short of the consensus forecast of 57.2.

The eurozone manufacturing PMI was at its lowest since January, but still well up on the 50.0 reading that separates growth from contraction.

The eurozone services PMI for July, also produced by Markit, remained at 55.4 for a second month, though the market had expected it to improve slightly to 55.5.

The headline composite PMI declined to 55.8 from 56.3, below the consensus forecast of 56.2.

Economists said the composite PMI looks consistent with quarterly gross domestic product growth of about 0.6% for the eurozone.

Investors were also mulling over news that the International Monetary Fund has downgraded its economic growth forecasts for the UK and the US this year. It cut its UK growth expectations to 1.7% from 2% and its estimate for the US to 2.1% from 2.3% earlier.

In corporate news, Ryanair flew lower despite reporting a jump in profit for the three months to the end of June, after the budget carrier warned it could cut fares by up to 9% on some routes as competition in the industry intensifies.
In her Inside the City column for the Sunday Times, Sabah Meddings looked ahead to Greene King s trading update due this week, noting that investors would be holding their breath at this stage - and hoping not to be shedding tears into their pints of Old Speckled Hen.

Meddings said shareholders in the brewing group have had a few bitter pills to swallow in recent years, with its share price now half what it was at its peak in December 2015.

The company, with chief executive Rooney Anand at the helm, was not shying away from admitting trading was tough at the moment, with the firm expecting to take a 600m hit in the current year from a number of factors beyond its control - higher business rates and the national living wage chiefly among them.

Meddings said Anand has also had a year of unpredictable weather to contend with - a miserable summer, followed by a snowy, icy winter and a wet Easter, all likely to hit Greene King where it hurts.

But some of its injuries have been self-inflicted, with the acquisition of Spirit Pub Company in 2015 leaving the group with its pants down amid a severe downturn in casual dining, thanks to the inclusion of the restaurant chain Fayre & Square.

Anand wasnt sitting on his hands there, however, taking the axe to the Fayre & Square brand and converting the properties into classic Greene King boozers.

He was also implementing a 10m action plan, which includes price cuts, along with plans to save between 40m and 45m by slashing the companys overheads.

The firms fish restaurant chain, Loch Fyne, was also up for grabs.

Meddings said some of Greene Kings fans in the City remained hopeful that value could be squeezed out of these asset sales, along with the possibility for an activist investor to rustle up some activity.

However, she also noted that there was only so much a company can raise through disposals, with a large part of any proceeds likely to go to Greene Kings listed bondholders - those bonds being secured against the chains pubs.

With those headwinds in play, Meddings said it was less than surprising that short-sellers were moving in, with 15.8% of the firms shares out on loan according to IHS Markit, up from 12% at the start of January.

Greene King was indeed trading on a rather attractive 6.8% dividend yield, thanks to the beating it has taken on the stock market, with a price-to-earnings multiple of 8.4x making it look cheap.

By comparison, Mitchells & Butlers - which doesnt pay a dividend - was at a seriously heftier 17.4x.

But Meddings said Greene King was cheap for a reason, with 13-year CEO Anand fiercely protective of the dividend, while the market suggested he might have to cut such rich distributions.

The 53-year-old once boasted that investors know they are going to get it straight from me, Sabah Meddings wrote.

There may be a case for investing in Greene King - it has a good track record and a bullish management team - but it may be a little early to jump on board. Avoid.

Over in the Mail on Sunday, Joanne Hart looked at a shift in the way delivery firms communicate with customers for her 'Midas' piece - from the much-maligned scribbled-card-through-the-letterbox to the sending of text messages and emails - and an AIM-traded company behind that sort of thing, IMImobile.

The companys shares - which are currently at 267p - should move higher, Hart claimed, with the business boasting a number of well-known clients and operating in a field which was still expanding.

At its core, IMI is a software business, having been founded in India in 2000 and evolving into a global firm over the ensuing 18 years.

Its clients in the UK include mobile providers such at BT, O2 and Vodafone; banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds and NatWest; retailers such as IKEA; and public services, including parts of the NHS.

The firm worked with 140 NHS Trusts, Hart said, supplying technology which allowed them to text or email patients about their appointments - a faster and less labour-intensive communication method than the post, and one which allows patients to cancel or amend appointments with a few clicks or taps.

IMImobile was gradually rolling out the technology, and should save the NHS significant cash given the current 1bn price tag of missed appointments, according to Hart.

The technology also allowed banks to send messages to their customers about activity on their account, including when money leaves or arrives, when a new payee has been added, or when they were entering overdraft.

Phone providers and utilities, meanwhile, are using the software to inform customers that their bill is ready, that they are eligible for an upgrade, or that new services are available.

Hart said the companys technology was popular among big firms because it was easy to implement and because it tied in with a wide range of digital mediums, from the somewhat more traditional text and email, to notifications on WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger.

It was also behind many of the automated phone systems and live chat implementations seen across the customer service industry, with the company responsible for more than 27 billion messages and 15 billion automated voice conversations each year, with operations in 80 countries and it occupying the market leading position in the UK.

IMI is led by Jay Patel, who invested in the business in 2004, became managing director in 2010 and rose to chief executive in 2013.

It floated on AIM in 2014, at which point pre-tax profits were 5.3m.

For the year to March 2017 they had risen to 9m, with profits expected to grow to 9.4m for this year and 12m the year after that.

The group has been busy expanding, both organically and through acquisitions, with a lot of cash being poured into research and technology too - taking dividends off the table even though the balance sheet remained strong.

That lack of distribution should change in coming years, Hart asserted, as the group became more profitable.

IMImobile shares are 267p and have done well recently, but they should continue to deliver strong growth, Hart said of the companys prospects.

Buy and hold.
UFO's have long been claimed to exist. Among the claimants are astronauts. Using a complex high-tech lie-detector technology, it seems that the four respected astronauts who claimed they saw aliens did not lie. Well, at least they really do believe they saw them.

Lie-detectors aren't always totally reliable, but the new complex computer analysis is much better than traditional methods. The International Business Times reported that the astronauts who claim they saw UFO's and believe they really do exist include Buzz Aldrin, "Al Worden, Edgar Mitchell and Gordon Cooper."

UFO's are not just a tall tale

Buzz Aldrin himself had previously stated that astronauts on Apollo 11 had all seen unidentified flying objects that appeared to be following them, according to Solar System Exploration Research.

However, they were finally convinced that it was merely one of the panels from the separation of the spacecraft. Over on Reddit, Buzz even told questioners about three years ago that he did not think they were UFO's after all.

It's interesting then, to note that despite what he said, the tests carried out by the Institute of BioAcoustic Biology in Albany show that in fact, he does believe that what he saw were UFO's and that they really do exist.

Astronaut who believed aliens contact mankind

Astronaut Ed Mitchell was the sixth moon-walker and was with the Apollo 14 mission. The India International Times reported that he claimed that humans had been contacted by Aliens. The Daily Star pointed out that he claimed to have seen UFO's.

Even though he and fellow astronaut Cooper are both now deceased, the new technology was able to analyze the voices of the two astronauts and it turns out they were not telling lies. They really believed that they had encountered UFO's.

Apollo 15 astronaut also believes they encountered aliens and UFO's

Al Worden, now aged 86 was on the Apollo 15 project.

He claimed to have actually seen aliens when he spoke with Good Morning Britain. He too passed the new lie-detector test. He even went so far as to say that "human beings are descendants of an advanced alien form," according to IBT.

The high-tech computer analysis of these voices says that they are not telling lies. They all really do believe that they encountered aliens and/or UFO's.

Of course, this does not mean they actually did see, meet, or encounter aliens in UFO's. It merely means they believe that they did.

The fine points of what they saw and what they think they saw will not matter too much to those who believe NASA has long covered up the existence of alien life. While the mainstream media often describes the likelihood as defying logic, many people accept that there are simply too many instances of such reports to take it lightly.

What do you think about the fact that it now seems UFO's really exist? What are your thoughts on the lie-detector test the astronauts passed that may verify that not all of them suffered from some delusion?
A fire broke out on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York City on Saturday with the local fire department rushing to the scene. Once the fire was under control, the president decided to give an update on Twitter.

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018

Trump on Trump Tower fire

On Saturday afternoon in New York City, a fire spread on the 50th floor of Trump Tower, the private residence of Donald Trump when he's not living back at the White House in Washington, D.C.

The fire was described as a "three-alarm blaze" with no injuries being reported after dozens of fire trucks made their way to the scene to get the situation under control and make sure no further damage took place. Trump's office is located on the 26th floor, but he was not in attendance as he was back in Washington for the weekend. The fire comes just three months after a smaller blaze broke out on the rook of the building.

Fire in Trump Tower worsening pic.twitter.com/6T1VsOCsuP  Peter Thomas Roth (@PeterThomasRoth) April 7, 2018

In response to the news, Donald Trump took to Twitter to give his thoughts and an update on the situation. "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building).

Firemen (and women) did a great job," Trump tweeted out, before adding, "THANK YOU!" As expected, Trump's tweet about the fire at his New York City building was quickly met with mockery and sarcasm, with many taking shots at the president's current scandal involving possible Russian collusion and the hacking of the 2016 presidential election by the Kremlin.

#BREAKING: NY Fire Dept responds to fire at Trump Tower https://t.co/jv501N4H0F pic.twitter.com/mgVDlEDfeW  The Hill (@thehill) April 7, 2018

Twitter reaction

Within minutes of Donald Trump tweeting about the Trump Tower fire, those who oppose the commander in chief wasted no time firing back. "Can you tell me more about death?

You look like the death of civilization. Maybe you should learn of Jesus Christ, Lord and Savior, who still loves you despite your degeneracy?" one tweet read.

Must of gotten to many pants on fire  for all your lies  B Dolan (@BDolanMasonry) April 7, 2018

I like buildings that don't catch on fire.  Dan Sherwood (@DanSherwood88) April 7, 2018

The word youre searching for is Firefighter NOT firemen! #FuckingMoron  Phyllis Pereira (@Brennan112911) April 7, 2018

"No Chinese drywall in that," a Twitter user wrote with sarcasm. "It was your pants, wasnt it?" another tweet asked. "You can probably expect more 'fires' in the coming months," an additional tweet stated. "Terrorist attack by right wingers, no comments for days: fire at place Trump makes money, comment within minutes," a post read.

That's not The first time your pants have been on fire  Dave Armstrong (@neatguydave) April 7, 2018

Surprised as you have so much evidence to burn up just like the Russian Embassy  Laura LeBlanc (@lsleblanc1) April 7, 2018

Terrorist attack by right wingers, no comments for days: fire at place Trump makes money, comment within minutes. #impeach #Emoluments  Jimmy Durrr (@Jimmy_Durrr) April 7, 2018

"Surprised as you have so much evidence to burn up just like the Russian Embassy," a social media user wrote. "That's not The first time your pants have been on fire," a follow-up tweet went on to read. The negative reaction continued to pour in as the rift between those who support Donald Trump and those who oppose him showed no signs of coming to an end at any point in the near future.
The former First Lady Michelle Obama was in Boston to attend the 39th annual Simmons Leadership Conference. The venue was crowded with her supporters, and they wanted to know whether she had any idea to run for the president of the United States. She has ruled out any such possibility and explained that in order to take on such a job there has to be a different state of mind. The willingness must come from within.

Daily Mail UK reports that her audience consisted mostly of women and she admitted that she was not passionate about Politics. She added that she is a Princeton University and Harvard Law School graduate, but that does not mean she should accept such challenges.

She had her say

The program was held at the Seaport World Trade Center with more than 3,400 people in attendance. The theme of the seminar was 'Disrupt the Ordinary.' It was a short one-day professional development program in which other prominent women also had their say.

During her speech, Michelle Obama said that politics was not her cup of tea and she was drawn into it because of her husband who has the passion for politics. In her opinion, the selection of the commander-in-chief of the United States must be based on the certain criterion and not be thrust on some unwilling candidate just because she is a woman who can give a good speech.

Oprah adds another dimension

Oprah Winfrey is an orator par excellence and her powerful speech at the Golden Globes in January had set people talking about her contesting in the 2020 president election.

At that time, she had ruled out any such possibility, but Huffington Post adds that she has now indicated that she could reconsider the earlier decision to enter politics. It would depend on whether she received any message from God.

When the media had first proposed her name as future president of the United States, she was at the receiving end of Donald Trumps ire.

He went to the extent of saying that she was very insecure.

Oprah has confided to a magazine that billionaires had called her up and assured her of funds to run her campaign in case she changed her mind and decided to contest. Her best friend, CBS co-host Gayle King, feels a 2020 campaign will not be good for her, but it could benefit others.

Therefore, Oprah has left it to God.

Michelle Obama is also not interested in returning to the White House, but she and Oprah must realize that one need not be a politician to become the president. The best example is Donald Trump who understands the business better than politics. It is quite possible that some other woman could rise to the challenge.
For the first time since the news broke of his alleged affair with adult film star Stormy Daniels, Donald Trump has addressed the issue with the media. Following Trump's remarks, social media went viral.

President Trump says he didn't know about the 130,000 dollar payment to porn star Stormy Daniels https://t.co/v3E8JGeLU5 pic.twitter.com/bYQhfgkNvM  CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2018

Trump on Stormy Daniels

It all started back in January when the Wall Street Journal broke a bombshell story claiming that Donald Trump's personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, paid adult film star Stormy Daniels $130,000 in so-called "hush money" during the 2016 election to keep quiet about an apparent affair she had with the president back in 2006.

Unlike previous allegations against him, the former host of "The Apprentice" didn't respond and has let his White House and legal team do the talking. While this has been the routine, the president appeared to finally acknowledge the scandal.

BREAKING: President Trump says he did not know about a $130,000 payment made to porn star Stormy Daniels for her silence, his first public acknowledgment of the scandal surrounding an alleged sexual affair https://t.co/qUVopeAPkN pic.twitter.com/k7dokjC4f0  CNN (@CNN) April 5, 2018

According to CNN on April 5, Donald Trump spoke to reporters on Air Force One and addressed the affair between himself and Stormy Daniels. When asked if he knew about the $130,000 in hush money paid to Daniels, Trump simply replied "no." Trump was then asked why his lawyer made the payment, Trump answered "Youll have to ask Michael Cohen." After another reporter repeated the question, the president once again replied, "Michael is my attorney.

Youll have to ask Michael."

Stormy backlash

After Donald Trump's first public acknowledgement of the Stormy Daniels allegations, critics of the president made sure to chime in. "He might as well claim he doesn't know he's bald under that ridiculous comb-over," one tweet read.

By making this ludicrous statement, Trump just

(1) Essentially ensured Michael Cohen will be disbarred and possibly prosecuted

(2) Opened the door to having to answer that same question under oath and get slapped with perjury

(3) Made .@MichaelAvenatti a deliriously happy lawyer  TMurgs (@TulipMurgatroid) April 5, 2018

He might as well claim he doesn't know he's bald under that ridiculous combover.  Mad Hatter (@Shirley_I_Jest) April 5, 2018

This guy is Sergeant Schulz. "I know nothing, I know nothing".  chokekoch (@sdward1) April 5, 2018

"By making this ludicrous statement, Trump just (1) Essentially ensured Michael Cohen will be disbarred and possibly prosecuted (2) Opened the door to having to answer that same question under oath and get slapped with perjury (3) Made Michael Avenatti a deliriously happy lawyer," a Twitter user wrote.

"Doesnt this confirm Stormys legal argument? Trump cannot be a party to an agreement he was unaware of which means the NDA is invalid," another tweet added.

Yeah right. Your attorney took a mortgage out on his house because hes such a nice guy.  Tracy Coon (@TracyCoon3) April 5, 2018

To be fair my mates are always paying $130,000 to porn stars for ther silence, without telling me!   Graham Pedder #FBPE (@Graham_Pedder) April 5, 2018

Doesnt this confirm Stormys legal argument? Trump cannot be a party to an agreement he was unaware of which means the NDA is invalid.  Matthew Weinstein (@Weintweets) April 5, 2018

"To be fair my mates are always paying $130,000 to p*rn stars for their silence, without telling me!" a social media user wrote.

"Yeah right. Your attorney took a mortgage out on his house because hes such a nice guy," a follow-up tweet went on to point out. As the backlash continued to pour in, the scandal surrounding Stormy Daniels and Donald Trump showed no signs of coming to an end at any point in the near future.
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.

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China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited, an investment holding company, provides cellular and fixed-line voice, and related value-added services in the People's Republic of China. It also provides broadband and other Internet-related, information communications technology, and business and data communications services. In addition, the company offers communications technology training, technical, and Internet information and value-added telecommunications services; telecommunications network construction, planning, and technical consulting services; and consultancy, survey, design, and contract services relating to information and construction projects. Further, it provides customer, project design consultation and management, property management, e-payment, venture capital investment, communications technology development and promotion, auto informatisation, financial, data processing, and tourism and information services; advertising design, production, agency, and publication services; technology development, transfer, and consulting services; and technology promotion service of intelligent transportation system's products. Additionally, the company offers technology development and consultation, and other services; technology research and development, consultation, and services of TV video and mobile video; internet of things technology, and online data processing and transaction services; and big data, and cloud computation and infrastructure services. It also provides online video and reading materials; network music; financing leasing services; and data analysis and application services, as well as sells handsets and telecommunication equipment. As of December 31, 2019, it had approximately 254 million 4G subscribers, 83 million fixed-line broadband subscribers, and 54 million fixed-line local access subscribers. The company was incorporated in 2000 and is based in Central, Hong Kong. China Unicom (Hong Kong) Limited is a subsidiary of China Unicom (BVI) Limited.

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Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Norway 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 Norway ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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The following companies are subsidiares of The Travelers Companies: 10762962 Canada Inc., 350 Market Street LLC, 8527512 Canada Inc., Aetna Life and Casualty Co, American Equity Insurance Company, American Equity Specialty Insurance Company, Aprilgrange Limited, Arch Street North LLC, Auto Hartford Investments LLC, Bayhill Restaurant II Associates, Camperdown Corporation, Constitution State Services LLC, Discover Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Discover Specialty Insurance Company, F&G UK Underwriters Limited, Farmington Casualty Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Company, Fidelity and Guaranty Insurance Underwriters Inc., First Floridian Auto and Home Insurance Company, Gulf Underwriters Insurance Company, IHP Capital Partners Fund VIII L.P., Northbrook Holdings Inc., Northfield Insurance Company, Northland Casualty Company, Northland Insurance Company, Phoenix UK Investments LLC, SPC Insurance Agency Inc., Select Insurance Company, Simply Business Holdings Inc., Simply Business Inc., St. Paul Fire and Marine Insurance Company, St. Paul Guardian Insurance Company, St. Paul Mercury Insurance Company, St. Paul Protective Insurance Company, St. Paul Surplus Lines Insurance Company, Standard Fire Properties LLC, Standard Fire UK Investments LLC, TCI Global Services Inc., TPC Investments Inc., TPC U.K. Investments LLC, The Automobile Insurance Company of Hartford Connecticut, The Charter Oak Fire Insurance Company, The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company, The Family Business Institute LLC, The Phoenix Insurance Company, The St. Paul Companies Inc., The Standard Fire Insurance Company, The Travelers Casualty Company, The Travelers Home and Marine Insurance Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company, The Travelers Indemnity Company of America, The Travelers Indemnity Company of Connecticut, The Travelers Lloyds Insurance Company, TravCo Insurance Company, Travelers (Bermuda) Limited, Travelers Brazil Acquisition LLC, Travelers Brazil Holding LLC, Travelers Casualty Company of Connecticut, Travelers Casualty Insurance Company of America, Travelers Casualty UK Investments LLC, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of America, Travelers Casualty and Surety Company of Europe Limited, Travelers Commercial Casualty Company, Travelers Commercial Insurance Company, Travelers Constitution State Insurance Company, Travelers Distribution Alliance Inc., Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Company, Travelers Global Inc., Travelers Indemnity U.K. Investments LLC, Travelers Insurance Company Limited, Travelers Insurance Company of Canada, Travelers Insurance Designated Activity Company, Travelers Insurance Group Holdings Inc., Travelers Lloyds of Texas Insurance Company, Travelers London Limited, Travelers MGA Inc., Travelers Management Limited, Travelers Marine LLC, Travelers Participacoes em Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Personal Insurance Company, Travelers Personal Security Insurance Company, Travelers Property Casualty Company of America, Travelers Property Casualty Corp., Travelers Property Casualty Insurance Company, Travelers Seguros Brasil S.A., Travelers Syndicate Management Limited, Travelers Texas MGA Inc., Travelers Underwriting Agency Limited, Ultramar Travel Management, United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company, Xbridge Limited, Zensurance Brokers Inc., and Zensurance Inc..
Bunzl plc operates as a distribution and services company in the North America, Continental Europe, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and internationally. The company offers food packaging, films, labels, counter-service packaging, foodservice disposables, take-out food packaging, first aid products, point of purchase displays, stationery, bags, and cleaning and hygiene supplies to grocery stores, supermarkets, retail chains, convenience stores, food wholesalers, ethnic grocers, and organic food outlets. It also provides food packaging, napkins, disposable tableware, food service disposables, guest amenities, light and heavy catering equipment, cleaning and hygiene products, and safety items to hotels, restaurants, caterers, the leisure sector, and food processors and packers; and footwear, gloves, safety helmets, workwear, harness equipment, tools, safety signs, traffic management, and ancillary site equipment, as well as ear, eye, respiratory, and face protection products to customers in the industrial and construction markets. In addition, the company offers cleaning systems, floorcare items, hand cleansing products, hygiene paper, janitorial products, cleaning machines, mops, polishes, and protective clothing and washroom chemicals to facilities management companies, contract cleaners, and other industrial and healthcare customers; and counter service packaging, point of purchase display items, stationery, and cleaning and hygiene products to department stores, boutiques, office supply companies, retail chains, and home improvement chains. Further, it provides gloves, aprons, bandages, facemasks, gowns, headwear, mattress covers, overshoes, procedure packs, tapes, wipes, incontinence products, and swabs to the healthcare sector, including hospitals, retirement and nursing homes, and doctors' surgeries and clinics; and various products to government and education establishments. Bunzl plc was founded in 1854 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom.

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Ensign Energy Services Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides oilfield services to the crude oil and natural gas industries in Canada, the United States, and internationally. The company offers shallow, intermediate, and deep well drilling, as well as specialized drilling services, including horizontal, underbalanced, horizontal re-entry, and slant drilling for steam assisted gravity drainage applications; and equipment and other services. It also provides coring and oil sands drilling services to the mining, and oil and natural gas industries; directional drilling and related services for conventional and horizontal drilling applications; shallow to deep well services, such as completions, abandonments, production, workovers, and bottom hole pump changes for oil and natural gas producers; and interactive pressure drilling services with self-contained systems comprising nitrogen generation and compression equipment, and surface control systems. In addition, the company rents drill strings, loaders, tanks, pumps, rig mattings, blow-out preventers, waste bins, and wastewater treatment equipment for the drilling and completions segments of the oilfield industry. Further, the company offers transportation services. As of December 31, 2020, it operated a fleet of 271 land drilling rigs, 21 specialty coring rigs, and 99 well servicing rigs. The company was incorporated in 1987 and is headquartered in Calgary, Canada.

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Bristow Group Inc. provides industrial aviation services to the offshore energy companies in Europe Caspian, Africa, the Americas, and the Asia Pacific. The company offers helicopter charter services to transport personnel between onshore bases and offshore production platforms, drilling rigs, and other installations, as well as to transport time-sensitive equipment to these offshore locations. It also provides search and rescue services for the oil and gas industry, and governmental agencies; and aircraft support services. The company was formerly known as Offshore Logistics Inc. and changed its name to Bristow Group Inc. in February 2006. Bristow Group Inc. was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Houston, Texas.

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Medical marijuana ordinance clears first reading by city council

The Aberdeen City Council has approved the first reading of an ordinance outlining regulations for medical cannabis establishments within the city limits.
President Donald Trumps promise to use the National Guard to secure the U.S.-Mexico border isnt a new concept and is something the U.S. has done in the past for varying reasons.

Both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama sent National Guard troops to the border when they were in the White House. And throughout the history of the borderlands, the military or armed militias have been dispatched there to keep black slaves from fleeing, remove Native Americans from ancestral lands and suppress Mexican-American revolts stemming from anger over white mob violence.

Heres a look at how the U.S. has used the military and armed militias along the border:

SLAVERY AND CHINESE EXCLUSION

After the U.S. seized land in the American Southwest following the U.S-Mexico War, armed militias patrolled the border looking for runaway black slaves. The traditional Underground Railroad to the north was too far for slaves to travel so thousands attempted the journey south to freedom. Soon, a guerra sorda, or cold war, developed between the nations.

According to historian James David Nichols, Texas slaveholders took matters into their own hands and sent armed militias to the border and into Mexico to search for runaway slaves. Often Mexico refused to turn over slaves and the conflict sometimes resulted in violent skirmishes.

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, mounted watchmen who patrolled from El Paso, Texas, to California were dispatched largely to look out for Chinese immigrants trying to illegally enter the U.S.

Kelly Lytle Hernandez, a University of California, Los Angeles history professor and author of Migra!: A History of the U.S. Border Patrol, says initially there were no restrictions on Mexican immigration at the time because U.S. growers wanted a steady stream of agricultural workers.

REVOLUTION AND REVOLT

Tensions remained high between white settlers, Mexican-Americans and Native Americans in the newly acquired territory following the U.S-Mexico War.

Miguel Levario, a Texas Tech history professor and author of Militarizing the Border: When Mexicans Became the Enemy, said the U.S. government erected military bases such as Fort Bliss in El Paso, for the sole purpose of removing Native Americans from lands. It had little to do with immigration, Levario said.

As the Mexican Revolution began in Mexico around 1910, white settlers feared Mexican-Americans might take up arms on behalf of Mexican Revolutionary leader Pancho Villa.

When Villa soldiers in northern Mexico killed 19 white engineers and staff from an American mining company, drunken U.S. soldiers sought revenge in El Paso and attacked Mexican-Americans in poor El Paso neighborhoods, sparking a riot in 1916. El Paso police also are believed to have sought revenge and set fire to Mexican inmates in the El Paso jail, killing 27, Levario said. The inmates were doused with coal oil and gasoline as a crude disinfectant, he said.

What happened at the jail helped push Villa to raid the small town of Columbus, New Mexico. The violent raid angered whites and President Woodrow Wilson, who ordered Gen. John J. Pershing to invade Mexico to arrest Villa. The U.S. Army never caught him.

National Guard units from around the country were called up and more than 100,000 troops were sent to the border.

IMMIGRATION AND DRUGS

Congress created the U.S. Border Patrol in 1924 and the agency slowly grew in size as its mission changed. At first, the agents sought to keep out Asian immigrants and later worked to stall alcohol trafficking in the Prohibition era. Slowly, it evolved into stalling unwanted migration from Mexico.

Occasionally, U.S. presidents have sent the military or the National Guard to the border region to help the Border Patrol stem a crisis amid controversy with border residents.

In 1997, camouflage-clad U.S. Marines ordered to patrol the border for drugs in West Texas shot and killed 18-year-old Esequiel Hernandez Jr. while he was herding his familys goats near the tiny village of Redford, Texas, along the U.S.-Mexico border. Authorities say Hernandez had no connection to the drug trade and was an honor student.

That shooting sparked anger along the border and ended the President Bill Clinton-era military presence along the border. After Sept. 11, President George W. Bush sent unarmed National Guard units to the border for support, Levario said.

In 2010, President Barack Obama deployed National Guard troops to the border over fear of increasing drug-trafficking violence.

Today, there are more than 20,000 Border Patrol agents along the U.S.-Mexico border, and a number of other federal agencies have a presence as well.
A former field biologist living in New Mexico is helping people around the United States plan vacations that allow them to connect with Mother Nature.

Two years ago Terry Lawson Dunn launched EcoTripMatch.com, a website that matches people with accommodations and tours that are eco friendly, often times translating to spending a lot of time in the natural world. This type of traveling has been called ecotourism, which Lawson Dunn describes as responsible travel to natural areas which conserves the environment and improves the welfare of local people and also includes some educational component. She has also held a contest each year highlighting tour guides from around the world and having online voters crown one Best Nature Tour Guide.

The website, she said, is her way of supporting conservation, something that has been important to her since she was a child. Lawson Dunn was raised in one of the countrys largest urban jungles. Even then she was aware of the natural world around her.

I grew up in Los Angeles and I knew I didnt want everything to turn into that, all the smog and concrete, she said. When I was 8 years old I realized all the animals I liked were being threatened.

Since then she said her life has been on a continuous path of protecting the natural world. She started her career as a field biologist studying birds in Panama. She eventually went on to work for the World Wildlife Fund educating people about the environment. About 12 years ago, she wanted to make a return to Panama and figured the best way to do that was to plan a group tour that focused on observing wildlife.

It was inspiring to people, she said. And I realized it also had an economic impact on conservation efforts.

Lawson Dunn said through the years she has heard people express frustration when venturing into the world of ecotourism. She wanted to eliminate that hurdle by doing the legwork and research for them.

Economics is partially to blame for what is happening in the environment, she said. It (eco-trips) can be a solution so I decided to connect the two sides of the equation.

Lawson Dunns website is not exhaustive. Instead, what Lawson Dunn provides through her website is a list of trips she has vetted through either her own personal experience or through research she does online or by speaking to the operators of the tours or owners of the eco-friendly lodges.

Visitors to the website take a travel style quiz in which they answer questions such as what part of the world they would like to visit, their budget, what type of setting they would like (beach, desert, urban, etc.) and what type of activities they want. Users can choose more than one option for each category. Once they are done, they will get a list of options. The list includes links to specific resorts, tours and other accommodations. Its then up to the vacationing party to contact the party directly to book the trip.

Lawson Dunn will go a step further and organize trips for people. In March, she took a group from Maryland to see the wildlife along the California coast. Peter Boice, who retired a year and a half ago after 25 years as director of natural resources for the Department of Defense, was part of that group. Boice lives in Maryland and is a member of the Audubon Naturalist Society and had traveled to southern Spain many years ago with a group tour organized by Lawson Dunn.

She pays close attention to the details, he said. She very carefully articulates what the scope of the trip is going to be.

Barbara J. McGuire, a semi-retired physician in Albuquerque, took a trip with Lawson Dunn to Panama in 2014. One place the group stayed was on a hilltop along the Panama Canal at the Canopy Tower lodge, a radar tower built in 1965 by the U.S. Air Force. The tower is now used for lodging, dining and bird watching because of its ideal location.

It was at tree-top level, McGuire said. We were eye level with the monkeys and birds. You could stand at the top and see all the activities of the jungle right there.

Carlos Bethancourt, a guide at Canopy Tower, was named Best Nature Tour Guide for 2018 on Lawson Dunns website.

McGuire and her husband are avid travelers and many of their trips focus on interacting with nature. She said there are many ways people can contribute to conservation efforts and that Lawson Dunn has found a unique niche with her website for doing just that.

Its my belief and philosophy that in general you get behaviors you want through incentives, McGuire said. People will be inspired to preserve these natural habitats and animals if we make that profitable.
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- GAC Group produced 191,873 vehicles and delivered 183,377 vehicles in March, up 2.1% and 4.91% respectively from a year earlier, according to the output and sales data released by GAC Group. Additionally, the automaker manufactured 493,731 vehicles during the first three months with a YoY increase of 6.93%. Its cumulative sales reached 508,432 units in the first quarter, jumping 11.21% over the previous year.

As to sales of specific subsidiaries, GAC Motor delivered 54,184 units in March, leaping 27.22% compared to 42,590 from a year earlier. It also saw YoY sales jump of 22.73% to 149,320 units in the first quarter, completing 21.33% of its annual sales target of 700,000 units.

This year, the mid-cycle refresh of the GS4 will hit the market in May. The all-new MPV model, the GM6 will make its debut at Auto China 2018. With these models, the prospects of continued growth in GAC Motor are excellent.

GAC Honda posted solid sales growth in March with sales reaching 56,487 units, down 2.72% compared to 58,064 units a year earlier. It reported YoY sales surge of 16.77% to 168,464 units in the first three months, completing 22.46% of its annual sales target of 750,000 units.

Among them, sales of the Honda Accord reached 19,506 units with a YoY sales surge of 50% in March. Deliveries of the Odyssey reached 3,606 units in March. By the end of the first quarter, its cumulative sales had exceeded 500,000 units.

In March, GAC Toyota delivered 42,965 units, increasing 6.59% compared to 40,309 units over previous year. During the first quarter, GAC Toyota delivered 111,158 units with a slight YoY drop of 0.49% over the previous year, completing 22.23% of its annual sales target of 500,000 units.

As to specific models, the all-new Camry's March sales reached 13,406 units, soaring 52.6% from a year earlier. Moreover, its cumulative sales reached 32,500 units in the first quarter. Sales of the Levin family reached 16,205 units with a YoY rise of 24.2% in March. Its Q1 sales surged 31.7% compared to the same period last year to 42,901 units.

GAC Mitsubishi kept the February's sales growth in March with deliveries of 12,700 units, jumping 15.45% over the previous year. From January to March, it handed over 38,388 units with a YoY surge of 47.64%. Among its total models, GAC Mitsubishi's star compact SUV, the Outlander saw its Q1 sales of 28,166 units with a YoY sales growth of 55%, substantially boosting the sales growth of GAC Mitsubishi. It is said that GAC Mitsubishi's engine plant is expected to be put into operation in the second half of this year.
An 1882 murder at a Chinese laundry in Las Vegas, N.M., led to a landmark court case, which, in turn, will result in the installation of a 28-foot-high Asian-American monument in Downtown Albuquerque.

View From Gold Mountain, conceived by Washington state artists Cheryll Leo-Gwin and Stewart Wong, is the name of the $275,000 monument, which will be installed at Fifth and Lomas, on the west side of the 2nd Judicial District Courthouse, late this year or early in 2019.

The public art project, approved last month by the Bernalillo County Commission, recognizes a New Mexico court ruling that advanced the rights of Chinese people living in this country. Artists Leo-Gwin and Wong are both Chinese-Americans.

For both Stewart and me, this is a kind of legacy piece because our families have a long history of (suffering) racial injustice, Leo-Gwin said during a phone interview. We are leaving a statement that will last longer than ourselves.

The murder victim was a Chinese man named Jim Lee. He was shot to death Feb. 24, 1882, at John Lees laundry on Grand Avenue in Las Vegas.

The landmark court case is Territory of New Mexico vs. Yee Shun, the Chinese man tried and convicted for the killing of Jim Lee. In response to an appeal of Yee Shuns conviction, the New Mexico Territory Supreme Court ruled in January 1884 that Chinese people had the right to testify and have their testimony accepted in American courts.

It was a huge ruling, setting a legal precedent throughout the American West. It was also timely, coming as it did after the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act had been signed into law by President Chester A. Arthur. The act prohibited the immigration of Chinese laborers into this country. It also barred Chinese people already living in America from U.S. citizenship and exposed them to accelerated discrimination and violence.

Shane Flores is curator of Phantoms of a Rail Town: The Chinese Immigrant Experience in Las Vegas, N.M., c. 1882, an exhibit at the City of Las Vegas Museum. Flores said the New Mexico justices were not trying to make things better for Chinese people when they made their ruling.

There definitely wasnt any noble motive, he said. The ruling was a pure side effect of lawyers trying to win their case.

Even so, Flores said the ruling gave Chinese people one thing they could use to protect themselves even as the Exclusion Act was stripping them of other safeguards.

The (New Mexico) ruling gave Chinese a better opportunity to maneuver themselves in the courts to protect their interests and advocate for themselves, he said.

Albuquerque optometrist Dr. Siu Wong, no relation to Stewart Wong, learned about the Yee Shun case and raised $255,000 in state money and $20,000 in city of Albuquerque money to fund the monument project.

Nan Masland, Bernalillo County public art project coordinator, said she believes Leo-Gwin and Stewart Wongs proposal won out over the 64 others submitted because every element of what they proposed had deep significance to the court case and to Asian-Americans.

Siu Wong said the monument, as proposed, is a beautiful piece of art that represents liberty, equality and justice not just for Asian-Americans but for all people.

The monuments title refers to the golden opportunity Chinese immigrants believed America offered. The main part of the installation, the 28-foot-high portion, is a metal representation of a carpenters plumb bob, tipped at about a 30-degree angle. Leo-Gwin said she wanted something that would represent balance but also energy.

I thought about a gyroscope, but there was not enough money to make it spin, she said. A plumb sways for a time and ultimately finds balance.

A braid, symbolizing the plait of hair worn down the back of Chinese men in past centuries, but also referencing the way Native Americans, Hispanics and others wear their hair, runs up a slice in the plumb bob. The piece is topped off by three gourds representing the three branches of U.S. government.

A stone seat, carved in a Chinese cloud pattern, invites people to sit and look at things from Yee Shuns view. From a historical perspective, thats a tough spot to be.

The court ruling upheld Yee Shuns conviction. Faced with life in prison, Yee Shun, just 22, hanged himself in his prison cell in September 1884. Curator Flores does not believe he was guilty of the killing.

Whatever his role was, it was very ambiguous, Flores said. But I dont think he did the shooting. He was not there to shoot anybody.

Territory of New Mexico vs. Yee Shun was bad news for the defendant, but, ironically, a big step forward for civil rights.
Taylor Hicks has come a long way since winning American Idol in 2006.

Hes kept his music career going.

But hes also made the jump into TV and hosts the successful show, State Plate with Taylor Hicks.

Hicks tastes his way across the country on a quest to assemble plates that represent each states most historic, famous and tastiest foods.

He samples crab cakes in Maryland, chili in Texas, potatoes in Idaho, and other delectable dishes as he travels from coast to coast visiting farms, ranches, markets and festivals in order to uncover the stories and legends behind each states unique food traditions.

After two seasons of State Plate, Hicks will have documented the most popular foods from 36 states in the U.S.

The latest episode, which airs at 5:30 p.m. Monday, brings Hicks to the Land of Enchantment.

Hicks says when many think of New Mexico they imagine the magnificent caves of Carlsbad Caverns National Park, the Native American history at the Pecos National Historical Park or the stunning landscape of Valle Vidal in Carson National Forest.

But what about the food? he asks.

Hicks spent a few days in Santa Fe and Albuquerque filming the episode, where he samples local favorites like Hatch chile stew, carne adovada, calabacitas, sopaipillas and pinon nut brittle.

Hicks had a stuffed sopaipilla at The Sopaipilla Factory in Santa Fe, as well as carne adovada from Chimay Chile Bros., green chile stew from The Blue Heron Restaurant at Sunrise Springs Resort and Spa and calabacitas from the Santa Fe School of Cooking.

He also visited Jericho Nursery in Albuquerque where he had pinon brittle.

It was a good trip, he says. Theres a lot of planning that goes into each episode. Our producers are looking for suggestions from viewers about what to highlight. Were looking for the best and coolest type of food that we can get.

For the trip to New Mexico, there was one thing Hicks has to eat  green chile.

Chile is big in the state, he says. Its just amazing how diverse the plate is for New Mexico.

Hicks and crew turn over an episode every five days, which means there wasnt a lot of time for sightseeing.

We like to cover a whole lotta the state, he says. Its a lot of work but being able to tell these stories and give some perspective to a wider audience is fun.

State Plate recently got the green light for a third season and Hicks is looking forward to hitting the goal of all 50 states.

I get to try everything and my palate is overextending, he says with a laugh. This show is my life and the food is what fuels me.

On TV

State Plate with Taylor Hicks airs at 5:30 p.m. Monday on INSP, channel 183 on Comcast. The episode will feature Hicks stops in New Mexico.
At 87, Dolores Huerta still has a quite a pair of lungs on her.

Whos got the power? she yelled from the stage at Saturdays 25th annual Cesar Chavez march and fiesta.

Weve got the power! a crowd of hundreds gathered at the National Hispanic Cultural Center shouted back.

Huerta joined marchers through the streets of Albuquerque and was the keynote speaker during the fiesta that followed.

Starting in the 1950s, Huerta worked closely alongside labor activist Cesar Chavez fighting for farm workers rights.

Chuy Martinez, a member of the Recuerda a Cesar Chavez Committee that organized the event, said attendance at the march appeared to be at an all-time high.

Its been great to have all this support from people from all walks of life, Martinez said.

Saturdays celebration often took on a distinctly political tone.

During her remarks, Huerta encouraged New Mexicans to get out and vote during the upcoming election.

One of the things that Cesar always did was make sure to go door to door and register people to vote, she said.

She also lamented the current political and social climate in the United States.

Its a shame that people throughout the United States do not know about our history and our contributions to these United States of America, she said. Because if they did know, then our president could not get away with the attacks on Mexicanos that he has been doing.

Democratic candidates for state and federal offices were out in force at the event.

Among them were U.S. 1st Congressional District candidate Debra Haaland and gubernatorial candidate Jeff Apodaca. Representatives from several other campaigns were also present.

I would love to see (Republican candidate for governor) Steve Pearce here, said David Blacher, sporting a Michelle Lujan Grisham T-shirt. I think they missed the point, because these people will have a choice.

But Virginia Calderon wasnt there to support any politician.

Instead, she had traveled to Albuquerque to show support for her hero, Huerta herself.

If not for Dolores Huerta, he (Cesar Chavez) wouldnt have been able to get it done, Calderon said. She was right there in the middle of everything.

Calderon, her parents and grandparents all worked farms in California and she was involved in Chavezs and Huertas movement from the beginning.

I got involved, knowing what it was like to be in the fields, she said, citing no bathrooms or access to running water and excessive exposure to pesticides.

I always have, always will support the Farmworkers Union because if it wasnt for them, wed still be where I was when I was in the fields.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump has taken aim at many targets over time and often says hes just counter-punching his critics. Yet theres one perceived foil he goes after time and again without provocation or much threat of a backlash  his predecessor, Barack Obama.

Great timeline on all of the failures the Obama administration had, he tweeted to congratulate his favorite Fox News show recently. Obama did nothing about Russia! he tweeted days later. Repeatedly he has said Obama is the one who should be investigated, not him, because Russias interference in the 2016 campaign happened on Obamas watch.

Trump has slammed Obama about health care, the Iran nuclear deal, the economy, gun and immigration policy and even (falsely) for the relocation of the U.S. Embassy in London  and thats just in the 80-plus tweets hes fired off against his predecessor, not counting his public remarks. In his most memorable attack of all, a year ago Trump charged, without evidence, that Obama ordered the wires tapped in Trump Tower, adding, This is McCarthyism!

Obama is no shrinking violet, and relished the occasional sharp retort. Youre likable enough, Hillary, was an early, memorable one. But in the post-presidency, Obama mostly is mute. When he does speak out, he never explicitly mentions the president.

The same goes for the other four living ex-presidents back to Jimmy Carter. Obama, as Trumps immediate predecessor and the one especially reviled among the presidents white working-class base, is the more frequent target. Yet the other three presidents of the past quarter-century  both George Bushes, father and son, and Bill Clinton  have taken frequent hits, often collectively, as Trump indicts them all for some perceived failure.

Turning the other cheek is a new phenomenon for an elite group known as The Presidents Club for their experiential bond that transcends partisanship. Until now, cheek-turning wasnt necessary: By long-standing tradition, past presidents didnt publicly attack their predecessors, or vice versa, once the campaigns ended.

George W. Bush kept his thoughts to himself during the Obama years, just as his predecessor, Clinton, did for Bush and as President George H.W. Bush did for Clinton, though Clinton had ousted him from office. Like them, Obama heeds the old customs even as the newest member of the club  Trump  flouts them.

Obama certainly had critical things to say about Trump when he was running, and both of the Bushes said they werent going to vote for Trump, said James Thurber, a presidential scholar.

But we havent heard from them since he became president, and the reasoning is that they have respect for the office of the presidency, Thurber said. We have one president at a time and they respect that.

By contrast, Trump recently showed again that he doesnt return the respect, tweeting that George W. Bush didnt have the smarts to get along with Russia, while Clinton and Obama didnt have the energy or chemistry.

After last summers solar eclipse, Trump singled out Obama, retweeting a series of photos of Obama and himself in which his face moved to cover Obamas. The caption: THE BEST ECLIPSE EVER!

Most presidents and ex-presidents have criticized each other gently, if at all, said Joanne Freeman, an early American history scholar at Yale University.

That isnt to say that presidents havent ever critiqued each others policies. They occasionally have, she said. But they usually focus on policies, rather than tossing around insults and accusations.

The tradition of new presidents not assailing their predecessors dates to the countrys start. As the second man to hold the office, John Adams was so concerned about honoring the service of the first, George Washington, that he didnt even replace Washingtons Cabinet appointees.

The third president, Thomas Jefferson, assumed the office after a particularly nasty campaign and yet, despite his deep disapproval of the Federalist policies of the two preceding administrations, he did not attack Adams record.

Presidents and ex-presidents have criticized each other before, but not with Trumps regularity. For example, Carter attacked George W. Bush, especially after the invasion of Iraq, calling his foreign policy the worst in history and his faith-based social program quite disturbing.

Bush, who left office highly unpopular, amid two wars and the worst recession and financial crisis since the Great Depression, kept quiet when Obama occasionally complained of the big mess hed inherited. Yet Obama avoided using Bushs name.

In recent days, Obama has told friends how wise he thinks Bushs silence was. As Obama was preparing to leave office, aides said, he talked with them about how he wanted to carry himself through what promised to be a brash and bombastic Trump presidency.

Obama expected Trump to keep up his campaign rhetoric and to use Obama as a foil to galvanize his base, especially in moments when Trump felt the need to boost his political standing, said Josh Earnest, Obamas former press secretary and a close advisor. For Obama to return fire would make it a bigger story.

Obama engaging Trump has a measurable upside for Trump, said Earnest. But theres no obvious benefit for the country or, of course, Obama.

Obama was also concerned about overshadowing the next generation of Democratic leaders he thought should be finding their voices in the new era, Earnest said.

But Obama told aides that he would weigh in if the stakes were high enough. The example he cited: If the Trump administration began systematically deporting dreamers, the young immigrants who came to the country illegally as children and who had received temporary legal status under an Obama program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

Obama did speak up when Trump ended the DACA program. These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper, he wrote in a Facebook post.

As Trump and the Republican-controlled Congress tried to repeal Obamas signature domestic achievement, the Affordable Care Act, Obama posted on Facebook an appeal urging people to call their members of Congress in protest. Let them know, he wrote, what this means for you and your family.

In neither case did Obama mention Trump by name. In both cases it was clear whose actions he was criticizing.

Some of Obamas former aides tend to try to match his subtlety. The most cutting commentary of Trump comes in the Instagram feed of Obamas White House photographer, Pete Souza, who lets his old pictures do the talking.

When Trump proposed a travel ban on Muslims, for example, Souza posted a picture of Obama laughing with a girl wearing a headscarf. On the day that Trump refused to shake the hand of German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Souza posted a photo of Obama hugging her.

Other former Obama officials are more explicit and cutting, challenging Trump policies on television, with podcasts and in print. Three advisors from Obamas national security team recently formed an organization specifically to oppose Trumps foreign policy.

One, Ben Rhodes, said of Obama, He has taken the view that he doesnt need to speak out on every issue every day. If Trump is going to provoke North Korea and refuse to condemn American neo-Nazis, however, others have to speak out, Rhodes said.

Well be holding Trump accountable, he said, and lifting up an alternative, affirmative vision of the world. 
In this age of instant gratification, we may be conditioned to think that the most expedient option is the best.

But Rome wasnt built in a day  and we cant rely on the path of least resistance to protect a free and open internet.

The battle for net neutrality started almost two decades ago, and to see this through to an ethical and equitable solution, we must have a permanent law on the books preventing any internet provider or tech company from blocking websites, manipulating or sharing data, or discriminating online.

Right now, much of the energy is being focused on a quick-fix process in Congress called the Congressional Review Act, a procedural device that will not create permanent statutory rules in net neutrality. While it might restore earlier FCC regulations on the issue, they will still be vulnerable to future partisan challenges.

Utilizing the CRA option will only serve to extend the conflict rather than bring it to a close.

The 2015 version of net neutrality that the CRA would restore is strong in some ways, but harmful in others  most importantly it relies on obsolete utility style regulation that many believe will make it harder to build new networks and connect communities that dont have access to high-speed broadband.

Back in 2015, the NAACP and the Communications Workers of America warned against this version of neutrality and predicted it could put hundreds of thousands of broadband jobs at risk by driving away investment. One study found this version of the rules could eliminate as much as $30 billion a year in network investment.

Congress needs to take a longer view to focus on the development of thoughtful, comprehensive legislation to protect the open internet.

Critically, that means moving past earlier versions of net neutrality that exempted the big tech social media and search giants that shape and influence so much of what we can do and see online.

In real time, through the probe of Facebooks role in the 2016 elections, we are already grappling with the implications of the control big tech and social media platforms have over our personal data and the ethical and legal implications of the ways they monetize that information and influence decision-making.

Google, for example, has already been fined $2.7 billion for discriminating in its search results by favoring its own services and smothering competitors. And Amazon just patented new technology to prevent consumers in its physical stores  including the nearly 500 Whole Foods locations it just bought  from using store Wi-Fi to compare prices.

Even more alarming is that many of these types of platforms seem built on algorithms that pick and choose what we see and experience online, yet are overwhelmingly run by white and male employees who seem oblivious to basic requirements of fairness and equality online.

The social implications are profound. One study found that users with African-American identifying names are 25 percent more likely to receive ads involving arrest records and background checks. Another by Carnegie Mellon University found that Google searches show higher-paying jobs to men more than to women. We need an information ecosystem where societys needs and basic principles of openness and equality shape our opportunities and experiences online, not predatory monopolies and antiquated biases.

Big tech and social media companies are critical actors with the ability to make the internet more inclusive and welcoming or divisive and hateful.

Net neutrality legislation can require fair play, transparency, equal competition and an end to viewpoint discrimination, censorship, harassment or abuse. This is vital for an industry that has such a poor track record on questions of equal opportunity, open competition and diversity.

The CRA bill pending in Congress means well but we need meaningful, permanent legislation  a comprehensive law that addresses the holistic needs of the internet ecosystem and fairly regulates all parties to effectively protect our communities and the internet itself.

MANA is a national Latina group founded in 1974.
Even as two committees appointed by the state Supreme Court begin the detailed work of coming up with plans to implement reforms to New Mexicos troubled guardianship system, there are constant reminders that much remains to be done  even after the Legislature approved significant improvements in this years session.

No example of the problems is more glaring than the missing annual reports described by Journal investigative reporter Colleen Heild in a Journal story published March 25.

Her story began with a simple question: Whats become of Elizabeth Hamel?

Hamel had been found to be a person in need of protection by Judge James T. Martin of Las Cruces, who assigned a private company as her guardian/conservator in 2010.

But nothing in online court docket sheets  what have been the only public window into this highly secretive system  indicated that required annual reports had ever been filed in Elizabeths case. There was no indication as to whether she was dead or alive.

And her case is hardly unique. A check by the Journal found dozens of cases with missing reports in southern New Mexico.

The owner of the commercial guardianship company appointed by Martin, Advocate Services of Las Cruces, acknowledged that the company did get behind, but said we are catching up.

Eight years is a lot of catching up to do.

These reports, which a court-appointed rules committee will hopefully beef up to at least include bank statements of people under guardianships, are a lifeline to the judge from protected people  especially those with no living family members or whose families have been shut out by corporate guardians for having the audacity to complain about profligate spending or poor treatment of their loved ones.

Martin is a member of the steering committee, which includes judges and legislators, that is tasked with coming up with ways to implement the reforms approved by the 2018 Legislature. He clearly has first-hand knowledge of a significant problem  namely no system in place to make sure annual reports reach the judge in a case.

One of the legislations most important reforms was to add much-needed transparency to the system. The sponsor of the reform legislation, Sen. Jim White, R-Albuquerque, is also a member of the steering committee, as is Rep. Damon Ely, D-Corrales.

Meanwhile a separate court rules committee will have the opportunity to do by rule some of the things the statute didnt cover  but that were recommended by a Supreme Court-appointed task force last year, ably chaired by retired District Judge Wendy York.

The task force of lawyers, judges, industry professionals and family members recommended a number of changes including requiring mediation in contested cases, requiring national certification of professional guardians and conservators and addressing the current practice in which the petitioners attorney can stack the deck in favor of a guardianship by recommending to the judge who should serve as guardian, guardian ad litem, court visitor and health care expert.

This is an industry that has been rife with conflicts that work to benefit the for-profit professionals and to relegate the families of people in guardianships to second-class status  if that. In some cases, concerns of what professionals described as emotional family members can lead to their being virtually cut off from visiting, or allowed to do so only under strict supervision of the guardian.

Executives of one guardianship company are charged in federal court with stealing millions of dollars from clients to fund extravagant lifestyles. This all happened under the noses of the judges who made the appointments and were supposed to be looking after the protected persons  primarily through annual reports.

So millions of dollars have been siphoned off undetected under the current reporting mechanism. Enough said.

Meanwhile, the rules committee has come under legitimate criticism for being dominated by insiders and lacking any significant voice representing families. In other words, critics say it is mostly lawyers writing rules for themselves.

But this committee is subject to Supreme Court supervision, and the court should require it to post the schedule of its meetings and allow outside input  since it isnt built in. And it should take a hard look at recommendations. The guardianship system has tremendous impact on some of our most vulnerable people and their families. Real progress has been made, but there is much more to do for it to positively affect those individuals and their loved ones. It is the responsibility of these committees to make that happen  not to take the heat off the industry or make life easy for the judiciary.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
CAIRO  Dozens of people died Saturday in a suspected chemical weapons attack on the last remaining rebel stronghold in the Eastern Ghouta area, near the Syrian capital Damascus, aid organizations have said.

The volunteer rescue group, White Helmets, wrote on Twitter that a helicopter dropped a barrel bomb filled with chemicals on the city of Douma, killing at least 40 people and injuring hundreds.

Entire families in shelters gassed to death in Douma EastGhouta hiding in their cellars, suffocated from the poisonous gas bringing the initial death toll to more than 40, the organization said on Twitter.

The tweet was accompanied by gruesome images of apparent victims of the alleged attack, including women and children, with foam around their mouths.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Center said that 75 civilians were killed in the attack and 1,000 affected by the attack.

It wrote on Twitter that a barrel was dropped by Assad helicopters around 9:00pm adding that it contained toxic sarin gas and that some activists had reached bodies in some basements.

The aid organization UOSSM also reported on a potential chemical weapons attack that it said had killed 25 people and injured more than 500.

The reports have not been independently verified.

The official Syrian news agency SANA rejected the reports.

Some media outlets, known for their support to the terrorists, claimed that the army used chemical weapons in the city of Douma during its military operations in response to the attacks carried out by the terrorist organization on several Damascus neighborhoods and its surroundings, SANA said.

Syrian government forces and rebels intensified their attacks on Damascus and its outskirts on Saturday as the government pressed on with a military offensive to retake the last opposition pocket near the capital.

At least another eight civilians were killed on Saturday in intense air bombardment by the government on Douma, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor, reported.



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BEIRUT  Syrian government forces pressed their offensive against the last rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta near the capital Damascus under the cover of airstrikes as shelling of civilian areas on both sides claimed more lives, state media and opposition activists said.

Syrian government forces resumed their offensive on rebel-held Douma on Friday afternoon after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding evacuation of opposition fighters. Violence resumed days after hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma toward rebel-held areas in northern Syria.

A reporter for Lebanons Al-Manar TV embedded with Syrian troops near Douma said government forces advanced toward Douma from the towns of Misraba and Madiara that were recently captured by troops. Al-Manar TV is run by Lebanons Hezbollah group that has sent thousands of fighters to Syria to back government forces.

The government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media said government forces captured several farms Saturday on the southern and western edges of the city that is home to tens of thousands of people. SCMM said the area controlled by the Army of Islam in and around Douma is 19 square kilometers (7.3 square miles).

The group said its fighters repelled all government attacks that began Friday, adding that 17 Syrian soldiers were killed.

By Saturday evening, state media was reported that troops are approaching Army of Islam fortifications on the edge of the town adding that street battles could begin soon. It said warplanes bombarded the groups headquarters and command and control center.

State TV said Army of Islam fighters pelted several neighborhoods in Damascus with mortar shells killing six civilians and wounding more than 30.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the bombardment of Douma killed eight people and wounded 48, including 15 children.

Some opposition activists in Douma posted photographs of people wearing gas masks saying that government forces are shelling the town with poison gas. State media denied the reports saying such farces about chemical weapons were triggered by the troops quick push toward Douma.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said that Washington was closely following disturbing reports of the alleged chemical weapons attack on a Douma hospital.

Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters, Nauert said in a statement. These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community.?

On Friday, opposition activists said 40 people were killed in Douma while state media said four were killed in government-held Damascus.

Government forces launched a crushing offensive in February and March on eastern Ghouta capturing dozens of towns and villages forcing thousands of opposition fighters to surrender and evacuate the area toward Syrias north.

A deal was reached last month to evacuate Douma but activists and state media reported that the Army of Islam group demanded amendments to the deal.

The Observatory said the Russian response to the Army of Islam with a list of demands including handing over heavy weapons within three days that should be followed by handing over light weapons and in return government forces will withdraw from the outskirts of Douma within a week.

The Observatory also said that the Russians promised the rebels that once they hand over their weapons, airstrikes would stop. It added that fighters who hand over their weapons can join a local police force that will be established in Douma mostly consisting of Army of Islam members who will be given Russians weapons to fight members of the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked fighters.

Army of Islam Military spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar told The Associated Press by text message, the Russians are making humiliating demands that mean surrender and handing over the area. This is something that we categorically reject.

Russias military said the Army of Islam has forced out leaders who were taking part in negotiations to withdraw from Douma and that their fighters have resumed attacks.

Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian center for reconciliation of the warring parties in Syria, said that as a result of sharp opposition among the odious militants and those who were prepared to participate in the negotiations process, the former leaders of the group (known as) Abu Humam, Abu Omar and Abu Ali were physically removed.

He said the information came from a close aide of Abu Humam.

In northern Syria, the Turkish military said on its Twitter account that it has established the ninth observation post in the rebel-held province of Idlib as part of the de-escalation agreement with Russia and Iran. Turkeys official Anadolu news agency said the military convoy reached the town of Morek in Idlib province.

Eastern Ghouta was also part of the same de-escalation plan signed last year in the Kazakh capital Astana. Turkeys presidential spokesman said that the Turkish military presence in Idlib would serve as a guarantee against attacks to ensure that it does not meet the same fate as eastern Ghouta.

Ibrahim Kalin said, The Russians and the Iranians have a full understanding of this, adding that the Syrian regime also understands that Turkish soldiers are not to be attacked in those areas.

Separately, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been threatening to expand the offensive against Syrian Kurdish militants in northern Syria eastward to the town of Tel Rifat. A spokesman for his office, however, said an operation against Tel Rifat might not be needed. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Turkish counterpart that the main Kurdish militia Peoples Protection Units, or YPG, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization, is no longer present there.

Elsewhere in Syria, a bomb exploded in the Aleppo town of al-Bab, which is controlled by Turkey-backed opposition fighters, killing nine people and wounding 15, according to the activist media collective Aleppo Media Center. The Observatory report that eight people were killed in the blast that occurred near the towns Grand Mosque.

___

Associated Press writers Zeynep Bilginsoy in Istanbul and Jim Heintz in Moscow contributed to this report.
Saturday was Alex Tierney's 17th birthday.

Today marks 17 years that I grew up in a class that knows exactly what to do should their school become a war zone, said Tierney, a La Cueva High School student.

Albuquerque students joined others in holding a town hall Saturday afternoon as part of the Parkland Town Hall Project, with more than 530 town halls scheduled nationwide.

The event was held at the African American Performing Arts Center, where school teachers, community leaders, the Albuquerque chief of police and state senators, among others, fielded questions from students on a wide range of topics including school safety, police protocols and gun control legislation.

I have lived in a world where we are becoming increasingly at risk of the red in our flag representing the blood of American children, Tierney said.

It is up to us as youth and, as our allies, all of you, to make a change where we can.

In this case, it's here in New Mexico.

On the subject of school safety, Bandelier Elementary School 5th grade teacher Dwayne Norris said he, along with the Albuquerque Teacher's Federation, does not support putting guns in the hands of teachers.

I believe our schools can be kept safe if we are prepared, Norris said. We need to invest, not only in our schools and education, but we need to invest in our public safety.

Although Norris said active shooter training can be a downer, he believes one of APS' policies need to be that all schools have the training provided by Albuquerque police.

Norris emphasized a need to remedy current shortcomings, like understaffed and underpaid teachers, while encouraging a need for more student access to social workers, counselors and school psychologists.

We need to train the next generation that they are very valuable, he said.

The town hall brought a focus to Albuquerque's police force when 20-year-old UNM student Tatiana Sharif pressed Chief of Police Michael Geier on the use of force and mental health protocols.

I thought cops were supposed to make communities safer, not destroy them? Sharif said. Instead of helping and saving lives, you are taking them.

Geier addressed the ongoing police reform under Department of Justice that stemmed from past outcomes that weren't very favorable.

We could've done better in a lot of those situations, Geier said.

He said officers now take a minimum of 40 hours of mental health training at the academy and have partnered with Bernalillo County to have mobile crisis teams available to help in situations dealing with mentally ill individuals.

During the town hall, Geier also mentioned that the department has recovered over 800 guns stolen in auto and home burglaries since last July.

The room erupted in cheers and applause when Geier proposed an ordinance that would make it a violation for citizens who don't secure their guns.

We won't be able to fix all the problems today, but their generation will inherit all the problems if we don't try, he said.

The conversation eventually tied into legislation as State Sen. Michael Padilla, vice chair of the senate education committee, pointed out that the legislature appropriated somewhere around 10 million to add security to public schools.

He said it will be up to individual school districts to decide how to use the funds.

One size doesn't fit all, said Padilla, an Albuquerque Democrat.

He said that could materialize as additional cameras, metal detectors, behavioral health services, prevention and intervention services while making it clear that the ridiculous idea of arming teachers is not part of that funding.

Padilla took it a step further while describing a two-pronged approach: providing a safe environment today while being proactive in terms of early education.

Your activism is really what's going to help get that done, he said.

Padilla criticized Gov. Susana Martinez while praising the students.

You, and your colleagues and your peers, have done more in the last 90 days than this governor has done in almost eight years, he said. I invite you to not stop what you're doing, and not necessarily just look at this very narrow approach, we will help to give you a microphone every step oft the way to help us get things done.
Authorities say they may have found one of the missing children who likely plunged off a Northern California cliff in a fatal car crash that officials suspect was intentional.

A Washington state couple and three of their children were killed March 26 when their car fell 100 feet into a remote creek in Mendocino County. Investigators pulled five bodies from the wreckage, but havent been able to find the couples other three children  who they believe were also in the car.

On Saturday, a couple vacationing along the Mendocino County coast spotted a body floating in the surf close to the site of the crash, authorities say.

The body appears to be that of a black girl, but further tests will confirm if its one of the missing children, Mendocino County Sheriffs Lt. Shannon Barney said in a statement. DNA tests could take several weeks, Barney said.

The three missing children are 15-year-old Devonte Hart, who 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; Hannah Hart, 16; and Sierra Hart, 12.

There was no sign of the other two children, authorities say.

It is not uncommon after a significant storm such as the one passing through the north state currently, to bring items to the surface or wash onto the beach, Barney said in a statement.

Authorities believe the missing children were in the car with their parents, Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, and their siblings, Markis, 19, Jeremiah, 14, and Abigail, 14, when their GMC Yukon dropped onto the rocky Mendocino County shore off Highway 1 near Juan Creek.

The two women, who were married, were found dead inside the car. The three children were found outside, officials said.

California Highway Patrol officials say the fatal plunge appears to have been intentional, based on the lack of skid marks and the fact that the vehicle was at a full stop before accelerating off the cliff. Although the investigation is in its preliminary stages, it appears the SUV had stopped about 70 feet from the cliffs edge, then sped off it, according to the CHP.

Earlier this week, investigators released a timeline of the familys movements after March 23, when their neighbors in Woodland, Wash., reported the parents to social workers with allegations of possible child neglect.

About 8:15 a.m. the following morning, the family was in the area of Newport, Ore. Investigators believe they continued south along U.S. 101 until they reached California 1 in Legget. They made it to Fort Bragg about 8 that evening, and stayed there and in the Cleone area until 9 p.m. March 25.

I no longer am calling this an accident, Im calling it a crime, Mendocino County Sheriff Thomas Allman said in an interview Wednesday on HLNs Crime & Justice with Ashleigh Banfield.



(Staff writers Alene Tchekmedyian and Joseph Serna contributed to this report.)



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RIO DE JANEIRO  Former president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva arrived at a prison in southern Brazil late Saturday, capping two days of drama over whether or not he would submit to a warrant demanding his arrest.

He was flown to the city of Curitiba in a small plane after handing himself over to police in Sao Paulo at 8.30 p.m.

The 72-year-old is to serve a 12-year sentence following his conviction on corruption charges last year.

Judge Sergio Moro had ordered Lula to report to a police station in Curitiba by 5 p.m. on Friday, but he remained at the metalworkers union headquarters, which he once led, in Sao Paulo.

When he tried to exit the premises on Saturday, his followers had blocked the exit, knocking down a fence to prevent the ex-presidents car from leaving.

Lula finally left more than two hours later in a police car.

He was taken to Sao Paulos Congonhas airport by helicopter, where a small plane was waiting to take him to prison in Curitiba.

Several demonstrations for and against Lula were held throughout the day across the country. When the helicopter that was taking him to Congonhas took off, his detractors shouted, Go to Hell and You stole our money!

Lulas lawyers had lodged several requests to avoid jail until exhausting all appeals against his corruption conviction, which were all ultimately unsuccessful.

The case has divided the country. Lulas supporters regard the judicial proceedings as a plot to keep him out of the Oct. 7 presidential race, which he had been expected to win easily, while opponents say jailing him would boost Brazils fight against impunity.

His party says he is still their candidate.

Lula was convicted in July of corruption and money-laundering in connection with the renovation of a beachside penthouse he was planning to buy. The renovation was bankrolled by a company seeking contracts with the state oil giant Petrobras.

Moro sentenced Lula to 91/2 years in prison, and an appeals court raised the jail term to 12 years and one month.

The case was linked to the massive Lava Jato corruption scandal surrounding Petrobras, which has led to the jailing of dozens of entrepreneurs and politicians.

A working-class president, Lula oversaw strong economic growth and falling inequality during his 2003-2011 rule. His social policies earned him soaring popularity ratings, even as concern grew about corruption in his government.

Lula had continued campaigning for the elections in recent months despite the threat of jail.

However, Brazils electoral court is widely expected to bar Lula from contesting the elections. A ruling is expected in August.



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PHOTO (for help with images, contact 312-222-4194):BRAZIL-LULA
DENVER  In an article its Sunday edition, the Denver Post Editorial Board pleaded for its hedge fund owner to reconsider its business strategy or sell the newspaper to someone who will support the newsroom, citing concerns that continuing cuts represent the beginning of the end of the citys namesake newspaper.

The editorial ran on the front of the opinion section, a day before 25 staffers were to be laid off.

It is the latest in a string of cuts that included the elimination of 10 jobs in November. Another five employees must be laid off by July 1, leaving the Post  a newspaper that was founded in 1892 and has won nine Pulitzer Prizes  with about 70 staffers.

Consider this editorial and this Sundays Perspective offerings a plea to Alden (Global Capital)  owner of Digital First Media, one of the largest newspaper chains in the country  to rethink its business strategy across all its newspaper holdings, the editorial said. Consider this also a signal to our community and civic leaders that they ought to demand better. Denver deserves a newspaper owner who supports its newsroom. If Alden isnt willing to do good journalism here, it should sell The Post to owners who will.

It charged Alden with reducing the amount and quality of the papers offerings while raising subscription rates in a growing city with educated residents ready and able to afford great journalism should it be offered them.

Hedge fund managers have hidden behind a narrative that adequately staffed newsrooms and newspapers can no longer survive in the digital marketplace.

Try to square that with a recent lawsuit filed by one of Digial First Medias minority shareholders that claims Alden has pumped hundreds of millions of dollars of its newspaper profits into shaky investments completely unrelated to the business of gathering news, the editorial continues.

A message left at a phone number for Alden Global on Sunday was not immediately returned.

Digital First Media owns dozens of newspapers including the Orange County Register, the St. Paul Pioneer Press and The Detroit News. DFM recently purchased the Boston Herald for just under $12 million in a bankruptcy auction.
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QARAQOSH, Iraq  I was the first to repair my house and move back here, said Archbishop Yohanna Petros Mouche of the Syriac Catholic Church in Qaraqosh. He gestured toward his home in the Christian town on the Ninevah Plains where fresh paint and new religious images now cover the scars of two years under the Islamic State. We prepared this home and started celebrating religious ceremonies again to encourage people to return with their families. And when they saw it, they came too.

Though Qaraqosh was liberated 18 months ago, civilians only started returning after the schools reopened in October. Mouche is working to attract as many Christians as possible to bring the town back to life. But it is also a fight against rumors. When people say it is dangerous, I reply that there are many restaurants and shops, and people are enjoying life again, he said.

That about 5,000 families, some 22,000 souls, have returned is mostly due to the efforts of the bishop and his church. A church reconstruction commission helps civilians repair houses that were looted and damaged and has been instrumental in reopening shops. The bishop oversees the process personally. Houses have priority over churches, he said. We want to have civilians here who can bear witness to the development. And I try to create jobs and offer opportunities for recreation too. Opening parks is important for the younger generation.

The bishop was opening a small shopping mall the day of his interview with Al-Monitor, which will sell mens wear, run by local businessman Mohanad Yousef. The center of Qaraqosh is alive again, with shops selling fruit and fresh vegetables, clothes, toys and even bicycles next to teahouses and counters selling traditional bread. On Palm Sunday, thousands gathered in the city center for the first open-air ceremony in three years.

I love this town and this country, Yousef said, explaining why he returned from the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, even though he had become fluent in German and praised the life he had. Yes, I had a better life there, but my family and friends are here. I have been waiting impatiently for things to improve in Qaraqosh.

His example makes it clear that the church has been successful in attracting not only people who fled to the neighboring Kurdistan Region when IS arrived in 2014, but also from the West, where approximately half of all the Christians who fled Ninevah eventually emigrated. The bishop pointed to 15 families who have returned from France and 13 from Germany, saying he expects more to follow. Many members of his flock are not happy abroad, he said. When I visit our families in Europe, many tell me, We cry when we get up and we cry when we go to bed.

Before the Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was ousted in 2003, the Christian population of Iraq stood at around 1.5 million. After the civil war between the Shiites and Sunnis and the subsequent rise of al-Qaeda, only 600,000 or so remained. And since IS captured large parts of Iraq, half of those are thought to have left the country.

Security is the main concern, the factor that determines whether families stay away or return. Even though Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared the battle against IS over several months ago, members of the terror group who went underground are responsible for a growing number of attacks like the murder of a Christian doctor, his wife and mother in their Baghdad home in March.

Incidents like this dissuade people from returning and have kept Yousefs wife and children in Germany. There are rumors going around that the situation is not good. But thats not true, because it really is so much better now. God willing, my family will join me at the end of the next school year. Now that he is back on his feet in Qaraqosh, he is fighting the rumors and trying to convince others to return, too. I phone people and try to actively persuade them. I am more convinced myself now, which helps me to convince others.

Even though the Iraqi government has hardly engaged with Qaraqosh at all, Yousef is optimistic for the town of his birth. The state is as markedly absent as it is in other Iraqi towns retaken from IS like nearby Mosul, where civilians have taken the initiative and are bearing the cost of rebuilding their cities themselves. In Qaraqosh, it is the church that is driving the rebuilding process with money and help from foreign donors.

Yousef lost over $400,000 when IS set fire to his shops during the liberation of Qaraqosh in 2016. In the shopping mall, where the smell of paint mingles with that of the fresh Arab sweets on offer for the grand opening, a special room has been dedicated to his loss and contains pictures of the damage. Yousef accepted the churchs offer of help because he feels strongly about the Assyrian Christian heritage of old Mesopotamia. Our heritage and our culture are here. We have been in this country longer than anyone else. It would be wrong to leave all that behind.

Iraqi churches have long tried to keep their flock from leaving by pointing out that life would get more dangerous for those left behind if the Christian minority shrinks any further. But this argument lost its power when IS became the deadliest threat in centuries, and the past three years have seen pastors actively helping their people find safety abroad. Mouche refrained from mentioning this motivation for all the hard work he is putting into convincing people to come home. Its about the historic and religious heritage of Iraqi Christians, he said. Its about faith, about bearing witness, about being a Christian here.

His active approach has led to major differences between Qaraqosh and neighboring towns, where priests are advising Christians not to return because of the danger the Muslims who did resettle are said to pose. Only around 500 families have returned to nearby Bartella. Some of them would like to come live in Qaraqosh, but the bishop does not want them to settle here, saying, They have to go back home. If they dont, who will rebuild and who will protect them? It is a vicious cycle that needs to be broken, he said. He is pointing aid organizations in their direction so life will return there too.

While Qaraqosh waits for the government to resume its responsibilities, the church has temporarily taken its place. But it cannot do much more than clear the rubble and rebuild, as investment is badly needed. It's a huge burden, the bishop admitted. Its a dilemma. Even abroad, the thought prevails that the church can handle it all easily enough. But the pressure is enormous and we still need a lot of help.
A representative of the Israeli Civil Administration recently presented the Knesset with demography statistics that indicate there are more Palestinians than Jews (by a very small margin) between the Mediterranean Sea and the Dead Sea. The numbers presented March 26 stipulate that 6.8 million Palestinians and 6.5 million Israelis live on these lands. Now that these numbers were recognized by Israel, the option of a so-called one-state solution is gaining momentum in the Palestinian Authority (PA).

A senior PLO official, close to President Mahmoud Abbas, told Al-Monitor that for the foreseeable future, the two-state solution is off the table for several reasons. The first is that under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel is piloted by the settler movement. And even after the Netanyahu-era, the settlers (half a million voters) will be part of the governing majority. In addition, the Palestinians consider the US administrations eventual peace proposal an insult, as it would offer the Palestinians independent cantons at best.

The PLO source admitted with some anger that the pragmatic Arab front is today in a weaker position to demand Palestinian statehood from the United States in return for their anti-terror and anti-Iran positions. The United States knows that the pragmatic Arab countries are committed to these positions anyway, specifically Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

Another reason behind the despair over the two-state solution is that the European Union is currently weaker and more isolated regarding a regional peace process. Russia, on the other hand, has never been interested in taking the lead on a Palestinian state.

Viewing these reasons, the source, together with other veteran PLO seniors, concluded that the Palestinian leadership must espouse a proactive strategy of one state for two peoples. Of course, it should not be an apartheid state, but a state with equal rights, socially and politically, for all Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

A one-state strategy, he said, should include the following elements: canceling the Oslo Accord, dismantling the PA, moving Palestinian and PLO headquarters to Cairo, and dismantling all Palestinian security forces apart from the local police.

He argued that the PLO should adopt a new strategic decision, a milestone in Palestinian history, demanding the United Nations and the international community support equal civil and political rights for all Palestinians residing in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem

A first step for such a strategic decision would be a resolution adopted by the Arab League. The Arab states  namely Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Jordan  would then approach the EU, Russia and China to propose a resolution both at the UN General Assembly and at the Security Council demanding Israel to grant civil and political rights, including the right to vote and get elected. This resolution proposal would demand that in case of an Israeli refusal, economic sanctions would be placed on Israel. Also, the whole economic burden of the social and economic needs of the Palestinians of the West Bank would fall on Israel.

For these moves to work, Hamas will be asked by Egypt to join this one-state strategy. The PLO for its part will begin to organize a new political party system in order to run in the future in the Israeli (Palestinian) parliament and government.

The senior PLO official was dead serious on these propositions, which he has discreetly discussed with elements in Amman and Cairo.

When asked about a timeline to such a strategy, he said that it would begin the moment Abbas resigns. He noted that by 2025, there could be a Palestinian president in Jerusalem.

A senior Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs official said that such a scenario is not realistic, as Israel is convinced that neither Fatah nor Hamas will ever agree to give up their hold on power. Furthermore, the United States would veto any such resolution at the UN. The alternative, he said, according to Netanyahu, is Israel alongside a Palestinian state with limited territory and sovereignty.

He, for now, is not concerned with this binational state scenario.
The same week that US President Donald Trump announced his intention to get out of Syria and withdraw the remaining 2,000 American troops there very soon, the leaders of Russia, Turkey and Iran were once again meeting to chart Syrias future.

On April 4, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Ankara for a trilateral summit on Syria, their second in six months.

Maxim Suchkov writes, The leaders have come to believe the real shots regarding Syria are being called in the meetings among themselves. And while Geneva is stalled, if not comatose, conditions on the ground are fast-changing. These three stakeholders in the Syria conflict feel theyd be better positioned to drive change themselves rather than waiting until it starts.

The Astana framework, established by Moscow, Ankara and Tehran in January 2017, has now eclipsed the UN-backed Geneva process, despite the perfunctory reference to Geneva in the Ankara summit statement. The statement supported both the integration of a constitutional committee, resulting from the Syrian National Dialogue Congress held Jan. 30 in Sochi, Russia, into the Geneva framework, and the Astana working group established March 15 to deal with the release of detainees/abductees and handover of the bodies as well as the identification of missing persons.

Suchkov adds, The three presidents also agreed 'to step up trilateral coordination in all aspects of anti-terrorist activity and increase information exchange, which implies constant cooperation of the militaries and intelligence services. They also declared they will focus on humanitarian efforts. Their joint statement emphasized they are determined to 'speed up efforts to ensure calm on the ground' and expedite the return of refugees.  Russia and Turkey will also build a hospital in Syrias city of Tell Abyad to treat refugees escaping eastern Ghouta.

Amberin Zaman points out that the picture of unity displayed by the leaders, however, belied the extent to which they also differ in their respective priorities in Syria. For Turkey it is to dismantle PYD [Democratic Union Party] rule. For Iran, it is to ensure the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad remains intact. For Russia, it is to consolidate its strategic foothold in the eastern Mediterranean through a mix of diplomatic dexterity and military muscle.

Ankara wants the Pentagon to partner with rebel groups it mentors instead, foremost in Manbij, an Arab-majority town the coalition helped YPG forces wrest from IS in August 2015, Zaman continues. Brett McGurk, the US special envoy for the counter-IS fight at the State Department, outlined the difficulties of the Turkish plan at a US Institute of Peace panel yesterday [April 3]. He dwelled in particular on the Islamist nature of Turkeys rebel allies, which is why the Pentagon remains leery of working with them. McGurk reminded a packed audience that the reason the United States partnered with the YPG [People's Protection Units] to take Manbij, where major attacks against the West had been planned, was because earlier attempts to do so with the Turkish-backed rebels had failed. The clearing of Manbij in turn facilitated Turkeys own Euphrates Shield operation against IS [Islamic State] in Jarablus soon after.

In this regard, Suchkov writes, shifting Syrian demographics  including forced displacement of one ethnic group for others  and the future of Idlib, which increasingly looks like a dumping ground for radical groups, raise security concerns in Tehran and Damascus. Some in Russia suggest Turkey is working these factors to ensure leverage over Assad and to have a louder voice in the future political transition.  If that's the case, Rouhanis reported call for Turkish forces to hand over the Syrian region of Afrin to the Syrian army signals that Iran wants to further empower Assad. This should be seen as disguised concern about a potential rise in Turkeys role in northern Syria and in determining the country's political future.

Hamidreza Azizi explains how the differing perspectives and positions among the Astana parties is playing out with regard to the Syrian governments offensive against armed groups in eastern Ghouta. Iran, Azizi writes, has refrained from any active involvement [in the military campaign], 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.

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, Azizi continues. 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.

With regard to what the Trump administration may do next, James Dobbins and Jeffrey Martini of RAND suggest that the United States could offer to fully withdraw its forces from Syria and normalize relations with the government in Damascus once all foreign militias have also left the country. Assad has won the civil war. If he wants to keep Russian and Iranian advisers, there is little to stop him. But Hezbollah fighters should return to Lebanon, and the thousands of other Shiite militias should return to Afghanistan and the other lands from whence they came. If they do not and instead they remain and bring their families, the ethnic makeup of the country will be permanently altered and Israel will permanently face an Iranian proxy on a second front.

We explained here in February how the shuttle diplomacy of US Acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield to address the Block 9 dispute between Israel and Lebanon may have opened the door to a channel for dialogue with and about Hezbollah. There can be no talk about Block 9, we wrote, without discussing the Blue Line, the disputed border demarcation between Israel and Lebanon, which cannot be disentangled from the Syria question, which in turn is connected to the relationships between the United States, Israel and Iran. The Satterfield mission and the prospects of a back channel to Hezbollah and Iran, via the Lebanese government, may provide an opening to de-escalating a potential conflict on Israels borders, while beginning the needed spadework for an eventual settlement of Israel-Lebanon border issues.

And three weeks ago we wrote that Lebanese President Michel Aoun said Hezbollahs arms will be discussed following the May 6 elections. Aoun could not make such a statement without the nod from Hezbollah, so this is worth exploring. Back in 2013, three years before he became president, Aoun told Al-Monitor, I think Iran was using Hezbollah to make pressure on Israel. When the problem is settled up, the Iranians dont need Hezbollah anymore. Certainly they will have good relations  it doesn't harm us. We would like to have good relations with everybody. But as a normal choice, Iran  I dont think they will spend enough money to maintain this force, because it is very expensive.

The point here is that the United States has cards to play in the unfolding and complicated diplomacy on Syria. But it requires coordination with Lebanon, the Astana parties and the United Nations. In this column in February we concluded that whatever the tension between Russia, Turkey and Iran on Syria, what still holds, at least for now, is a shaky commitment of the three parties to the Astana process itself. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura showed up in Sochi [in January] as a kind of bystander, because that is the only lifeline available for the Geneva process, and there is an urgency to a revived diplomatic track.
There are more than 62,000 Rohingya in Malaysia, escaping persecution at home in Myanmar, but are unable to settle down.

Alor Setar, Malaysia  Shahjan Bibi, 45, came to Malaysia from Myanmar on a boat with her six children four years ago.

Initially, she was reluctant to leave her home in Maungdaw, Rakhine state.

In my village, life was good, Bibi recalled. Then the Myanmar military started making life difficult for us. They beat us up, burned down our homes and took our land.

Bibi is a Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority in Myanmar which is largely stateless. The Myanmar government regards them as illegal migrants from neighbouring Bangladesh and has persecuted them for decades.

Out of desperation, and wanting a better future for her family, Bibi paid a human smuggler to get them out of Myanmar. Her husband was living in Malaysia at that time and the first leg of a journey that would take them there.

Shahjan Bibi sits inside the family home with the youngest of her six children [Paul Gates/Al Jazeera]

Bibi recalls how rough the sea was when she was on the boat with her family and other people. The boat was cramped and there was little food and water. One passenger did not survive.

I was scared. I thought I could die, too, Bibi said.

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The boat eventually moored in waters off Thailand. From there, the refugees were taken to the Thai mainland before being moved to Malaysia.

Bibi and her children ended up in Alor Setar, the capital of Kedah state in northern Malaysia.

More than 62,000 Rohingya live in Malaysia. Some have been there for years. Many end up here because there are several entry points into Malaysia from Thailand, which is often part of the transit route from Myanmar.

The family rents a ramshackle wooden house in a village just outside the city.

Three of her sons do odd-jobs to help out with expenses. But without any legal status, they are only able to take on menial work and are vulnerable to exploitation.

This school in Alor Setar is run by an umbrella Muslim aid group known as the Malaysian Consultative Council for Islamic Organization; Rohingya children cannot attend government schools. [Paul Gates/Al Jazeera]

Malaysia is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention and as such does not grant refugees protection. Refugees cant work legally or access public services such as government schools.

The biggest worry for Bibi, who has health problems, is her children.

Now that my husband is no longer here, I cant bear to think what will happen to them if Im gone, too.

Not all refugee stories are bleak, however.

After 17 years in Malaysia, 33-year-old Enamullah Bin Shuna Miah is finally moving to a third country  New Zealand.

His asylum application was approved on the third attempt.

I wasnt planning to apply. I was comfortable with life here, but I thought about my children. What sort of future will they have if we continue to stay here, Miah said.

He wants his children, aged six to 11, to get an education and a chance to fulfil their dreams.

My oldest boy wants to be part of the police. The second son wants to be an engineer. And my youngest daughter says she wants to be a teacher.
Winter is becoming a dim and distant memory for most of the northern hemisphere as spring takes hold.

The weather is becoming warmer and flowers are beginning to bloom.

Showers are still falling, but instead of snow, the clouds are bringing rain.
Twenty-five years ago, when I was a second-year graduate student at the University of Pittsburgh, I overheard a conversation between an instructor and an undergraduate student who had recently served during the Gulf War in 1991. The young veteran expressed disappointment that the powers-that-were had curtailed the military offensive, limiting the US-led blitzkrieg to Kuwait and southern Iraq. What he said to the instructor next had my ears burning. We [the US military] shouldve turned the whole place [the Middle East] into a nice sheet of glass! the young man said with glee.

While the instructor let go this students quip about how the US and its Western allies shouldve considered nuking as many as 100 million humans as an alternative to Operation Desert Storm, I couldnt. It has always amazed me how easily Americans of every stripe could so easily write off peoples lives the world over. And its as true in 2018 as it was in 1993, as President Trumps newly appointed National Security Adviser John Bolton recently made the legal case for a pre-emptive attack against North Koreas nuclear weapons programme.

The world needs to understand the historical and psychological motivations behind the imperialism that drives American geopolitics and allows Americans to devalue so many lives. The forces that have dictated Americas domestic and economic desires are the same ones that drive its foreign policy and its military interventions. Americas racism has allowed it to continually discount the people it has killed in the name of freedom and democracy in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as merely collateral damage. Americas narcissism has enabled it to see the world as valuable only when it can obtain specific natural resources. Both have allowed its leaders to make the world a playground for its weapons.

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Americas malignant racism and narcissism explain why President Donald Trump can get away with crass phrases like America first and sh****le countries. Both narcissism and racism account for why the US has cared more about what happened to four Americans in Libya in 2012 than it has about Boko Haram in Nigeria or Syrian forces bombing innocent children in Eastern Ghouta. Americas racism is at work when the US turns a blind eye to atrocities such as the humanitarian crisis born of Myanmars ethnic cleansing of some 700,000 Rohingya now in Bangladesh. Americas narcissism is why is there such a stark distance between America the ideal superpower, who claims to be the leader of the free world, and America the narcissistic superpower, who only cares about herself.

This uniquely American mix of self-aggrandisement to materially benefit a select few on the basis of Whiteness has evolved over centuries. The tree of America as an empire grew out of its 170-year-long roots as a British colony. One where a class of nouveau riche plantation slave owners thought themselves the equals of their English counterparts in the House of Lords. The idea of empire sprouted as the new US declared itself the protector of Western Hemisphere via the Monroe Doctrine. All while using the idea of Manifest Destiny as the impetus for taking half of Mexicos original territories, not to mention invading Haiti and depriving Cuba of both fair trade deals and an unencumbered democratic process. Native Americans faced the same double-dealing for more than a century, as the US government nullified treaty after treaty in favour of railroad companies, mining interests, and a genocidal policy of Indian removal.

World War II, though, was Americas coming-out party as a freshly minted superpower. For so many Americans, Pearl Harbor wasnt just a sneak attack; it was the ultimate betrayal. Japanese atrocities at Bataan and elsewhere helped further Americans lack of empathy towards Japanese civilians. Add to Pearl Harbor and Bataan Americas pre-war anti-Japanese racism and the zero-sum brutality with which both the US and Japanese militaries fought each other. When Gallups pollsters asked Americans about what should happen to Japan and the Japanese at the end of the war, American attitudes had hardened over time. While 29 percent of Americans wanted Japan destroy[ed] as a nation in the 1942 poll, by December 1944, the number had grown to 33 percent. Another 13 percent wanted to kill them. The US paved the road to dropping WMDs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and killing 250,000 civilians with its own narcissistic belief that it was an innocent bystander whom them Japs drew into war.

The nearly two-decade-long US military involvement in Southeast Asia serves as another example of the ease with which Americans have denied the humanity of people of colour. American leaders narcissistically believed in their own good intentions, all while often indiscriminately killing Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian, and Hmong peoples. According to the BMJ, as many as 3.8 million Vietnamese died during the US-inspired conflict between North and South Vietnam. General William Westmoreland (one of the architects of the Vietnam War) defended the hefty death and destruction, saying, They are Asians who dont think about death the way we do. Americas imperialistic policies, performed in the name of anti-communism, led to an almost complete lack of empathy among ordinary American soldiers, who narcissistically dehumanised their enemy as gooks in order to win.

However, with the end of the Cold War in 1989, and more so since 9/11, a key part of American military interventions the globe over has been an increasing insistence on injecting American-style democracy into allegedly less civilized parts of the world. It no longer matters if theres a bigger enemy like Japan or if theres Soviet aggression to fight. As then-Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said on NBCs Today Show in reference to Iraq in March 1998, if we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation. We stand tall, and we see further than other countries into the future, and we see the danger here to all of us.

Albrights statement is an indispensable and utterly narcissistic one to the point of delusions of god-like powers. The indispensable nation is also a wonderful way of saying that the US is #1, come heaven, hell, or high water, or rather, Iraq and Afghanistan. Drones and missiles have mostly replaced tanks and armies in the years since the invasion of Iraq in 2003, to be sure. But like narcissists, who believe that they are extraordinary and exceptional, America continues to believe itself to be a superpower whos a global force for good, as Keith David narrated in Americas Navy commercials in 2014.

That nations tend to only care about what happens to their own isnt news. Humans are naturally more concerned with domestic issues than [with] what is happening elsewhere around the world, an editor once told me regarding the insular tendencies of news coverage. Sure, the British promoted their brand of imperialism as one that civilized the world. But no nation in modern history has been as good as promoting itself and its projection of power as a sign of its unselfish goodness as the US. Americas racism and narcissism, well-honed over the previous four centuries, is the reason why its foreign affairs are a mere projection of Americas domestic ills. They will continue to be for as long as the US remains a world power because America cannot get over itself.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
On April 2, hundreds of thousands of Indias Dalits poured into the streets to take part in the Bharat Bandh, or all-India strike, called by Dalit organisations across the country. The former untouchables were protesting against what they say is the dilution of a law meant to protect them. The mass protest, which was the first of its kind, was mostly peaceful  protesters blocked roads, participated in sit-ins and chanted slogans. But government forces and other right-wing groups were there to silence this Dalit resistance cry. They opened fire on the demonstrators. At least 11 people, most of them believed to be from the Dalit community, were killed.

The Bharat Bandh was a turning point in Indias caste struggles. But to fully understand the significance of this mass protest  and the reasons why Indias Dalits finally decided to take to the streets  it is necessary to analyse the current Indian governments aggressive policies and deep-seated hostile attitudes towards this underprivileged group.

Trying to preserve the caste system

The Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) together constitute more than 20 percent of Indias population  approximately 250 million people. As the most underprivileged group in the country, they have long been the target of hate crimes and discrimination in India, but their situation got only worse after the Bharatiya Janatha Party (BJP) came to power.

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The BJP is an off-shoot of the Hindu fundamentalist organisation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). The RSSs ultimate aim is to transform India into a conservative Hindu state, in which all traditions of Hinduism, including the caste system and untouchability, are preserved. Although they do not say this openly, they are against any form of social mobility and reform in the country.

They work to protect the rights and privileges of the Brahmins (the priestly caste), the Banias (the business caste) and the Kshatriyas (the warrior caste). They also work aggressively to protect cows  the animal that is revered as sacred by Hindus. But they are mostly silent when it comes to the abuses the Shudras (the working class), the Dalits (the scheduled castes) and the Adivasis (the scheduled tribes) face in India.

Diluting reservations

The Dalits are scared that the BJP and the RSS are trying to dilute the system of reservations in India  an affirmative action programme guaranteeing scheduled castes and tribes reserved places in educational institutions, government jobs and even seats in parliament and the state assemblies. These reservations or quotas are justified as a means of making up for millennia of discrimination based on birth.

Over the years, this system helped underprivileged communities in India to get back on their feet and claim their rightful place in the Indian society. Reservations even allowed the emergence of a small Dalit middle class. But today, some members of the upper castes are extremely resentful about the reservations system and the success of this Dalit middle class.

The dilution of reservation provisions in every institution has already started. The RSS and the BJP are seemingly working to set back any progress underprivileged communities achieved through this affirmative action programme. The leader of the RSS, Mohan Bhagwat, who is a Saraswat Brahmin from Maharastra, has been consistently talking against reservations.

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No visible Dalit has been appointed to a decision-making role in any big governmental institution in recent years. Also, Dalit students are facing a negative atmosphere in universities. The Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (The student wing of the RSS), mainly headed by casteist upper-caste youth, attacks Dalit students and questions their place in Indias universities on a regular basis.

All this is happening because the BJP/RSS is against social transformation in India. They want the caste system, which classifies Dalits as untouchables, to stay intact. They do not want the Dalit middle class to prosper and challenge their supremacy. Their policies directly oppose the ideals of Indias democratic constitution.

But the dilution of the reservations system is not the only tool they use to set the Dalit progress back and maintain the social inequalities in India.

Cow protection laws

Strict implementation of cow protection laws across India has been another priority for the BJP government since it came to power in 2014. This caused alarm among Dalits and Adivasis, as they are the main beneficiaries of the cattle economy in the country.

This policy also triggered violence against Dalits, Adivasis and other communities that participate in the cattle industry across India. Hindu vigilantes started attacking people who they accused of slaughtering cows. According to the Human Rights Watch, there were at least 38 attacks against members of underprivileged communities over the trade or slaughter of cows for beef in 2017. At least 10 people were killed.

In 2016, the state of Gujarat and other parts of India were rocked by protests after four Dalit men in the city of Una were tied to a car, stripped and flogged by Hindu vigilantes, who accused them of skinning a cow.

In many cow-related attacks like the one in Una, the 1989 SC/ST Prevention of Atrocities Act was used to bring perpetrators to justice. Under the act, passed by the government of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1989, anyone accused of committing an atrocity against the members of the scheduled castes and tribes is denied bail.

Over the years, this act became a big problem for casteist forces in India who want to maintain the oppression of Dalits and other underprivileged communities. The RSS has been training its cadre for decades to oppose any form of social change and suppress any attempts to create a caste-free India, often through violence and intimidation. To continue with their agenda, they needed a mechanism to weaken the Atrocities Act and ensure the Hindu vigilantes who attack Dalits would not face imprisonment.

On March 20, the Supreme Court of India gave these group what they wanted by passing a verdict which barred the immediate arrest of those accused of violence against SCs and STs.

This was the last straw that broke the camels back for many Dalits. Dalit intellectuals and activists saw this judgement as what it is: a major blow to Dalit rights and progress.

As a result, for the first time since Indias independence 70 years ago, Dalits decided to take collective action.

Yet when they took to the streets to fight for their rights on April 2, the dominant forces in India responded with violence. Protesters were beaten and shot at. A local BJP worker named Raja Chaunan was filmed as he fired his gun on protesters.

But even though the protest was violently suppressed, all was not lost. This collective act of resistance showed the governing forces that Dalits are not going to silently take the abuses and discrimination any longer.

The middle class that emerged out of this historically oppressed untouchable community is now capable of understanding every step their oppressors take. And they are ready to take action.

A section of Dalits voted for the BJP in the past, because they believed that Narendra Modi, who has an OBC background himself, could improve their socioeconomic and educational conditions. But Modi has no grip over his party and the RSS and the core RSS and BJP supporters across India view the caste system as an undisputable pillar of a Hindu society. Neither organisation has ever produced literature openly opposing the caste system.

All Dalits now see the BJP government as what it is: An RSS offshoot determined to keep them from achieving real equality. And they are ready to resist its attempts to strip them of their hard-earned rights.

The Dalit forces are no longer willing to take the abuse, oppression and discrimination lying down. The way the Dalit masses came into the streets across India, waving the dark blue flags of Dalit resistance, made it clear for everyone that a Dalit Spring is on the horizon.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Analysts say the countrys decision-makers are looking to exploit the presidents popularity to maintain the status quo.

Members of Algerias ruling party have called on President Abdelaziz Bouteflika to run for a fifth consecutive term, according to local media reports.

Speaking at a party meeting on Saturday, the National Liberation Fronts (or FLN by its French acronym) secretary-general, Djamel Ould Abbes, confirmed earlier reports about party and government officials pushing for the ailing presidents re-election in next years vote.

The executives and elected representatives of the FLN call on the president to continue his mission, started in 1999 as head of the country  and hope that he will respond favorably to our request, but it is up to him and him alone to decide whether to accept or decline our invitation, Ould Abbes was quoted as saying by the French language newspaper lExpression.

The minister of foreign affairs, Abdelkader Messahel, who also spoke at the gathering expressed support for the bid as he credited the return of peace and stability to Algeria following a decade-long civil war to Bouteflikas wise leadership.

Under Bouteflikas presidency, Algeria, which experienced a situation bordering civil war in 1997, became one of the most stable and secure countries thanks to the Civil Concord and the Charter for Peace and National Reconciliation.

Ould Abbas said the party would soon release a comprehensive document detailing the presidents achievement since assuming power in 1999.

End of speculation

Analysts say the announcement was a long time coming. They argue that while the octogenarians continued presence in the political scene comes as no surprise, calls by the partys executives for him to run for office provide a rare glimpse into the countrys complex power structure.

Once Bouteflika confirms his intention to run for a fifth term, everyone else will have to fall in line and that will be the end of the speculation about succession, Riccardo Fabiani, a political analyst who focuses on North Africa, told Al Jazeera.

It is clear that, in the absence of consensus around the succession to Bouteflika, the various regime factions have opted for continuity to avoid divisions at a delicate time (economic reforms, social unrest).

Yousef Bouandel, an academic and expert on Algerian politics, likewise believes that the presidents popularity (in no small part the product of his successful bid to end the civil war), could be used by the real power brokers to maintain the status quo.

Bouteflika has been absent from the political scene for at least six years. We havent heard from him, he hasnt spoken to the Algerian people since May 2012. He did not conduct one single interview in the last presidential elections in 2014.

This lends credibility to the idea that Bouteflika is here simply to respond to the popular demand of the people with the decisions obviously being made elsewhere, Bouandel said.

A key actor in Algerias anti-colonial struggle, the FLN played an important role in supporting independence movements elsewhere in the world, including Nelson Mandelas African National Congress.

With a support base estimated at 700,000 members, the party has struggled to stay relevant in recent years as it adopts a more isolationist policy and is seemingly preoccupied with more pressing economic challenges.

A fifth term for Bouteflika is, therefore, the easiest option, but at the same time, it is also a way to postpone further what will be at some point inevitable  choosing a successor to Bouteflika and injecting new blood in an increasingly sclerotic and ineffective political system, Fabiani said.
Former president maintains innocence but surrenders to police to begin serving 12-year jail sentence for corruption.

Brazils former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has handed himself over to police to begin a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, according to local media.

The 72-year-old left on Saturday the steel-workers union building where he had sought refuge while defying for some 24 hours a court deadline to submit to custody.

Lula was taken away from the premises in an industrial suburb of Sao Paulo in a convoy of black police cars, Globo TV reported.

An earlier attempt to leave the offices had been blocked by a crowd of supporters who opposed his arrest and blocked the exit of the building.

Lula is now expected to be flown to the southern city of Curitiba to start serving his sentence, where a specially designed jail cell awaited the former president, said Al Jazeeras Daniel Schweimler, reporting from Sao Paulo.

Lula maintained his corruption conviction was a way for political rivals to make sure he does not run in Octobers elections [Miguel Schincariol/AFP]

I will come out of this bigger, stronger

Lulas lawyers had lodged several requests to avoid jail until exhausting all appeals against his corruption conviction, which were all ultimately unsuccessful.

The leftist politician, who was president from 2003 to 2011, was convicted in July of corruption and money-laundering in connection with the renovation of a beachside penthouse he was planning to buy.





The renovation was bankrolled by a company seeking contracts with the state oil giant Petrobras.

The case was linked to the massive Lava Jato corruption scandal surrounding Petrobras, which has led to the jailing of dozens of entrepreneurs and politicians.

Judge Sergio Moro sentenced Lula to nine-and-a-half years in prison, and an appeals court raised the jail term to 12 years and one month.

The judge had ordered Lula to report to a police station in Curitiba by 5pm (20:00 GMT) on Friday. But Lula skipped the deadline and spent the night holed up inside the headquarters of the steel-workers union.

Thousands of his supporters surrounded the building overnight, dissuading the police from trying to arrest him.

He finally emerged on Saturday morning for an impromptu mass to commemorate his late wife, Marisa Leticia, who died last year.

In an hour-long speech at the event, Lula accused the judiciary and Brazils most powerful media conglomerate of assisting what he described as a right-wing coup with the ultimate aim of preventing him from competing in this years presidential elections.

Despite his legal problems, opinion polls suggest that he will win in the October 7 vote.

During his speech, Lula told cheering supporters that Brazils top anti-corruption judge lied about him being given the luxury apartment by a big construction firm as a kickback.

I am the only human being to be put on trial for an apartment which does not belong to me, he said.

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But, he added: I will comply with their warrant.

Lula also rejected multiple suggestions of fleeing or seeking asylum abroad.

Youll see that I will come out of this bigger, stronger, he said, promising to prove his innocence.

The union where Lula had sought refuge served as the launch pad for his career nearly four decades ago, when he led nationwide strikes that helped to end Brazils 1964-85 military dictatorship.

Lulas everyman style and unvarnished speeches electrified masses and eventually won him two terms as president, from 2003 to 2011, when he oversaw robust economic growth and falling inequality amid a commodities boom.

He left office with a sky-high approval rate of 83 percent and was once called the most popular politician on Earth by former US President Barack Obama.
Cesspool: Philippines to close tourist island of Boracay

President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the six-month closure of the popular holiday destination he says tourists turned into a cesspool.
The agreement reached between Jaish al-Islam and Russia is expected to see fighters evacuate to northern Syria.

Jaish al-Islam, the last remaining rebel group in Eastern Ghouta, has agreed to leave its holdout in Douma for an opposition-held area in northern Syria, according to opposition negotiators and the Russian foreign ministry.

The deal came a day after a chemical attack killed scores of people and affected hundreds of other Douma residents. The attack prompted global outrage but was dismissed as fabrication by the Syrian government, whose forces on Friday launched an offensive against the rebels under the cover of air raids.

The agreement, which was reached between Jaish al-Islam and Russia on Sunday, includes a ceasefire and the evacuation of fighters and civilians from the area.

According to people who helped negotiate this agreement, Jaish al-Islam has agreed with the Russian forces to begin evacuating with their families, as well as anyone else who wants to leave, Al Jazeeras Natasha Ghoneim, reporting from Amman, said.

Under the agreement, Russian military police will move into Douma to keep Syrian forces out, added Ghoneim.

The Russian army also said on Sunday it had struck a deal with Jaish al-Islam to withdraw about 8,000 of its fighters and some 40,000 of their relatives.

Major General Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted as saying by The Associated Press news agency that a convoy of 100 buses had entered Douma to begin the evacuation.

Russian news agency RIA, citing a security source, said Jaish al-Islam fighters will leave Douma in two batches in the coming hours.

A deal was also reported earlier in the day by Syrias official news agency SANA, which cited a government source as saying that the agreement would see the departure of all so-called Jaish al-Islam terrorists to Jarablus within 48 hours.

In exchange, Jaish al-Islam would release hostages it had been holding, the source said, according to SANA.

Chemical attack

Douma is the last rebel-held town in Eastern Ghouta, a sprawling suburb of Damascus that was once the oppositions main bastion on the outskirts of the capital.

Jaish al-Islam had been in talks with the Russian army over the towns fate and had been hoping to secure a deal that would allow them to remain in control.

But the negotiations crumbled last week and fierce bombing of Douma resumed on Friday.

Last week, two rebel groups reached evacuation deals with the Russian army, which resulted in about 19,000 people leaving for the northern province of Idlib.

They included fighters from the Faylaq al-Rahman and Ahrar al-Sham rebel groups, their families and other residents.

Rebel groups say these evacuations amount to forced displacement, but gave in after weeks of intense bombardment.

Human rights groups have also said that the evacuations are in violation of international law.
More than 150 refugees from Afghanistan have been locked up in a detention centre in Indonesia.

Balikpapan, Indonesia  Fourteen-year-old Rahmatullah Zahidi made a run for the 10-metre high wall along with four others.

But when the man who jumped over the wall before him broke his leg, Zahidi was forced to rethink his move. That night his depression worsened.

Zahidi was not a criminal but has been a prisoner for two years without a sentence or a release date. The boy from Afghanistans Ghazni province is one of 151 refugees, mostly ethnic Hazara, who fled persecution in their country.

They have been locked up in a detention centre in Balikpapan on the Indonesian island of Borneo.

Indonesia has not signed the UN Refugee Convention and considers them illegal immigrants. Despite a 2016 presidential decree to provide them temporary housing, more than a 1,000 are still behind bars across Indonesia.

The refugees want their voices to be heard [Step Vaessen/Al Jazeera]

Every day for the past 80 days, these refugees in Balikpapan  far away from the capital Jakarta  have been shouting the same slogans and holding the same signs: We want freedom, immigration release us, we are humans, we are exhausted.

But their tired voices are echoing against the huge walls lined with barbed wire. Their only audience is a handful of prison guards.

When Al Jazeera managed to get access to the prison, the refugees could barely control their emotions.

His eyes full of tears, Rasul Dad, the oldest in the prison at 60, said he would keep looking at the sky all day, imagining how it would feel like to be free.

Dad suffers from kidney problems. He said the pain was often unbearable.

We are desperate, Ehsanullah Sahil, another refugee, said.

When we escaped persecution, beheadings and discrimination, we hoped to find asylum. We looked for safety, not to be locked up behind bars.

Afghan refugees demanding freedom from the detention centre [Step Vaessen/Al Jazeera]

Nearly 14,000 refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia, Iraq and other countries have been stuck in Indonesia for up to a decade.

They were hoping to be resettled in Australia, the US or somewhere in Europe. But since a lot of countries have all but closed their borders to refugees, lives are in a limbo in Indonesia: Locked up, not allowed to work or provide their children with education.

The refugees have been under increasing pressure to return to their countries. So far, 46 refugees who could not bear to be locked up any longer, have returned to Afghanistan.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) gave them $2,000, an amount provided by the Australian government.

When the IOM came here, they offered money to those who could not stand their detention any longer, Sahil added.

None of us can take this any longer, of course. But we cant go back either. We have escaped. They cant send us back to the warzone.

Rahmatullah Zahidi [Step Vaessen/Al Jazeera]

Several refugees have tried committing suicide, according to the director of the detention centre Irham Anwar.

We realise they should not be detained. We have asked the local government to provide housing but it seems they are worried a religious conflict could happen, Anwar said.

When conservative Muslim groups in majority-Sunni Balikpapan found out the refugees were Shia Muslims, they rejected their presence.

A special taskforce at the security ministry in Jakarta dealing with refugees has been urging local governments to provide housing as soon as possible.

But so far only several regions have come through.

Its clear that we cant accept refugees. Our country has too many problems to deal with, said Carlo Tewu, head of the task force.

Well provide them with temporary housing but urge the UNHCR to resettle all of them as soon as possible.

More than 1,500km away, the refugees continue to scream and cry for help.

We are humans, please help us, said the sign Zahidi was carrying.

But its a cry falling on deaf ears so far.
US President Trump tells Russia and Iran there would be a big price to pay for backing animal Assad.

A chemical attack in a Syrian rebel-held town has sparked widespread international outrage and revulsion.

At least 85 people, including many women and children, were killed in Douma on Saturday, according to a statement by rescue workers and medical staff.

Condemnation poured in on Sunday as US President Donald Trump warned there would be a big price to pay, while Turkey said: it is not possible to justify nor accept such attacks for any reason and in any way, shape or form.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria, Trump wrote on Twitter, lashing out at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and his ally, Russias Vladimir Putin.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay, he said.

Trumps threat came exactly a year and a day after the US army fired cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase in retaliation for a deadly sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun.

Tom Bossert, White House homeland security adviser, told ABC television that he wouldnt take anything off the table when asked whether the US could again respond with a missile attack.

The Assad government and Russia both denied any use of chemical weapons as fabrications. The Russian foreign ministry called the latest reports a provocation, warning against military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts.

Commenting on the incidents, the European Union called for an international response to the attack.

The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime, the bloc said in a statement.

It is a matter of grave concern that chemical weapons continue to be used, especially on civilians. The European Union condemns in the strongest terms the use of chemical weapons and calls for an immediate response by the international community.

The EU also called on the UN Security Council to re-establish its checks to identify the perpetrators of chemical attacks and on Russia and Iran  the Syrian governments closest allies  to use their influence with al-Assad to prevent further attacks.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France strongly condemned attacks and bombings by Syrian government forces in the last 24 hours in Douma, adding they were a gross violation of international humanitarian law.

He called for the United Nations Security Council to meet quickly to examine the situation saying that France would work with allies to verify reports that chemical weapons were used.

Referring to President Emmanuel Macrons warning that France could strike unilaterally if there was a deadly chemical attack, Le Drian said that Paris would assume all its responsibilities in the fight against the proliferation of chemical weapons.

Syrias White Helmets, who are the first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said the attack late on Saturday involved poisonous chlorine gas.

In recent years, the Syrian government has been accused of using chemical weapons as a tool against the armed opposition.

Strong suspicion

Turkey denounced the chemical attack in Douma: We strongly condemn the attack, and we have the strong suspicion it was carried out by the regime, whose record on the use of chemical weapons is known by the international community, the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Ankara said that the incident showed that past UN Security Council resolutions on the use of chemical weapons in Syria were once again being ignored.





The foreign ministry also called for an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and said it expected the international community to condemn the attack.

In recent months, Ankara has been working closely with Russia and Iran in a bid to bring an end to the seven-year conflict.

Last week, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan welcomed his Iranian and Russian counterparts in Ankara for a summit on Syria.

Medical points targeted

In a joint statement, the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the White Helmets said that the chemical attack in Douma was preceded by intense bombardment on Friday.

The bombing resulted in significant damage to the citys medical capacity, as several medical points and ambulance teams were targeted.





The SAMS and the Syrian Civil Defense Corps have documented more than 200 uses of chemical weapons in Syria since 2012 so far in Syria, Siraj Mahmood, a member of the White Helmets, said.

Previous Security Council resolutions on the issue have not succeeded in stopping the use of chemical weapons in Syria.

Britains foreign office called on for an international probe into the reports of a chemical attack in Douma.

These are very concerning reports of a chemical weapons attack with significant number of casualties, which if correct, are further proof of Assads brutality against innocent civilians and his backers callous disregard for international norms, said a UK Foreign Office spokesperson:

Qatars foreign ministry expressed in a statement its deep shock at the horror of this horrific crime that shook the conscience of humanity, and called for an urgent international investigation, according to a report by Qatar News Agency.

Saudi Arabia voiced deep concern and condemned the chemical attack.

We stress the need to put an end to these tragedies and to pursue a peaceful solution based on the principles of Geneva 1 and Security Council resolution 2254, the countrys foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the 2015 resolution that unanimously called for a ceasefire and political settlement in Syria.

Pope Francis also condemned chemical attacks against civilians in a special appeal during Sundays service in St Peters Square in the Vatican.

There is no good or bad war and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such instruments of extermination against unarmed people and populations, he said.

The pope urged political and military leaders to choose the other way: the way of negotiations, the only one that can bring a peace that is not the peace of death and destruction.

Since February 18, the Syrian governments Ghouta offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians.
Hungarians head to the voting booth to decide the countrys future amid rising anti-migrant rhetoric.

Hungarians are heading to the voting booth to cast their ballots in elections that have been billed as a test for the country and Europe, with opposition parties hoping to remove the ruling Fidesz party.

Polls opened at 6am local time (04:00GMT) on Sunday and will close at 7pm (17:00GMT).

Sundays elections have been highly contested, with opposition parties struggling to form an electoral alliance capable of overcoming incumbent Prime Minister Viktor Orbans increasingly far-right Fidesz.

Hungary, where there are more than eight million registered voters, takes to the ballot box every four years to decide on the 199 seats in the countrys parliament.

With far-right and populist parties making gains in a spate of recent European elections, including in Italy and Austria, analysts have speculated that Orbans anti-migrant and illiberal policies could have long-lasting implications for the European Union (EU).

I think this will be the most frenzied elections Hungary has had [since the fall of communism in 1989], Bulcsu Hunyadi, a senior analyst at the Political Capital Institute think-tank, told Al Jazeera.

Running against Orban is a hodgepodge of liberal and centre-left parties as well as Jobbik, the far-right party with neo-Nazi roots and a lengthy history of anti-Semitism.

In advance of the vote, the prime minister urged voters to save Hungary.

Orbans campaign has focused largely on issues like migration and George Soros, the Hungarian American billionaire and philanthropist who Fidesz accuses of encouraging refugees to flood the central European country.

This is a political strategy of the governing party, Hunyadi said. They think these are the only topics with which they can dominate the discussion.

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As of February 15, upwards of 415,000 Hungarians living abroad were registered voters, according to the Budapest Beacon news site.

While Fidesz appears slated to maintain a majority, it remains unclear if the incumbent ruling party can maintain a supermajority of two-thirds support.

Immigration a key issue

In February, the Hungarian government introduced a package of proposed laws targeting NGOs funded by Soros.

If Orbans government maintains its control of the parliament, it is expected to pass through the bill  dubbed Stop Soros  which would place a 25 percent tax on NGOs that encourage or support illegal immigration.

The laws also propose banning entry to Hungary for foreigners who are alleged to encourage refugees and migrants to come to the country.

It would also empower the government to fine or ban NGOs that fail to undergo a security check by the countrys intelligence services.

Julia Ivan, director of Amnesty Internationals branch in Hungary, said civil society groups are are fully aware of how government and politicians say their first move will be to adopt the Stop Soros legislation.

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We do fear that the consequences may be lethal for NGOs, which are critical, she told Al Jazeera.

Anti-migration sentiment and anti-NGO populist propaganda have already taken the focus from serious issues like healthcare and education.
Orban set for third successive term in power after campaign targeting refugees and migrants wins large majority.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban had declared victory after preliminary results show his anti-migrant party is projected to win a commanding majority in the countrys key parliamentary elections.

With more than 93 percent of the votes in Sundays poll counted, Orbans increasingly far-right Fidesz party was in first with nearly half the vote, the National Election Office said.

The result is expected to hand Orban a third successive term in power.

Orbans nearest rival was Gabor Vona, of Jobbik party, with 20 percent. The Socialists, led by Gergely Karacsony was third, with 12 percent of the vote.

Turnout stood at 68.80 percent, higher than the final turnout of 61.73 percent in the last election in 2014, which gave Orban a landslide victory.

Dear friends, theres a big battle behind us, we secured a historic victory  we got a chance, we created a chance for us to protect Hungary, Orban told a crowd of cheering supporters in the capital, Budapest on Sunday evening.

The high voter turnout puts every doubt into brackets, he added.

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Following his election defeat, Vona, chairman of Jobbik, tendered his resignation.

The Socialists leaders also resigned, saying: We regard ourselves responsible for what happened, [and] we have acknowledged the decision of voters.

Jonah Hull, reporting from Budapest, said Orbans election victory result was the fruition of a particularly nasty and hate-based, xenophobic campaign.

It has basically been a single-issue campaign, based on the spectrum of the invading hordes of Muslim refugees being held back by a fence that hes built on the southern border, said Hull.

He paints himself as a sort of saviour of Hungary from the refugees.

Noting that the main opposition party in Hungary was Jobbik, a formerly  until very recently  staunchly far-right, anti-immigrant party with neo-Nazi roots, Hull said that the era of populist, staunchly right-wing nationalism and xenophobia in the country is far from over.

Voting officially ended at 7pm (17:00 GMT) [Bernadett Szabo/Reuters]

With far-right and populist parties making gains in a spate of recent European elections, including in Italy and Austria, analysts have speculated that Orbans anti-migrant and illiberal policies could have long-lasting implications for the European Union (EU).

Ahead of the vote, the prime minister had called on voters to save Hungary.

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Orbans campaign has focused largely on issues like migration and George Soros, the Hungarian American billionaire and philanthropist who Fidesz accuses of encouraging refugees to flood the central European country.

This is a political strategy of the governing party, Bulcsu Hunyadi, a senior analyst at the Political Capital Institute think-tank, told Al Jazeera.

They think these are the only topics with which they can dominate the discussion.

Conservative political tradition

Matthew Goodwin, professor of politics and international relations at the University of Kent, said the strong result by Orbans party would be greeted by the populist right in Europe and also much of the centre-right who want to see Hungary, Poland, Austria and Italy pushing back against the EU on the big issue of the refugee crisis and push Europe in a more conservative direction.

He added that earlier on Sunday there was speculation over a potential backlash against Orbans policies given the high turnout figures, but the results showed that Fidesz had actually picked up more support in rural, non-urban areas.

Thats part of a European trend, with populists, conservatives and ultra-conservative politicians doing very well outside of the big cities, Goodwin told Al Jazeera.

Orban himself really successfully tapped into what is a very conservative political tradition in Hungary, he added, arguing that western European leaders such as French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel continue to underestimate the strength of conservative currents in Eastern Europe.
A massive tanker has crashed into an historic mansion on the shores of Istanbuls Bosphorus Strait after its steering equipment became locked, according to Turkish state media, briefly suspending the traffic in the strait in both directions.

Towboats and coastguard vessels were sent to the area after the crash on Saturday afternoon and the Maltese-flagged tanker Vitaspirit was pulled back from the crash site to be brought to shore, state-run Anadolu Agency said.

There were no casualties in the collision, according to Turkish media.

https://twitter.com/saad_fahad_/status/982862779756445696?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

The tanker was stranded under the Second Bosphorus Bridge, near Anatolian Fortress, in Istanbuls Asian part, Anadolu said, adding that the hit damaged the shore and the mansion.

The bridge, also known as Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge, is one of the three crossings between Istanbuls Asian and European sides divided by Bosphorus.

The Istanbul governorate said that the ship was anchored to stop, but it still hit the shore at 3:30pm local time (12:30 GMT).

Towboats and coast guard vessels were sent to the area after the crash on Saturday afternoon [Anadolu]

Footage from the crash showed extensive damage to the historic seaside mansion located under the bridge.

The buildings roof and upper floors collapsed and videos showed the basement slumping into the water.

The Hekimbasi Salih Efendi Mansion has stood on the shores of the Bosphorus Strait since the 18th century and is used to host weddings and concerts, according to the mansions website.

Such waterside mansions are among the most historic and expensive properties on the Bosphorus.

The Deniz Haber maritime news agency said that 225-metre Vitaspirit was heading from Egypt to Ukraine.

The Bosphorus is one of the worlds most important choke points for maritime oil transports, with more than three percent of global supply  mainly from Russia and the Caspian Sea  passing through the 27-kilometre waterway connecting the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

It is also used by vessels carrying grain from Russia and Kazakhstan to international markets.
Soldiers free 54 women and 95 children abducted by Boko Haram in the countrys northeast, says army spokesman.

The Nigerian military says it has rescued 149 women and children abducted by the armed group Boko Haram in the countrys northeast.

Onyema Nwachuku, army spokesman, said on Sunday the freed captives included 54 women and 95 children, according to the NAN news agency.

The rescued hostages are currently receiving medical attention, he said in a statement, adding that they would be profiled after the medical screening.

The rescues took place during a raid on a Boko Haram hideout in the community of Yerimari Kura on Saturday. Soldiers killed three fighters during the operation and captured five others suspected of belonging to the group, Nwachuku said.

His statement did not specify when the women and children had been abducted.

Al Jazeeras Ahmed Idris, reporting from Abuja, capital of Nigeria, said the number of people Boko Haram had kidnapped in Yerimari Kura demonstrated the groups resilience, despite losing significant swaths of territory to the Nigerian army in recent years.

Boko Haram, whose name roughly translates to Western education is forbidden, has waged a nearly 10-year armed campaign to create an Islamic state in northeastern Nigeria.

The conflict has left at least 20,000 people dead and displaced more than 2.6 million.





At its peak, the group effectively controlled large areas in the Lake Chad region, but the Nigerian military, with assistance from Chad, Cameroon and Niger, has pushed Boko Haram fighters out of a number of provinces.

However, Boko Haram has adapted by splitting into smaller groups, infiltrating communities, launching attacks here and there and continuing to make statements that they are very much around, said Idris.

In March, a Boko Haram attack on the northeastern town of Rann left at least two aid workers, a doctor and eight soldiers dead.

In February, Nigerian and Cameroonian troops freed 1,130 civilians kidnapped by the group in the Lake Chad region.

Boko Haram gained international notoriety after its fighters kidnapped 276 schoolgirls in the town of Chibok in April 2014. About 100 girls are still missing.

In February, the groups fighters attacked another school in the northeastern state of Yobe and seized more than 110 schoolgirls. A month later, the government said 101 had been freed.
More than a dozen states file lawsuit against putting a citizenship status question on mandatory, US-wide 2020 census.

Prerna Lal remembers how, when the last nationwide census was taken in the United States in 2010, her family decided not to fill out the form.

Lal and her family were living without legal status in the US at the time, and they were afraid of putting any personal information on a government document.

My family wasnt sure that  wed be protected, or if this was the right thing to do, but it seemed like a calculated risk at the time, Lal, who is now an immigration lawyer in Berkeley, California, recently told Al Jazeera in a telephone interview.

We didnt know what the implications were about being counted, the way we do now.

The Department of Justice recently requested that a question about citizenship status be added to the 2020 US Census, a mandatory survey that is sent to every household in the US every 10 years.

The census aims to profile the countrys residents and collects data on demographics, income, housing, education and other social factors.

It is used to determine how more than $675bn in annual federal funding is allocated and how US congressional seats are distributed by state (according to population size).

The last time a citizenship question was asked on the nationwide survey was in 1950.

The US Department of Commerce formally announced plans to reinstate the question in late March.

The department said it would help the government better enforce the Voting Rights Act, which bans discrimination in voting practices, and provide complete and accurate data.

Fears spurred by Trumps policies

But the decision has sparked anger and concern among US civil liberty groups and legal organisations, which say it will lead to millions of people not filling out the form, and therefore, not being counted.

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Immigrant communities, in particular, have voiced fears that by disclosing their citizenship status, they may face grave repercussions, such as deportation or having their immigration status revoked.

Those concerns have been amplified by the anti-immigrant policies, actions, and rhetoric from President Donald Trump and his administration, according to a lawsuit recently lodged against the move to add the citizenship question.

Filed in New York District Court, the legal complaint was made by a coalition of 17 US states, including New Jersey, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, and several cities, including New York, Chicago and Philadelphia.

Adding a question about immigration status to the census will jeopardise critical federal funding needed by states and localities to provide services and support for millions of residents, the lawsuit reads.

Further, it will deprive historically marginalised immigrant communities of critical public and private resources over the next 10 years.

The Department of Commerce has argued, however, that the American Community Survey, an annual survey sent out to a random sampling of about 3.5 million US households, has asked a citizenship question since 2005.

Therefore, the citizenship question has been well tested, the US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross, said in a letter dated March 26.

The US Census Bureau is also banned by law from sharing information it gleans from the census with any other government agency and must only use the data for statistical purposes.

The Brian

enforcement actions.]

But that hasnt dispelled fears, especially for those have undocumented family members or are from mixed-status families.

The government has shown over and over again that theyre interested in using data mining in any way possible to identify people and carry out [immigration] enforcement actions, said Brian Root, a quantitative analyst at Human Rights Watch.

Its a valid fear. It is something that legally should not happen, but it is completely understandable, Root told Al Jazeera.

Political representation

California also filed its own lawsuit against the decision, as did the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

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Root said states with larger immigrant populations, such as California, Florida and Texas, could also lose representation in Congress as a result of inaccurate counts on the census.

That would be politically beneficial to Republicans and detrimental to Democrats, Root said.

The distribution of political representation and appropriations for things like healthcare and housing and other types of government funding will be impacted, he said.

Adding the citizenship question could also come with a hefty price tag.

Studies have also shown that every one-percent decrease in census participation costs the US Census Bureau $55 million because it will have to gather additional data, Root explained.

Theres a large likelihood that its going to have a massive undercount and lead to inaccuracies, which will be extremely costly and will only serve to damage communities, he said.

Access to health, education services

Hannah Matthews, director of childcare and early education at the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), said she had grave concerns about what undercounting would mean for young children in particular.

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As many as 10 percent of young children living in the US were missed on the 2010 census, she said.

With less funding going to their communities, youth may have more trouble accessing health, education and nutrition programmes like Medicaid or Head Start.

Census data is used to determine the allocation for many different public programmes that are so vital to young childrens health and well-being, Matthews told Al Jazeera.

A general atmosphere of fear under the Trump administrations immigration policies is already having an effect on children, according to a recent CLASP report based on interviews with educators and parents in six US states.

More than five million children under the age 18 live with at least one parent who is undocumented, the report states. About 11 million undocumented immigrants live in the US today.

You feel like you dont know whats going to happen, an early childhood educator in Illinois said in the report. That feeling of stability  emotional stability and security  is what most of our families have lost.

Children are displaying anxiety at having a parent deported, or witnessing a parent arrested, the report found.

Their daily routines have been disrupted because their families are afraid to leave the house and many arent accessing social services because their parents are reluctant to sign them up for government-run programmes.

In this context, Matthews said the US government should be looking for ways to improve the accuracy of the census and it should certainly not be putting barriers in place that would make people reluctant to answer these questions.

We cant not be counted

The US Census Bureau must send the exact phrasing of the citizenship question to Congress later this year, where it will be tested. The bureau must also take public comments before coming to a final decision.

While US residents have a legal obligation to fill out the census, no one has been prosecuted for failing to do so since 1970, Politifact reported.

Under the law, the US government can issue a fine of up to $100 to someone who refuses or wilfully neglects to fill out the census and a fine of up to $500 if someone wilfully gives any answer that is false.

We can't not be counted; we have to figure out a way to be counted while also protecting our communities. Prerna Lal, US immigration lawyer

Lal, the immigration lawyer, advised people not to lie or misrepresent themselves on the census, since that could negatively affect their current immigration status or their ability to apply for citizenship later on.

Whatever people decide to do, she said there is a lot at stake.

If we dont count millions of people, we lose representation in Congress, we lose a lot of federal funding and we lose more power politically, Lal said.

We cant not be counted; we have to figure out a way to be counted while also protecting our communities.
Pakistan: Thousands protest over extrajudicial arrests, killings

The police killing of Naqeebullah Mehsud, an aspiring Pashtun model, has generated demonstrations in Peshawar from the Pashtun community, who say they are targeted by the police and army.
Survivors and activists share their stories of horror and shock after a chemical attack in Eastern Ghoutas Douma.

By his third frantic dash down the stairs, with a wet piece of cloth over his mouth and a little girl in each arm, everything went dark for Khaled Abu Jaafar.

I lost consciousness. I couldnt breathe any more; it was like my lungs were shutting down, recalled the resident of Douma, in Syrias Eastern Ghouta.

I woke up about 30 minutes later and they had undressed me and were washing my body with water, Abu Jaafar told Al Jazeera on Sunday. They were trying to make me vomit as my mouth was emitting a yellow substance.

Abu Jaafar is one of the survivors struggling to cope with the effects of a chemical attack on Saturday in the besieged town of Douma, the last rebel stronghold near the Syrian capital, Damascus.

Rescue workers and medical staff have said at least 85 people were killed in the chlorine gas attack  an accusation dismissed by the Syrian government as farcical.

Among those killed, witnesses said, were many women and children who had sought refuge in the basements of buildings to escape heavy bombardment by pro-government forces.





Abu Jaafar, a radio station worker, said that as panicked residents started running around after the attack, he rushed to one of these hideouts to check on his friends and help get people out.

While people were in the shelters, some on the roof managed to see the gas bombs as they dropped from the planes, Abu Jaafar said, describing what he said was green gas emanating from the canisters falling from the sky.

Those who saw them rushed to tell everyone in the basement to evacuate, he added. I went up and down the stairs about three times to help evacuate children from the building.

Evacuation deals

The attack came on the second day of a fierce ground and air push by pro-government forces after a period of relative calm.

The Syrian army said the offensive was in response to deadly shelling by Jaish al-Islam, the last remaining opposition group in Eastern Ghouta, on residential areas in Damascus. Jaish al-Islam denied the allegation.

The group is currently in negotiations with the Russian army, a major ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, over a possible evacuation deal, according to reports carried by state media and pro-Syrian opposition Orient TV.

Last week, two other rebel groups reached evacuation agreements with the Russians, which resulted in about 19,000 people leaving for the northern province of Idlib.

They included fighters from the Faylaq al-Rahman and Ahrar al-Sham groups, their relatives and other locals.

Rebel groups argued that the evacuation amounts to forced displacement, but gave in after weeks of intense bombardment.

Meanwhile, remaining civilians continue to endure a bombing campaign and the effects of a crippling government siege that has been in place since 2013.

U nbearable scenes

The chemical attack in Douma is the largest of its kind in Syria since April last year, when nerve agent sarin or a sarin-like substance was dropped onto the town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing at least 85 people.

Symptoms of a chlorine attack include dyspnea and coughing, as well as intensive irritation of the mucous membrane and breathing difficulties.

On Saturday evening, rescue workers posted videos on social media of people appearing to show symptoms consistent with a gas attack. Some appeared to have white foam around their mouths and noses.

Abu Jaafar said that those who did not manage to evacuate their shelters died instantly.

There were basements in other buildings with people who didnt see the gas in time. We entered those buildings and found bodies on the staircases and on the floor  they died while attempting to exit, he said.

Although some Douma residents rushed to various medical points, a shortage of supplies and doctors meant that treatment options were limited.

Activists said that several of Doumas clinics and ambulance teams had been hit during the bombardment campaign, largely disrupting the towns medical assistance capacity.

When we arrived to the roof of the building I was helping at, I saw the lifeless bodies of a mother in her 50s, with two of her adult daughters and a child with their arms around each other, all foaming at the mouth Alaa Abu Yasser

Local activist Alaa Abu Yasser was also among those who tried to help evacuate people.

I went to a building where about 35 people had died as a result of this attack; the scenes I saw were unbearable, its like nothing I have ever seen even in the movies, he told Al Jazeera, describing the aftermath of the attack.

As I approached the building, a father was crying hysterically as he dragged his feet towards us carrying his two children  he was hugging them, smelling and kissing them after they suffocated to death, Abu Yasser added.

Several witnesses speaking to Al Jazeera said that during a chemical attack it is common practice for people to rush to the top floors and on the roofs of buildings in a bid to avoid inhaling the gas that tends to stick to the ground.

When we arrived to the roof of the building I was helping at, I saw the lifeless bodies of a mother in her 50s, with two of her adult daughters and a child with their arms around each other, all foaming at the mouth, said Abu Yasser.

I mostly saw bodies of women and children in three separate rooms; theyve been placed there to isolate the smell of the gas from those who survived, he added.

Although the White Helmets, a group of rescuers operating in opposition-held areas in Syria, and Syrian American Medical Society have given a death toll of at least 85, there are fears that the number of people killed in the attack could be higher.

The rescue teams have not been able to document all the cases, local activist Mansour Abu al-Khair told Al Jazeera. Theyre overwhelmed and cannot deal with the impact of the attack.

He explained many of those who lost their lives were still under destroyed buildings and have not yet been pulled from the rubble.

Others are instantly being buried by their families, so they arent accounted for in terms of registered numbers, al-Khair said.

We expect the death toll to surpass 100, he added.
China, US tariffs are illegal, Trump, China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do.

US President Donald Trump has said in a tweet on Sunday that China would take down its trade barriers and that the two countries would reach a deal on intellectual property.

On Thursday, Trump directed US trade officials to identify tariffs on another $100bn of Chinese imports, upping the ante in an already high-stakes trade confrontation between the worlds two largest economies.

President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Tariff tension

China on Thursday questioned at the World Trade Organization (WTO) the legality of US tariffs, while the United States alleged that China was involved in the theft of US intellectual property.

The further tariffs were being considered in light of Chinas unfair retaliation against earlier US trade actions, which included a proposed $50bn of tariffs on Chinese goods, Trump said in a White House statement on Thursday.

In his tweet on Sunday, Trump said he and Chinese President Xi Jinping would always be friends despite the dispute, adding: China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal and a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!

On Tuesday, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) had proposed 25 percent tariffs on more than 1,300 Chinese industrial and other products from flat-panel televisions to electronic components. China shot back 11 hours later with a list of proposed duties on $50bn of American imports, including soybeans, aircraft, cars, beef and chemicals.

The president did not provide a reason for the statement or say whether China had indicated it planned to drop its tariffs.
Gaza hospitals declare state of emergency

Doctors are struggling to treat thousands of Palestinians injured by Israeli forces during Fridays protests along the Gaza-Israel border.
Work on Kenya-Somalia border wall suspended

Construction of the partially-built 700-kilometre border wall, locals say has helped prevent al-Shabab fighters from crossing into Kenya, has been suspended,
The quote in the title has been attributed to Mark Twain, Benjamin Disraeli, and others, but its true source remains unknown. Let's call it an anonymous source, which these days forms the basis of numerous stories in the New York Times or Washington Post. At least the unsourced quote is from many years ago and not particularly relevant now, unlike the unsourced stories of today, which make up the new standard of journalism.

Regardless of who said it first, the quote, "is a phrase describing the persuasive power of numbers, particularly the use of statistics to bolster weak arguments." In other words, numbers and statistics can be used selectively to bolster an erroneous premise  or, to put it more simply, to create fake news.

This week, social media were busy showing this graphic in response to President Trump's continued promises to secure the border, using the military if necessary. Here is a graphic from MSNBC.

The point of the chart is to show that border crossings are at a 46-year low. Followed by the media accusing the mean and ignorant president of wasting taxpayer money sending the National Guard to the southern border to stop the migrant caravans bringing the poor and downtrodden to a better life in the U.S.

As an aside, MSNBC has no concern about the hundreds of millions of wasted and destructive taxpayer dollars going to support illegal aliens  or, for that matter, Planned Parenthood, whose taxpayer cash goes to aborting a disproportionate number of poor and minority babies. But that's another subject.

Looking at the chart, the quick takeaway is that illegal border crossings, quite high during the George W. Bush years, precipitously dropped under President Obama, who, despite the assertions of the right, was indeed an illegal immigration hawk, tough on border security, doing yeoman's work stopping illegal immigration.

The media narrative goes on. Trump is merely continuing what Obama started, thuggishly acting as though he is solely responsible for cutting down on illegal immigration, riding the coattails of the great and visionary Barack Hussein O, blowing smoke as usual to keep his oversized ego fully inflated.

OK, that's the MSNBC and CNN narrative. Let me suggest another interpretation.

The graphic is based on the 2017 Border Security Report from the Department of Homeland Security. From the actual report, "[i]n FY17, CBP recorded the lowest level of illegal cross-border migration on record," CBP being U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

That's as far as big media read in preparing their graphic and talking points. It's similar to how they edit the words of those they dislike  NBC, for example, cutting part of a 911 call from George Zimmerman to create a false narrative that Zimmerman was a racist.

If the intrepid journalistic sleuths read the very next sentence, their story might have changed. The report then said, "As measured by apprehensions along the border and inadmissible encounters at U.S. ports of entry."

Four simple words turn their entire story upside-down  as measured by apprehensions.

The entire chart is based not on how many illegally crossed our borders, but how many were apprehended. It's as if the number of drug-dealers in the U.S. were based on how many are caught and convicted, which is a fraction of the total number out there.

What if the Obama policy were to understaff border crossings? Or direct agents to be less vigilant or vigorous in arresting illegal aliens? In other words, what if the numbers dropped dramatically during the Obama years simply because existing law wasn't being enforced?

Rather than apprehending illegal aliens, the Obama directive was to look the other way and let them in. Then voila: the number of apprehensions drops dramatically, despite illegal immigration actually increasing.

Obama's approach to border security was well known, going as far as directing his Department of Justice to sue states, such as Arizona, for having the unmitigated gall to enforce actual federal immigration law.

How many busloads of "unaccompanied alien children" crossed the U.S. border during the Obama years? Obama "declared it an urgent humanitarian situation and named a federal coordinator to make sure the children are cared for  but offered no new ideas for how to keep them from trying to enter."

That was in 2014, and the White House expected the 60,000 "unaccompanied minor children" number to double in 2015. If they weren't apprehended, how were they measured? The MSNBC chart showed that only apprehensions were down, not actual illegal immigration, which was on the rise. Fake news.

No wonder the CBP chart showed a drop during the Obama years. The door was wide open, and only a fraction of those entering the country illegally were actually apprehended and measured for the sake of this statistical report.

This is similar to what was discovered, but hardly reported, after the Parkland school shooting. Many public schools have a policy of not reporting crimes in order to secure federal funding under the measure to supposedly prevent the "school-to-prison pipeline."

Police, in cahoots with the school boards, would ignore crimes, or downgrade their severity, as well as lose evidence, all to make their school statistics show little if any crime. And in exchange, the school boards would receive taxpayer dollars to use as they wished, whether to fund the re-election campaign of the local sheriff, complicit in the scheme, or pad the salaries and benefits of school administrators.

If they don't arrest or charge anyone with a crime, then statistically, the crime didn't happen. It's like the old axiom for medical interns: "If you don't take a temperature, you can't find a fever"  thereby avoiding hours of extra work evaluating the cause of the fever. Decriminalize an activity, and it goes away  statistically, anyway, but not in reality.

I suspect that Trump's numbers on illegal border crossing apprehensions reflect the reality that crossings are indeed way down because fewer are trying to cross the border illegally. The few who do are being apprehended at a much higher rate. Potential border-crossers fear Trump in a way they never feared Obama, especially now that Trump signed a memo ending "catch and release." There is a new sheriff in town.

The entire premise of illegal border crossings being down under Obama, and no lower under Trump, is either a lie or a damned lie. You can decide which.

The left is using dishonest statistics to push a false narrative, parroted by the complicit media. That explains why media distrust is at an all-time high.

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D., MPS is a Denver-based physician and writer. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.
What seemed as though it was going to be a dull news week  punctuated by sometimes fanciful articles from "sources" about what Special Counsel Mueller was up to  ended with a plethora of important news late Friday. To spare you having to wade through the mounds of drivel to get to it, I'm highlighting what I think is the important stuff, so you can enjoy this spring weekend.

The Budget

Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, unhampered because of the filibuster rule, which allows them to block any budget not supported by a Senate supermajority of 60, and aware of the desperate need of our military for funding, publicly rejoiced that they were able to force through Congress a ridiculously extravagant budget. Fiscal conservatives were furious, but the president had little choice but to sign the bill into law. "He who laughs last laughs best" is the saying, and in this case, there may be no joy in Demville. James Freeman at the Wall Street Journal explains:

The political left is getting nervous because a virtuous and lawful reduction in federal spending is suddenly looking much more likely. This column is told that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R., Wisc.) is now on board. Specifically, Mr. Ryan likes the idea of paring back the huge spending hikes in the recently enacted budget bill. While the budget required 60 votes in the Senate and therefore Democratic support, a "rescission" bill to repeal the spending increases needs only a simple majority in each house. ... It's a chance for Republicans to honor their promises of spending restraint and redeem themselves with a base turned off by the omnibus blowout. It's an opening for the GOP to highlight the degree to which Democrats used the bill to hold the military hostage to their own domestic boondoggles. And it's a chance for Mr. Trump to present himself again as an outsider, willing to use unconventional means to change Washington's spending culture. It's called the 1974 Impoundment Act, which allows the president to order the rescission of specific funds, so long as Congress approves those cuts within 45 days. ... The Senate being a clubby place, one might think the rescission bill would languish in committee there. But the budget law gives spending cutters super powers. A discharge motion is made automatically in order, and in the Senate it is a privileged motion. (This means it can cut in front of other business.) The motion is limited to one hour of debate  really fast work for the Senate. But wait, there's more: in the House, where there are also the Republicans, the Democrats, and the Appropriators (the latter of whom can be counted on to scuttle rescissions if they can get away with it), there are fast-track procedures, too. It takes only one-fifth of the Members of the House to force a floor vote on a rescission bill. When the bill comes to the floor the motion to proceed is "highly privileged" (that is, it takes precedence over all pending business)... Getting 50 Republican votes in the Senate will be made easier because they will be forced into an up-or-down vote  not the usual forest of complexity where they can hide in the tall grass. Ditto for House Republican appropriators. This week a number of media outlets reported that President Trump has been talking about rescission with House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.). Mr. Ryan's support, if paired with an endorsement by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.), would make it extremely difficult for appropriators to resist.

Upset about the budget deal? Get on the phone to your congressmen and senators and support rescission.

Illegal Immigration

Never say never to President Trump. Despite the best efforts of the Democrats to keep our borders wide open and to block legislation to deal with the issue, he is determined to preserve national security and sovereignty by controlling who enters the country and how.

Friday the president ordered an end to the "catch and release" Obama policy, where border-jumpers were captured and released with a rarely kept promise to return for an immigration hearing to determine whether they had a legal basis to remain here.

The attorney general explained the new policy  border-jumpers are going to be held and criminally prosecuted.

As part of the order, Trump is requesting "a detailed list of all existing facilities, including military facilities, that could be used, modified, or repurposed to detain aliens for violations of immigration law at or near the borders of the United States."

Trump has also directed Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security's Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to identify any other resources or steps "that may be needed to expeditiously end 'catch and release' practices."

National Guard troops are being deployed at the border to supplement and assist the Border Patrol. The president last year he added 50 immigration judges to handle the work. This year, it is anticipated that another 75 will join the roster, and they are being given quotas to process these cases more rapidly.

The Congressional-FBI/DOJ Standoff Is Broken

Sundance at Conservative Treehouse broke the welcome news early Saturday morning.

Until today the only people allowed to review the full Title-1 FISA application were Trey Gowdy, Adam Schiff, Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte and Rep John Ratcliffe. In an interesting development, the Department of Justice has responded to HPSCI Chairman Devin Nunes notifying him the DOJ will allow all members of the House and Senate Intelligence Committees full access to review the unredacted FBI/DOJ FISA application used to gain a Title-1 surveillance warrant against U.S. citizen Carter Page. According to CNN: 'Separately, Justice Department spokesman Ian Prior said the department on Monday will supplement its document production to the House Judiciary Committee by producing another 1,000 pages of materials in response to a subpoena issued by committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte.'

He surmises, not unreasonably, that the willingness to share this information more broadly suggests that the FISA application may soon be declassified. More importantly, it hints that the OIG and Sessions's designated prosecutor, U.S. attorney John Huber, have completed their own investigation into the content and sourcing of the FISA warrant application that permitted the surveillance of the Trump campaign.

Bill and Hillary Clinton's Corrupt International Charity Network Faces Countless Legal Challenges

Charles Ortel, a retired investment banker, has been doggedly researching the Clinton Foundation and international charity frauds and reporting on his findings on his blog and elsewhere. He has been assiduously tracing the Clintons' many false filings and substantial conduct violative of federal, state, and international laws relating to charities.

To take but one example: Since May of 2014, Haitians have been complaining about the work of both Clintons in Haiti while she was secretary of state and he was working with the Interim Haiti Recovery Commission.

For the Clintons, doing a bad job of it is no barrier  they regularly build on failure. Charles Ortel explains and documents stranger, and certainly illegal transactions involving "charity" in Haiti, this time involving not only the Clintons but also their new best friends forever, the Bush family. He focuses on a missing $37 million from the Clinton-Bush Haiti fund sent to a post office box in Baltimore where the fund had no office.

The story of the Clintons' misuse of charity solicitation, reporting, and accounting laws begins in 1997 and continues on past Clinton's term as president where people familiar to us in the present DOJ-FBI investigations failed to prosecute the Clintons for obvious charity fraud and violation of federal and state law on charitable solicitations. The most recent investigation of the Clinton foundation took place under Rod Rosenstein, then U.S. attorney for Baltimore. He utterly flubbed the task, as Ortel notes.

Records available through the FBI vault confirm that the FBI and DOJ attorneys conducted investigations, empaneled grand juries, and issued subpoenas, yet they were unable to bring indictments or gain convictions against the many individuals and entities linked to the Clinton charity, which clearly engaged in a raft of frauds, across state lines, and in numerous nations. These FBI records, many of which are heavily redacted even now, clearly show that former FBI Director James Comey played "leadership" roles in these epic failures and that Comey's predecessor as FBI chief, Robert Mueller, was personally aware of the course of these ineffective efforts after he assumed his duties in September 2001. ... Claims by the Clinton Foundation concerning its supposed grant to CBHF [Clinton Bush Haiti Fund] do not and cannot be squared with CBHF filings. Someone here is lying and many people are doing their best to cover up what looks like a crystal-clear instance of charity fraud and other serious crimes. How much money did the Clinton Foundation actually receive during 2010, while soliciting to help poor Haitians after their devastating earthquake? More important, where did the money raised for Haiti by Clinton, Bush, and their associates actually go? And remember, 2010 was a key election year, with much at stake for Democrats. We certainly will never know the answer to that question if we must rely on Rosenstein, Mueller and Comey, who, it must be remembered, were failing to catch obvious frauds during those early years.

At the moment, some state attorneys general are investigating Clinton foundation fraud and illegality. So are some foreign governments whose laws were violated by the foundation. While in the U.S. opportunities to prosecute longstanding frauds may be barred by the passage of time and the statute of limitations, this latest Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund transaction seems not to be. If I were to speculate, I'd suggest that it is not unlikely (now that the Clintons are fairly politically neutered) that whistleblowers inside the foundation, the donors' offices, and the government  particularly the IRS  may come forward, at long last, to expose the frauds which Rosenstein, Mueller, and Comey seem to have lacked the integrity and guts to do.
Fully qualified applicants for employment with Washington State government agencies are being clobbered by the diversity cudgel. Even if they congenially comply with most diversity principles, they may conscientiously object to the state's sanctuary status, which receives much of its rationale from diversity dicta. They should not be compelled to sacrifice their American conscience, nor surrender their love of a country with borders, to get a government job. There is no room for illegal aliens under the diversity umbrella.

The State of Washington, and several cities therein, have pronounced sanctuary status under the guise of diversity. Since commitment to diversity is used in the employment screening process, job candidates are pressured to embrace an agenda that welcomes illegal aliens. To get hired, they must acquiesce to doctrine that cloaks illegal aliens as "residents" and "immigrants," thereby becoming complicit in undermining the supremacy of federal law.

Most state government employment candidates should be judged apolitically, but Governor Jay Inslee has welcomed illegal aliens under the deceitful dogma of diversity. For example, he imposed a sanctuary regime when issuing Executive Order 17-01 with the title "Reaffirming Washington's Commitment to Tolerance, Diversity, and Inclusiveness." You can only imagine the mind-numbing liberal groupthink that concocted the P.C. platitudes it presents. Employment candidates (and workers not yet protected by unions) oppose the sanctuary policy at their peril.

Mollycoddling illegal aliens with illegal diversity decrees confounds many citizens who still want America to control its borders and retain its identity. This diversity dilution is problematic because the state's main H.R. online hub pays tribute to cultural sensitivity and equity  presumably for those legally authorized to work. Furthermore, job announcements from every single Wash. State agency contain purple prose urging applications from various minorities. Their intent closely parallels Inslee's sanctuary state proclamation, as well as the Sanctuary City Resolution from Olympia, the state's capital. Indeed, Olympia's resolution is actually posted under the "Diversity and Equity" section of ITS website.

Some common themes these documents present are respect for all, recognition of our ever changing demographics (accelerated by open borders), authentic selves, inclusiveness and equity, and a workforce reflective of their customers (which increasingly includes illegal aliens). The usual litany of special classes are afforded these protections. Indeed, it's already crowded, with only white males on the outside looking in, but now, per sanctuary state and city proclamations, illegal aliens are also covered.

It's apparent that Inslee's executive order pays deference to diversity doctrine in aiding and abetting illegal aliens. The main body contains approximately 1,100 words, but it has six  six  references to "diversity." It presents a list of dubious "Whereas" clauses highlighting the contributions of "undocumented immigrants," without considering their costs to society. There are many, including dependence upon government largesse, reliance on mandated services that help "limited English Proficient" people file claims for stuff, remedial education, and burdening our strained law enforcement and health care services. Bottom line: There's plenty of evidence that illegal aliens take more than they give. Yes, we are a generous people, but America first  Americans foremost.

Inslee's testament to so-called "tolerance, diversity and inclusiveness" also contains 12 references to "immigrants," as if repeating it will brainwash us; "undocumented" appears twice, but "illegal" is entirely omitted. "Residents" are mentioned a couple of times, completely glossing over the stark reality that illegal aliens are law-breaking interlopers. In fact, the whole document is a bunch of political propaganda that spuriously conflates legal and illegal immigration, demonstrating absolute disdain for immigrants who diligently follow the legal path, bringing with them skills and true value to our society. A decent citizen might reasonably recoil at this diversity subterfuge, potentially jeopardizing a career in state government when confronting the hiring managers' mad mandates.

Speaking of mad, Inslee's executive order really strains the propriety of diversity by asserting that Washington "embraces diversity with compassion and tolerance and recognizes the value of immigrants." Citizens at large, but especially job-seekers subjected to diversity measures, might ask, "What value?" Unquestionably, legal immigrants provide plenty, but many illegal aliens are ill educated and ill equipped to compete with resolute robots. The tireless robots can't pick strawberries  yet  but they are increasingly performing menial and repetitive jobs.

Frankly, illegal aliens actually bring neediness and dependence  in other words, a rationale for misguided liberal policies. Since they're "undocumented," there's no legitimate way they can complete form I-9 to prove their employment authorization. Pandering politicians looking to expand dependence on government welcome these destitute illegals-cum-residents who disproportionately drain our finite wealth. Conversely, legal immigrants  who are given short shrift by Inslee's propaganda  must show they have the resources and wherewithal to support themselves.

Inslee has political motives to concoct contrivances to expand and solidify his political power. In so doing, he's potentially subverting his Oath of Office, whereby he's obliged to "support the Constitution of the United States[.]" After all, at least in spirit and deed, he's flouting the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which reigns supreme over immigration laws. Fortunately, "average" citizens generally uphold the tenets of diversity and are probably more honorable than he is. Why should these decent people have to quell their repulsion to the corrosion of America's character in order to become a dedicated public servant?

Why should law-abiding citizens who are qualified for a state job be dinged by diversity that pretends we are not the United States, but the United Nations? Just as it is illegal to discriminate based upon national origin, it should be impermissible to discriminate against workers who respect our nation...and its borders. Distorting diversity to decriminalize illegal aliens in a sanctuary state is neither tolerant, nor diverse, nor inclusive.

It is already very crowded underneath the untouchable umbrella of diversity. There is no room for illegal aliens.
Liberals were in for a surprise when legal Asian immigrant families fought back at their efforts to dump the homeless of Orange County into their ICity of Irvine community, thinking that since they were Asians, they wouldn't complain.

Apparently, they complained mightily, as this story in the Los Angeles Times shows:

Many of the loudest voices in the movement to block the shelter plan were Chinese Americans who came together through social media apps and various community groups. They were joined by immigrants from South Korea, India, Mexico and the Middle East, along with some whites. They rallied to protect their community from what they see as the ills of homeless camps, which many argued don't belong in their famously clean, safe, family-oriented planned community. Their protests helped persuade the Orange County Board of Supervisors to overturn the shelter proposal, leaving the county without a homeless plan at a time when the population is growing and officials are shutting down tent cities along the Santa Ana River.

The people they didn't want dumped into their community to mix it up with their school children and tiger moms were these:

Source: YouTube

According to MyNewsLA.com, the cleanup of this Santa Ana River camp has left 404 tons of garbage, 13,950 needles, and 5,279 pounds of human waste. You kind of wonder who had to count those needles and weigh all the vomit and excrement.

Sound like great neighbors for property values and schoolchildren safety.

Which of course is why they protested.

And it makes sense that they did. Demographically, they do have many growing young families in their numbers, with two-parent households, productive employment, and a community itself that is vibrant and growing. It's a bright spot.

Imagine being a legal immigrant, getting a route out of the choking communism of China, the stagnation and corruption of the Philippines, or the excessive competitiveness of South Korea, making it to the states, getting a green card, and then with a new life ahead of you, driving forward to make your life better than it would have been had you stayed home. You want your kids to succeed, you savor that great second chance America offers and you work like heck to achieve the American Dream.

Now picture the local liberals, who are mostly white, who want to dump the crime, drug-dealing, substance abuse, garbage, thievery, panhandling, property damage and public urination and excrement onto your streets, reducing the quality of your entire life so that a number of liberal bureaucrats can be employed to institutionalize and propagate the problem.

Nope, not going to take it. And note that the Los Angeles Times piece reports that this is the first time many of the legal immigrants (isn't it a shame we have to say 'legal' to assure this isn't misconstrued?) have taken part in civic action. It's good for them -- and maybe they will pay close attention to who they vote for now, given that the left doesn't particularly care for the aspirations of Asian Americans.

It's actually very similar to another protest that was held in another part of Orange County, the protests of immigrant homeowners in Murietta, California a few years back, when the Obama administration's planned to dump thousands of illegal immigrants onto their community of 100,000. The Times and the rest of the media failed to report that it was mostly Iranian and other legal immigrants leading that charge.

You'd think the liberals running the county would know better, but, actually, they were trying to pull a fast one, dumping the homeless onto the legal Asian immigrant community of Irvine, which according to the story, they consider "beautiful" (my limited view of it, from Highway 5, suggests it's actually just a cascade of glassy built-yesterday skyscrapers, but they can consider it beautiful if they want) instead of one the tonier beach communities where the Housewives of Orange County live, such as Dana Point or Laguna Beach.

To the rest of us, what was obvious was that they tried to fob another problem off onto a community they thought would stay silent, and guess what, they didn't. What's nice about this is that they will have a very difficult time yelling racism, given the ethnic reversals here. What the immigrants are doing is useful to all communities - making officials think twice before dumping humongous social problems onto growing communities.


A portion of a state highway in East Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania collapsed, and damaged two apartment buildings housing 8 people. Only by the grace of God (or luck, if you prefer) was nobody hurt. CBS Pittsburgh reports:

Two apartment buildings were destroyed when part of Route 30 collapsed in East Pittsburgh on Saturday. By the grace of God, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ that we got out in time because the way that building looked today, we would have been dead, said Andrea Knox.

A screen grab of KDKA TVs aerial view of the highway shows that it seems to have simply collapsed.

Evidently, further collapse is anticipated:

Crews have been clearing away debris all Saturday evening. Nearby, a white home sits and theres only a matter of time before it could go too.

There is information about the poor residents forced from their homes, but nary a word in the article about the causes of the collapse. Lets not mince words: we are well into third world territory here. How can this collapse be anything but evidence of criminal negligence? How can a local news report not even mention causes, or at least print that Pennsylvania Department of Transportation officials refused comment on the causes, pending an investigation?

Get used to thinking of our beloved homeland as a third world country. This was not an act of nature.

Our military aircraft are falling from the skies in training exercises, and our highways are crumbling. Xi Jin-ping watches and wonders when the paper tiger of American power will be most vulnerable, and Americans wonder of that bridge ahead is really safe to cross.

We are in more trouble than we want to admit. While our public attention is focused on microaggressions and transgenders, we have neglected the fundamentals of a complex technological society.
In stunning contrast to the failure of Broward County and Parkland, Florida authorities to do anything about a mentally disturbed student acquiring the instruments of mayhem, a gun store owner in Syracuse, New York stepped up and did the right thing when a clear and present danger presented itself. Syracuse.com reports on the threat everted:

A Syracuse University student, who had stockpiled ammunition and gun accessories in his downtown apartment, was stopped before carrying out threats of a mass shooting, city police revealed today. Xiaoteng Zhan, 22, was deported back to China by federal agents March 20 as he returned to Syracuse from spring break in Mexico, Syracuse Deputy Police Chief Derek McGork said. Zhan told a friend that the "dark side" had pushed him to buy a gun, bulletproof vest and other items, McGork said, reading from an English translation of their messages. "I might use the gun to cause trouble," Zhan said, adding, "I have been preparing." When his alarmed friend begged him not to shoot children or kill her, Zhan responded: "You're the only one I don't want to kill."

Later in the story, we learn that it was someone dependent on the Second Amendment for his livelihood who saw the danger sign and called the cops in:

It all started with a tip March 12 from The Gun Store, in Nelson, which said Zhan wanted to buy an AR-15 rifle -- the weapon of choice in many recent mass shootings. The owner called police, noting that Zhan was not a U.S. citizen but was here legally on a student visa. Zhan had a valid hunting license -- which he picked up the day before -- which allowed him to possess a gun as a non-citizen, McGork said. Zhan had taken gun safety courses in Verona. Zhan also asked the gun store about high capacity shotguns, McGork said. The store owner followed Zhan into the parking lot after refusing to sell him firearms. He copied down the license plate number.

The tip started the investigation that led to Zhans apprehension and deportation.

The gun shop owner, John Laubscher, told Syracuse.com:

"He had a desire to buy a certain thing," said Laubscher, the owner of The Gun Shop and AJ's Archery. "As we got into the conversation, nothing was lining up. All of his answers to questions were different than the guns he was looking at." (snip)

The warning signs started piling up for Laubscher: A high-capacity shotgun isn't needed for hunting.

Zhan had just got his hunting license, which as a non-U.S. citizen he need to buy a gun in New York state.

Zhan didn't know how to use the gun.

Zhan said Syracuse University offered a class on how to use the weapon. Laubscher, who earned his master's degree from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, knew SU didn't offer such a class. "Later on, when we asked him where his training was going to occur, it probably wasn't realistic that he was gonna learn to shoot a gun at college, and in the classroom," Laubscher said. "That just made no sense and set off all the alarms."

Here is video of the hero explaining his thinking:

The striking sense of civic duty from someone who gave up the opportunity to make a sale sharply contrasts with the laxity of the Broward County Sheriff and the Parkland public schools. I am sure that the people sponsoring David Hogg's celebrity moment think of gun shop owners as merchants of death and think the Sheriff Israel's forces should be the only ones with guns. But look how reliance on them has worked out.

Hat tiup: The Right Scoop
President Obama's cowardly chemical weapons policy in Syria is continuing to haunt civilians as a Syrian human rights group has accused the Assad regime of launching another chemical attack on innocents.

On April 6, 2018 however, Syrian-Iranian alliance forces resumed bombing Douma city after negotiations were obstructed, as Russian-Syrian air forces carried out about 350 airstrikes over the course of two days while Syrian regime helicopters dropped no less than 120 barrel bombs. Approximately 180,000 civilians remain trapped in Douma city inside shelters and basements in light of an extremely dire situation on all fronts  medical, health, and food as there is no end in sight for the air and ground shelling.



On April 7, 2018, Syrian regime forces carried out two air chemical attacks in northern Douma city within three hours. The first attack was at 16:00 near Sada bakery building in Omar ben al Khattab Street that resulted in 15 injuries. The second attack took place at approximately 19:30 near al Shuhada Square in Numan area and resulted in the killing of no less than 55 individuals, while 860 civilians were injured at least. Some paramedics and civil defense members reported severe symptoms on the injured, as all of the people who were affected suffered from acute dyspnea, while some suffered from conjunctivitis and miosis.

The current offensive centers on Eastern Ghouta outside of Damascus where rebels have been pinned down for several weeks trying to fight off attacks by Syrian-Iranian forces. The area has now been split into three sections and Syrian forces appear to be trying to reduce the city to rubble.

The US has called the chemical attack "horrifying":

Reuters:

The U.S. State Department said on Saturday reports of mass casualties from an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria, were "horrifying" and would demand an international response if confirmed. "These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement. Citing a history of chemical weapons use by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, Nauert said Assad's government and its backer Russia needed to be held accountable and "any further attacks prevented immediately." "Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks," Nauert said. Russia dismissed reports of the deadly chemical attack in Douma, Interfax news service reported on Sunday, citing Russia's Ministry of Defense. "We decidedly refute this information," Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation center in Syria, was cited as saying.

You will recall that after the first reported chemical attacks on civilians by Syrian forces, President Obama drew his famous "red line" saying there would be consequences if Syria used WMD again. He made that threat without consulting his military leaders or state department. In the end, the threat ended up being as empty as Obama's suit.

Obama was bailed out of his dilemma when Russia graciously offered to remove Syrian chemical weapons and shut down production. Obama assured the American people that the Russians had completely disarmed Assad of chemical weapons.

But the attacks have continued, killing hundreds of civilians and maiming thousands more. This makes the Russians directly complicit in the attacks. Either they failed to remove all chemical weapons to begin with, or they knew that Assad still had a considerable stockpile. Either way, they are running diplomatic interference for Assad by denying these attacks.

With the caveat that this video doesn't really show much and that we should always judge statements and claims from either side in this war with a skeptical eye, you can decide for yourself if a chemical attack occurred or not.
Jack Dunphy, a police officer for more than 20 years, has a column in PJ Media about a proposed law in California that would give prosecutors more leeway in charging police officers with crimes as a result of confrontations with armed suspects.

Dunphy, not surprisingly, usually supports officers who find themselves in impossible situations where drawing their weapons and firing them is justified. But he draws the line when it comes to officers whose actions prior to the shooting could have resulted in a non-violent outcome.

Specifically, he thinks the shooting in Baton Rouge in July of 2016 of Alton Sterling fell in that gray area where officers handled the confrontation badly and ended in a needless shooting. Dunphy believes that the prosecution of the two officers involved is political but that some disciplinary action should have been taken against them.

Another recent shooting in Sacramento of Stephon Clark has now led to proposed legislation in California that is, as Dunphy describes it, "harebrained."

Here in California, the home of bad ideas, lawmakers are considering legislationthat would make it easier to prosecute police officers under similar circumstances. We have been deeply saddened and frustrated by the killing of black and brown men by law enforcement, said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), the bill's author. It seems that the worst possible outcome is increasingly the only outcome that we experience. The proposed law would change the legal standard by which police use of force is judged from one of reasonableness to one of necessity. It would also allow prosecutors to consider an officers efforts -- or lack of effort -- to deescalate a situation in determining if the officer had violated the law, and it would mandate that prosecutors evaluate an officers actions that led up to a shooting. Thus, if officers make a tactical blunder like those in the Alton Sterling incident, and after that blunder shoot a suspect, the officers could conceivably be criminally culpable even if defending themselves against a deadly threat. The proposed law is harebrained for many reasons, primarily for the fact that it doesnt define, as most criminal laws do, any prohibited or mandated act. For a successful prosecution, district attorneys must be able to prove each and every element of a crime. In a robbery, for example, they must prove that a defendant took property by means of force or fear. For a burglary, they must prove a defendant entered a structure with the intent to commit a felony or a theft. Take away any one of these elements and the crime has not occurred. But in Webers proposed law, police officers wont know with certainty which acts are prohibited or required, only that if they find themselves in the center of controversy for having shot someone, their actions will be scrutinized by people who a) have no experience in police work, and b) may be more concerned with political ramifications than with protecting a community against crime. Violent crime is already on the rise in California. This proposed law wont help.

It's not hard to imagine how this law will tie the hands of police officers and expose them to grave risk. At the very least, it will cause some of them to hestitate. And that could lead to tragedy every bit as painful as an officer shooting a suspect.

We pay police officers to take those risks. But we don't pay them to needlessly expose themselves to danger. If there was a chance that the law could reduce the number of casualties on the streets of both officers and suspects, it might do some good. But as I see it, officers in a confrontation with an armed suspect (or someone they believe to be armed) will now be sitting ducks, at the mercy of a potential cop killer who doesn't have to worry about whether his shooting is legal.
A man named Michael McGowan has been arrested in Roanoke, VA and is reported by WDBJ TV to have been charged with

"making a threatening communication through interstate commerce" Friday, according to a release sent out by the Department of Justice.

Under the Twitter handle of LittleMac, McGowan has been threatening Goodlatte with execution, with absolutely no removal by Twitter, despite its longstanding notoriety for banning conservatives for violating community standards.

The Department of Justice says on December 17, 2017, McGowan tweeted to Congressman Goodlatte multiple times saying: I will do this in full belief I am defending the constitution of the United States. I am not making a joke. I will kill him. Should you believe my doing so would be illegal please arrest me so we can have this discussion in court BEFORE I actually do it. Thank you. According to the Department of Justice, Botetourt County deputies went to McGowan's home to interview him the next day, where McGowan admitted to sending the tweets. McGowan also told deputies that day that he "did not own firearms and did not intend on hurting Congressman Goodlatte or anyone else," the release stated.

Threatened multiple times on Twitter with assasination

Here is but one example:

If you fail to impeach Trump at such a point, I will consider you an enemy combatant attempting to circumvent our legal foundations and treat you accordingly. Aka....but a bullet between your eyes if you resist citizens arrest. Mac/out  Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) December 18, 2017

Following the authorities visit and his promise to refrain, McGowan apparently could not restrain himself:

#1: threatened my congressman with violence #2: stated I would kill people. #3: pretty much declared I would commit a plethora of anti-social behavior, publicly. Whom would like to bet I can purchase a gun three days from now and NOT be locked up in jail? #proudtobeanAmerican  Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) April 1, 2018

#1: threatened my congressman with violence #2: stated I would kill people. #3: pretty much declared I would commit a plethora of anti-social behavior, publicly. Whom would like to bet I can purchase a gun three days from now and NOT be locked up in jail? #proudtobeanAmerican  Little Mac (@LittleMacMcG) April 1, 2018

This led to his arrest Friday. He will appear for a bond hearing next Wednesday.

The hypocrisy of Twitter in tolerating threats of murder against a Republican while promiscuously banning conservatives who make no threats is but one layer. McGowan is a big Twitter fan of the Democrat candidate running against Bb Goodlatte in November, primarily on an anti-gun platform. My friend Mark Fitzgibbons has challenged the candidate, Jennifer Lewis, to repudiate her gun-toting, candidate-threatening supporter.

Of course, nobody is holding their breath waiting for Twitter or Lewis to be consistent. They can just use their power over the publics access to information to ignore it. And as for McGiwan, the supporter of gun grabbing who wants to use his guns to kill Republicans, a lack of consistency is the least of his problems.

The real issue is the complicity of institutions fromTwitter to Shakespeare in the Park in normalizing violence against Republicans and conservatives.
Last month, readers of the Washington Post were treated to an AP article by Bradley Klapper and Karel Janicek detailing the pedophilia conviction of George Nader, who has been identified as a cooperating witness in the Robert Mueller special counsel investigation. But Ryan Saavdera of the Daily Wire noticed that the article has been removed from the WaPos archive, with no retraction or formal notice of any kind.

The article, titled "Nader, Muellers latest cooperator, a convicted pedophile," was published on March 15 and documented George Nader's "15-year-old pedophilia conviction in Europe that has not been previously reported." However, at some point over the last couple of weeks, The Washington Post decided to delete the article without offering any explanation or retraction. (A digital archive can be viewed here.)

Vanished headline (Via the internet archive)

The archived article is colorful and a bit and sensationalistic, starting with the detaining (arrest?) of Nader at Dulles Airport:

It was a few days before the one-year anniversary of President Donald Trumps inauguration and a Lebanese-American businessman was on his way to Mar-a-Lago. George Nader, an international fixer whose long history included intrepid back-channel mediation between Israel and Arab countries  and a 15-year-old pedophilia conviction in Europe that has not been previously reported  was transiting through Dulles International Airport outside Washington. It was hardly his first far-flung journey to see top aides of the worlds most powerful leader, as Nader had met the U.S. presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and chief strategist Steve Bannon in the days before they stormed the White House. But he encountered an altogether different scene awaiting him at the airport. There, special counsel Robert Muellers investigators stopped Nader, people familiar with the case said. His electronics were seized and he was then allowed to go to his lawyer. Nader later agreed to cooperate with Muellers investigation, said the people with knowledge of the case as it pertains to Nader. They werent authorized to speak publicly on the case and demanded anonymity.

The article in the WaPo makes clear, based on leaks that the investigation has strayed far from its original mission of election collusion with Russia:

Mueller, whose team has spent the last 10 months investigating possible Trump-related wrongdoing connected to Russia, is interested in high-level get-togethers Nader participated in after the presidential election, according to three people familiar with the case. The first took place in Trump Tower in New York in December 2016 and brought together Nader, Kushner, Bannon  whom Trump fired last August  and Mohammed bin Zayed, the crown prince of Abu Dhabi and de facto leader of the United Arab Emirates. The second occurred a month later in the Indian Ocean archipelago of Seychelles and involved Nader, bin Zayed, former Blackwater boss Erik Prince and Kirill Dmitriev, a Russian banker close to President Vladimir Putin.

The piece includes details of the conviction, but admits:

Naders legal problems in Prague appear unrelated to his role in Muellers probe in the United States. But they contribute to the portrait of a man who has led a shadowy existence as a go-between across numerous Middle East capitals and who gave testimony to Muellers Washington grand jury earlier this month.

At this point, it is impossible to know why the Post pulled the story without comment. Has Nader turned into a major witness with pay dirt? If so (and I consider this unlikely), did Muellers team call up the Post and ask it to make embarrassing details about their star witness disappear? That seems heavy-handed, unethical, and counter-productive in the long run. In fact, it is hard to believe.

So, the other major possibility seems to be that this witness has turned out to be a nothingburger, an embarrassment to the investigators. But if so, how did the WaPo get the message that the article is an inconvenience and take the unusual action od deep-sixing it?

Or, is there some other factor at work. Was the WaPo threatened with libel action? If so, what did it get wrong, and why did it not publish a retraction?

Most puzzlng of all: th story fromt he AP ran in many other news outselts, and still is available.

All in all, a small clue that something is going on behind the scenes between the Trump-hating WaPo and the relentless prosecutor determined to find the crime  somewhere, somehow  that will bring down the President of the United States.
Liberals tell us that wherever there is a racial disparity, there is racism. If an employer doesn't have enough blacks to match the population, the employer is racist. If a school doesn't have enough black students, the school is racist. If minorities don't score as well on a test, the test is racist.

Using that standard, I was surprised to find that the world of African Art is inherently racist. It turns out that most curators of African Art are white. That means that museums, which hire curators, are racist.

A recent decision by the Brooklyn Museum to hire a white person as an African art consulting curator has prompted opposition on social media and from an anti-gentrification activist group that argues the selection perpetuated ongoing legacies of oppression. In response to a letter from the group that stated its concerns, Anne Pasternak, the director of the Brooklyn Museum, said in a statement on Friday that the museum unequivocally stood by its selection of Kristen Windmuller-Luna for the position. Dr. Windmuller-Luna, 31, has Ph.D. and M.A. degrees from Princeton, and a bachelors degree in the history of art from Yale. In its letter earlier this week, the activist group Decolonize This Placecalled the museums selection of Dr. Windmuller-Luna tone-deaf and said that no matter how one parses it, the appointment is simply not a good look in this day and age. The group said the appointment was not a surprise, though, citing pervasive structures of white supremacy in the art field.

Right on, brothers! So Windmuller-Luna has a Ph.D and an M.A.--these are white qualifications. But what are her political qualifications? What is her degree of political consciousness? How many drops of black blood, if any, does she have? From the looks of the photo below, not many!

Kristen Windmiller-Luna / Credit: The Brooklyn Museum

Above, a photo of Dr. Windmuller-Luna. Do you think they hired the whitest person they could find? It's an insult to black people everywhere!

Marla C. Berns, a director at the Fowler Museum at the University of California, Los Angeles, which highlights art and material culture from Africa, among other regions, said on Friday that there were not a lot of curators and academics of African-American or African descent who specialized in African arts.

And whose fault is that? The universities!

Blacks are equally qualified to curate Black art objects as White people (if not superior!). Blacks are equally interested in curating Black art objects as White people (if not more so!). Therefore, if there are fewer Black art graduates, then the inescapable conclusion is that universities which offer art degrees are racist. When will places like Yale and Princeton be investigated for this? For how many years have they have been turning away qualified black applicants to perpetuate "pervasive structures of white supremacy in the art field"?

And when will museums be called to task for stocking their collections primarily with the works of white artists? Just look at all the artists who are featured in museums:

Van Gogh? White!

Monet? White!

Picasso? White!

Bob Ross? White!

Why is there a systematic effort to exclude the most famous black painters from the 17th, 18th, and 19th century? Where are the oil paintings of Zimbabwe, the frescos of Somalia, or the tapestries of Tanzania? All missing!

It's racism!

And what's saddest about all of this is that the targets of liberal ire are liberals.

Ed Straker is the senior writer at Newsmachete.com.
Lunaticoutpost.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program , anaffiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.Amazon, the Amazon logo, MYHABIT, and the MYHABIT logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates.Don't be a pest to the forum.No profanity in thread-titles or usernamesNo excessive profanity in postsNo Racism, Antisemitism + HateNo calls for violence against anyone..This website exists for fun and discussion only. The reader is responsible for discerning the validity, factuality or implications of information posted here, be it fictional or based on real events. The content of posts on this site, including but not limited to links to other web sites, are the expressed opinion of the original poster and are in no way representative of or endorsed by the owners or administration of this website. The posts on this website are the opinion of the specific author and are not statements of advice, opinion, or factual information on behalf of the owner or administration of LunaticOutPost.Com. The owners or administration of this website can't be hold responsible for content hosted on sites that posters link to in; including, but not limited to, posts, signatures, private messages and such. This site may contain content not suitable for minors and if you feel you might be offended by such content, you should log off immediately.This site may contain copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. Users may make such material available in an effort to advance awareness and understanding of issues relating to civil rights, economics, individual rights, international affairs, liberty, science & technology, etc. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material. The material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes.In accordance with industry accepted best practices we ask that users limit their copy / paste of copyrighted material to the relevant portions of the article you wish to discuss (no more than 50% of the source material) provide a link back to the original articleIf you are a legal copyright holder or a designated agent for such and you believe a post on this website falls outside the boundaries of "Fair Use" and legitimately infringes on yours or your clients copyright please contact [email protected] This website is owned by :Marco ZwaneveldDrijfriemstraat 522516 XR The HagueNetherlands.I will not rent, sell, share or otherwise disclose your personal information to any third party.We might contact you from time to time regarding your purchases or the services (like forums and announcement lists) you have subscribed to.Some of the 3rd party advertisers on lunaticoutpost.com may use cookiesto track peformance and/or to serve relevant ads.If you wish to read more and/or opt out of such cookies, please visit: http://www.networkadvertising.org/choices/
Underpinned on the CMF-CD platform, the French brother of the Nissan Qashqai needs to be refreshed as soon as Renault can. The Qashqai, known as the Rogue Sport in the United States, went through the mid-cycle redesign back in mid-2017.Unveiled in 2015 at the Geneva Motor Show, the Kadjar is expected to roll out the facelift sometime in early 2019. The newcomer was first photographed in March 2018 , and even the prototype were talking about today is still far from being ready for production. Nevertheless, the 2018 model year brought a couple of upgrades.As a brief refresher, the compact crossover utility vehicle can now be had with a continuously variable transmission and the TCe 165 . The four-cylinder engine is a rebadged Nissan 1.6 DIG-T MR16DDT, developing 165 PS and 240 Nm (177 lb-ft) of torque. But with the facelift, another engine is expected to be added to the range.That would be the 1.3-liter turbo unveiled by Renault and Mercedes-Benz in December 2017. Dubbed TCe in Renaults technical jargon, the four-cylinder should be good for anything between 100 and 160 PS, depending on the market.In terms of sales, the Kadjar finished seventh in the compact utility vehicle segment in 2017 in Europe with 111,705 examples to its name. Thats 14 percent down on 2016 (130,090 examples), and a lot less than the Nissan Qashqai.Between the two crossovers from the Renault-Nissan alliance , youll find the Volkswagen Tiguan on second, Peugeot 3008, Hyundai Tucson, Ford Kuga, and the Kia Sportage on sixth place. The remaining three models in the top ten consist of the SEAT Ateca, Mazda CX-5, and Jeep Compass.
Dodge pulled a similar trick with the Hellcat, the 6.2-liter S/C V8-powered Challenger and Charger that pushed the envelope to a level the competition wasnt prepared to tackle. Then the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk came on the scene with 707 ponies, after which Dodge leveled up to the Demon Make no mistake about it, the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 will find application in the all-new Ram 1500. Expected to arrive for the 2021 model year in 2020, the newcomer has been previewed in 2016 by the Ram Rebel TRX Concept.Citing " inside sources ," 5thgenrams.com reports that the Rebel TRX will be joined by a second engine option. Called Rebel TR, the second derivative is anticipated to debut an all-new 7.0-liter (426 cu.in.) HEMI V8. The N/A engine is codenamed Banshee after the McDonnel F2H Banshee jet fighter aircraft.Engineers are reported to be working on the TRX to deliver 707 horsepower from the Hellcat V8, not 575 ponies like the concept . The Rebel TR with the Banshee V8 wont be as powerful, but its certain to put up a fair fight against the twin-turbo V6-engined Ford F-150 Raptor (450 horsepower; 510 lb-ft).If the information in the report will be proven true by FCA, where does this leave the Ford Motor Company? With up to 707 horsepower, the Ram 1500 will dominate the segment regarding output. What's more, it will be interesting to see if GM is preparing something for the Silverado 1500 Considering that FCA intends to drop the Hellcat V8 in the Ram Rebel TRX, can you imagine Jeep doing the same with the Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer? The Scrambler pickup , which shares some of the underpinnings with the Ram 1500, is another possible candidate for the Hellcat V8.
Not many people are aware that space stations, satellites, supply capsules and every conceivable piece of technology that was once in space is remotely stored somewhere in the Pacific Ocean, thousands of miles away from any land mass in any direction.The reason for putting so much hardware to rest in such a remote location is simple: fear of deadly impact and/or contamination.As you might guess, having several tons of metal fall onto a city is a pretty dumb idea. Thats why ever since the inception of the space program, the areas of choice for space debris to fall has been over water.No one really knows what goes on in space in terms of contamination, so storing former orbit machinery inlandis just as dumb of an idea. A remote, water-based location had to be chosen for the task.Point Nemo is the not-so-scientific name given to the so called pole of inaccessibility. This point is a location on either land or sea that is the most difficult to reach due to its remote location. On Earth, there are several such Points Nemo.In the North, the pole of inaccessibility is located on the Arctic Ocean, 1,008 km (626 miles) from the three closest landmasses: Ellesmere Island, Komsomolets Island, and Henrietta Island. In the South, this point is located on the Antarctic, 878 km (546 miles) from the South Pole.The continents have such regions as well. Somewhere in South Dakota lies the North American Point Nemo. In South America that point is located in Brazil. For Eurasia, the furthest point from anything is in northwestern China, near the Kazakhstan border.None of the above mentioned distant points were suited for sending space junk, since most of them are on land. Luckily, such a point lies right in the path of falling orbiting machinery, 2,688 km (1,670 miles) from the nearest land, smack down in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.Agencies that deal in space exploration have two ways of ridding themselves of decrepit pieces of hardware. Depending on various factors, satellites and space stations could be sent flying away from Earth or sent crashing back down to the planet from where they came from.In case agencies choose to send satellites further into space, they are placed into a so-called graveyard orbit, 322 km (200 miles) away from the farthest active satellites. That means at an altitude of over 36,000 km (22,400 miles) above Earth.Objects sent to that place would stay there for millennia to come, trapped in orbit. In all, estimates say there are currently over half a million trackable pieces of man-made space debris circling the Earth at 28,000 km/h (17,500 miles per hour) on various orbits. Nearly 180 million smaller, harder to detect debris are also out there.From time to time, agencies choose for one reason or another to de-orbit something. In most cases, the objects chosen for this task are small enough to be completely burned at re-entry, with nothing left to fall onto the ground. Such a practice was established sometime in 1993 to free up the lower orbits.In some cases, object may prove to be to big to just vanish into thin air. When that is the case, rocket scientists try to send the object on a trajectory that would have it crash at Point Nemo in the Pacific. The operation requires a lot of precise mathematics, phisycs and other such sciences.Estimates are that the area is how permanent home to over 300 pieces of space equipment. Submerged in the waters of the Pacific are a host of unmanned resupply spacecraft to the International Space Station, European and Japanese space agencies machines, and a myriad of other hardware.The star of the cemetery is however the worlds first real space station, Russian-built Mir. At the time of its de-orbiting, in 2001, it was the largest spacecraft ever to reenter the Earth's atmosphere, so a very careful, three-stage plan had to be executed to ensure it safely reaches the designated spot.Mir ended up somewhere in the point of inaccessibility area, but debris from the space station fell on a 1,500 km (930 miles)-long area that followed its atmospheric trajectory.To be noted is the fact that spacecraft stored in the so called spacecraft cemetary are not taken there after falling somewhere else, but they are made to crash in that area. There is no information available whether someone has really been there since the practice has been established.
Last month, Daimler announced it is getting involved in quantum computer research, together with tech giant Google. As a result of the collaboration, the automaker will use Googles 72-qubit Bristlecone chip for several of its processes.In January, a self-proclaimed digital manufacturing company called Hackrod announced it plans to use generative design, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and a cloud-based supply chain to create any car dreamt of by its customers.The big names of the industry have already been involved in some type of AI research for years now, but French group PSA took the fight to a whole new level after becoming a founding member of the Paris PRAIRIE Institute, an organization aiming to become the world leader in artificial intelligence research.PSA joined forces in this project with a select group of companies, that range from Internet behemoths Facebook, Amazon and Google to IT giant Microsoft and auto part manufacturer Valeo.PRAIRIE will try to become the leader in AI research by promoting innovation and transfer of ideas at an international level. Training In the field would also be conducted by the institute.The project is open to all companies planning to pitch in ideas and draw from the expertise of others. The end game is creating a technology capable of solving concrete problems with a major application-related impact.Working with the scientific community to bring academic and business interests together is part of Groupe PSAs DNA as an innovator, said Carla Gohin, PSA vice president for research and innovation.Were proud to be the first car manufacturer to join the PRAIRIE Institute, whose holistic approach will enable us to develop our AI capabilities and move faster to open up the realm of possibilities for automotive applications.
"A chemical attack on a [Syrian] rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta has killed dozens of people, medical services reported, and Washington said the reports  if confirmed  would demand an immediate international response," per Reuters: "A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service ... said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday." That death toll has risen since, though the exact number is unclear.

Who's to blame: Per the N.Y. Times: "Medical and rescue groups blamed President Bashar al-Assads government for the assault on the suburb east of the capital, Damascus."

This article has been updated to reflect new information.
Since Stephon Clark, an unarmed black man, was shot eight times from behind by Sacramento police in early March, the conversation surrounding policing in America's minority communities has once again become prevalent. Legislators and activists are now looking at ways the issue can be solved.

Why it matters: According to data from the Washington Post, 294 people have been killed by police in 2018 and at least 21% of them are black  Clark is one of the latest. Since his death, a number of protests have spawned demanding accountability and solutions from police officers.

What they're doing: The California state legislature, in partnership with various activist groups, are introducing two bills that could deter situations like Clark's in the future.

The bills

Assembly Bill 931 changes police policy when it comes to deadly force. Officers are currently permitted to use deadly force "when reasonable," California Assembly Member Shirley Weber said on Wednesday. This bill changes that stipulation to "when necessary."

changes police policy when it comes to deadly force. Officers are currently permitted to use deadly force "when reasonable," California Assembly Member Shirley Weber said on Wednesday. This bill changes that stipulation to "when necessary." Senate Bill 1421 would give the public and hiring agencies access to law enforcement records related to officer use of force, on the job sexual assault or dishonesty related to an investigation. Those records are currently confidential under state law.

The other side: The Peace Officers Research Association of California said Assembly Bill 931 places the public at a greater risk because it "deceptively pretends that creating a checklist" of when force is necessary is easy to do. It called the bill "irresponsible."

A bill similar to SB 1421 was rejected in 2016 because of concerns it would be too invasive for state employees outside of peace officers.

The impact

Between 2005 and 2017, 80 officers have been arrested on murder or manslaughter charges, according to a Bowling Green State University study. If AB 931 is passed, that number could increase in California.

"Weve seen a lot of excessive force, or what seems to be excessive force, from video because officers said they perceived a threat. Did they really? Your guess is as good as mine."

 Geoffrey P. Alpert, professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of South Carolina

California would become the first state to put this restriction on officers through legislation, according to Peter Bibring, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU. However, he said that the police departments in San Francisco, Seattle, New Orleans, Chicago and Philadelphia all have elements of the law in their policies.

George Galvis, the executive director of CURYJ, an Oakland-based organization devoted to ending mass incarceration, said SB 1421 would give the public a new way of holding officers and their departments accountable and would stop officers from targeting minorities like Clark.

What's next: Both bills have been introduced in the California state Senate and must pass through the state legislature before they become law. The last day the bill can pass through each house is August 31. If they do, Governor Jerry Brown must make a decision to sign or veto by September 30.
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Legalizing Drugs in the United States and Western Countries LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-08-2018 05:36 AM











Post: #1 Legalizing Drugs in the United States and Western Countries

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The British struck upon an ingenious way to reduce a huge trade deficit. Their merchants bribed Chinese officials to allow entry of chests of opium from British-ruled India, though its importation had long been banned by imperial decree. Imports soared, and nearly every American company followed suit, acquiring ''black dirt'' in Turkey or as agents for Indian producers.



Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu proceeded to Canton, seized vast stocks of opium and dumped the chests in the sea. This, plus a melee in which drunken sailors killed a Chinese villager, furnished the spark for the Opium War, initiated by Lord Palmerston, the British Prime Minister, and waged with determination to obtain full compensation for the opium. The Celestial Empire was humbled, forced to open five ports to foreign traders and to permit a British colony at Hong Kong.



But as noteworthy, the war was denounced in Parliament as ''unjust and iniquitous'' by 30-year-old William Ewart Gladstone, who accused Palmerston of hoisting the British flag ''to protect an infamous contraband traffic.'' The same outrage was expressed in the pulpit and the press, in America and England, thereby encouraging Russell & Company and most other American businesses to pull out of the opium trade.



Warren Delano returned to America rich, and in 1851 settled in Newburgh, N.Y. There he eventually gave his daughter Sara in marriage to a well-born neighbor, James Roosevelt, the father of Franklin Roosevelt. The old China trader was close-mouthed about opium, as were his partners in Russell & Company. It is not clear how much F.D.R. knew about this source of his grandfather's wealth. But the President's recent biographer Geoffrey Ward rejects efforts by the Delano family to minimize Warren's involvement. If you dont know your history......................The British struck upon an ingenious way to reduce a huge trade deficit. Their merchants bribed Chinese officials to allow entry of chests of opium from British-ruled India, though its importation had long been banned by imperial decree. Imports soared, and nearly every American company followed suit, acquiring ''black dirt'' in Turkey or as agents for Indian producers.Commissioner Lin Tse-hsu proceeded to Canton, seized vast stocks of opium and dumped the chests in the sea. This, plus a melee in which drunken sailors killed a Chinese villager, furnished the spark for the Opium War, initiated by Lord Palmerston, the British Prime Minister, and waged with determination to obtain full compensation for the opium. The Celestial Empire was humbled, forced to open five ports to foreign traders and to permit a British colony at Hong Kong.But as noteworthy, the war was denounced in Parliament as ''unjust and iniquitous'' by 30-year-old William Ewart Gladstone, who accused Palmerston of hoisting the British flag ''to protect an infamous contraband traffic.'' The same outrage was expressed in the pulpit and the press, in America and England, thereby encouraging Russell & Company and most other American businesses to pull out of the opium trade.Warren Delano returned to America rich, and in 1851 settled in Newburgh, N.Y. There he eventually gave his daughter Sara in marriage to a well-born neighbor, James Roosevelt, the father of Franklin Roosevelt. The old China trader was close-mouthed about opium, as were his partners in Russell & Company. It is not clear how much F.D.R. knew about this source of his grandfather's wealth. But the President's recent biographer Geoffrey Ward rejects efforts by the Delano family to minimize Warren's involvement. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 05:39 AM











Post: #2 RE: Legalizing Drugs in the United States and Western Countries

Its hard to over-emphasize the impact of the Opium Wars on modern China. Domestically, its led to the ultimate collapse of the centuries-old Qing Dynasty, and with it more than two millennia of dynastic rule. It convinced China that it had to modernize and industrialize.



Today, the First Opium War is taught in Chinese schools as being the beginning of the Century of Humiliation  the end of that century coming in 1949 with the reunification of China under Mao. While Americans are routinely assured they are exceptional and the greatest country on Earth by their politicians, Chinese schools teach students that their country was humiliated by greedy and technologically superior Western imperialists.



The Opium Wars made it clear China had fallen gravely behind the West  not just militarily, but economically and politically. Every Chinese government since  even the ill-fated Qing Dynasty, which began the Self-Strengthening Movement after the Second Opium War  has made modernization an explicit goal, citing the need to catch up with the West.



In 1839, England went to war with China because it was upset that Chinese officials had shut down its drug trafficking racket and confiscated its dope.



Stating the historical record so plainly is shocking  but its true, and the consequences of that act are still being felt today.



The Qing Dynasty, founded by Manchurian clans in 1644, expanded Chinas borders to their farthest reach, conquering Tibet, Taiwan and the Uighur Empire. However, the Qing then turned inward and isolationist, refusing to accept Western ambassadors because they were unwilling to proclaim the Qing Dynasty as supreme above their own heads of state.



Foreigners  even on trade ships  were prohibited entry into Chinese territory.



The exception to the rule was in Canton, the southeastern region centered on modern-day Guangdong Province, which adjoins Hong Kong and Macao. Foreigners were allowed to trade in the Thirteen Factories district in the city of Guangzhou, with payments made exclusively in silver.



The British gave the East India Company a monopoly on trade with China, and soon ships based in colonial India were vigorously exchanging silver for tea and porcelain. But the British had a limited supply of silver.



Opium War:



Starting in in the mid-1700s, the British began trading opium grown in India in exchange for silver from Chinese merchants. Opium  an addictive drug that today is refined into heroin  was illegal in England, but was used in Chinese traditional medicine.



However, recreational use was illegal and not widespread. That changed as the British began shipping in tons of the drug using a combination of commercial loopholes and outright smuggling to get around the ban.



Chinese officials taking their own cut abetted the practice. American ships carrying Turkish-grown opium joined in the narcotics bonanza in the early 1800s. Consumption of opium in China skyrocketed, as did profits.



The Daoguang Emperor became alarmed by the millions of drug addicts  and the flow of silver leaving China. As is often the case, the actions of a stubborn idealist brought the conflict to a head. In 1839 the newly appointed Imperial Commissioner Lin Zexu instituted laws banning opium throughout China.



He arrested 1,700 dealers, and seized the crates of the drug already in Chinese harbors and even on ships at sea. He then had them all destroyed. That amounted to 2.6 million pounds of opium thrown into the ocean. Lin even wrote a poem apologizing to the sea gods for the pollution.



Angry British traders got the British government to promise compensation for the lost drugs, but the treasury couldnt afford it. War would resolve the debt.



But the first shots were fired when the Chinese objected to the British attacking one of their own merchant ships.



Chinese authorities had indicated they would allow trade to resume in non-opium goods. Lin Zexu even sent a letter to Queen Victoria pointing out that as England had a ban on the opium trade, they were justified in instituting one too.



It never reached her, but eventually did appear in the Sunday Times.



Instead, the Royal Navy established a blockade around Pearl Bay to protest the restriction of free trade  in drugs. Two British ships carrying cotton sought to run the blockade in November 1839. When the Royal Navy fired a warning shot at the second, The Royal Saxon, the Chinese sent a squadron of war junks and fire-rafts to escort the merchant.



HMS Volages Captain, unwilling to tolerate the Chinese intimidation, fired a broadside at the Chinese ships. HMS Hyacinth joined in. One of the Chinese ships exploded and three more were sunk. Their return fire wounded one British sailor.



Seven months later, a full-scale expeditionary force of 44 British ships launched an invasion of Canton. The British had steam ships, heavy cannon, Congreve rockets and infantry equipped with rifles capable of accurate long range fire. Chinese state troops  bannermen  were still equipped with matchlocks accurate only up to 50 yards and a rate of fire of one round per minute.



Antiquated Chinese warships were swiftly destroyed by the Royal Navy. British ships sailed up the Zhujiang and Yangtze rivers, occupying Shanghai along the way and seizing tax-collection barges, strangling the Qing governments finances. Chinese armies suffered defeat after defeat.http://nationalinterest.org/blog/the-buzz/the-war-made-asia-how-the-opium-war-crushed-china-19476 LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 05:45 AM











Post: #3 RE: Legalizing Drugs in the United States and Western Countries







Introduction



The United States is grappling with one of its worst-ever drug crises. More than eight hundred people a week die from opioid-related overdoses, and some experts say the death toll may not peak for years. Meanwhile, millions more Americans suffer from opioid addiction.



The crisis has reached such a scale that, beyond the risks it poses to public health, it is becoming a drag on the economy and a threat to national security. Analysts say the problem started with the overprescription of legal pain medications, like oxycodone, but note that it has intensified in recent years with an influx of cheap heroin and synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, supplied by foreign-based drug cartels.





In recent years, the U.S. government has ramped up efforts to cut both the foreign and domestic supply of opioids, limiting the number of prescriptions in the United States while providing counternarcotics assistance to countries including Mexico and China. Meanwhile, federal and state officials have attempted to reduce demand by focusing less on punishing drug users and more on treating them. Other countries where opioid use has also spiked, such as Canada and Australia, are experimenting with different policies.

What drugs are contributing to the crisis?



Opioids, a class of drugs derived from the opium poppy plant, can be divided into two broad categories: legally manufactured medications and illicit narcotics.



Opioid medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, are commonly prescribed to treat pain, while methadone is primarily used in addiction treatment centers to reduce patients dependence on opioids. Opioids gained popularity among doctors in the 1990s for treating patients who had undergone surgery or cancer treatment, but in the last fifteen years physicians have increasingly prescribed them for chronic conditions, such as back or joint pain, despite concerns about their safety and effectiveness.



We didnt develop an opioid epidemic until there was a huge surplus of opioids, which started with pharmaceutical drugs.



Bridget G. Brennan, New York Special Narcotics Prosecutor



Heroin has for decades been the most commonly used illegal opioid. Over the last several years the heroin supply in the United States has soared, and the drug can now be obtained for a third of the price it was in the early 1990s.



People in the last few years have increasingly turned to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, which is especially lethal. Some law enforcement officials have labeled the drug manufactured death because it is cheaper and up to fifty times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl-related deaths are largely caused by the drugs illegal use, though it can also be prescribed as a painkiller. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that heroin and fentanyl are most often used in combination with other drugs, such as cocaine, or alcohol, which increases the risk of overdose.

What is the scale of the epidemic?



Overdose deaths involving opioids have increased fivefold since 1999. In 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, opioid overdoses killed more than forty-two thousand people, or more than six times the number of U.S. military servicemembers killed in the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The opioid mortality rate that year contributed to the second straight yearly decline of life expectancy [PDF] in the United States. (The country last experienced such a decline in the 1960s.)



https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/us-opioid-epidemic Americas opioid crisis has become an epidemic of epidemicsIntroductionThe United States is grappling with one of its worst-ever drug crises. More than eight hundred people a week die from opioid-related overdoses, and some experts say the death toll may not peak for years. Meanwhile, millions more Americans suffer from opioid addiction.The crisis has reached such a scale that, beyond the risks it poses to public health, it is becoming a drag on the economy and a threat to national security. Analysts say the problem started with the overprescription of legal pain medications, like oxycodone, but note that it has intensified in recent years with an influx of cheap heroin and synthetic opioids, like fentanyl, supplied by foreign-based drug cartels.In recent years, the U.S. government has ramped up efforts to cut both the foreign and domestic supply of opioids, limiting the number of prescriptions in the United States while providing counternarcotics assistance to countries including Mexico and China. Meanwhile, federal and state officials have attempted to reduce demand by focusing less on punishing drug users and more on treating them. Other countries where opioid use has also spiked, such as Canada and Australia, are experimenting with different policies.What drugs are contributing to the crisis?Opioids, a class of drugs derived from the opium poppy plant, can be divided into two broad categories: legally manufactured medications and illicit narcotics.Opioid medications, including oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine, are commonly prescribed to treat pain, while methadone is primarily used in addiction treatment centers to reduce patients dependence on opioids. Opioids gained popularity among doctors in the 1990s for treating patients who had undergone surgery or cancer treatment, but in the last fifteen years physicians have increasingly prescribed them for chronic conditions, such as back or joint pain, despite concerns about their safety and effectiveness.We didnt develop an opioid epidemic until there was a huge surplus of opioids, which started with pharmaceutical drugs.Bridget G. Brennan, New York Special Narcotics ProsecutorHeroin has for decades been the most commonly used illegal opioid. Over the last several years the heroin supply in the United States has soared, and the drug can now be obtained for a third of the price it was in the early 1990s.People in the last few years have increasingly turned to synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, which is especially lethal. Some law enforcement officials have labeled the drug manufactured death because it is cheaper and up to fifty times more potent than heroin. Fentanyl-related deaths are largely caused by the drugs illegal use, though it can also be prescribed as a painkiller. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that heroin and fentanyl are most often used in combination with other drugs, such as cocaine, or alcohol, which increases the risk of overdose.What is the scale of the epidemic?Overdose deaths involving opioids have increased fivefold since 1999. In 2016, the most recent year for which data is available, opioid overdoses killed more than forty-two thousand people, or more than six times the number of U.S. military servicemembers killed in the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The opioid mortality rate that year contributed to the second straight yearly decline of life expectancy [PDF] in the United States. (The country last experienced such a decline in the 1960s.)
















Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, who campaigned heavily on an anti-migration platform, easily won his third consecutive term in Sundays parliamentary election, per the AP.

The details: Orban's ruling right-wing Fidesz party and the allied Christian Democrat party secured 133 of the 199 seats, the AP reports. This year's election, which had a high turnout, was considered by some to be the most consequential since communism ended in 1989. That's because the increasingly authoritarian Orban has enacted radical changes to the countrys constitution, undermined checks and balances and imposed a crackdown on the free press.

Go deeper: Europe's illiberal state.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bahram Qasemi on Sunday called reports of this weekend's alleged chemical attack by the Syrian government "a new plot" and "an excuse" by some Western countries, including the U.S., to take military action against President Bashar al-Assad, reports Iranian news agency IRNA. He added that "it will definitely increase the complexity of the situation in this country and region."

The details: Qasemi said the Syrian government "has had a good cooperation" with the United Nations on chemical issues and that the alleged chemical attack is not based on facts. His remarks come after President Trump blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin and the government of Iran for aiding Animal Assad in his civil war with rebel forces since 2011. Reports said the Saturday's gas attacks claimed the lives of at least 70 civilians.
The phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump  which took place last Tuesday  has failed. Netanyahu could not convince Trump to rethink his decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria, an Israeli source briefed on the call told me.

Why it matters: Regardless of the formal statements issued by each nation, the Israeli government and security establishment is very frustrated with Trump's decision to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria. Israeli officials said the Trump administration is only interested in defeating ISIS in Syria and has no willingness to act against Iranian military entrenchment in the country. An Israeli official told me: "The Americans will support our action against Iran in Syria but the bottom line is we are on our own".

The Israeli source said Netanyahu was the one who initiated the call. The prime minister's aides asked the White House to organize the call as soon as possible last Tuesday while knowing Trump is going to have a national security council meeting on Syria the same day.

The Israeli source added that eventually "Netanyahu's call was too late" and the president made clear he has made up his mind and that the pullout from Syria was a matter of time. This description of the call provided by the Israeli source comes after a report by AP last week which quoted two U.S. officials as saying the conversation between Netanyahu and Trump "grew tense" over the prime minister's reservations regarding Trump's policy decision.

The formal readouts of the call published by the White House and Netanyahu's office didn't provide any hints for the disagreement between the two leaders. The White House statement about the call said: "President Trump reiterated the commitment of the United States to Israels security and the two leaders agreed to continue their close coordination on countering Irans malign influence and destabilizing activities". Netanyahu's office statement was almost similar.

An official at the Israeli prime minister's office refused to comment on the content of the call with Trump and said: "The description of the call is an analysis by a person who didn't understand the kind of conversations and the kind of relationship Netanyahu and Trump have."
President Trump responded on Twitter to the alleged chemical attack by Syrian government forces that left dozens dead, calling out Russian President Vladimir Putin by name for his backing of the Assad regime.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

This tweet is important. So far, Trump has avoided at all costs saying anything negative or confrontational about Putin. Trump has let his administration take tough actions against Russia  like sanctions, sending lethal arms to Ukraine, expelling Russian diplomats  but his red line has been criticizing Putin. As we've reported previously, the president is loath to criticize Putin by name or call him out in one-on-one conversations.

The big picture: It's part of the Trump paradox. He still believes the United States and Russia have plenty of shared interests and wants to mend the relationship. He also thinks the only way to do this is by building a warm personal relationship with Putin, according t0 people who have discussed the issue privately with Trump. But this dual-track strategy  be nice personally and tough administratively  becomes more implausible every time Trump authorizes a harsh action against Russia and every time Putin authorizes a new abomination.

We saw, with this tweet, Trump hit the limits of this strategy.

More tweets from Trump on the attack:

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Get more stories like this by signing up for Jonathan Swan's weekly political lookahead newsletter, Axios Sneak Peek.
President Trump started his Sunday morning with a tweet calling The Washington Post "made up garbage" in response to a story the Post published on Saturday describing Chief of Staff John Kelly's frustrations in the West Wing.

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

The backdrop: Axios' Jonathan Swan kicked things off yesterday with his report that Kelly threatened to quit on March 28 after blowing up at the president in an Oval Office meeting.
By Trend:

It is necessary to redouble, or triple the efforts to resolve the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, said Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov in an interview with TRT World.

He noted that the situation on the line of contact is not so good. Armenia violates the ceasefire much often, said the foreign minister.

We call it sporadic shootings. More serious clashes can be started after this sporadic shootings. Trenches on the line of contact are very near to each other. Sometimes the distance between the trenches is less than 100 meters. Of course, that is a huge danger. he said. I dont think that diplomacy is exhausted. But we need to redouble, or triple our efforts.

The minister noted that in order to achieve the conflicts settlement, first of all Armenian troops should be withdrawn from Azerbaijans occupied territories.

We have agreed to seriously intensify the negotiations after the completion of electoral processes in Azerbaijan and Armenia. At the end of the story we will bring some result. We expect it to be a just result. Because the international law is on the side of Azerbaijan, Mammadyarov added.

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.

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By Trend:

The Azerbaijani embassy in Germany, in cooperation with the law enforcement agencies of the country, is checking the presence of citizens among the people who suffered as a result of the attack in Germanys Munster, Hikmat Hajiyev, spokesman of Azerbaijans Foreign Ministry, told Trend.

He noted that additional information will be provided if any.

As the compatriot living in Munster told Trend, there are no Azerbaijanis among the victims as a result of the attack in the cafe in Munster.

"The attack was committed by a mentally ill German," the he said, noting that the cafe is visited mainly by the rich.

A man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a popular restaurant in the old city center of Muenster in western Germany on Saturday, killing at least two of them before shooting himself dead, 20 injured, and six of those seriously injured.

---

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A senior Iranian lawmaker says the Islamic Republic will definitely walk away from the landmark nuclear deal it signed with the P5+1 group of countries in 2015 if the United States re-imposes sanctions on Tehran, Press TV reported.

"The most important objective of the JCPOA (the nuclear deal, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), was the lifting of sanctions," Chairman of the Iranian Parliament's Committee on National Security and Foreign Policy Alaeddin Boroujerdi said on Saturday.

If  sanctions are re-imposed on Iran, we definitely will not remain in the JCPOA," he added.

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said on Thursday that Washington would probably get out of the Iran nuclear deal and re-impose sanctions on the Islamic Republic.

---

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Trend:

Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan accused France of supporting terrorists, Turkish media reported.

"France supports terrorists and hosts terrorists at Elysee Palace. You can't explain it and you can't get rid of terrorism. As long as the West feeds these terrorists, it will sink," Erdogan said.

Turkish president noted that 4,000 terrorists have been neutralized during Operation Olive Branch in northwestern Syria's Afrin.

"4,000 terrorists have been neutralized in Afrin as I was recently informed. I have not yet counted the terrorists neutralized in Turkey, abroad and in northern Iraq. If we add them, this figure may reach 4,200 or 4,300," he said.

---

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Page: 1 2 Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss She Man

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-08-2018 06:48 AM











Post: #1 Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

Advertisement



Hillary Clinton on Tuesday recited a list of several factors that contributed to her 2016 loss against Donald Trump, and said America is in a really bad spot with President Trump in the White House.



[E]very day that goes by theres more evidence and more proof of Russia and fake news and Cambridge Analytica and misogyny and sexism, she said. I mean its hard, its very hard. Some of you probably remember when Kathy Griffin held up the head of Trump, she said.



What you may not remember is they were selling Trump holding up my head at the Republican convention and nobody said a word.



SHE CAN'T GET OVER HER LOST!



https://michaelsavage.com/?p=14805 THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER  PETE KASPEROWICZHillary Clinton on Tuesday recited a list of several factors that contributed to her 2016 loss against Donald Trump, and said America is in a really bad spot with President Trump in the White House.[E]very day that goes by theres more evidence and more proof of Russia and fake news and Cambridge Analytica and misogyny and sexism, she said. I mean its hard, its very hard. Some of you probably remember when Kathy Griffin held up the head of Trump, she said.What you may not remember is they were selling Trump holding up my head at the Republican convention and nobody said a word.SHE CAN'T GET OVER HER LOST! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 06:51 AM











Post: #2 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

too bad she can't see that most people genuinely don't like her. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 06:52 AM











Post: #3 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss





Everyone but herself



But I get your point



You could have just saidEveryone but herselfBut I get your point LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 07:20 AM











Post: #4 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss





https://wearechange.org/elites-dirty-little-secret/ maybe this is why she lost, why the fake stream media and Hollyweird and the Globalists are scared. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:38 AM











Post: #5 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 06:51 AM) too bad she can't see that most people genuinely don't like her.

exactly...signs everywhere were running 5-1 for Trump exactly...signs everywhere were running 5-1 for Trump LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:43 AM











Post: #6 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss





The demon swill just won't let it go. Should see her speech when she went alllllllllllllll the way to India to cry about losing.The demon swill just won't let it go. TheKeyling

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:11 AM











Post: #7 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

The moral of the story is don't like pu$$y B1tch LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:18 AM











Post: #8 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

She's totally right.



What do white men despise more than black men?



Women- black, white, latino. Doesn't matter.



They hate women. 269346

The Grinch Who Stole LOPmas!

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:21 AM



Posts: 7,029









Post: #9 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

What an insufferable bit*h. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:25 AM











Post: #10 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

269346 Wrote: (04-08-2018 10:21 AM) What an insufferable bit*h.

I hate it when you and I agree ! I hate it when you and I agree ! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:26 AM











Post: #11 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

Don't forget those emails LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:27 AM











Post: #12 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

Bernie would have been a better candidate for the Dems, but they(Dems leadership) f**ked him over to support Clinton. Donald J Trump

Homer's University of GREATNESS

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 10:35 AM



Posts: 6,934









Post: #13 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss





"Go with the flow, like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream" Del Griffith



LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 05:44 PM











Post: #14 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

She is such a phsycopathic witch... If she had become president we would be in major war right now, either internally or externally. No doubt in my mind. Alian2

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 05:50 PM



Posts: 13,250









Post: #15 RE: Hillary Clinton blames misogyny, FBI, sexism, NRA, Russia for 2016 loss

Hitlary lost because of her smile and her kankles. .

........ .

................ . Advertisement


















The United Kingdom's Metropolitan police have said they had arrested a man suspected of supporting terrorism upon his arrival from Morocco, Sputnik reported

"On Saturday, 7 April, Detectives from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command arrested a 55-year-old man on suspicion of encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006," Met Police said in a statement.

The man was arrested at 11.02 GMT at Gatwick Airport when he arrived at the United Kingdom from Morocco, it noted.

The suspect is held in custody at a south London police station, the statement continued.

The United Kingdom has faced a number of terror attacks in 2017, most prominently three attacks in London, which took place in Westminster, on London Bridge, and outside the Parsons Green Tube station, and a bombardment at a concert in Manchester on May 22, the latter of which took the lives of over 20 people and left several hundreds wounded.

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By Trend:

Iran imported 1.71 million tons of staple food products through its ports during the latest month of last Iranian fiscal year (ended March 20).

The figure indicates a rise by 26 percent compared to the preceding month, according to the data released by Irans Ports and Maritime Organization.

The food products mentioned in the report include wheat, barley, butter, soy, rice, sugar, cooking oil, and meat products.

The country loaded and unloaded 1.794 million tons of food products at its ports in the one-month period, indicating a 18.4 percent increase year-on-year.

The figure was 1.409 million tons in the preceding Iranian calendar month (ended Feb. 20).

In the meantime, the country exported 84,307 tons of staple food products through the organizations ports in the period, compared to 50,605 tons in the preceding month.

According to the report, 18 ports - Abadan, Astara, Arvandkenar, Imam Khomeini, Amirabad, Anzali, Bushehr, Tiab, Jask, Chabahar, Chavibdeh, Khorramshahr, Shahid Bahonar, Shahid Rajaee, Fereydounkenar, Qeshm, Lengeh and Noshahr - were involved in loading/unloading of staple food products during the period.

The report also unveiled that over 550,106 tons of fertilizers and chemicals were loaded/unloaded at Iranian ports, which was 14.7 percent more compared to the same month of preceding year. The volume of the unloaded fertilizers and chemicals was 144,018 tons in the one-month period from Feb. 20 to March 20, 2018.

Iranian ports saw loading and unloading of a total of 12.698 million tons of various goods and commodities, including food and metal products between Feb. 20 to March 20, 0.3 percent less year-on-year.

In total, over 153 million tons of various goods have been loaded/unloaded at Iranian ports during the last fiscal year.

The volume is 5.5 percent more than the loaded/unloaded products in the preceding year.

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Page: 1 2 3 4 5 ... 7 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-08-2018 08:01 AM











Post: #1 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

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Where are the threads of outrage from REC , AC and HeMan et al, as there would be if it was Syria, Iran or Russia that had done this ??????????? 30 INNOCENT and UNARMED people GUNNED DOWN while demonstrating against the genocidal Israel, ON THEIR OWN LANDS !Where are the threads of outrage from REC , AC and HeMan et al, as there would be if it was Syria, Iran or Russia that had done this ??????????? LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:05 AM











Post: #2 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

Where are the trump supporters making threads about this, After all trump is a Israel first president. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:06 AM











Post: #3 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

We're not allowed to criticize Jews here. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:12 AM











Post: #4 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:05 AM) Where are the trump supporters making threads about this, After all trump is a Israel first president.

Israel is first cause everyones watching for their prophecy to come true of a Jewish Messiah called Moshiach



The Muslims though have a savior too called Mahdi Israel is first cause everyones watching for their prophecy to come true of a Jewish Messiah called MoshiachThe Muslims though have a savior too called Mahdi LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:13 AM











Post: #5 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

Most of us are beasts in human form so lack the sentience required to judge the actions of our gerds. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:17 AM











Post: #6 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

The front page would be filled if Hamas fired a Bottle Rocket into Israel ! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:18 AM











Post: #7 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:12 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:05 AM) Where are the trump supporters making threads about this, After all trump is a Israel first president.

Israel is first cause everyones watching for their prophecy to come true of a Jewish Messiah called Moshiach



The Muslims though have a savior too called Mahdi

You mean the fake jews of today await the arrival of the antichrist, Their fake messiah. You mean thejews of today await the arrival of the antichrist, Theirmessiah. MAGNETO

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:34 AM











Post: #8 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

Well, if the Muslim terrorists weren't using the "innocent" people as meat shields...like they always do. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:38 AM











Post: #9 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

MAGNETO Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:34 AM) Well, if the Muslim terrorists weren't using the "innocent" people as meat shields...like they always do.

Congratulations, You receive the DUMBEST comment of 2018 reward.





Here's your prize Congratulations, You receive the DUMBEST comment of 2018 reward.Here's your prize LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:40 AM











Post: #10 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

That was a big tire fire. MAGNETO

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:41 AM











Post: #11 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:38 AM) MAGNETO Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:34 AM) Well, if the Muslim terrorists weren't using the "innocent" people as meat shields...like they always do.

Congratulations, You receive the DUMBEST comment of 2018 reward.





Here's your prize

What?



There's literally thousands of pictures, videos, and reports of Hamas doing this. Palestine isn't a country or people, it's a terror org.



Israel is just as bad but let's be real about it.



They've literally fired rockets into Israel every month for a decade. Usually from on top of schools, hospitals, etc. What?There's literally thousands of pictures, videos, and reports of Hamas doing this. Palestine isn't a country or people, it's a terror org.Israel is just as bad but let's be real about it.They've literally fired rockets into Israel every month for a decade. Usually from on top of schools, hospitals, etc. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:48 AM











Post: #12 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

because antisemitism is illegal LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:48 AM











Post: #13 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

MAGNETO Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:41 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:38 AM) Congratulations, You receive the DUMBEST comment of 2018 reward.





Here's your prize

What?



There's literally thousands of pictures, videos, and reports of Hamas doing this. Palestine isn't a country or people, it's a terror org.



Israel is just as bad but let's be real about it.



They've literally fired rockets into Israel every month for a decade. Usually from on top of schools, hospitals, etc.

as if israel hasn't BOMBED schools and hospitals to rubble.







you're clearly biased. as if israel hasn'tschools and hospitals to rubble.you're clearly biased. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:50 AM











Post: #14 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

These people are beyond reproach, say anything negative about, you get the book thrown at you??



But yes, they are no better than Nazi Germany, venomous murderers that they are.



Why people cannot I do not know, are these people 100% innocent, goodly and have never done or said anything wrong in the whole world. They are a nation of psychos!!!! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:57 AM











Post: #15 RE: 30 INNOCENT demonstrators MURDERED by Israel, where are the threads ?

MAGNETO Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:41 AM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:38 AM) Congratulations, You receive the DUMBEST comment of 2018 reward.





Here's your prize

What?



There's literally thousands of pictures, videos, and reports of Hamas doing this. Palestine isn't a country or people, it's a terror org.



Israel is just as bad but let's be real about it.



They've literally fired rockets into Israel every month for a decade. Usually from on top of schools, hospitals, etc.

Shill spotted.

Israel controls all water and electricity of Palestinian territories. They literally shut off electricity at night and raid homes but that'll never show up on the news. They run over their cars with tanks in front of their homes for no reason other than they can with no repercussions. Israelis gun down actual Semites who are throwing rocks, they don't have any legitimate weapons.

Watch any non American news source and you'll see what is really happening Shill spotted.Israel controls all water and electricity of Palestinian territories. They literally shut off electricity at night and raid homes but that'll never show up on the news. They run over their cars with tanks in front of their homes for no reason other than they can with no repercussions. Israelis gun down actual Semites who are throwing rocks, they don't have any legitimate weapons.Watch any non American news source and you'll see what is really happening Advertisement


















Former First Minister David Trimble has said that the Republic of Ireland's government is risking provoking violence from loyalist paramilitaries because of their stance on Brexit.

The former UUP leader told the Guardian that any Brexit deal to keep Northern Ireland in line with the Republic would be a violation of the Good Friday Agreeement.

Lord Trimble was one of the key orchestrator's of the agreement which celebrates its 20th anniversary next week.

He was awarded the Noble Peace Prize alongside SDLP leader John Hume in 1998, in recognition for their efforts to bring peace to Northern Ireland.

"What is happening now is that people are talking up the issue of Brexit and the border for the benefit of a different agenda from the agreement," Lord Trimble said.

"The one thing that would provoke loyalist paramilitaries is the present Irish government saying silly things about the border and the constitutional issue.

"If it looks as though the constitutional arrangements of the agreement, based on the principle of consent, are going to be superseded by so-called special EU status then that is going to weaken the union and undermine the very agreement that Dublin says it wants to uphold."

The now Consevative Peer said a 'Hong Kong model' would not be acceptable to Northern Ireland.

"I believe that some senior Irish government officials go around Brussels talking about the Hong Kong model  the one country, two systems idea," Lord Trimble said.

"That is a precedent they talk about where sovereignty has been transferred from Britain to China. Anything that looks remotely like this or is building on that foundation would be extremely dangerous. Although I think that under this Conservative government I cannot see that prevailing."

Lord Trimble said that he did not regret signing up to the Good Friday Agreement, but said he should have worked more closely with then Prime Minister Tony Blair after the deal.

"I genuinely believe that Blair was the last person to back a strategy which effectively saw the two centre parties, the UUP and the SDLP, abandoned," he said.

"In fact I know now it was a very senior civil servant in the Northern Ireland Office who agreed to the strategy, proposed by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin."
Sinn Fein President Mary Lou McDonald has called on all parties to "recommit to the agreements, power sharing, reconciliation and progress".

This week marks the twentieth anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. Speaking in advance of the anniversary Ms McDonald restated Sinn Feins commitment to the agreement and the central role it should play in resolving the current political crisis and challenge of Brexit.

Read More

The Sinn Fein leader urged all the other parties, including the British and Irish governments, to recommit to the Agreements, power sharing, reconciliation and progress.

''I am proud to lead a party that was one of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement and we remain absolutely committed to the principles of equality, respect and power sharing which underpin the historic accord," the Dublin Central TD said.

"We believe that sharing power with Irish Unionism is a necessary part of building an open, modern democratic system of governance.

We believe that reconciliation and understanding can be built in a peaceful society. Political leaders must lead from the front to make this a reality."

Ms McDonald said that the current differences between Sinn Fein and the DUP could be resolved.

The outstanding issues at the heart of negotiations with the DUP can be resolved within the context of the Good Friday Agreement. The accommodation arrived at in February last demonstrates this fact," she said.

"Recognition and protection for the rights of citizens is not an optional extra; it is the very core of power sharing.

Delays, distractions and excuses are not acceptable twenty years on from the signing of The Good Friday Agreement."

She said Brexit remained the biggest challenge to the Good Friday Agreement.

"It is now time for political leaders of all parties affirm their commitment to that agreement and subsequent agreements, to power sharing, reconciliation and progress," she said.

"We face many challenges, Brexit is the single biggest threat to the Good Friday Agreement. The prospect of a hard border and economic, social and political disruption is very real.

"The people in the north voted to remain in the EU. They have not consented to Brexit.

"The British Government is playing fast and loose with the hard won progress built over twenty years."

She said the Good Friday Agreement was still relevant and would help build a new Ireland.

"The Good Friday Agreement is not a historic artefact. It is not to be discarded by Tory Brexiteers or a minority in the leadership of unionism," the Sinn Fein President said.

"It is an agreement endorsed by the vast majority of the people of Ireland. It remains the basis for resolving the current crisis.

"It lays the foundation of a new Ireland which we must build together."
A car belonging to Sinn Fein Derry City and Strabane District councillor Kevin Campbell has been burned outside his home in the Creggan area of Derry.

Campbell, a former IRA prisoner, has previously served as Mayor of Derry.

Read More

Sinn Fein Foyle MP Elisha McCallion said her thoughts were with Cllr Campbell and his family.

"My thoughts are with my friends and colleague Kevin Campbell, his wife and their teenage daughter who where woke last night after thugs set fire to their car in the drive of their home.

"Kevin and his family are well respected Republicans and community activists in this city and we the people of Derry stand with you today.

"To the people who carried out this attack I ask you this, what did you think you were going to achieve?"

Derry @sinnfeinireland Cllr Kevin Campbells family car was torched outside his Creggan home this morning. His teenage daughter alerted the household after hearing a commotion outside. The former Mayor told me his family are very shaken by the incident pic.twitter.com/yxfRuFlDol  Leona O'Neill (@LeonaONeill1) April 8, 2018

Police are appealing for witnesses following the attack in the Lislane Drive area of Derry.

"Shortly before 2.45am it was reported that a blue coloured Renault Modus parked in the area had been set on fire. Extensive damage was caused to the car as a result of the incident. Three people were seen running away from the scene," a PSNI spokesperson said.

"Police are working to establish a motive for the attack and are appealing for anyone who witnessed the incident or anyone with any information which may assist the investigation to contact officers in Strand Road Police Station on 101 quoting reference 249 08/04/18.

"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."

Local community group the Creggan Neighbourhood Partnership condemned the attack.

"This action is utterly wrong and must be condemned," the spokesperson said.

"If there are any issues within the community they should be sorted out through community dialogue.

"This attack is not justified or justifiable in any way."
Police are appealing for information after an intruder smashed a bottle over a pregnant woman's head during a burglary in Newcastle, Co Down

The incident took place in the early hours of Sunday morning

At approximately 5:35am it was reported to police that a male forced his way into an address and assaulted the pregnant female occupant.

She sustained non-life threatening injuries after she was punched and had a bottle smashed on her head.

The female's young daughter was also present. The female was left distressed by her ordeal.

A 35-year old-male was arrested a short time later in the area of Westland Avenue in Newcastle and is currently in custody assisting police with their enquiries.

Detective Sergeant Bell is appealing to anyone who noticed any suspicious activity in the Burren Meadow or Westland Avenue area of Newcastle or anyone who has information that would assist with police enquiries to contact Detectives at Ardmore on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 407 08/04/2018.

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.
Detectives from the PSNI's Serious Crime Branch have launched a murder investigation after the death of a man in Belfast shortly after midnight.

At around 12:10am this morning police received a report that a man had been injured in a house in Titania Street.

The man, aged 29, was treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital where he unfortunately died from his injuries a short time later.

Detective Superintendent Jason Murphy said: Two men, aged in their 30s, have been arrested on suspicion of murder and have been taken to Musgrave Police Station for questioning.

I am appealing for anyone it was in Titania Street late last night or early this morning and who witnessed anything to contact detectives at Musgrave Police Station on 101 quoting reference 18 08/04/18. Alternatively information can be passed to the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 which is 100% anonymous and gives people the power to speak up and stop crime.

East Belfast Ulster Unionist Councillor Sonia Copeland expressed her shock at the news.

I was shocked to learn of the overnight death of a man at a house in Titania Street off the Cregagh Road," Cllr Copeland said.

This is a dreadful event to happen in what is a quiet residential area and I would like to express my condolences to the dead mans family.

I know that a Police investigation is ongoing into the circumstances of this mans death, and I ask anyone who can assist the Police in their investigations to come forward immediately and provide the Police with any information they have.

Alliance councillor Michael Long said the local community was in shock at the death.

Any death in suspicious circumstances is traumatic but the loss of a young mans life is even more distressing. My thoughts go out to the loved ones of the victim," he said.

Police are currently treating the death as suspicious, and I would ask anyone with information to contact them immediately.
A police officer outside the house where Piotr Krowka was found dead

A teenager arrested in connection with the murder of a homeless Polish man in Maghera, Co Derry has been released on bail pending further enquiries.

Piotr Krowka (36) was found dead on Tuesday in a derelict property on the Glen Road area of Maghera.

The Polish national had been in the area for a number of years and had a sister living nearby.

The PSNI launched a murder investigation and disclosed Mr Krowka had suffered serious injuries to his head and body.

Glen Parish priest Fr Patrick Doherty said: The local community are very shocked and sad. Well continue to have the family in our prayers.

I would have seen him around a few times in the town. Sometimes he came into the church during the day. Perhaps it was for the heat.

With the language barrier, I didnt know that much about him, but he was getting some help and support from people.

Fr Doherty clarified the disused property wasnt a parochial house, as had been previously reported, but had once been the home of a school teacher.

Jerome Mullan, the Honorary Consul of Poland for Northern Ireland, was shocked by Mr Krowkas killing.

Its very sad news. No doubt his sister will be making arrangements for his funeral in due course, but it is a murder inquiry so Im not sure when his body will be released, he said.

Its obviously very shocking and my sympathies go to his family.

Ive offered my consular services and its been reported to the Polish embassy in London.

DUP Mid Ulster MLA Keith Buchanan said: This is a quiet rural community where neighbours are shocked that a man has been murdered on their doorstep.

People should help the police with the investigation.

I know the entire area will be holding this mans family foremost in their thoughts.

Sinn Fein MLA Ian Milne also encouraged anyone with information to contact the police.

First and foremost, I want to send my sympathies to the family and friends of the victim, he said.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them as they deal with the tragic and sudden loss.

Estate agent Kim Convery revealed she had helped Mr Krowka in the past.

He did tell me he was homeless and had nowhere to stay, she told the BBC.

He hadnt been washing or eating. He asked me for some hot water, so we filled a flask for him. (We are) absolutely devastated to hear he has passed its unbelievable.

Detective Chief Inspector Geoff Boyce said: I am keen to identify Piotrs movements between Good Friday and Easter Tuesday, when his body was discovered, and I would appeal to anyone who was in contact with or who may have witnessed Piotr during this time to please contact us.

Police also want to hear from anyone who noticed anything suspicious at the house.
A local unionist councillor has branded a 'H Block Escape Night' featuring a Sinn Fein MLA as an "Immoral attempt to profit from violence."

Omagh Ulster Unionist Councillor Chris Smyth described the event, held in Carrickmore on Saturday night, as "the height of immorality".

At the event three Maze escapees, well-known republican Bobby Storey, Brendan McFarlane, who headed the escape, and current North Belfast MLA Gerry Kelly promised to give attendees the true story of the mass prison breakout.

The 1983 Maze Prison escape of 38 prisoners was the largest in UK history. Escapees used weapons smuggled into the prison, making their getaway in a food delivery truck.

Prison officer James Ferris died from a heart attack after he was stabbed during the escape while another, John Adams, was shot in the head.

Councillor Smyth said the event glorified violence.

The event in Carrickmore where three former IRA prisoners  including Gerry Kelly MLA  were due to appear at an evening billed as H Block Escape Night  the story told as it happened is the height of immorality," he said.

During that escape one prison officer died and twenty others were injured, including two who were shot. Now we have the pathetic sight of republicans conducting road shows to boast about their activities in front of a paying public.

Sinn Fein often demands the truth from others, but republicans have hitherto demonstrated a complete reluctance to tell it themselves. Indeed given previous comments that Gerry Adams was never in the IRA, I wouldnt be too surprised if last nights event in Carrickmore was told that the three men advertised as appearing, were never even in the Maze.

Cllr Smyth said attendees were charged 10 for admission to the event.

Expand Close The poster for the event / Facebook

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The IRA holds many secrets. Previously Martin McGuinness told the Saville Inquiry that he had taken an oath to the IRA which he could never break," he said.

Now we see a road show in Carrickmore where for 10 you can hear about the Maze escape as it happened. Perhaps this is some new initiative being rolled out whereby the truth can be told, but only if you pay a tenner to hear it.

One wonders if this is part of a new campaign for the truth. Perhaps for future events they could consider a night to tell the paying public what happened to Jean McConville and the rest of the Disappeared? That could be followed up by an appearance of the men behind Bloody Friday. Then we could have an event where the Claudy bombers take to the stage. Next up the La Mon bombers could regale an audience with just how  and why - they murdered so many innocent people.

He said the assault was insulting to victims of IRA violence.

The event in Carrickmore was a grotesque demonstration of republican hypocrisy. It is an insult to victims and an indictment as to how they really feel about the rest of society. It saddens me that Sinn Fein appears to have learned nothing from Barry McElduffs antics and continues to re-traumatise victims at every opportunity. This is no way to build a shared future, Cllr Smyth said.

The Belfast Telegraph have contacted Sinn Fein but have yet to receive a response.
Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong has said violence is never the answer, after Gerry Adams said it was justified in order to reach political aims in certain circumstances.

The former Sinn Fein president was speaking to a German website when he was asked if violence was a legitimate means to reach aims.

Read More

"I think in given circumstances. And the circumstances at that time in the north were that people were being denied their rights, Mr Adams said.

Ms Armstrong said that violence can never be justified.

Violence is never the answer and murder can never be justified, said the Strangford MLA.

It does nothing to progress the cause of those carrying it out. Indeed, the Troubles and violence from all sides delayed the advancement we have seen in the past 20 years and resulted in the polarisation of vast sections of our community.

These comments are particularly galling, given they come in the week of the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. That document saw all parties commit to exclusively democratic and peaceful means. It must be devastating for the loved ones of victims of violence to hear Gerry Adams now claim murder, destruction and devastation was justified in his eyes.

Mr Adams needs to show leadership reflecting on his comments, condemning all violence without equivocation, acknowledging only dialogue leads to progress and recognising violence does nothing but harm the community we live in. As a society, we have an obligation to ensure the peaceful benefits of the Good Friday Agreement are not lost and there will never be a return to violence.

The Republic of Ireland's Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan also criticised Mr Adams comments.

"Im neither shocked nor surprised at Gerry Adams statement from a party that has always eschewed democratic norms," he said

"It is however unacceptable any time but especially on 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement."
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Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: kaput

04-08-2018 09:30 AM











Post: #1 US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

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"Jaish al-Islam terrorists are repeating the allegations of using chemical weapons in order to accuse the Syrian Arab army, in a blatant attempt to hinder the Army's advance," Sana reported, citing an official government source, who added that militants have likely launched this latest propaganda campaign fearing their imminent "dramatic collapse."



https://www.davidicke.com/article/467837...rias-douma 'The US once again said Russia is "ultimately bearing responsibility" for all chemical incidents in Syria, regardless of who carried them out, after rebel sources accused Damascus."Jaish al-Islam terrorists are repeating the allegations of using chemical weapons in order to accuse the Syrian Arab army, in a blatant attempt to hinder the Army's advance," Sana reported, citing an official government source, who added that militants have likely launched this latest propaganda campaign fearing their imminent "dramatic collapse." LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 09:38 AM











Post: #2 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

AMERICA oversaw the removal of Syria's Chemical Weapons !!!!!!!! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 11:03 AM











Post: #3 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

Open lies, blatant misinformation, staged events- 100% made in the USA. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 11:07 AM











Post: #4 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

F-ICK off



Srand down



Let the Chem dust settle LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 11:08 AM











Post: #5 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

The chemical fog of war. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 11:09 AM











Post: #6 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

Russia using Syria as chem. Weapons field lab? Flic Vange

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 12:25 PM



Posts: 1,777









Post: #7 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

Nobody is falling for their lies anymore, they are losing their grip, all if not most of these world terrorist events are staged, by either the CIA/MOSSAD, the US and Israel are the culprits!!!! Voltaire: I detest your views but I would give my life to protect your rights to express them.



https://globalcrypto.exchange/i/R0NYMTYxMDUyMDY0OQ==



Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx

Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 12:27 PM











Post: #8 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

bolbobiggins Wrote: (04-08-2018 12:25 PM) Nobody is falling for their lies anymore, they are losing their grip, all if not most of these world terrorist events are staged, by either the CIA/MOSSAD, the US and Israel are the culprits!!!!

Yep ! Yep ! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 01:03 PM











Post: #9 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

False flag skulls and bones operation LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 02:38 PM











Post: #10 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 09:30 AM) 'The US once again said Russia is "ultimately bearing responsibility" for all chemical incidents in Syria, regardless of who carried them out, after rebel sources accused Damascus.



"Jaish al-Islam terrorists are repeating the allegations of using chemical weapons in order to accuse the Syrian Arab army, in a blatant attempt to hinder the Army's advance," Sana reported, citing an official government source, who added that militants have likely launched this latest propaganda campaign fearing their imminent "dramatic collapse."



https://www.davidicke.com/article/467837...rias-douma



Russia warned the u.s. about 3 weeks ago about this false flag.



In their words they inferred that they would attack the u.s. if the u.s. pulled off this gas false flag.



I guess we wait to see if the killers are punished. Russia warned the u.s. about 3 weeks ago about this false flag.In their words they inferred that they would attack the u.s. if the u.s. pulled off this gas false flag.I guess we wait to see if the killers are punished. Flic Vange

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 02:41 PM



Posts: 1,777









Post: #11 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 02:38 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 09:30 AM) 'The US once again said Russia is "ultimately bearing responsibility" for all chemical incidents in Syria, regardless of who carried them out, after rebel sources accused Damascus.



"Jaish al-Islam terrorists are repeating the allegations of using chemical weapons in order to accuse the Syrian Arab army, in a blatant attempt to hinder the Army's advance," Sana reported, citing an official government source, who added that militants have likely launched this latest propaganda campaign fearing their imminent "dramatic collapse."



https://www.davidicke.com/article/467837...rias-douma



Russia warned the u.s. about 3 weeks ago about this false flag.



In their words they inferred that they would attack the u.s. if the u.s. pulled off this gas false flag.



I guess we wait to see if the killers are punished.

Islamists in E. Ghouta plan to stage false flag chemical attack  Damascus

https://www.rt.com/news/420948-ghouta-fa...al-attack/



Russia says US plans to strike Damascus

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/russia-says-...e-damascus Voltaire: I detest your views but I would give my life to protect your rights to express them.



https://globalcrypto.exchange/i/R0NYMTYxMDUyMDY0OQ==



Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx

Bitcoin-bc1qq9r87uasrxv59hz92zy9t47r96aezdfuqnujfx LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 02:52 PM











Post: #12 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

bolbobiggins Wrote: (04-08-2018 02:41 PM) LoP Guest Wrote: (04-08-2018 02:38 PM) Russia warned the u.s. about 3 weeks ago about this false flag.



In their words they inferred that they would attack the u.s. if the u.s. pulled off this gas false flag.



I guess we wait to see if the killers are punished.

Islamists in E. Ghouta plan to stage false flag chemical attack  Damascus

https://www.rt.com/news/420948-ghouta-fa...al-attack/



Russia says US plans to strike Damascus

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/russia-says-...e-damascus

Marking point, is this the true start of WWlll Marking point, is this the true start of WWlll LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 03:05 PM











Post: #13 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

With the US pulling out its troops, it's going to be a bomb fest. Trump promised progressive discipline. The target will be Assad himself. Special Ops to do a Bin Laden on him. fnord

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 04:47 PM











Post: #14 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

Bolten and Halley are liars and wannabe war criminals. They do not have the authority to speak for me. LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 04:49 PM











Post: #15 RE: US holds Russia ultimately responsible amid reports of dozens gassed in Syria

Who profits from this?



AAhhh, right, the US led coalition to remove Assad with the help of Saudi Wahhabist. Advertisement


















A child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack (Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets via AP)

Boris Johnson has said the international community must respond to reports of a poison gas attack in Syria which is thought to have claimed at least 40 lives.

The Foreign Secretary demanded an urgent investigation and warned Syrian leader Bashar Assads allies in Moscow not to obstruct the probe.

US President Donald Trump  who authorised missile strikes on Syria after a chemical weapons attack last year  warned there would be a big price to pay following the latest incident.

Grim reports of large scale chemical weapons attack vs innocent civilians in Syria. If confirmed Syrian regime responsible, more evidence of Asad's brutality and disregard for Syrian people. Russia must not yet again try to block investigation into CW use https://t.co/NxWmZGoY8h  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 8, 2018

Mr Johnson said the UK was in close touch with our allies following the latest reports and called for those responsible to be held to account.

Both the UK and US highlighted Russian and Iranian support for the Assad regime in their responses to the reported atrocity.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred late on Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group.

Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said poison gas was used on the rebel-held town near the capital  an allegation strongly denied by the Assad government.

Families were reportedly found suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.

Reports suggested more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning sensations in the eyes.

Mr Johnson said: Reports of a large scale chemical weapons attack in Douma on Saturday causing high numbers of casualties are deeply disturbing.

It is truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from air strikes in underground shelters.

Despite Russias promise in 2013 to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Assad regime responsible for using poison gas in at least four separate attacks since 2014.

These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations. 

The OPCW is at the centre of the diplomatic row between the UK and Vladimir Putins Russia over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, with the organisation currently testing samples of the substance allegedly used in the incident.

Mr Johnson added: Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regimes brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. We are in close touch with our allies following these latest reports.

Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons have lost all moral integrity and must be held to account.

Mr Trump branded Assad an animal in a series of posts on Twitter.

He said: President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That attack prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

President Trump said the attack was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons.
Donald Trump has hailed the response by New Yorks firefighters after a blaze broke out in an apartment at his Manhattan skyscraper.

Flames and smoke were seen issuing from windows on the 50th floor of Trump Tower, where the president has a residence, on Fifth Avenue on Saturday evening.

The New York City Fire Department (FDNY) said it had received a report that a civilian had been seriously injured in the incident.

#FDNY members remain on scene of a 4-alarm fire, 721 5th Ave in Manhattan. There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported. (Photo credit: @nycoem) pic.twitter.com/0Smiljyupg  FDNY (@FDNY) April 7, 2018

The FDNY said the blaze broke out shortly before 6pm on Friday before flames and black smoke were seen rising from one corner of the 58-storey tower.

Around 45 minutes later, Mr Trump took to Twitter to praise firefighters for their response, saying they had extinguished the blaze.

The billionaire, who made his fortune in property, also attributed the design of his eponymous tower to the fires limited spread.

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU! he wrote on Twitter.

The FDNY said crews remained at the scene, adding: There is currently one serious injury to a civilian reported.

Mr Trump was reportedly in Washington DC during the incident. As well as his luxury residence, Trump Tower also contains offices of the Trump family business.

His son, Eric Trump, tweeted: Thank you to the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment at @TrumpTower. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!
The Prince of Wales looks at the Duke of Gloucester Cup

The Prince of Wales has met Aussie sailors in Cairns on the fifth day of his tour Down Under.

He went on board HMAS Leeuwin to present the Gloucester Cup to Hydrographic Ship Blue Crew  an award for the Royal Australian Navy unit displaying the highest level of overall proficiency  and also met members of the famous Royal Flying Doctors service.

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Boris Johnson said the international community must respond to reports of a poison gas attack in Syria as Donald Trump warned there would be a big price to pay for the alleged atrocity.

At least 40 people are reported to have died in the rebel-held town of Douma and if it is confirmed chemical weapons have been used by Bashar Assads regime it could risk further escalating the crisis in the region.

The US president authorised missile strikes against Syria after a chemical weapons attack last year and a White House aide said I wouldnt take anything off the table when asked about the possibility of further action.

Grim reports of large scale chemical weapons attack vs innocent civilians in Syria. If confirmed Syrian regime responsible, more evidence of Asad's brutality and disregard for Syrian people. Russia must not yet again try to block investigation into CW use https://t.co/NxWmZGoY8h  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 8, 2018

Whitehall sources confirmed the UK was not ruling anything out nor in but acknowledged there were political issues around securing parliamentary support for British involvement after MPs voted against strikes following a chemical attack in 2013.

The Foreign Secretary said in February that Britain should consider joining military action against Assads regime if there is fresh incontrovertible evidence he has used chemical weapons against his own people.

It is understood that the UK has been in contact with senior officials in Paris, Washington and at the United Nations in New York as Mr Johnson called for an international response to the latest reported use of chemical weapons.

The Foreign Secretary demanded an urgent investigation and warned Syrian leader Assads allies in Moscow not to obstruct the probe.

Both the UK and US highlighted Russian and Iranian support for the Assad regime in their responses to the reported atrocity.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred late on Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce with the Army of Islam rebel group.

Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said poison gas was used on the rebel-held town near the capital  an allegation strongly denied by the Assad government.

Families were reportedly found suffocated in their homes and shelters, with foam on their mouths.

Reports suggested more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning sensations in the eyes.

Mr Johnson said the reports were deeply disturbing and truly horrific.

He added: These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations. 

The OPCW is at the centre of the diplomatic row between the UK and Vladimir Putins Russia over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, with the organisation currently testing samples of the substance allegedly used in the incident.

Mr Johnson added: Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regimes brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons.

We condemn the use of chemical weapons by anyone, anywhere. We are in close touch with our allies following these latest reports.

Those responsible for the use of chemical weapons have lost all moral integrity and must be held to account.

Mr Trump branded Assad an animal in a series of posts on Twitter.

He said: President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay.

The European Union said the evidence suggested the Assad regime was responsible.

Reports from Douma, under the siege and bombardment by regime forces and its allies, indicate that a high number of civilians were killed yesterday evening, including families who perished in the shelters they were hiding in, a spokesman for the EU external action service said.

The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That attack prompted the US to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

President Trump said the attack was meant to deter further Syrian use of illegal weapons.

In February, Mr Johnson suggested that the UK should be prepared to support any further action.

He said: If there is incontrovertible evidence of the use of chemical weapons, verified by the Office of the Prevention of Chemical Weapons, if we know that its happened and we can demonstrate it, and if there is a proposal for action where the UK could be useful, then I think that we should seriously consider it.

Labour said that anyone found guilty of using chemical weapons should be brought to justice and called for concrete steps on all sides to restart meaningful talks on a political solution and lasting peace in Syria.
Hungarys prime minister Viktor Orban addresses the media outside a polling station in Budapest (AP)

Early election results in Hungary give prime minister Viktor Orbans right-wing populist Fidesz party a large lead.

Preliminary results from the National Election Office have Fidesz winning Sundays parliamentary election with 49.5% of the vote.

If the result stands, Fidesz would hold 134 of the 199 seats in the national parliament and regain its super majority there.

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Whatsapp People queue to cast their vote at a polling station during general elections in Budapest (Balazs Mohai/MTI/AP)

With 69.1% of the votes counted, the right-wing nationalist Jobbik Party was coming in second with 19.9% of the votes and 27 seats.

It would mean a third consecutive term for Mr Orban, and fourth overall.

He has campaigned heavily on his unyielding anti-migration policies, although voters said they were more concerned with poverty, government corruption and the countrys underfunded health care system.

Election officials said voter turnout was 68.1% by 6.30pm, 30 minutes before the official end of voting.

Numerous voting stations remained open after the 7pm deadline to accommodate the long lines of people waiting to vote.
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Page: 1 2 3 4 5 USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: kaput

04-08-2018 08:35 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #1 USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Advertisement



The USSR faked its death to lull America to sleep so that it could wage war on it by subversion.











The So Called "Death of Communism", by Soviet defector Anatoliy Golitsyn:The USSR faked its death to lull America to sleep so that it could wage war on it by subversion. (This post was last modified: 04-08-2018 08:40 PM by AnatoliyGolitsyn .) Pasta Lover

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User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:38 PM



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Post: #2 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Have you had a chance to read any of Diana West or JR Nyquist's work. They cite this guy often. AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:39 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #3 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Pasta Lover Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:38 PM) Have you had a chance to read any of Diana West or JR Nyquist's work. They cite this guy often.

Only Nyquist. Gonna check out Diana West. Thanks! Only Nyquist. Gonna check out Diana West. Thanks! LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:41 PM











Post: #4 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

They might try to f*#k with the US.



But it will take a whole lot of torture or secrets to make me not blame all the costly wars, or the wall street frauds, on US own rule and strategies. AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:42 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #5 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist





But lo and behold, he was re-branded as "Communist Party Russian Federation". It is not only allowed but is the official opposition in the Duma of Putin and his crypto-communist United Russia Party.



This is the flag of the Communist Party Russian Federation, which is the official opposition in the Duma. What happened to the ban of communist parties? Obviously it was all a ruse.



Part of this hoax of collapsing communism by Gorbachev (and Yeltsin) and the Central Committee was banning the leading "Communist Party Soviet Union".But lo and behold, he was re-branded as "Communist Party Russian Federation". It is not only allowed but is the official opposition in the Duma of Putin and his crypto-communist United Russia Party.This is the flag of the Communist Party Russian Federation, which is the official opposition in the Duma. What happened to the ban of communist parties? Obviously it was all a ruse. (This post was last modified: 04-08-2018 08:45 PM by AnatoliyGolitsyn .) LoP Guest

lop guest

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:45 PM











Post: #6 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

True, Ive seen him shitposting on LOP. udis

Philosopher

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:46 PM



Posts: 31,250









Post: #7 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

It seriously Boggles the MIND that

LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES Think the

General Population of the United States

is STUPID!



They Just Keep The STUPID Baiting Going.

Dig Your Own Grave and SAVE!



Question? Are you seriously Murdering the DNC

in the next election with all the STUPID roses

You Folks Regurgitate.



BatSH!TCrazy RedBaiting RedHating.











 This Claim Is Disputed Pending Fact Checkers.  udis

 The Ministry Of Thought Crime. Does Not Approve Of Your Thoughts!     Monk-1

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:47 PM



Posts: 5,687









Post: #8 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Stalin. Not Lenin, asshat. AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:47 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #9 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

udis Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:46 PM) It seriously Boggles the MIND that

LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES Think the

General Population of the United States

is STUPID!



They Just Keep The STUPID Baiting Going.

Dig Your Own Grave and SAVE!



Question? Are you seriously Murdering the DNC

in the next election with all the STUPID roses

You Folks Regurgitate.



BatSH!TCrazy RedBaiting RedHating.





Divide and conquer is part of the Soviet strategy. Why else were the Russian troll farms caught simultaneously posing as both Democrats (black panther groups) and Alt Righters (neo nazis)?



You have things inverted. Wake the hell up! Divide and conquer is part of the Soviet strategy. Why else were the Russian troll farms caught simultaneously posing as both Democrats (black panther groups) and Alt Righters (neo nazis)?You have things inverted. Wake the hell up! (This post was last modified: 04-08-2018 08:48 PM by AnatoliyGolitsyn .) Monk-1

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:49 PM



Posts: 5,687









Post: #10 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Or maybe they all do. Monk-1

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:51 PM



Posts: 5,687









Post: #11 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

I`d fake my own death, but they would probably nail the coffin shut. AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:51 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #12 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

McCarthyite anti-Communism of the 1950s was controlled by anti-Stalinist Trotskyite Jewish communists, like the American Jewish League Against Communism , which was financed by Zio king Bernard Baruch.



So you had Zionists on both sides of the dialectic. (This post was last modified: 04-08-2018 08:52 PM by AnatoliyGolitsyn .) udis

Philosopher

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:52 PM



Posts: 31,250









Post: #13 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

MainStreetFatCat Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:47 PM) udis Wrote: (04-08-2018 08:46 PM) It seriously Boggles the MIND that

LIBERAL PROGRESSIVES Think the

General Population of the United States

is STUPID!

They Just Keep The STUPID Baiting Going.

Dig Your Own Grave and SAVE!

Question? Are you seriously Murdering the DNC

in the next election with all the STUPID roses

You Folks Regurgitate.

BatSH!TCrazy RedBaiting RedHating.

Divide and conquer is part of the Soviet strategy. Why else were the Russian troll farms caught simultaneously posing as both Democrats (black panther groups) and Alt Righters (neo nazis)?

You have things inverted. Wake the hell up! Korea and Vietnam It takes 2.

Divide and conquer is part of Manifest Destiny

a Belief that was Created By Democrats!

Korea and Vietnam It takes 2.Divide and conquer is part of Manifest Destinya Belief that was Created By Democrats!  This Claim Is Disputed Pending Fact Checkers.  udis

 The Ministry Of Thought Crime. Does Not Approve Of Your Thoughts!     AnatoliyGolitsyn

Registered User

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:54 PM



Posts: 3,299









Post: #14 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Predictive programming, Revelation of the Method







udis

Philosopher

User ID: 1337

04-08-2018 08:54 PM



Posts: 31,250









Post: #15 RE: USSR still exists - we have been fooled - Russia is still Communist

Dividing OUR Nation is a Domestic THREAT that is

embedded in our GOVERNMENT!



The DEMOCRATS started the first Civil war

and they will start the second Civil War!





 This Claim Is Disputed Pending Fact Checkers.  udis

 The Ministry Of Thought Crime. Does Not Approve Of Your Thoughts!     Advertisement


















Tony Blair has urged British Prime Minister Theresa May to use her authority to help break the political deadlock in Northern Ireland.

Tuesday marks 20 years since the former British premier and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern sealed the Good Friday peace agreement, which largely ended decades of violence.

Mr Blair said he believed it was possible to resolve the current Stormont impasse, which has left the country without devolved Government for 15 months.

He told BBC NI's The Sunday News: "This requires the full focus of the Government."

He added: "At a certain point the authority of the Prime Minister is necessary in order to get people to move and to come into some form of alignment."

In 1998, the leaders of Northern Ireland's main parties - the DUP and some Ulster Unionists dissented - the British and Irish Governments and US special envoy to Northern Ireland George Mitchell brokered the Good Friday Agreement.

It led to the early release of paramilitary prisoners and was followed by decommissioning of terror weapons, fundamental reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the establishment of a devolved cross-community power-sharing government at Stormont.

In 2017, that administration foundered over a botched Government-run green energy scheme.

Divisions between the DUP and Sinn Fein over Irish language rights and addressing the legacy of Northern Ireland's violent past have prevented its resumption.

Mr Blair said: "I cannot believe it is not possible to find a way around it.

"It is very similar to the types of issues we used to deal with.

"It is not easy, and Brexit complicates things for a variety of reasons but... it is still worth doing."

Mr Ahern also called on Stormont's current political leaders to shift positions.

He told The Sunday News: "The art of politics is compromise, the art of politics is working together for the good of the people, the people that elect you, the people that trust you, this is what political leadership is about."

A UK Government spokesman said: "This Government's support for the Belfast Agreement and its successors as the basis for devolution in Northern Ireland remains steadfast.

"As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Agreement, we are totally committed to the restoration of the devolved institutions, working intensively with the parties and the Irish Government to achieve that.

"Throughout the past year the Prime Minister has been heavily involved in the political process. She has led frequent discussions with Northern Ireland's political leaders and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, including in Belfast in February.

"The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State will continue to do whatever is necessary to see devolved government restored and the Agreements implemented in full."
One of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement has issued a fresh warning about the potential impact of Brexit on the peace process.

George Mitchell, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland who chaired the negotiations for the 1998 agreement, urged the Taoiseach and the British Prime Minister to remember what is at stake in the Brexit talks.

He said resolving the problem of the post-Brexit border was important because it had been an "important factor" in reducing tensions between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

Asked what his message would be to Leo Varadkar and Theresa May, he said: "What I do urge them is to recognise what's at stake here.

"It's the futures of their economies, it's the possibility of resumption of conflict or of a reversion back to a time when nobody wants to go back to except for a very tiny fringe element on both sides.

"I think that means that they have to come up with reasonable and acceptable compromises."

Asked about claims the Good Friday Agreement was now getting in the way of political progress in Northern Ireland, he told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show: "I don't agree with that analysis.

"I think the people espousing that line are primarily concerned with the Brexit debate in the UK and are using the Northern Ireland issue as a part of that debate."

The border will become the frontier between the EU and a non-member after Brexit, but both sides in the negotiations are committed to avoiding a "hard border" with infrastructure such as cameras or checkpoints.

Mr Mitchell said: "I hope they figure out a way to resolve it that maintains the border in the current status because that's been an important factor in reducing the stereotyping or the demonisation that existed between Northern Ireland and Ireland before, when people who lived just a short distance from the border never crossed it."

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Northern Ireland had not consented to Brexit.

"The British Government is playing fast and loose with the hard-won progress built over 20 years.

"The Good Friday Agreement is not a historic artefact. It is not to be discarded by Tory Brexiteers or a minority in the leadership of unionism.

"It is an agreement endorsed by the vast majority of the people of Ireland. It remains the basis for resolving the current crisis.

"It lays the foundation of a new Ireland which we must build together."

Negotiations in Brussels are set to continue this week and Ireland's ambassador to the UK Adrian O'Neill said: "There is agreement all round between the EU and the UK that there will be no hard border on the island of Ireland and that includes any physical infrastructure."

He told the Andrew Marr Show: "There are negotiations going on even this week in Brussels which will be addressing the 'how' and the modalities and so on.

"We need to work through that to get to the destination that we all want to achieve."

One of the other sensitive issues facing Mrs May in the Brexit process is the future of the fishing industry amid claims of "betrayal" because the UK will remain bound by EU rules during the transition process until the end of 2020.

Protests were taking place at ports around the UK and Fishing for Leave spokesman Alan Hastings said: "Fishermen are sickened and enraged that our government has capitulated to obeying all EU law after Brexit."
Health Minister Simon Harris has pledged that new GP contract negotiations will begin with a month.

Minister Harris last night told IMO Delegates meeting in Killarney that he is ready to start work, to deliver the kind of Irish health service that doctors will want to work in.

Minister Harris took the podium at the Europe Hotel in Killarney saying there was a lot to talk about and a lot to do.

He said previous decisions to reduce bed capacity were "crazy" and said he knew what was needed, listing capacity, recruitment and retention, investment, the new GP contract and the publication of the Slaintecare Report among the priorities.

He promised significant resources are available for a new GP contract and pledged that negotiations would begin within one month.

The immediate response from delegates was that they were listening but they also wanted to see action being delivered.

The IMO's incoming president, Beaumont Hospital's Dr Peader Gilligan, replied to the Minister's address, saying now was the time to stop analysing and start delivering the health service that the country requires.

- Digital desk
German prosecutors still have no indication why a 48-year-old man drove a van into a crowd of people in the western city of Muenster, killing two and injuring 20 before shooting himself dead inside the van.

"As of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed," prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt wrote in a joint statement with police.

"The investigations are being led under high pressure in all possible directions."

Authorities have identified the two fatalities of yesterday's crash as a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg County and a 65-year-old man from Broken County.

Local media have identified the perpetrator as a German industrial designer living in Muenster who had been suffering from psychological problems, but police would not confirm the details.

People stay in front of a restaurant in Muenster, Germany, today. Photo: Stephan R./dpa via AP.

All three bodies were taken from the scene in front of the well-known Kiepenkerl pub.

The silver-grey van was hauled away hours later after explosives experts had thoroughly checked it.

"The van is not at the crime scene anymore, all kinds of objects have also been removed, waste of course, as well as evidence that we've found on the ground," police spokeswoman Susanne Dirkorte said.

Inside the van, police found illegal firecrackers disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the gun the perpetrator used to kill himself.

Inside the man's apartment, which was near the crash scene and raided late last night, police found more firecrackers and a "no longer usable AK-47 machine gun".

Police said some of the 20 injured people were in life-threatening condition, but did not release further details.

The local daily Muenstersche Zeitung reported that the perpetrator had vaguely announced his suicide plans a week ago in an email to friends, and that he was known to the authorities for previous violence and drug violations.

The city was buzzing on one of the first warm spring days of the year and people were sitting outside the Kiepenkerl when he drove into the bar's tables with such force that the van only came to a stop when it hit the wall of the pub.

Police quickly evacuated the area and ambulances, firefighters and helicopters rushed to the scene to aid the injured.

The city's Roman Catholic bishop, Felix Glenn, invited all of Muenster's citizens to a joint Catholic-Lutheran memorial service at the famous Paulus Cathedral tonight.

Muenster is a popular university town with 300,000 inhabitants.

It is also a known tourist destination, famous for its medieval old town, which was rebuilt after massive destruction during the Second World War.

- PA
So how do you encompass all this in a single evening's program? Impossible, of course. But this is a very decent attempt, with enough of Murphy's unique choreographic creativity and quirky humour to please committed viewers and provide a new young audience with an enticing introduction to his work  though I did experience reservations among the joys of rediscovery.

It has been a mighty output of works that reflect Australia and its culture, its peculiarities and its humour, as well as looking beyond our shores for ideas and inspiration. Murphy and his life and career partner, Janet Vernon, have made a longer and stronger impression on Australian dance than any of their predecessors  and I hope it will continue.

Graeme Murphy was deservedly given a standing ovation at Sydney's opening night of the Australian Ballet's tribute to his 50-year contribution to dance, from student performer to international choreographer.

The Australian Ballet opens its 2018 Sydney season with Murphy, a tribute to the country's greatest choreographer Graeme Murphy. Credit:Wolter Peeters

As someone privileged to have followed him on more than 40 years of his choreographic journey, I was thrilled to see the revival of Sheherazade from 1979. Sensitively danced by Leanne Stojmenov and Jarryd Madden, supported by Lana Jones and Brodie James, it came close to equalling the sensual electricity of the original in its exploration of the dancing body.

A satisfyingly broad excerpt from Grand (2005) included the delicious male duo danced with fleet-footed precision and the lightest touch by Brett Chynoweth and Marcus Morelli; a gorgeous showbiz parody for a female star and her attendant men, twisting and turning her to present her at her glamorous best, danced by Shaun Andrews, Andrew Wright and Joe Chapman with Valerie Tereshchenko; and a truly beautiful duet given lyrical attention to detail by Leanne Stojmenov and Kevin Jackson. Onstage pianist Scott Davie moves crisply through the range of composers, from Beethoven to Gershwin.

Shorter excerpts from Ellipse (2002) and Air and Other Invisible Forces (1999) were less successful for this viewer who had the pleasure of seeing them originally on Murphy's own Sydney Dance Company. Its performers had far more character than the technically more skilled (in many cases) dancers of the Australian Ballet, who too often fail to project a sense of theatre to the full auditorium.

While it is good to see the choreography and marvel at Murphy's invention, these excerpts didn't take flight on opening night to provide that extra dimension of engagement and enjoyment. The same goes for the prologue from The Silver Rose, commissioned by the Bayerisches Staatsballet in 2005 and later performed by the Australian Ballet: it was danced well enough by Amber Scott and Callum Linnane but lacked an essential spark.
American talk show host Jimmy Kimmel has called for an end to his feud with Fox News host Sean Hannity.

The pair have sparred publicly, via their social media, television and radio programs, for several days after Kimmel made a joke about First Lady Melania Trump.

Kimmel today apologised for the joke which triggered the feud, though he referred to it in his apology as a "a silly aside referencing our First Ladys accent."
Atlanta

SBS Viceland, 9.25pm

First, a small praise-be to SBS. Apart from all the good they do with their diversity of programming, with shows both home-grown and imported, they are also right onto it when it comes to peak TV. Without SBS we would be denied The Handmaid's Tale (the second season starts April 25), the new season of Homeland would be homeless, and we wouldn't get to see Donald Glover's smart, trippy and on-point Atlanta. Set in, whaddya know, Atlanta, it follows Glover's Earnest Marks as he tries to make a life for himself, trying to be a better father and partner, while managing his cousin Alfred "Paper Moi" Miles' booming hip-hop career. It's about nothing (a recent episode following Paper Boi's exasperated attempts to get a haircut was gold) and it's about everything (casual racism, gun violence). Glover, otherwise known as rapper Childish Gambino, got his start writing for Tina Fey's comedy 30 Rock before starring in Community and then writing and starring in Atlanta. And while Atlanta has shades of 30 Rock and Community's off-the-wall comedy, it has more substance and sly humour. Coupled with Issa Rae's Insecure (which you can dig out on Foxtel), Atlanta offers a timely snapshot of what it means to be black in America today. LR

Movie

This is Where I Leave You (2014)

7Flix, 10.50pm

In this barely bittersweet family comedy  alternative title, Four Wellbeing Lessons and a Funeral  the death of an American family's patriarch brings home his children and their enduring issues. The unlikely quartet are the grounded, disconsolate Judd (Jason Bateman), poorly married Wendy (Tina Fey), agitated husband/desperate-to-be-a-father Paul (Corey Stoll), and the playful, feckless Philip (Adam Driver). That they're returning to their imperious mother Hillary (Jane Fonda), who demands they spend the week together under her roof, should add to the discomfort and insurrection, but director Shawn Levy (Cheaper by the Dozen, Night at the Museum) has a hackneyed feel for personal dynamics and no tolerance for the resentment and bile that needs to be exorcised. Everyone gets a welcome reset, most notably Judd, who falls into a romance with an accommodating old acquaintance (Rose Byrne). Losing their father is actually the making of them. CM

Brian Tyree as Alfred ''Paper Boi'' Myles in Atlanta.

Movie

It Comes at Night (2017)

stan.com.au (streaming)

A tense, suggestive horror film where the threat is never quite defined, this American independent success is set in a boarded-up house in the aftermath of an airborne virus destroying civilisation. Solitude and survival techniques are all married couple Paul and Sarah (Joel Edgerton and Carmen Ejogo respectively) and their teenage son Travis (Kelvin Harrison Jr) have left. But when they capture an unwitting scavenger (Christopher Abbott) free of infection, they decide to take him and his young family in. But safety in numbers is an illusion in Trey Edward Shults' movie, where paranoia and a terrifying reality act as accelerants for the sparse, evocative filmmaking. Telling the story through the eyes (and eavesdropping ears) of Travis makes for an unreliable narrator, with the boy's coming of age transformed by the increasingly nightmarish new world that his family inhabits. It's a film of masterful fractures, expertly played by the accomplished cast. CM

Pay 

Lawless Island

National Geographic, 5pm

Lawless Island is a misleading title for this documentary series about a bunch of hardy folk living peaceful, co-operative lives in a remote village on an Alaskan island. It's a wild place, with bays full of wrecked ships piled one on top of the other, but in the little village of Port Protection calm prevails. There's no road into the place, or even within it; the locals get around by boat and on a network of hand-built wooden walkways. Today the self-sufficient Sam has to go out into the forest to trap some minks so he can use their fat to make boot grease. Elsewhere, locals Hans and Timbi set about establishing Port Protection's first farm (complete with chicken coop) while old-timer Gary rustles up clams and octopus for his dinner. An interesting look at a very different way of life. BN
Murder, Mayhem, and Meditation

SBS Viceland, 9.25pm

It's not always easy to recognise progress for the better at California's Salinas Valley State Prison, but as Vice News correspondent Kay Larsen points out early on in this documentary, a total of 700 annual assaults is actually an improvement on previous years. Constantly referencing states of incarceration, beginning with razorwire-topped yards, exercise cages, and lockdown cells before moving onto emotional states and debilitating beliefs, Murder, Mayhem, and Meditation looks at how rehabilitation techniques might lower recidivism and thus reduce America's vast prison population of about two million inmates. "These are the worst guys in the state," a guard cautions Larsen, who reports on location in body armour, and there's a sometimes contradictory enthusiasm for documenting both the cruel realities and casual violence of prison life and positive therapy sessions that really do include Buddhist meditation done in handcuffs. It's an incongruous image, but change is obviously needed. CM

The Loving Story

SBS, 10.30pm

The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the Virginia newlyweds whose eventual 1967 victory in the Supreme Court overturned state-based bans on interracial marriage in America, was recently told in Jeff Nichols' 2016 drama Loving. But it was this 2011 documentary by Nancy Buirski (who was subsequently credited as a producer on Loving) that inspired the feature film, and you can readily see why. Based on archival interviews with the white Richard and half-black and half-Native American Mildred, as well as television news coverage, the story reveals a quietly conservative pair whose love for each other and desire to live where they'd grown up together led them to endure arrest, abuse and exile. The Lovings were unlikely backwoods advocates of social change, but their dedication prevailed in an America where the racial divide was bitterly defended. "I know we have some enemies," Mildred says, "but we have some friends, too." CM

Inmates in California's Salinas Valley State Prison, in a scene from the documentary Murder, Mayhem and Meditation. Credit:SBS

Movie

King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Premiere Movies (pay TV), 8.30pm

Arthurian myth gets a gangster-and-geezer makeover from Guy Ritchie, with the orphaned baby Arthur  whose royal parents have been murdered by his treacherous uncle, the usurper Vortigen (Jude Law)  being raised in a Londinium brothel. The Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels director has previously had his way with beloved British tales such as Sherlock Holmes, but this queasy, bonkers blockbuster is heavy on the fantastical, a realm he's previously been far more likely to mock than celebrate. As Arthur comes of age (played by Charlie Hunnam with a decent measure of gravitas), learns of his legacy and fights for his throne, Ritchie descends into full fantasy extravaganza, complete with massed digitally generated ranks. This is not his forte, but as unwieldy as this tale of sorcery and rebellion becomes, it's never merely mundane because Ritchie's inexperience means he's happy to give almost anything a go. CM

Pay

Tonight at the London Palladium

UKTV, 7.30pm

All-purpose entertainer Bradley Walsh  him out of Law & Order: UK, who now presents The Chase UK  just gets more and more assured with each instalment of this old-fashioned variety show. Tonight he comes out singing Get Happy flanked by a bevy of glamorous dancers and casually owns the whole thing without even bothering to stretch his own modest pipes. When he strolls out into the audience to do a spot of crowd work, he gets hearty laugh after hearty laugh with punchlines old enough to have been classified by the National Trust. Walsh banters merrily with the puppets that call out Waldorf-and-Statler-like from the royal box, and even when he smacks an audience member in the teeth with his microphone, he recovers pretty well. Tonight's guests include '90s pop sensations Steps on the comeback trail and Phantom of the Opera star Ben Forster doing The Music of the Night. BN
I hope it makes you feel great about yourself to put shit on other people's hard work, because I'd hate for it to benefit no one at all."

That was my reply to "feedback" I received recently from a listener to my podcast, Australian True Crime. I hate "feedback". I only ever write the word surrounded by disrespectful quotation marks because it's a duplicitous, sneering, dishonest, Trojan horse of a word. It pretends to be formal and respectable, but it's just a cheaply veneered crap sandwich.

Thanks to social media, we're exposed to the rudeness of strangers on a scale not seen since the last bloke was put in the town stocks. Credit:Stocksy

Yes, yes I know. Being prepared to accept "feedback" is supposed to be a strength. What rubbish. No one accepts "feedback", it's just that some people are better at hiding murderous rage and quietly plotting revenge than others. That's why psychopaths are often successful in business: they're great at getting "feedback".

Offering someone "feedback" is the corporate-speak equivalent of saying to someone, "Look, no offence" before launching into a scathing assessment of their entire being. It's the lowering of the boom gates of good manners so they don't disrupt the insult freight express train on its path to Personal Demolition Station.
A man who was missing in Canberra for more than three days has been found safe and well.

An ACT Policing spokesperson said the 33-year-old was found at 5.30pm on Monday.

He had not been seen since about 2am on Friday, when he disappeared from London Circuit in Canberra.
Orban's opponents - including former members of the party he now leads - see his tenure as a troubling turn toward an "Eastern-style" autocracy incompatible with contemporary European values of transparency, tolerance and democracy. To them, Orban - who in the past eight years in power has overhauled the constitution and cracked down on Hungarian media, among other things - is more in line with Russia's Vladimir Putin than he is with the continental cohorts of Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. And Sunday's election represents an existential choice. Security personnel drag a man holding a banner that reads "There is no freedom after speech in this country" ahead of the final electoral rally of Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party in, Szekesfehervar, Hungary, on Friday. Credit:AP "The question is which direction we will go in the next four years," said Peter Akos Bod, who served as trade minister in Hungary's transition government in 1990 after the fall of communism, and later as the president of Hungary's central bank. "The election will determine whether Hungary consolidates itself as a democracy or whether it aligns with Putin and the ascendant authoritarians of the 21st century," said Michael Ignatieff, the president and rector of Budapest's Central European University, an institution backed by George Soros that Orban has repeatedly threatened.

But Europe means something different to Orban's supporters. To them, he incarnates a nostalgic vision of a Hungary, and a Europe, that is culturally homogenous. "It's difficult to say, as I cannot speak for everyone," said Gabor Bodi, 49, a physical therapist who was at the rally, when pressed to define the appeal of Orban's vision. He was holding a crucifix several meters tall that towered above the crowd. "But as you can see, I am carrying a cross." People stand on a street by a billboard from Prime Minister Viktor Orban's Fidesz party reads "Let's stop Soros' candidates!" showing American financier George Soros, centre. Nostalgia is an Orban specialty, and appeals to a vanished white, Christian past have long been a mainstay of his rhetoric, including at the rally: "We freed ourselves from bonded slavery."

"We stopped the first big wave of migration." "We proved that the Christian culture and way of life is not part of the past. On the contrary, we can bring it and we must bring it with us into the future." But sociologists say the emphasis is deeper than that. Orban's line plays on a collective memory of foreign invasion by Turks, Austrians and Russians, said Imre Kovach, an expert on domestic social dynamics at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. Much the same is true in Poland, another EU member state run by right-wing populists that has sought, through the passage of a widely condemned "Holocaust law", to end what leaders see as the deliberate attempt to shame the nation on the part of Western critics.

"Hungarian identity is a very European identity, but I do think that it's really different from, say, a French or German," Kovach said. "They just don't have the same image of what 'Europe' means." The difference, he said, is the experience of postwar history. Hungary, like Poland, experienced nearly 50 years of communist rule after the end of World War II. For many, the end of communism was seen as a moment when the country would be granted a long-denied sense of autonomy - an autonomy that's not always recognized in the European Union. Loading "From a historical point of view, when Hungarians had to make a decision about siding with the West or the East, they always chose the West," Kovach said. "But the 20th century's events were not for the Hungarians - we lost so much, so many territories, so many people's lives." Orban rarely shies away from this history. When he wades into it, the subtext is often the sacrifice Hungary made in defending a continent that has never properly expressed its gratitude.
Washington: There are a lot of good arguments for maintaining an American presence in Syria after the fall of the Islamic State, but US President Donald Trump doesn't seem persuaded by any of them.

Perhaps he would back off his urge to cut and run if he knew that the United States and its partners control almost all of the oil. And if the United States leaves, that oil will likely fall into the hands of Iran.

Donald Trump in Ohio where he promised to pull out of Syria. Credit:Bloomberg

It's one feature of a larger US mission in Syria that is really about containing Iranian expansionism, preventing a new refugee crisis, fighting extremism and stopping Russia from exerting influence over the region. The United States has serious national security interests in making sure that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran don't push America out of Syria and declare total victory.
Photo: Contributed

Join our wine writer, Allison Markin, every week for a wine review complete with food and music pairings. Featuring Okanagan and Canadian wines, with an occasional international bottle, Castanet celebrates the bottles of our Valley and the diversity of the Canadian wine industry and influences from around the world. For current availability and pricing, consult the winery. Unless indicated, international selections are generally available at government liquor stores or private wine shops.

Wine: Late Harvest Muscat, 2014

Winery: Tokaji, Hungary

Why drink it? Believe it or not, you can find this Hungarian wine in a few government stores around the Okanagan, and its review came about as research for a wine tour to Hungary for a wine tourism conference. If you like sweet wines, but not ice-wine sweet, and feel like being adventurous, why not try a bottle? Youll likely find that this is familiar if you enjoy late harvest wines, with fresh flowers and honey on the nose. Dont expect super sweet, but an enjoyable after-dinner sip with that will make you say, Hey, this is niceand its from Hungary?"

Price: $19

Pair with: Definitely not for drinking with most dinner dishes, this is probably best sipped on its own after the table has been cleared, or perhaps with candied fruit or almonds, or an equally sweet dessert such as creme brulee or creme caramel.

Music pairing: Budapest by George Ezra

Have a wine to suggest? Email Allison at [email protected]
Photo: Contributed

When two Edmonton men started bottling and selling air from Banff and Lake Louise, Alta., some people thought it was a farce, but about four years later the duo's expanded their line to also include products with the country's glacier and spring waters as main ingredients.

Troy Paquette and Moses Lam co-founded Vitality Air after reading articles online about air pollution and chatting about how anyone who visits Banff raves about the air quality.

"We just kind of spun it from there and thought: 'Wouldn't it be cool if we could find a way to share that with the rest of the world?'" said Paquette.

"And that's kind of where it all started from."

Vitality Air's founders and other creative Canadian entrepreneurs are packaging Canada's natural resources to fill a demand for wellness products with a fresh twist.

Some resourceful Canadians have tapped into the trees, bringing maple and birch water to store shelves, while a raw water fad in the U.S. could soon ripple over to the border. All these entrepreneurs tout their product's natural qualities and possible health-promoting components.

These companies follow a broader wellness trend, said Amy Chung, Canadian beauty industry analyst for market-research firm NPD Group.

Nowadays, people want more openness and details on products and to know, for example, what they're putting on their face, she said.

Much of the demand for Vitality Air comes from China where air pollution is a major problem.

The company's website plays up health angles, claiming "fresh air plays a vital role in the physical and emotional wellness of people of all ages," and that breathing in its products "is like giving your mind and body a shot of nature."

More recently, the company added a line of facial mists to its website, which it calls "a natural progression" from the air canisters. The so-called glacier myst includes "the untouched waters of the Rocky Mountain glaciers," according to the site, while the "sulphur myst" is enhanced with sulphur from springs in Banff. One bottle costs $20.

The mist offers the body and mind tranquility, and keeps people looking healthy and energized, according to the site.

Other entrepreneurs have taken a similar approach, selling a well-known Canadian ingredient as a wellness product to the masses.

Lower Valley Beverage Company in Flesherton, Ont., produces Sapsucker, a maple tree water harvested from mature maple trees that it calls "a naturally pure alternative to bottled water." The beverage has 46 naturally occurring minerals, antioxidants and vitamins, according to the website
The Secret Service has always been shrouded in mystery  we know very little about the inner workings of the federal law enforcement agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The organization is charged with conducting criminal investigations and protecting the nations leaders, and its job has not been easy.

The Secret Service rarely gives up any information about the leaders it protects, but some ex-members of the organization have talked. Keep reading to find out shocking secrets theyve told about U.S. presidents and their wives  including Barack and Michelle Obama on page 5  and decide for yourself if theyre true.

1. Hillarys hatred

When former Secret Service Agent Gary Byrne book Crisis of Character: A White House Secret Service Officer Discloses His Firsthand Experience with Hillary, Bill, and How They Operate he revealed things about the Clintons that were absolutely shocking, according to The Daily Wire. President Bill Clintons wife apparently had quite the temper, according to The Daily Wire. Here are five things Byrne said Hillary Clinton has screamed at people:

Where is the G*damn f**king flag! I want the G*damn f**king flag up every morning at f**king sunrise.

F**k off! Its enough I have to see you sh**-kickers every day, Im not going to talk to you too!! Just do your G*damn job and keep your mouth shut.

Stay the f**k back, stay the f**k back away from me! Dont come within ten yards of me, or else! Just f**king do as I say, Okay!!?

Wheres the miserable c**k sucker!

Come on [former president] Bill [Clinton], put your d**k up! You cant f**k her here!! Clinton also once referred to her husbands 1974 campaign manager as a f***ing Jew bastard.

Next: More on Hillary

2. Poor Bill Clinton

In his book, according to The Daily Wire, Byrne confirmed a rumor that Hillary Clinton threw a vase at Bill. It was incidents like that that kept the Secret Service alert for any possible domestic violence between the Clintons.

Heres what Byrne wrote: I peeked into the curators small, windowless ground-floor office across from the China Room and the Diplomatic Reception Room. It was cluttered with blueprints and history books on the every detail of the White House: fabrics, furniture, artifacts. Sure enough, there was a box containing a light blue vase smashed to bits. The rumors were true!

Next: This is just awful.

3. Bill Clintons major indiscretions

According to The Daily Wire, Byrne book contains some seriously allegations about Bill Clinton. In short, the book claims he structured the White House to accommodate his sexual philandering. Clinton had a jogging list of women. In the beginning of his first administration, when President Clinton was jogging outside, women who were dressed as if they were going clubbing or working out, started showing up at the southeast gate, said Byrne. The agents . . . would get the womens names, and run them to see who they were. If the women wouldnt cooperate, they would be ushered out of the jogging group.

Next: Bill doesnt stop.

4. The tireless Bill Clinton

Clinton had up to three affairs at once, according to The Daily Wire. At one point, Byrnes book alleged, he was with Monica Lewinsky and former Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondales daughter, Eleanor Mondale. Byrne says he actually walked in on Clinton in the White House Map Room making out with Mondale in a compromising position.

Byrne says Lewinsky was plenty mad about not being Clintons one and only. Whats he want with her when he has this?, said Lewinsky when she found out. Byrne also says he witnessed lots of semen and lipstick-stained towels that provided evidence of Clintons affairs and that he had to endure many investigators exasperation during the Lewinsky scandal.

Next: Dirt on the Obamas

5. Even the Obamas werent perfect

Its rare to hear gossip about former president Barack Obama. But according to The News-Gazette, former Wall Street Journal and Washington Post investigative reporter Ronald Kessler revealed some in his book The First Family Details. The Obamas treated the secret service very well  Barack Obama even invited agents to dinner from time to time  and to watch the Super Bowl with him.

That said, no one can be nice all the time, and apparently the first lady thought her husband was a bit too nice. Kessler wrote that agents were dismayed when they heard Michelle Obama push her husband to be more aggressive in attacking Republicans and to take more of a stand during racial controversies.

Next: This president was no picnic to protect.

6. Lyndon B. Johnson was a nightmare

When Clint Hill, a Secret Service agent from 1958 to 1975, co-authored the book Five Presidents: My Extraordinary Journey With Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Ford with Lisa McCubbin, he had plenty to say about former presidents, according to the The Washington Post.

Some of the scariest moments in Secret Service history happened while the organization protected Lyndon B. Johnson. Apparently, Johnson was both unpredictable and uncooperative, which was a bad combination. Youd think Johnson would be plenty happy to have Secret Service agents around him after JFKs assassination, but apparently, he wasnt exactly grateful.

Johnson would constantly jump out of his limo to shake hands with people and made last-minute plans to travel, which was incredibly difficult for agents to arrange. Once, he

Took a helicopter to a neighbors ranch for a spontaneous visit and he took an around-the-world trip in December 1967 that was originally was supposed to be only a visit to Melbourne for the funeral of Australias prime minister. Johnson notified his detail after the funeral that he wanted to visit the pope and then U.S. troops in Thailand and the Cam Ranh Bay Air Base in Vietnam. In other words, Johnson wanted to go into a combat zone after he said howdy to the pope.

Next: Back to Bill

7. Hillary rides again

There is just no end to the gossip surrounding the Clintons time in the White House, according to The Daily Wire. Ronald Kessler wrote that Hillary was just terrible to her Secret Service detail and that her temper was legendary. In fact, agents considered it a punishment to be put on her detail. Here are some of the things Kessler claims Hillary did to her agents:

She threw a Bible at the back of an agents head.

She said F*** off to an agent who greeted her by saying, Good morning.

When another agent said good morning to her during the Whitewater scandal, she said, How dare you? You people are just destroying my husband And where do you buy your suits? Penneys?

When a gay rights delegation visited the White House and the agents used gloves to screen their briefcases, the media labeled it as a homophobic slight. Hillary screamed that the agents f***ed us and that we need to get rid of these a**holes, Bill! Theyve had it out for us from the beginning.

Read more: Would Donald Trump Ditch His Secret Service Detail? These Presidents Did

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Don't Be Overcome by Statistics, Overcome Statistics With the Gospel Christian Post Contributor | 07 April, 2018 by Brian G. Chilton

Let's be honest. We in the Christian world are inundated with bad news. We are bombarded with news about how the Millennial Generation is far more unbelieving than Generation X. In full disclosure, I was born at the end of what would make me a Gen-Xer. Nevertheless, pastors especially are concerned with lower numbers of people in their pews, statistics that show that giving is much lower than in times past, and denominational numbers that are dismal. I am identified as a Southern Baptist. I have heard reports that the SBC baptismal rates are the lowest they have been for quite some time.

Hearing these numbers cause great concern. As one who loves peace and security, I find myself asking some questions that are noble, like  "Will the next generation know about Christ? Will there be an evangelical presence in future generation?" and some questions that are admittedly more selfish, like  "Do I have job security as a pastor? Will I have enough time in ministry to retire? What will I do if I lose my position?" Be honest. If you are in ministry, you have probably asked similar questions.

However, I have had a statement that the apostle Paul gave the Romans on my mind a lot here lately. Paul wrote, perhaps his magnum opus, to the church in Rome. Roman Christians were facing uncertain days as they were often met with persecution. In AD 49, Emperor Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. The Christian Jews were met with strife over their trust in Christ by fellow Jews. For the Christians left in Rome, they were Gentiles who were bombarded by various other competing worldviews. In the midst of this turmoil, Paul encourages them by saying, "Do not be conquered by evil, but conquer evil with good" (Rom. 12:21). How can these words apply to our situation? First, let's look at the reactions that people often have when met with opposition.

1. Reactions to Negative Statistics.

As an observer of people, I have noticed three negative reactions and one positive to the problems facing the church. We'll call the three negative reactions the denying mule, the withdrawn ostrich, and the whipped pup, while the positive reaction is noted as the conquering lion.

The Denying Mule. A mule can be a stubborn animal. If it is content to not do something, it is difficult, if not downright impossible, to get the animal to that thing. In like manner, some Christians will hear the negative statistics that are given and will deny that things are as bad as the statistics portray. Why? It is because the person is content to keep things as they are and is unwilling to change ministerial practices regardless of what may come. This is an unhealthy practice.

Read more about Christian statistics on The Christian Post.
Vietnam Sentences Pastor to 12 Years in Prison for Wanting Religious Freedom Rights 07 April, 2018 by Anugrah Kumar , |

A court in Vietnam has sentenced six people, including a Christian human rights lawyer and a Protestant pastor, to between seven and 15 years in prison for "anti-state" activities, according to a report.

The Christian lawyer, Nguyen Van Dai, who has provided legal advice and representation to victims of human rights abuses including religious minorities across Vietnam, received the longest sentence of 15 years in prison and a further five years under house arrest, the U.K.-based group Christian Solidarity Worldwide said in a statement.

Pastor and activist Nguyen Trung Ton, along with legal expert Nguyen Bac Truyen, were charged with "carrying out activities aimed at overthrowing the government." Pastor Trung Ton has advocated for the right to freedom of religion or belief and spoken out against social injustices.

Ton and Truyen were sentenced to 12 years and 11 years in prison, respectively.

After the trial, police forcibly took away supporters of the convicts, CSW said.

All the convicts will have a chance to appeal the sentences.

CSW Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas "strongly condemned" the sentences.

They have "peacefully defended the rights of others in line with international human rights treaties to which Vietnam is a party," he said. "The accusations against them are an attempt to silence those calling for a just and fair society, and these unjust and lengthy sentences are a grim reflection of the direction the Vietnamese government is taking and the deteriorating human rights situation in the country."

Read more about religious freedom on The Christian Post.
Christian charity denounces Israel's use of firearms against Palestinians in Good Friday clash

A charity has criticized the Israeli military for its use of firearms and other weapons to disperse Palestinian protesters in Gaza on Good Friday.

At least 17 protesters were killed and more than 1,400 were injured when the protests in Gaza on March 30 took a violent turn. The Good Friday demonstration was the first day of the "Land Day" march, which was supposed to be a multi-week rally to commemorate those who were killed during protests against land confiscations in northern Israel in 1976.

The Legal Center for Arab Minority rights in Israel, also known as (Adalah), has criticized the Israeli military for its use of live ammunition against the protesters and called on the government to launch an investigation on the incident.

The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have argued that the protesters have thrown Molotov cocktails and even opened fire on the soldiers. Chief army spokesman Brigadier General Ronen Marielis contended that some of those who were killed were members of militant factions. He further claimed that the protests were being used by the Palestinian-Islamist group Hamas as a cover for carrying out attacks against Israel.

The military reportedly used live rounds from snipers, plastic-coated steel bullets, tear gas and tank fire in an attempt to thwart the protesters.

Christian Aid, a partner organization of Adalah, insisted that Israel's use of live ammunition against the protesters was illegal.

"Live gunfire on unarmed civilians constitutes a violation of the international legal obligation to distinguish between civilians and combatants. Israel is obligated to act in accordance with international law," William Bell, Christian Aid's Head of Middle East Policy, said.

"Having just returned from Gaza and witnessed the fast deteriorating situation, I despair at the level of international indifference. Does Israel really believe that turning their guns on demonstrators is the answer? This issue will never go away until equality, equity, humanity and dignity are the norm for all," Bell continued.

Human Rights Watch also denounced the IDF and said that the violent incident had raised concerns about Israel's use of force during Palestinian protests.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has also called for an investigation into the deaths and injuries of the protesters.

"He also appeals 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," a spokesperson for Guterres said, as reported by The Jerusalem Post.
Christian colleges worry about losing federal funding due to policies affirming Biblical view of sexuality

Conservative Christian colleges are concerned they could lose federal funding if they hold on to policies that affirm the Biblical view of sexuality.

A panel discussion on National Public Radio (NPR) heard fears that funding for the schools could be affected if they receive complaints that fall under a U.S. law known as Title IX, which prohibits schools that receive federal aid from discriminating against students based on their sex.

Christian colleges feared that they could lose federal funding if the word 'sex' in the law includes sexual orientation or gender identity.

There are similar concerns with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of "race, color, religion sex or national origin."

Although the law does not mention sexual orientation or gender identity, some courts have interpreted Title VII as protecting LGBT individuals.

In 2016, fears were heightened when the Obama administration declared that Title IX does bar discrimination based on gender identity.

"The fear is so large in so many institutions because 40 or 50 or maybe even 60 percent of their budgets are really coming from the federal government," said Dale Kemp, chief financial officer at Wheaton College in Illinois, according to NPR.

Mary Hulst, the chaplain at Calvin College in Michigan, was concerned about discrimination cases being lodged in relation to transgender students.

"If they're identifying as this and yet their birth certificate still says this 'cause they haven't transitioned, where do we place them? How do we care for them? How do we provide restroom facilities that are - you know, it's all of those things," she said, as reported by NPR.

NPR Correspondent Tom Gjelten said religious schools can apply for a Title IX exemption based on their beliefs, and some have already obtained an exemption so that they are allowed to house male and female students separately.

Schools can also apply for exemptions from Title VII by demonstrating that the nondiscrimination provisions in the law contradict their religious beliefs. However, opinions vary on whether those exemptions can apply to Christian colleges that seek to maintain their policies regarding sexual orientation.

The Council of Christian Colleges and Universities, a generally conservative group, has recently held a meeting to discuss whether Title IX could jeopardize federal funding for conservative schools.

Gjelten noted that although the Trump administration had overturned the Obama administration's Title IX guidance last year, Christians schools are still doubtful.

Carl Trueman at Westminster Theological Seminary expressed his belief that the politics could be reversed in a few years.

"Depending on the makeup of the Supreme Court, depending on who is president, I could see the gay-transgender issue being pushed in a way that would seek to make Christian colleges either surrender their federal funding or change their position and conform with the wider consensus," he told NPR.
Pope Francis condemns use of chemical weapons in Syria

Pope Francis has condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria and prayed for all who are suffering the consequences.

"There is no good and bad war, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such instruments of extermination against defenseless people and populations," he said today in Rome at Holy Mass on the second Sunday of Easter.

He prayed for all the dead, for the wounded and for the families who suffer.

He said: "We pray that political and military leaders choose the other way: that of negotiation, the only one that can lead to a peace that is not that of death and destruction."

He spoke reports emerged of a chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta that killed dozens of people. Washington said the reports  if confirmed  would demand an immediate international response (Reuters reports).

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday. Others put the toll at 150 or more.

The Russian-backed Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as the reports began circulating and said the rebels were collapsing and fabricating news.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

The lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some of them with foam at the mouth, were shown in one video circulated by activists. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

The U.S. State Department said reports of mass casualties from the attack were "horrifying" and would, if confirmed, "demand an immediate response by the international community".

Britain's Foreign Office also called the reports, if confirmed, "very concerning" and said "an urgent investigation is needed and the international community must respond. We call on the Assad regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, to stop the violence against innocent civilians."
Pope Paul VI, who had 2 miracle births confirmed, might become 'Patron Saint of Unborn Children'

Pope Francis has recently signed a decree that would bring Pope Paul VI on the path to sainthood and his legacy for writing the encyclical "Humanae Vitae" (Of Human Life), which was published in 1968, could make him the "Patron Saint of Unborn Children."

Two miracles attributed to Paul VI, which occurred in America in 2001 and in Italy in 2014, involved unborn children. Both pregnancies had similar circumstances in that the mothers' health was not in danger and that these weren't first pregnancies, but the babies' lives were in danger.

Because of complications, doctors advised that the mothers undergo abortions since they could miscarry the baby or give birth to infants with serious deformities and other health risks. Refusing doctors' advice, the mothers continued their term but were in and out of the hospital.

Vanna Pironato went to Paul VI shrine in 2014 to pray for her risky pregnancy. The unnamed mom in America, on the other hand, also prayed to Paul VI upon the prodding of an Italian nun, according to the Catholic News Agency report.

The mothers gave birth to healthy babies, albeit premature. The Vatican studied their cases to confirm Paul VI's miracles. Reports stated that the cardinals approved the 2014 case as a miracle in February.

Paul VI led the Vatican from 1963 until his death in 1978. He wrote the circular "Humanae Vitae" 50 years ago, following the implementations of reforms in the Second Vatican Council.

In it, Paul VI discussed unlawful birth control and abortion, which partly read: "Therefore we base our words on the first principles of a human and Christian doctrine of marriage when we are obliged once more to declare that the direct interruption of the generative process already begun and, above all, all direct abortion, even for therapeutic reasons, are to be absolutely excluded as lawful means of regulating the number of children."

The Vatican is expected to canonize Paul VI this coming October.
Samsung Galaxy Note 9 release date, specs latest news: New phablet to launch earlier in July

After the Samsung Galaxy S9 and S9 Plus, the South Korean tech giant is expected to launch another high-end device in the coming months. Per the latest reports, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is now underway, boasting an improved lineup of features and a more sophisticated design. The Galaxy Note 8 was launched in August, although it is now speculated that the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be released earlier than scheduled.

According to the South Korean tech publication The Investor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be announced as early as July, with the mass production of the device's OLED screen scheduled to start this month. It is believed that an earlier release date for the Galaxy Note 9 is some sort of marketing strategy, especially that the phablet will be pitted against Apple's upcoming flagship handset, the iPhone X2. It is possible that the launch date of the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will be moved to early July.

In other news, the ever-reliable tech tipster known as Ice Universe has shared the latest updates regarding the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 specs. According to a post he shared on Twitter, it was revealed that the in-display fingerprint sensor technology will be included in the phablet. First reports on the Galaxy Note 9 already raised the possibility of an under-screen optical biometric scanner in the device, but it was speculated that such technology is not yet ready to be used.

The in-display fingerprint sensor of Samsung Galaxy Note 9 will give a tight competition to the 3D facial recognition technology of the iPhone X. It is also a much better alternative than a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is used in most high-end smartphones today such as the Galaxy S8 and S9 models.



Aside from an in-display fingerprint scanner, the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also tipped to receive a larger battery cell than the Galaxy Note 8. The upcoming phablet is shown to include a 3,850mAh battery cell, which is a 20 percent increase from the Note 8's 3,300mAh battery. This will be the biggest battery produced for a mass-produced Samsung handset, if this report verifies.
Two churches attacked by vandals in India on Easter night

Unidentified vandals have carried out two separate attacks on churches in the Diocese of Rourkela in India's Odisha state on the night of Easter Sunday.

One of the attacks took place in Salangabahal where a statue of Mary was removed from St. Thomas Catholic Church and thrown into a nearby river. According to UCA News, the vandals also destroyed a statue of baby Jesus.

The other incident took place in Bhabandh village, where the vandals reportedly set fire to a parish room.

A priest at Bihabandh Catholic Church noted that people were already sleeping after Easter celebrations, but they were woken because of the commotion prompted by the fire. Fr. Bipin Kishore Majhi told UCA News that the fire eventually reached the nearby sacristy, destroying vestments and other items.

UCA News reported that the attacks took place within a seven km. radius. Police inspector Bijay Kumar Singh said that armed officers have been dispatched to the area due to the delicate nature of the incidents. He said that no suspects have been identified so far, but they are hoping to make some arrests soon as the investigation is already ongoing.

Rourkela Bishop Kishore Kumar Kujur asserted that the attack was premeditated, adding that "both incidents have taken place around the same time of the night."

"This is the work of the same group, which is against the Christian community," the bishop said, according to Crux.

In his letter to other bishops in Odisha, Kujur stressed that the Diocese of Rourkela has not experienced vandalism attacks in the past.

"The people of the different religion, culture, language in this region have been peacefully living together harmoniously for ages. We hope and believe that such vicious activity does not occur in the future," he stated in the letter, according to Crux.

Odisha state, which was originally known as Orisha, has seen what has been described as worst anti-Christian violence in Indian history just a decade ago.

About 100 Christians were killed and thousands were reportedly injured in the riots that began in Kandhamal after Hindu leader Swami Laxmananada and three others were shot dead on Aug. 23, 2008.

Apart from the casualties, 300 churches and 6,000 houses were reportedly destroyed, leaving 50,000 people displaced.

Archbishop John Barwa of Cuttack-Bhubaneshwar noted that this year marks the 10th anniversary of the riots and urged all Indians to work hard to preserve the country's secular nature to avoid similar incidents.

"Religious freedom and freedom to worship must be respected and upheld and human dignity and justice must prevail, even in the smallest remote rural area of India. These kinds of incidents, only bring shame and disgrace to our country, and must never be allowed to continue," he added.
Mohammed bin Salman, heir to the throne of Saudi Arabia, capped a three-week U.S. tour in Houston, where the crown prince and an entourage of Saudi and American oil executives inked new deals to study multibillion-dollar U.S. projects.

The 32-year-old crown princes visit underscored Saudi Arabias long-standing ties to Houston and the U.S., one of several regions where Saudi Arabian Oil Co., the worlds largest oil company, is planning to expand its downstream business as the Kingdom transforms its economy to become less dependent on oil production.

This is a historical moment for our relationship, and Houston should benefit from this visit, said Yousef Al-Benyan, chief executive of SABIC, the Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

In a plush ballroom of the Corinthian in downtown Houston on Saturday, the crown prince looked on as the chief executives of Aramco and oil-equipment makers TechnipFMC and Honeywell UOP signed papers for separate agreements to study potential U.S. petrochemical plants, marking Motivas first steps in a plan to expand into the petrochemicals business.

As part of the transactions, Motiva Enterprises, Aramcos Houston-based U.S. oil refining arm, will examine the use of U.K.-based TechnipFMCs mixed-feed ethylene production technologies in the U.S.

The agreement would allow Motiva to study mixed-feed ethylene production technologies to produce 2 million tons a year of polymers.

It will also study how it could use Illinois-based Honeywell UOPs aromatics extraction and production technologies for benzene and paraxylene, which are chemical feedstocks, in the development of a potential complex along the Gulf Coast.

Motiva doesnt expect to make a final decision on the investments until next year.

We want to leverage collaborations and investments on both ends for Kingdom of Saudi Arabia companies to come invest in the U.S., and vice versa, as really a catalyst for our relationship to be strengthened, said Benyan of SABIC, which is building the worlds largest ethane cracker in Corpus Christi with its partner Exxon Mobil Corp.

On Saturday, Salman visited an east Houston subdivision of Habitat for Humanity homes that was heavily flooded during Hurricane Harvey.

Volunteers from the U.S.-based subsidiary of Saudi Aramco, a state-owned oil company of Saudi Arabia, helped neighborhood residents clean up after the storms damage.

I think when every disaster happens, its like instantly you want to help people, said volunteer Ahmed Alanazi, a 22-year-old University of Houston student.

Mayor Sylvester Turner greeted Salman, thanking him for his help in Houstons recovery process.

There are just a number of things that they have done, that they continue to do, Turner said. Were working to establish an even closer relationship.

Aramco and Habitat for Humanity have been partners for many years, said Allison Hay of Houston Habitat for Humanity. On Labor Day weekend, right after Harvey, Aramco reached out to Habitat for Humanity and sent student volunteers to help muck and gut houses.

Just as we thrive when this nation is doing well, we feel the pain when the United States does, said Khalid Al-Falih, Saudi Arabias energy minister. The Aramco footprint here in Texas runs from small to gigantic.

Hay said that the volunteers early call to action drastically helped their repairs and that they are quite grateful because, for many other Harvey victims, recovery was a long, slow ordeal.

These areas were pretty devastated after the hurricane, said volunteer Abdullah Alkassab, a 22-year-old University of Houston student. We had time and effort to actually help.

As the Saudi crown prince toured the city, more than 100 protesters gathered at Tranquility Park in downtown to voice their displeasure with the war in Yemen.

This strange alliance between Saudi Arabia monarchy and the U.S. has been hurting my heart and head, especially since the 2015 bombings and devastation in Yemen, said Cathy Courtney, a spokeswoman of Codepink Houston, a women-led organization founded in 2002 to end U.S. wars, militarism and support peace and human rights initiatives. Other participants were from the Houston Peace & Justice Center and the Muslim Congress.

Courtney said the opposition to the Yemen war by Americans reminds her of the beginning of the Vietnam War.

It wasnt until white boys were drafted, getting killed and coming back wounded, messed up, addicted, that the anti-war movement grew and garnered majority of public opinion to oppose the war, Courtney said.

Autumn Rendall and Andrea Fernandez Velazquez contributed.

colineaton@chron.com
Unions are pressing companies they bargain with to disclose details of what theyre doing with savings from the Trump tax cuts, the latest move by organized labor to pressure corporations to pass along their windfall from the overhaul.

Four unions have recently filed formal information requests with 11 companies, including American Airlines, AT&T and PepsiCo Inc. subsidiary Frito-Lay, requesting disclosure of the firms plans for the extra cash freed up by the tax cuts. The labor groups say failure to comply could lead to the filing of complaints with the National Labor Relations Board, which enforces the federal labor law requiring companies to provide unions that represent their employees with information germane to collective bargaining.

President Trump and the Republican Congress promised that billions of dollars in corporate tax giveaways would ultimately raise wages and brings jobs back from overseas, but a union contract is the only way to get that promise in writing, Communications Workers of America President Chris Shelton said in a statement. Working people deserve to know how their employers plan to spend their tax savings so they can bargain for a fair share of the windfall and ensure that corporations do more to bring jobs home and improve pay and benefits.

Along with CWA, which is currently in negotiations with American Airlines subsidiaries Piedmont Airlines and Envoy Air, and with AT&T, the unions sending the requests are the Service Employees International Union, the American Federation of Teachers and the Teamsters. The companies theyre targeting include long-term care providers, for-profit health corporations, and XPO Logistics.

The requests seek disclosure of what each companys estimated gains from the tax revamp will be, how much they will spend on stock buybacks, how much capital investment they intend to make in the U.S. and abroad, and how many U.S. jobs they plan to create or bring back from other countries.

American Airlines, AT&T, and PepsiCo. didnt immediately respond to requests for comment . One of the recent requests has already been rebuffed. In a letter to CWA last month, Randall White, AT&Ts Midwest labor relations vice president, wrote, Because of the stated purpose for your inquiries, your requests are not relevant to the bargaining relationship between the company and the CWA. White also told the union that it was seeking irrelevant, immaterial information.

Since passing their tax overhaul in December, Republicans have cited bonuses granted to employees at companies including Walmart and AT&T as evidence of the bills broad benefits. With 3.5 million Americans receiving bonuses or other benefits from their employers as a result of TAX CUTS, 2018 is off to a great start! President Donald Trump tweeted on Feb. 2.

Democrats have countered that the legislation was skewed in favor of the wealthy, and any boosts to working class paychecks are crumbs compared to the billions in handouts to big corporations.

The tax bill has also become a flashpoint in negotiations between Walt Disney Co. and a coalition of unions representing theme park workers in California and Florida, which filed Labor Board complaints last month accusing the company of discriminating against union members who are currently in contract talks. By announcing special $1,000 tax-cut bonuses for employees but holding them hostage from those in negotiations, the company violated labor law, union leaders alleged.

In a statement last month, Disney said that for union members, the bonus would be part of overall contract negotiations. We presented fair and compelling offers to unions on both coasts, and we hope they will reach timely agreements with us on behalf of their members, the company said.
Saudi Arabia's premier energy companies are planning to invest billions of dollars in their Houston-area petrochemicals operations to take advantage of cheap natural gas feedstocks from West Texas shale fields.

Saudi Aramco, the world's largest oil company, signed two separate agreements with oil-equipment makers TechnipFMC, which has headquarters in Houston, Paris and London, and Honeywell UOP to study their production technologies and potentially build a manufacturing complex on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Saudi Aramco expects to invest between $8 billion and $10 billion dollars in the projects, pending the evaluations.

As part of the deals, Motiva Enterprises, Aramco's Houston-based refining company, will examine TechnipFMC's production of mixed-feed ethylene, a feedstock used to make many types of plastics. It will also study Illinois-based Honeywell UOP's production of chemical feedstocks benzene and paraxylene as it considers building the Gulf Coast complex.

RELATED: Saudi crown prince wraps up U.S. tour in Houston

Separately, Saudi Basic Industries Corp., the Middle East's largest petrochemicals maker, said on Saturday that it plans to build a Katy headquarters for its operations in the Western Hemisphere, a project that would boost its Houston-area headcount from 400 to 1,000. The company hopes to complete the expansion within two or three years.

The announcements capped a three-week visit to Houston by Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's crown prince, during a boom in U.S. oil and gas production largely driven by West Texas shale drilling. A surge in activity in the Permian Basin and other prolific areas has unleashed an abundance of cheap natural gas for petrochemicals manufacturing.

Already, the boom has spurred billions of dollars of investments in Gulf Coast petrochemicals operations, which have begun to replace traditional refining as a driver of crude oil demand. The International Energy Agency anticipates that petrochemicals will account for a quarter of the growth in global oil consumption during the next five years as electric cars and renewables erode demand for gasoline.

SABIC, which is controlled by the Saudi government, has long eyed the U.S. Gulf Coast as a place for expansion. The company is working with Exxon Mobil Chemical Co. to build the world's largest ethane cracker as part of a massive $10 billion petrochemical complex near Corpus Christi.
The final rush before this years April 17 tax deadline puts everyone on edge  including tax professionals  making people easy targets for scammers.

Did you just get a letter from the IRS that asks you to verify your identity  even when you still havent filed your 2017 tax return? If so, its possible a con artist already filed a tax return using your ID.

Another bad sign: Somehow a tax refund showed up in your bank account before you even filed your return.

Were all worried that somehow our Social Security numbers and other personal data are out there after the Equifax hacking incident. Or maybe our personal information is out there after it was stolen at a doctors office or via a data security breach at a college campus.

But did you ever think that the computer system for the company or person who prepares your taxes could have been hacked?

Theres a growing concern that ID thieves could be stealing some information, such as bank account numbers, from tax professionals in a phishing email known as the New Client scam. Tax professionals are increasingly a target for data theft, according to the IRS.

Already this filing season, the IRS disclosed an increase in reported thefts of taxpayer information from the offices of tax practitioners. About 75 firms acknowledged taxpayer data thefts in January and February  a nearly 60 percent increase from the comparable period last year.

The amount of identity theft and phishing emails are so prevalent right now that vigilance has got to be the word, said Eric Canvasser, a certified public accountant in Farmington Hills, Mich.

Canvasser said hes received more than a dozen emails in the past year from people who are asking him how much he would charge to do their taxes. Often the emails will say: Attached is my W-2 and my mortgage statement.

Think about it. If you were shopping for a new CPA or tax preparer, would you blindly send your important tax documents as an attachment?

But thats part of the scam. Crooks want tax professionals to download a virus onto their computers.

According to the IRS, malware can take over the victims computer hard drive, giving someone remote access to the computer, or it could look for passwords and other information and send them to the scammer. Fraudsters can then use the information they gather to commit identity theft, gain access to bank accounts and more.

Fraudulent emails are sent to CPAs, tax practitioners and others most often under the guise of real taxpayers looking for tax help.

A scam email could read: I just moved here from Ohio. I have an urgent tax issue and was hoping you could help. I hope you are taking on new clients.

Again, such emails typically have an attachment that supposedly includes an IRS notice and the supposed tax return for the previous year.

The scam might be easy to spot unless you get distracted doing your job.

Canvasser said most tax professionals know that they need to delete the emails and not open the attachments. Canvasser even changed his email account from AOL to another server to try to reduce fake emails and avoid hacking.

But Canvasser recognizes that anyone can make a mistake, especially if theyre juggling phone calls, emails, and other responsibilities during tax season.

This time of the year there isnt a practitioner out there who doesnt have dozens of things going on at the same time, Canvasser said.

One scam can lead to another one down the road.

The IRS attributed much of the increase in the number of reported thefts of taxpayer data to a new scam. Con artists who file fake tax returns to steal refund cash now are giving the IRS the bank account information of consumers to get direct deposit of fraudulent refunds.

The IRS said this erroneous refund scam already has claimed thousands of victims.

After the money reaches the real taxpayers account, the victim might get a phone call from someone pretending to be debt collection official working on behalf of the IRS. The impersonator might say the refund was deposited in error and they ask the taxpayer to forward the money to their collection agency.

People who fall for it end up handing over money to crooks, not the IRS.

The IRS Criminal Investigation Division is continuing an investigation into data thefts from offices of tax professionals earlier in 2018.

The IRS has warned tax professionals to be on high alert to any signs of fraud. Some signs of trouble:

Suddenly, a string of e-filed returns are being rejected out of that tax preparation office. Why? Could be the scammers got access to your database. Returns would be rejected by the IRS if another tax return was filed earlier in the year using the same Social Security numbers.

Clients who havent yet filed their 2017 tax returns are calling and wondering why theyre receiving authentication letters from the IRS about their returns. Maybe theyve gotten a letter like a 5071C or a 4883C form letter to verify their identity. Or maybe theyve even received a 5747C letter from the IRS that requires a taxpayer to go to an IRS Taxpayer Assistance Center to verify their identity.

The tax professional seems to be noticing that network computers are running slower than normal. Or maybe those computers are even locking out tax practitioners. Could be another sign of the hackers at work.

Suddenly, theres an unusual increase in the number of returns that are being filed using the tax practitioners electronic filing identification number. Maybe even more returns are filed than the typical number of clients.
SPOKANE, Wash.  Gary Bailey is certain China is trying to rattle Donald Trump voters with its threat to slap tariffs on soybeans and other agriculture staples grown in rural America. The wheat farmer in eastern Washington, a state that exports $4 billion a year in farm products, is also certain of the result.

Its a strategy thats working, he said.

If farmers are worried, so are Republican politicians, who depended on small-town America to hand them control of Congress and know how quickly those voters could take it away. Just seven months before the 2018 midterm elections, Trumps faceoff with China over trade has exposed an unexpected political vulnerability in what was supposed to be the Republican Partys strongest region: rural America.

The clash with China poses a direct threat to the economies in both red and blue states, from Californias central valley to eastern Washington through Minnesotas plains and across Missouri and Indiana and into Ohio.

They are regions in which the GOPs quest to retain its House and Senate majorities this fall is tied directly to Republican voters views about their pocketbooks and Trumps job performance. The signs of fear and frustration about both are easy to find.

In southwestern Minnesota, soybean farmer Bill Gordon says the volatility in the markets makes it harder for farmers like him to market their crop and lock in profitability. The state is the countrys fourth-largest exporting state, and the states top farm export market is China.

A Trump voter, Gordon said right now hes disappointed, not angry, over whats happening. But the trade tensions could affect his vote in the open race for the regions congressional seat, where the farm vote is significant.

I vote for the people who represent rural America, he said. Its not a party line.

Trump says hes simply fighting against unfair business practices with a geopolitical rival.

After the Trump administration announced plans to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese imports Tuesday, China lashed back within hours, matching the American tariffs with plans to tax $50 billion of U.S. products, including soybeans, corn and wheat.

Trump escalated the standoff further on Thursday by asking the U.S. trade representative to consider $100 billion in additional tariffs against China, which had previously released plans to impose retaliatory tariffs on frozen pork, nuts and wine in response to Trumps intent to apply duties to imported aluminum and steel.

The soybean industry, perhaps more than any other, illustrates the potential harm to Republican candidates in the fall.

Soy production is concentrated in the Midwest. Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nebraska, Indiana and Missouri account for over half of all soy produced in the United States. And more than 60 percent of U.S. soy exports have been sent to mainland China in recent years.

Trump won 89 percent of Americas counties that produce soy, according to an Associated Press analysis of Agriculture Department and election data. In those counties, on average, two out of three voters supported Trump in 2016.

Many Republican candidates who represent rural areas Trump won in 2016 are being forced to choose between his trade policies and community interests. Vulnerable Republicans are walking a tightrope.

In eastern Washington, seven-term Republican Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers had already found herself in an unexpectedly tight race. She has urged the White House to reverse course on the Chinese tariffs in recent days.

Jared Powell, a spokesman for McMorris Rodgers, said her office had asked the Trump administration for clarification on the effects of the tariffs.

She is doing what she can to speak out publicly, Powell said.

Overall, an estimated 2.1 million jobs could be affected by the trade dispute nationally, with a majority coming from counties that Trump won, according to an analysis by Mark Muro, a senior fellow at the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution.

Were in kind of a farm crisis, said Bob Worth, who grows soybeans, corn and spring wheat with his son on 2,200 acres (3.4 square miles) near Lake Benton in southwestern Minnesota. He wouldnt say how he voted in 2016, but he offered kind, if measured, words for Trump.

Im going to believe in the man, added Worth, whos also on the board of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. Hes doing this for business reasons only. I dont know if he knows how much hes hurting agriculture.

Matt Aultman, a grain salesman and feed nutritionist in Greenville, Ohio, west of Columbus, said farmers there are keeping a close watch on the talk in Washington. Farmers pay attention to two things: prices and weather. And a trade fight that affects prices wont go unnoticed.

It directly affects our pocketbooks and the way we plan for the following years, he said. Are we going to pay all the bills this year? Are we going to buy a new piece of equipment? Do you get your kids a couple new pair of shoes?

In Californias central valley, Republican Rep. Jeff Denham has avoided the issue altogether in recent days. His opponent, Democrat and longtime family farmer Michael Eggman, said Trumps trade policies would shatter his community.

The district is home to Blue Diamond Almonds, among smaller nut producers, who send much of their product to China and suddenly face the prospect of 15 percent tariffs.

We all know how hard it is to make ends meet as a small family farmer, and Trump is not making it easier, Eggman said. Jeff Denham, who claims to be a local farmer, hasnt said one word about it. Wheres the outrage?

Denham, through a spokeswoman, did not address the presidents moves directly but said the congressman supports free and fair trade and a plan thats carefully thought out.
On Saturday, nearly 30 million Sikhs around the world will celebrate Vaisakhi, one of the most important Sikh occasions. Vaisakhi historically marks the harvest festival in Punjab, and for Sikhs it has special significance as the day that much of the Sikh religion was formally institutionalized in the way we know it today. For the past 320 years, Sikhs mark this day by gathering in our communities, reflecting on our values and recommitting to our core principles of service and justice.

I have been thinking about service a lot this year, especially given recent events in my native city of Houston.

When Hurricane Harvey struck the region, it was heartening to see people around our city rush to help those in need. The Sikh community of Houston played a particularly noticeable role in relief efforts, which is remarkable given that there are only approximately 5,000 Sikhs in the Greater Houston area. For those who know Sikhs and their commitment and commandment to service, this was not a surprise.

The Sikh tradition teaches that service to humanity is a core part of being a good person. From a young age, Sikhs are taught that God is present in everything and everyone. As we say in our scriptures, The Creator is in the creation and the creation is in the Creator. As Sikhs, we believe that the best way to serve God is to serve the world around us. The specific term Sikhs use  seva  has no direct English translation. My interpretation of the term seva is a selfless service inspired by love and a sense of community.

The founders of Sikhism, who we refer to as our gurus (teachers), give us beautiful examples of what seva looks like in our communities. One of the first stories I shared with my own kids was that of Guru Nanak, who famously took all the money his father gave him to invest in a business and instead donated it to the needy. When his father chastised him, Guru Nanak simply replied by asking: What better investment is there than giving to those who need it?

My parents taught me similar lessons while raising me here in Houston. There were not many Sikhs here when I was growing up, but there were plenty of opportunities to serve. We started from a young age volunteering at Star of Hope, a shelter in downtown, participating in community cleanups and donating whatever we could to those who needed it more than we did. It was the Sikh tradition of seva that inspired me to become a lawyer and help protect peoples dignity, and its also why I continue to remain involved in my community.

My Sikh faith teaches me that being a good person means serving the world around us and confronting any injustices and inequities we encounter. No matter how difficult it might be, we are always expected to do this work as a labor of love.

I am reminded of our values every morning as I tie turbans on my boys, Gahven and Mahnek, before sending them to school. I reflect on these values every time I look at my kara, a steel bracelet that makes up one of the five articles of faith that Sikhs wear. And on Sundays, when our family goes to our gurdwara (Sikh house of worship), I look around and marvel at how resiliently my community deals with discrimination, and how deeply committed they remain to the ideals of service and justice.

As we live in this world today, its difficult to overlook the deep fractures and divisions that are ripping our communities apart. Religious minorities and communities of color are being denigrated, and people I know and care about have been physically attacked because they are seen as different.

The Sikh idea of seva is a helpful model for addressing these challenges. Its premise of oneness helps us go beyond the mentalities that divide us and helps us to see how we are all interconnected. Its focus on justice also compels us to take these theoretical ideas and put them into action. Yes, we believe that all people should be treated with dignity, but its not enough to just believe that. We have to make this a reality.

In response to Hurricane Harvey, the Sikh community mobilized and came with massive trucks filled with supplies from all across the nation. They delivered the supplies to our gurdwara where our community members bridged the gaps of additional supplies. These supplies were delivered not just to Greater Houston, but more importantly to the outlying areas like Richmond, Crosby and Beaumont, places where many people had never seen a Sikh man wearing a beard and a turban, which are some of the other Sikh articles of faith that represent our commitment to justice and equality for all.

Finally, the concept of seva ensures that we are reimagining and rebuilding our society on the foundations of unity and love. Doing so is the only way we can ensure that our broken and inequitable systems are replaced with more just and sustainable models.

In the Sikh tradition, there is no room for complacency; to be religiously committed is to be socially engaged and devoted to justice. I have seen in my own life how this practice has made my hometown of Houston a better place, and I promise that our community will continue to do this here, and wherever else we may be because this is who we are. We invite you to join us, in whatever capacity you might be able, to change the world we live in.
Fire officials Sunday morning investigated reports of smoke at the Toyota Center in downtown Houston.

The Houston Fire Department responded around 8:30 a.m. to a call for smoke coming from the fifth floor of the building.

But ultimately crews located the source of the blaze was actually in the lower level of the building under the concourse and determined the sprinkler system had already extinguished it.

"They didn't find any fire but arson investigators are still on scene trying to figure out the cause of the smoke," said HFD spokesman Mario Gallegos.

By noon, the fire department confirmed the building was back to normal use, though it was still unclear what sparked the flames.
Planned Parenthood chief Cecile Richards called Texas notoriously low turnout a crime, emphasizing during a book talk Sunday that Democrats chances of electing candidates to statewide office hinge on getting more voters to the polls.

The native Texan and daughter of former Gov. Ann Richards was in Houston promoting Make Trouble, her memoir released last week.

In the presidential election last time around, turnout among voters in Texas was abysmal, Richards said during an hour-long conversation with Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis. Thats a crime. To me the exciting thing is, if we actually just get our voters out, this state is going to turn.

The state had among the lowest rates of political participation in the country in 2016, when less than 52 percent of eligible Texas voters cast general election ballots, according to the United States Election Project at the University of Florida.

Richards, speaking to a predominately, female crowd at a downtown ballroom, also encouraged progressive activism, pushed for better health care access and touted what she views as the highlights of her tenure at Planned Parenthood.

I just feel like weve got to take this moment and weve got to make the very most of it that we can, she said, pointing to the #MeToo movement and the historic number of women running for elected office.

Richards message to never give up resonated with Heights resident Doris Murdock, 73.

She provides good examples of how she reacted to a failure and how she thought about planning something, said Murdock, who previously worked in real estate.

Maura Sunkel, a 28-year-old middle school teacher, called Planned Parenthood an organization that will fight for women no matter what.

I feel like shes been in the work for a long time through periods when maybe we didnt feel successful or we didnt feel like we were winning, Sunkel said. I find that really inspiring.

Former Gov. Ann Richards, known for her quick wit, featured prominently in the talk.

I think mom would be not surprised but also completely energized, Richards said, responding to a question about how her mother would view the current political climate were she alive. One thing I really regret is that she did not live long enough to be on Twitter.

Richards has served as president of the womens health organization since 2006 and plans to step down this year, prompting speculation about a possible political run.

She deflected Ellis question about her political ambitions.

Im not focused on running for president, but I am definitely focused on electing a new president, she said.
At least 1,000 Houston ISD students cheered at the top of their lungs when asked whether they were ready for prom. Their cheers went through the roof of Pin Oak Middle School when they were asked if they were ready to graduate.

These teenagers werent just excited to begin their adult lives, but to kick them off in style Saturday with the help of Project Prom.

Every year HISDs Homeless Education Office gathers up prom essentials, including donated dresses, tuxedos, shoes and jewelry, to distribute for free to at-risk students, according to longtime volunteer Catina Flagg.

They look at ways to reach those underprivileged and underserved and make them feel just as valuable as the privileged and overserved communities, Flagg said.

Some HISD students strutted down a runway, modeling dresses and tuxedos, to provide inspiration as their classmates hunted for the perfect prom look.

So far my favorite part  Im a really big fashion guy  was the fashion show, said Kellile Allen, 17, from North Forest High School. Theyre trying to put together a little style for us.

Boys received coupons for tuxedo rentals, while girls scoured racks to find just the right dress. Jewelry, purses and shoes lined tables and walls.

They had all types of dresses in here, said Hilaria Hernandez, 19, from Wheatley High School as she held an elegant black dress she felt was was the one. They have long, short, all types of colors, shapes and everything.

The crowd giggled at an impromptu lesson on chivalry from U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, who instructed a a young man on how to guide the girl next to him up the stairs like a gentleman. She encouraged the girl to proudly hold her head up.

We cannot go forward in America, without each and every one of you, Jackson Lee told the students. I dont want anybody to think that whatever they choose, that thats not the best look of all. I want it to be a look of dignity.

Mayor Sylvester Turner shared his own prom story with the students, recounting how his dad died when he was 13, and his mom worked as a maid and raised her nine children by herself.

Turner had gotten the head cheerleader of his school to be his prom date, but his family didnt have a car.

Tomorrow will be better than today, he recalls his mom telling him. He encouraged students to remember that the best days of their lives are ahead of them.

This mayor is proud of each and every one of you, Turner said. Its not whats on the outside that makes you who you are, its what burns on the inside.

Arming students with confidence is a goal of Project Prom, which also featured an empowerment session for the teens.

One speech started by asking some of the girls: Who are you? A few quickly responded with their name in a confused tone before they got the follow-up question: What makes you? The girls smiled and started sharing little insights. Im smart, one said. Im goofy, another answered.

I loved the inspirational speeches they gave us in our session, said Kaylon Atkinson, 17, from South Early College High School.

Alicia Nuzzie and Kimberly Willis from the Harris County District Attorneys Family Criminal Law Division advised girls to figure out who they are and what they need so that they can recognize the people in their lives that can show them the support they deserve.

You have to know how to evaluate those people you keep closest to you, Willis said. Those will be the ones to influence you the most.

Jobs recruiters and health screenings were available to help students and their families during this stressful time leading up to graduation. Local colleges also sent recruiters.

This may be the first opportunity to connect with college, Flagg said.

Students left with their prom swag, many appearing happy as they anticipated their special celebration to come.

Today is the first day of your life, Turner said. So go to the prom, put on your dresses and put on your tux.
Just weeks after 15,000 turned out in Houston to advocate stricter gun laws, March for Our Lives organizers were back at work Saturday, urging local politicians to champion the cause at a series of town hall meetings.

We all agree this issue is too big. Were going to get tired, but were not going to give up, said Marcel McClinton, 16, from Statford High School.

Students are calling for additional background checks and reduced access to assault-style rifles following the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida that killed 14 teens and three adults.

Rice University freshman Hannah Meeks, who graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, said she has friends in Florida who knew some of the victims. If we wait until its most convenient for us to raise our voices, real change will never come. Never forget those we lost to gun violence because we can never forget why we are fighting, she said.

The slate of Democratic candidates who attended the event at Rice University agreed with students about expanding universal background checks, raising the age limits of gun purchases and working to remove guns from violent offenders.

State Rep. Carol Alvarado said she was proud of the F grade she received from the National Rifle Association. She stressed that voters should elect more candidates who support gun reform.

We need to repeal open carry. We need to repeal campus carry, she said. But it doesnt happen overnight. Weve got to change the face of the leadership in this state.

Laura Moser, a Democratic candidate for the 7th Congressional District, said parents should not have to bury the children they send to school.

Closing loopholes to prevent domestic abuses from obtaining weapons, passing universal background checks and raising the age to purchase guns would help prevent deaths, she said. We need just need to do all of these things so that this generation is the last generation that has to deal with this stuff that were seeing everyday that have become commonplace, Moser said.

Lizzie Fletcher, a Democratic running for the same seat, said Republican incumbent John Culberson is not listening to his constituents.

This conversation that we are having today is one that Houstonians have been having in their living rooms for years, she said.

Lina Hidalgo, a Democratic candidate for Harris County judge, said gun shows should not be permitted to sell guns without background checks.

A program to buy back guns from people should also be available, she said.

Steve David, a Democratic candidate for the 8th Congressional District, called owning guns a privilege. I believe if youre a violent criminal, you dont deserve to own a gun. Youve lost that privilege, he said.

Rita Lucido, the state Senate Democratic candidate for District 17, said that minorities tend to be seen as a threat, which has led to them being shot in disproportionate numbers. She also noted that members of the LGBTQ community suffer a higher rate of gun violence.

Trans women are killed at an alarming rate and we have to talk about this. They are members of our community. They are set aside as if they are not even there, she said.
Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens recently proposed repealing the Second Amendment. That simple but dramatic action, he wrote, would move the post-Parkland marchers and activists closer to their objective than any other possible reform. But everyone knows repealing the Second Amendment isnt politically possible anytime soon, if ever. Here in Texas, it seems especially remote.

More importantly, the Second Amendment isnt an obstacle to the long-overdue fixes under consideration now. At the same time the Supreme Court recognized a personal right to gun ownership, it expressly upheld the constitutionality of reasonable gun safety measures. Who said so? None other than conservative hero Justice Antonin Scalia.

Nothing in our opinion, Scalia wrote for the majority in District of Columbia v. Heller, should be taken to cast doubt on long-standing prohibitions on the possession of firearms by felons and the mentally ill, or laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings, or laws imposing conditions and qualifications on the commercial sale of arms.

GOLDBERG: Justice Stevens is right: Second Amendment is 'debatable'

Fully effective background checks that include gun shows and all other sales, waiting periods for buyers, proceedings to remove weapons from those who threaten violence at schools or elsewhere (so-called red flag laws), limiting guns in public places, minimum ages for gun purchases or possession, required gun lockers or other safe storage  all these and more are therefore entirely consistent with the Second Amendment.

More than that, the Supreme Court approved of laws banning military-style guns. Scalia noted Americas historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons, and acknowledged that those most useful in military service  M-16 rifles and the like  could permissibly be outlawed. The AR-15, the semiautomatic rifle used in the Parkland, Newtown and other mass shootings, is a modified version of a weapon of war that retains some military features and can permissibly be banned or otherwise strictly regulated. Ditto for bump stocks, high capacity magazines and other quasi-military devices.

In fact, since the Supreme Court decided Heller in 2008, lower courts have repeatedly approved all kinds of gun safety rules, and the Supreme Court has declined to overturn or even review their decisions. The Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence reported a few months ago that, altogether, in the more than 1,230 state and federal court decisions tracked by Giffords Law Center since Heller, courts have rejected the Second Amendment challenges 93 percent of the time.

KEIZER: Assault rifles are an assault on the Second Amendment

One last thing in Scalias Heller opinion bears repeating: Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. Yet for some opponents of even modest changes, shouting the Second Amendment! has become a substitute for reasoned argument, a fiat intended to shut down thought and discussion. For example, NRA chief lobbyist Chris Cox recently tweeted POTUS supports the Second Amendment and [doesnt] want gun control. This kind of shorthand, which often seems to dominate and impoverish the gun debate, willfully ignores that one can support the Second Amendment and still favor robust gun safety rules, as many gun owners do.

As Scalia recognized, all rights have limits, even our most cherished freedoms. The First Amendment protects free speech but that doesnt mean you can incite violence or publish classified military plans. You have a constitutional right to practice your religion as you see fit, but that doesnt mean you can interrupt math class to proselytize or wage holy war on people of other faiths. In the famous phrase, your right to swing your arms ends just where the other mans nose begins. The right to gun ownership is limited by the fundamental need to secure public safety  more specifically, the urgent and overriding imperative to prevent more dead schoolchildren.

EDITORIAL: Cowardice, not the Second Amendment, prevents Congress from acting on gun safety

Neither politically doomed calls to repeal the Second Amendment nor misleading claims that it prohibits stringent safety regulation do much to advance the debate over how to end gun violence. As we numbly watch one mass shooting after another, its a debate we badly need to have and then finish, so we can finally make never again a reality.
Guess whos not coming to the White House for dinner? Or getting an official U.S. invitation to anything, anytime soon? Or even withdrawing money from Citibank?

Kirill Shamalov, Vladimir Putins son-in-law, was among the Russian oligarchs and friends of Putin, along with 12 entities that they control, whom President Donald Trumps administration sanctioned Friday, bringing the total of Russian individuals and entities punished for their ties to assorted Russian-sponsored misdeeds to 189the most sweeping financial sanctions taken against Putins Russia by this administration, or its predecessor, for that matter. Russian oligarchs and elites who profit from this corrupt system will no longer be insulated from the consequences of their governments destabilizing activities, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said.

The latest sanctionees join some 17 previously sanctioned Russian government employees or officials working for state-owned companies. They include Andrei Kostin, director of the government-owned bank VTB, which Russia watchers say Putin has used as his personal piggy bank, and Alexei Miller, chairman of Gazprom, the state-owned gas and oil company, Russias main source of income. The list also includes, notably, Oleg Deripaska, a billionaire and senior Russian official whom special counsel Robert Mueller has linked to Paul Manafort, Trumps former campaign manager, whom he has also charged with felonies. Several of those sanctioned, including Deripaska, are believed to have assets in the United States. For instance, one of Deripaskas companies, Basic Element, is made up of over 100 firms that do business in energy, metals, mining, machinery, and other sectors.

Vocal critics of Putins aggression at home and abroad welcomed the news. Daniel M. Gerstein, a senior official in the Obama administrations Department of Homeland Security now at Rand, and Doug Schoen, a pollster and former political adviser to Bill Clinton and a Putin critic, praised the administrations action as an important first step. But both men said that Trump needed to do more to punish and deter Russia. Schoen, author of Top of Form

Putin on the March: The Russian Presidents Unchecked Global Advance, said that Trump still needs to develop a comprehensive strategy to counter Russias systematic aggression.

A senior administration official said on Friday that the latest additions to the list were not sparked by Russias alleged use of nerve gas against a former Russian spy in Salisbury, Britain, or by any specific event or action. Rather, the official said, the administration was responding to the totality of the Russian governments ongoing and increasingly brazen pattern of malign activity across the world. That includes the occupation of Crimea, instigation of violence in Eastern Ukraine, support for the Assad regime in Syria by supplying material and weaponry, and ongoing malicious cyber activity. Most important, the official said, the expanded sanctions list was a response to Russias continued attacks to subvert Western democracies, a reference to charges that Russia tried meddling in Americas 2016 president election.

Such tough talk and economic punishment targeting Putin and his inner circle is at odds with Trumps consistent reluctance to criticize the Russian leader, whom he recently hinted he may invite to visit the White House. Such mixed signals have confounded analysts and infuriated critics, who favor a tougher response to Russias misdeeds.

One official noted, however, that Trump often praises the leaders of countries that his administration financially punishes. He noted, for example, that despite Trumps declarations of admiration for Chinese president Xi Jinping, his administration has slapped stiff tariffs on China and threatened a trade war with a key economic partner to stop what it alleges are Beijings unfair trading practices and theft of intellectual property.

The new sanctions are tough and likely to impose significant financial penalties on Putin allies. When individuals or the entities they control are added to a sanctions list, all their U.S. assetsreal estate, boats, planes, bank accounts, and propertiesare frozen. Notices are sent to banks and global institutions asking them to check their accounts for assets owned or controlled by those on the listand urging that they not do business with them.

The designation of Putins son-in-law is likely to get special attention in the Kremlin and from the media. Within 18 months of his marriage, a senior official told reporters Friday, Shamalov acquired a large stake in a Russia-based energy company. A year later, he was able to borrow more than $1 billion from Gazprombank, a state-owned entity also subject to sanctions.

This action is far more than symbolic, one official stressed.

Watch what we do, not just what the commander-in-chief says, another said.

Photo by Etienne Oliveau/Getty Images
Despite a slew of headlines last year about airline customers having miserable, sometimes horrific experiences, a new report says the quality of airline service hit a record high in 2017.

"I would have to say overall the airline experience is getting better for most people, although there are still people that are disappointed," said Dean Headley, a professor at Wichita State University.

Headley and Dr. Brent Bowen from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are the authors of the Airline Quality Rating. For the last 26 years they have calculated the performance of carriers based on four factors measured by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT): Percentage of bags mishandled, on-time arrivals, denied boardings and complaints to the DoT.

"Three out of the four things we look at actually got better this year," said Headley.

While the percentage of flights on time last year, 80.2 percent, was slightly lower than in 2016, there were also fewer complaints from passengers. In addition, carriers posted record low numbers for mishandled bags and for passengers being involuntarily bumped from flights.

In fact, denied boardings were down last year compared to 2016, as airlines changed their policies after a passenger was dragged off of a United Airlines plane. Video of the incident was so bad, it prompted a public outcry for airlines to drop, or dramatically reduce, the practice of overselling flights.

"We hope the industry got the message," said Headley. "It was a horrible message that we saw last spring. Certainly, from that point in time through the end of 2017, the industry as a whole cut its involuntary denied boardings."
As global tensions over trade escalate, expect to take a hit at the register.

The White House has targeted 1,300 Chinese products for a 25 percent tariff, and China immediately threatened retaliation, sparking fears of a trade war.

The tensions between the world's two largest economies has already spooked investors, and rightfully so. But all Americans have reason to be wary.

"The net losers in a trade war are always consumers," said David French, senior vice president for government relations at the National Retail Federation, an advocacy group.

If the proposed tariffs on Chinese imports are enacted, the result could be increased prices on consumer electronics, including TVs, printers and copy machines, and some household appliances, like dishwashers.

US imports from China of goods subject to proposed tariffs ($ billions, 2017)

Source: Capital Economics. Note: Numbers in brackets are international classification codes.

"There's no way around it: Tariffs are taxes on American consumers," French said.

The federation estimates that access to imported goods through free-trade agreements boosts the purchasing power of the average American family by $18,000 a year. Therefore, tariffs limiting that access will increase the cost of living here in the U.S.
Until recently, Saudi Arabia tantalized investors with a plan to float its mammoth oil and gas company's initial public offering on an international exchange  then left them deflated after it shelved the idea.

For now, Saudi Aramco will only be listed on the Tadawul, the country's domestic exchange. However, global investors have taken heart from a little noticed change from the FTSE global equity index series, a major market benchmark that in March classified Saudi Arabia's stock exchange as a "secondary emerging" market.

The FTSE's move  which officially makes Saudi Arabia's domestic market a benchmark available to global investors  coincided with an international charm offensive launched by the kingdom's powerful crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. It also marked a significant milestone on the prince's quest to diversify Saudi Arabia's oil-reliant economy and gives investors a backdoor to park cash in the country.

"The FTSE inclusion means that Saudi has technically met the standards required for [emerging market] investors from a trading and operational perspective," said Asha Mehta, portfolio manager and head of emerging and frontier market strategy with Acadian Asset Management.

"This is a major development, given that Saudi's equity market was closed to foreign investors just a few years ago," Mehta said, adding that "the country's weight could be sizable potentially as large as Mexico or Russia."

Ahead of the Aramco floatation, the inclusion of Saudi Arabia in emerging market indexes was a development eagerly awaited by market watchers.

Given historical limits to accessing the market, the country has not been included in major benchmarks prior to the FTSE classification, so the move could represent a watershed for both Saudi Arabia and investors hungry for yield.

"The FTSE upgrade is important and a key reflection of the improvements in the financial plumbing that Saudi Arabia has made in recent years, but the next step to attracting equity inflows is to prove the macro story and issuance," said Rachel Ziemba, an emerging market analyst and adjunct fellow at the Center for New American Security.

"Reducing restrictions to purchase is important, but so is the macro story: growth, liquidity, and future profits, as are the flows," she added.
The U.S. is exporting crude oil at a record pace with no signs of slowing down. That has the potential to unbalance a global oil market in recovery, says energy expert Tom Kloza.

"The exports are what we need to focus on through the next 30 days," Kloza, co-founder of the Oil Price Information Service, told CNBC's "Futures Now" last week. High U.S. production could decide how oil prices trade in the second half of this year and through 2019, he added.

Domestic exports have not dipped below 1 million barrels a day since late November, as U.S. oil producers fill the void left by reduced capacity from Mexico and Venezuela. Higher demand for petroleum and gasoline in South America has also boosted appetite for North American oil.

U.S. crude oil exports rose to 2.175 million barrels per day, or more than 15 million a week, at the end of March. That marked its highest level on record.

"We think that number is going to go up to probably 20 million or more [a week], get to maybe 2.5 million barrels a day," said Kloza. "The United States is in essence going to be exporting more than the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Nigeria, those individual countries."

Rising U.S. production and exports comes at a time when other oil producers are ramping up their own activity, said Kloza.

Russia recently had "the highest output in about 11 months and there's some hints that maybe they're not going to be in this long-term supply cutting agreement with the Saudis," said Kloza. On top of that, "we're going to see higher production from Kazakhstan, from Brazil, from the United States, and from Canada."

Global oil production may put a dent in the progress made the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries in correcting a supply-demand imbalance. In 2016, OPEC and some non-OPEC members had agreed to limit production to re balance oil markets after their late-2014 plunge.

Political events and international relations bring drastic moves to the market come summer. Among them, Kloza sees the Iraqi and Venezuelan elections in May and "superhawks" John Bolton and Mike Pompeo coming into the White House as possible market movers.

Crude oil is "the ultimate macroeconomic product," Kloza said, saying that major banks like Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs estimate oil could top $70, a level Kloza said is "priced for pure perfection." Still, a number of headwinds are developing to keep crude's gains curtailed.

West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude were both more than 1 percent lower on Friday, as trade tensions between U.S. and China escalated. On Thursday evening, President Donald Trump announced he would consider levying an additional $100 billion in tariffs against China in response to possible tariffs on U.S.-made products such as soybeans.

"Trade wars, a recession, any notion of any weakness in global economies are going to cut into," oil prices, Kloza said. "So keep that in mind. We might yet be priced for perfection but perfection is a pretty difficult thing to see."

Kloza forecasts an average of $67 a barrel for Brent crude oil this year. It currently trades at that level.
Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to police on Saturday, leaving the steel workers union offices where he had sought refuge while defying a court deadline to submit to custody.



Lula was surrounded by hundreds of die-hard supporters, including leaders of his Workers Party, union workers and activists, in the industrial suburb of Sao Paulo where his political career began as a union official. He will be taken by police to a jail cell in the southern city of Curitiba, where he will begin serving his 12-year sentence.
Deutsche Bank tapped Christian Sewing to be its new chief executive, the bank announced on Sunday, confirming widespread speculation that John Cryan would be replaced.

Earlier in the day, a source told CNBC that Sewing was favored by the board to take the helm of the troubled German lender. The change will take place immediately, Deutsche said in a statement, and Cryan is expected to depart the bank by month's end.

The bank also appointed two members of its management board, Garth Ritchie and Karl von Rohr, as dual presidents.

However, Marcus Schenck, co-head of Deutsche's investment arm, will exit the bank after its annual meeting, the statement read. Schenck was widely perceived as a potential CEO, but decided earlier this year to depart, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Saturday.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said he's willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, a Trump administration official familiar with the policy told NBC News on Sunday.

The news comes after Kim Jong Un went on an unofficial visit recently to Beijing, where he met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. If accurate, the move would effectively pave the way for a high level summit between Kim and President Donald Trump.

It was reported late last month that China said it had won a pledge from Kim Jong Un to denuclearize the Korean peninsula, where Xi Jinping pledged in return that China would uphold its friendship with its isolated neighbor.

Tensions between North Korea and the U.S. have been growing throughout the past few months. Trump has expressed a willingness to meet with the North Korean leader, and recently said Kim would "do what's right" and get rid of any nuclear weapons.

"For years and through many administrations, everyone said that peace and denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula was not even a small possibility. Now there is a good chance Kim Jong Un will do what is right for his people and for humanity," Trump wrote on Twitter last month.

The president still plans to meet with Kim Jong Un by the end of May, according to the White House. The two are expected to talk about lifting sanctions.
Crackdown on knives as May forced to u-turn on stop-and-search

Rudd says there are enough police as she unveils new powers  Sunday Telegraph

Ex-race chief calls for tougher policing in black communities  Mail on Sunday

Under-18 ban to curb acid attacks  Sunday Times

Senior Met officer calls for societal change to curb killings  The Observer

The teenager who inspired Mays crusade as Home Secretary  Mail on Sunday

Amber Rudd: There are sufficient officers to tackle violent crime

Theresa May has been forced to do a U-turn on police stop and search powers by the epidemic of stabbings and shootings sweeping London. Emergency plans to extend stop and search are in a tough package of measures unveiled by Home Secretary Amber Rudd amid claims that violent crime is out of control in the capital. New Offensive Weapons laws to be introduced within weeks will make it illegal to own so-called zombie killer knives and knuckle dusters used by gangs  and allow police to raid homes to seize them. And the Government wants to extend stop and search to include people who use acid as a weapon.  Mail on Sunday

As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge. Arguments that our evidence-based strategy should help put to rest. One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets to tackle this threat. The evidence does not support this. In the early Noughties, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising. In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013/14, police numbers were close to the highest wed seen in decades. So while I understand that police are facing emerging threats and new pressures  leading us to increase total investment in policing  the evidence does not bear out claims that resources are to blame for rising violence.  Sunday Telegraph

Who is going to protect our kids from gangs and thugs, Mr Khan?  Tony Parsons, Sun on Sunday

Missing in action? Not me  Sadiq Khan, Mail on Sunday

Editorial:

Britain bleeds: police must tackle the gangs  Sunday Times

Acid ban and search changes are steps in the right direction  Sun on Sunday

>Today: Peter Walker in Comment: How a Prevent or Channel-type programme could help to cut murder in London

Gauke admits he is to blame for Worboys parole shambles and vows to fix system

Corbyn an enemy of law-abiding citizens, claims Justice Secretary  Sunday Express

Justice Secretary David Gauke has admitted he is to blame for the parole shambles which has rocked public confidence in law and order. But he vowed to work tirelessly to fix the shattered system  and will carry the can if he fails. In an exclusive interview, Mr Gauke said he accepts full responsibility for a decision which almost let black cab rapist John Worboys go free. He told The Sun on Sunday: Clearly, things didnt go as they should have gone. Look, I made the decision. I accept responsibility, so Im not hiding behind my advisers. Its my responsibility entirely. After a lot of hard thinking Mr Gauke is determined to stay and make the criminal justice system fully fit for purpose. He insists he has learned many lessons from the Worboys case. But after just 90 bruising days in the job, he is under no illusion about the daunting scale of the task.  Sun on Sunday

>Yesterday: Book Reviews: A jobbing criminal hack reveals that the lower courts are in a frightful mess

Housing: Javid leads crackdown on rogue estate agents

Estate agents will be shut down if they fail to get a new professional qualification in a massive crackdown on rogue operators. Housing Secretary Sajid Javid today unveiled radical plans to restore customers trust when buying and selling property. At the moment, anyone can become an estate agent, though many voluntarily hold a professional certificate. Mr Javid says he wants to make all of them meet the same standards as conveyancers, solicitors and surveyors. Estate agents will also be forced to reveal any fees they get for referring clients to mortgage brokers, solicitors and surveyors. Mr Javid pledged to tackle gazumping, where a seller pulls out of a sale to take a higher offer from a another buyer.  Mail on Sunday

as Raab wants housing included in migration impact assessments

Immigration has put up house prices by 20% over the past 25 years and Britains post-Brexit border rules must take account of demand for affordable homes, the new housing minister has declared. In an interview with The Sunday Times, Dominic Raab revealed that he is writing to the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) urging it to consider the negative effects of new arrivals on housing demand as well as the positive economic benefits of immigration. His intervention comes ahead of the committee publishing a report this autumn to inform the governments new immigration plans. Raab, a leading Brexiteer who has been tipped as a possible future Tory leader, also used his first print interview as housing minister to call for an end to Tory infighting over

>Today: ToryDiary: Raab is right: the Migration Advisory Committee must weigh housing in its judgements

Ministers warned to expect backlash over welfare cuts

Ministers will face a backlash against reform to the benefits system when millions of claimants moving on to universal credit realise their income will be cut, the governments most senior welfare adviser has warned. Paul Gray, chairman of the independent social security advisory committee, said that the decision to take a substantial chunk of funding out of the budget for universal credit risked undermining the good intentions of the reform. In 2015 his committee forced the then chancellor George Osborne to rethink and eventually ditch 4bn-worth of cuts to the tax credits system but the cuts to the universal credit budget remained. Speaking to the Observer, Gray said the aim of universal credit  to simplify the system and encourage people back into work  was right, but he warned that building in significant budget cuts would become an issue once claimants realised they would be losing out.  The Observer

>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Our survey. Over half of members think there will be a Tory majority in 2022.

Badenoch admits to hacking opponents website

Gove ally offers to fund wildcat restoration scheme

A Tory MP tipped as a future Prime Minister has admitted breaking the law by hacking into a Labour opponents website. Kemi Badenoch, a newly appointed vice-chairman of the party, confessed that she launched the cyber-attack on the Labour MPs site in order to write pro-Tory propaganda under their name. Hacking into websites is a criminal offence  and can be punished with a prison sentence of up to two years. Her confession, in an interview obtained by The Mail on Sunday, is particularly embarrassing for Downing Street because Ms Badenoch is a rising star who has been tasked by Theresa May with increasing the number of women and ethnic-minority MPs in the party.  Mail on Sunday

Wildcats could be reintroduced to England to help cull grey squirrels after a millionaire Whitehall adviser to Michael Gove offered to fund a scheme. Ben Goldsmith, who has already spent 200,000 on supporting the reintroduction of beavers to southern England, said he was willing to bankroll the reintroduction of wildcats. Government sources said Mr Gove, the Environment Secretary who championed the reintroduction of beavers last year, is open to the idea. Tens of thousands of wildcats once roamed Britain before they were hunted and killed from the 1700s onwards, due to fears they would target lambs, rabbits and poultry.  Sunday Telegraph

Russian fake news blitz continues

Moscows torrent of absurdity is soaked up by infantile Corbyn  Boris Johnson, Sunday Times

Putins useful idiots on both sides of the House  Euan McColm, Scotland on Sunday

How low will the Corbyn cult go? Ask Putins poisoners  Dan Hodges, Mail on Sunday

Rich donors prepared to put tens of millions into new centre party

Russia has branded the Queen a heavy boozer  and claimed the PM has a Cognac habit. In an escalating fake news blitz on Britain, one senator said Her Majesty is rarely without a tipple. Aleksey Pushkov, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, said the monarch treats drinking like a ceremony The propaganda blast dragged the diplomatic row between Britain and Russia to a new low. Foreign Office diplomats say the smears were aimed at discrediting Britains claim Russia tried to kill former spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33. Senior Tory MP Bernard Jenkin said the absurd comments further belittled Putins attempts to avoid responsibility for the outrageous attack.  Sun on Sunday

Rich donors are ready to stump up 50million to form a new centre party, it was claimed last night. Business chiefs, activists and philanthropists have been secretly working on a plan to break the mould in Westminster. It is being led by philanthropist and LoveFilm founder Simon Franks. Initial talks are said to have started in 2016. The multi-millionaire has set up a company, Project One Movement for the UK, which is likely to be the vehicle for the idea. Policy ideas include higher taxes for the rich, better NHS funding and improved social mobility. It backs centre-right ideas on wealth creation and entrepreneurship and is keen to explore tighter immigration controls.  Sun on Sunday

Blair urges Merkel to block Brexit  Mail on Sunday

Comment:

Opportunity knocks for a new party, but will anyone dare open the door?  Andrew Rawnsley, The Observer

Labour 1) Shadow minister is member of Facebook group with anti-Semitic content

Over half of voters think Labour has an anti-Semitism problem  The Observer

One of Jeremy Corbyns shadow Cabinet ministers is a member of a controversial Labour supporters Facebook pages in which anti-Semitic posts are being shared. Andrew Gwynne, the shadow Housing secretary, was listed as members of the Labour Supporters page on the social media website late last week. The Labour MP for Denton and Reddish has now said he will seek to remove his name from the group after he was approached by The Sunday Telegraph. Mr Corbyn, the Labour leader, deleted his personal Facebook page last month after he was found to be a member of groups where anti-Semitic messages were posted.  Sunday Telegraph

Comment:

Anti-Semitism on the left is nothing new  Daniel Hannan, Sunday Telegraph

Labour 2) MP accused of wife beating accuses female colleagues of vendetta

The row over the Labour MP accused of wife-beating took a new turn last night after he denied using violence  and women MPs who backed the alleged victim were accused of a vendetta against Jeremy Corbyn. The male MP declared: I am not a wife-beater, and said the claims were malicious, upsetting and untrue. He broke his silence following the disclosure in The Mail on Sunday last week that women Labour MPs had called on Mr Corbyn to suspend the MP over claims that he repeatedly attacked his wife. The MP spoke out yesterday after Jess Phillips, chairman of the Womens Parliamentary Labour Party (WPLP), wrote to Mr Corbyn after a private Commons meeting attended by former deputy Labour leader Harriet Harman.  Mail on Sunday

Hundreds of council chiefs earn more than the Prime Minister

Fathers sharing care role can help close pay gap  Theresa May, Sunday Times

SNP Health Secretary urged to consider her position over NHS Tayside scandal

At least 2,500 council chiefs were paid more than 100,000 each last year  with about 500 of them grossing in excess of 150,000, more than the prime minister earns. The annual rich list of town hall bosses found that the number whose total remuneration was in six figures had risen from 2,314 last year. The full sums include pension contributions, bonuses, expenses and other payouts. The report, from the Taxpayers Alliance pressure group, reveals that at least 16 local government bosses received more than 300,000 and four grossed in excess of 500,000 in 2016-17 The report will fuel claims that council fat cats are looking after themselves at a time when they are cutting services and increasing council tax.  Sunday Times

Labours health spokesman has warned Health Secretary Shona Robison she cannot wash her hands of the NHS Tayside scandal and urged further action. Anas Sarwar said it is her responsibility and said decisions made so far will not resolve the issue. He said she should apologise and consider her own position. His comments follow the health boards chairman Professor John Connell stepping down on Friday after Ms Robison called for him to quit when it emerged NHS Tayside had apparently used donations to fund new technology Earlier this week it emerged that NHS Tayside took more than 2 million from its endowment fund  which is made up of donations from the public or bequests in wills  to cover general running costs, which could normally be funded from its core budget.  Scotland on Sunday

News in Brief:
Peter Walker is a former Deputy Chief Constable of North Yorkshire Police. He now owns SuperSkills, a Construction Training Business in Thirsk.

The announcement by Cressida Dick that she is tasking 120 police officers to the spate of homicides in London is welcome news  it is unacceptable for our capital city to be heading for 200 murders this year.The Commissioner is also right in saying the causes of the increase in violence are various. That may disappoint those who seek to make points about austerity, adopt the I blame the parents mentality, or criticise Theresa May for changing the polices approach to stop and search.

It is rare indeed for complex problems to have a simple solution, but when the combination of a microphone and a politician are involved in debates about policing issues  especially in the run up to local elections  the temptation to reach for one single reason often becomes too much. This is why David Lammy, whose constituency has suffered so many of these tragedies, has become an outlier, criticising both the Government and the Mayors Office in equal measure, and calling for a far more comprehensive approach.

Responses to the problem of serious street violence from both the authorities and communities must be broad and long term. Additionally, the Commissioners announcement must not be seen as a solution to the present difficulty. It isnt.

The deployment of 120 officers is a great tactical step  but, when a whole generation of young people are being affected by an issue, it may take a generation to see real and lasting results. Much has been made this week of the Violence Reduction Unit in Glasgow and the reduction of knife crime: no young people died as a result of such crimes last year.

The VRU was itself heavily reliant on police intervention during its first few years but, as greater impact of the work by others as part of a broad approach started to have effect, this has changed and police deployment has become less central to results as other initiatives involving health and education have started to have an impact.

But this is no quick fix. Last years results in Scotland were a credit to the hard work of all involved. They started that work in 2005. Similar references to the work of the New York Police Department in 1990s New York have also been seen as a Golden Bullet. The Times called for such an approach this week. The answer, surely, lies in zero tolerance, a policy first popularised in New York City in the 1990s under the twin leadership of the mayor, Rudy Giuliani, and the police commissioner, Bill Bratton. Once again, a process that took years to come to maturity.

I had the benefit of being sent to study the NYPD approach for Michael Howard when he was Home Secretary. There was much of merit  but the NYPD started from a completely different place than where the Met (or indeed any British police force) is now. Patrol Officers had been prohibited from arresting people for drugs, instead merely submitting intelligence reports. They did not investigate crime, but just took reports. Indeed, the most prominent posters on the walls of One Police Plaza (and everywhere else I went) declared Commissioner Brattons mantra  Were not just report takers  were the POLICE in an effort to change the mindset of a hemmed in workforce.

Attendance at Compstat  the weekly round-up of what had happened in terms of crime  was mandatory for all command personnel as well as everyone else, from Housing to Highways. This resulted in all solutions being available, and a much more rounded set of data upon which to act. And it was this that became the most important lesson we took away: having all the agencies together, with all the data and a driving force from the Mayors Office reaped short-term rewards, repeated week after week after week and, eventually, this activity drew greater benefits as people knew that their communities were not ignored, that their problems were being reduced and that the authorities had become part of their society, rather than a distant and inactive bureaucracy.

Life is vastly different for young people in Tottenham and elsewhere today. But it is still the cas thate involvement with drug trafficking brings significant financial temptation to them. However, community revulsion at present events needs to translate into cooperation with the authorities for a real and long-term impact to be realised. And that takes will time, much as though leader writers may wish differently.

The crucial issue is breaking the cycle of young people becoming influenced (or coerced) by those gang members with whom they live cheek by jowl. Much of this goes unnoticed by authority  and there is little that can be done to prevent it.

It was whilst having that thought yesterday that one of its words stuck out in my mind  Prevent. We already have a programme, designed to identify people at risk of becoming radicalised. The accompanying approach, Channel, has been developed to counter the effects of radicalisation. And this is what we see happening to young people in London  especially to young black boys, as Iain Dale commented yesterday. The process that draws young people into gangs is exactly the same as that which draws others into terrorism. If the recruitment process is the same then, surely, identification and diversion methods can be the same as well.

Those approaches are there  all educators have been trained to identify (and mandated to respond to) any young people who appear to be in danger of radicalisation. The skills, the communication links, the relationships  they are all mature.

Clearly, it would be inappropriate to dilute the Prevent or Channel work  but perhaps amongst the many and various tactical solutions to the present difficulties being faced by communities in London in particular and other cities, a similar approach might present an opportunity to stop so many needless deaths and life-changing injuries.
04/05/2018

Photo (c) tashka2000 - Getty Images Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who will testify before a House committee next week, took questions from reporters on a conference call Wednesday and discussed his company's efforts to better protect users data.

Zuckerberg took responsibility for the data leak and pledged to make the system better. However, he cautioned his listeners not to expect instant results.

"These are big issues," he said. "This is a big shift for us to take a lot more responsibility. It's going to take some time and we're committed to getting that right, and we're going to keep investing until we do."

'Surveillance as a business model'

Last August, long before concerns about Facebook privacy made front page news, the Harvard Gazette interviewed cybersecurity expert Bruce Schneier about internet privacy.

Schneier, a fellow with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, suggested that surveillance is now the business model of the internet.

"Everyone is under constant surveillance by many companies, ranging from social networks like Facebook to cell phone providers," he told the newspaper. "This data is collected, compiled, analyzed, and used to try to sell us stuff. Personalized advertising is how these companies make money, and is why so much of the internet is free to users. Were the product, not the customer."

In 2017, it was hard to get the public to take that fact seriously. Many users found it harmless if Facebook wanted to target them for a new pair of sneakers or a new phone. But using profile information to influence an election is apparently a bridge too far.

Facebook now finds itself in an uncomfortable position because some of the data it collected was misappropriated by a political marketing firm that targeted select Facebook users with pro Trump ads during the 2016 election. Did it make a difference? Who knows, but to some the whole issue is unsettling.

Separating fact from fiction

Robert Darden, a journalism professor at Baylor University, says consumers not only have to worry about their privacy while online, but they also need to weed out misinformation from what's true.

"I spend several lectures telling my students how to identify the fake news and clickbait," Darden told ConsumerAffairs. "I also advise them to read several mainstream, reputable news sources each day. And if something seems too good, too outrageous, too hateful to be true -- it is probably all of the above."

What remains to be seen is whether new concerns about privacy, along with some other well documented internet annoyances like autoplay videos and pop-up ads, begin to make the internet less attractive to consumers.

It's already trendy in some circles to "unplug from the grid" and trade in a smartphone for an old fashioned flip phone. Writing in the Daily Beast, Taylor Lorez suggests that teens are already bored with the internet, mindlessly opening and closing apps in hopes of finding something engaging.

You think that were so entertained because were on our phones all the time, but just because were on it, doesnt mean were engaged or excited," one 17 year-old told her. "I get bored on my phone all the time."

On his conference call, Zuckerberg said there has been no material drop in user activity and ad revenue since the scandal broke last month, but we could be in the early innings of any new trend.

Darden says the feedback he has gotten from his students recently is that they don't trust Facebook and don't use it.
CORNWALL, Ontario  A 25-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on March 27th, 2018 and charged with the following:

 Robbery

 Theft under $5000

 Break and enter

 Breach of probation (for consuming alcohol and failing to keep the peace)

It is alleged on March 20, 2018, the man forcibly took money from his ex-girlfriend and also forced his way into his mothers residence, removing some of her property. It is further alleged on March 27, 2018, the man removed merchandise from a store on Ninth St. E., making no attempt to pay for the items as he left the store. On March 27, 2018 police located the intoxicated male. He was taken into custody, charged accordingly and held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victims in the matter.

WARRANT

CORNWALL, Ontario  Michael Pare, 48, of Cornwall was arrested on March 27, 2018 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged the man failed to attend for prints on March 7, 2018 and also failed to attend court on March 27, 2018 for theft charges. An investigation ensued and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On March 27, 2018 the man was taken into custody on the strength of the warrant and held for a bail hearing.

CORNWALL, Ontario  A 35-year-old Cornwall man was arrested on March 27, 2018 on the strength of a warrant. It is alleged between Feb. 5-22, 2018 the man contacted his ex-girlfriend on multiple occasions, despite his conditions. Police were contacted and a warrant was obtained for his arrest. On March 27, 2018 a member of the Cornwall Community Police Service assumed custody of the man from Port Hope Police Service as they had the man in custody on the strength of Cornwalls warrant. The warrant was executed and the man was held for a bail hearing. His name was not released as it would identify the victim in the matter.

There were 60 calls for service in the City of Cornwall in the last 24 hours (8 a.m. the previous day to 8 a.m. the day of the release). To see whats happening in your neighbourhood visit our Crime Plot Map. CCPS reserves the right not to post all calls for service in order to protect the identity of the victims.
The message Dont mess with our elections followed by a U.S. flag appeared on Iranian and Russian screens after a hacker group exploited Cisco Smart Install Client on vulnerable machines. The hackers claim to have targeted only the computer infrastructure in Iran and Russia during the attack on Friday night.

Reuters reported that Irans Communication and Information Technology Ministry said, The attack apparently affected 200,000 router switches across the world in a widespread attack, including 3,500 switches in our country.

Researchers from Ciscos Talos reportedly used Shodan to find over 168,000 systems potentially exposed via the Cisco Smart Install Client. The researchers dont call it a vulnerability, but a protocol misuse issue. That is what it was called back in an informational Cisco Security Advisory issued in 2017. Ciscos Security Advisory issued on Friday, however, lists it as a critical vulnerability.

Dangers of the Cisco Smart Install Client flaw

The flaw in Cisco Smart Install Client allows attackers to run arbitrary code on vulnerable switches. Kaspersky Lab said the attack hit data centers and internet providers across the globe; the attackers would rewrite the Cisco IOS image on the switches and change the configuration file, leaving a message that reads Do not mess with our elections there. The switch then becomes unavailable.

Kaspersky Lab added that the attack was mostly targeting the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet, yet other segments are clearly more or less affected as well.

According to screenshots, a hacker group going by JHT claimed responsibility for the American flag and message left on Iranian and Russian screens.

As for the why, a spokesperson for the group told Motherboard, We were tired of attacks from government-backed hackers on the United States and other countries.

In a blog post from Thursday, Talos researchers linked to US-CERT alert issued in March about Russian government cyber activity targeting energy and other critical infrastructure sectors. Motherboard suggested that is what set the vigilante hackers off.

They claimed a scan showed numerous countries with vulnerable systems, but they only attacked Russia and Iran: We simply wanted to send a message.

Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi, the ICT Minister of Iran, is quoted by Reuters as saying, Some 55,000 devices were affected in the United States and 14,000 in China, and Irans share of affected devices was 2 percent. He later tweeted that 95 percent of the attacked routers in Iran had been restored to normal service.

How to mitigate the Cisco Smart Install flaw

Kaspersky pointed out that Ciscos Smart Install does not require authentication by design and suggested mitigations for system admins.

To check if Smart Install is working, you can run the show vstack config command on your switch. If the switch responds positively, which means that Smart Install is enabled, its better to disable it with the no vstack command.

That wont work in all cases, as the no vstack command will only persist in some Cisco operating systems releases until the switch is rebooted. Then an upgrade or downgrade of the system version may be advised.

Kaspersky also advised:
BRIDGEPORT  Deep within the citys East End is a boat graveyard.

A gravel and dirt island between Crescent and Pembroke streets filled with a jumble of misfit and forgotten vessels  just a few blocks from where their gleaming counterparts sit for sale outside the Bass Pro Shops.

Singapore Sling should be plying the blue-green waters of the Caribbean, Playpen should be being prepared to tow squealing youths on tethers across the harbor this summer, Indecision, well perhaps that should be here.

But instead their beached carcasses sit slowly decaying, cantilevered against large cement blocks.

Its sad, said Bridgeport Harbormaster Ryan Conrad as he stood recently in the lot trying to avoid the cold breeze wafting through the hulls. Ive been a boater my whole life and to see these boats here like this is just not right.

Twenty-six boats by last count. They were brought there from all over the city as city employees battle a new blight  the boat blight.

This has become a real problem in the city, said John Ricci, director of Public Facilities. People are dumping boats on city streets and walking away. There were boats dumped on roads and they caused problems during the recent snow storms because the plows were unable to clear the roads so we had to get the boats out of the way.

Removal of the boats from city streets costs city man hours. Because the boats are in bad shape they cant be resold and will have to be crushed and hauled away.

And that costs the city money, said Ricci.

In most cases they are not able to trace the boats back to their owners, he said. But last Saturday they managed to hook one.

Katon Wynter, 28, of Carroll Avenue, was charged with illegal dumping after police said he left a 17-foot powerboat on Pembroke Street. He is facing a $1,500 fine.

When confronted, police said Wynter admitted he had dumped the boat and said he did it because he had been unable to get rid of the boat any other way.

They take off the motors and strip off any metal they think they can sell and leave the rest for us to recover, said Conrad. Last summer there was a boat dumped in the middle of the street in Black Rock and it was blocking traffic so the city had to go in right away and remove it.

In This case Bridgeports gain may be Stratfords loss.

Richard Fredette, Stratfords anti-blight officer, said the town had problems with abandoned boats in the past but lately not so much.

There were a number of instances of people dumping boats along the side of the road, but we are no longer seeing it, he said.

Fredette said a local salvage yard volunteered to take the boats they did find.

Now our problem is people dumping unwanted furniture, he said.
BRIDGEPORT  What does Connecticuts largest city want in its police chief? And does acting Chief Armando A.J. Perez fit that criteria?

Randi Frank, a headhunter hired by Mayor Joe Ganims administration as it prepares to launch a nationwide search for Bridgeports top cop, was in town this week gathering input.

Frank, who is from Connecticut but now lives in Kentucky, was involved in 2010 in then-Mayor Bill Finchs search for a chief and when Finch hired an assistant police chief in 2012.

Im getting updated facts and figures about the city and, most important, what you guys are looking for in your next police chief, Frank told a dozen City Council members who met with her Thursday evening. Every department is different. Every community is different. (So) we start from scratch.

Frank also met Thursday with Perez and was scheduled Friday to huddle with a group of community leaders in the mayors office, meet with police commissioners, and to attend a citizens meeting at the Liceo Cubano Club.

Her schedule, however, did not include some of the groups that have been most vocal in demanding police department reforms, particularly after a rookie officer shot and killed 15-year-old Jayson Negron last May: The Council of Churches of Greater Bridgeport, the Greater Bridgeport NAACP and civic organization Bridgeport Generation Now.

Rowena White, Ganims communications director, on Friday encouraged those groups and anyone else interested in the chief search to email Frank  randi@randifrank.com  with their thoughts on the qualities of the next police chief and the needs of the department, or to try and schedule a future meeting with Frank.

Shell be back again, White said, adding: Everybodys opinion matters and everybodys perspectives are different, as are individual neighborhoods needs.

The Rev. Cass Shaw, head of the Council of Churches, after learning Frank was in town from Hearst Connecticut Media, contacted the mayors office. Shaw said she was pleased that they responded immediately and provided her Franks contact information. But Shaw said the city could have done a better job publicizing that Frank was available Thursday and Friday.

We would definitely like to meet with her. Absolutely, said Callie Heilmann, Generation Nows founder.

More News Ganim commits to cop chief search

I am hoping we get a chance to speak with her, said NAACP President George Mintz.

Drastically different

The councils meeting with Frank on Thursday was announced and a handful of young people wearing shirts in remembrance of the late Negron quietly attended but did not speak.

Councilman Kyle Langan asked about the educational requirements. Frank said a bachelors degree, masters degree and other police education  such as FBI training  are preferred but not required. Candidates must, however, have ten years of experience, five of those in a command rank.

Perez, whom Ganim promoted from captain to chief in March, 2016, plans to apply. In an interview Friday the acting chief acknowledged he does not have the educational background. But, Perez emphasized, he has plenty of experience  over three decades on the force, including a stint running the detective bureau from June 2014 until when Ganim put him in charge.

Ganim and Perez are close. Perez was the formers driver when Ganim was first mayor in the 1990s. The city charter requires a search be conducted before a permanent chief is named, leading to plenty of speculation as to why Ganim waited two years. Some have wanted the search so that Perez is given job security, others have wanted an entirely new top cop.

Langan, a new council member, told Frank: I want something drastically different. Im not happy with leadership as it currently sits. He said the next chief should be able to work with the budget allotted by the council and be more of a visionary.

Were getting dash and body cameras (for officers), but it took the murder of a 15-year-old boy for that to happen, Langan said.

Others said the permanent chief needs good managerial and people skills and the ability to work with all 20 council members.

We are the voices and eyes to the community, said Councilwoman AmyMarie Vizzo-Paniccia.

Community policing

Councilman Ernest Newton suggested the chief live in Bridgeport. Perez does not, and neither did his predecessor, Chief Joseph Gaudett. Another ex-chief  Wilbur Chapman, whom Ganim hired as the first black chief in 2000 at the tale end of his first administration  was criticized as an outsider with a home in New York state and apartment in Bridgeport.

Many of the council members also wanted a chief who is focused on community policing making sure officers not only walk a beat and get to know the neighborhoods, but are committed to being helpful and treating residents of all cultures with respect.

My interactions have not been the friendliest, said freshman Councilwoman Christina Smith.

Councilman Ernest Newton asked Frank whether it is a best practice to promote chiefs from within or to hire outsiders.

Every community is different, Frank said, adding: This community has done inside and outside.

We probably will fair better if the officer really knew the community, said Councilwoman and The Rev. Mary McBride-Lee.

Whether any current cops besides Perez apply for the chiefs job remains to be seen.

Frank said once the position is advertised, she and the Civil Service Department will screen applicants, conduct a written test and also have candidates write an essay on some hot topic in Bridgeport. Then Ganim and Civil Service will convene a panel of community leaders and policing experts to interview candidates and forward three or four to the mayor for a final decision.

Danny Roach, a 20-year-veteran of the police commission and Ganim aide, said in an interview that Perez scores a lot of points in different areas. But its also good to see whats out there. We dont know and wont know until the process takes place.
Contributed Photo / Contributed Photo

ORANGE  A small service dog with a big heart from Hope Academy has been nominated for a national award by a student at the school.

Jeremiah Barrett nominated Delilah for an American Humane Hero Dog award  the 2018 Emerging Hero Award. In the post nominating her, Barrett said, she deserves the award for helping students at the school with a variety of disabilities.
When Mark Zuckerberg testifies to the U.S. Congress next week, the Facebook chief executive will face off with lawmakers who have long been itching to confront him - on everything from a privacy mishap involving 87 million users to a litany of issues that have dogged the company for years.

"I think we're at a moment of reckoning. It's really high noon for Facebook and the tech industry," Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal, Conn., one of the senators who is set to grill Zuckerberg, said in an interview.

Zuckerberg's scheduled appearance at two congressional hearings beginning Tuesday marks the first time that the tech leader will submit to questioning at the Capitol. For more than a decade, Zuckerberg had dodged the congressional spotlight, slipping away from the sort of high-drama, made-for-television Washington interrogations that had befallen some of his tech industry peers. But the controversy around Cambridge Analytica, a data analysis firm that improperly accessed Facebook users' data, has left Facebook's founder newly exposed to the political firestorm.

Now, the stakes are sky high for Zuckerberg, whose every statement -- likely under oath -- will carry immense legal and political weight. His company is under investigation around the world, including a probe in the United States that threatens Facebook with fines that could reach into the trillions of dollars. And Zuckerberg's testimony could fuel new efforts to regulate not only Facebook but the whole of the tech industry, at a time when lawmakers increasingly are wondering if Silicon Valley is out of control.

To Blumenthal, it's Facebook's "unsafe at any speed moment." The senator was referring to the legislative onslaught that befell car makers in the 1960s following revelations that they had manifestly failed to protect passengers from harm.

A spokesman for Facebook did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier this week, Zuckerberg pledged to rethink his company's privacy practices. "We didn't take a broad enough view of what our responsibility is, and that was a huge mistake. It was my mistake," he told reporters.

Zuckerberg's gauntlet begins with a rare, joint hearing Tuesday before two Senate panels - the Commerce Committee and the Judiciary Committee. As many as 43 members, almost half of the entire Senate, are set to pepper the Facebook executive with questions. A day later, the House Energy and Commerce Committee plans to follow suit.

Lawmakers last month called on Zuckerberg to appear to respond to the controversy around Cambridge Analytica. Since then, Facebook's problems have worsened, including the revelation this week that what it called "malicious actors" could have accessed information, including names and profile photos, about most of the social network's more than 2 billion users.

To start, some members of Congress said they want Zuckerberg at his hearings to offer specifics about Cambridge Analytica - and Facebook's privacy practices writ large -- even beyond the information the company has shared in recent weeks.

"More than any one issue, I'm interested in Mark Zuckerberg's vision for the responsibility Facebook plans to take for what happens on its platform, how it will protect users' data, and how it intends to proactively stop harmful conduct instead of being forced to respond to it months or years later," said Republican Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the leader of the Senate Commerce Committee, in a statement.

New Jersey Rep. Frank Pallone, the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, emphasized that his chief concern is "how many Cambridge Analytica types are out there" that aren't yet public, he said in an interview. A Republican counterpart on the panel, Rep. Marsha Blackburn, Tenn., said she was most frustrated that Facebook had "turned their users into the product that they are selling."

Democratic Sen. Ed Markey, Mass., one of his committee's most outspoken advocates for a new online privacy law, said he wants to know if there's any "recourse for victims" from Facebook's recent privacy mishaps. For years, Markey has written letters to the social giant, imploring it to improve its data-protection practices. His efforts helped inform a decision by the Federal Trade Commission to penalize the company in 2011.

The Massachusetts Democrat said he'd next press Zuckerberg on how the company ensures "the integrity and safety of the platform." Markey specifically cited an old memo, written by a Facebook vice president and recently unearthed by BuzzFeed, that described "bullying and terrorist attacks" as the regular "costs of doing business" on the site.

Previously, Facebook had warded off such invites from Congress. Lawmakers had tried as recently as October to press Zuckerberg and his counterparts at Google and Twitter about the ways that the Russian government spread propaganda on their platforms around the 2016 presidential election. But the top executives sent their leading lawyers to testify in their place, to the chagrin of Democrats and Republicans.

Zuckerberg's appearance next week gives now lawmakers another opportunity to raise questions that still linger about the election. "What I care the most about is. . . what has this done, what is it doing to democracy?" said Democratic Rep. Anna Eshoo (Calif.), a member of the House committee, who represents a slice of Silicon Valley.

Republicans, meanwhile, recently have been fuming that Facebook is biased against their viewpoints, to the detriment of conservative employees and news sources. At Facebook's last major appearance on Capitol Hill, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) slammed the company as well as Google and Twitter for what he perceived as censorship.

And the hearings starting Tuesday may force Zuckerberg to confront his industry's ever-souring reputation in the nation's capital, where lawmakers increasingly question if tech giants can police themselves.

"What I see are incredibly innovative and powerful companies that dominate on their platforms, whether that's Facebook, whether that's Google, whether that's Amazon," said Republican Rep. Greg Walden, Ore., who runs the House Energy and Commerce Committee. "But like all good things, if you get too big too quickly you may not have the self-regulation in place that ultimately consumers demand."

Zuckerberg is hardly the first tech titan to sit across from a dais of peeved federal lawmakers. In 2011, Eric Schmidt, then the executive chairman of Google, was summoned to explain whether the search giant had sought to disadvantage its smaller rivals. Two years later, the Senate trained its sights on Apple, grilling chief executive Tim Cook on allegations that the company dodged billions of dollars in U.S. taxes by keeping its cash offshore. Both executives were subject to scrutiny well beyond what lawmakers saw as their immediate offenses.

This time, the frustration with Facebook on Capitol Hill initially threatened to draw Google and Twitter into the fray. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, the leader of the Judiciary Committee, even invited those two companies' chief executives to testify. But Senate leaders ultimately chose not to require either tech giant to appear - a victory for Google and Twitter, which privately had grumbled for days that they had done nothing wrong and didn't deserve to sit next to Zuckerberg.

Yet Zuckerberg's back-to-back appearances on Capitol Hill still threatens to implicate them all anyway -- triggering a new push for privacy regulation, another round of congressional hearings and a continued shift in web users' impressions of tech giants, Facebook and otherwise, that they once revered.

GOP Rep. Blackburn, for one, said in an interview she'd push Zuckerberg to support privacy legislation that would require tech companies to obtain permission before selling users' data -- a proposal that Facebook and its tech peers have vocally opposed. As the leader of a tech-focused subcommittee, Blackburn also said she's considering a hearing of her own soon focused on tech companies' powerful algorithms.

Broadly, though, lawmakers signaled that they're ready to confront Facebook on its many recent missteps. "We can no longer go with the mantra 'trust us' because they have proven untrustworthy," Blumenthal said about Facebook. "Whether intentionally or inadvertently, they have really in effect betrayed that trust."
Fresh off a holiday season that saw Amazon sell "tens of millions" of devices, Las Vegas hosted its annual glimpse into the future: the Consumer Electronics Show, where the world's most innovative companies pull back the curtain for a peek at their new tech. And wouldn't you know, one of the prevailing themes from that three-day journey into the future was the growing ubiquity of voice search as a marketing channel. So how does this window into the future influence small-business operations today?

Case in point, independent research conducted by the Capgemini Digital Transformation Institute confirms that 51 percent of consumers already utilize voice assistants, with 81 percent of those users primarily accessing the voice assistant through a smartphone, citing convenience, multitasking enablement and speed as value-adds from the voice assistant experience. Your customers are already using voice assistance, and to capture this revenue you must embrace the tech.

Related: 4 Unconventional Ways to Bring Traffic to Your Site

Kleiner Perkins conducts an annual report on the digital landscape. Its most recent iteration reported voice search as having 20 percent of the mobile search origination share, and comScore predicts that number will swell to 50 percent by 2020.

At this year's CES, voice assistants took center stage even before the event was underway, dominating press day as multiple television manufacturers revealed that their upcoming television models would house voice assistants. Other products that used CES to showcase voice assistant integration included deadbolts, ceiling fans, speakers, routers, mirrors, washers, dryers, refrigerators and even a Microsoft Cortana-powered thermostat.

Voice search implications for advertisers

As voice-enabled devices become more ubiquitous, advertisers are acknowledging voice as a viable channel for commerce, and they're doing it with their wallets.

Bing data from early returns on 2018 show year-over-year investment in voice search has grown by 24 percent, sustaining the momentum from the back half of 2017 and increasing through the holiday season.

Related: Don't Let Alexa or Siri Speak for Your Company: Protecting Your Brand's Voice on AI Platforms

Using data from Cortana, we know that the lion's share of questions presented to voice assistants begin with either "how" or "what," and then there's a steep drop off in search share for the remaining interrogative words. Advertisers should think about what sorts of questions, to which their product is the answer, begin with these words, and then invest in those queries.

For example, a ticket seller who wants to capture its voice-assistant-using audience should ensure portfolio coverage on [how do I buy tickets], [what website sells tickets], and [where can I go to buy tickets].

How audiences communicate with voice search

*Chart based on internal data from Microsoft Bing.

For search marketers, whether consumers are engaging with voice search is only half the question. Understanding how these consumers engage is also critical. It's important to relay this information to businesses so that brands can capitalize on this insight.

Related: Here's How You Can Use Alexa at Work

There's action here for brands, and advertisers should be asking themselves the following questions, at the least:

Does our keyword portfolio have coverage for long-tail queries in command form? Does our keyword portfolio have coverage for long-tail queries in question form? Have we appended common descriptor tokens, such as "best," "top" or "price," to our core product keywords?

According to proprietary research by the call intelligence company Invoca, voice search is the preferred mode of communication for 20 percent of consumers making a purchase of $500 or more, only 2 percentage points removed from the 22 percent who prefer traditional online search. And according to the same research, not only are voice assistants facilitating purchases, but they're also influencing them. Invoca reports that 39 percent of its polled population had a voice assistant who influenced one of their purchases in the past month. Voice search is an opportunity for business owners to direct consumers toward their products and services.

While the digital transformation is demonstrably under way, it's also still in its fledgling stages. What we do know is that the future of search is predictive. Voice assistants are delivering personalized and salient information to their users, while also advancing our traditional conceptions of search. Search engines are the intelligence fabric for modern AIs, and the advancements thereof are improving predictive search capabilities. Soon users will find items that they didn't yet know they wanted. Voice search will be a principal contributor to this movement as search becomes a partner capable of dialogue with a consumer on any platform and any device.

Related: 10 Crazy Tidbits About the First Voice of Apple's Siri

My colleague Christi Olson is Bing's evangelist and speaks at events on search and digital marketing all over the world. She recommends small businesses and entrepreneurs focus on the following when it comes to their marketing:

Write content in a conversational tone that sounds natural when spoken aloud.

Listen to your customer's questions and create compelling digital content to provide specific answers.

Understand where you can compete to be the spoken answer -- start with queries that already rank on the first two pages of the search results and optimize for the featured snippet placement.

Your customers are already using voice search. It's up to you and your business to meet them there.

Related:

How Entrepreneurs Can Take Advantage of Voice Search Marketing

Don't Let Alexa or Siri Speak for Your Company: Protecting Your Brand's Voice on AI Platforms

18 Marketing Trends to Watch in 2018



Copyright 2018 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Pa. Senate moves to allow opt outs of masks in schools. What's next
Faced with questions over the quality of food provided to jawans, the Border Security Force and ministry of home affairs commissioned an assessment by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

The DRDO report indicates that the food served to jawans provides energy intake in the range 3,450 kilocalories (+/-350 Kcal) per day which is pretty much in line with the 3,400-3,500 KCal/day recommended range.

The report also says that the food contained all macro and micro nutrients as per guidelines.

More importantly 97 per cent of a sample size of 6,526 persons (out of a force strength of approximately 2.5 lakh, which is much larger than the sample sizes of almost all opinion or exit polls) from different frontiers said they were satisfied with the quality and quantity of food provided to them.

This is an "I said so" moment for me.

In January 2017, ex-constable Tej Bahadur Yadav of BSF had posted four videos on Facebook raising questions over the quality of food provided to jawans in BSF. The videos went viral tarnishing the BSF's image. The inspector general of the frontier was ridiculed for highlighting the fact that Yadav was a repeat offender and his remarks were subjected to widespread condemnation.

The videos encouraged some disgruntled jawans from other forces, including the Indian Army, to post similar videos on social media, levelling all kinds of allegations from poor quality of food to misuse of jawans for menial works at the residences of officers and so on.

The entire electronic media space for almost a week was taken up by the story. The media went all out to prove to the world that everything with the personnel management in the forces was wrong.

I was myself part of discussions on two consecutive days on a prominent English channel claiming the highest TRPs. The format of discussions seemed to project the officers and jawans as adversaries if not enemies. The tone and tenor of the anchor apparently implied that jawans were being treated as serfs and officers were behaving like colonial masters. The anchor went on to accuse that Yadav was not being allowed to talk to his family and his mobile was confiscated. He, however, fumbled for a response when I asked if such was the case how was his channel able to show a correspondent talking to Yadav in the presence of his family.

The discussions became so acrimonious that former chief of Army staff General Shankar Roychowdhury lamented to the anchor that his channel could not have done a greater disservice to the Indian armed forces.Many activists took up the cudgels on behalf of Yadav and some of their statements bordered on inciting the jawans to revolt.

I had then in my pieces published on this and other portals said that this was a one-off and the media needed to exercise restraint and not exaggerate or misreport such incidents without verifying facts. I had pointed out that the media had failed to highlight that there was another utensil seen in the video which contained - what appeared to be a well spiced dish, the way jawans like it. The media also failed to point out the fact that the unit concerned was deployed in a high altitude region where rations were supplied by Army and at times timely procurement of fresh rations was difficult due to snowfall or road blocks due to landslide etc. Media also miserably failed to investigate the aspect of local level supervisory failure.

The media, which proclaimed that BSF had lost the perception war because of pointing out Yadav's past misdemeanours, tried to investigate the credentials of his unit commandant to establish that Yadav was being victimised.

For some inexplicable reasons, tarnishing the image of armed forces in general and BSF in particular appeared to have been the aim.

The entire episode is a fit case study of the manner in which some sections of the media behave and sensationalise issues for gaining TRPs.

My naivety makes me wonder what makes them do it. I find that people in general have fixed choices of what they watch on television and the change generally is very rare.

My suggestion to media therefore is to resist the temptation of being first in "breaking news". Stories must be verified from all angles before being telecast or published and this is even more important in so far as stories concerning security forces are concerned. It rarely matters if some other channel breaks the story first. What is more important is that the reporting should be factual, not based on conjectures and should not give one-sided coverage.

Self-regulation is the most important requirement of the times to restore credibility of the media.

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From 1629 to 1640, Great Britain was plunged into an era of darkness, deterioration, autocracy and eventually a debilitating civil war when King Charles I ruled absolutely and completely, under the umbrage of Royal Prerogative, with zero accountability to Parliament.

Delhi faces a similar situation today wherein the lieutenant governor (L-G), a political appointee of the BJP-led central government and a retired bureaucrat, has usurped the powers of the democratically elected chief minister, and treats Delhi as his personal fiefdom without regard to the expectations or welfare of the citizens.

Lieutenant governor Anil Baijal. Image: PTI photo

In the last few weeks, the L-G has repudiated many marquee projects of the AAP-led Delhi government like the radical doorstep delivery of public services, which aimed to reduce human-touch points significantly in order to cut through the bureaucratic red-tape and deliver key public services at the doorstep of citizens, or the doorstep delivery of rations which would have rung the death knell of the toxic bureaucrat-shopkeeper nexus and helped stop the pilferage so prevalent in Delhis public distribution system (PDS).

In response, a few days ago, the Delhi government tabled a scathing report on the dilatory tactics that have been deployed by the L-Gs Office, over the past three years, to stall important policies of the AAP government. The key findings were:

1) The L-G, in a majority of projects, does not express any substantive difference of opinion with that of the AAP government, but delays matters, interminably, by often raising frivolous objections to the effect of ... I do not think that this scheme is a good idea - L-Gs verbatim remark in a file which involved setting up a health corporation to simplify the medical procurement process; asking for clarifications when the matter has been sufficiently deliberated upon by multiple departments and the cabinet; or simply referring the matter to the central government - all in varying degrees of direct contravention of the Transaction of Business Rules (TBR), 1993.

2) The services department which is responsible for filling up government vacancies and comes under the direct purview of the L-G has not held recruitment drives for the past three years and as a result, on an average, almost 50 per cent of the posts are lying vacant across multiple departments. This shortfall in manpower has had a deleterious impact on the effective implementation of key government policies.

The Delhi High Court judgment of August 4, 2016, made it clear that only the subject matters of land, police, law and order, services and the ACB will come under the purview of the L-G and he was, as per a reading of Article 239-AA of the Indian Constitution, supposed to act upon the aid and advice of the council of ministers. However, the above instances clearly show that this is not the case and the BJP is using the constitutional post of the L-G to indirectly further its political partisanship with the AAP.

On the flip side, the L-G and multiple bureaucrats have complained that they are in the right and it is instead the AAP government in Delhi that has politicised policy-making and shown immaturity in governance. This betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the division of powers vested in the political executive and the unelected bureaucracy.

Introduced in 1987 by political scientist McCubbins, bureaucratic drift is a concept which explains the difference between a bureaucrats understanding and implementation of a policy versus the intent of the political executive. Legislation is usually decided upon by elected public representatives, but implemented with impunity by bureaucrats, unaccountable to voters who act as per their own political leanings, preferences and interests.

The central premise of a democracy is that citizens elect politicians in order to hold the unelected bureaucrats accountable. That is precisely why we have elections: To vote to office political leaders who can provide that change to the populace and may not necessarily be aligned to the status quo way of doing things which bureaucrats are used to.

And when in office, accountability is a key lever of performance and governance. After all, when one is elected to office, one is stood up for scrutiny in the court of the masses every five years. It is only the people who have the right to decide whether Kejriwals government has committed any errors of commission and omission, not the unelected L-G.

Instead, in a show of blatant disregard for democratic norms and convention, the L-G has encouraged bureaucrats to openly defy or stall the governments decisions, thereby sidestepping, in spirit, most of the Constitutions procedural freedoms and evading answerability. He has gradually and surely moved legislative power out of the Vidhan Sabha into siloed and crumbling administrative agencies run by bureaucrats like him.

It is, in essence, a power grab by the BJP which is still smarting from the humiliating drubbing that Kejriwal doled out to them in the 2015 Delhi elections.

It is high time that the L-G stopped acting as the permanent Opposition in residence, and for the BJP-led central government to stop indulging in a naked game of political skulduggery at the cost of welfare of Delhis citizens.

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DTE Energy Co. operates as a diversified energy company, which engages in the provision of electricity and natural gas sales, distribution and storage services. It operates through the following segments: Electric, Gas, Non-Utility Operations, and Corporate & Other. The Electric segment engages in the generation, purchase, distribution and sale of electricity to residential, commercial and industrial customers in south-eastern Michigan. The Gas segment engages in the purchase, storage, transportation, distribution and sale of natural gas to residential, commercial and industrial customers throughout Michigan and the sale of storage and transportation capacity. The Non-Utility Operations segment engages in gas storage and pipelines, power and industrial projects, and energy trading. The Corporate & Other includes various holding company activities, holds certain non-utility debt, and holds energy-related investments. The company was founded in January 1995 and is headquartered in Detroit, MI.

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The following companies are subsidiares of Franklin Resources: AdvisorEngine, AdvisorEngine Inc., Alumcreek Holdings LLC, Athena Capital Advisors, Balanced Equity Management, Balanced Equity Management Pty. Limited, Benefit Street Partners, Bissett & Associates Investment Management, Brandywine Global Investment Management Europe Limited, CCPF GP Holdco No.2 Limited, CCPF No.2 (GP) Limited, CCPF No.2 LP, CP Industrial Management LLC, CP Intermediate Holdco Inc., CRM Software LLC, Clarion Gramercy (Deutschland) GmbH, Clarion Gramercy (UK) Limited, Clarion Gramercy Limited, Clarion Partners Europe Ltd., Clarion Partners Holdings LLC, Clarion Partners LLC, Clarion Partners Securities LLC, Clarion REIM South America Holdings LLC, Clarion REIM South America Invsetimentos Imobiliarios Ltda, ClearBridge RARE Infrastructure (North America) Pty Limited, ClearBridge RARE Infrastructure International Pty Limited, Darby - Hana Infrastructure Fund Management Co. Ltd., Edinburgh Partners, FT FinTech Holdings LLC, FT Opportunistic Distressed Fund Ltd., FTC Investor Services Inc., FTCI (Cayman) Ltd., FTPE Advisers LLC, Fiduciary International Holding Inc., Fiduciary Investment Management International Inc., Fiduciary Trust (International) Sarl, Fiduciary Trust Company International, Fiduciary Trust Company International of Pennsylvania, Fiduciary Trust Company of Canada, Fiduciary Trust International LLC, Fiduciary Trust International of California, Fiduciary Trust International of Delaware, Fiduciary Trust International of the South, Franklin Advisers GP LLC, Franklin Advisers Inc., Franklin Advisory Services LLC, Franklin Marketplace Loan GP LLC, Franklin Mutual Advisers LLC, Franklin SystematiQ Advisers LLC, Franklin Templeton Alternative Investments (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Asset Management (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Franklin Templeton Asset Management Mexico S.A. de C.V. Sociedad Operadora de Fondos de Inversion, Franklin Templeton Austria GmbH, Franklin Templeton Capital Holdings Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Chile SpA. V., Franklin Templeton Companies LLC, Franklin Templeton Digital Advisory Services GmbH, Franklin Templeton Fund Management Limited, Franklin Templeton GSC Asset Management Sdn. Bhd., Franklin Templeton Global Investors Limited, Franklin Templeton Holding Limited, Franklin Templeton International Services (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton International Services S.a r.l., Franklin Templeton Investment Management (Shanghai) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investment Management Limited, Franklin Templeton Investment Services GmbH, Franklin Templeton Investment Services Mexico S. de R.L., Franklin Templeton Investment Trust Management Co. Ltd., Franklin Templeton Investments (Asia) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments (ME) Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Australia Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Corp., Franklin Templeton Investments Japan Limited, Franklin Templeton Investments Poland sp. z o.o., Franklin Templeton Investments South Africa (Pty) Ltd, Franklin Templeton Investor Services LLC, Franklin Templeton Investimentos (Brasil) Ltda., Franklin Templeton Luxembourg S.A., Franklin Templeton Magyarorszag Kft., Franklin Templeton Management Luxembourg S.A., Franklin Templeton Overseas Investment Fund Management (Shanghai) Co. Limited, Franklin Templeton Private Equity LLC, Franklin Templeton Services (India) Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Services LLC, Franklin Templeton Servicios de Asesoria Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Franklin Templeton Slovakia s.r.o., Franklin Templeton Social Infrastructure GP S.a r.l., Franklin Templeton Strategic Investments Ltd., Franklin Templeton Switzerland Ltd., Franklin Templeton Trustee Services Private Limited, Franklin Templeton Turkey Advisory Services A.S., Franklin Templeton Uruguay S.A., Franklin Venture Partners (Talos Cayman GP) LLC, Franklin Venture Partners LLC, Franklin/Templeton Distributors Inc., ITI Capital Markets Limited, K2 Advisors, LM (BVI) Limited, LM Holdings 2 Limited, LM Holdings Limited, LM International Holding LP, Legg Mason & Co (UK) Limited, Legg Mason & Co. 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Ltd., Legg Mason Partners Fund Advisor LLC, Legg Mason Royce Holdings LLC, Onsa Inc., RARE IP Trust, RARE Infrastructure Limited, REDROSE Caesar S.a r.l., Random Forest Capital, Random Forest Capital LLC, Rensburg Sheppards plc, Riva Financial Systems Limited, Royce & Associates GP LLC, Royce & Associates LP, Royce Fund Services LLC, Royce Management Company LLC, TSEMF III (Jersey) Limited, TSEMF IV (Jersey) Limited, Templeton Asset Management (Labuan) Limited, Templeton Asset Management (Poland) TFI S.A., Templeton Asset Management Ltd., Templeton Global Advisors Limited, Templeton Global Holdings Ltd., Templeton International Inc., Templeton Investment Counsel LLC, Templeton Restructured Investments III Ltd., Templeton Restructured Investments IV Ltd., Templeton Restructured Investments L.L.C., Templeton Turkey Fund GP Ltd., Templeton Worldwide Inc., Templeton do Brasil Ltda., Templeton/Franklin Investment Services Inc., WHITEROSE Caesar S.a r.l., Western Asset Holdings (Australia) Pty Ltd, Western Asset Management (Brazil) Holdings Limitada, Western Asset Management (Cayman) Holdings Limited, Western Asset Management Company Distribuidora de Titulos e Valores Mobiliarios Limitada, Western Asset Management Company LLC, Western Asset Management Company Limited, Western Asset Management Company Pte Ltd., Western Asset Management Company Pty Ltd, and Winfield & Company.
The following companies are subsidiares of Illinois Tool Works: A V Co 1 Limited, A V Co 2 Limited, A V Co 3 Limited, ACCU-LUBE Manufacturing GmbH - Schmiermittel und -gerate -, AIP/BI Holdings Inc., Accessories Marketing Holding Corp., Advanced Molding Company Inc., Allen Coding GmbH, Allen France SAS, Alpine Automation Limited, Alpine Engineered Products, Alpine Holdings Inc., Alpine Systems Corporation, Anaerobicos S.r.l., AppliChem GmbH, Arylux Hungary Elektromechanikus Alkatreszgyarto Kft, Avery Berkel France, Avery India Limited, Avery Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Avery Weigh Tronix, Avery Weigh-Tronix (Suzhou) Weighing Technology Co. Ltd., Avery Weigh-Tronix Finance Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Holdings Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix International Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Avery Weigh-Tronix Limited, Avery Weigh-Tronix Properties Limited, Azon Limited, B.C. Immo, Beijing Miller Electric Manufacturing Co. Ltd., Berkel (Ireland) Limited, Berrington UK, Brapenta Eletronica Ltda., Brooks Instrument (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Brooks Instrument B.V., Brooks Instrument GmbH, Brooks Instrument KFT, Brooks Instrument Korea Ltd., Brooks Instrument LLC, Buell Industries Inc., CAPMAX Logistica S.A. de C.V., CCI Realty Company, CFC Europe GmbH, CS (Australia) Pty Limited, CS (Finance) Europe S.a.r.l., CS Mexico Holding Company S DE RL DE CV, CSMTS LLC, Calvia Spolka z Ograniczona Odpowiedzialnosci, Capital Ventures (Australasia) S.a r.l, Capmax Logistica S.A. de C.V., Celeste Industries Corporation, Coeur, Coeur (Shanghai) Medical Appliance Trading Co. Ltd, Coeur Asia Limited, Coeur Holding Company, Coeur Inc., Compagnie Hobart, Compagnie de Materiel et d'Equipements Techniques-Comet, Constructions Isothermiques Bontami C.I.B., Crane Carrier Company, Despatch Industries, Diagraph Corporation Sdn. Bhd, Diagraph ITW Mexico S. de R.L. De C.V., Diagraph Mexico S.A. DE C.V., Dongguan Ark-Les Electric Components Co. Ltd., Dongguan CK Branding Co. Ltd., Dorbyl U.K. (Holdings) Limited, Duo Fast de Espana S.A.U., Duo-Fast Korea Co. Ltd., Duo-Fast LLC, E.C.S. d.o.o., ECS Cable Protection Sp. Zoo, ELRO (Holding) AG, ELRO Grosskuchen GmbH, ELRO-WERKE AG, Elga Skandinavian AS, Elro Group, Eltex-Elektrostatik-Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Envases Multipac S.A. de C.V., Eurotec Srl, FEG Investments L.L.C., Fasver, Filtertek, Filtertek De Mexico Holding Inc., Filtertek De Mexico S.A. de C.V., GC Financement SA, Gamko B.V., Gun Hwa Platech (Taicang) Co. Ltd., HOBART Gesellschaft mit beschrankter Haftung, Hartness International, Hobart (Japan) K.K., Hobart Andina S.A.S., Hobart Brothers International Chile Limitada, Hobart Brothers LLC, Hobart Dayton Mexicana S. de R.L. de C.V., Hobart Food Equipment Co. Ltd., Hobart Foster Belgium, Hobart International (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Hobart Korea LLC, Hobart LLC, Hobart Nederland B.V., Hobart Sales & Service Inc., Hobart Scandinavia ApS, Hobart Techniek B.V., Horis, ILC Investments Holdings Inc., ITW (China) Investment Company Limited, ITW (Deutschland) GmbH, ITW (EU) Holdings Ltd., ITW (European) Finance Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance II Co. Ltd., ITW (European) Finance III Co. Ltd., ITW (Ningbo) Components & Fastenings Systems Co. Ltd., ITW AEP LLC, ITW AOC LLC, ITW Aircraft Investments Inc., ITW Alpha Sarl, ITW Ampang Industries Philippines Inc., ITW Appliance Components EOOD, ITW Appliance Components S.A. de C.V., ITW Appliance Components S.r.l.a, ITW Appliance Components d.o.o., ITW Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, ITW Australia Property Holdings Pty Ltd., ITW Australia Pty Ltd, ITW Automotive Components (Chongqing) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Components (Langfang) Co. Ltd., ITW Automotive Japan K.K., ITW Automotive Korea LLC, ITW Automotive Parts (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Automotive Products GmbH, ITW Automotive Products Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Bailly Comte, ITW Befestigungssysteme GmbH, ITW Belgium, ITW Brazilian Nominee L.L.C., ITW Building Components Group Inc., ITW CER, ITW CP Distribution Center Holland BV, ITW CS (UK) Ltd., ITW Canada Inc., ITW Celeste Inc., ITW Chemical Products Ltda, ITW Chemical Products Scandinavia ApS, ITW Colombia S.A.S., ITW Construction Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Construction Products (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., ITW Construction Products AB, ITW Construction Products AS, ITW Construction Products ApS, ITW Construction Products CZ s.r.o., ITW Construction Products Italy Srl, ITW Construction Products OU, ITW Construction Products OY, ITW Contamination Control (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Contamination Control B.V., ITW Covid Security Group Inc., ITW DS Investments Inc., ITW DelFast do Brasil Ltda., ITW Delta Sarl, ITW Denmark ApS, ITW Dynatec, ITW Dynatec Adhesive Equipment (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Dynatec GmbH, ITW Dynatec Kabushiki Kaisha, ITW EAE B.V., ITW EAE Mexico S de RL de CV, ITW EF&C France SAS, ITW EF&C Selb GmbH, ITW Electronic Business Asia Co. Limited, ITW Electronic Components/Products (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Electronics (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Epsilon Sarl, ITW Espana S.A., ITW FEG Hong Kong Limited, ITW FEG do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW Fastener Products GmbH, ITW Finance Designated Activity Company, ITW Finance Europe S.A., ITW Fluids and Hygiene Solutions Ltda., ITW Food Equipment Group LLC, ITW France Finance Alpha S.A.S., ITW GH LLC, ITW GSE ApS, ITW GSE Inc., ITW Gamma Sarl, ITW German Management LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings LLC, ITW Global Investments Holdings Y Compania Sociedad en Comandita por Acciones, ITW Global Investments II Inc., ITW Global Investments Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Europe GmbH, ITW Global Tire Repair Inc., ITW Global Tire Repair Japan K.K., ITW Graphics (Thailand) Ltd., ITW Graphics Asia Limited, ITW Graphics Italy S.R.L. in liquidazione, ITW Great Britain Investment & Licensing Holding Company, ITW Group France (Luxembourg) S.ar.l., ITW HLP Thailand Co. Ltd., ITW Holding Quimica B.C. S.L. Sole Shareholder Company, ITW Holdings Australia L.P., ITW Holdings I Limited, ITW Holdings II Limited, ITW Holdings III Limited, ITW Holdings IV Limited, ITW Holdings IX Limited, ITW Holdings Inc., ITW Holdings UK, ITW Holdings V Limited, ITW Holdings VI Limited, ITW Holdings VII Limited, ITW Holdings VIII Limited, ITW Holdings X Limited, ITW Holdings XI Limited, ITW Hungary Finance Beta Kft, ITW ILC Holdings I Inc., ITW IPG Investments LLC, ITW Imaden Industria e Comercio Ltda., ITW India Private Limited, ITW International Holdings LLC, ITW Invest Holding GmbH, ITW Ireland Holdings Unlimited Company, ITW Ireland Unlimited Company, ITW Italy Finance Srl, ITW Italy Holding Srl, ITW Japan Ltd., ITW Korea LLC, ITW LLC & Co. KG, ITW Limited, ITW Lombard Holdings Inc., ITW Lys Fusion S.r.l., ITW M FILMS II LLC, ITW MH LLC, ITW Meritex Sdn. Bhd., ITW Metal Fasteners S.L., ITW Mexico Holding Company S. De R.L. de C.V., ITW Mexico Holdings LLC, ITW Morlock GmbH, ITW Mortgage Investments II Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments III Inc., ITW Mortgage Investments IV Inc., ITW Netherlands Administration BV, ITW Netherlands Beta B.V., ITW Netherlands Finance Alpha BV, ITW New Universal LLC, ITW New Zealand, ITW Novadan Sp. Z.o.o., ITW PPF Brasil Adesivos Ltda., ITW Packaging Technology (China) Co. Ltd., ITW Participations S.a r.l., ITW Pension Funds Trustee Company, ITW Performance Plastic (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Japan Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids Korea Limited, ITW Performance Polymers & Fluids OOO, ITW Performance Polymers (Wujiang) Co. Ltd., ITW Performance Polymers ApS, ITW Performance Polymers and Fluids Group FZE, ITW Peru S.A.C., ITW Philippines Holdings LLC, ITW Poly Mex S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Polymers Sealants North America Inc., ITW Pronovia s.r.o., ITW Pte. Ltd., ITW Qufu Automotive Cooling Systems Co. Ltd., ITW Real Estate Germany GmbH, ITW Residuals III L.L.C., ITW Residuals IV L.L.C., ITW Rivex, ITW SMPI, ITW SPG Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Simco-Ion (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., ITW Slovakia s.r.o., ITW Spain Holdings S.L., ITW Specialty Film LLC, ITW Specialty Films France, ITW Specialty Materials (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., ITW Spraytec, ITW Sverige AB, ITW Sweden Holding AB, ITW Test & Measurement Equipment (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, ITW Test & Measurement GmbH, ITW Test and Measurement Italia Srl, ITW Test and Measurement Services Industry and Trade Ltd., ITW Texwipe Philippines Inc., ITW Thermal Films (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ITW UK, ITW UK Finance Beta Limited, ITW UK Finance Delta Limited, ITW UK Finance Gamma Limited, ITW UK Finance Limited, ITW UK Finance Zeta Ltd., ITW UK II Limited, ITW Universal II LLC, ITW Welding, ITW Welding AB, ITW Welding GmbH, ITW Welding Products B.V., ITW Welding Products Group FZE, ITW Welding Products Group S. DE R.L. De C.V., ITW Welding Products Italy Srl, ITW Welding Products Limited Liability Company, ITW Welding Produtos Para Solgdagem Ltda., ITW Welding Servicios Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., ITW Welding Singapore Pte. Ltd., ITW de France, ITW do Brasil Industrial e Comercial Ltda., Ideal Molding Technologies LLC, Illinois Tool Works (Chile) Limitada, Illinois Tool Works (ITW) Nederland B.V., Illinois Tool Works Norway AS, Impar Comercio E Representacoes Ltda., Industrie Plastic Elsasser GmbH, Inmobiliaria Cit. S.A. de C.F., Innova Temperlite Servicios S.A. de C.V., Innovacion y Transformacion Automotriz S.A. de C.V., Instron (Shanghai) Ltd., Instron (Thailand) Limited, Instron Brasil Equipamentos Cientificos Ltda., Instron Foreign Sales Corp. Limited, Instron France S.A.S., Instron GmbH, Instron Holdings Limited, Instron International Limited, Instron Japan Company Ltd., Instron Korea LLC, International Leasing Company LLC, International Truss Systems Proprietary Limited, Isolenge - ITW Sistemas de Isolamento Termico Ltda., KCPL Mauritius Holdings, Kester, Kester Components (M) Sdn. Bhd., Kleinmann GmbH, Krafft S.L., Loma Systems, Loma Systems (Canada) Inc., Loma Systems BV, Loma Systems sro, Lombard Pressings Limited, Lumex Inc., Lys Fusion Poland Sp. z.o.o., M&C Specialties (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., M&C Specialties Co., MAGNAFLUX GmbH, MEHB Holdings Limited, MGHG Property LLC, MOA Enterprises Inc, Manufacturing Avancee S.A., Meritex Technology (Suzhou) Co. Ltd., Meurer Verpackungssysteme GmbH, Miller Electric Mfg. LLC, Miller Insurance Ltd., NDT Holding LLC, NOVADAN APS, Norden Olje AB, North Star Imaging Europe, North Star Imaging Inc., Nova Chimica S.r.l., Orbitalum Tools GmbH, PENTA-91 OOO, PR. A. I. Srl, PT ITW Construction Products Indonesia, Pacific Concept Industries Limited (Enping), Panreac Quimica S.L., Paslode Fasteners (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Peerless Machinery Corp., Penta Dnepr LLC, Penta Sever OOO, Penta Volga OOO, Polyrey, Premark FEG L.L.C., Premark HII Holdings LLC, Premark International, Premark International LLC, Prolex Sociedad Anonima, QSA Global Inc., Quimica Industrial Mediterranea S.L., Ramset Fasteners (Hong Kong) Ltd., Rapid Cook LLC, Refrigeration France, S.E.E. Sistemas Industria E Comercio Ltda., ST Mexico Holdings LLC, Sealant Systems International Inc., Sentinel Asia Yuhan Hoesa, Shanghai ITW Plastic & Metal Co. Ltd, Simco (Nederland) B.V., Simco Japan Inc., Societe de Prospection et dInventions Techniques  SPIT, Speedline Holdings I Inc., Speedline Holdings I LLC, Speedline Technologies GmbH, Speedline Technologies Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Speedline Technologies Mexico Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Stokvis Celix Portugal Unipessoal LDA, Stokvis Danmark ApS, Stokvis Holdings S.A.R.L., Stokvis Promi s.r.o, Stokvis Prostick Tapes Private Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Hong Kong) Co. Limited, Stokvis Tapes (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Shenzhen) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Taiwan) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Stokvis Tapes BVBA, Stokvis Tapes Benelux B.V., Stokvis Tapes Deutschland GmbH, Stokvis Tapes France, Stokvis Tapes Italia s.r.l., Stokvis Tapes Limited, Stokvis Tapes Limited Liability Company, Stokvis Tapes Norge AS, Stokvis Tapes Oy, Stokvis Tapes Polska Sp Z.O.O., Stokvis Tapes Sverige AB, Stolvis Holdings II S.A.R.L., Technopack Industria Comercio Consultoria e Representacoes Ltda., Teknek (China) Limited, Teknek (Japan) Limited, Teksaleco Ltd., The Miller Group Ltd, Thirode Grandes Cuisines Poligny, Tien Tai Electrode (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., Tien Tai Electrode Co. Ltd., Unichemicals Industria e Comercio Ltda., VR-Leasing Sarita GmbH & Co. Immobilien KG, VS European Holdco BV, Valeron Strength Films B.V.B.A., Veneta Decalcogomme S.r.l., Versachem Chile S.A., Vesta, Vesta (Guangzhou) Catering Equipment Co. Ltd, Vesta Global Limited, Viltronics Soltec, Vitronics Soltec B.V., Wachs Canada Ltd., Wachs Subsea LLC, Weigh-Tronix Canada ULC, Weigh-Tronix UK Limited, Wilsonart International Holdings LLC, Wynn Oil (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd., Wynn's Automotive France, Wynn's Belgium BVBA, Wynn's Italia Srl, Wynn's Mekuba India Pvt Ltd, ZF TRW (Engineered Fasteners and Components), and Zip-Pak International B.V..
The following companies are subsidiares of Quest Diagnostics: AmeriPath, AmeriPath Cincinnati Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Cleveland Inc. (OH), AmeriPath Consolidated Labs Inc. (FL), AmeriPath Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Hospital Services Florida LLC (DE), AmeriPath Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Indianapolis PC (IN), AmeriPath Kentucky Inc. (KY), AmeriPath Lubbock 5.01(A) Corporation (TX), AmeriPath New York LLC (DE), AmeriPath Texas Inc. (DE), AmeriPath Tucson Inc. (AZ), American Medical Laboratories, American Medical Laboratories Incorporated (DE), Associated Clinical Laboratories L.P. (PA), Associated Clinical Laboratories of Pennsylvania L.L.C. (PA), Athena Diagnostics, Athena Diagnostics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics, Blueprint Genetics FZ-LLC (UAE), Blueprint Genetics Inc. (DE), Blueprint Genetics Oy (Finland), California Laboratory Associates, Cape Cod Healthcare - Business, Celera, ClearPoint Diagnostic, Clearpoint Diagnostic Laboratories LLC (TX), Cleveland HeartLab, Cleveland HeartLab Inc. (DE), Clinical Laboratory Partners, Colorado Pathology Consultants P.C. (CO), ConVerge Diagnostic Services, Consolidated DermPath Inc. (DE), DFW 5.01(a) Corporation (TX), DGXWMT JV LLC (DE), Dermatopathology of Wisconsin S.C. (WI), Diagnostic Laboratory of Oklahoma LLC (OK), Diagnostic Pathology Services Inc. (OK), Diagnostic Reference Services Inc. (MD), ExamOne Canada Inc. (New Brunswick), ExamOne LLC (DE), ExamOne World Wide Inc. (PA), ExamOne World Wide of NJ Inc. (NJ), Focus Diagnostics, HemoCue, Hoffman M.D. Associated Pathologists Chartered (NV), Institute for Dermatopathology Inc. (PA), Isabella Street Urban Renewal LLC (NJ), Kailash B. Sharma M.D. Inc. (GA), Kilpatrick Pathology P.A. (NC), LabOne, LabOne LLC (MO), LabOne of Ohio Inc. (DE), Laboratorio de Analisis Biomedicos S.A. (Mexico), Lancet Labs, MACL, Med Fusion LLC (TX), Med fusion, MedPlus, Mid America Clinical Laboratories LLC (IN), Nomad Massachusetts Inc. (MA), Nuclear Medicine and Pathology Associates (GA), Ocmulgee Medical Pathology Association Inc. (GA), Pathology Building Partnership (MD) (gen. ptnrshp.), PeaceHealth Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories, PhenoPath Laboratories PLLC (WA), Q Squared Solutions Holdings LLC (DE), Q Squared Solutions Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics (Shanghai) Co. Ltd. (China), Quest Diagnostics Brasil Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories, Quest Diagnostics Clinical Laboratories Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Domestic Holder LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics HTAS India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Health & Wellness LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Incorporated (DE), Quest Diagnostics Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (MD), Quest Diagnostics Incorporated (NV), Quest Diagnostics India Private Limited (India), Quest Diagnostics Infectious Disease Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics International Holdings Limited (UK), Quest Diagnostics International LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Investments LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Ireland Limited (Ireland), Quest Diagnostics LLC (CT), Quest Diagnostics LLC (IL), Quest Diagnostics LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Massachusetts LLC (MA), Quest Diagnostics Mexico Holding Company Trust (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Mexico S de RL de CV (Mexico), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute (CA), Quest Diagnostics Nichols Institute Inc. (VA), Quest Diagnostics Receivables Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics Subsidiary Holdings Ltd. (UK), Quest Diagnostics TB LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Terracotta LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics Venture LLC (PA), Quest Diagnostics Ventures LLC (DE), Quest Diagnostics do Brasil Ltda. (Brazil), Quest Diagnostics of Pennsylvania Inc. (DE), Quest Diagnostics of Puerto Rico Inc. (PR), Quest HealthConnect LLC (CA), ReproSource, Reprosource Fertility Diagnostics Inc. (MA), Solstas Lab Partners, Sonora Quest Laboratories LLC (AZ), Specialty Laboratories Inc. (CA), Summit Health, UMass Memorial Medical Center - Anatomic Pathology Outreach Laboratory Business, Unilab Corporation, and Unilab Corporation (DE).
BlackRock Real Asset Equity Trust (the Trust) is a non-diversified, closed-end management investment company. The Trust's investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of current income, current gains and long-term capital appreciation. The Trust seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing, at least 80% of its assets in equity securities of energy, natural resources and basic materials companies and equity derivatives with exposure to companies in the energy, natural resources and basic materials industries. The Trust may invest directly in such securities or synthetically through the use of derivatives. The Trust invests in sectors, such as metals and mining; oil, gas and consumable fuels; chemicals; paper and forest products; energy equipment and services; machinery; real estate investment trusts (REITs), and containers and packaging. The Trust's investment advisor is BlackRock Advisors, LLC and sub-advisor is BlackRock Capital Management, Inc.

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The following companies are subsidiares of HEICO: Radiant-Seacom Repairs, Radiant Power IDC, Seal Q, 16-1741 Property, 16-1741 Property Inc., 3 McCrea Property Company, 3D, 3D Acquisition Corp., 3D Plus SAS, 3D Plus U.S.A, 3D Plus U.S.A. Inc., 60 Sequin, A2C Air Cost Control SAS, AD HEICO, AD HEICO Acquisition Corp., ATK, ATK Acquisition Corp., Action Research Corporation, AeroAntenna Technology, AeroDesign, AeroDesign Inc., AeroELT, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies, Aerospace & Commercial Technologies LLC, Aeroworks (Asia), Aeroworks (Asia) Ltd., Aeroworks (Lao) Co., Aeroworks (Lao) Co. Ltd., Aeroworks Composites, Aeroworks Composites (Asia), Aeroworks Composites (Asia) Ltd., Aeroworks Composites B.V., Aeroworks Europe, Aeroworks Europe B.V., Aeroworks Inc., Aeroworks International Holding, Aeroworks International Holding B.V., Aeroworks Lao II Co., Aeroworks Lao II Co. Ltd., Aeroworks Manufacturing Services (Asia), Aeroworks Manufacturing Services Ltd., Aeroworks Special Products, Aeroworks Special Products B.V., Air Cost Control Germany GmbH, Air Cost Control PTE, Air Cost Control US, Aircraft Technology, Aircraft Technology Inc., Analog Modules, Analog Modules Inc., Apex Holding, Apex Microtechnology, Arger Enterprises Inc., Associated Composite Inc., Astro Property, Astro Property LLC, Astroseal Products Mfg., Astroseal Products Mfg. Corporation, Aviation Engineered Services, Aviation Engineered Services Corp., Aviation Facilities, Aviation Facilities Inc., Avisource Limited, BERNIER, Battery Shop, Battery Shop L.L.C., Bay Equipment, Bernier Connect SAS, Blue Aerospace, Blue Aerospace LLC, CSI Aerospace, CSI Aerospace Inc., Carbon by Design, Carbon by Design Corporation, Connectronics, Connectronics Corp., Conxall Corporation, DEC Technologies, DEC Technologies Inc., DIRI Co., DIRI Co. Ltd., De-Icing Investment Holdings, De-Icing Investment Holdings Corp., Decavo, Dielectric Sciences, Dielectric Sciences Inc., Dukane Seacom, Dukane Seacom Inc., Dynatech, Dynatech Acquisition Corp., EMD Acquisition, EMD Acquisition Corp., EMD Technologies Incorporated, Engineering Design Team, Engineering Design Team Inc., Essex X-Ray & Medical Equipment, Essex X-Ray & Medical Equipment LTD, FerriShield Inc., Ferrishield, Freebird Semiconductor Corporation, Future Aviation, Future Aviation Inc., HB Fuel Systems, HB Fuel Systems LLC, HEICO Aerospace Corporation, HEICO Aerospace Holdings, HEICO Aerospace Holdings Corp., HEICO Aerospace Parts, HEICO Aerospace Parts Corp., HEICO East Corporation, HEICO Electronic Technologies, HEICO Electronic Technologies Corp., HEICO Flight Support, HEICO Flight Support Corp., HEICO International Holdings, HEICO International Holdings B.V., HEICO Parts Group, HEICO Parts Group Inc., HEICO Repair, HEICO Repair Group Aerostructures, HETC I, HETC II, HETC III, HFSC II Corp., HFSC III Corp., HFSC IV, HFSC V, HFSC VI, HNW Building, HNW Building Corp., HNW2 Building, HNW2 Building Corp., HVT Group, HVT Group Inc., Harter Aerospace, Harter Aerospace LLC, High Voltage Technology Limited, IRCameras, IRCameras LLC, Inertial Airline Services, Inertial Airline Services Inc., Interface Displays & Controls, JA Engineering I, JA Engineering I Corp., JA Engineering II, JA Engineering II Corp., Jet Avion Corporation, Jetavi Engineering Private Limited, Jetseal, Jetseal Inc., LLP Enterprises, LPI Industries Corporation, Leader Tech, Leader Tech Inc., Lucix Corporation, Lumina Power, Lumina Power Inc., McClain International, McClain International Inc., McClain Property, McClain Property Corp., Meridian Industrial, Meridian Industrial Inc., Midwest Microwave Solutions, Midwest Microwave Solutions Inc., Moulages Plastiques Industriels de L'essonne SARL, Niacc-Avitech Technologies, Niacc-Avitech Technologies Inc., Northwings Accessories, Northwings Accessories Corp., Optical Display Engineering, Parts Advantage, Parts Advantage LLC, Prime Air, Prime Air Europe Limited, Prime Air LLC, Quell Corporation, Radiant Power, Radiant Power Corp., Radiant-Seacom Repairs Corp., Ramona Research, Ramona Research Inc., Reinhold Holdings, Reinhold Holdings Inc., Reinhold Industries, Reinhold Industries Inc., Research Electronics International, Robertson Fuel Systems, Robertson Fuel Systems L.L.C. Arizona, Rogers-Dierks, Rogers-Dierks Inc., SBIR, SI-REL, SI-REL Inc., SST Components, Santa Barbara Infrared, Santa Barbara Infrared Inc., Seal Dynamics, Seal Dynamics LLC, Seal Dynamics LLC (Singapore Branch), Seal Dynamics Limited, Seal Q Corp., Sensor Technology Engineering, Sierra Microwave Technology, Sierra Microwave Technology LLC, Solid Sealing Technology, Specialty Silicone Products, Sunshine Avionics, Sunshine Avionics LLC, Switchcraft, Switchcraft Far East Company, Switchcraft Far East Company Ltd., Switchcraft Holdco, Switchcraft Holdco Inc., Switchcraft Inc., TTT-Cubed, Thermal Energy Products, Thermal Energy Products Inc., Thermal Structures, Thermal Structures Inc., Thermal Structures Thermal Insulation Product (Tianjin) Co. Ltd., Turbine Kinetics, Turbine Kinetics Inc., VPT, VPT Inc., dB Control, and dB Control Corp..
The following companies are subsidiares of Stryker: ActiViews, Aimago SA, Alcott Indemnity Company, Arrinex Inc, Arrinex Inc., Ascent Healthcare Solutions, Berchtold, Berchtold + Fritz GmbH, Berchtold Consulting GmbH, Berchtold Corporation, Berchtold GmbH & Co. KG, Berchtold Holding Switzerland GmbH, CHG Hospital Beds, Cactus LLC, Cardan Robotics, Changzhou Orthomed Medical Instrument Company Limited, Concentric Medical, Concentric Medical Inc., Entellus Medical, Entellus Medical Europe Ltd, Entellus Medical Inc., GYS Tech LLC, Gaymar Industries, Gongping (Shanghai) Medical Devices Trading Co. Ltd., Groupe Bertec, HeartSine Technologies LLC, HeartSine Technologies Limited, Howmedica International S. de R.L., Howmedica Osteonics Corp., Hygia Health Services, Hygia Healthcare Services Inc., HyperBranch, HyperBranch Technology Inc., ITAPCo Limited, Image Guided Technologies, Imorphics Limited, Infinity MSD Corp., Infinity MSE Corp., Infinity MSF Corp., Infomedix Communications, Instratek, InstruMedics L.L.C, Invuity Inc., Ivy Sports Medicine, Ivy Sports Medicine LLC, Jiangsu Chuangyi Medical Instrument Company Limited, Jolife AB, K2M Germany GmbH, K2M Group, K2M Group Holdings Inc., K2M Holdings Inc., K2M Iberia Medcomtech S.L.U., K2M Inc., K2M Solutions Australia Pty Ltd, K2M Spine Solutions (Schweiz) GmbH, K2M UK Limited, Loon Intermediateco LLC, MAKO Surgical, MAKO Surgical Corp, Memometal Technologies, Mobius Imaging, Mobius Imaging LLC, Muka Metal, Muka Metal Ticaret ve Sanayi Anaonim Sirketi, NV Stryker SA, Nettrick Limited, Novadaq Corp, Novadaq Hong Kong Ltd, Novadaq Technologies, Novadaq Technologies ULC, OOO "Stryker", Orneo Ozel Saglk Hizmetleri Medikal Ticaret Anonim Sirketi, OrthoSpace, OrthoSpace Ltd., OrthoSpace US Inc., Orthomed (Hong Kong) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Orthovita, Orthovita Inc., OtisMed, P.C. Sweden Holding AB, Patient Safety Technologies, Patton Surgical, Pficonprod Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control, Physio-Control (Shanghai) Sales Co. Ltd., Physio-Control Brazil Vendas Ltda., Physio-Control Czech Sales s.r.o., Physio-Control Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Physio-Control Holdings Inc, Physio-Control Hungary Sales Kft, Physio-Control Inc., Physio-Control India Sales Pvt. Ltd, Physio-Control Investments LLC, Physio-Control Lebanon Sales Offshore s.a.l., Physio-Control Manufacturing Inc., Physio-Control Operations Netherlands B.V., Physio-Control Sales Limited Liability Company, Physio-Control Singapore Pte. Ltd., Physio-Control South Africa Sales Pty. Ltd., Physio-Control UK Sales Ltd., Pivot Medical, PlasmaSol, Porex Technologies, SSI Divestiture Inc., SYK Costa Rica Services Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, SafeAir AG, SafeWire, Sage Products, Sage Products Coperatief U.A., Sage Products Holdings II LLC, Sage Products Holdings III LLC, Sage Products LLC, Scopis GmbH, Sightline Technologies, Small Bone Innovations, SpineCore, Spirox Inc., Stanmore Implants Worldwide, Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited, Stanmore Inc., Stryker (Barbados) Foreign Sales Corporation, Stryker (Beijing) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Shanghai) Healthcare Products Co. Ltd., Stryker (Suzhou) Medical Technology Co Ltd, Stryker (Thailand) Limited, Stryker AB, Stryker Acquisitions BV, Stryker Asia Holdings CV, Stryker Australia LLC, Stryker Australia Pty. Ltd., Stryker Austria GmbH, Stryker B.V., Stryker Berchtold BV, Stryker Beteiligungs GmbH, Stryker Canada GP ULC, Stryker Canada Holding Company, Stryker Canada Manufacturing ULC, Stryker Canada ULC, Stryker Canadian Management ULC, Stryker Canadian Sales Holding Company ULC, Stryker Capital BV, Stryker China Limited, Stryker Colombia SAS, Stryker Communications Inc., Stryker Corporation (Chile) y Compania Limitada, Stryker Corporation (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Stryker Customs Brokers LLC, Stryker Czech Republic s.r.o., Stryker Delaware Inc., Stryker EMEA Supply Chain Services BV, Stryker Employment Company LLC, Stryker European Coordination Center BV, Stryker European Holdings Cooperatief U.A, Stryker European Holdings I LLC, Stryker European Holdings II LLC, Stryker European Holdings LLC, Stryker European Holdings V LLC, Stryker European Operations B.V., Stryker European Operations Holdings I BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings II BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings III BV, Stryker European Operations Holdings LLC, Stryker European Operations Limited, Stryker European Technologies C.V., Stryker Far East Inc., Stryker Foreign Acquisitions Inc., Stryker France Holding SNC, Stryker France MM Holdings SAS, Stryker France SAS, Stryker Funding B.V., Stryker GI Services CV, Stryker Global Technology Center Private Limited, Stryker GmbH, Stryker GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Grundstucks GmbH & Co KG, Stryker Grundstucks Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Holdings BV, Stryker IFSC Designated Activity Company, Stryker Iberia SL Unipersonal, Stryker India Private Limited, Stryker International Acquisitions BV, Stryker International Holdings BV, Stryker Investment Holdings B.V., Stryker Ireland Holding Unlimited Company, Stryker Ireland Limited, Stryker Italia S.r.l. S.U., Stryker Japan Holdings BV, Stryker Japan K.K., Stryker Korea Ltd., Stryker Lebanon (Offshore) S.A.L., Stryker Leibinger GmbH & Co. KG, Stryker Luxembourg Holdings S.a.r.l., Stryker Luxembourg Sarl, Stryker Manufacturing S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Mauritius Holding Ltd., Stryker Medical London LP, Stryker Medtech K.K., Stryker Medtech Limited, Stryker Mexico Holdings B.V., Stryker Mexico SA de CV, Stryker NV Operations Limited, Stryker Nederland BV, Stryker New Zealand Limited, Stryker Osteonics AG, Stryker Pacific Limited, Stryker Performance Solutions LLC, Stryker Polska Sp.z.o.o., Stryker Portugal - Produtos Medicos Unipessoal Lda., Stryker Professional Latin America S. de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Puerto Rico Limited, Stryker Romania SRL, Stryker Sage Inc., Stryker Sales Corporation, Stryker Servicios Administrativos S.de R.L. de C.V., Stryker Singapore Private Limited, Stryker South Africa (Proprietary) Limited, Stryker Spine SAS, Stryker Spine Sarl, Stryker Sustainability Solutions Inc., Stryker Tibbi Cihazlan Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Stryker Trauma GmbH, Stryker Turkish Holdings BV, Stryker UK Ltd, Stryker Verwaltungs GmbH, Stryker Vietnam Company Limited, Stryker do Brasil Ltda, Surpass Medical, Synergetics, TG SP Holdings Corp, TSO3 Corp, TSO3 Inc, Trauson, Trauson (China) Medical Instrument Company Limited, Trauson (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (BVI) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings (Hong Kong) Company Limited, Trauson Holdings Company Limited, VEXIM SA, Vexim, Waterloo Bedding Co., Wright Medical Group, ZipLine Medical Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., ZipLine Medical Hong Kong Limited, ZipLine Medical Inc., and eTrauma.com.
The following companies are subsidiares of TransDigm Group: ARA Deutschland GmbH, ARA Holding GmbH, Abbott Electronics Ltd., Acme Aerospace, Acme Aerospace Inc., Adams Rite Aerospace GmbH, Adams Rite Aerospace Inc., Advanced Inflatable Products Limited, Aero-Instruments, AeroControlex Group Inc., Aerosonic, Aerosonic LLC, Air-Sea Survival Equipment Trustee Limited, Airborne Acquisition Inc., Airborne Global Inc., Airborne Holdings Inc., Airborne Systems, Airborne Systems Canada Ltd., Airborne Systems Group Limited, Airborne Systems Holdings Limited, Airborne Systems Limited, Airborne Systems NA Inc., Airborne Systems North America Inc., Airborne Systems North America of CA Inc., Airborne Systems North America of NJ Inc., Airborne Systems Pension Trust Limited, Airborne UK Acquisition Limited, Airborne UK Parent Limited, Aircraft Materials Limited, AmSafe, AmSafe Aviation (Chongqing) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Kunshan) Co. Ltd., AmSafe Bridport (Private) Ltd., AmSafe Bridport Ltd., AmSafe Global Holdings Inc., AmSafe Global Services (Private) Limited, AmSafe Inc., Arkwin Industries, Arkwin Industries Inc., Aviation Technologies, Aviation Technologies Inc., Avionic Instruments, Avionics Instruments, Avionics Specialties Inc., AvtechTyee Inc., Beta Transformer Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Beta Transformer Technology Corporation, Beta Transformer Technology LLC, Breeze-Eastern Corporation, Breeze-Eastern LLC, Bridport Erie Aviation Inc., Bridport Holdings Inc., Bridport Ltd., Bridport-Air Carrier Inc., Bruce Aerospace Inc., Bruce Industries, CDA InterCorp, CEF Industries LLC, Champion Aerospace, Cobham, DDC Electronics K.K., DDC Electronics Ltd., DDC Electronics Private Limited, DDC Electronique S.A.R.L., DDC Elektronik GmbH, DDL195 Limited, Data Device Corp., Data Device Corporation, Dukes Aerospace Inc., Edlaw Limited, Electromech Technologies LLC, Elektro-Metall Export GmbH, Elektro-Metall Paks KFT, Esterline, Extant Components Group Holdings Inc., Extant Components Group Intermediate Inc., GQ Parachutes Limited, HARCO LLC, Harco, Hartwell Corporation, ILC Holdings Inc., Irvin Aerospace Limited, IrvinGQ France SAA, IrvinGQ Limited, Johnson Liverpool LLC, Kirkhill Elastomers, Kirkhill Inc., Kunshan Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., MarathonNorco Aerospace Inc., McKechnie Aerospace, McKechnie Aerospace (Europe) Ltd., McKechnie Aerospace DE Inc., McKechnie Aerospace DE LP, McKechnie Aerospace Holdings Inc., McKechnie Aerospace US LLC, Mecanismos de Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Militair Aviation Ltd., Norco, Nordisk Asia Pacific Limited, Nordisk Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, Nordisk Aviation Products (Kunshan) Ltd., Nordisk Aviation Products AS, North Hills Signal Processing Corp., North Hills Signal Processing Overseas Corp., Pascall Electronics Limited, Pemberton 123 Ltd., Pexco Aerospace, Pexco Aerospace Inc., PneuDraulics, PneuDraulics Inc., Rancho TransTechnology Corporation, Retainers Inc., SSP Industries, Schneller, Schneller Asia Pte. Ltd., Schneller S.A.R.L., Schroth Safety Products, Semco Instruments, Semco Instruments Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Inc., Shield Restraint Systems Ltd., Signal Processing Matamoros S.A. de C.V., Skandia, Skandia Inc., Skurka Aerospace, Skurka Aerospace Inc., Symetrics, Symetrics Industries LLC, Symetrics Technology Group LLC, TDG Germany GmbH, TEAC Aerospace Holdings Inc., TEAC Aerospace Technologies Inc., TTERUSA Inc., Tactair Fluid Controls Inc., Takata Protection Systems, Technical Airborne Components Industries SPRL, Telair International, Telair International AB, Telair International GmbH, Telair International LLC, Telair International Services PTE Ltd (JV 70.5%), Telair US LLC, Texas Rotronics Inc., TransDigm (Barbados) SRL, TransDigm European Holdings Limited, TransDigm Ireland Ltd., TransDigm Receivables LLC, TransDigm UK Holdings plc, Transicoil (Malaysia) Sendirian Berhad, Transicoil LLC, Whippany Actuation Systems, Whippany Actuation Systems LLC, XCEL Power Systems Ltd., Young & Franklin, and Young & Franklin Inc..
Grand City Properties S.A. engages in the residential real estate business in Germany, the United Kingdom, and internationally. The company invests in, manages, and rents real estate properties in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin; metropolitan regions of Dresden, Leipzig, and Halle; and the cities in the north of Germany, Bremen, Hamburg, and Hannover, as well as other urban centers, such as Nuremberg, Munch, Mannheim, Frankfurt, and London. Grand City Properties S.A. was founded in 2004 and is based in Luxembourg.

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Imperial Brands PLC, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures, imports, markets, and sells tobacco and tobacco-related products. It offers a range of cigarettes, fine cut and smokeless tobacco, papers, and cigars; and next generation product (NGP) portfolio, such as e-vapour products, as well as oral nicotine and heated tobacco products. The company sells its products under various brands, including Davidoff, Gauloises, JPS, West, L&B, Bastos, Fine, Winston, News, Parker & Simpson, blu, Kool, Horizon, Jade, Cohiba, Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta, Backwoods, Skruf, Golden Virginia, Rizla, and Knox in approximately 160 countries worldwide. It also provides logistics services that include the distribution of tobacco and NGP products for tobacco and NGP product manufacturers; and various non-tobacco and NGP products and services. In addition, the company is involved in the management of a golf course; marketing of papers; restaurant business; distribution of pharmaceuticals, POS software, and published materials and other products; printing and publishing activities; and provision of long haul transportation, industrial parcel and express delivery, advertising, and support management services. Further, it owns the trademarks; and retails its products. The company was formerly known as Imperial Tobacco Group PLC and changed its name to Imperial Brands PLC in February 2016. Imperial Brands PLC was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in Bristol, the United Kingdom.

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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..
The following companies are subsidiares of The Sherwin-Williams: Acquire Sourcing LLC, CTS National Corporation, Comex North America Inc., Compania Sherwin-Williams S.A. de C.V., Contract Transportation Systems Co., Deep Pride Limited, Dongguan Lilly Paint Industries Ltd, Duron, EPS (Shanghai) Trading Co. Ltd., EPS B.V., EPS Polidrox Industria e Comercio de Resinas Ltda, Geocel Holdings, Geocel Limited, Guangdong Valspar Paints Manufacturing Co Ltd., Guangdong Yuegang Dadi Paints Company Limited, Guardsman Australia Pty Limited, Guardsman Industries Limited, Inver East Med S.A., Inver France SAS, Inver GmbH, Inver Industrial Coating SRL, Inver Polska Spoka Z O.O, Inver Spa, Invercolor Bologna Srl, Invercolor Ltd, Invercolor Roma Srl, Invercolor Torino Srl, Invercolor Toscana Srl, Isocoat Tintas e Vernizes Ltda, Isva Vernici Srl, Jiangsu Pulanna Coating Co. Ltd., Leighs Paints, M.A. Bruder & Sons, Omega Specialty Products & Services LLC, Oy Sherwin-Williams Finland Ab, PT Sherwin-Williams Indonesia, PT Valspar Indonesia, Paint Sundry Brands, Pinturas Condor S.A., Pinturas Industriales S.A., Plasti-Kote Co. Inc., Plasti-kote Limited, Productos Quimicos y Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Quest Automotive Products UK Limited, Quetzal Pinturas S.A. de C.V., Resin Surfaces Limited, Ronseal (Ireland) Limited, SWIMC LLC, SWIPCO  Sherwin Williams do Brasil Propriedade, Sayerlack, Sherwin Williams Colombia S.A.S., Sherwin-Williams (Australia) Pty. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Belize) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Caribbean) N.V., Sherwin-Williams (Ireland) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams (Nantong) Company Limited, Sherwin-Williams (S) Pte. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Shanghai) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (South China) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Thailand) Co. Ltd., Sherwin-Williams (Vietnam) Limited, Sherwin-Williams (West Indies) Limited, Sherwin-Williams Argentina I.y C.S.A., Sherwin-Williams Aruba VBA, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Mexico S.de R.L.de C.V., Sherwin-Williams Balkan S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Bel, Sherwin-Williams Benelux NV, Sherwin-Williams Canada Inc., Sherwin-Williams Cayman Islands Limited, Sherwin-Williams Chile S.A., Sherwin-Williams Coatings India Private Limited, Sherwin-Williams Coatings S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Czech Republic spol. s r.o, Sherwin-Williams Denmark A/S, Sherwin-Williams Deutschland GmbH, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands (Australia) Pty Ltd, Sherwin-Williams Diversified Brands Limited, Sherwin-Williams France Finishes SAS, Sherwin-Williams Italy S.r.l., Sherwin-Williams Luxembourg Investment Management Company S.a r.l., Sherwin-Williams Norway AS, Sherwin-Williams Paints Limited Liability Company, Sherwin-Williams Peru S.R.L., Sherwin-Williams Pinturas de Venezuela S.A., Sherwin-Williams Poland Sp. z o.o, Sherwin-Williams Protective & Marine Coatings, Sherwin-Williams Realty Holdings Inc., Sherwin-Williams Services (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Sherwin-Williams Spain Coatings S.L., Sherwin-Williams Sweden AB, Sherwin-Williams Uruguay S.A., Sherwin-Williams do Brasil Industria e Comercio Ltda., Spanyc Paints Joint Stock Company, Syntema I Vaggeryd AB, TOB Becker Acroma Ukraine, Taiwan Valspar Co. Ltd., The Sherwin-Williams Acceptance Corporation, The Sherwin-Williams Headquarters Company, The Sherwin-Williams Manufacturing Company, The Sherwin-Williams US Licensing Company, The Valspar (Asia) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Australia) Corporation Pty. Ltd., The Valspar (Finland) Corporation Oy, The Valspar (France) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (France) Research Corporation SAS, The Valspar (Germany) GmbH, The Valspar (Malaysia) Corporation Sdn Bhd, The Valspar (Nantes) Corporation S.A.S., The Valspar (Singapore) Corporation Pte. Ltd, The Valspar (South Africa) Corporation (Pty) Ltd, The Valspar (Spain) Corporation S.R.L., The Valspar (Switzerland) Corporation AG, The Valspar (Thailand) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar (UK) Corporation Limited, The Valspar (Vietnam) Corporation Ltd., The Valspar Corporation, The Valspar Corporation Limitada, UAB Sherwin-Williams Baltic, Valspar (India) Coatings Corporation Private Limited, Valspar (Shanghai) Management Co. Ltd., Valspar (Uruguay) Corporation S.A., Valspar (WPC) Pty Ltd, Valspar Aries Coatings S. de R.L. de C.V., Valspar Automotive (UK) Corporation Limited, Valspar Automotive Australia Pty Limited, Valspar B.V., Valspar Coatings (Guangdong) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Valspar Coatings (Tianjin) Co. Ltd, Valspar D.o.o Beograd, Valspar Inc., Valspar Industries (Ireland) Ltd., Valspar Industries (Italy) S.r.l., Valspar Industries GmbH, Valspar LLC, Valspar Mexicana S.A. de C.V., Valspar Paint (Australia) Pty Ltd, Valspar Paint (NZ) Limited, Valspar Powder Coatings Limited, Valspar Rock Company Limited, Valspar Specialty Paints LLC, Vantaco Oy, and ZAO Sherwin-Williams.
UniFirst Corp. engages in the design, manufacture, personalization, rental, cleaning, delivery, and sale of a range of uniforms and protective clothing. It operates through following segments: U.S. Rental and Cleaning, Canadian Rental and Cleaning, Manufacturing, Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning, First Aid, and Corporate. The U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning segment purchases, rents, cleans, delivers and sells uniforms and protective clothing and non-garment items in the United States and Canada. The Manufacturing segment designs and manufactures uniforms and non-garment items primarily for the purpose of providing these goods to the U.S. and Canadian Rental and Cleaning reporting segment. The Specialty Garments Rental and Cleaning segment sells specialty garments and non-garment items primarily for nuclear and cleanroom applications and provides cleanroom cleaning services at limited customer locations. The First Aid segment provides first aid cabinet services and other safety supplies as well as maintains wholesale distribution and pill packaging operations. The Corporate segment consists of costs associated with its distribution center, sales and marketing, informatio

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Harris Corporation provides technology-based solutions that solve government and commercial customers' mission-critical challenges in the United States and internationally. The company operates in three segments: Communication Systems, Electronic Systems, and Space and Intelligence Systems. It designs, develops, and manufactures radio communications products and systems, including single channel ground and airborne radio systems, multiband manpack and handheld radios, multi-channel manpack and airborne radios, and single-channel airborne radios, as well as wideband rifleman team, ground, and high frequency manpack radios. The company also offers vision-enhancing products; wireless communications systems; and Internet protocol based voice and data communications systems, as well as single-band land mobile radio terminals and multiband radios comprising a handheld radio and a full-spectrum mobile radio for vehicles. In addition, it provides electronic warfare, avionics, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance solutions for defense and classified customers; and mission-critical communication systems for civil and military aviation and other customers. Further, the company offers intelligence, space protection, geospatial, earth observation, exploration, positioning, navigation and timing, and environmental solutions using advanced sensors, antennas, and payloads, as well as ground processing and information analytics for national security, defense, civil and commercial customers. Harris Corporation was founded in 1895 and is headquartered in Melbourne, Florida.

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Diplomat Pharmacy, Inc. operates as an independent specialty pharmacy in the United States. The company operates through Specialty and PBM (pharmacy benefit management) segment. It provides specialty infusion pharmacy, patient care coordination, clinical, compliance and persistency program, patient financial assistance, specialty pharmacy training, benefits investigation, prior authorization, risk evaluation and medication strategy, retail specialty, and hub services, as well as clinical and administrative support services to hospitals and health systems. The company primarily focuses on medication management programs for individuals with complex chronic diseases, including oncology, immunology, hepatitis, multiple sclerosis, specialized infusion therapy, and various other serious or long-term conditions. It also offers PBM services, including electronic point-of-sale pharmacy claims management, retail pharmacy network management, mail pharmacy claims management, specialty pharmacy claims management, Medicare Part D services, benefit design consultation, drug review and analysis, consulting services, data access, and reporting, information analysis, and preferred drug management programs to managed care organizations, self-insured employer groups, unions, and third-party healthcare plan administrators and worker's compensation payers. The company was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Flint, Michigan.

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Vedanta Resources plc operates as a diversified natural resources company in India, Zambia, South Africa, Namibia, the United Arab Emirates, Ireland, Australia, and Liberia. It primarily produces zinc, lead, silver, copper, iron ore, and aluminum deposits. The company also explores for, extracts, and processes minerals, as well as oil and gas. In addition, it operates as a power producer with an installed capacity of 8.4 gigawatts of thermal based power generation and 274 megawatts of wind power generation. Further, the company engages in the port operations business in India; mining, smelting, and refining copper, aluminum, zinc, and iron ore; and gold and silver processing activity. Additionally, it provides accommodation and catering services; and leases medical equipment, as well as offers related building and conducting services. The company was founded in 1976 and is headquartered in London, the United Kingdom. Vedanta Resources plc is a subsidiary of Volcan Investments Limited.

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Arconic Corporation manufactures and sells aluminum sheets, plates, extrusions, and architectural products in the United States, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hungary, Russia, and the United Kingdom. It operates through three segments: Rolled Products, Extrusions, and Building and Construction Systems. The Rolled Products segment provides a range of aluminum sheet and plate products for ground transportation, aerospace, industrial, and packaging markets; and roofing, architectural composite panels, ventilated facades and ceiling panels, spacers, culvert pipes, and gutters for building and construction markets. The Extrusions segment offers extruded products, including aerospace shapes, automotive shapes, seamless tubes, hollows, mortar fins, and high strength rods and bars for ground transportation, aerospace, and industrial markets. The Building and Construction Systems segment provides various products and building envelope solutions, such as entrances, curtain walls, windows, composite panels, and coil coated sheets for fabricators and glazing subcontractors under the Kawneer, Reynobond, and Reynolux brands. The company offers its products directly to customers, as well as through distributors. The company was formerly known as Arconic Rolled Products Corporation and changed its name to Arconic Corporation in Arpil 2020. Arconic Corporation was founded in 1888 and is headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

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L3 Technologies, Inc. provides aircraft sustainment, simulation and training, night vision and image intensification equipment, and security and detection systems used on military, homeland security, and commercial platforms in the United States and internationally. It operates in three segments: Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Systems; Communications and Networked Systems (C&NS); and Electronic Systems. The company offers engineering, modernization and sustainment, space avionics and imaging payload, counter unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS) mission, cyber and electronic warfare, special mission command and control, modeling and simulation, and life cycle support services for ISR, airborne sensor, warrior sensor, space and sensor, aircraft, and intelligence and mission systems, as well as for military aviation services and advanced programs. It also provides network and communication systems, secure communications products, radio frequency components, satellite communication terminals and space, microwave and telemetry products, and secure data links in various business areas, such as broadband communication, naval power, space and power, and maritime sensor systems, as well as in advanced communications. In addition, the company offers components, products, subsystems, and systems, as well as related services to military and commercial customers in various business areas, including commercial aviation solutions, precision engagement systems, link training and simulation, and security and detection systems. It serves the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense and its prime contractors, the U.S. Government intelligence agencies, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, foreign governments, and commercial customers. The company was formerly known as L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to L3 Technologies, Inc. in December 2016. L3 Technologies, Inc. was founded in 1997 and is headquartered in New York, New York.

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Yext, Inc. is an emerging growth company engages in software development. It offers a cloud-based digital knowledge platform, which allows businesses manage their digital knowledge in the cloud such as financial information, resources and performance of these resources on a consolidated basis and sync it to other application such as Apple Maps, Bing, Cortana, Facebook, Google, Google Maps, Instagram, Siri and Yelp. It offers the Yext Knowledge Engine package on subscription basis, which has an access to Listings, Pages, Reviews and other features. The Listing feature provides customers with control over their digital presence, including their location and other related attributes published on the used third-party applications. The Pages feature allows customers to establish landing pages on their own websites and to manage digital content on those sites, including calls to action. The Reviews presence enables customers to encourage and facilitate reviews from end consumers. The company was founded by Howard Lerman, Brent Metz, and Brian Distelburger in 2006 and is headquartered in New York, NY.

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SAdzucker AG produces and sells sugar products in Germany, rest of Europe, and internationally. It operates through four segments: Sugar, Special Products, CropEnergies, and Fruit. The Sugar segment produces and sells sugar, sugar specialty products, molasses, and animal feed to food industry, retailers, and agriculture markets, as well as offers by-products of sugar. The Special Products segment produces functional food ingredients, including inulin, oligofructose, Isomalt, and Palatinose, as well as rice starches, rice flours, rice proteins, and wheat proteins for food, animal feed, non-food, and pharmaceutical sectors. This segment also offers frozen and chilled pizzas, frozen pasta dishes and snacks, baguette, and sauces and dressings; starches, sweeteners, animal feed; and portion packed foods and non-food products to hotels, caterers, and restaurants. The CropEnergies segment produces fuel-grade ethanol, rectified spirits, protein-based food and animal feed, and liquid CO2 to oil and pharmaceutical companies, food and animal feed producers, and beverage and cosmetics producers. The Fruit segment produces fruit preparations for the dairy, ice cream, bakery, and food service industry; and fruit juice concentrates, pure juices and purees, fruit wines, natural aromas, and beverage bases for beverage industry. It is also involved in agricultural activities; and cultivation of wheat, sugar beet, corn, chicory, rapeseed, soybean, and other products. The company was founded in 1837 and is headquartered in Mannheim, Germany. SAdzucker AG is a subsidiary of SAddeutsche ZuckerrAbenverwertungs-Genossenschaft eG.

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THE NOMADIC COOK. Yana Gilbuena travels to different parts of the globe to serve delectable Filipino dishes.

The SALO Series offers Filipino fare via a banquet where partakers are encouraged to use their bare hands.

With a few kitchen tools in her folding purse and a huge desire to spread the flavors of the Philippines, Yana Gilbuena travels to different parts of the globe to serve delectable homegrown dishes in her kamayan-style pop-up dinner. Gilbuenas SALO Series, culled from the word salu-salo, offers Filipino fare via a banquet where partakers are encouraged to eat food spread over banana leaves using their bare hands. Since its inception, the pop-up dinner has traveled the 50 states of the United States, Canada, part of South America, and here in the country. From Iloilo to the world The idea to share Filipino flavors to the world was born of one homesick Ilonggos desire for a warm bowl of arroz caldo.It started when I was living in New York and there was this need to have arroz caldo (hot chicken porridge) in the middle of winter, recounts Gilbuena. She continues, It got me thinking that even though New York is a melting pot of cultures and cuisines, how it is that Filipino cuisine is not well-represented? Thus, apart from serving well-loved Filipino dishes like adobo (chicken or pork stewed in vinegar, garlic, soy sauce, and peppercorns), pansit (noodle dish), and lumpia (spring rolls), the nomadic cook promotes regional specialties from Philippine islands as well. Gilbuena acknowledges that there are some Filipino dishes that most Fil-Ams who grew up in the US are not familiar with. In fact, she recalls that they were pleasantly surprised by the regional dishes she served them. They had probably been to Manila or to their parents hometowns in the Philippines but never really explored places beyond that. So, me bringing dishes from the remote islands like Camiguin, Cagayan de Oro, Zamboanga, and they were just like, What? We have this in our cuisine? And I would reply in jest, Yeah, girl. You need to travel a little bit more! Despite the lack of formal culinary education, the 34-year-old cook traces her love for cooking to her early days in the family kitchen, growing up in the cuisine-rich region of Visayas in the company of her aunt, grandmother, and cooking-inclined yayas (nannies). Gilbuena recalls her bonding time with her aunt was highlighted by cooking and baking recipes printed on the labels of canned milk.I became really comfortable with making fire and all those stuff on my own, like dealing with old stoves. I have very fond memories of the kitchen growing up, and I think thats where it all started. And then the rest, I just learned along the way, she shares. Big hopes for Filipino cuisineWhile many food enthusiasts and critics from across the globe have been noticing Filipino fare and tagging it as the next big thing, Gilbuena believes that our cuisines full potential has yet to be fully discovered and explored as it continues to evolve amid constantly changing influences. Its definitely getting there, Gilbuena asserts. There are so many more Filipino restaurants popping up everywhere across the US, and I think thats one of those things that cause people to realize that, hey, there is a market for Filipino cuisine, and not just for Filipinos. So I think it will just continue to expand more as the years go by. She likewise thinks that the most defining thing about Filipino cuisine is that its constantly evolving. The more influences we get, the more it expands, she says. Gilbuena relishes how adobo can take on so many flavors in just one bite. I think weve mastered the whole balance of sweet and salty, vinegary and spicy, that other cuisines have tried to do for the longest time. This fusion of flavors that Gilbuena is enamored with is made even tastier and more full-flavored with the well-loved Filipino condiments made by NutriAsia, which she uses in her dishes. She reveals that ever since she started cooking, she has been using Datu Puti vinegar, UFC banana sauce, Silver Swan soy sauce, Jufran sweet chili sauce, and Mang Tomas all-purpose sauce. Hence the partnership that Gilbuena forged with NutriAsia as its brand ambassador is instrumental in furthering her advocacy of raising more awareness for Filipino cuisine. This collaboration makes sense because I use NutriAsia products all the time. I love using Filipino ingredients to make Filipino food. Adobo is the most common one. Ive tried making adobo using a different kind of soy sauce. It just doesnt taste the same, she shares. Ive used red wine vinegar, too, but nothe flavor is just not there. So why not use the flavors of home to make the tastes of home. Gilbuenas SALO Series pop-up dinners continues to thrive touring the world. With a constant craving for discovery and experiment, and a passion for Filipino cuisine, she aims to continue taking on the world, one pop-up diner at a time. I am definitely gonna go on touring Filipino food. I wanna include Europe and the Middle East in SALOs itinerary, and from there just continue spreading the flavors of Filipino food, she says. I cant picture myself doing anything else but this.
The following companies are subsidiares of SYNNEX: 2117974 Ontario Inc., Administrative Services and Technologies to Enterprises Ltda., Afina Peru S.A.C., Afina S.R.L., Afina Sistemas Informaticos Limitada, Afina Sistemas Informaticos S.L, Afina Sistemas Sociedade Ltda., Afina Venezuela C.A., Afinasis S.A. de C.V., Asset Ohio Fourth Street LLC, BPO Holdco Cooperatief U.A., Beijing Jumeng Technology Development Ltd., Brazil HoldCo Limited, CNX Services Jamaica Limited, Chongqing Jumeng Technologies Development Ltd., ComputerLand Corporation, Comstor Colombia S.A.S., Concentrix (Canada) Limited, Concentrix (Suzhou) Information Consulting Co. Limited, Concentrix Beteiligungen GmbH, Concentrix Brazil Outsourcing of Processes , Concentrix Business Services UK Limited, Concentrix CMG Canada ULC, Concentrix CMG Insurance Services LLC, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Belgium Branch, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Greece Branch, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Merkezi Almanya Istanbul Merkez Subesi, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Netherlands Branch, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Netherlands Branch , Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Russelsheim Switzerland Branch Zug, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Spoka z ograniczona odpowiedzialnoscia Oddzia w Polsce, Concentrix CRM Services Germany GmbH Sucursal en Espana, Concentrix CRM Services Hungary Kft, Concentrix CRM Services RO S.R.L., Concentrix CRM Services UK Limited, Concentrix CVG (Mauritius) Ltd, Concentrix CVG Brite Voice Systems LLC, Concentrix CVG CMG UK Limited, Concentrix CVG Contact Tunisie S.A.R.L., Concentrix CVG Corporation, Concentrix CVG Customer Management Australia Pty. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Customer Management Delaware LLC, Concentrix CVG Customer Management Group Inc., Concentrix CVG Customer Management Group Inc. Costa Rica Branch, Concentrix CVG Delaware Inc., Concentrix CVG Delaware International Inc., Concentrix CVG Delaware International Inc. French Branch, Concentrix CVG Egypt Limited Liability Company, Concentrix CVG France S.A.R.L., Concentrix CVG Funding Inc., Concentrix CVG Global Services AZ Inc., Concentrix CVG Global Services El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Concentrix CVG Global Services Honduras S.A., Concentrix CVG Global Services Hong Kong Limited, Concentrix CVG Government Solutions LLC, Concentrix CVG Group Limited, Concentrix CVG Group Servicios de Apoyo Informatico S.L., Concentrix CVG Holding LLC, Concentrix CVG Intelligent Contact Limited, Concentrix CVG International Bulgaria EOOD, Concentrix CVG International Holding Ltd., Concentrix CVG International Holding Ltd. Dominican Republic Branch, Concentrix CVG International Sp. Z.o.o., Concentrix CVG Italy S.R.L., Concentrix CVG LLC, Concentrix CVG Learning Solutions LLC, Concentrix CVG Malaysia (Philippines) SDN. BHD. Philippine Branch, Concentrix CVG Malaysia (Phillipines) Sdn. Bhd., Concentrix CVG Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Concentrix CVG Nicaragua S.A., Concentrix CVG Philippines Inc., Concentrix CVG Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Services Singapore Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Services Singapore Pte. Ltd. ROHQ, Concentrix CVG Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd., Concentrix CVG Singapore Holdings Pte. Ltd. ROHQ, Concentrix CVG Tunisie BPO S.A.R.L., Concentrix CVG Tunisie S.A.R.L., Concentrix Coop Holdco Limited, Concentrix Corporation, Concentrix Costa Rica S.A., Concentrix Daksh Services India Private Limited, Concentrix Daksh Services Philippines Corporation, Concentrix Digital Services Limited, Concentrix Duisburg GmbH, Concentrix Dusseldorf GmbH, Concentrix Europe Limited, Concentrix Frankfurt a. M. GmbH, Concentrix Free Trade Zone S.A., Concentrix GBS Limited, Concentrix Gera GmbH, Concentrix Global Holdings Inc., Concentrix Global Services GmbH, Concentrix Gmbh, Concentrix HK Limited, Concentrix Halle GmbH, Concentrix Insurance Administration Solutions Corporation, Concentrix International Europe B.V., Concentrix International GmbH, Concentrix International Services Europe B.V., Concentrix Investment Holdings Corporation, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 1 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 2 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investment Holdings Singapore 3 Pte. Ltd, Concentrix Investments Europe B.V., Concentrix Ireland Contact Services Limited, Concentrix Ireland Limited, Concentrix Leipzig GmbH, Concentrix Logistics Corporation, Concentrix Management Holding GmbH & Co. KG, Concentrix Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V, Concentrix Munster GmbH, Concentrix New (BVI) Corporation, Concentrix NewHK Limited, Concentrix Nicaragua S.A., Concentrix Osnabruck GmbH, Concentrix Rechenzentrum GmbH, Concentrix Romania S.R.L., Concentrix Schwerin GmbH, Concentrix Service Hungary KFT, Concentrix Services (Colombia) S.A.S., Concentrix Services (Dalian) Co. Ltd., Concentrix Services (Dalian) Co. Ltd. Beijing Branch, Concentrix Services (Dalian) Co. Ltd. Shanghai Branch, Concentrix Services (Germany) GmbH, Concentrix Services (Ireland) Limited, Concentrix Services (Netherlands) B.V., Concentrix Services (New Zealand) Limited, Concentrix Services (Poland) spolka z o.o., Concentrix Services (Saudi Arabia) Corporation LLC, Concentrix Services (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Concentrix Services (Thailand) Co. Ltd, Concentrix Services (Uruguay) S.A., Concentrix Services Bulgaria EOOD, Concentrix Services Corporation, Concentrix Services Corporation Philippines Branch, Concentrix Services Germany GmbH Sverige filial, Concentrix Services GmbH, Concentrix Services Holdco (Netherlands) B.V., Concentrix Services India Private Limited, Concentrix Services Korea Limited, Concentrix Services Mexico S.A. de C.V., Concentrix Services Philippines Inc., Concentrix Services Portugal Sociedade Unipessoal LDA, Concentrix Services Pty Ltd, Concentrix Services Pty Ltd ROHQ, Concentrix Services Slovakia s.r.o., Concentrix Services Spain S.L.U., Concentrix Services UK Limited, Concentrix Services US Inc., Concentrix Technologies (India) Private Limited, Concentrix Technologies Limited, Concentrix Technologies Services (Canada) Limited, Concentrix Technology FZ-LLC, Concentrix VN Technologies Services Company Limited, Concentrix Verwaltungs GmbH, Concentrix Wismar GmbH, Concentrix Wuppertal GmbH, Convergys, Convergys Customer Management Colombia S.A.S., Convergys Customer Management Group Canada Holding Inc., Convergys Customer Management Group Inc. Philippines Branch, Convergys Customer Management International Inc., Convergys Customer Management International Inc. - Regional Operating Headquarters, Convergys Customer Management Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Convergys France S.A.R.L. (Mauritius Branch), Convergys Holdings (GB) Limited, Convergys Holdings (UK) Limited, Convergys Hungary Kft., Convergys India Services Private Limited, Convergys International Inc., Convergys International Nordic AB, Convergys Netherlands Investments B.V., Convergys Services Denmark ApS, Convergys Software Service (Beijing) Ltd., Convergys South Africa (Pty) Ltd., CyberLogistics Corporation, Dalian Jumeng Information Services Ltd., Dalian Jumeng Technology Development Ltd., EMJ America Inc., Encore Receivable Management Inc., Encore Receivable Management Inc. Philippines Branch, Foshan Jumeng Information Technology Service Co. Ltd, GLS Software S. de R.L., Guiyang Jumeng Technology Development Ltd., Hyve IT Solutions Israel Ltd, Hyve IT Solutions South Africa (PTY) Ltd., Hyve SNX Solutions Ireland Limited, Hyve Solutions (Taiwan) Corporation, Hyve Solutions Canada Limited, Hyve Solutions China Limited, Hyve Solutions Corporation, Hyve Solutions Europe Limited, Hyve Solutions HK Limited, Hyve Solutions Holding Company Limited, Hyve Solutions India LLP, Hyve Solutions Japan K.K., Hyve Solutions Korea Limited, Hyve Solutions Malaysia SDN.BHD., Hyve Solutions New Zealand Limited, Hyve Solutions Singapore Pte. Ltd, Hyve Solutions US Global Holding Corporation, IBM World Wide Customer Care, Intervoice Acquisition Subsidiary Inc., Intervoice Colombia Ltda., Intervoice GP Inc., Intervoice GmbH, Intervoice LLC Canada Branch, Intervoice LP Inc., Intervoice Limited, Intervoice Limited Partnership, Intervoice do Brasil Comercio Servicos e Participacoes Ltda., Jack Of All Games Inc., Japan Concentrix KK, LATAM HoldCo Limited, Lasting Holdings Corporation, License Online Inc, Minacs, Minacs Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., PT Concentrix Services Indonesia, PT Convergys Customer Management Indonesia, Pegasus Telecom LLC, SCGS (Malaysia) SDN. BHD., SGS Holdings Inc., SGS Tunisie S.A.R.L., SIT Funding Corporation, SYNNEX Canada Limited, SYNNEX Finance Hybrid II LLC, SYNNEX Information Technologies (Beijing) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (Chengdu) Ltd., SYNNEX Information Technologies (China) Ltd., SYNNEX Japan Corporation, SYNNEX Japan Holdings K.K., SYNNEX Servicios S.A. de C.V., SYNNEX Software Technologies (HK) Limited, SYNNEX de Mexico S.A. de C.V., SYNNEX-Concentrix UK Limited, Sennex Enterprises Limited, Servicios Afinasis S.A. de C.V., Shenzhen Shunrong Telecommunication Technologies Ltd., Shenzhen Shunrong Telecommunication Technologies Ltd. Foshan Branch, Sichuan 86Bridge Information Technology Ltd., Stream Business Process Outsourcing South Africa (Proprietary) Ltd., Stream Florida Inc., Stream Global Services - US Inc., Stream Global Services Danmark ApS, Stream Global Services Inc., Stream Holdings Corporation, Suzhou Ke Wei Xun Information Services Co. Ltd., Tech Data, The Global Email Trustee Limited, Tigerspike Co. Ltd, Tigerspike FZ LLC Rep. Office, Tigerspike FZ-LLC, Tigerspike Holdings Pty Ltd, Tigerspike Inc., Tigerspike Ltd, Tigerspike Products Pte. Ltd., Tigerspike Pte. Ltd., Tigerspike Pty Ltd, Velami Holdings Corporation, Vietnam Concentrix Services Company Limited, VisionMAX, WG-UK Holding Company Limited, WG-US HoldCo Inc, Westcon Brasil Ltda., Westcon CALA Inc., Westcon Canada Systems (WCSI) Inc., Westcon Corporation Ecuador WCE Cia. Ltda, Westcon Group Colombia Limitada, Westcon Group Costa Rica S.A., Westcon Group El Salvador S.A. de C.V., Westcon Group Inc., Westcon Group North America Inc., Westcon Group Panama S.A., Westcon Mexico S.A. de C.V., Westcon-Comstor, Xi'an Jumeng Technologies Development Ltd, and eTelecare Philippines Inc..
The following companies are subsidiares of Mohawk Industries: A&S Energie NV, A&U Energie NV, Aladdin Manufacturing Corporation, Aladdin Manufacturing Of New York LLC, Aladdin Manufacturing of Alabama LLC, Alsace Logistique S.A., Avelgem Green Power CVBA, Avon Pacific Holdings Ltd, B&M NV, BGE Mexico S. de R. L. de C.V., Berghoef GmbH, Berghoef-Hout B.V., Bienes Raices y Materiales del Centro S. de R.L. de C.V., C.F. Marazzi S.A., Canterbury Spinners Ltd, Carpet Foundation Ltd, Cevotrans BV, Ceramus Bahia S/A  Produtos Ceramicos, DT Mex Holdings LLC, DTM/CM Holdings LLC, Dal Italia LLC, Dal-Elit LLC, Dal-Tile Chile Comercial Limitada, Dal-Tile Colombia S.A.S., Dal-Tile Distribution Inc., Dal-Tile Group Inc., Dal-Tile I LLC, Dal-Tile Industrias S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile International Inc., Dal-Tile Mexico Comercial S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Mexico S. de R.L. de C.V., Dal-Tile Operaciones Mexico S. De R.L. De C.V., Dal-Tile Peru SRL, Dal-Tile Puerto Rico Inc., Dal-Tile Services Inc., Dal-Tile Shared Services Inc., Dal-Tile Tennessee LLC, Dal-Tile of Canada ULC, Daltile, Daltile, Dekaply NV, Durkan, Dynea NV, Eliane Argentina Sociedad Anonima, Eliane S/A - Revestimentos Ceramicos, Emilceramica India Pvt Ltd., Emilceramica S.r.l, Emilgermany GmbH, Emilgroup Asia Ltd, Explorer S.r.l., F.I.L.S. Investments Unlimited Company, Feltex Carpets Ltd, Feltex Carpets Pty Ltd, Feltex New Zealand Ltd, Fibremakers Australia Pty Ltd, Flooring Foundation Ltd, Flooring Industries Limited S.a r.l., Flooring XL B.V., Floorscape Limited, Godfrey Hirst & Co Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst (Singapore) Pte Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Australia Pty Ltd, Godfrey Hirst Group, Godfrey Hirst NZ Ltd, Hytherm (Ireland) Limited, IVC BVBA, IVC Far-East Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., IVC France S.a r.l., IVC GROUP LIMITED, IVC Green Power NV, IVC Group, IVC Group GmbH, IVC Luxembourg S.a r.l., IVC Rus OOO, IVC US Inc., International Flooring Systems S.a r.l., International Vinyl Company - Vostok OOO, KAI Group, KAI Keramica Ltd, KAI Mining EOOD, KERAMA CENTER OOO, Kerama Baltics OOO, Kerama Export OOO, Kerama Marazzi OOO, Kerampromservis (LLC), Khan Asparuh - Transport EOOD, Khan Asparuh AD, Khan Omurtag AD, Koninklijke Peitsman B.V., Kraj Kerama OOO, MG China Trading Ltd., MI Finance SRL, MUD (Holding) Brazil Ltda., Management Co EAD, Marazzi Acquisition S.r.l., Marazzi Deutschland G.m.b.H., Marazzi France Trading S.A.S., Marazzi Group, Marazzi Group F.Z.E., Marazzi Group S.r.l., Marazzi Group Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Marazzi Iberia S.L.U., Marazzi Japan Co. Ltd., Marazzi Middle East FZ LLC, Marazzi Schweiz S.A.G.L., Marazzi UK Ltd., Mohawk Assurance Services Inc., Mohawk Australia Pty Ltd, Mohawk Canada Corporation, Mohawk Capital Finance S.A., Mohawk Capital Luxembourg SA, Mohawk Carpet Distribution Inc., Mohawk Carpet Foundation Inc., Mohawk Carpet LLC, Mohawk Carpet Transportation Of Georgia LLC, Mohawk Commercial Inc., Mohawk ESV Inc., Mohawk Europe BVBA, Mohawk Factoring II Inc., Mohawk Factoring LLC, Mohawk Finance S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Acquisitions S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Funding S.a.r.l, Mohawk Foreign Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Foreign Investments Inc., Mohawk Global Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Holdings International B.V., Mohawk Industries Inc., Mohawk International (Europe) S.a r.l., Mohawk International (Hong Kong) Limited, Mohawk International Capital N.V., Mohawk International Financing S.a.r.l, Mohawk International Holdings (DE) LLC, Mohawk International Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk International Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk International Netherlands B.V., Mohawk International Services BVBA, Mohawk KAI Luxembourg Holding S.a r.l., Mohawk KAI Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Capital S.A., Mohawk Luxembourg Financing S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Holdings S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Luxembourg Pacific S.a r.l., Mohawk Marazzi International BV, Mohawk Marazzi Russia BV, Mohawk New Zealand Limited, Mohawk Operaciones Mexicali S. de R.L. de C.V., Mohawk Operations Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk Pacific Investments S.a r.l., Mohawk Resources LLC, Mohawk Servicing LLC, Mohawk Singapore Private Limited, Mohawk Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd, Mohawk Unilin Luxembourg S.a r.l., Mohawk United Finance B.V., Mohawk United International B.V., Mohawk Vinyl Financing S.a r.l., Molber Beheer B.V., Monarch Ceramic Tile Inc., P.F. Onroerend Goed B.V., PF Beheer B.V., Pergo, Pergo (Europe) AB, Pergo Holding BV, Pergo India Pvt Ltd, Polcolorit S.A., Premium Floors Australia Pty Limited, RR Apex LLC, Rata International Pty Ltd, Recubrimientos Interceramica S. de R.L. de C.V., Riverside Textiles Pty Ltd, S.C. KAI Ceramics SRL, Sibir Kerama OOO, SimpleSolutions USA LLC, Soft Step (Australia) Pty Ltd, Spano Group, Spano Invest BVBA, Spano NV, Stroyagromekhzapchast ChaO, Stroytrans OAO Orelstroy, Summit Wool Spinners Ltd, The Flooring Federation Ltd, Tiles Co OOD, Unilin (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd., Unilin ApS, Unilin Arauco Pisos Ltda., Unilin BVBA, Unilin Beheer BV, Unilin Distribution Ltd., Unilin Distribution Ukraine LLC, Unilin Finland OY, Unilin Flooring India Private Limited, Unilin Flooring SAS, Unilin GmbH, Unilin Holding BVBA, Unilin Insulation BV, Unilin Insulation SAS, Unilin Insulation Sury SAS, Unilin Italia S.R.L., Unilin North America LLC, Unilin Norway AS, Unilin OOO, Unilin Panels SAS, Unilin Poland Sp.Z.o.o., Unilin SAS, Unilin Spain SL, Unilin Swiss GmbH, Unilin s.r.o., World International Inc., Xtratherm, Xtratherm Limited, Xtratherm S.A., and Xtratherm UK Limited.
Reinsurance Group of America, Inc. is a holding company, which engages in the provision of traditional and non-traditional life and health reinsurance products. It operates through the following segments: U.S. and Latin America; Canada; Europe, Middle East, and Africa; Asia Pacific; and Corporate and Other. The U.S. and Latin America segment markets individual and group life and health reinsurance to domestic clients for a variety of products through yearly renewable term agreements, coinsurance, and modified coinsurance. The Canada segment offers individual life reinsurance, and to a lesser extent creditor, group life and health, critical illness and disability reinsurance, through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements. The Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment serves individual and group life and health products through yearly renewable term and coinsurance agreements, reinsurance of critical illness coverage that provides a benefit in the event of the diagnosis of a pre-defined critical illness and underwritten annuities. The Asia Pacific segment comprises individual and group life and health reinsurance, critical illness coverage, disability, and superannuation thr

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Poolside chill

posted April 09, 2018 at 05:55 am by Manila Standard Lifestyle April 09, 2018 at 05:55 am

The Boodle Platter features a hearty serving of Filipino food favorites good for two diners The Boodle Platter features a hearty serving of Filipino food favorites good for two diners

Nothing beats a refreshing treat while lounging by the poolside. Reason why Diamond Hotel makes sure its guests at the Poolside have a couple of thirst-quenching food and drink options to help them beat the tropical heat.No child can ever resist a frosty glass of cooling and mouthwatering Kiddie Slushie, available for P180 nett. But if a scoop, or two, of ice cream is your kind of refreshing summer treat, Poolside offers Scoops of Delight creamy creations that will keep summer revelers coming back for more. Gather the folks to partake of a hearty and scrumptious Boodle Platter, a grand slam feast featuring Filipino food favorites available for P1,780 nett, good for two persons dining al fresco at the Poolside.Aside from the refreshing and summer treats, Diamond Hotel offers its Summer Fun room promo for P5,500 nett that comes with overnight accommodation, Wi-Fi Internet access, buffet breakfast for two, P2000 dining credit, 20 percent discount on massage and laundry, scheduled weekend shuttle service to and from Intramuros, Mall of Asia, and Robinsons Manila, and access to the Health Club and Spa and swimming pool.Diamond Hotel Philippines is located at Roxas Boulevard corner Dr. J. Quintos Street, Manila. For restaurant reservations call (02) 529-3000 ext. 1121.

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ALTAR OF THE BRAVE . A soldier stands guard at the Dambana ng Kagitingan on the eve of the 76th Commemoration of the Day of Valor and Veterans Week at the Dambana ng Kagitingan in Bataan. President Rodrigo Duterte is expected to attend the rites as guest of honor. Presidential Photo

THE gallantry and heroism of the Filipino and American soldiers who fought in World War II will be honored during the 76th anniversary of Araw ng Kagitingan or Day of Valor in Bataan today, Monday. The Philippine Veterans Affairs Office said President Rodrigo Duterte will be the guest of honor and speaker during the commemoration. When the Japanese invaded the Philippines on Dec. 8, 1941, they thought they would conquer the country in less than a month, but they underestimated the heroism and sacrifices of the Filipino and American defenders who held their ground in Bataan. The fighting actually lasted for three months and two days.The delay altered the war plan of the Japanese Imperial Army to conquer the countries in Asia. It also enabled Gen. Douglas McArthur, commander of the US forces in the Philippines, to undertake a daring escape to Australia aboard a torpedo boat on his way to the United States, where he planned a counter attack to retake the Philippines to fulfill his promise to the Filipino people that I shall return. Meanwhile, guerrilla forces were organized across the archipelago to continue the war against the Japanese. And when Bataan surrendered on April 9, 1942, some 60,000 Filipino and American troops were taken prisoners by the Japanese. They were made to walk some 112 kilometers from Mariveles, Bataan, to Capas, Tarlac, under a scorching sun with no food or water for days, and in what is now known the world over as the Death March.Some 18,000 Filipino soldiers and 650 Americans died during the Death March due to exhaustion or were either shot or bayoneted to death. But for the next three years Filipino and American guerrilla forces continued the fight against the highly superior Japanese Imperial Army. On Oct. 20, 1944, McArthur fulfilled his promise to return when he led US and allied forces and made a triumphant landing in Palo, Leyte, to liberate the Philippines. The Japanese were clobbered and forced to retreat, but they were pursued wherever they went. A week later, the USS Submarine Gar (206) transported guns, ammunition and other logistics to the Filipino guerrillas in northern Luzon fighting the remaining Japanese forces until they were crushed and forced Gen. Tomoyuki Yamashita and his men to surrender. PNA
Runners of all ages compete in the first-ever Underpants Run at the Filinvest Abang events center on April , 2018. Ey Acasio

Clad in underwear, loincloths, tutus or body paint, hundreds of semi-naked young people pounded the streets of Manila on Sunday in an unusual race that brought a sweaty spectacle to the capital of the conservative, mainly Catholic Philippines. The citys first-ever Underpants Run drew crowds from dawn as around a thousand runners in skimpy outfits jogged and sprinted around an upscale shopping district in balmy weather. It was a feast for the eyes... people were hyped, 30-year-old runner Ronald Tugade told AFP after completing a five-kilometer (three-mile) segment of the course.Bystanders asked why we were dressed that way, said the IT engineer, who said he had clocked in at a relatively slow 26 minutes because he was somewhat distracted by the many guys with abs, as well as sexy women around him. The race, which participants could choose to run at three, five or 10 kilometres, also attracted a number of local celebrities, with one popular actor and go-karting driver mobbed by female runners.Of course you have to get your body toned for it, but there was no body shaming. All participants were welcome, said Tugade. While more daring participants wore G-strings and body paint, others opted for silly costumes such as grass skirts and baby-blue ballet tutus. Everyone stripped down to their birthday suits or dressed up to the ninesthere were feathers, Egyptian costumes, superhero masks and odes to traditional [tribal loincloths], said a post on the fitness website multisport.ph, the runs co-sponsor.
An animated short inspired by the Dove Self-Esteem Project, the worlds largest provider of self-esteem education.

Dove announces a two-year global partnership with Cartoon Networks Steven Universe to educate young people on body confidence through the cartoons themes of inclusivity and empowerment. This pioneering collaboration comes from the Dove Self-Esteem Project, which has been helping young people build self-esteem and body confidence through educational programmes since 2004. The project is based on the knowledge that over half of girls do not have high body confidence, leading them to avoid spending time with friends and family, put their health at risk and opt-out of important life events. The Dove Self-Esteem Project exists in 140 countries around the world and is committed to reaching 40 million young people by 2020 through its existing educational programmes; and with the help of Steven Universe, will now reach 20 million more, including in Asia Pacific.Using a public health intervention model, the Dove Self-Esteem Project will expand beyond structured workshops delivered by adults to taking educational content direct to young people on a scale never-seen before. And in the case of the projects partnership with Cartoon Network, this will be Steven Universes young viewers to positively impact their self-esteem and body confidence. It has always been important to us that our content resonates with our audience and empowers them, says Christina Miller, president Cartoon Network.The partnership will come to life in a series of six short animated films directed by Steven Universe creator Rebecca Sugar, the first of which premiered recently in the US and in the Philippines on April 23. Working with the Dove Self-Esteem Project, all content has been carefully co-created and grounded in scientific evidence by body image expert, Dr Phillippa Diedrichs at the Center for Appearance Research at the University of the West of England, in order to make a meaningful impact on a young persons self-esteem and body confidence. Critically acclaimed, Steven Universe is the first animated series on Cartoon Network to be created by a woman.
Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is quietly gaining presence in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) space with its Super Carry mini-truck registering over ten-fold jump in sales in 2017-18.

New Delhi: Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) is quietly gaining presence in the light commercial vehicle (LCV) space with its Super Carry mini-truck registering over ten-fold jump in sales in 2017-18.

The company, which launched Super Carry in September 2016, sold 10,033 units of the model in the fiscal ended March 31, 2018, as against just 900 units in 2016-17.

MSI had taken a slow and steady approach in terms of expanding in the 700 kg payload mini truck segment, where it competes with Tata Ace, M&M Supro and Piaggio Porter.

Starting LCV sales in 2016 in select cities, the company has expanded across the country to over 190 sales outlets at the end of March 2018, a spokesperson of MSI said.

"This pan India spread of sales network in 159 cities, combined with excellent product response helped us sell an average of over 1,000 units a month in the past 6 months," the spokesperson said, adding that positive feedback from customers also helped in higher volumes of sales.

In the beginning of this year, Super Carry was available in 162 new commercial outlets in 140 cities in 25 states. When the vehicle was launched in 2016, MSI had started with three cities -- Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Ludhiana.

Earlier this year, the company said it planned to be present across India at all potential locations with an aim to be a significant player in the segment in future.

MSI, however, has a long way to catch up with segment leader Tata Motors, which sold 14,286 units of ACE range of mini trucks in March alone. In contrast, MSI sold 1,412 units of the Super Carry in the same month.

Apart from selling the mini truck in India, the company also exports the vehicle to select African nations such as South Africa and Tanzania.

Launching of Super Carry LCV in India was part of MSI's original agreement with parent Suzuki in 1982 but it was shelved due to poor response from the market at that time.
Posted Sunday, April 8, 2018 5:30 am

April 8, 1993 - 25 years ago

Dr. Jack Howard is no longer superintendent of Marshfield schools.

After a nine-year run as Marshfield R-I Superintendent, Howard turned in his resignation to the board of education Friday night in a special meeting at the junior high school board room.

Following a short executive session, a letter from Howard was read by Board President Pat Bramer asking that Howard be released from his present contract, effective June 30, 1993. Howard has one year remaining on the contract.

Howard resigned Friday to accept the position of superintendent at Lebanon R-III Public Schools, it was announced at a press conference at the schools board building Saturday morning.



The Webster County Health Unit will, after Tuesdays election, apparently be looking more seriously for a new place to hang its hat.

The Health Unit tax increase passed by 106 votes, 1,646 voting for the increase and 1,540 voting against it.

The tax for the Health Unit will go from 10 cents per $100 assessed valuation to 15 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

Health Unit Director Louella Tunnell said the unit will receive a total of approximately $57,000 a year, making the amount they receive around $160,00 a year.



The Marshfield Area Chamber of Commerce office has moved into the Marshfield Shopping Center on the Spur.

The new office will be located in the house that sits beside the building units in the parking lot.

The chamber will now be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and will supply tourist information to travelers coming to Marshfield off Interstate 44.



A dedicated group of Webster Countians are working to offer support and aid to women facing unexpected or crisis pregnancies. The group will open the Crisis Pregnancy Center in Seymour later this spring. The center, organized and run by a group called Forgiven Hearts Inc., is the only facility of its kind in the county.

Julie Thomas of Marshfield is in charge of the center, which is located on Clinton Street (Business 60) on the top floor of the Shalom Enterprises Building in Seymour.



Deaths reported in this issue: John Wesley (JJ) Ruter, 34, Marshfield; Oscar E. Gene Tracy, 66; Verba A. Young, 95; Bill H. Mitchell, 77, Fordland; William B. Diehl, 89.



Dwain and Pauline Sikes of Seymour will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 17 with a reception at the Diggins Community Building in Diggins. Friends and relatives are invited to attend from 1-4 p.m. The omission of gifts is requested.

Hosts will be their children, Warren, Kenneth, Joe, and Betty Sikes, Helen Snelson, and their families. The couple has eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Mr. and Mrs. Dwain Sikes were married on March 18, 1943 in Seymour at the home of Rev. and Mrs. Leonard Dyer.

April 4, 1968 - 50 years ago

James Jones, present president of the Marshfield R-I school board, was re-elected and Stanley Chudomelka was elected to the board in the annual school election Tuesday. Jones received 204 votes and Chudomelka 228. The third candidate for the board, Charles Robbins Jr., received 119.

The vote was extremely small with 240 yes votes for the $3.20 levy and 25 against.



To the surprise of most of the people, President L.B. Johnson announced Sunday night that he would not be a candidate for re-election to the presidency.

The withdrawal has left the two other Democratic candidates, Senators Robert Kennedy and Senator Eugene J. McCarthy without an issue. They have been running on a dove platform in opposition to President Johnsons war policies.

President Johnson said he was giving up the race in order to devote his full attention to the problems of the war and many other problems facing this country.



Post 4101, Veterans of Foreign Wars met Monday evening for their election of officers. Officers elected for the coming year were: Ed Sell, commander; Jesse Cyrus, senior vice-commander; Raymond Boyd, junior vice-commander; Lewis Childress, quartermaster; Harry Sientz, judge advocate; Ernest Bayley, chaplain; Bill West, surgeon; Ed Webb, Mike Jergens, Charles Palmer, board of trustees.

Installation of officers will be held May 6 and will be open to the public.
The Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is in India on a three-day visit, his first overseas tour after taking charge as Nepal's PM for the second term. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: India and Nepal have agreed to give momentum to bilateral cooperation in agricultural sector for the benefit of farmers of both the nations, an official statement said.

The Nepalese Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli is in India on a three-day visit, his first overseas tour after taking charge as Nepal's PM for the second term.

"Prime Ministers of India and Nepal (have) reaffirmed their resolve to promote cooperation in agricultural science and technology, agricultural production and agro-processing in line with the Memorandum of Understanding between the two countries for mutual benefit of farmers, consumers, scientific community as well as the private sector," the two countries said in a joint statement.

India's PM Narendra Modi and his counter-part Oli agreed to give fresh momentum to bilateral cooperation in the agricultural sector and decided to launch a new partnership in agriculture, it said.

The partnership will be anchored by the ministers for agriculture of the two countries and will focus on collaborative projects in agricultural research and development, education, training and scholarships.

The focus will also be strengthening supply and value chain, climate resilience, research in seed technology, soil health; strengthening infrastructure of plant protection laboratories and research in indigenous genetic resources.

Other areas will be animal husbandry veterinary research and development facilities, agro forestry, bio pesticides, bio fertilisers, cooperative farming, and promoting exchanges between the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Nepal Agricultural Research Council (NARC), it said.

"The two sides will organise the first meeting of the partnership at an early date to concretise priority areas of mutual interest and to develop a work plan for joint implementation. The Indian side announced a pilot project on organic farming and soil health monitoring for implementation in Nepal," it added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the CPSE Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan on Monday, according to an official statement.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the CPSE Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan on Monday, according to an official statement.

Senior officers of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and top ministry officials will also attend the conclave, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in the statement.

"The conclave will feature presentations on best practices in CPSEs," it said.

In the afternoon, thematic presentations will be made to the prime minister on subjects such as corporate governance, human resource management, financial re-engineering, and innovation.

He will later address the conclave, the statement added. Last month, officials had said that the prime minister will chair a meeting of heads of top state-run enterprises in April to chalk out a strategy for the functioning and role of CPSEs to realise the vision of a 'new India'.

"The deliberations in the Conclave will lead to formulation of an actionable roadmap to achieve the target of a New India 2022," a senior government official had said.
Rating:

Cast: Nithiin, Megha Akash, K.V. Naresh, Rao Ramesh, Lissy, Narra and others

Director: Krishna Chaitanya



Nithiins Chal Mohan Ranga is in the news for two reasons. The first is the involvement of Pawan Kalyan as co-producer along with Nithiins father Sudhakar Reddy and the second is the story by director Trivikram Srinivas. Mohan Ranga (Nithiin) is not a bit serious about his future but wants to head to the US. Though he gets rejected a few times, he manages to get the visa during the fourth attempt for a funny reason. After landing in the US, he meets a girl (Megha) when her car dashes him. They happen to meet a few times and fall in love unexpectedly. As in usual films, Megha hails from a rich family and Mohan Ranga is from a middle class family. He wishes to be rich and joins a US firm. Both of them want to propose to each other but due to their life goals, they couldnt do so.

Meanwhile, Megha comes back to India to visit her parents in Ooty. Though her parents fix her marriage with another boy, she couldnt forget Mohan Ranga. On the other side, Mohan too comes back to India for Megha and goes to Ooty where she was getting married. What happens next is the crux of the story. It is one of the run-of-the -mill stories, where a boy meets a girl in the US, falls in love and gets separated after some time. The Tollywood has had several films made along these lines. One wonders how could a top writer and director like Trivikram pen a story for Nithiin. Director Krishna Chaitanya, however, tried his best to make this film an entertainer and added a few comic elements. Some of the scenes and dialogues have a strong Trivikram impact.

The first half of the story happens in the US and the second half in Ooty. There are a few hilarious scenes like the Jockey scene and Rao Ramesh and Narra scenes. The climax is good. There are no twists and turns in the story. This is Nithiins 25th film and he performed well. Comp-ared to his earlier films, this role is very energetic and lively and he has done justice to his character. Megha Akash is beautiful but need to work on her expressions to be more successful. In the first half, Madhusudh-anan along with Prabhas Srin-u gives us some funny scenes. The second half is saved by the climax. The director sho-uld have given more space to Rao Ramesh, but he completely reduced his role. Sanjay Swaroop didnt get any dialog-ues though he appeared in so-me scenes in the second half.

The music by Thaman is not up to the mark except for some songs. The cinematography by Nataraja Subramanyam is good and has captured some good locations in Ooty and the US. Dialogues are penned by Krishna Chaitanya.

Finally, Chal Mohan Ranga is a completely predictable film but provides a few hilarious scenes. First half is narrated in an entertaining way and the second half is saved by the climax. Its just a time pass film.
Graduate students from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University recently attended a painting workshop in their college, under the mentorship of senior artist A. Rajeswar Rao.

Head of the department (Painting and Sculpture), K. Srinivasachari elaborates, The Vice-Chancellor of our University, S.V. Satyanarayana always encourages us to organise new media and technique workshops to enhance the creativity of our students. This time, they were introduced to reverse painting on acrylic sheet by one of the most renowned artists of our city, A. Rajeswar Rao.

Enthusiastically sharing his experience with the students, the artist and mentor says, I had a great time with the students during the workshop. They are very creative and came up with fresh perspectives. They absorbed every detail that I shared with them about working on acrylic sheet. I was happy to hear later that some of them are looking forward to pursuing this style in the future.

A fascinating work: Radhas reverse acrylic artwork on display.

The wide array of works created during the workshop are presently on display in the college premises and make for a very impressive experience for the viewers. The students have explored their personal dialogues and concepts through a completely new medium. Sharing her experience, Radha, a student says, The process of work on acrylic sheet starts with drawing and then requires multiple layering of colour applications and frequent scratching or removal. The final work is to be seen from the reverse side. This aspect was very new to us and yet very fascinating. Radhas work consists of a self portrait and an image of her beloved bag.

On the other hand, Upendar Medabonia juxtaposed images of a group of fish within the crisscrossing lines of a net on his picture surface, with the entire composition rendered in a subtle and earthy colour palette. Explaining the inspiration behind the work, he says, I belong to a family of fishermen from Suryapet district. Through my work, I want to make people forget their hardships for some time. Equally noteworthy is a work by T. Pavani rendered in a sepia and black colour palette, consisting of an overlapping cluster of plants with curling twigs that end in leaves. Portraits of girls behind the plants reinforce the importance of women and nature.
The complication also caused internal bleeding but luckily doctors performed surgery just in time to prevent more damage (Photo: Pixabay)

A lot of men dont seem to be willing to admit problems with their private parts and at times this could lead to grave situations. But while self medication is dangerous, sometimes people do things that can leave everyone baffled.

In a situation which can be difficult to explain, a 60-year-old man in China ended up sticking a phone charger down his penis. The reason this man gave for such an act is that his urethra was itchy.

While he pushed the metre long cable down his member, he was alarmed when he wasnt able to pull it out. He had to be rushed to the hospital where the charger was finally removed.

The wire was knotted inside his bladder making things worse when he tried to pull it out. The complication also caused internal bleeding but luckily doctors performed surgery just in time to prevent more damage.
'The CJI has the authority to constitute the benches but under constitutional system every power is coupled with certain responsibilities. The power is required to be exercised not because it exists but for the purpose of achieving public good. You don't exercise the power merely because you have it,' the apex court judge said. (Photo: AP | File)

New Delhi: Justice J Chelameswar, who courted controversy by virtually revolting against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, on Saturday said that impeachment cannot be an answer to every question and problem and there was need to correct the system.

Justice Chelameswar, the senior-most judge after the CJI, said the January 12 press conference he held along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, was the result of "anguish" and "concern" as their deliberations with the CJI did not achieve the desired results on the issues raised by them regarding the functioning of the top court.

The judge, who was holding a talk on the topic 'Role of judiciary in democracy', also answered questions on the priority of the CJI in constituting benches and allocating cases to different judges as the 'master of roster'.

"The CJI is the 'master of roster'. Undoubtedly, the CJI has this power. The CJI has the authority to constitute the benches but under constitutional system every power is coupled with certain responsibilities. The power is required to be exercised not because it exists but for the purpose of achieving public good. You don't exercise the power merely because you have it," he said.

He replied in affirmative when asked whether the power of setting up of benches and allocation of cases should be exercised arbitrarily.

Also Read: SC uprising: The 4 judges who rebelled against CJI Dipak Misra

Asked by eminent journalist Karan Thapar, who was in conversation with the judge, if there is "sufficient ground for seeking impeachment of the Chief Justice of India", Justice Chelameswar said: "Why this question is asked?"

"The other day, someone was asking for my impeachment. I don't know why this nation is worried about impeachment so much. In fact we (along with Justice Gogoi) wrote in the judgement of Justice C S Karnan that apart from that there must be mechanisms to put the system in order."

"Impeachment can't be the answer for every question or every problem. A few days ago I heard somebody asking for my impeachment. Like the saying goes, I don't agree with you but I shall protect your right to say so," he said.

His response came in the backdrop of moves by opposition parties to initiate impeachment proceedings against the CJI. No CJI has ever faced impeachment in the country.

On being asked whether he was apprehensive or feared that Justice Gogoi, who was part of the November 2017 letter written to the CJI and the presser, will not be elevated as the next CJI, Justice Chelameswar said he hoped it does not happen and if it happened, it will be proved that what they said in the January 12 press conference was "true".

"I am not an astrologer... I am not (worried). I hope that does not happen (Justice Gogoi being denied CJI's position). If it happens, it will only prove what we said in the press conference was true," he said.

Regarding the current status of the collegium, whether it's divided 4:1 or dismantled after the discord between the four seniormost judges and the CJI, Justice Chelameswar said the five judges who are part of collegium met last evening as well as last week and even if they have differences, this does not mean they don't see eye to eye.

"None of us are fighting for private property. Differences are on institutional issues, that does not mean that we do not see eye to eye," he said.

In the programme organised by Harvard Club of India, which consist of people who have studied from the American university and are residing here, the judge made it clear that after his retirement on June 22, he would "not seek any employment from the government".

"I am saying it on record that after my retirement on June 22, I will not seek any appointment from the government," he said.

Thapar's conversation with Justice Chelameswar which lasted for 70 minutes was focused on all the recent controversies ranging from appointment of judges to higher judiciary to setting up of benches and allocation of cases on preferential basis, hearing on sensitive cases like judge B H Loya's death, turf war between judiciary and executive over the Memorandum of Procedure.

Also Read: Heres the text of letter given by 4 top judges of SC to CJI

When asked his view on the criticism being made for going public with the presser on the functioning of the institution, he said anybody who enters public office cannot avoid criticism and there was no such principle barring judges interacting with the media.

"Anybody who enters a public office can never avoid criticism. And I was wondering where this principle come from? What was the context that this principle came from? Judges were not expected to debate in the press about the judgements," he said.

"I go somewhere, press would be there, they report something and if I interact with them, is it prohibited? Similarly we were talking about the administrative problems. We were not breaching any of the time-honoured principles that we should not address the press," he said.

Justice Chelameswar refused to answer whether preferential benches were chosen to benefit the government.

"I am not answering this question," he replied.

He also avoided answer to a question that the preferential benches are constituted to get an order or judgement which the chief justice desired.

When asked whether the selective allocation of cases is undermining the faith in the institution, he said "I believe so" and "if the process is not transparent, it will lead to suspicion".
Indrani Mukerjea, who is also the former head of INX media, was rushed to the JJ Hospital from Byculla jail late on Friday night in 'disoriented condition'. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The JJ hospital, where Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case, was admitted on Sunday, stated that she was suffering from pneumonia will be discharged within one to two days.

"As soon as she is cured of pneumonia we will discharge her (Indrani Mukerjea). I think it will take 1-2 days for her to get discharged," doctor of JJ hospital Wiqar Shaik told news agency ANI.

On being asked about her drug overdose, Shaik said, "What drug did she take, when did she take, all these questions will be answered by police."

On April 7, Dean of JJ Hospital, SD Nanandkarp said the preliminary test of Mukerjea indicates a case of poisoning or drug overdose. He further said that the hospital authority is waiting for the final reports to confirm the same.

Mukerjea, who is also the former head of INX media, was rushed to the JJ Hospital from Byculla jail late on Friday night in 'disoriented condition'.
Apart from Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, a host of actors including Dhanush, Vijay, Suriya, Sathyaraj, Sivakumar, Nassar, Vishal, Karthi and Sivakarthikeyan participated in protest being held at Chennai's Valluvar Kottam. (Photo: Twitter/ANI)

Chennai: The Cauvery issue has brought together some of the top names of the Tamil Nadu film fraternity on a common platform. Superstars-turned-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan assembled in Chennai on Sunday demanding the formation of the Cauvery Management Board (CMB), in accordance with the Supreme Courts directions.

Speaking to reporters outside his home, Rajinikanth said that organising Indian Premier League (IPL) matches in the city was an embarrassment at a time when the people of the state were protesting over the Cauvery issue.

According a report in NDTV, he also said that IPL players and spectators should be allowed to sport black bands to register their protest.

The 67-year-old actor also warned the Centre that it would earn Tamil Nadus wrath if the CMB was not constituted on an immediate basis. There has already been a delay, the actor said.

Apart from Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, a host of actors including Dhanush, Vijay, Suriya, Sathyaraj, Sivakumar, Nassar, Vishal, Karthi and Sivakarthikeyan participated in protest being held at Chennai's Valluvar Kottam.

In recent days, stirs, protests, shutdown and hunger strikes have been carried out in the state by political parties over the issue. Farmers agitations have also been witnessed across the state.

A group of farmers in Trichy partially buried themselves in sand on the banks of the Cauvery River on Friday demanding the setting up of Cauvey board.

Read: TN farmers partially bury themselves in sand over Cauvery Management Board issue

On Thursday, opposition parties in Tamil Nadu, including the main opposition held a day-long shutdown in the state.

The ruling AIADMK had also called for a hunger strike on Tuesday.

On 16 February 2018, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to form the CMB to implement a formula for sharing of water between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Also Read: SC Cauvery verdict: TN share reduced, K'taka gets additional 14.75 tmc water

In the ruling, the top court reduced Tamil Nadu's share in the Cauvery water to 177.25 thousand million cubic feet.
MCRC has also suggested a task force inclusive of district officers from Health and Police department and representatives of reputed volunteer organisations should be formed in each district of Maharashtra. (Photo: Representational)

Mumbai: The Maharashtra Child Rights Commission (MCRC) recently issued guidelines to streamline surrogacy.

In the absence of a stringent surrogacy law in the country, the commission has attempted to control the uncontrolled surrogacy centres, agencies, and hospitals.

The directions have been issued to take action against one Prakash Bhostekar, who has two daughters already, wanted a third male child through surrogacy.

The commission said that the surrogacy process shall be initiated only after submitting the report before the Children Court constituted under Section 25 of the Child Rights Protection Commission Act, 2005.

The child rights body has recommended the creation of a state-level monitoring cell to monitor the surrogacy centres and to handle the surrogacy cases as per Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

The MCRC has also said that a task force inclusive of District officers from Health and Police department and representatives of reputed volunteer organisations should be formed in each district of the state.

"The task force shall take care of registration of surrogacy hospitals and protection of surrogate mother and the child. It shall ensure that the centres are running as per the guidelines of the ICMR," the commission said.

It also asked the Maharashtra government to decide the procedure for registration of surrogacy centre and the appropriate authority and shall notify the same.

"The hospitals willing to open surrogacy centres must register with the appropriate authority."

The commission also directed the formation of district level committee comprising District Women and Child Development Officer and District Health officer "to understand the family, social, financial and statutory background of the person/couple to go for surrogacy and to prepare a report about the family".

Maharashtra Child Rights Commission Chairperson Pravin Ghuge says that recommendations of the Child Rights Commission will control the evil-minded surrogacy traders.

"The historical recommendations made by the Child Rights Protection Commission would control all surrogacy centres across the state," Ghuge said.

The chairperson expressed hope that the recommendations shall be implemented with immediate effect.
Following his arrest in Feb, five more women had come forward with their own accusations against Murthy including a senior government officer, a journalist, and a well-known author. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The Bandra court passed the anticipatory bail order in Mumbai-based angel investor Mahesh Murthy's second sexual harassment case, directing the accused to deposit its passport with the Investigating Officer (IO) till further order.

Murthy had filed an anticipatory bail application before the Mumbai Sessions Court after another case of sexual harassment was registered against him on March 20.

The court had initially granted him interim relief, directing the Mumbai Police not to arrest him till April 7.

In February, Murthy was arrested in connection with another case of sexual harassment and alleged stalking of a Delhi woman, who approached National Commission for Women (NCW) for help.

Following his arrest in February, five more women had come forward with their own accusations against Murthy and filed complaints at the Commission; which were duly forwarded to the DGP, Mumbai Police by NCW.

Also Read: Star investor faces heat over messages

The complainants included a senior government officer, a journalist, and a well-known author amongst others.

Bandra police registered the second sexual harassment case after obtaining a statement from one of the five new complainants who had approached the NCW.
Palestinian reporter and photographer Yasser Murtaja died after sustaining wounds inflicted by Israeli forces on the second Friday of Marches of Return, a Palestinian protest against Israels illegal seizure of Palestinian territories 70 years ago which coincides with Israels creation.

Murtaja, 31, is the co-founder of Gaza-based TV production company Ain media. He did drone projects, including drone video, for foreign media clients such as BBC and Al Jazeera English, Israeli media Times of the Israel reports.

He was father of a 2-year old baby. Murtaja was reportedly shot 200 meters from the Israeli security fence with Gaza. The local photographer was covering the second Friday of the Palestinian peaceful protest, which began late last month and expected to continue until mid-May, same date as the 70th celebration of Israels creation.

Although Murtaja was wearing a flak jacket marked press he was shot at. He is the second person to die overnight of wounds in a death toll put at nine for the second day. Around 500 people including 10 other journalists sustained injuries according to Gaza-managed medical services.
'The mantra of 3R - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind,' Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. (Photo: File/ANI)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that all stakeholders must adhere to the "golden principle" of the 3Rs -- Reduce, Reuse and Recycle -- which will significantly help in waste management and sustainable development.

The prime minister's message was to participants of the Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific, to be held in Indore.

"The mantra of 3R - Reduce, Reuse and Recycle- is at the heart of any vision towards the sustainable development of mankind," Prime Minister Modi said.

"The conference, to end on April 12, will look at how the 3Rs can help make cities and countries "clean, smart, liveable and resilient", an official press release said.

"All stakeholders - producers, consumers and the state alike - must adhere to this golden principle which can contribute significantly in solving the twin challenges of waste management as well as sustainable development," Modi said in the message, according to the government release issued in Delhi on Sunday.

The theme of the event at Indore is 'Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air through 3R and Resource Efficiency A 21st-Century Vision for Asia-Pacific Communities'.

The forum will start on Monday with a pre-event ceremony welcoming more than 500 delegates from across India and the world, the release said.

It will be inaugurated by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan and Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on April 10.

Japan's environment minister Tadahiko Ito will also be present at the event.

The forum will see the participation of around 40 mayors of cities from around the world and mayors of more than 100 cities across India.

The highlight of the event will be a series of sessions with mayors focusing on sustainable urban development and forging of inter-municipal partnerships and cooperation at the national and international level.

The conference will end with the signing and subsequent adoption of the Indore 3R Declaration on Achieving Clean Water, Clean Land and Clean Air' in cities by mayors and city authorities.

The Forum will also recognise and reward industries and civil society organisations carrying out exceptional work in the area of 3R for waste management.

The Eighth Regional 3R Forum in Asia and the Pacific will be hosted by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, government of India, and co-organised by the Environment Ministry, government of Japan, and the United Nations Centre for Regional Development of the Division for Sustainable Development/United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the release said.

The forum also seeks to engage the public and private sectors in exploring partnership opportunities in areas of 3R and waste management for moving towards a zero-waste society.
The decision to protest was taken after TDP MPs held meeting at YS Chowdary's residence to decide the future course of action. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarians were on Sunday detained by police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi demanding Special Category Status (SCS) for Andhra Pradesh.

The decision to protest was taken after the party MPs held meeting at Rajya Sabha member and former union minister YS Chowdary's residence in the morning to decide the future course of action. However, all the leaders were detained on the way to Prime Minister's residence by the Delhi Police and CRPF.

"The prime minister is the person to take decisions on SCS. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him," MP Jaydev Galla said.

The Telugu Desam Party withdrew its ministers in the union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The TDP had issued no-confidence motion notices against the government. However, it was never taken up for discussion due to continuous disruptions in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party leaders continue their indefinite hunger strike in New Delhi for the third day for the same demand of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
According to doctors, Russian national V Oleg may have to spend a couple of day in hospital. (Photo: Representational)

Hyderabad: A Russian tourist was beaten up by a farmer in Telangana who mistook him for a thief.

The Russian national, identified as V Oleg, was admitted to Osmania General Hospital in Hyderabad after he suffered injuries on his head, jaw and right arm.

Oleg, who is touring country, was on his way from Nizamabad to Shirdi in Maharashtra when a thunderstorm forced him to stop his journey at Bhiknoor village in the Kamareddy district of Telangana,

According to a report in NDTV, the 44-year-old Russian pitched his tent by the side of an agricultural field. At that time, farmer Mahender Reddy came out to inspect the damage done to his crops due to bad weather.

Reddy saw the pitched tent with Oleg lying inside and mistook him for a thief.

The Russian man was not able to understand what Reddy was saying to him in Telugu and before he could pull out his phone to take help of the Google translator app, the farmer assaulted him with a torch that he was carrying.

Soon, other locals in the area also joined the farmer.

According to doctors, Oleg may have to spend a couple of day in hospital.
On April 9, 2017, a team led by Major Leetul Gogoi tied Farooq Ahmad Dar to the bonnet of an Army jeep to escape heavy stone pelting in central Kashmir's Budgam district. (Photo: File)

Srinagar/New Delhi: An embroidery artisan who created magic on fabric till a year ago and now shunned by neighbours as the Army's human shield against stone-pelters, Farooq Ahmed Dar is a broken man, struggling to pick up the threads of his life.

Suffering from insomnia and depression, boycotted by villagers branding him a government agent and unable to find a job, even as a manual labourer, the 28-year-old says his life was upended exactly 12 months ago.

On April 9, 2017, a team led by Major Leetul Gogoi tied Dar to the bonnet of an Army jeep to escape heavy stone pelting in central Kashmir's Budgam district, the image going on to make global headlines and spotlighting once again the civilian-security polarisation in the Valley.

It was election day in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Dar says he was on his way to cast his vote, braving the boycott call by separatist organisations.

Eight people were killed in police firing on the day.

Investigations by central agencies and local police backed Dar's account of events of the day, blowing away the Army's claim that he was a stone-pelter.

Also Read: Kashmiri youth used as human shield

Investigations found he was on his way to his sister's place for a condolence visit after voting when the Army picked him up and beat him mercilessly before tying him with ropes and parading him through nearly 28 villages.

"What was my mistake? Going to the polling booth and casting my ballot? Dar asked with tears rolling down his cheek.

"I am unable to sleep. Even medicines are ineffective. No one is giving me any work. The government is silent and the judiciary is moving at its own pace," Dar told news agency PTI in a video interview.

Prodded to speak about his life after the incident, Dar said he faced a social boycott as people in his village Chill, in Budgam district, had distanced themselves after they learnt he had participated in the election process.

"I regret moving out of my house on that day, he added in Kashmiri, as a friend who had stuck by him through the 12 months consoled him.

One of five brothers and sisters, Dar, whose father passed away some years ago, said the incident has snatched his fundamental right to live.

"No one is giving me any work. I decided to work as a labourer but my human shield tag walks a pace ahead of me. At times, I wonder whether such an act of cowardice could be rewarded by the Army. Is this the message that India wants to send to Kashmir? he asked, referring to Gogoi being commended by the Army chief for his act.

"I am not a politician nor do I intend to become one. But if casting a ballot is crime, who is going to come out to vote," Dar said.

Dar pointed to television discussions on the issue.

"Neither those who defended me nor those who defended the Army officer had even the remotest idea of my mental state," Dar said.

He said his mother Fiza Begum suffers from heart disease and he does not have money for her treatment.

"I have been living on dole from my friends and some relatives as I have no source of income. I wanted to make it big by making a beautiful Kashmiri shawl but I became famous for all the wrong reasons," Dar said.

His ordeal has entered mainstream discourse.

The human shield' episode is even referenced in the recent Bollywood film Baaghi 2, where the hero, an Army officer, is reportedly shown tying a civilian to his jeep for disrespecting the national flag, leading to criticism that the film was trying to glorify human rights abuses.

In July 2017, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission awarded Dar Rs 10 lakh as compensation. But this was rejected by the state's PDP-BJP government, which said there were no rules under which it could pay the money.

"The news about the compensation made this worse for me. People in my neighbourhood made sarcastic remarks about the compensation and criticised me for seeking justice for myself.

It is not about the money but my dignity. If it is proved I was pelting stones, hang me. Or punish those responsible for my miserable present and and bleak future," Dar said with a note of desperation in his voice.

"If Ahsan Untoo and advocate Zafar Qureshi had not highlighted my plight, the world would have never known what I underwent," he said.

Mohammad Ashan Untoo, head of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights group in the Valley, has filed a review petition against the decision to not give Dar compensation in the State Human Rights Commission. A plea on the matter has also been filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

"One day we will get justice," Untoo said.

In his view, New Delhi should be eager to hear the case of a person who believes in democracy but has become a victim of the Army's high handedness.

Untoo added that is also planning to sue the producer and director of Baaghi 2.

"An act of cowardice is being used to stoke so-called nationalistic passions, he said. The video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the Gogoi's jeep had gone viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former generals said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army.

The state police registered a case of abduction with intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

The police, in its investigations, said Dar was "tied to an Army vehicle as human shield under threat, kept in wrongful confinement and has been paraded around...
According to animal lovers, donkeys are being indiscriminately slaughtered and the meat is being sold openly,

Hyderabad: Rampant misinformation that donkey meat will cure asthma and snoring has led to the massacre of donkeys in Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Telangana.

There is no medical evidence to support this preposterous claim yet certain communities and groups continue to eat donkey meat in the belief that it provides strength, stamina and virility.

Dr Manish Kumar, ENT surgeon at Government Hospital Koti says, No meat of any animal can stop snoring. It is an internal problem in the body where the shape of the skeleton and also the underlying conditions like obesity are responsible. There is no truth in the rumours of any meat consumed helping to stop snoring.

Dr C. Shekar Singh, senior ENT surgeon confirmed that These are all baseless rumours. There is no medical evidence or any kind of study which says that any food substance can help to combat snoring.

According to animal lovers, donkeys are being indiscriminately slaughtered and the meat is being sold openly, violating the Food Safety and Standard Authority of India (FSSAI) norms in many parts of both states, more particularly in Tadepally in Guntur district, Chirala and Bapatla in Prakasam district and Hyderabad and Kurnool.

In Tadepally, butchers are displaying boards stating that donkey meat will cure ubbasam (asthma) as well as snoring.

Donkey meat is not listed as an edible meat by the FSSAI. On August 6, 2014, the FSSAI and Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare issued an order defining an animal as belonging to any of the species (i) Ovines (ii) Caprines (iii) Suillines (iv) Bovines and Poultry and Fish.

Gopal Surabathula, an animal rescue activist, said that in some African countries thousands of donkeys are being killed for their skins, which is sold to China for use in traditional medicine.

He said that there is information that skins of Indian donkeys too are being sold to China. He said that the demand for donkey hide, which is boiled to produce gelatine, is the key ingredient in a Chinese medicine called ejiao.

The demand from China has raised the price and the rate of slaughter of the animals in the developing countries. The Guardian newspaper in Great Britain recently carried a news report quoting Emma Farrant, president of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, saying: It is what we refer to as a blood tonic. Its good for building up the body and helps with what is known in Chinese medicine as blood deficiency, for conditions such as anaemia and heavy periods and dry coughs.

Donkey meat has no medicinal value: Docs

Though donkey meat has no medicinal value, from time immemorial, donkey milk has been hailed as an anti-ageing skin tonic and cure for various ailments.

The medicinal value of the milk was first heralded by the Greek physician Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who used to prescribe it for various ailments ranging from nose bleeding to snake bite. The milk is believed to cure combat fever, liver problems, joint pain, infectious diseases, nose bleeds and even poisoning.

Donkey milk is also being given to newborns in various parts of South India, especially in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, and some parts of AP.

Pope Francis recently revealed that as a baby he was fed donkey milk as a supplement for mothers milk.

It is also believed to cure bronchitis, asthma and skin diseases such as eczema and psoriasis and erase facial wrinkles, maintain the whiteness of the skin and to make it more soft and supple.

According to a BBC report, donkey milk is proving to be a viable alternative for young children and infants in Italy who are allergic to cow's milk. More than 50 per cent of the milk produced is sold directly to paediatric units in northern Italy.
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)

Bhopal: Police on Sunday launched a probe to trace 140 students of a polytechnic school in district headquarters town of Morena in Madhya Pradesh after the authorities of the educational institution found them missing.

The students are facing charges of indulging in violence during Bharat Bandh in Morena town on April 2.

According to the police, FIR was registered against 185 students of the school on charges of involvement in the violence during Bharat Bandh called by the Dalit outfits to protest against dilution of SC, ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

In another development, the Bhind district administration on Sunday decided to impose curfew between April 9-14 to maintain law and order during ensuing Ambedkar Jayanti on April 14.

The district administration also cancelled all gun licenses in the district and asked the gun holders to deposit their weapons in the nearest police stations.
Sudarshan H.V., another student, who attended the test in the city also found it challenging to complete the questions for Mathematics on time. However, Physics and Chemistry sections were easy to solve, he said.

Bengaluru: Engineering and technology aspirants from the country who took the Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) Mains on Sunday felt that the paper was moderate in terms of the difficulty level.

The pen and paper (offline) mode for the test in the state was conducted at centres in Bengaluru, Hubbali and Mangaluru in the state.Ananya R. Rao, a student from Mysuru, said she felt the Mathematics paper was lengthy. The paper, in total, was very much comparable to the question paper of 2016, she said.

Sudarshan H.V., another student, who attended the test in the city also found it challenging to complete the questions for Mathematics on time. However, Physics and Chemistry sections were easy to solve, he said.

Corroborating the candidates response, subject experts felt that Mathematics questions required lengthy calculations to reach a solution. Even though the test was of the multiple choice type, this made them feel Math questions were tough. Physics and Chemistry questions were relatively easily this year, said Sarith Nair, General Manager of T.I.M.E Bengaluru.

Dr H.N Subrahmanyam, HoD of Physics, IIT JEE Achiever Program, BASE remarked that the Physics paper was also lengthy posing a challenge for many candidates.

Even though the questions were from standard sources, seven out of the total 30 questions were time-consuming, while another three of them appeared to be tricky, he said.

As many as 11 lakh candidates in the country had registered this year to take the test which is the gateway to securing admissions in engineering and technological institutes.

The test conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) also marks the eligibility for 2.24 lakh candidates out of the total to appear for JEE (Advanced), which is considered for admissions to Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) and other most sought institutions.
Hyderabad: The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) is losing out on revenue of Rs 100 crore. It recently enhanced the lease rates of 1,037 properties whose lease period was less than 25 years and increased its income from Rs 30 crore to Rs 100 crore.

There are another 1,333 properties for which the lease period is more than 25 years. It is neither collecting rent on nor renewing the leases of these properties, allegedly due to political pressure. Some of the properties were leased out as far back as the 1950's and 1960's.

If the GHMC Act is amended, the corporation will have the potential to collect another Rs 100 crore. However, political influences have ensured that the Act is not amended, thus denting the corporation's revenue.

A recent study has revealed that the GHMC has lost out on over Rs 100 crore over the past decade because of its failure to renew leases. When queried about the subject, a senior GHMC official said that the corporation had no legal right to enhance lease rates. He, however, added that even if the corporation issued a demand notice from 2011, it would collect at least Rs 100 crore.
New Delhi: A special court for CBI cases in Mumbai has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billionaire jeweller Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in the Punjab National Bank fraud case.

Officials said that now that a court has issued NBWs the investigating agency can approach the Interpol to get Red Corner notice issued against both Mr Modi and Mr Choksi.

The duo have refused to join investigations into one of the biggest banking scam of the country involving Rs 12,700 crore. The CBI had written on the jewellers official e-mail IDs asking them to join the probe but they refused to do so on account of business engagements and health issues.

Earlier, the probe agency had claimed to have traced Mr Modi to Hong Kong and the external affairs ministry had sent a request to that country for his provisional arrest. A provisional arrest is made pending a formal extradition request.

The CBI has also questioned several bank officials who had arranged credit for Mr Modi and Mr Choksi on the basis of forged Letters of Undertaking issued by the PNBs Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The agency has also summoned an official who handled foreign exchange transactions.
Thiruvananthapuram: A delegation of NORKA -Roots will be visiting Kuwait to tap job opportunities for nurses in Kerala as well as other Indian states. The recruitment of nurses from the state to Kuwait has been hit since 2015 after the Centre decided to make all recruitment of nurses through the e-Migrate portal of the Ministry of External Affairs. Kuwait has been one of the most sought-after destinations for nurses from India considering the high remuneration.

Government sources said that even as the Kuwait Health Ministry recently decided to make recruitment of Indian nurses through government agencies, NORKA-Roots, which is one of the government recruiting agencies, is yet to receive any placement orders. Hence it was decided to depute a delegation to hold discussions with officials of Kuwait Health Ministry.

A delegation comprising NORKA Roots chief executive officer Harikrishnan Namboothiri and NORKA Roots recruitment manager Ajith Kolassery would be going to Kuwait this month. They would be holding discussions with Kuwait Health Ministry officials and try to sort out issues pertaining to recruitment of nurses through NORKA Roots. Since it is a matter involving another country, the visit of NORKA Roots delegation would require the nod of the Ministry of External Affairs, said sources.

The centre had restricted recruitment of nurses to Gulf countries through e-Migrate portal from 2015 in the wake of the massive exploitation by unscrupulous elements. Heavy commissions of up to Rs. 20 lakh was being charged by the agents. It was in view of the massive irregularities in recruitment that the Kuwait Health Ministry also recently decided to recruit nurses through government agencies. Since 2015, Kerala and Kuwait government officials held several rounds of talks to clear the impasse over recruitment of nurses. But those had remained inconclusive.
State Agency Says Tourism Inflow Increases by 33% in March

By Gvantsa Gabekhadze

(TBILISI)--Giorgi Chogovadze, Head of the National Tourism Administration, stated on Tuesday that last month the number of tourists in Georgia increased by 33 percent and the number of international travelers increased by 13.2 percent.Chogovadze announced that 578, 514 international travelers visited Georgia in March, which means 13.2 percent increase compared to the same period of the previous year.The largest number of visitors arrived from:Azerbaijan - 133 448,Armenia - 109 371,Turkey  100, 721Russia - 91 529,Iran  58,828.Chogovadze announced that positive tendency has been maintained from the EU countries:United Kingdom  74 % increase,Germany  47 % increase,Latvia  45 % increase,Lithuania  35 % increase,France  25 % increase.In the first three months of 2018, Georgia hosted 1,463,561 international visitors (15.5 % increase) and 659,338 tourists (28.2 % increase).
New Delhi: In an unprecedented move in the annals of judiciary, four senior most judges of the Supreme Court on Friday questioned the unilateral and biased decisions of the Chief justice of India Dipak Misra in allocation of important cases to junior judges.

In a joint press conference, Justice J Chelameswar (number 2 in seniority), (Justices Ranjan Gogoi (number 3) Madan B Lokur (number 4) and Kurian Joseph (number 5), who felt that they were being sidelined, alleged that the situation in the Supreme Court was not in order and said many "less than desirable" things have taken place in the last few months. The conference was held at the residence of Justice Chelameswar, who led the briefing.

In an apparent warning, the judges said lack of impartiality in allocation of high profile cases and constitution of benches with junior judges could imperil Indias democracy.

They said though they wrote a seven-page letter to the CJI two months ago (on allocation of work), the allocation of two petitions on Friday seeking a probe into the death of former CBI sessions judge BH Loya who discharged BJP President Amit Shah in the Sohrabuddin fake encounter case, to a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra (number 10 in the rank) triggered the controversy.

Meanwhile highly placed sources in the judiciary denied that the CJI was taking decisions in a biased manner. It was pointed out the CJIs conscience is clear. All high profile cases are allocated uniformly to the top four judges, Chelameswar, Gogoi, Lokur and Joseph. Sources refused to comment on the allegation relating to composition of Constitution Benches with junior judges, except saying there is no bias and norms are being followed.

Justice Chelameswar said this is an extraordinary event for the history of any nation, more particularly this nation, an extraordinary event in the history of this institution of judiciary. It is with no pleasure we are compelled to take this call for a press conference but sometimes the administration of the Supreme Court is not in order and many things which are less than desirable which have happened in the last few months.

He said, We tried to collectively persuade the Chief Justice that certain things are not in order and therefore remedial measures need to be taken, unfortunately our efforts failed.

Asked whether allocation of petitions in Loyas case was the flash point, they said we all met the CJI in his chambers this morning with a specific request, which unfortunately could not convince him that we were right; therefore, we were left with no choice to but to communicate it to the nation.

They said, All four of us are convinced that unless this institution is preserved and it maintains its equanimity, democracy will not survive in this country or any country. For a survival of a democracy it is said that a hallmark of a good democracy is an independent and impartial judge".

To a specific question what are the remedies now? Do you want the Chief Justice of India to be impeached? Justice Chelameswar said, "We are not saying anything now. Let the nation decide, we are nobodies to decide.

On his part Justice Gogoi said Whatever Justice Chelameswar has told you is the whole of it, it is the discharge of a debt to the nation that has brought us here and we think that we have discharged the debt to the nation. More is in the letter, beyond this I don't think there is any other issue we need to address".

Justice Gogoi said, I dont want another 20 years later wise men in this country blame that Chelamesawar, Ranjan Gogoi, Madan Lokur and Kurian Joseph sold their souls, they didn't take care of this institute. So we place it before the people of this country. We dont want to say anything more. The letter speaks for itself.
Bengaluru: Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday. Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Rahul said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if the SP and the BSP were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Rahul predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger." "...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Rahul said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?" And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."

"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said. Rahul was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Rahul expressed confidence of overcoming it. "We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has put it in," he said. The Congress president also ruled out an emergence of any third front. Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Rahul alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said. Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Rahul said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Pradesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck. He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him. In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister. Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

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TDP MPs protest at the forecourt of the Parliament demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Vijayawada: The agitation by Andhra Pradesh MPs in New Delhi on Sunday saw YSR Congress MP Varaprasad being hospitalised after his blood pressure fell, and Telugu Desam MPs being arrested by the Tuglak Road police as they protested outside the Prime Ministers residence.

Mr Prasad, who was on a hunger strike at the AP Bhavan, was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia hospital, where he continued his hunger strike.

The protesting MPs are demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh. Later Mr Prasad was moved to the ICU.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has extended his support to the agitating TD MPs in New Delhi. CPI national secretary D. Raja also expressed his solidarity to YSRCP MPs on their indefinite hunger strike.

Y.S. Vijayamma, wife of the former chief minister, the late Y.S. Rajshekhar Reddy, visited the YSRC MPs at the Andhra Bhawan. The hunger strike has been ongoing for 40 hours now.

Mr Kejriwal visited the TD MPs at Tughlak Road police station and expressed his solidarity with their demand for special status.

Meanwhile, Visakhapatnam MP Kambhampati Haribabu lambasted the Telugu Desam MPs protest near the PMs residence.

Will anybody be spared if they carried out a protest near the Chief Minister's residence? Mr Haribabu questioned.

He asked how the CM could make a U-turn one- and-a-half years after consenting to the special package in lieu of special status.
Vijayawada: The YSRC chief Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy has alleged that district collectors are also part of the ongoing corruption in the state, under the leadership of the Chief Minister.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle at Chintalapudi village in Guntur district on Sunday during his padayatra, Mr Jaganmohan Reddy stated that G.O. No. 22 is the mother of all corruption in the state. He called the Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu the Don of the sand mafia, and openly accused him of being the root cause of the rampant corruption in the state, including at the Collectorate level.

The leader of the opposition questioned how anybody can say that the CM is not a party to the activities of the sand mafia when thousands of lorries carting sand from the nearby sand reaches of the Capital region villages are moving past his house regularly.

On the involvement of District Collectors he questioned how high tech machinery is being allowed for excavation of sand and mud from the sand reaches in the villages of Uddhandarayuni Palem, Rayapudi, Penumaka, Lingayapalem, Munnangi and Kollipara, which are in the vicinity of the CMs residence. Is it not going against the guidelines framed for fixing the sand mafia? he asked.

He said the tender criteria for every project and scheme is pre-fixed in the Naidu government, and alleged that all contract work at larger level is being given on nomination basis. Rates are being escalated and the exchequer is looted, he observed.

Sharing his opinion on the ongoing special status agitation, he felt that had the TD joined the YSRC MPs agitation, it would have forced the hand of the Centre. But Naidu was worried that the Centre would book cases against him for the Insider Trading he had resorted to before the formation of the Capital, and so compromised the interests of the state.
Bengaluru: Making a determined effort to capture the hearts of Bengalureans (the district has 28 Assembly seats) and woo the dominant Vokkaliga and Lingayat communities, AICC President Mr Rahul Gandhi on Sunday profusely praised Lingayat icon Basavanna and the founder of Bengaluru, Kempe Gowda.

Addressing the valedictory of the Janaashirvada Yatre at Palace Grounds here on Sunday, Mr Gandhi said the Congress had always followed the thoughts of Basavanna and Kempe Gowda. Bengaluru today stood out prominently on the world map, something the US President had acknowledged with his statement that only China and India can compete with the US. The reason for Indias soaring capability is Bengaluru, as people here think like Basavanna and Kempe Gowda, he said.

The mood in Karnataka is in favour of the Congress party and we will win the election," Gandhi said and devoted his speech to attacking the Modi government. "Wherever Modi ji goes, he speaks his Mann ki baat. I would like to tell you that the Congress party will listen to your Mann ki baat and on the basis of what is in your mind, we will run the government."

We will work towards progress by taking everyone together. It will be a government of everyone, of every religion, caste and language, he told the gathering. Gandhi also said the Karnataka elections was a fight between two ideologies.

On one side, the Congress works for uniting everyone, spreads brotherhood and love. On the other side, the BJP follows the RSS and Nagpur's ideology. It's the ideology of spreading anger, hate and dividing people."

He also attacked BJP president Amit Shah for his remarks equating opposition parties with animals. "I want to tell you from this stage that no Congress leader can ever make such statement." Taking a dig at Prime Minister Mr Narendra Modi for raking up corruption issues in Karnataka, Mr Gandhi said the PM had BJP state president Mr B.S. Yeddyurappa-who had gone to jail on corruption charges- next to him on the dais when he attended programmes in the state.

Continuing his tirade against the PM, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah quipped that after the bypolls in Nanjangud and Gundlupet which the BJP lost, their Mission-150 seats had come down to 50. He claimed the JD(S) was planning to join hand with the BJP in case of a fractured mandate and said a vote given to the JD(S) was an indirect vote for the BJP. The CM claimed that the Congress which had Won 13 seats of the 28 in Bengaluru city in 2013, would win at least 25 this time.

Rahul no longer a greenhorn, a pushover

Many would have expected the 47-year old bachelor president of the Indian National Congress to squirm and stutter, as he interacted with a big gathering of women at the Atria hotel in the city.

But Rahul Gandhi had matured, he was not the politico forever lost for words. He handled queries with elan, asking former foreign secretary Nirupama Rao if she could be his advisor as he needed a bit of advice in foreign affairs. He had answers for all of them and they were all there-Kiram Mazumdar Shaw of Biocon, theatre personality Arundathi Nag, film maker Kavita Lankesh, sister of Gauri Lankesh, biz honcho Vinita Bali and Akkai Padmashali, transgender activist. The audience was impressed no doubt as Rahul spoke about education, child rights, Dalit anger now rising across the nation and the need to regard the third sex with empathy and dignity. He, as one of those who attended the session remarked, had come of age and was no longer a 'greenhorn,' a pushover, as many had thought when he first burst on the political scene a couple of decades ago. He had grown in stature and also added a few inches-after feasting on 'Gujju' delicacies during polls in PM Modi's home state and now in Karnataka too. For that, Rahul happily passed on the blame to CM Siddaramaiah, veteran, Mallikarjun Kharge and KPCC president Dr G. Parameshwar for not doing enough to stop him! As for exercise, there was hardly any time. There was thunderous applause coming his way when he spoke of the need for more women to enter Parliament, proportionate to their population-the Congress was evidently much more pro-women that it had been.

Erudite, intelligent and most of all, remarkably transparent. That was the impression one carried away from the session. Someone asked him how he dealt with all the attention, all that hate mail and trolling and pat came the answer. "My father Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991 by an LTTE bomber, and in 2009, came the news of LTTE supremo Prabhakaran's death, shot dead by the Lankan military. There were many who thought I would have carried the hate in my mind, but I felt none of it; instead I was sad, torn and upset, wondering how his family would deal with the loss. And so did my sister Priyanka," he said, sending out a subtle message that there was no room for bitterness in politics when there was already too much of it around.
HYDERABAD: From the day Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had announced his plans for setting up the third front, party MLAs have started putting the pressure on him to contest from their district.

It is presumed that Mr Rao will contest for the Lok Sabha seat in the next general elections as he had announced that he will play a key role in the national politics after 2019 general elections.

In the past, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief was elected to the Lok Sabha from Karimnagar and Mahabubnagar Lok Sabha constituencies.

This time, however, TRS MLAs from Nalgonda have requested their party chief to contest from the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency during the 2019 general elections.

Currently, Gutta Sukhe-ndar Reddy is representing the Nalgonda Lok Sabha constituency. In 2014 elections, Mr Gutta was elected from the Telugu Desam but later joined the TRS. Recently Mr Gutta was appointed the chairman of the Telangana Rythu Saman-waya Samithi.

TRS MLAs from Karimnagar too have also invited the Chief Minister to contest from the Karimnagar Lok Sabha constituency., which is currently represented by G. Vinod Kumar.

Like in 2014. the elections for the Telangana Assembly and the Lok Sabha will be held at the same time.

The TRS leaders believe that their winning chan-ces will get a major boost if the party chief contests from their district.

Another reason is that if Mr Rao contests from their district, the financial burden of the election campaign may come down for them.

The Lok Sabha constituency from where the TRS chief will contest will look after the financing the electioneering.

The MLAs cannot spend the entire amount since the party will share to some extent.

Sources in Telanganas ruling party said that the TRS chief may prefer to contest from the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat to contest in the 2019 elections as he was elected twice from this constituency.
Bengaluru: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday asserted BJP would not win the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose from Varanasi under a 'united' opposition.

He predicted a collapse not seen in many years for the current dispensation and exuded confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations.

Gandhi was having an informal interaction with the media here on the conclusion of his sixth leg of campaign for the May 12 Karnataka assembly polls.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, he said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if Congress, SP and BSP were united against him.

Frankly, I don't see BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense, he said in reply to a question on Dalit anger.

Because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple, he said.

Pointing to opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by DMK, Trinamul and Nationalist Congress Party, Gandhi asked, Where are they (BJP) going to win seats? And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over.

You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years, he said.

To a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

We will manage it. We in Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it,he said. The basic thing is how to get the country out of the mess that Modi and RSS has put it in, he said.
Political war erupted between the ruling BJP and the principal Opposition party Congress immediately after the very contentious Budget Session of Parliament ended on Friday, indicating that the time between now and the upcoming Lok Sabha election  whether it is advanced or held on schedule  may be full of ugly confrontation.

It is the intensity of what the saffron party threw at the Congress that appeared surprising, considering that the Congress won only 44 Lok Sabha seats in 2014. Evidently, the BJP still sees it as a potent foe.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah opened their gun muzzles almost simultaneously on Friday, the former from Delhi and the BJP chief in Mumbai, where he opened a major party workers conference on the 38th anniversary of the BJPs founding. The duo chose to speak in high decibels.

Mr Shahs intervention was perhaps the more striking for comparing the Opposition  the Congress being the principal target  with snakes and dogs and other creatures of the animal kingdom.

This was surprising even for this country where the tone of the political discourse has dipped forebodingly. It can now be recorded with certainty that genteel language in politics, alive until recently, can now only be found in the archives.

The Prime Minister, in contrast with Mr Shah, accused the Congress of spreading lies. If this is a riposte to the points being raised by the challenger in the recent period, then it would seem that the point has gone home. It wasnt thought likely that a party, which is said to have no base left in many parts of the country, would be deemed so much of a threat.

Surprisingly, Mr Modi returned to a ploy he used in the last election  that the Congress didnt like him because he was from the backward caste and had yet become PM. At a time when as many as four dalit BJP MPs have written to Mr Modi complaining about the partys stance on dalits, this is unlikely to be a gambit that would appeal to the poor.

In less than a week from now both the BJP and the Congress plan to hold nationwide protests from opposing perspectives. After the end of the Budget Session, MPs of both parties (including Rahul and Sonia Gandhi for the Congress and Cabinet ministers on the BJP side) confronted each other in the Parliament Complex. In the House, as a sign of stepped-up confrontation, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar accused Sonia and Rajiv personally of disrupting proceedings  a factual inaccuracy.

Given the level of bad blood that prevails, the Congress boycotted the Speakers tea on Friday. Many are not happy the way the Speaker handled the demands of the Opposition to be heard, but the tea was a point of protocol and should have been adhered to.
Supreme Court judge J. Chelameswar has fired a clear warning about the health of the nations judiciary. He may be prejudging events when he speaks about the next Chief Justice, but here too his message is clear: if Justice Ranjan Gogoi is superseded, it means hes paying the price for speaking up at the unprecedented press conference at Justice Chelameswars residence some time ago. It hardly bears repeating that the independence and pre-eminence of the judiciary, one of the key organs of the State, must never be compromised. Just a few months before retirement, Justice Chelameswar has become even bolder in expressing his fears openly on the present government intervening in the judiciary and over the erosion of the independence of the highest in the judiciary.

While the system now is that the Chief Justice is the Master of the Roster, theres little harm in studying if a more collective method of allotting cases shouldnt be devised. The Collegium is the forum Justice Chelameswar projects for this, so decision-making is more inclusive and not subject to the CJIs whims and fancies. He even went to the extent of suggesting that the Jayalalithaa disproportionate assets case was one of preferential allotment, but only to show how the judiciary was swayed by the executive. The process must be transparent enough to ensure there arent any suspicions over impartial dispensation of justice. Justice Chelameswars view that impeachment isnt the answer  there has been talk of political parties planning such a move against the CJI  and that an internal mechanism is necessary to handle issues is significant. Such a system might make it easier for people to retain their faith in the highest judiciary.
The political system is, in essence, an enabler of democracy. In an ideal world, of course. In India, the system is highly paradoxical in nature: As a system, it is fluid enough to absorb new ideologies and alliances. At the same time, it is rigid enough to withstand continuous male domination. Today, as more women in the country assert their rights, are educated and working in various fields - to what is this tantamount without political change?

'Political power key to social progress'

In order to achieve social progress, the empowerment of women in the political system is binding. As Dr B.R Ambedkar said, "political power is the key to all social progress," it obligates women participation not only at political leadership level but also at integration of women in all political spheres. Gender balance in political participation and decision-making is the internationally agreed target set in the Beijing Declaration. In fact, UN Women Report (2013) on Women's Leadership and Political Participation found that women demonstrate political leadership by working across party lines through parliamentary women's caucuses - even in the most politically combative environments.

Nevertheless, statistics indicate alarming conditions of women participation in mainstream Indian politics. The current Lok Sabha has 66 women MPs compared to the First Lok Sabha, which had 22. This implies that seven decades of democracy in independent India has achieved a mere threefold increase in the number of women MPs. The average share of women parliamentarians differs from region to region. As of June 2017, these were (single, lower and upper houses combined): Nordic countries, 41.7 per cent; Americas, 28.1 per cent; Europe including Nordic countries, 26.5 per cent; Europe excluding Nordic countries, 25.3 per cent; sub-Saharan Africa, 23.6 per cent; Asia, 19.4 per cent; Arab States, 17.4 per cent; and the Pacific, 17.4 per cent. Globally, there are 38 States in which women account for less than 10 per cent of parliamentarians in single or lower houses, as of June 2016. Only two countries have 50 per cent or more women in parliament in single or lower houses: Rwanda with 61.3 per cent and Bolivia with 53.1 per cent.

States of prejudice

The average representation of women MPs (12.15%) is higher than the national average of women MLAs in state assemblies, which stands at a dismal 9%. There exists a prejudice that few women are willing to or have taken the political plunge, number of women contestants tells an interesting story. But the data disproves the same patriarchic perception. Between 1957 (the earliest data available) and 2015, the total number of women contestants has increased from 45 to 668. That is a whopping 15 fold increase in the number of women contesting. In fact it is other way around. That means if we look at male contestants during the same span, the number has increased from 1474 to 7583 meaning the rise has been five-fold. This indicates the level of willingness amongst women to be part of political leadership.

Higher success rate

Women representatives have had a greater success rate in terms of being re-elected than men, as per election trends. In 1971, the success rate for men representatives was 18%, whereas it was 34% for women. The 16th Lok Sabha election results appear to reach the same outcome: the success rate was 6.4% for women and 9.3% for women. States have different experiences in terms of electing women representatives at state assemblies. For example, of the 225 seats in the 14th Karnataka Legislative Assembly, there are six elected women and one nominated. That is less than three percent of the total strength.

Why is the degree of representation still so low? It is argued that parties only nominate women to seats where their chances are low anywhere, being risk-averse and not seeing their female counterparts as capable of carrying the party to victory. This indicates that women still have only de jure rather than de facto access in exercising their political rights. There were a total of 175 female candidates of the 2945 candidates. The Congress gave tickets to 8; the BJP had 7 contestants and JD(S) scored high among the parties with 12 candidates in the fray. 67 of these women were independents. Why is there such a dismal record with the political parties, as far as giving tickets to women is concerned? In fact reservation came is a reparation in empowering the women in political participation and decision making. Thus, 73rd and 74th constitutional amendments enacted to ensure 33 per cent of the seats in local governments for women.

Misuse of reservations:

The implementation of reservation for women was misused in male- dominated families. Several reports by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj found that in most cases, husbands control the elected women representatives irrespective of the three tiers. There is another view that greater participation in terms of women leadership at the apex level in the political parties and the administrative positions would be a pre-condition for their economic and social emancipation.

Reforms

Ironically, though women in India have held the highest positions including those of President, Prime Minister as well as Chief Ministers of various states in India, the country ranks 20th from the bottom in terms of representation of women in Parliament, as per the World Economic Forum's Global Gender Gap Report 2012. Also, the Women's Reservation Bill (108th amendment) was not passed in Parliament during the period when Pratibha Patil was President of India and Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson of the UPA. This indicates that mere political leadership at top levels will not enhance the woman's emancipation in the mainstream politics but There is a need for legislative and constitutional reforms to ensure women's fair access to political spheres as voters, candidates, elected officials and civil service members.

(As told to Ralph Alex Arakal)
Saakashvili Announces Revolution in Georgia

By Vladimer Napetvaridze

Mikheil Saakashvili published a video, where he speaks about the hard political and economic situation in Georgia. In the first part the third President of Georgia criticizes Bidzina Ivanishvili and accuses him of conspiring with the banks, in the second part he speaks about the possible way to solve the economic problems and develop the country, and in the third part he speaks about increasing the state pension and salary of teachers and policemen.In the beginning of the video, Saakashvili speaks about how much the profit of banks operating in Georgia has increased compared to 2012, on the other hand, provides the number of citizens who have addressed a pawnshop in 2017. He described the situation in Georgia as catastrophic, and claims its caused by the business mafia existing in the country: Ivanishvili does the same thing in Georgia that he was doing in Russia in the 90s. He has negotiated with several banks and with their support he is destroying Georgian economy. The numbers don't lie - in 2012, when the economy was growing fast, the net income of banks was 130 million GEL, after 2012, during the Georgian Dream governance, the net income of the banks grew at least six times and reached almost 900 million GEL. In 2012, the number of citizens with a bank debt was 110,000. Now this number has grown to 250,000. Only in 2017, over 600 000 citizens addressed a pawnshop. Out of total 3 million people in Georgia, every fifth person has addressed pawnshops - this is a real economic catastrophe, Saakashvili stated.As for the second part of the statement, where Saakashvili speaks about a possible way of dealing with the difficult economic situation, the ex-president did not specify any details. He said that after defeating the business mafia, the real power will be transferred to small and medium business and this will support the economic growth: "I, Mikheil Saakashvili, address to this mafia: we will abolish your governance, and return the power to Georgian families, every Georgian and small and medium business that will create an opportunity to raise a salaries."As for the third part of the video, Saakashvili speaks about increasing the state pension and salaries of teachers and policemen. He also mentioned that the government must be changed this year and since the next Parliamentary elections in Georgia are happening in 2020, the only way to change the government is a revolution: "I am sure that after the government changes and the government must change immediately after the presidential election, the minimum state pension in Georgia will be 400 GEL. I promise you this, a person who has increased the pension 11 times, I could have done more if I had time. I know that 400 GEL is not much, but it is the minimum what can be done immediately, stated Saakashvili.The second most important aspect, as ex-president mentioned, is education system. He believes it is possible to raise teachers salaries to 1000 GEL immediately after changing the government. Saakashvili also mentioned the Georgian police. He said that policemen are in a very hard situation, because of a high level of crime in the country. To stimulate Georgian police, Saakashvili promised to raise their salaries to 2000 GEL as soon as the current government will be changed.Saakashvili is promising to increase the salaries and pensions immediately after changing the Georgian Dream government. Such changes are associated with big expenditures from the state budget and to allow such changes, Georgia needs to have better economic situation than it is now. On another hand, any plan for economic development will take years to bring real progress, therefore it will be very hard to implement announced reforms in a short period of time. Despite the shortcomings in Saakashvili's statement, we cant ignore the numbers that he mentioned at the beginning of the video, which expresses the difficult economic situation in the country, and whatever are the reasons causing it: the political heritage from the ex-government, wrong economic course of the current government, or foreign factors, this situation must be changed.
The play of money in the political process is an unfortunate necessity that no democracy has been able to discard. It becomes all the more necessary during election campaigning  and all the more menacing to the integrity of the electoral process. Buying voters is an ancient disease; so is corruption in public life. Financial power is an offshoot of this vice. Money is collected by politicians, in and out of office, ostensibly to finance their parties. A silent bargain is struck, with powerful tycoons in commerce and industry promising rewards once the recipient is in office. Such promises are hard to break, lest it invite refusals to pay for the next election cycle.

This menace has grown, and bids fair to grow further still. Efforts to devise solutions have failed  mostly for want of political will. In India, the election law was last comprehensively revised half a century ago. Committees have recommended solutions, but neither incumbent nor Opposition parties show any interest in reform. Civil society and its many think tanks have not exerted enough to provide effective and realistic measures.

It must be acknowledged that no solution can be perfect given the complexities of the problem and the magnitude of the stake  power. With it comes, in some cases, acquisition of all manner of gains. That, however, is no reason to throw ones hands up in despair. Even imperfect reforms can curb the influence of money in elections. Public opinion will begin to appreciate that, and demand more effective reforms.

The experience of other countries can be instructive; not as models for imitation but for cautious adaption, bearing in mind the political, economic and social realities of ones country  not least the state of its political culture.

Two models deserve rejection; the American one, outright. Zephyr Rain Teachouts excellent work, Corruption in America, exposes the rot in the entire system and the refusal of its highly politicised Supreme Court to help. In 2010, it struck down in Citizens United vs Federal Election Commission all limits on corporate campaign finance. It redefined corruption to mean only quid pro quo corruption, ie cases when there are direct examples of votes being exchanged for ... expenditures, which is almost impossible to prove.

The German model deserves praise, but given Indias party structure it would be unsafe to adopt it. The Parteiengesetz (Law on Political Parties) requires them to submit their audited accounts to the speaker of the lower house of parliament who, in turn, presents them to the house after scrutiny. It is he, not the government, who sanctions the money for parties. They submit copies of their constitution and programmes to the federal returning officer. But this is conditional on internal democracy within a party. State money does not line the pockets of party bosses. Britain opted not to adopt it, despite the recommendation of a committee on financial aid to political parties in 1976. It set up an election commission to oversee the working of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act, 2000, which imposes curbs on donations to parties, on party spending, and requires them to publish annual accounts of income and expenditure in a specified format.

In India, three committees recommended state help in kind. In 1975, a committee on electoral reform recommended that the political parties maintain audited accounts, and that the state shall freely provide printed cards giving the details of the voters; free postage to the candidate for one communication to each voter; provision of facilities to hold meetings; 12 copies of the electoral roll; and free and equal time on TV for election broadcasts.

In 1990, another committee on electoral reforms added provision of prescribed quantity of fuel or petrol to vehicles used by candidates, and payment of hire charges for a prescribed number of microphones. In 1999, the Law Commission of India recommended curbs on extravagance by imposing reasonable limits on the number of vehicles, election rallies, and display of posters, hoardings, etc. But why not a law on fund collection itself, the source of abuse? The law should debar persons from appealing to the public for funds unless certain minimal necessary formalities are complied with. No one is permitted to launch a journal, for instance, unless he has filed a declaration prescribed by the law.

Those seeking public money should be asked to conform to similar formalities as do those who reach out to peoples minds. The fund promoters declaration should spell out clearly and precisely the object for which the fund is being collected. By the declaration itself, the fund promoters should be deemed to constitute themselves as trustees of the fund. The law of trust will apply, with all its legal consequences for breach of trust, criminal and civil  including disqualification for membership of the legislature.

By arrangement with Dawn
Fake news (FN), much heard about lately, is not news at all and is not part of any form of journalism. Typically, it is a part of the dirty tricks aspect of right-wing politics in many countries, as well as of intelligence outfits. The CIA has practised this dark art with consummate skill across the globe to outflank Americas opponents. Journalism casts light. It seeks to spread credible information, analysis and views without which we will flounder in todays complex and rapidly changing world. FN, on the other hand, spreads darkness. Its purpose is to confuse, spread falsehood and manipulate the unsuspecting minds of newspaper readers, television viewers and radio listeners, in order to disrupt the tempo and ethos of democratic politics. In fact, the word news in its name is misleading. It should plainly be called what it is  false information. False information is related to the pursuit of retaining power or making a lunge for power in deceitful ways  by designing supposed information in a way that creates the impression of truth, and then inserting it into the mass media stream. An important aspect of FN is to show the ideological and political cohorts patronising it in favourable light.

Both aspects have been on view from the Gujarat days of Prime Minister Narendra Modi  as seen in the fixing of opponents within the BJP-RSS parivar, the clever handling of the 2002 Gujarat pogrom which is politely called the riots, or the subject of fake encounter  and have stretching into the present. In the Gujarat Assembly poll campaign last year, the PM himself practised FN when he publicly accused his predecessor Manmohan Singh, former vice-president Hamid Ansari, and a retired Army Chief, of conspiring with Pakistan to have him defeated. The Donald Trump election campaign for the US presidency practised FN successfully with the aid of a network of far-right and white supremacist interest groups and websites. Since Hitler, fake news has been shown to be the mainstay of rightist plots to deflect criticism and to discredit and confuse opponents. The genius of Goebbels, the Fuehrers minister for propaganda and a vile man, is well known. The recipe he advanced was simply to cook up facts and then getting these repeated a hundred times so that people may believe them.

Once that comes to pass, to correct the situation and bring about disbelief in the false information  by now flowing freely in the mass media  becomes an uphill task. In our present day, such dangerous false stuff circulates wildly through the social media, such as WhatsApp, and is virtually impossible to roll back. It is a pity our television stations do what they can to put a cloak over reality. Typically they catch someone from the Congress (or any Opposition party) and a person each from the RSS as well as the BJP (misleading us into believing they are different things) to be on the same debate panel on FN, but discuss good journalism versus dishonest journalism  failing to point out that fake news is not dishonest journalism but no journalism. It is an altogether different species. Smriti Irani, the information and broadcasting minister, has expressed her desire to fight fake news. All power to her elbow. But the way she is speaking, it appears shed go after news and views on the Web, 80 per cent of which is created by established media houses (who follow the rules and procedures of good journalism) or by thorough professionals.

She doesnt speak of cleaning up the cesspool of the social media. But she could make a refreshing new start by telling us about Shilpi Tewari in the context of the scandal about doctored videos to bring into disrepute JNU student leaders in February-March of 2016, when Ms Irani was I&B minister. According to a report in an English daily in March 2016 (such news items also appeared elsewhere), Ms Tewaris Twitter account hosted some of these videos which were uploaded on YouTube. These purported to show that then JNU president Kanhaiya Kumar was caught shouting anti-national slogans. A forensic report commissioned by the Delhi government showed that the videos were manipulated to create a certain effect. Ms Tewari dropped out of sight. The English daily quoted an I&B ministry spokesman to say that Ms Tewari may be assisting Ms Irani on a private basis, and that she had been offered an official position but had not taken it.

A volume was published last year, which detailed how the BJP produced propaganda on an industrial scale against political opponents and ideological antagonists. Its most prominent target was Rahul Gandhi. The book, written by a participant in the exercise whose conscience began to prick and she defected, speaks of the massive effort that went into making the whole country believe for a long time that Mr Gandhi was a pappu  a duffer. This was sophisticated FN meant to degrade a key opponent before battle is joined, in the spirit of the teachings of Sun Tzu, the Chinese strategist who taught that the enemy should be defeated before it takes the field. The book was practically ignored in the Indian media  no doubt out of fear of the ruling establishment  but was reported at length in the Guardian, a famous British newspaper. Mr Modi romped home victorious in May 2014. But his campaign for Delhi had begun well before that  with FN. In August 2011 then Congress chief Sonia Gandhi went to the US for a surgery. She was again in America in the first week of September 2012 for treatment. Shortly afterward, the future Prime Minister was already attacking the Congress Party and asking questions of then PM Manmohan Singh. He claimed (without credible basis) that the Government of India had spent `1,880 crores of public money on Mrs Gandhis medical treatment, Firstpost.com reported on October 3, 2012.

The basis of the astounding claim was apparently a newspaper report which had relied on a RTI application. It was plain to see that a convenient news item had been planted in a shoddy publication so that the BJP leader may later be enabled to allude to it in order to paint his chief opponent as corrupt. The air was cleared when then chief information commissioner Satyanand Mishra officially replied to a RTI query by one Naveen Kumar from Moradabad that the GoI had not paid for the Congress presidents treatment abroad. In four years as PM, Mr Modi has been unable to substantiate his sensational claim. In 2012, the present PM sought to use FN to tarnish his Congress adversary. After he became the PM, his party mounted an extensive FN campaign to portray Mr Gandhi as foolish and unfit for politics, and now FN sites are being used to discredit top quality news thats critical of the Modi government. At least one of these, The True Picture, has reportedly been endorsed by 13 of Mr Modis ministers. This is a clear sign of desperation at a time when five dalit BJP MPs from Uttar Pradesh have written to the PM complaining of the BJPs attitude towards dalits. The political space is opening up.
The great mystic Rumi gives an interesting analogy of village women: In the early dawn, when nature lifts up the veil of darkness, groups of women trudge down the hills carrying water in bronze pitchers on their head. On their way, the women gaily engage themselves in an endless tattle, talking about their homes, the village and the weather. But, even while all this talking goes on, the bronze pitchers are balanced with perfect poise. The mind is engaged in the talk, but it never loses control of pitchers on the head. Like these village women, Rumi tells us, we should continue to perform all our worldly chores, but should never remain unmindful of the higher spiritual goal. In another analogy, Rumi likens the world to a river and the individual to a boat. In order to float, the boat needs the support of water, but that very same water can penetrate the boat and sink it if there is a hole. Similarly, we need certain basic material necessities for our daily sustenance, but once these material objects preoccupy our minds, they devour our spiritual self.

Sufis like Rumi consider the spirit and body to be one whole. They believe in integration, not dichotomies. In other words, what we do in our physical lives affects us spiritually, and vice versa. This integration extends beyond the individual as well, but we humans often forget that everything is part of a total, interdependent network in which each element is vitally important to every other element, thus failing to appreciate the fact that our very existence depends on the existence of all other things in the universe. Spiritual teachers of all hues and stripes repeatedly emphasise the need for finding equilibrium between the material and spiritual scales of life. The great Prophet Muhammad said: Do for this world as if thou were to live a thousand years, and for the next as if thou were to die tomorrow. He asked people to pursue a gainful living to meet their everyday needs, but he warned that we should not become so deeply immersed in economic strife that we lose our spiritual soul.

Therefore, even as we are bowed down in our daily work, we should keep our hearts attuned to God so that when the end approaches, there is not a trace of wrench in our heart. As the Prophet repeatedly emphasised: Be in this world as a stranger or passerby. While we strive towards fulfilling the physical needs of the body, we often let the soul starve. Conversely, there are others who satisfy the soul, but keep the body starved. What we need is harmony and balance. The Chinese philosopher Huang Po said: Do not permit the events of your daily lives to bind you, but never withdraw yourselves from them. Only by acting thus you can earn the title of Liberated One. This approach to life gives us our best shot at not being filled with regret at the end, for life is not about endurance, nor is it about apathy  its about balance. Aristotles ideal of the golden mean and nothing in excess is founded on this wisdom. If we do not temper our worldly lives with the demands of the soul, our life loses its rhythm and vitality. Similarly, asceticism to the point of harshness deprives us of experiencing the subliminal beauty of life.
The popular messaging platform, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has one billion users globally and is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India.

Facebook-owned WhatsApp refuted reports that it is keeping track of the messages and said that it collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted.

WhatsApp was responding to concerns by experts that the popular instant messaging service with over 200-million active users in India might not be as secure as being claimed. Questions were also being raised over certain provisions of the user agreement wherein most of its wrongdoings would go un-remedied and unchallenged.

WhatsApp collects very little data and every message is end-to-end encrypted. Contrary to recent comments in the media, we are not keeping track of the friends and family you have messaged, a WhatsApp spokesperson told PTI.

"The privacy and security of our users are incredibly important to WhatsApp. Invite links are an optional feature available to group administrators to be used only with trusted individuals," the spokesperson told PTI in response to a question.

The popular messaging platform, which was acquired by Facebook in 2014, has one billion users globally and is one of the most popular mediums of instant messaging in India.

In the aftermath of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, WhatsApp has come under attack from critics.

"One-to-one communication between users is encrypted and may be as secure as WhatsApp claims. But the metadata, information about the calls, is likely being mined by the company," Vivek Wadhwa, a top American technology entrepreneur and academic, told PTI a day earlier.

He also said, "WhatsApp has admitted that it is sharing information about identity and device information with Facebook, allowing it to do the dirty work in snooping on users."

Wadhwa said that the group chat feature of WhatsApp puts users at greater threat than their postings on Facebook because of the availability of mobile phone numbers.

Noting that almost one-quarter or more of the world's population is using WhatsApp for free, eminent New York-based attorney Ravi Batra said that it makes money by harvesting user data and using it in conjunction with others including Facebook.

"There is an old saying: There is no free lunch. Yet, there is a new brave digital world - that is free to use, and the costs and profit of providing the free services must come from 'mining' the habits and data connected to each user," he further said.

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Facebook has been scrambling for weeks in the face of the disclosure of the hijacking of private data by the British consulting group working for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

Facebook was aware more than two years ago of Cambridge Analytica's harvesting of the personal profiles of up to 87 million users and cannot rule out other cases of abuse of user data, chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg said.

Sandberg, who joined Facebook in 2008 from Google, has been largely silent since the privacy scandal broke but she gave interviews on Thursday and Friday to National Public Radio and NBC's "Today Show."

"We know that we did not do enough to protect people's data," Sandberg told NPR. "I'm really sorry for that. Mark (Zuckerberg) is really sorry for that, and what we're doing now is taking really firm action."

"Safety and security are never done, it's an arms race," she said. "You build something, someone tries to abuse it."

"But the bigger (question) is, 'Should we have taken these steps years ago anyway?'" Sandberg said. "And the answer to that is yes.

"We really believed in social experiences, we really believed in protecting privacy, but we were way too idealistic," she said. "We did not think enough about the abuse cases and now we're taking really firm steps across the board."

Facebook has been scrambling for weeks in the face of the disclosure of the hijacking of private data by the British consulting group working for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

That's on us

Sandberg said Facebook was first aware two and a half years ago that Cambridge Analytica had obtained user data from a researcher who put up a poll on Facebook.

"When we received word that this researcher gave the data to Cambridge Analytica, they assured us it was deleted," she said. "We did not follow up and confirm, and that's on us  and particularly once they were active in the election, we should have done that."

Sandberg was asked by the "Today Show" if other cases of misuse of user data could be expected. "We're doing an investigation, we're going to do audits and yes, we think it's possible, that's why we're doing the audit," she said.

"That's why this week we shut down a number of use cases in other areas  in groups, in pages, in events  because those are other places where we haven't necessarily found problems, but we think that we should be more protective of people's data," she told NPR.

Sandberg said that starting Monday, the social network will put on top of its news feed "a place where you can see all the apps you've shared your data with and a really easy way to delete them."

Sandberg said Facebook also should have been more proactive in dealing with Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election. "That was something we should have caught, we should have known about," she told NPR. "We didn't. Now we've learned."

"We're going after fake accounts," she told the "Today Show." "A lot of it is politically motivated but even more is economically motivated."

Zuckerberg accepted responsibility this week for the failure to protect user data but maintained he was still the best person to lead the network of two billion users. He is to appear before a US congressional panel next week to address privacy issues. Facebook shares were down slightly in mid-morning trading in New York on April 6.

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New York fire crews graded it a Three-Alarm blaze, meaning a minimum of 33 units and 138 firefighters were sent. (Photo: ANI)

New York: One person has been killed and four firefighters have been injured after a fire broke out on the 50th floor in the Trump Tower, a large building in Manhattan owned by United States President Donald Trump.

The deceased, who was a resident of the building's 50th floor, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, fire department spokeswoman Angelica Conroy told CNN.

At about 6 pm (local time) on Saturday, huge flames and massive smoke was seen billowing out from the building following which a team of firefighters was rushed to the location to douse the fire.

As per the media reports, New York fire crews graded it a Three-Alarm blaze, meaning a minimum of 33 units and 138 firefighters were sent.

According to a witness, it started with a smoke which soon turned into a blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet.
Gov. Gary Herbert recently signed a bill to induct a statue of Martha Hughes Cannon into the national collection of statues at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. The decision to honor an individual of such remarkable achievement has the added benefit of correcting the persistent underrepresentation of women in American historical annals.

One hundred statues comprise The Statuary Hall Collection housed in the nations capital, giving each state the opportunity to memorialize two citizens from their history for millions of visitors to see each year.

Only nine of the statues in the collection are of women; Cannons statue will be the 10th, joining the ranks of Helen Keller, Sacagawea and Frances Willard. Her statue will replace Philo T. Farnsworth's  the famous Utahn and inventor of television. This decision does not diminish his important contributions to the state and the world.

Cannon is going to Washington because she was remarkable. By elevating the contributions of Cannon to this position, Herbert and the Legislature not only celebrate her work as an early suffragist, state senator and physician, but put her in a position to inspire all visiting Statuary Hall that they too are capable of great things.

Cannon particularly deserves to be celebrated for her thoughtful, pioneering life, one that transcended existing norms and carved out space for women where none had existed previously. She was a mother and a polygamous wife, navigating the tumultuous period in which she lived with religious devotion. She championed education, medicine and government and used her platforms to encourage other women to follow suit. She received four degrees by the age of 25 and then was the resident physician at Deseret Hospital, where she hosted classes on obstetrics to make childbirth safer for women.

She also expressed deep humanity  that is to say, she was nuanced and complex, her personal writings rife with contradictions. She lived in an era where few women were striving for educational or career opportunities, yet she proved women could pursue and accomplish the extraordinary. She ran for a state Senate seat against her husband, winning the election in 1896. With this platform she established welfare provisions for disabled Utahns and for workplace protections and benefits for female employees. She also used her platform to advocate for suffrage on a national stage, speaking at Seneca Falls and working closely with activists like Susan B. Anthony.

Memorializing a woman of such achievement in a national venue requires no second thought; however, moving Cannons statue from the Utah Capitol to the national Capitol offers the bonus of increasing the visual representation of women in halls of remembrance. This act has proved to have significant psychological effects on women, enabling them to see themselves as capable of excellence. Research at Harvard University reveals that the underrepresentation of women in mass media today results in a subtle gender bias that persists in organizations and in society (that) disrupts the learning cycle at the heart of becoming a leader.

In other words, when young girls do not see themselves represented in positions of prominence, they subconsciously internalize a belief that they cannot become leaders. Cannons representation in the Capitol is important for women, for Utah and for the citizens of the nation who will now consider her life and accomplishments when visiting Capitol Hill. Her presence on a national stage should inspire all who see her.
Sponsors of the marijuana initiative are submitting signatures for verification to place the proposal on the November ballot. Polls show strong support for medical marijuana, but some major groups and individuals oppose the initiative, including Gov. Gary Herbert, medical associations and law enforcement groups. This raises important questions.

Why are prominent people, law enforcement and medical groups opposed to the initiative in the face of strong public support?

Pignanelli: Of course I know how to roll a Marijuana joint.  Martha Stewart (Yes, that Martha Stewart)

Correctly sensing I am a heathen unable to judge anyone, Utahns of all stripes bombard me with questions regarding this ballot proposal. Despite the political complexities, I love the discussions. Efforts to loosen marijuana laws  especially for medicinal purposes  are supported by over 70 percent of Americans  and Utahns. The Brookings Institution concludes "the strong consensus among demographics that formed the foundation for many of today's stringent marijuana laws has crumbled." So politicos project the initiative is on a path to passage.

Few have actually reviewed the comprehensive initiative. Regulations and licensure for business operations are established. Physicians would be allowed to recommend cannabis  with some wiggle room  for a host of medical conditions, thereby implying marijuana is a valid treatment for the listed ailments. Affirmative defenses against criminal possession and use charges will exist (a defense attorney's dream). Police officers are forbidden to enforce federal laws whatsoever against consumers of weed. These and other items raise concerns among physicians, health professionals, law enforcement organizations and anyone horrified with legitimizing marijuana for whatever purposes.

These legitimate worries could be overwhelmed by the emotional advantages possessed by the proponents. Supporters are often eyewitnesses to the devastation of diseases and addiction to opioids they believe marijuana can diminish. The initiative is promising a poignant tussle across the state.

Cleary, this issue is fostering political consternations and dismay for many, and a doobie would be the relief suggested by some.

Webb: None of these well-informed individuals and groups would oppose use of marijuana components for medicine, if proper scientific research and clinical trials conclusively demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of cannabis as a drug.

But this initiative would make marijuana widely available without proper safeguards and without undergoing rigorous studies. Medical and law enforcement organizations have seen that, despite all sorts of anecdotes to the contrary, the consequences of marijuana misuse are devastating. Thus, they are appropriately opposed to this initiative.

Years ago, a close acquaintance of mine tragically suffered late-stage cancer. Having exhausted all traditional remedies, the desperate family sought non-conventional solutions, read innumerable testimonies and anecdotes about the benefits of laetrile (an extract of apricot seeds), and went to Mexico for treatments (contrary to the advice of their doctor). The outcome was not good.

Were seeing a similar faddish approach today, as understandably desperate people search for hope and cures in marijuana, responding to stories of miraculous relief and healing. Proponents advocate marijuana as the remedy for myriad maladies, little of which is supported by the medical profession or scientific evidence. Lets listen to the doctors on this one.

Does the initiative open the door to recreational marijuana?

Pignanelli: Passage or defeat of the initiative is not a reflection of acceptability of usage in todays society. Although not a user, I am an investor in a company that performs research of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Similar economic situations are occurring across the country, which slowly dismantles objections to reasonable recreational use.

Webb: The initiative will absolutely lead to calls for recreational use. Proponents of medical marijuana seek to change attitudes about this hazardous substance. Marijuana is addictive and dangerous. The federal Drug Enforcement Administration reports that nearly a quarter of marijuana users in the country met diagnostic criteria for marijuana dependence. It would be a mistake to allow the beasts nose in the tent.

Will the initiative get on the ballot and become law?

Pignanelli: The political bottom line is what action the LDS Church undertakes should the initiative (which prohibits smoking cannabis) receive ballot placement. This is not an easy deliberation. Many Mormons reside in states that allow, or soon will, medicinal and recreational uses of marijuana. Opioid abuse and chronic painful diseases are devastating local families. Yet, LDS leaders open disapproval removes the now assumed guarantee of passage, with election results difficult to predict.

Webb: It will most likely get on the ballot, where it should be voted down. The DEA (under both Democratic and Republicans administrations) classifies marijuana as a dangerous, illegal substance for good reasons.

Proponents can trot out studies (and lots of anecdotes) purportedly showing the benefits of marijuana use. But the medical community can provide far more legitimate studies showing a connection between cannabis and cancer, increased cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems, increased risk of a variety of mental health problems (theres a reason its called dope), damage to fetuses, impaired driving problems, increased hospitalization rates and so forth.

Lets not close the door on medical marijuana. But lets do the studies and clinical trials and determine if a legitimate marijuana medicine exists or not. Much research is already under way, and the Legislature has taken positive steps toward that end. This proposal is premature and should be defeated.

Republican LaVarr Webb is a political consultant and lobbyist. Previously he was policy deputy to Gov. Mike Leavitt and Deseret News managing editor. Email: lwebb@exoro.com. Democrat Frank Pignanelli is a Salt Lake attorney, lobbyist and political adviser. Pignanelli served 10 years in the Utah House of Representatives, six years as minority leader. His spouse, D'Arcy Dixon Pignanelli, is the president/CEO of the Special Olympics of Utah. Email: frankp@xmission.com.
SALT LAKE CITY  The first of possibly four retail marijuana shops recently opened in Dinosaur, Colorado, about 3 miles from the Utah-Colorado state line along U.S. 40.

While possession and use of cannabis products may be legal in Colorado, it is prohibited under Utah law.

"Just be aware, it is still illegal here in the state of Utah. If they choose to leave the state and bring it back into the state, there's nothing that's changed here in the state of Utah," said Utah Highway Patrol Lt. Todd Royce.

"They'll still be charged with it and prosecuted for it."

Even though marijuana or edible products that contain cannabis extracts can be purchased legally in neighboring Colorado and Nevada, "they can't bring it into Utah or consume it in Utah. The laws in Utah have not changed," Royce said.

Retail and medical marijuana is sold in at least two other Colorado towns near the Utah state line  Cortez and De Beque in Mesa County  but neither is as close to the state's border as Dinosaur.

Rep. Scott Chew, R-Jensen, lives about 20 miles from Dinosaur. As a sheep rancher who runs his livestock on ranch land in the Steamboat Springs area, Chew keeps abreast of changes in public policy in nearby Colorado.

Dinosaur's economy has been heavily dependent on energy development, he said.

"With the decline of that the last four years, they're kind of desperately looking for something to enhance their little community economy," Chew said.

In 2016, Dinosaur residents voted 102-50 to authorize the establishment and operation of retail marijuana stores as well as medical marijuana centers. The ballot question also authorizes cultivation, product manufacturing and testing facilities.

Rocky Mountain Cannabis is the first of what could be four retail shops in a town of about 350 people, said Dinosaur Mayor Richard Blakley.

Chew said Utahns in northeastern Utah already "flock over to Dinosaur" to buy lottery tickets.

"I really think that this dispensary is anticipating the bulk of their retail is going to be headed Utah's way. You can buy it there legally. It's no skin off the establishment's nose if people buy it there and head to Utah. I really think a big portion of their retail is going to be headed to our state, which I have concerns about because it's not legal in our state," Chew said.

When Rocky Mountain Cannabis opened in Dinosaur, the store owner posted signs warning customers not to cross state lines with its products, Blakley said.

"He warns everybody, 'If you are from out of state, do not cross that state line with it because you are illegal.' So, hopefully that helps a bunch," the mayor said.

Rocky Mountain Cannabis declined to comment for this story.

Chew said some Dinosaur residents he knows are concerned about retail marijuana shops opening in the small town, but others are excited at the prospect of "getting some income that they will put into their city coffers. Dinosaur has really been trying to figure out how to keep their economy alive," he said.

In 2017, Colorado collected more than $247 million in revenue from taxes and fees from retail and medical marijuana sales, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.

The Denver Post reported combined retail and medical marijuana sales in Colorado topped $1.5 billion last year.

"I'm from the old school so I have really mixed feelings about it. I see some of the medical (marijuana) doing some pretty good stuff. The recreational? Of course, I don't do alcohol, either," Blakley said.

Dinosaur residents twice voted whether to allow marijuana sales in their small town. It was soundly rejected the first time but won handily in 2016.

"It won big time, which really surprised me. So we went through all the red tape to put it together," he said.

For two years, the town did its homework, which included visits to other small towns where retail and medical marijuana is sold.

Crime rates have not increased in those towns and the businesses have brought in healthy revenues "that have been really good" for the communities, Blakley said.

Blakley said he remains concerned about the long-term impact of retail marijuana. He's somewhat comforted that two of the planned retail establishments in Dinosaur will be operated by local residents.

"My son is one of them. And yes, we've bumped heads a few times about this," he said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly said retail marijuana is available in Grand Junction in Mesa County, Colorado. It is sold in De Beque, also in Mesa County,
LEHI  By all rights, Sherm Robinson ought to be kicked back in a beach chair somewhere, sipping a cold beverage, buying cotton candy for his grandkids, his biggest worry deciding where hes going to have dinner.

But, nope, at age 69 hes right where hes always been  running a flour mill.

And not just any flour mill, the one that is a Utah icon, the one that tens of thousands of cars pass by every day on I-15, the one that starred in Footloose.

If you dont know Lehi Roller Mills, you havent been paying attention.

  

Robinsons grandfather bought the mill in 1910 from a coalition of farmers and businessmen who had erected it on Lehis Main Street five years earlier  giving them just enough time to discover that running a mill wasnt as easy as they thought it was going to be.

George G. Robinson, by contrast, knew what he was doing. He came from a long line of millers, dating back to the 1600s in England. His father, George M.D. Robinson, had relocated from Vermont to Utah in the 1800s for the express purpose of setting up mills in the emerging farm economy.

Under Robinson control, the mill thrived, establishing relationships with local farmers and businesses that remain to this day (including being the first supplier of special spices for Kentucky Fried Chicken).

When George died in 1936 his son, Sherman D., took over. When Sherman D. died in 1980 his son, R. Sherman, assumed command.

Sherm II, whom everyone called Robbie, modernized the equipment and increased the mills capacity to 100,000 pounds of flour per day. In 1984 he consented to let Hollywood use the mill as a backdrop for Footloose.

The movies producer, the late Daniel Melnick, had a vacation home at Sundance and for years drove past the distinctive Lehi landmark, admiring its striking lines, particularly at sunset, and plotting to someday use it in a movie.

He finally figured out how with Footloose, a tale about a city kid who brings music and dancing to a conservative, religious farm town.

Art imitating life.

Sherm Robinson agreed to the movie for a small upfront fee (about $15,000), plus $1,000 a day whenever shooting halted milling.

For a few weeks, everyone got to mill around with Kevin Bacon, Sarah Jessica Parker and John Lithgow.

Ive never had a better experience with people than with them, says Robinson, who jokes that he is only one degree of separation from Kevin Bacon.

More than three decades later, rare is the week, he notes, that tourists/movie buffs dont pull into the parking lot and take photos and have a look around.

The '80s and '90s and early part of the new century were very good years for Lehi Roller Mills. When they celebrated the mills centennial in 2006, the future looked as bright as the past.

Then, a perfect storm of troubles erupted.

The Great Recession was just the start of it. One of the mills customers got in the crosshairs of the Food and Drug Administration; the bank that held a sizeable loan the mill had taken out failed; they couldnt get another one because of the FDA investigation; at one point the federal government was sending notices to Lehi Roller Mills customers warning them not to buy its flour.

Robinson calls this the government gone wild phase of his life. He spent a lot of time in court with his lawyers.

Fortunately, after all was sorted out, Lehi Roller Mills was found not guilty of any crimes or misdemeanors.

You know how we say, Where theres smoke theres fire? Robinson asks, shrugging. Well sometimes we should say, Where theres smoke theres smoke.

But the damage had been done, and the mill hed given his life to, the mill his father and his fathers father had given their lives to, was seriously broken.

More than one person suggested selling the three valuable acres the mill sits on to Marriott or Hilton, cash the big check, and move on.

But Robinson couldnt do that, and by 2014 he did something he swore hed never do: filed for bankruptcy protection.

It was at this juncture that Ken Brailsford entered the picture.

Much like Daniel Melnick, Brailsford, a Utah County resident and uber-successful network marketing guru, had driven past the distinctive Lehi landmark many times, admiring its striking lines and iconic stature.

When he learned of its financial problems, he stepped in and agreed to buy the mill. On one condition.

It would continue to be run by a Robinson.

Sherm Robinson remembers their conversation.

Brailsford: Do you think you could work for someone else?

Robinson: Yes.

Brailsford: Why is that?

Robinson: I worked for my dad.

So the old mill has new ownership under the same management. All of which has Robinson, despite everything, turning cartwheels.

Its a miracle, really, with where weve been, he says. Im so grateful Mr. Brailsford came forward.

I feel its important for the community, and for my family, that were still here. For me, it's personal. The mill, it has kind of a spirit to it, if you will. Kind of a glow. If you drive past around sunset, you can actually see it.
ELDORADO, Texas (AP)  They kept to themselves, but everyone in town knew who they were.

The San Angelo Standard-Times reports members of the Fundamentalist LDS Church settled in a remote area near Eldorado, Texas, and isolated themselves on their self-built compound, the Yearning for Zion Ranch.

But it wasn't the way they moved in that grabbed people's attention. It was how they left.

"We figured out pretty quick that something was going to happen when you got about 75 or 80 (law enforcement officers) running around town," said Michael Kent, manager of Kent's Automotive shop in Eldorado.

After an anonymous tip alleging physical and sexual abuse of children prompted law enforcement to raid the ranch, a sudden rush of interest by news outlets put the small West Texas town  about 45 miles south of San Angelo with a population of roughly 1,700 people  in the national spotlight.

Authorities breached the ranch's gates in April 2008. More than 400 children were taken from the ranch, resulting in the largest child custody case in U.S. history. They were later returned by order of appellate courts, including the Texas Supreme Court.

The YFZ Ranch is a 1,691-acre tract with space enough for a self-sustaining community and an orchard filled with trees of apples, peaches and pears.

Now empty, all that remains 10 years later is a towering white stone temple and numerous buildings, a majority that were used for housing.

The state of Texas seized the property in April 2013 after church leaders stuck by polygamist sect leader Warren Jeffs' "answer them nothing" order and did not contest the forfeiture filed by then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in 2012.

Jeffs, who was known to visit the YFZ Ranch, is serving life plus 20 years in prison for raping two girls  one age 12, the other 15  he had taken as polygamous brides. Jeffs must serve at least 45 years in prison before being eligible for release, at which time he will be 100 years old.

Abbott said the numerous cases of child sexual assault perpetrated on the ranch made the property "contraband," and a default judgment of forfeiture was signed in January 2014 by 51st District Judge Barbara Walther in San Angelo.

Because the state is exempt from paying taxes on the property, Schleicher County has not collected tax money on the YFZ Ranch since its seizure.

"With the state taking it over, it really, really hurt," longtime resident J.D. Doyle said. "Hurt this whole community bad. The state's taken it over ... and they haven't done a damn thing with it for the most part of it, except let it rot."

An experienced pilot, Doyle said from the air he could see the poor shape of the existing buildings made mostly of wood. He has flown over the ranch numerous times  often for media outlets wanting aerial photos of the property.

"The county's losing taxes, the city's losing taxes, the school's losing taxes and the state is just letting it rot," he said. "Plus, we're still stuck with it because the sheriff still has to guard it."

Billy Collins, former superintendent of Schleicher County Independent School District, said at the time of the seizure, the district expected to lose 5 to 10 percent of its operating budget because of the state's tax exemption.

The district was collecting about $400,000 annually in taxes from the property before it was seized, said current Superintendent Robert Gibson.

The Schleicher County Sheriff's Office is tasked with upkeep of the property; the sheriff estimates it costs the county about $10,000 a year. The cost would be higher if not for his volunteer work on the property, inmate labor used when available and help from city and county departments, he said.

"The State Attorney General's Office reimburses the expense to the district attorney's office for the utilities," he said. "And the county is covering the expense for any maintenance that may occur out there like broken water lines, water well issues."

He said the county will not be reimbursed until a sale is made.

Schleicher County Sheriff David Doran was appointed conservator of the property in 2014 by 51st Judicial District Attorney Allison Palmer, who he said has done an amazing job behind the scenes of overseeing the property.

Other than a major grass fire on the property about a year and a half ago, upkeep has been limited to repairing water lines, caring for the orchard and making sure the property remains viable for sale.

The property is valued at about $25 million  down from the roughly $33.3 million it was worth when seized in 2013, according to the county's appraisal district.

It's unknown what plans the state has for the property other than to sell it or whether any serious buyers are looking to sweep up the multimillion-dollar ranch.

Willie Jessop, former bodyguard and one-time staunch supporter of Jeffs, is in a dispute with the state of Texas. He claims he has a legal interest in the YFZ Ranch and should receive money from a sale.

Jessop is seeking to collect on two separate multimillion-dollar judgment liens  one for $24.45 million and another for $8.5 million  he won in a Utah court in 2012 against the FLDS church and several of its members. The lawsuit was not contested and rendered a default judgment.

A copy of Jessop's Utah judgment was filed with the Texas courts July 17, 2012, through a legal tactic known as domesticating, which gives the Utah judgment the same effect as any other judgment in Texas. He did not, however, obtain a lien or any judgment against the YFZ Ranch or its owners before the state seized it in 2014, according to a 2015 article by The Eldorado Success.

The lawsuit against Texas was originally filed in July 2015 but was dismissed based on the state's claim of sovereign immunity, which holds that a state cannot be sued without the state legislature's consent.

Leveled against Palmer, in her official capacity as district attorney, and Kent Richardson, acting on behalf of the Attorney General of Texas, the lawsuit is being heard in the 13th Court of Appeals.

Palmer and Jessop's San Angelo attorney Rae Leifeste could not be reached for comment.

While the property waits in limbo and debate continues over who should benefit from a potential sale, Judge Walther granted a request made in early March from the Texas Attorney General's Office to remove several sets of human remains buried at the YFZ Ranch Cemetery, The Eldorado Success reports.

Among the buried is the body of Barbara Jeffs, one of Warren Jeffs' wives, which will be relocated to an area around the Utah/Arizona border.

Seven bodies must be relocated, and relatives of the deceased were given two options  bodies could be moved to a place of their choosing or reburied in the local cemetery, Doran said.

"Some of the family members wanted their loved ones to stay in the county because that's where they passed," he said. "So the county donated four cemetery plots and the state's paying for the removal and transportation and I believe the permits. The county is paying for the reburial."

The overall expense is $3,000 per person. The remaining three bodies will be relocated elsewhere at the family's expense.

Unlike hundreds of their peers, the last remaining FLDS members on the YFZ Ranch will be removed from the property quietly and without public fanfare.
The Moto G6 is about to launch, but the company is releasing a completely redesigned version of its camera app prior to the launch. Motorola has changed the app inside-out, starting with the app icon itself. The new app icon is less aggressive and looks a bit flatter. The new icon is likely to be a part of the new icon theme Moto may launch with the upcoming phones. Inside, the app is now divided into three sections, which can be toggled between by swiping. The default mode is the photo mode which has four options at the top. There is the HDR toggle, flash toggle, timer and the toggle to switch between auto and manual camera mode.

Jumping into the manual camera mode, users will have the option to toggle metering, white balance, shutter speed, ISO and exposure setting. Swiping to the left, the camera will take you to the video mode and swiping to the right will take you to other camera options like panorama and slow motion. Motorola has also changed the settings menu within the camera app, which is not opaque anymore. We are expecting Motorola to launch the app shortly to its older / current devices.

As for the Moto G6 family, it is reported that the company might launch the phone on April 19. According to previous leaks and rumours, the Moto G6 family will consist of three new phones - Moto G6 Play, Moto G6 Plus and the standard Moto G6. The Moto G6 is rumoured to sport a 5.7-inch HD+ display of 18:9 aspect ratio and will be powered by the Snapdragon 427 coupled with 3/4GB of RAM or 32/64GB of storage. The Moto G6 and the G6 Plus, on the other hand, will reportedly be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC and Snapdragon 630 SoC respectively. Both phones are likely to carry a 12MP + 5MP camera setup at the back and a 16MP camera at the front.

Source: 9to5Google
While the smartphone market in China is on a decline, manufacturers from the country are looking at the global market for expansion, per a report by Gizmochina which attributes the information to sources in the Taiwanese supply chain.

According to the report, Chinas top five manufacturers including Huawei, Oppo, Vivo and Xiaomi, all plan to expand to other countries and aggressively expand their global presence. The source particularly disclosed Xiaomi planning a huge rise in shipment volumes in 2018. The Chinese manufacturer is expected to ship between 120 million to 150 million smartphone units this year.

Earlier, IDC had reported Xiaomi is presently shipping more than 10 million Redmi and Mi smartphones worldwide in Q1 2018. The 120 million target certainly seems lofty, but going by the growth Xiaomi has experience in the past few quarters, the company might be able to achieve it.

In India, the companys focus has shifted to the offline market. By expanding the number of Mi Home Stores and Mi Service Centers, Xiaomi is now has the highest market share of 26.8 per cent, according to IDC. The company pipped Samsung this year to reach the top. Globally, Xiaomi doubled its market share to 7 percent from 3.3 percent in Q4 2017.

Xiaomi is also planning to enter US smartphone market this year. While it already sells some products including the Mi Box and select Mi TV models in the US, the fate of the smartphone will depend on how the network carriers treat Xiaomi. Huaweis entry was recently obstructed after carriers chose to stop selling the phone.
One of the countrys best-known architects, Dermot Bannon, was on hand on Friday to launch the RIAI Simon Open Door campaign, aimed at raising funds to help tackle the housing and homeless crisis.

Now in its 14th year, the campaign will run from Monday, 14th May until Sunday 20th May.

As part of the annual partnership between the RIAI and the Simon Communities, people in Louth are encouraged to sign up for a one-hour consultation with an RIAI-registered architect in exchange for a donation of 90.

All funds raised go directly to the Simon Communities of Ireland.

Since the initiative began over 700,000 has been raised nationally. Last year alone generated 124,000 for the charity, which provides support services to over 11,000 people across Ireland who are experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity.

Registration for the week-long event is now open and home owners in Louth are encouraged to book a slot with an RIAI-registered architect in their local area by visiting www.simonopendoor.ie

Speaking at the launch, Kathryn Meghen, RIAI CEO said: Last year, 191 RIAI-registered architects across the country completed 1,366 one-hour consultations and we would encourage as many architects as possible to again consider giving up their time to contribute their expertise for this worthy cause this year.

Building is complex and a consultation with an RIAI-registered architect is a great opportunity for homeowners to explore the most economic and appropriate options to meet their needs.

Were urging interested members of the public to book early to avoid disappointment as the slots are expected to fill up quickly.

Niamh Randall, National Spokesperson for the Simon Communities said: Unfortunately, homelessness in Ireland remains a major challenge.

As of February 2018, figures showed that almost 10,000 men, women and children remain trapped in emergency accommodation and many thousands more are experiencing housing insecurity.

The RIAI Simon Open Door campaign is a wonderful initiative, which raises much needed funds for the Simon Communities of Ireland and supports our work in addressing the housing and homelessness crisis all around the country.

Partnerships like these make a real difference. We would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have supported us in the past and we hope that new supporters will get involved this year.

RIAI-registered architects can pledge to donate an hour of their time by signing up at www.simonopendoor.ie/architects
(Photo: Reuters / Asmaa Wagui)Coptic Christians pray during a Coptic Orthodox Easter mass at the main cathedral in Cairo May 4, 2013.

CAIRO (Reuters) - It's harvest time in Egypt but the secular opposition is reaping scant benefit from the Muslim Brotherhood's difficulties in government, two years after an Arab Spring uprising swept away President Hosni Mubarak.

Many Egyptians are looking to the army, or to more radical Salafi Muslim groups, rather than to liberal or leftist parties as Islamist President Mohamed Mursi and his cabinet struggle to revive a sick economy, restore security and build institutions.

Perhaps the greatest threat to Egypt's faltering transition to democracy may come not from what the Brotherhood's critics regard as its attempts to grab as many powers as possible, but from the inability of a weak and fragmented secular opposition to offer a coherent alternative.

"I recognize that the opposition has not lived up to the expectation of the people," said Amr Moussa, 76, a former Arab League secretary-general, who is one of the leaders of the opposition National Salvation Front (NSF).

"But I also recognize that there are lots of possibilities for the opposition to rise to the challenge, especially as the government is not really offering much," the conservative told Reuters in an interview.

Six secular parties and a cluster of democracy activists and intellectuals are loosely allied in the Front, created last November to resist a decree issued by Mursi under which he temporarily took sweeping powers to push through an Islamist-tinged constitution.

Like the battered vehicles on Egypt's roads, the NSF often seems held together by desperation alone. "What keeps us together is the dire situation of Egypt," said Moussa, a foreign minister under Mubarak for 10 years.

Mohamed ElBaradei, leader of the liberal Constitution party, said the Front "doesn't really have the luxury right now to say 'this is the left, and this is the center-left or center-right' because what we are opposing is... almost a fascist system".

He sees the NSF as representing a silent majority of 60 to 70 percent of Egyptians who reject Brotherhood rule and are in "a national state of depression".

"BATTLE OF THE EGOS"

Yet the opposition alliance is hobbled by what one NSF aide calls a "battle of the egos" among its leaders, and its component parties agree on few policies.

Should the opposition engage and compromise with Mursi for the sake of national unity or boycott and try to weaken him to make it harder for the Brotherhood to control the country?

Should they participate in parliamentary elections that many believe will be skewed towards the Brotherhood, as they say all post-revolution votes have been, or stay away at the risk of being marginalized and looking like bad losers?

And should they back a proposed loan from the International Monetary Fund as essential to pull the economy out of crisis despite the tough terms that would be attached, or oppose it on grounds of national sovereignty and social justice - or just sit on the fence?

Each time it looks as if the Front is about to break up over one of these issues, the Brotherhood makes another move that reunites the opposition in shared indignation.

The latest was a clumsy attempt in April to purge the judiciary, which Islamists believe is riddled with corrupt former Mubarak loyalists bent on obstructing elections and laws put forward by elected bodies that the Brotherhood dominates.

By trying to force more than 3,000 judges into retirement at a stroke, the Brotherhood galvanized the judiciary, the NSF, the Salafis and most of the media against itself, prompting Mursi to beat a tactical retreat and seek a compromise.

Political analysts say the president could pick the secular opposition apart if only he accepted some of its demands to appoint a national unity government, replace a widely reviled prosecutor general and pass a more even-handed election law.

"That would pose a real dilemma for the opposition. But mutual suspicion and the Brotherhood's feeling of being under siege are so strong that I don't expect Mursi will do that," a senior European diplomat said.

BETRAYED

Many opposition activists feel they gave Mursi decisive help to win the presidency by backing him in a run-off against former Mubarak Prime Minister Ahmed Shafik last June, only to be shut out of influence by the Brotherhood.

They feel betrayed on issues such as the constitution, the rights of women and religious minorities, judicial independence, and laws regulating elections, demonstrations and non-government organizations.

"We were betrayed by the Muslim Brotherhood, we were cheated by the Muslim Brotherhood. Now they make the same propaganda against us as the old regime did," said Khaled Dawoud, a spokesman for the NSF and ElBaradei's Constitution Party.

Aside from the NSF, the opposition also features a range of Islamist parties of different shades, including two ultra-conservative Salafi groups, as well as rebranded survivors of Mubarak's outlawed former National Democratic Party (NDP).

The Salafi Nour Party appears to be the fastest growing, although its claim to 800,000 members - more than the entire membership of all political parties in Britain or France - sounds optimistic. Nour led an alliance of Islamic purists that won 27.3 percent of the vote in 2011-12 parliamentary elections and has the second largest bloc of lawmakers.

Nader Bakkar, 29, the party's spokesman who has an MBA degree from Alexandria University, says Egyptians are flocking to Nour because, while it has strict Islamic principles, it does not seek to monopolies power or behave like a closed family.

It is also untainted by the burdens of trying to make government work in a chaotic post-revolutionary environment.

Like the Brotherhood, Nour activists run social and medical services for the poor, distributing free or cheap food. That could pay off at election time in a nation where 40 percent of the population lives on less than $2 a day.

But unlike the Brotherhood's Freedom and Justice Party, which propelled Mursi to power, Nour supports a national unity government that would include liberal opposition figures.

The party has its headquarters in a refurbished Nile-side apartment that could be home to an advertising agency but for the Koranic chanting coming from a TV screen on a wall in the soft pink spotlit reception area.

"The most likely probability is that we will run in the elections alone. It is almost decided that we will not ally with the Freedom and Justice Party," Bakkar said in an interview.

He said Nour wanted to avoid a dangerous polarization on Egyptian streets into Islamists and non-Islamists, and left the door slightly ajar to a pact with some secular parties, although such a marriage of convenience looks improbable.

While the Nour party eschews strict public enforcement of Islamic behavior as contrary to Egyptian tradition, Bakkar drew the line at wishing Coptic Christians a happy Easter. The Copts, who comprise up to 15 percent of the 84 million population, celebrate the most important festival of the Christian calendar on May 5 this year.

AMBIGUITY

The NSF's leaders meet weekly on Wednesdays to try to thrash out their many differences and take joint positions that are sometimes a tortured lowest common denominator.

On April 18, the Front said in a statement it was getting ready to take part in parliamentary elections while pursuing "the struggle" to create the right atmosphere for a free and fair vote. This ambiguity rapidly backfired on its authors.

The reality, according to two officials in the NSF who asked to remain anonymous, is that at least two of its parties, the Social Democrats and the veteran nationalist Wafd, are likely to contest the polls, even if the others decide to boycott them.

Leftist firebrand Hamdeen Sabahi, 58, head of the Popular Current party, told Reuters that if Mursi met the conditions for a fair poll, including the replacement of Prime Minister Hisham Kandil, the Salvation Front would run one joint list.

While most other NSF groups regard the long-delayed IMF loan as essential to revive the economy, Sabahi said Egypt should reject it because the conditions would further impoverish the poor and could provoke a revolution of the hungry.

Sabahi said the NSF's weakness was exposed by those Egyptians who want a return of the military, which ruled directly through the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces between Mubarak's fall and Mursi's election last year.

"The rise of calls for the Egyptian army (to take power) reflects the fact that there is no hope in the Brotherhood on the one hand, and no trust in the Salvation Front to save us from the Brotherhood on the other," he said.

Ahmed Fawzy, general secretary of the rival Social Democratic Party, admitted his group is divided about whether to run in the elections expected to be held later this year, but said each movement would stand on its own.

Interviewed in the party's drab office in central Cairo, the 41-year-old lawyer said the Social Democrats had 10,000 members, and were among the few groups to have struck roots in southern Upper Egypt since the revolution that began on Jan. 25, 2011.

Nevertheless, it was tough going, Fawzy said. "This is a community that was banned from organizing for about 60 years when there were no real parties, trade unions or NGOs," he said.

"We now have our infant party born after Jan. 25 that has since then been in dispute either with the Military Council or the Muslim Brotherhood and is trying to build itself in tough economic and social circumstances, and Egyptians are not yet used to organized group work."

REVOLUTIONARIES

Sabahi, a former student leader who spent years in jail under Mubarak and earlier, was third in last year's presidential election. During the campaign, he branded Moussa "feloul", a pejorative term for a "remnant" of the old regime.

Moussa in turn regards Sabahi as a "Nasserite crazy", according to sources in the NSF, because of his statist economic views inspired by President Gamal Abdel Nasser who overthrew Egypt's monarchy in 1952 and nationalized swathes of industry.

But Dawoud, the NSF spokesman, says the Front's ideological diversity and personal tensions mask a common purpose.

"We disagree about economic policy, we disagree about the IMF, we may disagree about how to deal with Mursi, but we share the same purpose that we want to defend the democratic, modern, civil nature of the Egyptian state," he said.

The main divide in the NSF, Dawoud said, is between those who see it as a revolutionary movement and those who see it as a political coalition, adding that in his view, it is obviously a political umbrella and not a group of revolutionaries.

One proponent of the revolutionary line is novelist Alaa Al Aswany, author of "The Yacoubian Building", a satire of corruption in the Mubarak era, who was prominent in the Tahrir Square protests that toppled the former ruler.

"What is going on now is not so much a political conflict between the government and the opposition as popular resistance against a group that reached power via elections, yet is desperately carrying on with plans to get hold of the state," Aswany wrote in his column in opposition daily Al-Masry Al-Youm.

Rejecting any compromise with Mursi, Aswany called for the president and his interior minister to be put on trial over the alleged killing and torture of opposition activists.

Such talk infuriates politicians in the NSF who are trying to position themselves as a constructive opposition and believe the way forward is through the ballot box, not the street.

CAIRO-CENTRIC

Few secular opposition parties appear to have much of an organization outside Cairo and a handful of other cities, although Sabahi's Popular Current has built support networks among workers and students.

The Wafd has historic roots older than the Brotherhood's but is seen by younger Egyptians as a tame Mubarak-made opposition that never challenged him in nearly 30 years in power.

The state newspaper Al-Ahram reported that pupils at one school in the coastal city of Alexandria were last month given the exam essay topic: "What is your view of the alliance of losers and thieves who are counting on a corrupt mass media to spoil the efforts of President Mohamed Mursi?"

The subject betrayed the examiners' political slant but it also reflected a broad disenchantment that the opposition has failed to offer a credible alternative to Brotherhood rule.

"I don't trust the Brotherhood, but I'm even angrier at the opposition for not putting forward any vision for Egypt," said Randa Hamlawi, a Cairo office worker
(Photo: REUTERS / Maxim Shemetov)Russian President Vladimir Putin (C) kisses Kirill, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia, as Svetlana Medvedeva (R), wife of Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, looks on during an Orthodox Easter service in the Christ the Saviour Cathedral in Moscow May 5, 2013.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Orthodox Christians and all Russian citizens on Orthodox Easter one week after Christians in the West celebrated their belief in Jesus rising from the dead three days after his crucifixion.

Putin, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and his wife Svetlana attended the Orthodox Easter service at the Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow on April 7, where several thousand-people gathered, including members of parliament.

In Jerusalem the "Holy Fire" ceremony helped Eastern Orthodox Christians usher in Easter.

Some 7,000 pilgrims in Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre lit their candles off the "flame" from the "miracle light" on the night of April 7 and early morning of April 8, Easter Day.

The light emanates from the stone bed that Christian tradition believes to be the spot where Jesus's body was placed for burial.

The flame represents the resurrection of Christ and will be passed candle to candle and taken to other Orthodox churches around the world. The ritual dates back some 1,200 years.

The Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the rest of the Old City lies in east Jerusalem, captured by Israel from Jordan in the Six Day War of 1967 and later annexed by Israel.

The Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church.

Christians made up more than 18 percent of the population of the Holy Land when Israel was founded in 1948, but now form less than two percent, mostly Orthodox, The Times of Israel reported.

In Kiev, church services, festivals, and children's events were scheduled for April 8 and a holiday the following day.

Easter can occur on different days in the Gregorian (Western) and Julian (Eastern Orthodox) calendars.

In his message Putin said, "The great holiday of Easter, which symbolizes a triumph of life, good and love and has a huge moral significance.

"It wakens faith, hope and intention to do good deeds, to help to our fellow people. It consolidates people among eternal spiritual values and ideals. In these spring days filled with a sincere joy we understand the importance of the traditions and customs," the Russian president said in a statement, as quoted by the Kremlin press service.

The Assyrian, Greek, Russian and other Orthodox don't usually celebrate Easter on the same date as Catholics and Protestants. But in 2017, in a rare occurrence both the Orthodox Christians and Catholics did celebrate Easter on the same date.
Day Four: 20k Walk Top 10 for Erika Kelly

Sun, 08 Apr 2018



Erika Kelly crossing the finish line

The spectacular Currumbin Beachfront played host to the 20km Womens Race Walk this morning on the Gold Coast in Australia. (9.15am / 12.15am BST)

25 year old Erika Kelly made her Commonwealth Games debut and finished in the Top 10.

The Manx Harp player, who is partially sighted, crossed the finish line to huge cheers from the crowds and completed the race in a time of 1hour, 47min, 29sec. It earned her 9th place.

An emotional Erika Kelly was spurred on by a large contingent from the Isle of Man, waving the Manx Flags along the route, again in searing heat.

There was drama in the event as Australias Claire Tallent who was leading at one point, was given her third red card and disqualified  she was second at the time.

Media

Energy FM's Shaun Moore caught up with Erika after the race:

Photos
It may sound like your worst nightmare -- being stuck in a small car with five people for 10 days.

But television executives are hoping a new extreme reality show called In The Car can repeat the success it had in Switzerland last year.

The show caused a sensation in the Italian-speaking region of Switzerland last year when nearly a quarter of the population who have access to the Internet went online to watch the live finale on Facebook.

It also turned heads when a TV version of the emotional and physical endurance test was announced at MIPTV, the worlds biggest content market in Cannes, France, this weekend.

The shows brutal simplicity is part of its appeal, the producers said, with the last person remaining in the car winning it.

Viewers and listeners to a local radio station voted out contestants one by one, with the five free to leave if the pressure of living squeezed into a tiny Volkswagen up! became too much for them.

Producer Marco Elia of Pandora Format (correct) told AFP that tempers frayed quickly in the cramped conditions. People crack, there is heartbreak, it is like living in a very small and crowded prison cell.

Things got very heated but even in such a small space people can adapt we noticed. Human beings are very flexible, much more so than we thought, he added.

He said that contestants were allowed to leave the car for short breaks every few hours to go to the toilet and to shoot a confessional telling the viewers how they were coping.

They were also examined by a doctor every day.

Elia said the show threw up interesting situations, not least when it came male behaviour in cars.

The only woman in the pilot show was also the first to leave, with Elia admitting that the men had turned on her.

She was very nervous and she cried a lot, he said. There was a lot of aggression, though thankfully it was only verbal.

Elia said reaction to the show had been incredible. We have been really surprised how it has taken off. People really connected to it.

A first fully TV version of the show will be made later this year by the Swiss broadcaster Teleticino.

fg/har
Studying in a global city guarantees contacts all over the world. Janina Kauz, a 23-year-old Swiss expat, could hardly have chosen a better location for her studies in intercultural communication than London.

swissinfo.ch: Why did you leave Switzerland?

Janina Kauz: I moved to London to study because the course I am doing, Intercultural Communications in the Creative Industries, doesnt exist in Switzerland. The course began in September 2017 and thats when I arrived in London.

The views expressed in this article, including those concerning the host country and its politics, are exclusively those of the person portrayed and do not necessarily represent the positions of swissinfo.ch.

The first months were interesting and exciting, but also very tiring. Although London is not so far away and doesnt feel very foreign to us, you still gain a lot of new impressions and have to get used to new situations.

After a while, things settled down. Its certainly not a one-way trip. I will probably return to Switzerland after my studies.

swissinfo.ch: What job do you want to do and where after your studies?

J.K.: At the moment Im toying with the idea of doing a doctorate after my Masters. In that case I would stay a few years longer in London before I go back to Switzerland.

My plans for later are not really settled. I would like to work in advertising or television, but that could all change.

swissinfo.ch: Where are you living at the moment? And how do you find life and the food in London?

J.K.: I live in the district of Lambeth near the Tube station at Vauxhall. Its in the centre of London and attractions like Big Ben and the London Eye are reachable within minutes on foot. Everything is on my doorstep so I can make the most of the many cultural amenities the city has to offer.

London cuisine is very international. Theres no dish you cant find here. It has a lot of Indian restaurants, but everything else as well. The international cuisine is mostly very good. In comparison, traditional British food is almost boring. When I go to restaurants, I mostly eat foreign food.

swissinfo.ch: What is more attractive about Britain than Switzerland? And what is the biggest difference from Switzerland?

J.K.: Britain is much more multicultural than Switzerland. That makes the country very interesting and a good place for my studies. Im studying with people from all over the world, which I enjoy very much.

Other than that, the biggest difference I notice is how polite people are. They always say please and thank you and say sorry for everything, even if its not their fault. That makes dealing with people much more pleasant. I dont mean that everyone in Switzerland is rude, but here the politeness is much more noticeable and people place more importance on it.

swissinfo.ch: What is your view of Switzerland from a distance?

J.K.: Although I like London very much, I miss Switzerland, particularly Zurich. I feel at home there and its difficult to feel that way in London.

I think in Switzerland we enjoy a very high standard of living and lots of privileges. Sometimes you only become aware of that when you leave Switzerland for a while and move to another country. The infrastructure, education, health service and much more besides are of a very high quality in Switzerland. I also appreciate the fact that our political system is relatively transparent and we can make our voices heard. Many of those who voted against Brexit would like to have that here.

swissinfo.ch: How is the political situation in Britain, particularly after this decision to leave the EU?

J.K.: I follow political events with interest when I have time. A lot is happening here because of Brexit. Im especially watching how the situation for EU citizens is developing, because my residence permit is connected to that. Im very happy to be able to study in Britain with no complications and no visa and I hope it stays that way.

swissinfo.ch: Do you take part in Swiss elections and referendums? By letter or by e-voting?

J.K.: I return to Switzerland regularly to visit, for example during the university holidays. My visits are regular enough that I can always vote by post in Switzerland. Its very important to me to vote despite my absence.

swissinfo.ch: What do you miss most about Switzerland?

J.K.: I miss feeling at home and belonging. Moving to a foreign country involves a certain sense of being uprooted. In Switzerland I feel at home and can act with a kind of natural ease that is missing abroad.













swissinfo.ch (this interview was conducted in writing)






Ousted Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont called for immediate "political dialogue" with Madrid to resolve the row over the region's independence bid as he left a German jail on Friday.

The 55-year-old smiled and waved at supporters as he walked out of Neumuenster prison in northern Germany after posting a 75,000-euro ($92,000) bail, a day after judges rejected Spains request to extradite him on a rebellion charge.

The German judges are still mulling however whether to extradite him on a lesser charge of corruption.

The time for dialogue has arrived, Puigdemont told reporters outside the prison, saying that Catalonian demands for talks had for years only received a violent and repressive response.

There is no excuse for the Spanish authorities not to start a political dialogue with the Catalan political leaders, he added.

He also called for the immediate release of fellow Catalan separatists detained in the clash with Madrid over the wealthy northeastern regions failed breakaway attempt.

Its a shame for Europe to have political prisoners, he said.

In a major victory for Puigdemont, the upper state court in Schleswig-Holstein on Thursday dismissed the rebellion charge against him over his role in last Octobers independence referendum, deemed illegal by the Spanish government.

Rebellion  which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in Spain  was not punishable under German law, they ruled.

The closest German equivalent, the criminal offence of high treason, did not apply because Puigdemonts actions were not accompanied by violence, the judges found.

But they said the former Catalan president could still be sent to Spain to face trial for the alleged misuse of public funds in organising the disputed referendum.

The German judges said they needed to gather more information before making a decision on the embezzlement charge in the coming weeks, but ruled that Puigdemont be released in the meantime.

 Blow to Madrid 

Madrid has estimated that some 1.6 million euros in public money was improperly used to hold the referendum. If convicted, Puigdemont faces up to eight years in jail.

As part of his bail conditions, Puigdemont must remain in Germany and report to police weekly. On Twitter he said he will now to travel to Berlin, where a press conference is being planned.

German police detained Puigdemont on March 25 as he was travelling from Finland back to Belgium, where he has been living in self-imposed exile for the past six months.

The arrest came two days after Spains Supreme Court ordered international warrants for Puigdemont and other fugitive Catalan leaders on charges linked to holding the banned referendum.

The German courts refusal to accept the rebellion charge is a blow to Madrid, as under European law it means Puigdemont cannot be prosecuted for the offence even if he is returned to Spain.

Despite the setback, the Spanish government said it respected the German judges decision.

Its a matter between judges, not a matter between governments, said government spokesman Inigo Mendez de Vigo.

Berlin, which has long expressed support for Madrids actions in the Catalan row, declined to comment on the latest judicial developments.

The process lies in the hands of the justice system, as is right, said German government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer.

The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to freedom of expression, David Kaye, said rebellion prosecutions raise serious risks of deterring wholly legitimate speech, even if it is controversial and discomfiting.

 Flights to Europe 

Catalonia has been mired in political crisis ever since the region unilaterally declared independence on October 27 in the wake of the controversial referendum.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoys conservative government responded by sacking the Catalan government, taking direct control of the region and calling early elections.

The December vote was won by a block of separatist parties. But they have been unable to elect a president and form a government as their chosen candidates are now either in exile, in jail or facing prosecution.

Fresh regional elections will be triggered if a new leader is not elected by May 22.

Puigdemont was one of a number of Catalan figureheads who fled abroad to escape prosecution, dragging other European countries into the spat.

A Belgian judge on Thursday bailed three former Catalan ministers after they handed themselves in to police there.

Another former Catalan minister, Clara Ponsati, was bailed in Scotland last week.

They face charges of rebellion, misuse of public funds and disobeying the state.

Nine other pro-independence figures are currently in custody in Spain, including six members of Puigdemonts Catalan government and the former president of the regional parliament.

A major demonstration calling for imprisoned separatist leaders to be freed is planned for April 15 in Barcelona.
The News in Brief

Horse and Donkey Meat Found in Georgian Food Products



The National Food Agency (NFA) has reported finding horse and donkey meat in a number of products made in Georgia.



While inspecting 20 meat products in Tbilisi, 9 were made with horse and donkey meat.



NFA checked 20 samples and found 9 cases of violations. 7 samples contained horse meat, while 2 samples contained horse and donkey meat simultaneously, the agency reported on Tuesday.



Horse and donkey meat was found in the following products: khinkali, meatballs and kebabs.



Producers of the products were fined with 1,000 GEL.



Individual entrepreneur David Tsotskolauris products were inspected and discovered the violation of sanitary and hygienic norms.



LLC Mada, LLC Lashari, LLC Merkado, LLC Gio, LLC Kedari  these companies were identified as sellers of the products containing horse and donkey meat.







President pardoned 3,655 prisoners in total



President of Georgia Giorgi Margvelashvili has granted amnesty to 3,655 prisoners since December 2013. 1,645 out of the pardoned had committed grave crimes and 1,812 were convicted for drug-related crimes.



296 prisoners had been charged for the drug- related crimes, not drug-dealing.



The number of pardoned prisoners during Margvelashvilis presidency:

2013  71

2014 - 787;

2015 -1006;

2016 - 834;

2017 - 840;

2018 - 117.

(By Mariam Chanishvili)




France will "do its duty" over an alleged chlorine gas attack against civilians in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said Sunday.

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of further use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line that would prompt French strikes.

The use of chemical weapons is a war crime, Le Drian said in a statement, adding that France had asked the UN Security Council to convene as soon as possible to examine the situation in Eastern Ghouta.

The alleged chemical attack that left dozens dead in Syrias rebel-held town of Douma sparked international outrage Sunday, with US President Donald Trump warning there would be a big price to pay.

Douma is the last remaining opposition-held town in Ghouta, once the rebels main bastion outside Damascus but now ravaged by a seven-week regime assault.

In March, French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump vowed there would be no impunity in the event of further chemical weapons use in the conflict.

The government of Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and Moscow have both denied any use of chemical weapons as fabrications.

France is working with its allies and international organisations to verify the reality and the nature of these strikes, Le Drian added, calling the bombings a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law.

Hundreds of civilians have been killed in Eastern Ghouta since the Syrian army began new air strikes on February 18.

Aid workers have warned of dire medical needs in the enclave and the urgent need to evacuate the many sick and wounded.
Nine countries have demanded an urgent United Nations Security Council meeting on Monday after an alleged chemical attack on Syria's rebel-held town of Douma, diplomatic sources said on Sunday.

France initiated the move, and the request was also signed by the United States, Britain, Kuwait, Sweden, Poland, Peru, the Netherlands and Ivory Coast, the sources said.

The meeting is tentatively called for 1900 GMT on Monday but needs to be formally confirmed.

Along with Syrias ally Russia, France, the US and Britain are permanent members of the Security Council, as is China.

The other states which signed the request are non-permanent members of the body, which has met numerous times over the Syrian war since it began in 2011.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said earlier Sunday that France will do its duty over the alleged chlorine gas attack against civilians in Syrias Eastern Ghouta region.

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of further use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line that would prompt French strikes.

The use of chemical weapons is a war crime, Le Drian said in a statement.

Russian-backed regime forces launched a devastating assault in February to retake Eastern Ghouta, the last major opposition bastion close to Damascus.

Syrias White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said an attack took place late on Saturday using poisonous chlorine gas.

In a joint statement with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the White Helmets said more than 500 cases were brought to medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent.

Moscow, which has continued to give the regime of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad diplomatic cover at the UN, on Sunday insisted that the Damascus regime had not used chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta.
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Nine of the 15 United Nations Security Council members have demanded an urgent meeting Monday after an alleged chemical attack on Syria's rebel-held town of Douma, diplomatic sources said.

France initiated the move, and the request was also signed by Britain, the Ivory Coast, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Sweden and the United States, the sources said.

The meeting is set for 11:30 am (1530 GMT).

Russia, which has denied that Damascus used chemical weapons in Eastern Ghouta, has asked for a separate Security Council meeting at 3:00 pm.

Those talks are not focused on Syria but instead on global threats to peace, according to diplomatic sources.

Moscow warned Washington against carrying out a military intervention on fabricated pretexts in Syria, saying such a move could have the most dire consequences.

Along with Syrias ally Russia, Britain, France and the US are permanent members of the Security Council, as is China.

The other states that signed the request for the Syria meeting are non-permanent members of the body, which has met numerous times over the Syrian war since it began in 2011.

Unfortunately, chemical weapons use to injure and kill innocent Syrian civilians has become all too common, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said in a statement.

The Security Council has to come together and demand immediate access for first responders, support an independent investigation into what happened and hold accountable those responsible for this atrocious act.

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said France will do its duty over the alleged chlorine gas attack against civilians in Eastern Ghouta.

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of further use of chemical weapons in Syria was a red line that would prompt French strikes.

The use of chemical weapons is a war crime, Le Drian said.

Russian-backed regime forces launched a devastating assault in February to retake Eastern Ghouta, the last major opposition bastion close to Damascus.

Syrias White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said an attack took place late Saturday using poisonous chlorine gas.

In a joint statement with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the White Helmets said more than 500 cases were brought to medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent.

Moscow has given the regime of Syrias President Bashar al-Assad diplomatic cover at the UN.
Trouble-plagued Deutsche Bank on Sunday ousted its British CEO John Cryan, replacing him with one of his deputies in a bid to get Germany's biggest lender back on track after years in crisis.

Following weeks of speculation, the bank announced that German Christian Sewing, 47, would succeed Cryan who has been at the helm since 2015 with Sewing as deputy CEO and head of private banking.

The supervisory board of Deutsche Bank has named Christian Sewing to the position of CEO, effective immediately, to succeed John Cryan who will leave the bank at the end of the month, the Frankfurt-based bank said in a statement.

Deutsche Bank said earlier it was calling the surprise supervisory board meeting to discuss the chairmanship and to take a decision the same day.

Although Cryans contract was due to run until 2020, press reports in recent days suggested a rift over strategy with supervisory board chairman Paul Achleitner, who called Sundays meeting.

The choice of Sewing over investment banking chief Marcus Schenck, who had been discussed as a possible successor to Cryan, points to a strategic shift toward retail banking in its home market Germany.

Given sole command of the lender in 2016 after the departure of co-CEO Juergen Fitschen, Cryans task was to restructure Deutsche and clean up the toxic legacy of its pre-financial crisis bid to compete with global investment banking giants.

He had neutralised the worst legal threats, in part by paying billions in fines and compensation, strengthened Deutsches capital foundations with an 8-billion-euro ($9.8 billion) share issue last year and floated asset management division DWS on the stock market in March.

 Chronic patient 

But the financial results have so far not been what all of us would want them to be, Cryan, 57, acknowledged in a letter to employees last month while fighting to keep his job, referring to an unexpected 751-million-euro loss reported for 2017.

While the bank said the loss was a one-off caused by US President Donald Trumps corporate tax reform, investors have shunned Deutsche since the start of the year, with its stock dropping around 30 percent in value since January 1.

Business paper Handelsblatt said last month that Deutsche Bank remains what it was when Cryan took the helm: a chronic patient.

Cryan was seen as a troubleshooter after his successful steering of Swiss bank UBS through the financial crisis as finance director between 2008 and 2011.

But he met his match with the German lender.

It was clear from the beginning that Cryans time in office would be limited and that his job would be clearing up past mistakes. Hes not a charismatic leader personality or a visionary, professor Sascha Steffen of the Frankfurt school of finance told Handelsblatt.

He had to battle serious problems that his predecessors swept under the rug for years, Markus Riesselmann, analyst at Independent Research, told AFP.

Hes largely cleared those up and now it looks like Deutsche cant turn things around regarding margins. But I doubt a new CEO could successfully make that transition. It seems rather to be a fundamental Deutsche Bank problem.

In the banks statement, Achleitner praised Sewing as a strong and disciplined leader who has had a more than 25-year career at the organisation.

The Supervisory Board is convinced that he and his team will be able to successfully lead Deutsche Bank into a new era. We trust in the great ability of this bank and its many talents, he said.

bur-dlc/cw/klm/aph
Former Catalan minister Clara Ponsati, who is wanted for her role in last year's independence bid, said on Sunday that she is confident Scottish courts will reject Spain's extradition demand.

Scotland-based Ponsati accused Madrid of human rights abuses and warned they may be capable of further evil in their relentless crusade to crush the Catalans will to be free.

Her lawyer Aamer Anwar said he cannot find any conduct in Spains European arrest warrant which could be punished under Scots law, a key test for Scottish courts, and claims her life would be in danger if she is extradited.

Ponsati, who is currently free on bail in St Andrews, said she was in tears before she surrendered to Scottish police on March 28.

Writing in the Sunday Herald, she said she is looking ahead to the court proceedings, which are expected to last several weeks, with a mixture of determination and confidence.

I am hopeful that justice will prevail but the abuses of human rights by Spanish authorities are unprecedented  they get worse and worse day by day, she said.

I am weary of what evil they are capable of in their relentless crusade to crush the Catalans will to be free.

Ponsati faces up to 35 years in prison for charges including violent rebellion and misappropriation of public funds.

Anwar will urge Scottish courts to reject Spains European arrest warrant on human rights grounds, which protect the right to a fair trial, freedom of expression and thought, and the right of association, liberty and security.

Spain appears hell-bent on ripping up its image as a modern democracy and returning to its dark Francoist past, he said, referencing the former dictator Francisco Franco who ruled the country from 1939 to 1975.

He added: We have concerns that if she was imprisoned in Madrid, Spain could not and would not guarantee Claras safety and she faces a real threat to her life whether it be from the authorities or fellow prisoners.
Prince Charles was made a "kastom chief" during a visit on Saturday to Vanuatu where he also meet briefly with a residents from an island who worship his 96-year-old father Prince Philip.

Kastom denotes high chief status promoting harmonious coexistence, peace and reconciliation.

Charles was named Chief Mal Menaringmanu by Chief Seni Mao Tirsupe, President of the Malvatumauri Council of Chiefs, which is the South Pacific nations chiefly body.

The 69-year-old heir to the British throne was given a kastom dress  a woven pandanus skirt  for the occasion and drank a shell of kava, a traditional drink in the South Pacific.

However, he was spared the traditional killing of a pig, which usually seals all important ceremonies according to Vanuatu culture.

The Prince tried his hand at speaking some of the local Bislama language, saying: Tenkyu tumas bilong gudfella welkom. Hemi wan bigfalla honour bilong kam wan chief. (Thank you for the great welcome, it is a big honour to become a chief).

Charles also met Jimmy Joseph from the Vanuatu island of Tanna where his father has god-like status with a cult known as the Prince Philip movement.

I gave him a walking stick for his father made by the hands of the Prince Philip Movement, Joseph told reporters.

Charles later returned to Australia where he is on a week-long tour that has included opening the Commonwealth Games.
From: American Evaluation Association (AEA) For Immediate Release: Dateline: Washington , DC Sunday, April 8, 2018

Veronica Olazabal, Director of Measurement and Evaluation at the Rockefeller Foundation by day and Chair of the ICCE TIG by night  AEA Board Member always. We have a diverse set of posts this week written by our ICCE TIG colleagues that touch on how international evaluators are considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender issues, work in conflict states and bilingual tools. There is something for everyone and I encourage you to follow along!

I myself have recently returned from  London which in my opinion provides an excellent window into the future of evaluation. Since 2014, this event has convened professionals working in the international development sector as well as tech providers and data scientists to consider the role of technology in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning. Over two days, about 200 participants explored cutting edge topics such as big data, artificial intelligence, biometrics, and satellite imaging to support M&E.

Hot Tips:

A few take-aways and interesting resources about the future of this work for evaluators:

Its evolving quickly. We are no longer talking about a tool that will solve all our international development challenges  such as a dashboard, or a tech software. This is sobering as it moves the development sector further away from linear thinking and closer toward understanding that this work is complex. Rad Resource: See this summary of Aid on the Edge of Chaos by Ben Ramalingam https://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/aid-edge-chaos-book-you-really-need-read-and-think-about  reading the book is even better!

We are no longer talking about a tool that will solve all our international development challenges  such as a dashboard, or a tech software. This is sobering as it moves the development sector further away from linear thinking and closer toward understanding that this work is complex. See this summary of Aid on the Edge of Chaos by Ben Ramalingam https://blogs.worldbank.org/publicsphere/aid-edge-chaos-book-you-really-need-read-and-think-about  reading the book is even better! Its becoming people-centric. While we spent less time talking about a tech-enabled tool, we did spend more time talking about the role of people. For instance, the people in the communities we are working in, the people collecting and analyzing data, the people running the tech-enabled platforms, the people making funding decisions etc. We even discussed peoples rights around data security, responsible data etc. Its clear that as we move into the future, artificial intelligence will not (yet) overshadow the need for people across the international development ecosystem. Rad Resource: http://www.theengineroom.org/civil-society-digital-security-new-research/

While we spent less time talking about a tech-enabled tool, we did spend more time talking about the role of people. For instance, the people in the communities we are working in, the people collecting and analyzing data, the people running the tech-enabled platforms, the people making funding decisions etc. We even discussed peoples rights around data security, responsible data etc. Its clear that as we move into the future, artificial intelligence will not (yet) overshadow the need for people across the international development ecosystem. http://www.theengineroom.org/civil-society-digital-security-new-research/ Its about valuing collaboration. Having been in this space for some time, I am often shocked by how extreme and dogmatic we can be about our own points of views. For example, that data science will make evaluation obsolete, or why even do evaluation when monitoring is the key etc. I found the MERL Tech discussions this year more focused on collaboration and working together to find common ground. This is exciting in that it acknowledges that we need to bring ALL our skills to the table to problem-solve around measuring impact and ultimately improving the lives of millions. Rad Resource: http://merltech.org/the-future-of-development-evaluation-in-the-age-of-big-data/ Interested In Learning More?

Sign up for ICTworks , which is a unique resource for learning about MERL TECH from both user experiences and technical experts.

, which is a unique resource for learning about MERL TECH from both user experiences and technical experts. Attend a MERL Tech  the next one is in Johannesburg in August. To learn more and to follow the active conversation around technology and its applications to M&E, please visit org.

The American Evaluation Association is celebrating International and Cross-Cultural (ICCE) TIG Week with our colleagues in the International and Cross-Cultural Topical Interest Group. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from our ICCE TIG members. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the



About AEA The American Evaluation Association is an international professional association and the largest in its field. Evaluation involves assessing the strengths and weaknesses of programs, policies, personnel, products and organizations to improve their effectiveness. AEAs mission is to improve evaluation practices and methods worldwide, to increase evaluation use, promote evaluation as a profession and support the contribution of evaluation to the generation of theory and knowledge about effective human action. For more information about AEA, visit www.eval.org. Welcome to ICCE week! This isDirector of Measurement and Evaluation at the Rockefeller Foundation by day and Chair of the ICCE TIG by night  AEA Board Member always. We have a diverse set of posts this week written by our ICCE TIG colleagues that touch on how international evaluators are considering the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), gender issues, work in conflict states and bilingual tools. There is something for everyone and I encourage you to follow along!I myself have recently returned from MERL Tech which in my opinion provides an excellent window into the future of evaluation. Since 2014, this event has convened professionals working in the international development sector as well as tech providers and data scientists to consider the role of technology in monitoring, evaluation, research and learning. Over two days, about 200 participants explored cutting edge topics such as big data, artificial intelligence, biometrics, and satellite imaging to support M&E.A fewand interesting resources about the future of this work for evaluators:The American Evaluation Association is celebratingwith our colleagues in the. The contributions all this week to aea365 come from ourmembers. Do you have questions, concerns, kudos, or content to extend this aea365 contribution? Please add them in the comments section for this post on the aea365 webpage so that we may enrich our community of practice. Would you like to submit an aea365 Tip? Please send a note of interest to aea365@eval.org . aea365 is sponsored by the American Evaluation Association and provides a Tip-a-Day by and for evaluators.


Two years ago, in front of a Seattle audience, George Lopezs rude F-word put-down of San Antonio was greeted with cheers in Washington state  and shock here.

It caused quite a social media stir.

After all, San Antonio has been a Lopez tour stop since the days when nobody knew who he was.

He eventually apologized for the slur via Twitter  twice.

The first time, he tweeted, I love you San Antonio, dont let Chisme destroy a great relationship. The second time, he said, Happy Easter! San Antonio, on this day of resurrection, please forgive me. I love you. Im deeply sorry.

READ MORE: George Lopez tells Seattle audience on comedy tour: 'F--k San Antonio'

On Friday night, he apologized a third time, this time in person.

Lopez was in town as part of The Comedy Get Down show with comics Eddie Griffin, Cedric the Entertainer and D.L. Hughley.

Lopez, who opened the show at the AT&T Center and then introduced each of the other comics, put any lingering animosity or questions about his sincerity to bed immediately.

Please forgive me about what I said about San Antonio, bellowed Lopez, who hit the stage at 8:40 p.m. to the beat of Wars Low Rider.

I love you guys. I love you guys.

Cheers, and laughter, were deafening. Some 11,000 fans had been expected Friday.

Dressed in a suit and wearing a vatolicious tan fedora with the brim turned down, he lit into late arrivals.

Between the blacks and the Mexicans, were lucky to start before midnight.

He also tore into President Donald Trump, that naranja (expletive).

(Expletive) that (expletive), Lopez said, rudely skewering a president who has accused Mexicans of being rapists and thieves.

I dont like Donald Trump.  When I see him, Im going to rob him and (expletive) him.

Lopez, 56, then shifted to his road-tested, razor-sharp, tough love barrio-style comedy.

Before the show, fans were willing to let bygones be bygones  mostly. Actually, some gave as good as they got when it comes to put-downs.

They just dont want to have their names associated with it in print against the comedy icon.

(Bleep) that (bleep), joked one man. His concert companion added: Hes a (expletive) comedian. Hes supposed to be dumb.

Im not from here, but I can see how that would upset somebody, another fan said.

Longtime Lopez fan George Urrutia attended the show with his wife, Michelle. He recalled the controversy but shrugged it off.

It doesnt really matter. He was saying something to pump up the crowd, Urrutia said.

His wife said the 2016 hoopla went in one ear and out the other.

I didnt pay too much attention, Michelle Urrutia said.
Missing from your (March 25) Lassos story was the movie coverage. I remember there was a movie about the Lassos, with the Lassos having major parts in it. This was not just snips but a feature film with many scenes shot on site at Jefferson High School. Young actress Jane Withers, playing a Lasso member, had the leading part. Perhaps my memory is faulty, but I do remember the crush I had on Jane.

 Bee Craighead

High School was a coming-of-age vehicle for Jane Withers, a longtime child actress who was the singing, dancing, brunette foil to contemporary Shirley Temple. As executives at 20th Century Fox were thinking about Withers first starring teen role, the pictorial on Jefferson High School in the March 7, 1938, issue of Life magazine caught the eye of studio head Darryl Zanuck, who decided to do a feature movie based on life at the school, according to the San Antonio Light, April 30, 1938.

The Lassos were a vivid element of the Jefferson story. The schools unique pep squad wore school colors in Western-style red blouses and blue skirts, a uniform topped with cowboy hats and completed with real lariats twirled then and now to perform rope tricks in unison. Although they were only part of the story about the beautiful, modern school that opened in 1932, the Lassos made a big impression on many readers. Dorothy Perkins, whose picture appeared on Lifes cover, received more than a thousand fan letters, and other members pictured received marriage proposals and gifts from admirers.

Screenwriters Robert Ellis and Helen Logan soon came to San Antonio to scout locations for a high-school movie. While here they took 2,400 feet of atmosphere shots of the school and various student activities  to show the producer of the Jane Withers picture the pictorial possibilities of the school, reported the San Antonio Express, March 13, 1938. The writers took home images of the opulent, Spanish/Moorish-style school building, the Junior ROTC cadets and their female-student sponsors and, of course, the Lassos.

In the resulting movie, whose title was tentatively announced as Texas Kid, Withers played a ranch girl whose widower father sends her to school in San Antonio in hopes of smoothing out some of her rough edges. (The movie also has been billed as Texas Girl  not a sequel but the same film, possibly retitled for TV syndication to avoid confusion when other films came along with High School in the title, said Frank Thompson, author of Texas Hollywood: Filmmaking in San Antonio Since 1910 and most recently Asheville Movies, Vol. 1: The Silent Era.)

According to Thompson, Judging by the film itself, Withers seems to have shot no scenes in San Antonio at all. Every scene where shes in front of the real Jefferson High features a double, shot from the back, or shots of her performing in front of a rear screen. Scenes shot at the school look great, the author says. Its only when Withers is superimposed on them that things look screwy.

High School was released Jan. 26, 1940. Jeffersons 1940 Monticello yearbook says Withers visited the school in early February, where she was presented with red roses by Marion Reese, the Lasso who was her double in the movie. The actress was escorted by Junior ROTC cadets and walked through an officers arch of sabers, receiving a hand salute. She was made an honorary Lasso major and honorary ROTC colonel and charmed everyone with her friendliness and sweetness.

From Saturday afternoon through Friday of that week, the yearbook stated, Withers was at the Majestic Theatre for a stage show during the first local showing of High School. During her visit to the real school, the star invited Lassos, cadets and sponsors to attend. On Feb. 8, 1940, reported that days San Antonio Express, A selected group of Lasso girls and ROTC boys (met) Miss Withers on the stage personally (to) talk with her about the picture as part of the 7 p.m. stage show that featured a host of headline acts.

As noted in the March 25 column, the Lassos Alumni Association is working on a book about Jeffersons unique pep squad. Readers with Lassos photos or memories to share may send messages to shirley.wills@att.net

Another Morton mystery

I read the April 1 story about the deaths of Arthur and Harry Morton in 1932. I researched the Find a Grave website and found that they had a younger brother, Robert, buried in the family plot at Mission South Cemetery. His death certificate shows him dying in 1941 with a cause of death as shot by a .30-caliber rifle/Suicide. I believe this story is still a mystery. Robert was 14, about the same age as his brothers who were similarly shot in 1932. How could a 14-year-old boy put a rifle to his head and pull the trigger?

 Wilbern L. Davis, Schertz

Though wealthy, this family seems to have had more than its share of hard times. Less than seven years after the shooting deaths of former Jefferson High School students Arthur, 15, and Harry, 14, which were ruled accidental, their father, Arthur Hunter Morton, died Jan. 28, 1939, in M&S Hospital of a pancreatic hemorrhage, with hypertension as a contributory cause, according to his death certificate. He was 50 years old.

And then there was Robert Morton, who died in January 1941, at the age of14. Called the scion of a wealthy southwest Texas ranching family, in a front-page story about his death in the San Antonio Light, it was reported he went hunting the previous weekend, apparently explaining why he had a deer rifle in the room described as his study on the second story of the family home on West Kings Highway.

His mother, Zilla Naylor Morton, and brother Naylor, a student at Texas A&M University, had asked Robert to get ready to return to school at Texas Military Institute, where he seems to have been a boarder, although the school then at 800 College Blvd. was about 3 miles from his house. Despondent at having to return to school, young Morton went upstairs to pack and locked the door.

Shortly afterward, his mother and brother heard a single shot, the Light reported. The family chauffeur saw from another second-story window that Morton was slumped on a cot against a window, the deer rifle lying at his feet. Unspecified members of the family forced the door open; someone called the family doctor, who called the police, who told reporters that the bullet had entered the youths head just under the left eye and left a gaping hole as it emerged in the rear.

Several months later, his mother remarried. According to the San Antonio Express, Aug. 25, 1941, it was a surprise marriage announcement  of wide social interest when Morton wed Horace Booth Jr. of Houston, formerly of this city, Aug. 19, 1941. Booth was a longtime railroad man who had been traffic manager in San Antonio for the International-Great Northern railroad and later the Missouri Pacific during the late 1910s through the late 20s, after which he returned to Houston for other railroad jobs. Later records show Booth as a Hondo rancher and independent oil operator and real-estate dealer.

That story was the first and only reference to the Morton-Booth union, which seems not to have taken. On Booths World War II-era draft registration card, filled out in 1942, he gives a business associates name as the person who will always know your address.

In subsequent years, Zilla Morton retained her first married name and traveled among houses she owned in San Antonio, Port Aransas and Colorado Springs until her death in 1980.

Booth married again in 1954, to Lillian Iver Wyman, a widow. At the age of 56, she died under mysterious circumstances. Booth, then 70, admitted they had been arguing the night of June 5, 1961, and said variously that she had just spontaneously died while he was shaking her and that a large mirror might have fallen on her. Whatever happened, Lillian Booths neck was broken, severing her spinal cord.
After the FBI informed Congress that it is investigating Chinese government influence in U.S. higher education in February, two area congressmen are urging a handful of Texas public universities to get rid of their Confucius Institutes, academic centers that foster the study of Chinas language and culture.

Reps. Michael McCaul, R-Austin, and Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, announced Thursday in a joint statement that they sent a letter to Texas universities March 23 warning that the institutes are intended to spread Chinas political agenda, suppress academic debate and steal vital academic research.

The University of Texas at San Antonio was among the letters recipients. Its Confucius Institute is fully funded by Chinese government sources to the tune of $150,000 a year, confirmed Joe Izbrand, spokesman for the university. But China doesnt control it, and students benefit from it, he said.

McCaul and Cuellars statement was stark.

These organizations are a threat to our nations security by serving as a platform for Chinas intelligence collection and political agenda. We have a responsibility to uphold our American values of free expression and to do whatever is necessary to counter any behavior that poses a threat to our democracy, they said.

Asked about the letter, Izbrand released a statement saying that the institute, which was opened in 2009 and is operated by three employees  two full time and one part time  was founded to promote Chinese culture and language training and hosts a variety of lectures and workshops.

The institute is one of many programs that help prepare our students to be world-ready. It is under full control of professors and officials from UTSA, he said. We value the perspectives of the congressmen and will do our due diligence in evaluating their concerns.

Lizzie Litzow, communications director for McCaul, acknowledged that he and Cuellar have no examples or specific evidence that the institute at UTSA  or any other Texas university  was generating propaganda or pushing Chinas interests. But its funding by the Chinese government was evidence enough, she said.

In January, at the urging of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the University of Texas at Austin rejected a proposal to accept funding for its new China Public Policy Center from the China-United States Exchange Foundation, a Hong Kong-based organization. And in February, after the urging of U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, the University of West Florida announced that it had already made plans to terminate its Confucius Institute.

The University of Chicago and Pennsylvania State University have closed their Confucius Institutes as well, though about 100 remain in universities across the U.S., according to published reports.

Advocates for keeping the institutes open argue that theyre hubs for cultural exchange that increase students understanding of Chinese language and art.
Four Alamo College District trustees  three of them longtime incumbents whose most recent six-year terms were tumultuous for the board and the district  each face challenges to their May 5 bids for re-election.

The board repeatedly attracted the anger of some faculty, students and community members for backing the policies of outgoing Chancellor Bruce Leslie, which standardized counseling and curriculum across the districts five colleges to put a premium on students ability to smoothly transfer to a four-year university.

Some of the changes resulted in accreditation warnings for crimping the colleges independence. But the Alamo Colleges saw a boost in student success metrics, and the incumbents also have received praise for choosing Palo Alto College President Mike Flores to replace Leslie.

Trustees have formed councils with employee representatives in an attempt to repair relations. On their front burner now is a projected budget shortfall exacerbated by the surge in popularity of tuition-free dual-credit programs for high school students.

The seats in play this year represent the northern and western parts of San Antonio and Bexar County. The District 9 race is a special election to fill the unexpired term of James Rindfuss, who died in August. That seat will be on the ballot again in two years.

Early voting begins April 23.

District 5

Incumbent Roberto Zarate, 69, a retired elementary school principal, faces challenges from James Hernandez, 25, a case manager for Roy Maas Youth Alternatives, and Ramiro Nava, 44, executive director of support services in the Somerset Independent School District.

Zarate joined the board in 2003 when it was plagued by scandal, taking over the unexpired term of Jesse Gonzales, who resigned after a bribery conviction.

Trustees have recently ramped up advising to help students pick courses that transfer to their programs of study at four-year universities, and last year voters approved a $450 million bond. Zarate said hes proud of this record and wants to see the chancellor transition through.

Were very well-poised nationally to provide models that other people can follow, Zarate said.

A Kennedy High School graduate, Hernandez earned his undergraduate degree from Our Lady of the Lake University and a masters degree in education from the University of Utah. He said he wants to bring back tenure for professors, increase outreach to senior citizens and improve child care for Alamo Colleges students who need it.

Zarate said tenure does not benefit employees and can protect faculty who are not adequately supporting students, but Hernandez argued it allows professors to speak out against the districts leaders without fear of retribution.

Professors just dont feel safe in their own colleges, and that gets transferred to the students, Hernandez said.

Nava unsuccessfully challenged Zarate six years ago, but said he has grown personally and professionally since then, earning a doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Texas at San Antonio.

Nava praised Flores, with whom hes worked on Somersets dual-credit programs. He said Somerset students sometimes have difficulty enrolling or getting time with Alamo Colleges advisers and if elected he would work to streamline enrollment processes. Nava also said he would focus on bond oversight so projects are completed on time and to the right specifications.

I can definitely bring some new ideas to the table, Nava said.

District 6

Gene Sprague, 72, a professor at UT Health San Antonio, has spent 24 years on the board and is running for his fifth term. He is being challenged by Jacob Andrew Wong, 39, an Alamo Colleges human resources employee who processes part-time hires.

Wong, a San Antonio College graduate, was the student representative on the board of trustees during the 2014-15 academic year. He said he would give up his job with the college district if elected. Another challenger, David Flores Lopez, dropped out of the race.

Sprague said hes running again to continue the boards momentum during this time of transition. In addition to graduation rates, he said, course completion and grade point averages are trending up, reflecting faculty support for the course the board has charted.

We want their ideas, Sprague said. We cant succeed without them.

Wong said hes running in part because of the Alamo Colleges lack of support for employees. He said employee orientations are ineffective or nonexistent and employees are suffering from initiative overload. When three colleges received accreditation warnings attributed to board policies that infringed on the colleges autonomy, the human resources department lost productivity while working to solve the problems, Wong said.

Wong also said board discussions on how to deal with the budget shortfall has caused employees to worry for their jobs.

Its that kind of decision making that puts panic and instability into the workings of the colleges, Wong said.

Wong said parents of high school students have told him theyre willing to pay partial tuition for dual-credit courses.

District 7

Board Chairwoman Yvonne Katz, 74, a former Harlandale ISD superintendent who now consults for school districts and nonprofits, is running for her second term on the board. She faces David W. Fischer, 80, a retired university professor who most recently taught at the Universidad Autonoma de Baja California in Mexico.

Katz said more than 75 percent of students at the Alamo Colleges have worked out educational plans with their advisers and all the colleges are working to reduce the amount of time students spend earning associates degrees. Her priorities include continuing to expand dual credit and lobbying during the next legislative session for lawmakers to reverse state funding cuts. Katz said she wants to continue to create successful programs such as Project Access, which provides special-needs adults the opportunity to earn vocational certificates.

We are truly on the right path, Katz said.

Fischer grew up in Alamo Heights and went to Trinity University before embarking on an academic career that took him around the world. At California State University-Long Beach, he taught for 13 years in the graduate center for public policy and administration and worked with students who had transferred from the local community college. His wife, Carmen Nava-Fischer, heads the natural science department at St. Philips College. If elected, Fischer said, he would recuse himself from any votes involving his wife.

Fischer said he got in the race out of concern that faculty have been excluded from the decision-making process and the individual colleges are losing their autonomy.

Their unique histories were being ignored by this attempt by Bruce Leslie to create an overreaching single institution, Fischer said.

Leslie had too much influence over current trustees and a new chancellor should come with a new board, Fischer said. He questioned the qualifications of some dual-credit instructors and said the program should be curtailed and not be free, except for students who demonstrate financial need and a desire to attend college.

District 9

The board in November appointed Joe Jesse Sanchez, 70, who recently retired from running the Bexar County Juvenile Justice Academy, to fill the vacant District 9 seat. He seeks to finish the remaining two years of the term. He faces Felix Grieder, 64, a Swiss immigrant and U.S. Air Force veteran who now works as a process engineer in the strategy and marketing department at USAA.

Sanchez said his priorities include sustaining dual credit and improving communication with local school districts. He said he planned to seek input from the constituents in the district on how to finance dual credit.

The savings, the leg up that the students get is just tremendous, Sanchez said. Its a darn good investment for us.

Grieders platform has three specific priorities: improving governance, reducing administrative expenses and repairing relations between faculty and administrators. He blamed Northeast Lakeview Colleges decade-long accreditation process on district leaders poor decision making. Grieder criticized Leslie as autocratic and aloof.

Faculty often has a rear seat to whats going on, Grieder said. They have not been treated appropriately, so their voice needs to be requested and listened to seriously.
Becky Dinnin, a former San Antonio Chamber of Commerce executive who led the Alamo through a change in management and the first phase of a long-term master plan, has resigned.

Dinnin was hired initially by the Texas General Land Office in February 2015 in the role of Alamo director shortly before Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush terminated a contract with the Daughters of the Republic of Texas to provide daily operations at the popular mission and battle site. About the same time, Bush appointed a panel of prominent Texas business leaders, including developer Gene Powell, to serve on the board of the nonprofit Alamo Endowment.

The Alamo Trust, a subsidiary of the endowment, now oversees the Alamos daily operations. Dinnins title changed in late 2015 to executive director of the endowment, then shifted last year to executive director of the Remember the Alamo Foundation  another endowment subsidiary created to raise funds for promotion and implementation of the Alamo master plan.

Now Playing: Alamo Plaza on March 6, 2018 Video: San Antonio Express-News

Dinnin, 51, said she will take time off after her last day at the Alamo on Thursday. She previously was vice president of image and communications with the chamber for more than seven years. Dinnin is a descendant of Sarah Dodson, who designed an early lone-star Texas flag in 1835.

I decided to resign from the Alamo, she told the Express-News. This was my choice. This was my decision.

Last year, the Land Office hired Douglass W. McDonald, a museum consultant from Ohio, as Alamo CEO. His responsibilities include oversight of operations and interpretive design of the master plan.

For the past three years, Becky has served the Alamo commendably, leading community relations efforts as well as staff and projects related to Alamo operations and the Alamo master plan, McDonald said.

Dinnin issued a statement saying she is a strong supporter of the Land Office, endowment and city of San Antonios efforts to remember the Alamo. With that project under way, she said it was the right time for me to departto pursue other opportunities that are beneficial to Texas and my community.

Growing up in a small West Texas town and with a family deeply rooted in Texas heritage, I am honored to have been a part of the Alamo leadership for the past three years. I am proud that Texas has embraced the vision of preservation and conservation of the Alamo, recapturing and restoring integrity to the battlefield, and building an unforgettable visitor experience, she wrote.

Powell, Remember the Alamo Foundation chairman, said Dinnins contributions to the Alamo over the past three years cannot be overstated.

The Alamo and the master plan project have benefited greatly from her knowledge, commitment, and enthusiasm for Texas history, and we will miss her greatly, he said.
More than 300 gun-rights activists  many of them armed with rifles, shotguns and handguns  peacefully held a rally Saturday in the normally quiet enclave of Olmos Park to demand the dismissal of Police Chief Rene Valenciano and protest the behavior of his officers.

What brings me here is the abuse of open carriers by Olmos Park PD, and we're not going to stand for it, said Ken Grant, a member of the group Open Carry Texas who had brought a World War II-era rifle, a Ruger handgun and a fishing pole with a plastic donuts dangling from it that he called tyrant bait for police.

Now Playing: Open Carry Texas marches on Olmos Park on April 7, 2018 after accusing police of not respecting laws allowing firearms to be carried openly. Video: Billy Calzada, Express-News

No Olmos Park police officers were visible during the protest and City Attorney Frank Garza said beforehand that no one would interfere with the rally, even though organizers hadnt obtained a permit for the organized gathering, which would normally be required in Olmos Park.

The city is going to allow the rally to occur, even if they're in violation of local ordinances, Garza said.

Messages left with Valenciano and Olmos Park Mayor Ron Hornberger weren't returned.

Open Carry Texas helped organize the protest after Valenciano personally arrested the groups founder, CJ Grisham, who had been filming himself and other armed activists at McCullough Avenue and Earl Street near the family-friendly restaurant Tribeca 212.

Grisham said he was injured after police used a stun gun on him during the arrest.

Olmos Park and other municipalities in the San Antonio area had ordinances on the books that conflicted with state law, which allows people to openly carry long guns without any kind of permit, and to openly carry handguns in a shoulder or belt holster after obtaining a license.

After the arrest of Grisham and other activists, the city of Olmos Park, Alamo Heights and Hollywood Park all repealed their ordinances. The city of San Antonio still has a similar ordinance, but San Antonio police chief William McManus, who observed the rally Saturday, said officers don't enforce it.

As the crowd of activists gathered outside the city limits of Olmos Park at Odell and Howard streets, McManus said concerned residents had called 911 to report people carrying guns, but he didnt predict any other problems.

All these folks, as far as I can see, are out here exercising their First and Second Amendment rights, which they have every right to do, McManus said.

Grisham, who is facing criminal charges in connection with the incident, didnt attend the rally on the advice of his lawyer. The citations issued against Grisham for violating the repealed Olmos Park ordinance have been dropped, Garza said, but Grisham still faces other charges that include interfering with the duties of a public servant, according to court records.

At the rally, San Antonio police officers were on hand to block off streets as the large group started marching. Their destination: Olmos Park City Hall.

As they marched north on McCullough Avenue, one family outside Mary Lous Cafe stopped to thank them and passing motorists occasionally honked.

The activists headed deeper into Olmos Park, walking down ritzy residential streets. One couple, Steve and Anastasia McKenna, stood in their well-manicured front yard, gazing at the crowd.

More than anything, its really interesting, because nothing ever happens on our street, Steve McKenna said.

At City Hall, the group erupted into cheers.

Mission accomplished! declared Open Carry Texas vice president, David Amad, who had a shotgun strapped to his back. Then Amad and a group of activists with cameras swarmed around an old man standing nearby, believing they had found an Olmos Park city councilman.

The man, who declined to provide his name, said he was just an Olmos Park resident and had never served on the council. A gun owner himself, he said the protest was ridiculous.

I believe this is doing a lot of harm, he said. It makes us all look like a bunch of fools.

Nearby at Tribeca 212, customers Sara Davis and Angela Rabke watched the protest unfold, fuming.

Davis had been driving on McCullough with her children when they spotted the earlier altercation between Olmos Park police and the armed activists. The arrests occurred near Tribeca, which has a small, indoor play area for children.

My kids were really scared, said Davis, a gun owner whose family is already worried about mass shootings at school.

Amad was unapologetic.

The bad guys dont take their gun, strap it on their back, and walk down the street in the middle of the day, he said. Name one mass shooter who did that. They dont do that. They conceal their guns until they get to the place where theyre going to do their bad deed.

Amad said any Olmos Park officials who think the rally was a one-time hurricane thats going to go away are dead wrong. The protesters want the police chief gone  period.

Theyre going to do whats right or were going to be back, Amad said.
Im old, Im slow and I run late.

Thats Paul Elizondos explanation for his high rate of absences when roll call is conducted at the beginning of the Bexar County Commissioners Courts biweekly Tuesday morning meetings.

Over the past two years, Elizondo, 82, has been present for roll call at only 27 of 59 Commissioners Court meetings, a 46 percent rate of attendance, according to county archives. Every other county commissioner has a roll-call attendance higher than 75 percent, with County Judge Nelson Wolff at 95 percent and Sergio Chico Rodriguez at 88 percent.

In most cases, Elizondo ultimately shows up for Commissioners Court meetings, even if he misses some agenda items along the way. In several instances over the past two years, he entered the courtroom after a vote was taken and requested that an aye vote be recorded for him on that item. In one case (Sept. 5, 2017), he entered a meeting after the court had worked its way down to Item 42 on its agenda.

Elizondo missed eight meetings altogether in 2016-17. He chalked up four of them to 2016 bouts with pneumonia and the flu and two to a leg ailment in 2017.

I have been, over the years, for various reasons, not always there at the beginning of meetings, Elizondo said. In Commissioners Court, roll call is when they have all the presentations of proclamations. When you get into the real meat of the meeting, about an hour later, after all the proclamations, Im there.

Elizondos penchant for tardiness has become an issue in his Democratic runoff battle with Queta Rodriguez, 47, a retired Marine captain who runs the countys Veterans Service office and is the daughter of former West Side Councilwoman Lourdes Galvan.

Rodriguez argued that the commissioners lack of punctuality is inexcusable.

Commissioners Court is only held twice a month, Rodriguez said. There are different things that are presented at the beginning. Oftentimes, theyre honoring residents of Bexar County. If hes not there, hes showing its not important to him. Also, sometimes items will get pulled up front and so decisions are getting made without his input.

Rodriguez added that county employees are required to be at work on time, and said Elizondo is setting a bad example with his late arrivals.

Elizondo is the dean of the Commissioners Court, having held the Precinct 2 seat for 30 uninterrupted years. Over that time, he has established a reputation as the courts budgetary guru.

Nonetheless, the issue of Elizondos work ethic popped up during the primary race, when one of his challengers, environmental activist Mario Bravo, submitted an open-records request with the county for Elizondos 2017 work calendar.

The open-records request revealed that in 28 of 52 weeks last year, Elizondo had at least three empty weekdays on his calendar, with no meetings or work activities listed.

Elizondo, however, contends that neither his work calendar nor his roll-call attendance record reflect how much time he puts into his job.

We have a lot of constituent services that are not on the calendar or wont show up, Elizondo said. Next to the judge (Nelson Wolff), Im the one that carries the heaviest load (on the court).

Rodriguez is also critical of Elizondos unwillingness to join her in scheduled runoff debates on Texas Public Radio and at a meeting of the Democratic Party.

Elizondo points out that he participated in multiple primary debates with Rodriguez and Bravo, as well as a recent Northwest Democrats forum. He suggests that further debates with Rodriguez would amount to a pointless regurgitation of statements that have been made repeatedly during the campaign.

The time for debate is over, Elizondo said. Were going directly to the voters.

Elizondo added, Its too late. The primary election has already been held, this is a runoff. And I need to take care of my job more than I need to waste my time.

To Rodriguez, that attitude epitomizes what she has described as an arrogant lack of engagement from Elizondo.

If agencies, if organizations, if people want a second chance to hear from candidates who are trying to earn their vote, its dismissive to turn them down, she said. It should always be important to have an opportunity to address the people that you want to continue to represent.

@gilgamesh470
Contrary to young peoples perceptions, life doesnt stop at 50, which is what four former Essence magazine editors are looking to get across with their online publication 50Bold.com.

With goals of informing and empowering African-Americans 50 and above, Trumbull residents Ruth Manuel-Logan and Judyth Watson-Remy teamed up with longtime friends and former colleagues Angela Kinamore and Karen Halliburton to address what they think is an overlooked demographic.

In your 40s, you still see life as pretty rosy, but once you get into your 50s, things change, said Logan, 50Bolds managing editor. Things start happening. Death of parents, death of friends, health issues, issues with your kids going to college or moving out. Job situations change.

Its been more than 35 years since the four met at the popular magazine aimed at an African-American audience, but their friendship remained as their careers took them in different directions.

As years passed, they kept in touch with regular meetings that were filled with discussions of life, careers and changes that come with age. From health concerns and family to retirement and marriage, Logan said the four would discuss topics they felt were on the minds of other people from similar backgrounds.

Through those conversations, Logan said they were met with realizations as they hit a milestone year. The minute you hit the 5-0, there are drastic changes that happen in your life, Logan said.

Carving out a niche

With a publishing industry that features titles targeted at a vast array of niche groups, there was a a void of publications geared toward African-American readers in their age group, they said.

50Bold features an array of topics regarding fashion, beauty, health and lifestyle, and is meant to appeal to men and women.

Its a different era because a lot of things are ahead of you and a lot of things are behind you and there are a lot of regrets and a lot of thing change now, Watson-Remy said.

Aside from the likes of grandparents.com and AARP, the four said there was an untapped market of readers looking for coverage that caters to their interests and concerns.

Bold topics

As its name suggests, the publication aims to be bold with its coverage, Logan said.

We are not afraid to cover anything because we feel that we are grown people, and as grown people we should not be afraid to discuss anything, she said.

While readers will find articles that address topics like health concerns for people approaching retirement, the platform also takes on more risque topics. Stories that address sex after 50 and sexual orientation create a mix of coverage on subjects that Kinamore described as sometimes off-limits among their demographic.

I like that we do issues and topics that you dont really see out there or it might be taboo and people may not want to touch them, she said.

With articles about celebrating menopause and reclaiming confidence in your 50s, Halliburton, of New Jersey, said she looks to focus on empowering readers with a raw and unapologetic style  a reflection on her personality.

Im an outspoken person and I like to speak my mind, Haliburton said. When you pass a certain age, I dont take anything from anybody. ... I dont let things roll off my back, because why should I?

Battle for exposure

50Bold publishes new content twice a month, on the 15th and last day of each month. There is no subscription fee.

As they work on their new platform, Remy-Watson said their main struggle is expanding their reach to their target age group, which she described as less tech savvy.

Putting it online was a tough thing because people were like, Is it only on Facebook? she said.

As the online magazine enters its sixth month of operation, the team is working to get older readers acclimated to a digital platform. The older people are, the more difficult it is for them to understand the internet and how to access and how to get on board, Logan said.

While the essence of the publication is to appeal to African Americans 50 and older, Logan said 50Bolds articles are for readers of all ages and races, and they hope their work shines through and catches some attention.

It is our labor of love and an accumulation of experiences, she said.
GREENWICH  As the Greenwich Historical Society is busy making history with a major transformation of its campus, the group is bringing in one of the countrys best-known historians to help with the fundraising effort.

Presidential historian and bestselling author Douglas Brinkley will be the guest speaker at an April 18 book signing, dinner and lecture to benefit the societys Fund for Program Enrichment.

I think this is going to be a very interesting event there, said Brinkley, who loves to spend his summers in Connecticut. Ive never been to the (Greenwich) Historical Society, but certainly it is very well known and its always good to work with something with as long and rich a tradition as it has.

The $500 per person event, which will be held at a private home in town, comes at a critical time for the historical society, which expects to complete the expansion and renovation of its headquarters within six months.

Brinkley, a professor of history at Rice University and a regular contributor to CNN, the New York Times and The New Yorker, will build the discussion around his book, Rightful Heritage: Franklin Roosevelt and the Land of America, which became a New York Times bestseller when it was released last year. It addresses the fundamental tension between economic growth and environmental stewardship through the eyes of Roosevelt.

With the current issues surrounding climate change and the role of the Environmental Protection Agency, it is a tension that remains, Greenwich Historical Society Executive Director Debra Mecky said.

The topic is extremely relevant today especially because of the divided political landscape were in, Mecky said. Its likely to be a lively topic that the audience will enjoy.

The discussion will be tied into the time of the Great Depression, Brinkley said, and the initiatives from Roosevelt such as the Civilian Conservation Corps, which put 2 million unemployed people back to work.

And the talk will not just focus on FDR, Brinkley said, but also on President Theodore Roosevelt, another conservationist. He will also offer a look at how national parks as well as wildlife refuges and bird sanctuaries are created.

Brinkley said he is looking forward to bring these topics into the modern age and discussing how they are perceived in this time of technology and digital connection.

I happen to love meeting people so I think this is going to be a lot of fun, he said. I love talking history, and when I do travel, I always try to do historical travels. So I want to see the history of Greenwich, and I know about the good work that the Greenwich Historical Society has been doing.

Mecky said she was looking forward to the event.

I think theres a lot more to learn about FDR, she said. Hes responsible for protecting a lot of our national parks, and Im eager to learn more about this.

Brinkleys upcoming appearance is part of a series of events hosted recently by the Greenwich Historical Society. The group has also brought in 60 Minutes correspondent Lesley Stahl and Walter Isaacson, former editor of Time magazine and author of The Innovators: How A Group of Hackers, Geniuses and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution.

Mecky said the high-profile speakers have been brought in to increase interest in the Greenwich Historical Society and what it has to offer as well as raise awareness of the major expansion on the campus.

As part of the work, a new building will be added and another restored, turning what had been a home back into the look of the historic Tobys Tavern and Railroad House Hotel. When the work is done, there will also be more space for exhibitions, including a 50 percent increase in the gallery, and more opportunities to do presentations on history and art, she said.

An exhibition is planned for 2020 on John Henry Twachtman, the famous Impressionist painter who founded the Cos Cob Artists Colony and was a town resident on Round Hill Road in the 1800s. Mecky said the exhibition will display artwork from many major museums in the expanded space and focus on the towns role in Impressionist painting.

It will be a very special exhibition, she said.

Construction is moving forward, with a goal of completing the work in September or October, Mecky said. Amazingly, we are still on schedule and on budget, she said.

And Brinkley is looking forward to hearing about it. He has a close association with the New York Historical Society and said he wants to connect with Greenwich, too, especially with so many changes planned.

Im looking forward to making some new friends in Greenwich, Brinkley said.

Tickets for the event are on sale online at www.greenwichhistory.org .
Contributed /

Lifelong Greenwich residents Ann Layland, originally from Old Greenwich, and John Callahan, originally from Cos Cob, are celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary on April 10.

Serving the community for over 60 years with Callahan Bros. Moving and Storage and decades of volunteering at Nathaniel Witherell, John and Ann have touched the lives of many, said their granddaughter, Ashley Carr.
by Matthew Fox | Pistons Correspondent | Sat, Apr 7th 4:08pm EDT

Josh Jackson recorded a double-double during the Suns' 122-103 loss to the Pelicans, scoring 22 points and racking up 11 boards, one assist, two steals, one block, and four turnovers.

Fantasy Impact:

The numbers look nice but it was not a great shooting night for Jackson as he made just 7-of-24 field goal attempts while missing all four attempts from beyond the arc. Jackson played just 29 minutes against the Pels but he absolutely dominated usage while he was on the floor as he recorded an absurd 43.4 percent usage rate. Jackson will wrap up his impressive rookie campaign with games against Golden State and Dallas.
by Mike Tagliere | Fri, Apr 6th 2:53pm EDT

ESPN's Adam Schefter is reporting that Bears restricted free agent Cameron Meredith has signed an offer sheet with the Saints for 2 years, $10 million. (Adam Schefter on Twitter)

Fantasy Impact:

We've heard about Meredith making the rounds, but we now have a potential landing spot. The Bears placing an original-round tender was always looked at as puzzling and they now have seven days to match the offer by the Saints or they lose Meredith and get nothing in return. From a fantasy perspective, Meredith will have value in either offense as a slot receiver, a role in which he excelled in down the stretch in 2016 before tearing his ACL last preseason. If he does stick with the Saints, both he and Willie Snead will be fighting for playing time, though our money would be on Meredith knowing how little Snead saw the field last year.
The EU pig industry may benefit from the looming trade war between the United States and China, according to AHDB Pork.

In March, the US announced the introduction of higher tariffs for imported steel and aluminium, and this week China responded, announcing retaliatory tariffs on products from the US, including pork.

China will impose an additional import tariff of 25% on all pork products from the US, although no implementation date has been set.

The additional tariffs initially applied to 128 products but the list has since been expanded to include an additional 106 products.

The additional products include soybeans, cotton, corn, wheat and beef and other agricultural produce. China imports nearly all of its soybean requirements, with a significant proportion coming from the US.

China pork demand

In 2017, China imported 1.2 million tonnes of pig meat, with around 65% of this coming from the EU, and 14% from the US, according to data from China Customs.

The US is the third largest exporter of pig meat to China. From a US point of view, China is the fifth largest destination of pig meat exports receiving 7.5% of all US pork exports in 2017, equivalent to about 1.5% of the 11.7 million tonnes (carcase weight) of US production.

In 2017, China produced 53.5 million tonnes of pig meat and consumed 55 million tonnes, according to the USDA.

But the European Union pig industry may benefit from the tit-for-tat between the US and China, as China looks to other markets for its increasing domestic pork consumption.

Rebecca Oborne, Analyst at AHDB POrk, said: "With that underlying demand, China may therefore need to source at least some replacement product from the global market, including the EU."

Farmer anger

In the US, President Donald Trump now faces a potential rebellion from his core constituency - farmers and other agricultural producers who could suffer devastating losses in a trade war with China.

"Growing trade disputes have placed farmers and ranchers in a precarious position," Zippy Duvall, a Georgia farmer and president of the American Farm Bureau Federation said in a statement Friday.

"We have bills to pay and debts we must settle, and cannot afford to lose any market, much less one as important as China's."

Trump is now wanting to protect US farmers from China's threatened tariffs. The US government could choose to subsidise farmers further, but it is feared this could trigger retaliatory tariffs and subsidies in major agricultural powerhouses such as the EU and Brazil.
Take part in research for Biomass Feedstocks Innovation Programme

Farmers encouraged to take part in a project
The human mind is complex but it has one overriding goal: survival. And if memory of a violation can threaten this, then the memory can be blunted, altered or even deleted. We speak to child sexual abuse survivors and experts, on how they deal with the trauma that may be only partly remembered but is fully felt.Child sexual abuse is more common than you think. A government-commissioned first-ever survey on child abuse in the country (done in 2007) found that more than 53 per cent of children in India are subjected to sexual abuse. The study also reported that 50 per cent of abusers are known to the child or are in a position of trust and responsibility and most children had not reported the matter to anyone. There are several reasons behind this. Says psychiatrist Ambika Bhatt, Not being able to comprehend that it was abuse, lack of support, fear of stigmatisation, fear of rejection by family, psychological impacts such as aggression, and the minds complex defense mechanism, are just a few of the reasons.Take the case of Mohan*, who was sexually abused for over two years by an older cousin when he was seven. He finally told his parents about it when he turned 18. Because, it was at the age of 18 that he came across a triggera man tried to grope him in the trainand it brought back another bad memory. Social activist Harrish Iyer says, Your mind shuts out those memories by creating blind spots. I was sexually abused from the age of 7 to 18, and if you had recorded my statement at the age of 18, it would have been very different from the one I would give now.Even now, he says, when he speaks about the abuse in different forums, those blind spots start opening up. For instance, I didnt speak about being gangraped until quite recently. There are a lot of things that your mind shuts out. I think it is a survival instinct. If I had remembered everything, I would probably have been a manic depressive. As a child, I wouldnt have been able to cope with the whole truth. That is why there are often discrepancies in the statements of Child Sexual Abuse (CSA) survivorslike in the case of Dylan Farrow, who accused her adoptive father and Hollywood director Woody Allen of sexually molesting her at the age of seven. Sadly, the air of disbelief created by those discrepancies is usually what sexual predators rely on when they abuse or molest children.While the anti-rape laws in India protect only women, fortunately, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act 2012, goes a step further, by acknowledging and addressing the fact that boys can be sexually abused too. In fact, some studies have shown that abuse is more common among boys than girls. While the law is stringent, its implementation leaves a lot to be desired, says Harrish. In May 2013, Harrish complained against an unidentified man who bragged about having sex with a minor on Facebook. However, nine months later, although repeated complaints at several police stations as well as with the cyber cell resulted in the tracking of the IP address and the person behind the post, no action has been taken against him. The law also needs to understand that a survivors statement will change and evolve. It cannot be taken down at the crime scene, right after the crime. With 11 years of abuse behind me, one cannot expect me to remember it all and talk about it in one go, he explains.CSA leaves a huge impact, and sometimes it takes a lifetime for a person to deal with the fallout. Says counsellor Anandi Rane, Many times, patients may have symptoms such as aggressive behaviour, infidelity and other psychological issues. But a few sessions reveal the actual problem: sexual abuse. Survivors may show symptoms such as constant need for approval and appreciation, etc. Sexual abuse often affects development, particularly the sexual development of the child (they may either become hyper sexual or hypo sexual); they are unable to have relationships, suffer from post traumatic stress disorder, phobias such as fear of dark places etc, she says.Dr David Finklehor, an American sociologist known for his research on CSA, came up with a model that charts its impact. According to him, there are four things generally seen in a CSA survivor. Betrayal and trust issues, because of which they are unable to build and maintain trusting relationships, powerlessnessbecause of the power dynamic between them and the abuser, they feel helpless and cannot take charge of their livesstigmatisation and traumatic sexualisation, which is quite unique to CSA survivors. Because the abuser has used inappropriate ways to seek sexual gratification, the childs understanding of sexuality becomes dysfunctional. Sometimes, they equate sex with love. This is because the child has experienced sexual activity without the right context.Your idea of sex and sexuality gets warped, agrees Harrish. There are cases of CSA survivors who think it is okay to abuse children because it happened to them and they believe thats what happens to everyone. Then there are others who have tendencies of wanting to gratify people by offering sex. I myself took a number of years to understand my sexuality.Arpan, a Mumbai-based NGO for counselling and spreading awareness about CSA, counsels about 15 survivors a week. Counselling involves stabilising and trauma processing over 15 to 20 sessions. But, says Pooja Taparia, who runs Arpan, I notice that most patients do not stay for the trauma processing partthey leave as soon as they start feeling slightly better. Also, trauma processing is a very painful experienceyou have to revisit the past, which not many are willing to.Nevertheless, the process helps you heal. Trauma processing techniques like hypnotherapy and eye movement desensitisation reprocessing (EMDR) help relieve those repressed emotions and are fantastic tools for healing, she adds.And then there is also, what Harrish calls, the Flintstone effect. Whenever a person opens up on CSA, he/she becomes a catalyst for another person going through it. He recalls how he received several emails after his appearance on the TV talk show Satyamev Jayate, asking for help in dealing with sexual abuse. He says it is the first step towards accepting and healing.Triveni Acharya, founder of Rescue Foundation, Mumbai, talks about her efforts to rescue and rehabilitate trafficked women and children.As a young journalist working with a Gujarati newspaper, back in 1993, Triveni Acharya was full of fire, and already a social activist at heart. One of my assignments was to cover the late actor-turned-politician Sunil Dutts visit to Kamathipura on Raksha Bandhan, when commercial sex workers would tie a rakhi on his wrist, she recalls. On that particular visit, she found a young girl, perhaps 12 years old, cowering in fear and crying for help. It was the first glimpse Triveni got into the inner workings of a brothel. That one visit changed the course of Trivenis life. Today, the social activist heads Rescue Foundation, which has rescued over 5,000 young girls, victims of human trafficking. These girls are from various parts of the country as well as from Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh, and some are as young as 10.About six months after she first visited the brothel, Triveni, along with her husband Balkrishna Acharya, and officials from the local police station, managed to conduct a raid at the brothel. We had gone to rescue one girl, but instead we found 14 others who said they wanted to leave.The girls had stories of horror. Those who refused or attempted to run away were beaten by the gharwalis (Madams), raped, and even had chilli powder poured in their vagina. And since they had been trafficked when they were very young, they did not remember where they were from. Triveni and her husband decided that merely rescuing them in a raid was not enoughthey needed to be rehabilitated, reintegratedand repatriated. And that is what Rescue Foundation does through its three shelters in Mumbai, Thane and Pune.Dealing with rape survivors is an unfortunate side-effect of the rescue work, since many commercial sex workers are sexually abused. Many people ask me why I am involved in rescue work. It is dangerous, I often receive threats. But when I see a rape survivor or a commercial sex worker rebuild her life and smile again, I find that it was all worth the effort.Pooja Taparia, who runs Arpan, an NGO for counselling and spreading awareness about Child Sexual Abuse talks about why it is important to address the issue at home and in schools.What is the right time to talk to a child about personal safety? According to me, as soon as a child can start talking and understanding basic things. I recommend teaching children at the age of 2.5 to 3 years about private parts and how they should not allow anyone to touch them inappropriately and tell their parents if someone does. We are currently doing the programme with 6 to 13 year olds. We have helped them with skills on how they can say no and get away from an unsafe situation and how to approach an adult with a complaint. And, most importantly, how it is not their fault and they are not to blame.A year after we started in 2008, when I revisited the children I had addressed, I noticed that the children remembered 100 per cent of what had been taught to them about the difference between safe and unsafe touches. They even said they found it useful in their day-to-day life. Whenever we organise a talk in a school, about 10 per cent of the children we address approach us and share an issuean ongoing abuse, peer touching, bullying, etc. We approach all schools, municipal or private, in Mumbai and Thane area, randomly, as all children are vulnerable. At a time when sex education is still not compulsory in schools, it is an uphill task. But I do notice a trend where more and more principals are keen to do this programme in schools, although some of the older schools are not so open. We also have sessions with parents, where we have seen an 85 per cent increase in awareness among them.There are two huge myths regarding child sexual abuse (CSA). One is that it largely happens to girls. But the truth is boys are just as vulnerable and just as likely to not report it to anyone. The other myth is that CSA makes you homosexual. Though CSA survivors do have problems dealing with the trauma, the truth is there is no corroborative research to prove any link between CSA and homosexuality.However, awareness has certainly increased. Post movies like Highway and shows like Satyamev Jayate, for instance, we got quite a few calls and people who came for counselling. Usually it is either some encouragement or push from a friend, something they have seen on TV or film, or an article they have read which acts as a trigger that makes people approach a counsellor. The impact of CSA is the same on the child anywhere in the world. The West is more open to talking about the issue, seeking help, and organising awareness programmes. However, in India, there is a huge culture of silence around it. And that is why addressing the issue in schools and in homes is so important.(A graphic designer by profession, Pooja Taparia was inspired to tackle the issue of child sexual abuse, after watching a play on the subject by Lillete Dubey in 2004. Her NGO Arpan organises personal safety education programmes in schools across Mumbai, as well as offers counselling to adult survivors of sexual abuse. For more information, call 9819051444, 022 26862444, log on to arpan.org.in or write to info@arpan.org.in)
A special CBI court in Mumbai has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the cases related to over $2 billion banking fraud in the Punjab National Bank, officials said in New Delhi

New Delhi: A special CBI court in Mumbai has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the cases related to over $2 billion banking fraud in the Punjab National Bank, officials said in New Delhi on Sunday.

The special court has allowed the application of the agency for the issuance of NBWs against Modi and Choksi who had repeatedly refused to join the investigation in the scam, considered the biggest in the banking history of the country, the officials said.

The agency had written to Modi and Choksi to join probe on their official e-mail ids but they have refused to join it citing business engagements and health issues.

The issuance of NBWs by a court also opens the door of seeking Red Corner Notices against both of the accused from the Interpol.

The government has claimed to have tracked Modi in Hong Kong where it has sent a request for his provisional arrest.

The CBI, in the meanwhile, is questioning officials of overseas branches of Indian banks which had extended credit facilities to the companies of Modi and Choksi on the basis of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by the Punjab National Bank's Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The agency has also summoned the official who handled foreign exchange transactions in the Hong Kong branch of the Allahabad bank, they said, adding that he may join the probe soon.

It is alleged that the LoUs and LCs worth close to $2 billion were issued to the companies of the uncle-nephew duo of Choksi and Modi from the Brady Road branch of the bank through SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messages.

Several bank employees have been booked for collusion in the case, they said.

The LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit giving bank along with accruing interest.

These messages were allegedly not entered in the banking software of the PNB to bypass surveillance.

Modi (46), a regular feature on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, was booked by the CBI, along with his wife, brother and Choksi for allegedly cheating the state-run PNB.

Both Choksi and Modi have been booked in two cases each related to the bank fraud.

The uncle-nephew duo had managed to flee the country in the first week of January days before the PNB was able to detect the fraud.

The bank officials also fraudulently issued foreign letters of credit or FLCs in which the PNB guaranteed payment on behalf of the accused to their suppliers which was to be recovered from the firms of Choksi and Nirav Modi, they alleged.

Funds raised through LoUs were meant to be used for the payment of import bills of the accused companies whereas it was dishonesty and fraudulently utilised for discharging the earlier liabilities on account of buyer's credit facilities in a kind of rollover of payments, they alleged.

The PNB has alleged in its complaint that they opened the Letters of Credit initially for smaller amounts by creating purported entries in the core banking system, they said.

The accused bank officials pursuant to the conspiracy unauthorisedly enhanced the values of the FLCs and issued amendments to the FLCs issued through SWIFT which were encashed in overseas branches of Indian banks.

According to the RBI guidelines, LoUs for gems should not be valid for more than 90 days.

The CBI had approached the Interpol with a request for issuing 'Diffusion Notice' which was aimed at locating an individual.
On 12 February, over a half dozen officers made their way through the quiet corridors of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at Raisina Hills. Each was restive and carried a file for the hurriedly-called meeting at the top echelons of the government. The heads of investigative, intelligence and finance ministry had been summoned in the backdrop of massive banking scandal involving diamantaire Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and the government owned Punjab National Bank (PNB)

New Delhi: On 12 February, over a half dozen officers made their way through the quiet corridors of the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at Raisina Hills. Each was restive and carried a file for the hurriedly-called meeting at the top echelons of the government. The heads of investigative, intelligence and finance ministry had been summoned in the backdrop of massive banking scandal involving diamantaire Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and the government owned Punjab National Bank (PNB).

A senior PMO official said he was interested in hearing anyone who knew about the intricacies of the PNB scam. Finally he turned to finance ministry officials with two questions: How much did ministry officers know beforehand about the bad debts to diamond merchants? Also, were they aware of the impending crisis?

The babus, in their careful and polite way, pointed out they did no alarm bells were ringing in the days before the PNB complaint to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on 29 January. A senior officer later described the meeting as "super-heated" and said the instructions were clear: Do not spare anyone found guilty.

"Since NDA government came to power, the PMO's instructions to ministries and enforcement agencies were very clear on taking immediate action against corruption", the officer said. "The PMO asked officers to silently neutralise the bad elements in system. Credible complaints were forwarded for immediate investigation. The message was loud and clear from the day one: The government will not tolerate corruption and the officers were given complete freedom to identify, chase and bring the culprits to justice."

"The government is facing intense criticism and it has been publicly attacked by the Opposition parties for lack of due diligence to check fraud and corruption. The directive was reiterated to the officers: Run a check and pursue all the genuine cases", he added.

As sleuths from multiple agencies begin investigating the alleged Nirav Modi scandal, whistle-blowers flooded the PMO with complaints that were immediately forwarded to concerned authorities to sift through, in some cases backed by finer details enclosing documentary evidence.

The investigative agencies, which have always been on the receiving end, despite having conducted some of the most audacious probes, were extra cautious. A week later, CBI sleuths knocked on the door of Vikram Kothari, owner of Kanpur-based Potomac Global Private Limited after it received a complaint from the Bank of Baroda in connection with alleged loan default to the tune of Rs 3,695 crore.

It was alleged that Rotomac Global Private Limited was sanctioned non-fund based and fund-based limits under consortium of 7 banks: Bank of India, Oriental Bank of Commerce, Bank of Baroda, Allahabad Bank, Bank of Maharashtra, Union Bank of India and Indian Overseas bank. The bank told the CBI officers since Rotomac account is of the high value in Kotharis alleged fraud case, they were apprehensive that he could flee country to avoid legal and criminal charges.

On 22 February, the CBI arrested Vikram Kothari and Rahul Kothari. The same day, the agency registered another case against Hapur-based Simbhaoli Sugars Limited and its directors for defrauding Oriental Bank of Commerce (OBC) to the tune of Rs 109 crore. The company, owned by Gurmit Singh Mann, was engaged in the business of manufacturing of refined sugars and had availed the loans under the scheme of financing farmers.

Later, Simbhaoli promoters allegedly diverted the loan amount for personal use. Subsequently, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case of money laundering and a lookout circular was issued against Simbhaoli directors. A day later, sleuths took swift action by booking Delhi-based jeweller Dwarka Das Seth International Private Limited and its promoter Sabhya Seth for allegedly defrauding the OBC to the tune of Rs 389 crore.

A whistle-blower tipped off the bank that deals by the Dwarka Das Seth International Private Limited were not fair and the owners had orchestrated an elaborate plan to dupe the bank. The modus operandi was using the banks Letter of Credit (LC) facilities to pay off other trade creditors against purchase of gold and other precious stones, transfer gold and funds outside the country using fictitious trade transactions and then pay off the LC liabilities from the gold and funds transferred.

The OBC told CBI investigators that the existence of certain entities which were counterparts to the LCs negotiated by borrowers with the bank could not verified, which raised apprehension that they were potentially fictitious. A whistle-blower also claimed that promoters misrepresented annual turnover in order to attract bankers. The agency had summoned Sabhya Seth but he escaped before the FIR was registered. Subsequently, INTERPOL was roped in.

"In the first week of March, several rounds of meetings were held in finance ministry. The state-owned banks were advised to keep a watch on the borrowers who had availed loans of more than Rs 50 crore. They were also directed to obtain passport details of the borrowers to avoid another Nirav Modi episode. The ED was also working simultaneously and had executed Letter of Request (LR) to 13 countries seeking details of Nirav and Mehuls properties, bank accounts of linked companies. The probe into all these scams could take years", an official from investigative agency said.

On 27 February, Department of Financial Services, through Office Memorandum (4/5/2014-Vig-Part-III) issued an instruction to the heads of state-owned banks that all accounts exceeding Rs 50 crore, if classified as non-performing assets, should be examined by banks for potential fraud. As per data provided by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on global operations, the gross non-performing assets of state owned banks as of September 2017 was Rs 7.33 lakh crore. The details provided by the banks revealed the total number of 9025 willful defaulters to the tune of Rs 1.1 lakh crore.

Agencies go into high-gear

In the first week of March, agencies launched another volley after the PMO received a complaint about Vadodara-based Diamond Power Infrastructure Limited (DPIL) promoted by SN Bhatnagar and his two sons, Amit Bhatnagar and Sumit Bhatnagar. The complainant had prepared a detailed account of alleged fraud by the DPIL, providing enough arsenal for preliminary investigation.

At the direction of PMO, the CBI, ED and the Income Tax Department launched a joint probe and initial findings were shared with the finance ministry. The government, as early as in second week of March, asked agencies to coordinate and share inputs to deliver a watertight case.

When it was foundafter working through well-established procedurethat DPIL allegedly cheated a consortium of 11 banks to the tune of Rs 2,654 crore, the agency registered a case on 26 March against DPIL, its promoters and unknown officers of various banks. In the companys annual report for 2016-17, Amit Bhatnagar told shareholders 2016-17 was a cloudy year and its financial performance bore the brunt of high debt accumulated on account of capacity expansion as well as inorganic growth initiatives undertaken. He was right.

The clouds loomed large on the horizon and CBI findings revealed that DPIL and its promoters fraudulently availed credit facilities from the consortium of 11 banks including public and private sector since 2008, leaving behind an outstanding debt of Rs 2,654 crores. The agency said, DPIL and its directors managed to get the term loans and credit facilities in spite of the fact that they were already appearing in the RBIs defaulters list and ECGC caution list at the time of initial sanction of Credit Limits by the consortium".

The CBI alleged that DPIL, with the connivance of officials of various banks, obtained enhancement in credit facilities. In 2011, when DPIL projected a turnover of Rs 2,197 crores (actual turnover was Rs 1,267 crore) and the company got credit facilities enhanced from Rs 285 crore to Rs 480 crore.

CBI said: "In spite of consistent failure to achieve the inflated figures of estimates, the Bank of India officials, while conducting the credit review, did not decrease the cash credit limit, but kept it unchanged at Rs 480 crore even though such figures were based on grossly exaggerated sales figures".

The initial probe revealed that DPIL allegedly utilised the cash credit limits for obtaining large number of LCs, many of which could not be honoured by the company, and were thus forcibly charged on the credit limit. It was learnt that since 2008, about 1,000 such LCs issued by Bank of India alone devolved, which included at least 16 LCs amounting to Rs 110.79 crore issued in the name of Ruby Cables, a sister concern of DPIL.

It is also alleged that DGGSTI, Vadodara, issued a show cause notice to DPIL and its group companies, which fraudulently availed Central Value Added Tax (CENVAT) credit, of which such claims of DPIL itself are to the tune of Rs 100.80 crore till 2013, by submitting bogus purchase invoices against which no material was received. This shows fictitious purchase figures of about Rs 500 crores were used to avail these CENVAT credits as well as huge working capital facilities from banks", the CBI said, exposing the rot because of the nexus between corporations and bank officials.

The government has directed the banks to promptly report any potential frauds to investigative agencies and also initiate proceedings against bank officials who are involved: All to fix accountability. The results of some new measures put in place by the government to prevent and detect banking fraud and to bring swindlers to justice are showing. Agencies have begun to penetrate the iron curtain.
Union Education Secretary Anil Swarup said that the mafia in the education department runs deeper than that in the coal mining industry

Union Education Secretary Anil Swarup said that the mafia in the education department runs deeper than that in the coal mining industry,according to a report in NDTV.

Swarup, an IAS officer who was also initially the coal secretary, further told the channel, "In coal, the mining was underground and the mafia was above that. In education, the mafia is underground. We are grappling with that".

Swarup's comments come after Congress leader Kapil Sibal said that a "mafia" is controlling India's examination system. "Till today, no step has been taken that would send the message that they would end this mafia in education. They saved the mafia in the Vyapam case. It seemed they are involved in this as well," Sibal said.

The CBSE came under widespread attack after the Class XII Economics paper was leaked, affecting lakhs of students. The government announced a re-examination on 25 April. But it ruled out any re-test for Class X Mathematics paper, which too was said to have been leaked. The Delhi Police is probing the leak following a complaint by the CBSE and has made numerous arrest in connection with the leaks.

The HRD ministry has also set up a "high-powered committee" to examine the process by which the CBSE conducts examinations, following the leaks. The panel, headed by former HRD secretary VS Oberoi, will suggest measures to make the process "secure and foolproof through the use of technology" and submit a report by 31 May.

With inputs from agencies
China's military last month strongly protested against the Indian Army's 'transgression' into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly rejected the complaint

Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh): In a fresh incident of friction, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against the Indian Army's "transgression" into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly rejected the complaint, official sources said.

The sources said the Chinese side raised the issue at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on 15 March in Kibithu but the Indian Army dismissed it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been taken up seriously by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, the two sides can register their protest over any incident of transgression as there are varying perceptions about the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between the two countries.

The delegation of China's People's Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the LAC and the army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border in the area between India and China are vastly different.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on 21, 22 and 23 December last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the LAC at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on 15 March had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about 1 km inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doka La standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior army official.

India has been adopting a more assertive approach to counter China's aggressive behaviour along the LAC.

Activities along the LAC by the two countries have increased following the Doka La standoff.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day face-off in Doka La from 16 June last year after the Indian side stopped the building of a road in the disputed area by the Chinese Army. The impasse ended on 28 August.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doka La face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce missions.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
DMK leader MK Stalin on Sunday said his party will extend support to the shutdown called by the PMK on 11 April. It will also stage black flag protests during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on 12 April.

Chennai: DMK leader MK Stalin on Sunday said his party will extend support to the shutdown called by the PMK on 11 April. It will also stage black flag protests during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on 12 April.

The PMK has called for the shutdown demanding that the Central government constitute the Cauvery Management Board (CMB) and Cauvery Water Regulatory Committee (CWRC).

In a statement issued, Stalin said PMK founder S Ramadoss had requested the support of all political parties for the strike.

The DMK leader said his party was of the view that the united voice of Tamil Nadu in respect of Cauvery river water should be heard by the Centre.

As a result, the DMK would extend its support to Wednesday's shutdown strike, Stalin said.

A shutdown called by the DMK on 5 April derailed normal life in the state.

Stalin, who is leading the Cauvery Rights Retrieval March, said black flags would be shown to Modi when he comes to inaugurate the DefExpo 2018 on 12 April.

Speaking in a village in Thanjavur district on Sunday, Stalin said apart from showing black flags, people should also wear black shirts on that day and fly black flags atop their houses to show their agony over the Cauvery issue.

The Supreme Court on 16 February reduced Tamil Nadu's share of Cauvery water from 177.25 thousand million cubic feet (TMC), which was less than the 192 TMC allocated by a tribunal in 2007, while Karnataka's share of water was increased by 14.75 TMC.

The court also ordered the Central government to set up the Cauvery Management Board within six weeks of its order, but the government failed to do so within the deadline that ended on 29 March.

Following this, the DMK and its allies have been holding protests in Tamil Nadu.
Batting for conversion of LoC into 'Line of peace and goodwill,' National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday cautioned Centre against taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted and ignoring their legitimate aspirations.

Jammu: Batting for conversion of LoC into 'Line of peace and goodwill,' National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday cautioned Centre against taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted and ignoring their legitimate aspirations.

The claims that demonetisation had put an end to stone pelting in Jammu and Kashmir have fallen flat as the youth were now taking to guns. The situation, therefore, cannot be allowed to drift anymore, Abdullah said, addressing a public meeting at Mandi in Poonch district.

The former chief minister called for earnest initiatives to reach out to the people and urged the Centre to resolve the issues which are essentially political in nature and try to win over the alienated hearts and minds by shunning the policy of creating divisions.

The MP reiterated the need for India-Pakistan dialogue and said Line of Control (LoC) should be converted into 'Line of Peace and Goodwill' to enable unhindered people to people exchange and trade between divided parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

Sooner the two nations appreciate the ground realities, better it would be for bringing thaw in the relations and ending hostilities of all sorts, Abdullah said adding the wars in the past seven decades have not changed the reality of LoC.

He said the border hostilities were detrimental for both India and Pakistan and any full-fledged conflict would lead to devastation and destruction in the region.

Abdullah said conversion of LoC into Line of Peace would benefit people living along the borders on both sides, who have been braving the brunt of hostilities.

He referred to the unimaginable sufferings caused to border dwellers due to dislocation from their homes and hearths in the wake of shelling and cross LoC firing, stating that unfortunately this has become a routine for the past few years.

He said the country is passing through a difficult phase as attempts are being made to divide the society in the name of religion and caste and by encouraging sectarian divide.

He referred to the violence over dilution of SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and said machinations are being engineered to end reservation.

The present dispensation at the Centre is working against the interests of farmers, weaker sections, and minorities," he alleged, expressing concern over growing suicides of peasants.

National Conference president also blamed the PDP-BJP dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir for failing on deliverance front, saying developmental inertia has taken toll of various utility services.

The lack of accountability and misgovernance have added to the miseries of the people, who are feeling let down on every front, he claimed.
An embroidery artisan who created magic on fabric till a year ago and now shunned by neighbours as the army's human shield against stone-pelters, Farooq Ahmed Dar is a broken man, struggling to pick up the threads of his life.

Srinagar/New Delhi: An embroidery artisan who created magic on fabric till a year ago and now shunned by neighbours as the army's human shield against stone-pelters, Farooq Ahmed Dar is a broken man, struggling to pick up the threads of his life.

Suffering from insomnia and depression, boycotted by villagers branding him a government agent and unable to find a job, even as a manual labourer, the 28-year-old says his life was upended exactly 12 months ago.

On 9 April last year, a team led by Major Leetul Gogoi tied Dar to the bonnet of an army jeep to escape heavy stone pelting in central Kashmir's Budgam district, the image going on to make global headlines and spotlighting once again the civilian-security polarisation in the Valley.

It was election day in the Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency and Dar says he was on his way to cast his vote, braving the boycott call by separatist organisations. Eight people were killed in police firing on the day.

Investigations by central agencies and local police backed Dar's account of events of the day, blowing away the army's claim that he was a stone-pelter.

Investigations found he was on his way to his sister's place for a condolence visit after voting when the army picked him up and beat him mercilessly before tying him with ropes and parading him through nearly 28 villages.

"What was my mistake? Going to the polling booth and casting my ballot? Dar asked with tears rolling down his cheek.

"I am unable to sleep. Even medicines are ineffective. No one is giving me any work. The government is silent and the judiciary is moving at its own pace," Dar told PTI in a video interview.

Prodded to speak about his life after the incident, Dar said he faced a social boycott as people in his village Chill, in Budgam district, had distanced themselves after they learnt he had participated in the election process.

"I regret moving out of my house on that day, he added in Kashmiri, as a friend who had stuck by him through the 12 months consoled him.

One of five brothers and sisters, Dar, whose father passed away some years ago, said the incident has snatched his fundamental right to live.

"No one is giving me any work. I decided to work as a labourer but my human shield tag walks a pace ahead of me. At times, I wonder whether such an act of cowardice could be rewarded by the Army. Is this the message that India wants to send to Kashmir? he asked, referring to Gogoi being commended by the army chief for his act.

"I am not a politician nor do I intend to become one. But if casting a ballot is a crime, who is going to come out to vote," Dar said.

Dar pointed to television discussions on the issue. "Neither those who defended me nor those who defended the army officer had even the remotest idea of my mental state," Dar said.

He said his mother Fiza Begum suffers from heart disease and he does not have money for her treatment. "I have been living on the dole from my friends and some relatives as I have no source of income.

"I wanted to make it big by making a beautiful Kashmiri shawl but I became famous for all the wrong reasons," Dar said.

His ordeal has entered mainstream discourse. The human shield' episode is even referenced in the recent Bollywood film Baaghi 2, where the hero, an army officer, is reportedly shown tying a civilian to his jeep for disrespecting the national flag, leading to criticism that the film was trying to glorify human rights abuses.

Last July, the Jammu and Kashmir State Human Rights Commission awarded Dar Rs 10 lakh as compensation. But this was rejected by the state's PDP-BJP government, which said there were no rules under which it could pay the money.

"The news about the compensation made this worse for me. People in my neighbourhood made sarcastic remarks about the compensation and criticised me for seeking justice for myself.

"It is not about the money but my dignity. If it is proved I was pelting stones, hang me. Or punish those responsible for my miserable present and bleak future," Dar said with a note of desperation in his voice.

"If Ahsan Untoo and advocate Zafar Qureshi had not highlighted my plight, the world would have never known what I underwent," he said.

Mohammad Ashan Untoo, head of the International Forum for Justice and Human Rights group in the Valley, has filed a review petition against the decision to not give Dar compensation in the State Human Rights Commission. A plea on the matter has also been filed in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court.

"One day we will get justice," Untoo said.

In his view, New Delhi should be eager to hear the case of a person who believes in democracy but has become a victim of the army's high handedness.

Untoo added that is also planning to sue the producer and director of Baaghi 2.

"An act of cowardice is being used to stoke so-called nationalistic passions, he said.

The video of Dar tied to the bonnet of the Gogoi's jeep had gone viral, triggering a public outcry. Some former generals said the move went against the "ethos" of the Indian Army.

The state police registered a case of abduction with intent to cause grievous hurt, wrongful confinement and criminal intimidation.

The police, in its investigations, said Dar was "tied to an army vehicle as a human shield under threat, kept in wrongful confinement and has been paraded around...
Militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba on Saturday denied its involvement in the killing of a man, whose headless body was recovered from north Kashmir's Bandipora

Srinagar: Militant outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) on Saturday denied its involvement in the killing of a man, whose headless body was recovered from north Kashmir's Bandipora district on Friday.

The police had said LeT was behind the killing.

Mahmood Shah, the LeT chief, has strongly condemned the brutal killing of Manzoor Ahmad and attacks on women and termed the acts shameful and inhumane, a spokesman of the terror outfit said in a statement.

The police had said Bhat was abducted by LeT militants.
A Jammu and Kashmir police officer has been airlifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for specialised treatment after he was seriously injured during stone-pelting clashes, the police said on Sunday.

Srinagar: A Jammu and Kashmir police officer has been airlifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Delhi, for specialised treatment after he was seriously injured during stone-pelting clashes, the police said on Sunday.

Inspector Manzoor Ahmad, posted as Station House Officer (SHO), Nigeen near Hazratbal here, was badly injured in a stone-pelting incident in the Foreshore Road area on Friday, a police officer said.

He said Ahmad was rushed to police hospital here with a skull fracture and an eye injury. The SHO was then treated at SKIMS hospital as his injury was reported to be critical, the official said.

However, Ahmad needed urgent medical attention and was transferred to New Delhi in an air ambulance, he said. He said police have registered a case in this regard.

Meanwhile, Director General of Jammu and Kashmir Police SP Vaid has wished the officer a speedy recovery. "Inspector Manzoor, SHO Nigeen was badly injured in stone pelting incident in Srinagar while bravely performing his duty. He has been shifted to AIIMS, New Delhi via air ambulance. I wish him speedy recovery," Vaid wrote on Twitter.
Lockheed Martin has welcomed India's mega procurement initiative for fighter jets worth over $15 billion and said that it looks forward to responding to the initial tender.

Washington: American aerospace and defence major Lockheed Martin has welcomed India's mega procurement initiative for fighter jets worth over $15 billion and said that it looks forward to responding to the initial tender.

India on Saturday began the process to acquire a fleet of around 110 fighter jets in one of the biggest such procurements in recent years globally which could be worth over $15 billion. At least 85 percent of the aircraft will have to be made in India while 15 percent of them can be in a flyaway condition.

An RFI (Request for Information) or initial tender for the mega deal was issued by the Indian Air Force and the procurement will be in sync with the government's 'Make in India' initiative in the defence sector, officials said.

"Lockheed Martin welcomes India's fighter aircraft Request for Information (RFI) and we look forward to responding to it," said Dr Vivek Lall, vice president, strategy and business development at Lockheed Martin. "The F-16 remains the only aircraft programme in this competition with the proven performance and industrial scale to meet India's operational needs and 'Make in India' priorities including unmatched export opportunities," he said.

Indian-American Lall was instrumental in the decision of the Trump administration to sell top-of-the-line unarmed drones from General Atomics.

Lockheed Martin has positioned the newest Block 70 variant of its F-16 aircraft for the Indian Air Force, while Boeing has offered its F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III for the Indian Navy. "The two aircraft have been positioned complementarily, and the purchase of the pair is an interesting proposition for policymakers from both countries," US-based think-tank Atlantic Council said in a report released in New Delhi.

In the report, 'India's Quest for Fighter Jets: Make in India vs Make America Great Again', it said China's bellicose incursions in the Indo-Pacific region are challenging US geo-strategic supremacy in the region. Consequently, improving India's capacity to play a stronger role in the region would play a critical role in the US grand strategy, the think-tank said.

While offshoring both the F-16 and F/A-18 assembly lines would appear to contradict Trump's promise to create more manufacturing jobs in the US, nuances in that policy could open a window of opportunity, Atlantic Council said.

The F-16s and the F/A-18 Super Hornets manufactured in India would not be sold to the US, it said. The F-16 production line will be used to service the orders from the Indian Air Force, as well as any follow-on international orders. Noting that the US Air Force has not bought an F-16 since 1999, and is transitioning its multi-role fighter force to the F-35, the think-tank said that any additional F-16 orders would be for non-US customers. An India partnership presents a way to sustain F-16 production, with all the economic and strategic benefits that result, it said. Similarly, the F/A-18 Super Hornet production line would also be used to service orders for the Indian Navy, with all US orders manufactured in the US.

Despite the shift of production lines, there is a considerable work-share component in the proposals by Lockheed Martin and Boeing, which would present a reasonable case for setting up production lines in India, despite the obvious hindrances that such an operation would ordinarily pose for a foreign investor, the think-tank added.

India's latest hunt for over 100 fighter jets is the first mega procurement initiative for fighter jets after the government scrapped the process to acquire 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the IAF around five years ago. The IAF has been pressing for expediting the process to acquire the aircraft citing declining strength of its fighter squadron as some of the ageing jets are being phased out.

Currently, the IAF has 31 fighter squadrons as against authorised strength of 42 squadrons.
A mob stoned a man to death in Telangana after he raped a seven-year-old girl, police said on Sunday

Hyderabad: A mob stoned a man to death in Telangana after he raped a seven-year-old girl, police said on Sunday.

The incident took place late on Saturday in Donkeshwar village of Nizamabad district.

According to police, a group of villagers tied 45-year-old Sayanna to a tree and hit him with stones and sticks. The man died on the way to hospital.

Sayanna, a labourer, was drunk when he called the daughter of his neighbour to his house, offering her chocolates. He later raped her.

Upon seeing the girl crying and bleeding, villages alerted her parents, who were working in an agriculture field. The parents took their daughter to a hospital in a neighbouring village.

Meanwhile, angry over the incident, the villagers caught hold of Sayanna and tied him to a tree. They threw stones at him and also hit him with sticks.

A police officer, quoting eyewitnesses, said when he fell unconscious some people took him to hospital but he died on the way.

Police rushed to the village and launched an investigation. Those who assaulted the man have gone underground.
A woman employee of the Delhi Railway Protection Force (RPF) was allegedly attacked by her husband with acid in Jansath, Muzaffarnagar district on Saturday, reports said

A woman employee of the Delhi Railway Protection Force (RPF) was allegedly attacked by her husband with acid in Jansath, Muzaffarnagar district of Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, reports said. Her niece who tried to intervene was also attacked.

According to ANI, the husband ran away and is absconding since the incident took place. The Uttar Pradesh police has registered a case into the same and are conducting their investigation.

The victim, a constable in the RPF, and her niece were admitted in the district hospital in a critical condition, according to Hindi daily Dainik Jagran.

The two were first admitted at a lcoal community health centre before being transferred to the district hospital. Dr Ajay Kumar of the community health centre told the Hindi daily that the woman suffered from 20 percent burns while her niece had 40-50 percent burns.

The report stated that there was some tension between the couple for several days. The woman was staying at her parents' house at Chitauda village when the incident took place.
A man was arrested on Saturday after he threw ink at Gujarat's Patidar leader Hardik Patel at a hotel, police said.

Ujjain: A man was arrested on Saturday after he threw ink at Gujarat's Patidar leader Hardik Patel at a hotel, police said.

#WATCH: Man threw ink on Hardik Patel during an event in Ujjain, later apprehended by police. #MadhyaPradesh (07.04.18) pic.twitter.com/ccb1oS69sL  ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2018

Patel was supposed to address a press conference at the hotel. The accused, Milind Gurjar, threw ink at him, after which the supporters of the Patidar leader caught hold him. The accused was later handed over to the police.

"The man has been arrested and is being questioned. He has admitted that he threw ink as he was annoyed that Patel was allegedly fooling the Gurjar and Patidar communities for his own interest," OP Ahir, in-charge of the Nankheda police station, told PTI.

Eyewitnesses alleged that Gurjar was beaten up by Patel's supporters, before he was handed over to the police.

Patel, meanwhile, went ahead with his press conference and attacked the BJP-led NDA government for being "anti-farmers".

The Patidar leader earlier attended several programmes at Neemuch and Mandsaur. He is scheduled to arrive at Bhopal on Saturday night, from where he is expected to proceed to Garhakota in Sagar district to participate in a farmers' rally.
Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli termed his visit to India as 'significant and fruitful', saying his trip helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust, and strengthening mutual trust

Kathmandu: Nepal Prime Minister KP Oli on Sunday termed his visit to India as "significant and fruitful", saying his trip helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust, and strengthening mutual trust.

Last week was Oli's first visit to India after taking charge as Nepal's prime minister for the second time in February this year. He visited India in February 2016 during his first term.

"My official visit to India was significant and fruitful," Oli said at the Tribhuvan International Airport upon his arrival. The visit has further strengthened bilateral relations between Nepal and India, Oli told the reporters.

"The bilateral relations will move forward in a new direction on the basis of equality and mutual interest," said Oli. "We have agreed to expedite past agreements and understandings reached between the two countries," he pointed out.

"The visit has helped in clearing misunderstanding and mistrust and strengthening mutual trust and understanding," Oli added.

During the talks the two countries agreed to conduct feasibility studies regarding construction of Raxaul-Kathmandu railway line and operating Nepalese steamers to transport goods and people from Nepal to other countries, he said.

Other important agreements have been reached in cooperation in agriculture and hydropower sectors.

Many observers see Oli as favouring a closer relationship between Nepal and China.

However, the issue of China-Nepal ties was not discussed during the delegation-level talks.

Oli's first tenure as prime minister in 2015-16 saw protests by Indian-origin Madeshi people in the southern Terai (plains) region over the new Constitution of Nepal. The Madhesis say the new Constitution is discriminatory to their interests.

They had blocked major trading points between India and Nepal, preventing goods from reaching the landlocked country. The months-long blockade had led to the souring of the ties between the two countries.
The Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other groups.

Islamabad: The Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other groups and individuals on the watch list of the interior ministry.

The bill will replace the presidential ordinance that banned outfits and people already on the watch list of the interior ministry.

Citing its sources in the law ministry, Dawn reported that the proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled to commence on Monday.

The law ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft bill, the sources said, adding that the military establishment was also on board. The government decided to prepare a draft bill to amend the ATA as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdog's money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Earlier, President Mamnoon Hussain had promulgated the ordinance amending the ATA to include entities listed by the UNSC as proscribed groups but it will expire in 120 days. The National Assembly can extend it for another four months after which it has to be tabled before both the houses - National Assembly and the Senate - for further extension.

Through the ordinance, amendments were made to ATA's Section 11-B that sets out parameters for proscription of groups and Section 11-EE that describes the grounds for listing of individuals. In both sections, Sub-Section 'aa' was added. According to the sub-section, organisations and individuals "listed under the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1948 (XIV of 1948), or" will be included in the First Schedule (for organisations) and Fourth Schedule (for individuals), respectively, on an ex parte basis. Under Section 11-EE, the requirements were: "(a) concerned in terrorism; (b) an activist, office-bearer or an associate of an organisation kept under observation under section 11D or proscribed under section 11B; and (c) in any way concerned or suspected to be concerned with such organisation or affiliated with any group or organisation suspected to be involved in terrorism or sectarianism or acting on behalf of, or at the direction of, any person or organisation proscribed under this Act."

In addition to the draft bill, Pakistan is also preparing a consolidated database of known terrorists and terrorist organisations which will be accessible to financial institutions and law-enforcement agencies of the country to strengthen the regime against money laundering and terror financing.

For the enforcement of prohibition of funds and financial services, it was recommended to the authorities to ensure that statutory regulatory orders issued under UNSC Resolutions-1267 and - 1373 (issued under ATA) are implemented without delay. The government would also frame the ATA's freezing and seizure rules and ensure that Anti-Terrorism Amendment Ordinance 2018 is enacted through the parliament, according to the draft action plan.

The amendment to the ATA would also enable investigation officers to be trained to investigate sources of funding besides other financial aspects in terrorism cases. The presidential ordinance has already been challenged by Saeed in the Islamabad High Court. He claimed that the ordinance had been promulgated due to external pressure and hence was not only prejudicial to the sovereignty but also contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.

Saeed was listed under UN Security Council Resolution 1267 in December 2008. His 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.

When contacted, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, special assistant to the prime minister, said that the amendment to the ATA was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new, as it would basically ensure compliance to the UNSC Resolutions.
India is ready to expand cooperation as per 'Nepal's priorities' and its interest lies in the neighbouring country's stability and economic growth, President Ram Nath Kovind said.

New Delhi: India is ready to expand cooperation as per "Nepal's priorities" and its interest lies in the neighbouring country's stability and economic growth, President Ram Nath Kovind said.

Welcoming Oli in a ceremony in Rashtrapati Bhavan, Kovind said he was happy to note that this was his first visit abroad after his appointment as the Prime Minister of Nepal.

"The president said that India holds him in the highest regard for his leadership and contribution to advancing the cause of India-Nepal partnership," a statement from Rashtrapati Bhavan said.

Kovind expressed confidence that under Oli's leadership, Nepal would chart a new course of rapid socio-economic transformation for its people.

"India's abiding interest is in the stability and economic prosperity of Nepal. We wish to take forward our relationship on the basis of goodwill, mutual trust and mutual benefit,"he said. The president said India valued its economic and development partnership with Nepal.

"India stands ready to expand cooperation with Nepal as per Nepal's priorities. We believe that enhanced connectivity between our countries will boost our economic growth and benefit our citizens," he said.

He said no other countries in the world had the bonds of friendship and cooperation that existed between India and Nepal.

"We are bound together not only by a shared geography but by history, culture, civilisation and close people to people and familial ties. Regular exchanges of visits at the highest political level between the two countries demonstrate the priority that we attach to our special partnership," he said.
A journalist, Anuj Chaudhary, was shot at by unidentified men at his house in Ghaziabad, media reports said.

A journalist was shot by unidentified assailants at his house in Ghaziabad, according to several media reports.

According to a report in ANI, journalist Anuj Chaudhary taken to the hospital after the incident.

CNN News18 reported that Chaudhary works for Hindi news channel Sahara Samay and that police suspect personal enmity as the motive of the attackers.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Krishna, said two bike-borne assailants, who were wearing helmets, barged into the scribe's residence and fired at him. "The firing incident occurred due to old enmity," Krishna said.

Chaudhary's wife Nisha was elected a councillor on a BSP ticket, according to a police officer. Chaudhary had just returned home after a visit to Razapur village, where road construction work was on, the officer said. "The family members have identified the assailants, though a complaint is yet to be received," he added.

Fresh reports said Ghaziabad Police constituted four teams for the suspects' arrest.

#UPDATE: Four teams constituted by #Ghaziabad police for arrest of the miscreants who fired bullet shots at journalist Anuj Chaudhary  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2018

On 8 September, Pankaj Mishra, a journalist working for Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara, was shot by two bikers in the Arwal district of Bihar.

Of the two assailants, one was arrested, said Dilip Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Arwal.

On 6 September, senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead outside her residence in Rajarajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru.

Though police said that the exact number of assailants are not clear yet, reporters on the ground said that three assailants allegedly fired nine bullets at Gauri outside her door.

With inputs from PTI
In a reshuffle after assuming power in Tripura nearly a month ago, the BJP-led government on Sunday issued the posting orders of 66 senior police officials

Agartala: In a major reshuffle after assuming power in Tripura nearly a month ago, the BJP-led government on Sunday issued the transfer and posting orders of 66 senior police officials, including 15 from the IPS.

Six of the eight district police chiefs and seven of the 12 Commandants of Tripura State Rifles battalions are among those transferred, a Home Department official said.

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ajit Pratap Singh will be the new West Tripura district police chief while Avula Ramesh Reddy has been transferred to Gomati district.

Jal Singh Meena becomes the new Superintendent of Police of South Tripura district while Sudipta Das has been shifted to Dhalai district.

Kulwant Singh has been moved to Sepahijala district while Lucky Chauhan will be the first woman head of Unakoti district police.

The official said IPS officer Kamal Chakraborty will be the new chief of Counterinsurgency and Anti-Terrorist School in Dhalai district.

Tripura Police Service officer Pinaki Samanta will be the new SP (Traffic). Young IPS officer Abhijit Jaikrishnan Saptarshi will be the new SP (CID).

Heads of various police training centres too have been shifted, including KTD Singh of the Police Training Academy.

A BJP-Indigenous People's Front of Tripura alliance government assumed office on 9 March.
Motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead two local Shiv Sena leaders hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced on Saturday, police said

The Maharashtra Police arrested NCP leader Sangram Jagtap, day after motorcycle-borne assailants shot dead two local Shiv Sena leaders in Ahmednagar's Kedgaon, Sunday Loksatta said. The incident had taken place hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the area was announced on Saturday, the police said.

The incident happened at around 5.15 pm in the Shahunagar area of Kedgaon in Ahmednagar and commercial establishments downed shutters soon amidst stray cases of stone-pelting, the official added.

"Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Anand Thube (40) were killed after they were shot from point blank range by two men on a motorcycle," a police official said.

"The CCTV of the area is being scoured and we are in the process of identifying the shooters," the police official said.

A local Shiv Sena leader said that the incident was related to the largescale support the Sena had received in the civic bypoll for Ward 32 (Kedgaon) of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation.

The result of the bypoll was announced on Saturday by State Election Commission officials.

The Congress' Vishal Kotkar defeated the Sena's Vijay Pathare by a thin margin of 454 votes.

"Leaders of some other parties have planned these murders due to the widespread support the Sena received in the Kedgaon bypoll," Dilip Satpute, the party's Ahmednagar unit chief told PTI.

With inputs from PTI
Pakistan has asked the US to resume the balancing role that it played in South Asia before its 'tilt' towards India, saying the move has 'emboldened' India and created imbalance in the region.

Islamabad: Pakistan has asked the US to resume the balancing role that it played in South Asia before its "tilt" towards India, saying the move has "emboldened" India and created imbalance in the region.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary also said that peace will prevail in South Asia if America assumes the role of a balanced power-player. "We are saying to the US administration that the US always brought a balance in SA, but this recent tilt has created an imbalance," Chaudhary was quoted as saying by Dawn. "This tilt has also emboldened the Indian government to go for a heavy-handed approach...," he alleged.

Chaudhary said the peace in South Asia will be better served if the US assumes the role of a balanced power-player. India-US relationship made great strides in 2017, with President Donald Trump keeping his electoral promise of being the "best friend of India" inside the White House.

India was the only country in which the Trump administration came out with a 100-year plan, an honour not even accorded to America's top allies. In his South Asia Policy unveiled in August, Trump gave India a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and for the first time, a US president aligned himself with New Delhi's position that terrorism emanated from Pakistan.
Two people were killed and three others feared injured after a car fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, according to reports

Two people were killed and three others feared injured after a car fell into a gorge in Uttarakhand, according to reports.

Uttarakhand: 2 killed, 3 injured in a landslide at NH 58 in Devprayag, several feared trapped. Rescue operation underway. pic.twitter.com/Vgqv9zYcwy  ANI (@ANI) April 7, 2018

The car fell into a 300-feet-deep gorge near Mulyagaon, about two kilometres from Devprayag, a Times of India report said. The injured, whose condition is known to be critical, were rushed to a hospital in Srinagar.

The driver lost control of the car after it was hit by falling debris following a landslide, the report quoted the police as saying.

The landslide has occurred at Uttarakhand's NH 58 highway, where many are still feared trapped in the debris.
Narendra Modi's measures to woo Dalits infantilise them. He presumes Dalits are still stuck in the past and will feel assured and charmed at having a BJP leader spend a night or two in their village and break bread with them

It is very unlikely that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will succeed in reversing or checking the growing alienation of Dalits from Bharatiya Janata Party. Of this alienation, the most palpable evidence was the surprisingly successful Bharat Bandh that the Dalits recently organised to protest against the dilution of the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989.

To ensure that the existing caste chasm does not widen, Modi has given a call for celebrating the birth anniversary of Dr BR Ambedkar on 14 April with unprecedented fervour. A day before, he is slated to dedicate the new Ambedkar memorial at Delhis 26, Alipur Road to the nation. In what has increasingly become his signature style, Modi wants BJP MPs to spend at least two nights in Dalit-dominated villages between 14 April and 5 May.

These initiatives are typical of BJPs Dalit policy since 2014  lavish praise on Ambedkar; ask its leaders to have meals at Dalit houses; repeatedly cite statistics to show that the party won maximum number of reserved constituencies in 2014; promise, as BJP president Amit Shah recently did, that reservation will never be discontinued; co-opt Dalit leaders such as Ram Vilas Paswan and Ramdas Athawale and allow them scope to articulate the concerns of Dalits without being critical of Hindutva.

Modis strategy echoes Gandhis campaign against untouchability. Like Gandhi, he does not wish to reconfigure the economic basis of caste. But his outreach to Dalits lacks elements of radicalism of Gandhis programme  for instance, BJP leaders will not be found cleaning latrines or leading Dalits into those temples where discriminatory practices are still followed. Inter-dining and overnight stay with a Dalit were powerful, meaningful tropes decades ago, certainly not now.

From this perspective, Modis measures infantilise Dalits. He presumes they are still stuck in the past and will feel assured and charmed at having a BJP leader spend a night or two in their village and break bread with them.

No doubt, Dalits rail against the purity-pollution principle to which many still subscribe; they rage against the atrocities committed on them; they desire equality of treatment and opportunity. They are deeply offended at a mere suspicion that someone would not drink water from the glass they offer to him or her.

But Dalits also realise that social status is a function of the economic and political power. After decades of social reform and rhetoric of caste equality, they know they will continue to endure oppression and deprivation until they control the levers of power, from the Centre to the state, to the panchayat. Until then, they cannot work laws enacted to protect as well as privilege them.

It is precisely also why Dalits seek to combine and assert themselves against the brazen infringement of their rights, at times meeting violence by violence.

This subaltern consciousness is not reflected in the BJP and Modis Dalit outreach. Their appeal is to the Dalits of the past, whose number is fast dwindling. They recoil from todays Dalits and their rising aspirations.

In their social policies is the message: as long as Dalits remain submissive and do not question the unequal social order, they are welcome in the BJP tent. They will be assigned a place, not in the front row  there is just one BJP Dalit in the Cabinet  but certainly in the rows at back.

The BJPs Dalit policy is not an outcome of its ignorance of the new social reality. It's impossible for a party boasting such a formidable grassroots connect. Yet its outreach is circumscribed because of its diverse social base  it cannot alienate the upper castes, the partys mainstay and its most enduring supporters, by adopting a radical Dalit policy. Those more than equal than others are mostly inclined to favour inequality.

This contradiction has come to the fore, in many ways, over the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. For one, the government seemed to have deliberately looked the other way when the Supreme Court was hearing Subhash K Mahajan vs State of Maharashtra.

Amarendra Sharan, amicus curiae in the case, accused the government of agreeing that "anticipatory bail could be given in case there is no prima facie case being made out under the SC/ST (POA) Act". Sharan also said that it was the additional solicitor general who supplied data to show that the SC/ST Act was misused.

Either the prime minister was oblivious of the stance his legal officers took in the court, a possibility hard to contemplate given Modis control over his ministry, or there was a definite political purpose behind it. The prevailing political conditions are such that the latter seemed to have been the principal driver.

Last year, Maharashtra was agog with the Marathas taking out silent marches to demand reservation for themselves and abrogation of the SC/ST (POA) Act. Marathas constitute around 30 percent of the states population and are also economically powerful. BJP desperately needs their votes in Maharashtra, which sends 48 members to the Lok Sabha. It is a state crucial for Modis quest to win another innings in power.

Maharashtra apart, the Dalit assertion has been a sore point with the upper castes and sections of the Other Backward Classes in Uttar Pradesh as well.

Last year, the Rajputs and Dalits clashed in Saharanpur, leading to the arrest of Bheem Sena chief Chandrashekhar Azad Ravana, who still languishes in jail under the National Security Act. In the same year, when Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath visited a Dalit colony in Meerut, he was asked by residents to first pay his respect at BR Ambedkar statue in the nearby park. He did not heed their counsel and was roundly booed.

Uttar Pradeshs caste cauldron has always been on simmer. But it bubbled over the SC/ST (POA) Act, prompting four Dalit MPs of BJP from Uttar Pradesh to speak out against Modi or Adityanath governments.

Bahraichs MP, Savitri Bai Phule, was critical of BJP speaking in forked tongue on reservation. Robertsganj MP Chhote Lal Kharwar wrote a letter to Modi accusing Adityanath of scolding and throwing him out when he had gone to him with his grievance. Kharwars crib was that his younger brother had been replaced as block president by upper caste BJP leaders who helped a Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party candidate to take the post.

BJP MP from Nagina, Yashwant Singh, too, wrote a letter to Modi complaining that his abilities have not been utilised only because he is a Dalit. Singh has also demanded reservation in the private sector. The Dalit MP from Etawah, Ashok Kumar Dohre, has written a letter to the prime minister pointing out that the Uttar Pradesh police are targeting Dalits following the violence witnessed during the Bharat Bandh.

Dohres charge has credence. For instance, in Meerut, someone put out a list of 83 Dalit "vandals and arsonists" on WhatsApp groups. But for one person, all those named went into hiding. The one who did not was shot dead by a group comprising Gujjars and a Rajput. Rakesh Sinha, a prominent RSS face on television, was picked up outside a TV channel office. The Uttar Pradesh Police mistook him for a Dalit guest who too had been invited to the studio.

It testifies to the Uttar Pradesh governments credo  a good Dalit is one who keeps mum, who is not visible.

Indeed, if Dalits stunned the nation by organising an all-India bandh, no less surprising was the spontaneous consolidation of the upper castes against it. They attacked Dalits and fired upon them.

In Rajasthans Hinduan city, mobs burnt down the house of BJP MLA, Rajkumari Jatav. Caste affinity trumped party loyalty. They also set fire to the house of former Congress MLA Bharosi Lal Jatav. In Madhya Pradeshs Bhind district, Thakurs shot dead a protesting Dalit youth, as they did another in Gwalior.

These incidents of last week underline why Modis Dalit outreach is not likely to succeed.

Social groups gravitate towards a party not only because of what its leaders profess; they also judge how accommodating or supportive its core supporters are of them. The BJPs upper caste supporters rarely refrain from displaying their disdain for reservation. They have also traditionally suppressed Dalits. The incidents of last week will only bolster this impression.

It is not that the alienation of Dalits will necessarily prove disastrous to BJP. In Rajasthan, BJP is clearly on the backfoot. In Madhya Pradesh, the party has been in power for just too long as not to spawn discontent. In Uttar Pradesh, BJP cant hope to repeat 2014 in 2019, more so as there is a distinct possibility of Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party forging an alliance. In all these three states, BJP has to depend on the solid support of upper castes to fight a good battle.

The conflict over the SC/ST (POA) Act has certainly consolidated the upper castes. They might not feel inclined to Congress as it is historically more of a Dalit-friendly party than BJP. For instance, it has mocked BJP for playing a duplicitous game  not taking a position against the dilution of the Act and then filing a review petition.

But the upper castes and the Marathas will think BJP at least tried to water down the SC/ST (POA) Act, which will remain diluted until the Supreme Court pronounces its judgment on the review petition. They will also feel that the review petition was filed because all other formations ganged up to mount pressure on BJP to file it.

Another reason why BJP filed a review application was to ensure that the caste conflict did not intensify and persist. Prolonged instability speaks of the governments incapacity and alienates even supporters whose livelihoods are unaffected. Then again, with parties forging alliances, it cannot alienate Dalits to the degree it has done with the Muslims. It would mean entering the political area with a minus of 25 percent to 28 percent of votes.

Modis Dalit initiatives hope to retain a fraction of the communitys votes it polled in 2014, not by empowering them or by changing the economic base of caste, but by assuming that there are many who remain what they were, say, 40-50 years ago  a people who silently licked their wounds and did not raise their voice to assert their rights, who became visible only when they were killed.

Since it is usually impossible to turn the clock back, Modis Dalit outreach will unlikely succeed. You cant always run with the hare and hunt with the hound.
A woman and her family allegedly tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's residence on Sunday.

A woman and her family allegedly tried to commit suicide outside Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath's residence in Lucknow on Sunday. Her family alleged that she was raped by a BJP MLA and his accomplice last year, and no action has been taken against the accused yet, according to reports.

Lucknow: A woman & her family allegedly attempted suicide outside CM Residence. Her family alleges the woman was raped by a BJP MLA & his accomplices & no action is being taken. pic.twitter.com/Srl5yQqhXP  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2018

The woman told ANI that she has been going from pillar to post for the last year but, no one listened to her.

"I want all of them arrested. Otherwise, I will kill myself. I had even gone to the chief minister but, to no result. When we lodged an FIR, we were threatened," she said.

According to CNN-News18, the woman first tried to pour oil and set herself ablaze outside Yogi's residence and then later at the Gautam Palli Police Station.

Rajiv Krishan, ADG Lucknow, told ANI the woman and her family "alleged that Kuldeep Singh Sengar raped her but no action was taken and that the woman and her family were beaten up by the other party".

He also informed that a police probe revealed that both parties are in a dispute for 10-12 years.

Meanwhile, Sengar called it a "pre-planned" incident. "There was an incident in their family and a case was registered. Police saved two innocent people, I am being made a scapegoat by them," he was quoted as saying in The Indian Express report.

"I request the administration to probe this and punish the real culprit," he added.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an 'iron man' for accelerating the pace of development in the country.

Mehsana: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath called Prime Minister Narendra Modi an "iron man" for accelerating the pace of development in the country. The "Iron Man" sobriquet is used to describe the first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel for his uncompromising commitment to unify the country post-Independence.

Addressing a gathering of monks in Visnagar town in Mehsana district, Adityanath also equated Modi's leadership with that of Mahatma Gandhi and Patel. "Immediately after Independence, when Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel had visited Saurashtra, he pledged to renovate the Somnath Temple. This pledge could have been taken for other parts of the country as well but it was the effect of Gujarat's soil... It's a holy land that gave leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Iron Man Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel to the country in difficult times".

"And today, the country is similarly surging rapidly ahead under the leadership of iron man Narendra Modiji to reach the top of the world, something which we had never dreamt before", he added. Adityanath, the chief abbot of Gorakhnath Mutt in Uttar Pradesh, was in Visnagar to attend a religious programme of the Nath sect. He previously visited the town in December 2016 following the death of Mahant Gulabnath.

Adityanath's Gujarat counterpart Vijay Rupani said the Somnath Temple would not have been vandalised by foreign invaders had the country not been divided along caste lines. He said casteism and untouchability kept India divided.

"There is a need to launch a fight against this. I appeal to you seers to take a pledge to save the religion... Modi ji is working on to take the country to newer heights", he said. Adityanath invited the seers present there to attend the 2019 Kumbh Mela, to be held in Uttar Pradesh. He said Modi's "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas" slogan is a spinoff of the Sanatan Dharma philosophy, which also calls for taking everybody along.

"It is the first time that we will take a pledge and frame a policy that an Indian, whatever community he belongs to, will get shelter. And today, every poor is getting a roof on his head, getting food, electricity etc. Development has reached remote corners", the Uttar Pradesh chief minister said. He hailed Modi for being instrumental in getting UNESCO recognition for Yoga and Kumbh festival.
In the first part of this series on mental health and the workplace, a look at the real-life experiences of people who were affected by how they were treated by their colleagues and superiors | #FirstCulture

Editor's note: When President Ram Nath Kovind delivered the 22nd convocation address at NIMHANS in December 2017, he pointed out that the number of people in India suffering from mental health issues "was greater than the population of Japan". He warned that India could soon be facing a mental health epidemic  one it doesn't have the resources to adequately address. Previously, a 2015 ASSOCHAM study indicated that 42.5 percent of employees in the private sector suffer from depression or general anxiety disorder.

The stresses of the modern workplace can both cause or exacerbate mental health illnesses among employees. But just how well-equipped are modern workplaces to deal with these very issues of employees? In the first of this two-part series, Firstpost examines the experiences of individuals dealing with mental health issues  and whether or not they were able to find support at their workplaces for their conditions.

Mansi* had a high pressure job as a festival and production manager. She remembers this job as being so demanding that she could not adequately rest on most days. Impossible deadlines were an everyday occurrence. Mansi also has depression; she would often find herself crying at work and taking breaks to get some space from the unrelenting stress. (The job didnt trigger her depression; it was a pre-existing condition.)

Her colleagues did their best to understand when Mansi broke down or looked sick. When she told them that she had too much on her plate, they would sometimes reduce the workload marginally. Most times, she was told she could "manage"  a peril of being a high-performing depressed person, which meant that she was able to finish tasks and complete her work despite having a mental health issue.

Mansi revealed to her employers that she had depression when she joined the company. Though there were attempts to understand her condition, the lack of proper knowledge and a seeming unwillingness to know more meant that their sensitivity was often misplaced, if not entirely absent during stressful periods. They did not have a framed policy in place to help Mansi and others who had mental health issues (MHI) to cope better.

Today, more than ever, people are making their careers the focus of their very existence; some by choice, others by circumstance. Stress, physical exhaustion and burn out seem to have become acceptable  if not boast-worthy  side effects of being employed. A 2017 WHO report estimated that 57 million Indians are affected by depression. Thirty eight million people are estimated to be suffering from anxiety. This 2016 study involving 6,000 employees found that one in every two people in corporate India showed signs of depression, and 40 percent of respondents to a Harvard Business Review survey said that their workload was excessive, even coming in the way of efficiency. Nine percent of 500 corporate employees surveyed by ASSOCHAM in 2018 said they suffer from sleep disorders.

How well-equipped are modern workplaces to deal with these very side-effects they seem to be creating or exacerbating in their employees?

Digging a little deeper, we found that Mansis story was not an outlier: many places of employment did not create safe places for employees who were dealing with mental health issues, and the environments they fostered did not treat already distressed individuals with the care they needed  even when the employee in question had been open about his/her issues before joining the workplace.

I think there are very few companies who even acknowledge mental health issues at all. What we don't talk about is an indication of what we think is not significant enough, says Sonali Gupta, a Mumbai-based clinical psychologist. She has found that some employers and managers are supportive -- going to the extent of even paying for counselling sessions -- but that this is an exception rather than the norm.

Sonali says that many companies are not equipped to handle situations such as panic attacks. Many offices do not even have spaces where people can cry or try to calm themselves down when they are having panic attacks. My clients have had to visit washrooms or go for cigarette breaks to relieve themselves because they were too suffocated by the office, she explains.

As Mansis story indicated, work pressure is one factor  that when unregulated  led to worsening of pre-existing MHIs. Having unsympathetic superiors and colleagues is another.

Anuja*, a 24-year-old researcher, was diagnosed with chronic anxiety at the age of 17. Working under an unsupportive and critical boss at her lab (Anuja recounts instances of being forced to work on unrelated projects, then being loudly reprimanded for not being able to meet deadlines on her actual tasks) made her miserable and panicky. Sanya*, 22, who worked with a PR agency, remembers how her team leader brusquely asked her to get on with it and to stop over-reacting when she found her at her desk one day, trembling in the midst of an anxiety attack. When Sanya finally quit her job, a former boss asked her months later how she spent so much time on social media when she was supposedly ill.

Anuja points out that mental health wasnt a subject ever discussed at her lab. "Stress was treated as a side effect of the job that you have to simply deal with. They did nothing to make the situation better. Rather, they called individuals who had breakdowns too weak to handle the job," she says, indicating a mindset that seems pervasive in many modern workplaces.

Many of the interviewees Firstpost reached out to said they had approached the Human Resources Department of their respective workplaces. In the absence of clear guidelines on how to deal with the situation, however, there was little real help to be found.

Anand* had been dealing with anxiety and panic attacks since before he got a job at a media and broadcast company. His manager would object to him coming late to work or taking leaves because he was having an attack. When I tried to speak to my manager about it, he laughed it off and mocked me by saying that anxiety needs to be treated in a hospital with medicines, he says.

Even seemingly liberal workplaces and industries may not have the best track record for dealing with their employees mental health issues. Twenty four-year-old Neha* found that talking about her mental health issues at the NGO where she was employed was a taboo. Ironically, some of the NGOs work pertained to the area of mental health. "When I told my boss about the strain that the work was causing, she tried to make a few changes, but they were mostly superficial," she says.

Jasdeep Mago, a Mumbai-based clinical neuropsychologist, says that larger corporations (perhaps unsurprisingly) tend to have more employees reporting unsatisfactory management response towards their mental health issues. In a startup, people share the load since they work in small teams. In big corporate companies, there is only so much the HR department can take care of; comparatively less attention is paid to each individual employee. For example, an alarmingly high number of suicides have been reported from Infosys, she says.

But this does not mean that small organisations which do not have traditional hierarchies are immune to these problems. Jason*, who worked at a tech company with a workforce of only 20 people, developed minor anxiety because of the competitive environment and unrealistic deadlines. There was no HR department he could approach, and his concerns would not be taken seriously by his boss unless there were others who were facing the same issues.

None of the people Firstpost interviewed said that their workplace had a clear policy on employees mental health and the support it would provide to those who had MHIs. If there was such a policy in place, the employees themselves seemed unaware of its provisions. The Indian government has, in its own capacity, passed the Mental Healthcare Bill 2016, which decriminalised suicide and ensured that every person has the right to access mental health care and treatment from mental health services run or funded by the appropriate government. It also released the National Mental Health Policy, which specifically took into account vulnerable sections of the population, including orphans, marginalised individuals and those who are internally displaced.

Still, the fear of being stigmatised and being discriminated against prevents many young professionals from speaking out. This is perhaps why Payal* cited being physically unwell as a reason for taking sick leaves from her workplace, when she was in truth coping with generalised anxiety disorder. Achala*, a 30-year-old journalist with a leading Mumbai daily, says that she was ridiculed by her boss for visiting a psychiatrist. "Because psychiatric drugs cause side effects, my doctors need to work in tandem. This is why I often need to visit a hospital. My boss equated this with being 'pampered' and even said that my parents should have used corporal punishment to discipline me when I was a child," she recalls.

At a time when workplaces are making their policies regarding sexual harassment explicit and easy to understand at the induction stage, why the same emphasis cannot be laid on dealing with stress and mental health is unclear. Prospective employees are asked to list medical conditions like diabetes or heart disease, but not usually about their mental health issues.

There is rarely an open conversation about mental health at most workplaces. Many individuals avoid speaking about it entirely, for the fear of being discriminated against. There's also a fear that revealing MHIs will lead to being fired, because bosses will view them as being unfit or incapable for the job, which is far from the truth, says Jasdeep. Sonali echoes the sentiment. Workplaces need to acknowledge that mental health is a real concern -- not an excuse or way to cut work. It should not be a label, and should not impact their promotions or the work that is assigned to them, she says.

Where workplaces have failed them, individuals have attempted to find their own way to better mental health. Anuja, for instance, moved to another research lab  after conducting a thorough check into their policies on mental health of employees. Neha, meanwhile, is freelancing while she undergoes therapy. There is light at the end of the tunnel, even if the passage through the darkness has been a long, lonely one.

If you would like to seek help for mental health issues resulting from your job or other causes, you can call:

iCall (Mumbai) - +91-22-25521111

Sahai (Bengaluru) - +91-80-25497777

St Stephen's Hospital and Emmanuel Hospital Association (New Delhi) - +18-60-2662345

Lifeline Foundation (Kolkata) - +91-33-24637401

In part II, we look at what workplaces have to say about dealing with employees mental health. Read it here.

*All names have been changed on request
As Delhi Police detained TDP parliamentarians protesting near the prime minister's residence, Kejriwal met the MPs at the police station and extended support

As Delhi Police detained Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarians on Sunday protesting near the prime minister's residence, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal met the MPs at the police station and extended support to their demand for special status for Andhra Pradesh.

Posting several images on Twitter from Tughlak Road Police Station in New Delhi, Kejriwal condemned the MPs' detention, saying, "I went and met them at the police station in solidarity."

TDP MPs taken to Tughlak Road Police Stn for demanding Spl status for AP. I went and met them at police stn in solidarity. We condemn their detention and fully support demand for spl status of AP. pic.twitter.com/QGJsuTyg2q  Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 8, 2018

The decision to protest was taken after party MPs held a meeting at Rajya Sabha member YS Chowdary's residence on Sunday morning to decide the future course of action. However, all leaders were detained on the way to the prime minister's residence by the Delhi Police and CRPF.

"The prime minister is the person to take decisions on special category status. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him," MP Jaydev Galla said.

On 4 April, Kejriwal had met Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu as part of the latter's efforts to mobilise support for the no-confidence motion moved by TDP against the Centre. The two leaders also discussed the special category status promised to Andhra Pradesh.

"The Delhi chief minister said he would offer support to the TDP through members from his party in both Houses of the Parliament," Rajya Sabha MP CM Ramesh had said.

The Andhra Pradesh chief minister, who arrived in New Delhi last week, has met leaders from different political parties to further his cause.

In March, TDP withdrew its ministers from the Union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh. The party had subsequently issued no-confidence motion notices against the government.

However, Lok Sabha speaker Sumitra Mahajan didn't introduce it due to continuous disruptions in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party leaders continue their indefinite hunger strike here for the third day for the same demand of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

With inputs from PTI
Telugu Desam Party parliamentarians were on Sunday detained by police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi

New Delhi: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarians were on Sunday detained by police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The decision to protest was taken after the party MPs held meeting at Rajya Sabha member and former union minister YS Chowdary's residence in the morning to decide future course of action.

However, all the leaders were detained on the way to the prime minister's residence by the Delhi Police and CRPF.

"The prime minister is the person to take decisions on SCS. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him," MP Jaydev Galla said.

The Telugu Desam Party withdrew its ministers in the union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP had issued no-confidence motion notices against the government.

However, it was never taken up for discussion due to continuous disruptions in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party leaders continue their indefinite hunger strike here for the third day for the same demand of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
BJP trained its guns on National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday for suggesting that the LoC be converted into a 'Line of Peace and Goodwill' and alleged that the Opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir had no ideology

Jammu: The BJP trained its guns on National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday for suggesting that the LoC be converted into a "Line of Peace and Goodwill" and alleged that the Opposition party in Jammu and Kashmir had no ideology and only believed in arousing passions by playing with people's emotions for vote-bank politics.

Knowing fully well that there are no takers for Azadi south of Pir Panjal, Abdullah has very cleverly changed his stance by demanding that the Line of Control (LoC) be converted into a Line of Peace, thus making it amply clear that his party has no ideology and only believes in arousing passions by playing with people's emotions for vote-bank politics, state BJP spokesperson Anil Gupta said in a statement.

Gupta, a former army officer, was reacting to Abdullah's statement at Mandi in Poonch district on Saturday, suggesting the conversion of the LoC into a "Line of Peace and Goodwill" and cautioning the Centre against taking the people of Jammu and Kashmir for granted and ignoring their legitimate aspirations.

The NC has survived as a political party by posing itself as the well-wisher of the Kashmiri-speaking Muslims. It has always been wary of losing prominence due to the challenge posed by the other Muslims like Paharis, Punjabis, Gujjars and Shias in general and the Muslims of the erstwhile Jammu province in particular, Gupta alleged.

The BJP leader claimed that the same fear continued to haunt Abdullah and his party leadership even today and that was why, rather than uniting the population living across the LoC, he advocated it to be made a permanent border.

It was for the same reason that his father, Sheikh Abdullah, had forced former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire, when the invaders were on the run and the Indian Army was well poised to recapture the areas of Mirpur, Kotli, Poonch, and Muzaffarabad.

Had Muzaffarabad been recaptured, the strategic areas of Gilgit-Baltistan, Hunza and other frontier districts would have automatically returned to India as all the lines of communication to these areas passed through Muzaffarabad. It would also have saved the state from the problem of refugees, which haunts it to date, he said.

Gupta claimed that the NC's dislike for non-Kashmiri speaking Muslim leaders was evident from the fact that when Mirza Afzal Beg resigned from the Maharaja's cabinet in 1945 due to differences within the party, the Maharaja had appointed Mian Ahmed Yar, an NC leader, "but he was, however, expelled from the party because his presence in the council of ministers was not acceptable to Sheikh Abdullah as Yar was a non-Kashmiri speaking Muslim from Jammu.

As regards the return of the Haji Peer pass and Chhamb sector by Pakistan, he asked Abdullah to question his ally, the Congress, which not only betrayed the people of the state but also belittled the sacrifices of the Indian Army by returning to Pakistan the territories captured by it.

Had the strategic Haji Peer pass been in our possession today, there would have been no Uri-Poonch bulge and no question of Pakistan launching a proxy war against us as it would have provided a direct link between Poonch and the Kashmir Valley via Uri, the BJP leader said.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad accused the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of fanning Dalit violence in various parts of the country for political gains

New Delhi: Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday accused the Congress, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of fanning Dalit violence in various parts of the country for political gains.

He also took a dig at Congress president Rahul Gandhi, saying he should not tarnish the legacy of the office he is holding.

"Bhimrao Ambedkar said Dalit movement should not be violent. But some parties like the Congress, the SP, the BSP are fanning Dalit violence in a calculated manner for political gains," Prasad told the media in New Delhi.

Reacting to Gandhi's day-old tweet in which he termed the RSS-BJP ideology as "oppressive" and said such ideology "can never respect the Dalits and Baba saheb (Ambedkar)", Prasad said the office of the Congress president has a legacy and Rahul Gandhi should not forget that.

"Rahulji should not forget the legacy of the post he is holding. This post has been held by the likes of Indira Gandhi, Pandit Nehru, Sardar Patel, Subhas Chandra Bose and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad," Prasad said.

The senior BJP leader said the Congress' "new found" love for Ambedkar was opportunistic as the party hardly cared for him. He also accused the BSP of deserting Ambedkar's and another Dalit leader Kanshi Ram's ideals and making the BSP a family party that "hardly cares for Dalits and their emancipation".

"Ambedkar died in 1956 but the successive Congress government did not bother to confer him with Bharat Ratna. It was only in 1989 that the VP Singh government backed by the BJP conferred the honour on him," he said.

He said the opposition's allegations that the Modi government was trying to dilute the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act was far from the truth as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), after coming to power at the Centre in 2014, worked to strengthen the said act.

"We have made very crucial changes to the SC/ST Act to make it more stringent and to plug the gaps," he said.

Prasad quoted from a circular issued on 29 October, 2007 by the then Uttar Pradesh government headed by BSP supremo Mayawati which said that the SC/ST Act must not be used to harass innocent persons and that if someone lodges a false complaint under the act, legal proceedings under Section 182 of the IPC should be initiated against that person.

"This is a circular issued by Mayawati government, not by BJP," Prasad said.

The law minister clarified that the Union government was neither a party nor was it called for a counter affidavit in the case where the Supreme Court passed an order that an accused need not be arrested under the SC/ST Act without a preliminary inquiry.

"Only the attorney general was called for his opinion as the matter pertained to a central legislation," Prasad said.

The Supreme Court on 20 March said the arrest of an accused under the SC/ST Act is not mandatory and recourse to coercive action would be only after preliminary inquiry and sanction by the competent authority.

Prasad also pointed out that it was the BJP that has made Ram Nath Kovind  a Dalit  the president of India.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party, if voted to power at the Centre, would learn from Karnataka on how to reward sanitation workers.

Bengaluru: Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday said that his party, if voted to power at the Centre, would learn from Karnataka on how to reward sanitation workers.

Gandhi, who is on the sixth leg of his tour of poll-bound Karnataka, was interacting with Pourakarmikas (sanitation workers).

Congress President Rahul Gandhi interacted with Paura Karmikas (sanitation workers) at Jakkarayana Kere in Bengaluru this morning. #JanaAashirwadaYatre #BengaluruNammaHemme pic.twitter.com/WnpG7A9TEg  Congress (@INCIndia) April 8, 2018

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who was present with city Mayor R Sampath Raj, told Gandhi that Karnataka has abolished the sanitation contractors hiring sanitation workers and enhanced their salaries from Rs 7,500 to Rs 18,000.

When Gandhi asked the sanitation workers about their expectations from the government in the next five years, they unanimously demanded that they should be regularised.

They, however, thanked Chief Minister Siddaramaiah for increasing their salaries from Rs 7,500 per month to Rs 18,000.

Hailing the chief minister, Gandhi said "Now, when we get the government in Delhi, we will learn from the Karnataka government because the person doing the most difficult work should be rewarded the most."

"The problem in India is that the person doing the most difficult work is not rewarded and the person doing the easiest work is rewarded. That is what the Congress party wants to change."

Former president of Karnataka Safai Karmachari Ayog, Narayan, welcomed Gandhi's statement and urged him to abolish the contract system of hiring sanitation workers across the country.
Striking out at the Yogi Adityanath government, NDA ally SBSP on Sunday raised a fresh banner of revolt, accusing the chief minister of not following 'coalition dharma' and 'ignoring' the party.

Lucknow: Striking out at the Yogi Adityanath government, NDA ally SBSP on Sunday raised a fresh banner of revolt, accusing the chief minister of not following "coalition dharma" and "ignoring" the party.

"I will have detailed discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on various issues when he visits Lucknow on 10 April and then decide my party's course of action," SBSP leader and Uttar Pradesh minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters.

He also said the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) would rethink about the alliance if Shah did not agree on the issues raised by the party.

Seeking to downplay Rajbhar's outburst, BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi said, "The BJP is duly discharging its coalition dharma in Uttar Pradesh."

"Whatever is being said by Rajbhar is simply a political stunt by him to hog the headlines. He is raising questions on the bureaucracy, but certainly not on the leadership. The leadership is honest," he said.

"The BJP firmly believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas'. Whatever shortcomings are highlighted by Rajbhar, they are being addressed and corrective action is also being taken. It will be better if he raises these issues during Cabinet meetings," the BJP spokesman said.

Rajbhar had left the saffron party red-faced days before the Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Uttar Pradesh and had threatened that his four MLAs would boycott the voting.

The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member Uttar Pradesh Assembly, where the BJP and its allies have a majority of 324 lawmakers.

Attacking the Uttar Pradesh chief minister, Rajbhar said, "Why are MPs and MLAs angry with the (Yogi Adityanath) government? Why are they going to Delhi to convey their grievances? Why are the MLAs angry and are sitting on protests?"

On the recent appointments made in the state secondary education board, he said, "The BJP's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' is not being implemented in letter and spirit as relatives of senior BJP leaders from upper castes have been appointed."

"Now, tell me where will the people from backward castes and scheduled castes go... If I speak, then people start feeling bad," Rajbhar said.

"In meetings of the Uttar Pradesh Cabinet, everyone's views are heard, but the decision is taken by a handful of just four to five persons. If we have voted for you, then we should also have a say. Now, if I open my mouth, I am charged with saying harsh things," he said.

A sulking Rajbhar had last month rushed to Delhi with his complaint and met the BJP chief.

He returned to Lucknow a bit mollified after Shah promised to visit the state capital on 10 April and hear him in detail in the presence of the chief minister.

"I will tell you what the BJP wants and what Om Prakash Rajbhar wants after 10 April," he said.

"If he (Shah) does not agree on the issues raised by us, as he had promised (during a meeting in Delhi ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls), we will have to rethink about the alliance," he said replying to a question.

The SBSP leader was also critical of the BJP's decision not to select the chief minister from among the 325 elected NDA MLAs (one of them later died) in the state.

"It appears that all of them were worthless," he said.

Rajbhar had recently claimed that corruption had increased in Uttar Pradesh under the present dispensation and that his party was not getting the due respect from the senior coalition partner.

"Now their (BJP's) own MPs and MLAs are speaking against them and sitting on dharna...Look at the statements that are coming from people occupying responsible positions...There has to be something behind their speaking like this," he said.

He was referring to Lok Sabha MPs from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh, respectively, who are the latest to join other Dalit colleagues, who have publicly expressed their unhappiness, especially after the recent protests against the Supreme Court order on the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Earlier, Robertsganj Lok Sabha MP Chhotelal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused Adityanath of "scolding" him when he went to take up an issue with him.

While these three Dalit parliamentarians of the BJP have approached Modi with their concerns, Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phoole has virtually turned a rebel, triggering speculation that she might join the BSP, which she had earlier quit to join the saffron party.
The NSUIs annual session, to be held on 9 and 10 April, is expected to have a gathering of around 10,000 people, including student leaders and Congress legislators.

The National Students Union of India (NSUI), the students body of the Congress is preparing itself to execute the wishes of the party president Rahul Gandhi. In the recent plenary session of the party in New Delhi, Rahul had emphasised on the power of youth to revitalise the grand old party.

Taking a cue from its party president, the NSUI  also a frontal organisation of the party  is channelising its energy for the general elections in 2019.

The NSUIs annual session in Jaipur is expected to have a gathering of around 10,000 students, youth leaders, Congress MLAs and MPs, and heads of all the frontal organisations of the party. The session, named Inquilab, will be held on 9 and 10 April.

Interestingly, a two-day conference of the BJP Yuva Morcha began in Jaipur on 7 April, days before the NSUI session. These back-to-back conferences are being seen as a serious attempt by the Congress to give the BJP a tough fight for the youth vote share.

On the footprints of our leader Rahul Gandhi ji, the NSUI believes in fighting for the rights of the students on the basis of truth and morals. In this two-day session, NSUI will disseminate the message and decisions taken by the Congress president during the partys plenary session, to all its cadres from across the country. It will be a training camp for our cadres in the run-up to the 2019 general election, in which first time voters will make a big difference, NSUI national president Fairoz Khan told Firstpost.

This government has been following a pattern of suppressing voices of dissent and controlling the freedom of expression of the younger generation. Well fight to regain the democratic rights of the people and also take appropriate steps to stop discrimination in the campuses created by the communal forces on the grounds of caste, creed, colour and gender, he added.

During the conference, the NSUI cadres will be provided training on connecting with voters at the grassroots, mobilising them and communicating to voters about the policies of the Congress party.

Inquilab is the first-of-its-kind conference, as the NSUI is calling all its elected office bearers starting from college units to the national team. This is Rahul jis brain child and the aim of the conference is to bring a revolutionary change in the organisation. Former NSUI leaders who have become MLAs and MPs and AICC leaders will participate in this conference, said Neeraj Mishra, NSUI communication in-charge.

The agenda of the two-day conference will be to raise demands for relaxation of age to contest Vidhan Sabha and Lok Sabha elections; setting up of a National Students Commission similar to National Womens Commission and SC/ST commission; etc.

The students community is facing lots of problems, but our demands are not being resolved. Examples of these problems are Hyderabad Universitys NSUI president being debarred from taking the examination; the death of Rohith Vemula leading to Dalit protests across India; exorbitant hike in fees in universities; etc. However, there is no mechanism in place to resolve such issues in a speedy manner. So, well demand for a students commission. Well pass a couple of resolutions at the end of the conference, he said.

Rahul Gandhi during the plenary session of the Congress in March had emphasised on focussing on youth, women and Dalits to strengthen the party ahead of the 2019 election. Though the Congress won a couple of recent bypolls and gave a tough fight to the ruling BJP in Gujarat, it still has a long way to go. The party had a dismal performance during the recent elections in the North East.

Moreover, the NSUI would have to rebuild and reorganise itself at the Centre and in the states, to counter the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), an affiliate of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) at college and university elections. The RSS is known for its grassroots connectivity, which has helped the BJP to win state after state, and the ABVP acts on the ground level during elections.

Following the Congress presidents advice, the NSUI shall chalk out plans in Jaipur to strengthen its students force at the ground-level.

Besides the 2019 election, our focus will be on upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, added Mishra.
The Shiv Sena has indicated there will be no change in its strategy of going it alone in polls after BJP chief Amit Shah reached out to his bickering ally in a bid to pacify it

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena has indicated there will be no change in its strategy of going it alone in polls after BJP chief Amit Shah reached out to his bickering ally in a bid to pacify it.

Addressing a press conference in Mumbai on 6 April, Shah had said the BJP hopes the Uddhav Thackeray-led party will continue to remain in the NDA fold.

"They (Sena) are in the government with us now, and it is our strong desire that they remain with us," Shah had said.

In January, the Sena had announced it will not align with the BJP and go solo in the 2019 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The Sena is currently part of the BJP-led ruling coalitions in Maharashtra as well as at the Centre, but it has often criticised both governments' decisions and policies.

Senior Sena leader Subhash Desai has said the BJP has suddenly changed its tone and is now talking about its allies in the NDA.

"Even in 2019, we will form an NDA government though the BJP will win a majority (on its own in Lok Sabha polls)," Shah had said at the press meet.

"The BJP, which all along said it would come to power on its own, is now remembering its friends. Its tone has changed in the past six months. It now talks about the NDA," Desai said at a public meeting in adjoining Thane last night.

Thackeray was the "most popular" leader in the state and the party, under his leadership, would capture power on its own strength, Desai said.

"The Sena chief has said we will fight the polls alone and all Sainiks should work towards that aim," he said.

A Sena office-bearer said the party has no intention to change its political line of contesting all future polls independently.

He said the BJP has a policy of using its allies for political gains and then discarding them.

"In Goa, they (BJP) used Maharashtrawadi Gomatak Party (MGP) to grow and in Maharashtra, it expanded its base with Shiv Sena's help. But, the Shiv Sena is not the MGP," said the office-bearer, who preferred to remain anonymous.

"Not just the Shiv Sena, but the entire country is witnessing the BJP's arrogance," he said.

The Sena will also have nothing to do with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi, the office-bearer maintained.

However, the BJP does seem perturbed by the Sena's cold-shouldering.

A state BJP leader said the rank and file is enthused by the good response the party's rally on its 38th foundation day in Mumbai on 6 April received.

The rally saw "unprecedented" turnout of BJP workers from different parts of the state, he said.

"The event has enthused the cadre and going by the participation, the Shiv Sena should realise the BJP may not require it at all (in polls)," the BJP leader said on condition of anonymity.

According to him, the BJP has never said the Sena was not a valuable ally. "The Shiv Sena has problems with us and it is not the other way round. We never said we don't need you," he maintained.
Ruing lack of unity among the Andhra Pradesh MPs over the fight for special category status to the state, YSR Congress party said the Centre was not heeding to the demand seriously due to the disunity

New Delhi: Ruing lack of unity among the Andhra Pradesh MPs over the fight for special category status to the state, YSR Congress party on Sunday said the Centre was not heeding to the demand seriously due to the disunity.

YSR Congress honorary president YS Vijayamma, who is the wife of former AP Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhara Reddy and mother of the party president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, lamented the lack of unity among the state MPs while meeting her party MPs sitting on an indefinite hunger strike at AP Bhavan in New Delhi.

"In the past, indefinite strikes were so effective that it attracted governments' attention and they responded to it. Today nothing is happening despite several attempts by the Opposition parties," she said in an apparent reference to the denial of special status to the state by the Centre with the Telugu Desam Party keeping off from YSR Congress MPs' hunger strike.

YSRCP is in opposition in Andhra Pradesh.

"Late Rajashekar Reddy used to tell us that only a united AP would have a stronger voice as it would have more of people's representatives, a smaller state does not bring the requisite pressure. But the bifurcation was done so quickly and the promises made to the residual AP is yet to be fulfilled," she said.

It is sad, she said, that today even 25 MPs of Andhra Pradesh are not able to unite for the cause.

"I request everyone, including Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, to advise his MPs to join the hunger strike," she said.

Meanwhile, of the five YSRP MPs sitting on the hunger strike, Tirupati MP Varaprasad Rao had to be rushed to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital today following complaints of uneasiness.

Rao is the second MP who required medical attention a day after his colleague Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy, 73 had to be taken to RML Hospital yesterday on complaints of uneasiness.

During her interaction with her party MPs, Vijayamma reiterated her party's stand on alliance and said, "Jagan had said he would align with any party that gives special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Whether it is Congress, BJP or the third front, he is ready to go to any extent to get the status."

CPM general secretary Sitaram Yechury had on Saturday offered support to the protesting YSRCP MPs, who began the hunger strike on 6 April after submitting their resignations to the Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.
Asheeta Regidi

Editor's Note: This is a two-part series which will be taking stock of all the important arguments that have taken place so far in the Aadhaar Supreme Court hearings. Part 1 focusses on Days 1 to 15 and Part 2 (the concluding part) will focus on Days 15 to 25 of the hearings. To read our complete coverage of the Aadhaar Supreme Court hearings, head over the list of stories at the end of the article.

After Part I which dealt with the contentions from Days 1 to 15, Part II lists the contentions made by the petitioners from Days 15 to 19, and those of the State from Days 20 to 25. This includes arguments by senior counsels P Chidambaram, KV Viswanath, Anand Grover and others. Attorney General KK Venugopal is currently arguing for the State.

On Days 15 and 16, senior counsel P Chidambaram argued extensively on Aadhaar as a money bill.

14. Aadhaar as a money bill: A money bill, under the Constitution, can deal only with six listed issues, such as imposing taxes, governmental borrowing of money, or withdrawing money from the Consolidated Fund of India. The term only, it was argued, must be interpreted strictly to classify a given bill as a money bill. Any bill incorrectly passed as a Money Bill strikes at the very root of one of the basic features of the Constitution, ie federalism. A money bill, in order to be one, cannot have any provision beyond the six listed provisions.

15. Interim orders of the Supreme Court on deadlines: A significant development on Day 16, was the passing of interim orders by the Supreme Court, extending the deadlines for Aadhaar based linkages until the disposal of the case. An exception was drawn for the deadlines for the Section 7 benefits, though the government has since extended the deadline for the Section 7 benefits as well.

From Days 16 to 18, senior counsel KV Viswanath argued against the de-facto compulsion under the Aadhaar Act.

16. De-facto mandatory Aadhaar and indirect coercion: KV Viswanath argued that though Aadhaar was framed as a voluntary scheme, it had in fact been made mandatory through the various notifications. As a result, people are being forced to enrol in Aadhaar and part with their identity information in order to obtain their statutory entitlements. Terming this as indirect coercion, it was argued that this led to a barter of constitutional rights. Further, refusing entitlements to those who chose not to enrol leads to a violation of the right to equality.

17. Limits on powers to issue compulsions under the law: The state, it was argued, has limited powers to introduce compulsions under the law: as punishment for breaking the law, to aid law enforcement and to prevent potential law-breaking. The compulsions issued via Aadhaar were neither proportionate nor reasonable.

On Days 18 to 19, the remaining petitioners, represented by senior counsels Anand Grover, Meenakshi Arora and others concluded the case for the petitioners.

18. Aadhaar project goes beyond the objectives of the Aadhaar Act: Senior counsel Anand Grover took the stand that the entire Aadhaar project was being operated as a vehicle of the state for myriad objectives, and goes beyond the stated objectives of the Aadhaar Act. There were several activities that were unregulated by the Act, such as the establishment of KYR+ (Know your resident) and illegal sharing of data with State Resident Data Hubs (SRDHs). Further, there was no evidence of destruction of data with the SRDHs, as suggested by the State. The complete violation of interim orders of the Supreme Court was also pointed to.

19. NRIs, children, and number of the beast Aadhaar: The effect on specific sections of society was raised, including on the rights of a child, such as making the right to education subject to Aadhaar, and the issues of transgender persons and NRIs. Objections were also raised to Aadhaar enrolment by conscientious objectors, based on the belief of certain Christians that Aadhaar was similar to the prophetic beast in the Book of Revelations.

20. Lack of remedies, excessive delegation, and Aadhaar cancellation powers: Other issues raised include the lack of remedies to people under the Aadhaar Act was raised as a challenge to its constitutionality. An excessive delegation of rule-making power to the UIDAI was also raised. Also, the power of the UIDAI to deactivate or cancel an Aadhaar number at its discretion was raised. In view of this, authentication failure being seen as impersonation and the issue of the onus being on the people to update their biometrics from time to time under the Aadhaar regulations was pointed to.

On Day 20, the State commenced its arguments. On Days 20 to 21, Attorney General KK Venugopal argued that the right to privacy must give way to the right to life.

21. Tremendous effort and Rs 9,000 crore investment in Aadhaar: The Attorney General argued that a tremendous effort had gone into setting up Aadhaar, and several alternatives including smart cards had been taken into consideration. For instance, it was pointed out that smart cards had been rejected in favour of the advantages of de-duplication processes in a centralised system. The World Banks Support to Aadhaar was also cited. Aadhaar, it was argued, was designed to ensure the least possible violation of privacy. It was further stated that an investment of Rs 9,000 crores had been made in the Aadhaar system. The cost of Aadhaar itself, however, was less than $1.

22. Official identification is a basic human right: Official identification, it was argued, could help reduce poverty, by helping achieve economic development, participation in the electoral process, as well as provision of governmental benefits. It was thus more than a convenience, but a fundamental human right. The right to privacy, it was argued, must give way to distributive justice. The Supreme Court, however, stated that political guarantees were meant to advance economic and social rights, and not instead be foregone for their sake.

On Days 22 to 23, the CEO of UIDAI, Ajay Bhushan Pandey, made his PowerPoint presentation, to establish that Aadhaar was a secure, well-thought-out system.

23. Minimal data collection and high-security standards: Through the PowerPoint presentation, it was sought to establish that Aadhaar was a well thought-out, secure system, which adopts privacy by design. The entire Aadhaar process from enrolment to authentication to updation was discussed in detail to prove these factors. The high quality and security standards applicable to enrolment agencies, Aadhaar certified biometric devices, data centres, etc. were discussed. Foreign companies, it was stated, did not have access to any data, and authentication data in silos cannot be merged. The Virtual ID system as an additional measure was also discussed. Lastly, 20 questions put forth by the petitioners were also answered.

On Days 24 to 25, Attorney General KK Venugopal then resumed his arguments, seeking to prove that Aadhaar is a just, fair, and a reasonable law.

24. Aadhaar meets legitimate interests and proportionality requirements: It was argued that in todays digital era, Aadhaar was the best way to prevent money laundering and the dissipation of benefits. Several American judgments were cited, which had found the collection of fingerprints to be a minor inconvenience, minimally intrusive and not a fundamental decision. Fingerprinting, further, carries no presumption of criminality. American judgments were also cited which had held that wide latitude should be given to the State when implementing social welfare schemes.

25. A Court cannot second-guess the intentions of the executive: Arguing on the balance of powers between the organs of the state, it was asserted that the Court cannot second guess the intentions of the executive. Further, American judgments were cited to argue that the constitutionality of Aadhaar should be judged based on what it is, and not based on hypothetically what it could be. Further, it was argued that there was a need to balance competing interests, of the right to privacy and the right to life.

Arguments of the state will continue from 1o April.

You can read our coverage of the Aadhaar Supreme Court hearings below.

Why SC needs to look into technical evidence of Aadhaars surveillance capabilities

Lack of governmental ownership of CIDRs source code can have serious consequences

Will State give citizens rights only if they agree to be tracked forever, asks lawyer Shyam Divan

Coalition for Aadhaar: A collective of private companies wants to ensure that Aadhaar ID and related services continue to be offered

Petitioners argue on centralisation of data and challenge Aadhaars claims on savings

Petitioners argue for a voluntary ID card system that does not collect user data

Petitioners argue that receipt of govt benefits cannot be at the cost of compromising fundamental rights

Aadhaar is architecturally unconstitutional, argue the petitioners

Petitioners argue that Aadhaar violates dignity by objectifying and depersonalizing an individual

Petitioners seek compensation for starvation deaths and extension of March 31st deadline

Section 7 exception in Supreme Courts interim order greatly affects peoples constitutional rights

Entire Aadhaar project is beyond the stated objectives of Aadhaar Act, argue petitioners

Petitioners conclude their arguments on 'the number of the beast' Aadhaar, highlighting various issues

Aadhaar hearing: Political liberties cannot be foregone for economic and social justice, states the Bench

Aadhaar hearing: UIDAIs presentation discusses Aadhaar enrolment, updation and authentication processes in detail

Aadhaar hearing: Supreme Court expresses concerns with data breaches, Aadhaar security and profiling

Aadhaar hearing: Petitioners question UIDAI on verification of residency requirement, de-duplication rejections and authentication failures

Aadhaar hearing: Attorney General argues that pervasive collection of fingerprints meets proportionality requirements

Aadhaar hearing: Bench criticises the argument that Aadhaar can prevent bank frauds and terrorists from acquiring mobile numbers

The author is a lawyer and author specialising in technology laws. She is also a certified information privacy professional.
IANS

Kerala startup Genrobotics will unveil five more 'Bandicoot' robots for cleaning sewer holes, including for pilot projects in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The step comes after its Kerala model got a huge response when it eliminated the age-old practice of manual scavenging.

Genrobotics launched the robot in Thiruvananthapuram on an experimental basis in March.

The startup was among the participants of the two-day Huddle Kerala conclave, which concluded here 7 March as their stall at the expo drew much attention.

The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) have signed a MoU for the transfer of technology and products, including the use of robots for cleaning up sewers.

They told the media they have received an invitation to present Bandicoot in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

Of the five new robots, one each will be used in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka for pilot projects, two will go to KWA, and one will be used by the Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL).

The Bandicoot has four limbs and a bucket system attached to a spider web-like extension, which can go inside the manhole.

The waste at the bottom of the manhole is shovelled into the bucket system and lifted out. The robot has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules.

Apart from the state-owned Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC), Genrobotics is getting funds from venture capitalist Unicorn India Ventures for the production of the robots.

Founded in 2015, by four young engineering graduates, Genrobotics specialises in powered exoskeletons and human-controlled robotic systems and at the two-day event, they said they have got a good number of enquiries from the UAE.
Amid global fears of an escalating trade dispute between the US and China, President Donald Trump suggested that Beijing will ease trade barriers 'because it is the right thing to do' and that the economic superpowers can settle the conflict that has rattled financial markets, consumers and businesses.

Washington: Amid global fears of an escalating trade dispute between the US and China, President Donald Trump suggested that Beijing will ease trade barriers "because it is the right thing to do" and that the economic superpowers can settle the conflict that has rattled financial markets, consumers and businesses.

But fostering more uncertainty, the president's top economic advisers offered mixed messages Sunday as to the best approach with China, which has threatened to retaliate if Washington follows through with its proposed tariffs, even as Trump emphasised his bond with Chinese president Xi Jinping.

"President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade," Trump wrote. "China will take down its trade barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!"

But Trump did not explain why, amid a week of economic sabre-rattling between the two countries that shook global markets, he felt confident a deal could be made.

The president made fixing the trade imbalance with China a centrepiece of his presidential campaign, where he frequently used incendiary language to describe how Beijing would "rape" the US economically. But even as Trump cosied up to Xi and pressed China for help with derailing North Korea's nuclear ambitions, he has ratcheted up the economic pressure and threatened tariffs, a move opposed by many fellow Republicans.

The Trump administration has said it is taking action as a crackdown on China's theft of US intellectual property. The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. The US sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.

China has pledged to "counterattack with great strength" if Trump decides to follow through on his latest threat to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods  after an earlier announcement that targeted $50 billion. Beijing also declared that the current rhetoric made negotiations impossible, even as the White House suggested that the tariff talk was a way to spur China to the bargaining table.

The new White House economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said Sunday that a "coalition of the willing"including Canada, much of Europe and Australiawas being formed to pressure China and that the US would demand that the World Trade Organization, an arbiter of trade disputes, be stricter on Beijing. And he said that although the US hoped to avoid taking action, Trump "was not bluffing."

"This is a problem caused by China, not a problem caused by President Trump," Kudlow said on "Fox News Sunday."

But he also downplayed the tariff threat as "part of the process," suggested on CNN that the impact would be "benign" and said he was hopeful that China would enter negotiations. Kudlow, who started his job a week ago after his predecessor, Gary Cohn, quit over the tariff plan, brushed aside the possibility of economic repercussions.

"I don't think there's any trade war in sight," Kudlow told Fox.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on CBS' "Face the Nation" that he didn't expect the tariffs to have a "meaningful impact on the economy" even as he left the door open for disruption. He allowed that there "could be" a trade war but said he didn't anticipate one.

Another top White House economic adviser, Peter Navarro, took a tougher tack, declaring that China's behavior was "a wakeup call to Americans."

"They are in competition with us over economic prosperity and national defense," Navarro said on NBC's "Meet the Press." ''Every day of the week China comes into our homes, our business and our government agencies. ... This country is losing its strength even as China has grown its economy."

Trump's latest proposal intensified what was already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle in more than a half-century.

Trump told advisers last week that he was unhappy with China's decision to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a US move to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods. Rather than waiting weeks for the US tariffs to be implemented, Trump backed a plan by Robert Lighthizer, his trade representative, to seek the enhanced tariffs.

The rising economic tensions pose a test to what has become Trump's frequent dual-track foreign policy strategy: to establish close personal ties with another head of state even as his administration takes a harder line. The president has long talked up his friendship with Xi, whom he has praised for consolidating power in China despite its limits on democratic reforms.

Further escalation could be in the offing. The US Treasury Department is working on plans to restrict Chinese technology investments in the US And there is talk that the US could also put limits on visas for Chinese who want to visit or study in this country.

For Trump, the dispute runs the risk of blunting the economic benefits of his tax overhaul, which is at the centre of congressional Republicans' case for voters to keep them in power in the 2018 elections. China's retaliation so far has targeted Midwest farmers, many of whom were bedrock Trump supporters.
A raging fire that tore through a 50th floor apartment at Trump Tower killed a man inside and sent flames and thick, black smoke pouring from windows of the president's namesake skyscraper.

New York: A raging fire that tore through a 50th floor apartment at Trump Tower killed a man inside and sent flames of thick, black smoke pouring from windows of the president's namesake skyscraper.

New York Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the cause of Saturday's blaze is not yet known but the apartment was "virtually entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived after 5:30 pm.

"It was a very difficult fire, as you can imagine," Nigro told reporters outside the building in midtown Manhattan. "The apartment is quite large."

Todd Brassner (67) who was in the apartment, was taken to a hospital and died a short time later, the New York Police Department said. Property records obtained by The Associated Press indicate Brassner was an art dealer who had purchased his 50th floor unit in 1996.

Officials said four firefighters also suffered minor injuries. An investigation is ongoing.

Shortly after news of the fire broke, Trump, who was in Washington, tweeted: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2018

Asked if that assessment was accurate, Nigro said, "It's a well-built building. The upper floors, the residence floors, are not sprinklered."

Fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed in 1983. Subsequent updates to the building code required commercial skyscrapers to install the sprinklers retroactively, but owners of older residential high-rises are not required to install sprinklers unless the building undergoes major renovations.

Some fire-safety advocates pushed for a requirement that older apartment buildings be retrofitted with sprinklers when New York City passed a law requiring them in new residential highrises in 1999, but officials in the administration of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani said that would be too expensive.

Nigro noted that no member of the Trump family was in the 664-foot tower Saturday.

Trump's family has an apartment on the top floors of the 58 storey building, but he has spent little time in New York since taking office. The headquarters of the Trump Organisation is on the 26th floor.

Nigro said firefighters and Secret Service members checked on the condition of Trump's apartment. About 200 firefighters and emergency medical service workers responded to the fire, he said.

Some residents said they didn't get any notification from building management to evacuate.

Lalitha Masson, a 76-year-old resident, called it "a very, very terrifying experience."

Masson told The New York Times that she did not receive any announcement about leaving, and that when she called the front desk no one answered.

"When I saw the television, I thought we were finished," said Masson, who lives on the 36th floor with her husband, Narinder, who is 79 and has Parkinson's disease.

She said she started praying because she felt it was the end.

"I called my oldest son and said goodbye to him because the way it looked everything was falling out of the window, and it reminded me of 9/11," Masson said.
Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday there were 'no innocent people' in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after 10 days of protests and clashes left 30 Palestinians dead

Jerusalem: Israeli defence minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Sunday there were "no innocent people" in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after 10 days of protests and clashes left 30 Palestinians dead.

"There are no innocent people in the Gaza Strip," Lieberman told Israel's public radio.

"Everyone's connected to Hamas, everyone gets a salary from Hamas, and all the activists trying to challenge us and breach the border are Hamas military wing activists."

Israel has faced mounting questions over its use of live fire after 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border in which its forces have killed 30 Palestinians, according to Gazas health ministry.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

On 30 March, Israeli forces killed 19 Palestinians as a protest by tens of thousands led to clashes.

There have been no reported Israeli casualties.

Israel says it has only opened fire when necessary to stop damage to the border fence, infiltrations and attempted attacks.

It alleges Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the Gaza Strip and with whom it has fought three wars since 2008, is seeking to use the protests as cover to carry out violence.

But rights groups have harshly criticised Israeli soldiers actions, and Palestinians say protesters are being shot while posing no threat to troops.

The European Union and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres have called for an independent investigation, which Israel has rejected.

On Saturday, the European Union raised questions over whether Israeli troops engaged in "proportionate use of force".
Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to take action against fugitives and the irreconcilable militants under a bilateral agreement for regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.

Islamabad: Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to take action against fugitives and the irreconcilable militants under a bilateral agreement for regional peace and security, the Foreign Office said on Sunday.

In a statement, it said that the two sides have agreed to "operationalise the working groups under Afghanistan-Pakistan Action Plan for Peace and Solidarity (APAPPS)" during Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi's visit to Kabul on 6 April.

It said that Pakistan was committed to "support the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace and reconciliation." "The two countries to undertake effective actions against fugitives and the irreconcilable elements posing security threats to either of the two countries," it further said.

"Both countries commit to deny use of their respective territories by any country, network, group or individuals for anti-state activities against either country," according to APAPPS. They agreed to put in place a joint supervision, coordination and confirmation mechanism through Liaison Officers for the realisation of the agreed actions. The two countries vowed to avoid territorial and aerial violations of each other's territory.

The two countries also agreed to avoid public blame game and instead use APAPPS cooperation mechanisms to respond to mutual issues of contention and concerns. They would establish Working Groups and necessary cooperation mechanism as per APAPPS for full its implementation and the above mutually reinforcing principles.

The APAPPS was agreed in February and the officials of the two countries held several high-level meetings before it was decided to operationalise the agreement.
Russia dismissed reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syrias Douma, Interfax news service reported on Sunday, citing Russias Ministry of Defence

Moscow: Russia dismissed reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syrias Douma, Interfax news service reported on Sunday, citing Russias Ministry of Defence.

At least 49 people have been reported killed in the attack on the rebel-held enclave of Douma on Saturday evening.

We decidedly refute this information, Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation centre in Syria, was cited as saying.

We hereby announce that we are ready to send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect information, as soon as Douma is freed from militants. This will confirm the trumped-up nature of these statements, Yevtushenko is quoted as saying.

Damascus has denied mounting any such attack and has blamed rebels for spreading false news.
The Russian embassy in London has sent a request for a meeting of its envoy with British foreign minister Boris Johnson to discuss the case of an ex-Russian spy.

Moscow: The Russian embassy in London has sent a request for a meeting of its envoy with British foreign minister Boris Johnson to discuss the case of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter poisoned in Salisbury, the RIA news agency reported on Saturday.

"We hope for a constructive response from the British side and are counting on such a meeting in the very nearest future," the agency cited a spokesman for the Russian embassy as saying.

The Foreign Office confirmed it had received the request for ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to meet Johnson, but called the request a diversionary tactic.

"We will be responding in due course," it said in a statement.

Relations between Russia and Britain have plunged to their lowest for decades since former Russian spy Sergei Skripal (66) and his daughter Yulia (33) were found slumped unconscious on a bench in Salisbury last month.

Both were found to be suffering from the effects of a nerve agent but are now recovering in hospital.

Britain blamed Russia for the poisoning and asked it to explain what happened but Russia denies any involvement and has suggested Britain itself carried out the attack to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.

Both have subsequently accused each other of trying to deceive the world with an array of claims, counter-claims and threats.

At a session of the executive of the global chemical weapons watchdog earlier this week, Russia called for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of the Skripals but lost a vote on the motion.

The two then swapped insults at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday where Russia warned Britain it was "playing with fire" by accusing Moscow.

Saturday's Foreign Office statement said: "It's over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Skripal and his daughter.

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic."
The US and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un, according to administration officials.

Washington: The US and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between American president Donald Trump and Pyongyang's leader Kim Jong-un, according to administration officials.

Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the CIA have been working through intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit scheduled to be held in May, the officials told CNN late Saturday.

American and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks.

Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim to meet Trump, which was conveyed in March by a South Korean envoy, several officials have said that North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed that its leader was willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula.

According to the officials, the North Koreans are pushing to hold the meeting in Pyongyang, although it was unclear whether the White House would be willing. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has also been raised as a possible location, the officials told CNN.

The talks were laying the groundwork for a meeting between Pompeo and his North Korea counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, in advance of the leaders' summit. Once a location is agreed upon the officials said that the date will be set and the agenda discussed in greater detail. Last week, Trump told associates that he was looking forward to the summit, which he agreed to on the spot when presented the invitation from Kim.

In March, a New York Times report said that the CIA was taking the lead in preparing for the Trump-Kim summit.

State Department officials  Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton and deputy special representative for North Korean policy Mark Lambert  continue to communicate with the North Koreans though their mission to the UN, discussions which are referred to as the "New York channel".
Anyone saving for retirement has probably had to decide between saving in a Roth account versus a traditional retirement account.

The biggest reason people recommend saving in a Roth account is if you think you'll have a higher income in retirement than you do now. But if you're already saving for retirement, and you intend to maintain the same quality of living, your retirement income shouldn't exceed your current income.

Moreover, comparing your current income to your potential retirement income isn't exactly the right comparison. Instead, you need to compare the tax rate you'll pay on a Roth contribution today versus the tax rate on traditional retirement account withdrawals in retirement. It's very often the case that you'll pay a lower overall tax rate on withdrawals from a traditional account than you'll pay on Roth contributions today even if you have a higher income in retirement.

Marginal tax rates versus effective tax rates

Before you can understand why it likely makes more sense to use a traditional retirement account versus a Roth account, you must first understand the difference between marginal tax rates and effective tax rates.

Marginal tax rate: the tax rate on your next dollar of income. People that say they're in the 22% income tax bracket are describing their marginal tax rate.

the tax rate on your next dollar of income. People that say they're in the 22% income tax bracket are describing their marginal tax rate. Effective tax rate: your total tax bill as a percentage of your income. This number is always lower than the marginal tax rate due to the progressive nature of the U.S. tax system.

Jason Hall did an excellent write up on marginal and effective tax rates that goes into more depth.

For every dollar you contribute to a traditional retirement account, you're reducing your taxable income and saving on taxes at your marginal tax rate. The corollary is that each dollar saved in a Roth account is effectively taxed at your marginal tax rate because you could've saved it in a traditional account.

That's very important to understand, so you might want to reread that last paragraph.

You'd have to spend a lot more in retirement for Roth to make sense

A single person making $60,000 per year is in the 22% tax bracket after taking the $12,000 standard deduction. In order to reach a 22% effective tax rate on a traditional IRA withdrawal, he'd have to have an income of $195,105 in retirement, assuming the same tax code as today.

The math works a little bit better for someone in the 12% tax bracket. Someone making $50,700 per year is right at the top of the 12% bracket after taking the standard deduction. Still, they'd have to withdraw $52,605 from a traditional IRA in retirement for the math to work out in favor of a Roth IRA. That's a 16.4% increase in spending during retirement after factoring out the $5,500 saved in a Roth account during working years.

So, it really depends on how much you spend in retirement. I'm a firm believer of living the life you want as long as you can save for your future at the same time. I don't expect my retirement expenses to increase over my current living expenses. As some expenses like healthcare increase, my housing cost will effectively decrease due to inflation and eventually move a lot closer to $0 after paying off my mortgage.

Assuming you maintain the same standard of living in retirement, your taxes will be lower if you choose a traditional retirement account over a Roth account, all else being equal.

Don't tilt the math in favor of Roths

Many Roth proponents also like to point out that you can effectively save more in a Roth account than a traditional account, since you're saving the taxes too. And that's technically true, but what if you just saved your tax savings from using a traditional retirement account in a taxable account?

The U.S. government really wants people to invest, so it has very favorable long-term capital gains tax rates. There's even a very generous 0% tax bracket for long-term capital gains. As long as your total taxable income is below $38,700 if you're single or $77,400 if you're married, you pay no taxes on long-term capital gains. It's very likely the taxes on your capital gains in retirement will be lower than the taxes on Roth contributions during your working years.

When to use Roths

While I think most people will be better off saving in traditional retirement accounts, there are always exceptions.

If you already have a marginal tax rate of 0%, then you should definitely save money in a Roth account. This actually happened to me recently, when I had a year of relatively low income, saved enough in my traditional 401(k), and had other deductions and credits that resulted in a $0 tax bill. If you have a lot of kids, for example, and you get a lot of tax credits for them, a Roth could work out better for your situation.

At the 10% marginal tax rate, it's a very close call and the tax benefits for traditional contributions are practically nothing for most people. It might make sense to lock in the 10% rate as a hedge against potential tax increases in the future.

If you don't qualify for a traditional IRA deduction, you should put your money in a Roth account. The IRS phases out the IRA deduction as your income increases. The government also prevents you from contributing directly to a Roth IRA if your income gets too high. You can still, however, execute the backdoor Roth with after-tax contributions to your IRA. If you can execute the megabackdoor Roth, you should definitely take advantage of the opportunity.

Saving in a Roth account is better than saving in a taxable account. You'll be able to buy and sell stocks without worrying about capital gains and you'll be able to withdraw the gains tax free regardless of your income in retirement.

Ultimately, every person's situation is different. This article aims to provide a framework for making the Roth versus Traditional decision: compare your marginal tax rate today versus your effective tax rate in retirement. It might require you to do some homework to figure out your financial situation, but it can save you thousands of dollars in taxes over the long run.

For me, it usually makes sense to max out my pre-tax retirement accounts before looking at Roth contributions.
Newer F550 and programming mod

I have an '03 F550 that I use to tow my personal heavy equipment. The largest of which is a JD 650 dozer @ 20-21Klbs along with the trailer that weights ~6,500 lbs, this totals to ~27Klbs I'm towing.



I've thought about upgrading to a new F550 and was looking over the specs, noticed they are only at 750 ft lbs of torque versus what the consumer grade super duties are getting of 925 ft lbs. (at a lower RPM also). I guess I understand why they do this but as an owner/operator I'd like the higher levels of power. Also, I want a super cab so getting a 450 with box delete does not appear to be an option, this leave me with just the cab and chassis.



Will the aftermarket programmers work with no issues with the cab and chassis trucks? Or, do I need the whole program dumped in there.
Daniel Ricciardo is convinced Red Bull lost an opportunity for silverware in Bahrain with a retirement he described as 'the worst feeling  brutal'.

The Australian was tipped as a dark horse for Sunday's race, given Red Bull's extremely impressive long-run pace  and looked well positioned in fourth when disaster struck on just the second lap.

"I just lost all power, everything switched off without warning and I couldn't do anything," he said of his fourth retirement in the last six races.

"This sport can rip your heart out, it's brutal sometimes.

"Everyone in the team is so disappointed as we genuinely felt like we had a good car today. The weekend was going pretty good for us and I really believe our race car was even better.

"I know I only did one lap but I could already see Kimi sliding on the rear tyres. I really felt like we were going to be in with a good chance which makes it even more frustrating.

"Being out so early in a race is just the worst feeling; especially when it's a night race and you are up all day waiting for those two hours and after two minutes it's over. I get really fired up for Sundays so now I've got two hours of adrenaline stored up inside me and I don't know what to do with it."
Max Verstappen described as harsh the stewards verdict that his collision with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain was a racing incident.

The Dutchman divebombed Hamilton on the run down to Turn 1 on the second lap of the race  but with Hamilton attempting to stick it out on the outside, the pair eventually made contact exiting the corner, with Hamiltons wing clipping Verstappens rear tyre.

The touch was light, but enough to puncture Verstappens tyre  which then led to damage as the Red Bull man limped his way back to the pits, ultimately prompting Verstappens retirement from the race.

Due to the hit with Lewis we sustained some more severe damage than just the puncture, Verstappen explained.

From the start I was enjoying the feel of the car and finding the gaps and it was shaping up to be an exciting race. I had a good tow on the straight, the last corner was really good so it allowed me to stay close to Lewis.

We got a bit squeezed but from the middle to the end of the corner I was ahead, I then felt a nudge from behind and could feel the puncture and therefore knew the race was likely over.

In my opinion there was plenty of room for the both of us to go around that corner and to say no action taken is a bit harsh as I am now out of the race due to that contact on my left rear.

If it was the other way around Im sure he would want it looked into.

Hamilton though felt Verstappen had been too forceful with the move.

I have to re-watch it to be honest, because in the heat of the moment I only have one picture in my mind, the Briton said.

I tried to avoid we were battling, I was on the outside and we were relatively alongside each other, but I did back out, I realised I had to.

But he continued to come across and that didnt leave me any room and we ended up touching

Hamilton was able to continue and wound up third, completing a recovery from ninth on the grid. It was his 27th consecutive points finish  equalling Kimi Raikkonens all time record.
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Review date: April 7, 2018
GREENWICH  For their polished prose and poetry, 82 Greenwich middle and high school students were recently honored with Scholastic Writing Awards, the nations longest-running recognition program for young writers.

Some 14 Greenwich students won Gold Key Awards and will advance to the National Scholastic Writing Awards. In the Hudson to Housatonic region, which includes Greenwich, 168 Gold Keys were awarded.

Nine of the Gold Key recipients were Sacred Heart Greenwich middle schoolers. Sacred Heart Greenwich eighth graders Sophie Broll, Dylan Drury and Annie OConnor were recognized for their poetry, eighth graders Jessica Thompson and Camilla Truesdale for their memoirs and eighth grader India Harris and seventh grader Elsa Latrille for their short stories. Sacred Heart Greenwich eighth grader Catriona Marangi collected two Gold Keys, one for poetry and one for memoir.

In addition, Greenwich Academy sophomore Brooke Lange won a Gold Key for her poetry, junior Helene Leichter for her short story and senior Elizabeth Winkler for her personal essay/memoir. For his critical essay, Greenwich High School sophomore Alexander Kosyakov received a Gold Key. Greenwich Country Day School freshman William Schenck earned two Gold Keys, one for his personal essay/memoir and another for a short story.

Two of these students were among six writers to receive additional recognition from the Village Bookstore of Pleasantville, New York. Broll collected a poetry prize and Harris, a fiction prize.

Silver Key awards were given to 38 Greenwich students from Sacred Heart Greenwich, Greenwich Academy, Greenwich Country Day School, Greenwich High School and Western Middle School. Fifty students won honorable mentions from Greenwich High, Greenwich Academy, Brunswick School and Sacred Heart Greenwich.

Overall, Sacred Heart Greenwich posted more winners than any other Greenwich school and more than most schools in the region. The school had 64 students who were honored with 82 awards this year  its highest number of honorees ever. Last year, Sacred Heart Greenwich had the highest number of awarded works in the area, with 58 works from 42 students receiving recognition.

A panel of professional novelists, editors, teachers, poets, librarians, journalists and other literary professionals selected the winning writings from 2,009 works submitted this year. Former honorees include Truman Capote, Sylvia Plath and Joyce Carol Oates.

All award-winners, along with their guests and teachers, will be recognized at a ceremony at Manhattanville College, a sponsor of the competition, in Purchase, New York on March 4 from 2 to 4 p.m. Author Sarah Darer Littman, a Greenwich resident who writes books for teens and teaches creative writing in Western Connecticut State Universitys Master of Fine Arts program, will give a keynote speech at the event.
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Week 14 saw the Xiaomi Redmi 5 Pro being restored as the most popular device in our database. Last week it was denied the honor by the vivo v9, but that one lost some steam and is sitting in fourth now.

Second place goes to the Huawei P20, which keeps climbing, while a spirited fightback by the Asus Zenfone Max Plus let it complete the podium. Last week the modest Zenfone was only seventh and seemingly on its way down, but it clearly still has some fight in it.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 goes below last week's champion in fifth, while the Galaxy J7 Prime gained four places to capture sixth.

A couple of more Xiaomi handsets were on the rise in week fourteen - the Mi A1 and Mi Mix 2s take seventh and eight.

The Samsung Galaxy S9+ had to settle for ninth marking a second successive week of falling interest, while the Huawei Honor 9 Lite snatched the last available spot.

Oppo F7 and Huawei Mate RS Porsche Design were the two members of last weeks' elite to lose out this time.
By Panos Kotzathanasis | Published on 2018/04/07

The second collaboration between Lee Chang-dong as a scriptwriter and Park Kwang-soo as director was a very political film, which focused on Jeon Tae-il, a worker and workers' rights activist who committed suicide by burning himself to death at the age of 22, in protest of the poor working conditions in South Korean factories.

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The story revolves around his life and in a secondary axis, five years after his death, in 1975, when law school graduate Kim decides to write a book about Tae-il, in the midst of the worst period of President Park's regime, when political activism was punishable by death. In the present timeframe, Kim, who is also an activist, hides in a room rented by his girlfriend, while he spends most of his days visiting the places Tae-il have been, with the film changing arcs each time, to present the experiences of the deceased in the particular location. Through these flashbacks, Park depicts the awful working conditions in the factories in Seoul, where tuberculosis due to poor or non-existent ventilation, and the enforced injections of amphetamines to keep sleep-deprived workers awake for days in a row in order to work overtime without proper compensation, was the rule.

Tae-il, working as a tailor in one of these sweatshops is "enlightened" after reading a book about labor law and becomes an activist. After a number of efforts to alarm the authorities of the situation in the factories, he turns to the press, with the publication of his stories becoming one of the few successes he experienced until his suicide. In 1975, Kim also has to deal with the authorities, particularly through his girlfriend, who finds herself a victim to violence due to her activist actions.

Jeon Tae-il directs a very dramatic film, which combines fiction (Kim's arc) with the docudrama (Tae-il's arc) splendidly, with each axis actually strengthening the other. Tae-il's is definitely the one with the most impact, with the black and white cinematography by You Young-gil highlighting both the harsh conditions in the factories and the fact that this arc is taking place in the past. Lee Chang-dong's script on the second axis presents the story with thoroughness and distinct sympathy towards his subject, while Park's direction, along with Kim Yang-il's editing, make the most of the presentation of both axes.

All of the film's aesthetics find their apogee in the self-immolation scene, a truly shocking sequence that intensifies the film's impact even more.

Evidently, the movie takes the side of the activists, but the script does not fail to portray all aspects, even involving some ill practices of the far left, of which Lee Chang-dong had some experience, due to his family's background.

Moon Sung-geun gives a measured performance, highlighting his character's struggles as he deals with an issue that could even have him killed. The one who steals the show though, is Hong Kyung-in as Tae-il who presents his character's metamorphosis from a timid "victim" to a resolved activist and again to a victim of his own despair, in outstanding fashion.

"A Single Spark" is a great film that manages to present a combination of artistry and meaningfulness through a very important episode in the history of the Korean labor movement, in New Wave style.

Review by Panos Kotzathanasis

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"A Single Spark" is directed by Park Kwang-soo and features Moon Sung-geun, Hong Kyung-in, Kim Seon-jae and Yoo Soon-cheol.
Korean Drama | 2010

 Drama

Directed by  Jeong Dae-yoon ()  Kim Nam-won ()

Written by Park Ji-eun ()

TV Channel/Plateform: MBC (MBC)

Airing dates: 2010/10/18~2011/02/01

31 episodes - Mon, Tue 21:55

Synopsis

A romantic comedy that revolves around the life of a thrifty housewife who overcomes the setbacks in her life. She once believed that marrying a man she loved would bring all the happiness she could ever want in life. However, after facing a string of obstacles just to marry her boyfriend, she finds that married life is not a bowl of cherries. Nothing in life turns out the way she imagined it would. All she wanted was a steady paycheck, a reasonable mortgage that she and her husband could afford, happy children, and a devoted husband. But life has a way of throwing curve balls at you and so it goes. Unexpected events in her life push her and her family to the brink. But after hitting the pits, she rises to emerge stronger than ever.



Starring



Hwang Tae-hee (Actress Kim Nam-joo, Ages: 32 and 37) - Team leader / Housewife

She gave up her career for love! But she decides that she must succeed in the corporate world in order to protect her family

With her natural intelligence, she found it easy to navigate through life and avoid pitfalls. She easily gets a coveted job at big firm and earns a big salary!

However, her longtime nemesis Baek Yeo-jin who went to the same high school and college as her and even got hired at the company where she works, is a constant nuisance who pokes her nose into her business! One day she finds out that her very own husband is seeing Baek Yeo-jin behind her back.



Bong Joon-soo (Actor Jeong Joon-ho, Ages: 30 and 35) - Office worker

A man who wanted to be rescued by a woman and live a cushy life! He chose the wrong queen!

He is a highly sought bachelor who grew up comfortably and was doted upon by his parents. His good looks make him popular with the girls!

He falls in love with Yeo-jin at first sight and professes his undying devotion to her. But she turns him down when he asks her out and this leads him to marry Tae-hee, whom he is aware is an enemy of Yeo-jin.

At first, he thought Tae-hee would make the perfect wife and their marriage would be great but five years into their marriage, he deeply regrets marrying her.



Baek Yeo-jin (Actress Chae Jeong-an, Ages: 32 and 37) - Junior manager / Team Leader

People who know her call her a fox, and shes quite clever and cunning to boot. Her mother was a mistress of a wealthy man and she was the lovechild born from that relationship. She never met her father and doesnt even know his name. This instills her with deep inferiority issues, making her extremely competitive in whatever she does. Yet, she could never beat Tae-hee in school exams.

So she got revenge by always stealing any guys that Tae-hee dated, and yet that still was not enough to quell her animosity towards Tae-hee.

She even applied for a job at the company where Tae-hee was working to make her life miserable. Joon-soo turns out to be a special friend who is utterly devoted to her.



Koo Yong-shik (Actor Park Si-hoo, 33) - Son of the chairman / Vice President of Restructuring Division

Conceited and arrogant son of the chairman! He arrived at the company to cut jobs but finds himself the self-anointed leader of a bunch of losers!

Growing up as the son of a successful businessman, he spends years going back and forth from American schools to Korean schools since he was a young kid. Finding it hard to adapt to life in America, he returns to Korea at last. But he has identity issues as he is neither a white American nor is he completely Korean in terms of his cultural tendencies. He develops a renegade attitude and creates problems due to his rebellious behavior.

He has a habit of telling flat jokes to defuse awkward situations but those attempts only draw Tae-hees ire.

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By Vasia Orion | Published on 2018/04/07

I have the best dressed news for you today, as our theme is all about justice in fancy outfits. "Lawless Lawyer" has introduced its two leads and their violent ways in expensive fashion, while "Suits" takes its title very seriously, and very literally, with its promotional goodies. In a twist surprising even to me, "Mistress" has just popped up on my interest radar.

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Fist-delivered Justice

The punch-happy lawyer of "Lawless Lawyer" has finally made his appearance, as this past week has delivered the first promotional goods from the drama after its script reading stills. We have cool shots of hero Lee Joon-gi in character, but I am highly entertained by the fact that Seo Ye-ji's is not far behind on the heavy-handed justice department. Add to that the first appearance by the drama's villains in today's brand new first teaser, and we are all set for some sleek action from the long, and painful arm of the law.

Man-beauty and Deadly Intrigue

We are not escaping remakes yet, but if they bring Jang Dong-gun back to Dramaland and woman-centric content to OCN, I can live with these two. "Suits" has released teasers of its two leads, Jang Dong-gun's character, as well as Park Hyung-sik's. I do not have enough interest in this for now, but the magic word combination of "mystery thriller", along with some stunning posters, draw me to "Mistress". I might have a look at both. For the honor.

Upcoming Drama Goodies

"The Undateables" has cast actor Lee Moon-sik as the heroine's father, while Jung Young-joo has also joined the drama. Song Jae-rim has confirmed his appearance in "Secret Mother", while Kim Young-pil takes on a detective role in "Life on Mars". Hyun Bin has joined "Memories of the Alhambra", and "Partners for Justice" confirmed its two leads. The series has released script reading photos, and so has fantasy romance "About Time". In other news, we have new teasers for "Mr. Sunshine".

Followed Dramas

While my disappointment with "Queen of Mystery 2" has taken its toll, "My Mister" is keeping me enthralled, and the throwback style of "My Husband Oh Jak-doo" provides some quality time with the Ori-mama. Covering drama happenings daily means that my future is flooding with shows I want to check out, which is giving me freedom-panic. Are you finding this year's announcements as tempting as I am so far? Cruel cruel Dramaland.

Written by: Orion from 'Orion's Ramblings'
By Lily Lee | Published on 2018/04/07 | Source

This week's star highlight is quite special. Exploring the great actor Lee Soon-jae's life and career means exploring the history of K-drama. He is the great actor that every celebrity in Korea looks up to and about whom no one would hesitate even for a second to say that he is indeed the greatest actor in Korea.

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Let's start off with a quote he left in the variety show "Grandpas Over Flower", as he said, "If I just say that I'm old and want to receive special treatment by sitting in my seat and be a pretentious adult, I will really become old and weak. However, if I say I can do it yet, then anything's possible".

This remark inspired so many viewers as some of the elderly in Korea tend to use age as their greatest excuse. In this particular situation, he was traveling to Spain with his fellow grandpa co-stars in the show, Shin Goo, Park Geun-hyung, and Baek Il-sub. Normally junior actor Lee Seo-jin accompanies the grandpas in traveling, but due to the schedule conflict, they had to travel without Lee Seo-jin for a day. When Lee Soon-jae heard about this news, instead of sleeping during the flight, he studied Spanish and successfully led everyone to the hotel all by himself.

If you are familiar with Korea's geography, you might've noticed that he was born in North Hamgyong province, which is in North Korea. Since he is born in 1934, he actually experienced Korea when it was under Japanese rule. He moved down to Seoul area when he was 5-years-old with his grandparents and after the liberation of SouthKorea, his parents joined them. Lee Soon-jae experienced extreme poverty in his childhood. He shared in an interview once that he had to help his grandpa in selling soap on the street in 6th grade and his teacher did not tell him to pay his tuition in middle school once he visited Lee Soon-jae's home.

Lee Soon-jae graduated from the most prestigious school in Korea, Seoul University. He originally applied for political science, but was declined, so he changed his major to philosophy. Later on, he joined the student acting club, which led him onto the path of becoming an actor.

Lee Soon-jae is the second oldest active celebrity in Korean showbiz after the comedian and TV presenter Song Hae, which makes Lee Soon-jae the oldest actor. Though he is the oldest actor in Korea, his tone and pronunciation is better than most of the young actors. In Korean, it is hard to differentiate the letter  (oae) and  (oi) as both letters makes the sound 'weh'. 99 people out of 100 won't be able to tell the difference, and it's safe to assume that only Korean language professors and veteran news anchors are capable of it. However, actor Lee Soon-jae is capable of pronouncing and understanding the difference.

Many young viewers only thought of Lee Soon-jae as an old actor with good reputation until he starred in the sitcom "High Kick!" series. This is the legendary national sitcom of Korea and also a place where Lee Soon-jae received the legendary nickname: Porn Soon-jae. I'm going to say that one more time: PORN SOON-JAE. What a great nickname! In one of the episode of "High Kick!", he comes across a pornographic video on his son's computer and very much enjoys the show. Soon, he becomes almost addicted to the porn and start watching it every chance he gets when his family is out of the house.

His facial expression became one of the most popular meme among the younger netizens. Though this character was the most absurd one out of all the roles Lee Soon-jae played, he portrayed it into perfection.

In one of the interview he had, he said the best thing to do for someone to become a great actor is to memorize, quit drinking, and continuously study. He emphasizes on the drinking part as he said many actors who enjoyed drinking every night retired long ago.

He also dubbed the grandpa Carl Fredricksen in the Pixar animation, "Up" when the movie came to Korea and received high praises for his voice acting skills. Many times, the animation industry is sensitive towards the TV actors and actresses dubbing a movie because voice acting requires a different skillset and many times these arrangements happen due to the actors and actresses' fame. However, Lee Soon-jae's voice acting still stands as one of the finest dubbing in history.

Lee Soon-jae shared that his most treasured junior actors and actresses are Lee Byung-hun, Kim Myung-min, Lee Seung-gi, and Ha Ji-won. He is especially fond of actor Kim Myung-min, which makes sense when you think of his endless effort and passion for acting. He shared this in the variety show "Grandpas Over Flower" and Lee Seo-jin says, "W..What about me, sir?" which made everyone laugh. Lee Soon-jae did not mention Lee Seo-jin, but everyone knows how much he loves Seo-jin as well.

There are so many reasons and stories of why the junior actors respect Lee Soon-jae so much, and one is that he is always waiting at the filming set. For someone as old and experienced as Lee Soon-jae, it is common for him to shoot his scenes first before anyone else, but he chooses to wait for many hours at the set so he doesn't inconvenience the staff and his fellow cast members.

Not many people know this, but he was a member of parliament in 1992. As expected from political science as his original choice of college major, he was politically involved in the 90's. He is of the Conservative party and gives speeches in campaigns from time to time. He supported the former president Park Geun-hye when she was running in 2012, but after all the misconduct and dishonorable actions she have committed, Lee Soon-jae openly criticized her on air.

Though he doesn't show it often in public, he sure is a hopeless romantic and the sweetest husband. It is famous that he wrote his now-wife Choi Hee-jung the handwritten letters for 6 months and won her heart. Even now, he writes her love letters time to time. In one of the letter revealed, you can tell how much he loves his wife. Though you can't see the entire letter, from the parts we see translates into: "I'm hungry for you. The feel of your skin when I touch you. I love you, please come back soon. Kiss me! I love you, passionate, from your Soon-jae". If this doesn't make your heart flutter, I don't know what will.

The great actor Lee Soon-jae is truly the national grandpa and it makes me sad whenever I think of him getting older and retiring from acting. However, like he said in the quote mentioned above, he will continue challenging himself and make everything into a possibility. So please, papa Soon-jae, stay with us as long as you can! Here's an adorable smile and big heart from our favorite K-drama grandpa! Go ahead and leave us a comment if there's something new you learned about him and any other facts you know!

By. Lily Lee
Published on 2018/04/07 | Source



"The Banker" is based on a popular Japanese drama about a bank auditor who battles institutional corruption and the production has its eyes on powerhouse actor, Kim Sang-joong. Whether or not it will follow the original or venture onto another path remains to be seen, but for now, Kim Sang-joong's love call along with the original drama is enough to make me interested.

-Yours, Lisa

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"The Banker" (2018)

Directed by Lee Jae-jin-II

With Kim Sang-joong,...

Synopsis

A re-make of the Japanese "The Banker Shuhei", it is the story of a bank auditor who pursues justice and the changing of policies in an era where the economic bubble is collapsing, and financial authorities are in battle over money and power.

Broadcast starting date in Korea : 2018/12
Published on 2018/04/07 | Source



Added the upcoming Korean movie "My Friend's Wife - 2018"'s page to HanCinema database

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"My Friend's Wife - 2018" (2018)

Directed by Choi Eun-jung

With Jin Si-ah, Jin Joo, James, Yoon Sang-doo,...

Synopsis

The person who can revive the man in me - my friend's wife. Shall we switch partners just once?

Min-ah and Jin-sung have been married 2 years, but Jin-sung can't get an erection no matter what Min-ah does. Min-ah's sexual appetite ibuilds until one day, Jin-sung gets a call from his friend Oh-hyun. His business failed and he was kicked out of the house so he needed a place to stay for a month. Oh-hyun came with his wife a few days later, but Jin-sung gets an erection as soon as he sees her. Min-ah suggests a shocking deal.

Release date in Korea : 2018/04/13


If 2018 has taught Utah County anything so far this year, its that weve had an eye turned for decades too long (though any amount is too long) to our family members, friends and neighbors whove been sexually assaulted or harassed.

Utah County, on all levels and factions, is going through a reckoning.

And its ugly.

We dont care what sparked this, whether it originates with the #MeToo movement or brave survivors are merely fed up with our society and local communitys former indifference to predators.

But, we are grateful for survivors that now feel buoyed with courage to report, and fight back.

April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. As part of that and ongoing efforts, many local organizations are working to better serve those who have been affected.

Pleasant Grove police announced the department is joining a global campaign to Start by Believing. Brigham Young University announced on Tuesday that it was changing the name of its victim advocate to sexual assault survivor advocate. The term victim is becoming far less accepted in the vernacular surrounding those who have been sexually assaulted, said Lisa Leavitt, BYUs sexual assault survivor advocate, in a released statement. Survivor is the term more commonly used. It is reassuring to see the university taking continued steps to improve reporting and support for students in order to change the culture it had perpetuated for decades.

We all need to seek to empower men and women who have been sexually assaulted.

Pleasant Grove police said that there have been 19 reported sex crimes in the city alone so far in 2018. There are at least 22 other cities and towns in Utah County; Pleasant Grove is only the fifth largest.

In 2016, according to the Utah Department of Health, 9.7 percent of Utah adults reported that someone had sex or attempted to have sex with them without their consent.

A victims advocate within the Pleasant Grove Police Department told the Daily Herald that only 35 percent of sexual assaults are ever reported to police.

They often think police wont believe them, especially with delayed incidents. Sometimes, they wont talk for years because they are so traumatized, Kimberly Schroeppel said.

So where do we all start?

Like the police, we too must start by believing. Belief especially must take place in our church congregations, university campuses, missionary training centers, city offices, businesses and in our own homes.

Perhaps youre still hesitant to always begin by believing; false reporting takes place, you say! Yes it does, but far, far less than real abusers. Data shared by the National Center for the Prosecution of Violence Against Women and other victim advocate organizations consistently shows only 2-8 percent of rapes are falsely reported, the same percentage as for other felony crimes.

If you, or police, our families or church leaders want to stop the abuse, it cannot be done without believing survivors first.

And we must stop the abuse. Because if victims continue to stay silent rather than feel safe in reporting, perpetrators that could have been brought to justice after the first time they assaulted someone, will continue to roam free and abuse another person, maybe even a person close to you.

We have the ability to protect more innocent individuals in Utah County by providing community support. We dont have to continue to live with regret at the number of victims that never would have to had been victims  if only we had believed.

  

If you or someone you know needs help, call the statewide 24-hour sexual violence crisis and information hotline at 1-888-421-1100.
Washington County Public Schools early dismissal policy under review

Washington County Public Schools has proposed changes to its policy for students who leave school early during the day
Its a busy afternoon at Istanbul Modern, Turkeys premier modern art museum, and the gallery is packed with visitors taking selfies or discussing the artworks in hushed tones. Some pause in front of a massive canvas by celebrated German artist Anselm Kiefer, while others look in amazement at a masterpiece by Turkish abstract painter Fahrelnissa Zeid, or gasp at iconic black and white images of old Istanbul by legendary local photographer Ara Guler.

Since opening on December 11, 2004, Istanbul Modern, spectacularly situated on the Bosphorus with a view of the Ottoman-era Topkapi Palace, has become a symbol of 21st century Istanbul, open to outside influences but proud of its past. The rapid success of the museum was one of the reasons Newsweek magazine famously declared in a 2005 cover story that Istanbul was one of the coolest cities in the world.

But within a few days of the visit, all the artworks will have been taken down, carefully catalogued and put into protective cases. The building, a maritime warehouse known as Antrepo No. 4 in Turkish and beloved by many Istanbulites since the museums opening, will be demolished. However it will not be the end for Istanbul Modern.

Nourish our souls

After closing its doors on March 18, the museum will reopen in a historic mansion in the central Beyoglu district in May. The mansion will be a temporary home until a new museum is built on the site of the old Istanbul Modern to showcase its collection to even greater effect.

The new building will be designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, who was behind Londons iconic skyscraper The Shard, and is expected to be finished in three years. Istanbul Moderns director Levent Calikoglu admitted there was some sense of huzun  the Turkish word for melancholy  over leaving the building that had been the museums home for the last 14 years.

Yes, in fact, we have a kind of melancholy and a nostalgia, he said, inside the museum, which was devoid of visitors as staff carefully took down and packaged the art. But a new future is in front of us and we have a completely different aim. This new building will bring a new vision to the art world and to Istanbul.

The opening of Istanbul Modern was supported at the time by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, then prime minister, who gave his approval for the use and refurbishment of the maritime warehouse. For some, the museums sheer existence was proof that the arts could prosper in Turkey under Erdogans Islamic-rooted ruling party, which came to power in 2002.

Artistic expression in Turkey has had some difficult periods since, but Istanbul Modern is proud not just that it has attracted seven million visitors since opening but that they have come from right across the countrys hugely diverse society. And on one of the museums final opening days before its temporary closure it was filled with Turks of all ages and backgrounds, as well as a sprinkling of tourists.

There are things here that I am seeing for the first time, its interesting and I appreciate this, said Gokberk, a 19-year-old who had come with his friends. Visitor Nesrin Aktar, a fan of the museum, hoped the revamp would go smoothly. We come to see the exhibitions, to nourish our souls, that really inspires us.

500-year timescale

The main financial backers for the new project are the museums founding sponsor Eczacibasi Group, a major backer of the arts in Turkey, and the Dogus Group-Bilgili Holding conglomerate. As with many art projects in Turkey, there is no state funding.

The new museum will be located in a specially dedicated area within the new $1-billion (815-million-euro) Galataport project, which aims to revitalise Istanbuls historic harbour-side with new living and office spaces beside an overhauled cruise terminal. But it has not met with universal enthusiasm.

The Istanbul Chamber of Architects has denounced the Galataport project as being in violation of planning rules  a claim rejected by its developers  and risking causing damage that will not be able to be reversed. In an interview with the Hurriyet daily, Oya Eczacibasi, the chairwoman of the museums board, rejected concerns that the new museum would lose its identity within Galataport.

She said Galataport will add a lot to Istanbul when completed, insisting Istanbul Moderns leadership will remain in full control of the museums programme. Calikoglu said the Renzo Piano building  whose design is set to be unveiled later in 2018  should become a new symbol for Istanbul. For this building he is looking on a timescale of 500 years, he is not looking at a timescale of 20 years, Calikoglu said.

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The opening ceremony for Indian Premiere League 2018 on Saturday was a star-studded affair. Actors Hrthik Roshan, Varun Dhawan, Tammannah Bhatia, Jacqueline Fernandez and more welcomed viewers to the new season with stunning performances at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Hrithik dances to his hit songs, Dhoom Again from Dhoom 2 and Ae Mere Dil from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. He wore a stylish jacket with an H studded at the back with LEDs. Check out snippets from her performance:

Varun Dhawan performed with ace choreographer and director Prabhu Deva on his song Muqabala Muqabala from Hum Se Hai Muqabala. Watch their fun performance here:

A post shared by Mango Bollywood (@mangobollywood) on Apr 7, 2018 at 9:58pm PDT

A post shared by Welcom_to_our_page (@instadub_1) on Apr 7, 2018 at 7:33pm PDT

Check out Tammannhs performance on hit Telugu songs and dont miss her amazing entry:

Also check out images from Jacquelines performances:

And this final performance by everyone:

In the first match of the 11th season, Chennai Super Kings make a stunning return after two years out with a thrilling one-wicket victory over Mumbai Indians with one ball left in the opening match.

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Alia Bhatt on Sunday shared a 40-second clip teasing the release of the first trailer for Raazi, her new film, in which she co-stars opposite Vicky Kaushal. According to the clip, the films first trailer will be released on April 10.

Parso milte hain.. subah! Main #RAAZI hoon, Alia wrote in a tweet, tagging the films director, Meghna Gulzar, her producer, Karan Johar, and Kaushal. In the clip, we see a dimly-lit Alia talking in hushed tones on the phone, promising someone that she will meet them in two days. She then looks into the camera and dons a hijab, as the background music, which had so far set an ominous tone, begins to swell.

Talking about the film, Alia had earlier said, I think in Raazi audience will see me in completely different avatar at least that is my wish because Raazi as a film is very different. Its the first time I am doing a period film and it is based on true story as well, so I am very excited for it and I hope audience will like it.

Kaushal had said that getting a chance to work with Alia Bhatt, inarguably one the finest actresses in our industry at the moment, is a big deal for me. I am really very excited to be a part of the film.

Alia plays Sehmat, a Kashmiri woman who marries a Pakistani officer (Kaushal) with the intention to source out intelligence details and pass them to Indian forces. Raazi, a period drama based around the 1971 Indo-Pak war, is being produced by Dharma Productions and Junglee Pictures and has been scheduled for a May 11 release.

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A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Mumbai has issued non-bailable warrants (NBWs) against billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi in connection with the cases related to over $2 billion banking fraud in the Punjab National Bank, officials said in New Delhi on Sunday.

The special court has allowed the application of the agency for the issuance of NBWs against Modi and Choksi who had repeatedly refused to join the investigation in the fraud, considered to be one of the biggest in the banking history of the country, the officials said.

The agency had written to Modi and Choksi to join probe on their official e-mail ids but they have refused to join it citing business engagements and health issues.

The issuance of NBWs by a court also opens door of seeking Red Corner Notices against both of the accused from the Interpol.

The government has claimed to have tracked Modi in Hong Kong where it has sent a request for his provisional arrest.

The CBI, in the meanwhile, is questioning officials of overseas branches of Indian banks which had extended credit facilities to the companies of Modi and Choksi on the basis of fraudulent Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) issued by the Punjab National Banks Brady House branch in Mumbai.

The agency has also summoned the official who handled foreign exchange transactions in the Hong Kong branch of the Allahabad bank, they said, adding that he may join the probe soon.

It is alleged that the LoUs and LCs worth close to $2 billion were issued to the companies of the uncle-nephew duo of Choksi and Modi from the Brady Road branch of the bank through SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication) messages.

Several bank employees have been booked for collusion in the case, they said.

The LoU is a guarantee which is given by an issuing bank to Indian banks having branches abroad to grant a short-term credit to the applicant. In case of default, the bank issuing the LoU has to pay the liability to the credit giving bank along with accruing interest.

These messages were allegedly not entered in the banking software of the PNB to bypass surveillance.

Modi (46), a regular feature on the lists of rich and famous Indians since 2013, was booked by the CBI, along with his wife, brother and Choksi for allegedly cheating the state-run PNB.

Both Choksi and Modi have been booked in two cases each related to the bank fraud.

The uncle-nephew duo had managed to flee the country in the first week of January days before the PNB was able to detect the fraud.

The bank officials also fraudulently issued foreign letters of credit or FLCs in which the PNB guaranteed payment on behalf of the accused to their suppliers which was to be recovered from the firms of Choksi and Nirav Modi, they alleged.

Funds raised through LoUs were meant to be used for the payment of import bills of the accused companies whereas it was dishonesty and fraudulently utilised for discharging the earlier liabilities on account of buyers credit facilities in a kind of roll over of payments, they alleged.

The PNB has alleged in its complaint that they opened the Letters of Credit initially for smaller amounts by creating purported entries in the core banking system, they said.

The accused bank officials pursuant to the conspiracy unauthorisedly enhanced the values of the FLCs and issued amendments to the FLCs issued through SWIFT which were encashed in overseas branches of Indian banks.

According to the RBI guidelines, LoUs for gems should not be valid for more than 90 days.

The CBI had approached the Interpol with a request for issuing Diffusion Notice which was aimed at locating an individual.
The revenue department has imposed anti-dumping duty on import of a chemical from China to protect the domestic manufacturers from cheap shipments.

As per a notification of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), anti-dumping duty of $1,685.42 per metric tonne has been imposed on import of Phosphorus Pentoxide from China.

The duty has been imposed for five years.

Phosphorus Pentoxide is used as a powerful desiccant and dehydrating agent and is a useful building block and reagent in the chemical industry.

Acting on a complaint of Sandhya Dyes & Chemicals, the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) had carried out a probe into the imports of the chemical to ascertain if the shipments were causing injury to the domestic manufacturer of the chemical.

The probe was aimed to determine the existence, degree and effect of alleged dumping and to recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which, if levied would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry.

After the investigation, the DGAD concluded that the chemical was being exported to India below the normal value and domestic industry suffered material injury on account of dumped imports.

Based on the recommendation of the DGAD, the revenue department imposed the levy on the import of the chemical from China.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to determine if the domestic industry has been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports.

As a counter-measure, they impose duties under the multilateral WTO regime.

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.
Armed men in a car and motorbikes fired and critically wounded a Ghaziabad-based television journalist on Sunday evening when he taking a walk with a few friends on a new road near his home in the Razapur locality under Kavi Nagar police station area.

According to police, 38-year-old Anuj Chaudhary was taken to Yashoda Hospital where doctors treated him for two bullet wounds on one of his arms and another in the abdomen.

Another man was wounded in the shooting around 6.30pm, and his condition is said to be stable.

Chaudharys family, including wife Nisha, who is a Bahujan Samaj Party councillor with the municipal corporation, alleged that a jailed criminal with whom the journalist had run-ins before could be behind the crime.

His family told us that it has an old rivalry with a criminal, who is in jail. It suspects the goons family members or their accomplices committed the crime. We have leads and we will arrest the culprits soon, said Vaibhav Krishna, the Ghaziabad senior superintendent of police.

According to the police officer, Chaudharys brother was murdered because of the rivalry and an armed policeman was deployed to protect the journalist because of the threat to his life.

The victim had asked the guard to take an off on Sunday, Krishna said.
Union minister for food processing industries Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Sunday said out of the 101 cold storage chains being developed in the country, 20 will be located in Uttarakhand.

Out of these 20 cold storage chains (in Uttarakhand), 16 have already been established and four are in the pipeline, said Badal, while speaking at the inauguration of a mega food park at Mahuakheda in Kashipur on Sunday.

This is the second private food park in Uttarakhand after the establishment of Patanjali food park in Haridwar. It took two years for setting up the 100-crore Himalayan food park, which is spread over the area of 50 acres.

Soon, primary processing centres would be established at Ramnagar, Ramgarh and Kaladhungi. This will help in providing employment to the local people and farmers in this state, Badal told the people gathered at the venue. She said that 42 mega food parks would be established in the country by 2019.

The union minister said that India comes first in the production of milk, but the irony is that only 10 percent is processed, whereas other countries process 80% of their produce. She said that the central government has allocated 6,000 crore for food processing and there is also foreign investment of 1 lakh crore in this sector.

Minister of state for food processing industries Sadhwi Niranjan Jyoti said that there were only two mega food parks in the country between 2008 and 2014, but now the number has reached to 11. A total of 42 mega food parks would be dedicated to the nation by 2019, as Prime Minister Modis aim is to double the income of the farmers by 2022, she added.

Anil Taneja, the regional director of PHD Chambers of Commerce and Industries, said that food parks could be a game changer in the states like Uttarakhand whose raw agro produce gets wasted for the want of processing centres and cold chains.

State finance minister Prakash Pant said the state government is seriously pursuing the vision of doubling the farmers income and various initiatives are being already taken by the government. 966.68 crore has been allocated to this sector in the state budget, he said.
Nepalese Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Sunday expressed interest in joining hands with the Pant University of Agriculture and Technology to boost the agro sector in the Himalayan nation.

Oli, who arrived at Pantnagar in the morning, visited the Breeder Seed Production Centre and an integrated farming project at the university.

He said two third of the population in his country was based on agriculture but it lacks the modernisation.

Both India and Nepal are dependent on agriculture. We in Nepal have two agricultural universities but they are in the nascent stage. I, therefore, feel that it will be wonderful to benefit from the expertise of Pantnagar university, he said in his address.

Nepalese Prime Minister Oli is on a three-day maiden visit to India that began on April 6.

On the third day, he arrived at Pantanagar where he was received by Uttarakhand chief minister Trivendra Rawat and Governor KK Paul.

Oli was also conferred with an honorary degree of Doctor of Science by university chancellor KK Paul.

Oli is accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya and an entourage of ministers, members of parliament and other high-ranking officials of the Nepal government.

In his address governor, Paul said Nepal and India share several common interests and culture.

Paul said both nations can work jointly in the field of crop development, organic farming, animal husbandry, horticulture among others.

Chief minister Rawat stressed on the need to strengthen communication network between both the nations.

It is learnt the people in the border areas of Uttarakhand are often dependent on the mobile network of the neighbouring nation, he said.

The chief minister said there was a need of a direct flight between Dehradun and Kathmandu that would give acceleration to agriculture and other sectors.
Located close to the India-China border, the picturesque Darma valley in Uttarakhands Pithoragarh district is abuzz with tourists for the last two months. And the visitors have a different experience  they stay in local villages to get up close and personal with the exotic beauty of the valley.

The concept of homestay is fast picking up in the valley that falls on the tracking route to Panchachuli glacier, thanks to the initiatives of the Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam (KMVN), a state government undertaking.

About 125 families in the valley are now providing homestay facility to the visitors. In its efforts to boost tourism, KMVN has given them training and ensured sanitation facilities for the guests.

On the lines of Pindari, Namik and Sundardhunga track routes of Kumaon region, we have developed homestay facility in the Darma valley villages of Dantu, Dugtu, Baling and Nagling, said TS Martolia, general manager (tourism), KMVN.

According to Darma valley villagers, a motorable road from the national highway at Tawaghat has been linked up to Dhakar village, about 50 km from the highway.

We have written to the chief secretary that road links to Sela, Chal, Bonn, Philam and Sipu villages will further boost tourism in the region, said Sundar Singh Bonal of Bonn village.

We also want thrust on horticulture and organic farming in high Himalayan villages of Darma to make the valley self-sustainable, said Manoj Nagnyal, another villager.

The Darma valley with a population of nearly 5000 in 12 tribal villages is 70-km-long from Tawaghat towards the last India-China border post; it gets bifurcated toward the north from Tawaghat, some 17 km from the border town of Dharchula.

The valley is rich in tribal culture and heritage, and is endowed with snow-covered Himalayan peaks, glaciers, scintillating river views and dense birch forests, said Nagnyal. The bark of these trees ware used by sages to write Vedic hymns, he claimed.

Dharchula and Munsiyari sub-divisions of Pithoragarh district have four tribal valleys -- Drama, Vyans, Chaundas and Johar. Vyans and Johar valleys have been promoted as tourist destinations; homestay tourist facilities have been developed on Munsiyari-Milam track route in Johar valley, and on Chota Kailash-Narayan Ashram track route in Vyans and Chaundas valleys.

We want our valley to be developed on similar lines to make it tourist-friendly, said KS Phirmal, a social activist from Drama valley.

Villagers have also urged the state and union governments to revive Indo-Tibetan trade from Gyanema and Chakra marts. In the distant past, tribal traders from Darma and Johar valleys used to reach these marts to trade with their Tibetan counterparts.

While Vyans and Chaundas valley traders used to trade in Taklakot mart, the Tibetan marts at Chakra and Gyanema were accessed by traders from Johar and Darma valleys, said Nagnyal.
A VHP leader on Sunday allegedly attempted self immolation demanding closure of mutton shops the districts Jwalapur area on Saturday.

Charanjeet Pahwa, VHP district coordinator, arrived at Shri Ram tri-intersection, just 25 metres away from rail market police post. Before anyone could gauge his motive, Pahwa poured petrol all over his body and set himself on fire, police said.

Passersby and policemen deployed at the post, brought a blanket and mattress to douse the fire.

The VHP leader was immediately taken to Chaman Rai hospital. As there was no burn unit facility in the hospital, he was referred to a hospital in Dehradun.

Station house officer Jwalapur Amarjeet Singh said heavy deployment of police personnel has been done as precautionary measure after the self-immolation bid.

VHP leader Nitin Gautam alleged that the administration was silent on issue of mushrooming of mutton shops in Jwalapur.

He said such shops were hurting religious sentiments of local people.

Millions of Hindus arrive from across the country to take holy dip in the Ganga in Haridwar. But, a large number of mutton shops are operating here both legally and illegally.

Municipal corporation and the district administration didnt take Pahwas demand seriously and unfortunately he has taken this extreme step now, said Gautam.

The VHP district unit now given a weeks time to the civic body and the district administration to shut down all such illegally operating mutton shops in the area.
As the built heritage in Old Delhi continues to fall apart, the remnants of Haksar ki Haveli exist only as a proof of neglect and a dispassionate modern life.

Sarup Narain ki Haveli, as it was known during the early 19th century, was originally a three-storeyed grandiose structure located at the end of Sadak Prem Narain Bazaar  intersection of Churiwalan and Bazaar Sita Ram. It was the abode of one of the localitys distinguished Kashmiri pandit families.

The residence of Haskars once served as the venue for one of the citys most high-profile weddings in 1916. The relatives and family members of the first Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru stayed at the mansion when he married Kamala Kaul on February 8. Kamalas family owned another manor called Atal House in the neighbourhood of Bazaar Sita Ram.

Read | Haksar Haveli where Pandit Nehru got married being destroyed: Delhi HC told

The mansion of Haksars had all the distinct features usually associated with a traditional Shahjahanabad haveli such as a large hall, a courtyard, a tehkhana (cellar), jharokhas (overhanging enclosed balconies), arched gateways, and main entrance decorated with motifs, and fluted columns.

As the property stayed largely unused for decades, it started crumbling due to lack of maintenance. Gradually, it turned into ruins as a major portion of walls, arches, columns, and gateways ended up collapsing.

On Wednesday, the Delhi High Court issued directions to area station house officer and the commissioner of North Delhi Municipal Corporation to conduct a joint survey of the property after a petitioner  Kusum Sehgal  approached it alleging that builders were destroying the haveli to construct a multi-storey building in its spot.

I was appalled by the way heritage structures like havelis and dharamshalas are being razed and converted into godowns and residential units. Whenever I would visit my maternal grandparents residence in Old Delhi, I became upset after seeing poor state of affairs there. Therefore, I decided to move the court to prevent destruction of our heritage, said Sehgal, a New Delhi resident.

Little left of a once-grand building

I have seen it as a two-floored house since my childhood. Part of the building collapsed in the 1980s. Another significant segment caved in around the mid-1990s said Radhey Shyam Goel (64), of Churiwalan.

Haksar ki Haveli (above) today resembles a heap of rubble encased by dilapidated walls. (Hindustan Times)

Today, none of its distinctive features are visible. With continuous dumping of trash and uncontrolled growth of Peepal trees, the structure resembles a heap of rubble encased by dilapidated walls. The imposing gate has been replaced with a rusting iron-sheet door.

The two sides of the haveli, which faced the lanes, now have a row of shops selling sweets and tea, a salon, and two grocery stores.

I know it as haveli of Prem Narain Haksar. This is where Nehrus baraat (wedding procession) assembled and later proceeded to Atal House, where Kamalas family then lived. Haksars residence had an imposing sandstone entrance with fish motifs and jharokhas on either side, said Kishori Lal Yadav (84), a Bazaar Sita Ram resident.

According to a book on havelis in the Walled City  Mansions at Dusk: The Havelis of Old Delhi authored by former Indian Foreign Service (IFS) officer Pavan K Varma, the mansion suffered major damage during the 1857 revolt. The British soldiers ransacked it, rendering it unsuitable for habitation. Sarups father Bishan Narain Haksar had it rebuilt in 1887 with financial assistance from the British administration.

The Haksar family sold the property to the Delhi Yarn Association in the mid-1970s.

The rich cloth merchants of the association wanted to use the premises for some charitable purpose. They toyed with the idea of converting it into a hospital or a dharamshala. However, before anything could be implemented, a property dispute within the association had frozen all plans, says the book.

Till the 1960-70s, an elderly couple was residing here. A trust bought the property, which wanted to develop it as a hospital. Later, we heard rumours that the trustees had some internal dispute and the hospital plans never materialised. Since then, the mansion has been lying abandoned, said SK Jain (64), who runs a grocery store near the haveli.

The entrance to Haksar Ki Haveli at Bazar Sita Ram in Chandni Chowk. (Anushree Fadnavis/ht pHOTO)

Locals said that since then the property has been acquired by some builders, though the claims could not be independently verified. The residents added that the builders would have started construction for a multi-storeyed structure in its place, had the high court not intervened on Wednesday.

The high court has made Shahjahanabad Redevelopment Corporation (SRDC) as respondent in the matter.

As per the rules, the owner of notified heritage property requires permission from Heritage Conservation Committee and concerned Municipal Corporation for repair only. If one is short of funds, he can approach SRDC to seek financial assistance. And the building is conserved and used to promote tourism and heritage of Old Delhi, the owner can seek (property, excise, and sale) tax waiver, a senior Delhi government official said.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) conducted the Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2018 across various Centres in the country on Sunday.

Close to 12 lakh students had applied for the exam. Of them only 2.2 lakh will be eligible for the JEE Advanced, which paves the gateway to IITs and other prestigious colleges.

The examination evoked mixed reaction from students across the country. Here is how students across the country reacted after the exam.

Allahabad

Mahendra Patel, a resident of Madhya Padesh, who appeared in the exam at YMCA Centenary School and College, Allahabad said: The JEE Main paper cannot be described as easy or tough. I attempted all questions but the Mathematics part was exhausting due to complex nature of questions.

The Physics portion of the paper, though was in accordance to class 11 and class 12 syllabus, was tough compared to questions of Mathematics and Chemistry, said Adarsh Kumar, a resident of Faizabad district of Uttar Pradesh.

Physics questions were tough. I attempted all questions pertaining to Mathematics and Chemistry, said Saurabh Shukla, a resident of Allahabad who appeared in the exam.

Bhopal

A class 12 student Ishita Pawan said, Barring 3-4 questions in all the sections, I found the paper quite easy. The pattern of the paper was similar to the last years paper.

Another student Shaksham Sharma said, The physics was the tougher one as compare to Maths and Chemistry. Most of the questions were asked from the syllabus of Class 11.

A teacher of a reputed institute, who is not authorised to comment, said, Overall the paper was of moderate difficulty level. The Chemistrys questions were lengthy. A few students found difficulty in answering questions of organic chemistry. The cut-off will be similar to that of last year.

Students coming out of the JEE Mains exam at Bal Vidya Mandir in Lucknow on Sunday. (HT photo/Deepak Gupta)

Lucknow

Candidates who took the JEE Mains in Lucknow were of the view that question paper in the first shift was quite lengthy and many of them could not answer all questions. They also found the question paper to be tricky.

Both Riya and Aditi from Lucknow were of the view that they had to race against time as the question paper of the first shift was lengthy. We had to struggle to complete the paper. Some of the questions were tricky too, one of them said, while the other agreed.

Priyanshu of Ambedkar Nagar too said he is worried as JEE has negative marking, so a wrong answer leads to deduction of one mark. Shivang and Priyanshi, both from Lucknow said, We never expected that difficulty level of the question paper will be high.

Kota

Students in Kota had a mixed response about the difficulty level of the exam. Talking about the question paper, aspirant Akansha Laddha (18) said she had appeared for the JEE Main exam last year (2017) but found Sundays JEE Main paper a bit difficult compared to last year. While mathematics part was easy, chemistry was tricky and physics was of moderate level, she said.

Another aspirant Subhra Supakar (18) said that the Paper was easier particularly physics part, whereas chemistry portion had more organic chemistry based questions than inorganic chemistry. She said mathematics was easier.

Riya Banzal (19), another student who took the exam this year said that the mathematics part was lengthy, whereas chemistry had less inorganic questions.

Mumbai

Sumit Vyas, a candidate from Mumbai said the Mathematics section was the lengthiest. Most of us could not attempt the full section as most questions were time consuming. Algebra was given more importance than calculus in the paper, he said. Many students are planning to challenge such questions with the CBSE that conducted the exam.

Manya Goel, another candidate thought the problems in most sections were solvable but time was a problem. Except for a couple of questions in the Chemistry section, I found all other questions of medium difficulty level. However, it was difficult to solve the paper in three hours, she said.

(With inputs from Kenneth John in Allahabad, Shruti Tomar in Bhopal, Rajeev Mullick in Lucknow, Aabshar Quazi in Kota and Shreya Bhandary in Mumbai)
For some brides, there is only one word that comes to mind when they think of their dream wedding day, and that word is princess. And looking positively princess-y as a bride is Sonakshi Sinha. The actor graces the latest cover of London-based wedding magazine Khush and if you didnt know any better, youd probably think her romantic photoshoot was from her own beach wedding.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Mar 31, 2018 at 3:52am PDT

Glowing in gorgeous sarees, gowns and lehengas, while rocking minimal make-up and long sleek hair, Sonakshi is the epitome of summer chic. If her piercing cover doesnt stop you in your tracks, we dont know what will: Sonakshis wearing a gold necklace and a heavy nose ring embellished with kundan and beads from UK-based Goenka Jewels and a strapless champagne-hued Anita Dongre gown in silk adorned with intricate gota patti, dori, zardosi, sequin, and pearl embellishments. You can buy the exact gown for Rs 4,20,000.

The angelic bridal spread, which has Sona wearing a bunch of designer ensembles with pops of sparkle and playful silhouette, screams summer. It was shot at the beaches of Doha. Styled by her go-to stylist Mohit Rai, Sonakshis bridal looks are totally striking and make for some of the most vibrant beach looks weve ever seen.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 1, 2018 at 10:24am PDT

So, whether youre planning your own fairy-tale wedding, or you just like looking at beautiful, over-the-top bridalwear, weve put together pictures from Sonakshis sultry-sweet shoot so you have a peek at her gorgeousness and hopefully find some inspiration for your dream destination (beach) wedding look.

Sonakshi in Falguni-Shane Peacock is all kinds of goals for a destination bride.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 4, 2018 at 1:19pm PDT

Easy chic perfection in Anita Dongre.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 4, 2018 at 3:38am PDT

Elegance personified in Tarun Tahiliani.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 3, 2018 at 12:54am PDT

Keeping it stylish in Anamika Khanna.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 2, 2018 at 4:33am PDT

Sonakshi turns up the heat in a mirror detailed jacket by Anand Kabra and a sheer saree by Shehla Khan.

A post shared by Khush Wedding Magazine (@khushmag) on Apr 2, 2018 at 11:13am PDT

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Doctors from across the world assembled for an international conference at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) here said there is a widespread defeatist perception about brain tumour even among doctors, which is not right. Even in a Bollywood movie, if someone has to die, the character is told to be suffering from brain tumour and there is an immediate acceptance by all about his death, said Rakesh Jalali, Director of South East Asias First Proton Therapy Centre (SEFPTC), Apollo Hospital, Chennai.

Jalali is one of the 400-odd delegates including 20 renowned international experts from all over the world attending the three-day 10th Annual Conference of the Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology that began at AIIMS on Friday. There have been major advancements in the understanding of biology and treatment strategies over the years to improve the outcome of these tumours and help dispel the nihilistic perception among the lay public and even among medical professionals, he said.

Chitra Sarkar, Professor of Pathology and Dean - Research at AIIMS, said: Brain tumours constitute two to three per cent of all cancers but are the second commonest tumours in childhood. One must not surrender as many of these tumours can be cured. About 70-80 per cent of childhood brain tumours and a significant proportion of adult brain tumours are expected currently to get cured for years and decades and lead normal lives.

Highlighting the importance of the conference, Professor of Neurosurgery at AIIMS Ashish Suri said each year it comes out with national guidelines on a particular type of brain tumour as per the available scientific evidence taking into account local resources and cost effective strategies. The guidelines are an exceedingly vital source of information to help all oncologists not only in smaller cities in different states in India but also in other countries including those in the western hemisphere, he said.

The prestigious Ab Guha oration of the organising society, Indian Society of Neuro-Oncology (ISNO), was delivered by internationally renowned neurosurgeon Professor Raymond Sawaya, Chief of Neurosurgery at MD Anderson Cancer Centre, Houston, USA. ISNO is a forum comprising various experts including doctors, scientists and rehab specialists dedicated to the care and research for people with brain tumours in India. It has 397 members, while the international society has around 2,000 members.

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Indian Air force (IAF) Stations and other vital installations in Punjab are once again on the radar of Pakistan-based militant groups, according to fresh inputs received by central intelligence agencies that are especially significant in the context of a statement issued by the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militant outfit vowing to avenge the killings of 13 militants that took place during three counter-insurgency operations in south Kashmir this week. Four civilians and three army men also died.

According to a document shared with central and state security agencies, three separate inputs have been received in the last three months that indicate Pakistan-based militant outfits haveshown interest in gathering information about Sri Guru Ravi Dass ji airport in Amritsar and the Raja Sansi Air Force station, also in Amritsar.

A separate and older document , sent to the agencies in January, states that operatives of the Laskhar-e-Taiba and JeM could smuggle military hardware into India through Punjabs Gurdaspur district to execute terrorist attacks. Hindustan Times has seen the documents.

Punjab has seen some major fidayeen attacks in recent years. In 2015, a police station in Gurdaspur was attacked resulting in the killing of four policemen and three civilians. The following year an ever bigger attack was carried out in January at the Pathankot airbase, resulting in a four-day gun battle, and eight people, including one civilian, being killed.

A senior CRPF official said on condition of anonymity that the force is doing its best to be prepared for any intrusion.

Director general of Jammu and Kashmir police SP Vaid said he wasnt aware of intelligence regarding Punjab but confirmed the Jaish statement.

Internal security expert Ajai Sahni believes that unless JeM actually executes or attempts to carry out an attack, the statement should be seen as a political move.

After the encounters in Shopian there have been many statements of condemnation issues by various groups and individuals including the Pakistani Prime Minister. JeM statement too is one among the many, he said.
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday criticised Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shahs remark equating opposition parties with animals at a rally in Mumbai two days ago. Gandhi said this showed the Shahs attitude and the culture he had imbibed from the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

This election is a fight between two ideologies... you have the RSS and Shah, an ideology that doesnt respect the average human being, Gandhi said at a rally in Bengaluru that marked the conclusion of his Janashirvada Yatra in Karnataka ahead of the assembly polls on May 12.

For the second successive day, Gandhi kept the focus on Shahs remark that when huge floods occur, only a banyan tree survives and snakes, mongooses, dogs, cats and other animals climb to save themselves from the rising waters.

Incidentally, Shah said at a press meet what he meant with his remark in Mumbai was political parties having no ideological similarities were coming together out of fear of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Gandhi, however, kept up the attack. The BJP president can publicly state that all opposition are animals. This is a reflection on his way of thinking, on his culture, and on what he has been taught.

He said the Karnataka polls were a fight against an ideology that wanted to destroy the culture of Bengaluru. It is an idea that does not respect the cosmopolitan culture of this city, the multitude of ideas, the women, the poor, and the multiple languages spoken in this city. He said the Congress would do everything to protect this way of life.

Earlier in the day, Gandhi met pourakarmikas (safai karamcharis) and industrialists in the city. He also took a ride on Bengaluru metro rail, and visited a bookstore.

Responding to Gandhis comments, state BJP spokesperson S Prakash said it was the Congress that was against the cosmopolitan culture of the city. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and the state government have not promoted cosmopolitanism in the city, he said. Besides, the Congress has done precious little for the city in terms of infrastructure, he added.

Regarding Gandhis comments on Shahs remark in Mumbai, Prakash said the BJP president had already said what he had to about it. The fact that he is bringing this up repeatedly shows that he has no issues to target the BJP.

RSS leaders in Karnataka could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday condemned the detention of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs who were protesting near Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence to demand special status to Andhra Pradesh.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor also went to meet the parliamentarians at Tughlak Road police station.

TDP MPs taken to Tughlak Road Police station for demanding special status for AP (Andhra Pradesh). I went and met them at police station in solidarity. We condemn their detention and fully support demand for special status of Andhra Pradesh, Kejriwal said in a tweet.

After meeting the TDP MPs, Kejriwal said that their demands were genuine and Andhra Pradesh should be given special status.

The TDPs demand should be considered. It is really sad that when the MPs went to meet the Prime Minister they were arrested. This is not democracy. This is not fair. We strongly condemn this (the detention of MPs) and entirely support their demand, Kejriwal told reporters after meeting the parliamentarians.

On April 4, Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had met Kejriwal to seek support for the no-confidence motion moved by TDP against the Centre.

They had discussed the special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
Two union ministers on Sunday accused the Congress and other opposition parties of supporting violence for political gains, as they reiterated governments commitment to reservation, saying the BJP was a pro-Dalit party.

The comments came on the eve of a one-day fast announced by Congress president Rahul Gandhi to protect and promote communal harmony and against caste violence.

Dr Amebdkar said Dalit movement will not and should not be violent we allege that the Congress, SP and BSP are trying to vitiate the environment by supporting violence in a planned manner, law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, invoking Dalit icon Bhim Rao Ambedkar.

Eleven people were killed in clashes during a nationwide strike called by Dalit groups on April 2 against the alleged dilution of a law that protect scheduled castes (SCs) and scheduled tribes (STs).

Rahul Gandhi is adding fuel to fire Rahul should fast, but he should not spread lies (about ending reservation), Prasad said.

... what kind of a statement is this that attempts are being made to end reservation.there will be no compromise, ever, on the issue of reservation to SCs, STs, and OBCs (other backward classes), Prasad said.

The Opposition has accused the government of remaining a mute spectator after the Supreme Court on March 20 banned immediate arrests under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

The government has filed a review petition that is pending with the court, which refused to stay the verdict that triggered the protest.

In Madhya Pradesh, violence was reported from pockets with a strong presence of the Congress and the Bahujan Samaj Party and in Rajasthan where the Congress had tasted electoral success recently, Prasad said.

Eight people died in Madhya Pradesh and a man was killed in Rajasthan in the April 2 violence

Social justice minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, the BJPs most prominent Dalit face, said Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram never supported violent protests. Opposition should play a positive role, instead of negative, Gehlot said.

Not just the Opposition, some Dalit MPs of the BJP, too, have expressed concern over the SC order and the alleged crackdown against those who participated in the April 2 strike.

We will talk to our MPs. If there is any concern or suggestion, we will take them on board, Prasad said.

The two ministers also listed a series of measures taken by the Modi government to strengthen the SC/ST act and empower Dalits.

Parties like the Congress and the BSP did nothing for Dalits and at times even worked against their interests, they alleged.

The BJPs charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family and the BJP had the largest number of Dalit and tribal MPs and MLAs.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of Parliament Udit Raj said on Sunday his party will convince Dalits to remain with it, a day after he alleged that people from the community were being tortured post the violent protests during Bharat Bandh.

Raj had on Saturday alleged that Dalits were tortured at a large scale after the April 2 country-wide agitation, Bharat Bandh.

The North West Delhi MP, who belongs to the Dalit community, also said he was not against his party and that the government will check anti-Dalit officers and people.

My tweets r (are) misconstrued that its harming BJP rather it strengthens that at least there r people like me in BJP who r concerned with Dalit atrocities after 2 April agitation. It will convince Dalits & they will remain with party. Govt will check anti-dalit officer/ people (sic), Udit Raj said on Twitter.

Referring to the violent protests during Bharat Bandh earlier this week, he had tweeted on Saturday, Reports are pouring in that those Dalits who participated in agitation on April 2 are being tortured and it must be stopped.

Dalits are tortured at large scale after April 2 country-wide agitation. People from Barmer, Jalore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Karoli and other parts calling that not only anti-reservationists but police also beating & slapping false cases, he had said in the tweet.

The places, mentioned by him, incidentally, are parts of BJP-ruled states. Raj had claimed that a worker of a Dalit organisation run by him in Gwalior was being tortured even though he had not done anything wrong.

Dalit protesters had blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states on April 2 against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving at least 11 people dead and many injured.
The goals set in Indias draft defence production policy are ambitious but achievable if adequate budget is made available, bottlenecks are removed and building an industrial ecosystem is top priority, industry leaders have said.

The draft Defence Production Policy-2018, released in March, visualises India as one of the top five countries in the aerospace and defence sectors in the coming years, with defence goods and services accounting for a turnover of Rs1.7 lakh crore by 2025.

According to the policy, achieving the target would require an investment of Rs70,000 crore and could create up to three million jobs. Another goal is to clock exports worth Rs35,000 crore by 2025.

We believe that by laying down clear targets, the government has put forward an ambitious yet measurable plan for transforming the defence industry, said Emmanuel de Roquefeuil, who heads the French aerospace and defence firm, Thales, in India.

Roquefeuil said his company looked forward to more details and directions from the government on how foreign original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) could contribute to enhancing Indias defence preparedness. Adequate budget availability for capital acquisitions is an area that would need the governments support.

The draft policy comes at a time when India has been ranked the worlds largest importer of weapons for the 10th straight year by well-known think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

So what will it take to reverse the trend and become an exporter?

The products made in India are high-tech but mainly for local defence needs and they might need to be adapted to meet specific foreign requirement, said Rear Admiral RK Shrawat (retd), who heads the French Naval Group in India, which is helping build Scorpene submarines locally.

Indian manufacturers and integrators might like to team with foreign OEMs, from whom they are importing systems and equipment, he said, adding Indias engineering capabilities and competences could be tapped to achieve export targets.

The policy seeks to cut down by 2025 Indias dependence on imported military hardware including fighter jets, helicopters, warships, combat vehicles and missiles.

Its a grand vision document with unambiguous goalsTo realise the targets, it is imperative to have clear timebound plans for execution, said Lieutenant General (retd) Subrata Saha, director general for Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, and principal advisor, Confederation of Indian Industry.

But what are the possible hurdles? Process bottlenecks and entrenched mindset are potentially high hurdles. Organisational security for well-meaning decisions could help overcome risk aversion, Saha added.
Gujarat criminal investigation department (CID) on Sunday booked eight policemen and arrested two of them on charges of abducting and forcing a Surat businessman to transfer 200 Bitcoins worth Rs 12 crore, while also demanding a ransom of Rs 32 crore to free him. The CID also booked a lawyer in the case.

All eight policemen are a part of Amreli districts local crime branch unit, said director general of police, CID (crime), Ashish Bhatia.

Two policemen  constables Babu Der and Vijay Vadher  were arrested today. All other accused have gone underground. Efforts are on to nab them, Bhatia added.

Businessman Shailesh Bhatt had complained to the CID against the Amreli policemen on February 23. Amreli local crime branch unit inspector Anant Patel is among the nine accused.

According to Bhatia, the Amreli policemen called the businessman to Gandhinagar on February 11, where they abducted him and took him to a farmhouse.

Then the policemen made him transfer 200 Bitcoins to an unidentified account, said Bhatia.

The Amreli policemen released him the same day after he assured them that he would give them Rs 32 crore through hawala, Bhatia added.

Bhatia said the CID had so far not found any proof of Bitcoin transfer, but there was evidence of abduction, illegal confinement, threats and the ransom demand.

Bitcoin is a payment platform that functions on digital currency. It is touted as the first decentralised peer-to-peer payment network that is powered by internet users. After hitting a peak value of $20,000 in December last year, the Bitcoin has lost more than 50% of its value this year. Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies are facing increased scrutiny from regulators around the world, with the Reserve Bank of India recently tightening rules to discourage their use.

The CID is investigating information that the businessman gave Rs 75 lakh to the Amreli policemen.

Bhatia said it was not clear why the accused targeted Bhatt. The CID is assessing information that the policemen targeted the businessman after getting an application that he allegedly stole Bitcoins from someone.

Even if there was an application against Bhatt, it should have been forwarded to the superintendent of police or some higher authority for investigation, said Bhatia.

The CID has formed a special investigation team to probe the allegations against the policemen and the lawyer.
Gujarats Patidar leader Hardik Patel asked Bundelkhand farmers at a rally on Sunday who they thought was responsible for the regions parched land, dry rivers, struggling animals and lack of progress.

While insisting he was not in Bundelkhand for politics, he spoke of votes and the need to send the right people to Madhya Pradesh assembly and Parliament. Madhya Pradesh assembly elections are expected this year.

I am here to make you aware. We are losing time. Our farmers, workers, Dalits, backward communities are in danger. Whole of India is in danger. If you dont wake up, we will be finished. We have to change an era, he said in the rally at Garhakota town of Sagar district. If you vote for small gains, they will continue to rule us and we have to continue agitations like these, said Patel.

Thousands turned up for the afternoon rally organised by Pichda Varg Sanyukt Morcha and local farmer organisations.

His fellow young leaders from Gujarat, Alpesh Thakor and Jignesh Mevani, were scheduled to address the rally but could not make it. They could not be here, but I am enough, said Patel. The troika of leaders had mounted a challenge for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the December 2017 Gujarat polls.

Patel said he was ready to fight for Bundelkhand, but people would have to stand by him. Without naming chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, he said those in power knew what would happen if farmers unite. Then nothing can be done even by the computer of the computer baba, he added, again without naming anyone.

Referring to the MP government granting minister of state status to five religious readers, Patel said, If one baba can become CM, why cant five become ministers of state. I respect these babas, but now they should work for the people.

State rural development minister Gopal Bhargava, whose home turf was the venue for the rally, said Patels statements had nothing to do with Bundelkhands ground reality. My people know who resolves their issues. He will not come from Gujarat to resolve their issues. I trust my people, added Bhargava, a BJP heavyweight who has won the Rehli assembly seat in the region seven successive times.

State Congress chief spokesperson KK Mishra said, Hardik Patel was exposing the misrule and corruption of BJP governments at the Centre and in states. Congress appreciates his move.

Im just 24, I dont know why BJP is afraid of me

Talking about facing an ink attack in Ujjain on Saturday night, Patel said at the rally it was done by an andh bhakt (blind follower). He ruined my new shirt, blackened my face but I forgave him. He had come there at somebodys behest. I am just 24 years old, I dont know why BJP people are so afraid of me?

Police have arrested Ujjain resident Milan Gurjar, 30, for the ink attack on Patel.

A court on Sunday sent Gurjar to judicial custody. Talking to mediapersons before being taken away, he said Patel was misleading the countrys youngsters. Gurjar added that he would lodge an FIR against Patel and others for thrashing him.

Gurjar said he was a farmer and also in the sand business. Patel and his supporters did not complain to the police against him. Police took action against him under section 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences).

Gurjars friends on Facebook appreciated his courage. One of his friends, Dinesh Gurjar, said, He does not belong to the Congress or the BJP. He is a social worker.

With inputs from Sandeep Vatsa
Two airline scares involving Jet Airways were reported on Sunday as a Delhi-bound flight turned back to make an emergency landing in Lucknow, while the wing of a carrier clipped a catering van at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.

Seventy-one passengers and crew members of the Delhi-bound flight had a midair scare when the pilot detected that the landing gear of the aircraft was not functioning properly, according to an aviation official.

The flight, which took off at 6.26am from the Amausi airport in Lucknow, returned to the Uttar Pradesh capital amid a full emergency. The pilot decided not to take any risk as the landing gear failure could have worsened by the time the flight reached Delhi, the official added.

All precautions of emergency landing were taken when the pilot called, Lucknow airport director AK Sharma said.

At the Delhi airport, a jet carrying 133 people hit the catering van when it was taxiing towards the parking bay at a slow speed after arriving from Dubai. All passengers were safely deplaned after the incident. The wings of the aircraft carry its fuel and a high-speed impact can lead to a fire.

Around 7.40pm on Sunday, a Jet airways flight 9W-545, which had arrived from Dubai, was moving towards parking bay - 20R. Near the bay, a catering can of Taj SATS was already parked. When aircraft was taking right turn to park, the wing on the right side hit the catering vehicle, said an airport official on the condition of anonymity.

An investigation has been ordered into the incident by the airport operator. A Jet Airways spokesperson was not immediately available for a comment.
A Russian cyclist on a world tour was injured in an attack by a Telangana farmer and his neighbours, who mistook him for a thief, police said.

The incident occurred in Telanganas Kamareddy district on Friday night when 44-year old V Oleg had pitched his tent due to bad weather.

The Russian national, who suffered injuries on his head, jaw and right arm, has been shifted to Hyderabad and is undergoing treatment in state-run Osmania General Hospital. He may have to remain in hospital for a few more days.

Oleg, a resident of Moscow, told police that he was on his way from Nizamabad to Shirdi in Maharashtra when thunderstorm forced him to stop at Bhiknoor. The cyclist stopped by the side of an agriculture field and pitched his tent.

After rain stopped late in the night, farmer Mahender Reddy came to the field to find out if there was any damage to his crop, found a tent on his field with a man lying inside and mistook him for thief.

Oleg could not understand what the farmer was asking him in Telugu. The farmer and some neighbours attacked the cyclist with his torch light due to which he suffered injuries.
Law minister Ravi Shankar Prasad last week wrote to Chief Justice of India (CJI) Dipak Misra raising questions over the way in which senior judges handled charges of sexual harassment against a district judge in Karnataka whose name was cleared for appointment to the high court, a government official said on Sunday.

Prasad wrote to the CJI talking of the lack of a proper inquiry into the matter and his letter is a strong counter to Supreme Court judge Justice Jasti Chelameswars letter to CJI Misra signed on March 21, the official said. Prasad could not be contacted for comments.

The SC judge had raised the issue of interference by the executive in the matter pertaining to the allegations against the district judge.

We, the judges of the Supreme Court of India, are being accused of ceding our independence and institutional integrity to the executives incremental encroachment, he had written.

The SC judge had red-flagged Karnataka Chief Justice Dinesh Maheshwari starting an inquiry into a complaint against the district judge after receiving a direct reference from the law ministry in December. The allegations pertain to the period between December 2013 and May 2015.

HT had reported on March 30 that the government had taken serious objection to the SC collegium  a body of top judges that makes appointments to the higher judiciary  not conducting a proper inquiry into charges of sexual harassment made by the judicial officer against the district judge, and persisting with appointing him as a judge in HC.

Making the lack of an inquiry following the due process an issue, the government is likely to go slow in clearing the appointment.

A top functionary in the ministry had defended referring the matter directly to the Karnataka HC by saying that a fresh complaint was made to both the Prime Minister and the President in December 2017 which was then sent by these offices to the law ministrys department of justice. HT has reviewed copies of the identical complaints. The district judge had declined comment on the issue.

The official said the complaint was sent routinely to the HC Registrar General because all ministries are bound by the guidelines, which say they must act on each complaint and file a status report on what happened. The ministry had only asked for information on the action taken and not insisted on an inquiry, the official said.

Describing the probe against the district judge as uncalled for, Justice Chelameswar had pointed out that the judges name was cleared by the SC collegium after the allegations levelled against him were proved to be incorrect and concocted.

No woman judge inquired into the matter. The so-called discreet inquiries are not on record, the government functionary mentioned above said.

The government is of the view that the SC flouted its own guidelines on inquiring into sexual harassment matters laid down in the Vishakha case.

The complainant said in her complaint to the PM that she was not asked any questions on her allegations by any authority from the HC or the SC.
The Tamil film industry, toplined by actor-politicians Rajinikanth and Kamal Haasan, observed a silent protest on Sunday to demand the setting up of the Cauvery Management Board amid calls for organisers to stop Indian Premier League games in Chennai.

Before the joining the protest at Valluvarkottam in central Chennai, Rajinikanth questioned the timing of conducting the T20 cricket tournament in the state.

It will be nice if IPL is not played this time in Chennai, understanding the plight of the farmers due to severe shortage of water, he told journalists outside his house before heading to the protest site.

Rajinikanth added that if it was not possible to withdraw at this stage, then the players should wear black badges to highlight the plight of the states farmers.

The CSK (Chennai Super Kings) franchise should think over the issue and appreciate the fact that the time is not ripe for IPL in Chennai, he said. He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi must step in and set up the river management board without any delay in the interest of small and marginal farmers of Cauvery delta region of Tamil Nadu.

Earlier, Kamal Haasan too had opposed hosting IPL matches in Chennai. While Kamal Haasan, president of the Makkal Needhi Maiam party, has been voicing his displeasure against the Centre over Cauvery, this is the first time that Rajinikanth spoke out on the issue.

Their call came a day after CSK made a comeback to IPL after a two-year ban, winning the first match against Mumbai Indians on Saturday night.

The states opposition parties and the ruling AIADMK too have questioned holding IPL matches in the state in the backdrop of farmers difficulties.

Leading actors, music directors and technicians participated in the Valluvarkottam protest organised by the South Indian Film Artistes Association  popularly known as Nadigar Sangam.

Tamil Nadu moved a contempt plea in the Supreme Court on March 31, seeking action against the Centre for allegedly failing to form the CMB and the Cauvery Water Regulation Committee within six weeks, as ordered by the court on February 16.

In its order, the top court marginally increased Karnatakas share of Cauvery water and ordered a reduction in the allocation for Tamil Nadu.

Karnataka has objected to the constitution of the Cauvery board.

The sharing of the Cauvery water is a sensitive political issue in both states, and Karnataka, which saw one of its worst droughts in 2017, goes to polls in May.

(With inputs from agencies)
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) parliamentarians were on Sunday detained by police when they tried to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg here demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

The decision to protest was taken after the party MPs held meeting at Rajya Sabha member and former union minister YS Chowdarys residence in the morning to decide future course of action.

However, all the leaders were detained on the way to PMs residence by the Delhi Police and CRPF.

The prime minister is the person to take decisions on SCS. He has to fulfil his promises and that is why we want to raise our demands with him, MP Jaydev Galla said.

The Telugu Desam Party withdrew its ministers in the union cabinet and walked out of the NDA after the BJP-led Centre denied special category status to Andhra Pradesh.

The TDP had issued no-confidence motion notices against the government.

However, it was never taken up for discussion due to continuous disruptions in the Parliament.

Meanwhile, YSR Congress Party leaders continue their indefinite hunger strike here for the third day for the same demand of special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The Manipur Police have arrested two Rohingya Muslim men and a 20-year-old woman, suspected to be a trafficking victim, from Moreh, a thriving commercial hub that borders Myanmar.

The arrests were made on Saturday after police were tipped off about a group of Rohingya men staying in Morehs Muslim Basti with trafficked girls, police sources said.

The two men were arrested for their suspected involvement in human trafficking while the woman for not having valid document, Tengnoupal superintendent of police S Ibomcha said. Moreh is part of Tengnoupal district.

The Rohingya are a persecuted ethnic group in Myanmar, who have faced violence from time to time. At least 40,000 of them live in India.

More than 700,000 Rohingya fled to Bangladesh after a military crackdown in the northwestern Rakhine state in August 2017.

The violence, which saw widespread killings and rapes, hit women and children particularly hard, leaving them vulnerable to human traffickers.

Police identified the two men as Mohd Saifullah (34) and Mohd Salam (25) from Arakan, which is now known as Rakhine. The womans name was Toiba Hatu alias Nargis (20), who, too, is from the troubled Myanmar province.

Saifullah, who was living in Moreh with his family, was carrying an Aadhaar card and also a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees card, the SP said.

Salam and Toiba Hatu seemed to have arrived in India recently and had no documents on them.

The two men and a local, Mohd Ismail from Imphal West district, were trafficking Rohingya girls from Myanmar to different parts of the world, including India, Ibomcha said.

Ismail and the owner of the house where the group was living were on the run.

This is the second time in two months that such arrests have been made in Moreh, which is considered Indias gateway to the Southeast.

Three Rohingya men were arrested in March and police sources said they suspected involvement of some locals as the men had been promised jobs.

The Rohingya are one of the many ethnic minorities in Myanmar, which denies them citizenship and considers them illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.
Ravi is a relieved man, more than three years after he was accused of raping the woman he loved and married as well as illegally keeping drugs for which he spent over three months in jail.

Uttar Pradesh police told the Supreme Court on Thursday that both charges were false and steps will be taken to close them.

The state government did not reveal why he was charged  falsely, going by the police statement. But a petition filed by his sisters before the top court tells what happened with the 28-year-old man, who is known only by his first name.

Ravi is a Dalit from a village in Baghpat district of UP and the cases were foisted on him after he married a woman from the Jat community, the plea says.

His sisters rushed to the top court in September 2015 after a khap panchayat  a village council without any legal backing  issued a diktat that both be raped and paraded naked as revenge for their brother eloping with a married woman from a community considered higher in the caste order than his.

The sisters complained that false cases were lodged against Ravi, prompting the top court to order an investigation by a special team.

Ravi was in jail for three-and-a-half months before the court released him on bail on September 16, 2015. Police protection was given to the family that fled the village fearing a backlash.

At a hearing on April 5 this year, UPs additional advocate general Aishwarya Bhati informed a top court bench headed by Justice J Chelameswar that no evidence was found against Ravi for the drugs charges. The bench allowed the state to file a closure report on this case.

Also, the court recorded in its order that the victim had appeared before the judges and denied the sexual assault charges against Ravi. This prompted additional advocate general Bhati to assure that the rape case would be closed too.

The bench said it will order an inquiry against police officers who initiated the false criminal proceedings.

According to Ravis counsel Rahul Tyagi, the family was under pressure from police to withdraw the court petition. The family lives in fear despite protection and doesnt want to return to the village.

We can tell them (the government) to take over your land and compensate you because you will not be able to enjoy your property, the bench said and sought the familys response.
KP Oli is in Delhi on his first overseas visit since becoming Nepals prime minister for a second time in February. He comes armed with an overwhelming election mandate. He is a senior leader of the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) and is viewed as distinctly pro-China. His political rhetoric back home is nationalist, and in the Nepal context, nationalism often ends up being framed as opposition to India. Despite this, New Delhi has laid out the red carpet for Oli and accorded him a warm welcome.

Read | Nepal PM Olis visit to India signifies fluidity of politics and diplomacy

There are many differences, but 10 years ago, in 2008, another Nepali Prime Minister  a Maoist, not just a mainstream communist leader  seen as pro-China, who had won an election unexpectedly and used similar nationalist rhetoric, visited India. New Delhi had then, similarly, laid out the red carpet for the leader. HT looks back at Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachandas first visit to India as Prime Minister.

Context

Nepal had been locked in a triangular power conflict  between an autocratic monarch, parliamentary parties, and armed Maoist rebels. In 2005, India helped facilitate a deal between the parties and the Maoists  the former agreed to join a movement for republicanism, and the latter agreed to give up violence and accept multi-party democracy.

A Peoples Movement ousted the monarch. The Maoists joined open politics and signed a peace agreement in 2006. Their soldiers and arms were locked in to cantonments. And in 2008, elections were held for a Constituent Assembly. The Maoists, just two years after emerging from underground, became the single-largest party. Prachanda became republican Nepals first PM.

What happened

Delhi was taken aback by the election result. It had helped the Maoists join mainstream politics, but it remained suspicious of them. And it believed that Prachandas democratic credentials were not entirely tested and he could still aim to use power to establish some kind of political hegemony. So ideally, India would have liked to lock in the Maoists within a democratic framework, but as a junior partner. This did not happen. India now had to deal with a Maoist government in its neighbourhood.

It did not start well. Breaking convention, Prachanda made his first visit to China to attend the closing ceremony of the Olympics. India was uneasy  did this signal that Prachanda wanted to break the special relationship Nepal had with India for decades? But the Maoist leader was careful and after returning from Beijing, announced his first political visit would be to India.

Delhi decided to drop its worries and focus on making the visit a success. After all, India had backed the democracy movement and facilitated the entry of Maoists. Indian officials had established a relationship with Prachanda. And it was believed that by engaging with him, India could ensure that he did not tilt northwards to China.

Prachanda charmed Indian audiences. He met PM Manmohan Singh with a hug. The entire Indian political leadership, across party lines, welcomed Prachanda at a special lunch hosted by the veteran socialist leader Sharad Yadav. He spoke at a business chamber meeting, wooing investors, which did much to break the image of an insular communist leader.

But the warmth did not last.

Significance

In his meeting with PM Singh, Prachanda had made a commitment  he would not do anything with regard to the Nepal Army without a political consensus. The context was important. During the civil war, the Nepal Army had fought the Maoists on behalf of the king. It had accepted political change, but was apprehensive of the Maoists. The Maoist combatants had to be integrated into security forces, and the army was not keen on the prospect.

But soon after he got back to Kathmandu, Prachandas tensions with the army increased. He eventually tried to sack the army chief, General Rukmangad Katuwal. This was unacceptable to India ,which saw it as a move by Prachanda to take over the army and capture Nepali state institutions to establish a one-party regime. The rest of the Nepali political class, backed by India, managed to stall Prachandas move and he had to eventually resign in May 2009.

India and Prachanda eventually made up. The Maoist army is now disbanded and a few thousand were eventually integrated into the Nepal Army. Prachanda returned to India as PM in 2016.

KP Oli is a much stronger leader than Prachanda was; Nepal is much more assertive than it was: the Chinese presence in Kathmandu is unprecedented now; and Indias hand is weak. Ten years after Prachandas visit, it will be interesting to see the fallout of Olis India trip.
A fresh application has been filed in the Supreme Court objecting to the popular wink scene in a song from the upcoming Malayalam movie, Oru Adaar Love, saying the act of winking is forbidden in Islam.

Filed by two Hyderabad-based parties, the application refers to the verses in the Holy Quran Sharid and wants the court to hear the petitioners before giving a decision on actress Priya Prakash Varriers petition to quash criminal charges registered against her in connection with the wink song that went viral on the social media within hours of its release.

Earlier in February this year, the Supreme Court had stayed all the pending first information reports (FIRs) filed against the song and the movie.

The stay was granted in response to a petition filed by the director, producer and the actor.

One of the applicants had previously lodged an FIR against the song in Hyderabad.

The other applicant professes to be a person engaged in preserving the rich Muslim culture and values.

In their application, the applicants have raised the issue of certain objectionable picturisation, which when superimposed with the sacred lyrics of the song can very well be categorised as an act of blasphemy.

The 30-second clip shows a young schoolgirl and a schoolboy exchanging smiles, eyebrows wiggles and winks from across the way. It has completely captivated audiences but with a wrinkle on the face of religious Muslims, reads the application.

Teachings of Sahih Muslim also forbid the act of winking, the applicants have claimed.
An 18-year-old girl accompanied by and four women of her family tried to immolate herself on Sunday in front of chief minister Yogi Adityanaths residence accusing BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and his brother of rape and harassment, police said.

Security personnel outside the chief ministers residence foiled the self-immolation attempt and took them to Gautampalli police station. Adityanath was not in Lucknow on Sunday. Additional director general of police, (ADGP) Lucknow zone, Rajeev Krishna met the woman and her family and assured them of action as per findings of investigation.

However, the BJP MLA rubbished the rape allegations and said it was a conspiracy by criminal elements to malign his image.

The girl alleged that Sengar, who is MLA from Unnaos Bangarmau constituency, and his aides had raped her on July 4, 2017 but the police did not include his name in the FIR lodged in the matter. She said after the rape incident, she shifted to Delhi fearing attack by the MLAs aides. She alleged the MLAs men attacked her father on April 3 when she returned from Delhi and had been continuously harassing them.

Talking over phone, the MLA said the entire drama was scripted by two brothers, Mahesh Singh and Surendra Singh, who had long criminal background. The police also confirmed long criminal history of the two brothers that goes back 15 years.

The girl, who had levelled these fake allegations is from their family and they were trying to malign his image for last few months. The same people even tried to malign my image by posting objectionable material on social media claiming my involvement in rape. I have complained to the Unnao police about this matter and even lodged a defamation suit against the family, Sengar said.

Narrating the entire sequence of event, superintendent of police (SP) of Unnao, Pushpanjali Devi said the girls family had lodged an FIR under Sections 363/366 of the IPC for kidnapping a minor girl to compel her for marriage at Makhi police station of Unnao in June last year.

The SP said the girl was later rescued and three youths were sent to jail on charges of rape and under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act after the girl alleged rape while recording her statement before a judicial magistrate. One of three accuseds mother and sister were also accused but the police gave clean chit to them after their involvement was not established in the case, she added.

The girl and her family had come up with new allegation of rape against the MLA. A fresh case of attack was also lodged by the girls family on April 4 and the investigation in the case was on, Pushpanjali Devi.

ADGP of Lucknow Zone, Rajeev Krishna, said the investigation in the two cases had been transferred to Lucknow so that an inquiry could be conducted without any bias under supervision of a gazetted rank police officer. He said the action will be taken as per its findings.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi, sources said, amid complaints by some BJP MPs that their problems are being ignored by the state government.

The two are also learnt to have discussed the bypoll to the Kairana Lok Sabha seat, which fell vacant due to the demise of BJP member Hukum Singh in February, sources in the state government said.

With the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party set to replicate their alliance which helped them win the Phulpur and Gorakhpur Lok Sabha bypolls, the two are understood to have discussed the election strategy.

Kairana, a Jat-dominated region in Shamli district in western UP, was in 2014 won by BJPs Hukum Singh, who died due to illness in February this year, necessitating the bypoll.

The meeting between Modi and Adityanath also assumes significance as BJP MP Chottelal, a Dalit face of the party, had complained to the prime minister of mistreatment by the chief minister, the sources said.

Some other MPs are reportedly upset at the way the state government is dealing with their complaints and requests related to their respective constituencies.

During a part of the meeting, deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya was also present, they said.
Dalit activists in Barmer have alleged that police harassed the protesters who were taken into custody for participating in the April 2 Bharat bandh.

The nationwide bandh was called by Dalit organisations to protest the Supreme Courts ruling that, they say, dilutes the SC/ST (prevention of atrocities) Act.

The activists claimed that police intentionally registered cases against Dalits to harass them, and demanded that investigation be handed over to an agency outside Barmer.

Dalit organisations called a peaceful bandh. Some anti-social elements entered the march and instigated people, after which it turned violent, said Laxman Badera, a Dalit activist.

Despite tracing the elements who instigated the violence, police are unnecessarily harassing Dalits, due to which community people are living under fear, Badera said in a statement.

He said a delegation of Dalit leaders has met union minister Arjunram Meghwal, SC/ST commission member Yogendra Paswal, Rajasthan assembly speaker Kailash Meghwal, and additional home secretary Deepak Upreti to demand a fair probe.

Badera alleged that three Dalits suffered fractures after they were beaten up in police custody. All are admitted to hospital. Barmer police have kept them isolated to hide their inhuman act; no one is allowed to meet them, he alleged.

Barmer police chief Gagandeep Singla said family members were allowed to meet them, but admitted that they have been kept isolated to avoid any unwanted situation.

Barmer district collector Shivprasad Nakate and Singla told reporters that they have held meetings with social organisations and communities, and assured them that no action will be taken against innocent people.

Action will be taken against only those who have taken law in their hands and caused disturbance to law and order situation during the Bharat bandh on April 2, Nakate said.

The officials refuted a social media post that some some organisations have called a bandh on April 10. Singla said 60 people have been arrested in connection with the April 2 bandh and 17 cases registered at police stations in the district.
Kisan Mahapanchayat, an organisation of farmers, will file a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Rajasthan high court against the state government for its failure to ensure the purchase of farmers crop at minimum support price (MSP).

The MSP is the price of a crop at which rate the government buys crops from farmers. Its a safeguard to prevent exploitation of farmers at the hands of private players.

The case will be filed under Rajasthan Krishi Mandi Upaj Act 1963 that states that no designated crop can be sold or purchased below minimum support price. However, this is happening and the government remains apathetic. So, we have sent a notice to the registrar and will file a PIL soon, said Rampal Jat the president of Kisan Mahapanchayat.

Jat said that the ruling BJP had promised to pay fair prices for the crop during the election campaign in 2014, but has failed to keep its promise.

Farmers under the banner of Kisan Mahapanchayat plan to gherao chief minister Vasundhara Raje on April 9 during her visit to Sri Madhopur in Sikar district. HT had reported the matter.

As against MSP of 4,000 per quintal, farmers are selling mustard at 3,500. The situation is worse for chana (gram). It is being sold at 3,000-3,500 per quintal, while the MSP was set at Rs 4,400. The MSP for wheat is 1,735 per quintal, but at most mandis farmers are selling it for 1,500, Jat said.

On April 3, police had detained Jat along with about 50 other farmers when they were trying to march to the chief ministers residence in Civil Lines area of Jaipur.
In another incident of man-animal conflict, a leopard was killed by villagers after it attacked and injured a man in Shahpura area of Jaipur, a police official said on Sunday.

In order to save the victim, the villagers beat the two-year-old leopardess to death.

A post-mortem revealed that the animal was in search of food from last five-six days and died of injuries resulting from stone-pelting, Jaipur North deputy forest conservator Yogendra Singh Kalvi said.

The police said around 6 am the villagers of Nilka village were pouring water from a community tank when the leopard attacked 32-year-old Mahesh Kumar. The villagers started pelting stones and thrashed the leopard with sticks in order to save Kumar. Nilka village is adjoining the Bhabhru forest block of Jaipur range.

Shahpura police station, Virendra Singh Rathore said that the victim sustained grievous injuries and was later referred to a hospital in Jaipur.

A forest official, on the condition of anonymity, said the leopard was hungry and thirsty and had come out of the forest to look for food and water. This happens every year during summer, as water bodies in the forests dry up.

A case was registered against unidentified men under Wild Life Conservation Act, Kalvi added.

In January, two villagers were mauled by a leopard in Peelu village of Chauhtan tehsil, Barmer. One of the victims, Hira (30) suffered a fracture in his hand, while the other, identified as Meghiya Ram (30) suffered minor bruises on his face.

According to Wildlife Census 2016, there are 41 Leopards in Jaipur, including Nahargarh (7), Nahargarh Biological Park (4), Deputy Conservator of Forest (DCF), Jaipur (21) and 9 in DCF, Jaipur (North).

There are 508 leopards in Rajasthan, with the maximum population in reserves such as Kumbalgarh (95), Mount Abu (46), Sita Mata (40), Todgarh Raoli (35) and Panther Conservation Reserve, Sumerpur (28).

(With PTI inputs)
BJP leader and Rajasthan social justice minister Arun Chaturvedi on Sunday said that agitations being launched by the Congress were face saving exercise and PCC chief Sachin Pilot and his party have no connect with the people.

The Congress recently launched matka phodo agitation (to protest water tariff hike). Water was a big issue during the Congress regime and they had spent 12,225 crore in five years on water projects, while BJP government has spent 20,000 crore (on water projects) in the past four years, Chaturvedi said.

Explaining the reasons for the hike, the minister said, JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) had refused to grant further loans unless the previous loan repayment was completed. We were left with no option, as Rajasthan has 10% of countrys population, but only 1.33% of water reserves. The government then decided to carry out annual water tariff hike, but the hike was done only in 2017. The funds were used for different water augmentation schemes, he said.

The state government has hiked the water tariff by 10% with effect from April 1, 2018, for the second consecutive year. This year, the public health and engineering department (PHED) has increased water tariff for consumers using water supplied from PHED sources up to 8,000 litre per month. Consumers will now have to pay Rs 1.89/ 1,000 litre instead of existing rate of Rs 1.76/ 1,000 litre. Last year, there was no rise in water tariff on consumers using water supplied from PHED sources up to 8,000 litre per month.

Chaturvedi also attacked Pilot for his comments on BJPs Jan Samvaad (public dialogue) programme. Pilot has termed it as a dhoka (betrayal). It seems our unique programmes to connect with the people are causing heartburn in Congress. The fact is that Sachin Pilot and his party have lost connect with the people, he said.

Chaturvedi then listed out the BJP governments achievements in the past four years and compared it with the Gehlot regime of 2008-2013. He said BJP government has resolved 95.55 lakh cases under Nyay Aapke Dwar (justice at your doorstep) initiative.

Replying to a query, Chaturvedi said Congress partys announcement of observing a fast to protest the violence during the Dalit agitation showed that it was a two-faced party bent upon misleading the people for political gains. On one hand, the partys president (Rahul Gandhi) said that he salutes the protestors and now they have decided to observe fast.
A 29-year-old traffic police sub-inspector in Bharatpur will marry on April 19, and she has printed traffic rules on her wedding invitation cards.

The sub-inspector, Manju Foujdar, lost her father and brother in road accidents. The personal tragedies left a deep impact on her psyche, and she vowed to spread traffic awareness and prevent deaths in road accidents.

I lost my father, Ishwar Singh, when I was only one year old. He died in a road accident. My younger brother, Devendra Singh, also died in a road accident in 2006 when he was only 17 years, Foujdar said.

These two losses had a deep impact on me, and when I got an opportunity to serve in the (traffic) department, I decided to make people aware about traffic rules so that precious lives can be saved.

Manju Foujdars wedding invitation. (HT Photo)

Talking about her difficult childhood, the police officer said, After my fathers death, the responsibility of raising my two siblings and me fell on my mother, but she never allowed our financial condition to be a roadblock in our education.

After completing her schooling at the government senior secondary school in Kumher in 2005, she graduated in arts from RD Girls College, Bharatpur. She then did her Bachelor of Education (BEd) in 2009 from Mother Teresa College, Bharatpur.

Foujdars elder sister, Rekha Foujdar, is a clerk and works at the office of Jaipur police commissioner.

I wanted to get a government job to share my mothers burden, but my heart was always in the police department, Foujdar said, adding that her father was a police constable.

Manju Foujdar, who did her Bachelor of Education (BEd) in 2009 from Mother Teresa College, Bharatpur. (HT Photo)

During college days, when she travelled by public transport from her village to Bharatpur city, she often faced harassment. Boys and men would pass lewd comments and I felt helpless, she remembered. When she became a police officer, she started taking action against men harassing women students.

Harassment sometimes becomes a reason for school dropout. I want women to study so that they can stand on their own feet, said the police officer.

Foujdar said road accidents lead to deaths every day on because youths dont wear helmets and dont follow traffic rules.

We need to realise that helmets should be worn for our safety and not just to avoid penalty imposed by traffic police, said the sub-inspector who will marry government schoolteacher Harvir Singh of Pali village in Bharatpur.

Manju Foujdars mother Rakesh Devi is a happier woman today. I am happy that she (Manju) followed in her fathers footsteps and is serving the people through the police department, she said.
Upset with his family problems and caste-based clashes happening in the country, a 40-year-old man attempted suicide by self-immolating him in Jaipur on Sunday, police said.

Raghuveer Sharan Agarwal set himself on fire near Amrapali Circle between 5.30am  5.45 am, said Bhopal Singh Bhati, the station house officer (SHO) of Vaishali Nagar police station. Passersby doused the fire and rushed him to the SMS hospital.

The victim suffered over 80% burns and his condition was serious. His kin wanted to take him to Delhi and took him away in the morning, barely two hours after he was admitted, said Dr SS Yadav, spokesperson of the SMS hospital in Jaipur.

Ashok Gupta, deputy commissioner of police, Jaipur West, said that the victim in his statement to the police stated two reasons for taking the extreme step. He was facing some family issues and he was upset with the prevailing situation in the country and the incidences of caste-based clashes, he said.

Caste-based clashes were witnessed across several parts of the country last week during the Bharat Bandh protests by Dalit groups on April 2. Ten people lost their lives in the violence that unfolded on the day.

Agrawal runs a drug store in Vaishali Nagar and is survived by wife and three kids, the police said. The SHO said that no suicide note was found with Agarwal.
The Bengal police on Sunday launched a massive operation to sanitise the Bengal-Jharkhand border in Birbhum district which has been rocked by violence ahead of next months panchayat elections.

Clashes which have continued unabated for the entire period of filing of nominations showed no signs of ending with violence reported even on Sunday although no nomination was filed. The nomination window closes on Monday.

Police launched the sanitising operations following information that antisocial elements from neighbouring Jharkhand were entering Bengal to create problems during the polls. Every vehicle at the border of the two states in the district is being checked by a huge police contingent under the leadership of senior police officers.

We want to ensure that no one with arms can enter the district before the polls and this checking will continue, said Birbhum district police superintendent, Neelkanth Sudhir Kumar.

On Saturday, after clashes at Mohammad Bazar of Birbhum district on Saturday, additional director general (law & order), Anuj Sharma said that the police have spotted miscreants coming from Jhargram entering through Dumka border and holding rallies on behalf of a particular political party. Although he did not name any party, he showed a video footage where some people were seen rallying holding saffron flags. Twenty people have been arrested so far in connection with the Mohammad Bazar clashes.

But despite the heavy police presence, violence continued in Birbhum.

On Sunday morning a housewife at Mallarpur in Birbhum district was severely injured, after crude bombs hidden in a country oven (tandoor) blasted as she went to ignite it. The blast blew up the left hand of Rubina Bibi. Her eight year old son was also severely injured. Both have been admitted to a local hospital and police is probing to find out who was responsible for hiding the crude bombs in the oven.

At Keshiari in West Midnapore district, a local Trinamool Congress leader was beaten up allegedly by BJP activists on Sunday morning. The BJP leadership, however, has denied their involvement with the incident.

The clashes werent only between rival parties. At Jangipara in Hooghly district, two factions of Trinamool clashed. A Trinamool office was ransacked and gutted and the partys gram panchayat candidate, Sheikh Nazimuddins car was smashed. He alleged that the attack was masterminded by Jangipara panchayat samity president, Sheikh Moinuddin. Police seized some crude bombs from the area.

In Kolkata, a group of intellectuals and civil society members took out a peace rally to protest the recent trend of communal violence rocking the state. Veteran poet, Shanka Ghosh, theatre personality Rudaprasad Sengupta and film director, Tarun Majumdar participated in the rally. Some leading Left Front leaders including Left Front chairman and CPI(M) politburo member, Biman Bose also joined the rally without carrying party flag.

Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh ridiculed the participants calling them irrelevant intellectuals. These intellectuals are biased and hence we are not giving any importance to the rally, Ghosh said.

The Opposition has accused the ruling Trinamool Congress of using strong arm tactics to stop rival candidate from filing their nominations.
An RPF constable was seriously injured when her husband allegedly threw acid on her for giving birth to a girl child and not fulfilling dowry demands in Chandaura village in Muzaffarnagar, police said on Sunday.

Komal, who was posted at Delhi, was living with her parents in Muzaffarnagar after a dispute with her husband Kapil Kumar, who works in a private firm in the national capital, circle officer SKS Pratap said.

Kumar came to her parents house to meet her on Saturday. But after an argument threw acid on her and escaped, he said.

Komal was rushed to a hospital with burn injuries, Pratap said.

Her condition is stated to be serious.

The womans family alleged that Komals husband and in-laws had been harassing her for dowry since their marriage in 2013. They were also unhappy that she gave birth to a girl child in 2016, the officer added.

On the basis of their complaint, a case has been registered and police have launched a manhunt to nab her husband who is absconding, the police officer said.


S Durga

Director: Sanal Kumar Sasindharan

Cast: Rajshri Deshpande, Kannan Nayar

Rating: 4/5

Shakespeare said, A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, and he is right. What is in a name really? Sexy Durga, or just S Durga, the film directed by Sanal Kumar Sasindharan is a trippy bit of art at work. Its about a couple  a Hindu girl and a Muslim boy  who elope and what happens to them in the next few hours.

Inter-religious marriage has different outcomes in Kerala, varying between families accepting the couple to honour killings. As Durga (Rajshri Deshpande) and Kabir (Kannan Nayar) prepare to leave Kerala for Chennai, we wonder what the outcome would be.

As the young lovers try to hitchhike their way to the railway station, the thought crosses, Is this going to be a crime thriller with either or both losing their life? Throughout the film, you are caught in this web.

Durga and Kabir find a ride with smugglers moving weapons. The driver and his friend ogle at Durga to their hearts content with no thoughts of how she is affected. Kabir and Durga endure the situation, but soon it gets worse. They tell the driver to pull over to get away from the dirty stares and the grating questions. Initially, you are just frustrated  at the society at large for accepting such lecherous behaviour.

Even as a viewer, you do not take it seriously. Then, the couple tries to get another ride, only to come across two older men who harass the duo. These two men make demeaning comments, pass judgements about the couples character. The director holds a mirror to the society that we live in today. Even as the character struggle, we are stifled by how incredibly close-minded the society is today.

Now imagine this happening in a loop. The realistic approach of filming this series of events pulls you in. Especially if you are a woman watching the film, you begin empathising. You understand what Durga is going through and as the film proceeds, you are engulfed in the same fear as she.

In a particularly hard-hitting scene, the men who initially give the couple a ride while convincing the couple to join them again ask, Did we hurt you at all during this time? Did we misbehave with chechi (Malayalam word for sister, also used to address women with respect) at all?

Disbelief floods your mind. In fact, just minutes before they make distasteful comments when Durga says she wants to pee and now they ask if they hurt her at all. The society is blind to how hateful their comments could be and ignores how it is not just physical abuse that counts, but verbal abuse too. This one scene nails it.

At 1 hour 30 minutes, the films pace is not fast. In fact, Sanals signature shots of the surroundings of his characters are present, adding to the uncertainty. He drives in the fact that Durga and Kabir are the prey and every man they come across a predator. He is also not interested in etching the character background or the whys of their action. Like why did they not have a vehicle arranged? Why did the friend not help? Why did they think it was okay to hitchhike in the outskirts where roads are notorious for unlawful activities.

We assume its desperation. Desperation to leave and begin a new life. Each scene is open to interpretation. S Durga is not a mere film, but an abstract piece of art that has endless possible nuances that you can discover.

The high point in the film is the juxtaposition of a festival that celebrates Goddess Durga and this mini-van with one Durga in it. The celebratory dance as the devotees invoke the Goddesss name and the very predatory behaviour of the men in the van, flitting back and forth takes your breath away.

The sharp commentary with subtle symbolism touches upon how we as individuals are forced to make choices that go against our beliefs to satisfy the society, and yet we do not make an active move to break free from the trappings long enough. We might escape it for some time, but it doesnt last. S Durga is a film that needs to be celebrated for its beautiful treatment of a complex subject.

Author tweets @Priyanka_S_MCC

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Senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Ajit Pawar ON?? took a dig at chief minister Devendra Fadnavis for criticising his uncle and party chief Sharad Pawar at a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally held in Mumbai last week.

His (CM Fadnavis) political teacher (Narendra Modi) came to politics holding the fingers of the NCP chief and these people are criticising such a leader. Do these BJP leaders have that much stature to speak about him? said Ajit, slamming the chief minister at a rally at Dahiwadi village in Satara district of western Maharashtra. The rally was part of the NCPs Halla Bol campaign, a street-style agitation underway in western Maharashtra.

Ajit was alluding to Prime Minister Narendra Modis comment in November 2016, on the occasion of Sharad Pawars 50 years in electoral politics, when he had said the latter had held his hand during his early days in politics. This had fuelled much speculation over NCP and BJP bonhomie. However, the NCP has since then announced it will align with the Congress in the upcoming polls and Sharad Pawar has been seen bringing together an anti-BJP front.

Ajit also charged at the BJP government for misusing power. The BJP leaders are misusing power. They start conducting probe against anyone. People are being put behind the bars even without any suspicion. Maharashtra has never seen such kind of politics. This needs to be stopped now, Ajit said.

Fadnavis had recently lashed out at the NCP supremo for targeting him over the allege spending on tea and hospitality in chief ministers office (CMO). What we drink, we serve to our leaders. What your party leaders drink, you cannot serve it in our office. Dont get in to controversy over teawallahs; you saw what happened in 2014, he said on Friday.

BJP has started NCP in lieu of upcoming polls since it is now clear that the latter will align with Congress.

He was replying to Pawars remarks in which the latter had indicated a scam in CMO on spending on tea and hospitality. "The cost on tea and hospitality in the CMO has increased by 577%. I was also the CM for four-term and during my time no one drank so much tea, Pawar has said targeting at the chief minister.
The Bandra police have arrested a domestic help from Jharkhand who had fled with gold and diamond valuables, collectively worth Rs26.27 lakh, last month from Bandra.

The police recovered a Burberry watch worth Rs75,000 which the accused, Udayprasad Yadav, was wearing.

According to Bandra police, complainant Nadir Nariman Irani, 53, lives on the second floor of a tower located near Mount Mary church. Last year in January, Irani had recruited Yadav through RK Enterprises, a private agency which runs its office in Adarsh Nagar near Oshiwara Park in Andheri.

After working with the Iranis for six months, Yadav left for Bihar. He returned in January 2018 and again started working with them. On March 16, the complainants wife had opened their cupboard in Yadavs presence. The accused saw that valuables were kept in the cupboard.

The next day Yadav stole the gold, diamond and other valuables and fled the house. The Iranis did not feel anything amiss and thought Yadav had taken leave and would return in some days. It was only a week later, on March 23, the theft came into light, when the complainant searched for his watch in the cupboard.

They then rushed to the Bandra police station where a First Information Report (FIR) was lodged under section 381 (theft) of the Indian Penal Code. Based on some information provided by the complainant, the police managed to trace Yadav to his hometown in Jharkhand.

The police are further probing the case and are attempting to recover rest of the valuables from him. The police also suspect that Yadav may have used the same modus operandi to steal valuables from other houses where he may have worked before.
A new city-based organisation is training doctors, especially mental health professionals, to understand the health needs of the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) community.

The group called Health Professionals for Queer Indians (HPQI), which launched last month also aims to sensitise medical students so they can cater to needs to the community better when they start their practice.

Health care workers  doctors, nurses are not trained as a part of their curriculum to understand the needs of LGBT patients and patients too dont reveal about their sexuality as they are unsure of how the doctor would take it, said Dr Prasad Dandekar, head, radiation oncology, Sir HN Reliance Hospital, who founded the organisation along with another doctor.

In a qualitative study by Dr Prasad, where they interviewed 10 individuals from the LGBT community, he found that health care professionals turn down LGBT patients, saying they dont have enough knowledge about their problems or misdirect them.

We lack data on social and physical health problems of LGBT community. One thing that stood out from my study was that LGBT patients have a hard time communicating their problems to doctors, Dr Prasad said.

A 39-year-old man from Powai, who struggled to accept his sexuality through his late teens, attended the launch of HPQI and said he had visited a local psychiatrist with complaints of feeling anxious, but had been misdirected by them.

When I told him that I was gay, the doctor advised me to suppress it given the Indian social scenario, he said.

While HPQI organised a conference along with Indian Psychiatric Society (IPS) at the civic-run BYL Nair Hospital, Mumbai Central, on March 10, they are looking to conduct programmes at other medical teaching colleges in the future.

Dr Kersi Chavda, who heads the task force set up by the IPS to understand the emotional needs of members of the LGBT community, said there is a need for health care professionals to be more forthcoming to help LGBT needs. The idea is to comprise a group of all professionals who are gay-friendly and help and treat them without discrimination, he said.
The two cross-runways at Mumbai airport will remain shut between 11 am and 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday for monsoon repairs.

Flight services at the Mumbai airport were hit badly today with two major carriers  Jet Airways and Air India  together cancelling over 100 flights and rescheduling about 70 services.

While Jet Airways cancelled a total of 70 flights, including 54 domestic services, Air India decided not to operate about 34 flights in view of the runway closure.

Additionally, Jet Airways also rescheduled another 70 flights, including 17 international ones. Air India diverted four flights.

Maintenance work will be carried out on the intersection of the main (09) and secondary (27) runway. The airport operator  Mumbai International Airport Pvt Ltd (MIAL) had informed all airlines earlier about the planned shutdown.

All airlines operating to and from the city airport have either cancelled or rescheduled their flights during these hours. A Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) was issued regarding the same, last month.

The rescheduled flights include AI 611 and 612 (Mumbai- Jaipur) and vice versa, AI 680 (Mumbai- Mangalore) and AI 696 (Varanasi- Mumbai).

Jet Airways rescheduled 17 international and 53 domestic flights and cancelled six international and 64 domestic flights. An Airports Authority of India (AAI) official said that the air traffic flow management (ATFM) system will be implemented after evening, once the runway gets operational post 5pm. This will be done to regulate traffic and avoid air congestion.

A senior airport official, however, said that though all necessary measures have been taken to have minimum impact on passengers, traffic congestion is expected.

The effect of airport closure will gradually reduce and everything will be brought to normal, said the official.

In October, flight operations were severely hit due to a pothole on the main runway.

(With PTI inputs)
Asif Khan, one of the four accused men who were arrested by the Mumbai crime branch for stealing bikes, has a vast expertise in bike modifications. So much so, that he would get offers to make bikes for many action films.

Khan told police about his film offers. He had made a specially-modified bike for the Ranveer Singh-Arjun Kapoor starrer, Gunday.

During investigation, Khan claimed that he would get offers from the film industry, asking him to modify bikes for action films. But we are verifying his claims, said senior inspector Mahesh Desai from unit-9 of the crime branch.

The other three arrested in the case are Sahil Ganja, Arif Khan and Milind Sawant. Ganja, who runs a garage in Dharavi, would bring customers to Khan for modification of their old bikes into a new one for Rs25,000 to Rs30,000.

Khan, who also runs a garage, located in Bandra, would then ask Arif and Sawant to look for a new but same model of the bike.

Arif and Sawant would steal a bike having the same model, after which Khan would erase the engine and chassis number of the stolen bikes and would emboss the numbers of their customers old bike on it. They would then hand over the stolen new bikes with the customers bikes numbers on it to them and scrap their old bikes, crime branch officials said. Khan is believed to be the mastermind of the gang. A class 10-drop out, Khan is a resident of Behrampada, Bandra (East).

While working in the garage, he developed a liking for bike modification, and gained an expertise in it. Khan gained popularity in the western and northern suburbs due to his unique style of bike modification.

Meanwhile, the police have intensified their hunt for two more members of the gang, who were involved in stealing bikes. Their identities are not known.

Police are also in the process of tracing the owners of the seized stolen bikes.We are taking help of Regional Transport Office (RTO) officials and experts of the companies of the recovered bikes to find out the owners, and to recover the original papers of the stolen bikes, deputy commissioner of police, Nisar Tamboli, (detection-1) said.
A 20-year-old woman, who was waiting for her husband near Worli Naka during the wee hours of Thursday, was sexually assaulted by a man, from her locality. The accused, Akash Waghmare, is also a friend of her husband. The woman informed her husband about the incident, following which they approached the Worli police to register a case on Saturday. The police are investigating the matter further.

The woman in her complaint said that on Wednesday, around 10:45pm, she had left her residence in Worli to meet her grandmother, who was admitted in Bhabha Hospital, Bandra for an eye surgery.

The woman said that using a patients mobile phone at the hospital, she contacted her husband around 1:30am on Thursday and informed about being in Bandra. Her husband asked her to meet him at Canara Bank near Worli Naka. She boarded a taxi and reached the decided location, but her husband was not there, said an officer from Worli police station.

The woman got married six months ago, and resides near Worli Naka with her husband, who works in a private firm.

The women alleged that when she was waiting for her husband, Waghmare approached her and claimed that he was her husbands friend. The man told the woman that he would call her husband and find his whereabouts, and pretended to call him. But when the womans husband did not reach the spot despite the call, the victim got suspicious of the man and began walking towards her house. The accused began to stalk her. He molested her on the way. She fought him and fled from the spot. Her husband later did confirm that the Waghmare was indeed his friend, said an official.

The couple then approached the Worli police station and register a case against the accused under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Vous etes confrontes a une infestation par la puce, la punaise de lit ? Voici plusieurs actions qui sont a mettre en uvre pour faire []
What do Ashok Dohrey, Chhotelal Kharwar, Yashwant Singh and Savitri Bai Phoole have in common?

They are among the Dalit MPs of Bharatiya Janata Party who have rebelled against the party for not doing enough to protect their community. All of them are first time MPs from Uttar Pradesh, where the government of Yogi Adityanath has increasingly come under attack for discriminating against the Dalits.

On Saturday, it emerged that Yashwant Singh, BJPs lawmaker from Nagina in western Uttar Pradesh, had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the NDA government of doing nothing for the 30 crore Dalits of the country.

Earlier this week, Chhotelal Kharwar made headlines when he made his letter to the PM public, accusing Yogi and other state BJP leaders of not acting against party officials in his area who were conspiring against him. The MP from Robertsganj said he was scolded and thrown out of the office of the UP CM, when he had gone there for help. On the same day, Ashok Dohrey, BJP MP from Etawah, shot off a similar letter, saying Dalits in UP were being unfairly targeted by the police.

BJPs Dalit trouble in UP began last week with Savitri Bai Phoole who came down heavily on Modi governments stance on the Supreme Courts order on the Prevention of Atrocities against Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes smacked of a conspiracy to scrap reservation for Dalits.

The 37-year-old lawmaker from Bahraich then went on to organise a mass rally in Lucknow on April 1, a day before the nationwide protests that saw Dalit anger spill over to streets across the country.

Notwithstanding their shared grievances against Yogi, there is something else that is common to these four Dalit MPs who have rung in a rebellion of sorts.

All of them are lateral entrants in BJP. Neither did they grow up with any social ties to the BJP nor were they groomed in Sangh politics.

Phoole joined politics inspired by Kanshi Ram  the founder leader of Bahujan Samaj Party. She switched to BJP in 2002. Both Yashwant Singh and Ashok Dohrey were ministers when Mayawati was the chief minister between 2007 and 2012. Prior to BSP, Singh was with the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

Phoole and Dohrey are looking to go back to BSP, according to reports in local media. There is speculation that Singh might also be looking to exit. Chhotelal Kharwar told journalists that he is not in the good books of Sunil Bansal, BJPs man in charge of UP.

All of them are vulnerable to switching sides, and there is a reason. In three of the four constituencies they represent, Dalits and Muslims together account for more than 50% of votes. In Etawah, where its about 30%, the Yadavs have a strong presence. The chances of these MPs getting re-elected on a BJP ticket have dimmed, given the new-found bonhomie between the SP and the BSP and the prospects of an anti-BJP alliance that will likely include the Congress party.

In all these constituencies, the combined votes of SP, BSP and Congress were significantly higher than that of the BJP during the 2014 general elections of 2014 as well as the 2017 assembly elections.

The four MPs had won largely because of the Modi wave and a split opposition. Last months Lok Sabha bypolls in Phulpur and Gorakhpur, however, showed the extent to which the BJPs political dominance can be undermined by the SP-BSP combine.

Caste data available with the political parties shows that Dalits, Muslims and Yadavs have more than 40% votes in 44 of the record 73 seats that the BJP and its ally, Apna Dal, won in 2014. In 37 of the 73 seats, the SP and BSP polled more than the BJP. If votes polled by the Congress party are added, that number climbs to 51.

This pattern remained mostly unchanged until the assembly elections last year. In 2017, the BJP and its allies polled about 34.4 million votes in the state, while that of SP, BSP and the Congress totaled 43.6 million.

With no wave in 2019, the outcome of the next Lok Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh will largely depend on caste arithmetic.

In Phulpur and Gorakhpur, the BSP demonstrated it can successfully transfer its votes in favour of the SP. It remains to be seen if SP can reciprocate. That will be tested when bypolls are held in Kairana, another BJP-held Lok Sabha seat that fell vacant due to death of its MP. The BSP is expected to contest this seat with the support of SP, and possibly the Congress party.

If Kairana swings away from BJP, expect another round of implosion. Clearly, the BJPs Dalit trouble in the heartland of Indian politics is far from over.

(The author is Editor at Large, Hindustan Times. He tweets as @rajeshmahapatra)
Police booked 31 people and arrested four men among them including an MLA of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) early Sunday after two local Shiv Sena leaders were murdered Saturday evening.

NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap was arrested along with Sandeep Gunjal, Balasaheb Kotkar and Bhanudas Kotkar, police said. Gunjal is the prime suspect.

The Ahmednagar police booked the four under various sections of the Indian penal code (IPC) including Section 302 for murder.

Jagtaps arrest infuriated NCP workers who stormed the office and of the superintendent of police and ransacked it. There is heavy police deployment to prevent a deterioration of law and order situation but the city continues to be tense.

There is a law and order situation in the area and I cannot reveal many details to you, said police inspector A Parmar of Kotwali police station who is investigating the double murder.

Shiv Sena deputy head in Kedgaon, Sanjay Kotkar and another leader Vasant Thube were killed after being shot and attacked with sharp weapons on Saturday evening.

The murder sparked off tension in the Shahunagar area of Kedgaon and shops and commercial establishments quickly downed their shutters.

Shiv Sena supporters staged a protest at the murder site for hours and blocked the police from removing the bodies before they eventually relented. Traffic on Pune-Ahmednagar bypass was stopped for a short while after the attack after Sena members held a rasta-roko protest on Saturday evening.

The double murder came on the heels of Congress leader Vishal Kotkar winning the civic bypoll for Ward 32 (Kedgaon) of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation. The bypoll was necessitated after the mayor former mayor Sandeep Kotkar, also Congress member, was convicted in a 2008 murder case.

The shops in the main market area of Kedgaon like Manik Chowk and Bhagwan Chowk remained shut on Sunday following a bandh called by the Shiv Senas local unit.
Two Shiv Sena leaders were killed in Kedgaon area of Ahmednagar on Saturday evening. The two were identified as Sanjay Kotkar, deputy city head, and Vasant Thube, local member of the party.

The two were shot at and also attacked with sharp weapons while they were riding a two-wheeler, according to local reports. The incident happened on Saturday evening in the area under the Kotwali police station.

By the time the police rushed to the spot, an angry crowd had gathered and the bodies remained on the street for hours after the murder.

There are too many people gathering in the area at the moment and I cannot comment on anything, said police inspector Abhay Parmar of Kotwali police station under Ahmednagar city police jurisdiction.

Traffic from Pune to Ahmednagar was shut after members of the Shiv Sena blocked the Pune-Ahmednagar bypass road, the police said.

The double murder happened on a day when a Congress member Vishal Kotkar won the civic bypoll for Ward 32 (Kedgaon) of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation beating the Shiv Sena as well as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidates.

The bypoll was necessitated after the former mayor Sandeep Kotkar, also Congress member, was convicted in a 2008 murder case.

The bypolls were necessitated after the former mayor and Congressman Sandeep Kotkar was convicted in the 2008 murder case of a local businessman Ashok Lande. Sandep Kotkar and his father Bhanudas Kotkar, along with two others, were sentenced to life in prison in 2016, leaving the local seat empty.
Four infants have died since Saturday after being vaccinated for Japanese encephalitis and measles in Jharkhands Palamu district, one of the states most backward districts. Three of the victims died within eight hours of the vaccination on Saturday while five others are undergoing treatment at a government hospital.

Nine children were administered vaccines at the local government health sub centre in Loinga village under the Patan community health centre in Palamu on Saturday.

The district administration has ordered a high level probe into the deaths and a team from Ranchi was sent to find out the reason for the casualties in the village, almost 200 km northwest of the capital Ranchi.

Villagers alleged within six to eight hours after vaccination, the children fell seriously ill with high fever and bouts of vomiting while their eyes turned yellow. Their condition deteriorated so quickly that three of them died before anything could be done.

Family members along with villagers blocked traffic for more than three hours near the village, 25 km from Daltonganj on Sunday.

The irate villagers also briefly held the village auxiliary nurse midwife (ANM) Draupadi Pandey hostage , accusing her of being responsible for the tragedy.

Three of the victims aged between one year to 18 months were identified as Ujjwal Kumar, son of Upendra Kumar; Sanju Kumari, daughter of Santosh Yadav and Aryan Kumar, son of Dhirendra Bhuiyan.

The fourth child two-year-old Ayush Kumar died Sunday afternoon at Daltonganj Sadar Hospital. Another infant Prabhat Kumar was referred to RIMS, Ranchi for better treatment.

Palamu deputy commissioner (DC) Ameet Kumar acknowledged the tragedy and assured the villagers of action against the guilty. Nine children were vaccinated in the village yesterday. It was a routine vaccination for measles and other diseases. Three children have died while six others are admitted at Sadar Hospital. They are responding well to the treatment, he said.

The Palamu civil surgeon is probing the incident. We will take action after the probe is over. Guilty will not be spared, Kumar added.

The office of the chief minister announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 1 lakh for the each of the bereaved families and free treatment for those children still in hospital.
On Saturday, Telugu actor Sri Reddy protested against the casting couch problem in the Telugu film industry by stripping in public in front of the Movie Artistes Associations (MAA) offices in Hyderabad. She alleged that producers, directors and male actors in Tollywood take advantage of female actors in exchange for sexual favours. She had asked to speak to CM Chandrasekhar Rao, however, upon not hearing from him she went ahead with her protest.

Her actions have attracted controversy, and the MAA has reacted to Sri Reddys complaints by threatening to bar her from joining the organisation. According to a report in IB Times, actor Naresh said, MAA has always maintained two things: transparency and discipline. And it has worked on old-age and mediclaim schemes for the welfare of artists. Applications for membership of MAA are scrutinized by three executive members. If they have any queries, the person has to respond. But she (Sri Reddy) has not replied for 15 days.

He added, We held an executive committee meeting this morning to discuss the issue of suspending her. The association has all the rights to suspend, as she has insulted both the industry as well as media with her chief (cheap) publicity gimmick.

Director Ram Gopal Varma took to Twitter to comment on the matter. He wrote, Sri Reddy has become a national celebrity..People in Mumbai, who dont even know Pawan Kalyan are talking about Sri Reddy.

Sri Reddy told media present at her protest that the MAA had denied membership to her even after she had acted in three films.

Read | Telugu actor Sri Reddy strips on the street to protest against casting couch

Earlier, assistant commissioner of police K Srinivasa Rao said that the actor refused to file an official complaint about her grievances and only said that she was denied opportunities.

The actor has been voicing her complaints on social media. She alleges that Telugu producers cast female actors from Chennai and Mumbai instead of giving opportunities to local actors.

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They dont have PhDs or wear lab coats. They range in age from 10 to 75. But citizen scientists are helping actual scientists answer questions about the weather, wildlife, plant life, whats really going on the in the oceans, and even what lies beyond the stars.

They typically have day jobs  as graphic designers and lifeguards, business consultants, architects and bankers. Many have to take time off to head out into the nowhere lands where they collect leopard scat, report on roadkill, count birds, survey households living around wildlife reserves, set up camera traps or measure beached dolphin carcasses.

A lucky few are able to pursue their passions at home, or just outside it. Rudolf Nonglait, 10, for instance, does his bit for science on his way home from school, every Friday.

He lives in the West Khasi Hills district of Meghalaya, and is helping SeasonWatch by reporting weekly on the leaves, fruits and flowers of a Himalayan cherry tree in his neighbourhood, for a countrywide study on the impact of climate change on the fruiting and flowering patterns of trees.

Similarly, mechanical engineer Pradeepta Mohanty, 30, of Bina-Etawa in Madhya Pradesh, scans sections of sky on his laptop after work, using raw data from the all-sky surveys done by TIFRs Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT).

He is part of the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory citizen science project. Mohantys discovery of an intriguing galaxy merger was part of a 2016 research paper on tracking galaxy evolution published in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy.

In Meghalaya, 10-year-old Rudolf Nonglait is monitoring a Himalayan cherry tree as part of a nation-wide study by SeasonWatch.

Beyond the stars

The term citizen science refers to the engagement of members of the general public in scientific research mainly through data collection, occasionally also through analysis, under the guidance of professional scientists.

The term was coined in the mid-1990s and is attributed independently to an American ornithologist named Rick Bonney and a British professor named Alan Irwin. It was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 2014.

But the concept isnt new. In the mid-18th century, much before science was turned into an area of professional study, a Norwegian bishop created a network of clergymen to contribute collections of natural objects for his research.

Other early examples on record include lighthouse keepers on the Caribbean coast collecting data on bird strikes in 1880 for the American Ornithologists Union; the National Audubon Societys Christmas Bird Count, which was launched in North America in 1900; and the British Trust of Ornithologys Breeding Bird Survey, which has run annually since 1994.

Over the past two decades, citizen scientists in the US have participated in projects to monitor water quality and scour the night skies for new celestial bodies. Online platforms like SciStarter and Zooniverse host projects requiring crowdsourced research across disciplines, from astronomy to ecology, the humanities, cell biology and archaeology.

From a research perspective, in a project where it is important to understand what is happening over a vast area  an entire state, or the whole country  the most fruitful approach is to work with a large number of interested and enthusiastic citizens, says ecologist Suhel Quader.

Apps are helping citizen scientists record readings and findings in real time, as in this survey of landslide-prone areas in Maharashtra.

A former research investigator with the National Centre for Biological Sciences, he launched the citizen science (CS) initiative MigrantWatch in 2007, while still with the NCBS. The portal, which morphed into Bird Count India in 2015, tracks the arrival and departure of migratory bird species to assess changes in their migratory patterns.

In 2010, Quader also set up SeasonWatch, and he was instrumental in setting up the Indian chapter of eBird, a CS operation managed globally by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

When the programme was introduced at the school where I teach, last year, I encouraged Rudolf to join, even though he goes to another school, says the 10-year-olds father, Resly R Pariong, a science teacher. Such projects teach kids to love nature at an early age and so, they are more likely to take part in protecting the environment as they grow up.

Back home

In India, CS is still at a nascent stage. Despite that, its an exciting time because of rapid growth and a growing number of participants, says Quader.

The earliest large-scale citizen science project in India was the Asian Waterbird Census launched in 1987 and continuing till date. In recent times, smartphone access and social media have made it easier to launch CS efforts. For instance, this January, the Wildlife Trust of India and the UK-based David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation launched Road Watch, a Facebook page and smartphone app that encourages citizens to report wildlife roadkill incidents across the country.

Its a feasible, time- and resource-effective way to gather information, says Radhika Bhagat, a wildlife researcher associated with the project. Over time, the data will help us predict roadkill hotspots, identify worst-affected species and assess the efficacy of existing mitigation measures.

Citizen scientists are also collecting data on leopard sightings in buffer zones; some, like lifeguard Sameer Kankonkar from Goa, record details of dolphin beachings and turtle sightings.

Elsewhere, locals are helping the Marine Mammal Conservation Network of India (MMCNI) with its open-source online database for sightings and reports of stranded mammals on Indian shores.

Among them is Sameer Kankonkar, 35, a lifeguard in south Goa. When humpback dolphins and turtles wash up on the shore, I take photographs, measurements, note location, time, type of animal and condition, he says.

In Rajasthan, people are helping collect data on man-animal conflict on the edges of reserves, for a study conducted jointly by the US-based Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Bengaluru-based non-profit Centre for Wildlife Studies (CWS) and Duke University, USA.

Under the guidance of Krithi Karanth, associate conservation scientist with the WCS, volunteers surveyed thousands of households to learn about crop damage and mitigation measures used by locals, to understand how living around a wildlife reserve impacts livelihood.

Their findings were used in a paper published in the peer-reviewed Oryx  The International Journal of Conservation, in 2017.

Besides basic field skills, citizen science helps the lay person shed notions of romanticism, especially when it comes to wildlife conservation, and gain a more realistic experience, learning how complex and challenging it actually is, Karanth says.

There is scope for much more, in terms of scale and complexity. One of the reasons citizen science remains undervalued is the rigidity of Indias formal systems of science, says Sunita Narain, environmentalist, activist and head of the New Delhi-based thinktank Centre for Science and Environment. Most of our scientists are so fossilised and rigid that they dont allow non-members or innovators to survive. This must change.

Extensive training could help, adds Ramakrishna Ramaswamy, formerly of TIFR and now a professor at Delhis Jawaharlal Nehru University.

India needs everybody to participate in science, but for that, professional scientists need to invest in training the minds of common people, he adds. As Louis Pasteur put it, fortune favours the prepared mind.

Tracking landslides

For five years, Pune-based microbiology student Mitali Inamdar, 22, and nine other citizen scientists  including bankers, engineers and business consultants  have been contributing to an inventory of landslide-prone areas in Maharashtra. They have identified 169 hotspots so far, are these are being further divided on the basis of causes  landslides due to rock fall, mudflow or debris. Their study is part of the Satark landslide-warning project by the Pune-based Centre for Citizen Science (CCS).

The catalogue, co-related with satellite imagery, is used to issue alerts in regions susceptible to landslides. Citizen scientists are needed for this project because satellite images alone are not enough. On-ground support provides greater accuracy, says CCS secretary Mayuresh Prabhune.

For this project, the scientists travel to far-flung villages to collect soil samples, take readings of wind velocity, and interview locals. Its hard work, but its worth it, says Nitin Tamhankar, 38, a banker from Pune who uses most of his leave to work on the project. Its gratifying to know that our contributions could help save lives, Inamdar adds.

Nitin Tamhankar, a banker from Pune, travels to far-flung areas to collect soil samples, take readings of wind velocity and interview locals about landslides. (Mujeeb Faruqui / HT Photo)

Over the past three years, estimates based on their data have been used to issue alerts in the hilly Malshej Ghat and Lonavala-Khandala regions of the state. On days of high rainfall, the team co-related the rainfall intensity in the regions and shared information with us, indicating high probability of landslides there. It helped us issue advisories to corresponding district collectors, says Suhas Diwase, collector of Bhandara district and former director of Maharashtras disaster management cell.

A research paper based on their data is also in the works. It will be a first-of-its-kind inventory in India, says meteorologist Jeevanprakash Kulkarni, a member of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) and retired scientist from the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, and now vice-president of CCS.

Counting crows

Around the world, birds have been the first and most popular projects involving citizen scientists. Currently, long-term projects in India include a Kerala Bird Atlas (KBA) and Common Bird Monitoring Programme (CBMP) that are roping in citizen scientists to identify area-wise bird diversity and distribution. For the KBA, 1,500 enthusiastic birdwatchers  students, teachers, doctors, senior citizens  accompany expert birders to survey birds, water bodies, fruiting trees and invasive plants within selected areas.

The data will help us analyse how land-use and habitat patterns affect bird populations, says Praveen Jayadevan, a district coordinator for the project. The ambitious five-year project, to be completed by 2020, will be the first systematic bird atlas for an Indian state. Based on this research, well also be able to estimate the number of years that habitats take to change, which affects bird populations, and help initiate conservation efforts.

The CBMP, launched by the Bombay Natural History Society last year, has participants walk the same 2-km grid at the same pace, thrice a year, to spot birds perched on or near an invisible transect line. This method, when used over a long stretch of time, say seven years, will give an accurate idea of trends in common bird populations, says Dr Raju Kasambe, project manager of the Important Bird Areas programme at BNHS.

Retired banker Madan Tillu, 64, is volunteering with his wife, Prachi, 59, a banker. She tracks the birds, I make notes. This has improved our knowledge of birds. And its a great bonding exercise, he says. The largest citizen science database of bird records in the country is eBird India, a two-year-old website and mobile app powered by Bird Count India, a collective of conservation organisations, and the UK-based Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Retired banker Madan Tillu and his wife Prachi, a banker, are contributing to a bird-monitoring programme. She tracks birds, I make notes. Its a great bonding exercise too, he says. (Bhushan Koyande / HT Photo)

The documented sightings undergo a check system akin to peer review, which makes them more reliable, says Pronoy Baidya, who used some of its findings in for his research paper on the birds of Goa, co-authored with Mandar Bhagat and published in the South Asian ornithology journal, IndianBIRDS, in January.

Authors have begun to use eBird data from India in published papers around the world, adds Aasheesh Pittie, Hyderabad-based ornithologist, bibliographer and founding editor of IndianBIRDS. Historically, birding in India has been restricted to urban spaces. With digital technology, more data can be gathered from across the country, and this will greatly benefit conservation efforts.

The Big Bang Theory

As a kid, to escape his parents arguing, Pradeepta Mohanty would go to a park near his home, lie on the grass and gaze at the night sky. It gave me a sense of wonder, and a sense of peace, he says.

There wasnt much an aspiring astronomer could look forward to in his hometown in Odisha, though, so Mohanty became a mechanical engineer and now works at an oil refinery in Madhya Pradesh. But he never got over his love affair with the stars.

So when he came upon the RAD@home Astronomy Collaboratory during a random search for astronomy groups on Facebook five years ago, he signed up immediately. This is a citizen science project that trains anyone who has or is pursuing a degree in science or engineering, to scan patches of sky and make astronomical observations.

Through Facebook e-classes, Skype calls and telephone conversations with Ananda Hota, a radio astronomer at the Centre for Excellence in Basic Sciences (CEBS), Mohanty, now 30, learnt how to use NASA Skyviews virtual telescope to generate images of any part of the sky, analyse the data from the all-sky surveys done by TIFRs Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope (GMRT), and find celestial objects catalogued online.

For three hours a day, Mohanty scans footage on his laptop and marks faint-and-fuzzy objects that could indicate unique galaxies with supermassive black holes, radio-jet interactions and star formations.

Citizen science speeds up research. Its possibly the only way to meet the Big Data challenge in astronomy, says Hota. This project was launched in 2013 and is supported by the National Centre for Radio Astrophysics (Pune) and the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR, Mumbai), among others.

It currently has 110 citizen scientists scanning footage of the sky across India.

Some of their findings, including Mohantys galaxy merger, were included in a 2016 research paper titled Tracking galaxy evolution through low-frequency radio continuum observations using SKA and citizen-science research using multi-wavelength data, in the Journal of Astrophysics and Astronomy published by the Indian Academy of Sciences and Springer Nature.
If theres one thing most people know about Auckland, its that New Zealands largest city has astounding natural beauty. Rather than thinking of it as a progressive cultural hub, people envision the glistening harbors, lush green mountains, and untouched islands just off its coastline. But Auckland has become one of the most innovative culinary destinations in the South Pacific- rivaling even Sydney and Melbourne.

Case in point: At Orphans Kitchen, a sparse dining room in the trendy Ponsonby district, the chef, Tom Hishon, whips up wood-roasted chook (chicken) with kiwi mole and pillowy, purple tortillas made from kumara, a local variety of sweet potato. The chefs manifesto references Maori heritage and New Zealands erratic weather; guests are encouraged to watch the sunset from an outdoor courtyard, and there are beehives on the second floor. Occasionally, breakfast features tasting menus.

Any Aucklander will admit that this was unthinkable not long ago. When I was growing up here in the 90s to early aughts, the restaurant options were limited to conventional white tablecloth spots, where most tables got birthday candles in their chocolate sponge cake. Now the city is flourishing with stylish cafes-turned-hangouts, glossy restaurants, boutique dessert bars, and lively marketplaces.

Auckland attracts more than 2.6 million international visitors each year, and tourist numbers have grown almost 8 % annually over the last five yearswith no signs of slowing, explains Steven Armitage of Auckland Tourism. With factors such as Zika virus and intensifying political instability around the world sending travelers on a search for untapped safe havens, New Zealand has emerged as a trending option. The restaurant boom couldnt have come at a better time.

Slow beginnings

Aucklands slow culinary transformation began after the city hosted the Americas Cup back in 2000, prompting the redevelopment of the downtown Viaduct area into a mixed-use social hub. In came a series of creative restaurateurs, eager to translate the regions natural resources into simple yet sophisticated dishes. Ingredients such as locally caught octopus and kumara went from being relatively unfamiliar to stars on the plate.

The Viaduct was Aucklands first real hospitality precinct, says Nicola Waldren, general manager of the Restaurant Association of New Zealand. Almost two decades later, theres been a domino effect of creativity, she says, spilling from the Viaduct to such new areas as Ponsonby and Britomart, a bustling enclave in the formerly rundown lower central business district. Anywhere you go in town, youre likely to encounter an establishment thats as creativeor aspiring to be as creativeas Orphans Kitchen.

A familiar story, with a big advantage

At the heart of Aucklands culinary revolution is Jackie Grant, co-founder of culinary empire Hipgroup, which blends the heirloom ethos of New Yorks Dan Barber (of Blue Hill at Stone Barns fame) with a portfolio of essential-feeling establishments reminiscent of Danny Meyers oeuvre. Her first restaurant, Cafe on Kohi, opened in 2004 with an all-day farm-to-table concept that was radical at the time; her latest innovation is Amano, a nose-to-tail Italian restaurant featuring unconventional cuts of locally farmed meats.

We celebrate fresh, seasonal, local produce sourced from our own farm in Kumeu and pride ourselves in serving ingredients of the highest quality, Grant explainswhich is to say: the same thing most any top-notch establishment is doing the world over.

But where Auckland restaurateurs have a leg up is how these modern foodie tropes are realized: Its easier to be local and seasonal when you have a compact country spanning distinct climate zones and growing regions, from sub-tropic to high-altitude mountains, fertile volcanic soil, epic pasture land, and unpolluted waters for fishing. Whereas other city chefs have their locavore goals limited by geography, Aucklands are elevated by it, able to draw on a bounty of ingredients, both familiar and new, and reconfigure them into a sublime sense of place.

At Amano, that means tortellini with fennel soffrito, stuffed with crayfish from the Wairarapa Coast. At all-day dining spot Rosie, its ash-rolled venison with cocoa nib and tomato paste. At Ostro, a glass-walled dining room right on the water, its lobster-and-snapper pie, or Wakanui beef with roasted eggplant.

When we opened our first cafe in 2004, our industry was still finding its feet and an identity, says Grant. Were proud of what we have here and have reached a point where we know how to showcase it.

Its a very experimental but exciting time here right now in New Zealand, says Orphans Kitchen chef Tom Hishon.

A new wave

If Aucklands food scene was slow to build, its currently evolving at a rapid-fire pace. Prominent chefs are applying their firebrand, Kiwi-proud creativity to everything from bistros to coffee bars to food markets.

Take Ponsonby Central, a multi-venue concept akin to New Yorks Chelsea Market, where you can get ethically grown, locally roasted espressos from Eighthirty, shop for grain-fed New Zealand-raised wagyu from a butcher with its own aging room, or snack on the first pizzas in the country to get a seal of approval from the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana.

The beauty about being in this region is that there are very few rules or any deep culinary history that needs to be adhered to, explains Nic Watt, chef of Masu in the CBD. This allows us restaurateurs and chefs a blank canvas to showcase our individuality. In his case, that means fusing Aucklands abundant natural resources with Japanese robata grilling.

The momentum shows no signs of slowing. The city is gearing up to host the Americas Cup for the second time in 2021, meaning that several new hospitality developments are already underway. Both the CBDs International Convention Centre and Commercial Baya massive, mixed-use development on the harborare set to include outlets from some of the citys most prominent chefs when they open in 2019. And major luxury hotel brands Park Hyatt and Sofitel SO are opening properties ahead of the big event, filling the citys void for five-star accommodations and undoubtedly bringing more big-name restaurants to the flourishing CBD area.

Where to eat and sleep in Auckland

Apartment No. 305: Think of it as a luxe Airbnb in picturesque Viaduct Harbor, but with the services of a five-star hotelsuch as on-demand meals from ex-Noma chef Finn Gybel.

SkyCity Grand: A modern hotel in the heart of the CBD, within a stones throw of the restaurant-packed Federal Street dining strip.

Depot: One of New Zealands leading chefs, Al Brown, is behind this inner-city stalwart, which draws Aucklanders far and wide for its fresh-from-the-ocean oysters. Theyre bigger and juicier than any youve seen.

Ostro: Prominent Kiwi chef Josh Emett has a knack for all things seafood. Be sure to get a pre-dinner drink at the rooftop cocktail bar, Seven; it has great views of Waitemata Harbor.

Masu: The citys best Japanese robata restaurant, set along Federal Streets lively restaurant row.

Milse: A Hipgroup venue that offers the citys best desserts. Dont miss the passionfruit and thyme gelato cakes.

Ponsonby Central: Its Aucklands take on the urban food market, with elevated take-out and dine-in options. Make a bee line to Burger Burger and Bedford Soda & Liquor for diner-style meatballs and cocktails adorned with fresh flowers.

La Cigale: A beautiful, French-style marketwith ritzy street foodthat takes place on the weekends in the well-heeled suburb of Parnell.

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Joy rides in 150-year-old heritage steam locos could be a reality for tourists here by next year as the National Rail Museum is restoring three such locos, the oldest dating back to 1865. The Phoenix is a 1920 loco, RamGoti dates back to 1865 and Fireless Locomotive to 1951. All three are being restored by a group of experts and would be made available for tourist use after a feasibility test.

We are restoring them for tourism purposes. The first one to be ready by this year end is the Fireless loco and is likely to be in the NRM for tourist use, NRM Director, Amit Saurastri told PTI. The other two locos would be ready by next year, the director said.

The Ministry of Railways is actively working to boost tourism in its network and to showcase its more than 160 years of history. Each loco, an official said, has a unique history. While the Phoenix loco was last used at Jamalpur in Bihar for shunting purposes, RamGoti was used by the municipality in Kolkata for garbage disposal, they said.

Fireless loco was called so as it had no boiler and instead there was a pressure vessel mounted on the under-frame. The steam was collected in the pressure vessel from a static boiler. It was used for shunting in areas of inflammable material such as oil, jute etc. Due to the limited capacity of the steam accumulator, this locomotive had limited speed (18.5 mph) and was limited to short area movements.

This locomotive was last used in Sindhri Fertilizers, Jharkhand. The official said that the restoration of such locos take time as most of their parts are obsolete and thus difficult to find. Currently, tourists can take rides on the steam loco toy train every Sunday and the Patiala State Monorail, a loco dating back to 1907, every Thursday at the museum.

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The 21st edition of the Commonwealth Games are on at Carrara Stadium on the Gold Coast, where sun, surf and sand are an important part of the theme. Beyond the iconic red and yellow of the surf-lifesavers and miles of world-class sandy beaches, the Gold Coast is a city bursting with innovative people and ideas.

Here are just a few:

Very virtual: What started as an educational project to help save the Great Barrier Reef has grown into a virtual tour of the worlds deep blue. Welcome to Google Ocean Street View, which allows users to explore some of the oceans that cover 70% of the Earths surface  all without putting on a bathing suit. The underwater footage gives viewers a 360-degree look at dolphins, coral nurseries and even shipwrecks  and people love the images so much the company behind the imagery has received more than 600 million online hits.

And that company, Panedia, is on the Gold Coast. Aaron Spence started it in 2006 and six years ago he brought in Carlos Chegado, an expert in virtual reality photography. Spence worked with Chegado in developing underwater rigs and lenses that could withstand ocean pressure and be used for 360-degree photography and videography underwater.

The underwater footage gives viewers a 360-degree look at dolphins, coral nurseries and even shipwrecks. (Shutterstock)

This is the most ambitious aquatic project in the world ... and it is exciting for me to be part of a project that is so important for all of humanity, Chegado said. The ocean is the earths life support system but it is changing at a rapid rate due to climate change, pollution and over fishing. But we also want to celebrate the beauty of what do have so we are also filming 50 of the worlds most beautiful reefs  and we are putting this imagery up on 50reefs.org.

The team uses six cameras capturing 6,000 images a day and there are more than 40 Google Ocean Street View locations around the world.

Bring back the weekend  A post shared by Mark (@mb_auz) on Apr 8, 2018 at 3:35am PDT

Location, location: Forget Chris Hemsworth. The Gold Coasts biggest mover and shaker in the movie industry could very well be location manager Duncan Jones. While he doesnt play a super hero, Jones has transformed streets and beaches, parks and buildings into sets for the movies such as Thor, Aquaman and even Captain Jack Sparrow.

The 44-year-old Jones started as a dolphin trainer at the Sea World theme park on the Gold Coast, where he worked on the set of TV series Flipper  and fell into the movie business. The Gold Coast has it all  from beaches that could be Rio through to rainforest that could be the Amazon jungle  and our weather is a definite bonus when it comes to shooting in outdoor locations, Jones said.

The Gold Coast is undoubtedly the driving force behind Australias movie industry, the city has recently played host to Thor: Ragnarok, Unbroken, San Andreas, and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales. But it was the construction of a permanent large-scale outdoor water tank that was used in the U.S. production of Fools Gold in 2007, and starring Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey, that really put the Gold Coast on Hollywoods radar. The tank allowed for large-scale underwater and above water filming and is directly responsible for attracting 10 big productions.

A Gold Coast company is lighting up the gaming floors of casinos around the world. Simtech Creations counts the worlds largest casino  the Venetian in Macau  as a client as well as Las Vegas Venetian and Galaxy, and Singapores Marina Bay Sands casino and Sentosa Island.

While Simtech, which turns over between $30-40 million annually, does work for all the Australian casinos, managing director John Curtis said this accounted for only five percent of its business. Globally we are the biggest gambling supplier in the world in terms of displays and link systems, Curtis said.

Curtis said his companys LED lighting technology, which can be contoured to virtually any shape, is 10 years ahead of its international competitors and such is the demand that Simtech has expanded to 13 small factories.

Their lighting technology, which can flow around corners and curves and often highlights gaming machines and tables, is now used in casinos in Asia, America, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

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The controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor -- the flagship project of Chinas ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) -- is being extended to Afghanistan, a report said on Sunday.

The BRI has injected fresh vitality to Asias economic cooperation and helped the continent to reshape its international relations, said the Asian Competitiveness Annual Report 2018 released in Beijing on the sidelines of Chinas Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference.

China had unveiled in December its plans to extend the $50 billion CPEC to Afghanistan, which has sparked concerns in India.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, during his meeting with his Pakistan and Afghan counterparts, had offered to extend CPEC to Afghanistan.

China and Pakistan are willing to look at with Afghanistan, on the basis of win-win, mutually beneficial principles, using an appropriate means to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to Afghanistan, Wang had said at the trilateral foreign ministers meeting.

The BFA was formed by China in 2001 on the lines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, and holds its meeting every year.

This years forum to be held till April 11 has opened on Sunday in Boao, a coastal town in the southern island province of Hainan. President Xi Jinping is due to address the conference.

China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), a flagship project under the Belt and Road Initiative, has not only improved local infrastructure but also is extending toward Afghanistan, reducing poverty, the hotbed of terrorism, and bringing better prospects for local peoples lives, state-run Xinhua news agency quoted the report as saying.

The multi-billion-dollar BRI, the pet project of Xi has become a major stumbling block in India-China relations as CPEC has been listed as its flagship project.

India has protested to China over CPEC, which is being built through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Outlining Indias concerns on BRI, Indian ambassador to China, Gautam Bambawale told Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post recently that when we talk about development projects or connectivity projects, they must be transparent, fair and equal. There are certain internationally accepted norms for such projects.

If a project meets those norms, we will be happy to take part in it. One of the norms is the project should not violate the sovereignty and territorial integrity of a country. Unfortunately, there is this thing called CPEC, which is called a flagship project of BRI which violates Indias sovereignty and territory integrity. Therefore, we oppose it, he said.

Earlier, he told state-run Global Times that both countries should resolve differences. This is a major problem for us. We need to talk about it, not push it under the carpet, he said.
An alleged chemical attack that left dozens dead in Syrias rebel-held town of Douma sparked international outrage Sunday, with US President Donald Trump warning there would be a big price to pay.

As international condemnation poured in, there were reports that just hours after the alleged attack rebel forces had agreed to evacuate Douma, their last holdout in the onetime opposition stronghold of Eastern Ghouta.

Trumps threat came exactly a year and a day after the US fired cruise missiles at a Syrian air base in retaliation for a deadly sarin gas attack in 2017.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria, Trump wrote on Twitter on Sunday, lashing out at Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russias Vladimir Putin, a key ally of the regime.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay, he said.

Asked whether the US could again respond with a missile strike, White House homeland security adviser Tom Bossert told ABC television: I wouldnt take anything off the table.

The regime and Russia both denied any use of chemical weapons as fabrications.

The Russian foreign ministry called the latest reports a provocation, warning against military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts.

Syrias White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said the attack took place late on Saturday using poisonous chlorine gas.

So many choking

In a joint statement with the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), the White Helmets said more than 500 cases were brought to medical centres with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent.

It said six people died while being treated, and rescuers found 42 more people dead in their homes with signs of similar symptoms.

Footage posted online by the White Helmets, which was not possible to verify, showed victims with yellowed skin crumpled on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

Other residents could be seen receiving treatment at hospitals, with shell-shocked medics holding up gas masks to motionless infants.

The scene was horrifying. So many people were choking, so many people, White Helmets member Firas al-Doumi told AFP from inside Douma.

Most died immediately. The majority were women and children, he said.

We only have four oxygen machines, said Mohammed, a doctor inside Douma who told AFP they were not enough to treat the dozens coming in with breathing problems.

The situation is really, really tragic. Ive been working here for four years and have never seen what I saw in the last few hours, he said.

The reports prompted widespread condemnation and calls for an investigation.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said he was particularly alarmed, adding that any confirmed use of chemical weapons would be abhorrent.

Pope Francis described the allegations as terrible news, saying: Nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations.

Evacuation within 48 hours

London called for an investigation into what it said were the deeply disturbing reports and Ankara, which has backed rebels against Assad, said it had a strong suspicion he was to blame.

Douma is the last remaining opposition-held town in Ghouta, once the rebels main bastion outside Damascus but now ravaged by a seven-week regime assault.

Since February 18, Syrian and Russian forces have waged a fierce military onslaught and negotiated two withdrawals to retake control of 95 percent of Ghouta.

The agreements, brokered by Moscow last month, saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to the northwest opposition-held Idlib province.

It appeared Douma would follow suit, with a preliminary deal that saw hundreds of civilians and rebels from Jaish al-Islam quit the town last week.

The rebels had been hoping to land a deal that would keep them in control of Douma, but Syrias government has insisted on their departure.

After days of talks that brought a brief respite from the assault, the negotiations fell apart and ferocious bombing resumed.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said nearly 100 people were killed in air raids on Friday and Saturday.

On Sunday, state media announced Damascus had reached a deal that would see rebels leave Douma within 48 hours.

In exchange Jaish al-Islam would release hostages it had been holding, the source said. State news agency SANA reported dozens of buses were already entering Douma to begin the evacuations.

There was no immediate confirmation of the deal from rebel sources.

Ghouta was among the areas hit in a 2013 sarin gas attack that was blamed on Syrias government.
As the condition of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia improves, leading lights of the Conservative Party and chief opposition on Sunday clashed on who was being an idiot for their positions in the row  foreign secretary Boris Johnson or Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn.

Johnson used an article in The Sunday Times to rail against Corbyn, calling him the Kremlins useful idiot  the Labour chief has insisted that apportioning blame should await completion of investigations into the poisoning attack, allegedly caused by a nerve agent associated with Russia.

Johnson wrote that Kremlin had made a cynical attempt to bury awkward facts beneath an avalanche of lies and disinformation, and claimed that the Russian government and state-owned media had invented 29 theories about the attack.

There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join inSadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort ...Truly he is the Kremlins useful idiot, he wrote.

Other Conservative leaders joined the attack on Corbyn. Communities secretary Sajid Javid said: Theres no doubt when it comes up against this issue with Russia that we are having, this very serious issue, that Jeremy Corbyn has let the British people down.

Policing minister Nick Hurd said that while the phrase useful idiot was part of the lexicon of Johnson, he added: I feel very strongly that Jeremy Corbyn has been insufficiently clear in his condemnation of Russia.

In response, Labours shadow education secretary Angela Rayner told BBC: Boris Johnson is the governments useful idiot because actually, what hes done is hes created a situation where he has contradicted the evidence and overstepped the mark.

Also on Sunday, the Foreign Office said it had received a request from Russian ambassador Alexander Yakovenko for a meeting with Johnson, but saw it as Moscows diversionary tactic. It would respond to the request in due course.

Moscow has consistently denied any role in the attack.
Hackers attacked networks in a number of countries including data centres in Iran where they left the image of a US flag on screens along with a warning: Dont mess with our elections, the Iranian IT ministry said on Saturday.

The attack apparently affected 2,00,000 router switches across the world, including 3,500 in our country, the communication and information technology ministry said in a statement carried by Irans official news agency IRNA.

The statement said the attack, which hit internet service providers and cut off web access for subscribers, was made possible by a vulnerability in routers from Cisco which had earlier issued a warning and provided a patch that some firms had failed to install over the Iranian new year holiday.

A blog published on Thursday by Nick Biasini, a threat researcher at Ciscos Talos Security Intelligence and Research Group, said: Several incidents in multiple countries, including some specifically targeting critical infrastructure, have involved the misuse of the Smart Install protocol. As a result, we are taking an active stance, and urging customers, again, of the elevated risk and available remediation paths.

On Saturday evening, Cisco said those postings were a tool to help clients identify weaknesses and repel a cyber attack. Irans IT minister Mohammad Javad Azari-Jahromi posted a picture of a computer screen on Twitter with the image of the US flag and the hackers message. He said it was not yet clear who had carried out the attack.

Azari-Jahromi said the attack mainly affected Europe, India and the United States, state television reported. Some 55,000 devices were affected in the United States and 14,000 in China, and Irans share of affected devices was 2 percent, Azari-Jahromi was quoted as saying.

In a tweet, Azari-Jahromi said the state computer emergency response body MAHER had shown weaknesses in providing information to (affected) companies after the attack which was detected late on Friday in Iran.

Hadi Sajadi, deputy head of state-run Information Technology Organisation of Iran, said the attack was neutralised within hours and no data was lost.
British militant El Shafee Elsheikh, who was part of an Islamic State cell notorious for beheading hostages, said he felt traffic tickets in the now-crumbled caliphate had no basis in the law of Allah, but appeared to defend the imprisonment of Yazidi women, claiming slavery was around since humans have been around.

Elsheikh and the other members of his cell  nicknamed the Beatles because of their British accents  are accused of beheading seven American, British and Japanese journalists and aid workers. They were captured in January in Syria by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

When asked in an interview for Dubai-based Arabic Al Aan TV as to what he felt about being dubbed the Beatles of Islamic State, he said John Lennon wont like it much, but added he didnt listen to any music.

Asked about his imprisonment, he said: Its like any other jail. You eat. You sleep. You wait to be interrogated.

He said he had been questioned by the US government and the SDF, adding there was no British involvement.

Before it was the department of defence. It was okay. There were some respectable people. Then they brought some less respectable people. Then they brought the FBI, the least respectable out of the bunch, Elsheikh said, adding that he had not been offered any deals.

Elsheikhs family migrated to Britain from Sudan when he was a child. He had been a mechanic in London before he travelled to Syria, where he earned a reputation for waterboarding, mock executions and crucifixions while serving as an (IS) jailer, according to an AP report.

He refused to be drawn into questions about beatings and tortures carried out by him, saying: There is an ongoing legal process, and when they decide to get on with it, then we can talk about any accusations made against me or anyone else, so lets make a clear distinction between being a part of an organisation or a state or group and agreeing with everything they do.

He said there were certain things about IS laws he did not agree with. Traffic tickets. Such things have no basis in the law of Allah.

But when specifically asked about the imprisonment of Yazidi women by IS, he refused to denounce slavery.

You have to understand that just because America decided to abolish something... doesnt mean that every person has to run behind America and say this is now an abominable act...The reality is that slavery has been around since humans have been around, he said.

Asked why he chose to go to Syria when that countrys people were fleeing to Europe, Elsheikh sounded dismissive.

Syrians say they want to go to Europe because they dont know the realities of Europe...They are jealous of the lives they lead. They are self-sufficient. They keep close to their families. Theres not as much evil and corruption in their societies.

But they look at buildings and opportunities and money and they want to go over there and they end up breaking ties with their families, learning corruption...Every environment has corruption but nothing beats the West.

Asked about life in Raqqa, he painted a very idyllic scenario: Life is like everywhere else.

Halfway through the interview, when asked about whether some of the victims of the more gruesome executions had received a fair trial, Elsheikh claimed he was as much in the dark as you are. He also said he did not enjoy watching the execution videos.

He was again questioned about the trials given to those executed and was asked about his role in them, he lost his temper, abruptly saying: I think were done.
With his ambitious social programs, his international standing and his extraordinary fate, Brazils ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a potent symbol of Latin Americas defiant left.

Seeing him end up in jail is likely to deal a heavy blow to a generation of leaders.

Impact on Latin American left

It is certainly a shock to see the man who, more than anyone, pioneered the new left surge in Latin America, being sent to prison, said William LeoGrande, an expert in South American politics at the American University School of Public Affairs.

His demise comes some two decades after Latin America was swept by the so-called pink tide that brought leftwing leaders to 15 of the regions countries.

Lula is the candidate of the reformist, non-revolutionary left, more market-friendly. This more moderate left appears beaten, defeated because it bet on playing the democratic game and now it appears that these rules have harmed it, said Patricio Navia, an academic adviser at CADAL, the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America.

And as a result, it will become more radical.

Brazilian ex-president (2003-2011) Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves to supporters after attending a Catholic Mass in memory of his late wife Marisa Leticia, at the metalworkers' union building in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. Brazil's election frontrunner and controversial leftist icon said on Saturday that he will comply with an arrest warrant to start a 12-year sentence for corruption. (AFP)

Whether its the Odebrecht scandal, the economic downturn in Venezuela or Lulas conviction, they all point to a similar conclusion, said Francisco Panizza, professor of Latin American politics at the London School of Economics.

These episodes reinforce the idea that the Latin American left has come to a sticky end: with these corruption scandals, leaders in jail or the economic crises in Brazil and Venezuela, he said.

It is something that (the left) will struggle to overcome.

A new martyr?

With his charisma, his trademark white beard and his crowds of adoring followers, Lula could easily continue to stir up the national and regional political scene from his cell.

Clearly, for many leftist movements, whats happened in Lulas case is political persecution in order to remove him. The problem with this argument is that it doesnt expand beyond leftist circles, said Panizza.

And for many, he still remains a hero, said Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

When Lula was president, the life and prospects for the poor  the very poor, Brazilians of colour  was better than it had ever been: more jobs, higher pay, more social programs, expansion of education, he told AFP.

A supporter cries as he listens to former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's speech at the headquarters of the Metalworkers' Union while in Sao Bernardo, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. (Rodrigo Capote /Bloomberg)

As the first Brazilian head of state to come from the working class, Lula combined business-friendly economic policy with social-welfare programs that helped lift tens of millions of people out of poverty.

On Thursday, however, the Supreme Court rejected Lulas request to delay implementing his 12-year sentence for corruption while pursuing appeals against his 2017 conviction.

If successful, it could have afforded him several more months of freedom, likely further bolstering his chances in the upcoming presidential election in which he is the frontrunner.

What the court managed to do was to convert the October election into a referendum on Lula, Navia said.

The end of the left?

Hakim has little doubt that putting Lula behind bars signals the death of the left in Latin America.

The death of Fidel (Castro, Cubas revolutionary hero), the gigantic failure of (longtime Venezuelan socialist Hugo) Chavez and (current President Nicolas) Maduro, the caudillismo of (Nicaraguas Daniel) Ortega... have together pushed the left to its weakest point in my memory, he said.

Its hard to imagine any resurgence, even recuperation.

Although there may yet be another cycle, its hard to see what the left has to offer these days, unless it embraces markets, mainstream economic management and democratic government, as in Uruguay and Chile  and, to a great extent in Brazil, during the Lula presidency, Hakim added.

Demonstrators protest against former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in front of the Federal Police headquarters, in Curitiba, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. (Reuters)

Others are less pessimistic.

Its not the end of the left, but the end of a left  that which fought dictatorships and which benefited from the export boom of raw materials in Latin America in the decade after the millennium, Navia said.

But for Leogrande, it is poverty that will keep the left in business.

So long as Latin American societies are marked by poverty, inequality and social exclusion, there will always be a challenge to the status quo from the left, he said.
Myanmar is not ready for repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the most senior United Nations official to visit the country this year, after Myanmar was accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 7,00,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.

From what Ive seen and heard from people  no access to health services, concerns about protection, continued displacements  conditions are not conducive to return, Ursula Mueller, UNs assistant secretary-general for humanitarian affairs, said after a six-day visit to Myanmar.

The Myanmar government has pledged to do its best to make sure repatriation under an agreement signed with Bangladesh in November would be fair, dignified and safe.

Myanmar has so far verified several hundred Rohingya Muslim refugees for possible repatriation. The group would be the first batch of refugees and could come back to Myanmar when it was convenient for them, a Myanmar official said last month.

Mueller was granted rare access in Myanmar, allowed to visit the most affected areas in Rakhine state, and met army-controlled ministers of defence and border affairs, as well as de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials.

The exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed an August 25 crackdown by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state. Rohingya refugees reported killings, burnings, looting and rape, in response to militant attacks on security forces.

I asked (Myanmar officials) to end the violence... and that the return of refugees from (Bangladeshi refugee camps in) Coxs Bazar is to be on a voluntary, dignified way, when solutions are durable, Mueller told Reuters in an interview in Myanmars largest city Yangon.

Myanmar says its forces have been engaged in a legitimate campaign against Muslim terrorists.

Bangladesh officials have previously expressed doubts about Myanmars willingness to take back Rohingya refugees.

A Rohingya Muslim woman holds her kids after the Bangladeshi government moved them to newly allocated refugee camp areas. (AP/File)

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of refugees in two years. Myanmar set up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals.

We are right now at the border ready to receive, if the Bangladeshis bring them to our side, Kyaw Tin, Myanmar minister of international cooperation, told reporters in January.

Many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar regard Rohingyas as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The UN has described Myanmars counter-offensive as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar denies.

Asked whether she believed in government assurances that Rohingyas would be allowed to return to their homes after a temporary stay in camps, Mueller said: Im really concerned about the situation.

Part of the problem is that, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch, Myanmar has bulldozed at least 55 villages that were emptied during the violence.

I witnessed areas where villages were burned down and bulldozed...Ive not seen or heard that there are any preparations for people to go to their places of origin, Mueller said.

Myanmar officials have said the villages were bulldozed to make way for refugee resettlement.

Mueller said she has also raised the issue with Myanmar officials of limited humanitarian aid access to vulnerable people in the country and added, referring to authorities, that she would push them on granting access for aid agencies.
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was spending his first night in jail, a stunning fall from grace for a man who rose from nothing to lead Latin Americas largest nation and later became engulfed in corruption allegations.

Foreshadowing possible clashes in the weeks to come, police shot rubber bullets and sprayed tear gas late Saturday at supporters waiting for da Silva as he landed in a police helicopter in the southern city of Curitiba, where he will serve his 12-year sentence for money laundering and corruption.

Just a few hours before that, da Silva had to have guards push their way out of a metal workers union in a Sao Paulo suburb so he could turn himself in to police; supporters were trying to keep him from going into custody.

Read | Lula behind bars in Brazil: A deathblow for Latin Americas left?

Speaking to thousands of supporters at the union that was the spiritual birthplace of da Silvas rise to prominence, the former leader said would turn himself in so as to continue fighting a corruption conviction that he said amounted to a way for enemies to make sure he doesnt run  and possibly win  re-election in October.

Free Lula

When he first tried to leave the metal workers union headquarters, however, dozens of supporters blocked a gate where a car carrying da Silva was trying to exit.

Surround, surround (the building) and dont let them arrest him, chanted supporters. After a few minutes of tense words between guards and supporters, the former president got out of the car and entered the headquarters.

Police vehicles surrounded the union, raising the fears of clashes. Da Silva emerged a second time shortly after nightfall, this time surrounded by bodyguards who pushed back scores of supporters who tried to stop his advance.

Such dramatic scenes throughout the day underscored the drama that has rapt a nation deeply divided on da Silvas legacy and whether he is guilty of corruption. The latest developments began when the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the countrys top court, ruled against his petition on Thursday to remain free while he continued to appeal his conviction.

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (centre) is carried by supporters in front of the metallurgic trade union in Sao Bernardo do Campo, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. Former US president Barack Obama once called da Silva the most popular politician on Earth. (Reuters)

Judge Sergio Moro, who oversees many of the so-called Car Wash cases, then ordered an arrest warrant for da Silva, giving him until 5 pm Friday to present himself to police in Curitiba, about 417 kilometers southwest of Sao Bernardo do Campo, and begin serving his 12-year sentence.

Da Silva, who Brazilians simply call Lula, did no such thing. Instead, he hunkered down with supporters in the union headquarters.

The police and Car Wash investigators lied. The prosecutors lied, said da Silva, as a few thousand supporters cheered.

I dont forgive them for giving society the idea that I am a thief, he continued.

Still, da Silva said he would turn himself in to go there and face them eye to eye. The more days they leave me (in jail), the more Lulas will be born in this country.

While da Silva spoke, some people cried while others chanted Free Lula! When he finished speaking, a sea of supporters carried him on their shoulders back into the building.

Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said that by not complying with the order on Friday da Silva wanted to demonstrate strength and popularity, showing that he is a political leader capable of gathering a crowd in his support.

Choosing the metal workers union to take refuge, and not the Workers Party headquarters, was also significant, said Santoro.

It shows that he wants to emphasize his trajectory as leader of a social movement, rather than his role as leader of a party marked by allegations of corruption, he said.

Emotional farewell

In an emotional hourlong speech before his arrest, Lula called himself an outraged citizen over the graft conviction.

He said that Brazils top anti-corruption judge, Sergio Moro, lied about him being given the apartment by a big construction firm as a kickback.

I am the only human being to be put on trial for an apartment that does not belong to me, he said.

Lula accused the judiciary and Brazils most powerful media conglomerate of assisting a right-wing coup with the ultimate aim of preventing him from competing in the race.

They dont want me to take part, he said. Their obsession is to get a photo of Lula as a prisoner.

But, crucially, Lula said he would drop his dramatic show of resistance and comply with the arrest warrant.

After the speech, Lula was lifted onto the shoulders of supporters who chanted, I am Lula.

The rise and fall

Last year, Moro convicted da Silva of trading favours with a construction company in exchange for the promise of a beachfront apartment. That conviction was upheld by an appeals court in January. The former president has always denied wrongdoing in that case and in several other corruption cases that have yet to be tried.

Still, his jailing marks a colossal fall from grace for a man who rose from poverty to power against steep odds in one of the worlds most unequal countries. During his two administrations, several social welfare programs and a booming economy helped tens of millions come out of abject poverty, making his downfall deeply personal for many Brazilians who saw him as a symbol of hope.

A supporter of former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva waves a flag with Lula's face during a protest against sentencing him to serve a 12-year prison sentence for corruption, in front of the Federal Police headquarters, in Curitiba, Brazil, on April 7, 2018. (Reuters)

Born in the hardscrabble northeast, da Silva rose through the ranks of the union in the countrys industrial south. In 1980, during the military dictatorship, he was arrested in Sao Bernardo do Campo for organizing strikes. He would spend more than a month in jail.

After running for president several times, in 2002 da Silva finally won. He governed from 2003 to 2010, leaving office an international celebrity and with approval ratings in the high 80s.

Former US President Barack Obama once called da Silva the most popular politician on Earth.

Tough re-election

After his arrest, fireworks and cheering broke out in parts of Brasilia, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and other cities among those who long considered Lula responsible for the tide of graft sweeping over Brazilian politics.

But supporters cried openly at the exit of a man they remember for removing tens of millions of people from poverty and for connecting with voters in a way few, if any, other modern Brazilian politicians have managed.

Like so much in a nation that has become deeply polarized, that da Silva would soon be behind bars was being interpreted differently by supporters and detractors.

We have no choice but to keep our head high. Our struggle will be bigger tomorrow, said Fernando Lauro, a supporter who watched da Silva be taken by police.

I hope he never gets out, but I fear he will, said Silvia Gend, a 72-year-old housewife in Sao Bernardo do Campo. Brazil is the country of impunity.

Workers Party leaders insist that da Silva, 72, will still be the partys candidate in October. Technically, being jailed does not keep him off the ballot.

In August, however, the countrys top electoral court makes final decisions about candidacies. It is expected to deny da Silvas candidacy under Brazils clean slate law, which disqualifies people who have had criminal convictions upheld. Da Silva could appeal, though doing so from jail would be more complicated.

The next potentially explosive legal development could come as early as Wednesday, when local media report that the Supreme Court may revisit the current law on incarceration during appeals.

The former leader is the latest of many high-profile people to be ensnared in possibly the largest corruption scandal in Latin American history. Over the last four years, Brazilians have seen near weekly police operations and arrests of the elite.

Investigators uncovered a major scheme in which construction companies essentially formed a cartel that doled out inflated contracts from state oil company Petrobras, paying billions in kickbacks to politicians and businessmen.
The Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to permanently ban the Jamaat-ud-Dawa and other terror groups and individuals on the interior ministry watch list, local media reported on Sunday.

The bill will look to replace the presidential ordinance that amended the Anti-Terrorism Act, 1997 to include entities listed by the UN Security Council as proscribed groups.

The Daily Dawn newspaper, citing sources in the law ministry, reported that the proposed draft bill to amend the act was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly, scheduled to commence on April 9. The law ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft bill. The report said countrys powerful military establishment was also on board.

Special assistant to the prime minister Zafarullah Khan was quoted as saying that the amendment to the act was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new and would basically ensure compliance of Security Council resolutions.

The report said the government decided to prepare the draft bill as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdogs money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Pakistan is also said to be preparing a consolidated database of known terrorists and terror organisations which will be accessible to financial institutions and law enforcement agencies to strengthen the regime against money laundering and terror financing.

On February 12, President Mamnoon Hussain promulgated an ordinance to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act, which expires in 120 days. The National Assembly can extend it for another four months, after which it has to be tabled before both the National Assembly and Senate for further extension.

The ordinance has already been challenged by JuD chief and Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed in the Islamabad high court. He claimed that the ordinance had been promulgated due to external pressure and hence was not only prejudicial to the sovereignty but also contradictory to the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution.
Cardi B's debut album Invasion Of Privacy has been getting some heavy praise since its release Friday, but a compliment from TDE President Punch has been getting a particularly large amount of attention. "Cardi B is 2Pac," he wrote on Twitter Saturday. "I said what I said."

As we've seen most recently with Lil Xan, any time Pac's name is brought up, either positively or negatively with regards to the new generation of rappers, things get very divisive very quickly. In this case, one person who challenged Punch's statement was Hot 97's Ebro, who joked "People really drunk off this #InvasionOfPrivacy," before the two got down to the bottom of what the similarities between the two artists are.

"Lets remove Pacs social commentary, poetic/writing skills, upbringing in the Black Nationalist movement.... just focus on everyone wants them to win, great songs, passion and complete transparency & truth... then ok," wrote Ebro, which turned out to be a take that Punch could agree with. "Now we talking. The passion and charisma. Even flow and delivery at times when she emphasize certain words for more impact etc," he wrote.

Of course, Punch's mentions were filled with more than just Ebro, but the discussion was more level-headed than you might expect (then again, at least one person wished death upon him for the opinion). The TDE president replied to a few fans, critics, and artists on both sides of the debate. Check those out below and let us know your own thoughts in the comments -- but make sure you listen to Invasion Of Privacy (and All Eyez On Me for that matter!) first.
U.S. Rep. Al Green on Friday proposed legislation to make it easier for deported immigrants with American families to legally return, speaking at a news conference with the family of Jose Escobar, a Houston man whose deportation last year became emblematic of President Donald Trumps tough immigration policies.

This family has been torn apart by the government, said Green, a Houston Democrat. This bill would allow the Escobars of this country to return without the enormous amount of red tape.

Escobar, who participated in the press conference via computer from his aunts house in El Salvador, qualifies for a green card through his American wife, Rose. But congressional prohibitions keep immigrants who have been here without authorization from returning legally for as long as 10 years.

The legislation, co-sponsored by Illinois Democrat Luis Gutierrez, would allow immigrants with spouses or children who are U.S. citizens to apply for readmission without being subject to the bans.

His son Walter, 8, joined the press conference, reaching out to touch his mother when she cried and vowing to stay strong.

Even when this family is broke, well still keep fighting, the boy said.

The legislation stands little chance of passing in the current political climate. Lawmakers in Washington have been unable to reach agreement on any immigration policy, not even on protecting young immigrants who came here illegally as children, an idea that largely has bipartisan support.

And on Friday, the Trump administration further ramped up its crackdown on immigration, announcing a zero-tolerance policy of criminally prosecuting all those who cross the border illegally.

Though simply being here without authorization is a civil offense, improper entry is a federal misdemeanor. But most federal prosecutors limit which migrants they prosecute, because the sheer volume of offenders requires enormous resources, both in time and expense.

The new practice would swell already overburdened federal dockets at the border and revives a controversial program known as Operation Streamline that started in Del Rio more than a decade ago.

Read more:Trump pressing for mass criminalization of illegal border crossers

Deported with $20

Green said he understood that passing his proposed legislation would be difficult, and likely would take time. But he said many on Capitol Hill felt similarly compassionate about constituents like Escobar who qualify to legally remain here but are caught in a Catch-22.

By law, they must apply for their green cards at U.S. embassies in their countries of birth. But as soon as they leave, they are prevented from coming back by the 3- and 10-year restrictions that punish those who have ever been here illegally, no matter how briefly.

Im used to providing for my family, Escobar, 32, said through the shaky Internet connection. Its hard for me because Im away from my kids. Its been a year and a lot of things have changed.

Escobar was one of the first immigrants to be deported after Trump took office and announced everyone here illegally would be a priority for deportation. During the last two years of his administration, President Barack Obama, who removed a record number of immigrants, had focused instead on those who were criminals or had recently arrived here.

Read more: Deported immigrant trying to adjust to life alone in the foreign land of his birth

Escobars case made headlines across the country.

He came here from El Salvador as a teen, following his mother to Houston when he was 13 and qualifying for a temporary protected status for residents of certain countries that had been ravaged by natural disasters. Unbeknownst to him, he eventually lost his legal status through a paperwork error.

By the time he realized the mistake and married Rose, his high school sweetheart, his lawyer told him that it was too late. The government had already initiated deportation proceedings because of his lapsed legal status. If he applied for a green card through his wife, he would likely have to spend years outside the country waiting to adjust his status.

Not knowing what to do, the Escobars continued with their life. They had two children, Walter and Carmen, and bought a middle-class home in Pearland where Escobar helped run a paint company and juggled a contracting business on the side.

Eventually immigration agents found him, but Obamas administration in 2012 granted Escobar a temporary reprieve, allowing him to stay here legally as long as he committed no crimes and checked in with the administration every year.

He did as he was told, and then the rules changed.

Soon after Trumps announcement, Escobar arrived at his annual immigration appointment in February 2017, only to be quickly deported with just $20 in his pocket.

Well still keep fighting

At the press conference Friday, Rose Escobar tearfully pleaded for compassion.

Its been a year already, and I am hurting. My children are hurting, she said. Im working overtime, Im selling my husbands equipment ... Im a daughter, Im a mother, Im a wife. All I want is my family back.

Read more: Family of deported immigrant struggles to adjust to new normal

She said the last year has almost broken her family, and she has been overwhelmed with hateful comments on social media for not doing things the right way, when what, she asks, could she have done?

Im not ordering a burger, she said. I am doing things the right way and look how long its taking.

Her son has had to be the man of the house. He worries about his mother, especially when she cries.

Carmen, 3, no longer wears diapers and speaks in full sentences, all precious developments her father has had to watch through an iPad screen from thousands of miles away.

In the coastal town of La Union, he stays in his aunts house, too afraid to wander the streets where gangs prey particularly on those they dont know. Such violence has made El Salvador one of the most dangerous countries in the world.

Walter speaks shyly about his father.

What I miss about my dad is when he makes me food I like, the boy said. I miss  my dad taking me to school.

He looked at the cameras, standing tall.

Even when Donald Trump is still here, the boy said, were going to fight until the end.
A tumor growing inside a young childs body gets quick attention. To leave it to fester, to metastasize, to endanger a childs life, would be criminal.

Yet, Texas public schools routinely allow another sort of cancer to thrive, one that can be almost as debilitating and disastrous to a childs life.

Its called dyslexia, broadly defined as an unexpected difficulty with reading.

The callous disregard that Texas policymakers show dyslexic students is even more irresponsible when you consider a jarring statistic: Dyslexia is believed to affect one in every five people.

With help, dyslexics can become best-selling authors and rocket scientists. Left undiagnosed, a dyslexic becomes the mother who cant read her daughter a bedtime story, the husband who cant buy an anniversary card for his wife. And sometimes, dyslexics become the jobless, the homeless and the incarcerated.

But dyslexia is not a hopeless affliction, as once believed. Scientists can observe its effects through brain scans as easily as they can observe a tumor. Like cancer, it can infiltrate many aspects of a persons life. Also like cancer, it can be treated. While it cannot be cured, it can be overcome with effective, preferably early, interventions as simple as group reading several times a week.But where are the interventions?

Read more: Texas disregard for special education students is shameful

This is the question Dr. Sally Shaywitz is still asking after some 30 years of studying dyslexia. Its a question every Texan should be asking, too.

Rather than a knowledge gap, we have an action gap, Shaywitz, a professor of pediatrics at Yale University School of Medicine, told me in a recent interview. We have to act on the knowledge we have, and we havent done that, and its absurd.

Shaywitz is also co-director, with her husband Dr. Bennett A. Shaywitz, of the Yale Center for Dyslexia and Creativity. The two nationally known dyslexia experts will be in Houston this week, speaking to a sold-out crowd on Wednesday at the annual Lenox M. Reed Seminar, sponsored by Houstons Neuhaus Education Center.

Theyll argue that one answer to our nations reading crisis may be in plain sight.

Shaywitzs research shows that the reading gap between dyslexics and other readers is already present by first grade. While some factors leading students to read below grade level are tough to mitigate, dyslexia is not. It starts with identifying dyslexic students early on, a process simplified by an inexpensive, evidence-based screening tool developed by the Shaywitzes that takes teachers mere minutes to complete. That, followed by effective reading instruction, could help close the gaps that bedevil student progress.

'Stop judging people'

Shaywitz said schools often wait years, or until the child fails, to take action. By then, some students have become convinced that theyre dumb, and others have given up. They dont know that their weakness in reading is actually correlated with higher cognitive strengths, such as reasoning, problem-solving, vocabulary and comprehension. They dont know dyslexia is diagnosed in part by an observable discrepancy between the childs slower reading and higher intelligence.

They dont know why dyslexics struggle. Shaywitz explains that while speaking is natural for the human brain, reading is artificial. Our brains have only been doing it around 5,000 years. Decoding visual images into sounds takes time to learn. While 80 percent of the population does this automatically, dyslexics do it manually, in part because they rely more heavily on a less-efficient part of the brain. They use up more attention reading and get tired quicker than strong readers.

Many dyslexics dont know the long list of high-achievers who suffer from the same reading problems, Shaywitz said, including famed filmmaker Steven Spielberg, bestselling author John Grisham, financial executive Charles Schwab, and plenty of celebrities, from Anderson Cooper to Jay Leno.

We have to stop judging people by how fast they read, says Shaywitz, who routinely fields desperate calls and emails from parents struggling against stigma and ill-informed educators to get help for their children.

Read more: Dyslexia in Texas schools termed a disgrace

Early identification

Identifying dyslexics early could help prevent behavioral problems, declining motivation and dropout rates often seen in students who struggle with reading, Shaywitz said. In rare, tragic cases in which seemingly hopeless reading problems lead students to contemplate suicide, it could save a life.

You have depressed kids, anxious kids, kids who give up on themselves. Thats not who we are as a society, Shaywitz said. What are we doing to our communities, families and our country by wasting all of this talent? Its crazy. It really is.

Consider these stats: In Texas, 27 percent of third-graders did not pass the reading portion of the state assessment test last year, according to the Texas Education Agency. About 20 percent of the population is believed to be dyslexic. Yet, as recently as 2015, Texas identified only 2.5 percent as having the common reading disability.

How many Texas third-graders are dyslexic and dont know it? How many could read at grade level, and pass the state assessment, if they just knew the problem, knew what to call it and got help?

Texas, of course, hasnt been a hospitable place for students of most any kind of disability. The U.S. Department of Education found in January that Texas violated federal law by depriving eligible students of special education services through an arbitrary cap.

That federal investigation also found that the vagueness in Texas policy on dyslexia may have steered students away from federally funded special education services, violating federal law. The TEA presented a draft corrective action plan last month, but the state needs to go beyond mere compliance with federal law.

Read more: Texas releases new special education plan with more proposed funding

Texas needs to appropriate more funding for dyslexia, including education and training for teachers who may simply be unaware how easy it is to detect reading problems, and proven, effective ways to teach reading fluency.

Those who fear the cost of such interventions shouldnt, said Shaywitz, who details the methods in her book, Overcoming Dyslexia.

'Good teaching, good intervention'

One common tool for improving reading fluency, which involves having a student read the same paragraph aloud repeatedly under the guidance of a teacher or parent, has been found beneficial to many readers  not just dyslexics. Verbally building vocabulary and general knowledge of a subject helps a dyslexic student decode it more easily in print. And schools could actually save money by reducing behavioral problems involving students who struggle with reading.

Its not like this is some rare, new pharmaceutical thing. Theyre not going to go broke with this. Its good teaching, good intervention, she said.

The science is there. The tools are there. Now we need the will of Texas policymakers and education leaders to make dyslexia a priority, once and for all, and to stop it from robbing the potential of our students and our state.
So, it ends in farce, said Richard Burton, after realizing that the angry husband confronting him  in this case Eddie Fisher, the fourth husband of Elizabeth Taylor  had brought a gun.

I was at the Alley Theatre watching a rehearsal for a new play, Cleo, written by the Texas-based journalist Lawrence Wright, directed by Bob Balaban, and starring Lisa Birnbaum and Richard Short as Taylor and Burton.

The play, which had its world premiere on Friday, is about the greatest sex scandal in film and ancient history, according to the promotional materials about the play, which depicts the affair between Elizabeth Taylor and Burton during the making of the film Cleopatra, which was released in 1963.

Read more: Cleo brings old Hollywood to the Alley

Thats a bold claim to make in this year of our lord, 2018. Several days before the rehearsal I attended I had watched the adult film star Stormy Daniels, on 60 Minutes, discuss her relationship with Donald Trump.

Read more: Billy Graham deserves the honors he was too humble to accept

After the rehearsal, though, Wright gave me a rundown of the Liz and Dick saga, which unfolded when he was a teenager. At the time, Wright said, it was incredibly titillating. Its legitimately pretty scandalous, even still.

Taylor was the bigger star of the two, having vaulted to international fame after starring in National Velvet at age 12. By the time she was cast as Cleopatra she had become notorious, as well. In 1958, her third husband, Mike Todd, was killed in a plane crash. Shortly thereafter Taylor began an affair with Fisher, who was then married to Debbie Reynolds, her best friend.

The sympathy the public had felt for the beautiful young widow turned to scorn. The studios, needless to say, saw an opportunity.

20th Century Fox, for example, tried to cast Taylor as Cleopatra VII, the Queen of Egypt who got crossways with the Roman Empire in the first century BC.

Taylor wasnt interested, Wright explained. Fisher, by then her husband, suggested that she respond by telling them she would accept, for $1 million. It was an unthinkable sum at the time, but the studio agreed.

The production was ill-fated from the start, apparently.

Then Elizabeth Taylor got pneumonia and died, Wright said at one point.

Long story short, she revived after receiving an emergency tracheotomy, and was sent back to work. In the interim, producers had decided to recast the role of Marc Antony.

Read more: When does the punishment fit the crime in the #MeToo era?

It was Fisher who recommended Burton, apparently. Taylor had met him years before, and found him pretentious.

The tabloid scandal that ensued was the first of its kind, given Taylors staggering celebrity.

It took Elizabeth a couple years to get divorced from Eddie, Wright explained.

Then she married Richard. And then they divorced. And then they married again, and then they divorced. And then they started marrying a number of other people, he continued.

But apparently they had very fond feelings all through their lives, even though they couldnt seem to live together. Just a few days before he died, Burton sent his last letter to her. She kept it in her drawer.

In Wrights view, the drama in the early 1960s marked a turning point in American culture.

I think that the Liz and Dick scandal was the opening of the sexual revolution, Wright said.

Things were pretty buttoned up, and then suddenly the buttons were ripped off.

Read more: A generation of students has lived with school shootings

Wright began working on the script for Cleo some 20 years ago. The play has faced its its challenges too. As he explains in his new book, "God Save Texas: A Journey into the Soul of the Lone Star State," Cleo was supposed to open last fall. The actors arrived in Houston shortly before Harvey did; when the storm came, they were marooned in the hotel.

Greg Boyd, who was then the Alleys artistic director, concluded that the production would have to be canceled.

Yes, well, we just want to keep rehearsing, one of the actors said, after hearing the news. The others agreed, and the next day, Wright writes, Alley staff figured out how to fit Cleo into the spring schedule.

The play runs through April 29, and Id encourage readers to see it. Id also encourage Texans to check out Wrights new book, which is actually what I was planning to write about before getting distracted by the story of Taylor and Burton.

In my defense, the Liz and Dick saga is interesting, even at a time when a porn stars account of spanking the president is quickly filed away under old news. But Wrights journalism is insightful, as usual, and he has some sound conclusions about how Texas should prepare for the future.

Read more: Blowing the whistle on the Texas Constitution

As he noted at the Alley, we should be investing much more in infrastructure and education than we currently do, given that our state is expected to experience tremendous population growth over the next 30 years, and thatas it stands10 percent of all American schoolchildren are enrolled in Texas schools.

Weve got to prepare the state to be the size of New York and California combined, by 2050. And if we dont educate them, its not just Texas thats going to suffer, Wright said.

Its so un-Texan, to be so frightened of the future, he added.

Thats good advice, which our leaders should heedand would, if Texas politics wasnt prone to farce, too.
The man accused of killing an 8-year-old in Houston has been denied bond.

Devonte Lockett, 18, was charged Thursday with the murder of Tristian Hutchins, who died March 28 after being caught in the crossfire of a March 1 shooting that Houston Police say was gang related.

Witnesses told police that they saw Lockett shooting from the passenger seat of a vehicle in the 3900 block of Scott Street, where Hutchins and his 5-year-old sister were sitting in a Nissan Versa, according to court records. Hutchins' sister was also struck in the leg.

In the weeks after - and as Hutchins remained hospitalized in critical condition - city and community leaders pleaded for witnesses to come forward and for the city to unite to stem the gun violence that has killed 11 children in the city since December 2016.

Some of those cases 11 cases remain open, Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said, and investigators are still looking for other suspects in Hutchins' death.

Mayor Sylvester Turner on Friday also announced an additional $1 million in overtime pay to assist the police force as it combats gang and gun violence.

Annual violent crime and homicide rates in the city have for the most steadily declined in the last two decades, mirroring trends seen in most American cities over the same time period.

But city leaders have stressed that there is still much more that could be done to stem violence and to revitalize communities plagued by it.

"One homicide in our city is one homicide too many," Turner said Friday.

Robert Downen covers crime for the Houston Chronicle. Follow him on Twitter or email him at robert.downen@chron.com.
After Hurricane Harvey spewed contaminants into drinking water systems, many Houston-area residents who rely on private water systems had no choice but to flush them with bleach and hope for the best.

But one University of Texas-Austin researcher thinks he has a better solution for residents in that situation: an inexpensive, in-home water purification system that uses a jelly-like substance and natural sunlight.

In a paper recently published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, Guihua Yu, a UT-Austin associate professor of materials science and mechanical engineering, outlines this technology, which he began developing two years ago.

Essentially, this jelly-like substance  called a hydrogel  is placed in contaminated or salty water and exposed to natural sunlight. As both the water and the gel heat up, water vapor begins to rise up through the hydrogel, where any salt or contaminants are separated. The vapor is then captured by a water condenser, where it converted back into water  only this time it is clean and safe to drink.

Though similar techniques are used to treat water already, Yu and his colleagues say their approach is much more cost effective because it relies solely on solar energy.

Existing solar steaming technologies used to treat saltwater involve a very costly process that relies on optical instruments to concentrate sunlight, an April UT-Austin news release stated. The UT Austin team developed nanostructured gels that require far less energy, only needing naturally occurring levels of ambient sunlight to run while also being capable of significantly increasing the volume of water that can be evaporated.

When asked for a cost comparison, Yu could not provide one.

Tests of these new hydrogels showed that up to 25 liters per square meter of water could be purified through the process, which Yu said would definitely be enough for a family in the aftermath of a storm, like Harvey, that severely contaminated their water.

When a household needs freshwater due to a breakage, if a household has effective water evaporating materials, they can produce clean water easily at home, Yu said.

Yu currently has a patent pending on this technology, he said, and is working on commercializing it. He said he believes the technology will be available for households in fewer than five years.

But his team has plans to build out the technology on a much larger scale, to purify water for whole communities.

I believe we can potentially go beyond the household because these materials are much more effective, he said. The hydrogels can easily be retrofitted to replace the core components in most existing solar desalination systems, thereby eliminating the need for a complete overhaul of desalination systems already in use.
AUSTIN  Pamela Crouch home-schooled her children for more than a decade for many reasons, including to keep them safe and shield them from school bullies. But more than anything, she wanted to raise virtuous children who were kind, truthful and polite.

Not only did I not want my children bullied, I didnt want them to bully anyone else, she said.

Her community of home-schoolers in Pflugerville was rocked recently, however, when police identified the Austin serial bomber as Mark Conditt, a 23-year-old who was home-schooled in the northeast suburb.

Home schooling supporters dismiss any notion that Conditts education had anything to do with his motives in the bombings that terrorized the Austin area for weeks, killing two and injuring four. Authorities say Conditt left three bombs on doorsteps in the citys black and Latino neighborhoods, rigged a tripwire to a bomb that injured two men on bikes, and then dropped off two package bombs at a FedEx, one of which exploded on a conveyer belt at a facility about an hour south of Austin.

But as the nation searches for answers as to what fueled the bombers rage, some say Texas lack of regulation and oversight on home schooling potentially prevented someone  such as a teacher or a doctor  from spotting potential warning signs in Conditts behavior.

With slightly increased oversight in a state-by-state, case-by-case basis, children might not slip through the cracks, said Hannah Ettinger, who studies incidents of violence against or perpetrated by home school students for the Coalition for Responsible Home Education.

The group advocates for increased oversight of home-schooled students, such as requiring that each be registered and meet yearly with a certified teacher for annual testing and with a doctor for a physical checkup  both of whom would be required to report to authorities if they suspected a childs physical or mental health or welfare were in jeopardy.

Texas regulations are incredibly minimal, said Ettinger, noting that the state does not have those requirements.

Trying to protect our children

Texas is one of the easiest states for home-schooling children, with few rules and regulations for parents to follow. Hundreds of thousands of students learn at home here, but no one knows for sure how many because Texas doesnt keep track. They have the freedom to work at their own pace, explore outside the classroom and avoid the pitfalls of traditional school life.

People who knew Conditt describe his upbringing typical of thousands of home-schooled children in Texas. The Conditts, like many home-schooling families in the state, belonged to active community groups that provide support to children with tutoring, sports, clubs and other activities. The family was involved, people in the community said, and no one saw any indications that Conditt could turn violent.

There is little that any school system can do when someone is determined to cause destruction, said Jeremy Newman, director of public policy for the Texas Home School Coalition, who defended home-schoolers in the aftermath of the bombings.

We obviously dont say that the public school system caused this problem or didnt prevent it, said Newman, referring to the Feb. 14 shooting in Parkland, Florida in which 17 students and staff were fatally shot by accused gunman Nikolas Cruz, a former student. The administrative process is not a guarantee that you can prevent something like that from happening.

In fact, safety is one of the chief reasons that parents in Texas and around the country opt to home-school children, according to a survey from the National Center for Education Statistics. Having a positive school environment that provides safety and discourages drug use and negative peer pressure tops the list of reasons that parents home-school, followed by dissatisfaction with instruction at traditional schools and a desire for religious instruction.

The reason we have sacrificed time and income to home-school is that we are not satisfied with the ability of the schools to train our children to be virtuous, said Crouch, who knew the Conditt family from church and home-school organizations.

All of us are concerned about the safety in the schools, she said. Home schooling is our way of trying to protect our children.

Welcome to Texas

Home schooling is on the rise nationwide, but the lack of registration in Texas means no one knows how many students are taught at home.

The Texas Home School Coalition, a powerful lobbying group that began as a political action committee, estimates the state is home to more than 325,000 home-schoolers. In contrast, about 5.4 million students attend Texas public schools.

An estimated 1.7 million children  or about 3.4 percent of all students nationwide  were home-schooled in the U.S. during the 2015-2016 school year, according to a federal survey. Thats up from 1.7 percent of students in 1999. Most home-schooled students are white and Latino and live in smaller towns or rural communities  not major cities.

Some states require parents to become certified to teach their children or to get a curriculum approved. Not Texas.

Parents in the state must follow only three requirements: the instruction must not be a sham, the curriculum must be in visual form such as books or video monitors, and the curriculum must cover five basic subjects: reading, spelling, grammar, math and good citizenship.

If a child hasnt been in a public school, parents dont need to tell the school district that they intend to home-school their children. Parents are required to inform their school district only if they pull their child out of a public school in Texas to home-school.

The Texas Home School Coalition takes pride in Texas being one of the least-regulated states in the country. In an orientation video, coalition president Tim Lambert said people new to Texas often ask where they need to register.

We always like to get those calls, he said.  We say, Maam, welcome to Texas, where people are free.

Rachel Coleman, executive director of the Massachusetts-based Coalition for Responsible Home Education, cringes when she gets questions from home-schoolers from Texas. The laws are so lax that adults who graduate from home school sometimes have problems producing transcripts for colleges.

A home-schooled student herself, Coleman said children have many special opportunities when they are home-taught, but they are entirely dependent on the quality of instruction from their parents.

Colemans group chronicles incidents when home-schoolers turn violent, such as when 20-year-old Adam Lanza, who was home-schooled for several years, opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in 2012, killing 20 young children and six adults.

In the vast majority of cases in which home-school students struggle in the transition to adulthood, however, most work or suffer through it without turning to violence, she said.
Nearly half of Harris Countys 2,500 miles of rivers, bayous and drainage ditches do not have mapped flood plains, according to data from the county, leaving an inaccurate picture of flood risk for thousands of residents.

In most cases, the unmapped channels are smaller than prominent waterways such as Houstons well-known bayous and rivers. Instead they are drainage ditches and narrow canals dividing homes and subdivisions spreading all across the county  the legacy of decades of development, where exceptionally flat topography required the construction of man-made channels to drain storm water into Galveston Bay and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

They largely have evaded the eye of authorities seeking to study and communicate flood-risk around Houston. Officials point to several reasons they have not been examined: technology has hampered effective mapping and tight funding.

As a result, thousands of people may be living in areas at a higher risk of flooding without knowing it. While there is no way to accurately gauge the impact of the lack of flood plain maps, or what potential maps would look like, an analysis of homes flooded during Hurricane Harvey shows that nearly 6,000 homes damaged during the storm were outside any mapped flood plains, but within one-tenth of a mile of an unmapped stream.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett said the smaller waterways need to be studied.

We cant do things the way they were done in the past, he said. Were in a new world now, where weve got to know more about how flooding occurs, where its going to occur.

One-hundred-year flood plain maps are meant to show how water would spill out of a waterways banks during a 100-year storm, or one that has a 1-percent chance of occurring in any year. A 100-year storm equates to 12 to 14 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period across the county. Flood plain maps also are drawn for more severe events: a 500-year rainfall has a 0.2 percent chance of occurring in any year and equates to between 17 and 20 inches in 24 hours.

The maps serve as critical measures of flood risk across the United States, informing decisions of where to buy or develop homes, as well as triggering a litany of regulations: New construction must be built above flood levels within the flood plains. Homeowners must have flood insurance for federally backed mortgages. Insurance rates inside the flood plain rise.

Just last week, the city of Houston joined Harris County in raising the elevation requirement for new construction in flood plains, moves prompted by Harveys widespread damage.

Both the 100- and 500-year maps likely will be redrawn and expanded after a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration rainfall study releases new data in September. Preliminary data indicated that rainfall was being significantly underestimated  the 100-year rainfall classification could rise several inches, meaning more storm water spilling out of banks, as well as wider and deeper flood plains.

Even the new maps, however, will underestimate the true risk of flooding in Harris County.

A Houston Chronicle analysis recently found that during Harvey, almost three-quarters of the 204,000 flooded homes and apartment buildings in Harris County were outside the federally regulated 100-year flood plain. More than 55 percent of the homes damaged during the 2016 Tax Day storm sat outside the flood plain, as did more than a third of those during the Memorial Day floods in 2015.

The data reflects that flooding is caused not only by how water spills out of bayous, but how it drains into them  outdated pipes and narrow streets, water flowing across large swaths of land and subtle-to-significant changes in elevation all influence flood damage and are not captured by flood plain maps.

Just because its not on the map doesnt mean its not a problem, said Wesley Highfield, a Texas A&M University Galveston professor who has studied urban flooding.

A few feet behind Tyrone and Carolyn Browns home near C.E. King High School in northeast Harris County, a shaded canal runs from Greens Bayou in the west nearly to Beltway 8 in the east. The canal which drains stormwater to the bayou, does not have a mapped flood plain.

In 2001, during Tropical Storm Allison, water rose out of the canal and met water flowing toward it right at the Browns home. Their house was destroyed. When they rebuilt, the couple added a second story so they could weather a possible future flood in their home. The retired U.S. Postal Service workers said they were told they did not need to purchase flood insurance because their home was not in a flood zone.

Sixteen years later, Harvey hit, and the same thing happened, this time with a lot more water. The Browns are looking to repair more than $100,000 in damage to their home, largely through a Small Business Administration loan. Navigating repairs, the federal government and contractors has been exhausting, Carolyn Brown said, especially after Tyrone Brown was diagnosed with cancer in December.

Its not just physical, Carolyn Brown said. Youve got to start all over again. Its a mental state of How are we going to do this?

Todd Ward, a program manager for the Harris County Flood Control District, said that until recently, the technology and methods were not available to calculate the risk around smaller channels.

A Federal Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman said in a statement that FEMA works with local agencies like the flood control district in determining which areas are studied and classified as flood zones. She said the agency prioritizes studies based on population nearby, new development and whether or not flood control projects have been completed there.

Ward said the flood control district, as part of a widespread remapping effort, is planning to study the smaller channels.

Were going to be calculating the flows in a different way, thats more appropriate of drainage areas of that size, Ward said. For those residents who live near unstudied streams, they dont know what the risk associated with that stream is.

That remapping also would include other ways people face flood risk, such as ponding or sheet flow.

That effort likely will take several years. The flood control district expects to finish new maps in two years or more for half of the county, Ward said. Then homeowners, developers and others can challenge the new maps through an administrative appeals process and many do, as development and insurance costs rise in flood plains.

It is unclear how long that could take.

And it will have to be updated continually, Emmett said.

I think its something we will constantly be working on and improving, he said. We constantly are building and changing the topography.

Reporter Matt Dempsey contributed to this story.
New evidence that Russia orchestrated cyberattacks against U.S. energy systems could pressure the federal government and U.S. companies to shore up the defenses of weakly protected computer networks controlling vital sectors of the nations economy.

The Kremlins campaign, which authorities said began at least two years ago, and other recent cyberattacks underscore just how vulnerable power plants, pipelines, chemical and manufacturing facilities are to foreign adversaries looking to manipulate critical U.S. infrastructure. But if industrial cyberattacks remain shrouded in secrecy  as they have for decades security experts fear the lack of public outcry will cause lawmakers and corporate boards to move too slowly to prevent a costly strike on U.S. soil.

Were going at a snails pace, said Mike McConnell, former director of the National Security Agency and former U.S. Director of National Intelligence. The problem is becoming more severe, and the ones who can see whats going on are being forced to say more and more to get the nation to react in a serious way.

In a rare glimpse of an international cyber arms race, federal agencies and security firms recently disclosed that cyberattacks aimed at U.S. energy, nuclear, water, aviation and manufacturing facilities have risen sharply since 2016, amid attempts by a highly skilled and well-funded hacking group to secure a foothold in those networks. The FBI and the Department of Homeland Security last month blamed the attacks on the Russian government.

The hacking group, known as Dragonfly, is one that security experts have tracked for years. In private client reports shared with the Houston Chronicle, iDefense, the cyberthreat intelligence division of Accenture Security, said the groups intrusions into U.S. industrial networks were almost certainly successful because of security lapses.

The attackers, targeting computer operators, administrators and engineers with access to industrial control networks, used phishing, malware and other hacking tools to break in, figure out how to manipulate vital controls, and test detection capabilities and responses of companies and federal authorities. It appears the hackers only probed the networks, according to iDefense, but the nature of the intrusions suggested the group is preparing for a day when it could launch an attack aimed at disrupting operations or damaging facilities.

With its large concentration of refineries, chemical plants, manufacturers and pipeline operators, the threat is more pronounced in Houston than almost anywhere else in the nation. But cybersecurity experts said even after years of increased awareness among corporate boards of online threats, the vast majority of energy and industrial companies lack technologies and personnel that would allow them to constantly monitor control system networks. That leaves companies blind to industrial attacks.

Were not staying caught up, said Emmett Moore, chief executive of Houston cybersecurity firm Red Trident. The adversaries are going way faster than we are. Thats why were seeing more incidents.

The recent energy downturn forced many oil companies to put cybersecurity projects on the back burner for a few years, cybersecurity specialists said. But theres no longer any doubt, they added, that foreign adversaries such as Russia, Iran and North Korea intend to plant themselves in U.S. computer and industrial networks.

Michael Tadeo, a spokesman for the American Petroleum Institute, a trade group, said the oil and gas industry has invested heavily in cybersecurity measures and promoted guidelines similar to the ones followed by the electric utilities and financial companies. The industry, he added, is also working closely with the government to investigate and reduce threats to industrial control systems.

Promoting cybersecurity is a top priority for the oil and natural gas industry that will promote the safety and resiliency of our operations, our employees and our nation, Tadeo said in a statement.

Corporate America got a taste of how a major industrial cyberattack could affect profits last summer, when U.S. pharmaceutical giant Merck & Co. and delivery services company FedEx Corp. confirmed cyberattacks compromised their computer systems  and cost them hundreds of millions of dollars. They were among several unintended targets from a global cyber assault, dubbed NotPetya, which was originally aimed at companies in Ukraine and spread around the world.

U.S. officials blamed the attacks on the Russian military, and intelligence officials estimate the NotPetya attacks cost companies $11 billion in economic losses worldwide.

Last year, cybersecurity experts learned of two new families of malware targeting industrial control systems, in addition to three others discovered in prior years. They also identified two major attacks aimed at disrupting industrial operations and five separate hacker groups conducting them  far more than previously believed, cybersecurity firm Dragos said in a recent report.

Last year, Dragos estimated computer controls at industrial facilities, including oil and businesses, get infected by malware at least 3,000 times a year. But the public rarely hears about them.

In another rare disclosure, four U.S. natural gas pipeline operators - Energy Transfer Partners, Boardwalk Pipeline Partners, Eastern Shore Natural Gas Co. and ONEOK - said last week cyberattacks shut down electronic data systems used in setting transaction terms with energy customers. The attacks appear to have been financially motivated, and dont bear the markings of a nation-state attack on U.S. critical infrastructure, cybersecurity experts said. Pipeline operations were not affected.

In a time of growing trade tensions, cyberattacks could play an increasingly prominent role in the economic rivalry between the United States, China and Russia, analysts said. Attacks that disrupt U.S. plants and cost companies billions - but that dont cross the threshold of an act of war - could become a new method used by world powers to slow their rivals economic activity, experts said.

But to thwart such attacks, the U.S. government will have to change its approach to cybersecurity, said McConnell, the retired NSA director. The American public never hears about the vast majority of cyberattacks against U.S. industrial systems that control the operations of refineries, pipelines power plants, chemical plants and other factories. Such incidents are classified by the FBI and other agencies and kept secret by U.S. companies unless a breach involves the theft of personal identifying information, such as Social Security numbers.

In some cases, even companies are kept in the dark by the government about attacks on their systems, McConnell said. The lack of disclosure keeps the pressure off federal officials and companies to make changes needed to better protect computer networks and industrial controls. He added that he fears it may take a catastrophic event that costs billions of dollars, and even lives, to gain the public attention needed to propel the government to action.

At some point, McConnell said, were going to have to change the rules.

READ MORE: Hacked
Have you ever seen the moon?

You will likely answer that you have, many times. But a new short video by filmmakers Wylie Overstreet and Alex Gorosh may have you reconsidering whether youve ever actually seen it at all.

Their names will be unfamiliar to you. A check of the authoritative IMDb website turns up resumes thin to the point of translucence. Overstreet, for example, is listed as Miscellaneous Crew on Taking Chance, a 2009 film starring Kevin Bacon. Gorosh has directed two short films, The Electronic Afterlife and To Scale: The Solar System, neither of which generated Oscar buzz.

But their three-minute film, A New View of the Moon has people talking  and looking, having racked up over a quarter of a million views on YouTube alone. The premise is deceptively simple. The pair wandered around Los Angeles with a telescope, an odd-looking (to us nonscientific types, anyway) contraption vaguely resembling a snare drum that slides up from a round canister.

What is that, bro? a guy on a bike asks.

Its a telescope, says Overstreet. Do you want to check out the moon?

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The offer is made over and over to a cross section of passersby in a cross section of places across greater L.A. And one by one, they put their eyes to the viewfinder and gaze upon what theyve looked at a million times yet never seen.

Interestingly, Overstreet and Gorosh show us very little of the actual moon. No, what holds your eyes, and lifts your soul is the way these different people in different neighborhoods all respond in precisely the same way  with gasps and shouts and whispers of naked wonder at the sudden nearness of lunar soil.

Im looking at the moon, says a young, cap-to-the-back white guy into his phone. Hold on real quick. Then he puts his eye to the viewfinder. Oh, my God, he says.

Oh. My. God, breathes a black man in a hoodie.

Oh, my God, says a little kid, laughing.

Oh, my God, says a guy with a mane of gray hair.

Oh! says a woman, as if startled. Oh, my God.

There is something quietly profound in their awe, something that stirs you somewhere deep within like a light breeze moving among tall grass. If you are a person of faith, maybe you have that sense of settled and centered peace that comes from feeling the Creator nigh.

But even if you are not, it will be hard to escape a conviction that we spend too much time looking down and across. We look at our screens and bank balances, at our bills and test results  and we look at one another, too, at all the ways in which skin tone and hair texture, faith, sex, wealth, geography, education and age seem to make us unfathomably different.

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Except that were all just passengers on a rock sailing through an infinite sea. Consider that the greatest scientific achievement of our kind, the one we point to with pride as evidence of the inherent greatness of us, is that after millions of years, and at a steep investment of money and lives, we managed, one day 49 years ago, to fly over to the next rock. We looked around, gathered up some smaller rocks and came back home.

We are, in other words, small against the fabric of All That Is. So far as weve been able to determine, were out here alone. So each other is all we have. But then, it should be all we need.

Overstreets and Goroshs little movie is a gentle reminder of this, a hymn to our common humanity. It is an invitation to put down the remote control once in a while. Put down the cellphone, put down the bills, stop yelling at one other.

And look up.
freeparking/Flickr Child in baby walker, circa. 1960s.

Baby walkers are not allowed in Canada  at all. Retailers can't advertise or carry them nor can parents sell used ones. If they do, they face hefty fines of up to $100,000 or six months in jail.

The baby walker ban officially became law in April 2004, after 15 years of retailers not selling them on a voluntary basis. Health Canada decided to make it law because Canadians were still bringing them in to the country despite the safety risks.

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Health Canada collected data from 16 hospitals across the country and discovered more than 1,900 babies aged five to 14 months suffered baby walker injuries between 1990 and 2002.

Injuries related to baby walkers include:

- falling down stairs

- flipping over

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- reaching dangerous objects, such as household poisons or hot drinks

- crashing into heaters or hot stoves

Under the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, Canadians are not allowed to manufacture, import, advertise or sell baby walkers. Canada is the first country to have such a law against them.

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Health Canada defines baby walkers as those that "are mounted on wheels or on any other device permitting movement of the walker and that have an enclosed area supporting the baby in a sitting or standing position so that their feet touch the floor, thereby enabling the horizontal movement of the walker."

These rolling devices aren't banned in the U.S., but experts still strongly recommend against using them.

"Parents should know that walker use typically delays motor development  and that it delays mental development even more. Beyond this, walker use is dangerous," wrote pediatrician Dr. Alan Greene in The New York Times.

Despite the ban, some Canadians are still determined to find ways of getting their hands on one. They have tried ordering them on eBay or smuggling them across the border themselves. But, if found, customs officers will seize the baby walker.

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Googles latest Doodle honours Maria Felix, the Mexican actor widely considered the most beautiful face in the history of Mexican cinema.

Felix, who died in 2002 at the age of 88, would have celebrated her 104th birthday today.

Also known as Maria Bonita, thanks to a song composed for her by her second husband, composer Agustin Lara, the stars screen career spanned four decades and as many as 47 films.

A leading light of the so-called Golden Age of Mexican cinema, in the 1940s and 50s, Felix was the incarnation of the strong, sexual woman who would ultimately be tamed by a man by the end of a movie.

Felix was one of 16 children, born in the town of Alamos. She went to study in Guadalajara before moving to Mexico City, where she initially worked as a model for a plastic surgeon who used her to attract clients.

She starred in her first film, El Penon De Las Animas (1942), alongside Jorge Negrete, a famous actor whom she later married.

But it was her third movie, Dona Barbera, which turned her into a national star. It told the story of a young Venezuelan woman who ran a despotic ranch while dressed in mens clothes.

In honour of her role, she was often known as La Dona until the end of her life.

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She was also frequently in the news for events outside her film career. Felix married four times and had a number of love affairs throughout her life. Famous artists, including Jean Cocteau and Diego Rivera, painted her and she inspired a number of writers, including Carlos Fuentes.

King Faruk of Egypt even allegedly offered her Nefertitis crown in exchange for one night of love.

Felix spent her later years travelling between Paris, where she owned a racehorse stable and Mexico City.

She died in her sleep on 8 April 2002, her 88th birthday, in the Mexican capital.
Skopje, Macedonia  Quick quiz. Which of the following makes sense?

a) Three pirate ships on a river in a landlocked country in the Balkans;

b) A 47-foot-high bronze statue of an ancient warrior that is Alexander the Great and is also not Alexander the Great; or

c) A house dedicated to Mother Teresa, a saint known for her modesty, done up in an opulent style that can best be described as Miami meets The Flintstones.

Answer: None, unless you are in Skopje, Macedonia. They all have a home there as part of a long-running face-lift for the city, which has turned it into what could be one of the kitschiest capitals on the planet.

About a decade ago, the then-governing party of Macedonia came up with an idea for a citywide building and renovation project as a way to claim ownership of its history and draw in tourists.

Hundreds of new sculptures were put up across the city, and many new buildings erected in the centre of town. Dozens of false facades were added to Communist-era buildings, while scores of plaques appeared, attesting to events with varying degrees of historical accuracy.

The project cost hundreds of millions more than public projections and has been roundly derided by urban planners and architects, who say it was rushed into reality at the cost of structural integrity and functionality. It was a central issue in the protests in 2015 that led to the defeat of the ruling party.

Nikola Strezovski, a 37-year-old architect, has watched the project  called Skopje 2014 because it was supposed to be completed in 2014  with a mixture of disgust, anger and confusion.

Opulent: a house in Skopje dedicated to Mother Teresa (Alamy)

Skopje 2014 was something that shocked us all the time, he said. By the time the pirate ships arrived on the Vardar River, we were used to crazy.

When the new government came into power last spring, its first move was to halt all of the projects, including the construction of a London-style Ferris wheel on the river and the recladding of the citys tallest glass building in a plastic foam and plaster facade intended to make it look neoclassical.

But after spending around $750m (500m)  in a country where the average wage is less than $500 per month  the capital has been transformed.

It is not the first time Skopje has been rebuilt. The last time, natural forces were responsible.

In 1963, an earthquake laid waste to the city, killing more than 1,000 people and making another 100,000 homeless. Roughly 80 percent of the citys structures were destroyed.

The UN held a competition to find an architect to help rebuild. The winner was Kenzo Tange, a pioneer of the 1960s avant-garde Metabolist movement, which held that cities, like living organisms, had to constantly grow and change and should be built so that their parts could be replaced as time passed.

His vision, though, was never fully realised. Instead, what emerged was a strange mishmash of modernist buildings, Brutalist structures and dour Soviet-style block houses, many of which long ago fell into disrepair.

Skopjes pirate ship next to the Vardar river (Shutterstock)

Architecture represents the society that creates it, said Strezovski, who recently led me on a four-hour walking tour of Skopje. And the city today, he said, radiates the insecurity of the previous ruling party.

Architecture at its heart is about honesty, he said, adding that covering buildings in false facades, as Skopje 2014 did, is about as dishonest as you can get.

It makes sense, he said, given how many former members of the political party responsible for the project, including the former prime minister, are now on trial for corruption and other offences.

When the former prime minister Nikola Gruevski announced the project, he argued that it would create much-needed jobs and bolster national pride. And there are those who appreciate it, even for its sheer madness. Ultimately, it was all about more than aesthetics; it was an effort to stake a claim to a disputed historical heritage.

For more than two decades, Greece has fought Macedonians efforts to call their country Macedonia, blocking its entry into Nato and the European Union. It is a complicated dispute as much about modern politics as historical reality, but it boils down to this: Greeks believe that ancient Macedonians were a Hellenistic people and that the true Macedonia is a part of Greece.

People here, though, believe that because their land was part of the ancient Macedonian kingdom ruled by Alexander the Great, they have every right to call themselves Macedonian.

Is it Alexander the Great or simply a warrior on a horse? (Alamy)

When Skopje 2014 was conceived, the ruling party wanted it both ways: to claim their history, but not so blatantly as to derail negotiations with Greece over the name issue.

So a statue of a warrior on a horse set high upon a pedestal in a fountain flanked by lions in the citys central plaza is called warrior on a horse. Yet everyone understands it to be a depiction of Alexander the Great, ruler of the ancient Macedonian kingdom.

Across the Vardar River, which bisects the city, is a statue of a man, fist raised into the air and looking at the Alexander statue and the Vodno Mountain in the distance. He is not identified as Alexanders father, Philip II, although everyone knows that is who it is.

Visitors to the city will first notice the statues. There is no official count, but estimates put the number around a thousand. They adorn parks, roads, squares, bridges and the rooftops of buildings, and were even plunked into the river itself, where the three pirate ships house restaurants, although not ones wildly popular with locals.

Of course, no pirates ever roamed the Vardar. And even if pirates had wanted to come to this landlocked country, the ships could never pass under the ancient stone bridge that leads across the river to the Ottoman bazaar, which mostly survived the earthquake.

With its narrow, winding cobblestone streets and low-slung rooflines, the bazaar seems a world away from the monumental memorials and statues that surround it.

Here and there are still traces of some of the citys more prized modernist buildings, including the opera house.

It would have cost too much to tear down or redesign the opera house, Strezovski said. So instead, they put some buildings in front of it to hide it.

The old Ottoman bazaar, which mostly survived a 1963 earthquake, was left untouched in the citys redesign (Alamy)

Those buildings, for government offices, are adorned with dancing nymphs and statues of great women throughout history. One of the buildings, the National Archive, is now leaking, Strezovski said. Others have structural problems.

Strezovski said he could appreciate how people might be amused at how bizarre it all is. Unfortunately, it came at a great cost, and much of it was built so poorly that it is unlikely to last.

He pointed to palm trees, put in as part of the project, that are still struggling to survive on the riverbank.

Palm trees, here, he said, noting that temperatures in the winter can drop to well below freezing.

They cost over $600,000, according to an investigation by the news site Balkan Insight. Around 95 percent died in the first year, Strezovski said.

 New York Times
One in four children under the age of six has a smartphone, a survey has found.

Despite parents insisting that 11 is the "ideal" age for children to have a phone, a poll found 25 per cent of children aged six and under already have their own mobile and nearly half of these spend up to 21 hours per week on their devices.

More than three quarters of parents paid up to 500 for their child's first phone with two-thirds admitting they dont cap the monthly spend.

Samsung was the most popular first phone brand, beating Apple to the top spot.

Researchers also found eight in 10 parents dont limit the amount of time children spend on their phones while 75 per cent dont disable the data function so their children are only able to call and text.

Smartphones have become the most important piece of technology we own, connecting us with friends, keeping us updated on the world around us, and letting us capture our biggest moments," said Liam Howley of musicMagpie which conducted the research.

While the majority of parents in our study said 11 was the acceptable age for children to have their own phones, we saw that 25 per cent of children aged six and under actually already owned one.

The age at which children get their first phones, has got even younger, and while many agree that theres no defined age to give a child a phone, theres a lot parents can do to ensure their childs day-to-day life isnt consumed by one.

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PA UK news in pictures 1 September 2021 Goldfinches fighting over food in a garden in Strensham, Worcestershire PA UK news in pictures 31 August 2021 Gold Medallist Sarah Storey of Britain celebrates on the podium Reuters UK news in pictures 30 August 2021 Extinction Rebellion protesters hold a a tea party on Tower Bridge in London EPA UK news in pictures 29 August 2021 A police office tussles with a demonstrator on Cromwell Road outside the Natural History Museum during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion in London PA UK news in pictures 28 August 2021 Members of the British armed forces 16 Air Assault Brigade walk to the air terminal after disembarking a Royal Airforce Voyager aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire POOL/AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 27 August 2021 Fabio Quartararo crashes during a MotoGP practice session at the British Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit Action Images via Reuters UK news in pictures 26 August 2021 An Extinction Rebellion activist holds a placard in a fountain surrounded by police officers, during a protest next to Buckingham Palace in London Reuters UK news in pictures 25 August 2021 Gold Medallist Great Britains cyclist, Sarah Storey, celebrates after winning the Womens C5 3000m Individual Pursuit Final at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games. It was her 15th Paralympic gold Reuters UK news in pictures 24 August 2021 A demonstrator dressed as bee during a protest by members of Extinction Rebellion on Whitehall, in central London PA UK news in pictures 23 August 2021 Former interpreters for the British forces in Afghanistan demonstrate outside the Home Office in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 22 August 2021 Police officers form a line in front of the entrance to the Guildhall, London, where protesters have climbed onto a ledge above the entrance during an Extinction Rebellion stage a protest PA UK news in pictures 21 August 2021 People take part in a demonstration in solidarity with people of Afghanistan, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 20 August 2021 People zip wire across the sea from Bournemouth pier towards the beach. PA UK news in pictures 19 August 2021 Supporters of Geronimo the alpaca gather outside Shepherds Close Farm in Wooton Under Edge, Gloucestershire PA UK news in pictures 18 August 2021 Former Afghan interpreters and veterans hold a demonstration outside Downing Street, calling for support and protection for Afghan interpreters and their families PA UK news in pictures 17 August 2021 Military personnel board the RAF Airbus A400M at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, where evacuation flights from Afghanistan have been landing Reuters UK news in pictures 16 August 2021 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer takes part in a minute's silence at Wolverhampton police station for the victims of the Plymouth mass shooting last week PA UK news in pictures 15 August 2021 2Storm, a ten-metre tall puppet of a mythical goddess of the sea created by Edinburgh-based visual theatre company Vision Mechanics, makes its way alongside the seafront at North Berwick, East Lothian, during a performance at the Fringe By The Sea festival PA UK news in pictures 14 August 2021 A woman and two young girls look at floral tributes in Plymouth where six people, including the offender, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident PA UK news in pictures 13 August 2021 Forensic officers in the Keyham area of Plymouth where six people, including the shooter, died of gunshot wounds in a firearms incident on Thursday evening PA UK news in pictures 12 August 2021 Children ride horses in the River Eden in Appleby, Cumbria, during the annual gathering of travellers for the Appleby Horse Fair PA UK news in pictures 11 August 2021 Stella Moris (left) reacts after talking to the media outside the High Court in London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal, n London, following the first hearing in the Julian Assange extradition appeal. The US government has won the latest round in its High Court bid to appeal against the decision not to extradite Julian Assange on espionage charges PA UK news in pictures 10 August 2021 Students react after they receive their A-Level results at the Ark Academy, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 9 August 2021 The final athletes from Great Britain arrive home including Jason Kenny, Laura Kenny and Katie Archibald (front left-right) at Heathrow Airport, London following the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games PA UK news in pictures 8 August 2021 Great Britain's Laura Kenny during the closing ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at the Olympic stadium in Japan PA UK news in pictures 7 August 2021 People from the Glasgow Southside community take part in the Govanhill Carnival, an anti-racist celebration of pride, unity and the contributions immigrants have made to the community in Govanhill, at Queen's Park, Glasgow PA UK news in pictures 6 August 2021 Chijindu Ujah of Britain, Zharnel Hughes of Britain, Richard Kilty of Britain and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake of Britain celebrate winning silver as they pose with Asha Philip of Britain, Imani Lansiquot of Britain, Dina Asher-Smith of Britain and Daryll Neita of Britain after they won bronze in the women's 4 x 100m relay during Olympic Games Day 14 Getty UK news in pictures 5 August 2021 A protester places flowers on a photograph of an executed man during a demonstration organised by supporters of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) to protest against the inauguration of Iran's new president Ebrahim Raisi in central London AFP via Getty

"From restricting the time they spend on the device, to keeping a close eye on what they are downloading, there are many steps parents can go through to limit usage.

Other than making calls and sending messages, it also emerged that 38 per cent of children used their mobile phone to play games.

They also use their smartphones to listen to music, watch videos and use Snapchat.

SWNS
Nearly 20 banks have committed to launching new European Union hubs in Frankfurt since the Brexit vote, according to German officials.

The economy minister for the state of Hesse, where Frankfurt is situated, said the city was confident it would attract more, with another 60 firms yet to decide on additional EU headquarters.

Weve got 18 entities... that have committed, Tarek Al-Wazir said during his most recent trip to London.

There will be other entities who are in the decision process now, so were in contact with some of them  of course, were not able to say who they are, but at the end if you compare everything that happened since the Brexit referendum and if you compare the real decisions made, I think we are number one on the continent and Im sure this will continue.

Hubertus Vath, managing director of city lobby group Frankfurt Main Finance, who was accompanying the minister on his trip, said that while big banks like JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs have already made their location decisions, there are are a swathe of firms yet to launch Brexit contingency plans.

We did some research in the beginning showing that 100 institutions will have to make up their minds, he said. We know as of today that just about 40 have made their decisions public and there are a few who are just about to make their decisions... So there is still 60 up for grabs, however were talking significantly smaller entities.

 Liam Fox says he'll refuse to support any extension of Brexit transition period

Those smaller entities would include prime brokerages and corporate treasury centres (CPCs), which serve as the in-house banks of multinational corporations, providing treasury services for its group companies.

While the remaining firms may not be headline grabbing, Mr Al-Wazir said there was still a healthy rivalry at play.

The competition is still there and maybe the competition is even increasing, but at the end the outcome is good for us.

The minister admitted he was a little bit disappointed that Paris was chosen as the new location of the London-based European Banking Authority, but said any competitive edge it might give to Paris was limited.

The ECB [European Central Bank] is far more relevant, he said.

The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Show all 8 1 /8 The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Post-Brexit immigration workers sorting radishes on a production line at a farm in Norfolk. One possible post-Brexit immigration scheme could struggle to channel workers towards less attractive roles - while another may heighten the risk of labour exploitation, a new report warns. PA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Customs union A key point in the negotiations remains Britain's access to, or withdrawal from, the EU customs union. Since the referendum there has been hot debate over the meaning of Brexit: would it entail a full withdrawal from the existing agreement, known as hard Brexit, or the soft version in which we would remain part of a common customs area for most goods, as Turkey does? No 10 has so far insisted that Brexit means Brexit and that Britain will be leaving the customs union, but may be inclined to change its position once the potential risks to the UKs economic outlook become clearer. Alamy The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Northern Ireland-Irish border Though progress was made last year, there has still been no solid agreement on whether there should be a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. To ensure borderless travel on the island, the countries must be in regulatory alignment and therefore adhere to the same rules as the customs union. In December, the Conservative Partys coalition partners, the DUP, refused a draft agreement that would place the UK/EU border in the Irish Sea due to its potential to undermine the union. May has promised that would not be the case and has suggested that a specific solution would need to be found. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Transition period Despite protests from a small number of Conservative MPs, the Government and the EU are largely in agreement that a transitional period is needed after Brexit. The talks, however, have reached an impasse. Though May has agreed that the UK will continue to contribute to the EU budget until 2021, the PM wants to be able to select which laws made during this time the UK will have to adhere to. Chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK must adopt all of the laws passed during the transition, without any input from British ministers or MEPs. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Rights of EU citizens living the UK The Prime Minister has promised EU citizens already living in the UK the right to live and work here after Brexit, but the rights of those who arrive after Brexit day remains unclear. May insists that those who arrive during the transition period should not be allowed to stay, whereas the EU believe the cut-off point should be later. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreement (with the EU) Despite this being a key issue in negotiations, the Government has yet to lay out exactly what it wants from a trade deal with the EU. Infighting within the Cabinet has prevented a solid position from being reached, with some MPs content that "no deal is better than a bad deal" while others rally behind single market access. The EU has already confirmed that access to the single market would be impossible without the UK remaining in the customs union. Getty The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Future trade agreements (internationally) The Government has already begun trying to woo foreign leaders into prospective trade agreements, with various high profile state visits to China, India and Canada for May, and the now infamous invitation to US President Donald Trump to visit London. However the UK cannot make trade agreements with another country while it is still a member of the EU, and the potential loss of trade with the world's major powers is a source of anxiety for the PM. The EU has said the UK cannot secure trade deals during the transition period. EPA The biggest issues facing UK on leaving EU Financial services Banks in the UK will be hit hard regardless of the Brexit outcome. The EU has refused to give British banks passporting rights to trade within the EU, dashing hopes of a special City deal. However according to new reports Germany has suggested allowing trade on the condition that the UK continues paying into the EU budget even after the transition period. Getty

Mr Al-Wazir  whose London visit was his fifth since the Brexit vote  said financial firms would also be interested in new local labour reforms.

I always said that if German labour law was that bad Germany wouldnt have reached the position that it has reached, he added. But you know, especially concerning banks and financial institutions, the federal level is now on its way to changing the labour law.

The minister pointed to a recent coalition agreement which will make it easier to fire and replace high-earning bankers  a boon for those who previously bemoaned stringent legislation that made it hard to sack senior staff.

He said the next step was to have more firms make the trip to Frankfurt themselves.

We have many people visiting us, because at the end if youre opening something it wont help you if we are always here [in London]  you have to see it yourself.

So I think our main work is to welcome people and to show them around, get them to know the right people.

Additional reporting by PA
On holiday some years ago, walking up Third Avenue on the Upper East Side of Manhattan in New York, I suddenly told myself that I really do love big cities. It felt like an epiphany moment, a realisation of something that had been implicit for a long time. After all, I had lived in London all my adult life without ever wishing to leave. I am proud of the place.

As a matter of fact, nobody would claim that Third Avenue is an attractive street. It is full of traffic. It has small shops at street level and very ordinary offices above. This is where a distinction that the French used to make between the ville and the cite comes in. This old usage indicated that the built environment, the ville, was one thing; how people dwell in it, the cite, was another.

It wasnt that the people I passed that day in Third Avenue were having sparkling conversations with each other  quite the reverse. In the big city, unlike the small country town, passers-by rarely acknowledge each other. They are not expecting to say hello. Louis Wirth, an American sociologist, wrote that a city is a motley mixture of peoples and cultures, of highly differentiated modes of life between which there often is only the faintest communication, the greatest indifference and the broadest toleration and occasionally bitter strife.

So, what is it that makes a successful city?

We can get at this from various angles. The German adage from the late Middle Ages, Stadtluft macht frei (city air makes you free) emphasised that citizens no longer have to serve just one master. The travel writer Jonathan Raban has commented that cities, unlike villages and small towns, are plastic by nature. We mould them in our images: they in turn shape us by the resistance they offer when we try to impose our own personal form on them.

An essential sign of city life is the presence of crowds. But city crowds can become mobs. Richard Sennett, the urbanist, draws our attention to Gustave Le Bon (1841-1931), who wrote The Crowd: A Study of the Popular Mind in 1895. He believed that whenever large numbers of people gather, they can together commit crimes they would never do alone. In part this is explained by the simple fact that in the mass, people become anonymous. And psychologically, as a group swells in size, there is an exhilarating feeling of us, of release, of being free to do anything.

For the most recent example of riots in London we must go back no further than August 2011, when thousands of people ran amok following the death of Mark Duggan, who was fatally shot by the police in Tottenham. The protesters destroyed police vehicles, a double-decker bus and many homes and businesses. The disturbances, which spread to other towns and cities in England, lasted for a week.

The price of not caring: a looted Debenhams store during the London riots in 2011 (Getty) (Getty Images)

Perhaps Jane Jacobs best put the requirements for a successful city in her book The Economy of Cities. This American author, journalist and urban activist said that the most successful cities are those that have more than one kind of success; and are continually able to reinvent themselves.

Lets put London, Paris and New York to Jacobs tests.

More than one kind of success? London and New York have very similar achievements. They house the largest financial markets in the world, with New York bigger than London. In this activity Frankfurt is in ninth position and Paris very small. But Paris has a different strength. It is the world capital of fashion and haute couture, though it was an Englishman, Charles Frederick Worth, who in 1858 established the first haute couture house in Paris.

But here are their secondary successes. In the visual arts, all three cities are strong on a global scale. The National Gallery, the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum: who could choose between them? Their collections are genuinely international and of the highest quality. A few weeks ago, for instance, a young visitor from Paris asked us if we would show him the National Gallerys Rembrandts. Of course, I knew they would have some choice examples in Trafalgar Square  but I had forgotten that they had a whole gallery to themselves.

Luna Park on New Yorks Coney Island: successful cities such as the Big Apple have more than one kind of success, Jane Jacobs says (Getty) (Getty Images)

What about Jacobs second test? Not only must successful cities have more than one kind of success, they must also be able continually to reinvent themselves. This is more difficult to assess except in the case of London, where you have only to stand on, say, Westminster Bridge and look east towards the dome of St Pauls to see reinvention going on all around. For St Pauls is usually surrounded by tall building cranes.

As Deyan Sudjic, notes in his excellent book The Language of Cities, London is as fluid now as it has ever been. Most of London, from Stratford in the east to Wandsworth 15 miles west, is caught in the path of an unstoppable juggernaut of redevelopment, fuelled by cheap money and the profits to be made in Londons property bubble. Or Jonathan Raban again: In London, everything is fresh; the ink is hardly dry on the reviews, and the latest thing in clothes still has the air of violent departure. This continuous freshness of the city composes most of what is left of the citys power to persuade the immigrant that he has crossed the frontier into a new world.

From cityscapes to sunshine Show all 6 1 /6 From cityscapes to sunshine From cityscapes to sunshine Soak in the beautiful architecture of the Castell de Bellver From cityscapes to sunshine Enjoy contemporary art at Baluard Museu d'Art Modern i Contemporani From cityscapes to sunshine See the sunset from an Arab fortress From cityscapes to sunshine Try some of the Balearic capital's tasty tapas at La Taberna del Caracol From cityscapes to sunshine Discover Palma's picturesque promenades From cityscapes to sunshine Stop for an authentic lunch at Mercat de lOlivar farmers market

In contrast, Paris absolutely does not engage with reinvention and doesnt wish to do so. It rigorously preserves unchanged the beautiful, satisfying city that lies within the inner ring road. It is largely 19th century, together with the old medieval street plan still visible on the Left Bank opposite Notre-Dame. In addition, there is a generous scattering of 17th and 18th-century town houses (hotels particuliers) spread throughout the city.

Pariss prohibition of contemporary architecture, except in small-scale in-fills, dates from the disaster of the Tour Montparnasse, the first and last skyscraper to be erected in central Paris. Built on top of a metro station in 1973, its 59 floors made it the tallest skyscraper in France. As a single tower jutting up from the Paris rooftops, it is undeniably ugly. It has given rise to the endlessly repeated joke that the tower offers the best views in the city because it is the only place from which you cannot see it. Two years after its completion, the construction of buildings over seven stories high in the city centre was banned.

In the end, however, lack of reinvention is dangerous. As the capital of a large, prosperous, advanced country, Paris will always have a major role. But the fate that awaits it  at least in my mind  is to become a Washington rather than a New York, or a Canberra rather than a Sydney. Or, as Sudjic argues, to become a large-scale version of Venice.

Equally, however, London is taking a risk by giving property developers free rein. Jane Jacobs called the sort of investments made by speculators and developers in league with architects and planners cataclysmic money, for they wreak havoc on communities with their big, sudden transformative projects  which all ultimately look the same. For the trouble is that developers work with simplified chunks of building. Because they seek finance on international markets, they need to be able to pitch the same package to bankers in London and New York and Tokyo.

Londons high-rise Canary Wharf is a simplified slice of a city, according to Sudjic (AFP/Getty)

Shopping malls or shopping centres are a good example. For instance, to pick two shopping centres I happen to know, the Metrocentre near Gateshead in the north-east of England closely resembles the shopping mall in the centre of Paris on the site of the old fresh food market, the Forum des Halles. In similar vein, Sudjic comments that Canary Wharf in London is an example of a simplified slice of a city.

You can find copies all over the world. It bears the same relationship to an authentic slice of city (which is necessarily complex, not simple) that a Starbucks does to a family owned Italian cafe. Or, as Sennett puts it: Today the office park, the school campus, the residential tower set in a bit of green are not forms friendly to experiment, because all are self-contained rather than open to outside influences and interactions.

Thank goodness, therefore, for campaigning by citizens. The officials running cities should never ignore the possibility that the people may be right. Look at Sheffield, where plans to cut down thousands of trees lining the citys streets have engendered increasingly violent protest. Finally, two weeks ago, the local council announced an immediate pause in its controversial scheme.

Save our cities is a cry that resonates.
BBC presenter Sarah Montague has revealed for the first time how she was incandescent with rage when she realised her male colleagues were getting paid more than her.

When the BBCs gender pay gap was revealed in July, Ms Montague was astonished to learn she was the only Radio 4 Today programme presenter who was earning less than 150,000.

While she was paid 133,000 for presenting Today, other Radio 4 work and her Hardtalk television interviews, her colleague John Humphrys, the veteran Today presenter and Mastermind host, was earning between 600,000 and 649,999.

Ms Montague, who some years earlier had been assured she was not the lowest paid Today presenter, discovered Nick Robinson was on more than 250,000, while her female colleague and BBC News presenter Mishal Husain was on more than 200,000.

Justin Webb, the next lowest paid Today presenter after Ms Montague, was earning between 150,000 and 199,999, at least 17,000 more than her.

Revealing her anger for the first time, Ms Montague wrote in The Sunday Times: I felt incandescent with rage. Managers, who over the years had become friends, had known these figures and thought them acceptable.

I had long suspected I was paid much less than my colleagues but until the pay disclosures I had no idea of the scale of that difference. Some years ago I was even assured by a manager that I was not the lowest paid on the programme.

 Leaked audio of John Humphrys and Jon Sopel discussing Carrie Gracie's gender pay dispute

She added: Before the list was published I had thought there might be some moral high ground from taking less of the licence fee than others. What a fool I was. I felt nothing of the sort. Instead I felt a sap. For years I had been subsidising other peoples lifestyles.

I also hadnt clocked just how professionally damaging it would feel. When you are paid less its hard not to question your own ability and value to your employer.

When I started work more than 30 years ago, she added, it never occurred to me that I would be paid less than a man doing the same job.

The presenter, who left Today last month to join Radio 4s World at One programme, said that as someone in the public eye, she was supported by many who were outraged on her behalf  but she pointed out it might be harder for women in less high profile jobs to fight for their rights.

This is where what might have been a rather public humiliation worked to my advantage, Ms Montague wrote. Listeners were outraged on my behalf. For women in jobs without such a profile it must be hard to gauge your value and fight for it.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 29 September 2021 The family of Betty Campbell unveil the bronze sculpture of her during the unveiling of the statue in Central Square, Cardiff, of Betty Campbell, Wales' first black headteacher PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2021 A sign referring to the lack of fuel is placed at the entrance to a petrol station in London AP UK news in pictures 27 September 2021 Police officers detain a protester from Insulate Britain occupying a roundabout leading from the M25 motorway to Heathrow Airport in London PA UK news in pictures 26 September 2021 Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer watches the Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur match at The Font pub in Brighton PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP 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

But even with her high profile, she added, her case wasnt sorted out quickly.

Ms Montague wrote: I had thought that because I was in a high profile position and was inundated with requests from journalists to talk about my pay that it would all be sorted out quickly. Nine months on it has yet to be resolved fully.

Months on, the excuses still being used for lower pay are laughable; or they would be if they didnt make you want to weep.

Ms Montague added that in her case the gender pay gap was even worse than it initially seemed, because while others were on staff and getting benefits like pensions, she wasnt.

While I was still reeling from the publication of the list, she wrote, I discovered that the true situation was far worse.

Apart from John Humphrys, I was the only Today programme presenter not on a full staff contract. When I joined the BBC more than 20 years ago I was told to set up a company, which means I havent taken a penny in benefits or accrued any pension.

Because of that, the pay gap will last my lifetime.

Ms Montagues statements continue the fall-out from the government making the BBC publish a list of staff earning more than 150,000.

When the list was revealed in July, there was widespread outrage at a gender pay gap which meant the BBCs top earner, Chris Evans, on between 2.2m and 2.25m, was being paid more than four times the corporations highest earning woman, Claudia Winkleman, on up to 500,000.

Recalling this, Ms Montague wrote: The rage felt by women, realising theyd been sold a pup, prompted us to join forces to support each other and to push for change.

Ms Montague became part of the BBC Women lobby group  alongside 170 others including Jane Garvey, Mishal Husain and Victoria Derbyshire  who called for an apology and back pay.

 Journalist Carrie Gracie speaks about pay inequality at BBC

Among the most high profile gender pay protests was that of the BBCs China editor Carrie Gracie who in January resigned after learning she was on less than her male international editor counterparts.

This led to the bizarre spectacle of Ms Gracie guest presenting Today alongside Mr Humphrys while he interviewed another BBC presenter, Mariella Frostrup, about the protest of the woman sitting next to him.

Shortly afterwards, Mr Humphrys, along with Ms Gracies former international editor, Jon Sopel, who covers North America, plus high profile presenters Huw Edwards and Jeremy Vine, reportedly agreed to accept reductions in their salaries to help close the gender pay gap.

In her Sunday Times article Ms Montague wrote: We are in this situation because we havent been open about pay.

Whats needed is some light, perhaps even total transparency. That may be the fastest route for organisations such as the BBC to restore trust among staff and ensure the accountability of those setting pay.

Responding to Ms Montagues comments, a BBC spokeswoman said: As weve made clear previously, the BBC is committed to closing our gender pay gap by 2020, and the figures show we are already performing better than most other media companies.

We have also said we want to introduce a clear and transparent pay framework for the future so everyone working for the BBC can have confidence that they are being paid fairly.

On personal service companies [like the one created by Ms Montague] we have already announced an independent process under the supervision of the Centre for Effective Dispute Resolution to consider cases.

In October, a judge-led audit of rank-and-file BBC staff found no systemic discrimination against women.
A Conservative MP who has been tipped as a potential future prime minister has admitted hacking into a Labour opponents website.

Kemi Badenoch, 38, admitted changing the content of the victims website to say nice things about Tories during an interview with Core Politics.

Ms Badenoch, who was appointed as the Conservative Partys vice-chairman for candidates in January, has apologised for the incident, which happened 10 years ago.

Asked what the naughtiest thing she had ever done was, the MP for Saffron Walden, in Essex, told Core Politics: About 10 years ago I hacked into ... a Labour MPs website and I changed all the stuff in there to say nice things about Tories.

The event is likely to embarrass Downing Street, as Ms Badenoch is seen as a rising star in the Conservative Party.

Prime minister Theresa May has tasked her with sourcing a range of talented MPs from non-traditional backgrounds, with a particular focus on ethnic-minority candidates and women.

Ms Badenoch did not reveal the identity of the MP in the clip obtained by the Mail on Sunday.

She told the paper: This was a foolish prank over a decade ago, for which I apologise.

It is understood it involved guessing a password to access the website.

Conservative sources stressed Ms Badenoch was not a candidate or professionally connected to the party at the time.

Ms Badenoch was appointed as MP for Saffron Walden, Essex, after last years general election, with a majority of nearly 25,000.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures 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 UK news in pictures 1 August 2021 EPA

She has previously cited Margaret Thatcher as her political hero and backed Brexit in her maiden House of Commons speech.

During her address she described Brexit as the greatest-ever vote of confidence in the project of the United Kingdom.
The Home Secretary has clashed with a former police chief by insisting the loss of thousands of officers has played no part in the surge in street killings.

Amber Rudd said the evidence disproved the criticism that harsh police cuts have left forces without the resources to curb the rise in stabbings and shootings.

The charge has been led by Ian Blair, the former Scotland Yard Commissioner, who said London was paying the price for the undermining of intelligence-led neighbourhood policing  with not enough officers visible on the street.

But Ms Rudd, writing in The Sunday Telegraph, ahead of unveiling a Serious Violence Task Force to tackle the problem, said the time for warm words and political quarrels is over.

As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge, she wrote.

"One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets. The evidence, however, does not support this. In the early 2000s, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising.

In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013-14, police numbers were close to the highest we'd seen in decades.

Ms Rudd also highlighted rising police budgets and cash reserves held by most forces - including the Metropolitan Police, which has 240m to spend if it believes there is a need.

The article follows six shootings and stabbings in London in the past week alone and more than 50 murders in the capital in just the first three months of the year.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP 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

Labour has also linked the deaths directly to funding cuts of 1bn to the Metropolitan Police, alleged that probation and prisons are in chaos and that youth services had been cut to the bone.

Angela Rayner, Labours Shadow Education Secretary, accused Ms Rudd of having her head in the sand over the impact of stripping out huge numbers of police officers.

Speaking on the BBCs Andrew Marr programme, she described the rash of killings as devastating, saying: We have seen knife crime increasing in the 39 of 43 police forces across the UK.

Its not just about austerity, but when the Home Secretary sticks her head in the sand and says that losing 21,000 police off our streets doesnt have an effect, then I think thats a very naive position.

Ms Rayner said there had also been steep cuts to wraparound services for young people, adding: That has a knock-on effect. Its not just about the police, of course its not, but its about the wider public services and about supporting families to make the right choices.

Under the new serious violence strategy, anyone buying a knife online will be banned from having it sent to a residential address, under a government crackdown following a surge in street stabbings.

New legislation, to be brought forward within weeks, will also make it illegal to possess zombie knives and knuckledusters in private  or any knife on further education premises.

Rapid firing rifles will be banned and the legal definition for threatening someone with an offensive weapon changed to make prosecutions easier.
The Russian embassy has accused the British Foreign Office of failing to answer questions on why former spy Sergei Skripals niece has been refused a visa to visit him and his daughter, Yulia.

Viktoria Skripal has appealed to Theresa May for permission to come to the UK and visit her relatives after she was denied access by the British embassy in Moscow.

Claiming the UK has something to hide, she vowed to fight on until she can see her cousin and uncle, saying she would take her case to the United Nations if prevented.

Confirming the refusal, a Home Office spokesman said her application did not comply with the immigration rules.

The Russian embassy has now accused the Foreign Office of failing to answer questions over why Ms Skripal was not given a visa and described its response as disappointing.

The refusal, it said, cannot but cause regret.

Repeating its charge, it said that the decision not to issue a visa was politically motivated and raised questions about the reasoning behind it.

After receiving news of the refusal, Ms Skripal told Sky News she wanted to visit the pair in person so she could truthfully report back on their condition to relatives.

She said: The whole world is now talking about an unprecedented political scandal, but real people are at the epicentre of this scandal. This is our family, which really needs to be together now.

If Yulia sees this, I want her to see we love her and will always wait for her. I will fight for her till the end. If I cant do it here, I will go to the United Nations and if I cant do it this way, I will walk, I will hitchhike across the border illegally.

A Russian state TV channel had earlier released a recording of what it claimed was a phone call between Ms Skripal and her cousin, Yulia.

Viktoria asked Yulia: Is everything OK with you?

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 25 September 2021 Scottish pro-independence supporters hold a march and rally outside the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh, Scotland Getty Images UK news in pictures 24 September 2021 Police officers remove two protesters from the top of a tanker, as Insulate Britain block the A20 in Kent, which provides access to the Port of Dover in Kent. The environmental activists have moved location after been banned from campaigning on the M25 motorway in London PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2021 Gabriella, the seven year old daughter of imprisoned British-Iranian Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, joins in a game on a giant snakes and ladders board in Parliament Square, to show the ups and downs of her mothers case to mark the 2,000 days she has been detained in Iran AP 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

She replied: Everything is OK, all is well  well sort things out as we get to them. The pair discussed the possibility of Viktoria coming to the UK and Yulia said: No one will give you a visa, Vika. As the conversation progressed, Yulia explained that her father, Sergei, is fine, resting and sleeping now, everyones health is OK.

Doubts have been raised about the recordings authenticity, as officials continue to investigate the poisoning.

The Russian embassy has requested a meeting with Boris Johnson to discuss the situation in Salisbury.

The Foreign Office said it will consider their request and will respond in due course.
Paul Le Roux, one of the worlds least known but most prodigious criminals, emerged from the shadows this week and testified for the first time about the myriad illegal schemes he committed in his 20-year career on the wrong side of the law.

In a spellbinding two-day turn as a prosecution witness, Le Roux confessed to an astonishing array of crimes. He said he had once sold missile technology to Iran, shipped guns from Indonesia, and trafficked methamphetamine out of North Korea. He calmly told a jury in New York that he had taken part in at least five murders. With a businesslike demeanour, he admitted not only to arming a 200-man militia in Somalia but also to hatching plans to use mercenaries to overthrow the government of the Seychelles.

When a prosecutor asked what he had smuggled over the years, Le Roux responded without affect: Cash, chemicals, drugs and gold. He said that he had also smuggled weapons and when asked to whom, he answered: Rebels, warlords, criminals  essentially anyone who had money.

A South African businessman with illicit interests that spanned four continents, Le Roux recounted all of this at the murder conspiracy trial of three soldiers-of-fortune on his payroll who stand accused of killing a Filipino real estate agent in 2012. The agent, Catherine Lee, was shot in the face while taking two of the defendants, Adam Samia and Carl D. Stillwell, on a tour of properties near Manila, prosecutors say, after which her body was dumped on a pile of garbage. Joseph Hunter, the third defendant at the trial in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, New York, was charged with overseeing the assassination.

Silver-haired and hulking in his prison-issue shirt, Le Roux spoke about Lee in his first few moments on the stand, saying he had ordered her murder because he believed she had stolen from him. I had her killed, he said matter-of-factly, adding that Hunter handled the details and that Samia and a partner did the actual work.

The chilling testimony was part of Le Rouxs cooperation with the government. In late 2012, he was arrested by the Drug Enforcement Administration after being lured to Liberia. Ever since, Le Roux, 45, has been assisting the authorities in rounding up the members of his sprawling organisation in an effort to reduce a possible life sentence.

In 2013, he helped the DEA launch a sting operation in Thailand that led to Hunters first arrest and eventual sentence of 20 years in prison. In that case, the drug agency caught Hunter and three others agreeing to murder one of its agents and an informant. Because the charges included a plot to bring cocaine to New York, the case was handled by prosecutors in Manhattan. They are also handling Lees murder, claiming it evolved from the same investigation.

The trial so far has focused on the car bombs, arsons and assassinations that Le Roux employed to protect his smuggling routes  violence that was previewed so unnervingly in opening arguments on Tuesday that a juror told the judge she feared for her safety and was excused the following day.

The trial has also pulled back the veil on the covert world of mercenary work. Le Roux testified that he paid his guns-for-hire $5,000 to $10,000 a month, plus expenses. He said he paid an extra $25,000 for bonus work, which he described as acts of killing and any other acts of violence.

The word mercenary,' he explained, means a trained person with military experience and an aggressive posture who will beat, shoot, intimidate or kill anyone on instruction.

On Wednesday afternoon, Le Roux said that for two years his chief mercenary was a man named David Smith who in 2008 formed a company called Echelon Associates to recruit what amounted to a private Praetorian guard. Its members traveled the globe  from Mozambique to Papua New Guinea  often using false passports and code names like Daddy Mac and Rambo to scout locations for Le Roux, watch his assets and maim or murder on his behalf.

Among those murdered was Smith, Le Roux admitted. He said he had his henchman killed in 2010 after finding out that Smith was cheating him. Le Roux subsequently named Hunter his security chief.

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

A former U.S. Army sergeant with Special Forces training, Hunter, 52, had served in the military and with two private security firms in Iraq. During the sting in Thailand, he was caught on camera boasting of the vicious acts he committed for Le Roux: how he waterboarded one man, shot a second in the hand and pitched a third  another suspected thief  overboard at sea.

On Thursday, Le Roux testified that after two men on his hit team  a gunman from New Zealand and a former member of the French Foreign Legion  quit their jobs, he instructed Hunter to replace them. Hunter, emails show, reached out to Samia, a onetime Army sniper, who lived near Stillwell, a firearms instructor, in the small town of Roxboro, North Carolina.

Flight records indicate that Samia, 43, and Stillwell, 50, flew to Manila in January 2011, where, Le Roux recalled, he supplied the men with a rifle (for long shots), a pistol (for close-range shots) and an MP5 submachine gun from a weapons warehouse he maintained. He also gave them Lees address.

One month later, Le Roux said, the two men followed the plan he had concocted: posing as real estate buyers, they lured Lee in a Toyota van into the countryside near Las Pinas. Stillwell later told the DEA that he was driving the van as Samia fired the pistol into Lees face.

In early March, Hunter drove both men to the airport and put them on a plane, Le Roux said. Three years later, the DEA tracked them down in Roxboro  with arrest warrants.

The New York Times
An unconventional welcome sign greets visitors in western Georgia.

It stands suitably outside the Harris County Sheriff's Office, only a stone's throw from the Alabama border, addressing would-be criminals and warning them not to cross the locals.

"Welcome to Harris County, Georgia," it reads, sarcastically, adding: "Our citizens have concealed weapons. If you kill someone, we might kill you back. We have ONE jail and 356 cemeteries. Enjoy your stay! -Sheriff Mike Jolley."

The sheriff said it's his saucy way of welcoming people to his county while, at the same time, warning them that a number of the citizens exercise their right to bear arms.

"If you come and put someone's life in danger in Harris County, you could stand the risk of being put in danger yourself," he told The Washington Post.

The sign was put up Tuesday, amid a contentious national debate over Second Amendment rights in the wake of recent mass shootings, such as the one in February at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Mr Jolley said he understands that some people support guns and others do not. But he claims that, in his county, a large part of the population approves of firearms.

The welcome sign in Harris County, Georgia (The Washington Post / Sheriff Mike Jolley ) (The Washington Post / Sheriff Mike Jolley)

"Georgia is very much a Second Amendment state, and Harris County is a strong Second Amendment county," he said.

In 2012, the US Government Accountability Office, which investigates matters for Congress, studied state gun laws across the country. Florida was found to have the highest number of valid concealed weapons permits - 887,000 - followed by Pennsylvania and then Georgia, which had about 600,000, according to the report.

Mr Jolley said over that the past several years, concealed weapon permits in Harris County have tripled.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported last year that data shows that people in Georgia are twice as likely to be shot and killed as those in New York.

According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were 1,571 firearm deaths in Georgia in 2016. Both firearm deaths and homicides in the state were above the national average.

Mr Jolley said he is giving out-of-towners fair notice about what they can expect.

"We want people to come and enjoy Harris County," he said, "but we want them to do it in a safe manner, and we want them to know that they're safe when they get here."

It's not the first time Mr Jolley had made national news with his welcomes signs.

In 2015, he posted an unusual declaration wishing people a Merry Christmas.

"WARNING: Harris County is politically incorrect," the sign said. "We say: Merry Christmas, God Bless America and In God We Trust. We salute our troops and our flag. If this offends you . . . LEAVE!"

Mr Jolley said he decided to speak up with his sign because, over the years, he had watched "the silent majority" grow even "more silent."

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

"It's time for the silent majority to stand up for our beliefs and not be ashamed," he told the Columbus Ledger-Enquirer at the time.

Mr Jolley said he changes the signs about every eight months or so and pays for them out of his own pocket. Since he has put up the most recent one, he said, the response has been about "99.9 percent positive."

But the sheriff doesn't seem to mind a little controversy, either.

"I've been in office a long time," he said, "so I like to stir the pot."

The Washington Post
A Republican politician has said that women who have abortions should face the death penalty.

Bob Nonini, who is standing for lieutenant governor in Idaho, said anyone who had one "should pay".

"There should be no abortion," he told a crowd at a candidate forum event hosted by conservative Christian podcast, Cross Politic.

"Anyone who has an abortion should pay."

Pressed by moderators about the nature of the punishment, Mr Nonini nodded when asked if he supported the possibility of the death penalty for women who have abortions.

He has since denied that he supports the death penalty as punishment.

In a statement, he said that he was a "pro-life supporter" and that punishment should be focussed on those performing abortion procedures, rather than the women having them.

"Let me be clear - I have always been a pro-life supporter," he said. "That means classifying abortion as murder. Since abortion is murder, I believe we should consider penalties for individuals involved in those procedures.

"Prosecutions have always been focussed on the abortionist. There is no way a woman would go to jail, let alone face the death penalty."

But, the politician nonetheless said he believed that the threat of prosecution will deter women from having terminations.

"The statute alone, the threat of prosecution would dramatically reduce abortion," he said. "That is my goal."

The three-term state senator was forced to apologise earlier this year when he made an inappropriate comment about a Facebook post during anti-sexual harassment training.

"I made a comment that might have offended some people," he said. "I apologised to those sitting around me."

The full details of the comments have never been revealed.

At the most recent event, he was joined by two other Republican candidates at the event: Republican business woman Janice McGeachin, and former Idaho Republican Party Chairman, Steve Yates.

Both Ms McGeachin and Mr Yates agreed with Mr Nonini that abortion is murder, but stopped short of supporting charging women with a crime if they have a termination.

Mr Yates agreed with the criminalisation of abortion, but admitted that it may not reduce the number of women having procedures.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

"In terms of criminalising things, I have no problem with that, except that it doesn't always solve the problem," he said.

Ms McGeachin meanwhile told the audience: "I cannot support a woman facing the death penalty for having an abortion.

"What we should be doing is preventing that."

Agencies contributed to this report
South Carolina Republicans have introduced a bill that would give the state capital the power to secede from the United States if the federal government violates the Second Amendment and begins seizing legally purchased guns.

The bill, which went to the states House Judiciary Committee Thursday, is unlikely to make it through the legislature this session, but its introduction sends a powerful message at a time when the US is seeing an intense debate about gun control.

The general assembly shall convene to consider whether to secede from the United States based upon the federal government's unconstitutional violation of the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution if the federal government confiscates legally purchased firearms in this state, the bill reads.

South Carolina was the first state to secede from the union in 1860 at the start of the Civil War.

The legislation follows after a separate bill was introduced by Republicans in the state earlier in the week that would prohibit local governments in South Carolina from enacting stricter gun control than what state law allows, and less than two months after the mass high school shooting in Parkland, Florida where 17 people were gunned down by a man wielding an AR-15.

Since that shooting, teenage survivors of the massacre have been a prominent and focused voice in the debate surrounding gun control in the United States. They have led a campaign that culminated in hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets in Washington and around the country to protest gun violence and legislative inaction by politicians.

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

The teenage activists have also pushed for advertising boycotts of some of their most prominent critics, many of whom have dismissed them and their message because of their age.

South Carolinas efforts to pass stricter gun protections stands out against several states that have worked to implement stricter gun control measures.

That includes Florida  a state known for its lax gun control laws  where Governor Rick Scott signed a rare gun control bill that raises the age requirement to buy a rifle, even though the National Rifle Association opposed the bill.

Other states that have enacted stricter laws as well, including Vermont and New York. In Vermont, a host of gun regulations have been passed even though the small northeastern state had virtually no gun regulations prior. In New York, state politicians passed a bill that would allow police to confiscate guns owned by people convicted of domestic abuse.

Efforts in Washington to pass gun control have been largely stymied, even though President Donald Trump had indicated previously that he would be open to passing some reforms to try and stop the gun violence epidemic in the United States.
Police have admitted they still do not know why a 48-year-old German man drove into a crowd in the city of Munster before shooting himself dead inside a van.

The vehicle crashed into people sitting in front of the famous Grosser Kiepenkerl pub in the city's old town district, killing two people and injuring at least 20 more.

But in a joint statement with police, prosecutor Martin Botzenhardt admitted: "As of now, we don't have any leads regarding a possible background for the deed. The investigations are being led under high pressure in all possible directions."

Authorities said a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg County and a 65-year-old man from Broken County were killed in the incident. Their names were not released, as is customary in Germany.

Local media identified the driver as an industrial designer living in Munster who had been suffering from psychological problems. Police would not confirm details.

All three bodies were taken from the crash scene in front of the pub. The silver-grey van was hauled away hours later after explosives experts had thoroughly checked it.

"The van is not at the crime scene anymore, all kinds of objects have also been removed, waste of course, as well as evidence that we've found on the ground," said police spokesperson Susanne Dirkorte.

 Munster incident: Emergency services respond after vehicle crashes into crowd

Inside the van, police found illegal firecrackers which were disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the gun the perpetrator used to kill himself.

During a raid on the man's apartment, which was near the crash scene, investigators found more firecrackers and a "no longer usable AK-47 machine gun".

Police said some of the 20 injured were still in a life-threatening condition, but did not release further details over their identities.

Local newspaper, Muenstersche Zeitung, reported the perpetrator had vaguely announced his suicide plans a week ago in an email to friends and that he was known to the authorities for previous violence and drug violations.

He drove into the bar's tables with such force the vehicle only came to a stop when it hit the wall of the pub. Police quickly evacuated the area and ambulances, firefighters and helicopters rushed to the scene to aid those who were injured.

On Saturday night, long queues of volunteers waited in front of the city's university hospital to donate blood for the victims. At the city's Aasee Lake, people spontaneously came together for a candlelight vigil.

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

German interior minister Horst Seehofer is expected to visit the crash scene together with other high-ranking officials.

The city's Roman Catholic bishop, Felix Glenn, invited all of Munster's citizens to a joint Catholic-Lutheran memorial service at the famous Paulus Cathedral on Sunday night.

The popular university town with some 300,000 inhabitants is a known tourist destination, famous for its medieval old town, which was rebuilt after massive destructions during the Second World War.

The Kiepenkerl is not only one of the city's best-known traditional pubs, but also the emblem of the city, depicting a travelling salesman with a long pipe in his mouth and a big backpack on his back.

Additional reporting by agencies
Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of a Palestinian journalist killed in Gaza while covering mass protests along the Israeli border.

Yasser Murtaja died from a gunshot wound he sustained while filming in an area engulfed in thick black smoke after protesters set tyres on fire.

Israeli troops opened fire from across the border, killing at least nine Palestinians and wounding 491 others in the second mass border protest in eight days.

The deaths brought to at least 31 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since last week. The border area appeared calm Saturday.

Photos showed Murtaja lying wounded on a stretcher wearing a blue protective vest marked "PRESS" in large black capital letters.

Mourners, among them many journalists, attended his funeral in which his body was covered with a Palestinian flag and his press jacket laid beside him on the stretcher as it was carried through the streets of Gaza City to his home for a last farewell.

Jeremy Corbyn condemned the killings as an "outrage" and attacked Western "silence" about the deaths.

In a message read out at a demonstration outside Downing Street, the Labour leader demanded Theresa May support the United Nations call for an independent international inquiry.

Witnesses said Murtaja was more than 100 metres from the border, wearing a flak jacket marked "press" and holding his camera when he was shot in an exposed area just below the armpit.

 Major clashes at Gaza-Israel border with Palestinians killed in the violence

The Israeli military has said it fired only at "instigators" involved in attacks on soldiers and was investigating Murtaja's death amid a hectic environment.

"The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) uses means such as warnings, riot dispersal means, and as a last resort firing live rounds in a precise, measured way," it said. "The IDF does not intentionally target journalists. The circumstances in which journalists were allegedly hit by IDF fire are not familiar to the IDF, and are being looked into."

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since a 2007 takeover and calls for Israel's destruction, has called for a series of protests until 15 May, the anniversary of Israel's founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

The Islamic group hopes the mass protests can create pressure to break a border blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, without having to succumb to demands that it disarm. The blockade has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. It has also devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day.

Israel argues that Hamas could have ended the suffering of Gaza's two million people by disarming and renouncing violence.

It claims Hamas is exploiting the mass marches as a cover for attacking the border fence, and has vowed to prevent a breach at all costs. The military said that on Friday, protesters hurled several explosive devices and firebombs, using the thick plumes of smoke from burning tyres as cover, and that several attempts to cross the fence were thwarted.

Colleagues said Murtaja was not affiliated with Hamas or any other militant group, and there were no Hamas symbols normally seen at the funerals for militants.

In an apparent sign of solidarity, Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh attended the funeral Saturday.

Gaza blackout Show all 10 1 /10 Gaza blackout Gaza blackout A Palestinian man works at his workshop as he fixes mobile power generators in Gaza City, July 9, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Palestinians pray in a makeshift mosque lit by battery-powered lights during a power cut in Gaza City, July 18, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian vendor sells fruits and vegetables during a power cut in a makeshift shop lit by battery-powered light in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman is seen from the window of her kitchen as she uses a candle light to prepare food during a power cut in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Buildings are seen at night in Gaza City, July 18, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Buildings are seen at night during a power cut in Gaza City, July 18 REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman washes dishes in her kitchen as she uses a candle light during a power cut in Beit Lahiya town, in the northern Gaza Strip, July 13, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Members of a Palestinian family prepare food on a fire on a beach during a power cut in the northern Gaza Strip, July 12, 2017. REUTERS Gaza blackout Palestinians make food during a hot weather on a beach during a power cut in the northern Gaza Strip, July 12, 2017 REUTERS Gaza blackout A Palestinian woman holds her child as she walks out of her house lit by a torch during a power cut in Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, July 3, 2017. REUTERS

"The Return March is a battle of truth and awareness," Haniyeh said of the protests. "Yasser held his camera to direct the arrows of truth to convey the image of the besieged people."

The drone he had used for shooting footage of Gaza hovered above to film his funeral. Dozens of his close friends and colleagues were sobbing after the coffin was taken out of the morgue.

Murtaja, 30, was the co-founder of Ain media, a local TV production company that has done projects, including aerial drone video, for foreign media clients such as the BBC and Al Jazeera English. He was one of the first to bring a drone camera into Gaza and his images captivated many of its residents who have never seen Gaza from above since it has no airport or skyscrapers.

His death, along with the other recent casualties, seemed likely to draw renewed criticism from rights groups that have branded Israel's open-fire orders on the border as unlawful, after Israel's defense minister warned that those approaching the fence were risking their lives.

Three other journalists sustained tear gas injuries and at least one cameraman a gunshot in his leg, health ministry and media activists reported.

AIDA, a network of more than 70 non-government organisations operating in the Palestinian territories, condemned what they called "the unlawful killing of civilians" on Friday. It follows accusations from the UN's human rights office that it has indications of Israeli forces using "excessive force" the previous week.

The European Union said Friday's violence "raises serious questions about the proportionate use of force which must be addressed."

Witnesses described the area in which Murtaja and others were shot as a chaotic scene in which protesters torched large piles of tyres, engulfing the area in black smoke that was meant to shield them from Israeli snipers. Footage showed that visibility was limited and the faces of some of the activists were covered with black soot.

Israeli troops on the other side of the fence responded with tear gas, rubber-coated steel pellets and water cannons, as well as occasional live fire. Footage taken of the wounded journalist shortly after he was shot shows medics frantically bandaging his chest and trying to connect an IV drip. Murtaja himself is seen moving his head from side to side and talking to those around him before he is placed on a stretcher and taken to an ambulance.

Just two weeks ago, Murtaja posted a drone photo of Gaza's seaport at sunset on his Facebook page with the following caption: "I wished I could take this photo from the sky, not from land. My name is Yasser Murtaja, I am 30 years old. I live in Gaza City. I have never traveled."

Friends say it reflected his greatest wish  to escape Gaza's isolation.

Hana Awad, his colleague and close friend, said he had long dreamt of travelling and was recently granted an Al Jazeera scholarship for training in Doha. She described him as active and friendly and not at all interested in politics.

"We didn't know his political views, he was passionate about his job and wanted to travel and learn," she said of Murtaja, who was the father of a two-year-old boy.

Additional reporting by AP
The ongoing attacks on the Labour Party for the alleged antisemitism of some of its prominent members is not only extremely biased and in the long term, it also obfuscates the true danger of antisemitism today.

Such a danger was perfectly illustrated by a caricature published back in July 2008 in the Viennese daily Die Presse: two stocky Nazi-looking Austrians sit at a table, and one of them holding in his hands a newspaper and commenting to his friend: Here you can see again how a totally justified antisemitism is being misused for a cheap critique of Israel!

This joke turns around the standard argument against critics of the policies of the state of Israel: like every other state, Israel can and should be judged and eventually criticised, but some critics of Israel misuse the justified critique of Israeli policy for antisemitic purposes. When todays Christian fundamentalist supporters of Israeli politics reject leftist critiques of Israeli policies, is their implicit line of argument not uncannily close to the caricature from Die Presse?

What this means is that, when approaching the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one should stick to ruthless and cold standards, suspending the urge to try to understand the situation: one should unconditionally resist the temptation to understand the Arab antisemitism (where we really do encounter it) as a natural reaction to the sad plight of the Palestinians, or to understand the Israeli measures as a natural reaction against the background of the memory of the holocaust.

There should be no understanding for the fact that, in many, if not most, of the Arab countries, from Saudi Arabia to Egypt, Hitler is still considered a hero, the fact that, in the primary school textbooks, all the traditional antisemitic myths, from the notoriously antisemitic (and forged) book The Protocols of the Elders of Zion to the claims that Jews use the blood of Christian (or Arab) children for sacrificial purposes, are attributed to them.

 Jeremy Corbyn's campaign team tackle accusations of antisemitism

To claim that this antisemitism articulates in a displaced mode the resistance against capitalism in no way justifies it, and the same goes for the Nazi antisemitism: it also drew its energy from the anti-capitalist resistance. Displacement is not here a secondary operation, but the fundamental gesture of ideological mystification.

So we should not interpret or judge singular acts together, we should excise them from their historical texture: the present actions of the Israeli Defence Forces on the West Bank should not be judged against the background of the holocaust. The fact that many Arabs celebrate Hitler or that synagogues are desecrated in France and elsewhere in Europe should not be judged as an inappropriate, but understandable, reaction to what Israelis are doing in the West Bank.

When any public protest against the Israel Defence Forces activities in the West Bank is flatly denounced as an expression of antisemitism, and  implicitly, at least  put in the same line with the defenders of the Holocaust, that is to say, when the shadow of the Holocaust is permanently evoked in order to neutralise any criticism of Israeli military and political operations, it is not enough to insist on the difference between antisemitism and the critique of particular measures of the State of Israel  one should go a step further and claim that it is the state of Israel which, in this case, is desecrating the memory of the Holocaust victims, ruthlessly manipulating them, instrumentalising them into a means to legitimise present political measures.

What this means is that one should flatly reject the very notion of any logical or political link between the Holocaust and the present Israeli-Palestinian tensions. These are two thoroughly different phenomena: the one part of the European history of rightist resistance to the dynamics of modernisation, the other one of the last chapters in the history of colonisation.

On the other hand, the difficult task for the Palestinians is to accept that their true enemy is not the Jewish people but the Arab regimes themselves which manipulate their plight in order, precisely, to prevent this shift  the political radicalisation in their own midst.

Part of todays situation in Europe effectively is the growth of antisemitism. In Malmo, Sweden, the aggressive Muslim minority harasses Jews so that they are afraid to walk in the streets in their traditional dress. Such phenomena should be clearly and unambiguously condemned: the struggle against antisemitism and the struggle against Islamophobia should be viewed as two aspects of the same struggle. Far from standing for a utopian position, this necessity of a common struggle is grounded in the very fact of the far-reaching consequences of extreme suffering. In a memorable passage in Still Alive: A Holocaust Girlhood Remembered, Ruth Kluger describes a conversation with some advanced PhD candidates in Germany:

Protests against Labour antisemitism Show all 14 1 /14 Protests against Labour antisemitism Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters clashed during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of the Jewish community hold a protest against Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism in the Labour Party AFP/Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Protesters hold placards and flags during a demonstration, organised by the British Board of Jewish Deputies for those who oppose antisemitism, in Parliament Square Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Hundreds of people gathered in Parliament Square to protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP Luciana Berger speaks during the protest PA Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester blows through a shofar during the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism Members of London's Jewish community protest in support of Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn outside parliament EPA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour MP John Mann speaks during a protest against antisemitism PA Protests against Labour antisemitism People protest against antisemitism in the Labour Party as Jewish community leaders have launched a scathing attack on Jeremy Corbyn, claiming he has sided with antisemites again and again PA Protests against Labour antisemitism Labour politicians Stella Creasy and Chuka Umunna leave after attending the demonstration Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A pro-Jeremy Corbyn protester holds a placard during a counter-protest Getty Protests against Labour antisemitism A support of the Labour Party hold up a placard during the demonstration Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism Jeremy Corbyn supporters during the demo Reuters Protests against Labour antisemitism A protester holds up a sign reading For the many, not the Jew AFP

One reports how in Jerusalem he made the acquaintance of an old Hungarian Jew who was a survivor of Auschwitz, and yet this man cursed the Arabs and held them all in contempt. How can someone who comes from Auschwitz talk like that, the German asks. I get into the act and argue, perhaps more hotly than need be. What did he expect? Auschwitz was no instructional institution [...] You learned nothing there, and least of all humanity and tolerance. Absolutely nothing good came out of the concentration camps, I hear myself saying, with my voice rising, and he expects catharsis, purgation, the sort of thing you go to the theatre for? They were the most useless, pointless establishments imaginable.

In short, the extreme horror of Auschwitz did not make it into a place which intrinsically purifies every single one of its surviving victims into ethically sensitive subjects who got rid of all petty egotistic interests.

The lesson to be drawn here is a very sad one: we have to abandon the idea that there is something emancipatory in extreme experiences, that they enable us to clear the mess and open our eyes to the ultimate truth of a situation. Or, as Arthur Koestler, the great anti-Communist convert, put it concisely: If power corrupts, the reverse is also true; persecution corrupts the victims, though perhaps in subtler and more tragic ways.
Roseanne Barr, the comedian who has been called a working class hero and who sought the Green Partys nomination for president in 2012 (and lost to Jill Stein), is back.

Her long-running eponymous show is two episodes into a reboot, and Barr is already is stirring up even more controversy than she did holding her crotch singing the National Anthem in 1990 or stating that she would run for prime minister of Israel.

As Roseanne Conner, the lightly fictionalised version of herself in the reboot, she has switched allegiances both on set and off  as a Donald Trump supporter.

Thank you, Roseanne, very much appreciated, President Trump tweeted in the summer of 2016 during his campaign after she told the Hollywood Reporter, I think we would be so lucky if Trump won. Barr got her wish, and thinks that everyone, on her show and off, shares her  and Trumps  worldview.

I know the fictional town of Lanford, Illinois. Its where Roseanne and Dan Conner, their now-grown kids and  who can believe it  their grandkids still live in their modest brick house, 30 years after the original run of Roseanne debuted.

Not that much has changed: a resurrected Dan still escapes to his shop with his tools and his fridge of beer, Roseanne and her sister Jackie still fight. But, 20 years later, its over a lot more than whether to support daughter Beckys move away from home or even where Roseanne will find work when shes laid off.

Its 2018, so they fight about one thing: Trump.

I know Lanford because I live in it. But because this is real life and not TV, residents of Pueblo, Colorado, a former steel town in the southern part of the state where I live and work as a freelance writer, are not as easily stereotyped as the angry white working class voters that so much of the media portrayed during and after the election.

I arrived five years ago with my own stereotypes: that people in a much more conservative small town whose factories and plants had long closed  Pueblo is a small city of 100,000 but feels much smaller  would be similar to the depictions on shows such as Roseanne, or that it would be like the stories that occasionally ran about life in cities under the radar where main streets were shuttered and many had moved away.

But Pueblo surprised me.

If he gets elected, were going to see protests in the streets like we did during Vietnam, said one woman in her sixties, a lifelong Pueblo resident, as she held up an Im For Her sign at a neighbourhood precinct meeting when the group was deciding between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders as the election got under way.

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

Ive always voted Republican, but not this time, the owner of an auto-body shop told me. He said Trumps views on immigration could hurt both his business and his family.

And there was the 20-year-old community college student who, along with his mother  a lesbian who lived and worked in the community with her wife  planned to vote Democrat although he knew that his Republican grandparents would disapprove.

I love my grandparents, he told me. Theyve always been there for me and my mother. But they dont understand how I like Jon Stewart and Trevor Noah. Theyve got Fox News on all the time, and its getting to where I can barely stand it.

Pueblo is a traditionally Democratic blue-collar union town once dominated by the now empty hulking steel mill, the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company. Like similar company towns in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and New Hampshire, it voted Republican in the 2018 election. But what wasnt reported  possibly because it would muddy the media narrative  is that Pueblo County, like other similar counties, only very narrowly, by just thousands of votes in fact, voted for Trump.

Pueblo is a town trying to survive, despite economic hardship. That means that voters here put trust in people they know, even if they dont share the same political affiliation. Although they might be Republican, they could still vote for a candidate for state or local office who is a Democrat because they know that persons family or worked alongside their parents.

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Fighting for Pueblo: Vote For Daneya Esgar, read the signs all over town during State House Representative Esgars re-election campaign in 2014. A Democrat and openly gay legislator and granddaughter of steel mill workers, she ran unopposed. In 2018, shes planning another run in this just-turned Republican county.

Thats the truth of life in so-called Trump Country. Towns like Lanford are a lot different now than they were back when Roseanne debuted in 1988. In 1982, the collapse of the steel industry meant that Pueblo, a city defined by the steel mill, had to look to other opportunities for growth  and for hope.

Thirty-six years later, the mill sits largely empty, and local economic groups and initiatives continue to bring new businesses to the city. As much as steel means to the citys history, its residents have had to change with the times. And for many  close to as many who voted for Trump voted for Hillary Clinton  that means that they reject the bigotry, racism, anti-immigration and misogyny that he represents.

Home of the Heroes reads the sign on the side of Interstate 25 as you exit into Pueblo, referring to the number of Medal of Honor recipients who received the highest military medal awarded by Congress. Its a sign of pride, history and progress. Trump wouldnt be welcome here, and if he showed up there would be protest in the streets, not the warm welcome predicted by Barr.
One of the architects of the Good Friday Agreement has issued a fresh warning about the potential impact of Brexit on the peace process.

George Mitchell, the US special envoy to Northern Ireland who chaired the negotiations for the 1998 agreement, urged the UKs Prime Minister and Irelands Taoiseach to remember what is at stake in the Brexit talks.

He said resolving the problem of the post-Brexit border was important because it had been an important factor in reducing tensions between Northern Ireland and the Republic.

Senator George Mitchell says those who are concerned about Brexit in the UK are "using" the Good Friday Agreement as a threat #marr pic.twitter.com/UKdRDmtEXD  The Andrew Marr Show (@MarrShow) April 8, 2018

Asked what his message would be to Theresa May and Leo Varadkar, he said: What I do urge them is to recognise whats at stake here.

Its the futures of their economies, its the possibility of resumption of conflict or of a reversion back to a time when nobody wants to go back to except for a very tiny fringe element on both sides.

I think that means that they have to come up with reasonable and acceptable compromises.

Asked about claims the Good Friday Agreement was now getting in the way of political progress in Northern Ireland, he told BBCs Andrew Marr Show: I dont agree with that analysis.

I think the people espousing that line are primarily concerned with the Brexit debate in the UK and are using the Northern Ireland issue as a part of that debate.

The border will become the frontier between the EU and a non-member after Brexit, but both sides in the negotiations are committed to avoiding a hard border with infrastructure such as cameras or checkpoints.

Mr Mitchell said: I hope they figure out a way to resolve it that maintains the border in the current status because thats been an important factor in reducing the stereotyping or the demonisation that existed between Northern Ireland and Ireland before, when people who lived just a short distance from the border never crossed it.

Negotiations in Brussels are set to continue this week and Irelands ambassador to the UK Adrian ONeill said: There is agreement all round between the EU and the UK that there will be no hard border on the island of Ireland and that includes any physical infrastructure.

He told the Andrew Marr Show: There are negotiations going on even this week in Brussels which will be addressing the how and the modalities and so on.

We need to work through that to get to the destination that we all want to achieve.

One of the other sensitive issues facing Mrs May in the Brexit process is the future of the fishing industry amid claims of betrayal because the UK will remain bound by EU rules during the transition process until the end of 2020.

Protests were taking place at ports around the UK and Fishing for Leave spokesman Alan Hastings said: Fishermen are sickened and enraged that our government has capitulated to obeying all EU law after Brexit.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Northern Ireland had not consented to Brexit.

The British Government is playing fast and loose with the hard-won progress built over 20 years.

The Good Friday Agreement is not a historic artefact. It is not to be discarded by Tory Brexiteers or a minority in the leadership of unionism.

It is an agreement endorsed by the vast majority of the people of Ireland. It remains the basis for resolving the current crisis.

It lays the foundation of a new Ireland which we must build together.
Tony Blair has urged Prime Minister Theresa May to use her authority to help break the political deadlock in Northern Ireland.

Tuesday marks 20 years since the former British premier and his Irish counterpart Bertie Ahern sealed the Good Friday peace agreement, which largely ended decades of violence.

Mr Blair said he believed it was possible to resolve the current Stormont impasse, which has left the country without devolved Government for 15 months.

He told BBC NIs The Sunday News: This requires the full focus of the Government.

He added: At a certain point the authority of the Prime Minister is necessary in order to get people to move and to come into some form of alignment.

Tony Blair says NI impasse needs government's full focus https://t.co/PsIImVgvbZ  BBC News NI (@BBCNewsNI) April 8, 2018

In 1998, the leaders of Northern Irelands main parties  the DUP and some Ulster Unionists dissented  the British and Irish Governments and US special envoy to Northern Ireland George Mitchell brokered the Good Friday Agreement.

It led to the early release of paramilitary prisoners who had committed countless killings and was followed by decommissioning of terror weapons, fundamental reform of the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and the establishment of a devolved cross-community power-sharing government at Stormont.

In 2017, that administration foundered over a botched Government-run green energy scheme.

Divisions between the DUP and Sinn Fein over Irish language rights and addressing the legacy of Northern Irelands violent past have prevented its resumption.

I cannot believe it is not possible to find a way around itTony Blair

Mr Blair said: I cannot believe it is not possible to find a way around it.

It is very similar to the types of issues we used to deal with.

It is not easy, and Brexit complicates things for a variety of reasons but it is still worth doing.

Mr Ahern also called on Stormonts current political leaders to shift positions.

He told The Sunday News: The art of politics is compromise, the art of politics is working together for the good of the people, the people that elect you, the people that trust you, this is what political leadership is about.

A UK Government spokesman said: This Governments support for the Belfast Agreement and its successors as the basis for devolution in Northern Ireland remains steadfast.

As we mark the 20th anniversary of the Agreement, we are totally committed to the restoration of the devolved institutions, working intensively with the parties and the Irish Government to achieve that.

Throughout the past year the Prime Minister has been heavily involved in the political process. She has led frequent discussions with Northern Irelands political leaders and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, including in Belfast in February.

The Prime Minister and the Secretary of State will continue to do whatever is necessary to see devolved government restored and the Agreements implemented in full.
A studio apartments kitchen, bedroom and dining space in Uninest New Mill, situated in Dublin. Prices start at 980

With prices starting at 980 a month for a standard room, and rising to 1,380 for a premium studio, the offering at GSA's newly-opened Uninest New Mill student residence in Dublin's Liberties has been dismissed by the commentariat as beyond the reach of those looking for a place to live during term time.

And to be fair to the critics, it will be too expensive for many students and their families.

Having said that, it's worth noting that all 400 beds at New Mill Street have been booked out for the upcoming academic year.

So that's 400 fewer third-level students competing with their peers and the rest of the market for accommodation in a city where the under-supply of housing is now at chronic levels.

While yesterday was moving-in day for the facility's new residents, there were 14 students in situ already when the Sunday Independent took a tour of the premises last Thursday evening in the company of GSA's respective heads of real estate and construction for Europe, Tim Mitchell and Aaron Bailey.

Both men were understandably proud of the product GSA and Chicago-based private equity firm Harrison Real Estate Capital have delivered with their local partners, the Creedon Group and Newmarket partnership.

Constructed by BAM Ireland, the seven-storey Uninest New Mill is energy-efficient, achingly-modern and furnished and fitted to the highest standard.

Students have the choice of living in en-suite rooms clustered around common areas comprising lounges and fully-equipped kitchens, or self-contained premium studios with their own kitchen facilities.

The provision of an on-site gym, recreation room, ample indoor and outdoor common areas and parking for bikes complements the accommodation, while the presence of 24-hour security should be reassuring for residents, and for their parents.

With a total development cost of 41m, Uninest New Mill is being pitched as GSA's flagship student residence in Dublin.

A further 296 student beds are set to be delivered by the company at the adjacent Uninest Tannery on Blackpitts Road when it opens for business next year.

Headquartered in Dubai, GSA (Global Student Accommodation) aims to provide a total of 5,000 student beds in Dublin by 2021.

Pricing aside, the addition of that amount of new accommodation should be welcomed in a city struggling to house its people.
Some of you will already know who Guy Verhofstadt is. Most of the rest of us will know a lot more about him over the coming six months, as he could well become an important figure in deciding Ireland's fate in a post-Brexit world.

He was Prime Minister of Belgium for nine years (1999-2008), leading three separate governments, all of which means he knows more than a thing or three about the art of the complex political deal. These days he is the head of the European Parliament's Liberal grouping, which includes Fianna Fail, and more importantly he is also the assembly's key person on Brexit.

Many in Belgium, like Mr Verhofstadt, are extremely keen on the European Union becoming more and more integrated. Cynics are partly right when they say it is a hedge against the potential splitting of that country into separate French and Flemish-speaking state-lets.

But beware too much cynicism here. Enthusiasm for the EU is also part of the Belgian people's profound suffering across the last century, with two invasions, mass killings, and decades of poverty and hunger.

The experience has also left the 10 million Belgian people kindly disposed to the Britain who twice came to their aid. It is part of the reason English is widely spoken across that land of many delights.

Guy Verhofstadt has also taken the trouble to visit Ireland north and south and he has addressed TDs and senators at Leinster House. He understands the real Irish dilemma about the potential "hard border" after Brexit finally kicks following the transition period in December 2021.

After his visit to Belfast last October he made a heart-felt intervention during discussions at the European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg. "I can tell you it was a shock to go to Belfast, because the reality is that the problems are not over" he said.

For the last 25 years, the European Parliament has been acquiring more power and influence and plays a big role in shaping and vetoing EU law. The parliament must sign off on the UK-EU Withdrawal Agreement which, all going right, should be cleared by an EU leaders' summit in Brussels on October 19 next.

Unsurprisingly, as a heavy-hitter in a directly elected parliament whose members face an election in May 2019, his major focus so far has been on reciprocal citizens' rights. The staging agreement last December guaranteed reciprocal rights on work, welfare and pensions, for the 3m EU citizens in the UK, and the 1.2m citizens living elsewhere in the EU.

Bureaucracy

This week, Mr Verhofstadt said the focus now must be on how that is implemented. An overly bureaucratic system could in practise strangle the spirit of the deal.

But he remains keenly aware of the Irish border issue. At the weekend he spoke of it to the prestigious Brussels magazine, Politico. "Northern Ireland will be a difficult thing and maybe the most difficult item," he said.

Much has been made of Britain's "on-off" acceptance of the so-called "backstop" which would effectively see the North mimic EU trade rules and product standards. It is likely this may not be resolved until next October's endgame.

John Downing is an Irish Independent political correspondent
'Dairygold chief executive Jim Woulfe said last week that Irish dairy farmers would face further milk price decreases in the future.'

Consumer confidence in rural Ireland is expected to take a hit in the coming weeks and months due to the effect of both the fodder shortage and falling milk prices.

Sources close to the dairy sector said that dairy farm incomes could fall by a third this year due to lower milk prices. This, combined with the costs of the fodder crisis, would hit spending in rural communities, he said.

Irish dairy farmers are heading into peak milk production over the next three months and can expect significantly lower milk prices than last year. A number of processors have already dropped milk prices.

Milk prices are cyclical in nature and cycles have become more volatile in recent years. Last year was very strong for milk prices but lower prices are already impacting on farmers this year.

Dairygold chief executive Jim Woulfe said last week that Irish dairy farmers would face further milk price decreases in the future.

Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed said last week that he has allocated 1.5m towards the introduction of a Fodder Import Support measure.

This measure is being introduced with immediate effect to reduce the cost to farmers of imported forage such as hay, silage, haylage, from outside the island of Ireland.

The measure will operate through the dairy co-ops. It will cover forage imported by the co-ops between April 5 and April 30 and will be subject to EU State Aid rules.

The last time a fodder importation scheme was required was in 2013.

At that time, a total of 140,000 tonnes of imported supplies were required to meet the shortage in supply.

The Irish Co-operative Society said that the weather over the next week will be critical.
'I'm really grateful and I haven't looked back since." That's how 19-year-old farmer Sean Vaughan describes his life since receiving an organ donation for kidney failure in 2016.

From a young age, Sean always enjoyed helping his dad John out on their family suckler farm, but in 2014, during the middle of fourth year in secondary school, he was shocked when he was diagnosed with kidney failure.

"I just started to have less energy on the farm in the evenings and began to get lots of headaches, so I went to my local doctor and was then sent to hospital in Limerick and diagnosed with kidney failure," he says.

"I was shocked. I didn't have much time to think about it. Doctors said I'd very high blood pressure so that could've been the reason for it."

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Whatsapp Farmer Sean Vaughan on his land at Kilbane, Bradford, Co. Clare. Photograph Liam Burke Press 22

While studying for his Leaving Certificate he travelled with his parents, John and Bernie to University Hospital Limerick three times a week so that he could undergo dialysis.

"I tried to do home dialysis for a while but it just didn't work out as there were different complications. The days after coming off dialysis you'd be very tired and coming up to the next dialysis you'd feel your energy dropping again. I used to study with my books in the hospital," he says.

None of Sean's family were a successful kidney match but in 2016 he was taken aback when he got the call from Beaumont Hospital in Dublin that they could have a match for him.

"I really wasn't expecting the call. I tried not to think about when I would get the call, there was no point because some people have to wait for years for a transplant and sometimes they're not successful," he says.

"I was only on dialysis for a couple of years at this point but when we got the call we travelled to Dublin and got to Beaumont before 8am the next morning," he adds.

Sean explains that much of that day was spent carrying out tests to see if the kidney was suitable as it's all about the "perfect match".

"I did tests all that morning and luckily it was a good match.

"The operation took four and a half hours and I just remember waking up at 4am on the Tuesday morning feeling very sedated but in recovery," he says.

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While Sean spent many weeks in recovery he says since the transplant his life has changed for the better.

"I haven't looked back since, to be honest with you. I'm on medication but you wouldn't mind that as long as you feel OK from day to day," he says.

One of the biggest benefits of the transplant for Sean is that he has gotten his freedom back and is able to work on the family farm again.

"I've just so much energy. I didn't have any energy before. I've so much more freedom and I can do things and don't have to be asking to go places. I'm able to do a full day's work now," he says.

There's one person that can't be forgotten in all this however - the deceased organ donator and his or her family.

"I'm so grateful to that person and to their family. To carry an organ donation card is a brave thing to do, there's no doubt about that. I'd encourage everyone to carry a card. It's a great thing to do and it changed my life," he says.

As well as helping out on the Limousin and Whitehead cross herd during the week along with his sisters Caroline, Sarah and Anne, Sean also does placement on a dairy farm nearby as part of his Green Cert training. While suckler farming is close to his heart, he says there's no harm in learning how the other side operates.

Recovery

"There's a lot of talk about dairy at the moment so it's good to get experience on a different farm to what you're used to,"he says.

During his recovery time in Beaumont Hospital he received first class treatment in its kidney support centre and his parents were also able to stay there.

Now, Sean wants to give back and has decided to organise a tractor run in aid of the Irish Kidney Association in his local village of Kilbane.

"I just always had it in my head that I'd like to do something for the charity and the hospital. They did so much for me.

"My parents were able to stay the night there free of charge and a couple of months after the transplant I went for check ups there. It's a small thank you to them for their support," he says

All tractors big and small are welcome to take part in the tractor run.

Registration is at 11am in Gunnings bar this coming Sunday, April 8 and costs 20 per tractor.

There will be food on the day followed by a raffle and music courtesy of the Boatman band.
Many farmers now struggling with the fodder crisis had freely given away their fodder months earlier to help others, said a leading livestock farmer.

It was "bucketing rain" yesterday on the hilly farm owned by Angus Woods as he spoke of the plight of farmers trying to cope with dwindling fodder stores as April continues with "non-existent grass growth".

Woods, who tends cattle and sheep on his farm outside Wicklow town, is chairman of the national livestock committee of the Irish Farmers' Association. He said farmers continue to help each other.

"Earlier in the year, a huge proportion of IFA members donated fodder free of charge to farmers in difficulty in the western counties.

"Ironically enough, a lot of those farmers who donated free are now short of fodder themselves because they never envisaged ending up in April without any grass," he said.

"Our colleagues in counties like Leitrim and Sligo and Mayo and Galway were highlighting this fodder problem for months on end and the Department of Agriculture was ignoring them.

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"They told farmers they had nothing to worry about. But it's all come home to roost now," he said. He called on the department and on Agriculture Minister Michael Creed to become "a lot more proactive" to help farmers.

In November, the Sunday Independent published the comments of Co Leitrim farmer Desmond McHugh, who warned then that a future fodder crisis was looming.

Mr McHugh, who also operates a Met Eireann climatology station near his home, said farmers feared becoming the first victims of climate change. He cited recent deluges had shown a disparity of weather conditions, with conditions getting wetter as you move from east to west.

He warned then of an "accumulative impact" as the land takes a longer time to recover from huge amounts of rain.

Meanwhile, IFA president Joe Healy said Minister Creed must implement further measures to support farmers immediately.

He said the fodder import scheme announced by Minister Creed must be open to all co-ops, licensed merchants and livestock marts.

"The scheme must be inclusive of outlets who serve all farming sectors and all the regions of the country," he said.

"The minister's attempt to resuscitate his national transport scheme, by reducing the minimum distance fodder has to travel from 100km to 50km before it will be eligible for a subsidy, will not work.

"He should stop tinkering with restrictions and make the scheme a straightforward subsidy to all farmers in need of fodder.

"While it is welcome that fodder is now coming into the country, easing the supply issue, some farmers have already spent huge amounts on fodder and will not have sufficient resources to purchase the imported fodder," he said.

He repeated his call on the minister to suspend all on-farm inspections while the crisis is ongoing and to fast-track outstanding payments and remove any impediments either nationally or at EU level.

He said farmers are awaiting the final instalment of payments under GLAS and the Sheep Welfare Scheme worth 30m. Releasing this funding would provide a badly-needed cash injection on farms at this difficult time.
Two years after doctors discovered a tumour in the pancreas of Apple founder and then-CEO Steve Jobs, he gave a commencement address at Stanford University.

He didn't speak there because he had graduated from Stanford. In fact, he hadn't graduated from any college at all - dropping out of Oregon's Reed College after about two years.

Although he was a good presenter, it really wasn't his thing to give public speeches. Apple's current CEO Tim Cook points out: "If you look closely at how he spent his time, you'll see that he hardly ever travelled and he did none of the conferences and get-togethers that so many CEOs attended."

But, I imagine that amidst his struggle with cancer, Jobs had become intensely focused on imparting what he'd learned in life to the next generation and that Stanford event offered a great opportunity.

One of the most famous lines from his address remains relevant for us today. Jobs said: "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work.

"And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

Today, I'll be addressing The Irish Beauty Show at Dublin's RDS. In a global industry that is expected to garner more than 349bn by 2022 and which Goldman Sachs noted is growing at more than twice the rate of the developed world's GDP, it's a great time to become a beauty entrepreneur. If you love it.

1 Love what you do

As an example, Sean Taaffe has grown his hair and beauty business from a single salon in Killorglin back in 1989 to six more locations across Ireland with scores of employees. He's also won several competitions including a national salon of the year award. Like Steve Jobs in at least one way, Sean dropped out of school after only two years to pursue what he describes as his passion.

"From the age of seven or eight years old, I knew I wanted to be a hairdresser," says Sean. "There was never a doubt in mind. Even as a child I loved going to the hairdressing salon with my mother, seeing the creations happen and the buzz and atmosphere of the salon had an energy that appealed to me.

"So, when the opportunity presented itself before my 14th birthday, I jumped at the chance."

Okay, for Sean it was school and not university. But he knew what he loved. What do you love? Are you working in that field? If not, why not? I know a woman who worked in corporate banking for years, only to decide she wasn't happy in what she labelled its ultra-competitive atmosphere. She's now the very happy administrator of a primary school.

2 Expect challenges

You've heard the expression, "nothing worth having comes easy"? It's true. How are you going to sell yourself or your ideas?

How will you convince others to believe in you?

For Sean, even though he had landed a job in a salon, his tender age presented an obvious hurdle.

"I was very young when I started which meant I had to prove myself even more so. It is one thing having a trainee doing your hair, and it's another when they look 12! Rejections only made me even more determined to prove myself, to be as good or better, than my older counterparts.

"At the beginning, I also felt that being a male in a female-dominated work environment was a bit difficult. I've since learned however, that it can even be an advantage and within the salon environment it's good to have a balance."

How determined are you? You must realistically prepare for difficulties.

3 Communicate to overcome

Sean explains that his business was built solely on word-of-mouth. Friends telling their friends, who then told their mothers, sisters, aunts and so on.

"In my business, you're only as good as your last client looks. It means you have to keep sharp, no matter what may be going on in your own life.

"Once you walk through the salon door, you concentrate fully on making people look and feel amazing, and confident in how they look and see themselves."

Becoming a strategic communicator means being able to concentrate more attention on your audience than on yourself. In Sean's case, his client. In your case, it could also be a prospect, a co-worker or your employees. It's whomever you're with at the moment.

As I tell my young daughter, "Beauty is as beauty does".

Attracting people to your service or product will be improved if you are properly trained to be confident and poised when you communicate about it.

It will take time and practice to actively switch yourself to the 'on' position, but it is essential. Communications are not soft skills, they are critical skills.

As Sean, who built his beauty business from a one-man (boy?) show to a multi-salon empire, stresses: "If a dream is to be achieved, it takes more hard work than you can ever imagined at the beginning.

"There will be sleepless nights and tears, but if you are committed, it will all be worth it in the long run."

No matter what industry you may be in. Don't settle.

Write to Gina in care of SundayBusiness@independent.ie

Gina London is a former CNN anchor and international campaign strategist who is now a director with Fuzion Communications. She serves as media commentator, emcee and corporate consultant. @TheGinaLondon
'Barryroe - located in the Celtic Sea off the Cork coast - is often described as the company's flagship asset.' Picture: Finbarr O'Rourke

Samuel Beckett wrote "Waiting for Godot", and without wishing to spoil anything, Godot ultimately never showed up. For the last five years or so, the play's title felt pretty analogous with Providence Resources.

"Waiting for a Barryroe farmout partner" doesn't quite have the same ring to it as a title. But the story of Providence Resources looked like it might end in the same fashion.

Not so, however, as a Chinese consortium has arrived on the scene, sparking fresh hope for Providence's long-suffering investors.

It's a triumph for chief executive Tony O'Reilly Jr who has taken plenty of stick along the way, but has now concluded multiple farmout deals across various Providence prospects in the last year.

O'Reilly told the Sunday Independent that the company will look to commence drilling at Barryroe in the second quarter of next year.

"The plan is 2019 drilling. Some people would have said 'why can't they drill this year?'. People have to understand that there is a new consenting regime in Ireland for the drilling of wells and that's a minimum nine-month process to get things all in order," he said.

Barryroe - located in the Celtic Sea off the Cork coast - is often described as the company's flagship asset. It's not a question of whether there is oil down there - there is. The question is whether it can be extracted on a commercial basis.

If production goes ahead, there will need to be infrastructure in place to get any oil back to Ireland. There is existing equipment nearby from the Kinsale gas field which might come in useful, but this wasn't a consideration during commercial negotiations.

"I don't think anybody's looking at Barryroe being reliant on existing infrastructure. But obviously if there is some infrastructure there and it makes sense for the consortium, then they would look to see if they could," O'Reilly said.

"Maybe some of the pipelines or some of the things like that could be something for discussion but then it really depends on the JV but it also depends on what Kinsale Energy are planning to do because they're running their own business.

"The more important thing is you're putting investment into an area that is a significant hydrocarbon-producing area already so you've got infrastructure, you've got the deepwater port at Cork. In that sense it's a good backdrop when you're looking at ultimate development options. But we can't say at this stage what the final development option will be, because that's all part and parcel of the appraisal and development programme," said O'Reilly.

But before any oil can be shipped back to the mainland, it has to be taken out of the ground. That's where the Chinese consortium comes in.

Market reaction to the deal was pretty muted considering how long the company has been trying to get this deal over the line. On Friday, shares were trading at 10.25p in London.

That's lower than the first day of trading in January, a couple of days after the announcement that Providence was in exclusive discussions with a potential Barryroe partner, with whom commercial terms had been agreed.

So what's behind the lukewarm reaction? One explanation might be that the deal is still contingent on Government approval.

The way the deal will work is that the Chinese consortium will cover the upfront drilling costs, aiming to recover half from Providence (and its partner in the field, Lansdowne Oil & Gas) via a loan repayable from the cash flow from any production. The consortium will get 80pc of the production cash until the loan is repaid, at which point it will get 50pc. Providence and Lansdowne will then get 40pc and 10pc respectively.

The Chinese consortium will also have the right to buy 59 million Providence shares (roughly 10pc of the company's shares in issue) at 12p each.

But it's better to have a smaller piece of a massive pie than a bigger piece of nothing.

And nothing is what Providence would have had from Barryroe if it didn't get a deal done.

Perhaps the key advantage of the deal is that three vertical wells (plus so-called sidetrack wells) are planned, as opposed to the one well and sidetrack that Providence had been planning to do itself at Barryroe in a parallel process.

The other advantage is there is no upfront cost when it comes to drilling, which will avoid eating into Providence's healthy working capital balance (in the order of $20m) which has the potential to be deployed towards other prospects in its portfolio.

As far as taxation of production goes, the prospect is covered by tax rules that existed before the current regime. A corporation tax rate of at least 25pc will apply, with the potential to go as high as 40pc depending on the level of profitability.

Geneva-based Mirabaud Group has recently initiated coverage of Providence with a "buy" rating. In a note circulated to clients, Mirabaud thinks the Barryroe farmout deal "should mature the project to the point at which commerciality can be declared".

Outside of Barryroe, the Mirabaud Group note describes two other Providence prospects off the Southwest coast - Newgrange and Dunquin South as the "two nearest term exploration opportunities".

O'Reilly agrees with that description. Newgrange is a shallow structure meaning that in theory Providence could look at drilling it by itself due to the cheaper well costs. But O'Reilly's preferred strategy is to bring in a farmout partner and is in engaged in a process. He says there is good industry interest in that regard.

Dunquin South is adjacent to Dunquin North, which was drilled five years ago and was full of water, though there were traces of oil. It was taken badly by the market, but O'Reilly believes that it sparked interest in the region for multiple so-called "supermajors". ExxonMobil and Statoil were among those who took up licensing options in 2015. "It proved oil was present in the basin and that then led to the very successful licensing round in 2015. We think that Dunquin was an important catalyst for the basin," said O'Reilly.

The company has shot seismic imagery of Dunquin South and O'Reilly says the results "look very encouraging" in terms of Dunquin South being structurally different from Dunquin North when it comes to being breached by water.

But drilling Barryroe will be the main event over the next year or so.

Will O'Reilly strike it lucky at last?
The ramshackle office in Dublin Port, where construction company L&M Keating's new CEO Gordon O'Regan is supposed to be, is silent and looks as if it has just been ransacked by a marauding gang.

All around, trucks, shipping cranes and port equipment carrying huge containers are in constant motion between the ships berthed around Alexandra Basin and the huge warehouses and yards where Ireland's imports and exports pile high, ready to feed the economy.

But inside the apparently empty former Doyle Shipping terminal - where O'Regan has taken up temporary residence - there is no sign of life. Electrical fittings have been ripped from the ceilings and walls, doors have been pulled from their hinges and there are piles of debris in every room. The reception desk lies empty, covered in dusty old papers.

Eventually, after a phone call, O'Regan appears, looking sharp in a slim-fitting blue suit that seems at odds with the half-wrecked building and the frenetic port scenes outside.

"We are using the upstairs," he says apologetically, leading the way through the grim downstairs to a more normal office scene above where his colleagues quietly tap away on laptops or study huge blueprints laid out on desks.

"This building is going to be demolished in a couple of days," explains O'Regan. "We'll miss it because it has been a very handy place to base ourselves here."

The Co Clare-based building company is working feverishly to meet the next deadline on a huge refurbishment job that it is carrying out for Dublin Port with its joint venture partner Roadbridge. Keating, which specialises in marine engineering, is currently completing the Berth 32/33 project in time for the arrival on April 17 of Royal Caribbean's huge 292-metre cruise ship Brilliance Of The Seas. This will be followed later in the month by the arrival of Celebrity Eclipse, a 315-metre ship from Celebrity Cruises that will homeport at Dublin Port, the first time a major cruise line has done so.

The old Doyle Terminal in which O'Regan and his colleagues are currently ensconced stands right in the way of a new access route through the port to the new berths that are under construction.

"It is a very beneficial job for the entire local economy of Dublin. You can go into certain types of stores in the city centre and they will tell you just how important the big cruise ships that use Dublin Port are to their business," says O'Regan.

The transformation under way at the moment on the quayside will ensure capacity for growth in this lucrative tourism sector, he says.

Of course, Keating itself has been through its own transformation since January, one that O'Regan insists is very much more about expansion rather than demolition.

In January, the company was bought by Dublin-based CBD Capital for an undisclosed amount from its founder Louis Keating, who is remaining with the company.

O'Regan was headhunted by the private equity firm to take over the helm at Keating - his first time serving as a chief executive after various increasingly senior roles at different construction companies over the last two decades.

"It's a fantastic challenge for me and one that I was ready for. It was a good deal for everyone. CBD specialises in buying family-owned businesses in which it sees growth potential. And it allows Louis to stay involved in the hands-on type of role that he loves and is so good at."

Keating had founded the company in Kilmihil, Co Clare, in 1987 as a general civil engineering contractor. It quickly became a marine specialist working on difficult projects such as harbour walls and dredging, alongside more standard civil engineering contracts.

O'Regan says he was not brought in to wield an axe but that he is introducing changes around corporate governance and other matters, aimed at facilitating the company's expansion.

"Change can be difficult. There is very much a family ethos in this company and that is definitely something we want to preserve. But the plan is to move things to the next level. The people are the real asset in this company and they know that change is necessary if we are to grow. Growth will bring opportunity for themselves as much as anything, so they are very supportive."

Right now, O'Regan and his team are working on a new five-year business plan for the company.

"We hope this plan will see us double turnover from 67m now to about 120m in five years' time. Organic growth here in Ireland will be a part of that but a lot of that growth will be in the UK."

He is not overly concerned by Brexit: "Like everyone else, right now we don't really know what it will mean." Indeed, he predicts there could be plenty of work in ports and other marine projects, a speciality for Keating.

"The Dublin Port project will certainly be a useful calling card for us in this regard," he says.

His own experience working on major projects in the UK construction sector is a key reason why CBD offered him the role and he believes his contacts in the sector will prove useful.

O'Regan grew up in Dunmore East, Co Waterford. From an early age he was interested in building. "When I was small I spent my time building Lego and I still love building Lego with my son."

But his ability to get on well with people has been just as important. "I spent a lot of time working in pubs behind bars in Dunmore East when I was young and you learn a huge amount in that job about people and how to get on with them."

After his Leaving Cert, O'Regan went to Waterford IT and then Athlone IT to study engineering-related subjects. His first job was with the local authority in Waterford. This was never going to last. "I found it a frustrating place to work," he says. "I don't want to be insulting to the public sector but I never felt I was getting anywhere with a project and a move into the private sector also had a lot to do with my own ambition."

Construction was booming at the time and O'Regan ended up working for one of the big players in the Irish market, BAM. The good times did not last though and, like many others in the sector around 2008, he was made redundant, an experience he describes as "very tough".

He headed for England, where he ultimately worked with construction company VolkerFitzpatrick on a range of projects, including various elements of the London 2012 Olympics and new high-speed rail projects. When he left for England he was not sure whether it was forever but when the headhunters came knocking in recent months, asking was he interested in the top job at L&M Keating, he was ready to come home.

"Like a lot of others who had lost jobs in the crash, I could have been angry with the construction industry here how it all ended up and I could have decided not to go back."

Indeed, he believes that one of the reasons for the growing skills shortage in the sector here is a continuing degree of bad feeling amongst people about how the last boom ended, as well as a fear that taking a job in construction again may just ultimately put them back in the same situation because of its cyclical nature. "But I love building and I see this as a great opportunity for me at the right time," he says.

He views the UK industry as strong, despite the collapse of the huge contractor Carillion in January: "I think it says something about the fact that the PLC model may not be ideal for a company like that. It was absolutely huge, with layers and layers. How can you keep track of all the invoices, for example?"

But O'Regan believes that, in general, the industry in Britain is more robust than in Ireland and has much to teach the sector and its customers here, not least the ability to plan huge projects for the long term. He is encouraged by the Government's recent capital plan and believes it is a step in the right direction. But he also has huge concerns around the types of construction contracts that are being used on many public projects and believes it is causing serious problems for the construction sector here.

"We are supposed to be in a boom period and yet two or three construction businesses here have gone under in recent times. How can that be? A lot of the problem is down to the type of contract that is used here and how that is putting massive pressure on companies."

The current form of government contract used for construction projects attempts to push all the risk on to contractors and also encourages contractors to bid for tenders at as low a price as possible, he says. With costs - for example, labour - spiralling, contractors have been left facing serious losses on public sector work and, in some cases, it threatens their viability, says O'Regan.

"These contracts force people to put price before quality and that is dangerous when things go wrong," he says. "It is not a good situation for the industry to be in and there can be no improvement until the contracts are reformed."

Keating itself had its own difficulties with such contracts before O'Regan's arrival when it successfully bid for a school building PPP project.

"It was a big lesson for the company," he said.

By contrast, he says, the Dublin Port expansion is under a new form of contract that is far better: "It is a really good example of how public sector contracts should work. The work is highly complex and specialised but because the contractors were brought on from a very early stage, there are no surprises further down the line."

"We are a problem-solving company, so the earlier we get involved, the better, and that has worked out very well both for us and for Dublin Port," he says, gesturing out the window to a huge building site from an office that, within days, would be no more.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requires a re-boot in our thinking about data protection, privacy and security for the digital age. It represents the biggest shake-up in European data protection and privacy laws for over two decades.

The genesis of the GDPR is the 2012 proposal by the European Commission for a modern legal framework for the world's largest digital single market of 500 million consumers.

Since that time, the pendulum has swung in the other direction and there's now an obsessive focus on data protection, privacy and security in the wake of an exponential increase in cybercrime and the misuse of personal data on a global scale.

Although this is extremely important, it has clouded judgment on seeing the GDPR as a significant opportunity, not a regulatory threat.

The open competition aspects of the GDPR remain in place, and the European Commission is actively leading the effort to encourage companies and organisations to create a deeper level of digital trust in order to do more, not less, with personal data.

Replacing an earlier data protection directive and other member state legislation, the GDPR is fully enforceable across all 28 EU member states from May 25 and aims to deliver a high degree of consistency, certainty and harmonisation in the application of data protection, privacy and security laws across the EU. Within this new landscape, there's limited 'wriggle room' for member states to pass laws that impact the processing of personal data seen only through the lens of national self-interest.

Many commentators have pointed to this as evidence of a lack of harmonisation of data protection, privacy and security laws applying across the EU, given the differences in the way some aspects of the GDPR will work on a country-by-country basis. However, the reality is that such differences are largely confined to a relatively small number of operational areas for companies and organisations within the EU.

Companies and organisations that conduct cross-border personal data processing will be primarily regulated by the local supervisory authority in the jurisdiction in which they has their main establishment.

Data protection principles

The GDPR retains the core principles of the Data Protection Directive 95/46/EC but has beefed them up. The core rules may look familiar to experienced privacy practitioners, but this is a trap for the unwary as there are many important new obligations as well as a tougher regime of sanctions for getting this wrong. There are seven data protection principles and the data controller and data processor must ensure that it complies with all of them:

1 Lawfulness, fairness and transparency - personal data must be processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.

2 Purpose limitation - personal data must be collected for specified, explicit and legitimate purposes and not further processed in a manner that's incompatible with those purposes (with exceptions for public interest, scientific, historical or statistical purposes).

3 Data minimisation - personal data must be adequate, relevant and limited to what's necessary in relation to purposes for which it is processed.

4 Accuracy - personal data must be accurate and where necessary, kept up-to-date. Inaccurate personal data should be corrected or deleted.

5 Retention - personal data should be kept in an identifiable format for no longer than is necessary (with exceptions for public interest, scientific, historical or statistical purposes).

6 Integrity and confidentiality - personal data should be kept secure.

7 Accountability - the data controller should be able to demonstrate and in some cases, verify compliance with the GDPR. Businesses and organisations should check that all policies, processes and procedures are in place and that this delivers the seven data protection principles.

They should ensure that the board supports company and organisation-wide awareness and training programmes that should be short, informative (not boring!) and that all of this is recordable and logged.

Security of processing

The GDPR requires the Data Controller and the Data Processor to keep personal data secure. This obligation is expressed in general terms but does indicate that some enhanced measures, such as encryption and pseudonymising may be required.

The Data Controller must report data breaches to their Supervisory Authority within 72 hours of discovering this has happened, unless the personal data breach doesn't cause high or very risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals.

Businesses and organisations should undertake a full review of technical security measures that are appropriate for the type of personal data processing being carried out at the Data Controller and Data Processor and seek expert guidance and support.

Role of the Data Protection Officer (DPO)

A Data Controller, Joint Data Controller and a Data Processor may be required to appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO).

This depends on what processing of personal data is being carried out. Certain private and most public-sector organisations will be required to appoint a DPO to oversee their data-processing operations.

A DPO will be required where the processing is carried out by a public authority or body; the core activities of the Data Controller or Data Processor consist of processing which requires regular and systematic monitoring of Data Subjects on a large scale; the core activities consist of processing special categories of personal data on a large scale and required by member state law.

The DPO must be involved in all data protection and security issues and can't be dismissed or penalised for performing their role.

The DPO must report directly to the highest level of management within the company or organisation but doesn't have to physically report to the CEO.

The report they write must be considered by the board. Businesses and organisations need to ensure that a suitable senior manager within the company and organisation has been identified and can be trained independently to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the DPO.

She or he needs to be adequately resourced, otherwise this in itself is a breach of the GDPR. Other alternatives include using a consultant as a DPO or an outsourced DPO service.

Ardi Kolah is executive fellow and programme director of GDPR Transition Programme at Henley Business School, University of Reading. He is one of the speakers at Dublin Data Sec 2018, Ireland's GDPR conference that takes place tomorrow (April 9) at the RDS. Dublin Data Sec 2018 is an Independent News & Media event.

Please visit www.independent.ie/datasec2018 for further information. Kolah's GDPR handbook is published on June 3.
Peer-to-peer lender Flender is in the process of raising a 50m debt package to boost lending on its site, and is in talks with a number of Irish and international institutions about participation in the deal.

PwC is on board to lead the fundraising round, and the company hopes to secure agreements with institutions for the rest. Chief executive Kristjan Koik said the company's ultimate aim is to list on the stock market in three or four years' time. The fundraising process is designed to fuel lending on the company's lending platform. Flender is also halfway through an equity raise of around 2m.

"What we would like to have is institutional partners that provide debt to us at cheaper rates than we are getting now, bringing the cost of funds down which we can pass on to the borrowers, and getting more deals funded quicker," Koik told the Sunday Independent.

The company's platform connects companies seeking to raise money with individuals who want to lend and receive a return. Koik said he would not allow institutions to fund 100pc of any deal, setting a maximum of 85pc.

"We want borrowers, friends, family, more customers, to be able to participate together to create more loyalty," Koik said. He said the debt package, which it would seek to draw down in two tranches, would enable the company to fund deals for the next 18 months.

The company is also looking to launch a property finance arm. "There's been huge demand for borrowers and lenders looking for that product. Our target market would be deals between 250,000 and 500,000. These would be builders and developers who require extra capital to finish off their property development. It wouldn't be for somebody who has bought a site and may or may not get planning."

Koik said he had been surprised at banks' willingness to work with Flender. "When we first launched we thought banks might not like us because we could be taking away their customers. But the way the market is going - and actually within Europe as well - is that banks like to partner with a peer-to-peer finance provider.

"They usually take a view that says: 'you guys actually might be doing the SME part better than us. You do it quicker, there's a value add'," he said.

"But then the banks say: 'but we do mortgages better than you so once those clients are ready to take some other credit product that you guys don't provide, please refer them back to us'."

Koik cited the example of Funding Circle as a peer-to-peer lender seeking to go public. Last month the company picked Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley and Numis to help manage its initial public offering, according to Bloomberg. Funding Circle - London's biggest peer-to-peer lender -has arranged more than 4bn in loans for SMEs in the UK, US, Germany and the Netherlands.
Businessman Neil O'Leary is a key investor in Sammon Contracting Ireland, the main operating company of Sammon Contracting Group which entered into examinership last week.

O'Leary, who has a non executive role in the company, became an investor in the business in 2014. A co-founder of Ion Equity, he is understood to hold up to one third of the shares in Sammon Contracting Ireland.

Last Thursday, the High Court has appointed a interim examiner to the contractor which got into financial difficulties due to the "devastating collapse" of the one of the UK's largest construction firms Carillion.

Mr Justice Robert Haughton appointed Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton Ireland to the Co Kildare based Sammon Contracting Group and related companies Sammon Contracting Ireland Ltd and Miceal Sammon Woodcraft Ltd. O'Leary is not involved in Miceal Sammon Woodcraft.

The Judge said while the firms were insolvent he was satisfied to appoint McAteer on the basis that an independent expert's report had stated the companies have a reasonable prospect of surviving if certain steps are taken.

These steps include the examiner putting together a scheme of arrangement with the group's creditors.

If that scheme is approved by the High Court it will allow the group continue to trade as a going concern.

At he time of his investment in 2014, O'Leary spoke about Sammon's links with Carillion.

"Carillion is interested in deploying 1bn in Ireland and Sammon is its contractor partner," O'Leary said. "It's not often you find a traditional business with the ability to double in size every year for the next three or four years."

It was reported that he has invested 6m in the company.

In the High Court counsel for Sammon said it was confident that if an examiner is appointed, and a scheme approved, the group will be in a position to complete its contracts on time and return to profitability.

The group has also had discussions with PJ and Mary McGrath of the McGrath Group, which has indicated it will provide support and funding to the Sammon firms during the period of protection.

O'Leary's Ion Equity formed fuel retailer Topaz by merging Shell and Statoil in Ireland. However, he lost control of the business in 2013 to Denis O'Brien, a major shareholder in Independent News & Media which publishes this newspaper.
Norwegian, headed by group CEO Bjorn Kjos expects to grow capacity by 40pc this year with Dublin leading the way Pic: Brian Lougheed

The announcement by Norwegian that it is scaling back transatlantic routes from Shannon and Cork is a blow to tourism interests in the west and southwest. It could also be a sign that the boom in transatlantic travel has reached the limits of its expansion.

In recent years, Norwegian has been at the vanguard of the low-cost transatlantic revolution. It and other carriers such as Wow helped add millions of extra seats to overall capacity between Europe and the US, putting legacy carriers under pressure.

Fares as low as 99 have helped create a whole new market in lower key destinations. Aer Lingus has also expanded hugely, creating an increasingly successful transatlantic hub through Dublin.

But Aer Lingus itself warned internally, as previously reported by this newspaper, that it was feeling the pain of increased competition from Norwegian. And Norwegian's most recent set of financial results, posted in February, showed that the airline that is perhaps feeling the most pressure from the Norwegian model is Norwegian itself.

A fourth-quarter net loss of NKr919m (95.7m), compared to a profit of NKr197m one year earlier, was put down to the huge pressure that its rapid expansion is putting on its costs.

Questions around Norwegian's financial health are nothing new. Last September, Ryanair's Michael O'Leary caused a stir when he questioned the Scandinavian airline's viability: "They are running out of cash. They are scrabbling around daily," he said.

Norwegian was quick to bat this away, telling media that O'Leary's comments had more to do with Norwegian's ability to lure precious pilots away from Ryanair than anything else.

Indeed, growth has continued, not least in Dublin where Norwegian has opened a pilot and cabin crew base. Overall, the airline has said that it expects to grow its capacity by 40pc this year, compared with 25pc last year.

Last week the company announced passenger capacity grew by 44pc in March compared to a year earlier, while load factor - a key airline measure of how many available seats have been sold - increased to 86.7pc, higher than anticipated. But new transatlantic destinations launched in recent weeks are to larger European cities such as Amsterdam, Madrid and Milan.

Meanwhile smaller, more peripheral services, are being shaved back, with Norwegian suspending winter services from Boston Providence to Cork, Shannon and Edinburgh.

Expansion of its Shannon to New York service to four flights a week for the winter takes away some pain for the independent Co Clare airport, but for DAA-owned Cork it was terrible news.

Shannon and Cork were two of the highest profile beneficiaries of the low-cost transatlantic revolution. The two airports had been placed at the forefront of a major battle with US authorities fought by Norwegian's Irish registered international arm to win approval to fly to the US.

At the time, Tore Jenssen, the CEO of the company's Irish-based subsidiary Norwegian Air International, had hinted that Cork might be in line for a direct service to New York as well.

"It took us three years to fight to get this," he said at the launch, less than a year ago.

"We thought it would take us three weeks. It is fitting that we are launching in the rebel county - the longer we waited, the more sure we were that we had to fight it."

But since then all the growth appears to have been at rapidly expanding Dublin Airport and it may be hard for those closest to Cork airport to avoid the feeling that it was at its most useful for Norwegian when the airline had a tough battle to fight for which it needed political support.

And to add salt into the wounds, Norwegian group CEO Bjorn Kjos said that although the airline was still interested in a Cork-New York route, the runway at Cork may be too short.

A short runway has long hindered long-haul expansion from the Munster airport, but Norwegian's arrival seemed to suggest a brighter future.

In January, Cork Airport recorded a 5pc increase in passengers compared to the same period in 2017. Undoubtedly the airport has had success winning other new routes - for example, just this week Aer Lingus announced a flight to Lisbon. But the Providence flight was the star of the show and its curtailment is a blow.

The transatlantic revolution spearheaded by Norwegian was always one of two parts.

One part saw substantial growth from transfer traffic through secondary hubs like Dublin, allowing passengers to avoid congested and overstretched airports like London Heathrow.

But the second part was that small airports like Cork and Shannon could benefit too with direct services on a new generation of efficient aircraft. Sadly, the Norwegian announcement suggests that this experiment may not have run as well as hoped.
Irish oil and gas explorer San Leon Energy has received a $19m (15m) loan repayment from its interest in a Nigerian oil field.

The company, run by former Smart Telecom chief executive Oisin Fanning, has had a tumultuous run since investing in the project.

The stake was acquired via a complex arrangement that saw San Leon become the beneficial owner of around $175m of loan notes. But cash flow from that project, known as OML 18, had initially been slow - as of April 1 2017, it was due $58m but had only received $5m.

San Leon has now received the $19m payment it was due to receive in the first quarter of this year, despite some difficulties relating to production. Fanning told the market in February that "pressure on production levels caused by a scarcity of capital available to OML 18 for investment in well activity, together with securing permissions, has been exacerbated by downtime and pipeline losses caused by external factors."

"This has resulted in materially lower production and sales volumes...[but] these issues are not expected to affect, materially, the long-term field performance, whilst in the shorter term San Leon has a number of protections in place for receiving loan note repayments which are expected to be approximately $19m per quarter."

One of the issues the project ran into was so-called "illegal bunkering"-- filling a ship with fuel in an unlawful fashion. This caused a fire at a non-operational well.

"This did not affect production, and there were no casualties. The fire was swiftly brought under control ... without a reportable spill."

The Nigerian project also contributed to problems in filing accounts for 2016. San Leon missed the stock-market-imposed deadline. It said this was due to the complexity of the Nigerian venture.

"The delay in publication of the accounts has been for procedural reasons," San Leon said, adding that it needed to incorporate "the consolidated financial statements" of a particular entity related to the Nigerian asset using the equity method of accounting - a process for dealing with the financial effects of an investee company in which the core company has a significant influence.

"The consolidation process involves several jurisdictions, and has taken longer than expected for what is the first such consolidation and equity accounted investment in Nigeria for San Leon. When this process is completed, it will be followed by a number of normal audit confirmatory and technical review matters, which when completed will then put the company in a position to finalise and publish its financial statements."

When the accounts were published, San Leon's auditors said there were "material uncertainties which may cast significant doubt" about the company's ability to continue. Later the company said it was in talks with a partner in the Nigeria project, Midwestern, about a transaction that could constitute a reverse takeover - a form of merger of the two companies. San Leon's shares remain suspended from trading on foot of those discussions.
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin has said he is "fully determined" to continue honouring the confidence and supply deal between his party and Fine Gael, meaning the possibility of a general election this year is less likely.

Mr Martin told RTE's The Week in Politics programme: "We have honoured the agreement up to now, and I'm fully determined that we continue to honour the agreement."

He said that while confidence and supply has worked, there have been some "short-comings."

"In terms of giving a government and a budget, yes. But there have been, admittedly, short-comings, like housing and health."

The Cork TD also said Fianna Fail would vote in favour of the budget in October and support enabling legislation.

He has called for housing and health to be prioritised "above all else" in the budget.

Meanwhile, when asked about the developments at Independent News & Media (INM) over the last week to ten days, Mr Martin said he was "taken aback".

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) will move an application for the appointment of inspectors to INM on April 16.

The move comes following a year-old long investigation into various corporate governance matters at the company, including a suspected data breach in October 2014.

An affidavit from the Director of Corporate Enforcement includes the allegation that the personal data of 19 people, including journalists, could have been compromised.

"Obviously we will have to await the full publication of the affidavit that the ODCE will be presenting to the High Court," Mr Martin said.

"But, from my perspective, I am watching the developments with profound concern, in terms of what it entails for us as a democracy."

Mr Martin added that "it will have to ultimately involve the political system in making sure that we take decisions that once and for all ringfence the independence of our media, underpin it and make sure it's free from any overbearing influences that can actually act to distort and undermine our democracy".

Former chairman of INM, Leslie Buckley, who stepped down from the role last month, has vowed to defend himself against a range of allegations made by the corporate watchdog.

Mr Buckley said he was "appalled" by what he described as "the widespread circulation and sharing" of the ODCE court document.

He said the affidavit contained "the most serious and damaging of allegations relating to my tenure as chairman of INM plc".

"I will continue to co-operate fully with the ODCE and will robustly defend my position against each and every allegation. I am advised to reserve my position," he said.
Consumers can save thousands in payments as the mortgage battle between lenders heats up, according to MyMortgages.ie.

Experts are predicting an explosion in the fixed-rate mortgage market in Ireland.

KBC was the latest to slash its rates, following Ulster Bank's move, signalling savings of hundreds of euro each month, according to the mortgage brokers.

Joey Sheahan of MyMortgages.ie said: "Latest figures from the Central Bank support our contention, based on activity in the market, that fixed-rate mortgages are soaring in popularity."

He said people were flocking to make the switch to a fixed-rate mortgage from standard variable rates.
Permanent TSB has reduced its rates on a number of its fixed rate mortgage products for new business.

The changes, will apply to three-year and five-year fixed home loans, will come into effect on Monday, April 9.

Eight products in total will see the rate reductions, which range from 0.10pc up to 0.15pc.

Experts are predicting an explosion in the fixed-rate mortgage market in Ireland as the battle between lenders heats up.

Most recently, KBC slashed its rates, following Ulster Bank's move, meaning potentially savings of hundreds of euro each month for home owners.

As a result, a number of mortgage holders are making the switch to a fixed-rate mortgage from standard variable rates.

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Banks are offering a number of additional incentives to entice new customers in, but customers are advised to determine their annual repayments as a priority rather than a switching 'carrot'.

PTSB Group Commercial Director Mark Coan said the new rates would offer real value to customers and peace of mind as speculation grows on possible interest rate rises later this year or early next year.
TerminalFour is a specialist digital marketing and web content management company used by some of the top universities and third level colleges around the world. Set up in 1997 by Dublin man, Piero Tintori while still in college, the business is headquartered on Amiens Street in Dublin and has offices in the UK, USA and Australia. Today the company employs 72 staff and has an annual turnover of more than 10m.

"We work solely in the higher education sector where our software helps universities and colleges to maximise the effectiveness of their digital and content strategies," says Piero. "We help them create targeted marketing campaigns and clever engagement strategies to attract and retain the best students as well as utilising ecommerce techniques to drive activities such as alumni fundraising and research promotion," he adds.

The company's software uses ecommerce techniques to recognise if a potential student is visiting a University website from a company, another country or another university. Knowing this, potential students will be presented with information and content relevant to their situation as opposed to generic content. For example, if a visitor who is working in a law firm accesses a law school website they will see promotions for continuous professional development courses as opposed to undergraduate studies. Similarly if a company executive who is a former student or alumni member is accessing a university's website then he or she will be presented with different images and messages about fundraising opportunities and events which they might like to support.

"This personalised targeting of content is significantly more engaging for the user and much more effective for the colleges," says Piero.

Their innovative approach so successful that the company currently has over 200 university and college clients in 13 countries with 60pc of their total revenues coming from US and Canadian, 25pc from the UK, 10pc from Ireland and the remaining 5pc from Australia and other regions. Among their growing list of clients are University College Dublin, the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Imperial College London and the University of Manchester in England, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, University of Wollongong and Southern Cross University, in Australia, Canterbury Christ Church University, in New Zealand and Columbia University and the University of Florida, in the US.

"For example the University of Florida has annual revenues of more than $2bn and operates as many as 3,000 different websites promoting everything from individual courses and departments to sporting, recreational clubs and health and wellness activities," says Piero. "Our role is to manage the content and ensure standardisation of information and messaging across all their different digital and social channels."

"We have become so expert in this niche sector that we were able to beat off global giants like Adobe and Oracle to win that contract," he adds.

With the recent increase in the level of data breaches and ransomware, the company's exceptionally high level of security and protection against website hackers is a key differentiator for many clients. The fact that they can count among these, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) is a testament to the quality of their data security service.

With revenues in the North American market forecast to double this year, the company recently opened a second US office, this time on the West Coast in San Diego, California.

It's been an exciting journey for Piero who was born and raised in Dublin by his Irish mother and Italian father. Like many future entrepreneurs his aptitude for business was apparent from a young age, such as when he sold comic books to his friends to make extra pocket money. After school he studied Computer Applications at DCU. And it was here, in 1997, while he still in college that he set up TerminalFour.

"We focused originally on building websites, infrastructure and systems for some really great companies such as Aer Lingus and Aviva, as well as a number of county councils, government departments and public sector organisations.

"Having worked with Queen's College, Belfast and University College Cork, we saw the opportunity to help them not just manage their web infrastructure but improve the targeting and personalisation of their content through ecommerce techniques," says Piero. "By 2005 we had already begun building a solid client base of public sector, commercial businesses and universities, in the UK," he adds.

In 2013 Piero undertook the Enterprise Ireland Leadership for Growth programme. Supported by Enterprise Ireland, this world-class accelerator programme empowers CEOs to develop their leadership and strategic capability to lead highly innovative and internationally scalable businesses. "The programme was truly transformational for me and was also a turning point for the business and the catalyst for the new strategic direction for the company and the growth that followed," says Piero. "From then on we became laser-focused on universities and colleges as our target market, developed and launched a new modernised software product, began concentrating more heavily on building the right culture in the company and ramping up our sales effort - especially in the US. That's when the business really began to take off."

For Piero, hiring really good people who are the right cultural fit for the organisation is of paramount importance.

"I spend a lot of my time on this now because I believe that the best culture will attract the best people, who will create the best product and best results to our global customer base," he adds.

With over 4,000 accredited higher education institutions in the US alone, Piero sees this market as offering the most potential for future growth. However, he also wants to expand his European footprint and has plans to open an office in Poland in 2018. To speed up the rate of growth in the business, he is also open to acquiring other companies that are a strategic fit with his.

"It's an exciting sector and I am very proud of the impact we are having in helping students find both the right course and the right university for them - something that will have a major impact on the rest of their lives," he adds.

terminalfour.com
What's your opinion about Facebook? Love it? Hate it? Scared by it? After weeks of scandal associated with the social networking giant, let's remind ourselves of a few home truths about Facebook. And let's question why so few of us have deleted our accounts after everything that's happened, despite so many of us proclaiming that we would do so.

I've been reporting on Facebook's current travails for weeks. I was also on that conference call with Mark Zuckerberg last week, where he faced journalists' questions.

And yet the most accurate, ruthlessly blunt summary of Facebook's essence is still contained in the notorious 2016 internal memo circulated by the company's vice president, Andrew 'Boz' Bosworth.

"We talk about the good and the bad of our work often," wrote Boz. "I want to talk about the ugly. We connect people. That can be good if they make it positive. Maybe someone finds love. Maybe it even saves the life of someone on the brink of suicide. So we connect more people.

"That can be bad if they make it negative. Maybe it costs a life by exposing someone to bullies. Maybe someone dies in a terrorist attack coordinated on our tools. And still we connect people.

"The ugly truth is that we believe in connecting people so deeply that anything that allows us to connect more people more often is *de facto* good.

"That's why all the work we do in growth is justified. All the questionable contact importing practices.

"All the subtle language that helps people stay searchable by friends. All of the work we do to bring more communication in. The work we will likely have to do in China some day. All of it.

"The natural state of the world is not connected. It is not unified. It is fragmented by borders, languages, and increasingly by different products. The best products don't win. The ones everyone use win.

"I know a lot of people don't want to hear this. Most of us have the luxury of working in the warm glow of building products consumers love. But make no mistake, growth tactics are how we got here."

I apologise for quoting virtually his entire memo. But it is arguably the most brutally incisive, truthful description of Facebook yet articulated.

When it comes to it, despite everything, most of us are drawn to an effective, socially connecting service like bees to honey. And considerations around the potential damage that happens along the way are simply submerged.

Why? Human nature.

Last Wednesday, on a conference call with journalists, Mark Zuckerberg was asked how many people had deleted their Facebook accounts or cut down on their Facebook usage.

"I don't think there has been any meaningful impact we've observed," he said.

Janey. Remember, this is after the worst month in Facebook's history.

A month where it has been bashed by regulators, politicians and - almost to the beat of the same drum - the entire world's media.

A month where those with all sorts of other axes to grind about social media companies have summoned their biggest arsenals and unloaded with both barrels.

While it's still too early to definitively say (we won't actually know until Facebook's next quarterly earnings results), it's starting to look like people are unwilling to budge from their established behaviour on today's social platforms.

I've argued before that Facebook has become a daily utility, not quite at the level of Google but not far behind. For many people, it's easier to give up a phone number than a Facebook account. After all, that's where the majority of their communication is, if you take WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) into consideration. (Yes, yes, I know you need a mobile number to get a WhatsApp account, but you take my point.)

And in case you think I'm talking about some sort of tech-focused niche, sorry but around two million Irish adults use Facebook every single day. By some indices, a majority of Irish people spend more time on social apps than on traditional mobile or landline services combined.

In short, it doesn't look like Facebook's real challenges come from people getting disgusted with it and moving to some other platform.

But that doesn't mean that the company is out of the woods.

If Facebook is increasingly seen as the utility I think it has become, it is heading squarely for greater regulation, whether it wants to or not.

It's not yet clear what the tipping point will be, but I suspect it could be related to time spent using it for basic communications. If its growth trajectory continues in the EU, for example, the European Commission will have to look again at it more as an infrastructural element itself rather than something that exists on top of another piece of infrastructure (such as 'the internet').

Greater regulation is something that telecoms and media firms, in particular, have been baying for for years. But it's not clear that state intervention will do much to help their particular causes (such as reversing advertising declines in traditional media or sending people back to old-fashioned phone calls). Instead, regulation is likely to clear a path for other internet companies to compete more effectively in the digital world that is rapidly replacing the analogue one.

But one thing is clear: the social network will continue to form the most expansive profiles on us that it can for commercial ends.

"Like most of the hard decisions that we make, this is one where there is a trade-off between values that people really care about," Zuckerberg said on the journalist conference call.

"I do think that there is some discomfort (with) how data is used in systems like ads. But I think the feedback is overwhelming on the side of wanting a better experience. You know, maybe it's 95 to five or something like that."
'Did you comment on the Belfast rape trial on social media?" asked Ciara Kelly on Lunchtime Live (Newstalk, Mon-Fri 12 noon). "Lots and lots of people did."

They did indeed, leading to Paddy Jackson's solicitor Joe McVeigh being, as Ciara said, "visibly angry" while referring to social media being misused during the trial. To tease out these important questions around court trials in the online age, she spoke to lawyer Andrea Martin of Media Law Solicitors.

There had been reports, Kelly went on, that the complainant was named on social media; one of the jurors apparently commented on the case; people raised concerns about the jury being influenced by social media; and of course, claims that the defendants had been defamed. "Is that just the way it is now," she asked, "or is something going to have to change to protect due process?"

Martin said that, going back to our Constitution and fundamental laws, there's a legal right to freedom of expression, a requirement that justice be done transparently and in public, and the right to a fair trial.

"We have case law that says, if those rights can't be combined and observed in a mutually harmonious way, then the right to a fair trial must take precedence," she said.

The problem with social media commentary, Andrea added, is the possibility it will influence jurors who are supposed to judge a case solely on the basis of what they hear in court. "Do guidelines have to be brought in that restrict what can be said on social media, while a case is going on?" she said. "That really needs to be looked at."

These issues were also addressed on a packed Saturday with Cormac O hEadhra (Radio 1, 1pm). That's "packed" in the sense of a busy range of topics - justice system, teachers, abortion - and the fact they again squeezed in no fewer than five contributors.

(This, for me, is at least two too many. It's confusing for the listener, detrimental to productive discussion, and hampers an otherwise-fine programme and broadcaster. In fairness, Saturday with isn't the only show guilty of overstuffing its panels.)

So what does pass for legal commentary on this trial? Barrister Ben O'Flynn said: "General observations about how the trial was organised, differences between a similar event here - those are fair comments."

The comments of Jackson's lawyers, he continued, "are directed towards more personal observations, disagreements with the verdict Some of those have been quite trenchant, and that would definitely fall into the category of being defamatory of someone who'd been acquitted of a crime".

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Now: why is radio so obsessed with teachers? Radio 1 especially. They're fixated on history, too, especially the Rising/Civil War.

So it was that we reached some sort of Peak Radio 1 on Drivetime ( Mon-Fri 4.30pm) when, as well as being one of several programmes to cover this year's conferences, they had a bit about how "Easter week was also teacher conference week way back in 1918". A union get-together 100 years ago? How is this worth mentioning, really?

"The national media is focused on teacher conferences this week," Mary Wilson said, partly proving the disjunction between media and public that you often read about. I have literally never heard anyone bring up teacher conferences in normal conversation.

They also had historian Mark Duncan on how the Rising was commemorated in 1918. So we're looking back at how people had looked back on something, a long time ago. Is it just me who finds this kind of "living in the past" navel-gazing to be rather boring and somehow pointless?
The criminal being restrained by gardai on Sean McDermott Street

A criminal who has been the subject of a graffiti campaign by the Hutch mob was arrested in Dublin city centre yesterday following a public order incident.

Exclusive pictures captured by Independent.ie show the man being wrestled to the ground by gardai on Sean McDermott Street at 1.45pm on Saturday afternoon.

It is understood he was assaulted by another man and gardai were then called to the scene.

His face was covered in blood and he could be heard shouting abuse at gardai while he was being restrained.

A garda spokesman told Independent.ie: "Gardai attended a public order incident involving two males on Sean McDermott St.

"The incident occurred on the 7th April 2018 at approximately 1.45pm. Both men were arrested and detained in Store St under section 6 of the POA."

The man pictured has been branded a "rat" by Hutch members as they suspect he was involved in the murder of Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch's older brother Eddie two years ago.

He was arrested over the feud murder of Eddie Hutch (59), who had no involvement in crime, back in February, but was released without charge.

The criminal is a former associate of the Hutch gang but has since become involved with the Kinahan cartel.

Gardai still believe that Eddie was murdered simply because he was a brother of The Monk  who may have been involved in the planning of the Regency attack, which claimed the life of cartel figure David Byrne (33).
GPs, who are struggling to keep their practices from going under, should start to charge medical card holders for some services - it was claimed yesterday. Stock image

GPs, who are struggling to keep their practices from going under, should start to charge medical card holders for some services - it was claimed yesterday.

Dr Ken Egan, a Ballindine GP in Co Mayo, warned it may be the only "quick cure" to the financial pressures faced by a growing number of family doctors.

He was speaking at the annual meeting of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) in Killarney where angry GPs vented their frustration at the failure to restore cuts in fees for medical card holders and other services such as vaccinations which were imposed during the recession.

Health Minister Simon Harris, who has already missed several timelines for negotiations with GPs covering the restoration in fees and a new contract, told the conference the talks would start "in weeks".

He was due to address an afternoon session of the conference but delayed his arrival until last night at the annual banquet, drawing criticism from busy GPs who needed to return home and had travelled to the gathering in the expectation of putting face-to-face questions to him.

Dr Egan was told by IMO GP spokesman Dr Padraig McGarry that any decision to charge a medical card patient would have to be done on an individual basis.

Collective action is against contract rules.

GPs are paid capitation and other fees to provide services free to medical card holders.

But the annual capitation fee they get per patient, regardless of the number of visits, has fallen from 352 in 2008 to 226 to 2015.

Their fee for giving the flu vaccine has fallen from 41 to 15.

He said: "We are doing things too cheaply... all we are doing is talking about it. I am fed up talking. I can't see a new contract in five years. The only way to get anything is to make people unhappy."

He told the gathering: "I don't see patients out complaining."

Liam Holmes, from Limerick, said he knew of GPs in their fifties who are uprooting and going abroad to work, even though they have families in university.

Other doctors also spoke of the flight of some established older doctors to places like Qatar.

Dr Holmes told how his practice was overwhelmed with patients on the Tuesday after St Patrick's Day to the point where he had no slots available for emergency cases.

Dr John O'Brien said family doctor practices had now reached a "tipping point".

Agreeing to take on more work in the course of talks on fees is "delusional", he warned. It will be essential that GP practices get an injection of investment without having demands to expand services attached.

Tadhg Crowley, from Kilkenny, warned the extent of pressure and lack of GPs was leading to a potential explosion where more practices will "go off the cliff".

The exodus of young GPs and the retirement of around 700 doctors in the next five to seven years is fuelling the crisis, he said.

Dr Ray Walley said the strain means more patients in Ireland will face a three-week wait for an appointment, a predicament already faced by people in the UK.

The talks are expected to be fractious with demands on GPs to provide more services in return for fee restoration.

The new President of the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) warned at the meeting that the medical profession in Ireland is "under attack" and the role of doctors was being systematically undervalued.

This, he said, is contributing to an unprecedented shortage of doctors in key positions across the country.

Dr. Gilligan said that while Irish society had very significant expectations of those who wish to become doctors, practicing doctors were routinely dishonoured by having agreed contracts ignored, by having to tolerate different pay rates for similarly qualified doctors doing the same job and by unreasonable delays in restoring cuts imposed during the crisis compared to other groups.
A community's determination to end long delays for MRI scans has yielded extraordinary results.

Public patients waiting for routine MRI scans at the Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar face a one-year delay, while children face a two-year waiting list for routine scans.

But it is hoped those lengthy delays will not continue for much longer.

In just 14 months, the people of Westmeath and Longford and surrounding areas banded together to raise more than 800,000 in their quest to buy an MRI scanner.

"People have been amazing. It's incredible what they've achieved in such a short time," said John McGrath (66), of the Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar.

The campaign got a kick-start when the health authorities promised it would build a unit and provide specialist staff if the community raised the 950,000 needed to buy a scanner.

Both small and big fundraising ventures have received enthusiastic support, Mr McGrath said.

Last April, more than 600 people attended a fundraising dinner held at the Mullingar Park Hotel in memory of a local man John Murphy on what would have been his 40th birthday. That single event raised 205,000 for the scanner fund.

Mr McGrath said a cake sale in Ballinalee, Co Longford, raised 13,500 in two hours. There have been sponsored teddy bear events, tractor meets, and lots of madcap events.

Children have been very imaginative, including having a crazy hair day in school. One family raised thousands of euro climbing Croagh Patrick in memory of loved ones. A sponsored bike ride was also successful.

Many people in the region believe an MRI scanner should be available in every hospital and should not be viewed as optional.

They believe it is not acceptable that the hospital in Mullingar, which has a busy maternity unit and paediatric unit, still does not have one.

Almost 1,200 public patients are referred for an MRI from Mullingar Regional Hospital each year.

Adults are sent to the hospital in Tullamore for MRI scans and children are often sent to paediatric hospitals in Dublin for the scans.

Mr McGrath said that some patients in Mullingar can be too ill to be brought to Tullamore or elsewhere for an MRI scan.

An onsite MRI service is vital in the early diagnosis or investigation involving many conditions, including stroke, gastroenterology, cardiology and surgery and casualty treatment.

MRI scans are essential for all kinds of neurological conditions and, for example, gall bladder surgery.

As the hospital has a maternity unit, it is viewed as essential that all babies born prematurely should have an MRI scan to access signs of brain injury.

Mr McGrath said that building work on the new unit should begin within 18 months to two years.

A spokeswoman for the hospital told the Sunday Independent: "The Friends of Regional Hospital Mullingar have raised approximately 850,000 for the MRI machine and associated equipment to date.

"A capital build for the MRI and associated developments is required.

"The design team are currently finalising stage one of the capital build design and are hoping to submit for planning permission by May of this year.

"Following receipt of planning permission, the National Capital Steering Group will consider the capital building funding for this project."

Local Labour councillor Michael Dollard, a member of the regional health forum, said the hospital had a huge need for the scanner as it was so important in the early detection of so many medical conditions. "It's long overdue," he added.
Ireland striker Jonathan Walters has hit back at a Twitter user who referred to him as a "privileged Tory" after he shared a photo of himself volunteering at a local food bank.

The Burnley FC player helped out at the Deen Centre in the Wirral this morning and shared a photo thanking them for allowing him to take part.

However, his post was met with some cynicism.

"It's great when privileged Tory supporters turn up to make heroes of themselves," one Twitter user said.

"Maybe not voting for the system that creates these problems in the first place would do more for the great good."

Walters was subjected to vicious online abuse back in 2015 when he posted a tweet hailing the re-election of former UK Prime Minister, David Cameron.

"Yes. Glad the country has seen sense," he wrote.

However, taking to Twitter this evening, Walters said that those comments were "poorly educated".

"Just to set you straight... I made some poorly educated tweets a few years ago about David Cameron but I'm not a Tory supporter.

"As it happens I dont have any political allegiances whatsoever as I see the whole system completely messed up.

"I just saw some fantastic people who live close to me helping those who are in need and thought I would try and help out also. I didnt want to make myself out to be any sort of hero. However, Im trying to raise awareness of a desperate situation a lot of people are finding themselves in."
Weekly searches are being carried out by volunteers in the US for missing Irish man, David O'Sullivan

ONE year after the mysterious disappearance of Irish hiker David O'Sullivan in the US, his heartbroken mother has said: "We need to know what happened."

Carmel O'Sullivan said that she doesn't believe he will be found alive but that she is living "in a nightmare" as she has no definite proof about what happened to him.

The 25-year-old left Ireland in March last year to embark on a five-month trek of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), hiking from California to the Canadian border.

David, who is from Midleton in Cork, last contacted his family on April 7 2017, when he sent an email from Idyllwild town.

He was due to meet a friend in Santa Barbara last May but never showed up.

Carmel said that search efforts have been hampered by the weather.

She told Independent.ie: "You have to just continue, we have nothing new, searches are ongoing.

"They've had aerial searches and a lot of volunteers out, there is supposed to be a big search on April 7, weather permitting.

"They do get a snow on higher elevations, it hasn't been so bad though his year, thank God.

"When David went last year it was great when he arrived but unfortunately he did meet snow that shouldn't have been there in April when he passed Idyllwild, which he wasn't expecting.

"A lot of people would skip it and loop back, that's what he would have been planning as he doesn't have any experience with snow.

"The general feeling over there is that he did get into difficulties with snow and that something has happened, he has not been found since.

"It's a huge area to cover and with the density of the trees you can't see down into every ravine, there are boulders there that are bigger than some cars even, it's next to impossible to search every little area."

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She added: "Nobody has seen anything of him, there has been no activity on his bank accounts, they can't find a signal for his phone and his GPS watch wasn't modern enough for police to pin a location for him.

"Everything went against us really, we knew he could be weeks without phone coverage so the alarm didn't ring with us for a while, although whether that would have done any good or not, we will never know."

As thousands of people undertake the gruelling PCT this year, Carmel hopes she might finally get answers about what happened to her boy.

"We've been told if there's any update they'll let us know, so I feel like I'm constantly listening out for the phone or watching Facebook for something.

"We've posted on the new PCT hikers page about David to ask people to keep an eye out for him.

"There'll be thousands going through the area this month and we're hoping one of them will even see something like an item of clothing.

"Police have told us that they're not going to do any more searches because I suppose they don't have the resources but also because in cases like this it's usually another hiker who comes across someone who is lost - it could take years or he might never be found," Carmel said.

She said that she doesn't feel David is alive and her life has been on hold while they await news.

She said: "We are hopeful that he is alive but I honestly don't know how he could be to be honest - there hasn't been any activity on his bank accounts and he hasn't been in touch with home, which is something he wouldn't do to us.

"I'd love if there was a story that he had banged his head but was safe somewhere but I can't see it myself at this stage.

"The day that we get the phone call with the news that his body has been found will be horrendous but what we're going through now is equally horrendous, we're living in this awful, awful nightmare.

"We still haven't got definite proof that he is gone, I need to know what happened and where he is.

"Life can't go on for us until we know, I couldn't dream of leaving the country - unless it was to America where the searches are ongoing- until we know, I can't go to events, I just can't even think of trying to move on until I know.

"I miss him so much, I go through so many scenarios in my head about what might have happened, I dream about him at night and think about it all.

"If a garda car is passing the door my heart stops and I wonder if that's how I'll get news, or it could be a phone call or I might even see something on Facebook, I just don't know."

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She said that the Irish community in San Diego are going to carry out a search of the area this weekend and will also light a candle to mark one year on from his disappearance.

Carmel said that she's not ready to fly back to the US yet for any kind of ceremony and will spend the day with family in Cork instead.

She said: "We were asked to go over for it but I'm just not ready for it, I'm not ready to say that's it or to give up. We're going to go to mass ourselves here, it'll be a private thing and we're not going to make a big thing of it.

"We will be up all night waiting for news from the search, you can't help but hope that every search is the search when he'll be found.

"We've been through this so many times but you keep hoping things will align together and we'll have some news."
Frank Murray, who died last weekend in Dublin aged 76, was a distinguished and low-key civil servant who worked his way up the ranks of the administration to become secretary-general to the Government from 1993 to 2000.

During his career, he served at a senior level in various governments from that of Liam Cosgrave in the early 1970s to Bertie Ahern in the late 1990s.

Mr Murray, who maintained a lifelong affinity with his native county Leitrim, lived in Foxrock, Dublin. He went on to become a director of Independent News & Media for a decade after his retirement. Up to the time of his death, he was also co-commissioner on the Independent Commission for the Location of Victims' Remains - an onerous task which involved establishing where victims 'disappeared' by the IRA during the Troubles were buried.

He was born on Main Street, Carrick-on-Shannon, Co Leitrim on September 3, 1941. His father was the town taxi-driver and his mother ran a small sweet shop. He was educated locally and joined the civil service after school, working in the Land Commission before transferring to the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas in Leinster House.

When Liam Cosgrave was first elected Taoiseach in 1973, he and his party had been so long out of power that he was unfamiliar with many of the senior figures in the civil service and distrusted others. As with more senior ministerial appointments, Cosgrave was unpredictable in the choice of his 'kitchen cabinet' but because of his contact with Murray, who worked in the office dealing with Parliamentary Questions, he appointed him as his private secretary.

Although it raised eyebrows among more senior figures in the administration, it proved an inspired choice as it put the 32-year-old Murray on the first rung of the ladder that would lead to one of the most important jobs in Irish public administration.

Because the new Taoiseach was so aloof from his colleagues, refusing to give them his home telephone number, the only way Mr Cosgrave could be reached when not in his office was either through Frank Murray or the then secretary to the Government Dan O'Sullivan and his assistant Dermot Nally.

The three men also wrote his cabinet briefings on issues of the day, although Cosgrave would not always follow them or do what was expected. In his memoirs, Barry Desmond recalls how he went to Murray to see how Cosgrave intended to vote on the Contraceptive Bill in 1974 and "he assured me that he had received no negative intimations from Liam Cosgrave". Cosgrave then shocked everybody, including his private secretary, by voting against his own government's bill, helping to defeat it.

With the election of Jack Lynch as Taoiseach in 1977, Murray was appointed principal officer in the Northern Ireland and International Affairs division of the Department of the Taoiseach. In 1983 he was appointed assistant secretary general to the government and would have worked closely with Charlie Haughey and Garret FitzGerald, before being appointed secretary general in January, 1993 by Albert Reynolds.

The two men would have had a midlands affinity and Murray was among a small group of trusted advisers, along with Sean Duignan, Paddy Teahon and Tom Savage, who were with Reynolds on a Friday night in 1994 when the Beef Tribunal report was issued and the then Taoiseach decided to release a statement saying "I'm vindicated". Labour Party leader and partner in government, Dick Spring, unable to contact Reynolds, rang Murray to tell him of "the implications for government", threatening that he might pull out if this statement went ahead. It did and the government didn't fall, although this sowed the seeds of distrust that led to the government's premature end later that same year.

Following his retirement, Murray held a number of public service sinecures on the Top Level Appointments Committee, as Vice President of the Institute of Public Administration and independent reviewer of complaints for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland.

Frank Murray was appointed a director of Independent News and Media (INM), then controlled by Sir Anthony O'Reilly, in August, 2003 in what was seen as a move to bolster the board's independence. He was one of only four board members to survive when James Osborne was ousted as chairman and was acting chairman at the meeting which appointed Leslie Buckley as chairman in August, 2012. He retired from the board the following year.

He had an interest in military history and served as a director of the cross-border Military Heritage Trust of Ireland and was a director of Concern Worldwide.

Frank Murray, who died on March 31, is survived by his wife Maureen and four of their five children. He was buried in Deans Grange on Friday last.
Depending on how you view it, "20 years" can mean very different things. It is enough time for a meaningful handshake to set off on a journey of implementation and reconciliation in a troubled land. In another light, it can be a prison sentence, something taken away from you.

It is both these things and more for Amanda Dunsmore. For the artist and Limerick School of Art & Design lecturer and programmer, 20 years is also a long passage of fluidity and metamorphosis that has no discernible endpoint and a vague germination.

We're in the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin, sitting before a giant video portrait of John Hume, deep in some unknown thought as if listening in on our conversation. In the adjacent room, on the exact same type of screen, in the exact same position, with the exact same backdrop and lighting, is David Trimble. Both men appeared together at a vital junction in history. Both are joint Nobel Peace Prize winners and are regularly mentioned in the same sentence as one another. Equals, in other words. Dunsmore sought a "visual parity" in the representation of these two key subjects, she explains. However, the Killaloe-based English artist is loath to project her own positions or opinions on to this collection.

Any attempts to discover her observations on the North (a region she has known intimately since arriving there in the late 1980s) receives polite evasion. Questions such as what she'd like viewers to take away with them are met with one-word answers, thin smiles and an expression that suggests a fruitful career in poker should she ever catch the bug.

Luckily, you don't need to be an art critic or student of politics to absorb the striking but somehow obvious duality of the portraits or other pieces collectively entitled Keepers. Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement, Dunsmore's beguiling and occasionally astonishing works beg you to examine this recent history through prisms of legacy and age.

On Monday, none other than Senator George Mitchell will deliver an address to mark the opening of the exhibition under the heading The Good Friday Agreement: A Personal Reflection. Keepers is an appropriate place to hear Mitchell ruminate as it encourages the same in all of us, a chance to sort out the news clips and history lessons and grainy images in our minds against a living, breathing context just up the road.

Part of Dunsmore's duty is artist - the other is archivist. And while she's determined to stand "beside the work rather than in front of it", she will detail the evolution of these works and a little of their core essence. How, for instance, did she pitch these shoots to her subjects?

"I filmed six people from the Good Friday Agreement," Dunsmore explains. "David Ervine, Martin McGuinness, Monica McWilliams, Lord Alderdice, John Hume and David Trimble. But for this exhibition, in this manifestation, within this context in this gallery, I chose to premiere these two. And I say premiere because I filmed John Hume in Derry in 2005 but I held his portrait back from exhibition. I had opportunities but there was never the right context. I had time, though, and this was the right time.

"The process involves meeting individuals who represent the subjects and explaining what I wish to do and then why that portrait may not necessarily be used for an exhibition when I'm doing it. I'm interested in the legacy of individuals who have imparted a significant shift upon society for the better. How are their legacies viewed by the audience at different times? Sometimes I make portraits and they won't be exhibited until it's the appropriate time. This has been going 20 years and it's ongoing."

Elsewhere in Keepers, Dunsmore stealthily flags the role of cross-community activists and Peace People founders Mairead Corrigan Maguire, Betty Williams and Ciaran McKeown. Like Hume and Trimble, Maguire and Williams shared the Nobel Peace Prize in 1976. More parity through juxtaposition.

Dunsmore leads me into another part of the exhibition where we're met with the chiaroscuro John Lavery portraiture of Edward Carson and John Redmond from 1916. Lavery insisted, with the agreement of the sitters, that the two hang together, something that harmonised with Dunsmore, and parity she sought with Hume and Trimble. "I found that delightful," she says, clearly satisfied at the sound of artistic vision rhyming over a century.

Opposite these is The People's Portraits 1899-1918, a breathtaking wall of 100 glass-plate negatives of men and women of all ages taken to catalogue Northern Irish prisoners, all carefully selected and cropped by Dunsmore. "These are all pre-partition people who knew this land differently to how we know it," she comments. "And because the distance of time strips away for us the connotations of 'a prisoner', we are able to look at them as people."

We at last come to Billy's Museum, a 20-minute video essay that stems from Dunsmore's time as artist in residence at The Maze and Long Kesh Prison that began in 1998. If she had to pick a jump off point for Keepers, this would be it. Dunsmore had been working as an artwork curator with the Ulster prison service across four facilities and had full security clearance. A friendship with prison officer Billy Hull led to her being shown an extensive collection of items and handcrafted implements that had been seized from Maze inmates. They speak of desperation, humanity, treachery and ingenuity, and the film has never been publicly shown north of the border because Hull's family have yet to give their consent.

Why has she decided to juxtapose this piece with the Lavery paintings and the wall of inmate portraits? I ask with a tinge of nerves and Dunsmore picks it up. She lets me wriggle for a moment that feels like 20 years in itself. A mischievous twinkle in the eye. "Because it wouldn't fit in the other rooms."

Keepers opens April 10 to July 22 in the Hugh Lane Gallery. www.hughlane.ie
A woman walks past a mural depicting Sinn Fein vice president Michelle O'Neill and DUP leader Arlene Foster as the unlikely bedfellow characters from the movie Planes, Trains and Automobiles

Sign of the times: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former US Senator George Mitchell and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair after the signing of The Good Friday Agreement set Northern Ireland in 1998.

Walls of peace: 'There are now more peace walls in Northern Ireland than there were when the Good Friday Agreement was signed,' says Adrian Johnston, chairman of the International Fund for Ireland.

At the Beechhill fishery near Belfast, anglers relax next to the pond and reel in their catch on a showery spring afternoon.

The Northern Ireland Cross Community Angling club attracts hundreds of enthusiasts from housing estates and flats across the city and beyond. One of the volunteer organisers Scott Lonsdale tells Review: "The mood here is chilled and relaxed. When people are fishing, they are escaping from their lives in the city - and we do not care who they are."

There is no need for peace walls in this soothing enclave away from the hurly-burly. As the website of the cross-community club puts it, there are no barriers of creed, nationality, language or age around here. According to Scott, fishing is something to be enjoyed by everyone who turns up.

Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement was signed, fishing is one area where any lingering community tensions in the working-class areas of Belfast can be ignored, and literally cast aside.

Expand Close Sign of the times: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former US Senator George Mitchell and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair after the signing of The Good Friday Agreement set Northern Ireland in 1998. / Facebook

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Whatsapp Sign of the times: Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, former US Senator George Mitchell and former British Prime Minister Tony Blair after the signing of The Good Friday Agreement set Northern Ireland in 1998.

As one angler tells me, "Fish know no borders."

But two decades after the Belfast agreement was brokered at Stormont with the world's press on hand to witness the hand of history on then British prime minister Tony Blair's shoulder, the Northern Ireland which it produced is the proverbial curate's egg. Its critics would say it only works well in parts.

It has not created a six counties utopia, but the signatories can at least console themselves at the commemorations that the violence has not returned.

Jonny Byrne, lecturer in criminology at Ulster University, has studied closely the barriers between some communities across the North. "What we see in Northern Ireland is a twin-track peace process," he says. "For half the population, it has been fantastic and their lives have changed fundamentally for the better."

The centre of Belfast - with its Titanic Quarter, the Victoria Square shopping centre and the St George's Market - has been revamped, and is in parts unrecognisable, but not everybody has seen the benefits of a Troubles-free city.

"There are communities across the North where little has changed - apart from the absence of violence," Dr Byrne adds.

In the middle-class areas of South Belfast, communities mix freely, as they always did to a certain extent during the Troubles. More than half of the population believe community relations have improved, the Northern Ireland Good Relations Indicators survey suggested recently.

The survey found that 52pc of adults and 59pc of young people believed relationships between Catholics and Protestants are better than five years ago.

But that still leaves a significant section of the population who do not believe relations have improved significantly.

When he brokered the Belfast agreement 20 years ago, the US Senator George Mitchell spoke of his vision for the future of the North.

"I have a new dream; to return to Northern Ireland in a few years and sit in the visitors' gallery in the Northern Assembly," he said.

"There we will watch and listen as the members debate the ordinary issues of life in a democratic society. There will be no talk of war, for the war will have long been over. There will be no talk of peace, for peace will be taken for granted.

"On that day, the day on which peace is taken for granted in Northern Ireland, I will be fulfilled and the people of goodwill everywhere will rejoice."

LEGACY OF THE CONFLICT

The guns may be silent and consigned to arms dumps, but there is still a sense that the North has not escaped from the legacy of the conflict. It is a deeply embedded part of the culture that still haunts the society.

"We have not yet found a new language for the post-conflict period," says Jonny Byrne. "We are still talking as if the Troubles were still on, about the legacy of the conflict, security, peace walls and paramilitaries."

George Mitchell's hopes that Northern politicians could escape issues of war and peace in their assembly have been dashed.

The Troubles are constantly raised in the back-and-forth debates between the DUP and Sinn Fein. And most disappointingly of all for Senator Mitchell, the Assembly itself is not up and running, discussing and working through the humdrum details of everyday life.

But at least, some form of peace has somehow held together through it all.

"You could say there are probably at least 1,000 people who are alive today because of the Good Friday Agreement and the absence of large-scale violence," says Peter Sheridan, chief executive of Co-operation Ireland and a former PSNI police officer.

"We are not spending our time walking behind coffins every day and seeing bombs exploding on the street every day, and people have tended to forget that."

Sheridan says one of the most positive legacies of the Good Friday Agreement is the invisibility of the border.

The former policeman recalls how different the border was at the time of the agreement.

By the time deal had been signed, the customs posts had already gone, but there was still a heavy security presence.

"People forget that along 10 miles of the border in South Armagh, there were 12 army watch towers, four helicopter landing sites, six permanent checkpoints, four police stations and many roads that were sealed off."

Under the Good Friday Agreement, unionists could still preserve their British identity in the UK, while nationalists could assert their Irishness, feeling a sense of unity across a border that didn't seem to exist.

According to Peter Sheridan, there was also a growing tendency of people to see their nationality as Northern Irish.

ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY AFTER BREXIT

The problem now is that Brexit and the question marks over the border have created a new mood of political and economic uncertainty amid fears that a physical frontier will return.

The absence of large-scale violence may be something to celebrate 20 years on. But Sheridan believes genuine reconciliation needs to go a lot further in the North.

"Most of us underestimated how long it would take," he says. "Peace is not just about an absence of violence. It is about learning to live together as citizens."

When it comes to genuine integration, the picture in the North is decidedly mixed.

Michael Wardlow of the Equality Commission of Northern Ireland says workplaces have changed dramatically over the past 20 years and are much more mixed than they used to be.

However, the number of children who are educated together in integrated schools remains stubbornly low.

When he was First Minister of Northern Ireland, Peter Robinson described Northern Ireland's education system as a "benign form of apartheid which is fundamentally damaging to our society".

Out of 340,000 children currently going through school in Northern Ireland, just 23,000 are in integrated schools.

"There is a big demand for integrated schooling among parents, but it is not being incentivised enough," says Dr Wardlow.

Research by academics at Queen's University showed that children who attended integrated schools were more likely to reject traditional identities and allegiances than those who had attended a segregated school.

While only 7pc of children go to integrated schools, there is a new emphasis on "shared education", where students from different schools come together.

While fully integrated schooling has been slow to materialise, schools are being encouraged to share classes, facilities, teachers and even buildings.

In one of the most ambitious projects, up to 4,000 pupils from six schools in Omagh will be educated on a single campus at Strule, the site of the former Lisanelly army base.

While the overall research figures show a softening in attitudes between communities, there are some areas across the North that continue to have physical and psychological barriers between them.

There is no more potent symbol of this division than the "peace walls" that divide communities in Belfast, Derry and some towns across the North. The Cupar Way wall is among the most famous, dividing the loyalist Shankill area from the Catholic Falls Road. Built as a "temporary measure" almost half a century ago, it is now almost double the height of the Berlin Wall.

Adrian Johnston, chairman of the International Fund for Ireland, says: "There are now more peace walls in Northern Ireland than there were when the Good Friday Agreement was signed."

Dr Johnston said only a minority of people in the areas near the barriers wanted to have the barriers taken away immediately, but the vast majority wanted them removed within the lifetime of their children or grandchildren.

It is no coincidence that every area where there are peace walls are among the most socially deprived enclaves across Northern Ireland, and these were the areas that were most heavily scarred by the Troubles.

According to the International Fund for Ireland, nearly 70pc of Trouble-related murders took place within 500 yards of the peace walls.

"It did not help of course that these interface areas were among the most heavily hit by unemployment during the economic crisis," says Peter Sheridan.

Many who want the peace walls preserved say they do so for the sake of security, but Jonny Byrne of the University of Ulster says they are also seen as a way to demarcate territory.

"They are now perhaps less about security than protecting identity," says Byrne. The University of Ulster academic says the experience of the Troubles in the North was highly variable, and some people were hardly touched by it all.

THE NORTHERN PARADOX

"Northern Ireland is a paradox, where you can live cheek-by-jowl, and one community experienced almost nothing during the Troubles, and another experienced the most horrific instances of violence," he says.

Twenty years after the agreement, Northern Ireland has reached a point of political stalemate, and Brexit has worsened tensions.

"What we need now is maturity, leadership and a willingness to take risks," says Jonny Byrne.

Those qualities were not lacking among the motley bunch of politicians who came together to sign the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. It remains to be seen if they can be found among the present generation of leaders, who have shown a reluctance to put aside divisions and govern together.

Peace by piece

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59

Percentage of young people in the North who believe relationships between Catholics and Protestants are better than five years ago

7

Percentage of children in the North who attend integrated schools

97

Percentage of social housing estates that are segregated

More people have died from suicide in the 20 years following the Good Friday Agreement than were killed during 30 years of conflict in Northern Ireland

3

Percentage of people in "interface areas" who believe economic conditions have improved since The Good Friday Agreement

77

Percentage of people across the North who would like to live in a mixed religion neighbourhood

1,300

Number of households forced out of their homes by paramilitaries in the last three years
STUDENTS who paid up to 12,000 to live at a new residence in Dublin city were forced to endure months of construction work and are demanding that they receive "adequate compensation".

Independent.ie met with a number of aggrieved students living at the New Mill residence in The Liberties.

They told how construction work would start at 7am in the morning some days and said it was "impossible" to study with the loud noise.

In the below video, loud drilling and banging can be heard as the students tried to work on assignments.

Prices for a room at the complex, operated by company Global Student Accommodation through their Uninest brand, start at 980 a month for a standard room, rising to 1,380 for a premium studio.

Some of the students paid all their rent up front.

Becky Franklin (24), a masters student at Trinity College Dublin, said the works really affected her studies.

"I found myself going into college in a bad mood as I was having to stay up late to finish work because I couldn't concentrate during the day with all the noise," she said.

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"It's been an absolute nightmare."

Daniel Perera, also a resident at New Mill, said he felt taken advantage of and criticised the "poor communication" from Uninest.

"Our tenant rights were violated due to the ongoing construction. Our studying and mental health suffered as a result and the response we have had in attempts to resolve the issue has been terrible.

"All our rent was paid up front so I feel like they didn't really care when we complained as they already had our money."

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GSA is building a second unit comprising of accommodation for a further 400 students, while company StayCity, which specialises in Aparthotels, is building its new head office beside New Mill.

Students say that Uninest offered them 216 as a "good will gesture" following their complaints, and also set up a study room and provided free coffees.

However, they rejected the offer as they felt they should receive more compensation.

"The offer is not representative of the severity of the issue as well as the length of time that we have been subjected to the noise," Perera said.

"Every single day all I hear is hammers and drills like it was happening in my room. We were told it would be done within three weeks, eight weeks ago," another student said.

Along with the construction works, they said the company has been slow to fix issues with the apartment block.

The main entrance gate to the complex has been "broken for weeks", meaning anyone can walk in and out of the private residence.

A spokesperson for GSA said that the works are now complete.

"Although owned by another party we understand Stay City has taken a long lease on the property in question and commissioned fit out works, for which planning permission was granted after students had moved in.

"Whilst we had no responsibility for, or influence in these works, our team has been working hard on behalf of our residents to act as an intermediary and help tackle the issues raised. Following our requests, the contractors reduced their working hours and Stay City agreed to and attended a Q&A with residents to open up a direct dialogue.

"As a goodwill gesture we reduced weekly rates, provided an additional quiet study space at the development for those impacted and offered transfers to another one of our residences in Dublin."

However, the students who contacted Independent.ie say they have not received reduced weekly rates, and said the additional study space was a "tiny room".
TV presenter Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh with her sister Siobhan. The siblings have been through a triptych of troubles but have managed to be there for each other as life carries on. Photo: Steve Humphreys

They say bad news comes in threes, and so it was for Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh and her sister Siobhan.

This time 10 years ago, the popular TV presenter and her family were dealing with a triptych of personal troubles.

First, Siobhan was diagnosed with breast cancer, something which seemed unthinkable for someone who had lived such a healthy life.

Next, Blathnaid herself had to deal with the horror of a twisted gut, which, while not as serious, also made her very ill for some time.

Then, 10 years ago this September, Blathnaid and Siobhan's father, Sean, died in hospital after his own battle with illness.

"He was always the one you'd tell any bad news to," Blathnaid recalls.

"And I remember calling him in Vincent's before he died and I asked to be put on to him and I just said 'Siobhan has cancer' but there was silence on the other end.

"He couldn't even speak by that point."

In truth, both women had expected their father to rally again.

"It had to be spelled out to me - 'He will not walk out of this hospital again'," Blathnaid recalls.

"I think that summer of 2008, when it all really happened, had to be the worst summer ever. I remember phoning from A&E in hysterics and telling my brother in Irish, 'I know you all think I'm being dramatic'.

"And the young doctor standing beside me happened to be from the Donegal Gaeltacht and he took the phone from me and said, 'She's not being dramatic'.

"I wasn't allowed in to see him because of the cancer," Siobhan recalls.

"I would wait down in the coffee shop - which when I think of it now was probably even more full of germs than his room - and wait for news."

"I remember wishing I had been a bit kinder to my mother around that time", Blathnaid adds. "We had lost a father, but she had lost her best friend."

The day of the funeral, their mother tried to persuade Siobhan to wear the wig she had bought when her hair began to fall out after chemotherapy.

"I really hated that wig, I'd sort of prefer to be bald," Siobhan says.

"But when my hair was starting to grow back Blathnaid told me that I was starting to look like a nun. I don't even know where [the wig] is now."

Siobhan would eventually beat cancer, and her secret weapon, she says, was not the NutriBullet (which she still uses) or even the chemo, but a pair of headphones.

"Because when you're in a cancer unit everyone wants to talk about their own illness and you can only listen to so much."

Blathnaid nods at this. The two women rib each other with the easy playfulness of lifelong friends.

When she was a teenager, Blathnaid would tease her older sister that she was gay, an accusation that turned out to be true.

"I was just disappointed there weren't more gays in my life.

"I remember one of my sons using the word gay in a derogatory way when he was very young. He was five.

"I said 'what's wrong with being gay? And I named a few people we knew who were gay and he didn't flinch and then I said, 'And auntie Siobhan is gay and you love her.'

"And he looked up at me, he couldn't believe it."

Blathnaid would slowly recover from her own illness and resume her broadcasting career.

Just over a year ago, she graduated from the master's course in gender studies in UCD and unsurprisingly she has plenty to say on institutional sexism - "every organisation has it" - and says she was struck by the gender imbalance among attendees at the Web Summit, at which she was an after-dinner speaker in the period while it was still held in Dublin.

"I remember being in this huge room, it was full of Silicon Valley men - their wives and partners were at home.

"One of them was being bolshie about European tax laws and companies pulling out.

"I didn't like it and it struck me that there were - I counted them - eight women in the entire room.

There will be more gender balance at Blathnaid's next event - Battle of the Stars - which will be held on Saturday, April 14, at the Clayton Ballsbridge.

The event is in support of Breast Cancer research and Blathnaid will share the stage with Diana Bunici, Holly Carpenter and TV3 Ireland AM's Ciara Doherty, among others.

Each of the participants has been spending the past few weeks in a rigorous regime of rehearsals with a team of professional choreographers and stylists and will be judged by a celebrity panel including Elaine Crowley.

"It should be a bit of fun", Blathnaid says. "I'm ready for the challenge."

For more information, go to www.breastcancerireland.com. All funds raised support Breast Cancer Ireland's pioneering research and awareness programmes around Ireland.
A short break on a barge provides a surprising intro to Ireland's inland waterways for Property Editor, Mark Keenen.

Set the mood

As Kenneth Grahame wrote: "There is nothing - absolutely nothing - half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats."

And for a Wind in the Willows-style wallow in Ireland, nothing beats an olde worlde canal barge on the Shannon-Erne Waterway - originally built as a Famine relief project, and heaven to chug along at sub-strolling speed with the leafy canopy slipping by overhead.

Our craft is The Sub - a canary- yellow shortened barge, customised to make it wider and more manageable for canal greenhorns like us. A barge has the turning circle of an articulated lorry, so steering with the tiller takes some practice, and reverse is very tricky indeed, but we soon get the hang of it... and slip into inland-waterway pace.

Top tip

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A canal barge run is sublime, so don't ruin it by over-planning or pressurising yourself with journey-time targets. Pick a direction when you emerge from the marina (left or right) and simply follow your nose. Chug one way for half of your holiday, stop off when and where you want, then simply turn around and come back. Simple.

Insider Intel

The expense of barge hire usually involves four to six people sharing, and vessels seldom rent for less than a week in peak. We found an affordable weekend short break with a vessel easily managed by a lone couple at Riversdale Holidays in Ballinamore. Take notes at your familiarisation session and make sure your pre-paid smart card for the 16 locks is topped up or you'll end up stranded...

Guilty Pleasure

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Tie up your tub up at scenic Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, and check into Smyth's Siopa Ol, the postcard town's most renowned hostelry - with its blazing fire, perfect pint of Guinness and a well-travelled barkeep who will regale you with tales both local and global (Main Street, 071 964 4955, or see Facebook).

There's usually music at the weekends, when it gets really lively. Try the food menu, which includes steak and salmon, but in particular look out for the lamb shank and the beef stew - both simply prepared but cooked to perfection. And dessert? Find out why this spot's sticky toffee pudding brings them in from far and wide.

Cheap kick

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The Sub is really quite beautiful inside and out, with its miniature but wholly functional kitchen, a stout stove, central heating, cosy beds and a table big enough to host company. It warrants at least one night of cooking in, to savour the pleasure. The driving deck is covered, so you can sit with a hot whiskey, tending a fishing line lobbed over the side for roach, bream, tench, perch, eel and pike. Marinas along the canal offer stop-offs with fresh water and washing facilities too.

Glitches

A 14-tonne barge is not a place for unruly children. It moves slowly but can easily crush a person or a limb against lock walls - so take care. While the canal itself is shallow, locks are deep. Watch out too for spring-loaded branches whacking you from bankside trees!

Get me there

Mark travelled as a guest of Riversdale (071 964 4122; riversdaleholidays.com), which currently charges 855 a week for The Sub (two to four people) and 1,020 for the Legend Class barges (up to eight sharing), rising to 1,265 and 1,490 in peak summer season.

However, two-day breaks in The Sub should be booked now for the off-season (October to January), during which the rate falls to 360. It's long enough to give you a taster of the experience, and at quieter times there's little canal traffic to contend with.

Read more:
A new generation of cruiser has hit Ireland's longest river. Thomas Breathnach takes Horizon 3 into the waters and wild...

Engine switched to off, I lie across the bow of our cruiser.

My golden retriever's wagging tail is a fanning relief from the summer swelter. Water gently laps to a ripple, cattle swish through the riverbank bullrushes, and a kingfisher bolts a flash of blue across the reeds like a Celtic macaw.

Where else would you get such unabridged peace but on Ireland's finest waterway? I'm on the Shannon, in blissful tranquillity, aboard the river's newest holiday vessel.

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My journey began a few days earlier in Portumna, headquarters to boat hire company Emerald Star. I was skippering its fleet's newest vessel, Horizon 3 - a Miami Boat Show-class cruiser that would turn the heads of every fisherman and lock-keeper from there to Carrick-on-Shannon. Crafted like a futuristic barge, the spacious, 45ft vessel sleeps up to seven passengers, so I brought along a few friends for the voyage and, as cabin cruising is one of Ireland's pet-friendliest getaways, my dog, Vipp (left), too.

Far from the days of aged, damp river boats with rickety bread-toasters, Horizon 3 is very much a next-gen cruiser. Along with three cabins (all ensuite), the lower deck contains a showroom kitchen-dining salon with flatscreen TV, mp3 station and waterproof speakers. Upstairs, plus points included a spacious fun deck with sunbathing area, wet bar, BBQ hotplate and deck shower. The design brief reads a little more 'Barbados' than 'Banagher' - but with a scorching forecast on the cards, we do it justice.

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Cruising on the Shannon requires no previous boating stripes, something that often comes as a surprise to novices and landlubbers. All Emerald Star passengers are given an instructed dry run aboard their vessel before they leave, allowing them to master controls, navigation and mooring (often the most daunting task) before setting off. Another highlight of Horizon 3 is the addition of a bow thruster - a rookie-proof feature which allows us to steer into marina berths as easily as smart-parking at Tesco.

There's a dreamy timelessness to cruising the Shannon, and it doesn't take long for the river to spellbind. Journeying north from Portumna, the fertile flood meadows of the Shannon Callows pop with flora and fauna. Blooms of whitethorns blot the river banks; swans and cygnets glide through the irises and rushes; pairs of moorhens wade as if on a weekend date night. They're the kind of bucolic scenes you'd imagine in the works of Kenneth Grahame or Seamus Heaney. We're cruising through poetry - in slow motion.

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Our first night's moorings come at Shannonbridge, straddling the border between Offaly and Roscommon. Like many minnow settlements along the river, passing tourist trade has given Shannonbridge some surprising culinary chops; having expertly navigated to make last orders, we disembark to visit the panoramic restaurant at Luker's Bar (facebook.com/LukersBarShannonbridge), tucking into a perfect summery menu of steaks, salads and Eton mess while watching a fireball Shannon sunset.

The meal itself was only surpassed by a chaser downstairs at the original grocer's bar, which dates back to the 1750s. Perhaps Ireland's most photogenic pub (and it's got competition), proprietor John Joe Ryan guides us through the memorabilia stacked around an old-world bar infused with sweet, turfy smoke from a Victorian fireplace.

Aside from its waterway appeal, the River Shannon also forms the natural border for Ireland's Ancient East (irelandsancienteast.com), making an ideal portal for meandering history buffs. The next morning, after a leisurely Full Irish on board, we soak up the dramatic draiocht of arriving at Clonmacnoise (above, heritageireland.ie, 8) by water: the round tower of Temple Finghin acts as a kind of medieval beacon as we journey through the wetlands. The OPW allows dogs on the sacred site too, which means Vipp can ramble along with us through the magnificently preserved early Christian ruins.

Continuing north, we're more immersed in the Shannon's relaxing slipstream with every passing mile. From Athlone to Lough Ree, Longford to Leitrim, this adventure is less about epic crescendos and more about peaceful pace and the enamouring characters we encounter en route. For us, that means the friendly Roosky lock-keeper who offers us Cadbury's Roses for wearing our life jackets; for Vipp, it's Cindy - a yellow labrador he buddies up with in the beautiful village of Dromod.

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Surprisingly, perhaps, just 50pc of Emerald Star's cruisers are Irish. Over the course of our weekend, we meet a convoy of beer-swilling Austrian fishermen, an English family aboard a vessel named Cirrhosis of the River, and a party of American couples whose stern reveals a flapping Confederate flag. All are drawn to one of Europe's wildest rivers.

Should more of us join them? In 2014, a report for the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation found cruise holidays "underperforming", with a 50pc drop in demand over the previous decade. Lying back on the high-tech bow of our Horizon 3, soaking up a timeless calm, I reckon the River Shannon remains our great uncharted wonder.

3 Inland Cruise Tips

1. Stay safe on lakes

Grab those binoculars! Cruising the Shannon can mean navigating some of Ireland's largest lakes (including Lough Ree and Lough Derg). Navigation markings aren't as obvious as on the river so keep your eye out as lakes can be surprisingly shallow, and groundings are common.

2. Book smart

If budget allows, book two berths larger than your party  this saves you having to convert the shared living spaces come bedtime.

3. Bring a foodie guide

Hungry? Georgina Campbell and Waterways Ireland publish the free guide A Taste of the Waterways (info@reland-guide.com). See also waterwaysireland.org.

3 Wonderful Waterway Eats

1. The Derg Inn, Terryglass

This postcard gastropub on the banks of Lough Derg is worth a downriver detour to Tipperary alone. Kitchen highlights include their on-point cod and chips and steamed mussels with lashings of garlic and vin blanc. Mains from 14; thederginn.ie.

2. Wineport Lodge, Glasson

Like a cabin mansion on the Great Lakes, Wineport Lodge brings an air of wilderness luxury to the Shannon. Try their daily specials like duck confit or Toulouse sausage (19) for dinner and if you dine here, you can moor overnight for free, too. wineport.ie.

3. Coxs Steakhouse, Dromod

With seared sirloins, buttery fillets (and veggie options) at their best, this postcard Leitrim locale sates the most ravenous of wanderers. Take the scenic nature trail from the marina to the pub to work up your appetite! Mains from 15; coxs-steakhouse.com.

How to do it

Emerald Stars rates for a six-berth Lake Star cruiser start from 241 for three nights. Rates on the new seven-berth Horizon 3 start from 1,422 for seven nights. Planning on cruising one way? Emerald Star can transfer your car from Portumna to Carrick-on-Shannon for a fee of 160.

See emeraldstar.ie for more.
Premium

Gene Kerrigan Opinion The penny is finally dropping for the Profits before People alliance

There was a time when the Irish had no problem with building stuff. We were so good at it that we sent generations of our offspring to help the British and the Americans build their cities. Now we have a crisis  we havent enough dwellings for our people to lay down their heads in at the end of the day.
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Ian O'Doherty Opinion The June bank holiday is made for fun so enough with the finger-wagging

OK, heres a typically controversial and, dare I say, brave statement  I love bank holiday weekends. But while every bank holiday is to be welcomed, I have a particularly soft spot for the one were enjoying this weekend. Thats because, for about 10 years, I spent every June bank holiday down in Kilkenny at the Cat Laughs comedy festival. Covering comedy was my beat at the time, and it didnt get much better than the Cat Laughs. Kilkenny is a cracking town and that legendary festival elevated the place even more. I spent many days on the lash with the great Johnny Vegas. I had the kind of night out with Canadian comic Mike Wilmot that could never be retold in a family newspaper. I became pally with Emo Philips. I discussed politics with Lewis Black. I swapped recommendations with Rich Hall for the best American alt-country bands at the time. It was all very debauched and decadent and, as you can imagine, enormously enjoyable. Of course, I was younger back then and had the stamina to go for two or three nights without much sleep. Why sleep when youre having so much fun? Over time, the grind just became too hard. The moment I knew it was time to throw in the towel came when I was driven back to Dublin at 7am on the Monday morning to start my shift in the newsroom and I realised that I was just getting too old for it all. Ive been thinking about those fondly remembered days a lot this week. Both because it reminds me of when I could still get up to that sort of behaviour  if I tried it today Id probably just keel over and die  but also because it reminds me that, at the moment, nobody else can have that kind of that experience. This pandemic has brought many home truths to us all. In my case, one of those home truths is that Im actually beginning to be comfortable with my advancing decrepitude. But for tens of thousands of us, our favourite bank holiday events are simply not happening this year. Some have been cancelled entirely. Other traditional bank holiday staples, such as the VHI Womens Mini Marathon are just being conducted online and/or postponed to later in the year. While Im happy to become an old fart and sit out in my back garden, thats a luxury and a privilege denied to so many of us  particularly younger people who have spent much of the last 15 months stuck inside their apartment or, even worse, forced to go back to live with their parents. That was the thing that really struck me about the frequently chaotic scenes we witnessed around the country last week and which will be repeated, with gusto, this weekend. Contrary to the professional scolds and the finger-waggers, the people who congregated on Georges Street and South William Street werent anti-social monsters determined to ruin the lives of city-centre residents. No, they were simply young people who were letting off a bit of steam. In years to come, when we look back and analyse the various impacts of the lockdown, one of the most startling aspects will surely be the way the generations quickly turned on each other. Back in March 2020, when this terrible nightmare first began to grab us all by the throat, one of the main mantras was were all in this together. That was a rather fanciful platitude. It was also completely incorrect. Because when push comes to shove, people will always turn on each other and look for a scapegoat. Its one of the less admirable aspects of human nature and we saw numerous examples of it this week. I was listening to one radio phone-in and it sounded like a parody of the genre. Older folk were up in arms at the sight of so many young people gathering together. Younger kids were then quickly on the phone defending their behaviour and condemning the fuddy-duddies for judging them. It was depressing as it was predictable. If I have one quibble with the gangs that gathered together last weekend, and who will probably do it again tonight and tomorrow night, it was the amount of litter that was left behind. The argument about the lack of bins has a point  to a point. But the reality is that if you can bring a bag of cans out onto the street, you should be able to keep that bag to bring the empty cans home with you. Its hardly rocket science, is it? Frankly, the thoughts of standing in the middle of the street while slugging back a few tins fills me with horror  but Im not in my twenties. Thats why I wont judge those kids who went on the lash  they were like puppies who had just escaped from their cage. What did we expect them to do when they saw their first chink of daylight in a year? Things have been hard enough for everyone but theres a rather unpleasant element of competition about who has it had it the toughest. However, as is often the case, the answer is staring us all straight in the face  everyone has had it tough, just for different reasons. So enough with the judgemental attitudes  from both sides. After all, were all in this together, right?
It's a mystery worthy of Sherlock Holmes. What happened to the spirit of 1998 that forged the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland? That's what everyone is asking as next week's 20th anniversary of the signing of the historic peace agreement nears.

On Tuesday, dignitaries including Bertie Ahern, former US President Bill Clinton, Senator George Mitchell, and Downing Street negotiator Jonathan Powell, will gather at Queen's University in Belfast to mark the exact date of the signing - April 10.

The anniversary ought to be a moment of celebration for an agreement which has become the blueprint for peace deals around the world, from Sudan to South Africa. Instead the mood is sombre. Stormont is suspended, and unlikely to be revived any time soon. Trust between unionists and nationalists is at its lowest ebb for years. Power sharing has been put into deep freeze.

Clinton's hope is that the anniversary "gives us all the opportunity to recommit" to the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement. He always was one for a snappy soundbite.

The truth, though, is much simpler. The spirit of the GFA is alive and well. It hasn't dimmed at all. The search parties are simply looking for it in the wrong places. Those who made peace in 1998 still have the will and desire to make historic accommodations.

The problem is that they're not in charge any more. The process has been passed to wreckers and extremists.

The Belfast Agreement was the achievement, firstly, of two governments who were determined to make it work. Relations between Dublin and London have soured somewhat in recent months, largely because of Brexit. Foreign Minister Simon Coveney's short-sighted determination to row in behind Sinn Fein can partly be put down to irritation with the UK's indifference to the difficulties which Brexit will cause to Ireland, not just along the Border, but in terms of trade nation-wide. Ireland did not ask for or want Brexit, but is getting it all the same.

A certain sourness is inevitable, but the two governments would still be able to put another deal together if required to do so. The same goes for the SDLP and Ulster Unionists. The parties' leaders back then, John Hume and David, now Lord, Trimble, jointly won the Nobel Prize for their efforts, and the latter went on to be Northern Ireland's first First Minister, with the SDLP's Seamus Mallon as deputy First Minister.

The relationship was not without its tensions, mainly around decommissioning and continued paramilitary activity by the Provisional IRA, delaying the establishment of a devolved government by nearly two years; and even afterwards there were stand-offs over Orange Order marches.

There were three suspensions before direct rule was reimposed in 2002, but had the SDLP and Ulster Unionists remained as the largest parties in the years since, Northern Ireland would undoubtedly be in a much better place.

Instead they were quickly swept aside after 1998 by Sinn Fein and the DUP, partly because of the nature of the power sharing institutions established by the GFA, which rewarded the solidification of electoral politics into sectarian blocs. The agreement was signed in 1998. In the first assembly election that same year, the contest was dominated by the SDLP and UUP, who together won 52 of the 108 seats. It only took until the 2001 Westminster election for the effect of polarisation to be seen. Both parties made huge gains at the expense of their rivals. By 2003, Sinn Fein had overtaken the SDLP.

The gap has only grown greater in every subsequent election. The DUP and UUP similarly swapped places.

It meant that, shortly after the signing of the Belfast Agreement, progress was left in the care of two parties, one of whom had to be on the verge of humiliating defeat before coming to the negotiating table, and the other of which had actually walked out of the talks in protest and subsequently campaigned against the Agreement when it was put to the people.

No need to bother Sherlock Holmes with this one. There's no great mystery why there is no consensus now. It's because peace has been put in the hands of those whose natural instinct pushes them to be intransigent. Left to their own devices in 1998, the Agreement would also have failed to get across the line.

The DUP and SF did eventually manage to get an Assembly up and running, under the so-called "Chuckle Brothers", Ian Paisley and Martin McGuinness, but it couldn't last, containing as it did the seeds of its own destruction right at the heart of government. Give extremists a veto, and this is inevitably what will happen. Indeed, those who demonised David Trimble throughout the 1990s should ask themselves now whether that was such a great strategy.

The UUP leader was willing to put his name to the Agreement despite immediately losing six of his 10 MPs at Westminster. What did Ian Paisley ever do for peace except decide in old age that he would give up his hateful rabble-rousing as long as he got to be First Minister?

Paisley was lionised on his death. A weird revisionism made him out to be some cuddly figure of fun when he'd been a wholly destructive force most of his life. The last few years of mellowness in no way made up for it.

The only question worth asking on the 20th anniversary is not how to deepen the rot by continuing to pander to extremists, but how to strengthen the middle ground, which has been decimated in the two decades since.

Far from doing so, centrist parties including the SDLP, Ulster Unionists and Alliance, have been expressly excluded from recent talks. They wanted to be there. They forcefully expressed their right to be at the table. Those demands were ignored. Recreating the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement could start there, by recreating the conditions which actually led to a deal.

The talks in 1998 were multi-party, and involved not only the UUP, SDLP and Alliance, but also the Women's Coalition, Progressive Unionist Party, Ulster Democratic Party, and Labour. This is the spirit which has been lost, replaced by an endless round of bilateral bickering between Sinn Fein and the DUP, into which the two governments are dragged as intermediaries.

And they still wonder why it hasn't produced some magical outcome? Einstein's famous aphorism that insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result comes to mind.

The centre can only hold if it is empowered rather than marginalised. That was the real spirit of the Agreement.

It will be said many times in the coming week that the good people of Northern Ireland who voted overwhelmingly for a new beginning 20 years ago have been let down by the politicians, but it could equally be said that voters have let down decent politicians by shoving them aside in favour of more glamorous extremists who promise plenty but consistently, predictably deliver less. The good people of the North must take their share of the blame for that.

In last year's Westminster election, the DUP and SF between them took all but one of the seats. The SDLP was left with no seats for the first time since its formation.

Together, SF and the DUP have now grabbed more than 65pc of the vote, up from 35pc back in 1998. It's impossible to understand the stagnant despair which has entered the political process without staring those figures starkly in the face.

Both sides look aghast at each other's electorates. Unionists can't understand how nationalists can vote in such numbers for a party which still lauds terrorism. Nationalists can't understand how unionists can vote for a party which is still a slave in many ways to triumphalist bigotry. Each grows steadily stronger in reaction to the other.

If we genuinely want to recreate the spirit of the Good Friday Agreement on its 20th anniversary, it must mean getting back to doing what worked then, not what has failed to work ever since.
Aussie dream: although many Irish are drawn Down Under by the lure of good pay and sunshine, some have experienced anti-Irish sentiment

Maybe it is Australia's heritage as the most Irish nation outside Ireland that makes the occasional expression of crude negative stereotypes all the more shocking.

Prejudice and discrimination against minority groups are not unknown in any society, but Australia has, to a remarkable extent, embraced and absorbed generations of Irish people since the first years of European settlement in the late 1700s.

Australians with Irish ancestry tend not to even think of themselves as having a hyphenated identity. There is no high office in Australia that a person of Irish birth or background has not occupied except for head of state, which under the present constitution is reserved exclusively for the reigning British monarch.

Last year, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released a report on the best and worst-paid migrant groups in Australia which ranked the Irish as the top-paid migrant group, followed by UK arrivals.

For many Irish individuals and families, it seems, the move to Australia has proven to be a good one.

And yet the past few months have been tricky.

Last October, Marlene Kairouz, Consumer Affairs Minister in the State of Victoria, launched a scam awareness campaign with a speech that included this breathtaking statement: "If anybody knocks on your door that has an Irish accent, automatically ask them to leave."

Minister Kairouz quickly apologised via Twitter for what she had said, explaining she had expressed herself "poorly". And that, as far as the Victorian government was concerned, was that.

Clumsy and unfortunate

There was some shock at the time. The Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce labelled the comment extremely disappointing. One commenter online reacted with anger: "Well Minister, I am an Irish community nurse who knocks on many doors every day to provide care for people of all nationalities in this beautiful country. Shame on you for your ignorance and sweeping statement." Another commenter pointed out that her Scottish accent had often been mistaken for Irish.

Billy Cantwell, the founding publisher of The Irish Echo, the national Irish community newspaper based in Sydney since 1988, is more sanguine. He said the statement was a regrettable mistake and nothing more.

"In my opinion, there is no pattern of prejudice against the Irish in Australia. The minister's comments were clumsy and unfortunate and she apologised."

More recently, however, Queensland police were said to be investigating a series of scams by what appeared to be Irish tourists. Last month, the situation was reported by the Mail in Australia in the following terms: 'A group of Irish 'gypsy' tourists are at it again.'

Cantwell remains untroubled. "There was a time when the Irish suffered discrimination, particularly after World War I, but thankfully that time has passed. The Irish are among the highest-earning migrants in Australia.

"Our success in business, sport and the arts points to the fact that there are no prejudicial obstacles for us here."

Among recent arrivals with an impressive level of professional achievement is Caoimhe Buckley, who is chief content and communications officer at energy giant AGL.

Originally from Dublin, Ms Buckley arrived with her husband and young children four years ago to take up a position as head of communications at BHP, Australia's largest company. She says she has felt "warmly welcomed by the Australians. From my personal experience, I have not encountered anti-Irish sentiment. I will say that my first name is a constant source of bewilderment for the Australians but that's about the extent of it."

Ms Buckley says she has noticed that Australians can be like the Irish without knowing it. "Australians, despite having a huge Irish heritage like Americans, aren't as proud of their background - perhaps this is because of how Australia came into existence. Huge numbers of people have surnames like McMahon, Duffy, Murphy, O'Reilly and so on but they are all fully Aussie - they don't claim to be Irish the way Americans do. However, they do identify with the Irish; the passion for footy is similar to the Irish passion for Gaelic, they like a drink and they like to have a fair go. Their 'tall poppy syndrome' bears a close resemblance to Irish begrudgery."

Buckley recognises that it is not always a perfect fit for Irish people newly arrived in Australia. "I have read stories in the news about Irish backpackers and I saw a rather unfortunate cartoon in a Western Australia newspaper about Irish nurses, but it's probably no different to the way some immigrant groups are treated in Ireland." A scholar with a particular research interest in the history of anti-Irish sentiment in Australia is Professor Elizabeth Malcolm of the University of Melbourne, which was founded over 150 years ago largely by Sir Redmond Barry, the Anglo-Irish judge who presided over the trial of bushranger Ned Kelly, the son of a convict from Tipperary.

Professor Malcolm, who is soon to publish a monograph on anti-Irish stereotypes in Australia, said the statement by Minister Kairouz fits into a pattern of prejudice that is well-established.

"This seems to me a classic case of someone overreacting against alleged bad behaviour by a small number of people to demonise a whole community. That's what's called stereotyping. It's the sort of thoughtless reaction that simply fosters prejudice and bigotry. One always hopes that responsible politicians, aware of their power to influence public opinion, will avoid mistakes like this."

@SimonCaterson
A poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the Syrian capital has killed at least 40 people, according to activists, rescuers and medics.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred on Saturday night amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma on Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation.

More families were found suffocated in their houses and shelters in #Douma. The number of victms is increasing dramatically, and the ambulance teams and the Civil Defense volunteers continue their search and rescue operations. #Doumasuffocating pic.twitter.com/R2Wa3JzZWg  The White Helmets (@SyriaCivilDef) April 7, 2018

Opposition-linked first responders, known as the White Helmets, also reported the attack, saying entire families were found suffocated in their houses and shelters.

It reported a death toll from suffocation of more than 40.

The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organisation, said 41 were killed and hundreds wounded.

Government forces resumed their offensive on rebel-held Douma on Friday afternoon after a 10-day truce collapsed over disagreement regarding the evacuation of opposition fighters.

Violence returned days after hundreds of opposition fighters and their relatives left Douma towards rebel-held areas in northern Syria. Douma is the last rebel stronghold in eastern Ghouta.

The alleged gas attack in Douma comes almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people.

That attack prompted US President Donald Trump to order a missile attack on a Syrian air base. The Syrian government and its ally, Russia, denied any involvement in the alleged gas attack.

Douma is in the suburb of Damascus known as eastern Ghouta. A chemical attack in eastern Ghouta in 2013 that was widely blamed on government forces killed hundreds of people, prompting the US to threaten military action before later backing down.

Syria denies using chemical weapons during the seven-year civil war, and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the US and Russia after the attack in eastern Ghouta.
Counter-terror officers have arrested a 55-year-old man at Gatwick Airport.

The suspect was held on suspicion of encouraging terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications after flying into the UK from Morocco, police said.

Scotland Yard said he was arrested shortly after 11am on Saturday and is in custody at a police station in south London.

The Metropolitan Police said in a statement: "On Saturday April 7, detectives from the Met's counter-terrorism command arrested a 55-year-old man on suspicion of encouragement of terrorism and dissemination of terrorist publications, contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006."
The secrets of what lay behind the first nerve agent attack in Europe since World War II are likely to be revealed with Sergei and Yulia Skripal expected to speak to investigators in the coming days after making a remarkable recovery.

The former MI6 spy and his daughter may soon be in a position to reveal to investigators the chain and time of events leading up to their poisoning in Salisbury a month ago - and who may have carried out it out.

Yesterday, the Russian Embassy in London requested a meeting between its ambassador and UK foreign secretary Boris Johnson over the poisoning.

An embassy spokesperson said it was "high time" for a meeting to discuss the investigation, as well as a "whole range of bilateral issues".

Current interaction between the Russian Embassy and the UK was "utterly unsatisfactory", they said.

A UK statement confirmed it had received the meeting request, and said: "It's over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Mr Skripal and his daughter.

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic."

Despite the head of Porton Down, the military research centre, saying there is no known antidote to the military grade novichok, which Theresa May's government has said was used in the attempted murders, both now appear to be out of danger.

The timing of their interviews will be dependent on advice of the specialist medical staff treating them, but the police and security agencies are optimistic that the answers to what took place are likely to emerge soon. Salisbury District Hospital, where the pair have been treated since being struck down last month, said Sergei Skripal was "responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and no longer in a critical condition".

Yulia Skripal, who had issued a public statement through the police saying she "woke up a week ago and am glad my strength is growing daily", will be questioned before her father unless his condition improves dramatically. Yulia Skripal supposedly spoke on the telephone with her cousin Viktoria in Moscow who was due to visit her in hospital. During the call Yulia told Viktoria she may not be given a visa, and yesterday the UK authorities confirmed that the visa application has been refused. This led to an immediate charge of further cover-up by Russian officials who have already accused the UK of carrying out the attack.

A UK Home Office spokesman said: "We have refused a visitor visa application from Viktoria Skripal on the grounds that her application did not comply with the immigration rules."

Russian state television earlier this week broadcasted a telephone conversation between Viktoria and her cousin, in which Yulia allegedly said "everything is fine" and her father was "sleeping".

Dr Christine Blanshard, medical director at Salisbury District Hospital, said speculation about when the two could be released from hospital was "just that - speculation".

The Russian Embassy said it hoped the improvement in the Skripals' health will "contribute to the investigation of the crime perpetrated against them".

Dan Kaszeta, a security and chemical defence consultant, said nerve agents are quick acting if they are inhaled, which did not appear to be the case with the Skripals. "We do not know the narrative of that afternoon in detail. For example, Sergei, what did you touch and when did you touch it?" he said. Now that Ms Skripal in particular is known to be recovering and talking, her insight into what happened will be "extremely important", Mr Kaszeta added.

The development came as Donald Trump heightened diplomatic tensions further by announcing sanctions against seven Russian oligarchs with ties to Vladimir Putin for "malign activity" around the world.

Meanwhile, Russia is demanding an explanation over the deaths of two guinea pigs and a cat, which was found in a distressed state at Mr Skripal's house before being put down.

The Russian Embassy said: "Regarding the dead guinea pigs and the malnourished cat, it is said unofficially that they were taken to the Porton Down facility and incinerated there. But it remains unclear if their remains were ever tested for toxic substances, which would constitute useful evidence, and, if not, why such a decision was made.

"Overall, it is difficult to avoid the impression that the animals have been disposed of as an inconvenient piece of evidence."

Independent
Hungarys prime minister Viktor Orban addresses the media outside a polling station in Budapest (AP)

Early election results in Hungary give prime minister Viktor Orbans right-wing populist Fidesz party a large lead.

Preliminary results from the National Election Office have Fidesz winning Sundays parliamentary election with 49.5% of the vote.

If the result stands, Fidesz would hold 134 of the 199 seats in the national parliament and regain its super majority there.

Expand Close People queue to cast their vote at a polling station during general elections in Budapest (Balazs Mohai/MTI/AP) / Facebook

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With 69.1% of the votes counted, the right-wing nationalist Jobbik Party was coming in second with 19.9% of the votes and 27 seats.

It would mean a third consecutive term for Mr Orban, and fourth overall.

He has campaigned heavily on his unyielding anti-migration policies, although voters said they were more concerned with poverty, government corruption and the countrys underfunded health care system.

Election officials said voter turnout was 68.1% by 6.30pm, 30 minutes before the official end of voting.

Numerous voting stations remained open after the 7pm deadline to accommodate the long lines of people waiting to vote.
A Syrian child receives treatment following a suspected toxic gas attack in Khan Sheikhun, a rebel-held town in the northwestern Syrian Idlib province, on April 4, 2017

Pope Francis on Sunday deplored the gas attack reported in Syria as an unjustifiable use of "instruments of extermination".

"There is no such thing as a good war and a bad war. Nothing, but nothing, can justify the use of such instruments of extermination on defenceless people and populations," he said at the end of a Mass in St. Peter's Square.

He urged that "military and political leaders choose another path, that of negotiations, which is the only one that can bring about peace and not death and destruction".

An alleged chemical attack reportedly killed scores of civilians, including children, in Syria on Saturday, with the US describing the reports as "horrifying".

A Syrian rebel group accused government forces of dropping a barrel bomb containing poisonous chemicals on civilians in eastern Ghouta, with one rescue group reporting more than 150 deaths.

Syrian state media denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and said rebels in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

Expand Close US troops in Manbij, northern Syria (Hussein Malla/AP) / Facebook

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On Saturday evening, the US State Department said the reports of mass casualties were "horrifying" and would demand an international response if confirmed, laying some of the blame with Russia.

Disturbing photos and footage emerged showing dead children foaming from the mouth, the hallmarks of a chemical attack such as chlorine or sarin.

One video shows the lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

The White Helmets civil defence workers said more than 150 were killed and more than 1,000 being treated for exposure to chemical weapons.

"Entire families in shelters gassed to death in #Douma #EastGhouta hiding in their cellars, suffocated from the poisonous gas," it said on Twitter.

Medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said at least 41 people had been killed.

The attack comes a week after US President Donald Trump said he wanted the US presence in Syria to end "very soon".

If the chemical weapons attack is confirmed, it would pose a dilemma for the president, who has promises to hold President Bashar al-Assad of Syria to account over the use of chemical weapons.

Following a chemical attack last year, the US launched 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at the air base from which the attacks had originated.

No child of God should ever suffer such horror, Mr Trump said at the time. It is in the vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the reports, if confirmed, were "horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community".

Citing a history of chemical weapons use by the Syrian regime, Ms Nauert said Assad's government and its backer Russia needed to be held accountable and "any further attacks prevented immediately."

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks," Ms Nauert said.

"Russia's protection of the Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis and to larger non-proliferation priorities," she said, calling upon Moscow to join international efforts to prevent further attacks.

One analyst likened the emerging atrocity to the use of mustard gas by the Italian fascists in Ethiopia in the 1930s.

"Just as Syria has uncanny echoes of the Spanish Civil War, so the Syrian regimes repeated use of poison gas recalls another dark episode from the Thirties, when Facsist Italy used chemical weapons against defenceless Ethiopians," Dr Euan Graham, Director of the International Security Program at the Lowy Institute, told The Telegraph.

"That atrocity contributed to the unraveling order back then, exposing the inability of the League of Nations to prevent aggression and barbarity by authoritarian leaders. Now we are witnessing another global unraveling, and a corresponding slide into irrelevance for the UN."

Jeremy Konyndyk, former US humanitarian aid chief, now with the Center for Global Development think-tank, said he warned last year "that strikes without an accompanying strategy would prove meaningless", adding: "Tonight shows why."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights earlier said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by the smoke from conventional weapons being dropped by the government. It said a total of 70 people suffered breathing difficulties.

The recovery and rescue efforts were continuing even as fresh barrages of artillery fire were reported in the battered neighbourhood.

By Saturday evening, state media was reported that troops were approaching Army of Islam fortifications on the edge of the town adding that street battles could begin soon. It said warplanes bombarded the group's headquarters and command and control centre.

Medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents" including nerve agents had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, told Reuters the total death toll in the chemical attacks was 35. "We are contacting the UN and the U.S. government and the European governments," he said.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the rebel group in Douma, Jaish al-Islam, was making "chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab army," citing an official source.

Bombing had subsided last week as Moscow pursued talks with Jaish al-Islam, the Islamist faction that holds Douma, putting military operations seemingly on hold for about 10 days.

But the negotiations crumbled and air strikes resumed on Friday, killing 40 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Last year, a joint inquiry by the UN and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) found the Syrian government was responsible for an April 4, 2017 attack using the banned nerve agent sarin in the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun, killing dozens of people.

The inquiry had previously found that Syrian government forces were responsible for three chlorine gas attacks in 2014 and 2015 and that Islamic State militants used mustard gas.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
Mourners and journalists carry the body of Yasser Murtaja, during his funeral in Gaza City yesterday. Photo: Mahmud Hams/Getty

The Israeli military is facing widespread questions over why its snipers killed a Palestinian journalist who was wearing body armour clearly marked with a 'Press' sign.

Yaser Murtaja, 30, was shot in the side on Friday afternoon while covering protests along the Gaza border and later died from his injuries. At least five other Palestinian journalists were reportedly shot by Israeli troops during the protest, and three sustained tear gas injuries.

Murtaja, a freelance cameraman who had worked for the BBC and the Chinese artist Ai Wei Wei, was filming in the Khan Younis area of southern Gaza and was about 300m from the Israeli border fence when he was shot, his colleagues said.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said it was investigating the shootings.

"The IDF does not intentionally target journalists. The circumstances in which journalists were allegedly hit by IDF fire are not familiar to the IDF, and are being looked into," a spokesman said.

Family and friends of Murtaja accused Israeli forces of deliberately targeting him, saying there was no way a sniper could have mistaken him for a protester when he was clearly marked as a journalist.

Expand Close Journalist Yasser Murtaja after being shot by Israeli troops, with his press jacket clearly visible. Photo: AFP/Getty / Facebook

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"He was wearing a press jacket and a helmet," said Rushdi Serraj, a journalist who was with Murtaja when he was shot. "The vest was so visible. It's clear that they targeted him on purpose."

Health officials in Gaza City said a live bullet had penetrated the side of his abdomen and he succumbed to his wounds in hospital.

Freelance photographer Ashraf Abu Amra told Reuters he was next to Murtaja, whom he said was wearing a helmet and protective vest. Abu Amra said they were both clearly marked as journalists.

"We were filming as youths torched tyres. We were about 250m from the fence," said Abu Amra. "Israeli forces opened fire and injuries began. Yaser and I ran to film when suddenly Yaser fell to the ground.

"I screamed to him 'Yaser are you alright?'. He didn't respond and there was blood on the ground underneath him. I knew it was a bad injury and people carried him away," said Abu Amra.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) secretary-general Christophe Deloire condemned what the group described as Israel's disproportionate response and called for an independent investigation into the incident.

The Foreign Press Association echoed the call and urged the military to show restraint.

The European Union in a statement said the killings raised serious questions about the use of force. It added that reports by Israel of stones and fire-bombs being thrown along with attempts to cross the fence into Israel "must also be clarified."

So far, 31 Palestinians have been killed in the week-long protests, with hundreds more wounded. There have been no Israeli casualties.

Israel Radio, citing an unnamed source in Gaza, said Murtaja had been operating a camera drone on Friday.

"I don't know who he was, cameraman or no cameraman, anyone operating drones above IDF soldiers must know he is putting himself at risk," said Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman. "We won't take any risks."

Abu Amra and two other Palestinian journalists said Murtaja was not operating a camera drone when shot.

On his Facebook page, Murtaja had posted two aerial photos taken at the border in the past week. It was unclear if he had taken them himself.

Murtaja was married with a two-year-old son. He had worked on Ai Wei Wei's Human Flow documentary about the refugee crisis. The artist posted a photograph of him on Instagram yesterday, showing him lying on the ground moments after he was shot.

Murtaja was the co-founder of Ain media, a local TV production company that has done projects, including aerial drone video, for foreign media clients such as BBC and Al Jazeera English.

He was one of the first to bring a drone camera into Gaza and his images captivated many of its residents who have never seen the territory from above since it has no airport or skyscrapers.

Just two weeks ago, Murtaja posted a drone photo of Gaza's seaport at sunset on his Facebook page with the caption: "I wished I could take this photo from the sky, not from land. My name is Yasser Murtaja, I am 30 years old. I live in Gaza City. I have never travelled."

Friends say it reflected his greatest wish - to escape Gaza's isolation.

Hana Awad, his colleague and close friend, said he had long dreamt of travelling and was recently granted an Al Jazeera scholarship for training in Doha. She described him as active and friendly and not at all interested in politics.

"We didn't know his political views. He was passionate about his job and wanted to travel and learn," she said of Murtaja.

Hundreds of mourners, among them many journalists, attended his funeral yesterday. His body was covered with a Palestinian flag and his press jacket laid beside him on the stretcher as it was carried through the streets of Gaza City to his home for a last farewell.

Hamas, which has ruled Gaza since a 2007 takeover and calls for Israel's destruction, has called for a series of protests until May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

The group hopes that the mass protests can create pressure to break a border blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, without having to succumb to demands that it disarm. The blockade has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. It has also devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day.

Israel argues that Hamas could have ended the suffering of Gaza's two million people by disarming and renouncing violence.

Witnesses described the area in which Murtaja and others were shot as a chaotic scene in which protesters torched large piles of tyres, engulfing the area in black smoke that was meant to shield them from Israeli snipers. Footage showed that visibility was limited.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
This image shows a medical worker giving toddlers oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

US President Donald Trump has said Syrian President Bashar al-Assad will have a "big price to pay" for launching a deadly chemical weapons attack on civilians, and blamed Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing "animal Assad."

President Trump condemned the "mindless chemical attack" in Syria that has killed women and children.

But the president offered no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's government is denying the allegations of such an attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital.

Expand Close This image shows a toddler given oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Syria, (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP) / Facebook

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Whatsapp This image shows a toddler given oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the opposition-held town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta, near Damascus, Syria, (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

President Trump said in a tweet on Sunday that the "area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world."

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran - influential Syrian backers - "are responsible for backing Animal Assad".

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world," Trump wrote on Twitter.

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," he wrote.

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He is now calling for the area to be opened immediately for medical help and verification.

At least 49 people were killed in the attack, according to a medical relief organisation.

Douma's civil devence service said medical centres were dealing with more than 500 cases of people frothing from the mouth, suffering breathing difficulties and smelling of chlorine.

"Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. Sick," he said.

With additional reporting from Reuters and Press Association
A child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack (Syrian Civil Defence White Helmets via AP)

President Donald Trump has condemning what he calls a mindless chemical attack in Syria that has killed women and children.

But the president offered no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

Syrian President Bashar Assads government is denying the allegations of such an attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital.

President Trump said in a tweet on Sunday that the area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world.

He said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran  influential Syrian backers  are responsible for backing Animal Assad.

President Trump is calling for the area to be opened immediately for medical help and verification.

Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. Sick!
Imphal, Apr 8 (IBNS): A security personnel from the escort team of Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad Sangma allegedly committed suicide by shooting himself with his service rifle in Manipurs Imphal city on Sunday.

According to the reports, the jawan of 3rd Indian Reserve Battalion, identified as Elangbam Shantikumar Singh, was part of the Meghalaya CMs escort team.

He allegedly committed suicide at around 3-15 am at Hotel Classic Grande in Imphal.

Later post-mortem was conducted and police started an investigation into the incident.

Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma has reached Manipurs capital city on Saturday.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Imphal, Apr 8 (IBNS : Manipur police arrested two Rohingyas, believed to be human traffickers, and rescued a girl victim at Moreh town along with Myanmar border on Saturday night, officials said on Sunday.

Based on intelligence input about presence of an illegal human trafficker group at Moreh town, a combined team of Commando Moreh and Manipur police CID (Special Branch) along with Moreh Police team led by SDPO Moreh, Sandip Gopaldas Mohurle and Assistant Commandant of 8th Indian Reserve Commando Battalion attached to Commando Moreh, MPS Thomas Thokchom launched an operation at the area and arrested two Rohingyas involved in importing a girl from Myanmar by inducement for exploitation.

The security personnel team rescued a 20-year-old girl brought from Myanmar.

The arrested Rohingyas were identified as Md Saifullah (34 years) and Md Salam (25 years) and both are from Arakan region in Myanmar.

The arrested persons did not have any valid documents with them and a mobile phone with Vodafone and coredoo SIM cards. One ADHAR card in the name of Saifullah was seized from them by the security personnel.

Later, the arrested persons and the rescued girl, along with the seized items, were handed over to Moreh police station for further legal actions.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, Apr 8 (IBNS): While the National Register of Citizens (NRC) updation process is going on in Assam to detect illegal foreigners residing in the state, some shocking reports have come to light as few suspected illegal foreigners are trying to include their names in the NRC by using fake legacy data.

Assam police arrested four persons, including a woman from middle Assams Nagaon and Hojai district, who allegedly used fake legacy data.

On Sunday, the Nagaon district police arrested a woman, who tried to enter her and other family members name in the NRC by using fake legacy data.

The police arrested the woman identified as Shahera Begum from Dakshin Gamariati near Rangalo area in the middle Assam district in connection with the case no 1145/2018 registered at Nagaon police station.

Officer-in-Charge of Nagaon police station Ananta Das said the arrested woman and her family had illegally used others legacy data to include their names in the NRC.

We had registered a case by using others legacy data and submitting fake documents and today arrested the accused woman from Rangalo area. Other family members are absconding and we have launched operation to nab them, the Assam cops said.

On the other hand, Hojai district police arrested three more persons from Mirza area in lower Assams Kamrup district on Saturday, who also tried to include their names in the NRC by using others legacy data.

The arrested persons were identified as Raju Das, Subhash Das and Hemanta Nath.

According to the reports, the arrested persons had allegedly used legacy data of Late Prakash Das of Hojai Govindpally.

Ratan Das, son of Late Prakash Das said, "When we noticed that, some unknown persons had allegedly used our legacy data (in the name of my father), we had immediately informed police."

The first part draft NRC was published on Dec 31 midnight last by including 1.90 crore people name out of 3.29 crore applicants.

The entire NRC updation process is going on in Assam under the Supreme Court monitoring.

The apex court has directed the NRC authorities to publish the final and full draft NRC by June 30 next.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)




New Delhi, Apr 8 (IBNS): President of India Ram Nath Kovind reached Equatorial Guinea on Saturday on the first leg of his State Visit to three African nations Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia.

This is the first ever visit of a Head of State from India to Equatorial Guinea.

The President was received at the Malabo airport by Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, the President of Equatorial Guinea, along with his cabinet colleagues and other dignitaries.

The President formally commenced his engagements today (April 8, 2018) when he met his counterpart, President Obiang, at the Presidential Palace in Malabo. President Kovind was conferred with the Condecoracion, the highest honour accorded to a non-citizen by the government of Equatorial Guinea, and previously given to select Heads of State from friendly countries.

During the subsequent discussions, the President thanked President Obiang for his warmth and hospitality.

He said President Obiang has played a key role in African affairs to promote stability in the continent, and India very much appreciates this. The President said that, under the leadership of President Obiang, Equatorial Guinea has seen rapid growth and progress.

He congratulated President Obiang on Equatorial Guinea achieving the highest per capita GDP for any country in the African continent.

He stated that India is ready to partner Equatorial Guinea which is diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on oil and gas exports.

Subsequently, the President led delegation-level talks between the two sides.

Speaking on the occasion, the President said that the two countries have enjoyed warm and cordial relations. India attaches the highest importance to its relationship with Equatorial Guinea.

It is in that spirit that the government of India has decided to open an embassy in Equatorial Guinea. This will give a major boost to our relations.



The President said that the economies of our two countries are complementary. Equatorial Guinea is endowed with hydrocarbons and mineral resources, and India with human and financial capital and low-cost technical expertise.

The full potential of our bilateral engagement is far from realised. India looks forward to partnering with Equatorial Guinea in facilitating government-to-government development cooperation as well as business-to-business contacts.



The President said that during the India-Africa Forum Summit of 2015, India had announced concessional lines of credit of US$ 10 billion over five years for African countries.

He urged the government of Equatorial Guinea to avail of this facility.

He said that India would be happy to assist in developing project proposals in various sectors of Equatorial Guineas economy.

The President also attended a luncheon banquet hosted in his honour by President Obiang.

In his remarks at banquet, President Kovind said India and Equatorial Guinea have both emerged from the shadows of a colonial past and are committed to peace, prosperity and the well-being of our people. Today, India and Equatorial Guinea are engaged in the task of ensuring accelerated growth and distributing its benefits to all sections of our societies.

In this regard, Equatorial Guineas National Horizon 2020 programme has a vital role to play.

The President said that India is keen to enhance its development cooperation partnership with Equatorial Guinea. It is in that spirit India has offered assistance to set up an Entrepreneurial Development Centre and an English Language Laboratory in Equatorial Guinea. It will also do its best to support Equatorial Guinea in agriculture, mining, health, telecommunications and Information Technology.

Later in the day, the President will address members of the Parliament of Equatorial Guinea. This evening he will also meet and address the Indian community in Malabo.


Bangalore, Apr 8 (IBNS): Campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Sunday attacked BJP chief Amit Shah over his recent 'animal' remark and said his partymen will never use such language.

"The BJP President refers to the Opposition as 'dogs', 'snakes', and 'cats'. Let me tell you from this stage that no leader of the Congress party will ever use such despicable language," Gandhi said while addressing a rally in Bangalore.

Lakhs of people have gathered to hear Congress President Shri @RahulGandhi in Bengaluru at the finale of #JanaAashirwadaYatre in Palace Grounds. pic.twitter.com/DNmfqmhXMU  Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 8, 2018

Attacking the opposition leaders, BJP chief Amit Shah on Friday likened them to animals banding together for self-preservation against the wave in favour of Prime Minister Narendra Modi blowing in the nation.

"In case of a massive flood, all snakes, mongooses, cats, dogs and even cheetahs and lions climb up a huge tree as they fear rising water levels,": Shah was quoted as saying to the media.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said: "When there was a drought in Karnataka, PM Modi gave the least amount of money to the state because it has a Congress govt. Is Karnataka not a part of India according to PM Modi?"

He said Congress will consider all suggestions given by people across Karnataka while making its manifesto for the polls.

"On behalf of the Congress party, I assure you that the suggestions given by people from every district of Karnataka will find a place in our election manifesto," he said.

Both BJP chief Amit Shah and Rahul have been visiting Karnataka frequently as the state is heading towards the poll in few weeks' time.

While the Congress is aiming to get re-elected to power for the second consecutive time, the BJP is trying to return to power after a gap of five years.

The poll contest has turned out to be a clash between Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and BJP's Chief Ministerial candidate B.S. Yeddyurappa.

The poll will be held on May 12 and the counting of votes will take place on 15th of the same month.

Image: Congress Twitter page
Mumbai, Apr 8 (IBNS): Shooting for Student Of The Year 2 will begin from Monday, producer Karan Johar said on Sunday.

Johar, however, said the original 2012 film will always be special to him.

A nostalgic Johar tweeted: "Walked into the old Dharma Productions office in Bandra! Got all nostalgic about the times in this solid space and this is what I saw ! The 3 sparkling students ! While the new ones are going on set tomorrow! SOTY will always be special to me!

Tiger Shroff starrer Student of the Year 2 will release on Nov 23, 2018, as the makers of the film have finalised the release date.

Tiger tasted success recently with his new film Baaghi 2.

The film will be directed by Punit Malhotra and produced by Karan Johar.

Student of the Year, the first part, starred Varun Dhawan, Sidhart Malhotra and Alia Bhatt in lead roles. The film was released in 2012 which marked the debut of the three now prominent stars of Bollywood.



Image: Karan Johar Twitter page
Douma, Apr 8 (IBNS): A suspected chemical attacked has killed at least 70 people in war-torn Syria's Douma town, media reports said on Sunday.

A chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held stronghold near Syria's capital, Damascus, killed at least 70 people and affected hundreds, rescue workers have told Al Jazeera.

The White Helmets, a group of rescuers operating in opposition-held areas in Syria, has told the media that people, who were killed in the suspected attack, were mostly women and children.

"Seventy people suffocated to death and hundreds are still suffocating," Raed al-Saleh, head of the White Helmets, told Al Jazeera.



Raed al-Saleh said the death toll might rise.

The official Facebook page of the The Syria Campaign said in a Facebook post: "Reports of a devastating chemical weapons attack in #Douma. At least 70 civilians reported killed and over 1000 injured by exposure to chemicals. These numbers are rising rapidly.Whole families have been found suffocated as they sheltered from airstrikes in basements. The White Helmet teams are responding on the ground."

However, no immediate verification of the reports have been made so far.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Center claimed that 75 people were killed in the incident.

"A new #Chemical massacre in #Syria was committed, this time in #Douma_city,75 civilians were suffocated till death & 1000 suffocation cases, by a barrel was dropped by #Assad helicopters around 9:00pm contains the toxic #Sarin gas, some activists reached bodies in some basements," it tweeted.

The Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths. Syriam government has called the issue of chemical attack as a 'fabrication'.

Syria's state news agency Sana said the reports were invented by the Jaish al-Islam rebels who are still controlling the Douma town in the country.

"The Bani Saud Wahhabi regime, which created al-Qaeda terrorist organization, is trying to preserve the life of its terrorist organization, named 'Jaish al-Islam,' through falling back on the chemical fabrications and shedding crocodile tears on the Eastern Ghouta," reported SANA news agency.

The US said if the incidents occurred in reality then it needs the attention of the international community.

"We continue to closely follow disturbing reports on April 7 regarding another alleged chemical weapons attack, this time targeting a hospital in Douma, Syria. Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters. These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community," read a statement issued by the US State Department.

"The United States continues to use all efforts available to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable. The regimes history of using chemical weapons against its own people is not in dispute, and in fact nearly one year ago on April 4, 2017, Assads forces conducted a sarin gas attack on Khan Sheikhoun, which killed approximately 100 Syrians," it said.

Attacking Syrian President, Bashar Hafez al-Assad, the US said in the statement: " The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately."

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syrias most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons. By shielding its ally Syria, Russia has breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor. It has betrayed the Chemical Weapons Convention and UN Security Council Resolution 2118. Russias protection of the Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis and to larger non-proliferation priorities," the country said on Russia.

Photo: UNOCHA
New York, Apr 8 (IBNS): At least one person was killed as a fire broke out at Trump Tower in New York city on Saturday, officials said.

Police identified the man killed as Todd Brassner, 67, a resident of the building's 50th floor. He was taken to the hospital in critical condition but later died, spokeswoman Angelica Conroy of the New York Fire Department was quoted as saying by CNN.

The Fire Department said the fire was contained to the 50th floor of the tower.

The department said 200 firefighters and EMS members were at the scene of the fire to bring the blaze under control.

The fire was later brought under control.

Four fire fighters were injured in the incident.

"We had many floors to search, and stairways, and right now the only civilian injury is to the occupant of that apartment. There are four Firefighters with non-life-threatening injuries -#FDNY Commissioner Nigro," tweeted the department.

No member of US President Donald Trump's family were present at the building when the fire broke out, media reports said.

US President Donald Trump congratulated fire fighters for their efforts in bringing the fire under control.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!," he tweeted.



Image: Video grab FDNY Twitter page
Every now and then we keep telling you about women and men who've dared enough to take unforgiving journeys and we will continue to do so, to inspire and encourage more people.

That said, meet Maral Yazarloo, an Iranian woman living in Pune for over 15 years.

Maral is about to begin the last leg of her epic journey through Europe, from where she will fly back to India in August and here's her story.

Wired and tired of her 9-5 job as a fashion designer, just like all of us, Maral decided to pack her bags and penetrate the otherwise male-dominated region with her bike.

As of now, Maral has travelled 35 countries and 5 continents in a year, all by her self. She owns the coveted Harley-Davidson, a Ducati Diavel and the BMW F650GS, and she is using them one at a time.

Her tryst with biking and roads began years ago when Maral was just a student and was accompanying one of her male friends on a road trip. The friend then asked Maral to take the lead and ride the bike.

With her hands guiding the bike and wind in her hair, Maral began riding, and the rest is history. She then started her own travel blog and began penning her experiences as a female biker.

In this journey, she has covered Bhutan, Southeast Asia, Australia, the US, Mexico, Central America, South America and Antarctica so far.

Also, setting another milestone for her and the rest of the world, Maral got married on this journey. Her bae travelled down all the way to Peru and they got married there.

We are so proud and happy for Maral. We hope that women like her continue to travel and inspire each and every one of us.
"Tiger is free"- joked Salman fans on Twitter. Salman Khan's bail has made many fans happy. And as soon as people got to know that Salman was coming back to Mumbai, they waited in excitement outside one of Mumbai's most famous addresses - Galaxy Apartments - on Saturday evening.

After spending two nights in a Jodhpur jail in the 20-year-old blackbuck poaching case, Salman Khan was granted bail by a court on Saturday afternoon.

From bursting crackers to dancing on "Swag Se Karenge Salman Ka Swagat", Salman's galaxy apartments saw 'galaxy of fans' around his home.

Viral Bhayani

As soon as Bhai reached home, the first thing he did was greet all his fans.

Viral Bhayani

Accompanying Salman were Salim Khan, mother Salma Khan, and Shera, who stood beside him on the balcony. Salman's adorable gesture at his fans included him making gestures and telling his fans to "go home and sleep now".

Viral Bhayani

To meet Bhai, people including Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, filmmaker David Dhawan, Salman's brother Arbaaz Khan, step-mother Helen, came to meet Salman at the Galaxy Apartments on Saturday.

And some people are not happy with all the celebrations that happened at the Galaxy apartments after Salman Khan came back home.

Almost all channels showing Salman Khan's homecoming as if a freedom fighter has come home. Shameless.  Man Aman Singh Chhina (@manaman_chhina) April 7, 2018
Katrina Kaif and Salman Khan have made news a lot of times. Be it their films together or for the time span that they both dated, Sal-Kat have frequently made headlines.

Even after their breakup, Salman and Katrina have maintained a friendly relationship with each other. From rooting for each other professionally to being there for each other in rough times, they are real #friendshipgoals for reasons more than one.

YRF

According to reports, Katrina also visited the Siddhivinayak Temple in Mumbai a day before Salman Khans verdict in the blackbuck poaching case on Thursday. She prayed for Salman and she was accompanied by Arpita Khan Sharma and her son Ahil.

Katrina was seen in a simple white kurta and her morose face showed how worried and tensed she was for Salman.

Baby #aahilsharma with #katrinakaif A post shared by Viral Bhayani (@viralbhayani) on Apr 3, 2018 at 10:08pm PDT

After Salman was granted bail, Katrina was one of the first people to visit him at his home in Bandra.

Salman was granted bail by a Jodhpur court in the two-decade-old case, in which he has been sentenced to a five-year prison term for killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur in 1998 while shooting for Hum Saath Saath Hain.
Indian superstar Salman was sentenced to five years in prison after being convicted of killing two blackbucks in Jodhpur during the shooting of his movie Hum Saath Saath Hain in 1998.

But what we all saw coming was Salman Khan's freedom which indeed happened as the actor acquired bail and was out in two days. The actor returned to Mumbai last evening and got a blockbuster welcome by his fans on his arrival. While lakhs of fans gathered at the entrance of his galaxy apartments in Bandra, Mumbai, there are people who are not at all pleased with the bail.

BCCL

Condemning the bail, the Indian chapter of animal rights group PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has condemned the decision of a Jodhpur Court to grant bail to Bollywood actor Salman Khan in connection with the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

BCCL/Agencies

While Salman Khan gets to go back home to his movie star life, for now, blackbucks were made to pay the highest price, with their lives, PETA India CEO Manilal Valliyate said in a statement.

Terming the decision in the actors case unusual, the NGO states that these days, wildlife crime matters are commonly fast-tracked, bail is often denied, and offenders regularly receive seven-year prison sentences.

Twitter

And looks like what PETA claimed is true as Salman Khan indeed is all geared up to resume shooting for his impending films. A Bollywoodlife report has quoted Ramesh Taurani, producer of Race 3, as he confirmed that Salman is all set to resume shooting by the end of this month. The report quoted the producer saying,

Agencies

Picturein toh bante rehti hai. But its not just about our one film. Were happy that Salman Khan is out. As for our movie, only a song is remaining. Well be shooting it here later this month.

Race 3 will hit the screens on Eid this year and after wrapping up the film, he will start shooting for his most-awaited sequel, Dabangg 3
Amid all the atrocities that UIDAI has thrown at us in relation to the AADHAR card enrollment, something really good happened with a mentally-ill woman.

Under the otherwise tricky Aadhaar scheme, a distraught mentally woman was reunited with her family after she went missing over four months ago.

TOI

The 31-year-old woman was found abandoned on Delhi roads and after being rescued by police, she was sent to short-stay home 'Nirmal Chhaya' by a court which had directed the authorities to help her undergo Aadhaar registration.

In the process of making her Aadhaar card, it was revealed that her biometric records preexisted in the Aadhaar database and the Delhi Police were able to obtain her details from the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

The consistent efforts of the court to reunite her with her family proved fruitful when Metropolitan Magistrate Abhilash Malhotra was informed by police officials that they had found her antecedents. Her missing complaint was lodged in Malakhera police station in Rajasthan's Alwar district on November 30, 2017.

BCCL

When the police contacted her husband, he willingly came forward to take her back home.

During a recent hearing, the woman, who was kept in Asha Kiran, a home for the mentally retarded in Rohini, and her husband were brought to the court.

The investigating officer submitted that they had verified the credentials of the man, and the police had no objection to the reintegration of the woman into her family.

"Accordingly, the patient be handed over to her husband after completion of necessary formalities in Asha Kiran. Husband of the woman is directed to ensure proper treatment of the patient is continued," the magistrate said.

BCCL/REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE

The court also appreciated inspector Devender Kumar Singh, SHO of Kashmere Gate Police Station, and sub-inspector Satender Singh for their 'untiring efforts' to trace the family of the woman and reunite her with her family.

The woman, who was found by police near Kashmere Gate in February, was also admitted to IHBAS for treatment. When the court interacted with her, she was not in a good state of mind.

To ascertain the aspect of sexual abuse, she was also examined by the doctors at a government hospital here but they found no visible sign of such assault and her pregnancy test was also negative.

BCCL/REPRESENTATIVE IMAGE

The Supreme Court has been hearing various pleas challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar scheme.

There have been major security lapses and information breaches in this scheme. But, in this case, it proved to be a boon for the woman and her family.
The world is rooting for some sort of remedy that will put all of us out of our misery - the one that we created with pollution, contamination and adulteration over the years. That said, even though we do not have a full-fledged solution just yet, one Indian city has gotten it all right.

BCCL

Taking a giant stride in the solar power sector, Diu has become India's first city to have a surplus of renewable energy in just three years.

It might surprise you, but Diu now runs 100% on solar energy. In a span of three years, Diu has made rapid progress in solar power generation. Limited to a geographical area of just 42 sq km, Diu has become the first Union territory where more than 100% of the electricity need is being met by solar power. In spite of the scarcity of land, solar power plants have been installed in over 50 acres of land.

BCCL

Diu generates a total of 13 megawatts of electricity from solar power-generating facilities. Around 3MW is generated by rooftop solar plants and 10MW by its other solar power plants.

Prior to solar power generation three years ago, people of Diu were consuming electricity supplied from power grid owned by the Gujarat government, which had a huge line loss. Once the local power company started generating electricity from solar energy, electric loss of the Union territory got reduced significantly.

Daman and Diu electricity departments executive engineer Milind Ingle told TOI, Population of Diu is 56,000 only. For water and electricity, the Union territory was solely dependent on the Gujarat government. To overcome this limitation, the administration of the Union territory decided to set up solar power plants in Diu.

BCCL

Ingle said, Dius peak time demand for electricity goes up to 7MW and we generate about 10.5MW of electricity from solar energy daily. This is way more than the consumption demand requirement.

He said solar power has come as a big relief for local residents as their monthly charges have seen a reduction of around 12%. Previously, 0-50 unit charge was Rs 1.20 per unit, 50-100 unit charge was Rs 1.50 per unit. But now since electricity is generated from solar power plants in Diu, the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission for the state of Goa and Union territories removed 0-50 unit slab. Now they have revised the 1-100 unit charge at Rs 1.01 per unit.

Diu has set an example for the country to follow, and we must do that before it's too late.
In a case of life imitating art, a businessman posed as a slum-dweller  like the Walled City couple in the film, Hindi Medium  to get his son admitted to Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri in the quota for economically weaker sections.

This, however, happened four years ago and apparently, no one got the wind of it.

The man, Gaurav Goel, showed his address as Sanjay Camp, a slum near Chanakyapuri, for his elder sons admission in 2013.

He put down his annual income as Rs 67,000 by allegedly forging his income documents. The voter cards and birth certificates too were forged. He had told the school that he was working at an MRI centre.

toi

Considering the fact that neither the demeanour of the child, nor interaction with the parents  which must have happened several times over the years  gave away their real identity, it was a perfect plot.

The story began to unravel when this year Goel pushed for the admission of his second child under the sibling quota. He realised his overconfidence had made him overreach.

While verifying the antecedents of the elder child, the school authorities found major discrepancies and went to the cops.

Goel was arrested from his home in Jawahar Nagar, near Kamla Nagar in north Delhi. DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said they were trying to find out who had helped Goel forge the documents.

bccl/representational image

The cops found that Goel owns an MRI lab and a wholesale business of selling pulses and has travelled to 20 countries.

What made the school suspicious, according to a police officer, was when he told them that they could shift his elder son from EWS to the general category because his economic condition had improved over the years.

When he mentioned an apartment as Safdarjung Enclave as his residence, the schools suspicion got strengthened. A complaint was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.

bccl/representational image

The police had checked MCD, FRRO and IT records which establish that Goel was earning a hefty amount from his businesses.

The staff of some government departments is under the scanner as the cops feel they may have helped Goel in procuring the forged documents. Even the address proof he furnished for the admission of the second child was found to be forged.

The school authorities have informed the cops that the child has been removed from the school.
Delhi Police is worried as cases of cloning of cards and people losing money from their accounts are surfacing from various parts of the city. In the past four days, cops have got as many as six complaints of ATM fraud with people losing lakhs in a span of few minutes.

In one such incident, a woman living in east Delhis Laxmi Nagar lost approximately Rs 2 lakh in 15 minutes.

The miscreants made 20 transactions from her account in quick succession leaving it empty. The woman told cops that the transactions took place in the evening with multiple withdrawals taking place from south Delhis Bhikaji Cama Place.

bccl/representational image

The withdrawals happened when the ATM card was in my possession. Even before I could alert the bank to block my account, all the money was gone, the woman said.

A Delhi University professor also lost approximately Rs 50,000 in a similar fashion with his money withdrawn from an ATM in Hyderabad.

Similar incidents were reported in the past few days from Hauz Khas, Lodhi Colony, Khan Market and Nehru Place. Almost all complainants told cops that the withdrawals took place in a quick span of time with many from multiple locations.

reuters/representational image

The modus operandi seen in these incidents have indicated the usage of skimmer devices, which are used to illegally copy card details while it is being swiped either at an ATM kiosk or a POS machine.

Cops said that such devices have become a headache as they are available for as little as Rs 7,000. A police officer, who had earlier busted a gang who was using these devices to cheat people, said that criminals are getting their hands on skimmer devices that are made in China.

These are either procured online through various websites or through dealers selling electronic items, the cop said, adding that multiple copies of the same card are created to withdraw money in quick succession.

reuters/representational image

When browsed, many popular e-commerce websites were found offering the devices. For Rs 7,000, dealers were ready to offer devices that can be connected to a USB port and can read and copy the data of a card.

Cops said they are working to crackdown on grey markets in the city where these devices are being brought from.
A woman isnt an object and certainly not her husbands possession, if she doesnt want live with her husband, she cant be forced, the apex court said. The hearing was regarding a case where a woman accused her husband of cruelty and wanted to stay separately, but her husband didnt agree.

"She is not a chattel. She does not want to live with you. How can you say that you will live with her? You (man) cannot force her," a bench of Justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked him.

The judges suggested that he "reconsider" his decision. "How can he (man) be so unreasonable? He is treating her as a chattel. She is not an object," the bench told the lawyer appearing for the man and posted the matter for hearing on August 8.

Meanwhile, the woman had appealed for divorce and her lawyer informed the court she didnt seek alimony. The court had earlier advised for mediation to settle their problem, but now court was informed that couple failed to sort their problems out.
Autonomous vehicles could very well be the future of personal transportation, But there are still a few kinks we havent yet figured out. What happens when the power goes out and the traffic signal your sitting at doesnt work?

If a traffic policeman has to wave you directions, thats not something a self-driving car can recognise. Thats the sort of situations Phantom Auto is marketing itself for.

Images courtesy: Phantom Auto

Phantom Auto is a startup based in Mountain View, California, that wants to have human drivers take over when autonomous cars are confused. Its sort of like a tech support call centre for self-driving cars in the US. However, your self-driving car doesnt have a steering wheel, it doesnt need it after all. So one of the startups drivers will instead be remotely driving your car from their office kilometres away.

Think of how Remote Access apps work for your computer. Its a piece of software often used by tech support staff that lets someone sitting in a different location control your computer. Phantom Auto uses a similar system, except their end involves a driving simulator with camera feeds routed from your car.

And the thing is, there are far too many ways a self-driving car can be confused. Aside from traffic signals not working, it could also happen if a cop needs to detour you onto supposedly oncoming traffic to pass around an accident wreckage, or when the road or traffic signs arent clearly demarcated. Its impossible to train a cars AI to account for all of these real-life situations. But in each case, the confused car will ping the call center, and one of Phantom Autos trained drivers takes over until the car can resume control.

And Phantom Auto says its not limited by range, seeing as their drivers are controlling cars over the Internet. The only limiting factor is bandwidth, but the company insists its using multiple carriers to avoid have dead zones (remote areas right now arent a problem because self-driving cars are limited to urban areas).

Of course, Phantom Auto cant help in emergency situations, like a car jumping the divider on the highway and barreling towards you. While a self-driving car might react and brake, it would take far to long for it to ping and the startup to respond and take control. So until autonomous vehicles can reach close to perfection in their operation, Phantom Auto wants to be the redundancy.
Its been a little over a year that weve now lived in Toronto. Looking back to all those months before our move there were so many thoughts running through my head.

I was stressing over everything from if we were making the right decision to move from Silicon Valley to details around moving my car, and other thousand little things.

But since then I've realized that hundreds of people who are in the process of moving here to Canada have similar fears and worries.

reuters/representational image

The most common themes are around the Permanent Residency process, getting jobs and life in Canada.

Applying for a PR in Canada

The PR process itself is easy and transparent. Its a point based online process called Express Entry where youre application enters a common pool and based on cutoffs multiple times a year applications from the pool are selected for PR. You get points for work experience, level of education, etc.

So if you have the points and have a clean record youll get PR -- its as simple as that.

bccl/representational image

From my experience I can tell you that you dont need lawyers and consultants it is a process you can easily do on your own. It does not matter if you are applying from the US or from India youre application treated the same way.

Getting a PR gives you and your family the right to live and work in Canada. Getting a good job here is as easy or hard as it is anyone else in the world. My experience is limited to tech and last year tech was the largest job creator in Toronto. Canadian companies have a massive appetite for tech talent and are hiring across the board.

Getting a job in Canada

People often hear stories of other people who could not get jobs due to a lack of Canadian Experience I can guarantee you that in tech there is no such thing if you have the skills youll do great.

Canada is a big country and I have limited experience outside of Toronto so its possible the job markets are sparse the further you go from major cities like Toronto. This is similar to pretty much anyone else.

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Salaries in Toronto are the highest of any place in Canada and depending on your years of experience can compare to US salaries but not Silicon Valley salaries.

Toronto is one of the more expensive cities in Canada but also has the most opportunities. The city has lots of housing, its safe and friendly. We found an amazing neighbourhood in the city, its filled with parks and has a lot of kids around which is great for our kids.

Its also very walkable and has many great cafes and restaurants. Even the core downtown or the lakefront is only a short street car ride away.

The journey so far...

In California we loved our little town and before the move I worried about if we would find a neighborhood that wed love as much.

bccl/representational image

One year on I think Toronto surpased all our expectations, the winter does not bother us, our kids have so much to do and so many friends, we too have made many new friends.

Worrying about a big moves is only natural but dont let those fears take away from the grand adventure that is life. Toronto is a fantastic city for you and your family, it has a lot to offer and like us youll find that Canada is a fun place to be.

About the author: Vikram Rangnekar is a techie, entrepreneur and an author. He writes regularly about life in Toronto and the emerging tech scene there on his blog http://www.movnorth.com
The bid-ask spread (informally referred to as the buy-sell spread) is the difference between the price a dealer will buy and sell a currency. However, the spread, or the difference, between the bid and ask price for a currency in the retail market can be large, and may also vary significantly from one dealer to the next.

Understanding how exchange rates are calculated is the first step to understanding the impact of wide spreads in the foreign exchange market. In addition, it is always in your best interest to research the best exchange rate.

Key Takeaways The bid-ask spread (or the buy-sell spread) is the difference between the amount a dealer is willing to sell a currency for versus how much they will buy it for.

Exchange rates vary by dealer, so it's important to research the best rate before exchanging any currency.

Bid-Ask Spreads in the Retail Forex Market

The bid price is what the dealer is willing to pay for a currency, while the ask price is the rate at which a dealer will sell the same currency.

For example, Ellen is an American traveler visiting Europe. The cost of purchasing euros at the airport is as follows:

EUR 1 = USD 1.30 / USD 1.40

The higher price (USD 1.40) is the cost to buy each euro. Ellen wants to buy EUR 5,000, and so would have to pay the dealer USD 7,000.

Suppose also that the next traveler in line has just returned from their European vacation and wants to sell the euros that they have left over. Katelyn has EUR 5,000 to sell. They can sell the euros at the bid price of USD 1.30 (the lower price) and would receive USD 6,500 in exchange for their euros.

Because of the bid-ask spread, the kiosk dealer is able to make a profit of USD 500 from this transaction (the difference between USD 7,000 and USD 6,500).

When faced with a standard bid and ask price for a currency, the higher price is what you would pay to buy the currency and the lower price is what you would receive if you were to sell the currency.

Direct and Indirect Currency Quotes in Forex Markets

A direct currency quote, also known as a price quotation, is one that expresses the price of a unit of foreign currency in terms of the domestic currency. An indirect currency quote, also known as a volume quotation, is the opposite of a direct quote. An indirect currency quote expresses the amount of foreign currency per unit of domestic currency.

Most currencies are quoted in direct quote form (for example, USD/JPY, which refers to the amount of Japanese yen per one U.S. dollar). The currency to the left of the slash is called the base currency and the currency to the right of the slash is called, the counter currency, or quoted currency.

Commonwealth Currencies

Commonwealth currencies such as the British pound and Australian dollar, as well as the euro, are generally quoted in indirect form (for example, GBP/USD and EUR/USD, which refer to the amount of US dollars per one British pound and per one euro).

Consider the Canadian dollar. In Canada, this quotation would take the form of USD 1 = CAD 1.0750. This represents a direct quotation, since it expresses the amount of domestic currency (CAD) per unit of the foreign currency (USD). The indirect form would be the reciprocal of the direct quote, or CAD 1 = USD 0.9302.

Next, consider the British pound. In the United Kingdom, this quotation would take the form of GBP 1= USD 1.700. This represents an indirect quotation since it expresses the amount of foreign currency (USD) per unit of domestic currency (GBP). The direct form of this quote would be USD 1 = GBP 0.5882.

Understanding How Currencies are Quoted

When dealing with currency exchange rates, it's important to have an understanding of how currencies are quoted.

Suppose there is a Canadian resident who is traveling to Europe and needs euros. The exchange rates in the forex market are approximately USD 1 = CAD 1.0750, and EUR 1 = USD 1.3400. That means the approximate EUR/CAD spot rate would be EUR 1 = CAD 1.4405 (1.3400 x 1.0750). A currency dealer in Canada might quote a rate of EUR 1 = CAD 1.4000 / 1.4800, which means that you would pay 1.48 Canadian dollars to buy one euro and would receive 1.40 Canadian dollars if you sold one euro.

The calculation would be different if both currencies were quoted in direct form. If the approximate spot rate for the Japanese yen is USD 1 = JPY 102, this is how you would calculate the price of yen in Canadian dollars:

USD 1 = CAD 1.0750 and USD 1 = JPY 102

Thus:

CAD 1.0750 = JPY 102, or CAD 1 = JPY 94.88 (102 / 1.0750)

In general, dealers in most countries will display exchange rates in direct form, or the amount of domestic currency required to buy one unit of a foreign currency.

How to Calculate Cross-Currency Rates

When dealing with cross currencies, first establish whether the two currencies in the transaction are generally quoted in direct form or indirect form. If both currencies are quoted in direct form, the approximate cross-currency rate would be calculated by dividing "Currency A" by "Currency B."

If one currency is quoted in direct form and the other in indirect form, the approximate cross-currency rate would be "Currency A" multiplied by "Currency B."

When you calculate a currency rate, you can also establish the spread, or the difference between the bid and ask price for a currency. More importantly, you can determine how large the spread is. If you decide to make the transaction, you can shop around for the best rate.

Exchange Rates Vary by Dealer

Rates can vary between dealers in the same city. Spending a few minutes online comparing the various exchange rates can potentially save you 0.5% or 1%.

Airport kiosks have the worst exchange rates, with extremely wide bid-ask spreads. It's possible to receive 5% less of the currency you are buying. It may be preferable to carry a small amount of foreign currency for your immediate needs and exchange bigger amounts at banks or dealers in the city.

Some dealers will automatically improve the posted rate for larger amounts, but others may not do so unless you specifically request a rate improvement. If you havent had the time to shop around for the best rates, research ahead of time so you have an idea of the spot exchange rate and understand the spread. If the spread is too wide, consider taking your business to another dealer.

The Bottom Line

Wide spreads are the bane of the retail currency exchange market. However, you can mitigate the impact of these wide spreads by researching the best rates, foregoing airport currency kiosks and asking for better rates for larger amounts.
19222018

William K. Nystrom died peacefully on April 2nd, 2018. He was 95 years old.

Born in Richmond, California on September 18, 1922 to Crystal Rickabaugh and William H. Nystrom, he was also known throughout his life as Kenneth, Ken, or Bill; a fact underscored by his employment supervisor at Mare Island who after auditing the various signed names on his paperwork came to him one day and said, young manpick one, and stick with it!

Graduating Richmond Union High School in 1940, he went on to attend Business College in San Francisco. He married Dorothy Hatchell in 1941 and together they had 3 daughters-Linda Nystrom (deceased), Janet Marie Houghtaling, and Susan Jayne Kiethly (deceased).

Beginning May 1941, he was employed at Mare Island Ammunition Depot, and later transferred to Port Chicago Naval Weapons Station. He entered the US Navy in 1944 serving in the Pacific Area as a Radar Technician. Following honorable discharge from the Navy in 1946 he returned to work at Port Chicago in Concord, California where he worked as an Ordnance Officer. In 1954 he was promoted to become the first civilian Ordnance Supervisor at the Naval Magazine, performing duties as a nuclear weapons courier. Subsequently in 1960 he was promoted to Superintendent.
The forex markets can be exciting and lucrative for trading if you thoroughly understand how to buy and sell currencies. If you're drawn to this area, you might even want to make it your career.

Key Takeaways The foreign exchange (forex) market is the world's largest asset marketplace by trading volume and liquidity, open 24/7 and crucial for global finance and commerce.

Being a forex trader can be a risky venture and requires a high degree of skill, discipline, and training.

For non-traders, you can still get involved in the forex markets through other channels.

Market research; account management; regulation; and software development are just a few forex careers that do not directly involve trading.

Forex Markets

Forex markets are open 24 hours a day, five total days a week, which means jobs are fast-paced, involve long days and strange work hours. They require knowledge of and compliance with laws and regulations governing financial accounts and transactions. Some jobs require candidates to have passed one or more exams, such as the Series 3, Series7, Series 34 or Series 63 exams.

If you are eligible to work in a foreign country, a career in forex can bring the added excitement of living abroad. No matter where you work, knowing a foreign language, particularly German, French, Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Korean, Mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, or Japanese, is helpful and might be required for some positions.

This article will provide an overview of five major career areas in forex, but please keep in mind that specific positions tend to have different names at different companies.

1. Forex Market Analyst/Currency Researcher/Currency Strategist

A forex market analyst, also called a currency researcher or currency strategist, works for a forex brokerage and performs research and analysis in order to write daily market commentary about the forex market and the economic and political issues that affect currency values. These professionals use technical, fundamental, and quantitative analysis to inform their opinions and must be able to produce high-quality content very quickly to keep up with the fast pace of the forex market. Both individual and institutional traders use this news and analysis to inform their trading decisions.

An analyst might also provide educational seminars and webinars to help clients and potential clients get more comfortable with forex trading. Analysts also try to establish a media presence in order to become a trusted source of forex information and promote their employers. Thus, there is a large marketing component to being a forex analyst.

An analyst should have a bachelor's degree in economics, finance, or a similar area. They may also be expected to have at least one year of experience working in the financial markets as a trader and/or analyst and be an active forex trader. Communication and presentation skills are desirable in any job, but are particularly important for an analyst. Analysts should also be well-versed in economics, international finance, and international politics.

2. Forex Account Manager/Professional Trader/Institutional Trader

If you have been consistently successful trading forex on your own, you may have what it takes to become a professional forex trader. Currency mutual funds and hedge funds that deal in forex trading need account managers and professional forex traders to make buy and sell decisions. Institutional investors such as banks, multinational corporations, and central banks that need to hedge against foreign currency value fluctuations also hire forex traders. Some account managers even manage individual accounts, making trade decisions and executing trades based on their clients' goals and risk tolerance.

It's important to note that these positions have very high stakes. Account managers are responsible for large amounts of money, and their professional reputations and those of their employers are reliant on how well they handle those funds. They are expected to meet profit targets while working with an appropriate level of risk. These jobs may require experience with specific trading platforms, work experience in finance and a bachelor's degree in finance, economics or business. Institutional traders may not only need to be effective traders in forex, but also commodities, options, derivatives, and other financial instruments.

3. Forex Industry Regulator

Regulators attempt to prevent fraud in the forex industry and can hold multiple roles. Regulatory bodies hire many different types of professionals and have a presence in numerous countries. They also operate in both the public and private sectors. The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is the government forex regulator in the U.S., while the National Futures Association (NFA) sets regulation standards, and screens forex dealer members from the private sector.

The CFTC hires attorneys, auditors, economists, futures trading specialists/investigators, and management professionals. Auditors ensure compliance with CFTC regulations and must have at least a bachelor's degree in accounting, though a master's and Certified Public Accountant (CPA) designation are preferred. Economists analyze the economic impacts of CFTC rules and must have at least a bachelor's degree in economics. Futures trading specialists/investigators perform oversight and investigate alleged fraud, market manipulation, and trade practice violations, and are subject to work experience and educational requirements that vary by position.

CFTC jobs are located in Washington, DC, Chicago, Kansas City, and New York and require U.S. citizenship and a background check. The CFTC also provides consumer education and fraud alerts to the public. Since the CFTC oversees the entire commodity futures and options markets in the U.S., it is necessary to have an understanding of not just forex, but all aspects of these markets.

The NFA is similar to the CFTC and also oversees the broader futures and commodities markets, but instead of being a government agency, it is a private-sector self-regulatory organization authorized by Congress. Its mission is to maintain market integrity, fight fraud and abuse and resolve disputes through arbitration. It also protects and educates investors and enables them to research brokers (including forex brokers) online. Most NFA jobs are located in New York, but some are in Chicago.

Internationally, a regulator could work for any of the following agencies:

Financial Conduct Authority (FSA) in the U.K.

Financial Services Agency (FSA) in Japan

Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) in Hong Kong

Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) in Australia

4. Forex Exchange Operations, Trade Audit Associate and Exchange Operations Manager

Forex brokerages need individuals to service accounts, and they offer a number of positions that are basically high-level customer service positions requiring FX knowledge. These positions can lead to more advanced forex jobs.

The job of an exchange operations associate includes processing new customer accounts; verifying customer identities as required by federal regulations; processing customer withdrawals, transfers and deposits; and providing customer service. The job usually requires a bachelor's degree in finance, accounting or business, problem-solving and analytical skills, and an understanding of financial markets and instruments, especially forex. It may also require previous brokerage experience.

A related position is a trade audit associate, which involves working with customers to resolve trade-related disputes. Trade audit associates must be good with people, able to work quickly, and think on their feet to solve problems. Unsurprisingly, they must also thoroughly understand forex trading and the company's trading platform in order to help customers.

An exchange operations manager has more experience and greater responsibilities than an exchange operations associate. These professionals execute, fund, settle, and reconcile forex transactions. The job may require familiarity with forex-related software, such as the widely-used Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT) system.

5. Forex Software Developer

Software developers work for brokerages to create proprietary trading platforms that allow users to access currency pricing data, use charting and indicators to analyze potential trades ,and trade forex online. Qualifications include a bachelor's in computer science, computer engineering, or a similar degree; operating system knowledge such as UNIX, Linux, and/or Solaris; knowledge of programming languages such as Javascript, Perl, SQL, Python, and/or Ruby; and an understanding in many other technical areas, including back-end frameworks, front-end frameworks, databases, and web servers.

Software developers may not be required to have financial, trading or forex knowledge to work for a forex brokerage, but knowledge in this area will be a major advantage. If you have forex trading experience, chances are you'll have a much better idea of what customers are looking for in forex software. Software quality is a major differentiator for forex brokerages and a key to the company's success.

For instance, a brokerage faces serious problems if its clients can't execute trades when they want or trades are not executed on time because the software doesn't work properly. A brokerage also needs to attract customers with unique software features and practice trade platforms.

Other positions in forex that require computer-driven experience include user-experience designers, web developers, network and systems administrators, and support technicians.

Additional Job Options in Forex

In addition to the specialized, highly technical careers described above, forex companies need to fill typical human resources and accounting positions. If you're interested in a career in forex, but don't yet have the required background or experience for a technical position, consider getting your feet wet in a general business position and for college undergraduates, many forex companies offer internships.
The business management concept of the value chain was introduced and described by Michael Porter in his popular book, "Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance." The concept of value chain involves all aspects of a businesss operational activities and can be studied in combination with the supply chain.

While the supply chain focuses on the procurement process of goods and services from suppliers, a value chain studies the value added at various intervals through a series of activities or processes that aim to create profitable value for a product offering. Michael Porter discusses value chain analysis from multiple angles in his book. However, there are a few essential components to be aware of when beginning to understand value chain analysis.

Key Takeaways Michael Porter introduced value chain models in "Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance."

Value chain analysis can be complementary to other types of business management efficiency analysis.

Starbucks is one company that is interesting to analyze from a value chain perspective because of the substantial value added from coffee bean procurement to distribution and from store supply to the customer.

Value Chain Basics

In general, value-chain business activities are usually divided into primary activities and secondary activities. The primary activities are directly related to the creation of a good or service. The support activities are those that help in enhancing the efficiency and work of an offering to obtain a stronger competitive advantage among peers.

Comprehensively, businesses and business managers aim to maximize their margins and thus work to ensure that inputs are converted to outputs, which have a greater value when combined together. Gross profit margin is one metric on the income statement where value creation can be easily determined. Gross profit margin looks at the difference between a companys gross revenue and cost of goods sold divided by the gross revenue overall. The higher the gross margin the more a company is generating from the combination of goods used to build its product.

Moving on down the income statement, operating margin helps to analyze the value created from indirect business activities like administration, research, marketing, and other unique expenses. The profit margin can be less important to value chain analysis because it focuses on a companys capital expenditures, taxes, and investment activities, which play less of a part in value chains and supply chains.

Broadly, the more value a company can create in relation to gross margin and operating margin, the more value it can generate for its bottom line-leaving capital expenditures, taxes, and investment activities to become its own isolated variables. Porters value chain analysis helps to provide deeper insights for breaking down components of gross margin and operating margin, while also breaking out different categories for direct and indirect assessments.

For business managers, value chain analysis is often just as important as supply chain analysis along with other key performance indicators and measurements.

Starbucks

An analysis of Starbucks (SBUX) can help to further illustrate and understand the value chain concept. The Starbucks journey began with a single store in Seattle in the year 1971. From there it grew to become one of the most recognized brands in the world. Starbucks mission is, per its website, to inspire and nurture the human spirit-one person, one cup, and one neighborhood at a time.

Michael Porters analysis of value chains provides the following visual aid for study.

Image by Sabrina Jiang  Investopedia 2020

Starbucks Primary Activities

Porters value chain analysis discusses five primary activities.

Inbound Logistics

The inbound logistics for Starbucks refer to company-appointed coffee buyers selecting the finest quality coffee beans from producers in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. In the case of Starbucks, the green or unroasted beans are procured directly from the farms by the Starbucks buyers. These are transported to storage sites, after which the beans are roasted and packaged.

Value is added to the beans through Starbucks proprietary roasting and packaging, which helps to increase their selling value. The beans are then sent to distribution centers, a few of which are company-owned and some of which are operated by other logistic companies. The company does not outsource its procurement, ensuring high-quality standards right from the point of selection of coffee beans.

Operations

Starbucks operates in more than 80 markets, either in the form of direct company-owned stores or licensed stores. (Starbucks does not follow the traditional franchising terms.) The company has more than 32,000 stores globally. It is also the owner of several brands, including Teavana, Seattles Best Coffee, and Evolution Fresh.

According to its financial reports, the company generated 81% of its total net revenue during the first half of its 2020 fiscal year from its company-operated stores while the licensed stores accounted for 11%.

Outbound Logistics

There is very little or no presence of intermediaries in product selling for Starbucks. The majority of the products are sold in stores. However, storage and distribution to retail locations are important.

Marketing and Sales

Starbucks invests more in superior quality products and a high level of customer service than in aggressive marketing. However, need-based marketing activities are carried out by the company during new product launches in the form of sampling in areas around the stores.

Service

Starbucks aims at building customer loyalty through its in-store customer service. A signature retail objective of Starbucks has always been to provide customers with a unique Starbucks Experience.

Service training is a key component of the value chain that helps to make its offerings unique. A substantial amount of value is created when baristas make drinks for customers.

Starbucks' Support Activities

Porter outlines four kinds of support activities that can be important in value chain analysis.

Infrastructure

This includes departments like management, finance, legal, etc., which are required to keep the companys stores operational. Starbucks employs business managers in its corporate offices. It also has store managers on-site that help to oversee well-designed and pleasing stores complemented with good customer service provided by the dedicated team of employees in green aprons.

Human Resource Management

The committed workforce is considered a key attribute in the companys success and growth over the years. Starbucks employees are motivated through generous benefits and incentives. The company is known for taking care of its workforce, a key reason for a low turnover of employees, which indicates great human resource management. There are many training programs conducted for employees in a setting of a work culture, which keeps its staff motivated and efficient.

Technology Development

Starbucks is very well-known for the use of technology, not only for coffee-related processes (to ensure consistency in taste and quality along with cost savings) but to connect to its customers. Many customers use Starbucks stores as a makeshift office or meeting place because of free and unlimited Wi-Fi.

Starbucks has launched several platforms where customers can ask questions, give suggestions, openly express opinions, and share experiences. Technology helps to implement this feedback, especially in the area of its rewards program.

Starbucks also uses Apples iBeacon system, wherein customers can order a drink through the Starbucks phone app and get a notification of its readiness when they walk in the store.

Procurement

Procurement is integrated across various aspects of the supply chain. Porter discusses procurement as a support activity. Many companies will establish broad terms, requirements, and standards for all of their procurement dealings. However, procurement relationships typically vary widely. Starbucks handles all of the procurement for its own coffee beans, which it sees as one of its competitive advantages.

1:19 The Starbucks Value Chain Model (SBUX)

The Bottom Line

The concept of value chain analysis helps business managers to better identify useful and wasteful activities. By looking beyond standard means of efficiency analysis while also seeking to integrate and capture value chain analysis in business metrics, stakeholders can make important insights related to operational processes.

Overall, value chain analysis can be used to potentially identify value improvement opportunities throughout various steps of a business cycle, also adding to improved margin efficiencies.
A living liver donor is expected to reach the halfway point of a run across Ireland later today.

Don Hannon is running from Ballycastle in County Antrim to Castletownbere in Cork as part of Organ Donor Awareness Week.
Kya deLongchamps considers if and when youre really ready for a gee-gee outside the window?

I have spent too many of my leisure hours wandering around woodland on a lightly psychotic gelding.

Rising at dawn, killing the Whirlpool with filthy numnahs, stinking lightly of horse wee, and laughing off occasional hospital visits  I remain a demented, unreliable, happy hacker.

I throw most residual money at a Follyfoot fantasy I just cant shake. Were down to two hoofed souls now  progress.

Families with the facilities to do so often transition from a riding school experience to the intense desire to keep their first equine at home. This is nothing short of a life-altering decision and not one to take in a haze of emotion.

Are you ready?

Gemma Horgan is chief riding instructor and proprietor at the AIRE-listed Bridestown Towers EC, between Rathcormac and Glenville, Co Cork. She teaches children and adults not only how to ride, but how to handle and keep their horses and ponies safely.

The right time for someone to buy a horse or pony is the big question, says Gemma, and the answer depends a lot on the experience of the child or adult involved.

Experience can mean many different things, but it really is animal experience. If there is a natural instinct with animals, it is a much easier job.

There must be a pure love for the horse and a willingness to work hard to provide for it at all times  hail, rain, or shine. After that, getting a horse or pony is just about being willing to learn and being patient.

Take advice from knowledgeable people always and remember you will never have all the answers.

Routine is the cornerstone to keeping a horse/pony healthy and happy. Feeding and watering at the same time every day. Mucking out at the same time every day, et cetera. Remembering to put their needs in front of your own.

Land

You dont legally need land to keep a horse in Ireland. Still, its tricky to keep a horse adequately fit and, frankly, sane without turnout. Almost 40m years of evolution have made them herd animals intended for desert conditions, constant movement, and trickle-grazing over large areas. Zero turnout (rather than limited winter turnout) is a completely unnatural life for a horse, physically and psychologically.

Estimates for field sizes vary depending on the ground conditions, but in general 1-1.5 acres per horse (with rotation and supplemental feeding in winter) is a minimum.

Paddocks should be divided and swapped out to facilitate fertilising, rolling, topping, spraying for weeds, and occasional reseeding. Constant clean water must be provided and perimeter fencing must be stock proofed  most owners electrify even post and rail fencing to avoid rubbing by the horse. Cheaper, electric temporary fencing is used as a divider, hitched to a mains or rechargeable battery.

Yes, there are lone rangers who will live alone, but most horses crave company and will become actively distressed without at least one buddy. Two buddies or more, switched out regularly, prevents annoying, pair bonding  completely natural, but it can lead to horses becoming nappy  not wanting to leave their friend when you want to catch, handle, move, or ride them.

Many owners rent land or set up share arrangements with other horsey friends, a polite win-win  or regular human screaming matches.

Most importantly, explore the reality of where you intend to safely ride: Fields, woods, roads, an available arena?

Shelter and stabling

All horses, winter and summer, require shelter. Outdoors, this can be a nice blousy stand of hedging and overhanging trees where they can get out of the wind, rain, sun and flies.

Invest in a structural shelter and you can enjoy watching them take an exquisite scratch on its creaking 1,500 timbers. Rugs in winter are important for a clipped horse, and even in summer many will need a light, impenetrable fly-rug for comfort.

If you know what youre doing and your horse is a Christian, they can potentially be kept out 24/7 and ridden straight from the field.

Stabling comes in two general forms: Standard stables, with the horses head out to the yard, and loose boxes set inside an enclosing Dutch barn with an indoor access corridor. Dutch barns (more costly and high), are extremely useful for staying out of the weather and containing all your equine adventures in one, well-drained building that neatly locks up. For buildings over 200m and anything in an urban setting, you will need planning permission. Apply if youre unsure.

A standard horse stable is 3.6 x3.6m or 12square , so with two and a modest 3.6mx3m/12x10 tack room, that adds up to a 9x4.5m building. Prices in timber, start at 1,200 for a wood frame building with a shallow overhang of 0.9m/3, OSB kickboards, erected without footing, automatic water units, and gutters.

Block buildings must be carefully detailed to be strong enough to sustain the weight of a horses kicks and regular scratching without collapse.

Other varieties in steel frame, common in agricultural circles, are gaining attention as they are extremely robust and can take on a variety of attractive finishes.

Rubber mats and poured floors that soften the going and reduce bedding, start at 250 per standard stable, excluding installation. Bedding on straw, paper, shavings, dust or grasses means there must be a place for your waste bedding (up to 19kg per day) which has to be sited close by and detailed to prevent effluent run-off.

Some owners muck directly to a skip, which can be regularly removed and spread.

Romance vs reality

Husbandry aside, having horses or ponies at home can be expensive, intensely lonely, and potentially risky for the unwary.

A novice rider should not get a novice or young horse/pony, warns Gemma Horgan, I also think first-time owners should have their equines kept in a livery yard where routine will be essential and knowledge and advice will be on hand all the time.

If you do get a horse/pony, please dont give up on your lessons as your instructor can help you at the beginning to iron out any issues that may arise. If problems are not fixed straight away they will only grow and become unfixable.

Much as we love them, a horse/pony is not a pet, says Gemma. They can live long lives (25 years-plus), especially when they are cared for correctly. This can lead todifficult situations when its time for them to move on to their heaven, and a loving bond has developed between the owner and animal.

If your teenager has grown apart from the whole horse-riding thrill, maybe enjoying a more social life, or has even outgrown the horse/pony, then again putting the horse/ponys needs in front of your own, you must think of moving the animal on to its next owner so that it can be part of a routine of care and exercise.

Riding alone or occasional joint hacks, jumping leagues, camps, excursions with the pony club, and summer shows are not the same as the bustle, support, company, and fun found at a riding school or livery yard.

With thanks to Gemma Horgan of Bridestown Towers EC. Further information: Facebook.com/bridestowntowers.
This week Im focusing on three EU member states that have been producing wine for millennia but whose wines are relatively rare in Ireland: Slovenia, Greece and Croatia.

Irish people seem to have a real love affair with Croatia and Im frequently asked where to find Croatian wines here.

Sadly few make it out of the country. Croatia is a long narrow country on the Adriatic with two distinct regions split by the Dinaric Alps which follow the coast.

Hence, there are inland wines from a continental climate and coastal wines. Liberty Wines recently began importing the much-praised wines of Ivica Matosevicwho is based in Istria, the peninsula at the north-western corner below Slovenia and just across the Adriatic from Venice.

From Slovenia, Liberty also brings in the wines of Gasper which is just north of Istria. Both grow malvazija or malvasia istriana as it is known (to distinguish it from around 18 other malvasia grapes).

Slovenia and Croatia have lots of international grapes but it is the regional grapes which provide the most excitement I feel. Now that we know that the obscure Croatian grape tribidrag (or crljenak kastelanski) is identical to zinfandel/primitivo it is being furiously planted throughout Croatia wherever it will grow.

In Slovenia, meanwhile watch for furmint, blaufrankisch and even previously maligned grapes such as grasevina and laski rizling (no relation to riesling).

Westport, Co Mayo-based wine importers Liam and Sinead Cabot are surely the only Irish winemakers in Slovenia and are based in Stajerska in Podravje, an inland more continental climate. I recommend their blaufrankisch below.

Croatia joined the EU in 2013 and Slovenia in 2004 but Greece has been a member since 1981 so it is surprising their wines are not more available here.

Oddbins had a good selection back in the day but OBriens is your best bet these days. Mitchells, The Corkscrew, Cabot and Co, and On The Grape Vine are also worth a visit.

Assyrtiko is the white grape from Greece that you absolutely need to seek out but also watch for xynomavro, agiorgitiko and mavrodaphni for exotic chocolate-scented dessert wines.

BEST VALUE UNDER 15

Gaia Monograph Assyrtiko, Nemea, Greece  14.95

Stockist: OBriens www.wine.ie

Assyrtiko originates on the gorgeous island of Santorini (most likely) and is perfectly suited to Greece thanks to its ability to retain acidity even in the hottest climates.

Ive praised Gaias reds here before but this white from the hilly Koutsi region of Nemea is new to me  citrus and honeysuckle aromas, fresh on the palate but with tropical touches shining through.

Lidl Muscat of Samos, Samos, Greece  9.99

Stockist: Lidl

Part of Lidls Greek Season from April 16. Many Greek islands make dessert muscat wines but samos is by far the best known.

I loved this and it is an absolute steal at this price  candied tangerine aromas, almost like a light Grand Marnier  honeyed sweet orange flavours mixed with yellow peaches on the palate, lingering honey and peach on the finish.

The Fire Tree Sicilian Riserva, Italy  9.99

Stockist: Aldi

Aldi has a selection of new (and returning favourites) in for Easter including a pungent ripe South African Growers Club sauvignon blanc and a mint and blackcurrant Finca la Pampa Argentinian cabernet. In keeping with this weeks theme, this pleasing Nero dAvola riserva is packed with soft red and black fruits and lingering touches of herbs and violets.

BEST VALUE OVER 15

Gasper Malvazija, Brda, Slovenia, 2015  21.

Stockists: OBriens, Fallon & Byrne, 64 Wine, Blackrock Cellar, Searsons

The Malt House, Wineonline.ie

Gasper is located just over the border from Collio in Friuli-Venezia in Italy, the region is known as Brda in Slovenia.

With Alpine and Adriatic influence whites do well here and this Malvazija has floral and honeyed aromas, a textured fruity palate and also lots of zingy crisp acidity for balance.

Matosevic Alba Malvazija Istarska 2016, Slovenia  22.99

Stockists: The Malt House, Blackrock Cellar, Wineonline.ie

Thought by some to be Croatias best producer, Matosevics vineyards are based in Istria at 300m above sea level.

Their standard Malvzija is distinctly floral and perfumed, soft and fruity on the palate but balanced with criap flinty bitter herbal touches.

The Acacia wood aged version (36) brings even more acacia flower and honey aromas.

Roka Blaufrankisch 2016, Stajerska, Slovenia  16.99

Stockists: Cabot and Co, Westport; No.1 Pery Square Limerick; Grapevine, Dalkey; Poppy Seed, Clarinbridge; McCambridges, Galway

Importers Liam and Sinead Cabot began their Slovenian winemaking adventure in 2007 with just 1.5ha and do everything themselves.

This Blaufrankisch is packed with bright raspberry and dark cherry fruits.
The two young leaders, Bertie Ahern and Tony Blair, both came to power in 1997, writes Daniel McConnell.

Within a year, the pair had steered the troubled province of Ulster to a tentative peace agreement which is now 20 years old.

The success and longevity of the Good Friday Agreement is a testament to the sheer commitment the two leaders, who got on extremely well, but also to crucial role played by a tough if likeable American.

Ahern and Blair had in opposition laid the foundation work for what would become a decades odyssey for them both.

Tony Blair and I were working in opposition throughout 1995 and 1996. We met in Westminster, we met in the Dail in Dublin, we met in the Gresham Hotel. We were working out what we would do if we were elected. We had a strategy worked out. But we really stepped that up when the ceasefire broke down in February 1996, so we had a long run in, Ahern told the Irish Examiner in an interview.

Ahern says they agreed that he would work on bringing Sinn Fein and the SDLP along, while Blair and his team would work on the unionists, who were sceptical to say the least.

Blairs team felt Ahern was in some ways a messenger for Gerry Adams.

Ahern was basically putting the Sinn Fein line most of the time recalls Alastair Campbell, who was Blairs communications adviser and chief confidante.

Ahern makes clear the two men made a pact to commit to attempting to seek out peace in Northern Ireland.

We said and signed up together in opposition that if we got in we would give it a few years. We didnt think we were going to give it ten years. It took over our lives, it took over mine anyway.

We said wed give it two years and we will get dug into it and do everything we can, says Ahern.

We would start with peace and then move into reconciliation and see if we can get there. The fact we worked together and got on so well and we came together on the big issues.

Ahern says that in the run up to the talks in Stormont, every side had problems with what was proposed.

First of all, the Unionists were not happy on the North South element of it. Sinn Fein wanted resolution on the prisoners, the SDLP wanted reform of policing.

There was a whole lot of big ticket items, and of course, there was decommissioning and the change of the criminal justice system and all of that. When you look at it now, they were huge items in their own right, Ahern says.

But what we were trying to do was to nail down as much of it in the agreement and then move to have it ratified by the people in May 1998. Once that happened we had the Patton Commission set up within weeks.

He also recalls a sense of apprehension on arriving in Belfast on Holy Week, when Blair famously declared the hand of history was on their shoulders.

We were nervous. The Belfast Telegraph poll the weekend before showed that just 5% of people felt we would get a deal so there wasnt anyone not feeling the pressure. I felt we had been at this for seven months, daily contact, every weekend ringing people, all the parties, and we said lets give it one big push. Make it as inclusive as we can. If we fail, we fail but at least give it a really good go, Ahern says.

The former taoiseach says the role of US Senator George Mitchell as chairman was crucial.

It was hugely important we had an outside influence on the process, hugely important. The fact he was number three or four in the Clinton administration, in American politics, the fact he was Clintons man, helped to keep the pressure on and an order on things, he says.

When he set Holy Thursday as the deadline, I mean if he was not a man of considerable standing, people would have dismissed it but they couldnt. It was a real deadline and nobody wanted to see him go. But it also helped that he was a nice man, he could be tough, but he was a very friendly sort of guy, Ahern adds.

Famed for his negotiation skills, Ahern during the talks became the target of considerable unionist abuse.

It was tough and you had to take a lot of abuse. But that was it. I never took it personal and it was a bit critical of Dublin and Dublin governments, high on rhetoric. I never took it personal but there was hard criticism, he says.

One of the most memorable aspects of the agreement was that at the height of the negotiations, Aherns mother Julia died.

It was unfortunate timing, with my mum dying, People always asked me how did I do it, but we had no option. There was the deadline. I was up and down like a yo-yo, but it just had to be done.

The previous weekend I meant to get into her but I was meant to get back from England and didnt get back in time and I didnt get in to see her, but that is life, he says.

Ahern says the current impasse is unfortunate but can be overcome. All it needs, he says, is a collective effort of the parties and the two governments, another big push to get it back up and running.

He is scathing, though, of the lack of engagement from Theresa Mays Tory government.

Yes, they are aloof and they are more aloof then they have ever been. They need a bit of pulling from the Irish Government. I suppose Theresa May is so preoccupied by the Brexit thing but she has to realise that Northern Ireland is part of the Brexit thing. But I would like to see them far more engaged, the blame is with them more than with the Irish Government, he says.

I conclude by asking him is he proud of what was achieved.

Obviously it is something I am proud of and the more it is implemented Id be prouder, he says firmly.

Undoubtedly his finest hour as taoiseach, this week 20 years ago was one where Ireland was changed forever, for the better.
The Good Friday Agreement brought the framework for peace, but it hasnt been an easy ride. Political Correspondent Fiachra O Cionnaith looks back on the key moments of the first 20 years of the peace process.

FROM the SDLPs John Hume and the UUPs David Trimble jointly winning the Nobel peace prize as architects of the Good Friday Agreement, to both parties being effectively written out of history by their Sinn Fein and DUP rivals over the next 20 years.

From the DUPs insistence it would never sit at the same table as Sinn Fein, to Ian Paisley Sr and Martin McGuinnesss relationship becoming so strong they were known as the Chuckle Brothers.

From Omagh, Holy Cross, loyalist Michael Stones theatrical gun and bomb attack attempt on Stormont and the 2009 murder of two British soldiers outside an army barracks, to eventual decommissioning by almost all paramilitary groups.

And from promises of a new era of power-sharing, to those same promises being repeatedly undermined due to a series of scandals and Troubles legacy issues that have now stalled Stormont for more than 13 months.

While far from perfect, the 20 years since the Good Friday Agreement has seen seismic shifts in Northern Ireland which while bringing the peace have far from ended the political war.

However, although the historic April 1998 deal will be rightly lauded this week, what has followed it remains only a partial success that has yet to fully live up to its potential, as the key moments of the past two decades underline:

1998

April 10:

Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern were at the centre of negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland.

After long-drawn out negotiations sought by SDLP leader John Hume and UUP leader David Trimble, and overseen by Mo Mowlam, then taoiseach Bertie Ahern and British prime minister Tony Blair announce the Good Friday Agreement terms.

The deal will be put to a dual May 22 vote on both sides of the border.

In typical fashion, Mr Blair says a day like today is not a day for soundbites, really, before adding but I feel the hand of history upon our shoulders.

While the SDLP and UUP are the architects of the deal, they will over the following 20 years be overshadowed by rival parties Sinn Fein and the DUP.

This remains a significant bone of contention, as the DUP was the only party to oppose the Good Friday Agreement, while Sinn Fein delayed its own signing off on the deal.

April 10 to May 22:

On May 10, Sinn Fein votes to end its abstentionist Stormont seats policy if the agreement is backed.

In an unexpected moment, pop star Bono brings SDLP leader John Hume and UUP leader David Trimble on stage at a May 19 gig at Belfasts Waterfront where they shake hands and urge a yes vote.

In December, Mr Hume and Mr Trimble jointly win the Nobel peace prize.

May 22:

The Good Friday Agreement is passed in the Republic by 94.39% and in Northern Ireland by 71.12%.

Six of the UUPs 10 MPs immediately quit for Ian Paisley Srs rival DUP.

A vote on who should hold the 108 MLA seats in the new Assembly takes place on June 25, with an agreement that a cross-party government would be formed.

Mr Trimble is named first minister and the SDLPs Seamus Mallon deputy first minister.

July 12:

In the first clear signs of trouble, 10,000 loyalists gather at Drumcree to protest the decision to block the Orange Order from marching down Garvaghy Road, Armagh, resulting in a week of intense violence.

One week later, three children are killed in Ballymena after their house is set on fire by loyalists.

August 15:

An RUC police officer looks at the damage caused by a bomb explosion in Market St, Omagh, Co Tyrone in 1998.

Omagh. In an attack from a recently-formed splinter group called the Real IRA, 29 people including a woman pregnant with twins are murdered and 220 others are seriously injured, the most lethal atrocity of the Troubles.

Among the dead are Protestants, Catholics, a Mormon teenager, five other teens, six children and two Spanish tourists.

Both unionists and nationalists are killed by the bomb, which was set off after inaccurate phone warnings to police.

September:

A number of controversial prisoner releases are agreed as part of the Good Friday Agreement over the next two years.

1999

March 15:

Nationalist lawyer Rosemary Nelson is murdered by loyalist group the Red Hand Defenders after a car bomb is placed at her home in Lurgan. A subsequent investigation rules out British security collusion, but not individual officer involvement.

May 27:

The first body of the Disappeared provisional IRA victims is recovered. The remains of Eamon Molloy, who was taken when he was 21 in 1975, are found in a Louth graveyard.

September 9:

The Patten report on policing calls for a radical overhaul of the RUC and its replacement with a new police service called the PSNI due to the long-standing image of it being a Protestant police force. The PSNI is eventually created in 2001.

2000

March 26:

John Hanley, a member of the public, holds up a paper from the time of Bloody Sunday at the start of the Saville Inquiry in 2000.

The Saville inquiry into the Bloody Sunday atrocity begins taking oral evidence from hundreds of witnesses of the notorious January 30, 1972, shooting of 13 people in Derry by British soldiers. The new investigation, which began in 1998, was established due to a widespread belief the April 1972 Lord Widgery investigation just 11 weeks after the shootings was a whitewash.

2001

January to August:

Despite an initially agreed Independent International Commission on Decommissioning (IMC) deadline for paramilitaries to give up their arms in 2000, the Provisional IRA has yet to do so as British troops remain in Northern Ireland.

A new deadline of June 30 is set and passes without full disarmament, leading to Mr Trimble resigning as first minister in protest at the provisional IRAs failure to put its weapons completely and verifiably beyond use.

A breakthrough eventually occurs on August 7, when the Provisional IRA agrees to a method of destroying its arsenal which is accepted by IMC chair general John de Chastelain of Canada. It takes four more years for full decommissioning to occur.

June 19:

Northern Ireland returns to the international headlines for all the wrong reasons after a Catholic primary school for girls called Holy Cross becomes the centre of the anger and division in the province.

In June, Loyalists begin picketing the school claiming Catholics have regularly been attacking their homes in the Ardoyne area of Belfast, which is deeply segregated. Hundreds of protesters appear over a number of weeks and try to stop terrified schoolchildren and their parents from walking to the school from their area, throwing stones, bricks, fireworks, blast bombs and urine-filled balloons in the process.

August 11:

Three Irishmen  Niall Connolly, James Monaghan and Martin McCauley  are arrested for travelling on false passports at Bogota in Colombia, with local police alleging they were members of the provisional IRA and training FARC rebels.

November 4:

The Police Service of Northern Ireland is officially established, and replaces the Royal Ulster Constabulary.

December 7:

The Police Ombudsmans investigation into the Omagh atrocity finds the RUC special branch failed to act on warnings.

2002

October 4:

Stormont faces the real prospect of collapse after a spy ring is uncovered among Sinn Fein officials overseeing the partys administrative office in the Assembly.

A number of senior Sinn Fein officials are arrested, including the partys administration office head Denis Donaldson, who three years later is found to be a British agent.

UUP leader David Trimble says the Assembly cannot continue with Sinn Fein being half-in, half-out.

2003

May 11:

Sinn Fein and Northern Irish politics is sent into disarray after several newspapers name senior party official Freddie Scappaticci as Stakeknife, the code name of a British spy who infiltrated the provisional IRA hierarchy. Mr Scappaticci denies the allegations.

It is claimed the British government overlooked at least 40 Nutting squad murders in the 1970s to protect Mr Scappaticcis cover.

November 26:

The first Assembly election since the Good Friday Agreement was signed sees both the UUP and SDLP lose control of Stormont, with voters moving in droves to the DUP and Sinn Fein.

The clear polarisation of Northern Irish politics, which has never been reversed, changes the entire dynamic of the post-Good Friday Agreement environment.

2004

December 20:

The largest bank robbery in Irish history takes place, after 26.5m is stolen from the Northern Banks headquarters in Belfast.

The PSNI, Irish Government and British government accuse the Provisional IRA of being responsible, a claim that is denied by both the paramilitary group and Sinn Fein.

August 6:

Former Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams on Good Friday, 1998. His party grew to overshadow the SDLP in the years after the agreement.

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams publicly says he wants the Provisional IRA to fully decommission, due in part to repeated unionist threats they will not return to power-sharing while the paramilitary group remains.

2005

January 30:

Robert McCartney, 33, is killed after an altercation at Magennis Bar on May St in Belfast.

A cover-up is alleged after PSNI officers who arrive at the scene to examine evidence are met with an impromptu riot, bar CCTV tapes removed, bar staff threatened and a number of witnesses claiming they were in the bar toilet at the time. Sinn Fein eventually suspend 12 members and the Provisional IRA expels three members.

May 4:

The unionist switch from the UUP to DUP in the key 2003 Assembly election is repeated in the 2005 Westminster election, leaving the UUP with just one MP, Sylvia Hermon, who later becomes an Independent.

September 26:

The chair of the IMC, General John de Chastelain, meets with Irish and British government representatives to say he is now satisfied the Provisional IRA has taken part in full decommissioning and put all of its weapons beyond use.

December 15:

Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams says Denis Donaldson has been uncovered as a British intelligence agent given the codename Martin. Mr Donaldson says he was recruited after a compromising himself during a vulnerable time in his life.

2006

November 24:

Notorious former UDA member Michael Stone  notorious for the 1988 Milltown cemetery murders  causes a major Stormont security alert after trying to enter the building with an imitation Beretta pistol, a knife and a viable bomb, in addition to planting eight pipe bombs on the campus. It takes three security officers to disarm him by trapping him in revolving doors.

At a court hearing on December 19, Mr Stones lawyer claims the incident was a piece of performance art replicating a terrorist attack.

The attack puts recent talks between the DUP and Sinn Fein on how to return to long-stalled power-sharing on ice. However, the incident has since been seen as a moment which forced Northern Irish parties to re-double power-sharing efforts.

2007

March 25:

The DUP and Sinn Fein finally strike a power-sharing deal with the help of international negotiators, the Irish government and the British government.

Ian Paisley Sr becomes first minister and Martin McGuinness deputy first minister, with the duo soon nicknamed the Chuckle Brothers.

2008

April 4:

Denis Donaldson is found dead in his Donegal cottage after being shot a number of times. The Real IRA claim responsibility for the murder three years later.

June 3:

Peter Robinson replaces Ian Paisley Sr as DUP leader and Northern Ireland first minister. His public relationship with Martin McGuinness is more tense and workmanlike. Two years later, Mr Robinsons position comes under threat when it emerges his wife Iris had an extra-marital affair and further revelations about their business arrangements.

2009

March 7:

Two British army soldiers are shot at the Massereene barracks in Antrim while collecting a pizza. The Real IRA claims responsibility, leading to an outcry from all sides of the political divide.

June 27:

Two years after declaring a ceasefire, the IMC officially says the UVF has decommissioned and put its weapons beyond use.

October:

The DUP and Sinn Fein risk collapsing the Assembly again due to a row over devolution of policing and justice powers from Britain to Northern Ireland.

2010

June 15:

Then British prime minister David Cameron formally apologises for the Bloody Sunday atrocity after the Saville inquiry findings, saying the shootings were unjustified and unjustifiable.

2011

May 17-20:

Britains Queen Elizabeth II and then President Mary McAleese, followed by Philip, the duke of Edinburgh, at Aras an Uachtarain during the queens visit to Ireland in 2011, a visit which in years previous would have been impossible. Picture: Paul Faith

Queen Elizabeth II visits Ireland, a trip that just two decades earlier was seen as impossible. Despite some splinter terrorist group threats, she is broadly welcomed across the country in a hugely symbolic moment of peace for Ireland and Britain.

Summer:

The PSNI launch a legal bid to gain access to the Boston College tapes  interviews with paramilitary and political figures to be released after they die  after a number of allegations.

Gerry Adams is later interviewed by the PSNI in 2014 over disputed claims he was involved in the disappearance and murder of Jean McConville.

2012

December 3:

The DUP-Sinn Fein power-sharing arrangement is once again thrown into doubt after loyalists hold a series of violent riots over Belfast City Councils decision to limit the number of days the British flag is flown over official buildings.

The incident is soon labelled flag-gate.

2014

April 24:

Gerry Adams is arrested by the PSNI in relation to the disappearance and murder of Jean McConville in 1972. He denies any involvement, and appeals for anyone with information to come forward.

June 27:

Sinn Feins deputy first minister and former Provisional IRA member Martin McGuinness shakes hands in Belfast with Queen Elizabeth II, three years after her visit to Ireland.

September 12:

Former DUP leader Ian Paisley Sr dies after a long illness.

Autumn:

Stormont once again faces collapse after Sinn Fein refuses to implement social welfare reforms, leading to three months of talks to save power-sharing.

2015

Summer:

After two former provisional IRA members are shot in August, PSNI chief constable George Hamilton says the paramilitary group still exists.

After 10 weeks of talks, the Irish and British governments, DUP and Sinn Fein agree to the new Fresh Start Agreement, which focusses on paramilitarism and welfare reforms.

2016

June 23:

Britains decision to narrowly vote in favour of leaving the EU sees the future of Northern Ireland and the peace process again thrown into doubt.

Sinn Fein say a vote on the border should be held within the next decade, while the DUP and UUP insist Northern Ireland must be treated the same way as other parts of Britain.

2017/2018

March 21 2017:

Martin McGuinness dies after a short illness, while months later Gerry Adams says he will step down as Sinn Fein leader.

March 2 to present:

The Assembly has not sat since this date, due to an ongoing row between the DUP and Sinn Fein which began as a dispute over fuel allowance corruption claims and has since focussed on Irish language rights and other issues. Both the Irish and British governments insist a resolution must be found to prevent the return of direct rule from London.

20 of the key moments in the past 20 years

1: The vote, May 22, 1998

2: Omagh, August 15, 1998

3: Decommissioning deadlines broken, January to August, 2001

4: Holy Cross, June 19, 2001

5: PSNI established, November 4, 2001

6: Spy ring uncovered, October 4, 2002

7: DUP overtakes UUP and never looks back, November 26, 2003

8: Northern Bank robbery, December 20, 2004

9: IMC says provisional IRA has put weapons beyond use, September 26, 2005

10: Denis Donaldson revealed as double agent, December 15, 2005

11: Michael Stones theatrical attack, November 24, 2006

12: UVF decommissioning, June 27, 2009

13: Queens visit, May 17-20, 2011

14: Adams arrested over Jean McConville, April 24, 2014

15: McGuinness and Queen shake hands, June 27, 2014

16: Ian Paisley senior dies, September 12, 2014

17: PSNI say provisional IRA has not gone away, summer 2015

18: Brexit, June 23, 2016

19: McGuinness dies, March 21, 2017

20: Stormont stalls, March 2, 2017, to present
Considered by many the cornerstone of peace and stability on the island of Ireland, the Good Friday Agreement and the path to it was fraught with hurdles and political landmines, writes Juno McEnroe.

The deal, approved by voters in the North and in the Republic, encompassed the aspirations of both republicans and unionists. It allowed for decommissioning, reformed policing, and, ultimately, a blueprint for a peaceful existence that was overseen by a new power-sharing assembly.

In all, it was an agreement to disagree (including even over the name of the deal itself), a framework for both sides to amicably coexist, to replace the guns with governing.

It worked, eventually.

But those aspirations are threatened today with renewed sectarianism and the unravelling of key goals in the agreement.

While just 35 pages, the Good Friday Agreement and its creation was anything but hurried. It partly replaced the failed Sunningdale Agreement of the 1970s, built on the Anglo Irish Agreement of the 1980s, the 1993 Downing Street Declaration, and was facilitated by Labour and Tony Blairs successful election in Britain in 1997.

Nonetheless, numerous problems led up to the Easter period of 1998, including internal fighting among unionists, a fractured republican movement, riots the previous year around Orange Order marches, and tensions with then Northern secretary Mo Mowlam.

But the sense of opportunity was there.

The British and Irish governments, Sinn Fein, the SDLP, and UUP were all aboard the peace train. US peace envoy George Mitchells deadline of April 9 focused minds and a deal was hammered out in those iconic and now memorable decaying surroundings of the 1970s-era Castle Buildings, Belfast.

As Blair remarked during the tense talks, the hand of history was upon shoulders.

Fundamentally, the agreement prioritises the principle of consent recognising the legitimacy of the aspiration for a united Ireland while also acknowledging the wish of a majority in the North to remain part of the UK. It was inclusive and allowed for a future vote on this, in what now is termed the border poll on the provinces status.

A vote can be initiated by the secretary of state if they feel that a majority of people are likely to vote for unification. This vote must not occur more frequently than once every seven years.

The agreement established a number of political institutions. These included the setting up of the 108-member Northern Ireland Assembly and an executive at Stormont, just outside Belfast, allowing elected parties to share power.

The North-South Ministerial Council was also agreed to, facilitating co-operation on both parts of the island. The deal also allowed for the British-Irish Council, involving Scotland and Wales among other devolved administrations.

A key element was the move away from violence. Paramilitary groups, including the IRA, UVF, and UDA, had to hand over their arms to an independent body within two years.

The deal proposed the removal of security installations, a reduction in British army presence, and, crucially, led to the reform of the Norths police force. Prisoners jailed during the Troubles were released and resources provided for their reintegration into society.

Ultimately, full IRA decommissioning was not confirmed by a monitoring body until 2005 while it was 2010 before policing and justice powers were devolved to the North.

While Ireland and the Good Friday Agreement have become an example to the world, influencing peace processes in places such as Colombia, the Korea peninsula, and the Middle East, elements of the pact are outstanding.

These include reconciliation for victims of the Troubles, with an estimated 1,300 murders remaining unsolved from the period. A bill of rights has still to be agreed, contributing to the current impasse over restoring power-sharing.

Indeed, disagreement over same-sex marriage and a recognition of minority languages, including Irish, are central to the stand-off between republicans and unionists at Stormont.

These recent controversies and the subsequent political vacuum in the Norths governing bodies are a reminder of just how fragile the peace process is, particularly with Brexit looming and threatening a hard border.

Sectarianism still thrives, there are more peace walls now than 1998 and sporadic violence and dissident paramilitary acts persist.

Nonetheless, amid fresh attempts to undermine the peace accord by Brexiteers in Westminster, it is worth remembering the ordinary differences the agreement has provided for the North.

Gone are the armed checkpoints, violent street clashes, repeated horrific bombings, bigotry in everyday life, and a fear of entering some neighbourhoods. Lingering problems exist, sure.

Blairs comments that faithful evening on April 10, 1998, when the Good Friday Agreement was approved, are a reminder of what has changed.

It was and remains the day that peace replaced war, that politics replaced terror, on the island of Ireland.
Early governments acted as if Irish independence amounted to Rome Rule. It took the revelation of the clerical sex abuse scandal to end such deference, writes Ryle Dwyer

The political influence demonstrated by the Catholic hierarchy a century ago during the Conscription Crisis of 1918 had reverberations for decades afterwards. Few Irish politicians dared to stand up to the bishops, even on political matters.

Instead, politicians were careful to demonstrate a subservient devotion to the Catholic Church. For decades, the fears of Protestants were essentially ignored, especially Northern Protestants who were convinced they would be discriminated against in a united Ireland.

With our connivance, every bigot and killjoy, ecclesiastical and lay, is doing his damnedest here to keep them out, finance minister Sean MacEntee wrote to taoiseach Eamon de Valera in February 1938.

MacEntee, who offered his ministerial resignation, went on to complain that members of their government were subordinating reason to prejudice.

In fairness, de Valera did make one major gesture toward Protestants  by nominating a Protestant, Douglas Hyde, as the first president of Ireland in June 1938, under the new Constitution.

Of course, this was in recognition of Hydes role as founder of the Gaelic League. Otherwise, the Long Fellow seemed so differential to Archbishop John Charles McQuaid of Dublin that he was often described as being in the archbishops pocket. De Valera was never as obsequious as his successor.

When the national coalition came to power in February 1948, taoiseach John A Costello sent a telegram to Pope Pius XII expressing the wish to repose at the feet of Your Holiness the assurance of our filial loyalty and our devotion to your August Person, as well as our firm resolve to be guided in all our work by the teaching of Christ, and to strive for the attainment of social order in Ireland based on Christian principles.

No civil power should declare that it reposed at the feet of the Pope, argued cabinet secretary Maurice Moynihan.

Sean MacBride, the new external affairs minister, took particular umbrage and retaliated by having future cabinet meetings confined exclusively to cabinet members. Thus, the cabinet secretary was excluded from all further cabinet meetings, and one of the ministers had to take the cabinet minutes.

After one term as president, Hyde stepped down in 1945, and died four years later on July 12, 1949. He was

accorded a State funeral, which caused problems for Catholic ministers. The Catholic hierarchy had been banning Catholics from attending Protestant services.

As Hyde was a Protestant, none of the cabinet ministers dared enter St Patricks Cathedral for the Protestant funeral service, with the sole exception of health minister Noel Browne. De Valera, then leader of the opposition, also remained outside with his frontbench colleagues.

The national coalition behaved as if independence amounted to Rome Rule.

It is almost impossible to exaggerate the near-feudal deference of Costello and his Ministers to the Hierarchy in general and to the Archbishop of Dublin in particular, wrote the late Ronan Fanning.

For instance, Sean MacEoin, the justice minister, abandoned an adoption bill under orders from Archbishop McQuaid.

He wont allow it, MacEoin told the cabinet. And that was that.

William Norton, tanaiste and leader of the Labour Party, ran into ecclesiastical opposition when his social welfare bill got mixed up with the controversy over the Mother and Child Scheme. In both cases, the Church objected to State encroachment on the private lives of Irish people.

When Mr Browne asked his cabinet colleagues for their views on the Churchs opposition to the mother and child bill, Sean MacEoin was outraged that I had even dared to question him, noted Mr Browne.

How dare you invite me to disobey my Church? Mr MacEoin snapped angrily. I dont want to get a belt of a crozier.

As the bishops were being accorded a virtual veto on legislation, Mr Browne balked. He had already defied the Archbishops ban on Catholics attending Trinity College, and had further defied the bishops by attending the Protestant service at Mr Hydes funeral.

Faced with the opposition of the bishops during the Mother and Child Scheme controversy, the government demanded Mr Brownes resignation. The government itself collapsed soon afterwards. When Fianna Fail returned to power in 1951, Maurice Moynihan was again invited to take notes at cabinet meetings.

In 1954, when Mr Costello became taoiseach for a second time, he not only retained Mr Moynihan as secretary of his department but also had him functioning fully as cabinet secretary. It was a victory for common sense. But it was still some time before politicians were prepared to defy the bishops even on political matters.

Few politicians dared stand up to the hierarchy even into the 1980s, when the bishops undermined pluralist policies advocated by Garret FitzGerald. The bishops essentially overrode his opposition to the Eighth Amendment, and his attempt in 1986 to remove the constitutional ban on divorce.

The exposure of episcopal cover-ups of vile criminal behaviour of individual paedophile priests did enormous damage to the hierarchys influence in the early 1990s.

This became evident when a referendum to abolish the constitutional proscription of divorce, which had been decisively defeated in June 1986, was passed in November 1995.

On standing for president as a Fianna Fail candidate in 1997, many referred to Mary McAleese as the bishops woman because the hierarchy had selected her as its spokeswoman at the New Ireland Forum.

As president, she quickly demonstrated that she was her own woman, by attending a Protestant service at Christ Church Cathedral, where she received communion.

When Archbishop Desmond Connell of Dublin denounced her actions, she defiantly announced she would do so again, if invited. A public opinion poll in the Sunday Independent subsequently found that 78% approved of her actions.

The Archbishop of Dublin had clearly overstepped on that occasion, and he got his answer from both the president and the Irish people. Times had changed.
A former member of the NSA's elite Tailored Access Operations unit has played down what appear to be revenge attacks in the last 10 days on sites belonging to Russian and Iranian interests, saying it was unlikely that the US was involved at a nation-state level.

Jake Williams (below, right), a regular commentator on such events, said in a thread on Twitter that while one possibility was that the US had been carrying out a network attack, it was unlikely.

"I really doubt it (that the US carried out a network attack)," said Williams who now runs his own information security firm, Rendition Infosec.

"It's not like US infrastructure is so much better protected and what goes around comes around. Also, every switch you take down is one more piece of network infrastructure you can't use for other ops. It's not worth the trade IMO."

The attacks were noticed on Friday, with those responsible leaving messages on the Web interfaces that were compromised. The apparent entry point wasin the protocol used in the Cisco Smart Install Client, a legacy utility that could be used for no-touch installation of new Cisco switches. A message reading, "Don't mess with our elections", was left along with an email address usafreedom_jht@tutanota.com.

The Web interface of a switch that was hacked. Graphic courtesy Kaspersky Lab.

Some internal websites, too, were accessed by the attackers and in some cases images of American flags were left, the tech website Motherboard claimed.

Switches at other sites, too, have been compromised, though it appears that a majority of them are Russian and Iranian. Reuters quoted a statement from the Iranian Republic News Agency as saying: "The attack apparently affected 200,000 router switches across the world in a widespread attack, including 3500 switches in our country.

Cisco itself had issued a warning about the flaw on Thursday last week through its Talos Intelligence Group. An additional flaw in the client itself had been patched, Talos said, adding that proof-of-concept code was known to be available.

Russian security firm Kaspersky Lab posted some details about the compromises on Friday US time, including an image of the message that the attackers were leaving on the Web interface of the routers they had attacked. The date on the image that Kaspersky posted was 30 March, giving an indication of when the attacks had begun.

Williams said other possibilities were that the attackers were from another country who were carrying out a false flag operation and blaming the US or that these attacks had been carried out by hacktivists.

He said in the former case, "Every nation must realise that they are also vulnerable to the same attacks. Even if you blame it on the US, calling attention to the ease of exploiting the vulnerable switches is probably not in your best interests."

However he said that there was one exception: "It would be a nation that: has a small network footprint relative to Iran and Russia; doesn't care about retaliation against the US; sees an advantage in outages in Iran and Russia; and benefits from cyber conflict between the US and Iran and Russia."

Williams said that while there were countries that met these criteria, they were not many. "However, this attack was not complex so there's not a substantial set of technical obstacles to overcome. E.g. you don't need a Stuxnet or a NotPetya level budget for this attack," he said.

And he added: "Again, any competent nation state would have used these switches for access to internal network assets. Even to 'send a message' this doesn't make sense for a nation state. Occam's Razor says that this was much more likely to be hacktivists."

Motherboard said the alleged hackers had told its reporter, Joseph Cox, that they had carried out the attacks as they were tired of attacks from government-backed hackers on the US and other countries.
The promises for the future, the hopes for the future, were things that were less immediately tangible, Winiarski said.

Supervisors faced a politically risky vote on a controversial issue, so supporters decided to give them some help. Winiarski said he was on a pro-preserve committee that vintner Jack Davies chaired. Other members included vintners Louis Martini and Chuck Carpy.

We took responsibility for getting voters in the towns to approve of the potential creation of the ag preserve, Winiarski said.

Winiarski went door-to-door in Angwin with a petition in favor of the agricultural preserve, given he lived there at the time.

I had to sell the idea of vineyards and wineries being good for the valley, as opposed to subdivisions, he said. The beauty of the valley was part of that. The hillsides, the open space, the trees  that was all part of the valley. Now think of this covered with subdivisions, rooftops, just what Santa Clara is today.

The vast majority of the people he talked either signed the petition or favored the idea, Winiarski said.

Grape-grower John Daniel, former owner of Inglenook, expressed the opposition view at a January 1968 county meeting.
Shelley Mueller joined the Napa Farmers Market family last summer when she brought her business Stuck on Napa to the market for the first time in July.

Mueller makes wine country inspired gifts such as wooden signs, cloth bags, and car decals. She said she tries to come up with designs that would serve as unique souvenirs for tourists or heartwarming keepsakes for locals, such as her Love Napa Valley sign where the O in love is replaced with a grape cluster.

Mueller lives only a few minutes away from the markets home on Gasser Drive. She said setting up shop on Saturday mornings is a lot better than her former commute to San Francisco.

Ive always loved the farmers market, so to be a vendor here is really fun, Mueller said. I love seeing all the people. My favorite is when you see an older gentleman holding his wifes purse while she shops. Hes looking a little grumpy  maybe he doesnt want to be out on a Saturday morning. I love when I catch him reading one of my signs, like the Sip me baby one more time, and he cracks a smile. That makes me day.
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TeleSur |  

The Great March of Return began on March 30th and will continue until May 15.

A Palestinian journalist covering the Great March of Return in Gaza died Saturday after being wounded by live Israeli ammunition Friday.

Yaser Murtaja, a 30-year-old cameraman with Ain Media, became the 29th Palestinian killed in protests that began on March 30th, which marks Palestinian Land Day. Murtaja was shot in the stomach by Israeli forces in Khuzaa in the south of the Gaza Strip while covering a demonstration along the Gaza border and later died of his wound has died of his injuries. Hundreds gathered Saturday to accompany Murtajas family at his funeral.



?? Palestinian journalist dies after being shot by Israeli forces | Al Jazeera English Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

Photographs show Murtaja was wearing the signature navy-blue vest marked PRESS, which distinguishes journalists and other media personnel from other individuals, this didnt, however, prevent him, and other journalists from being targeted.

Palestinian journalist Yasser Murtaja was murdered by Israel today while documenting the return protest in Gaza ?  pic.twitter.com/WsscC9JJqC  Robert Martin (@Robert_Martin72) April 6, 2018

Three other journalists were wounded by Israeli sharpshooters, which were deployed to the border days before the march begun to prevent breaches in the border. None of the 29 Palestinians killed by Israeli occupation forces had breached the border fence of the besieged Gaza strip.

The United Nations Human Rights Council and other human rights organizations have condemned the use of live ammunition against unarmed protesters who posed no threat to life or serious injury, the only condition that justifies the use of live ammunition by security forces according to U.N.

There have been no Israeli casualties in the protests, which are set to continue until May 15, when Palestinians will commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Nakba, or catastrophe. The day marks the date 700,000 Palestinians were expelled or fled from their towns and cities after the creation of the state of Israel on May 14, 1948.

Palestinian U.N. envoy, Riyad Mansour, announced Friday that attempts by 14 of the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council to launch an independent investigation into the violence in Gaza were blocked by the United States, permanent council member, and Israels chief international ally.

In a statement Friday, Mansour criticized the U.S. calling their decision irresponsible, giving Israel the green light to continue with their onslaught against the civilian population. This was the second time the U.S. opposed the Security Council statement, which also reaffirmed the right of Palestinians to protest against Israeli policies and occupation peacefully.

Since 2005, when Israel removed 8,000 Jewish settlers living in the Gaza strip Israel has claimed it is no longer occupying Gaza. However, according to international law Israeli control of Gazas air, land and sea borders makes them an occupying force, and as such it has the responsibilities of occupying forces to protect the population under occupation.

Israels main defense has been an to attempt to blur the line between terrorism and civilians, arguing the march was organized by Hamas, which Israel and its Western allies consider a terrorist organization.

Asad Abu Sharekh, the spokesperson of the march, has countered the claim saying the march is organized by refugees, doctors, lawyers, university students, Palestinian intellectuals, academics, civil society organizations and Palestinian families. No Palestinian political faction has claimed the march as their own.

According to international law and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, all refugees have the right to return to their country of origin or of citizenship voluntarily. Palestinians have upheld their right to return to the land from which they were expelled but also to the properties of their forebears. More than half of the 2 million people who live in Gaza are refugees.

Via TeleSur
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By Daniel Martin Varisco | (MENA Tidningen) |  

On June 5, 2016 Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Bahrain began a boycott of its Gulf neighbor Qatar, the richest country in the world, cutting off land and air travel over their space. No doubt the same countries that had launched a war against Yemen only a year before thought that Qatar would give up easily. It seems that the main attempt was regime change, given the negative views of both countries about Shaykh Hamad, who built up downtown Doha to resemble Dubai and used the nations considerable wealth as a soft-power wedge supporting Islamic groups considered anathema by the Saudis and the UAE. But, as in the case of Yemen, the blockade has been a failure and Shaykh Tamim, the son of Hamad and current ruler, is more popular now than before.

Map showing border between Qatar and Saudi Arabia

The demands made by the Saudi/UAE alliance were the kind that no country could agree to without total loss of sovereignty. Qatar was to forego any relations with Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood, close diplomatic relations with Iran, hand over anyone that the Saudis and Emiratis considered terrorists (including the elderly Egyptian cleric Al-Qaradawi), shut down al-Jazeera and all other news outlets they fund, and even more. The major mosque in Doha is named after Muhammad Abd al-Wahhab, the founder of the Wahhabi sect, so one demand was that it be renamed, especially since Shaykh Hamad claims descent from the same tribal group as Abd al-Wahhab. As you might imagine, Qatar rejected these demands as unreasonable, but did not retaliate in kind.

In the time since the boycott started, Qatar has been able to use its vast wealth to secure food and other supplies from a variety of countries, especially Turkey and Iran. Before the boycott, about 40% of the Saudi dairy company al-Marai crossed the border into Qatar. They were hit so hard that King Salman granted them the right to continue selling their products, but Qatar refused. Turkey immediately stepped in, supplying far better tasting milk and milk products. Before the boycott most major container ships first went to Dubai, which could receive the largest ships, with food then put in smaller ships for Qatar. But as of last September Doha has a new port and no longer needs the UAE.

Now there is a new twist in this battle of the Gulf shaykhdom titans. Saudi Arabia is planning to isolate Qatar geographically by making it an island. The 60 km land border with Qatar will have a canal. This canal will run between Salwa and Khor Al-Udeed and will be 200 m wide with a maximum depth up to 12 meters. Thus, it will be able to receive both container and passenger ships. At least five hotels and a number of resorts will be built along the canal, as well as a free trade zone. In effect Qatar would become a new man-made island with no physical land border.

Tamim the Glorious a national slogan on the flag of Qatar

Turning Qatar into an island follows the penchant of the UAE to create its own islands, such as Dubais Palm Islands, which are the three largest artificial islands in the world. In the process of remaking Mother Nature, some 3 billion cubic feet of sand were dredged from the seafloor and some seven million tons of rock now protect the palm-shaped island with a breakwater seven miles long. The environmental hazards of such an enterprise have been ignored, since billions of dollars have been poured into the project. By the way, the UAE has the worst air in the world, according to the World Bank. If you book at The Atlantis on the Palm Island, for a mere $1,500 per night, you can (as advertised) dance until dawn, but dont forget to pack your gas mask.

As a result of the blockade, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) has been exposed for being a rather uncooperative group, dominated over the years by Saudi Arabia. Oman has largely ignored its fellow Gulf states and maintains good relations with Iran. Kuwaits emir has tried valiantly to broker a resolution, but so far to no avail. For the future, Qatar would appear to be able to function well despite attempt to isolate them. I suspect that the economic blow has been as hard, if not harder, on the Saudis and Emiratis. Whether a naturally fashioned peninsula or an artificially fashioned island, the oil and gas reserves of Qatar will ensure its economic survival well into the future.

About the Author

Daniel Martin Varisco  Anthropologist and historian with 40 years of experience researching and working in Yemen. Varisco is currently the President of the American Institute for Yemeni Studies, a Senior Postdoctoral Scholar at the Institute for Social Anthropology at the Austrian Academy of Sciences, and an expert advisor to MENA Tidningen.

Reprinted from MENA Tidningen with authors permission.
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Human Rights Watch |  

Turkish-Allied Groups Loot, Destroy Peoples Property

(Beirut)  Syrian government forces are blocking some civilians fleeing the Turkish-led military actions in Afrin from entering territory under government control, Human Rights Watch said today. The civilians are stranded in areas with limited food, clean water, and medical supplies. Syrian government authorities should facilitate freedom of movement and aid delivery for the affected civilians.

At the same time, Human Rights Watch has documented that armed groups working with Turkish forces are looting and destroying civilian property in the city of Afrin and surrounding villages, exacerbating the plight of civilians there. Turkish forces and non-state armed groups in control of Afrin should halt the looting and hold those responsible for the damage accountable.

While the humanitarian conditions for all civilians who have fled fighting in Afrin are acute, those denied access to government held areas and suffering looting of the property are particularly vulnerable, said Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. Turkish forces and anti-government armed groups should end the rampant looting and destruction of civilian property that is taking place in Afrin, and government soldiers need to stop blocking those trying to flee.

Turkey began its offensive on January 20, 2018, to take control of the Afrin district in Aleppo governorate from the Kurdish Democratic Union Party-led Autonomous Administration. On March 18, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey announced that Turkey and Syrian Turkish-backed non-state armed groups had taken control of the city of Afrin following an air and ground campaign. According to the United Nations, the fighting displaced at least 137,000 people. About 50,000 to 70,000 people remain in Afrin city.

Medical personnel and residents who fled told Human Rights Watch about dire conditions in areas under government control, and some villages in the Afrin district under the control of Turkish and allied armed groups. Several described sleeping in open fields without shelter, going without food, and having no access to clean water. On March 29, the United Nations said the needs for these displaced people were staggering and emphasized that aid was needed for their basic survival.

A former Afrin city resident who fled to a nearby village said that she and the others there had little food, no electricity, no regular access to water, and no medical care. There is no bread, said Laila, whose real name is withheld for her protection. We are [eating] bulghur, and [using] generators [for electricity]. I am pregnant, and there is no medicine and no hospitals I can go to.

A doctor told Human Rights Watch that he and his colleagues fled the city for Shaba, an area near Tel Rifaat with barely any medical supplies, forced to leave behind medicine and medical equipment. He said that they set up a field clinic there to treat people who had been displaced, but cannot keep up with the needs. In this wilderness, we have no water, no food, no capacity, he said.

Those fleeing violence could not freely enter government-controlled areas with better facilities and access to assistance, Human Rights Watch found. Thousands of people initially tried to reach the city of Aleppo and the towns of Nubul and Zahra, all under government control, three people said. But the people staffing government checkpoints controlling access to Nubul and Aleppo were demanding up to 500,000 SYP (US$1,000) to enter.

I wasnt able to enter Nubul, said a man who fled two days before Turkish forces took control of the city. At the checkpoint, soldiers asked for 150,000 SYP (US$291) per person at least. Those who could not afford to pass returned to villages in the Afrin district, or remained in the countryside in government-controlled areas with almost no access to services.

Under the laws of war, all parties to the conflict are required to allow civilians to flee ongoing hostilities and to gain access to humanitarian assistance, Human Rights Watch said.

People who had fled Afrin said that armed groups who entered the city with Turkish forces confiscated civilian property, in some cases threatening residents with death or violence.

I saw them take a car, a tractor with my own eyes, Laila said. They said, We just need it for something, but we never saw it again  Even my house, it was entirely looted. The furniture, the crystal [was] all broken, money [taken]  There is nothing left.

Laila identified Jaysh al-Sharqiyah and Liwa al-Fath as the groups responsible for looting and destruction of civilian property in her area. She said that these groups spray painted their names in areas where they operated. A Turkish journalist visiting the area also reported that anti-government armed groups spray painted their names in areas they planned to loot.

On their twitter account, Jaysh al-Sharqiyah confirmed their members were in Afrin at the time. Human Rights Watch could not confirm whether Liwa al-Fath was in Afrin. Human Rights Watch reviewed video footage and photographs posted online that appeared to show looting of livestock, food, and vehicles by armed men in Afrin, whose uniforms and armbands matched the description by the witnesses.

Under the laws of war, pillaging, or the forcible taking of private property for personal use, is prohibited and can constitute a war crime even in the context of an assault on an area. Military commanders are required to prevent serious violations of the laws of war. The removal and destruction of personal and private property also becomes an obstacle to the return of displaced people.

A Turkish journalist close to the government reported that Erdogan condemned looting by the Free Syrian Army (FSA), a Syrian non-state armed group that had participated in the fighting against Kurdish forces, in a meeting with governing party parliament members. [We] went into Afrin together with the FSA, the journalist quoted him as saying. Some of these groups see this as bounty. This was stopped immediately. Measures were taken against them.

The Turkish military and its allies in Afrin show little sign of doing what it needs to do to protect the civilian population there, Fakih said. Turkey should mitigate the negative impact of its military operation to the greatest extent possible, by protecting civilians personal property.

Via Human Rights Watch



Bonus video added by Informed Comment:

VOA from last week: Turkey Proclaims Complete Control of Afrin, Announces Next Target in Syria
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The Saudi-backed fundamentalist militia Army of Islam in the Douma district of East Ghouta near Damascus alleged Sunday that the al-Assad regime had dropped a barrel bomb full of chlorine and other chemicals on the rebel enclave on Saturday. Initial reports said that some 41, including non-combatants and including children, were killed, some with tell-tale signs of frothing around the mouth. Other reports spoke of some 150 dead.

The regime has conquered most of East Ghouta in a brutal campaign waged by Syrian Arab Army special forces and the Russian Aerospace Forces against guerrilla groups in the rebel stronghold. Of the roughly 350,000 inhabitants as of the beginning of this year, some reports suggest that 150,000 have fled, either to nearby refugee camps or north to the rebel-held province of Idlib.

Douma is the last holdout. Despite reports on Saturday that the Army of Islam had agreed to an evacuation, negotiations thereafter broke down. One problem is that the Army of Islam does not want to go to Idlib, which is dominated by the Levantine Liberation Organization (HTS, former Nusra Front), with which its members have a blood feud. HTS has continued links to al-Qaeda and may now be backed by Turkey, whereas the Army of Islam belongs to the pro-Saudi strand of hard line Salafism.

On Saturday, the Russian press, at least, reported that Army of Islam spokesmen boasted that the special operations Panther Forces (Quwwat al-Nimr) that had been committed against Ghouta militias were taking high numbers of casualties from Army of Islam snipers as they tried to advance into Douma. The regime has suffered a military collapse over the past 7 years, with most Sunni Arabs deserting or defecting. Alawi Shiite troops are for the most part loyal to the regime, but there may be only 35,000 or 50,000 of them left (the Syrian Arab Army had 300,000 troops in 2010).

The long and the short of it is that strongman Bashar al-Assad cannot afford to lose highly trained and highly valuable Panther Forces troops in large numbers.

Chemical weapons are used by desperate regimes that are either outnumbered by the enemy or are reluctant to take casualties in their militaries. Barrel-bombing Douma with chem seems to have appealed to the regime as a tactic for this reason. It had the potential of frightening the Douma population into deserting the Army of Islam. Guerrilla groups need favorable populations in which to operate. Mao Zedong compared such friendly locals to a guerrilla armys ass, which allows it to sit down. Without an ass, he pointed out, guerrillas are forced to keep running around standing up, until they get exhausted. The regime is trying to deprive the Army of Islam of this fundament.

It might be asked why the regime would take this chance, given that Trump bombed the Shuaryat Air Force base last year this time in response to regime use of chemical weaponry at Khan Shikhoun. The answer is that the regime is more worried about disaffection in the ranks of its Special Forces than it is about Trump. Further, Trumps emotional bombing was a one-off, not strategic. It did no lasting damage to the Shuayrat Base, from which fighter jets went on flying. And Trump has already announced that he wants to be out of Syria by October. Further, the barrel bomb may have been intended to kill 25 persons so that the attack might fly under the radar; this sort of weapon is unpredictable in its effects and the death toll rose to the level where it hit the headlines.

It is tiresome that one keeps having to fight against regime and Russian fake news about all this. The United Nations Commission of Inquiry on Syria has found large numbers of regime chemical weapons attacks. The rebels, in contrast, are not thought to have sarin, e.g., in their arsenal. While the Army of Islam could conceivably have chlorine, pro-regime and Putinesque trolls would have to twist themselves into pretzels to explain why it would release it in its own territory.

Here is a UN infographic on the regimes chem use:
The world war crimes courts chief prosecutor Sunday called for an end to ongoing bloodshed in the Gaza Strip, warning that the court could try those who commit gross atrocities.

The resort to violence must stop, Fatou Bensouda said in a statement issued by the International Criminal Court, based in The Hague.

Any person who incites or engages in acts of violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any other manner to the commission of crimes within ICCs jurisdiction is liable to prosecution before the Court, Bensouda said.

Israel is facing mounting questions over the use of live fire that left some 30 Palestinians dead in 10 days of protests and clashes along the Gaza Strip border.

Violence spiked again on Friday, when clashes erupted as thousands protested along the border, and nine Palestinians, including a journalist, were killed.

Palestinian authorities signed up to the ICCs founding Rome Statute document in early January 2015 in which they accepted the courts jurisdiction.

Shortly afterwards, Bensouda announced she was opening a preliminary probe to determine whether there was enough evidence to launch a full-blown investigation into any alleged crimes committed in the Palestinian territories since June 2014.

Reacting to the latest escalation, Bensouda said violence against civilians could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute, as could the use of civilian presence for the purpose of shielding military activities.

Any new alleged crimes committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my offices scrutiny, Bensouda said.

The ICC is the worlds only independent permanent tribunal, set up in 2002 to probe the worst crimes including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
And more recently, on April 7 four years ago, I walked into the Register offices for the first time as editor. It fulfilled a longtime dream of mine, a dream I had lost hope of ever achieving as the newspaper industry struggled and contracted.

Its a bit hard even to remember what the Register was like when I got here. So much has changed  we have a new building, weve been through several new website designs, our print format has changed somewhat. Even the way we design and print our pages has undergone a complete revolution.

As with all newspaper these days, our staff is smaller than it was four years ago, and yet somehow our tight little team continues to fill the paper every day with interesting and important news. Through a series of disasters and emergencies, my staff has risen to the occasion  the earthquake, the fires of 2015 and 2017, the Veterans Home shooting, and many more.

What hasnt changed is what a great community this is, from one end of the county to the other. It has been a pleasure being editor of this newspaper, and leading this staff, and getting to know so many of you.
Physician suicide is also a problem in India. Heres what you can do.

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Today a physician told me she lost three colleagues to suicide in the last two months.

Loma Linda Hospital just lost three young doctors to suicide in 6 months.

Mount Sinai had 3 docs jump in less than 2 years  from the same building.

An anesthesiologist recently told me he lost 8 of his colleagues to suicide.

Each suicide should be fully investigated, yet few receive root cause analysis of the specific circumstances leading to their deaths.

In January, I reported on my investigation into 757 doctor suicides in The Washington Post. (Now Ive got nearly 900 suicides on my registry.)

Recently, Dr. Oz exposed the hidden epidemic and shared his loss of 3 close physician friends to suicide.

Since starting a suicide hotline for doctors in 2012, Ive spoken to thousands of depressed and suicidal physicians.

Last evening I spent an hour speaking to an Indian resident who is being bullied relentlessly by her program director at a US hospital. She disclosed, the working environment is so very toxic that I dread going to hospital every morning. The program killed my joy for medicine. I feel dead inside  empty. I feel like killing my self every single day. Almost every resident I know is on some type of anti-depressant or an ADHD medication.

Fueled in part by bullying, chronic human rights violations, and lack of mental health care, doctor suicide is now a global epidemic. Just last weekend, we lost two young physicians to suicide in India.

Ruhi Hathidra, a 26-year-old third-year pediatric resident killed herself by injecting an anaesthetic in her hospital dormitory on Saturday 3/24/18. Police revealed she was pregnant.

P. Siva Teja Reddy, a 31-year-old first-year neurology resident killed himself the following day. He was a compassionate and brilliant doctor who spent his own money to repair wheelchairs and buy medical supplies for his poor patients. He was found hanging in his hospital dorm. Though print media reported loneliness as the reason for his suicide, the real cause of death according to his colleagues is inhumane working conditions per an email I received from a physician in India late last evening.

His colleagues are now demanding an inquiry into the circumstances of his death and have presented to authorities the following documents in which they declare:

1. P. Siva Teja Reddy was tortured to such an extent that he was having fear of presenting cases due to public humiliation in front of colleagues and patients (called pimping in U.S.).

2. Like P. Siva Teja Reddy, many residents are being publicly humiliated with abusive language in front of colleagues, staff, and patients for even small issues.

3. Residents have no specific work hours and have no days off after 36 hours of strenuous duty leading to physical and mental distress.

4. Residents do not have time for recreation or to even see their families or spouse leading to fractured relationships and extreme emotional distress.

5. Residents are afraid to take any leave, and this has led to miscarriages in female residents who are warned not to conceive during training.

What you can do:

1. If you are a doctor or medical student, demand that your human rights are respected. Stand in solidarity with your colleagues as these residents are doing in India.

2. If you are a patient, ask your doctors, How long have you been on your shift? If greater than 16 hours you should request another doctor. Boycott hospital systems and clinics that violate the human rights of patients  and doctors.

3. View the Do No Harm trailer. An international film tour is planned. Request a screening in your town.

Pamela Wible pioneered the community-designed ideal medical clinic and blogs at Ideal Medical Care. She is the author of Physician Suicide Letters  Answered and Pet Goats and Pap Smears. Watch her TEDx talk, How to Get Naked with Your Doctor. She hosts the physician retreat, Live Your Dream, to help her colleagues heal from grief and reclaim their lives and careers.

Image credit: Pamela Wible
Parenting has changed a great deal - even in the last ten years alone.

The prevalence of smartphone technology and social media fashions mean a childs parents are forever tackling new challenges as part of a lifelong battle to keep their children safe.

Understanding consensual sex is an integral part of protecting men and women, boys and girls. Relationships and sexual education were always an uncomfortable topic to discuss in many household and in many classrooms too.

The birds and the bees talk is an idiom often used in the lead up to parents delicately telling their young children about sexual intercourse.

Those conversations are likely to have begun with: When a man loves a woman very much...and a woman loves a man very much...sometimes... and we all know the rest. It was too simplistic a tale.

Consensual sex requires more of an understanding than that antiquated analogy.

The newly passed Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 says a person consents to a sexual act if he or she freely and voluntarily agrees to engage in that act.

The definition should become as familiar to children as the birds and the bees - not an easy message to convey - but achievable through teaching and informed parenting.

Its the reality in Ireland today, that consensual sex has had to be defined in law, as well as what is not consensual sex.

Primary school children are to be taught about sexual consent under a major review of sex education in schools. Good.

Schools should be taking the lead in such important and challenging conversations for parents.

The birds and the bees was a pleasant narrative for parents to spin around sex when they have the talk with youngsters.

The birds the bees...and then consent is a more complex narrative to communicate. But the consent condition before and during sex must be instilled into the mind of every child - both male and female.
The Herald reports:

New Zealand has one of the least generous pensions relative to the working wage, according to research by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Retirees in the Netherlands receive more than 100 per cent of their countrys average working wage but Kiwi superannuitants get just 43 per cent  ranking it 6th worst equal with Australia.

But this is not comparing apples with apples.

We are almost unique in the world in having a superannuation scheme that is universal with no means testing or asset testing, and where employees do not contribute to the scheme (no compulsory contributions).

There is no other state scheme as generous in my view.

But increasing the retirement age was still on the agenda for many: half of the OECD countries planned to do so in the future, including some that had linked it to rising life expectancy. Under New Zealands Labour-led Government the age of eligibility for New Zealand Superannuation is set to stay at 65.

Countries lifting the age to over 65 are:

67  Australia, Iceland, Israel, Norway, US

68  Finland, Ireland, Portugal, Slovak, UK

71  Italy, Netherlands

74  Denmark

It is madness that we are not lifting the age also.

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South Africans enjoy Heritage Day in Seoul last year. / Photo by John Redmond



By John Redmond



When interacting with expats on the Korean Peninsula, one nationality often leaves people with a strong sense of curiosity: South Africans.



Hailing from the southern-most country on the tip of the African continent, South Africans are no strangers when it comes to traveling to seek work opportunities.



South Africa, like much of the African continent, has experienced more than its share of troubles, past and present. But it still boasts a wealth of talent among young university graduates.



As English is an official language, one of 11, many see teaching in Korea as a tempting option amid skyrocketing local unemployment and a shrinking rand.



"The packages they offered us were great," said Emma Dunn from Cape Town. "I came for six months; I've been here for five years."





South Africans join in the fun of Heritage Day in Seoul last year. / Photo by John Redmond



Many highlighted the benefits of life in a country with a lower crime rate and greater infrastructure than back home.



"Life over here is amazing. It's so safe," Taahiera Carolus said. "I walk around at 11 p.m. at night with my phone and earphones and my wallet and nothing happens. I totally love that about Korea.



"I absolutely love it here. The medical system is out if this world. Everything is quick and convenient  from banking, medical checks, transportation and so much more. I totally understand why many teachers tend to stay and make a living here."



Issues of race and stereotyping are minor problems.



"I'm also Muslim and colored, so I always get people staring at my complexion and especially with my students when I wear my headscarf," Carolus said. "As far as I know, I'm the only Muslim in my city (Paju)."



"When people ask me where I'm from and I say 'South Africa', they say, 'but you are white,'" Dunn laughed. "Not only Koreans, but other foreigners too."





South Africans flocked to Heritage Day in Seoul last year. / Photo by John Redmond



As with most groups of foreigners, networks began to form as people started organizing celebrations of traditional holiday festivals.



One such group, SAKorNET, a nonprofit organization that organizes social events for the South African community, has a large presence on Facebook and hosts events like Freedom Day, Heritage Day, Christmas parties and meet-and-greet braais.



A braai is a traditional South African-style barbecue and get-together that involves grilling lamb chops, boerewors (a South African spiced beef and pork sausage) and other meat on an outdoor wood fire.



"The hosting of these events depends on interest from our community members," SAKorNET administrators said.



"The South African Embassy also sends out invitations to festivals like the Seoul-Africa Festival that caters to African countries contributing to Korea, and the Seoul Friendship Fair, which is more general in that it allows guests to interact with people from around the world."





Roddy Bancroft at Braai Republic in Itaewon. / Photo by John Redmond



Another upside to the surge of young foreigners is the need to enjoy traditional cuisine.



Braai Republic, Korea's first South African-run restaurant serving traditional South African food, opened in Itaewon in 2011.



Owned by Chris Truter and Roddy Bancroft, the signature dishes include lamb chops, a range of sausages including boerewors, and freshly baked meat pies.



Other items on the menu include selections of South African alcoholic beverages and snacks.



Truter and Bancroft originally began catering South African-style foods and snacks at local rugby games, as well as food stalls at international food markets.



Braai Republic has since opened a branch in Pyeongtaek.





Braai Republic brings a little taste of South Africa to Seoul. / Photo by John Redmond
President President Trump says that Amazon has turned the U.S. Postal Service into its "Delivery Boy." He also says the Post Office loses money on packages it delivers for the tech company, although it's not clear whether this is true. (Amazon's founder, Jeffrey P. Bezos, owns The Washington Post.) In fact, the nation's shipping industry is plagued by misunderstandings and uncertainties - at a time when shipping is transforming, powered by advances in artificial intelligence, mapping and automation.

Myth No. 1: Packages will save the Postal Service.

Packages are the only growing segment of the postal business, leading some to conclude that an increased focus on package delivery will help the Postal Service survive in the world of decreasing mail volumes. Former postmaster general Jack Potter recently argued that delivering packages for companies such as Amazon is "the solution right now." Trump claims that the Postal Service needs to charge parcel shippers "MUCH MORE!" to account for it "losing many billions of dollars a year."
The Trump administration intensified its fight with California last month when the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit arguing that the states so-called sanctuary laws undermine federal immigration enforcement and are therefore unconstitutional. A few cities and counties in California have also opposed the policies in recent weeks.

Despite all the bluster, California is likely to prevail. The Supreme Courts governing interpretation of the 10th Amendment protects the autonomy of states and prevents them from being conscripted into federal enforcement programs.

Whatever the outcome of the lawsuit, a new development could undercut the DOJs anti-sanctuary campaign. Across California and the country, many institutions of everyday life  churches, schools, employers, businesses and nonprofits of every stripe  are taking bold steps to protect undocumented immigrants. The sanctuary offered by this groundswell has the potential to be just as effective as the protections offered by the state.

Churches from Tucson to Boston have offered shelter to the undocumented and provided emotional and spiritual support to families under threat of deportation. In Los Angeles, an extensive consortium of religious organizations of various faiths has provided housing, food and legal assistance to undocumented immigrants.
The Union Territory of Diu may not be making so much to the news, but now it has set a clear example for everyone in the country to follow. Diu now totally functions on solar energy and despite having a comparative land crunch, the territory manages to make a surplus of electricity. Just within a span of three years, the union territory the place has made such a significant progress when it comes to using the renewables. People globally are bearing the brunt of the damage that is already done to the environment, be it extreme heat or coldest winters. The rising pollution leading to the climate change is one of the biggest challenges we as humans face today.

Diu has a limited geographical area of just about 42 sq km, but more than 50 acres of the land here shines silver with the solar panel installations. In the Fudam area of Diu, lies the solar park which can produce 9 MW of solar power. The solar plant was installed in two phases. The project started in 2016 and the total cost is about Rs 62.48 crore, but it all gets it worth within three years as the territory goes green with regards to electricity. From a time to importing its electricity from nearby state Gujarat, Diu is now totally self-sufficient for its needs. Daman and Diu electricity departments executive engineer Milind Ingle told TOI, "Dius peak time demand for electricity goes up to 7MW and we generate about 10.5MW of electricity from solar energy daily. This is way more than the consumption demand requirement."

That's not where it stops. The next step is to explore the wind energy sources. By the year 2019, there will be windmills set up which will help in generation of another 6.8 MW. An island with a population of just about 56,000 it makes its mark in the least populated places in the country. The people here have also taken a keen interest in installing solar panels on their rooftops, which facilitates 3 MW of the generated energy. With a combination of solar and wind energy powering it, Diu will be totally self-reliant and that's the kind of example we need to look forward to setting up, in different parts of the country.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2018 04:14 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
TN Seshan headed the Election Commission of India between 1990-96. The 85-year-old retired bureaucrat is now residing in Chennai. (Photo Credits: PTI)

New Delhi, April 8: Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Jitendra Singh were the latest to fell victim to the fake news circulating on social media claiming the death of former Chief Election Commissioner TN Seshan. Singh on Sunday tweeted the hoax news, paying homage to the ex-CEC, who is still alive at his residence in Chennai.

In his tweet, the Union MoS also tagged the Press Information Bureau, along with five others including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley. The post was retweeted by Irani, who heads the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting. Both the leaders, after being pointed out by the Twitterati about the factual inaccuracy of news, deleted their tweets. LatestLY had warned its readers on April 2 about the death hoax.

Here is the screenshot of Jitendra Singh's tweet:

Screengrab of fake news tweeted by the Union Minister.

Irani retweeted the hoax message without verifying its factuality:

The tweet, however, was deleted by Irani shortly after posting it.

TN Seshan headed the Election Commission of India between 1990-96. During his tenure, some of the most remarkable poll reforms were undertaken, including a limit on candidate's expenditure per constituency, issuance of Voter ID cards and crackdown on all forms of bribery during the electioneering.

The 85-year-old retired bureaucratic is currently residing in Chennai. The death news hoax went viral on April 1, a day after his wife Jayalakshmi Seshan passed away. The hoax messages claimed that Seshan died a day after his wife's demise. However, the news was found to be untrue.

Embarrassment for Smriti Irani?

The faux pas by Irani comes at a time when her Ministry is contemplating stern measures to regulate the flow of fake news on the digital platform. Under her directions, the Ministry is reportedly considering to appoint a committee which will forge the framework for regulating online news.

The proposed committee will be led by top bureaucrats - Secretaries of I&B, Electronics and IT, MHA, Legal Affairs and Industrial Policy - along with the CEO of MyGov.in. Adequate representation will also be given to the Press Council of India, the News Broadcasters Association and the Indian Broadcasters Federation.

While speaking at an event in mid-March, Irani had stressed on the need to eliminate fake news from the information cycle.

Her Ministry also stoked a controversy after it issued an order earlier in the week which proposed lowering the accreditation of journalists, or completely suspending it, if he/she is found propagating fake news. The order, however, was rescinded after the Prime Minister's Office intervened.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2018 11:59 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
In a shocking incident which shows the dire consequences of being a cannibal, an addict killed a farmer and then ate his body. The horror does not end here, he even used the blood from the body to paint. The incident took place in Venezuela and the accused, identified as Luis Alfredo Gonzales Hernandez has admitted to the crime. Details of the story seem to be far from over as the murderer claims that the farm owner had hired him to carry out the brutal act.

The local police of the Barlovento region of the Venezuelan state of Miranda where the incident happened has dubbed the killer as 'the cannibalistic artist'.

The agents from the Scientific, Penal, and Criminal Investigative Body (CICPC) arrested the cannibalist after which the body's director, Douglas Rico, shared pictures of the suspected murderer along with the paintings the accused drew, on social media.

In his post, Rico said that the man has admitted to the crime. He further writes, "After his arrest and through interrogation he admitted his guilt in the incident, stating he had quartered and eaten a large part of the human."

Here are the pictures:

The director confirmed that the man claimed that the unnamed farm owner had hired him for the crime. Rico writes, "The deceased had hired him for a funeral service, which consisted of killing him (the victim), eating part of the body and making paintings on canvas with his blood and ashes."

Investigators have also found belongings of other people at the crime scene. They are working to find if they are listed as missing. Reportedly, other pieces of art were also found at the crime scene and forensic analysts are trying to discover if they were made from human remains.

The act can be referred to as human cannibalism in which humans eat the flesh or internal organs of other human beings. There are different types of cannibalism of which cases of sexual cannibalism have been reported in the past. Most criminologists and psychologists term such people as sociopaths characterised by selfishness, and lack of remorse.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Apr 08, 2018 12:38 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Aston Martin won't offer electric SUV after all

Apr 8, 2018, 2:57am ET

The model will launch with gasoline powertrains.

Aston Martin won't offer an electric variant of its first-ever SUV, according to a recent report.

The brand previewed the model by showing an all-electric concept car named DBX (pictured) at the 2015 Geneva auto show. This spawned rumors claiming the zero-emissions drivetrain would make the transition to production. Company CEO Andy Palmer told Automotive News the soft-roader (which could wear the name Varekai) will not offer a full-electric option.

Palmer also ruled out plug-in hybrid and diesel models, adding he thinks diesel's life is limited. Though he didn't reveal technical specifications, that leaves us with gasoline-powered engines like the twin-turbocharged V8 Aston Martin borrows from Mercedes-AMG. Range-topping variants will likely receive the firm's own V12 engine.

Aston will build the Varekai in a brand-new facility located in Wales. Sales are tentatively scheduled to begin next year, meaning the production model could be just a few short months away from breaking cover. The segment will very quickly become very crowded.

When it lands, the Aston Martin Varekai will compete in the same segment as the Lamborghini Urus and the Bentley Bentayga. Upcoming rivals include the Rolls-Royce Cullinan, which will break cover by the end of the year, and Ferrari's first SUV, which we might not see until the early 2020s. Lotus is working on an SUV, too, but it will be smaller and more affordable than Aston's.

Photos by Ronan Glon.
Apr 7, 2018, 9:06am ET

Next Subaru WRX to keep stick, but no hatchback planned

The next-generation WRX could go hybrid, too.

Subaru has shot down rumors claiming the next-generation WRX won't offer a manual transmission. The stick is on its way out of the brand's line-up, but it will live on in its sportier models for at least one more generation.

"We'll still have manual transmissions in our performance line like for the WRX," Tom Doll, the CEO of Subaru's North American division, told Australian website Drive. He added the option will no longer be offered on the Forester, however.

Enthusiasts can breathe a sigh of relief. Expected to arrive in 2020, the next-generation WRX and WRX STI models will carry on with a manual transmission (or an optional continuously variable transmission) and a turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Separate reports claim both models will receive an evolution of the 2.4-liter flat-four introduced in the seven-seater Ascent crossover. The mill could make 330 horsepower in its most powerful configuration.

Design-wise, Subaru's next hot rods will borrow styling cues from the VIZIV Performance concept (pictured) introduced at last year's edition of the Tokyo auto show. Both will ride on the modular platform also found under the latest Impreza and Forester models. They'll launch as four-door sedans; the hatchback variant won't return in the foreseeable future.

"We don't have plans to bring back a WRX hatch to the market," affirmed Mamoru Ishii, Subaru's head of design, in an interview with Digital Trends.
This year the Gerard Manley Hopkins International Literary Festival celebrates 31 years of active service since 1987.

Preparations are well underway and this year there is a very exciting programme of events lined up.

While the Hopkins Festival follows a familiar format, organisers point out the content is always new.

The festival will be opened by German Ambassador Potzel on Friday, July 20, in Newbridge College Theatre.

Lecturers from Finland, Egypt, Oxford, Luxembourg, Romania, Japan, USA, Germany and Wales  as well as leading Irish poets will attend. A key highlight is the annual piano recital by recently honoured Swedish maestro, Hans Palsson, which is not to be missed.

An International Poetry Reading Event will be held at the Riverbank, Newbridge, featuring poets from Japan, Sweden, Ireland, Romania, India, UK, France and Argentina. This poetry event will feature the legendary Roger McGough, who was voted UKs most popular poet. As part of the popular Student Programme, this year local students will be joined by 30 students from Germany and USA.

There is something for everyone at the Hopkins Festival to choose from or dip in and out of. Among them some of the following activities: Visit to Dublin and Maynooth College with Banquet; Writing Workshop in Newbridge Library by Desmond Egan, Internationally recognised poet and scholar of the classics; Whiskey Tasting event; Poetry and much more, said PRO Cllr Morgan McCabe.

Check out www.gerardmanleyhopkins.

org or find the group on Facebook and You Tube.
On March 13, the Kildare Toastmasters held its annual International Speech contest and Evaluations contest.

Marvellous Maureen McCowen managed to complete the double on the night fending off competition from David Clinton, runner up in the International Speech contes, and seasoned competitors James Dunny and Eilish McCormack in the Evaluations contest.

Mad and amusing Table Topics were conducted by former club President Anthony Casey.

Maureen now progresses to the Area finals. The unique and interesting part of this contest is that, should a contestant progress through the area, division and district finals they then compete at the World Toastmasters Convention in Chicago in August 2018 where over 3000 clubs are represented worldwide.

Best of luck to Maureen!

If you need help to become a confident public speaker or a competent leader why not contact Kildare Toastmasters.

Call the hotline on 087 7682544, email kildaretoasties@gmail.com or message us on Facebook on Kildare Toastmasters or have a look at the our website www.kildaretoastmasters.com The club meets on the second Tuesday of each month and when you visit as a guest you can be assured of a warm welcome.

SEE ALSO: My Kildare Life: Interview with Kill footballer Sam Byrne
This week's article is written by Barry's colleague Joanne Dowds, MISCP.

Taking a break from putting Ikea furniture together, I sit on the floor surveying my house. This is the last piece of furniture, the place is technically now fully furnished. It is a long way from where I started with two camp chairs with bin bags for curtains.

This final push included emotionally blackmailing a sister to help me pick out a wardrobe for the second bedroom. She spent a fair bit of the time telling me that we weren't going to fit in my 14-year-old three-seater but we did  just about  more by serendipity than any actually planning on my part.

I convinced a neighbour to help bring the unmanageable load through the front door and the composite parts are now scattered around the house. This place was less a labour of love and more extreme penance with excessive additional use of my overdraft facility. It has occupied lots of waking moments and nothing will bring my stress levels to a squeaky peak quicker than if something goes awry within these four walls.

When the house was in an absolute state pre innovation, the gym was where I went practically every day for showers, but also to work through the particular house-related issue of the day.

Sweating on a gym mat kept me relatively sane. I get asked regularly now if I am happy with how the house has worked out, after it has settled down and the answer has to be a yes.

It was a good financial decision, the majority of the pain is hopefully behind me but, janey, every now and again (particularly when something breaks) I wish I was still renting and could ring someone to sort it, breeze out for a coffee and not think about the potential implications. But the house hasnt felt like my home until very recently.

In the last few weeks, I have had some plumbing issues. In the hours while waiting for the plumber to call round, diagnose and find a remedy, I went straight to muscle-clenching catastrophizing terror at the potential financial impact.

So I took a breath and thought what would make this indeterminable waiting easier, and turned to exercise. I went to the gym.

It worked. Movement again helped establish some order to my thinking, I could sort my worries into a rational list. I worked off the pent up negative energy, but the ordered list of worries were still there.

Some places, people or things can feel like home immediately. The instant whole body recognition of sameness can be terrifying or exhilarating. Sometimes I go running toward a newfound sudden enthusiasm or bolt away with all the speed and guile of a startled sheep.

I remember the first yoga class I ever attended, in a church hall in Rathgar, the year I started working. I found joy in the slow repetitive patterns of movement, and the level of clear headedness I felt afterward. Enthusiastically talking about it the following day, a colleague told me it could be a life long challenge and so far it has been. Occasionally I step away, get busy, get caught up but I have always come back. The sense of belonging is still there, and it brings me home to myself. Isnt that what a sense of home allows  returning to comfort by instinct, to a known?

After sorting my worries into a rational list, I went to a yoga class which enabled me to put the mental list of worries down.

Two forms of exercise in the one day wouldnt be normal for me, but for that day it was a good choice. When I returned to my place, I still had problems but was without the anxiety I had left with that morning. The shadow of the old house still exists in my memory; where walls, damp patches and rotten floorboards were located. They are less vivid, fading, Im not sure if they will ever go completely.

But after some exercise-related insight, I could see the progress  not perfect by any means but lots of movement forward. Exercise gives me the ability to have perspective on it, as it did during the renovation and as it does now dealing with issues including those of being a home owner. The path that has taken me from where it was to where it is, strewn with swear words, tears, learning and on occasion hysterical laughter. But it was worth it.

Local physio and Newbridge AC member, Barry Kehoe offers advice to runners of all levels. See www.kehoephysio.com
Longford native Siona Cahill (25), currently Deputy President of USI and Vice President for Equality and Citizenship, has been elected to lead the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) for the 2018-2019 term at the annual Congress in Galway. The Union represents over 374,000 students across Ireland.

Cahill is a graduate of a BCL Law and Sociology of Maynooth University and served two terms as Maynooth University Students Union Vice President for Welfare and Equality before being elected to the national position with the USI.

Speaking after the election, Cahill said: In 2018-2019, students will be a force to be reckoned with in the battle ongoing about the future and current funding of higher level education in Ireland. Its time the Oireachtas reveal which model they recommend before our entire educational landscape collapses. With the Technological Universities enshrined into law, we must protect Students Unions and their ethos by working closely with allies in other unions. At all levels of higher education, we must ensure students are at the centre of decision making, and we must resist absolutely the commodification of education in Ireland.

The housing crisis is now rumbling into a rental crisis - pricing students out of accommodation. Students are waiting up to 6 weeks to maybe see a counsellor on campus. It is the very basis of our movement that we create the space to criticise and improve the systems we interact with as students. This will be a core battle into next year, and I am committed to it.

Cahill went on to say, I look forward to working with the students of Ireland, and come July 1st I will be reaching out to organisations and policy makers who share our goals. More importantly, I want to reach out to those who do not share our vision, yet, for an accessible education system in a bid to bring people on side.
20:28

Mumbai's JJ Hospital authorities today confirmed that Indrani Mukerjea, arrested in August, 2015 for allegedly killing daughter Sheena Bora, had received an overdose of medicines.

They added that she was stable now and put the onus of finding out how she might have been administered an overdose of medicines on the police.

Mukerjea was brought to the JJ Hospital at around 11:15 pm on Friday from the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai in a "semi-conscious" state and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit, doctors said.

"It is a case of drug overdose. She was on anti-depressants. I asked her which tablets she had taken, but she did not reply. I will be asking her again. As far as the overdose is concerned, it is for the police to investigate," Dr Sudhir Nanandkar, Dean of JJ Hospital, told reporters.

He added that Mukerjea, 46, was administered medicines orally by the jail guards at the stipulated intervals.

Doctors at the hospital said the medicines were not placed in Mukerjea's hand nor was she allowed to store them.

"So, the circumstances under which an overdose might have taken place have to be investigated by the police," one of the doctors said.

Mukerjea's daughter, Sheena Bora, 24, was abducted and killed on April 24, 2012 allegedly over a financial dispute and her body disposed of in a forest in the adjoining Raigad district, according to the police.

Mukerjea, her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai were arrested for the crime. Rai later turned an approver (prosecution witness) in the case. -- PTI
ASSISTANT Commissioner David Sheahan oversaw a major crack-down on crime in Limerick city which resulted in the prosecution of major figures on both sides of Limericks gangland feud.

During those trials in the Special Criminal Court and Central Criminal Court he sat in the back pews of the courtroom. The murders of Roy Collins and Shane Geoghegan had the whole city united in revulsion. Then Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern described the latter as an absolutely awful killing committed by scum.

The pressure was on Chief Superintendent David Sheahan and colleagues to get results. And when those results were delivered in a court of law Asst Comm Sheahan, who has received the Limerick Person of the Month award for his efforts, said people welled up within themselves.

Those families suffered so much and to get the outcomes that they did in the courts on those occasions was gratifying for me- to get them over the line. That is only part of the story. The story was the victims, and from my perspective to be able to turn to those victims and look them in the eye. You didnt have to say anything - I think the verdict spoke for itself. My job was the investigative end of it and to bring that to a conclusion, said Asst Comm Sheahan, who says the names Roy Collins and Shane Geoghegan softly.

Their families have to live with the consequences of the actions of some ruthless people in the city at the time. They have to live with that for the rest of their lives. I move on to my next investigation but I dont forget those victims. Those victims are very important to me so to look those families in the eye after the verdicts and we would end up with a hug, words cant describe that. At the time words were superfluous, the families needed to see justice and justice being done. They had gone through, literally, hell. It doesnt bring closure to them. People say it brings closure but it brings part closure to them  every day they have to live with the loss of their loved ones for no reason, said Asst Comm Sheahan.

When he arrived in 2010 he hit the ground running and aimed to hit major criminals even harder.

It was in your face policing and I make no apologies for it. I was very fortunate that the Regional Response Unit was attached to Limerick. It was an instrument in changing the mindset of some of these people trying to take us on. We were lucky we had access to national units like the ERU and they came down to give us a dig out. We had our own units and what we really had to do was to be in the faces of those that were causing the grief around the entire city. Within that we had a number of occasions where cracks appeared and we exploited those cracks, recalled Asst Comm Sheahan.

An instrument he utilised to good effect was Section 2A of the Bail Act.

I was able to give opinion evidence before the High Court in respect of people who were seeking bail for very serious crimes that were happening in the city. There was a decision-making model that was going on behind the scenes. Looking at the community and how it was going to impact the community. Looking internally as to the impact, trying to investigate serious crime and then looking at the individual themselves within that sphere, and whether they were going to intimidate the witnesses or people associated with witnesses.

I was going before very eminent judges in the High Court to try and keep people in [custody] with a view to making the place better. That was just one of the strategies but certainly it was a significant strategy that we were utilising in 2010 and onwards to keep guys in and make sure we could investigate and keep our communities safe.

Asst Comm Sheahan said in 2008 / 2009 the number of shootings in Limerick was way above the national average. In one year there was 107 feud related shootings. In 2017, it was four.

That speaks volumes, he said. But back then there were residents in city estates who would hear a gun shot and jump behind the settee because they knew a window was put in, he says.

Thankfull, that day has gone but we forget the journey we have travelled. I would like people to reminisce on the journey. The city has moved on so much.

While there were many successful prosecutions, Asst Comm Sheahan appealed for the publics help with unsolved murders and in particular Lee Slattery and Jeffrey Hannan.

There are still victims out there who havent got closure. There is information out there within the communities  please come forward and we will deal with it as sensitively as we did all the others so those victims can have their day in court and have some closure.

That is hugely important from my perspective. For every good result there are times we dont get the result we want.

The county had its troubles too with the bizarre series of hay barn fires that caused widespread fear in Doon and the wider east Limerick area in 2015.

Those atrocities were not long after the aggravated burglaries at the Creeds and Garveys. These were serious crimes that were happening in a very rural and easy going part of Limerick. My response was to get out into the community and talk to the community and give them a small bit of comfort and confidence that we are there to help you.

Thankfully, all of those investigations were brought to a successful conclusion.

We come from the people and we are of the people. I really think that is what we are about.
NEW mums in the Mid-West will soon have the option to avail of water immersion and hydrotherapy during labour at University Maternity Hospital Limerick.

The UL Hospitals Group announced this week that the new service will commend at the end of next month as a prototype for normal-risk women in a newly-refurbished home birthing room at UMHL.

The announcement was made two weeks ahead of a free public lecture at University Hospital Limerick on the topic of water immersion.

Water immersion is part of a range of supports provided in the home birthing room to facilitate natural labour.

This refurbishment of the facility was driven by requests from women and the publication of the Governments national maternity strategy.

Eileen Ronan, acting director of midwifery said: The National Maternity Strategy identifies three care pathways in its model of care, based on the risk profile of women. The supported care pathway is intended for normal-risk women, with midwives leading and providing care within a multidisciplinary framework. With this in mind, the opening of the refurbished home birthing room is welcomed, she said.

Ms Ronan added: The first priority is always safe care, therefore we have criteria to facilitate the use of the pool. An information leaflet is being developed for women, and staff training is progressing. There is already significant interest from women in the Mid-West for the new service. The pool is only one element of the new space for holistic care aimed at supporting normal birth. The bed does not dominate the room in anyway. Women can move from the floor to leaning against the bed, to the shower to using the ball.

Dr Mark Skehan, consultant obstetrician/gynaecologist, said he is looking forward to opening the new service.

Water immersion and hydrotherapy can be quite effective for pain relief and a larger element of all of this will be using the room for more natural processes and trying to get more natural birth. We have in addition to the bath, an adjoining shower room, a birthing cube, and birthing balls. This is something of a prototype for us and if it is successful and demand increases, we hope to do the same thing in another labour room.

Ms Ronan invites members of the public to attend a session on Water Immersion for Labour, as part of the public lecture series, at the Clinical Education and Research Building at UHL on Tuesday, April 17 at 6pm.
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A LOCAL councillor has complained about the confusing nature of Limerick Twenty Thirty, which leaves local representatives in the dark about how public money is spent.

Independent Cllr John Gilligan said that he and his fellow councillors are having to find out what is being bought in the local press.

This is not what we signed up for! he said at a meeting of the full council at County Hall.

The row originally broke out in January after the councils purchase of the Salesian Secondary School and Convent at Fernbank. News of the acquired property broke in the Limerick Leader before councillors were told.

At the full council meeting last week, Cllr Gilligan tabled a motion proposing that no contracts would be entered into or no property acquired without the councils permission. Council CEO Conn Murray said that this would not be possible.

But Cllr Gilligan also asked that the Limerick Twenty Thirty company make a presentation to the council at least twice a year, and that a statement of accounts be issued in conjunction with the budget every year. This, said Mr Murray, was fine.

The excuse we got when this was bought was that it was commercial sensitivity  that was why they couldnt tell us, said Cllr Gilligan.

We spend millions of euros which we personally are responsible for along with the council, and nobody tells us what we are doing.

We could come back here again next week and find that somebody has decided to purchase the proposed development which is now in decay on the Dublin Road. We could come back and find that we bought a stud farm, or that we bought a herd of pedigree cows down in Kerry, added Cllr Gilligan.

In fact, theres lots of things we could come back and find out we bought through the press. This is not good enough. Dont tell us after the fact. Im not prepared to be taken for a ride, he continued.

What Im asking for is simple accountability.

SF Cllr Seighin O Ceallaigh said that the purchase demonstrated a cloak and dagger approach to doing business.

FF Cllr Vivienne Crowley was in favour of a presentation by Limerick Twenty Thirty twice a year as well as seeing a statement of accounts, but she didnt see it as feasible that councillors would have a veto on decisions.

Solidarity Cllr Cian Prendiville said that he requested non-commercial documents, which he has the right to see, 10 weeks ago. He had yet to see sight nor light of them, he said.

Mr Murray reiterated that the land was purchased by the local authority and not by Limerick 2030.

FG Cllr Daniel Butler said that he was supportive of the Limerick Twenty Thirty model, but said that clarification was needed on the legal relationship between the company and the council.
THERE are widespread fears among the business community that the next generation of crime could plague Limerick city if current problems are not solved.

And Limerick Chamber of Commerce CEO, Dr James Ring is now calling on city centre businesses to stand together to stomp out the rise of violent retail crime in recent weeks.

It seems to be escalating now, which is the worrying part. And despite the fact that we have met with the gardai and the council about having a joined-up planbetween all three organisationsto try and target these people, it just doesnt seem to be working at the moment, he told the Limerick Leader.

Dr Ring said that the solution is to encourage Garda Headquarters to send more gardai to Limerick and to reduce clerical duty so more policing can be done on the streets.

Its about getting gardai away from clerical duty that could be done by laypeople. It doesnt have to be a garda that does the clerical duty, yet at the moment a lot of the clerical work is done by gardai. Which means they are not going out on the beat; they are sitting in offices, he said.

He added: We have met with very senior gardai in recent times to discuss the real issues that are going on because our fear is that, they have done such good work in cleaning up our city in the last decade, this could be the next generationthis element could be back again if we dont nip this in the bud now. Thats where our fear really is.

The Chamber chief said the problem is not at local level, but moreso at the national level and the lack of resources being given to Limerick.

He said that the Chamber of Commerce sees this issue as a top priority, and is calling on all concerned retailers in the city centre to engage with the organisation in order to tackle the problem.
TRIBUTES have been paid to long-time White House poetry compere Barney Sheehan, who revolutionised poetry readings in Limerick.

Mr Sheehan, who lived in Greystones and was a major figure on Limericks literary scene for decades, sadly passed away this Saturday. He was in his mid-80s and had been ill for some time.

Dominic Taylor of Limerick Writers Centre said Barney had revolutionised poetry in Limerick and, to a certain extent, in Ireland as well, by creating the open mic on a weekly basis".

He kind of democratised opportunities for poets to read, which, up 2003, it was very rare to have poetry readings where anybody could walk in off the street. That is his major achievement and that spread all over Ireland, said Mr Taylor of Barney, who was White House poetry MC for at least ten of its 13 years in operation in the city pub and which reached the landmark of 500 nights in 2013.

He was the first to do it on a weekly basis I think, which was his one great idea, for consistency and persistence  I think that is what he taught me anyway, and the Limerick Writers Centre wouldnt exist without what Barney started back in 2003.

He was a character and he left his mark on Limericks literary scene, added Mr Taylor.

RIP Barney Sheehan. Sorry to hear of Barney's passing earlier today. He added so much to the life of the city's politics, poetry and culture.  Prof Eoin Devereux (@ProfDevereux) April 7, 2018

Sorry to hear Barney Sheehan's passing. A more colourful character you couldn't meet. Only Limerick man ever to ride the length of O'Connell St on an elephant. RIP pic.twitter.com/ZYpZ88SAMH April 7, 2018

Barney was once described as the "General Custer of poetry in Limerick", by Tom McCarthy, who ran the poetry nights with him.

"To keep this going is his last stand. It is a tribute to him to keep this going week in week out. There is no other venue in the world which has done this," he said.

Mr Sheehan told the Limerick Leader in 2014 that "the most memorable moment was reaching 500 weeks. It was a great night. There was a great sense of humour, and a great sense of fun that night".
A MAN who was driving at 190kph and overtaking other vehicles had a charge of dangerous driving reduced to the lesser charge of careless driving at Newcastle West court.

But Judge Mary Larkin described John OConnor, Sandy Acre, Ballycannon, Meelick, Co Clare as a menace, fined him 250 and disqualified him from driving for six years for the offence last January 1 at Fanningstown.

She fined him 500 and disqualified him from driving for four years for drink driving on the same date and fined him a further 300 with a four-year disqualification for driving without insurance. She also fined him 200 for driving without a driving licence.

Garda John Shanahan, in his evidence, said he was on patrol when he saw a car driving at high speed and overtaking against oncoming traffic.

The car was travelling at about 190kph, he said, for some three kilometres or so and he pursued and stopped it. The driver, John OConnor, was in an extremely agitated state, the garda said.

There was a strong smell of alcohol from his breath and when asked for his address, he started shouting, saying it was my job.

Garda Shanahan called for back-up and OConnor threatened to do harm to me. When OConnor heard the back-up coming, he had to be subdued with pepper spray, the garda said.

Pleading for his client, solicitor Michael O'Donnell said OConnor had gotten a call saying his child was sick and he had to get to the grandmothers house in Brureee.

He shouldn't have driven knowing he was disqualified, Mr O'Donnell said. But his judgement was somewhat clouded as he had alcohol taken, he added. His client apologised for his behaviour.

He is a menace, an absolute menace, Judge Mary Larkin said, before convicting OConnor and imposing penalties. She fixed recognisance with leave to appeal at 250.
Jian Shi, assistant professor of materials science and engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, has earned a Young Investigator Research Program YIP Award from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research.

Shi said he will use the three-year, $450,000 grant to pursue fundamental research on nanoscale complex materials that could lead to the development of next-generation resilient and high-performance energy conversion and sensing technologies.

The YIP Award is one of the most competitive awards for young assistant professors and researchers in the United States, said Tracey Leibach, an RPI spokeswoman. It is awarded to scientists and engineers who have earned a doctorate or equivalent degrees in the last five years and show exceptional ability and promise for conducting basic research.

Shi has also received funding from the National Science Foundation, the Office of Naval Research, and IBM Corp. In his three-and-a-half years at RPI, his group has published more than 20 journal articles in prominent scientific journals such as Nature, Advanced Materials, Nano Letters, and ACS Nano.

Also, his students have received many society awards including a recent Materials Research Society Graduate Student Silver Award.

Regarding the YIP Award, Shi focuses on a fundamental understanding of atomic-scale symmetry science and engineering of low-dimensional electronic and optical materials; adaptive electronics and optics; and materials engineering for energy transformation.

Shi's AFOSR YIP project is titled "Nanoscale Pyroelectric Hybrid Materials Undergoing Structural Phase Transition."

Shi and his research group will use the grant to pursue fundamental research on nanoscale complex materials involving electronic symmetry breaking and hybrid domain physics.

"One focus of this program will be studying how a material's electrical property changes when a large pressure gradient is applied, i.e. flexoelectricity," Shi said. "This is an important subject, as the fundamental understanding obtained here could lead to the development of ultra-efficient or ultra-sensitive thermal-related technologies, such as high-performance uncooled infrared sensors."

He earned his doctorate in materials science at the University of Wisconsin at Madison in 2012, his master's degree in mechanical engineering at the University of Missouri at Columbia in 2008, and his bachelor's degree in materials science and engineering at Xi'an Jiaotong University in 2006.

Shi joined the Rensselaer faculty in 2014 after doing postdoctoral work at Harvard University.

Essay contest winners

The winners of this year's Capital District Patriot Flight High School Essay Contest titled "Why Thank A Veteran" have been announced.

They are:

Eric Assini, a senior at Shaker High School, Latham and Oandeel Sial, a sophomore at Guilderland High School.

Each winner will go on an excursion Honor Flight with World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to visit war memorials and other sites in Washington, D.C. Assini will go on the April 18 flight and Sial on the fall flight.

Veteran Walkathon

A walkathon for the benefit of veterans will be sponsored by the American Legion Auxiliary and Sons of the American Legion at noon Saturday, April 21 at Cook Park in Colonie.

Registration begins at 11 a.m. at Sharon Drive Pavilion off Lincoln Avenue. Make checks payable to NYS SAL. Donations will benefit Veterans Affairs Medical Center programs, veteran assisted living homes in New York, Albany Fisher House and Our Military Kids, which supports children of wounded troops, and deployed National Guard members and reservists.

For information, contact Judy Benner at 518-869-8668 or Dave Bishop at 518-590-6483.

Armor troops reunite

The 210th Armored Association will hold a dinner meeting at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Mercato's Restaurant on Delaware Avenue in Delmar.

Former members of the former New York Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 210th Armor, New Scotland Avenue Armory, Albany, and Hoosick Falls detachment are invited.

Sage Colleges is helping the association hold a tour and a catered luncheon at the New Scotland Avenue Armory at 11 a.m. April 16. The armory is now used by Sage Colleges.

Reservations for the tour and lunch are required by Tuesday. For information and to make reservations, contact Richard Vanderbilt at 716-548-2070.

News of your troops and units can be sent to Duty Calls, Terry Brown, Times Union, Box 15000, Albany, NY 12212 or brownt@timesunion.com.
As Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin battled last month to keep his job, his fate hinged in part on a once-obscure advocacy group backed by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch.

In the end, Shulkin's refusal to pursue greater outsourcing of health care for veterans - the top priority of the Koch-backed Concerned Veterans for America - further alienated him from the group's allies in the Trump administration and contributed to his ouster, according to officials familiar with the situation.

The VA secretary's fall underscores the growing clout that CVA is wielding in the Trump era through a national grass-roots network and sympathetic officials in the White House.

What began as a savvy political strategy - tapping veterans as a potent constituency and seizing on bureaucratic failures at the Department of Veterans Affairs to hammer the Obama administration - has transformed CVA into one of the most muscular arms of the conservative Koch network.

Since its formation seven years ago, the group has racked up major legislative victories and poured at least $52 million into campaigns and policy work, according to tax filings.

In a sign of its influence, President Donald Trump recently echoed a key talking point of the group on the need to expand VA's "Choice" program, which gives veterans access to private doctors. "We want them to have choice so that they can run to a private doctor and take care of it," the president said at a rally in Ohio the day after Shulkin's firing. "And it's going to get done."

Concerned Veterans for America is now positioned to shape the priorities of Trump's new VA nominee, Ronny Jackson, a little-known presidential physician with scant policy or political experience. And the group is gearing up to be a big player again in the congressional midterm elections, investing $3 million so far this cycle attacking vulnerable Senate Democrats as weak on veterans issues - with millions more likely to come.

But CVA is setting its sights even higher. In its most ambitious campaign yet, the organization said it is embarking on a long-term effort to transform some of the nation's most costly policy investments by remaking VA - the country's largest health-care system - and the financing of the nation's military. The group said it wants to cut what it views as wasteful defense spending, such as funding underused military bases.

Driving the organization is the stark libertarian philosophy of the network's founder, Charles Koch, who has long sought to curtail the reach of the federal government.

"This isn't a one-year fight. This isn't a two-year fight. This is a fight that is going to extend beyond the Trump administration," said Dan Caldwell, CVA's executive director and a Marine Corps combat veteran who served in Iraq. "When a system isn't working well, it's not just wasting taxpayer money; it's hurting our warfighters."

CVA's critics - including the congressionally chartered veterans groups - acknowledge the need for some private care, but they argue that unfettered privatization would be costly and siphon resources from the VA system.

Ryan Gallucci, director of national veterans services for Veterans of Foreign Wars, said that CVA does not represent the views of veterans, noting that VFW members report in surveys that they are happy overall with VA health care, despite its challenges.

"What they report doesn't match up against what our members tell us," Gallucci said. He said he is worried that CVA's agenda would hurt veterans.

"The notion of giving them a card to take anywhere is, quite frankly, a cop-out," he said. "It becomes downright dangerous. You need someone coordinating their care."

The traditional advocacy groups, which have been the dominant representatives of veterans since World War II, view Concerned Veterans for America as an interloper driven by the views of its wealthy backers, not average veterans.

"They're a political lobbying firm," said Louis Celli, national director of veterans affairs and rehabilitation for the American Legion, the country's largest veterans group. "They're not a veterans organization. They're using veterans issues as a tool to push a political agenda."

In media interviews after his ouster, Shulkin blamed his removal on forces that would benefit from a diminished government health-care system for veterans.

"I just don't see privatization as a good thing for veterans," he told PBS's "NewsHour" the day after his dismissal. "I think those that are really sticking to a political ideology are doing this for other reasons, like financial reasons, [and] don't have the interests of veterans at heart."

As a politically active nonprofit organization, Concerned Veterans for America is not required to disclose the names of its donors. Koch officials declined to respond to the suggestion that the group's financial backers would profit from the outsourcing of veterans' care.

Koch officials noted that CVA never publicly called for Shulkin's firing. And they argued that the group should be credited for drawing national attention to bureaucratic failures that hurt veterans.

"Part of CVA's tremendous growth has been on delivering really good reforms at the VA," said network spokesman James Davis.

Concerned Veteransfor America was formed in 2011 as a nonprofit group named Vets for Economic Freedom Trust, and was seeded withnearly $2 million from Koch network donors, tax documents show.

In its early days, the organization presented itself as a full-service veterans advocacy group. But it also tackled issues outside the usual fare of veterans groupsto focus on touting conservative policies that were top agenda items of the Koch network.

Ahead of the 2012 election, founding president Pete Hegseth - now a Fox News contributor - argued that the issue that most worried veterans was the national debt.

The implementation of the Affordable Care Act gave CVA an opening to go after the failures of big government. The group attacked the early technical problems of the website set up to help people enroll in the new health-care exchanges.

"It took the federal government more time to build a website than it took from the time Pearl Harbor was attacked to when Germany surrendered in World War II," a narrator said in a CVA ad. "Government-run health care doesn't work."

When managers at the Phoenix VA hospital were found to have fudged wait lists for veterans' medical appointments in 2014, CVA was among the first groups to organize a rally in Arizona to call on Congress to investigate claims that dozens of patients may have died while waiting for care.

The Phoenix scandal ballooned into a national crisis after VA's inspector general found systemic problems involving delayed medical care for veterans across the country. Then-VA Secretary Eric Shinseki eventually stepped down amid a CVA-led campaign demanding his resignation.

In the 2014 midterms, CVA featured the wait-time scandal in a large ad campaign and financed a "Get Out The Veteran" tour designed to drive up conservative turnout.

"Secret waiting lists. Veterans dying without seeing a doctor. The way government-run health care harmed our veterans at VA shows the threat government-run Obamacare is to all of us," intoned one television ad aimed at Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., who would go on to lose a reelection bid.

In all, the group spent $20 million on electoral and policy work during that cycle, officials said.

CVA also began pushing a specific policy agenda, calling for a "VA accountability" bill to make it easier to fire employees and "choice" legislation to give veterans more options for health care outside of the VA system.

The group also is seeking to fundamentally change whose costs the government will pay for by restricting the number of veterans eligible for VA health care.

Last June, Congress passed a VA accountability bill - which Trump signed while flanked by CVA officials. Lawmakers also have authorized billions of dollars for private care outside VA in the wake of the 2014 scandal. Concerned Veterans for America is now pushing an expansion of the "choice" program, which the White House has called a top priority.

That message has been repeatedly echoed on Fox News by Hegseth, an informal Trump adviser who was discussed at one point as a possible candidate for VA secretary.

More than one-third of veterans enrolled in the VA system - which serves 9 million veterans a year through 1,200 hospitals and clinics - now receive care from private doctors. But CVA's ultimate goal is to give every veteran the option to see a private doctor at government expense and create a nonprofit government corporation to oversee VA's medical facilities, officials said.

"What we want to do is create a strong VA that offers veterans a good choice, but not be their only choice," Caldwell said. "We want to give veterans the option to vote with their feet."

CVA's aims - once considered fringe in the veteran community - have gone mainstream under Trump.

Even though the Koch network pointedly refused to endorse Trump's White House bid in 2016, his campaign ended up adopting major CVA policy priorities. One key ally of the group was former GOP congressman Jeff Miller of Florida, a Trump campaign adviser who served as chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee. Miller did not respond to a request for comment.

After the election, former leaders of CVA and other Koch officials secured key posts inside the administration. In one pivotal appointment, Darin Selnick, a former senior CVA adviser, was tapped to be the administration's most influential voice on veterans policy and serve as the White House's veterans affairs adviser.

Current and former White House officials said that CVA is among a number of veterans groups that have a voice in the administration, and said Trump's views on veterans policies have been driven by his own observations on the campaign trail.

"The bottom line is, the White House is going to work with organizations that support the White House," said Selnick, who recently left his post to return home to California. "CVA has been very supportive of the White House, so they're going to have a seat at the table."

Shulkin, who had served as a top VA official in the Obama administration, initially had the support of Concerned Veterans for America, which was "optimistic" about his appointment, Caldwell said.

The new secretary began posting wait times for appointments and quality measures at VA's 1,200 medical centers. He pushed the accountability legislation, which cleared a fast path for VA to fire employees involved in misconduct.

"People thought he was very reform-minded. We were on very friendly terms," Selnick said.

But on one key bill, Shulkin ended up siding with more moderate lawmakers in the Senate, who did not want to outsource as much VA care to the private sector as the White House was seeking.

The friction led to a rift between Shulkin and White House officials. Selnick and Caldwell said Shulkin was speaking out of both sides of his mouth - telling the White House and CVA he supported their plan, while telling other senators and traditional veterans groups the opposite.

"Behind the scenes, he was not being supportive," Selnick said.

Shulkin did not respond to requests for comment.

By February, when a blistering inspector general's report found "serious derelictions" surrounding a 10-day trip he led to Europe last summer, Shulkin had already begun to lose his standing in the White House.

He pushed back, accusing Trump's VA appointees of trying to undermine him. Traditional veterans groups attempted to defend Shulkin, whom they saw as a bulwark against further outsourcing of VA care.

In late February, top veterans advocates met with White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, hoping to persuade him and the president to keep Shulkin as VA secretary. To theirsurprise, the White House had invited Caldwell, of CVA, to attend the meeting. Kelly told the groups that Shulkin was safe, but he rejected claims that the secretary was a victim of rebellion in VA's senior ranks, saying Shulkin needed to take control of his staff, according to participants.

A month later, Trump fired Shulkin in a tweet.

In interviews after his ouster, Shulkin repeatedly blamed his removal on administration officials and their allies, who he said were trying to privatize VA's health-care system.

In response, the White House armed CVA, Hegseth and other conservative groups with talking points to rebut Shulkin's claims to the media, casting them as "lies" and providing backup material showing contradictions in his story, according to a document obtained by The Washington Post.

For its part, CVA - which had refrained from publicly calling for Shulkin's firing - commended his departure.

"Secretary Shulkin made significant headway in reforming the department," the group said, "but ultimately became a distraction from the important task of improving health care for our veterans."
As part of a routine drug test, Adam Randall handed a vial of yellow liquid to a probation officer.

Although it looked like a urine sample from the 31-year-old - who was required to submit to testing after a previous conviction - authorities in Queensbury, New York, say it was not. They allege that Randall turned over a synthetic liquid he had sneaked into the probation office via a bottle stuffed into his pants, a substance so in demand that states are now taking steps to ban it: fake pee.

With the nation's opioid crisis raging, rates of cocaine and methamphetamine abuse soaring and recreational marijuana use becoming legal in nine states and the District of Columbia, the concern about clean drug tests, too, has increased. While people have long tried to cheat drug exams with an array of creative methods - such as providing other people's urine, attempting to flush their systems with gallons of water or using herbal remedies - authorities say synthetic urine has become the new go-to trick.

So much so that states are enacting laws to ban the sale of fake urine, which retails for about $17 to $40 in head shops, truck stops and on the Internet, and is easy to purchase. The substance - made from chemicals and, some claim, uric acid - goes by names including "Monkey Whizz" and "UPass." Authorities say the products give drug users a way to sidestep screening exams administered by police, courts and employers for safety and security.

Laws making it illegal to sell or use synthetic urine or cheat on a drug test are on the books in at least 18 states, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Indiana and New Hampshire banned synthetic urine last year. Bills to do so were introduced this year in Missouri and Mississippi.

Mississippi's bill was dubbed the "Urine Trouble Act," drawing snickers and groans in the State House. But its sponsors and others said that the jokey name belies a real problem: Truck drivers, people who operate heavy machinery and others can use the synthetic liquid to easily thwart a drug test, potentially creating public risks.

"Our employers are reporting to us a concern that more and more of their employees are using synthetic human urine to cheat on a drug test," said Dan Gibson, executive director of the Mississippi Association of Self-Insurers, which has lobbied for the bill.

Mississippi state Rep. Willie Bailey, D, speaking at a hearing in Jackson, held a bottle of fake urine that came with instructions suggesting that users could microwave it to achieve body temperature. He said the substance has been a "hot seller" in truck stops statewide.

"They can't keep it in stock," he said.

The bill passed the Mississippi House but died in the Senate. Gibson said his members were troubled that the legislation failed; the association plans to lobby for another effort next year.

"Maybe we'll call it 'urine trouble again,' " Gibson said.

David Powell, executive director of the Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys Council, has heard numerous accounts of people on probation getting caught with fake urine. They often try to slip it into cups while in the bathroom, where they are supposed to be providing urine samples.

"People can basically use it to avoid consequence with their employers and probation officers," Powell said. "There's just no other legitimate purpose for it."

Companies nationwide have reported having trouble finding workers who can pass drug tests. The Federal Reserve reported in a "beige book" survey of economic activity last year that manufacturers have had difficulty hiring experienced or qualified employees, "with some citing candidates' inability to pass drug tests or to consistently report to work."

And when people see their livelihood or ability to stay out of jail as being dependent on passing a drug test, it can create a strong motivation to cheat on it.

"If it's your job or you're going to probation or you're going to lose your kids, a lot of those folks will do anything to pass a drug test," Powell said.

Randall was required to take a drug test as a condition of his probation. Police said the probation officer saw Randall holding a bottle of yellow liquid that he dropped into his underwear. Randall denied doing so, but police said he eventually turned the bottle over to the probation officer. Randall pleaded guilty to charges of tampering with physical evidence, a felony; his lawyer declined to comment on the case.

In some states, laws regarding fake urine have been spurred by tragedy.

Judy Tilton walked into her 21-year-old son's room in 2015 and found him dead of a fentanyl overdose. Seth was cold to the touch, still sitting upright on his bed, a needle in his arm and a cellphone in his hand. He had been texting his drug dealer.

Overwhelmed with shock and grief, Tilton cleaned the room a few days later and stumbled upon an unopened bottle of synthetic urine, something that she didn't even know existed.

"It just made me think and go, 'Who else is using this?' " she said. "It could be a bus driver, it could be an aircraft pilot, a trucker driving down the road. They're endangering everybody."

Tilton, of New Hampshire, lobbied legislators to ban fake urine. She testified at the State House, showing lawmakers the box that she found in Seth's room.

The U.S. Supreme Court first upheld the right to test for drugs in the workplace in 1989, and most of those tests now are conducted using urine samples. The federal government is looking at standardizing tests that use hair and saliva.

Barry Sample, director of science and technology for the Employer Solutions business of Quest Diagnostics, suggests that employers should rotate hair, saliva and urine tests to create an element of surprise for applicants and to make the options for possible cheats, such as fake urine, less useful.

But hair testing has been challenged in court, including by a group of black Boston Police officers who claim it is discriminatory because the texture of African-American hair makes it more likely to yield false positives.

Most specimens undergo what is known as a five-panel test, during which it is screened for amphetamines, cocaine, marijuana, PCP and opioids.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration added a sixth - ecstasy - to the test administered to safety-sensitive workers. The agency approved testing federal workers for four prescription painkillers - OxyContin, Vicodin, Percocet and Dilaudid - last year, along with tests for heroin metabolites.

But urine testing remains the main method of detecting drugs in the body, and its private nature can be problematic.

"Urine tests are not observed," Sample said. "It does afford those who want to cheat the opportunity to try to subvert the testing process."

- - -

The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - Three Republican senators expressed concern Sunday about embattled Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, amid growing scrutiny over his spending and management practices.

Sens. John Neely Kennedy of Louisiana, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Susan Collins of Maine voiced worry about Pruitt's conduct in interviews on morning television talks shows. Their comments came just hours after President Donald Trump defended Pruitt, writing on Twitter that he was doing "a great job."

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., also defended the EPA head. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin declined to comment on Pruitt's situation but said he was certain that president had reviewed it.

The sharpest Republican criticism came from Kennedy, who said Pruitt ought to hold a "full-blown press conference" to address the criticism he has received.

"Stop leading with your chin," Kennedy said in an interview with CBS' "Face the Nation." "Now these are unforced errors. They are stupid. There are a lot of problems we can't solve. But you can behave. I don't mean to denigrate Mr. Pruitt, but doggone it, he represents the president of the United States, and it is hurting his boss and it needs to stop."

Pruitt has come under the spotlight in recent weeks for decisions executed during his tenure about that have raised ethics questions. These include his $50-a-night rental from a lobbyist last year, large raises for two top advisers despite a lack of White House approval and a security detail that has required far more resources than his predecessors needed.

Graham said that Pruitt has "done a good job" but that he is waiting to see what a congressional oversight panel has to say. In an appearance on ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos," Graham singled out reports about Pruitt's rental.

"The bottom line - this doesn't look good," the senator said.

Collins, who was the only Republican senator to vote against confirming Pruitt, said she believes that his policy decisions have validated that vote and that the ethics questions he is facing don't help him.

"This daily drip of accusations of excessive spending and ethical violations serve to further distract the agency from accomplishing its very important mission," Collins said on CNN's "State of the Union."

On Saturday night, Trump issued a tweet stating: "While Security spending was somewhat more than his predecessor, Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA. Record clean Air & Water while saving USA Billions of Dollars. Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job!"

Rounds echoed Trump's tweet, saying Pruitt is saving taxpayer money by shrinking the activities of the agency and rolling back Obama-era regulations. He said that some of the news coverage of Pruitt's activities may be "overblown" and that the administrator's critics "nitpick little things."

"The reason why all of the emphasis right now is on Mr. Pruitt is because he is executing these policies," Rounds said on NBC's "Meet the Press." And they're not real popular policies with a lot of people. But he is executing the policies that this president said he would put in place."

On "Face the Nation," Mnuchin said, "as it relates to the specifics of Scott's situation, I can't comment on them, but I'm sure the president has reviewed it." He pointed to Trump's comment and said Pruitt has made "tremendous progress" at the EPA.

Shake-ups in the Trump administration have given the Senate a slate of nominees to confirm at a time when many senators have begun pivoting to the midterm elections. Senate Republican leaders are already facing potentially difficult fights to confirm Mike Pompeo as secretary of state, Rear Adm. Ronny L. Jackson as secretary of veterans affairs and Gina Haspel as CIA director.

"There's so many positions open right now in the administration, and there's so many weeks left before we get to the midterm elections," Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin, D-Md., said on "Face The Nation." "I think it's going to be a challenge for us to get Cabinet-level positions confirmed, particularly one at EPA."

Asked whether Pruitt should be fired, Cardin, like other lawmakers, said, "That's a decision that the president is going to have to make."

---

The Washington Post's Michelle Ye Hee Lee contributed to this report.
WASHINGTON - The likelihood of a military strike against Syria after a suspected chemical weapons attack increased Sunday as President Donald Trump said there would be a "big price to pay" and officials in France vowed the country would "do its duty" in responding.

France called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Monday to discuss the weekend attack, and eight other nations joined in the request, including the United States and Britain.

In reference to a warning by President Emmanuel Macron last month that France would strike unilaterally if Syria used chemical weapons again, Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that the nation would assume its responsibilities.

Several prominent Republicans urged Trump to act - and to reconsider his plan to draw down the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria. Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told ABC News' "This Week" that this is a "defining moment" in Trump's presidency that demands follow-through. Speaking on CNN's "State of the Union," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, suggested that Trump change his mind about withdrawing troops from Syria, place more sanctions on Russia and consider targeted attacks on Syrian facilities, similar to one he ordered a year ago after a chemical attack on civilians.

Even before the lawmakers spoke, Trump himself hinted that a military strike might be at hand if the use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces is verified.

As grisly images emerged, showing bodies of babies in basements and bloodied survivors at hospitals in Eastern Ghouta, Trump made a rare direct criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin. He said Putin shared blame for the deaths through Russia's support of Syrian President Bashar Assad.

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump said in back-to-back tweets. "Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Late Sunday, SANA, Syria's state-run news agency, said that an air base in central Syria was hit by a missile attack and that the military shot down eight missiles. The report said the attack in Homs province "is likely to be an American aggression."

In a statement, the Pentagon denied the report, saying: "At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria. However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable."

The crisis in Syria is escalating at a pivotal moment for the White House's national security team. John Bolton, a noted hawk on Russia and Iran, begins work as Trump's national security adviser on Monday. On Thursday, CIA Director Mike Pompeo has a confirmation hearing before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination as secretary of state.

Trump also blamed his predecessor for not following through on his threat that Assad's chemical weapons use was a red line that would not be tolerated, something that Trump suggested he would not repeat.

"If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!" he tweeted.

Echoing Trump, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that U.S. officials were monitoring the events. "The Assad regime & its backers MUST END their barbaric behavior," he added. "As POTUS said, big price to pay for those responsible!"

Syria and its main backers, Russia and Iran, are not only denying responsibility, they question whether there even was an attack.

SANA said the reports originated with "terrorists" who are on the verge of collapse under an offensive by the Syrian army.

"Such allegations and accusations by the Americans and certain Western countries signal a new conspiracy against the Syrian government and people, and a pretext for military action," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

And Russia's Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming that information on the reported attack is a tactic being used to cover up for terrorists.

"The goal of these false conjectures, which are without basis, are designed to shield the terrorists and the implacable radical opposition, who reject a political settlement," the statement said.

The crisis over Syria is likely to accelerate the downward spiral of the relationship between Russia and the United States, already at its lowest point in decades. On Friday, the administration placed economic sanctions on some Russian tycoons. The sanctions give the United States a potent weapon to pressure international financial institutions not to lend money or facilitate transactions by the well-connected Russians.

"Whatever was driving Trump to leave Putin alone, it's over," said Cliff Kupchan, chairman of the Eurasia Group, an analytical firm. "Over the course of 48 hours, Trump basically sanctioned the Russian system and fingered Putin for backing the 'Animal Assad.'

"If the U.S. confirms chemical weapons were used, I think we get a strike on Syria. As harsh as Friday's sanctions were, they also set the precedent for sanctioning anyone who benefits from the Russian system."

Trump has come reluctantly to this crucible over Syria.

Assad has never been a priority for Trump. Though he called him a "bad guy," he repeatedly said on the campaign trail and in the White House that Assad is not a U.S. priority. He was willing to be involved in Syria as long as the fight against the Islamic State was going on, but not much more. His announcement that the U.S. military role in Syria was "coming to a rapid end" was a continuation of that belief.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who is recuperating at home after last year's brain cancer diagnosis, tweeted that Trump's words may have set the stage for another chemical attack.

"@POTUS's pledge to withdraw from #Syria has only emboldened Assad, backed by Russia & Iran, to commit more war crimes in #Douma," he tweeted. "@POTUS responded after last year's chemical attack. He should do so again & make Assad pay a price for his brutality."

A year ago, Trump also had to do an about-face on Syria. Last week was the first anniversary of a sarin attack that killed more than 80 Syrians in the town of Khan Sheikhoun. That occurred shortly after the administration said that it did not believe removing Assad from power was a priority. The Syrian government was deemed responsible in a joint inquiry by the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons.

The use of sarin at Khan Sheikhoun angered Trump and led him to reassess his attitude toward Syria and Assad.

"It crossed a lot of lines for me," he said. "When you kill innocent children, innocent babies, little babies, with a chemical gas that was so lethal," then it "crosses many lines, beyond a red line, many, many lines."

Three days after the attack, Trump ordered a missile strike on the Syrian airfield that had been used by planes that dropped the sarin.

White House homeland security adviser Thomas Bossert said that when he heard of this weekend's attack, his first thought was the timing, coming one year after "the last time they made the mistake of using these weapons and pushing the rest of the world. This isn't just the United States. This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War II this is an unacceptable practice." Nothing, Bossert said on "This Week," should be taken "off the table."

Sentiments of outrage over the most recent incident reverberated around the world.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called the attack an example of the Assad government's brutality. The European Union issued a statement appealing to Assad's allies Russia and Iran to "use their influence to prevent any further attack and ensure the cessation of hostilities and de-escalation of violence." Turkey, which has been cooperating with Assad allies in talks for a political solution, called for international action to prevent what it called war crimes and crimes against humanity.

---

The Washington Post's Amie Ferris-Rotman, Louisa Loveluck and Sean Sullivan contributed to this report.

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Video: In a series of tweets on the morning of April 8, President Trump condemned an apparent chemical attack near Damascus on April 7.(Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

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One man was hospitalized after a shooting at an off-campus apartment complex that caters to college students, Sunday morning near the main campus of the University of Texas at San Antonio, according to police.

Officers responded to the shooting around 5 a.m. at Aspen Heights in the 12900 block of Idledale Drive.
by Ray Schultz , April 8, 2018

Microsoft Office 365 is up and running after an outage on Friday that left users without email throughout Europe and the Asia-Pacific.

Account holders who tried to access email reportedly were informed: Service is temporarily unavailable. Please retry later.

The UK appeared to be especially hard-hit.

Uk based -- no emails received or able to send for 14 hrs now Louis Clarke complained on Down Detector.

The service failure also apparently hit the United States.

Office365 users in my Org are reporting no external emails coming through and can't login to Skype, BJP wrote on Down Detector. He added the location was

the United States (multiple states).

The result is that for several hours on Friday, email marketing messages are not able to be accessed via Office 365 in several countries.

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Microsoft acknowledged the service outage via Twitter, saying, Hi. Today were investigating reports of our dear customers having issues with logging in to Microsoft Account/Office 365. Our Network Operation Center Engineers are currently working to resolve this. More details will be provided shortly.

Later, it reported, "We've completed all recovery actions related to MO133518 and this issue is fully resolved as of Friday, April 6, 2018, at 11:30 AM UTC. Thanks to everyone who confirmed service restoration."

One user wrote on Down Detector, Interestingly, if you tried to log in to Office365 via Microsoft authentication, things were kaput. But if you had SSO enabled you could log in without problems.

Microsofts Azure Active Directory, cloud-based service, also reportedly went for users worldwide, then was restored.

The Office 365 outage, which The Argus claimed hit millions of users, provided this wry comment from The Register: The timing of this incident, following on from much trumpeting by Microsoft about the new security features introduced for Office 365 subscribers yesterday, is unfortunate.

It would appear that Redmond has opted to secure user data by, er, removing access to it entirely. Clever.

Microsoft announced last Thursday that it is offering new protection capabilities to Office 365 Home and Office 365 Personal users, including:

File recovery from malicious attacks like ransomware.

Tools to help keep information secure and private.

Advanced protection from viruses and cybercrime.

Included is what one commentator calls end-to-end email encryption.
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Stuart's main collaborators on the pan-cancer analyses have been Christopher Benz, professor of cancer and developmental therapeutics at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging and a clinical oncologist at UC San Francisco, and Christina Yau, assistant adjunct professor of surgery at UCSF and a senior scientist at the Buck Institute. Stuart and Benz are co-directors of the UCSC-Buck Institute Genome Data Analysis Center, one of seven national centers in the TCGA Research Network.Working with an international team of researchers, they performed a comprehensive molecular analysis of the complete set of TCGA tumor data. The results showed that, based on their cellular and genetic makeup and independent of their anatomic site of origin, all 33 tumor types could be re-classified into 28 different molecular types, or "clusters." Nearly two-thirds of these clusters were considered heterogeneous as they contained up to 25 different histological tumor types that, traditionally, would all be treated differently. These molecular analyses and clustering results, now also linked to multiple clinical outcome endpoints, are available to clinicians and researchers worldwide via a single TCGA portal."This comprehensive body of final TCGA Pan-Cancer Atlas analyses will provide a new foundation for future cancer research efforts and clinical trials," Benz said. "It will also incentivize clinical oncologists to get newly diagnosed and recurrent tumors genomically characterized. Patients will have the best shot at successful treatment if their tumors can first be classified according to their genomic and molecular makeup."The first wave of cross-tumor comparisons was completed in September 2013, when Stuart and his colleagues in the Pan-Cancer Initiative analyzed 12 types of tumors profiled by TCGA. While most tumors did end up being grouped by their tissue of origin, there were some common DNA, RNA, and protein signals that cut across those groupings."It became clear, when we found similarities between different types of cancer, people wanted to do a more comprehensive comparison," Stuart said.In 2014, he coauthored another pan-cancer paper in which the researchers sorted the tumors into subtypes, or clusters, using a statistical analysis of tumor molecular data. While a majority of the cancer subtypes matched their tissue-of-origin, some of the clusters consisted of tumors that originated in different parts of the body. The 2014 study indicated that one in 10 cancer patients would be classified differently using the new molecular classifications, and those differences could have ramifications for what types of treatment options or clinical trials should be made available to those patients.As co-leader of the Pan-Cancer working group for TCGA and the International Cancer Genomics Consortium, Stuart has played an integral role in ensuring the research compiled by the collaboration was organized under one common umbrella and overseen by a single steering committee.Stuart helped organize the 27 Pan-Cancer Atlas papers published April 5 in Cell Press journals. He said the Pan-Cancer Initiative's work so far resembles a giant tree, with roots representing different means of classifying tumors, and sub-roots branching off each of the main roots. This organizational structure provided the basis for "themed working groups," rather than groups based on organ or tissue type.Stuart and Benz are senior authors of one of the papers, published in Cell and led by Peter Laird of Van Andel Research Institute, which provides a roadmap for other researchers seeking to delve into the findings of the various working groups. "It's a survey of what kinds of overarching systems underlie the data. It's less about clinical implications, and more about the patterns we've found," Stuart said. The first authors of the paper include Yau and Christopher Wong, a staff scientist in Stuart's lab at the UC Santa Cruz Genomics Institute.Stuart said he is confident that once scientists start scrutinizing the data, clinical implications won't be far behind. "Obviously, finding actionable pieces of logic from these root maps is the holy grail," he said. "The milestone we hit with this paper is finally being able to stand back and look at the big picture."The UCSC Tumor Map, an interactive browser developed by Yulia Newton and Adam Novak to help researchers visualize the data, displays patient samples on a Google Maps interface. Wong used the browser to compile a set of 10 panels in the Cell paper illustrating the dominant patterns found in the data. These include the cell of origin, molecular histology, "stemness" or differentiation status, specific altered genetic pathways, and the immune system component of the tumors."Looking at these Tumor Maps is like looking at the Earth from orbit for the first time," Stuart said. "We now see cancer's complete picture and it fills me with hope that we can understand its finite, not infinite, complexity."UC Santa Cruz has a legacy of creating browsers for the biological community, starting with the highly popular UCSC Genome Browser. "We are thrilled to make this rich data available to the public through this new portal," Stuart said.Benz said the new TCGA data hold particular promise for expanding treatments designed to enlist the immune system to beat cancer, including approved immunotherapies now showing near-miraculous results against a limited number of classical cancer types. Remarkably, the study shows that one of the most heterogeneous of the observed 28 molecular clusters was composed of 25 different classical tumor types and exhibited very strong features linked to activation of the patient's immune response."This finding supports the growing notion that specific immunotherapies approved by the FDA for one cancer type would likely benefit patients with various other cancer types, if these other types could be molecularly identified," Benz said.Drugs approved for other diseases could also be effective against some of the newly classified cancer types. "A couple of our newly defined cancer clusters also show activation of a molecular pathway (JAK/Stat) that's commonly upregulated in rheumatoid arthritis," said Yau, who provided bioinformatics expertise for much of TCGA's work over the past decade. "Perhaps we can repurpose drugs used to treat that non-malignant chronic disease, as researchers will now have the molecular rationale to explore this novel treatment strategy."Even though TCGA is done--the database won't be added to or changed--this same kind of comprehensive and collaborative multi-platform genomic analysis continues nationwide under new NCI sponsorship. Stuart, Benz, and Yau continue to work together as part of their bioinformatic analysis center for the newly constituted Genomic Data Analysis Network which, among other challenges, is tasked with determining clinically measurable biomarkers that would make it easier and more cost effective to identify a priori those same tumor molecular subsets identified by the TCGA network's multi-platform analysis."It's time to re-write the textbooks on cancer, and it's time to break down the silos in clinical oncology that make it difficult for patients to take advantage of this paradigm shift in cancer classification," said Benz.Source: Eurekalert
The world is full of crazy, eerie, obscure mysteries. Over the centuries, there have been events and incidents around the globe which have always remained a riddle for investigators. Take, for example, the monkey man of Delhi who only wore black clothes along with a helmet to terrorise Delhiites back in 2001. The mysterious creature was spotted around a few localities by its victims and remains till date the most obscure horror mystery in the capital city's history.

In this post, we will explore stories such as these, which are highly popular but still remain unsolved even after so many years. Enjoy reading these eerie dark tales!

1. Villisca Axe Murders

 horror fuel

Between the evening of June 9, 1912, and the early morning of June 10, 1912, the town of Villisca in southwestern Iowa witnessed one of the most brutal murders in the history of the country. Inside the Moore residence, six members of the Moore family and two house guests were found bathed in blood dripping from their heads, which were severely wounded by an ax. After a detailed investigation, a handful of suspects were put on trial, however, the crime remained unsolved. The incident later became a subject of attention for novelists and filmmakers; 'The Axe Murders of Villisca' was one film based on the same. The paranormal reality television series Ghost Adventures covered the story of the Villisca Axe Murders, in the episode 'Villisca Axe Murder House'.

2. Mad Gasser of Mattoon

 horrorfreaknews

Also known as the Phantom Attacker in Virginia, this grotesque figure or figures dismantled the small town of Illinois during 1944. The law enforcement officials declared him a figment of public imagination even after a number of physical evidence and eyewitness reports at the scene of attacks.

Experts and researchers declared that the identical attacks that took place in Botetourt County, Virginia in 1933 -1934, a case of mass delirium and nothing more. In both the attacks, witnesses explained that a mysterious figure (dressed in black) sprayed a paralyzing gas inside the windows of residents. For some reason, the culprit also left small hints at both the places. Investigations were carried out, however, nothing could be figured out and the case became a mystery. Some even believed it was a supernatural occurrence or an alien! Even the mere thought of it is enough to cause jitters.

3. Toynbee Tiles

 slantmagazine

Rectangles with cryptic messages have been appearing in the parts of the United States, since 1994, however, the identity of the 'Tonybee Tiler' still remains unknown.

Made up of linoleum and asphalt crack sealant, the tiles are of the size of a license plate. The origin of these colorful tiles is till date unknown. Their first known reference in the media came in 1994 in 'The Baltimore Sun' which revealed that the tiles were first discovered in Philadelphia inscribed with the phrase TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE `2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER. Since then multiple sightings have been reported in the United States with the most recent in New York.

4. The Tanganyika Laughter Epidemic

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The 1962 laughter epidemic of Tanganyika (Tanzania) was no joke as per Atlas Obscura. The outbreak started in a girl's school and later spread to communities. The kids were the ones affected the most out of 1000 people in total. The laughter explosion lasted several months and caused the closure of 14 schools as a consequence.

This was being referred to as 'fits' in kids affected, followed by restlessness, aimless running, and occasional violencebut there was no evidence of natural causes. A similar event was registered in London a few years back.

5. Beaumont Children Disappearance

 newsau

Three siblings  Jane (9), Arnna (7), and Grant Beaumont (4), disappeared from Glenelg Beach near Adelaide, South Australia, on Australia Day, 26 January 1966. The case garnered widespread media attention in Australia. Soon theories started surfacing around the disappearing of kids, however, till date nobody has an idea of what must have happened to them. As of 2018, the South Australian Government is still offering a $1 million reward for information related to the cold case. The disappearance also resulted in altered Australian lifestyles. It made thousands of Australian parents think more about the safety of their kids. Though several witnesses claimed sightings of these children walking away from the beach with a tall man, no clues were discovered.

6. Numbers Stations

 qrznow

Let us take you to the war era. This may sound a bit spooky to many as we will further elaborate the unsolved case of bizarre radio broadcasts during the cold war.

At the peak of the Cold War, something eerie was being experienced by radio lovers in different parts of the globe. People started to notice weird broadcasts on the airwaves. Sometimes it used to be a bizarre melody or the sound of various beeps, followed by the unnerving sound of a strange woman's voice counting in German or the creepy voice of a child reciting letters in English. However, the eerie sounds were later believed to be a coded language. Various radio hotshots said that these coded messages were being used to be sent across long distances. People gave these cryptic messages various names like the 'Nancy Adam Susan', 'The Lincolnshire Poacher', 'The Swedish Rhapsody' or 'The Gong Station'.

7. The Dog Suicide Bridge

 omgfacts

The story behind the Dog Suicide Bridge located near the village of Milton in the burgh of Dumbarton, Scotland is completely unbelievable. It is said that the bridge has attracted dozens of dogs to take the leap of faith and jump down to the canal filled with still water. The earliest strange incidents have been reported in the 60s and even stranger are the reports of dogs surviving their brush with death, only to return to the bridge for a second attempt. Of many theories existing behind this mystery, one of them explains that a mink marks the area with very strong scent, and that scent, combined with the bridge wall, makes it impossible for the dogs to realize the height, thus sending them crossing the edge of the bridge, resulting in the fall.

8. Dyatlov Pass Incident

 elcajondekrusty

What killed the nine Russian hikers at the Dyatlov Pass? At the beginning of February 1959, the ski hikers were found dead in the northern Ural Mountains in the Soviet Union (now Russia). The group had established their base camp on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl, which is now known by the name of the group's leader, Igor Dyatlov. It was during the after-hours when the hikers left their tents due to unknown reasons, amidst sub-zero temperature and heavy snowfall. An investigation was carried by Soviet Union authorities, and all bodies were discovered. It later came to light that six of them had died from hypothermia while the other three showed signs of physical trauma. Victims also had fractured skull, chest fractures, missing tongue, and eyes. Authorities were not able to discover the exact reason behind this incident, they later announced it a work of an 'unknown compelling force'. Entry to the area of the accident was closed for explorations and hikers for the next couple of years.
Metal Bulletins daily index for Northern European HMS 1&2 (80:20) closed on Friday at $348.78 per tonne cfr, down by $18.27 per tonne week-on week, while the daily index for similar US-origin material closed at $358.25 per tonne cfr, down by $18.48 per tonne week-on-week.In these market conditions, buying activity in the billet segment was reduced, with customers expecting to see more price reductions in the future.Export offer prices for China-origin steel billet dropped by $15-25 per tonne week-on-week to $515 per tonne fob, Metal Bulletin was told.This was equivalent to about $530-535 per tonne cfr Philippines and $525-530 per tonne cfr Indonesia.A small shipment of billet from induction-furnace mills was also offered at $535 per tonne cfr Manila late last week.It seems like China is restarting its billet exports again, an Indonesia-based buyer said.Participants in China and Taiwan exited the market on Thursday and Friday for the Qingming festival public holiday.This meant that fewer offers were heard this week because some suppliers from other regions were waiting for China to return to the market next week, so that they can refer to Chinese prices before releasing their offers, according to traders in Southeast Asia.But an East Asian trader sold Middle East-origin cargoes to Indonesia at $545 per tonne cfr, sources told Metal Bulletin.In contrast to export prices, domestic billet prices in China picked up week-on-week amid improved demand for semi-finished and finished long steel products in the country.Domestic billet prices in the countrys Tangshan region reached 3,410 yuan ($542) per tonne ex-works on April 6, up by 70 yuan per tonne from the week before.Some CIS producers followed the downward trend in an attempt to win contracts, and had decreased their offers to $515 per tonne fob Black Sea by the end of the week.On April 2, CIS billet offers were mainly heard within the range of $520-525 per tonne fob Black Sea.Sources in Turkey and in Egypt reported that CIS-origin billet was available at $540-545 per tonne cfr in the first half of the week. The cost of freight to Turkey is around $15 per tonne, and to Egypt $18-20 per tonne.Later in the week, several cargoes of Ukraine-origin billet, allegedly totaling 30,000 tonnes, were reported sold to Turkey and Egypt through traders within the range of $525-530 per tonne cfr.This week, traders offered Iranian billet to customers in Egypt at $525 per tonne cfr, equivalent to $500 per tonne fob . But no bookings were heard done because market participants expected prices for CIS material to reach a similar level.Bookings from Russia were heard concluded in late March at $510 per tonne fob Black Sea by traders.Nevertheless, Ukraines major long steel producer, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih, kept its billet offers at $545-550 per tonne fob Black Sea, the range within which the companys most recent bookings were done several weeks ago.As a major long steel producer, ArcelorMittal Kryvyi Rih does not see the grounds for a decrease in global steel prices and has no intention of decreasing its offer prices, a company source told Metal Bulletin. In the future, prices may increase amid reduced availability of billet.Compatriot mill Elektrostal offered similar material at $535 per tonne fob Azov Sea, including pre-payment. This was equivalent to $545 per tonne fob Black Sea, without pre-payment.No new bookings from the two producers were heard done over the past week.In the United Arab Emirates, import billet prices remained unchanged over the week , mainly due to a lack of activity.Iranian mills returned to the market after the Persian new year with lower offers. Prices fell to $515-520 per tonne fob, against $530-535 per tonne fob in mid-March.No new bookings were reported done at the time of publication.Jessica Zong in Shanghai, Fiona Lam in Singapore, Serife Durmus in Bursa, Cem Turken in Mugla and Felipe Peroni in Sao Paulo contributed to this report.
This year, too, we were deeply moved to receive the Eternal Light  a symbol of life and the Resurrection  at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Holy Land.

Let us all draw the strength of solidarity and love from the hopeful message of the Resurrection.

Let it warm our souls with Life, Joy, Hope and the Resurrection of Peace in a world beset with conflict.

To transform the victory of hope, faith and optimism into creative power for individual and collective rebirth.

I hope that this years Resurrection brings everyone in our homeland, and especially our two soldiers and their families, the passage from darkness into light and redemption.

Have a happy and radiant Easter! Many happy returns!
U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Estys scandal-fueled exit from the race to represent Connecticuts Fifth Congressional District gives the GOP a fighting chance to send a Republican to Washington, D.C., this fall.

But its still an uphill fight for the GOP in a state where the seven-member Congressional delegation is all Democrats, and in a district where Democrats have held control since 2006, when Chris Murphy upset Republican incumbent Nancy Johnson.

I think it has become an extremely competitive district, says Gary Rose, who chairs the department of Government, Politics and Global Studies at Sacred Heart University. It is certainly nowhere near as predictable as it would have been had Esty not left.

Part of the unpredictability is gauging who is in the race. As recently as one week ago, after Hearst Connecticut Media broke news of abuse and sexual harassment in Estys Washington office, the three-term Democrat was still seeking re-election. Her only challenger at the time was former Meriden mayor Manny Santos.

Since Esty dropped out of the race  admitting failed to adequately address harassment by former Chief of Staff Tony Baker and then helped him get a new job with Sandy Hook Promise, there is only one new candidate: former Simsbury First Selectman Mary Glassman.

More candidates from both parties could declare their interest as soon as this week, Republican and Democratic leaders said, ahead of the nominating conventions in mid-May.

We dont have a lot of time - less than 40 days and 40 towns to contact and visit, Glassman said of a 5th District that stretches from Bethel to the Massachusetts line, and from New Milford to New Britain. That is why I jumped in so quickly. Of course there could be a lot of good candidates who run, as there should be for an important seat like this, which doesnt open very often.

If several candidates do jump into the race and compete for political support, it can only elevate interest in what is already a highly anticipated midterm election season, as Democrats in Connecticut fight to take power from the GOP in Congress, and Republicans in Connecticut fight to take back power from Democrats in the governors office.

You have the general unpopularity of Governor Malloy versus the general unpopularity of President Trump, and the question is whether those two will cancel each other out, said Scott McLean, professor of political science at Quinnipiac University. If the Fifth District race is about congressional issues, the election will be more about Trump, because the difference is between a lame-duck governor who will be out in November versus a president who will be there for two more years.

Nick Balletto, the state Democratic Party leader, said the Trump effect would have a big impact on the election.

Trump is the best thing that ever happened to the Democratic Party, Balletto said. He is showing us what is going to happen to this country if we let Republicans control the White House and Congress.

At stake for the 417,000 registered voters in the five cities and 36 towns of the Fifth District is which partys candidate will be the right complement to the unique temperament of Trump.

The Democrats are in a constant state of resistance, said J.R. Romano, the chairman of the state GOP. Trump has demonstrated he is willing to negotiate, but none of the Democrats on the federal level will sit down with him for Connecticuts benefit.

The district has added more registered Democratic voters and more unaffiliated voters than Republican voters since Esty defeated Republican Andrew Roraback in 2012.

Since then, Democrats have registered 19,460 voters, giving the party 132,780 voters, or 32 percent of the total, according to the latest numbers from the Connecticut Secretary of the State. Republicans added 7,570 voters over the same period, giving the GOP a total of 100,370 voters, or 24 percent. More than 9,500 new voters registered as unaffiliated, bringing their total to 177,750, or 42.5 percent of the total.

A national election analyst said Estys exit does not change the likelihood that the Fifth District would be a Democratic hold in November.

What weve seen in elections across the country over the last year is that Democrats are energized and turning out in greater numbers, said Nathan Gonzales, publisher of the Washington, D.C.,-based Inside Elections. If Malloy was running, he would probably lose, but it is hard for me to see Democratic voters taking out their frustration on the Democratic nominees for governor and the Fifth District.

The Esty effect

Estys decision not to seek a fourth term was supported last week by Connecticuts top Democrats. The thinking is that with Esty stepping aside, Democrats can run on the issues and galvanize voters the way Esty did in 2016, when she won 58 percent of the vote, defeating Republican Clay Cope, of Sherman, by 49,000 votes.

But it is likely that Democrats will have to answer for Esty all the way to Nov. 6, analysts said.

Esty is not doing the Democrats any favors by holding onto that seat, because the more she tries to explain herself the more it will look like she is trying to cover stuff up to protect her image, said McLean, who argues that Esty should resign. This is not just an error in judgment - this is a cover-up of an abominable case of sexual harassment and threatening where Esty used government money to pay off and help get her chief of staff another job.

Santos agreed.

She should drop out now, said Santos. What credibility does she have left?

Esty admitted that she made grave mistakes in allowing Baker to stay in her office for three months in 2016 after learning that he had punched and threatened to kill a former female employee in her D.C. office. She said she regretted negotiating a deal with Baker that bound her to silence and required her to write a glowing job recommendation that led to a position with the Ohio state office of Newtown-based Sandy Hook Promise.

Sandy Hook Promise fired Baker shortly before the scandal broke. Esty canceled appearances in Newtown and Danbury last week and declined to comment, except to say through a spokesman that she would resume a full schedule in D.C. this week when the House is back in session.

Rose said Republicans would use the Esty scandal to their advantage, reminding voters of the way the incumbent Democrat abused her powers and betrayed the public trust.

They are not going to let this go at all, Rose said. They are going to keep this alive as long as they can.

Residents of the Fifth District voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election by just over 50 percent. Clinton won four of the districts five cities  Danbury, Meriden, New Britain, and Waterbury  along with 16 of the districts towns. Trump won Torrington and 20 towns, including New Fairfield and New Milford.

Rose said the key to the race would be the strength of GOP nominee, although there were plenty of variables that made the race a challenge.

I dont know who is more unpopular in the Fifth District  Trump or Malloy or Esty.

I know the answer to that question, the GOPs Romano said. Its Malloy.

Trump has a 36 percent approval rating in this district, and Malloys approval rating is 24 percent, Romano said. What are we going to do, export Malloys policies to Washington?
President Donald Trump called Russian-backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad an "animal" Sunday and said Russian President Vladimir Putin shared the blame for a suspected chemical attack in a Damascus suburb that reportedly killed at least 40.

Trump said Syria had "a big price to pay" but there were no immediate indications of a U.S. military response to the incident Saturday in Douma, east of Damascus.

However, White House Homeland Security adviser Thomas Bossert said no military options were "off the table."

"It's a quite serious problem. We've seen the photos of that attack," Bossert said on ABC News' "This Week" program.

"This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War II this is an unacceptable practice," Bossert said. "I wouldn't take anything off the table."

Rebel-held Douma has been under siege for weeks by Assad's forces, backed by Russian air power.

Opposition activists, aid groups and independent monitors said that dozens of Douma residents were killed and more than 500 were suffering the aftereffects of barrel-bomb air attacks that allegedly released chlorine and possibly a nerve agent.

A joint statement released Sunday by the Syrian American Medical Society said more than 42 people were found dead in their homes.

In addition, "more than 500 cases -- the majority of whom are women and children --were brought to local medical centers with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent," the statement said.

In a series of Tweets early Sunday, Trump said "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria."

"Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad," he said.

"Big price to pay," Trump said. "Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obama for failing to take aggressive action when Assad crossed Obama's "Red Line" on the use of chemical weapons.

In another Tweet, Trump said that "If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!"

The latest attack came a year after Trump ordered a Tomahawk cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase in response to a previous chemical attack in northern Syria. The U.S. warned Russian forces to keep clear of the area before the missiles were launched.

At least 80 reportedly were killed last April in the attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, allegedly with the nerve agent sarin.

On the Sunday TV talk shows, several Republican senators said that the U.S. should consider another military response.

"Last time this happened, the president did a targeted attack to take out some of the facilities," Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said on CNN's "State of the Union."

Syria and Russia vehemently denied that a chemical attack took place. The Syrian government-run news agency Sana alleged the reports were a lie made up by Jaish al-Islam, a rebel group that has controlled Douma.

Russia's Foreign Ministry also denied reports of a chemical attack.

"Fake news on the use of chlorine or other chemical agents by the government forces continue," the ministry said in a statement provided to the TASS news agency.

The suspected chemical attack and the potential for a U.S. response added to the political and military realities of Syria's seven-year-old civil war that will make it difficult for Trump to realize his goal of withdrawing the 2,000 U.S. troops in Syria "very soon."

Another argument against a pullout was the potential for clashes in the northeastern crossroads town of Manbij, where U.S. troops were reinforcing positions against a possible attack from elements of the Turkish-backed Free Syrian Army (FSA), which was dug in on the town's outskirts.

The U.S. has maintained a presence in Manbij since it was retaken from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in 2016 by the U.S.-backed and mostly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces after a lengthy siege.

The U.S. now has two outposts in the Manbij area and Stryker fighting vehicles and MRAPs, Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicles, patrol the town flying U.S. flags, according to western news reports and videos.

Special Operations Master Sgt. Jonathan Dunbar and British Sgt. Matt Tonroe were killed on March 29 by a roadside bomb in Manbij, reportedly while on a mission to capture or kill an ISIS operative.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly threatened to attack Manbij as part of

"Operation Olive Branch" that began in January as an effort by the Turkish military and their FSA proxies to clear border areas of Kurdish enclaves.

Erdogan maintains that the People's Protection Units, or YPG, the dominant force in the SDF, is a terrorist organization. He also views the YPG as linked to separatists within Turkey.

Last week, following a three-way summit in Ankara hosed by Erdogan with Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, Erdogan said that "The future of Syria and our region cannot be left to a few terrorists."

Although Trump said last Tuesday that he wanted to get out of Syria, Marine Lt. Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the Pentagon's Joint Staff Director, said at a Pentagon briefing last Thursday that the military has yet to receive any guidance on a withdrawal.

"The president has actually been very good in not giving us a specific timeline, so that's a tool that we can use to our effect as we move forward," McKenzie said.

"I've heard rumors of people talking about withdrawal," said Dana White, the Pentagon's chief spokesperson.

"I know the president said 'very soon'" because we have been very successful with defeating ISIS. But it's not over, and we are committed to ensuring the defeat of ISIS," she said.

--Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.
FDI

Sportswear brand ASICS is slowly increasing the share of its products manufactured in India to comply with foreign direct investment norms for single-brand retail and open its own stores in the country.

"After meeting 30 percent sourcing norms for FDI in single-brand retail, we can go for bigger stores. We will apply for FDI in single-brand retail. With our own stores, we will have a better brand governance.

"The moment we will reach 30 percent of sourcing/ manufacturing from India, we will have our own stores...we will look at operating a mix of both partner stores and as well as our own retail stores," ASICS India MD Rajat Khurana told PTI.

At present, ASICS India sources about 10-12 percent of its total products sold from India.

"We started local production of apparel in 2017. Later, we started footwear as well, but only entry point products. It will take time to manufacture high -performance products in India... gradually we are scaling it up," he added.

The company, which sells its footwear and apparel products through the franchise model, plans to open 13-14 more stores in the current year.

At present, ASICS India gets about 75 percent of its sales from mono-brand stores, multi-brand retail outlets and distributer-driven business channels.

Khurana said the company is looking at tripling revenue to over Rs 200 crore in the next two-three years. For the year ending March 2017, it reported a turnover of Rs 73 crore. ASICS India, which is a step-down subsidiary of ASICS Japan, at present has 27 mono-brand stores in India.
The government on late Friday appointed Rakesh Kumar Vats as the chairman of the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA)  the Indian drug price regulator.

For Vats, who already holds multiple positions including that of Director General (DG) of Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS) and Chairman and Managing Director of HLL Lifecare, NPPA will be an additional responsibility.

Healthcare activists welcomed the appointment, but expressed their disappointment about handing over such an important charge to a bureaucrat whose hands are already tied-up with several other important responsibilities.

Industry was a little wary with the appointment  given the dual charge that Vats holds now as head of HLL Lifecare and NPPA.

as dual charge as CMD of HLL, the medical devices manufacturer of condoms, blood bags and diagnostics  there is a potential conflict of interest, so we hope distribution of work gets addressed so that on behalf of Ministry of Health and NPPA- he contribute to reforms in price controls to address huge price disparities for similar products with equivalent specifications, said Rajiv Nath, forum coordinator of Association of Indian Medical Device Industry (AiMED).

The post of NPPA chairman fell vacant after the government transferred Bhupendra Singh last month to head the National Authority of Chemical Weapons Convention (NACWC).

The chairman of NPPA assumed significance under Singh after the authority took steps to rein in profiteering by companies by bringing in more drug formulations under the ambit of Drug Price Control Order and capping prices of stents and knee implants.

NPPA actions have caused much heart burn to the industry, the US government is also pressing India not to extend price caps on medical devices and wants to allow US firms to withdraw products from the market if they do not wish to sell at government determined rates.

The US medical device makers have already complained to the US Trade Representative (USTR) to withdraw Indias benefits under generalised system of preferences (GSP) if they are forced to sell stents in India at prices fixed by the government.

Under the GSP - Indian exports to the US enjoy lower import tariffs.

The signals are that the government is intending a major rejig at NPPA  that may even lead to dilution of its existing powers.

The document of governments Draft Pharmaceutical Policy  2017 provide us some hints.

According to Draft Pharmaceutical Policy released in August last year  the government proposed changes in the existing framework that would give more control to the government over the NPPA which till now functions as an autonomous body.

For instance, prices of drugs once fixed by the NPPA shall not be revised by NPPA unless directed specifically by the government.

The NPPA would also lose its power to cap the prices of in-patent medicines, and would be able to use its emergency powers only on the governments orders.

NPPA will be assisted by an advisory body for pricing, nominated by the government. The body will consist of doctors, pharmacists, other experts, civil society representatives, industry representatives and government representatives.

The Draft Pharmaceutical Policy is just an extension to what Niti Aayog has been advising the government for some time.

In April last, NITI Aayog released its draft Three Year Action Agenda (2017-2020)  in that it recommends government to delink of Drug Price Control Order from the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM), effectively taking the sting out of NPPA.

A balanced approach towards regulation is needed for achieving the twin objectives of access to effective medicines and a strong pharmaceutical industry. There is a trade-off between lower prices on the one hand and quality medicine and discovery of breakthrough drugs on the other, NITI Aayog said.

It is, therefore, recommended that the Drug Price Control Order may be delinked from the National List of Essential Medicines, it added.

At present, the Ministry of Health prepares the list of drugs eligible for price regulation under National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM). The department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) then incorporates NLEM medicines into Schedule 1 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO). While NPPA governs price control, DPCO is the order by which price control is enforced. DPCOs are issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel

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Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel today said the CBI should thoroughly probe a Rs 2,654-crore bank fraud case involving a city-based company and ensure the entire swindled amount is recovered.

The CBI on Thursday registered a criminal case against Diamond Power Infrastructure Ltd (DPIL), a Vadodara-based firm dealing in electric cable and equipment, and its directors for allegedly cheating various banks to the tune of Rs 2,654 crore.

The probe agency conducted searches at the official and residential premises of the company and its directors in Vadodara. The CBI said DPIL is promoted by S N Bhatnagar and his sons Amit and Sumit, who are also the firm's executives.

The Gujarat government has no role to play in the probe. It is the job of the investigating agency to make a thorough probe and recover the entire fraud amount, Patel said while talking to reporters at Mahapura village near here.

Patel, who also holds the finance portfolio, said a recovery of the amount will help in restoring depositors' confidence in their banks.

The Union government has already instructed probe agencies to take strict actions against those involved in bank frauds, he said.

It is the job of the investigating agency to seize passports of those involved in such cases, Patel said.

Meanwhile, Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia claimed Amit Bhatnagar has close links with BJP leaders in the state as well as at the Centre.

Modhwadia, a former Gujarat Congress president, demanded a detailed inquiry to find out where the bank fraud money was used.
April 08, 2018 / 08:53 PM IST

20:46

ONGC

1st

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corp ( data-scayt-word="ONGC" data-scayt-lang="en_US">ONGC) has kick-started its USD 5.07 billion KG oil and gas project by spudding the first of the 34 wells, targeting first gas by end of 2019.Well #KDG-A on the KG-DWN-98/2 or KG-D5 block in bay of Bengal was spud from drillship Platinum Explorer 35 km off the Andhra Pradesh coast, the company said in a statement."The well #KDG-A is one of the 34 wells planned under this mega project. The deepwater well has a target depth of 2,346 meters, under a water depth of 518 meters. The well is expected to produce around 5,000 barrels of oil per day (bopd) when put to production," it said.

National Conference president Farooq Abullah today sought that the Line of Control (LoC) should be converted in to a 'Line of Peace' while India and Pakistan should initiate the dialogue process with an active involvement of the people of Jammu and Kashmir to usher harmony and tranquillity in the state.He cautioned the Centre against taking the people of J&K "for granted and ignoring" their legitimate aspirations. He said the claims that demonetization had curbed stone pelting had fallen flat and expressed concern that "youth were now taking to guns".India and Pakistan should resume the dialogue process and engage people of Jammu and Kashmir in an acceptable solution, Abdullah said addressing party workers at Balakote in Poonch district.

A day after 22 coaches of the Ahmedabad-Puri Express rolled down a few kilometres without an engine in Odisha, Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani today ordered a month-long safety drive across the network.The drive will be carried out jointly by operating and electrical departments, according to a statement issued by the Indian Railways.During the drive overseen by chief safety officers, shunting staff and loco pilots or shunters would be monitored.

U.S. President Donald Trump said in a Tweet on Sunday that China would take down its trade barriers and that the two countries would reach a deal on intellectual property.On Thursday, Trump directed U.S. trade officials to identify tariffs on $100 billion more Chinese imports, stoking fears of an all-out trade war between the worlds two largest economies.

18:55

NuPower

Nayak

ICICI

Bank-Videocon

Uma

Venkut

Nayak

NuPower

Renewables

ICICI

Videocon

Punglia

Rajeev

Kochhar

, a director at, is being questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at its office in Mumbai in relation to theBankcase. He is the third person to be quizzed by the agency after Mahesh Chandraand

Many allegations and questions have been raised after a blog post by a whistle-blower alleged that Rs 64 crore was provided to a firm promoted by Chanda Kochhars husband Deepak Kochhar six months after Videocon Group secured a Rs 3,250 crore loan from ICICI Bank in 2012. The amount was part of a Rs 40,000-crore loan that Videocon Group secured from a consortium of 20 banks led by State Bank of India.

18:51

PNB

Nirav

Modi

Mehul

Choksi

Nirav

Modi

Mehul

Choksi

PNB

LoUs

PNB

18:37

Flipkart

Bengaluru

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has issued a non-bailable warrant againstandin the over Rs 13,000 crore Punjab National Bank () fraud case. It has questioned an officer from Allahabad Banks Hong Kong branch in relation to the extension of credit facilities on the basis of letter of undertaking () issued by

E-commerce major Flipkart today said it has set up a new campus in Embassy Tech Village in Bengaluru, consolidating its other offices in the tech city as part of its 'Better.together' theme."We had taken this decision to consolidate our many offices across Benagluru to one location. This was largely aimed at improving operational efficiency and to also benefit from the resulting synergy between various teams and functions," Flipkart Head of Marketplace Anil Goteti told PTI.

Retail investors in the country have the strongest level of trust in the financial services industry, almost 30 percent higher than the global average, but are also concerned about data or confidentiality breach, with nearly 41 percent of them stating that they would consider changing their current investment firms, says a global survey.According to the survey done by CFA Institute, a global association of investment professionals, 71 percent of Indian investors trust the financial services industry, compared to 44 percent globally and 49 percent in the Asia Pacific region.

17:19 Devolution of funds to states should be based on performance indicators: NITI Vice Chariman

NITI Aayog Vice Chairman Rajiv Kumar today pitched for building 'performance indicators' for the devolution of funds to states.Kumar also said that while fiscal irresponsibility is bad, "fiscal fetish" is also not desirable and a delicate balance has to be maintained.I think it is clear that these (devolution of funds) criteria has to include some performance based criteria. And therefore those states which have done better in certain performance should not be punished.

17: 05 Christian Sewing to become new CEO of Deutsche Bank

Christian Sewing, currently co-deputy chief executive officer of Deutsche Bank, is to become the new CEO of Germany's biggest lender, replacing John Cryan.Sewing, a German national, would replace Cryan, a Briton, at a time when the bank is trying to strengthen its brand in its home market. Cryan has been in office less than three years but investors have lost faith that he can return the bank to profitability after three consecutive years of losses.

16:41 Adopt Clinical Establishment Act, Health Ministry urges states

The Union Health Ministry has urged states to adopt the Clinical Establishment Act, which aims to streamline healthcare services in India, stating they are the "most important partners" in rolling out of the free health insurance scheme that offers cover for 10 crore poor families.The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), expected to be launched anytime after July, aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually to 10 crore families belonging to vulnerable sections of society.

16:19 PM to address CPSE Conclave tomorrow

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address the CPSE Conclave at Vigyan Bhawan tomorrow, according to an official statement.Senior officers of Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) and top ministry officials will also attend the conclave, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said in the statement."The conclave will feature presentations on best practices in CPSEs," it said.

15:43 Moscow denies claims Syrian regime used chemical weapons in Douma: agencies

Moscow today rejected claims the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta, after the US said Russia bore ultimate responsibility for any attack."We firmly deny this information," said General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, in comments reported by news agencies."We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he added.

15:29 India, Korea to ink pact for seafarers, boost bilateral ties, says Nitin Gadkari

India and South Korea are set to boost bilateral ties in ports and shipping space and will sign pact to provide Indian seafarers employment on over 500 Korean ships, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said today. Shipping, Road Transport & Highways, Water Resources, River Development & Ganga Rejuvenation Minister Gadkari, who will be on a four-day visit to Korea beginning tomorrow, said both the nations are also eyeing partnerships in shipbuilding, waterways and smart transportation, among others.

14:45 The worst is over for PNB and it will come out of the mess created by the Nirav Modi fraud case in six months, the state-run lender's Managing Director Sunil Mehta said today.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) was hit by country's biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 13,000 crore perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates in connivance with some officials of a branch of the bank in Mumbai.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta told PTI in an interview.

14:13 In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the disputed border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on March 15 here but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology. (PTI)

14:03 Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived at Pantnagar airport today to attend the convocation of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology which is to confer an honorary title on him.

Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat accorded a warm welcome to the Oli and his wife at the airport from where they headed for Pantnagar Terai Bhawan.

Oli is scheduled to attend the convocation ceremony at around 1 pm.

13:40 Leading public sector lenders State Bank of India (SBI) and Punjab National Bank (PNB) have put their 15 non-performing assets worth Rs 1,063 crore for sale.



Both the banks said they will conduct the e-auction on 20th of this month. SBI has put up a total of 12 accounts with total outstanding of Rs 848.54 crore for sale.



13:20 NASA's Parker Solar Probe - humanity's first mission to the Sun - is undergoing final preparations for its launch scheduled for July 31.

The spacecraft was flown by the US Air Force to Florida, where it will continue testing, and eventually undergo final assembly and mating to the third stage of the Delta IV Heavy launch vehicle.

Parker Solar Probe is humanity's first mission to the Sun. After launch, it will orbit directly through the solar atmosphere - the corona - closer to the surface than any human-made object has ever gone. (PTI)

12:48 A chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people, a medical relief organisation and a rescue service said, and Washington said the reports - if confirmed - would demand an immediate international response.

Medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said 41 people had been killed, with other reports putting the death toll much higher. The civil defence rescue service, which operates in rebel-held areas of Syria, put it as high as 150 in a report on one of its Twitter feeds.

Ghouta

The Russian-backed Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as the reports began circulating on Saturday night and said rebels in the easterntown of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news. (Reuters)

12:25 Myanmar is not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the most senior United Nations official to visit the country this year, after Myanmar was accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 700,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.

"From what I've seen and heard from people  no access to health services, concerns about protection, continued displacements  conditions are not conducive to return," Ursula Mueller, U.N.'s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said after a six-day visit to Myanmar.

The Myanmar government has pledged to do its best to make sure repatriation under an agreement signed with Bangladesh in November would be "fair, dignified and safe".

Myanmar has so far verified several hundred Rohingya Muslim refugees for possible repatriation. The group would be "the first batch" of refugees and could come back to Myanmar "when it was convenient for them," a Myanmar official said last month. (Reuters)

12:16 The Pakistan government is working on a draft bill to permanently ban Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa as well as other groups and individuals on the watch list of the interior ministry.

The bill will replace the presidential ordinance that banned outfits and people already on the watch list of the interior ministry.

PTI

Citing its sources in the law ministry, Dawn reported that the proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 was likely to be tabled in the upcoming session of the National Assembly scheduled to commence tomorrow. (

11:55 Former Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa gave instructions for two hours from her hospital bed on the action to be taken over the Cauvery issue, ex-Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary P Rama Mohana Rao told a panel probing her death.



He said late Jayalalithaa on September 27, 2016 instructed her government secretaries, including him, on the Cauvery issue from the Apollo Hospital bed where she was admitted on September 22 that year. (PTI)



11:37 The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today called Rajeev Kochhar, brother-in-law of ICICI Bank chief Chanda Kochhar, for questioning for fourth consecutive day in the ICICI-Videocon case.



The agency has filed a preliminary inquiry against Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kochhar and Videocon chairman Venugopal Dhoot.



11:27 24 lawmakers from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) who were protesting outside PM Modi's house demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh have been forcibly removed.

The MPs who had gathered outside 7, Lok Kalyan Marg continued to wave placards and chant slogans even after being packed into a bus.

The protestors were taken to Tughlaq Road Police Station, reports CNN-News18.

10:53 Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel today said the CBI should thoroughly probe a Rs 2,654-crore bank fraud case involving a city-based company and ensure the entire swindled amount is recovered.

The CBI on Thursday registered a criminal case against Diamond Power Infrastructure Ltd (DPIL), a Vadodara-based firm dealing in electric cable and equipment, and its directors for allegedly cheating various banks to the tune of Rs 2,654 crore. (PTI)

10:31 Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to police on Saturday, ending a day-long standoff to begin serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption that derails his bid to return to power.

Lula was flown by police to the southern city of Curitiba, where he was tried and convicted late last year, and taken to the federal police headquarters there to serve his sentence. Protesters supporting Lula clashed with police outside the walls of the building. Officers used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd. (Reuters)

10:16 A wife is not a "chattel" or an "object" and she cannot be forced to reside with her husband even if the man desires to live with her, the Supreme Court has said.

The apex court observed this while hearing a matter in which a woman, who lodged a criminal case against her husband alleging cruelty, said that she do not want to live with him while the man maintained that he wants to reside with her. (PTI)

09:58 A van crashed into people drinking outside a popular bar in the German city of Muenster, killing two people and injuring 20 others before the driver of the vehicle shot and killed himself inside it, police said.



A top German security official said there was no indication of an Islamic extremist motive but officials were investigating all possibilities in yesterday's deadly crash that took place at 3:27 p.m. on a warm spring day. (PTI)



09:36 An engine failure forced a Russia-bound aircraft from Vietnam with 344 passengers on-board to make an emergency landing at the T-3 terminal of the IGI airport here, a DIAL spokesperson said.
BHEL | Company reported loss at Rs 893.1 crore in Q1FY21 against loss Rs 218.9 crore, revenue fell to Rs 1,990.9 crore versus Rs 4,532.5 crore YoY. (Image: Reuters)

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Share price of Bharat Heavy Electricals (BHEL) rose 2.3 percent intraday Thursday on commissioning 330 MW Kishanganga Hydro-Electric project (HEP) in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K).

The company commissioned the third 110 MW hydro generating unit, of 330 MW HEP in J&K. The first and second units of the project were also recently commissioned in the month of March 2018.

All the three units of Kishanganga HEP have been commissioned within a short span of 18 days.

The project developed by NHPC, located on the river Kishanganga, a tributary of the river Jhelum, in Bandipora district of J&K.

The 3x110 MW Kishanganga HEP will be able to generate 1,350 Million Units (MU) of clean electricity annually, facilitating reduction of greenhouse emissions.

The project comprising design, manufacture, supply, installation and commissioning of Vertical Shaft Pelton Turbines and matching synchronous Generators, Controls & Monitoring (SCADA) System along with electrical and mechanical auxiliaries.

The equipment was supplied from company's manufacturing units at Bhopal, Jhansi, Rudrapur and Bengaluru while the execution of works on site was carried out by the company's Power Sector Northern Region division and Transmission Business Group.

In the state of J&K, BHEL has so far commissioned 33 Hydro sets with a cumulative capacity of 1,477 MW.

The company is presently executing hydroelectric projects of more than 2,700 MW in the country and 2,940 MW in Bhutan which are under various stages of implementation.

At 10:04 hrs Bharat Heavy Electricals was quoting at Rs 86.70, up Rs 1.70, or 2 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
The Union Health Ministry has urged states to adopt the Clinical Establishment Act, which aims to streamline healthcare services in India, stating they are the "most important partners" in rolling out of the free health insurance scheme that offers cover for 10 crore poor families.

The Ayushman Bharat-National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM), expected to be launched anytime after July, aims to provide a coverage of Rs 5 lakh per family annually to 10 crore families belonging to vulnerable sections of society.

The health ministry's reminder to all states came as it wants states to adopt the Act before the launch of the AB-NHPM, to ensure appropriate checks and balances are put in place and maximum benefit is obtained by the beneficiaries.

In a letter to all states, the health secretary said states should adopt the Act, which is applicable to all types of clinical establishments in public and private sectors.

"The state governments are the most important partners under this scheme sharing 40 percent of the amount and implementing the scheme, therefore, an appropriate oversight and monitoring mechanism also needs to be put in place," the health ministry's letter stated.

About five states including Arunachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Assam and Jharkhand and all Union territories except the NCT of Delhi have adopted and implemented the Act.

Sikkim, Bihar, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand have adopted the Act, but not yet implement it.

The letter said state governments may consider bringing a state-specific legislation as has been done by some states.

The ministry wants to complete sharing of the latest Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) data with states by April 30, testing of IT systems and hospital empanelment by July 31.

States will be allowed to implement the scheme through insurance companies or Trust/Society or a mixed model and it will be an entitlement-based scheme with entitlements decided on the basis of deprivation criteria in the SECC database.

Deprivation categories in rural areas include families having only one roof with kutcha walls and roof, families having no adult member between age 16-59, SC/ST households and landless households deriving a major part of their income from manual casual labour.

Also, families without shelter, destitute, those living on alms, manual scavenger families, primitive tribal groups, legally released bonded labour in rural areas will be included.

For urban areas, 11 defined occupational categories, including rag-pickers, beggars, domestic workers, cobblers, hawkers, construction workers, plumbers, painters and security guards are entitled under the scheme.

To control the cost factor, payment for treatment will be done on package rate basis and it will be a cashless transaction for the beneficiaries.

In the first phase of the launch, the packages will cover mostly all life-saving surgeries except for organ-transplant.

The AB-NHPM is stated to be the world's largest government-funded healthcare insurance programme.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley continued to be under medical observation for the second day on Sunday at the All Indian Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and no time for his kidney transplant surgery has been decided.

Jaitley, 65, who was admitted to AIIMS Friday evening in New Delhi, has been kept under observation.

Sources said the doctors attending to him have not yet finalised date of the kidney transplant operation.

Jaitley is suffering from a kidney ailment and has not been attending office since Monday. He has not even taken an oath of office after being re-elected to the Rajya Sabha.

Sources said the minister, who was kept in a 'controlled environment' at home, was shifted to the AIIMS on Friday evening.

A kidney transplant operation was scheduled for yesterday and all formalities for a donor's kidney were also completed but was kept under one day observation.

The minister, who cancelled his scheduled visit to London for the 10th India-UK Economic and Financial Dialogue next week, had confirmed his illness in a tweet on Thursday.

"I am being treated for kidney-related problems & certain infections that I have contracted," he had tweeted.

Jaitley, however, had not elaborated on the ailment but said he was "currently working in a controlled environment at home. The future course of my treatment would be determined by the doctors treating me".

He is likely to be operated by nephrologist Dr Sandeep Guleria from Apollo hospital, also a brother of AIIMS Director Randeep Guleria, who is a family friend of Jaitley.

Jaitley had in September 2014 undergone a bariatric surgery to treat weight gain that he suffered because of a long-standing diabetic condition. That surgery was first performed at Max Hospital, but he had to be later shifted to AIIMS because of complications.

He had a heart surgery several years ago.
Former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah

After meticulously planning, plotting strategies and getting his soldiers battle-ready, is the general himself panicking more than a little about where to position himself?

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who is leading the Congress party from the front in the May 12 assembly elections, has surprised his opponents with some stunning moves in the last few weeks.

But, as D-Day nears, he seems to have discovered  booth level intelligence and other ground reports  that the Chamundeshwari constituency in his home district of Mysuru, from where he was to seek re-election, has turned unsafe for him.

Perhaps the realisation has dawned rather late because ever since GT Deve Gowda  his close associate for over three decades, who masterminded Siddaramaiahs elections earlier  mounted a campaign over a year ago to defeat the chief minister, the ground has gradually been slipping from under him.

Siddaramaiah has won five times and lost twice contesting from Chamundeshwari, but Varuna constituency, which he represents now, is considered much safer.

Podcast | Karnataka Polls 2018: A crucial moment for Indian politics

But, ever since his eldest son and heir-apparent Rakesh died prematurely in 2016, Siddaramaiah got his younger son, Yatheendra to quit his profession as a doctor and foray into politics. Yatheendra has been quite active in Varuna in the last two years. The chief minister has openly said that Yatheendra will contest the 2018 election, if the high command agrees to give him a ticket.

Repeated taunts from BJPs Yeddyurappa and JD(S)s HD Kumaraswamy that Siddaramaiah will meet his Waterloo in Chamundeshwari made him assert even more strongly that he was not running away from that constituency. But during his recent visits to Chamundeshwari, he was reportedly taken back by the amount of hostility among the people towards his government and the mobilisation of castes taking place against him.

The Vokkaligas constitute over 40% of around two lakh voters, followed by the Dalits, Lingayats, Kurubas and Muslims. While GT Deve Gowda and senior Deve Gowda will make sure that he will receive no support from Vokkaligas, the Lingayats largely follow the instructions of Suttur swamiji of JSS mutt, who is angry with the his decision to split the community.

Running a number of educational institutions and occupying vast tracts of lands in the state, JSS has several issues with the government. It was interesting to see Siddaramaiah being closeted with the swamiji for close to 40 minutes on Friday. What transpired between the two is anybodys guess.

Siddaramaiah is worried on another count as well. HC Mahadevappa, his Man Friday and Dalit leader, is sulking for the past few weeks as Siddaramaiah has failed to meet his demand for tickets for himself and his son, both in Mysuru district. If you can promote your son, why cant I give a political lift to my son? is his counter to the chief minister.

Another important Dalit leader from the district, V Srinivasa Prasad, who was ousted by Siddaramaiah from his Cabinet and suffered a defeat in the Nanjungud byelection, is also baying for blood, and so is H Vishwanath, a Kuruba leader, now with the JD(S).

With so many stars aligned against him, Siddaramaiah is seriously considering the possibility of contesting from a second constituency, if not shifting from Chamundeshwari itself.

Asking his son Yatheendra to wait for his turn and shifting to Varuna would solve some of the problems. It would be easier to win, would give him more time to campaign for other party candidates and also help contain the clamour from senior partymen for tickets for their kith and kin.

But abandoning Chamundeshwari  where he last won in 2006 by a wafer-thin margin of 257 votes  at this stage would be seen as a cowardly act and would have a demoralising effect on the party.

He hinted at the possibility of contesting from two constituencies when he recently said: Party workers have been pressurising me to contest from a north Karnataka seat as it would strengthen the party base there. But I will not leave Chamundeshwari.

Badami, Basavakalyan or Gangavati in north Karnataka, which have sizeable Kuruba community members (to which Siddaramaiah belongs) or Shantinagar in Bengaluru city are reportedly under his active consideration as a buffer seat.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi is likely to grant whatever Siddaramaiah wishes, but right now, hes a general who is in serious self-doubt.
Rahul Gandhi

Congress president Rahul Gandhi said on Sunday the government would be able to instill faith among the young only by competing with China in creating jobs, and asserted the issue would be the central theme for India in the coming years.

China would be India's competitor in the sector for the next 30 years, Gandhi said.

"The only way for the government to instill faith in it among youngsters is to create jobs by competing with China, which will be India's competitor for the next 30 years," he said, adding that the issue of job creation would be the central theme in the future.

For a change to take place, there has to be a shift in mindsets, just as there was before the Green revolution and the telecom boom, he said during an interaction with business people here.

Replying to a query, he said small entrepreneurs had a big role to play in the country's development and the Central government should support them in creating jobs.

"I also think there has to be a different vision and structure for large and small industries," he added.

To another question, Gandhi said the Congress would start the process of drafting a national manifesto in the next few months.

"We are going to produce a national manifesto of the Congress party over the next few months. We are having conversations over it within the Congress to create the manifesto. It is a big step. We will start the process," he said.

Replying to yet another query, Gandhi said the Congress did not agree with the GST "designed" by the BJP.

He said the Congress had insisted on a one-layer tax to combat corruption.

"We want a one-layer (GST) so that there is no corruption taking place," he added.

Gandhi said the Congress would review GST once it came back to power.

He also said India's GST, which is similar to that of Pakistan and Sudan, was the most complex tax regime in the world.

"Experts have said the most complex tax regime in the world is GST in India. So we will transform the current GST, which I call Gabbar Singh Tax, into a simple GST by having one layer, which includes petroleum products," he said.

To a question, Gandhi said the NDA's bullet train project was just a showpiece and poorly conceptualised.

"Almost Rs 1 lakh crore is going to be spent on the project which is badly conceptualised... It is just a showpiece," he said.

Gandhi also said the country was going to "pay a price" because of demonetisation, GST and the Nirav Modi issue. The Congress president had arrived in Karnataka yesterday on the sixth leg of a campaign as part of the party's 'Janashirvada Yatra', ahead of the May 12 election in the state.
Nepal's Prime Minister Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli, also known as KP Oli, speaks at the parliament where he announced his resignation in Kathmandu

Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli arrived at Pantnagar airport today to attend the convocation of G B Pant University of Agriculture and Technology which is to confer an honorary title on him.

Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul and Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat accorded a warm welcome to the Oli and his wife at the airport from where they headed for Pantnagar Terai Bhawan.

Oli is scheduled to attend the convocation ceremony at around 1 pm.
Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi has advocated setting up a national children's tribunal, on the lines of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), to deal with cases of crime against children in a time-bound and expeditious manner.

Citing recent incidents of sexual abuse of minor girls, the child rights activist said such cases give the country a "bad name".

"Today incidents of rape of minor girls are being reported. In the national capital, an eight-month-old girl was raped. Such incidents give the country a bad name. Besides the government, the society should also think about it," said Satyarthi in an interview to PTI.

The 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winner said, "There are laws, such as the POCSO Act, to deal with child rights violation and sexual abuse of children. The POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act is a good law. But the problem is, hearing of cases do not happen in a time-bound manner."

"In most cases, completion of trials and conviction take several years. Therefore, a national children's tribunal should be constituted to ensure cases related to children are disposed of in a time-bound manner," he said.

Born in 1954 in Madhya Pradesh, Satyarthi as a grassroots activist has led the rescue of over 80,000 child slaves and developed a successful model for their education and rehabilitation. He is also the founder of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), according to his website.

"It should be ensured that the tribunal for children is as powerful as the NGT. Things related to the environment are changing because the NGT has been given powers. The NGT has instilled fear among those who try to hurt the environment," he said.

"If there is an empowered national children's tribunal, there would be an effective and expeditious disposal of cases related to children and child rights would be better protected," the Nobel laureate said.

Expressing concern over the menace of child pornography, the child rights activist emphasised the need for an international convention against it.

Last month, during the "Laureates and Leaders for Children" summit in Jordan, Nobel laureates, including Satyarthi, and world leaders had called for a global convention against child pornography.

"Child pornograhy is a global menace and it is increasing with the expanding reach of the Internet. There is a need for an international law against it.

"Hence, we (at the summit) urged that an international law be formulated through the United Nations so that the spread of child pornography and violation of child rights on the Internet can be checked," he said.

Satyarthi, as a global campaigner, has been the architect of the single largest civil society network for the most exploited children, the Global March Against Child Labor, which is a worldwide coalition of NGOs, teachers' union and trade unions, the website said.
In a daylight heist, unidentified miscreants looted Rs 25 lakh in cash today after shooting at the guard of a cash van that had come to replenish an Axis Bank ATM in the busy Gangnahar area of Roorkee in the district.

The cash van had pulled up outside the ATM on the BSM college trisection at around 1:30 PM. The guard, Shakeel Ahmed, stood in front of the gate of the van, while two others went in to replenish the machine with cash.

Three miscreants suddenly arrived on the scene and shot at the guard. As the latter fell to the ground, they picked up the bag containing cash and ran away, SP (rural) Manikant Mishra said.

The injured guard is under treatment but out of danger, the SP added.

Efforts are on to nab the miscreants and recover the looted cash, he said.
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today stressed that the dream of a "New India" could only be visualised with new ideas and new ways of making them realise through effective implementation.

Emphasising that the New India" would be a scientific India and technological India", he batted for making science an integral component of education curriculum. He said that scientific approach that relies on evidence and raising relevant questions and seeking answers should be internalised.

In his inaugural address at the ninth Indian Youth Science Congress organised by Career Point University at NIT, Hamirpur, Naidu said that fora like Science Congress enable the young minds to share knowledge, information and draw inspiration to come up with new ideas that would empower India of the future.

"The students should be encouraged to discover' rather than be told' the answer," Naidu said, hoping that the conference would usher in an era of accelerated progress and development by inculcating scientific temper among out youth.

Appreciating the efforts of Himachal Pradesh government in the field of environment conservation and increasing green cover, he said the people of the state were honest in their approach and work and urged them to keep this tradition going.

He said, "we should not forget our mother, our mother land and mother tongue. and urging the people to live with harmony with nature."

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat said India has been the land of knowledge since times immemorial and only Vedic cosmology's time scales corresponds to that of modern scientific cosmology.

He said it was the need of the hour to develop scientific approach by upholding the Indian traditional knowledge.

Cautioning that he global warming was the area of concern, he exhorted scientists to come forward to tackle the problem and added that scientific approach without humanitarian thought and humane touch was irrelevant.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said climate change was a serious challenge for people's existence and scientists should come forward to tackle this teething problem.

He said that Himachal Pradesh is known as Dev Bhoomi' (Land of Gods) and said that in the present era of scientific excellence efforts should be made to make India a frontrunner in this field.

He said that even in this era of scientific innovation, we should not ignore and abandon our ancient knowledge and wisdom.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda said scientists must help in blending tradition, local knowledge, systems and technologies in research to develop effective and sustainable solutions for human development and progress on the country.

He also expressed concern over the increasing cases of anaemia, particularly amongst younger generation, and urged the scientists to come forward to redress this problem at the earliest by vigorous research.

He said since it was the World Health Day, the health centres would be changed in to wellness centres for overall health of the nation in a phased manner. He added that 1.50 lakh health wellness centres would be established in the country by 2020.

Noted scientist and father of 'Green Revolution' in India M S Swaminathan in his key note address through video conference said young scientists should collectively work towards meeting the challenges posed by climate change.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee professor lauded the efforts of Himachal Pradesh in environment conservation, as he stressed the need to deliver as one' approach for the reform in the governance of various food security related schemes.
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has effectively banned any dealings in cryptocurrency via banks or e-wallets in the country stating "dealing with or providing services to any individuals or business entities dealing with or settling virtual currencies."

Many startups have emerged in the country after surge in bitcoin's popularity.

Nischal Shetty, CEO of WazirX , a Bitcoin and crytocurrency exchange said: "Blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies are going to define the future of financial technology and the way money operates. While the security features intact in the blockchain technology have been acknowledged by the Finance Minister himself, the latest mandate by the Reserve Bank of India, discouraging Indians from dealing in cryptocurrencies, is quite disheartening. More so, since in the recent past, the RBI had seemed to be favourably predisposed towards supporting new, innovative and tech-driven processes.

"While India continues to debate and hold back the mainstreaming of cryptocurrencies, our global counterparts in the USA, Japan, South Korea etc are moving forward and regulating cryptos. By supporting blockchain and cryptocurrency, RBI could have given Indians an opportunity to be at the forefront of a global phenomenon, act ahead of time and be future-secured with our own set of digital assets."

The central bank said in its statement that virtual currencies (VCs), also variously referred to as cryptocurrencies and crypto assets, raise concerns of consumer protection, market integrity, and money laundering, among others.

"The RBI statement will negatively impact startups, because no matter how great an idea they have, investors will be wary of putting money into a crypto-venture given their uncertain future in uncertain regulatory environments," said Nehaa Chaudhari, Public Policy Lead, TRA, a technology policy and law firm.

After these RBI guidelines, Shetty added that this will exclude India from global crypto revolution. There will be massive wealth erosion of all the tax paying people who have invested in cryptocurrencies.

"Gullible investors will now try to buy cryptos through cash and other OTC means where they would have no buyer protection and end up falling for scams. This will also make illegal trades almost impossible to track," said Shetty.

Atulya Bhatt, Co-founder of BuyUcoin, a multi cryptocurrency wallet and exchange, said: "There will be a parallel economy and in few months people will find unregulated ways of cashing out. Some investors are in utter shock because the government has given only three months to handle the transactions. "

As for startups, he said, "It disturbed the whole structure of crypto exchanges. We have plans and we are discussing it. But banning it is an unfair step."

"The alternate way for the cryptocurrency exchange will be to do crypto to crypto trading," said Bhatt.

Ravi Kikan, COO, Panaesha Capital, said: "If you look at the complete circular it first talks about RBI exploring the desirability and feasibility of introducing its own crypto currency (a fiat-digital one). In fact, it has set up a panel to review the proposal and come up with suggestions by June.

"The RBI is more concerned about the other side of negatives like speculative trading, Consumer protection, Ponzi Schemes, Money laundering and terror financing that can pop up through this un regulated market, which I think is a very fair stand to safeguard the public at large. In the long run keeping the above in light the digital currencies which have a certain usefulness towards their utility/usage will be the ones that will have a shot at the silverline and more prone to acceptability."

In its budget speech, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley clarified in his budget speech that it is not a legal tender and the government will discourage its use. However, he had mentioned that the government will look at the utilisation of blockchain.

(Neha Alawadhi also contributed to this report)
Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva turned himself in to police on Saturday, ending a day-long standoff to begin serving a 12-year prison sentence for corruption that derails his bid to return to power.

Lula was flown by police to the southern city of Curitiba, where he was tried and convicted late last year, and taken to the federal police headquarters there to serve his sentence. Protesters supporting Lula clashed with police outside the walls of the building. Officers used stun grenades, tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.

In a fiery speech hours earlier to a crowd of supporters of his Workers Party outside the union building in Sao Paulo, Brazil's first working class president insisted on his innocence and called his bribery conviction a political crime, but said he would turn himself in.

"I will comply with the order," he told the cheering crowd. "I'm not above the law. If I didn't believe in the law, I wouldn't have started a political party. I would have started a revolution."

Lula, who faces six more trials on corruption charges, finally ended the standoff when he moved out in a convoy of black police SUVs after pushing his way out of the steel workers union headquarters where he had taken refuge. He entered police custody more than 24 hours after a court deadline on Friday afternoon.

Lula's imprisonment removes Brazil's most influential political figure and front-runner from this year's presidential campaign, throwing the race wide open and strengthening the odds of a more centrist candidate prevailing, according to analysts and political foes.

It also marks the end of an era for Brazil's left, which was out in force in the streets outside of the union headquarters in the industrial suburb of Sao Paulo where Lula's political career began four decades ago as a union organizer.

The throngs of supporters, which began gathering when he arrived late on Thursday night, dissuaded police from trying to take him into custody and heightened concerns about a violent showdown.

Supporters blocked Lula's first attempt to leave the union building on Saturday afternoon, pushing back against fellow party members trying to open the gate for his car to leave. Workers Party chief Gleisi Hoffmann pleaded with supporters to let him exit.

Lula was convicted of taking bribes, including renovation of a three-story seaside apartment that he denies ever owning, from an engineering firm in return for help landing public contracts.

"I'm the only person being prosecuted over an apartment that isn't mine," insisted Lula, standing on a sound truck alongside his impeached handpicked successor Dilma Rousseff and leaders of other left-wing parties.

A Brazilian Supreme Court justice on Saturday rejected the latest plea by Lula's legal team, which argued they had not exhausted procedural appeals when a judge issued the order to turn himself in.

Under Brazilian electoral law, a candidate is forbidden from running for office for eight years after being found guilty of a crime. Rare exceptions have been made in the past, and the final decision would be made by the top electoral court if and when Lula officially files to be a candidate.

The union where Lula, 72, sought refuge was the launch pad for his career in the late 1970s leading nationwide strikes that helped to end Brazil's 1964-85 military dictatorship.

Lula's everyman style and unvarnished speeches electrified masses and eventually won him two terms as president, from 2003 to 2011, when he oversaw robust economic growth and falling inequality amid a commodities boom.

"Those who condemn me without proof know that I am innocent and I governed honestly," Lula said in a video message to his supporters. "Those who persecute me can do what they want to me, but they will never imprison our dreams."

(Additional reporting by Lisandra ParaguassA, Ricardo Brito and Jake Spring in Brasilia, and Brad Brooks in Sao Paulo; Writing by Anthony Boadle and Jake Spring; Editing by Sandra Maler)
German investigators were puzzled this morning by the motives of a man who drove a van into a crowd at an open-air restaurant the day before, killing two people before shooting himself.

"So far there are no clues to a possible motive for the act," said Martin Botzenhardt, senior prosecutor in the northwestern city of Muenster where the attack happened, in a statement issued in the early hours.

"We are pressing hard on our investigation into all possible avenues."

Late yesterday, authorities were near-certain that there was no Islamist connection to the violence in the historic centre of Muenster as had initially been feared.

The two people killed were a 51-year-old woman and a 65-year-old man, both from northern Germany.

As well as the dead, police said 20 were injured -- six of them seriously -- amid the broken and upturned tables and chairs seen strewn across the pavement in images of the scene.

Police had to wait for a bomb disposal team to clear the vehicle used in the attack after noticing suspect wires inside.

In the end, they found only the weapon used by the 48-year-old driver to kill himself, a blank-firing pistol and some powerful fireworks.

A search of the mans Muenster apartment late Saturday turned up more fireworks and a deactivated AK47 assault rifle.

Police have appealed to the public for information about the attack, setting up a website where people can upload photos or videos.

"There was a bang and then screaming. The police arrived and got everyone out of here," an employee of the restaurant hit by the terrace told NTV.

"There were a lot of people screaming. Im angry -- its cowardly to do something like this."

Armed police cordoned off a wide area around the scene of the attack, urging residents to avoid the city centre to allow investigators to get to work amid initial fears the country had suffered another extremist assault.

Germany has been on especially high alert for jihadist attacks after several claimed by the Islamic State group.

But in the Saturday afternoon attack, inflicted as locals and tourists enjoyed a sunny spring day, there was "no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," said North Rhine-Westphalia state interior minister Herbert Reul.

Media reports said the driver, identified only as Jens R., had a history of mental health problems.

Public broadcaster ZDF said the man had recently attempted suicide while rolling news channel NTV said he had spoken of a desire to bring as much attention as possible to his death.

ZDF also reported that he had possible links with far-right movements.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was "deeply shaken" by the incident and "everything possible will be done to determine what was behind this act and to help the victims".

The presidents of Russia and France, Vladimir Putin and Emmanuel Macron, each sent their condolences.

The attack is the latest in a string across Europe in which vehicles have been used to attack crowds of people in public places.

In a Berlin attack in December 2016, Tunisian asylum-seeker Anis Amri hijacked a truck and murdered its Polish driver before killing another 11 people and wounding dozens more by ploughing the heavy vehicle through a Christmas market in central Berlin.

He was shot dead by Italian police in Milan four days later while on the run.

In France, the Islamic State group claimed a 2016 truck attack in Nice on its July 14 national holiday that killed 86.
U.S. Senate hopeful Beto ORourke drove his red Dodge Caravan into Midland on Saturday morning to rally support as he embarks on a do-it-yourself, grass-roots campaign across all of Texas 254 counties.

The Democrat is traveling the state with a small crew and faced a packed crowd at Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center, which saw more than 250 people in attendance. His opponent, Ted Cruz, last week drew about 80 people to Discovery Operating headquarters during the senators Midland campaign stop.

ORourke recently announced he had raised $6.7 million in the first quarter, more than the sitting senator.

Yesterday, my Democratic opponent announced that in the first quarter of this year he had raised $6.7 million, which is the most money raised by any Senate candidate in the entire country, Cruz said at his event. Youre seeing liberals all over the country  in Hollywood, on the east coast and even some places in Texas  theyre having dreams of turning Texas bright blue. Theyre putting in a lot of money.

ORourke said Saturday that he had raised the money from 141,000 unique contributions, none of which came from political action committees or corporations  Just the people of Texas.

No one will ever have to wonder who it is I represent, he added.

Running against the incumbent, however, will be a challenge.

Its only going to be possible if everyone in Texas makes it so, ORourke said. Going to all 254 counties, having multiple town hall meetings in Midland, Odessa, Big Spring, Roscoe and Sweetwater. Every single person is deserving of being heard, listened to and fought for. Together, we can make something that otherwise would be impossible happen.

His campaign is a grass-roots effort that has reached down the very grass upon which hes trying to root out votes. The U.S. representative from El Paso told the Reporter-Telegram on Wednesday that most of his team had pitched tents and camped outside after an event in Amarillo the night before. One member of his small crew opted to sleep in the van because they wanted to stay away from the creepy crawlies on the ground.

His campaign strategy reflects his punk rock roots. ORourke toured the U.S. and Canada with his band Foss in the early 1990s, and the do-it-yourself ethic learned back then has carried into his campaign today.

Driving this Dodge Caravan across Texas, its just us driving ourselves, he said after Saturdays event. Theres no private jet, no consultant, no pollster saying this is the message you have to say to this group or that. We allow people to drive the conversation, and its very much like the do-it-yourself effort in rock and roll music. Bands writing their own songs, putting out their own records, starting their own labels, saying whats on their mind and listening to others who want to do the same.

ORourke likened DIY efforts to democracy itself.

When youre doing it right, thats what democracy is like: Not allowing any interference between the person who seeks to represent the community and the community who will be represented, he said. In that town hall (Saturday), you saw people could ask any question and make any suggestion  and they did. That reminds me of traveling the country in a van with a bunch of bandmates making music and sharing our story with people who showed up when we were doing that 25-plus years ago.
The nation is currently renegotiating the North America Free Trade Agreement, which could threaten oil companies interests in the newly liberalized Mexican oil industry if their investment protections are stripped. In March, more than 100 Republican lawmakers urged President Donald Trump administration not to scrap investor protections.

U.S. Senate candidate Beto ORourke wants to improve NAFTA, but we cannot lose that critically important relationship with Mexico and Canada and, by extension, the rest of the world.

Whether it is the energy we produce, whether it is the cotton we grow, whether it is the cattle we raise, all of this has a connection to the rest of the world and very often is looking for a market somewhere else, he told media before his campaign event in Midland on Saturday at the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Center. These trade wars, the threat of unilaterally withdrawing from NAFTA is really bad for the Texas economy, Texas jobs and the energy industry.

The oil and gas industry is vital not just to West Texas, but the entire states economy. ORourke, who currently is a U.S. representative from El Paso, said making Texas a stronger voice on oil and gas issues in Washington, D.C., requires listening to everyone involved, including those who are working in the oil fields, those who are making investments in the industry and those who have to deal with the consequences when there isnt adequate accountability.

We were just listening to farmers (in Glasscock County) about groundwater and making sure that we refresh that, we recharge that and recycle that water so that we make sure this area is sustainable for a very long time, he said.

As oil and gas activity increases in the Permian, so does the stress on the often-inadequate transportation infrastructure that wasnt built to withstand rigorous punishment from wide, heavy loads such as from sand and water haulers. ORourke said investment in infrastructure is necessary but must be broader than highways and byways.

That means roads having more lanes on our highways. That means investment in broadband infrastructure, which were missing from much of rural West Texas, he said. That investment in infrastructure also means jobs  the jobs of people connected to it and the smaller communities of the Permian Basin that now become more competitive for jobs and investment in young people and talent because they have the infrastructure to support that.

At the federal level, that means we fight for the appropriations for West Texas. We need a senator who shows up and listens to whats on the minds of the people here, what their needs are and then delivers for them once theyre in the Senate.

The escalating tariff tussle between the Trump administration and China isnt good for Texas, ORourke said. The tariffs imposed by this administration are hurting this country, and no state will bear more of the burden than Texas. Its going to be hard for our cotton to find markets overseas, for the cattle were raising here to find their destination outside this country.

We talked about energy earlier and the fact that were a trading state. A million jobs depend on the U.S-Mexico trading relationship, he said. We need a senator who is going to work with this president when we can and is going to stand up to him when he is going to hurt Texas jobs and economic growth. Thats what I want to do for Texas.
In Midland, our community is known for its pioneering spirita wildcat mentality that continues to pave the way not only for the oil and gas sector but for local business, entrepreneurship, healthcare, finance, the arts, among so many others. We have one of the most autonomous and robust economies in the country.

Shouldnt our public school district reflect the same?

With Midland on the Move and the districts pursuance of becoming a System of Great Schools, we must strive for the same transformative and autonomous mindset as the wildcatters that drive this economy. Just as local businesses and entrepreneurs thrive in a competitive environment with innovative and transformative ideas, so must our public school system.

The radical transformation of Midland ISD has begun. No longer will the status quo be accepted, and no longer will educating our young leaders the way we have for decades be an option. For your kids and for mine, we collectively as a team, must demand and expect more.

If we want to achieve greatness and provide an education for our future that is reflective of our great city, we must operate with the same competitiveness and courage of our business community. This should be evident not only during the normal school day, but anytime we have students in our presence, including our before and after-school programs. This is what our community has requested.

For example, as part of the district's public engagement initiatives, Midland ISD held a series of community meetings to better understand the needs of parents and students. We continued this engagement with the recent School Quality Survey for students, parents and staff. The need for quality, enriched programs outside of the normal school day, homework assistance, extracurricular activities, among other things were frequently mentioned.

To ensure the best programming for our students, the district moved forward with issuing a request for proposals (RFP). Several local, state and national childcare organizations, including our current providers, participated.

We went through a very extensive and thorough process to find a program that was equitable district-wide and one that for the first time in our districts history supported all 27 elementary campuses and all 15,000-plus students pre-K  sixth grade. During the process, we looked for a program that offered increased academic rigor; not only after-school enrichment but before-school enrichment and care during holidays, professional days for teachers and summer; scheduling flexibility; multiple pricing options; scholarships; and discounts for teachers, siblings and free or reduced lunch families.

The nationally recognized student enrichment provider, Right At School, was recommended by administration to the school board of trustees and approved on March 26th during the regular scheduled board meeting.

Right At School is known for the academic rigor of their program  The Right Club. Right At School provides an engaging and meaningful academic program to enable students and schools to focus on their academic mission with a very unique disguised learning approach. Right At School offers a curriculum that features hands-on learning, multi-sensory activities, daily health and fitness, team building, and leadership development. Right At Schools curriculum also supports Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), the same criteria the state expects from our academic environment during the regular school day.

Right At School provides families with many options at different price points and offers discounts for siblings, teachers and families on free or reduced lunch. They offer a before-school program from 6:30 a.m.-7:45 a.m., an after-school program from 3:20 p.m.-6 p.m. or both options. They also offer "drop-in" options and "punch card" options if a family would like to purchase a certain number of days. Flexible one, two, three, four and five-day options are available also. The current program requires families to pay for the full five-day program and does not offer a sibling discount for families that have multiple children enrolled. Families should not have to pay for a full-time, five-day program if they dont need care every day of the week. This is a cost-saving measure, along with a 10 percent sibling discount, that we felt was an important option for our families.

There has been some confusion about the cost of the program and the impact to our low income families, which make up approximately 47 percent of our student population. In a letter to the editor, we recently read that Right At Schools cost will easily exclude most Midlandershad no consideration of cost to parentsand is punishing working poor families. The current after-school program provider, which does not offer our families a before-school option, was compared with Right At Schools before and after-school program price, and program discounts were excluded.

As I mentioned before, a variety of price points are available to choose from, but if you compare apples-to-apples to the current offering, Right At School's five-day after-school program is $248 a month per student. Families on free or reduced lunch receive a 25 percent discount which brings the costs of the five-day after-school program down to $186. This is $6 more a month than the current program offered.

In addition to providing a TEKS supported curriculum, before and after-school options, and flexibility for families, Right At School also offers scholarships. Right At School will hire local professionals from our community and will operate at a 15:1 ratio. The current state requirement is 26:1.

We have created a web page for Right At School on our web site with more information for parents. Please visit www.midlandisd.net/rightatschool to view pricing, frequently asked questions, sample curriculums, and to learn more about Right At School. Additionally, on April 10 from 6-7:30 p.m. at Bowie Fine Arts Academy, Right At School is hosting a Parent Forum. They will provide childcare, have examples of student activities on-hand and will address any of your concerns and answer all of your questions. I encourage you to attend.

I fully understand the impact of empowering partnering organizations and people while holding them accountable. Just like the wildcatters that contribute to our unique and competitive business climate, I encourage and expect everyone that has an impact on our public school system to innovate, create and not just performbut transform the educational experience for our students. No less will be expected of Right At School nor anyone else who engages in a partnership with Midland ISD.

Our communitys most valuable asset  our children  deserve the same tenacity that drives our very unique and special community. I can tell you that no other team is more prepared to propel this district forward than our incredible school board and staff.

Get ready, Midland. We are on the move.
Longtime cattle rancher Jason Peeler gets uneasy when he hears about a looming trade war between the United States and China, and he says he's not the only one.

"We are nervous - we're really nervous," Peeler said.

His unease swelled Wednesday when China retaliated against President Donald Trump's proposed tariffs by announcing plans for duties of their own on $50 billion worth of U.S. goods like soybeans and whiskey - and beef.

Cattle make up a major chunk of Texas' livestock inventory, with over 20 million cattle roaming on ranches across the state. Around 4.5 million of those cattle are used for beef.

Texas' beef industry has just started re-establishing a relationship with China; a 14-year ban on U.S. beef exports to the country was lifted just last year. Texas is only exporting a small amount of beef to the country, but the industry is still feeling the pressure, especially given a related tariff threat on pork.

"There is a relationship between pork prices and beef prices," said David Anderson, an economist at Texas A&M; University. "Cheaper pork means pork is a little more competitive for U.S. consumers' dollar."

It also means the price of beef goes down, leading to less profit for cattle ranchers, Anderson said.

The back-and-forth between the two economic powerhouses started last month, when the Trump administration moved to tax steel and aluminum from China and other countries. China struck back earlier this week, threatening to put a 25 percent tax hike on imports from pork to pecans.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced $50 billion worth of proposed tariffs on Chinese valued U.S. exports such as aircraft parts and flatscreen televisions. China answered by adding beef, among other items, to their list.

The potential tax on beef could impact Texan ranchers, but Chinese consumers can get hurt even more, said Pete Bonds, a rancher in Saginaw.

"It will make the beef more expensive to the Chinese consumers - they're actually hurting the Chinese," said Bonds. "I'm more sad for the Chinese consumer."
A recently released geological study by a pair of Southern Methodist University researchers shook West Texas with news about whats happening underground  but earthquakes werent the issue.

In 1980, a sinkhole northeast of Wink formed suddenly, and ground collapsed in 2002 just east of the West Texas town, making an even larger hole. The Wink Sinks, as theyre called, are more than just geological curiosities. Several organizations have since researched areas around West Texas to see if sinkholes can happen in other parts of the Permian Basin.

The latest study by SMUs Jim-Woo Kim and Zhong Lu  in only looking at an area of about 60 miles by 60 miles  has found six.

The pair of professors used public data from the European Space Agencys Sentinel-1A/B satellites, which feature interferometric synthetic aperture radar, or inSAR. In simple terms, the radar can capture very fine changes to the Earths surface. What they found were areas of concern near Wink, Monahans, Grandfalls, Imperial and Pecos.

Of particular concern is an area just east of Wink Sink No. 2  the larger one  at the intersection of county roads 201 and 204 in Winkler County. The area has seen subsidence of 40 centimeters per year since 2014. Fissures across the CR 201 are visible on Google Earth.

That area is sinking at half a meter per year, Lu told the Reporter-Telegram. I cannot predict when a hole will be produced in that area, but you can see cracks and fissures nearby. I havent seen that amount of subsidence anywhere.

University of Texas Bureau of Economic Geology geoscientist Jeffrey Paine has studied the Wink Sinks for more than a decade. Hes aware of the area east of Wink Sink No. 2.

Some people call that Wink Sink No. 3 already, he said. It just doesnt have steep walls like the sudden collapses at Wink No. 1 and Wink No. 2.

Paine noted that there has been a huge amount of subsidence at the site but said the SMU figure is probably the maximum rate. Were seeing something on the order of a couple of centimeters per month from topographic comparisons sustained over several years. Those rates are what we saw in our earlier radar interferometry study, as well.

Not all areas in SMUs study are subsiding, however. A location west of Wink and one near Monahans are seeing uplifts, meaning the land is getting higher. The Wink spot is the site of a wastewater injection well. Near Monahans is a CO2 injection well. The reason for the uplifts isnt known.

All of the areas in SMUs study and existing sinkholes  including one near Imperial that already has caused the Texas Department of Transportation to reroute Farm-to-Market 1053  have a common factor: Theyre in a very specific area of the Permian Basin.

Odessa-based hydrologist Gil Van Deventer, who is working on resolving several subsidence issues near Imperial, said the areas being researched are all on the rim of the Delaware Basin, a subbasin of the Permian, which abuts the Central Basin Platform. Above the water-rich San Andres formation is the Salado formation, a salt evaporate deposit.

The water in the San Andres is under artesian pressure and can move up into the Salado by both natural and unnatural circumstances, eroding the salt in the Salado and causing voids that can lead to subsidence and sinkholes.

When you look at Imperial, back in the 1940s through the 1960s, there were many well tests, Van Deventer said. They were looking for oil in the San Andres formation, for instance. They didnt find oil, but in many cases they left those wells behind for the landowners because it had water. The unique thing down there is the water is artesian flowing; its under pressure, so it flows to the surface without a pump. Those wells flow anywhere from 1,000 gallons per minute to 4,000 gallons per minute.

When wells lose their integrity, water from below can flow into the Salado. Abandoned wells that havent been properly plugged can cause problems, especially when flowing unknown for decades.

As a historical footnote, as the first flowing San Andres well in Pecos County near Imperial was drilled in 1926 by Carl Cromwell, Van Deventer said. Cromwell was the infamous driller who drilled the Santa Rita No. 1 in Texon back in 1923. Sure enough, he drilled one of these wells down there, and it was left there to be used by whoever owned the property then. That well might actually still be flowing out there, not that its being used.

The abandoned wells near Imperial yielded brackish water when drilled in the middle of the last century in the hunt for oil. They were turned over to landowners and have since been orphaned. One such well corroded and has been spewing water for decades, creating a water feature known as Boehmer Lake, which is visible on satellite imagery.

The Railroad Commission has plans to plug 3,000 abandoned wells across Texas over the next few years; however, those that arent on the books as oil and gas wells are excluded from the plugging program. The result is continued flowing water without a solution.

The Railroad Commission will take action on any well to plug or repair it, when we have evidence the well is an abandoned oil or gas well, RRC spokeswoman Ramona Nye told the Texas Tribune in a 2016 article that featured Boehmer Lake. If the well has been transferred over for use by a private landowner for irrigation or for a water supply well, the Railroad Commission no longer has jurisdiction or authority to plug the well.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality spokesman Terry Clawson told the Tribune that his agency doesnt have any plugging responsibilities, water wells or otherwise.

No state agency has such a role. Thats the biggest problem we have, said Van Deventer told the Tribune. No one wants to claim responsibility.

Research about the causes and the state of the ground underneath is also lacking. (The rim of the Delaware Basin is) one area where there hasnt been as much research as there needs to be, Paine said. What are the specific causes and settings where a sinkhole formation occurs?

Places like Wink have a favorable subsurface groundwater regime, and you have penetration through the salt by wells that allow water to get into the salt and dissolve it. But not every place is like that, and certainly not every penetration of salt has led to sinkhole formation. Conditions have to be uniquely suited for formation of something like that.

Analysis of the Bureau of Economic Geologys 2017 airborne lidar data has been shelved as the bureau works on areas affected Hurricane Harvey. Right now, thats the most pressing geologic hazard affecting the state of Texas.

Lu made clear to the Reporter-Telegram that even though his study tied wells to the areas where geological issues are occurring, he is not placing blame. I dont want people to say were pointing fingers toward the hydrocarbon industry. Analysis revealed wells at the sites, and research connected them with API numbers, but more research is necessary to find if and how the wells are affecting the areas.

For his work around Imperial, I just want to go out and inventory all of those wells, categorize them and write a report so we have something on the shelf that identifies the well and its features, Van Deventer said. Then we would take the next step of fixing the problem.

** ** **

SMU STUDY AREAS

Here are where the areas where Southern Methodist University researchers have found areas of subsidence and uplift in the Delaware Basin:

Location Lat/Lon Basin Period Magnitude Size Cause Seismicity Wink, TX N31.78 W103.31 Delaware Basin 01/2016~07/2016 5 cm (uplift) 2.0  2.0 km Wastewater injection No Monahans, TX N31.51 W102.97 Midland Basin 11/2014~01/2016 3 cm (uplift) 6  4 km CO 2 injection No Grandfalls, TX N31.27 W102.96 Delaware Basin 11/2014~04/2017 23 cm (subsidence) 1.4  1.0 km Salt/limestone dissolution No Imperial, TX N31.21 W102.75 Central Basin Platform 11/2014~04/2017 9 cm/yr (subsidence) 650  350 m Impounded freshwater from abandoned wells No Wink, TX N31.78 W103.12 Delaware Basin 11/2014~04/2017 40 cm/yr (subsidence) 380  280 m Salt dissolution No Pecos, TX N31.35 W103.48 Delaware Basin 01/2017~04/2017 4.5 cm (subsidence) 2.5  1.0 km Hydrocarbon production Yes

LINKS

::: Read the latest SMU study: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-23143-6

::: Learn more about the Wink Sinks: http://www.beg.utexas.edu/research/programs/near-surface-observatory/wink-sink
KANE  An investigation is under way after five dogs were removed after being found tied in a yard in Kane without shelter, water or food, according to Greene County officials.

All of the dogs, one of which was entangled in a wire fence, were in poor shape when nearby resident Aimee Dilks checked on them, she said.

Two dogs were found tied up outside March 19. Dilks said she noticed there was no electricity going to the residence and believed three other dogs were inside the residence.

Dilks said reached the owner two days later and soon after, the dogs were taken from the residence and tied up outside.

The dogs had as little as 4 feet of space in which to move, Dilks said.

[They] had no shelter, food, or water, Dilks said. I could hear them crying and whining all night, temperatures dropped to 28 degrees.  It broke my heart that I could not do anything. I took photos of the dogs and their conditions.

After calling the Greene County Health Department, which told her to call the Riverbend Humane Society, she was told the humane society had no space for the dogs. She said she was told to call the Illinois Department of Agriculture and the Bureau of Animal Health and Welfare.

Dilks also called the Greene County Sheriffs Department, which told her it was up to each community to provide animal control. She called Jacksonvilles Protecting Animal Welfare Society, which agreed to take two of the dogs.

The overall experience was a lesson in frustration, Dilks said.

Theres nobody that stands up for these animals, she said, noting how hard it was to find an animal welfare group to help. We need a voice telling them that they need to do something.

When Dilks and a friend went to get the two dogs for PAWS, all five were in bad shape, she said. One was so bad that Dilks thought it was dead until it moved its head.

While Dilks was at the property, members of the Riverbend Humane Society showed up and took the other three animals.

PAWS founder Lisa Jackson said the dogs were in poor shape when they arrived.

They were horribly matted and their toenails were to the point of being grown into the pads of their feet, Jackson said. Theyre both doing great now. They were under-socialized at the time, but have come out of their shell now and have been to the vet and are caught up on everything and doing great.

One of the dogs has been adopted and the other is getting ready for adoption. The animals taken by the humane society are reported to be doing well.

After rescuing the dogs, Dilks filed a report with the sheriff. A representative of the sheriffs department said the case is under investigation but the officer handling the case was unavailable for comment Friday.

States Attorney Caleb Briscoe said the matter is being treated seriously and he is hoping the investigation wraps up this week so his office can consider charges.

We are hoping for early next week for (the sheriffs department) to be done with everything and provide everything they have over to our office for possible charges, Briscoe said. If there are charges to be filed, when we get those reports, we wouldnt wait.

Dilks said she hopes something is done soon.

Nick Draper can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1223, or on Twitter @nick_draper.
WINCHESTER  A city alderman is leading a push to create an agreement between the police department and school district to report potential problems.

Alderman Lawrence Coultas has drafted a reciprocal reporting agreement that would establish guidelines for reporting on problems among the student population at school and throughout the community.

This will allow us to keep each other informed of any problems or potential problems in the schools or the community, he said.

Coultas brought up the agreement following the aftermath of the Feb. 14 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, that left 17 people dead and others injured.

This will benefit in the safety of the students and the staff, as well as in the community, he said. If either is aware of a situation, they would report it.

Superintendent David Roberts said the school district does work with the police department on some matters, but said there are rules about reporting without such an agreement.

The district can now report cases involving weapons or drugs, and works with the department to do some wellness checks on students.

Roberts said he is in support of the having an agreement in place because it will expand what administrators can report.

I thought we already had an agreement in place, Roberts said. Its a way to increase the communication between the district and local law enforcement.

Roberts said that while shootings like Parkland can happen anywhere, being from a smaller town makes precursors harder to hide.

Because of the closer nature, he said it is easier to spot problems or students that need help, either in school or outside of it. By working with the law enforcement agencies to share information, Roberts said he hopes theyd be able to prevent those types of incidents more easily.

Its all about increasing student safety, he said.

The agreement is being reviewed by the city attorney before being voted on by City Council. If the city approves it, the agreement would go to the school board for approval.

Well see if it is along the lines of what theyre thinking, Coultas said.

Samantha McDaniel-Ogletree can be reached at 217-245-6121, ext. 1233, or on Twitter @JCNews_samantha.
A 9-month-old Alaskan Husky named Hedge-Hog has been safely returned to the San Antonio Humane Society after he was stolen from their shelter Saturday afternoon, society officials say.

Staff at the society's office were preparing to open the shelter at 4804 Fredericksburg Road, about 10:30 a.m., Sunday, when a woman walking Hedge-Hog came to the front doors, said Felica Nino, public relations manager for the society.

A staff member greeted a visibly excited Hedge-Hog, and the woman who said she had found the dog on the side of the road. Nino said the woman immediately ran off after handing over the dog.

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Employees saw the woman hastily make for a vehicle parked nearby, between the shelter and a CVS at 4730 Fredericksburg Road, where they also saw a man waiting. Employees told Nino the woman got in and the vehicle sped off.

"That's when she (the employee) realized that it was the lady who took him," Nino said.

Nino also believes this was the same vehicle and woman caught on video surveillance Saturday afternoon.

The society posted surveillance images of a man and woman walking out of the shelter with Hedge-Hog shortly after he was taken.

"They were very brave to just go straight out of the front door," Nino said.

There is a security officer on staff at the shelter and Nino said it has been more than a year since an animal was stolen.

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Police were contacted and a report filed after the incident Saturday. Nino said there is a possibility the shelter will press charges against those responsible for taking the dog, if they are found.

But she says their main concern is that Hedge-Hog is back safe.

"It seems that Hedge-hog was unharmed, but he was extremely hungry and thirsty," Nino said. "It doesn't seem like they fed him or gave him water."

Nbautista@express-news.net | @_NBautista
Bexar County Sheriff's Office/Courtesy

Nearly a year after a San Antonio man received deferred adjudication for setting a fire at Club Essence, he was arrested again, this time for allegedly threatening the manager.

Jonathan Gonzales, 30, lit the fire at the club after he was kicked out of it on Feb. 4, 2017, according to an arrest affidavit.
An officer-involved shooting near a Walmart in North Central San Antonio left one man in critical condition Saturday night, according to officials.

San Antonio police say an officer responded to a call of a man allegedly attacking people with a club and a bat at the Walmart at 8500 Jones Maltsberger Road, about 9:40 p.m., Saturday.

When the officer arrived, witness pointed to a man near a drainage ditch on the side of the store. The officer confronted the man and chased him into the ditch where the man then pulled a knife, SAPD Chief William McManus said.

The officer attempted to subdue the man by using a stun gun, but according to McManus, the device did not shock the suspect, but instead sent a shock to the officer, who was standing in water at the time.

The officer then drew his service weapon and when the man continued to resist and advanced on the officer, the officer shot him three times in the upper torso, McManus said. The suspect was transported to University Hospital in critical condition.

In a news release on Sunday, SAPD clarified where the suspect was shot. He was hit once in his left abdomen, and once in each thigh.

When asked if the officer followed protocol, McManus said the officer acted within proper procedure.

"He deployed his Taser and it did not function properly, or did not have an effect on him so he resorted to his firearm," McManus said.

McManus said the officer, who is a 10-month veteran, has been placed in administrative leave following procedure.

The unidentified suspect is charged with aggravated assault against a public servant and aggravated assault.

aluna@express-news.net | Twitter: alexluna801
I arrived in the United States in 1991 with my 2-year-old daughter, Karen, because I wanted to give her a better life than the one I left behind in my birthplace in Pesqueria, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

On March 5, I decided to take to the streets with my daughter, other mothers and other young immigrants who are part of United We Dream. We arrived full of frustration and fed up with the lack of action by Congress and President Donald Trump, both refusing to grant permanent protections to young immigrants who have lost their DACA status.

Trump decided to end the DACA program. The proposal that Trump has offered would put us, our families and communities, parents like me, at greater risk of deportation and further criminalize us.

There have been times when I wanted to speak up, but I have not. Moments when I was, or felt, alone. In many jobs I have been abused, not necessarily verbal or physical abuse, but workplace abuse. Many times after cleaning and working for many hours, my employers would claim they had no money to pay me and would pay me with used clothes or give me almost nothing.

For years, I felt frustrated, but I turned my frustration into strength, and learned that I have to fight for myself.

When my daughter was in high school, I explained to her what it meant to be undocumented. I explained that we had to hide our status or risk deportation; that maybe she would not be able to go to college; that we had to be careful with police. It was in that moment that we both understood that we needed to be a team and we had to protect each other.

Then came DACA, a light in the darkness. After Congress failed to pass the Dream Act in 2010, young immigrants organized and demanded protection. After a couple of years of arduous campaigning, immigrant youth forced President Barack Obama to create the DACA program. On that day I said, This is for my daughter, and the next day she had a lawyer.

In a few months, her work permit arrived. It was that same month I was diagnosed with cancer. For months, I was not able to work, and my daughter became the sole breadwinner.

In Texas, where weve made our home, extreme and racist politicians managed to pass Senate Bill 4 in April 2017. SB 4 allows police officers to ask people to prove their immigration status during a regular stop.

In November, I was stopped by police after moving past a stop sign to see if traffic was coming. A tree was blocking my view. I called my daughter, and she talked to the police in English and convinced them to let her pick me up instead of them arresting me.

I was very lucky that day, but this is not the reality for many immigrants under SB 4.

If there is something that I have learned in this struggle called life, it is that together we are powerful. I have learned from my daughter in the struggle for her rights, alongside thousands of young people across the country, that we must fight to protect what we have earned and what we deserve.

To the mothers, to my sisters in spirit, I ask you to continue the fight and march alongside our children. They are showing us their strength and tenacity, and we must show them that we are also fighters; that we will push forward with them. We must let them know that we got each others backs and together we are powerful.
Ignorance is not bliss when it concerns diabetes.

In fact, it could spell big trouble.

San Antonio has a large diabetic population that is unaware they have the disease, according to local medical experts. Many of the undiagnosed diabetics will learn of their life-threatening disease in the emergency room, staff writer Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje reports.

RELATED: Commentary: Be aware of the signs of diabetes  it will save your life

Lacking health care insurance, many low-income diabetics will delay care for small cuts or wounds on their feet and develop serious infections that will force them to seek emergency care.

That delay in care can carry serious consequences for an undiagnosed diabetic. The infection can spread to the bone or other organs and leave the patient with few options other than amputation.

As a community, we must make a greater effort to raise awareness of this diseases symptoms, the importance of seeking medical attention and the devastating consequences of letting it go untreated.

Untreated diabetes is a serious problem in our community and is costing taxpayers millions of dollars in health care cost each year.

San Antonio has one of the highest diabetes-related amputation rates in Texas and the nation, the Express-News reports. In 2015, our community had a diabetic amputation rate of 11.6 percent per 10,000 population compared to a statewide rate of 8.9 percent.

RELATED: Editorial: Bexar County's health score falls short

As taxpayers we are all shouldering the massive costs of the disease.

In Bexar County, the overall cost of diabetes is in the billions of dollars, Stoeltje reports. The hospital charge in 2014 for a lower limb amputation was $115,000. Prostheses can range from $12,000 to $100,000. In Texas, most lower-limb amputation are paid for by Medicare, the government-funded insurance.

Adults are not the only ones being affected by the disease. Local health officials report an increase in obese and overweight children who become prediabetic and are at high risk of developing the disease later in life.

The biggest struggle with health-related issues remains among those with low educational attainment and who are on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. There are many things communities can do to help address that.

Reduce the number of uninsured residents and increase access to health care clinics so that minor problems dont become costly emergency room visits.

Reduce the number of so-called food deserts, where access to affordable, healthy food remains an issue.

Exercise. The benefits of outdoor activity cannot be ignored. In some areas, however, even neighborhood walks are impossibile due to the lack of sidewalks, crime or problems with stray dogs.

FOR SUBSCRIBERS: For the full report on diabetes and its effects on San Antonio patients visit ExpressNews.com.

It is estimated there are nearly 2.85 million diabetes patients in Texas with at least 182,000 new diagnoses each year.

Treatment and a tweaking of lifestyle habits surrounding food choices and becoming more active can enhance a diabetics quality of life tremendously.

The first step toward that path, however, requires becoming familiar with the symptoms and seeking medical attention. And that means raising awareness even beyond current efforts.

Ignoring the problem is not going to make it better.
PRESIDENT Mnangagwa said yesterday he would work tirelessly at home and abroad to end Zimbabwes isolation as he responded to queries from quarters seeking to make political capital by criticising his foreign trips.

The new administration has embarked on a mission to cleanse a nation that has long suffered under sanctions and international isolation by declaring Zimbabwe open for business.

In a post on his Facebook account yesterday, President Mnangagwa said it was time to mend relations with the international community.

He was writing from China where he was on five-day State visit that ended yesterday.

In his first direct response to reports casting aspersions on his foreign trips, President Mnangagwa wrote: I have seen some comments here asking why these foreign trips are necessary at this time. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and I appreciate your opinions.

Let us remember where we were, and how we suffered as an isolated nation. In this new era Zimbabwe is open to the world, and governments, businesses and individuals all are looking to do business with us. The new Zimbabwe must embrace the international community in order to secure crucial foreign investment. These projects will create jobs, and foreign investment will inject crucial cash into our economy.

He vowed to continue his work for Zimbabwe.

I will therefore continue to work tirelessly for the people of Zimbabwe both at home and abroad, as we embark on this new and exciting journey together, said President Mnangagwa.

The President explained how his visit to China was beneficial to Zimbabwe.

Today, I conclude my first State visit outside of Africa, an historic visit which will help bring further crucial momentum to our economy. We had many fruitful discussions with political and business leaders in China, including President Xi Jinping, and secured a host of deals which will make a real difference to the lives of Zimbabweans, he said.

Added President Mnangagwa: The refurbishment of Hwange Power Station Units 7 and 8 is set to increase power generation by 600 megawatts while we also secured a massive infrastructure development deal under which the worlds largest infrastructure development company will set up a regional office in Zimbabwe. They will focus on road, rail, air and dam construction projects and will be true partners in the development of the new Zimbabwe.

President Mnangagwa said Zimbabwe and China also signed numerous agreements to advance areas of economic co-operation, skills development, education and other facets of the economy.

Enemies of progress have, through the privately owned media, been attacking President Mnangagwas foreign trips and exaggerating the cost of his flight to China. They have hardly mentioned the long-term impact of the infrastructural development deals, which are vital enablers in Zimbabwes economic recovery efforts.

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- Federal government likely compiling another list of looters

- The new list will reportedly have names of ex-governors, minister, senators and bankers

- Those on the list have nvere been arraigned for any corruption charges in the past

There are strong indications that the federal government is compiling fresh names of people alleged to have looted the nations treasury.

The Punch reports that the fresh lists may also include names of former governors, ministers and even bankers.

Legit.ng gathers that those on the list are likely looters who have not been arraigned in court in the past.

Recall that the federal government of Nigeria, last week released a list of alleged looters after the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) asked Nigerians for forgiveness.

READ ALSO: APC governors want Buhari to continue - Ganduje

The minister of informaton and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had earlier said 55 persons looted N1.4trn under the administration of Goodluck Jonathan, he, however, only released 29 names out of the 55.

Most of the names on the previous two lists released by the government are those already undergoing trial for alleged corruption while the names of members of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party, who had defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress were conspicuously omitted from the list.

A source close to the Presidency, who spoke on condition of anonymity, on Friday, however, claimed that the government, through the ministry of information and culture, would soon release another list.

The source said: Between you and me, I can authoritatively tell you that we are compiling a fresh list. We wont release it until we are satisfied with it. We want to be thorough. People will be shocked when we release the fresh names.

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Those who accused us of being biased will know that we know what we are doing. The first list was a fraction. When the second one came out, people were surprised. As for the next one, people will be shocked. I wont say more than that.

Legit.ng earlier reported that Uche Secondus, the national chairman of the PDP has dragged Lai Mohammed to court for defamation of character.

Ike Abonyi, a media aide to the PDP national chairman, revealed this in a statement sent to Legit.ng on Friday, April 6.

Aliko Dangote invites IT billionaire Bill Gates to Nigeria on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit Nigeria
- The federal government has released N394 million has been released for the feeding of school children under the National Home Growth School Feeding Programme in Gombe state

- The release of the fund came barely 48 hours after a Senator from the state decried the "insignificant" distribution of the N-power programme funds

- The focal person for the NSIP said the funds were released to 2,809 food vendors, participating in the programme

Less than 48 hours after Senator Danjuma Goje dismissed President Muhammadus National Social Investment Programme(NSIP), his home state of Gombe has shown just how effective the programme has been.

Hajiya Maryam Mele, Focal Person for the NSIP in the state said N394 million has been released for the feeding of school children under the National Home Growth School Feeding Programme (HGSFP), one of the elements of the programme.

Mele who briefed newsmen on Saturday in Gombe on the activities of the agency, said the funds were released to 2,809 food vendors, participating in the programme.

Mele said that N197 million was released in the first tranche in February, while N197 million was released in the second tranche in March.

READ ALSO: Police arrest herdsman with AK-47 in Enugu

She said issues involving 400 food vendors who had difficulty in accessing the funds due to mismatched names and Bank Verification Numbers had been resolved.

Mele said the state had benefited from the social investment programme since its inception in 2016.

She said 2,840 beneficiaries were currently partaking in the N-power programme across the state.

She said the state has 21,000 applications in the second batch of the programme, adding that 8,251 of the number were pre-selected, with 7,000 verified and sent to the national office for enrollment.

Ours is to verify the successful applications and send to Abuja," she said.

READ ALSO: Looters' list: Dokpesi asks Lai to publish retraction or face N5 billion lawsuit

She gave a breakdown of the beneficiaries of N-power as 548 from Gombe Central, 594 from Gombe South, while Gombe North had 1,692 slots.

Similarly, she said that 515 food vendors were from Gombe Central, 1,023 from Gombe South, and 1,282 from Gombe North.

For the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT), she said only one ward in Yamaltu/Deba Local Government Area of the state was captured, with 1,373 beneficiaries. She said, 1,200 cooperative societies have applied for Government Entrepreneur Empowerment Programme (GIEP) for free interest loan of N100,000 and above.

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She commended President Muhammadu Buhari for initiating the programmes and Gov. Ibrahim Dankwambo for the support given to ensure its implementation.

Danjuma Goje, a former minister, governed the state between 2003 and 2011.

On Thursday, he dismissed the NSIP for being a waste of public fund, yielding no dividend to Nigerians. His claim that the programme had gobbled N1.5 trillion has been found to be untrue as only N175 billion had so far been spent on it in two years, from 2016 when it started.

Legit.ng earlier reported that an All Progressives Congress Senator had dismissed the social investment programme established by the federal government.

Danjuma Goje in a recent outburst on Twitter said many people are complaining that they have not seen impact of the programme considering the magnitude of funds involved in it.

The Senator said he is yet to see a single individual who has benefited from the programme.

Source: NAN

EXCLUSIVE: Be patient with President Buhari, Femi Adesina tells Nigerians on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
The rising tension between Morocco and the Algerian-backed Polisario is threatening peace and stability in a region already struggling to curb the surge of terrorist groups.

Algeria, keen to have an outlet into the Atlantic Ocean, has hosted and armed the Polisario separatists in the early 1970s and pushed them to declare an independent republic. It used its oil mantra to buy support for the phony entity at the Organization of the African Unity, the predecessor of the African Union, in a cold war context.

Today, despite its depleting reserves and the impending social and economic crisis it faces, Algeria continues to generously fund and arm the Polisario to the detriment of its own population.

Algeria backs the Polisario in diplomatic fora and emboldens its actions with lavish military aid in order to distract attention from Moroccos recent inroads at the African level. The return of Morocco to the African Union and the increasing support for its autonomy initiative to settle the Sahara issue has sent shockwaves in Algiers.

Emboldening the Polisario to set up permanent military or civilian structures in the buffer zone east of the Moroccan security wall is an attempt by Algeria to gradually move the Tindouf camps into the area claimed by the Polisario as a liberated area but in fact a territory handed by Morocco to the UN for ceasefire monitoring purposes.

By green-lighting the Polisario to conduct incursions into the buffer zone, Algeria departs from the assumption that Moroccos response will remain diplomatic. Yet, the recent warnings and strengthening of military capabilities along the berm to prepare for a military response to evict any separatist elements from the area has blown away Algerias plans.

There are increasing voices in Morocco that go as far as saying that the Royal Armed Forces should exercise their right to hot pursuit if the Polisario ventures to attack or breach the buffer zone status of the territory east of the berm.

Before the completion of the security wall, the Polisario adopted a guerrilla tactic that enabled them to hit and run into their rear-base in Tindouf in Algeria without being pursued. Today, conditions on the ground have changed. The conflict has become unsustainable draining Moroccos resources and the military solution remains on the table if Algeria and its separatist puppets refuse to engage in negotiations to find a political solution.

When Morocco presented its autonomy plan in 2007, it was commended as a credible and serious move offering a political solution to a conflict that has long lasted. The autonomy plan was proposed by Morocco following the failure of the referendum option after serious disagreements over who should vote.

Today, Morocco is not mincing its words. It vowed to quell any breach of the ceasefire if the UN fails to do its job. The conflict this time may not be a limited guerrilla war. If Algeria allows the Polisario to use its territories in a guerrilla war against Morocco, it should brace for a war with Morocco with drastic consequences on the region further undermining the dream of the Maghreban peoples to an integrated region.
- The planned visit of a former Abia state Governor, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, to Ekiti state has been rejected

- He was advised to take his advocacy for peace to other parts of the country

- Kalu has embarked on a tour of the south west purportedly to advocate for peace, fairness and unity of the country

A former governor of Abia state, Dr Orji Uzor Kalu, has been told by the Ekiti state government to shelve his plans of visiting the state to advocate for peace and subsequently canvass for President Buhari's re-election.

Kalu was advised to take his advocacy to other parts of the country where security of lives and properties of Nigerians are under threat, Punch reports.

Not Ekiti state that even the police adjudged as the most peaceful State in the country, the state government said in a statement issued on Saturday, April 7, by Lere Olayinka, special assistant to the governor on public communications and new media.

The former governor is on a tour of the southwest on the premise of advocating for peace, fairness and unity of the country.

READ ALSO: MMM officially shuts down operations worldwide

The state government also urged traditional rulers in Ekiti to ignore Kalu.

It is an insult on the collective sensibilities of Ekiti people, whose only benefit from the government of President Buhari is hardship occasioned by the governments cluelessness for anyone to hide under advocacy for peace to canvass support for the president.

If he has sold his own conscience to the agenda of selling an already rejected product to Nigerians, we in Ekiti State have not, and we are telling him categorically that such advocacy is not welcomed in our State.

He should rather take his peace and unity advocacy to his own state, where he is already rejected and other states where Nigerians are being killed on a daily basis by armed bandits.

It is also ridiculous that instead of joining Nigerians to tell the president the truth about the state of affairs in the country, Kalu is castigating Nigerians that have summoned courage to speak out against the president through letters and public comments, the statement added.

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Legit.ng had earlier reported that Chief Orji Kalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said that there was no division in the leadership of the party.

Kalu, a former governor of Abia, made this known during his advocacy visit to the palace of Deji of Akure, on Saturday, April 7. He noted that all arms of the party had agreed to work together.

Aliko Dangote invites IT billionaire Bill Gates to Nigeria on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng
President Muhammadu Buhari received in audience senators on condolence visit in Daura, Katsina state, on Saturday, April 7.

Among the senators who visited him in his country home were Ali Ndume, Abdullahi Adamu, Yusuf A. Yusuf, Ovie Omo-Agege, Babajide Omoworare, Umaru Kurfi, Hassan Adamu, Abu Ibrahim and Ahmed Abubakar Moallahyidi

The president who had a chat with the senators on a condolence visit to the family of Late Senator Mustapha Bukar, thanked Senate members for their support and show of solidarity with the people of Katsina North senatorial district in the aftermath of the death of the senator representing the zone.

Receiving a delegation led by Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Buhari commended the legislators for identifying with the government and people of Katsina state, the Daura Emirate Council and the Bukar family, in their period of grief.

READ ALSO: 2019: Politicians getting desperate to carry out evil agenda - Presidency

In a statement signed by the senior special assistant to the president on media and publicity, Garba Shehu, Buhari said it was noteworthy that Senator Bukars colleagues have paid glowing tribute to him as a detribalised leader whose contributions may not be easily forgotten.

The president prayed that soul of the departed late Madaki of Daura be granted eternal rest by the Almighty Allah. And that he continues to comfort all who mourn.

Legit.ng reported earlier that President Buhari condoled with the family of late Senator Mustapha Bukar, who died on Wednesday, April 4, in Abuja, following an illness.

Buhari, who arrived at the residence of the late senator as 6pm on Friday, said the deceased was his very close ally in difficulties and in joy. His death has deeply touched me personally and officially, the president said, adding that Nigeria would miss the wisdom and political sagacity of Bukar.

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Senator Bukar died less than a week after the National Assembly mourned the death of Umar Buba Jibril, one of its members representing Lokoja/Kogi/Koton Karfe.

President of the Senate, Abubakar Bukola Saraki, on Wednesday, April 4, expressed deep sorrow over his death. In a statement by the Senate presidents special adviser, media and publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, in Abuja, Saraki described the death of Senator Bukar as one too many coming a few weeks after the Red Chamber lost Senator Ali Wakili.

Should President Buhari seek reelection in 2019? (Nigerian Street Interview) - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- There would be dire consequences if Bukola Saraki refuses to join the 2019 presidential race, Lagos-based seer, Primate Ayodele has said

- According to him, God has big things in store for the Senate president

Primate Elijah Ayodele who is the founder and spiritual leader of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church has said there would be dire consequences if Senate president Bukola Saraki refuses to contest for presidency in the forthcoming 2019 elections.

Speaking during the dedication of an ultra-modern auditorium in Isheri-Olofin Lagos, the cleric said God wants to use Saraki to fix so many things in Nigeria. The Lagos-based seer urged the former Kwara governor to join the presidential race, The Nation reports.

He said: God wants to use Saraki for something big in this country. He wants to use him to fix so many things. So he has to come out and join the race. God will punish him if he refuses to join because anyone that disobeys Him will suffer for it."

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

Primate Ayodele said the dedication of Emi Ni Aseyori Kan Pro Cathedral, a.k.a. Sope Parish was in fulfillment of Gods vision and faithfulness to the church. "God is the one doing things for us. If you look at what He does for us, you will know only Him could have done it, he said.

All Progressive Congress (APC) South West Women Leader, Chief Kemi Nelson, cut the tape to dedicate the church. Congratulated members of the church for the feat, she appealed to them not to relent in spreading the gospel of Christ.

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Saraki described as false, reports that he is planning to contest in the 2019 presidential election. The Senate president's media aide, Yusuph Olaniyonu, sai that if it was true that Saraki was planning to run for the presidency, the news would have been in major dailies by now.

He said: The report is false. If it is true that he is contesting, you would have seen the report it (sic) in major dailies since last week Saturday when the news broke out on social media. But as you can see, there is nothing like that," Olaniyonu said.

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The Boss newspaper had reported that Saraki will join the 2019 presidential race. The dismissed report stated that Saraki was considering adopting deputy Senate president Ike Ekweremadu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as his running mate.

Who is Nigeria's greatest president ever? on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen have reportedly killed a pastor in Edo state

- The cleric identified as Pius Eromosele was reportedly abducted by the herdsmen and killed later after his family failed to pay a N4 million ransom

- The pastor's son said he reported to the police but nothing was done to rescue his father

There is tension in Odighi community, Ovia North-East local government area of Edo state after gunmen suspected to be herdsmen reportedly killed a pastor of the Church of God Mission, one Pius Eromosele.

The pastor was said to have been abducted by the armed men while working on his farm at Odighi on March 29. He was reportedly killed after the herdsmen demand for the sum of N4 million from him was not met, Vanguard reports.

Also, another yet-to-be-identified body, suspected to be that of a farmer, was found in a shallow grave in the farm. The bodies of the deceased were said to have been uncovered in the bush by a search team comprising hunters and vigilantes who were searching for the pastor.

READ ALSO: Federal government to release fresh looters' list

According to the eldest son of late Pastor Eromosele, Dr. Richard Eromosele, his father was abducted on Thursday, March 29, and was found already decomposing in the bush on Tuesday, April 3. He said the killers cut through his fathers skull after they shot him at close range. I almost fainted when i saw how they brutally murdered my father, he stated.

Last (penultimate) Thursday, my mother called that she had been calling my father and that he was not picking. She later called that my father later picked and told her that he has been kidnapped by herdsmen at his farm.

The herdsmen did not use their phones. They were using my fathers phone and a phone of one of his workers. They demanded for N4 million but we begged them that it was a holiday and could not raise such money.

I went to the police and they told me that I should call them whenever the herdsmen called for ransom payment. I did that but there was no response from the police. The two workers that escaped told us that the herdsmen told my father that he was one of those killing their cows.

It was on Tuesday after the police failed to find my father that I begged hunters and vigilante to help me. It was during the search that we found my father. His skull was cut out with a cutlass, while his hands were also cut. We want security agencies to protect farmers in Odighi. My father has farmed in that place for many years. How could I go into farming when my father was killed like a pig," he lamented.

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

The Punch reports that the commissioner of police, Johnson Kokumo, and the police public relations officer, Chidi Nwabuzor, could not be reached for comments as calls put across to their mobiles were unanswered.

The clashes between herdsmen and farmers has been generating quite a buzz. Some states have passed ant-grazing laws as herdsmen continue to attack communities across the country

In an earlier report by Legit.ng, Edo state governor, Godwin Obaseki, met with the national leaders of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) and heads of security agencies in the state at the Government House in Benin city on Friday, April 6.

Obaseki at the meeting said his administration would do everything within its power to ensure quality security in the state and ensure peaceful co-existence between the herdsmen and farmers in Edo.

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The governor said the state is fortunate to have recorded fewer incidents as efforts have been intensified to manage the situation. He said this was done by setting up the security committee in the 18 local government councils.

Herdsmen attacks: Benue's Attorney-General explains anti-grazing law on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
- Three Boko Haram insurgents have been killed by the Nigerian Army as it continues its clearance operation

- Troops rescued 149 people who were being held hostage by the insurgents

- The logistics of the Boko Haram sect was also destroyed during the operation

The Nigerian army on Sunday, April 8, said its troops rescued 149 persons in the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of Boko Haram insurgents at Yerimari-Kura community in Sambisa axis.

Col. Onyeama Nwachukwu, the deputy director, Army public relations, said in a statement that the troops killed three insurgents and captured five others in the encounter, NAN reports.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have continued to make progress in clearance operations to smoke out Boko Haram insurgents who escaped from their previous stronghold in the Sambisa Forest.

On Saturday, the troops made further operational exploit into Boko Harams hideout at Yerimari-Kura, in a deliberate operation to extricate and rescue hostages held by the insurgents in their hideout. In the encounter, troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents and captured five, he said, adding that the troops also destroyed insurgents logistics in the operation.

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

Nwachukwu explained that the rescued persons included 54 women and 95 children, noting that they were being profiled and receiving medical attention at the 21 Brigade Medical Centre.

According to him, the troops also neutralized two suicide bombers at Mandanari community in Konduga, Borno, when they attempted to infiltrate the community on April 7.

Nwachukwu disclosed that the suicide bombers strapped with Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) vests, attempted to sneak into the community at about 8:00 pm on Saturday.

The suicide bombers were sighted by vigilant troops who challenged them from a safe distance. The patrol engaged them as they refused to halt and ran towards the community, detonating their IEDs. Only the suicide bombers were killed in the incident, while three persons who sustained minor injuries were receiving medical attention," he added.

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Meanwhile, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole on Friday, April 6, neutralised suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Barkin Dutse area of Adamawa state following a distress call from hunters.

According to a statement sent to Legit.ng by the director army public relations, Brigadier-General Texas Chukwu, the terrorists on sighting the troops opened fire which resulted in exchange of fire.

Five Boko Haram terrorists were neutralized while some escaped into nearby caves during the encounter. Also, one hunter lost his life during the operation, the statement said.

Items recovered include 5 AK 47 rifles and 5 magazines loaded with 22 rounds of 7.62 mm special ammunition.

Boko Haram Kidnappings: Dapchi Protests Abduction of Their Daughters by Boko Haram - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- Senate President Bukola Saraki has hailed Senator David Mark as he clocked 70 years old

- Saraki described mark as Nigerias longest serving senator

- He said for Senate president has contributed to the growth of the legislature in the country

President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki, has described his predecessor, Senator David Mark, as a patriot and a statesman.

Saraki, in a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said Mark had distinguished himself as a Nigerian with vast leadership experience, being a two-time senate president, a retired brigadier general, a former minister of communications, and a one-time military governor of Niger state.

READ ALSO: Senators angry Buhari didn't consult them before approving $1bn security fund - Saraki

He said: ''Today, I join all Nigerians in celebrating Senator David Mark at 70. Undoubtedly, as our nations longest serving senator and Senate President, Senator Mark has contributed significantly to the growth of the legislature in Nigeria, and distinguished himself overtime in the service of our nation  in various capacities and at various levels  as a patriot and a statesman.

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''As you celebrate this milestone of a birthday today, we too, celebrate you and pray that the Almighty in his infinite wisdom, grace and protection, continues to guide you in all that you do.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Saraki said some senators are not happy that President Muhammadu Buhari did not consult with the leadership of the National Assembly before approving the release of $1 billion for the purchase of arms to fight insecurity in the country.

Speaking in Jos, Plateau state, during the Senate Press Corps Retreat on Saturday, April 7, Saraki said it was wrong for the executive to take the step without broaching the matter with the National Assembly.

Minister of defence, Mansur Dan Ali, had, last week, said, Buhari gave approval for the purchase of equipment for the military worth $1 billion.

Nigeria is practicing Oligarchy (Nigerian Street Interview) on Legit.ng TV:

Source: Legit.ng News
- Mustapha Abacha was among 480 graduates that were convoked by MAAUN at the weekend

- The University was named after his mother Maryam Abacha, who is also chairperson of the varsity's board of trustees

- Senator Aliyu Wammako, MAAUN's pro-chancellor promised more achievements from the school which was holding its second convocation

The youngest son of late Nigerian military head of state General Sani Abacha has graduated from the Maryam Abacha American University (MAAUN) in Maradi, Niger Republic.

Daily Independent reports that Mustapha graduated alongside 479 other students from the university which was established in 2013.

According to the president and founder of the university Adamu Abubakar-Gwarzo, who gave the figure at the 2nd convocation of the Institution at the weekend, also graduated the first set of postgraduate students who were awarded masters degrees in various fields of study.

READ ALSO: Senate president Saraki appoints sacked senator as special adviser

Other achievements include; membership of the United Nations Academic Impact (UNAI), membership of the British Quality Foundation (BQF) and membership of the European Association for Quality Assurance in Higher Education (ENQA), he said.

Hajiya Maryam Abacha, chairperson of MAAUNs Board of Trustees and wife of late General Abacha, urged the graduating students to be good ambassadors of the higher institution.

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The Pro-Chancellor of the university and ex-Sokoto governor Senator Aliyu Wammako also promised to sustain the tempo of development in the university, whose achievements, he attributed to its commitment to education development.

Legit.ng recently published details of how late General Abacha during his totalitarian regime argued that the execution of 43 Nigerians convicted of being armed robbers by the Robbery and Firearms Tribunals he set up was a way to stamp out criminality in the country.

On Saturday, July 1995, the military under his leadership carried out one of the largest mass executions in Nigeria's history.

The army lined up the convicted prisoners at Kirikiri Maximum Security Prisons and executed them by firing squad.

Parents advice government over ASUU strike - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit.ng
- A statement by the Presidency says Buhari will leave on an official visit to United Kingdom

- President Buhari is scheduled to meet with British Prime Minister Theresa May and other prominent people in that country

- The Presidency also confirmed that Buhari will take part in CHOGOM between Wednesday, April 18 and Friday, April 20

The Presidency has announced that President Muhammadu Buhari will leave on Monday, April 9 on an official visit to Britain.

A statement by presidential spokesman Garba Shehu says the Nigerian leader is headed to the United Kingdom on an official visit ahead of the Commonwealth Head of Governments meeting (CHOGOM).

The statement read: "President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja on Monday 9th April, 2018 for an official visit to Britain where he is due to hold discussions on Nigeria  British relations with Prime Minister Mrs Theresa May, prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings scheduled for 18th to 20th April, 2018.

READ ALSO: Senate president Saraki appoints sacked senator as special adviser

"The President will also meet the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Mr. Ben van Beurden in connection with Shell and other partners plan to invest $15b in Nigerias oil industry. These investment ventures will lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.

"President Buhari is due to renew discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. Justin Welby, a good friend of the President on inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and World-wide.

"Further meetings have also been scheduled for the President to see some prominent British and Nigerians residing in Britain."

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Personal Assistant to Buhari on media Bashir Ahmad also tweeted that the president will depart Nigeria for London on Monday.

He tweeted:

Legit.ng had earlier reported that a presidency source confirmed that President Muhammadu Buhari would leave Nigeria for London on Monday, April 9, to commence his annual leave.

According to the source, President Buhari is leaving early to enable him rest before participating in the 25th commonwealth heads of government meeting, also known as CHOGM 2018, to be held at the Buckingham Palace, St Jamess Palace, and Windsor Castle.

But the latest statement by the Presidency did not mention an annual leave even though the dates match.

Presidency says Buhari may return to UK soon, Nigerians react - on Legit.ng TV

Source: Legit
This Real News Network interview with Carroll Muffett, President of the Center for International Environmental Law, discusses a confidential 1986 Shell report that documents what Royal Dutch Shell knew about fossil fuel driving climate change and when they knew it. The Shell report was published last week by a Dutch source.

This DeSmogblog post from last week, Here is what #ShellKnew about Climate Change in the 1980s supplies further detail, from which Ive extracted a link to the internal Shell report.



SHARMINI PERIES: Its the Real News Network. Im Sharmini Peries coming to you from Baltimore.

A trove of internal documents and reports of the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell shows that oil giant has known for three decades that fossil fuel products would lead to catastrophic climate change. This according to an investigative report done by the Dutch newspaper De Correspondent. Interestingly, Shell also predicted that environmental NGOs would sue fossil fuel companies, claiming damages for extreme weather on the grounds of neglecting what scientists have been saying for years. And it turns out that the Dutch wing of Friends of the Earth has done just that, filing a lawsuit against Shell requiring them to comply with the climate targets set out by the Paris agreement to limit global temperature rise to one point five degrees Celsius, thereby severely limiting Shells investments in oil and gas worldwide.

A similar cache of leaked internal documents from Exxon Mobil led to investigative reports and ongoing legal lawsuits including ones by the attorney general of New York and the state of Massachusetts. The Friends of the Earth lawsuit is the first of its kind in a European-based case dealing with the European-based oil giant.

With us to discuss what Shell knew and when they knew it, we are joined by Carol Muffett. He is the president and CEO of the Center for International and Environmental Law. Thank you so much for joining us, Carol.

CAROL MUFFETT: Its nice to be here.

SHARMINI PERIES: Carol, so we know from the leaked documents that Shell knew back in the 80s that the fossil fuel products would lead to catastrophic environmental and climate change challenges. So give us the takeaways from the released documents and the investigations that the Dutch newspaper did.

CAROL MUFFETT: So the most important takeaway from these documents is actually that the documents exist, and that the investigations that began with Exxon are clearly not going to end there. What were going to see is more and more information like this coming to light about these companies. The documents unearthed by Jelmer Mommers and De Correspondent are really important because they give us a piece of the puzzle that we didnt have from Shells perspective in a critical period of the climate debate, from the 1980s through the 1990s. When we put that, those documents together with earlier pieces of the puzzle that we already had, what we begin to see is a picture of a company that really from the earliest stages of climate science was deeply immersed in and fully aware of that science. We can demonstrate that Shell, like other oil companies, was on early notice of climate risks by no later than the early 1960s and potentially as early as the 1950s.

But even more remarkably, in these documents we see Shell in its own words acknowledging climate risks, ranging from rising sea levels, to saltwater intrusion, to the destruction of ecosystems, to even the creation of climate refugees. And Shell actually in the 1980s quantified its own contribution to that problem and said last, in 1984, Shells products contributed to 4 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Thats a remarkable acknowledgement from a company, and it aligns really well with research done by the Climate Accountability Institute and others to create those same figures for these companies.

And now Shell has given this its number, and its number is very significant, particularly in light of the emerging litigation that you mentioned.

SHARMINI PERIES: Carol, why did Shell, and we also know Exxon did, why did they engage scientists to research and uncover and make such recommendations to them?

CAROL MUFFETT: Theres a theres a popular misconception, particularly in the U.S., where many many people from my generation grew up watching Dallas, that the oil industry is populated by rich, rich ill-informed hicks. Nothing could be further from the truth. This is an industry that from the very beginnings of the 20th century was populated by scientists of the highest caliber. And not one or two scientists. Huge arrays of geologists, physicists, economists. These were companies that were at the cutting edge of scientific research on an array of fields. And so the fact that they would be fully immersed and fully engaged on climate science that was directly relevant to the impacts and potential risks of their products shouldnt really surprise anyone.

SHARMINI PERIES: So youre basically saying that R&D departments back then that spent a lot of money on that came up with these reports and documents. And you say that there is a trove of them. Now, the two organizations that was investigating went through all of these documents, as far as you know?

CAROL MUFFETT: Well, there are many, many documents. And, and whether theyve been able to go through, some of them running hundreds of pages, whether theyve been able to go through all of them is hard to know. And this is something that we at CL understand firsthand. You know, the truth is there are massive amounts of information out there. Just in the course of preparing our own analysis we discovered we discovered an explicit recognition from Shells chief geologist from 1962 that climate change caused by the combustion of fossil fuels could have massive impacts on the global environment. And moreover, Shells chief geologist at that point highlighted the recommendations of other scientists that even at that point a shift should begin to solar energy.

SHARMINI PERIES: Carol, give us a survey of the kinds of litigations that are underway by the attorney general of California, of course New York and Massachusetts I mentioned off the top, that are underway and what you expect from them.

CAROL MUFFETT: The first thing that we anticipate is that the litigation is going to grow and accelerate really rapidly from here. Already were seeing suits by nine cities and counties in the United States, including the city of New York, the city of San Francisco. Los Angeles has adopted a resolution to investigate whether it should sue as well. This is in addition to the active investigations that are going on in Massachusetts and New York, and its in addition to the new notice of litigation that was just filed against Shell yesterday in the Netherlands.

And so I think what were witnessing is is a massive explosion in suits of this kind, and its building on the, the growing evidence in the public space that these companies were fully aware of the risks of their products for decades, and yet actively misled the public about those risks and continued to produce ever-greater quantities of fossil fuels.

SHARMINI PERIES: Now, your organization is pursuing some of these cases as well?

CAROL MUFFETT: CL has worked to bring new evidence to light, to do a legal analysis of the responsibilities of these companies. We produced a report last fall on the legal and evidentiary basis for holding oil companies accountable for climate change. And weve, weve continued to be active particularly from the human rights perspective on this litigation. Working, for example, to provide support to the Philippines Commission on Human Rights as it investigates Shell and Exxon and other carbon majors for their role in climate-related human rights abuses in that country.

SHARMINI PERIES: All right. Carol, I thank you so much for giving us this quick report. Theres so much more to discuss. But I thank you for now, and well be back to you really soon. Thanks so much for joining us today.

CAROL MUFFETT: Thanks very much.

SHARMINI PERIES: And thank you for joining us here on the Real News Network.
Researchers uncover the farthest star ever seen

(Nanowerk News) More than halfway across the universe, researchers have spotted an enormous blue star, nicknamed Icarus. It is the farthest individual star ever seen (Nature Astronomy, "Extreme magnification of an individual star at redshift 1.5 by a galaxy-cluster lens").

Normally, it would be much too faint to view, even with the worlds largest telescopes. But through a quirk of nature that tremendously amplifies the stars feeble glow, astronomers using NASAs 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 (about 36 trillion miles). It appears to us as it did when the universe was about 30 percent of its current age.

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 panels at the right show the view in 2011, without Icarus visible, compared with the stars brightening in 2016.

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 were seeing a magnified, individual star, explained lead researcher Patrick Kelly, a University of Minnesota assistant professor of physics and astronomy and former University of California at Berkeley postdoctoral researcher. 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 Hubbles exquisite resolution and sensitivity, astronomers can see and study Icarus.

The research 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 stars light is usually magnified by about 600 times due to the foreground clusters 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 isnt getting hotter; its not exploding. The light is just being magnified, Kelly said. And thats 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 universes mass.

By probing whats 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.
All Moroccan parties from across the spectrum will hold a rally in Laayoune Sunday and Monday to underscore the unanimity of the Moroccan people to defend the territorial integrity of the Kingdom in the face of the provocations of the Algerian-backed Polisario separatists.

The initiative will send a strong message to the regional and international public opinion showing the steadfast commitment of the Moroccan people and political leadership in support of Moroccos sovereignty over all its territories, including the Sahara.

The event will end with the adoption of Laayoune Declaration, which affirms endorsement for Moroccos autonomy initiative as a lasting political solution to the Sahara conflict.

The move comes in the wake of Moroccos warning to use force if the Polisario insists on breaching the UN-brokered 1991 ceasefire under which the buffer zone east of the Moroccan-built security wall should remain a demilitarized area.

Morocco handed the buffer zone to the UN mission in the Sahara (MINURSO) to monitor the ceasefire following the signing of the ceasefire agreement and the military agreement number 1.
With shops no longer open for business in the parish of Lattin Cullen, residents are forced to travel to adjoining villages in Emly, Monard, Oola or Tipperary Town to purchase the most basic items, such as bread, milk and newspapers.

Not so long ago, Kilross, Mount Bruis, Shronell, Lattin and Cullen all had shops, but smaller places, such as Longstone, Ballinard and Glenabane also had grocery businesses.

At Ballinard Cross, Billy Hayes had a post-office and shop, which also sold coal and turf and provided a car-hire service and bicycle repairs.

Down the road at the creamery, Ned ODwyer also sold groceries and general provisions, including meal and hardware. This business was later run by Paddy Ryan Den.

In nearby Glenbane, Healys Post-Office also sold sweets, biscuits and Gearys cakes. A short distance away in the same townland, Mrs ODwyer was selling groceries, cigarettes and tobacco in a shop that would later become Richard Noonans.

In Longstone, Nell and Bridie Ryan Junior had a public house, which also sold groceries and sweets. Cullen had four grocery shops run by John Joe English, Donie English, Sean Quinlan and Nonie Kelly. How times have changed.
(Natural News) The nations largest physicians organization has made it a top priority to demand that men who think theyre women, and women who think theyre men, be allowed to brandish high-tech weaponry and fight on the front lines of Americas proxy wars around the world.

According to the American Medical Association (AMA), theres no medically valid reason why transgenders shouldnt be allowed to fight in the military alongside soldiers who accept their own natural biology. Excluding transgenders on the basis that they dont know their proper gender identity is needlessly discriminatory, the AMA insists, and needs to stop.

We believe there is no medically valid reason  including a diagnosis of gender dysphoria  to exclude transgender individuals from military service, reads a letter recently sent by AMA CEO James Madara to United States Secretary of Defense James Mattis. Transgender individuals have served, and continue to serve, our country with honor, and we believe they should be allowed to continue doing so.

Back in February, Mattis issued a public memo explaining that transgenders should not be allowed to support the efforts of the military-industrial complex because of the substantial risks they pose to military readiness on the battlefield. Not long after, President Trump signed a separate memo banning most transgender individuals from military service, except under certain limited circumstances, it added in a caveat.

Exempting such persons from well-established mental health, physical health, and sex-based standards, which apply to all Service members, including transgender Service members without gender dysphoria, could undermine readiness, disrupt unit cohesion, and impose an unreasonable burden on the military that is not conducive to military effectiveness and lethality, reads Mattiss memo.

However, the AMA vehemently disagrees. The organization has since classified Mattiss memo, and the subsequent Trump memo, as representing mischaracterized research on the costs and burdens associated with transgender medical care. The AMA insists that both Mattis and Trump have rejected the wide body of peer-reviewed research that supposedly demonstrates effectiveness in support of the needs of the transgender community.

Catering to the whims of transgender soldiers would cost the military nearly $4 billion over a 10-year period, expert warns

The AMA also claims that providing transgender medical care to transgenders in the military isnt as costly as its detractors claim it is. The medical group says the financial burden is negligible, and constitutes little more than a rounding error in the defense budget. But others disagree, including Retired Army Lieutenant General Jerry Boykin, a former U.S. Army Delta Force commander and executive vice president of the Family Research Council.

The military has been reduced to stripping parts from museums, which is why it makes no sense to spend more than a billion taxpayer dollars on new body parts for anyone who joins the military and identifies as transgender, he explains, adding that, all in all, as much as $3.7 billion would have to be allotted for transgender medical care over a 10-year period, which is hardly a negligible sum.

And truth be told, most of the gender-confused snowflakes demanding access to the military dont actually want to face the possibility of being maimed or killed in the horrors of real-life war  something most of them could never in a million years stomach, were they to actually be thrust onto the front lines of battle. They merely want to feel included in a theoretical sense because of their pathological lust for attention and equality, which of course stems from their deeply-rooted mental illnesses.

And the AMA is capitulating to this politicized crusade for equal rights because it apparently has nothing better to do these days than join the ranks of radical groups like Planned Parenthood, which recently decided that offering more transgender medical services represents a good use of organization funding.

Sources for this article include:

TownHall.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) U.S. researchers and engineers are designing a new spacecraft that can either ram hazardous asteroids away from Earth or nuke them into oblivion, reported a ScienceDirect article. They chose to name it HAMMER for obvious reasons.

HAMMER stands for Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response. Each unmanned vehicle is expected to weigh around eight tons, which is less than the old Apollo spacecraft or the successor Orion system.

The American researchers published their conceptual asteroid deflection spacecraft in the journal Acta Astronautica. They will be presenting it at an asteroid-research conference in May.

Their study called for the deployment of a group of HAMMERs into space as soon as an asteroid is spotted heading towards Earth. The fleet will ram the stray space rock, hopefully deflecting it away from the planet.

The more time the HAMMERs have to build up speed, the better the chance of a successful asteroid deflection. If the asteroid is too big or cannot be deflected away in time by collisions, the researchers suggested that the HAMMERs be armed with nuclear weapons. A nuclear barrage could reduce the size of the asteroid or destroy it outright.

Whenever practical, the kinetic impactor is the preferred approach, but various factors, such as large uncertainties or short available response time, reduce the kinetic impactors suitability and, ultimately, eliminate its sufficiency, suggested the researchers. (Related: NASAs OSIRIS-REX mission will examine samples from an asteroid, seeking clues to the origin of life.)

When all you have is a hammer

The HAMMER study is part of a bigger effort conducted by NASA and the National Nuclear Security Agency (NNSA) to determine how much time humankind has to stop a near-Earth object (NEO) from hitting the Earth.

To save time, the researchers modeled their study upon a real-life scenario. The simulated target is the asteroid 101955 Bennu, which is 1,640 feet (500 meters) in diameter and estimated to weigh 60 million tons. Bennu is perhaps the most familiar among the thousands of NEOs within one astronomical unit of Earth. According to calculations, it has 1-in-2,700 chance of striking the Earth come the 2100s. If it hits Earth, estimates place the destructive power of the asteroid strike at around 1,150 megatons. In comparison, the most powerful human nuclear weapon is the 50 megaton Tsar Bomba.

The likeliest asteroid strike scenario suggests Bennu or a similarly-sized NEO will explode over an ocean. The air-burst will unleash tsunamis and possibly disrupt the weather due to vaporizing so much seawater. If it does hit land, the fireball could reach more than 12 miles (20 kilometers) in width. The ensuing blast wave will devastate anything within 120 miles (200 kilometers.)

Bennu was selected for our case study in part because it is the best-studied of the known NEOs, the researchers explained. It is also the destination of NASAs OSIRIS-REx sample-return mission, which is, at the time of this writing, en route to Bennu following a September 2016 launch, they added.

OSIRIS-REx will be studying Bennu for two years

Unlike HAMMER, the grandiosely-titled OSIRIS-REx is a purely civilian endeavor. Launched in 2016, the Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, Security, Regolith Explorer will be reaching Bennu in summer 2017.

The space probe will orbit the asteroid for two years of study before closing in to obtain a sample from Bennus surface. If all goes well, the probe will return to Earth in 2023 to deliver its payload. Weighing in at 2.325 tons, the OSIRIS-REx probe cost $800 million to build and launch. If it hits Bennu, the asteroid would not notice the probe at all.

The HAMMER study team did not cite any estimates regarding the price of their conceptual spacecraft.

Read Space.news for more coverage of spacecraft news.

Sources include:

ScienceDirect.com

LiveScience.com
(Natural News) Climate alarmists are everywhere  but real science continues to show that these scaremongers are the ones full of hot air. Back in 2008, a top climate prophet from NASA predicted that the Arctic would be free of sea ice by summer 2018. But data from 2017 has shown quite the opposite: Ice mass in the Arctic has been growing  not disappearing, much to the chagrin of climate change propagandists everywhere, no doubt.

In June 2008, James Hansen  then-director of the Goddard Institute of Space Sciences  reportedly told the Associated Press, This is our last chance.

Hansen is also known as the godfather of global warming science (but perhaps global warming mythology would be more fitting). Before Congress, Hansen further declared that we had long passed the dangerous level of greenhouse gasses. Ultimately, the NASA expert concluded that within 5 to 10 years, the Arctic would be free of sea ice in the summer.

Despite the fears of major ice melts being propagated by Hansen and other proponents of climate change propaganda, the truth is that sea ice mass in the great north has been increasing. How is it that Hansen, the godfather of global warming could have gotten it so wrong?

Whatever the reason, over the last decade reports have continuously shown that sea ice mass is not under siege  though that is what the alarmists want you to believe. In September 2017, shocking data from Greenland showed that sea ice mass had increased by a staggering 40 percent since 2012.

But thats not all: As Natural News writer Tracey Watson revealed, sea ice mass has been trending upwards for years. Reports from different agencies in 2015, 2014 and 2013 all showed similar trends: Arctic ice mass was increasing by leaps and bounds  not melting away into nothing as the propagandists promised.

Back in 2013, the Daily Mail reported :

Some eminent scientists now believe the world is heading for a period of cooling that will not end until the middle of this century  a process that would expose computer forecasts of imminent catastrophic warming as dangerously misleading.

The same article notes that an intense debate was triggered when Mail on Sunday revealed that global warming has been in a state of pause since 1997. In 2013, the pause had been accepted as real by every major research center  yet there is more propaganda surrounding global warming now than ever.

That same year, Daily Mail also revealed that temperatures are about to drop below the level that the models forecast with 90 per cent certainty.'

In other words, global warming as weve come to know it is, essentially, a farce. While temperatures were, at one time, trending upwards, recent data has consistently shown that is no longer the case. But rather than admit the truth, it seems like these climate change maniacs would rather try to force the data to fit into their paradigm. While no one likes to be wrong about things, these so-called scientists are playing with fire by pretending that reality doesnt exist.

As Natural News founder, Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, explains, carbon dioxide  the most popular climate change scapegoat  is essential for plants to flourish across the globe. Its a key element of photosynthesis, which is what gives plants life. The reality is without CO2, wed be in for a bad time.

As Adams writes, While climate change alarmists absurdly claim CO2 is a pollutant, they neglect to tell you that without CO2, we would all die of starvation because every ecosystem on the planet would almost instantly collapse. If CO2 were dropped to zero, Earth would become a barren global desert of death entirely incapable of supporting human life at all.

Read more stories like this at Climate.news.

Sources for this article include:

RealClimateScience.com

ClimateDepot.com

DailyMail.co.uk
(Natural News) Its not a subject thats been in the American Pravda medias news cycle of late but it remains a core objective of the Left: Net Neutrality.

On the surface, the concept sounds so fair and innocent: Everyone should have equal access to quality Internet, websites and other services, and at the same speeds, essentially. But like the Affordable Care Act isnt really affordable, Net Neutrality isnt about the government remaining neutral with its regulatory regime.

According to Free Our Internet, during the final two years of the Obama administration, Google used its massive influence with the 44th president (yes, that Google  the one that practically had its own office in Obamas White House) to get sweeping federal regulations over our Internet networks. The net neutrality concept was subsequently sold to the public through a massive disinformation campaign, asserting that the rules as devised by Obamas Federal Communications Commission (FCC) were necessary to ensure a free and open Internet.

With this in mind, Free Our Internet points to five things Americans need to know about this concept before deciding on a whim that its a good idea based solely on the fair-sounding name:

 Any phony neutrality rules would not apply to tech-media giants Facebook and Google. Rather, the rules would only apply to Internet Service Providers (ISPs) such as Comcast and Verizon. They have never applied to the largest Internet and social media companies including Amazon and Twitter.

Net neutrality is the principle that all data on the internet should be treated the same. However, the fake net neutrality purposefully excluded Silicon Valley internet companies, rendering them free to block and discriminate against content, Free Our Internet noted.

 Phony Net Neutrality paves the way for online censorship and less transparency. As if we didnt have enough online censorship of certain political, social, and cultural viewpoints already, NN rules again only apply to ISPs, not the social- and tech-media behemoths that now have control of nearly all information online and are currently blocking access to certain sites and blogs or taking down channels without any good cause. (Related: CENSORED: YouTube terminates indy news site Activist Post for fake reason and without warning.)

NN supporters often present a dozen examples of how ISPs were blocking or throttling content since 2005, but in each case, the evidence is weak at best or the problem was immediately addressed and fixed by the ISP.

 Net Neutrality rules were the direct result of Googles outsized relationship with the former president. The closest corporate ally of the Obama administration was, hands-down, Google. Its officers and executives got more access to the Obama White House than any other American corporation. Indeed, Free Our Internet points out, then-Google Chairman Eric Schmidt helped to elect the former president, ironically by scraping the same type of personal data Cambridge Analytica accessed.

 Net Neutrality ignores the near-monopoly of Google and Facebook. Google Chrome, the companys web browser, has about a 65-percent market share in the U.S., compared with about nine percent for Microsofts Internet Explorer. Meanwhile, Googles search engine accounts for more than 88 percent of all searches. And Facebook dominates social media with 80 percent of the market. Google and Facebook combine for around 73 percent of all online ad spending.

 Congressional efforts to protect Net Neutrality are not helpful. Democrats led by Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) are seeking to reinstate the Silicon Valley/Obama fake net neutrality rules by the use of an obscure legislative tool  the CRA. Any successful use of the CRA would continue to exempt Facebook and Google from any rules that; prohibit blocking and censoring content; require enhanced transparency; or discriminate against lawful online users, services and applications, says Free Our Internet.

Stay fully informed at Censored.news and, soon, Brighteon.com.

J.D. Heyes is editor of The National Sentinel and a senior writer for Natural News and News Target.

Sources include:

TheIntercept.com

NaturalNews.com
(Natural News) The Marxist authoritarians who run Facebook, Twitter, Google, YouTube, and every other major social media can claim all they want that their platforms are free, open, fair, and accessible to all, but they continue to prove almost on a daily basis what horrible liars they are.

And Ill take that one step further: If youre a conservative and you are in the public square  as a publisher, an entertainer, a writer, or part of the academic commentariat  youre going to be banned at some point from all of your social media accounts.

Thats because at some point youre going to drop a massive truth bomb that the Marxist snowflakes dont like and theyre just going to ban you out of spite, hatred, disgust, etc.

Thats what happened to conservative comedian and actor Owen Benjamin, who has recently been suspended permanently from YouTube and Twitter. As The Gateway Pundit reports, when attempting to access his [Twitter] account, which boasted over 120,000 followers, users are met with this message: This account has been suspended. Benjamin was considered controversial by some for his belief that children should not be subjected to hormone therapy.

This ban has real-world negative implications for Benjamin, as he explained on his Facebook page (which so far is still online).

Both my Twitter accounts suspended and now my ability to make an income has been revoked, he wrote, inviting his fans to join him on the social media site Patreon. This is disgusting. I have a two year old [sic] and a pregnant wife and they just set my life back to 0 with on [sic] big swoop. I just worked tirelessly for the last 5 months building my online ability to make a living and its all gone. You will be next. Fight it now.

Yes, you probably will if youre a conservative personality attempting to build your brand on these Leftist-owned social media sites. But fight it? Good luck with that. Even the courts wont side with you. (Related: Google, Facebook, YouTube censorship of conservative sites, voices just like Communist CHINA.)

As The Gateway Pundit noted further, no specific tweet is cited by Twitter but there is speculation that his suspension is tied to his calling out of young David Hogg, the anti-gun teen from Parkland, Fla., who has been coming for your guns ever since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas high school.

Even some who disagreed with Benjamins ideology nevertheless defended his right to it  and his right to express it.

I dont support many of #OwenBenjamins garbage thoughts, but I certainly support his right to spew them. @Twitter is a place for EVERYONES garbage thoughts, not just Liberal garbage thoughts, wrote a user named Corinne Fisher, who  according to her Twitter profile  is also a comedian and an author.

I dont support many of #OwenBenjamins garbage thoughts, but I certainly support his right to spew them. @Twitter is a place for EVERYONES garbage thoughts, not just Liberal garbage thoughts.  CORINNE FISHER (@PhilanthropyGal) April 5, 2018

In the age of President Donald J. Trump, conservatives, libertarians, and freedom lovers  especially if they are using social media as an income generator  are learning a couple of hard truths.

The Left doesnt really believe in freedom and liberty for everybody. They dont really believe in freedom of speech and expression for everybody. They dont believe in every amendment in the Bill of Rights, and generally speaking, if they disagree with you, theyre not nice people.

The social media pioneers, when they were building their brand, were all about everyone participating. Now that theyve essentially cornered the social media market and have made hundreds of billions of dollars, they are showing their true selves.

Theyve also figured out how powerful theyve become, and in the age of Trump, whom they detest, theyre going to use their power to ensure that he doesnt win reelection and that conservatives (and Republicans in general) are disadvantaged going into the 2018 election and beyond.

If youre a conservative, the Leftist social media Nazis dont care if your wife is pregnant, if your two-year-old eats and is taken care of, or if you die, frankly. Their actions prove as much, as Benjamin has discovered.

See more of this kind of behavior at YouTubeCensorship.com, and request your own content channel at Brighteon.com, the platform for freedom lovers!

J.D. Heyes is a senior writer for NaturalNews.com and NewsTarget.com, as well as editor of The National Sentinel.

Sources include:

TheGatewayPundit.com

NewsTarget.com
A popular classified ads website, known to be used for human trafficking across the country, was shut down Friday.

Backpage.com is a website many law enforcement agencies have used to recover trafficking victims here in San Diego

The place where they end up being advertised like a piece of pizza is backpage.com San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said.

Backpage was launched in 2004. For years it has denied knowingly facilitating sex trafficking and instead, it says helped authorities track down victims of illegal activities.

Theyve been told case after case theyve been given examples of how young innocent kids are being sold on their website but they did not stop," Stephan said.

On Friday, federal agencies, including the FBI, seized the website as well as its affiliated sites. They posted a notice on the sites homepage with few details.

The Department of Justice says a court had ruled the case would remain sealed.

Backpage has profited at hundreds of millions of dollars off the abuse torment and trafficking of children, Stephan said.

In San Diego, investigators have used reverse technology to track images and other tips to trace victims back to the website.

Fifteen-, 14-, 13-year-olds, weve been able to recover from these websites tattooed, branded, sold like a piece of meat, Stephan said. "Its unacceptable."

The seizure Friday should serve as a warning for owners of websites such as Backpage. They will be held accountable, Stephan said.

"Theyre essentially pimps and traffickers themselves, she said.

NBC News reached out to Backpage for a comment, but a representative could not be reached Friday.
Six months ago Sunday, a wind-whipped firestorm ignited in Northern California. Over the course of the following weeks, flames from simultaneously-burning blazes stretched across multiple counties, leveling neighborhoods and leaving behind dozens of lives lost.

More than 8,000 structures across Northern California's wine country were wiped out by the fires, hundreds of thousands of acres were scorched and 44 people were killed as a result of the blazes.

[NATL-BAY GALLERY]North Bay Wildfires: The Smoldering Aftermath

The Tubbs Fire  labeled by Cal Fire as the most destructive wildfire in California history  ignited around 9:45 p.m. on Oct. 8. It would go on to burn 36,807 acres and destroy 5,636 structures across Napa and Sonoma Counties, according to Cal Fire.

The Nuns Fire, which also torched land across Napa and Sonoma counties, left 56,556 charred acres in its path, according to Cal Fire. It destroyed 1,355 structures and damaged 172.

Roughly six months since the North Bay fires ignited, state lawmakers are making sure folks are prepared in the event that another similar disaster were to strike. Pete Suratos reports.

Minutes before the Nuns Fire ignited, the Atlas Fire erupted near Atlas Peak Road south of Lake Berryessa. It would go on to torch 51,624 acres, destroy 120 structures and damage 783 more in Napa and Solano counties, according to Cal Fire.

In Sonoma County, the Pocket Fire, which started early in the morning on Oct. 9, scorched 17,357 acres, destroyed six structures and left two damaged, according to Cal Fire.

Footage captured by NBC Bay Areas SkyRanger depicts the widespread devastation caused by wind-driven wildfires that quickly spread across the North Bay.

One Napa County couple who were surrounded by flames believes they were given a second chance at life. They survived and say it has changed their whole outlook on how they live their lives.

Linda Savoie and her husband Dr. Philip Dayan were determined to stay alive even though they knew the odds were against them.

"Thats all I could think about, is that one of us has to make it out of here tonight, so that our kids arent alone," Savoie said. "It was becoming very clear to us that no natter where we went, the fire was either near us or catching up to us."

The couple was rescued by a CHP helicopter crew that spotted their vehicle's headlights through the heavy flames and smoke.

A drone captured stunning video of the widespread damage in Santa Rosa, California, after a wildfire ripped through residential neighborhoods, shopping centers and commercial areas.

Six months later, the burn marks are still visible, a constant reminder of their daring escape from the massive fire that could have ended their lives. And a night that still haunts them.

"I cant hear wind or smell smoke without everything coming back," Savoie said. "So, even though it's been six months, its still a little fresh."

The couple says the whole experience has changed their lives, forcing them to reprioritize whats important. Like family.

"I look at my children and my wife differently," Dayan said. "In such a way that I realize I may never see them again. Its very important that I do that. Its just a part of who we are now."

This time lapse video shows the devastation left behind by the wildfires that tore through the Fountaingrove and Coffey Park neighborhoods.

The couple says they are extremely thankful to the first responders, people who they called strangers who risked their lives to save them.

The same CHP helicopter team was able to rescue 46 people in all. Dahan and Savoie said they will always owe the team a debt of gratitude.

Farther north, the Redwood Valley Fire in Mendocino County burned 36,523 acres, destroying 546 structures and damaging 44 more in the process, according to Cal Fire.

The much smaller  in terms of acreage  Sulphur Fire in Lake County burned 2,207 acres but still wiped out 162 structures and damaged eight others.

Deady wildfires in Napa and Sonoma counties sent residents fleeing for their lives and reduced dozens of homes to smoldering ash. At least 1,500 total structures have been torched, and fire officials say that estimate is conservative. #theta360 - Spherical Image - RICOH THETA
A van has crashed into a crowd of people in the western German city of Muenster, killing two and injuring approximately 20 people, police said Saturday.

The driver committed suicide inside the van, police said.

Authorities said a motive remains unclear. German police told NBC News that there is no indication that the incident is related to Islamic extremism and officials added that the investigation is ongoing. Police noted that they were not actively seeking any additional suspects, but they were looking into all eyewitness accounts.

The suspect was a German citizen who had recently made a suicide attempt, according to NBC News' German partner ZDF. The vehicle was registered under the suspect's name, they reported.
Thousands of Palestinians protested along Gaza's sealed border with Israel on Friday, engulfing the volatile area in black smoke from burning tires to try to block the view of Israeli snipers and cheering a Hamas strongman who pledged that the border fence will eventually fall.

Israeli troops opened fire from across the border, killing at least nine Palestinians and wounding 491 others  33 of them seriously  in the second mass border protest in a week, Gaza health officials said. A well-known Palestinian journalist was among the dead, and hundreds of others suffered other injuries, including tear gas inhalation, the officials said.

The deaths brought to at least 31 the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli fire since last week.

Early Saturday, Palestinian health officials confirmed that Yasser Murtaga had died from a gunshot wound sustained while covering demonstrations near the Israeli border in Khuzaa. The area was the scene of large protests Friday, and was covered in thick black smoke.

Murtaga was over 100 meters (yards) from the border, wearing a flak jacket marked "press" and holding his camera when he was shot in an exposed area just below the armpit. Journalists were in the area as protesters were setting tires on fire.

The Israeli military has said it fired only at "instigators" involved in attacks on soldiers or the border fence. It had no immediate comment.

Murtaga worked for Ain media, a local TV production company that has done projects, including aerial drone video, for foreign media. He was not affiliated with Hamas or any other militant group.

The latest casualties were bound to draw new criticism from rights groups that have branded Israel's open-fire orders on the border as unlawful, after Israel's defense minister warned that those approaching the fence were risking their lives.

The U.N. human rights office said Friday that it has indications that Israeli forces used "excessive force" against protesters last week, when 15 Palestinians were killed or later died of wounds sustained near the border.

An Israeli military spokesman defended the rules of engagement.

"If they are actively attacking the fence, if they are throwing a molotov cocktail that is within striking distance of Israeli troops or similar activities, then those persons, those rioters, become, may become, a target," said Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus.

Friday's large crowds suggested that Hamas, the Islamic militant group that has ruled Gaza since a 2007 takeover, might be able to keep the momentum going in the next few weeks. Hamas has called for a series of protests until May 15, the anniversary of Israel's founding when Palestinians commemorate their mass uprooting during the 1948 war over Israel's creation.

Israel has alleged that Hamas is using the mass marches as a cover for attacking the border fence, and has vowed to prevent a breach at all costs.

The military said that on Friday, protesters hurled several explosive devices and firebombs, using the thick plumes of smoke from burning tires as a cover, and that several attempts to cross the fence were thwarted.

Gaza's shadowy Hamas strongman, Yehiyeh Sinwar, told a cheering crowd in one of the protest camps Friday that a border breach is coming.

The world should "wait for our great move, when we penetrate the borders and pray at Al-Aqsa," Sinwar said, referring to the major Muslim shrine in Jerusalem.

He was interrupted several times by the crowd, who chanted, "We are going to Jerusalem, millions of martyrs!" and "God bless you Sinwar!"

The mass protests are perhaps Hamas' last chance to break a border blockade enforced by Israel and Egypt since 2007, without having to succumb to demands that it disarm. The blockade has made it increasingly difficult for Hamas to govern. It has also devastated Gaza's economy, made it virtually impossible for people to enter and exit the territory, and left residents with just a few hours of electricity a day.

Israel argues that Hamas could have ended the suffering of Gaza's 2 million people by disarming and renouncing violence.

Friday's marches began before Muslim noon prayers when thousands of Palestinians streamed to five tent encampments that organizers had set up several hundred meters (yards) from the border fence.

In one camp near the border community of Khuzaa, smaller groups of activists moved closer to the fence after the prayers. Demonstrators torched large piles of tires, engulfing the area in black smoke meant to shield them from Israeli snipers; the faces of some of the activists were covered in black soot.

Israeli troops on the other side of the fence responded with live fire, tear gas, rubber-coated steel pellets and water cannons.

After the first tires started burning, several young men with gunshot wounds began arriving at a field clinic at the camp.

Mohammed Ashour, 20, who had been among the first to set tires on fire, was shot in the right arm.

"We came here because we want dignity," he said resting on a stretcher before paramedics transported him to the strip's main hospital.

Yehia Abu Daqqa, a 20-year-old student, said he had come to honor those killed in previous protests.

"Yes, there is fear," he said of the risks of advancing toward the fence. "We are here to tell the occupation that we are not weak."

The death toll since last week includes at least 24 people killed during the two Friday protests at the border, as well as one killed during a protest on Tuesday. The six other deaths include three Palestinian gunmen killed in what Israel said were attempts to attack the border fence and three men who were struck by Israeli tank fire.

Speaking at U.N. headquarters in New York, Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour put the death toll for Friday's protest at nine; the discrepancy between that figure and the death toll provided by the Gaza Health Ministry could not immediately be explained.

More than 1,000 people suffered a range of injuries on Friday, including those hit by live fire and those overcome by tear gas, the Gaza health ministry said. Twelve women and 48 minors were among those hurt, the officials said.

At the United Nations, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint, said U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric.

He said U.N. Mideast envoy Nickolay Mladenov had been in touch with Israeli and Palestinian officials to reinforce "the need to allow people to demonstrate peacefully." Mladenov stressed the need to ensure that "excessive force is not used, and the need to ensure that children are not deliberately put in harm's way," Dujarric said.

For a second week in a row, the United States blocked a U.N. Security Council statement supporting the right of Palestinians to demonstrate peacefully and endorsing Guterres' call for an independent investigation into the deadly protests in Gaza.

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour told reporters at U.N. headquarters in New York Friday evening that 14 of the 15 council nations agreed to the statement, but the U.S., Israel's closest ally, objected.

A White House envoy urged Palestinians to stay away from the fence. Jason Greenblatt said the United States condemns "leaders and protesters who call for violence or who send protesters  including children  to the fence, knowing that they may be injured or killed."

Hamas has billed the final protest, set for May 15, as the "Great March of Return" of Palestinian refugees and their descendants, implying they would try to enter Israel. Two-thirds of Gaza's residents are descendants of refugees.

Palestinians commemorate May 15 as their "nakba," or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were uprooted from homes in what is now Israel.
An appropriate posture for the Trump White House. Photo: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

With President Trump feeling increasingly liberated from the constraints of the White House, or of normal human behavior, it was only a matter of time before affairs reached a breaking point between him and his long-suffering chief of staff, John Kelly. And thats apparently what almost happened a few days ago.

Axioss Jonathan Swan reports that on March 28, Kelly blew up at Trump in the Oval Office, and then, as he returned to his office, muttered a comment that some saw as a reference to quitting the White House. Kellys outburst was apparently unrelated to the firing of David Shulkin, the veteran affairs secretary, on the same day  which narrows it down to about 75 other crises he might have been stewing over.

The Washington Post reports that, according to a senior administration official, Kelly said, Im out of here, guys, but was merely venting his anger and leaving work an hour or two early to head home to decompress.

Kelly was reportedly so upset that Department of Homeland Security head Kirstjen Nielsen and Defense Secretary James Mattis had to talk him down.

One recent point of contention between the president and General Kelly: Scott Pruitt. Kelly reportedly advised Trump last week to fire the ethically challenged EPA administrator, but Trump refused. This kind of presidential defiance has become more common as Trump begins to feel (scarily) comfortable in his job.

The Posts report, which quotes 16 administration officials, hammers home a point that has become more and more clear: Kellys credibility and influence have severely diminished in the White House in recent months.

Kelly no longer lurks around the Oval Office, nor listens in on as many of the presidents calls, even with foreign leaders. He has not been fully consulted on several recent key personnel decisions. And he has lost the trust and support of some of the staff, as well as angered first lady Melania Trump, who officials said was upset over his sudden dismissal of Johnny McEntee, the presidents 27-year-old personal aide.

Kelly has long seemed on the verge of either stepping down or being fired, and, as the Post reports, he threatens to quit pretty regularly. With Trump becoming less and less dependent on him, and no less hinged, one has to think that the end cant be too far off.

When Kelly moved from leading the Department of Homeland Security to replace Reince Priebus last summer, his morally upright reputation earned him some grudging respect from liberals, who, even if they didnt like the mans hard-line views on immigration, saw him as a potential bulwark between Trump and pure chaos. In some ways, Kelly made good on that promise, at least for a while. He tightened access to the Oval Office, restricted the flow of misinformation to the president, and removed interlopers like Omarosa Manigault and Anthony Scaramucci from the White House.

But, as Trump inevitably soured on these limitations, Kelly also badly damaged his own reputation with a series of comments and actions that seem to have revealed his true character. He made an extremely ignorant comment about the Civil War; blatantly lied about a congresswomans past comments and refused to apologize; and badly bungled the departure of White House staff secretary Rob Porter, who was accused of domestic abuse, among other missteps.

But Kelly is still nowhere near as dangerous as his boss. And there are moments, fleeting ones, when Kelly still feels like a stand-in for the majority of the country, a quasi-reasonable person trying to withstand President Trumps wild whims while ensuring that America doesnt implode before 2020. For a moment after Saturdays news broke, it was easy to recall a clearly uncomfortable, very relatable Kelly hanging his head in shame his head in shame as Trump defended neo-Nazis last August.

Unfortunately, the conception of Kelly as a serious moral counterbalance to his boss is long gone. But that doesnt mean his (probably) impending departure is good news.
Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., on Sunday defended embattled Environmental Protection Agency head Scott Pruitt, saying much of the scrutiny seems to be nitpicking.

"I don't know how much of it is overblown and how much of it is accurate, to be honest," Rounds said on NBC's "Meet The Press." "I'm not going to call it fake news. I'll say in some cases we'll overblow something, but in this particular case Mr. Pruitt has been doing a good job as the secretary of the EPA. He is moving forward exactly as this president said he would."

A flurry of recent stories have raised questions about some of Pruitt's spending at the EPA and elsewhere, including pay raises to top aides without approval, a $50-a-night condo lease tied to a lobbyist, repeated first class and chartered air travel, and a report that the EPA spent millions on a 20-member full-time security detail three times the size of his predecessor's, and more.

"Oh, he has too big of a security detail? Is that suddenly the reason why you fire someone?" the South Dakota senator asked. "We'll nitpick little things  'he has too many people on his security detail'  but what about how he's taking care of the taxpayers' dollars with the EPA, and what about the regulations that he said he's going to clean up on?"
Rockford Police have identified a suspect in the fatal shooting of three people on board a party bus early Saturday morning.

Raheem D. King, a Rockford-native, is accused of shooting and killing the three people while the bus was travelling in the area of Auburn Street and North Johnston Avenue just before 3:30 a.m. Saturday, according to Rockford Police.

According to police, King was armed with an assault rifle and shot the three men before fleeing the scene. The driver remained on the bus and travelled to Springfield Avenue, where he called police.

The Winnebago County States Attorneys Office has authorized first-degree murder charges against King, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

Police say that King is considered armed and dangerous, and are seeking the publics help in apprehending him.

Anyone with information on Kings whereabouts is asked to call police at 779-500-6551, or Crimestoppers at 815-963-7867.
A student at Saint Xavier University reported an incident where an unknown male allegedly attempted to enter the womans vehicle Friday afternoon.

Officers responded to an incident that occurred around 1:07 p.m. Friday at the 3700 block west of 103 Street, where a 19-year-old female reported that after she opened her vehicle door, an unknown male approached her and demanded that she move to the passenger seat, according to a statement posted on the universitys website,

Officials said the female complied and the male drove the vehicle around the 9900 block of south Sangamon, where he exited and fled. Authorities also said the female then relocated to the 9900 block of S. Halsted where police were summoned.

The university statement also mentioned that no weapon was reported at the scene. The suspect vacated the vehicle without further harm to the student and she was able to flee safely from the scene in her vehicle, immediately reporting the incident to the Chicago Police.

According to authorities, the suspect was last seen in the area of 99th and S. Sangamon street.

The suspect is described as a 25-year-old Hispanic male, who is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds; The man had black short, cropped hair, light facial hair (mustache and chin), and a star tattoo near right eyebrow. In addition, he was last seen wearing a black jacket with a fuzzy collar and two pockets,

No one was in custody as of Sunday afternoon.

Chicago Police urge anyone with information about this crime to call them at 312-745-0570 or the Public Safety Department at 773-298-4400.
West Hartford police have identified the 23-year-old man whose body was found in a car parked in a Brace Road lot Saturday night.

Police said they were called just before 6 p.m. for a report that someone was sleeping in a car. Officers quickly realized the person, identified as Andrew Carbone, of South Glastonbury, was not breathing, so they broke a window to get in and found that he was dead.

Detectives told NBC Connecticut the cause of death was not obvious. Police are still waiting on the report from the medical examiner's office.

The parking lot is a popular spot to park for those visiting the West Hartford Center, and its right next to a quiet neighborhood.

Police said there is no danger to the public.

The investigation is ongoing.
A pickup crashed into an apartment building on Wethersfield Avenue in Hartford Saturday night.

An NBC Connecticut crew reported that the truck slammed into the porch of the home on Wethersfield Avenue near Adelaide Street. Police on scene said no one was hurt.

It was not immediately clear how severely the building was damaged or if the residents would have to evacuate.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
Suspected poison gas was used to attack the last remaining foothold for the Syrian opposition in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, killing at least 40 people, including families found in their homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said Sunday.

The attack on the besieged town of Douma came almost exactly a year after a chemical attack in the northern Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. That attack prompted the U.S. to launch several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base.

President Donald Trump blamed Syrian government forces for what he called a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" and warned there would be a "big price to pay." He did not elaborate. In a series of tweets, Trump held Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar Assad's chief sponsors, responsible.

The Syrian government denied the allegations, calling them fabrications.

First responders entering apartments in Douma late Saturday said they found bodies collapsed on floors, some foaming at the mouth. The opposition's Syrian Civil Defense rescue organization said the victims appeared to have suffocated.

They did not identify the substance used, but the civil defense organization, also known as the White Helmets, and the Syrian American Medical Society, a medical relief organization, said survivors treated at clinics smelled strongly of chlorine.

Those reports could not be independently verified by the Associated Press nor NBC News because of a government blockade around the town.

Hours after the attack, the Army of Islam rebel group agreed to surrender the town and evacuate their fighters to rebel-held northern Syria, Syrian state media reported. The group also agreed to give up its prisoners, a key demand of the government.

The government agreed to halt its assault after three days of indiscriminate air and ground attacks.

"There's nothing left for civilians and fighters. We don't have anything to stand fast," said Haitham Bakkar, an opposition activist inside the town. He spoke to the Associated Press by WhatsApp.

"People now are going out in the streets looking for their loved ones in the rubble," Bakkar said. "And we don't have any space left to bury them."

More than 100 buses entered the town Sunday night to transport fighters and their families to Jarablus, a town under the shared control of rebels and Turkey, said Syrian state-affiliated al-Ikhbariya TV.

The preparations follow a pattern of evacuations around the capital and other major Syrian cities as the government reasserts its control after seven years of war.

Human rights groups and United Nations officials say the tactic amounts to forced displacement, a war crime. The U.N. Security Council planned to hold an emergency meeting Monday to discuss the attack.

The Army of Islam could not be immediately reached for comment.

In his tweets Sunday, Trump called Assad an "animal" and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting him. A top White House aide, asked about the possibility of another U.S. missile strike, said, "I wouldn't take anything off the table."

The developments come as Trump has declared his intent to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria in the coming months despite resistance from many of his advisers.

Bakkar said several bombs laced with chemicals landed in Douma Saturday night. Another activist, Bilal Abou Salah, said a large, yellow cylinder smashed through the roof of an apartment building and came to rest on the third floor and started to discharge gas.

The Syrian Civil Defense group documented 42 fatalities but was impeded from searching further by strong odors that gave rescuers difficulties breathing, said Siraj Mahmoud, a spokesman for the group.

A joint statement by the civil defense group and the medical society said that more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers complaining of difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth and burning sensations in the eyes. Some had bluish skin, a sign of oxygen deprivation.

The symptoms were consistent with chemical exposure. One patient, a woman, had convulsions and pinpoint pupils, suggesting exposure to a nerve agent, the statement said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights issued a higher death toll, saying at least 80 people were killed in Douma, including around 40 who died from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside them.

"Until this minute, no one has been able to find out the kind of agent that was used," Mahmoud said in a video statement from northern Syria.

The Syrian government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, denied the allegations. It said the claims were "fabrications" by the Army of Islam and a "failed attempt" to impede government advances.

"The army, which is advancing rapidly and with determination, does not need to use any kind of chemical agents," the statement said.

The latest assault on Douma came after talks between the Army of Islam and Russia collapsed Friday, ending 10 days of calm for residents trapped inside.

Russia denied any involvement in the attack. Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko was quoted by Russian news agencies Sunday as saying Russia was prepared to send specialists to Douma to "confirm the fabricated nature" of the reports.

Douma has been crippled by close to five years of siege by government forces. It was once one of the hubs of the 2011 Arab Spring uprising against President Bashar Assad's government.

In recent weeks, government forces have recaptured villages and towns in the eastern Ghouta suburbs of the capital. Douma was the only town left holding out.

A 2013 chemical attack in eastern Ghouta that killed hundreds of people was widely blamed on government forces. The U.S. threatened military action but later backed down.

Syria denies ever using chemical weapons during the war and says it eliminated its chemical arsenal under a 2013 agreement brokered by the U.S. and Russia.

Associated Press writer James Heintz in Moscow, Zeina Karam in Beirut and Jonathan Lemire in Washington contributed to this report.
Grapevine Firefighters rescued eight ducklings from a storm drain near SH 121 and I-635 on Sunday.

A driver noticed the 8 ducklings and their mother along the shoulder of the road and went back to help. Unfortunately, by the time he got back, the mother had been hit by a passing car and the eight ducklings had fallen into a storm drain.

The man called Grapevine Police who ask for assistance from the Grapevine Fire Department. Together the two departments were able to rescue all eight ducklings from the storm drain.

The ducklings will now be taken to volunteers who will raise and release them back into the wild.


Authorities are searching for a 13-year-old boy who they say fatally shot a man at a Houston-area home and then fled.

The Harris County sheriff's office said Saturday that they were still searching for the boy following the Friday evening shooting.

Authorities say the man was shot by the 13-year-old after the man got into a physical altercation with the 13-year-old's older brother at a home in eastern Harris County.

Authorities say the victim was taken by a private vehicle to a nearby gas station where he was attended by EMS and pronounced dead at the scene.
South Korea has agreed to further open its auto market to the United States as the two countries prepare to amend their six-year-old trade agreement following complaints by President Donald Trump.

South Korea's top trade negotiator said Monday that the revised agreement calls for delaying the earlier agreed-to elimination of tariffs on South Korean-made pick-up trucks to 2041 from 2021.

The U.S. side agreed that annual exports of up to 2.7 million tons of South Korean steel products will be exempted from recently announced 25 percent tariffs.

The auto sector is among the most contentious issues in South Korea's trade dealings with the U.S. Yet, the revised agreement will likely have little immediate impact on South Korea's exports to the United States. Nor is it likely to have much impact on U.S. exports to South Korea.

While South Korea made some concessions to U.S. demands on the key auto trade issues, the revision of the free trade pact aligns with South Korea's own interests, experts said.

South Korean negotiators managed to avoid changes in treatment of its agriculture sector, a highly sensitive area in domestic politics.

"Overall, it's a relief," said Cheong Inkyo, a professor of international trade at Inha University in Incheon, South Korea. "The United States achieved most of its goal while we made some concessions in the auto sector. But the outcome falls within our national interest."

South Korea's Trade Minister Kim Hyun-chong said although the United States will end 25 percent tariffs on South Korean-made pick-up trucks 20 years later than earlier planned, no local auto companies export pick-up trucks made in South Korea to the United States.

Conversely, South Korea agreed to allow the number of U.S.-made vehicles to be imported without being subject to local safety regulations to double to 50,000 a year. However, no American car brand sold more than 10,000 vehicles in South Korea last year.

South Korea also will ease emission standards for American cars shipped from 2021-2025, when the Asian country is due to set new import regulations.

South Korean automakers did not comment on the postponement of eliminating tariffs on their trucks. The Korean Automobile Manufacturers Association praised the government's efforts to protect South Korean automakers and avoid major changes on sensitive issues such as adjusting tariffs.

The third-largest steel exporter to the United States after Canada and Brazil, South Korea was among 12 countries whose exports of steel and aluminum Trump recently said would be hit with heavy tariffs.

While the country won a steel tariff exemption, it is still subject to a quota of about 2.7 million tons of steel products a year, about 74 percent of its exports in 2017.

South Korean steel companies said had wanted a larger quota of tariff-free exports to the United States.

"But the result that South Korea would be exempted means that the United States considers South Korea as its main ally and we believe that it would pave the way for good results in future negotiations," the Korea Iron & Steel Association said in a statement.

The agreements in principle were announced Monday just hours after Trump said Friday that the United States was on the verge of revising its trade agreement with South Korea, which took effect in 2012.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he hoped a final agreement with Seoul would be announced next week.

The two allies started discussing how to amend the free trade pact in August after Trump blamed it for causing the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea.

The United States ran a $10.3 billion trade deficit with South Korea last year.
A California social justice advocacy group is hoping to bring relief to a section of the states prison population the group says was left behind by recent criminal justice reform efforts. We The People Org, founded by long-time California criminal defense attorney Tom Loversky, is gathering signatures in an effort to get the Fair Sentencing and Public Safety Act of 2018 onto the November ballot.

The initiative would be a further step toward dismantling the States Three Strikes Law, Loversky said. If approved by voters, the initiative would require a Third Strike in most cases to stem from a violent offense and would require inmates serving life sentences for a non-violent third strike to be re-sentenced.

Loversky said the initiative is designed to fill in some of the gaps left by recent reform efforts, such as Proposition 57 and Proposition 36, which helped reduce the states swelling prison population.

Prop 57 was passed by the voters with the intention of doing that, but what happened is there were some loopholes that were taken advantage of so that a great many non-violent offenders have still been kept in custody and are doing life sentences, Loversky said.

Specifically, Loversky is referring to Third Strikers serving life sentences because of a non-violent third strike. Prop 57 ended up not being applied to Third Strikers, and Prop 36, which removed a third strike for certain non-violent offenses, did not affect inmates with a serious, but non-violent third strike.

People are being held for long, long periods of time without the ability to go back into the public even though theyve been rehabilitated, Loversky said. So were hoping to change that.

Kevin Chatman, originally given more life sentences than he could count on one hand after receiving a third strike for a non-violent crime, was released after serving six years because of Prop 36. Hes now working with We the People Org to further reform efforts.

Three Strikes is a terrible law and we need to get rid of the Three Strikes law, Chatman said. Prop 36 was very good for it and did a lot of things, but it didnt get everything.

Chatman said most of the nearly 3,000 inmates serving life sentences for a non-violent third strike have been rehabilitated and would be good, law-abiding citizens if given the opportunity.

We want an opportunity to have a good job, pay our bills, be tax-paying citizens, and be good neighbors, he said.

Releasing non-violent third strikers would amount to significant cost-savings for the state, Loversky said. The California Legislative Analysts Office estimated that in time, savings could exceed $100 million annually, although counties would end up incurring additional costs upwards of $10 million because of increased county community supervision populations.

According to Loversky, the money saved by the state would be shifted towardrehabilitation efforts, juvenile offender prevention programs, and tuition relief in higher education.

The initiative would not apply to certain inmates, however, including those whose third strike is for certain sex crimes, a firearms-related offense, or if a prior offense was for rape, child molestation, or murder.

Loversky said hes confident that if passed, most inmates released as part of the initiative would stay out of trouble.

There is good, solid rehabilitation going within the Department of Corrections [and Rehabilitation], so when these people get released, theyre not going out and committing more crimes, Loversky said.

Click here for more on We the People Org and the Fair Sentencing and Public Safety Act of 2018.
Syrian children affected by the Assad regimes alleged chemical weapon attack receive medical treatment. Photo: Halil el-Abdullah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images

Dozens of Syrian men, women, and children were killed in an apparent chemical weapon attack by Assad regime forces on a rebel-held area near Damascus on Saturday night. Rescue workers reported that at least 42 people suffocated to death, and more than 500 were injured in the attack, which struck a building in the besieged eastern suburb of Douma. The symptoms of the injured seem to be consistent with a chlorine gas attack. Many of the dead and injured were foaming at the mouth and showing other signs of respiratory distress. Doctors also reported smelling a chlorine-like odor on the victims. Horrifying images and footage of the aftermath showed piles of collapsed bodies, including small children and infants. Here is an activist-shot video which purports to show young survivors of the attack being treated for their exposure to the chemical agent:

The Assad regime characteristically denied that it was involved in the strike.

The U.S. says it is investigating the attack and working to confirm that chemical weapons were used. But Sunday morning on Twitter, President Trump didnt seem like he needed any convincing after seeing the images of the victims:

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Its not yet clear if Trump, who recently announced that the U.S. would be withdrawing from Syria, will respond to the attack with a strike on Assads forces, as he did following another high-profile chemical weapon attack last year. Appearing on ABCs This Week on Sunday morning, White House Homeland Security Adviser Thomas Bossert said that the Trump administration wouldnt take anything off the table when it came to the U.S. response. Later Sunday, UN Ambassador Nikki Haley also announced that the U.S. was calling for a UN Security Council meeting over the attack.

But while Saturdays attack had a high and highly visible number of victims, close observers of the conflict in Syria were quick to point out the Assad regimes use of chemical weapons has remained frequent, including after the strike Trump ordered last year. The Global Public Policy Institutes Tobias Schneider explained on Sunday that there have been credible reports of the regime using chemical weapons an average of once a week since 2013, calling the weapons an intrinsic component of [the Asssad regimes] way of war.

Because it's relevant to point above: Video from the impact scene shows modified yellow gas canister - likely dropped from helicopter. Same set-up used dozens of times in past year, including during Fall of Aleppo (HRW documented: https://t.co/v43csR6ZHy) https://t.co/CScj9PuFQy  Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) April 8, 2018

#            .

        #         50              #___ pic.twitter.com/OgXDA6z2eL     (@1BilalAbuSalah) April 8, 2018

On Sunday, Syrian state media reported that the regime had reached a deal with the rebels in Douma to relocate to another opposition-held city. If true, that would seem to indicate that the chemical weapon attack had that goal, as the Washington Posts Louisa Loveluck noted in her response to the news:

This may explain logic for alleged chemical attack on Douma. Rebels dug their heels & refused deal put on table by Russia, keeping fighters and their families in the city. Time and time again, we have seen how chemical attacks break morale. Likely the final straw here too. https://t.co/g85HMNMrTH  Louisa Loveluck (@leloveluck) April 8, 2018

This post has been updated to include additional context regarding the attack.
More than one million people living in the United States illegally have obtained a California driver's license under a law that went into effect in 2015 and now the debate has begun on its impact.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed Assembly Bill 60 into law in October 2013 and the measure took effect on Jan. 1, 2015, allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver's license to applicants who lack proof of legal residence, such as a Social Security or Green Card, NBC4's media partner KPCC reports.

"The program continues to be a very successful program," Artemio Armenta, a spokesman for the DMV, told KPCC. "The demand has been steady and the issuance has been steady as well."

Advocates of the program said the licenses would ensure drivers receive proper training and discourage drivers in the country illegally from fleeing the scene of a crash.

"Our position is this really helps to make California's roads safe," Armenta said.

A Stanford study shows hit-and-run accidents have reduced since the law has passed and has saved insured drivers about $17 million.

Read more at KPCC
John Lennon fans around California might soon be able to show off their admiration of the late musician and humanitarian while also helping to feed the needy.

It's all part of an effort by the California Department of Social Services and the California Association of Food Banks to fund the state's food banks and hunger relief programs through a specialty license plate.

Authorized by Yoko Ono, the license plate would feature Lennon's famous self-portrait, along with the slogan "Imagine No Hunger."

The plates range in price from $50 for a sequential plate to $103 for a personalized plate. The Department of Motor Vehicles would start distributing the plates once a minimum of 7,500 of them have been preordered.

Once the 7,500-plate threshold is reached, people can expect to wait 10 to 12 months for the DMV to implement the Imagine No Hunger license plate program and to begin processing the orders.

You can do your part to help feed Californians in need by preordering an Imagine No Hunger license plate here.
A survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting joined the Rev. Al Sharpton on Saturday to announce a June rally in front of President Donald Trump's Manhattan apartment to protest gun violence.

Aalayah Eastmond, a junior at Stoneman Douglas High School, was at Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem for the minister's weekly meetings.

Sixteen-year-old Eastmond was in class Feb. 14 when a gunman fired through a window, missing her but killing 17 classmates and school staff.

The June 2 rally  at the beginning of New York state's Gun Violence Awareness Month  is to start at Trump International Tower on Columbus Circle and proceed toward Fifth Avenue and Trump Tower, where Trump has an apartment that has been his longtime home.

For Eastmond, New York City is more than a prominent media staging ground. One of her family members was fatally shot there.

Fifteen years ago, "I actually lost my uncle to gun violence in Brooklyn," she said. "So for it to happen to me, in my face, that just shows that change has to happen now."

Sharpton said that young people leading recent activism across the country have produced what he called "a necessary marriage of dealing with gun violence as an American issue that jumps over the boundaries of any community and deals with America from every city."

Another Sharpton concern is how police handle interactions with the mentally ill. On Thursday, police fatally shot a Brooklyn man, Saheed Vassell, as he brandished what turned out to be a welding torch mistaken for a gun.

Among the June rally organizers is Ramon Contreras, 19, a senior at one of 11 NYC College Prep charter schools who lost a classmate to gun violence last October.

"He was only 17 years old," Contreras said. "The way it affected me, I was lost."

He said everybody wanted to do something, but felt "we didn't have the resources."

Last month, "the nationwide walkout gave us the courage, and pretty much the strength to say, 'Hey, enough is enough.'"

Al Sharpton runs the National Action Network and is a talk-show host on MSNBC, which is owned by NBCUniversal, the parent company of this site.


What to Know A deputy director in Mayor de Blasios Office of Criminal Justice was arrested along with two men on gun charges

Police said Reagan Stevens, 42, was in a vehicle parked near the scene of a shooting; officers allegedly found a loaded gun in the vehicle

In a statement, a spokesman said Stevens was suspended without pay pending an investigation

A high-level deputy director in Mayor de Blasios Office of Criminal Justice was arrested on gun charges this weekend, police say.

Reagan Stevens, the deputy director of Youth and Strategic Initiatives, was charged along with two men after officers found the trio in a vehicle with a loaded handgun late Saturday night, according to police.

Officers were responding to ShotSpotter, the NYPD's bullet-detection system, near the corner of 177th Street and 106th Avenue in Jamaica when police say they found the suspicious vehicle double-parked nearby.

The officers found the loaded 9mm handgun in a glove compartment, according to police, who said the weapon holds an eight-round clip but that only three rounds were remaining. Police said it wasnt immediately clear if the gun had been recently fired.

Stevens, 42, was charged with criminal possession of a loaded firearm and criminal possession of a defaced weapon, as were the two men, identified by police as 24-year-old Montell Hughes and 25-year-old Caesar Forbes.

Hughes and Forbes were allegedly carrying knives at the time.



Police haven't said who the gun or vehicle are registered to.

Patrick Gallahue, a spokesman for the Mayor's Office of Criminal Justice, said in a statement to News 4 that Stevens was suspended immediately without pay pending an investigation. We take these allegations very seriously, Gallahue wrote in the statement.

An attorney for Stevens said she didn't know the gun was in the glove compartment nor does she own the gun. It wasnt immediately known if Hughes or Forbes had attorneys.

A biography on the City's website says "Ms. Stevens spent 15 years implementing crime prevention, adolescent diversion programs, and alternatives to incarceration at the Kings County District Attorney's office."


What to Know A fire broke out at an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower Saturday evening

A 67-year-old man in the apartment died; the Trumps were not in the building at the time

The FDNY commissioner says six firefighters were injured and that the cause of the fire is not yet known

A man died after a fire erupted in an apartment on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in Midtown on Saturday evening, authorities say.

The FDNY said six firefighters suffered burns and other non-life-threatening injuries in addition to the 67-year-old man, a resident of the apartment who had been in critical condition following the blaze. The NYPD identified him late Saturday as Todd Brassner, an art collector who knew Andy Warhol and had fallen on hard times.

[NATL-NY]In Photos: Major Fire Breaks Out at Trump Tower

Fire in Trump Tower worsening pic.twitter.com/6T1VsOCsuP  Peter Thomas Roth (@PeterThomasRoth) April 7, 2018

Firefighters responded to an automatic alarm after the fire broke out in a large apartment on the 50th floor of the tower, FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a press conference.



A barrage of fire trucks could be seen surrounding the Fifth Avenue building shortly after the fire started shortly before 6 p.m. Nigro said about 200 firefighters battled the blaze. Videos on social media show thick, black smoke and flames rising from the building as people watch below.

107 Years Later: The Catastrophic Sweatshop Fire That Changed NYC, and the Nation, Forever

Nigro said "the apartment was virtually, entirely on fire" when firefighters arrived. Neighbors said Brassner had an extensive guitar collection in the apartment, and the Associated Press reported he was an art dealer who had purchased his 50th-floor apartment in 1996.

Brassner is mentioned several times in Andy Warhol's posthumously published diaries, with references including lunch dates and shared taxis. The artist signed and dedicated at least one print to him. But in recent years, Brassner came upon money difficulties and was "plagued with debilitating medical problems."

Shortly before 8 p.m., the FDNY tweeted that the fire was under control.



Three firefighters were taken to hospital with minor injuries, while three more were treated at the scene. Nigro said the cause of the inferno was not yet known.

[NY ONLY SPEC] Incredible Images Show Historic Long Island Mansion Go Up in Flames

President Donald Trump has an office and a penthouse home in the building, but he was not in New York on Saturday. Nigro said the Secret Service checked the president's residence at some point and that there was no fire damage.



Trump reacted to the fire on Twitter, saying: "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" (By 11 a.m. Sunday, he had not mentioned Brassner's passing on Twitter, though he had tweeted about a half-dozen times since his death was confirmed.)

Melania Trump and the couple's son, Barron Trump, were both in Washington, D.C., according to the first lady's spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham.

"The Secret Service can confirm that no protectees or members of the First Family were present at the time of the fire," a Secret Service spokesman told NBC News. "Ongoing Secret Service security operations remain in place. There have been no injuries to any Secret Service personnel."



Trump's son, Eric Trump, also took to Twitter to thank firefighters and police for their quick response.

Dramatic Images: Firefighters Swarm Site of Deadly Harlem Movie Shoot Blaze

"Thank you to the amazing men and women of the NYFD who extinguished a fire in a residential apartment at @TrumpTower. The @FDNY and @NYPD are truly some of the most incredible people anywhere!"

New York Senator Chuck Schumer also reacted to the fire on Twitter, writing: "Thinking tonight of those lost and injured in the fire that broke out in Trump Tower today, and incredibly thankful to the @FDNY for their work that kept more NYers from harm."

According to the city's Department of Buildings, there have been no complaints in the past year and a half about any fire issues at Trump Tower.

"It's a well-built building. The upper floors, the residence floors, are not sprinklered," Commissioner Nigro said at the press conference.

Fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed in 1983. Subsequent updates to the building code required commercial skyscrapers to install the sprinklers retroactively, but owners of older residential high-rises are not required to install sprinklers unless the building undergoes major renovations.

Some fire-safety advocates pushed for a requirement that older apartment buildings be retrofitted with sprinklers when New York City passed a law requiring them in new residential highrises in 1999, but officials in the administration of then-mayor Rudy Giuliani said that would be too expensive.

It's not the first fire at Trump Tower this year. In January, three people were injured when a fire broke out in a cooling unit on the roof deck of the building. That fire also sent smoke billowing over Midtown.


The San Diego Music Awards (SDMAs) just wrapped up (the SoundDiego family did quite well on either side of the podium, I might add), and the winners and nominees are still reaping the rewards.

On April 28-29 between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m., a host of SDMA winners and nominees will be performing at the Mission Federal Credit Union Artwalk in Little Italy, thanks in large part to longtime SDMA promoter Kevin Hellman, who is producing the lineup yet again.

Set to perform this year from the SDMA clan are Dani Bell (nominated with the Redwoods Collective for Artist of the Year), Marie Haddad (winner of Best Pop Album), Nina Francis (nominated for Best Pop Album), Sara Petite (winner of Best Country or Americana and nominated for Best Country or Americana Album) and Tolan Shaw (nominated for Best Pop).

This year will mark the festival's 34th "celebration of San Diegos rich arts and culture landscape." As usual, more than 300 visual and performing artists will showcase their creations, and ArtWalk activities all help support Artreach San Diego, which provides free visual arts workshops for K-6 schools with little resources for art education.

Thanks to Mission Federal Credit Union, Little Italy's Artwalk is also free! So, there's no excuse to not check out all of the SDMA musicians playing this year.

Rutger Ansley Rosenborg has been an Associate Editor at NBC SoundDiego since 2016. He is an avid creator, communicator and purveyor of bad jokes. Find out more here, or contact him here.
Three people were hospitalized, more were injured and eight young people were arrested after a disturbance at a Maryland juvenile treatment center that the state has previously singled out for having a "negative culture," authorities say.

Police say they responded to the Victor Cullen Center in Frederick County about 11:30 a.m. Sunday after a group of teen inmates assaulted staff members and destroyed property.

More than one juvenile was thought to be leading a so-called disturbance inside the Frederick County facility, police said.

Police said officers surrounded the building to create a perimeter and a deputy trained as a negotiator spoke to the young people via a radio.

Seven juveniles surrendered to police and one was taken into custody without incident, police said.

Maryland State Police say 29 inmates are housed at the facility.

Three staff members were assaulted by juveniles and taken to the hospital for treatment. Others were injured, police said, but refused treatment.

Police say they had no physical confrontations with the young people. All of the juveniles at the facility have been accounted for and no one escaped from the facility, police said.

Local police remain on the scene and Maryland State Police are set to conduct a criminal investigation. Police say charges are pending.

No information about the juveniles or the injured as been released. It's unclear how long the disturbance lasted.

In a report published by the Maryland Attorney General in March, the Victor Cullen Center was singled out for having a negative culture and has faced several complaints of verbal and physical abuse of inmates by the staff.

The facility houses males between the ages of 15 and 18 for treatment programs for mental health issues and substance abuse, according to the Maryland Department of Juvenile Services. The treatment lasts from six to nine months.

The facility received a harsh assessment in a 2016 report prepared by Juvenile Justice Monitoring Unit tasked with overseeing youth facilities across the state, News4 reported.

"Issues with safety, security and supervision of the youth remained of great concern," the report said.
Jeff Davidson, a council member in the Virginia town of Herndon, died Saturday after sustaining serious injuries in a car crash, mayor Lisa Merkel announced.

Davidson had lived in Herndon since 1986, his campaign biography says.

He was serving his first term on the council after sustained civic engagement on the pedestrian and bicycle advisory and historic sign committees.

He retired in 2016 from the Defense Technical Information Center after a 30-year career.

Davidson was airlifted to a hospital on March 29 he crashed on Catoctin Hollow Road in Frederick, Connection Newspapers reported.

Police say a Mazda was travelling north and crashed into a metal guardrail then drifted into the southbound lane, colliding with a pickup truck on US-15.

Davidson, reportedly the driver of the Mazda, sustained serious injuries, police said. He was taken to a Maryland State Police hangar and then a shock-trauma center in Baltimore.

The other driver was not injured, police said.

Mayor Merkel announced the crash on Facebook the following day, commending Davidson's work with the town council.

"His passion for Herndon has helped to shape our town," she said.

Merkel said she would announce funeral arrangements when they are announced.
Best friends forever no more? Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

It has long seemed like Vladimir Putin could commit no infraction grave enough to earn President Trumps ire. Interfering in the U.S. election? Well, that could have been anyone, and Trump benefited from the meddling anyway. Banning a Putin critic from running in a presidential election? Congrats on the victory, Vlad. Poisoning an ex-spy in England? Maybe Russia was involved, but that doesnt mean Putin is a bad guy.

Even as his administration imposed sanctions on some of Putins inner circle after the U.K. poisoning, Trump has studiously avoided antagonizing the Russian despot on a personal level, for reasons that remain somewhat mysterious.

But the presidents patience finally ran out Sunday morning, 444 days into his presidency. The impetus was a devastating chemical attack in Syria, likely launched by the government of Bashar al-Assad against a rebel stronghold. Dozens were killed in excruciating fashion, prompting Trump to finally go after his buddy.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Russia has backed the Assad regime since Civil War broke out in Syria in 2011, but has been more directly involved since 2015, when it began military operations in the country. The country has joined with Assad and Iran to encircle and bomb Eastern Ghouta, the site of Saturdays attack, killing more than 1,600 people, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. But Russia denies that chemical weapons were used on Saturday, as does the Assad regime.

Trump launched an ineffectual cruise-missile attack in response to a similar chemical-weapons attack last year, but last week he advocated pulling U.S. troops out of Syria altogether, a move that would hand Russia even more control of the countrys fate.

Even though he broke new ground by admitting that Putin had actually done something wrong, Trump immediately returned to more familiar terrain. His next tweet attacked President Obama.
Gloucester fire officials are investigating a two-alarm blaze that struck a vacant home at 33 2 Penny Lane Saturday night.

Fire crews responded to the two-bedroom home at 11:20 p.m. and found it fully consumed by the fire. No one was home since the house was under renovations, fire officials said.

"Heavy fire was visible on arrival," said Fire Chief Eric L. Smith in a prepared statement. "The large home appeared to be fully ablaze, with flames flames existing the structure in multiple directions."

It took about two hours to extinguish the blaze.

"The fire was so intense that it had also spread to the nearby grass and trees," he said. "The exterior attack was also used to prevent the fire from spreading and to minimize flying embers and debris."

Firefighters officials said they were hampered in extinguishing the blaze by heavy winds, rough and problems with the water supply. Smith said firefighters ran nearly half a mile of hose line to supply water. A second alarm was struck and brought mutual aid crews from Esses, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Rockport.



The home is valued at $4 million, according to town assessment records. Fire officials said the home was a total loss after it collapsed in on itself during the blaze.

One firefighter suffered a minor burn when a piece of burning debrish landed on his neck, Smith said. The firefighter continued to work and was later evaluated at the scene. He was not hospitalized, Smith said.

The home appeared to be under construction or renovation, according to Smith. Officials found a trailer and dumpster on site. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Gloucester Fire Department, Gloucester Police Department and the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office.
Anna Bayles, a 96-year-old dressmaker from Wymondham, has sent her latest consignment of clothing as gifts to Christian refugees in Jordan.

Anna Bayles, a 96-year-old dressmaker from Wymondham, has sent her latest consignment of clothing as gifts to Christian refugees in Jordan.

Update with God before shutting down Ruth Lilley explains that some of the necessary housekeeping practices that keep our computers functioning correctly may have equivalent applications for our spiritual health. Read more

Norwich event to explore sustainable futures Jonathon Porritt will be among speakers looking at sustainable futures at an event leading up to the COP 26 conference on Climate Change in Glasgow. Read more

Great value residential centre in East Anglia Belsey Bridge residential centre offers fully catered group retreats in comfortable budget accommodation from only 40 per person per night Read more

King's Lynn Pastor upcycles his mission to the homeless After serving for fourteen years as Pastor at Cornerstone King`s Lynn Baptist Church, Kevan Crane has taken on a new role serving the homeless. He explains his unusual journey of faith. Read more

Perseverance brings rewards Andrew Frere-Smith has discovered the joys of DIY, but has realised that the best results are obtained when following the advice of James in the bible. Read more

Hubb.church can help your church flourish on the web The Christian Cambridge-based web technology company which has supported the Network Norfolk website for the past 16 years has rebranded its church website, communications, administration and finance platform. Read more

'Visions of Salvation' Julian retreat The Friends of Julian of Norwich present 'Visions of Salvation', a two day in-person and online retreat taking place on October 29 and 30. Read more

SOUL Church set to start work on 1,200-seat site SOUL Church is set to start work on its purpose-built new 1,200-seater church building, designed to be a welcoming home for the people of Norwich. Read more

Dippy's Norwich visit inspires 9,000 planet pledges Dippy the dinosaurs visit to Norwich Anglican Cathedral has inspired more than 9,000 pledges to protect the planet. Read more

Gorleston church reaches out to toddlers Gorleston has a new parent / carer and toddler group which starts this week at St Mary Magdalene Church as part of their outreach into the community. Read more

Norwich FGB's explosive dinner invitation An invitation has been issued to hear the explosive testimony of Norfolk farmer Colin King at the next dinner of the Norwich FGB, at the Mercure Hotel in Norwich, on Monday October 18. Read more

Norwich drug worker takes a dive with her client A remarkable substance misuse worker from the Matthew Project is heading for the skies with her teenage client. Read more

Tributes paid to Norwich Mothers' Union president The Diocese of Norwich Mothers Union has announced the sad death of its "dedicated" President, Val Ovenden. Past President Marguerite Phillips pays tribute. Read more

Ermie leads the way by saying yes to organ donation Organ Donation Week has been an opportunity to remember with gratitude much-loved parishioner Ermie Astorga from St Johns Cathedral, who passed away a year ago. Read more

Norfolk Christian League hails 'fantastic spirit' As the new football season starts, the most sporting team in the Norfolk Christian League from last season have been presented with a trophy for their fantastic spirit. Read more

The power of belonging to your church Regular contributor Jane Walters has recently become a member of her local church, and is discovering the joy of Christian teamwork. Read more

Gospel choir helps Norwich church Covid-19 reflections The Norwich Community Gospel Choir helped people to reflect on the Covid-19 pandemic at a concert at St Stephens Church in Norwich on Saturday September 28 as part of the churchs After The Storm event. Read more
The Jewish Community Center in Sherman will present a movie and live performance April 14 at 7:30 p.m.

The JCC will screen Violins of Hope: Strings of the Holocaust, a documentary featuring Israeli violinmaker Amnon Weinstein and his efforts to restore violins recovered from the Holocaust.

Some were played by Jewish prisoners in concentration camps; others belonged to the Klezmer musical culture, which was all but destroyed by the Nazis.

After the movie, Isaac H. Ohring will perform these tunes: Off to the Catskills into Back to the Lower East Side, Yellow Ticket vig lid, Watch out for Sharks, Dancing on the Upper West Side, Off to Canada, and Chai.

Alicia Svigals composed Yellow Ticket vig lid and the rest of the tunes are Ohrings original compositions.

Ohring, a violinist and composer, began playing violin at the age of nine as part of the Meeting House Hill School Strings Program in New Fairfield.

He has studied classical violin with Alison Breisler Corigliano, Calvin Weirsma, Victoria Patterson, and Patti Kilroy.

In 2009, Ohring began taking lessons in Klezmer violin from Svigals.

Ohring holds a Bachelor of Music Performance degree in violin from Western Connecticut State University.

Through the years, Ohring has performed with a number of orchestras including the Danbury Summer Strings, the Danbury Preparatory String Orchestra (now Danbury Center Strings), and the Danbury Community Orchestra.

He is a member of the Western Connecticut State University Orchestra and the Danbury Symphony Orchestra.

Tickets are $10 for members and students, and $15 for non-members.

For more information and tickets, call 860-355-8050.
In autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, some of the immune system's T cells mistakenly attack the body's own cells, while protective T regulatory cells try to defend against that attack. Scientists at Joslin Diabetes Center have shown in a mouse model of type 1 diabetes that animals with fewer of a poorly studied type of T regulatory cells are much more likely to develop the disease.

Most T regulatory cells develop and mature in the thymus, a small lymphatic organ above the heart, says Stephan Kissler, Ph.D., an Investigator in Joslin's Section on Immunobiology. But a small population of these cells known as peripherally induced T regulatory (pTreg) cells instead forms outside the thymus.

"We are the first to demonstrate that these pTregs are important in autoimmune diabetes," says Kissler, who is senior author on a report in the European Journal of Immunology and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School.

The researchers now hypothesize that microbes in the gut, where most of this pTreg cell population is switched on, may be responsible for generating these protective cells and thus protecting against the autoimmune attack on pancreatic beta cells that cause type 1 diabetes.

"Most of these pTregs are made in the gut," Kissler says. "We know both that gut microbes promote the development of pTregs, and that gut microbes have an impact on type 1 diabetes." Many studies in mouse models, and more recent research among human populations as well, have correlated differences in gut microbe populations with risks of developing the autoimmune condition.

As Kissler's lab began to examine whether pTregs play a role in diabetes, the scientists first looked for these cells in the non-obese diabetes (NOD) mouse model of type 1 diabetes. The researchers found that pTregs were present in the pancreas and in the pancreatic lymph node, which is close to the gut as well as the pancreas, and is the major site where autoreactive T cells are triggered to launch the attack on the pancreas. This finding suggested that pTregs might defend against this autoreactive attack.

Next, the researchers created NOD mice that were modified with CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing tools to remove one genetic region that is needed to produce pTregs. The resulting mice had normal populations of T regulatory cells from the thymus, but significantly diminished numbers of pTregs.

These mice generally appeared similar to normal NOD mice-;with the one big exception that they were far more prone to develop autoimmune diabetes, Kissler says.

The next step for his lab will be to test the hypothesis that these protective pTregs in diabetes are dependent on gut microbes, and that this mechanism could explain the influence of gut microbes on type 1 diabetes risk

The researchers will take advantage of Joslin's recently created facility for studying germ-free animals, testing various sets of bacteria among germ-free mice to find out which bacteria may boost or depress populations of pTregs while also modifying the risk of diabetes.

Clinical trials are now underway that aim to see if the large populations of T regulatory cells generated in the thymus can be exploited to better protect against type 1 diabetes. While pTreg research is still at an early stage, better understanding of these cells may eventually point toward potential drug candidates, Kissler suggests. "If we find that these cells are induced by bacteria, and then find which bacterial products affect that process, we might be able to bypass the complexity of changing the gut microbes and instead intervene directly to increase the pTregs," he says.
Researchers from the School of Medicine in Ribeirao Preto (FMRP), at the University of Sao Paulo (USP), in collaboration with international groups, have developed indices that provide information about the prognosis of cancers, aid in the choice of the most appropriate therapy to be used and identify potential targets for the development of new drugs. The article reporting these results - Machine Learning Identity Stemness Features Associated with Oncogenic Dedifferentiation - will be published on April 5 in Cell.

To perform the study, researchers at the Omics laboratory from the Department of Genetics of the FMRP combined the use of artificial intelligence algorithms, genomic data from 12,000 samples from 33 different types of tumors, and an understanding of how progression of cancer occurs.

According to Houtan Noushmehr, senior author of the study, the methodologies used in this work are part of a new trend in biomedical sciences research, consequence of the large amount of molecular data currently available. "The present challenge is to manage, interpret and analyze different categories of data," says Noushmehr, "which requires researchers to integrate knowledge in biology, computer science and statistics." He considers the training of young scientists to manage coherently these massive data amounts as his main task, both as a teacher and a researcher.

These results build on the group's previous studies, including one also published in Cell, that identified important genomic features of brain tumors. "The goal is that our index can be used one day in the clinical routine," explains Tathiane Malta, first author of the study, "as additional information for the clinician to choose the most appropriate treatment for each patient and tumor." In addition to the Ribeirao Preto team, researchers from Harvard University, in the United States, and the University of Poznan, in Poland, also authored the study.

Cancer stem cells

According to a currently accepted understanding, transformations that healthy cells undergo when growing tumors include mainly two characteristics: The loss of their specific features and the acquisition of the ability to multiply in a disorderly fashion. This process can also be considered as a loss of specialization, with tumor cells become progressively undifferentiated. Typically, the sub-population of cancer stem cells "drives" tumor growth. The stemness indices developed by the researchers provide a measure of how much the tumor cells resemble stem cells.

Artificial intelligence

Based on the idea that there is a similarity between tumor cells and stem cells, the USP researchers used a machine-learning algorithm to detect and systematize molecular characteristics of healthy stem cells and differentiated cells derived from them. The software analyzed thousands of cells at different stages of differentiation, to identify typical molecular signatures of stem cells. With this information, they created two independent "stemness-like" indices, based on gene expression and DNA methylation. The indices range from zero to one, with zero meaning low similarity to stem cells, and one high similarity.

The Cancer Genome Atlas program

The database from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) program includes samples from primary tumors of 12,000 people, covering 33 different types of cancers. Over the last 10 years, scientists involved in the program have generated and stored data on genetic and epigenetic changes in tumors. Using the stemness indices, the researchers detected the tumoral degree of stemness in the TCGA samples.

Results

The main finding of the study is that stemness indices provide a measure of the path of tumor cells towards "de-differentiation", with higher indices correlating with tumor aggressiveness in many types of cancer. Accordingly, the researchers found that metastatic tumors have high rates of similarity to stem cells. In addition, the stemness indices could allow the identification of new targets for anticancer drugs, aimed at halting the progression of the cells towards de-differentiation. "If we can identify the point at which the tumor cells start to have characteristics of stem cells, we can prevent this trajectory and avoid its aggravation," Noushmehr adds.

Source: http://www.fmrp.usp.br/
Occasionally- at any given time- a sweet-sounding, classic children's melody is played over the intercom system at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore for all to hear.

It is part of a new tradition at the hospital that acknowledges a joyous time for families: the arrival of their new bundle of joy.

In February, Sinai began playing Brahms' Lullaby to mark the delivery of a new baby at the hospital. The proud parents, while being escorted to Sinai's mother/baby unit from the labor and delivery unit, can pause to press a doorbell-like button installed in a hallway between the units to initiate a hospital-wide playing of the soft tune. The button is positioned low enough on the hallway wall for new moms being transported via wheelchair, moms being wheeled on a gurney after surgical birth (C-section), and small children (on behalf of mom and their new sibling) to reach.

With this new tradition, Sinai is "very sensitive" to mothers who endured complicated births and newborns with health issues, says Elizabeth Kenneally, interim director of the BirthPlace at Sinai. But Kenneally says for some families, initiating the playing of Brahms' Lullaby after coming through a complicated birth or other health scare is, while very emotional, very gratifying. She recalls one woman in particular who was very ill after giving birth. "Seeing her and her husband's face after pushing that bell made you want to cry tears of joy," Kenneally says. "That was just a huge thrill. The mom was all smiles and she got all teary. It was really meaningful."

One of the most famous and recognizable melodies in the world, used by countless parents to sing their babies to sleep, Brahms' Lullaby is a popular Jewish tune, having been incorporated into the "Bedtime Shema" (Sinai is a Jewish hospital).

"It universally signifies new life," Kenneally says. "It's just with respect and acknowledgment that someone has joined this world in which we live, and that's no small thing."

Source: http://www.lifebridgehealth.org/
A first year student of Makerere University has drowned in the swimming pool at the university this morning.



John Paul Mirimu, a student of Information Systems and a resident of Nsibirwa Hall, died on arrival at Mulago hospital according to ASP Denis Kasibante, the Officer in-Charge Makerere University police station.

RIP: John paul Mirimu

Kasibante said that Mirimu, together with his colleagues jumped over the fence to the university swimming pool around 5:00am after jogging, which is part of the Nsibirwa hall culture.



It is said that a group jumped into the swimming pool and started swimming until 6:30am when his colleagues realised he was missing after going to the deep end of the pool.



Police say the student died immediately after they reached Mulago hospital's emergency unit.



"By the time they called us to bring our 999 patrol car, the boy was struggling to breath. We rushed him to the University Hospital but we were referred to Mulago and the boy died at exactly 6:40am as soon as we had reached Mulago hospital," Kasibante said in a phone interview.



Martins Kato, the Guild Information minister at Makerere said when they reached the University Hospital there was no one to attend to them. According to Kato, it was Milimu's first time to use the swimming pool.
Parkinson's disease, a progressive brain disorder, is often tough to treat effectively because symptoms, such as tremors and walking difficulties, can vary dramatically over a period of days, or even hours.

To address this challenge, Johns Hopkins University computer scientists, working with an interdisciplinary team of experts from two other institutions, have developed a new approach that uses sensors on a smartphone to generate a score that reliably reflects symptom severity in patients with Parkinson's disease.

In a study published recently online in the journal JAMA Neurology, researchers from Johns Hopkins' Whiting School of Engineering, the University of Rochester Medical Center, and Aston University in the United Kingdom reported that the severity of symptoms among Parkinson's patients seen by neurologists aligned closely with those generated by their smartphone app.

Typically, patients with Parkinson's disease are evaluated by medical specialists during three or four clinic visits annually, with subjective assessments capturing only a brief snapshot of a patient's fluctuating symptoms. In their homes, patients may also be asked to fill out a cumbersome 24-hour "motor diary" in which they keep a written record of their mobility, involuntary twisting movements and other Parkinson's symptoms. The doctor then uses this self-reported or imprecise data to guide treatment.

In the new study, the researchers say patients could use a smartphone app to objectively monitor symptoms in the home and share this data to help doctors fine-tune their treatment.

E. Ray Dorsey, a University of Rochester Medical Center neurologist and a co-author of the research paper, said he welcomes the validation of Parkinson's patient severity scores produced by the smartphone tests.

"If you think about it, it sounds crazy," he said, "but until these types of studies, we had very limited data on how these people function on Saturdays and Sundays because patients don't come to the clinic on Saturdays or Sundays. We also had very limited data about how people with Parkinson's do at two o'clock in the morning or 11 o'clock at night because, unless they're hospitalized, they're generally not being seen in clinics at those times."

About six years ago, while doing medical research at Johns Hopkins, Dorsey was introduced to Suchi Saria, an assistant professor of computer science at the university. Saria, the corresponding author of the study and an expert in a computing technique called machine learning, had been using it to extract useful information from health-related data that was routinely being collected at hospitals. The two researchers, along with some of Saria's students, teamed up to find a way to monitor the health of Parkinson's patients as easily as people with diabetes can check their glucose levels with a pinprick blood test.

The team members knew that neurologists evaluated their Parkinson's patients by gathering information about how they moved, spoke and completed certain daily tasks. "Can we do this with a cellphone?" Saria wondered at the time. "We asked, 'What are the tricks we can use to make that happen?' "

Using existing smartphone components such as its microphone, touch screen and accelerometer, the team members devised five simple tasks involving voice sensing, finger tapping, gait measurement, balance and reaction time. They turned this into a smartphone app called 'HopkinsPD.' Next, using a machine learning technique that the team devised, they were able to convert the data collected with these tests and turn that into an objective Parkinson's disease severity score--a score that better reflected the overall severity of patients' symptoms and how well they were responding to medication.

The researchers say this smartphone evaluation should be particularly useful because it does not rely on the subjective observations of a medical staff member. Moreover, it can be administered any time or day in a clinic or within the patient's home, where the patient is less likely to be as nervous as in a medical setting.

"The day-to-day variability of Parkinson's symptoms is so high," Saria said. "If you happen to measure a patient at 5 p.m. today and then three months later, again at 5 p.m., how do you know that you didn't catch him at a good time the first time and at a bad time the second time?"

Collecting more frequent smartphone test data in a medical setting as well as in the home, could give doctors a clearer picture of their patients' overall heath and how well their medications are working, Saria and her colleagues suggested.

Summarizing the importance of their finding in the JAMA Neurology report, the researchers said, "A smartphone-derived severity score for Parkinson's disease is feasible and provides an objective measure of motor symptoms inside and outside the clinic that could be valuable for clinical care and therapeutic development."

Patients in the research project used Android smartphones to download the software, available through the Parkinson's Voice Initiative website. The team has now partnered with Apple and Sage Bionetworks to develop mPower, an iPhone version that is available at Apple's App Store.

The study's three co-lead authors included two of Saria's students from the Department of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins: doctoral candidate Andong Zhan and third-year undergraduate Srihari Mohan.

Zahn, who is from Qujing, Yunnan, in China, described the project as "a unique experience of extracting data from the physical world to a digital world and finally seeing it become meaningful clinical information."

Mohan, who is from Redmond, Washington, added, "While not all research gets integrated tangibly into people's lives, what excites me most is the potential for the methods we developed to be deployed seamlessly into a patient's lifestyle and improve the quality of care."
Kolkata: Binani Industries has decided to move the Supreme Court with an appeal to redeem the pledge of its assets in debt ridden subsidiary Binani Cements Ltd from its lenders and will also submit 10 per cent of the offer to prove its commitment, a company official on Sunday said.

"We are moving the Supreme Court for sure. We have assurance of support from most of the lenders for this move," a Binani group spokesman told PTI.

Redeeming the pledge will mean seeking an end to the bankruptcy proceedings against it from the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).

The Committee of Creditors (CoC), despite supporting the Rs 7,618 crore offer, declined to accept it due to lack of clarity in legal interpretation in several rounds of meeting held both on Saturday and on Sunday.

The Binani group had sought lenders' support on whether it should move the apex court or not.

Lenders, part of the Committee of Creditors (CoC), desired that there was no problem in the offer unless a higher adjudicating authority permits it.

Binani, backed by Aditya Birla group's UltraTech Cement, has already received comfort letter for financial support.

Binani has agreed to pay the interest till date since the insolvency proceedings started.

From the day insolvency proceedings were initiated by NCLT, the interest on dues are not charged.

UltraTech Cement entered into an agreement with Binani Industries to buy 98.43 per cent stake in Binani Cements. Operational creditors are supporting UltraTech backed Binani offer as it covers entire claim.

Dalmia Bharat group, through its wholly-owned subsidiary Rajputana Properties, had emerged as the highest bidder with an offer to pay Rs 6,350 crore for Binani Cements. The fate of the takeover is hanging in the balance and is set to reach the Supreme Court.

Binani group is hoping to get a favorable outcome from the apex court that will empower the CoC to consent to an out-of-court settlement even after Dalmia Bharat's final voted offer had been submitted before the NCLT, Binani and lenders sources said.

Bharat Dalmia officials has said any out-of-court settlement, while a company undergoes bankruptcy proceedings, will set a bad precedent.
New Delhi: The government plans to create a "super premium" segment for Khadi in a bid to increase sales of products made using the hand-woven fabric by tapping the luxury customer base, according to a top official.

"We will first make a list of the actual super premium Khadi products which are already being manufactured in many parts of the country which we do not know of. We know one or two, but now we should have a directory of that and should try to showcase that in one place so that the youngsters if they are looking for something stylish they can actually opt for super premium Khadi products," Secretary in the MSME Ministry A K Panda told PTI.

The MSME Ministry also plans to rope in top designers for the super premium segment products with the help of Textiles Ministry, Panda said.

To start with, the super premium products will be sold in lounges in select Khadi outlets. However, going forward, the Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) may also tie up with top global luxury brands to enhance the reach of the products, official sources said, adding that the proposal was also discussed in the board meeting of the KVIC held on April 6.
New Delhi: Delhiites can expect fewer power cuts this summer, as power distribution companies have agreed to meet deficit in certain slots through inter-discom transfers, a Delhi government official has said.

The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission, the power regulator for the national capital, has issued a detailed order on allocation of power among the discoms -- Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL).

The DERC order said that it was observed during the summers preparedness meetings that the national capital as a whole is power surplus during April to September, however, there is shortage of power with individual discoms during few hours of certain fortnights.

"The discoms have agreed to manage deficit of power in specific slots among themselves by trading through inter discom transfer (IDT) and assured that there would not be shortage of power during summers of 2018-19," it said.

The official said the arrangement will also help discoms save expenses on short-term power purchase the bill for which is ultimately passed on to the consumers.

As per the DERC Regulations, 2017, the Commission can reassign the allocation of power among the distribution licensees out of the overall power portfolio allocated to the National Capital Territory of Delhi by Ministry of Power to adjust the gap in power purchase cost.

According to the DERC order 10 MW power from Aravali Jhajjhar Plant has been allocated to BRPL from BYPL, and 10 MW each of Dadri-I and Dadri-II plants is being allocated to TPDDL from BYPL, from April 1.

Also, 100 per cent share of BYPL from the Narora plant (12 MW) and Rihand I (25 MW) is allocated to BRPL from April 1.

For the period between May to October this year, 50 per cent share of TPDDL from the Sasan plant will be allocated to BYPL. And for the period from November, 2018 to March, 2019, 80 per cent share of TPDDL from Sasan plant UMPP (Ultra Mega Power Projects) will be allocated to the BYPL, the order stated.
New Delhi: The worst is over for PNB and it will come out of the mess created by the Nirav Modi fraud case in six months, the state-run lender's Managing Director Sunil Mehta said on Sunday.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) was hit by country's biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 13,000 crore perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates in connivance with some officials of a branch of the bank in Mumbai.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta told PTI in an interview. "So worst is behind us. Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next 6 months," he said.

Emphasising the long legacy and strength of the bank, Mehta said, "it is a 123-year old institution which was founded during Swadeshi movement by Lala Lajpat Rai. This institution has 7,000 branches spread through length and breadth of the country with business of more than Rs 10 lakh crore in the domestic market. So fraud of this nature could not shake confidence of our customers during this period."

Even during trying times, the bank's business has grown better than the industry, he said, adding that credit has witnessed a growth rate of about 10 percent, in line with the guidance that was shared with investors.

With regard to deposits, the bank has recorded a growth of 6.2 percent, he said. "So, we have grown in line with industry and even during difficult days, it was business as usual. With all this negativity which was created in the environment, the customers' confidence was not lost and the credit goes to 70,000 employees who stood with me in difficult time.

"They have gone the extra mile, they have done extra hard work to see that every customer is attended to properly. Now, we are in the bounce-back mode," he said.

"It is now clear that it was a standalone incident in one of our 7,000 branches because of connivance with some of the staff of the branch. We have learned lessons from it. Whenever a problem comes, it gives an opportunity to strengthen our existing systems and processes. We have improved every system and process with more emphasis on offline monitoring," he said.

Citing an example, Mehta said the bank is going to reform the credit processes by dividing it into four verticals  sourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery. All these will be a separate compartment so that the risk is mitigated.

Besides, he said, the bank has launched 'Mission Parivartan' to realign all business processes to meet present-day requirements.

"We decided to deploy technology. We had strengthened our back office for foreign exchange dealings, now we are going to expand it to cover 100 percent activities in forex-related areas. We started with integrating SWIFT with the core banking solution and we will be able to complete the process before April 30," he said.

On internal audit, he said besides physical audit, there will be offline monitoring too for which the bank is creating a separate cell which will do offsite monitoring of all exceptional transaction reports.
Agartala: Serving a plate of steaming hot rice and mashed potatoes for breakfast, Sushmita tells her husband Haradhan that they should never eat anything cooked in oil because it harms the liver. It is a concern the couple has for everyone else too. Having lost his mother and brother to liver cancer, Haradhan Das Baidya, who lives with his small family at Nagarjala area in Agartala under West Tripura district, has nurtured a zeal to serve humanity despite his own struggles.

The 44-year-old auto rickshaw driver has been reaching out to cancer patients in town, offering them free rides from the Nagarjala motor stand to GB Pant Hospital in Agartala.

My mother died just 26 days after my wedding. In 2004, a year before her death, I started campaigning to create awareness on cancer. And now my elder brother who was suffering from liver cancer also passed away three months ago, said Haradhan.

At the start, Haradhan would offer free rides for an hour every Wednesday but after his brothers death, Haradhan decided to enhance his mission with an add-on hour on Thursdays as well.

Among hundreds of patients he meets, Haradhan recalled the memories of a cancer patient who used to work at the GB Pant hospital.

We became friends. He used to work at the hospital and was suffering from cancer. We would talk about life and work. There was a time when I couldnt run my auto for a week and we were out of touch. The next week when I went looking for him, I got to know that he had passed away, recalled Haradhan.

He has been offering free rides to cancer patients for the past five years.

Haradhan Das Baidya with a patient.

I had the urge to do something for the society at the age of 15. I used to be a carpenter and in 1995 I bought an auto rickshaw by availing a loan under a government scheme. I would go about town painting messages on my vehicle, asking people to quit bad habits and that is how it started, said Haradhan.

Haradhan would take part in awareness rallies organised during the birth anniversaries of Netaji Subhas Bose every year. He now teams up with his son and other children of the neighbourhood in taking out similar rallies in Agartala town. Haradhan proudly remembers his son daubing wall paint on his chest to write the slogan Dhoom Paan Korben Na (Say No to Smoking) during a parade on January 23.

Haradhans son Debojit, a Class 7 student at Netaji Subhash Vidya Niketan in Agartala is deeply motivated by his fathers endeavour. The father-son duo makes an effort to talk to school children and their parents on the harmful effects of tobacco, alcohol and drugs.

While he continues to serve others, Haradhan sometimes needs to remind himself of being the sole bread earner for his family. He scarcely earns Rs 10-12,000 a month and earnestly believes that boiled food is good for health. His wife has joined sewing classes while his son has managed to convince his grandmother to give up chewing zarda paan. Haradhan, on the other hand, plans to stretch the number of free rides to three days a week.

When they bless me, I feel like God has blessed me. Some even pray that I may live for a hundred years, he said.

(With inputs from Tanmoy Chakraborty)
Kibithu (Arunachal Pradesh): In yet another incident of discord, the Chinese military last month strongly protested against what it called the Indian Army's transgressions into the strategically sensitive Asaphila area along the border in Arunachal Pradesh, but the Indian side roundly dismissed the complaint, official sources said.

They said the Chinese side raised the issue at a 'Border Personnel Meeting' (BPM) on March 15 here but the Indian Army rejected it, saying that the area in the upper Subansiri region of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to India and it has regularly been carrying out patrols there.

The sources told PTI that the Chinese side called India's patrolling in the area a "transgression" and the Indian Army objected to the terminology.

"China's protest to our patrolling in Asaphila is surprising," said a source, adding there were several instances of Chinese intrusions in the area which had been seriously taken up by the Indian side in the past.

Under the BPM mechanism, both sides can register their protest over any incident of transgressions as there are varying perceptions about the LAC between the two countries.

The delegation of China's Peoples Liberation Army specifically mentioned extensive patrolling in Asaphila by Indian troops, saying such "violations" may escalate tensions between the two sides in the area.

However, rejecting the Chinese protest, the Indian side said its troops were aware of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the Army would continue to carry out patrols up to the LAC, the de facto border between the two countries.

Perceptions of the border by India and China vastly differ in the area.

The sources said the Chinese military specifically mentioned large-scale Indian patrolling in Asaphila near Fishtail 1 on December 21, 22 and 23 last.

Indian and Chinese troops hold BPMs to resolve issues triggering tensions along the border.

There are five BPM points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) at Bum La and Kibithu in Arunachal Pradesh, Daulat Beg Oldi and Chushul in Ladakh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.

The BPM on March 15 had taken place at the Daimai post on the Chinese side in the Kibithu area.

At the BPM, the Chinese also accused the Indian side of damaging its road building equipment when a road laying party left its gear in Tuting in December last year following a protest by India.

The Indian Army rejected the allegation, the sources said.

The Chinese road building team had crossed into Indian territory, about one kilometre inside the Line of Actual Control in the Tuting area, in the last week of December.

The road construction team left the area after Indian troops asked them to stop the activity.

The team brought in two excavators which were later returned.

The sources said the Indian Army has increased war-fighting drills to deal with all possible scenarios along the LAC following the Doklam standoff.

"We are fully prepared to deal with any situation," said a senior Army official.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day 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.

Sources said India has deployed more troops and increased patrolling in the mountainous terrains along the borders with China following the Doklam face-off.

India is also strengthening its surveillance mechanism to keep an eye on Chinese activity along the borders in the strategically sensitive Tibetan region and has even been regularly deploying choppers to carry out recce.

The government has been focusing on strengthening its defences along the border with China.

In January, Army Chief Gen Bipin Rawat had said the time had come for the country to shift its focus from its borders with Pakistan to the frontier with China, reflecting the seriousness of the situation.
Mumbai: While Indrani Mukerjeas condition is stable and she is being treated for drug overdose and pneumonia, doctors at the JJ Hospital are baffled as to how she managed to overdose on prescribed medicines that are fed to her under strict security.

Mukerjea, prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was brought to the JJ Hospital around 11.15 pm on Friday from the Byculla Jail in south Mumbai in a "semi-conscious" state and was admitted to the Critical Care Unit.

According to Dr Wiqar Shaikh, professor of Medicine at Grant Medical College and JJ Group of Hospitals, Indrani was taking three prescribed medicines that included an anti-depressant and one for hypertension. The medicine had been prescribed by Dr Shaikh and Mukerjeas psychiatrist. All medicines were given to her under direct supervision of the jail guard.

All the three medicines were given to Indrani directly in her mouth by the jail guard. No medicine was given to her in her hand. This was done to avoid any drug overdose, Dr Wiqar Shaikh told News18.

Dr Shaikh further added that he had asked Mukerjea if she consumed any other medicine apart from what was prescribed to which she did not respond.

This morning I asked Indrani if she consumed any other medicine that could have led to the drug overdose but she did not answer me. I will ask her again but it is for the police to investigate.

Indrani, who was brought to the JJ Hospital in altered sensorium (altered level of consciousness) at on April 6 and has been responding well to the treatments.

Speaking to News18, JJ Hospital Dean Dr Sudhir Nanandkar said, As of Sunday, the patients condition has improved, she is conscious and is following commands. She is stable. She is also communicating with the doctors.

Although Mukerjea is interacting with the doctors, she has not told them how the drug overdose happened.

According to the doctors, the only complication that has developed in Mukerjea from the time she was admitted here is aspiration pneumonia.

Doctors also stated that the murder accused did not require to be kept on any form of life support system.

This is not the first time Indrani Mukerjea is being treated for drug overdose. She was rushed to the same hospital on October 2, 2015 due to another incident of alleged drug overdose.

The hospital is now awaiting reports of blood, urine and stomach wash, which are likely to be available on Monday. Although Indrani is being diagnosed for drug overdose, final opinion can be made only after the reports are available.
Lucknow: Ahead of the crucial Kairana Lok Sabha elections, the home department of Uttar Pradesh government has sent a letter to all divisional commissioners and DGP seeking details of the exodus in the state, which occurred due to communal tension.

The officers have been asked to submit details of families displaced till February 2017, till the BJP government did not come into power.

In a confidential letter, dated March 21, UP home secretary Bhagwan Swaroop has asked the officers concerned to collect the figures of their respective districts and submit it to the government at the earliest.

Though the letter (copy of which is with News18) does not mention any particular religion, it specifically says exodus due to communal tension.

A top bureaucrat, however, said that its a routine matter and a mere reminder to the officers as many districts have yet not submitted their report after communal flare-up engulfed western Uttar Pradesh in 2016.

Interestingly, the alleged exodus of 250 Hindu families from Kairana in Shamli district was first raked up by late BJP MP Hukum Singh in June 2016, which was later validated by National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

Singh had claimed that harassment from the Muslim population had led to a Hindu exodus from Muslim-majority Kairana. To substantiate this claim, he produced a list of over 300 Hindu families who had apparently left the town.

The saffron party had then made the Kairana exodus one of the key issues ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections last year, with CM Yogi Adityanath saying at party campaigns that he will not let western Uttar Pradesh turn into another Kashmir, a reference to the forced migration of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley in the 1990s.

However, after the death of Hukum Singh, the vacant seat is likely to go to polls in the next few months, and this could be a real test for the BJP after its recent debacle in Gorakhpur and Phulpur.

It is, therefore, the timing of the letter which has raised several eyebrows.

Former Union minister and senior Congress leader Jitin Prasad said, Both the BJP government in state and Centre have failed miserably. They have nothing to show on issues of development and growth, and hence they are returning to their communal agenda.

CPM's polit bureau member Subhashni Ali said, On one hand the Yogi government is taking back cases from its riot accused leaders and on the other hand it wants exodus report. BJPs agenda is clear. They are back to their true communal colour.

Ali further said that UP government should also look into exodus of Muslim families following the 2013 Muzzafarnagar riots.

The state government has failed to deliver. BJP is afraid of SP-BSP friendship and, therefore, it wants to shift to communal politics, said Samajwadi party MLC Udayvir singh.

BJP, however, has refuted the charges of any communal politics. Party spokesperson Anila Singh said, Exodus has been a real issue. BJP has raised it in the past and seriously wants to address it.

When asked why the data of possible exodus during Yogi governments one year rule was not sought, the BJP spokesperson said, Exodus has not taken place during our government. BJP works on the agenda of sabka saath and sabka vikas.
New Delhi: When the heat was turned up on CBSE chairperson Anita Karwal during a media briefing on the Class X and Class XII paper leaks, it was Secretary of School Education and Literacy Anil Swarup who stepped up.

Questions like Maam, do you take moral responsibility?, Why havent you resigned yet? and "Why were you not in Delhi when the incident took place?" were handled by Swarup, while Karwal was sparse in her response.

Not one to blame a person before a thorough inquiry, Swarups modus operandi is simple  investigate, find the cause and make a roadmap for a foolproof system.

This isnt the first instance that the HRD Ministry official has had to face a major national-level crisis. He was the District Magistrate of UPs Lakhimpur Kheri during the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi agitation. Swarup was working under then chief minister of UP Kalyan Singh. Asked about the time when Babri Masjid was demolished, Swarup said, You can read about it in the book I am writing on my experiences in public service.

OPPORTUNITY IN CRISIS

While working as the Secretary of Coal Ministry, Swarup was at the centre of reforming the coal auction process. Employing similar skills in the Education sector, Swarup and his team have taken charge of changing the examination system using technology to plug any future leaks. Swarup would want to wrap up this office by the time he leaves office at the end of June 2018.

When questions were raised about why Class X students did not have to sit for a re-exam, Swarup answered, When the leak did not impact the result, why should 14 lakh children suffer?

Being a strong decision maker, the bureaucrat dealt with voices claiming differential treatment with ease and said, Implication of Class X exams is different from Class XII. In the latter, you graduate and go to a college, marks have an important bearing there. In Class X, you are still in the same system. It is more of a self-assessment than an evaluation for a different system.

Every crisis comes with an opportunity to change things. With the re-examination process underway, Swarup is now focusing on a government panel, headed by former higher education secretary VS Oberoi, to come out with recommendations for making the examination system foolproof.

When News18 talked to the bureaucrats colleagues in Coal India, one of them said, He leads from the front and looks for a solution. If he has said it, he will work towards a solution.

HOMEGROWN SOLUTIONS

When he was given charge of the education ministry, a sector he had not exclusively worked for before, Swarup travelled across the country to find solutions. He had heard about models in places like Finland and The Netherlands, but the education secretary knew it was important to find success stories within India and explore possibilities of replicating the same. If you have homegrown solutions, the chances of scaling the solution are much higher than using ones which have been imported, he said.

Swarup travelled to Sukma, Bastar, Goa, Pune, Srinagar, Leh and Gangtok, among many other cities to observe how the education system worked on the ground. In Pastepada, 120 km north of Thane district, the bureaucrat visited a government primary school, which did not have an electricity connection but was still digital.

The school teacher, Sandeep Kund, took the initiative to install solar panel and charge batteries of tablet computers to make the school digital. Funds for the same were raised from the local community. It was an incredible experiment and was working well for the school. Swarup adopted the model and scaled it to 60,000 schools in Maharashtra. It is now being expanded to Gujarat and Rajasthan as well.

Through his travels, Swarup adopted 111 workable models, like the one in Sikkim where the Anganwadis (rural mother and child care centres) were being brought to schools.

The secretary also ensures that regional workshops are being held to find the best workable models that can be replicated.

'TWITTER IS LIKE NUCLEAR ENERGY'

If one browses through Swarups Twitter timeline, they are sure to find #NexusofGood being used in multiple posts. Picking a pejorative term like nexus, the education secretary clubbed it with the word good to counter the negativity attached.

District magistrates, teachers and people doing good work have been profiled on my account. The purpose is to incentivise the work of those who dont have other incentives. These people continue to work towards changing the system, said Swarup, adding that Twitter is like Nuclear energy.

The bureaucrat bats for digitisation and was able to bring changes in the coal block auction through the same. He made the system transparent and encouraged the same in HRD ministry as well, where digital portals like DIKSHA are now present for teachers training.

The solution, Swarup believes, lies in will and technology.
Dalmia Cement is confident that its Rs 6,350 crore offer to buy Binani Cements Ltd (BCL) will be approved by the NCLT on the back of NCLAT directions to proceed the insolvency resolution as per the IBC, according to a top company official.

Last week, the committee of creditors (CoC) of Binani Cement had decided to stick with the offer from Dalmia Bharat Cement for the debt-ridden firm's sale under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC).

Moreover, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) had also asked the adjudicating authority, which is National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), to proceed with the resolution process of Binani Cement as per the IBC.

"As far as we are concerned, we have a clear cut direction from NCLAT to do the process as per the law and in a timebound manner. That's why we are confident that NCLT will be approving our resolution plan on April 9 and that should pave the way for resolving this asset," Dalmia Cement (Bharat) Ltd group CEO Mahendra Singhi told PTI.

On 5 April, while posting the matter for further hearing on 19 April, the NCLAT had stated that "pendency of the appeal will not come in the way of the adjudicating authority to proceed with the corporate insolvency resolution process in accordance with the provisions of I&B Code, 2016".

NCLAT chairperson Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya had further observed that the NCLT "may pass order uninfluenced by the impugned order" of 27 March it had passed and NCLAT's order of 3 April, 2018. "It is great development as the whole process of resolution will not get delayed," Singhi said, adding the case would also show the world that India can bring resolution of stressed assets in a time-bound manner.

Last Tuesday, the NCLAT had given Binani Industries and CoC the 'liberty' to reach settlement after the company had submitted before it stating that it had "offered better amount which is approximately 100% of the dues to the committee of creditors".

On 27 March, the Kolkata bench of NCLT had stated that "in the larger interest of all stakeholders, possibility of having a harmonious settlement is to be considered, parties are free to consider it out of Tribunal". The next hearing of the matter will take place at the Kolkata bench of the NCLT on 9 April.

Last month, Dalmia Cement had said its Rs6,350 crore bid to buy Binani Cements Ltd (BCL) through its subsidiary Rajputana Properties was accepted by the lenders. It had also offered 20% equity in Binani to the lenders. However, later, UltraTech Cement entered into an agreement with BIL to buy 98.43% stake in BCL. It had also agreed to issue a comfort letter to provide Rs7,266 crore to Binani Industries Ltd for ending insolvency proceedings against Binani Cement.

Singhi said such a development would have been a breach of contract. "The offer process has ended and we have already given bank guarantee of around Rs630 crore. The whole purpose was to have a transparent process," he said.

Amid the developments, last week Binani Industries Ltd stated that it had filed application for termination of insolvency resolution process of its debt-ridden subsidiary Binani Cement Ltd (BCL).
New Delhi: A journalist was shot at by two unidentified gunmen in Uttar Pradeshs Ghaziabad district on Sunday. Police said the scribe has suffered multiple bullet wounds on his hand, leg and stomach.

Two bike-borne men barged into the residence of TV journalist Anuj Chaudhary and shot at him in the stomach and right hand following which he was rushed to a hospital.

Chaudhary works for Sahara Samay, a Hindi news channel. His wife Nisha is a local BSP councillor.

Police suspect that personal enmity could be a reason behind the attack while other angles are also being probed.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Krishna, said two bike-borne assailants, who were wearing helmets, barged into the scribe's residence and fired at him.

"The firing incident occurred due to old enmity," Krishna said.

The officials further added that he has been admitted to Yashoda Hospital after being shot twice and is said to be critically injured.

Chaudhary had just returned home after a visit to Razapur village, where road construction work was on, the officer said.

"The family members have identified the assailants, though a complaint is yet to be received," he added.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has turned down Railway Minister Piyush Goyal's ambitious plan to convert Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus into one of the first museum-cum-railway stations in India, ministry sources said.

The terminal was built over 10 years, starting in 1878. It was designed on the late medieval Italian models and it was elevated to the status of a Unesco World Heritage Site in 2004.

Goyal had announced to convert the busy terminal into a "world-class museum" during his visit there in November.

During a meeting attended by Goyal and senior Railway Board members on March 26, Prime Minister Modi questioned the logic behind such ambitious projects, the sources said.

They said the Railway Board was also against Goyal's museum proposal, which could displace a lot of employees and it would be difficult to accommodate them somewhere else.

Railway zones, too, had objected to it.

The prime minister is understood to have remarked on the lack of railway artifacts that could be showcased in the proposed museum, which, the sources said, were not enough.

The bids for the Rs 250-million project was invited by Railway's subsidiary RITES, which likely received response from top architectural conservation and building restoration firms.

At least 13 companies have submitted expressions of interest to design the two floors of the terminal into a museum complex, the sources say.

They indicated that the prime minister has also cast a shadow on Goyal's ambitious electrification plan and his efforts to modernise the train signalling system by bringing in an European model - both of which are now likely put on hold.

Moreover, Goyal wanted the Railways to hire more safai karmacharis but has been asked to make do with the existing staff, the sources said.

All the PMO's objections, they said, have now been published as minutes of the meeting and thus documented.

"During the meeting, the ministry was asked to concentrate on projects that are implementable. These projects had objections from the Board, zones and even in certain cases the Finance Ministry," the sources said.
New Delhi: The all persons fictitious disclaimer was suddenly undone on Saturday when one of the characters from Bollywood movie Hindi Medium emerged in the heart of the national capital.

A businessman in Jawahar Nagar was apprehended for his son admitted to Sanskriti School in Chanakyapuri in the quota for economically weaker sections, without anyone getting a wind of it for nearly three years.

According to a report in The Times of India, accused Gaurav Goel, showed his address as Sanjay Camp, a slum near Chanakyapuri, for his elder sons admission in 2013.

He put down his annual income as Rs 67,000 by allegedly forging his income documents. The voter cards and birth certificates too were forged. Goel had told the school that he was working at an MRI centre.

Considering the fact that neither the demeanour of the child, nor interaction with the parents  which must have happened several times over the years  gave away their real identity, it was a perfect plot. The story began to unravel when this year Goel pushed for the admission of his second child under the sibling quota. He realised his overconfidence had made him overreach.

While verifying the antecedents of the elder child, the school authorities found major discrepancies and went to the cops.

Goel was arrested from his home in Jawahar Nagar, near Kamla Nagar in north Delhi. DCP (New Delhi) Madhur Verma said they were trying to find out who had helped Goel forge the documents.

The cops found that Goel owns an MRI lab and a wholesale business of selling pulses and has travelled to 20 countries. What made the school suspicious, according to a police officer, was when he told them that they could shift his elder son from EWS to the general category because his economic condition had improved over the years.

When he mentioned an apartment as Safdarjung Enclave as his residence, the schools suspicion got strengthened. A complaint was registered at the Chanakyapuri police station.

The police had checked MCD, FRRO and IT records which establish that Goel was earning a hefty amount from his businesses.

The staff of some government departments is under the scanner as the cops feel they may have helped Goel in procuring the forged documents. Even the address proof he furnished for the admission of the second child was found to be forged.

The school authorities have informed the cops that the child has been removed from the school.
As Bollywood actor Salman Khan walked out of the prison on Saturday, a frenzied crowd gathered outside the Jodhpur Central Jail and burst firecrackers in celebration. Afterall, their superstar was finally granted bail by a sessions court. The 52-year-old actor had spent two consecutive days behind bars following his imprisonment in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

On the other hand, the Bishnoi community of Jodhpur did not seem to be too pleased. The members of the community were shocked and disappointed with the court's decision as they consider the blackbuck to be the reincarnation of their religious guru, Bhagwan Jambeshwar, and Khan had shot their revered antelope.

While the debate over fair and unfair, right and wrong continues, here's a look at what happened on the fateful day in October, 1998.

Around 1.30 am on October 2, Poonamchand Bishnoi wakes up to use the washroom and spots a car moving around on an under-constructed road near his home. He senses something suspicious. "The car must belong to a poacher who is there to hunt," he thinks. Poonamchand immediately calls up his friend Chhogaram. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

He hurriedly picks up his motorcycle and asks Chhogaram to sit behind him. The two speed off to catch hold of the poachers. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

As they approach the vehicle, the duo realise it's a Gypsy with number plate 'RJ 19 - C-2201'. A look closer into the car, and they spot some familiar faces. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

The occupants of Gypsy are people they had seen in local cinema halls! "1..2..3.. a total of seven people. And that's Salman Khan driving the vehicle and Saif Ali Khan sitting beside him! Three women and two men are sitting behind and one of the female occupants is wearing dark glasses," Poonamchand wonders with curiosity. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

Before the Bishnoi friends could think further or find a way out, they see one of the men from behind giving a gun to Salman Khan, and a girl shouting, "Fire karo, Salman (open fire, Salman)!" Obliging his co-stars, the superstar shoots at a herd of blackbucks roaming near the Gypsy.

The panicked animals scatter as the sound of the bullet resonates. But the shooter had managed to hit the bull's eye, and a blackbuck fell on the ground after being hurt in the leg. Soon, the vehicle moves ahead till it locates another herd of blackbucks. The occupants of the car shout again, "Salman, fire karo! Goli maaro (Salman, shoot)!" And yet again, the actor opens fire. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

Another blackbuck falls down. Pained and perplexed over the sudden sequence of events, the Bishnoi friends shout at Salman and chase the Gypsy. Alas, the vehicle has sped away!

But, the duo is unwilling to get bogged down by the superstar's popularity. The two contact a forest official, and visit the forest department in the morning and file a complaint. (News18 Creatives by Mir Suhail)

Fast forward to April 5, 2018, after nearly two decades of illegal poaching case, the Bollywood 'Dabangg' is finally sentenced to five years of imprisonment by a sessions court in Jodhpur.
Hamirpur: Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday stressed that the dream of a "New India" could only be visualised with new ideas and new ways of making them realise through effective implementation.

Emphasising that the New India" would be a scientific India and technological India", he batted for making science an integral component of education curriculum. He said that scientific approach that relies on evidence and raising relevant questions and seeking answers should be internalised.

In his inaugural address at the ninth Indian Youth Science Congress organised by Career Point University at NIT, Hamirpur, Naidu said that fora like Science Congress enable the young minds to share knowledge, information and draw inspiration to come up with new ideas that would empower India of the future.

"The students should be encouraged to discover' rather than be told' the answer," Naidu said, hoping that the conference would usher in an era of accelerated progress and development by inculcating scientific temper among our youth.

Appreciating the efforts of Himachal Pradesh government in the field of environment conservation and increasing green cover, he said the people of the state were honest in their approach and work and urged them to keep this tradition going.

He said, "we should not forget our mother, our motherland and mother tongue. and urging the people to live with harmony with nature."

Himachal Pradesh Governor Acharya Devvrat said India has been the land of knowledge since times immemorial and only Vedic cosmology's timescales corresponds to that of modern scientific cosmology.

He said it was the need of the hour to develop a scientific approach by upholding the Indian traditional knowledge.

Cautioning that the global warming was the area of concern, he exhorted scientists to come forward to tackle the problem and added that scientific approach without humanitarian thought and humane touch was irrelevant.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said climate change was a serious challenge for people's existence and scientists should come forward to tackle this teething problem.

He said that Himachal Pradesh is known as Dev Bhoomi' (Land of Gods) and said that in the present era of scientific excellence efforts should be made to make India a frontrunner in this field.

He said that even in this era of scientific innovation, we should not ignore and abandon our ancient knowledge and wisdom.

Union Health Minister J P Nadda said scientists must help in blending tradition, local knowledge, systems and technologies in research to develop effective and sustainable solutions for human development and progress in the country.

He also expressed concern over the increasing cases of anaemia, particularly amongst the younger generation, and urged the scientists to come forward to redress this problem at the earliest by vigorous research.

He said since it was the World Health Day, the health centres would be changed into wellness centres for the overall health of the nation in a phased manner. He added that 1.50 lakh health wellness centres would be established in the country by 2020.

Noted scientist and father of 'Green Revolution' in India M S Swaminathan in his keynote address through video conference said young scientists should collectively work towards meeting the challenges posed by climate change.

The Padma Vibhushan awardee professor lauded the efforts of Himachal Pradesh in environment conservation, as he stressed the need to deliver as one' approach for the reform in the governance of various food security related schemes.
New Delhi: A wife is not a "chattel" or an "object" and she cannot be forced to reside with her husband even if the man desires to live with her, the Supreme Court has said.

The apex court observed this while hearing a matter in which a woman, who lodged a criminal case against her husband alleging cruelty, said that she does not want to live with him while the man maintained that he wants to reside with her.

"She is not a chattel. You (man) cannot force her. She does not want to live with you. How can you say that you will live with her," a bench comprising justices Madan B Lokur and Deepak Gupta asked the man, who was present in the courtroom.

The bench asked the man to "re-consider" his decision and desire to reside with his wife in view of the categorical statement by the woman's counsel that she does not want to live with him.

"You better re-consider it," the bench told the man.

"How can he (man) be so unreasonable? He is treating her as a chattel. She is not an object," the bench told the lawyer appearing for the man and posted the matter for hearing on August 8.

The man's counsel told the court that he would try to persuade him in this regard.

Meanwhile, the lawyer representing the woman told the bench that she wants to get a divorce on the ground of cruelty.

"We are ready to withdraw the 498A (subjecting a married woman to cruelty) IPC case. We do not want any alimony also. She does not want to live with him," her counsel said.

The court had earlier referred the matter for mediation observing that both of them were educated and they would be inclined to settle their matrimonial dispute rather than going for litigation which may prolong their agony.

It had told both the man and the woman to fully cooperate with the mediation proceedings keeping their interest in mind and the fact that it might not be advisable for them to litigate for an indefinite period.

However, the apex court was later told that the issue was not resolved in mediation.
Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Saturday took serious note of the alleged dissension among the top brass of the Punjab Police, saying he would not tolerate any indiscipline in the force.

The CM also discussed the issue with Home Secretary NS Kalsi, DGP Suresh Arora and CPS to CM Suresh Kumar and directed them to look into the matter and suggest suitable action to resolve the same.

In a statement, the chief minister directed the home secretary and the DGP to ensure that all investigations in the drugs cases were carried out impartially, without fear or favour.

His government was committed not only to the elimination of drugs but also to stringent punishment, under the law, to those responsible for destroying the state's future generation with this menace, he asserted.

Singh's statement came a day after Director General of Police (Human Resource Development) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya accused DGP Suresh Arora and DGP (Intelligence) Dinkar Gupta of trying to drag his name in the suicide case of the son of a former Chief Khalsa Dewan president in the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The Chief Khalsa Diwan is a century-old charitable-cum-educational organisation.

Chattopadhyaya had also accused two DGP-rank officers of "targeting" him in order to "disable" him from conducting an inquiry into the complicity of SSP, Moga, Raj Jit Singh and an inspector, who has been dismissed from service, in a drug trafficking case.

Singh was of the view that any grievance of any member of the police force, including those against colleagues, should be routed through the well-established administrative procedures and channels laid down for the purpose.

There were well laid down hierarchies that needed to be stringently adhered to, if the police force was to function efficaciously, he added.

The chief minister said as a former member of a uniformed force, he was of the opinion that any act of indiscipline was a matter of grave concern, to be treated with seriousness.

The 80,000-strong Punjab Police force naturally looked up to its senior officers for leadership and direction, he said, adding that internal discord or friction could seriously undermine its professional and operational capabilities.

The Punjab Police, which had bravely fought militancy in the state in the 1980s and 1990s, was required to be both professional and transparent in its functioning in order to effectively deal with the various challenges on the crime and law and order front, the chief minister pointed out.

The police personnel, especially senior officers, were in the public eye at all times and needed to exercise due caution in their personal and professional conduct, Singh stressed, making it clear that he would not hesitate to take stern action, if needed, to check indiscipline.

Earlier, Punjab Congress said Singh had sought a report on the matter.

"CM Amarinder Singh has sought a report on the matter. The CM has also talked to senior officers in this regard," Punjab Congress chief spokesperson and MLA Raj Kumar Verka said, adding that the government was taking the issue seriously.

Verka described the reports indicating alleged differences among senior police officers in Punjab as "painful".

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA and the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Sukhpal Singh Khaira, on Saturday sought a CBI probe into the allegations levelled by Director General of Police (Human Resource Development) Siddharth Chattopadhyaya against two other DGP-rank officers.

"I urge Honb'le High Court to order their own monitored CBI probe into serious allegations of drugs and Benami properties against DGP level officers besides false implication of a DGP in suicide case! If a DGP can be falsely implicated what about opposition leaders n citizens (sic)?" he tweeted.

The high court had on Friday stayed the police probe against Chattopadhyaya in the suicide case.

Chattopadhyaya had sought that the investigation into the suicide case of Inderpreet Chadha, the son of former Chief Khalsa Diwan president Charanjit Singh Chadha, be transferred to the CBI or a retired judge of the high court.

Chadha had allegedly committed suicide in January in Amritsar, after he was booked for criminal intimidation, along with his father, on the complaint of a female school principal. His father's purported objectionable video clip with the principal had also gone viral on the social media.
London: Veteran actor Russell Crowe has raised USD 3.7 million from his 'The Art of Divorce' auction.

The actor marked his erstwhile wedding anniversary with former wife actor Danielle Spencer and his 54th birthday by selling off movie memorabilia, Australian art, 28 watches and other unusual items, The Guardian reported.

Sotheby Australia auction house presided over the event at Elston Room in Redfern's Carriageworks in New South Wales.

The first big-ticket item to be sold was the famous "Gladiator" breastplate, whose going started at USD 20,000, but finally went at USD 125,000. The wrist cuffs matching the breastplate went under the gavel for USD 32,000.

While the wooden sword for USD 20,000 and the metal one for USD 70,000, the chariot from the Oscar-winning film was sold for USD 65,000.

Besides "Gladiator" paraphernalia, many costumes that Crowe had worn in his films were also up for grabs - with Royal Navy dress blues from "Master and Commander" being sold for USD 115,000, the blue sleeveless vest from "Les Miserables" fetching USD 12,000 and the primeval leather jockstrap from "Cinderella Man", which was expected to be purchased for a menial USD 500 and USD 600, finally going for USD 7,000 thanks to eager phone bidders.

The mosasaur skull Crowe picked up from actor Leonardo DiCaprio via the late Cretaceous period was sold for USD 65,000.

A 17th century Flemish tapestry fetched USD 24,000, a pair of 18th century duelling pistols raised USD 26,000 and a bronze warship cannon earned USD 20,000.

The highest earnings of the auction night went to Crowe's collection of Australian artwork with a still life Bush Flowers by Margaret Olley that went at USD 70,000 to the top earner painting by Charles Blackman, The Suitor for USD 360,000.

Twenty-eight watches were also the part of the line-up, where a non-functional Armani watch was sold for USD 1,100 and a Rolex that fetched USD 40,000.

Crowe also took to Twitter to case the net earnings from the sale and thanked the buyers.

"The Art of Divorce... In case anyone is interested... $3.7m at the coal face and around $350k of conversations ongoing... And a bunch of stuff I didn't really want to sell coming home... Not a bad hourly rate for a 5 hour shift. Hope you are happy and busy," the actor wrote.

Crowe separated from Spencer in October 2012. They have two sons Charles, 15 and Tennyson, 12 together.
In what came as a big relief for the film industry and the actor's loyal fan base, Salman Khan returned to his Mumbai residence, the Galaxy Apartments on Saturday night. The actor had spent 48 hours at the Jodhpur Central Jail after being convicted in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. Several celebrities including Sonakshi Sinha, Arjun Rampal, Varun Dhawan, Sonu Sood, Subhash Ghai and Jaya Bachchan had expressed their disappointment over the verdict while still others including Daisy Shah, Jacqueline Fernandez, Ramesh Taurani, Malaika Arora and Amrita Arora among others visited Salman's family post the verdict.

While Shah Rukh Khan hasn't yet commented on the recent verdict, an old video has now surfaced on the internet wherein the actor is backing Salman saying that he often gets judged even before his crime is proven. "Sometimes I believe there are a lot of advantages of being a movie star but there's also a lot of negativity. I think one of the negatives of being a celebrity is that you get judged even before your crime is proved. This has happened time and again with Salman."

"I think by virtue of the impression that stardom that has given to people, they think they can say anything about the stars. That I think is wrong," he says.

He further clarifies that while he is no one to comment on the Indian judiciary, he feels for Salman at a personal level. "I'm nobody and genuinely not someone who can comment on what the law is, we all respect it. But somewhere at a personal level, one feels and wishes all this did not happen to Salman.

Meanwhile, Salman reached his residence in Banda, met his family who were waiting with bated breath and then came out on the balcony to greet and wave at the thousands of frantic fans who erupted in joy at the sight of Khan wearing a smile.
Priyanka Chopra has created waves in the West with her international projects including popular television series Quantico. The actor, who is currently in Ireland, to shoot for the third season of the series, had a great time with her Quantico co-actors at a karaoke session last night.

Marlee Matlin took to Twitter to share a photograph from the evening and wrote, "Its #karaoke time in #Dublin with @QuanticoTV mates @russelltovey @jjakemclaughlin @alanpowell10 & @priyankachopra. You didnt know I could sing, did you? Actually I Sign to Billy Joel(sic)."

She also shared a special photograph with her favourite Priyanka and wrote, "Girlfriends night out. I @priyankachopra."

Priyanka will be back as FBI agent Alex Parrish in the new installment of the series. The Indian actress got global acclaim after the show and has also won two People's Choice Awards for her role. The third season will see Alex going back to navigating the dangerous waters of the CIA that she left behind when she retired to Italy. The show also stars Russell Tovey, Alan Powell and Blair Underwood.
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The possible coming together of online retailers Amazon and Flipkart is likely to face close scrutiny on competition issues as the combined entity will be a dominant player in the fast growing Indian e-commerce market, according to experts.

While there is no formal announcement from any quarter on the possible multi-billion dollar deal, reports indicate that discussions involving Flipkart and Amazon are going on.

Engaged in intense competition, home-grown Flipkart and Amazon India are leading players in the Indian online retail market place.

Deals beyond a certain threshold require the approval of Competition Commission of India (CCI) before they are consummated. In cases where the watchdog finds possible anti-competition issues, it can call for remedial measures to address the concerns.

"The Amazon Flipkart deal will have to take the approval of CCI in order to sail through. CCI will have to examine the relevant markets and the combined market share of the two parties, which in this case would be around 80 per cent (which) would pose challenges to the deal," consultancy Corporate Professional's Founder Pavan Kumar Vijay said.

There have been instances where the anti-trust regulator had given approvals for mega deals subject to strict conditions.

Not-for-profit group CUTS (Consumer Unity and Trust Society) International said the merger of Flipkart and Amazon might impact the merchants negatively though, as they would have limited bargaining power due to absence of competition among online market platforms.

"Any abuse of dominance, in the form of the merged entity dictating its terms and condition on merchants, is also a perceived threat. The merger may also impact offline retailers, if lower cost products are available on online platform, owing to lower costs associated with using information and communication technology," it said in a statement.

The group also noted that the merger would also make the resultant entity the biggest harvester of consumer data for online shopping.

"While the merger may result in the rise of a dominant player (approximately 90 percent online market share), it will have limited impact on consumers, who will keep benefiting from the competition among merchants. However, they might have no choice in case of poor grievance redressal or consumer servicing by the platform," the statement said.
New Delhi: Lawmakers from the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) sat on a dharna outside Prime Minister Narendra Modis residence on Sunday morning demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh.

The MPs were forcibly removed from outside 7, Lok Kalyan Marg and packed into buses, but continued to wave placards and raise slogans against the BJP-led central government. They were taken to the Tughlaq Road Police Station.

"The MPs who were protesting have been taken into preventive custody. We will free them in an hour. No case will be lodged against them," a police officer told CNN-News18.

The MPs had staged a similar protest on Friday evening inside Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan's chamber and were forcibly removed.

Delhi: TDP MPs protest outside prime minister's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg over demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/qHOzGjuGIq ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

Delhi: TDP MPs detained as they staged protest outside prime minister's residence at Lok Kalyan Marg over demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh. pic.twitter.com/kLR6VvZwQf ANI (@ANI) April 8, 2018

The TDP members had been noisily protesting in both Houses of Parliament holding placards etc, demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Around mid-March, having quit the NDA, they gave no-confidence motion against the government but it was not admitted by the Speaker.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu has demanded a special session of Parliament, which was adjourned sine die on Friday, to discuss the demand. Piloted a resolution to the effect in the Assembly, he accused the central government of acting in an autocratic manner and ensuring that the no-confidence motion against it did not come up for discussion despite the TDP MPs "waging a relentless struggle" till the last minute.

MPs from YSR Congress, TDPs regional rival, had resigned from the Lok Sabha last week and launched a relay hunger at Andhra Bhavan in the national capital.
Lucknow: Striking out at the Yogi Adityanath government, NDA ally SBSP on Sunday raised a fresh banner of revolt, accusing the chief minister of not following "coalition dharma" and "ignoring" the party.

"I will have detailed discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on various issues when he visits Lucknow on April 10 and then decide my party's course of action," SBSP leader and UP minister Om Prakash Rajbhar told reporters here.

He also said the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) would rethink about the alliance, if Shah did not agree on the issues raised by the party.

Seeking to downplay Rajbhar's outburst, BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi said, "The BJP is duly discharging its coalition dharma in Uttar Pradesh."

"Whatever is being said by Rajbhar is simply a political stunt by him to hog the headlines. He is raising questions on the bureacracy, but certainly not on the leadership. The leadership is honest," he said.

"The BJP firmly believes in 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas'. Whatever shortcomings are highlighted by Rajbhar, they are being addressed and corrective action is also being taken. It will be better if he raises these issues during Cabinet meetings," the BJP spokesman said.

Rajbhar had left the saffron party days before the Rajya Sabha biennial elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP) and had threatened that his four MLAs would boycott the voting.

The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member in the UP Assembly, where the BJP and its allies have a majority of 324 lawmakers.

Attacking the UP chief minister, Rajbhar said, "Why are MPs and MLAs angry with the (Yogi Adityanath) government? Why are they going to Delhi to convey their grievances? Why are the MLAs angry and are sitting on protests?"

On the recent appointments made in the state secondary education board, he said, "The BJP's slogan of 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikaas' is not being implemented in letter and spirit as relatives of senior BJP leaders from upper castes have been appointed."

"Now, tell me where will the people from backward castes and scheduled castes go...If I speak, then people start feeling bad," Rajbhar said.

"In meetings of the UP Cabinet, everyone's views are heard, but the decision is taken by a handful of just four to five persons. If we have voted for you, then we should also have a say. Now, if I open my mouth, I am charged with saying harsh things," he said.

A sulking Rajbhar had last month rushed to Delhi with his complaint and met the BJP chief.

He returned to Lucknow a bit mollified after Shah promised to visit the state capital on April 10 and hear him in detail in the presence of the chief minister.

"I will tell you what the BJP wants and what Om Prakash Rajbhar wants after April 10," he said.

"If he (Shah) does not agree on the issues raised by us, as he had promised (during a meeting in Delhi ahead of the Rajya Sabha polls), we will have to re-think about the alliance," he said replying to a question.

The SBSP leader was also critical of the BJP's decision not to select the chief minister from among the 325 elected NDA MLAs (one of them later died) in the state.

"It appears that all of them were worthless," he said.

Rajbhar had recently claimed that corruption had increased in Uttar Pradesh under the present dispensation and that his party was not getting the due respect from the senior coalition partner.

"Now their (BJP's) own MPs and MLAs are speaking against them and sitting on dharna...Look at the statements that are coming from people occupying responsible positions...There has to be something behind their speaking like this," he said.

He was referring to Lok Sabha MPs from Etawah and Nagina, Ashok Kumar Dohrey and Yashwant Singh, respectively, who are the latest to join other Dalit colleagues, who have publicly expressed their unhappiness, especially after the recent protests against the Supreme Court order on the Schedule Castes and Schedule Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Earlier, Robertsganj Lok Sabha MP Chhotelal had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused Adityanath of "scolding" him when he went to take up an issue with him.

While these three Dalit parliamentarians of the BJP have approached Modi with their concerns, Bahraich MP Savitri Bai Phoole has virtually turned a rebel, triggering speculation that she might join the BSP, which she had earlier quit to join the saffron party.
New Delhi: BJP MP Udit Raj on Sunday said his party would convince Dalits to remain with it, a day after he alleged that people from the community was being "tortured" post the violent protests during "Bharat Bandh".

Raj had on Saturday alleged that Dalits were "tortured at a large scale" after the April 2 country-wide agitation, Bharat Bandh. The North West Delhi MP, who belongs to the Dalit community, also said he was not against his party and that the government will "check anti-Dalit officers and people".

"My tweets r (are) misconstrued that its harming BJP rather it strengthens that at least there r people like me in BJP who r concerned with Dalit atrocities after 2 April agitation. It will convince Dalits & they will remain with party. Govt will check anti-dalit officer/ people (sic)," Udit Raj said on Twitter.

My tweets r misconstrued that its harming BJP rather it strengthens that at least there r people like me in BJP who r concerned with dalit atrocities after 2 April https://t.co/cVHCRojYJu will convince Dalits &they will remain with party. Govt will check ant-dalit officer/ people Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 8, 2018

Referring to the violent protests during Bharat Bandh earlier this week, he had tweeted on Saturday, "Reports are pouring in that those Dalits who participated in agitation on April 2 are being tortured and it must be stopped."

"Dalits are tortured at large scale after April 2 country-wide agitation. People from Barmer, Jalore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Karoli and other parts calling that not only anti-reservationists but police also beating & slapping false cases," he had said in the tweet.

Dalits r tortured at large scale after 2ndApril country wide agitation . Peoplefrom badmer,jalore,jaipur,gwalior,meerut , bulandshahr,karoli &other parts calling that not only anti reservatists but police also beating &slapping false cases. Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 7, 2018

The places, mentioned by him, incidentally, are parts of BJP-ruled states. Raj had claimed that a worker of a Dalit organisation run by him in Gwalior was being tortured even though he had not done anything wrong.

Dalit protesters had blocked trains, clashed with police and set fire to vehicles in violent protests across seven states on April 2 against the alleged dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, leaving at least 11 people dead and many injured.
New Delhi: BJP's chief ministerial candidate for Karnataka, BS Yeddyurappa, will contest from Shikaripura assembly constituency, the party's Central Election Committee announced on Sunday, as it released a list of 72 candidates for the high-stake contest.

Veteran state leaders Jagadish Shettar and KS Eswarappa will contest from Hubli Dharwad Central and Shimoga Assembly seats, respectively, it said.

The BJP top brass, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah, met earlier tonight to finalise the candidates for the polls.

Senior party leader JP Nadda released the list of 72 candidates following the committee's meeting. The BJP has also fielded its Lok Sabha MP B Sriramulu in the polls.

The meeting, official sources said, delineated on probable candidates for over 140 seats and the names of remaining candidates are likely to be announced soon.

The elections to the 225-seat assembly are scheduled for May 12.

The BJP is pulling out all the stops to oust the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government from Karnataka, the only big state where the opposition party is in power.
New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday claimed that it was the only "pro-Dalit" party and accused opposition parties, including the Congress and the BSP, of abetting violence over issues concerning the community as part of a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere.

The BJP fielded Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot to launch a counter-attack on opposition parties, which have targeted the saffron party over Dalit issues. They accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of fuelling the fire with his "lies and rumor-mongering".

The BJP leaders, however, parried queries on the statements of several Dalit MPs of their party, with Prasad maintaining that the party would talk to them and listen to their concerns.

Violent protests during a 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit groups on April 2 left at least 11 people dead. It brought to fore the grievances of the community and also triggered a war of words between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gehlot, the most prominent Dalit leader of the BJP, said Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram never supported violent protests as he attacked the Congress and the Mayawati-led BSP.

Prasad accused the two parties besides the Samajwadi Party of abetting violence as part of a conspiracy and said they were politicising the matter to polarise the country.

"The opposition should not work to divide the country for political interests," he said. The BJP's charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family and the BJP had largest number of Dalit and tribal MPs and MLAs in its fold.

Prasad claimed that the maximum violence was seen in those parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the Congress and the BSP had influence. Opposition parties were trying to spread bitterness, casteism and regionalism in the country to target the BJP, he alleged.

Gehlot said the Narendra Modi-led government had strengthened the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with amendments in 2016 and done a lot to celebrate Ambedkar's legacy, including observing his birth anniversary with year-long events and building memorials in places linked to him.

Citing Gandhi's reported comments that the act had been abrogated, Prasad alleged that he was fuelling the fire with his lies. To a question about Gandhi's planned fast, he said in a June that the Congress leader had a right to do so but should refrain from spreading rumours.

Gehlot said Modi had been able to make his image of a "messiah" for weaker sections of the society, causing heartburn in the opposition. Parties like the Congress and the BSP did nothing for Dalits and at times even worked against their interests, Prasad and Gehlot alleged.

It was Mayawati who as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007 wrote to the state police to stop misuse of the act while the Congress did not accord Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar for decades following his death in 1956, Prasad claimed.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the party had now discovered love for Ambedkar. Citing the government's work to empower Dalits, Gehlot said the BJP was the only pro-Dalit party.
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.)
Amaravati (AP): Andhra Pradesh chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday condemned the detention of ruling TDP MPs in New Delhi by police as the "height of the Centre's oppressive attitude."

It was 'atrocious' to behave in "an inhuman" manner against the MPs who tried to stage a peaceful protest (outside the Prime Minister's residence), he said.

A release from the Chief Minister's Office said Naidu spoke over phone with some of the MPs who have been hospitalised following their 'arrest' and enquired about their health.

"They (Delhi police) behaved in an inhuman fashion, without even caring about the MPs' age. This was the height of the Centre's oppressive attitude. The Centre's stance is totally undemocratic," the Chief Minister said.

The TDP MPs were detained when they attempted to protest near Prime Minister Narendra Modi's residence at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here demanding special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
Patna: Former Bihar Chief Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Sunday said that Nitish Kumar's liquor ban has become a means to harass the Dalit community and if elected, his alliance with RJD would scrap the law. He was accompanied by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav at the Gareeb Rally.

Manjhi said that he was not against the liquor ban but added that the law enforced by CM Nitish Kumar was draconian in nature and it suppresses the weaker section.

"I know many JD(U) leaders who consume liquor. Liquor trade is still flourishing in the state but police crackdown only affects the poor. 80 percent people lodged in jails under this law belong to the Dalit community", Manjhi claimed.

Tejashwi, too, echoed his concerns and asked where was Nitish Chachas conscience when his government allowed liquor shops to flourish in every village. He also asked why illegal trade was still flourishing.

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) further alleged an involvement of higher-ups in the government in patronising the illicit liquor business.

Both the leaders lashed out at Nitish Kumar and BJP and projected them as anti-Dalit.

Jitan Manjhi also added that he had demanded and fought for reservation in promotions and private sector when he was a part of the NDA, but his voice went unheard.

Referring to the recent amendment of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act by the Supreme Court, both Tejashwi and Manjhi asked the Narendra Modi government to add the Act in Ninth Schedule of the Constitution.

Manjhi added, He is doing nothing but only listening to what the Sangh Parivar is telling him. He is conspiring against the Dalits but the people of Bihar will teach him a lesson in Lok Sabha elections.
New Delhi: Dalit anger from within the BJP is spiralling out at worrisome pace for the party. In the last one week, four BJP Dalit MPs from Uttar Pradesh have either resigned, threatened to resign or expressed dissent with the perceived anti-Dalit stance of the party.

The latest to do so is Dr Yashwant Singh, BJP MP from Nageen. In a letter addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, issued on April 2, Singh says that for the past four years Modi government had done nothing for the Dalits. He also said that he became an MP because of reservation but his capabilities as a Dalit MP had not been utilised.

In his letter, Singh states that without reservation the Dalit community will be left helpless. When I was elected, I met you and spoke about the need to implement reservation in promotions. I requested you to help pass a bill in this regards. Various sections of this society have been making requests like this day and night to us but for the last four years your government hasnt taken even one step for the 30 crore Dalits of the nation, wrote Singh.

Singh went on to state that BJPs Dalit MPs were being questioned and attacked by the community all the time. Humein jawab dena mushkil ho raha hai (Its getting tough for us to give an answer.

BJP MP from Nageen Dr Yashwant Singh's letter to PM

The UP leader also stressed the need to undo the dilution of the SC/ST act by Supreme Court.

Only last week, India had witnessed a massive Bharat Bandh protests across various parts of the country. The agitation led to the death of 11 people, most of whom were Dalits. The protest brought the country to a standstill and some Dalit activists have hailed it as historic.

The first visible protest from a Dalit MP against their own party was held by Savitri Bai Phule, BJP MP from Bahraich. She held an independent rally in Lucknow on April 1, a day before the Bharat Bandh rallies and provocatively titled it Sanvidhaan Bachao Aarakshan Bachao (Save Constitution Save Reservation). Her podium was washed with blue, the colour that BSP has made into its synonym, and decorated with posters of BSP founder Kanshi Ram.

Main saansad rahun ya na rahun, aarakshan se chedchaad nahi hone dungi (whether I continue to be an MP or not, I wont let anyone tinker with reservation), she declared almost defiantly against her party high command.

Three days later, on April 5, reports of another Dalit MP  Chhote Lal Kharwar  writing to PM Modi expressing anger at being thrown out by chief minister Yogi Adityanath came out. Kharwar, who represents Robertsganj Parliamentary constituency, alleged that he was facing discrimination by the administration in his constituency and his complaints were not being heard by his own party. The MP also named state BJP chief Mahendra Nath Pandey and Sunil Bansal in his complaint. He called the CM casteist and claimed to have made an official complaint to the National Commission for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

MP Chhote Lal Kharwar's letter to PM Modi

Not even a day had passed before dissent from another Dalit BJP MP  Ashok Dohrey  emerged. He was the third Dalit MP who wrote to the Prime Minister. In his letter, Dohrey alleged that in retaliation to the April 2 Bharat Bandh rally, state police was harassing Dalits and framing them in baseless cases for vengeance.

Police is dragging Dalits out of their homes, beating them mercilessly, and abusing them. These actions by the Police are sending a message of insecurity among Dalits, Dohrey said in his letter.

In response to a query by News18, Dohrey tersely said that the PM had been made aware of the situation and the MP thought Modi would take necessary action.

Dohreys letter came just a day after the Adityanath government decided to add Ramji to BR Ambedkars name in all the official records prompting the opposition to allege charges of religious polarisation at BJP.

Ashok Dohrey's letter to PM Modi

Though he hasnt written to the PM yet, BJP MP Udit Raj, too, alleged that members of his Dalit community were being "tortured" in the wake of the violent protests during the 'Bharat Bandh'. "Reports are pouring in that those Dalits who participated in agitation on April 2 are being tortured and it must be stopped," he said in a tweet.

"Dalits are tortured at large scale after April 2 country-wide agitation. People from Barmer, Jalore, Jaipur, Gwalior, Meerut, Bulandshahr, Karoli and other parts calling that not only anti-reservationists but police also beating & slapping false cases," Raj, who represents North West Delhi in the Lok Sabha, said. All these places, incidentally are parts of states ruled by the BJP.

Dalits r tortured at large scale after 2ndApril country wide agitation . Peoplefrom badmer,jalore,jaipur,gwalior,meerut , bulandshahr,karoli &other parts calling that not only anti reservatists but police also beating &slapping false cases. Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 7, 2018

My confedetion worker in gwalior is being tortured whereas he had not done anything wrong . He is crying for help. Dr. Udit Raj, MP (@Dr_Uditraj) April 7, 2018

The party had secured huge victory margins in UP, during the 2014 general polls and 2017 assembly elections, owing to strong support from the 21% Dalits of the state.

Of the 84 reserved Dalit Lok Sabha seats, the BJP managed to win 40 and secure 28 percent votes in 2014 UP general elections. A survey by Centre for the Study of Developing Societies (CSDS) found that the BJP had never got as many Dalit votes as it did in 2014. The survey found that in 2014 elections, 24 % Dalits voted for the BJP, which was substantially higher than the percentage of Dalits who voted for Congress (19%) and BSP (14%).

In the 2017 assembly polls, BJP won 69 of the 85 reserved seats in UP.

Gearing up for the upcoming 2019 general elections, BJP will be mindful of not just the impact of Dalit votes but also the emerging distrust, as represented by the four UP MPs, among Dalit community.

It is in this context that all eyes will now be focused on the success of the partys massive outreach plan  a 22-day Gram Swaraj Abhiyan, in which senior leaders have been asked to eat at Dalit households and spread partys message to the community. Meanwhile, the top leadership, including PM Modi, gear up to celebrate Ambedkar Jayanti.
Chartered accountants, company secretaries, cost accountants and valuers may have to forfeit their fees and face penalties if they are found lacking in their dealings with listed firms, according to a new set of norms being considered by Sebi. The role of auditors and valuers has come under the scanner in a number of high-profile cases recently involving PNB, WhatsApp and Fortis as also the Satyam and Kingfisher frauds earlier.

Sebi is looking to enhance the oversight to check such frauds with new regulations for fiduciaries in the securities markets, a senior official said. It will require additional disclosure requirements and greater scrutiny of financial statements by auditors and other third party entities, he said.

Sebi may finalise rules which will put the responsibility on chartered accountants, company secretaries, cost accountants, valuers and monitoring agencies to get firms to comply with securities regulations and act in the interests of shareholders, he added. If such entities are found lacking in their dealings, Sebi may disgorge the wrongful gains, including the fee earned, along with an interest of 12 per cent per annum from the date of default.

Besides, the regulator may ask them not to directly or indirectly issue any certificate or report. Also, it may refer the case Institute of Company Secretaries of India (ICSI) or Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) or any other other appropriate authority. Further, Sebi may issue warning, launch adjudication proceedings and initiate prosecution against the entities for any default.

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has prepared a draft consultation paper in this regard and the final regulations would be put in place after taking into account comments from all stakeholders on the consultation paper. Asked about the rationale behind a new set of norms, the official said that investor confidence is fundamental to the successful operation of the securities market and it depends on investors having credible and reliable financial information when making decisions about capital allocation.

"One of the prime objectives of Sebi is to ensure that there should be full, timely and accurate disclosure of financial results and other information that is material to investors' decision," he said, pointing to alleged lapses at various levels in cases like WhatsApp leak of financial results, the PNB scam and the matters concerning Fortis and Satyam-PwC.

Information which has gone through various third-party fiduciaries such as auditors, merchant bankers, rating agencies, cost accountants and valuers are often considered as "basis of most of the investment and financial decisions of the investors", the official said, adding that these entities are seen as "principal gatekeepers or conscience keepers".

Hence, there must not be any lack of efforts in flagging lapses or potential risks, he said. While entities such as merchant bankers, rating agencies, custodians, debenture trustees and registrar to public issues are registered with the capital markets regulator under specific regulations, some other fiduciaries like practising chartered accountants and company secretaries, cost accountants, valuers and monitoring agencies are not registered with Sebi.
Dehradun: The notification for civic body polls in Uttarakhand will be issued on May 13, according to an official communication.

Stating this in a letter to Uttarakhand Election Commission, Secretary Urban Development R K Sudhanshu said due to unavoidable reasons the notification for civic body polls in the state cannot be issued on April 9 as decided earlier.

"Due to unavoidable circumstances delaying the expansion and reorganisation of civic bodies the notification for civic body polls in the state cannot be done on April 9 as decided earlier. Despite addressing related matters on priority and in a time-bound manner the notification can be issued only on May 13," the letter said.

Enclosing its detailed programme, the department said delimitation and reservation of municipal wards will be carried out from April 9 to May 12 after which notification for the polls can be issued.

The state government has been accused of not being serious about holding civic body polls in the state on time by the state election commission which has also moved the Uttarakhand High Court over the matter.

Hearing the commissions petition the high court has sought a reply from the state government on April 11.

Civic bodies in the state complete their five-year term on May 3.
Bengaluru: If the opposition parties do manage to form a union ahead of the 2019 General Elections, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his prized Varanasi seat, said an optimistic Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Confident of a united opposition, Gandhi said not just the Bharatiya Janata Party would lose the elections, even PM Modi will lose from Varanasi if Congress, Samajwadi Party and come together to beat the saffron party.

Gandhi seemed least concerned over the difference between several stakeholders and partners in the alliance and their regional aspirations. He predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."

"...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"

And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."

"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has putit in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.

He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..."

"Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.

(With PTI inputs)
Washington: President Donald Trump is condemning what he calls a "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria that has killed women and children, though he's offering no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

Syrian President Bashar Assad's government is denying the allegations of such an attack on a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price... Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Trump says in a tweet on Sunday that the "area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world."

He says Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran, influential Syrian backers, "are responsible for backing Animal Assad."

Trump is calling for the area to be opened "immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!".

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018
Washington: President Donald Trump is suggesting China will ease trade barriers "because it is the right thing to do" and Washington and Beijing can settle disputes that have rattled financial markets, consumers and businesses.

A new Trump tweet doesn't explain why he's optimistic about resolving an escalating trade clash between the world's two biggest economies.

Trump says he and Chinese President Xi Jinping "will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade."

Trump insists "China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!"

The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. The U.S. sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.

China has pledged to "counterattack with great strength" if Trump decides to follow through on his latest threat to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods  after an earlier announcement that targeted $50 billion.

President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The Trump administration also is pushing for a crackdown on what it says is China's theft of U.S. intellectual property.

Conflicting messages about the trade fight have come out in recent days from some top members of Trump's team.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has said he was "cautiously optimistic" that the U.S. and China could reach an agreement before any tariffs went into place. But he also said "there is the potential of a trade war.

The new White House economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, has said the U.S. is "not in a trade war" and that "China is the problem. Blame China, not Trump."
Beirut: A chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people, a medical relief organisation and a rescue service said, and Washington said the reports  if confirmed  would demand an immediate international response.

Medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) said 41 people had been killed, with other reports putting the death toll much higher. The civil defence rescue service, which operates in rebel-held areas of Syria, put it as high as 150 in a report on one of its Twitter feeds.

The Russian-backed Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as the reports began circulating on Saturday night and said rebels in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

The lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some of them with foam at the mouth, were shown in one video circulated by activists. "Douma city, April 7... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

The US State Department said reports of mass casualties from an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma were "horrifying" and would, if confirmed, "demand an immediate response by the international community".

President Bashar al-Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands. After a lull of days, government forces began bombarding Douma again on Friday.

The offensive in Ghouta has been one of the deadliest of the seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said it could not confirm if chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday.

Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by the smoke from conventional weapons being dropped by the government. It said a total of 70 people suffered breathing difficulties.

Medical relief organisation SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents" including nerve agents had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at the nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.

SAMS operates 139 medical facilities in Syria where it supports 1,880 medical personnel, according to its website. "We are contacting the UN and the US government and the European governments," he said by telephone.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the rebel group in Douma, Jaish al-Islam, was making "chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab army," citing an official source.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauret recalled a 2017 sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria that the West and the United Nations blamed on Assad's government. "The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," she said.

"The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further barbaric chemical weapons attacks," Nauert said in a statement.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the conflict.
Lahore: A woman's legs were brutally chopped off by her brothers over a property dispute in Khanewal city in Pakistan's Punjab province, a media report said on Sunday.

The woman, a local farm worker, had asked her brothers to give her share in an inherited property. When rejected, she had threatened to move the court, The News reported.

But before she could move the court, her brothers attacked her with axes and chopped off her legs, the paper said.

The woman was shifted to the district hospital Khanewal but later transferred to Multan's Nishtar Hospital, where she is stated to be in a critical condition.

Police have started an investigation and are conducting raids to arrest the accused.
Cairo/Boston: Using cutting-edge technology, the FBI has solved a century-old archaeological mystery of the identity of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy, after extracting DNA from its tooth.

Since 1915, when the severed head of a mummy was discovered in the corner of a looted tomb in the ancient Egyptian necropolis of Deir el-Bersha, archaeologists have puzzled over its identity. Despite deciphering that the tomb belonged to a governor named Djehutynakht and his wife, they have long deliberated over whose head it was.

"We never knew whether it was Mr Djehutynakht or Mrs Djehutynakht," CNN quoted Rita Freed, a curator at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) that has stored the tomb's entire contents since 1920, as saying.

Now, almost 100 years later, thanks to research by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) published last month in the journal Genes, they can definitively say the head was male and that it belonged to the governor himself.

For Freed, this not only marks the culmination of a century-old archaeological enigma but is also a testament to the technological advances in DNA testing, the report said.

"We now know the FBI has developed a technique to reconstruct the very most degraded DNA. If they can reconstruct DNA from a 4,000-year-old tooth, they can reconstruct it from just about anything," she says.

The sheer age of the head and the desert environment it was found in made it particularly difficult to extract DNA. As Odile Loreille, a forensic scientist at the FBI, explains, DNA degrades faster in hot conditions.

The damage endured by the mummified head made it even more difficult to analyse. It was found at the bottom of a 30ft pit, in a tomb that had been ransacked and robbed in antiquity. The looters had stolen most of the jewellery and precious metals, dislodging the couple's corpses in the process. The decapitated head was found on top of the governor's coffin.

Modern archaeologists damaged it further when handling the head during the various attempts at identification since its discovery, the report said.

In 2005, scientists at the neurology department of the Massachusetts General Hospital performed a CT scan on the mummy but was still unable to determine whether it was male or female. All the scan revealed was that certain cheekbones and parts of the lower jaw  features that could have held clues to the mummy's sex  had been removed in a highly skilled surgical procedure.

Researchers suggested this could have been linked to the ancient Egyptian "opening of the mouth" ceremony, which was intended to enable the dead to eat and drink in the afterlife.

Four years later, the hospital tried to test the head's DNA, by extracting its tooth  the part least likely to be contaminated, because of the protective enamel. But to no avail.

This is when the FBI came in  "a very unusual partner," Freed admits. The US investigation unit reached out to the museum, attracted by the unusual sample.

It was not so much the historical significance of the mummy that appealed to the FBI, but the scientific challenge it could pose, Anthony Onorato, chief of the FBI's DNA support unit, told the network.

The FBI saw the mummified head as an opportunity to practice extracting DNA from contaminated materials. "It's not like the FBI has a unit  like an X-files unit  that just does historical cases," says Onorato. "It's that we're actually trying to develop criminal procedures using historical items."

So, in 2016, the ancient dental crown was handed to Loreille, who has a successful track record of extracting genetic material from very, very old bodies, the report said. But even Loreille was not optimistic initially.

The forensic scientists drilled into the tooth, collected the powder, dissolved it in a chemical solution, ran it through a DNA copy machine and then a sequencing instrument. Once they had obtained the data, Loreille studied it, checking the ratios of sex chromosomes in the DNA sequence. From this, she could determine that the skull was male.

"I was very happily surprised," Loreille says, "we got lucky."
Ciudad Juarez: President Donald Trump's orders to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to secure the US frontier with Mexico did not stop one determined migrant from hopping the border wall on Friday.

With the help of three other men  two to give him a boost and one to stand as a lookout  the young man jumped the rusty metal barrier that separates Ciudad Juarez from Sunland Park, New Mexico.

The whole operation took less than two minutes.

"He couldn't get over! He was taking forever," said one of the men who helped him, telling AFP he has seen people scale the six-meter (20-foot) wall in one minute flat.

He then ran off to avoid being spotted by US Customs and Border Protection.

The young border jumper, who hailed from southern Mexico, meanwhile disappeared into the desert, running toward a group of houses just visible on the horizon.

Trump has unleashed a flurry of furious tweets ever since seeing news reports on a caravan of more than 1,000 Central American migrants crossing Mexico toward the United States.

On Thursday he ordered 2,000 to 4,000 National Guardsmen to the border  drawing a bitter reaction from Mexico.

The activists organizing the migrant caravan have announced they will no longer try to reach the border en masse, and individual migrants and families have each begun going their own way.

Many remain in central Mexico. But some have already made it to the border, according to Javier Calvillo, a Catholic priest who runs a shelter for migrants in Ciudad Juarez.

"Five migrants who were part of the caravan arrived here this week, but they're already gone," he said.

"They crossed into the United States, or tried to."
New Delhi: Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday said his country had not allowed its land to be used against the sovereign interests of India and that it was firm in its resolve to maintain the same.

Oli said "amity with all and enmity with none" was the motto of Nepal's foreign policy.

Trust is the key cementing factor between the two neighbours, he said, noting that it derived strength from principles like "equality, justice, mutual respect, and benefit as well as non-interference".

"As friendly neighbours, our two countries need to be aware of and have respect for each other's concerns and sensitivities. Nepal has not allowed its land to be used against the sovereign interests of India. We are firm in our resolve to maintain this position and it is natural that we expect a similar assurance from India," Oli said.

His comments came in the backdrop of India's concerns regarding China's growing influence over Nepal.

Oli added that Nepal was between two big neighbours  India and China  and it wanted to have a friendly, neighbourly relations with the two.

The Nepalese prime minister was speaking at an event organised by the India Foundation.

Stressing that no country compromised on nationalism, Oli said for Nepal, nationalism was the protection of its sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and fulfillment of its national interest.

"Amity with all and enmity with none is our motto in foreign policy. We seek to foster relations with neighbours and all friendly countries around the world, based on justice, sovereign equality, mutual respect, and benefits," he said.

Earlier in the day, speaking to reporters after the ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, Oli said the "historical" and "renewed" friendship between India and Nepal was oriented towards the future and the bilateral ties had evolved according to the "needs of times".

The Nepalese prime minister said he was visiting India in the "changed context" to contribute to the friendship between "our two countries and people".

This is Oli's first visit to India after taking charge as Nepal's prime minister for the second time in February. He visited India during his first term in February, 2016.

Many observers see Oli as favouring a closer relationship between Nepal and China. However, the issue of China-Nepal ties was not discussed during the delegation-level talks.

Asked about Nepal joining China's ambitious One Border One Road (OBOR) initiative and India's concerns regarding the project, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale told reporters at a briefing that "there was no discussion on China".

The OBOR is a massive infrastructure project that aims to link Asia and the European markets through a maze of rail, road and shipping networks. The controversial China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) is a part of the OBOR initiative.

India has opposed the CPEC as it runs through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

Oli's first tenure as prime minister in 2015-16 saw protests by Indian-origin Madeshi people in the southern Terai (plains) region over the new Constitution of Nepal. The Madhesis say the new Constitution is discriminatory to their interests.

They had blocked major trading points between India and Nepal, preventing goods from reaching the landlocked country. The months-long blockade had led to a souring of the ties between the two countries.

But Foreign Secretary Gokhale said the circumstances in 2016 and current times were different, adding that the government of Nepal was elected on the basis of the Constitution.

"As far as our relationship is concerned, we have a close and unique relationship with Nepal, but the efforts of both the leaders at today's meeting was to have a forward-looking approach and see how we can deepen and strengthen this relationship," he said.

In his press statement after the delegation-level talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Oli lauded India's initiative to have guidelines and regulations for cross-border electricity trade, but said Nepal wanted an early realisation of the open market provision of the bilateral power trade agreement, which was concluded between the two sides in 2014.

Later, responding to a question on this, Sudhakar Dalela, Joint Secretary (north) in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India had build three transmission lines for Nepal in two years, which helped supply 350-400 MW of electricity to Nepal.

Dalela said nearly 18 months ago, India had issued a set of guidelines to bring transparency in the regulatory mechanism for cross-border trade in power.

"We have received some comments from neighbouring countries in the last few months and we intend to look at these comments and see how we take those into account while trying to promote a better power trading market in South Asia," he said.

On demonetisation, he said the issue did not come up for discussion between the two leaders. Nepal has a substantial amount of demonetised high-value Indian currency.

In his press statement, Modi said he and Oli reviewed water conservation and hydropower projects.

"We both agree to accelerate work on projects like Arun-3, Pancheshwar, and Saptakosi-Sunkosi," Modi said.

Arun III is a 900-MW hydroelectric project in the Arun river, while the Pancheshwar Multipurpose Project (PMP) is a bi-national hydropower project to be developed in the Mahakali river, bordering Nepal and India. The Saptakosi-Sunkosi high dam is also a multi-purpose project.
Los Angeles: Ohio State University has revoked an honorary degree awarded to veteran actor Bill Cosby amid his retrial in a sexual assault case, which begins on Monday.

The 80-year-old comic's degree was rescinded after the university trustees approval, which is a first incident of the kind in the history of the OSU, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

Cosby received the recognition when he spoke at commencement in 2001.

An Ohio State spokesman said the "Man and Boy" actor had admitted violating the principles and values of the varsity.

Cosby's retrial, which would start with opening statements in suburban Philadelphia, involves a woman who claims he drugged and assaulted her in 2004.

He has denied the allegation, calling the encounter consensual. Cosby's first trial ended in a hung jury.
Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - Argentina 2018 Qualifying

Posted by: newsla on Apr 08, 2018 - 08:16 AM Aprilia Racing Team Gresini - Argentina 2018 Qualifying



A GREAT ALEIX ESPARGARO IS FIRST IN Q1 AND RIDES THE APRILIA RS-GP JUST SHORT OF THE BEST, TOMORROW HE WILL START ON THE THIRD ROW



SCOTT REDDING ALSO DID WELL IN QUALIFYING THANKS TO A GOOD FEELING IN THE VARIOUS ASPHALT CONDITIONS



Changing weather characterised the qualifying day on the Termas de Rio Hondo track. In these conditions, which are always difficult, Aleix Espargaro rode his Aprilia RS-GP into the spotlight. With a great Q1 session (first place for him), he earned passage into Q2, the session that decides the first twelve spots on the grid. Having gone through the first session, Aleix only had one new rear tyre available for the decisive session, but he still took full advantage of it, earning a nice seventh place and the first spot on the third row of the grid. After trying some changes to the settings today which gave him a good feeling with his Aprilia, Espargaro is optimistic for the race tomorrow.



Scott Redding also demonstrated good confidence, especially on the wet track, in terms of race pace and performance. In first qualifying session, with the asphalt in mixed conditions, the British rider battled for a spot in Q2. Unfortunately, the rising temperature of his wet tyres kept him from shaving of the few tenths he needed to get into the top 12. Scott, who is still suffering with a backache, will start from the fifth row tomorrow.



ALEIX ESPARGARO'

"I am obviously pleased. After the work we did, with a lot of changes, the bike is working much better than yesterday, so in Q1 I felt good even in those track conditions. And I am convinced that if I had been able to use a new tyre for the finale, I would have easily been able to battle for the pole or for the front row. But since I did Q1, I didn't have another tyre and these rain tyres heat up easily when the track dries out. So I was forced to alternate a fast lap with a slow lap to cool them down. But that's fine; it's part of racing and the third row is a nice starting place for the race tomorrow. The Aprilia is a bike that conserves the rear tyre well and it has a lot of grip even in the race finale. I like the track and tomorrow in the race we will be able to bring home a good result."



SCOTT REDDING

"I feel good on the RS-GP in the various conditions that we found here in Argentina. Especially in the rain, but also in the dry, I am rather satisfied with our settings. I would have liked to have worked a bit more with the dry track to remove some doubt about tyre choice. In mixed conditions I usually struggle a lot with tyre temperature, whereas I must say that with this bike the problem was significantly less evident. Unfortunately, this morning the pain in my back was really bad. I preferred waiting until the afternoon to use the pain killers and suffer less in qualifying. The pain is moving downward. I don't know if that is good or bad, but I am working on being in the best possible condition tomorrow."



PaddockTalk Perspective




Damascus: At least 70 people were killed in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta in a suspected chemical attack, medics and rescuers said on Sunday.

Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing several bodies in basements following the attack on Saturday, reports the BBC.

It said the death toll was likely to rise.

Several medical, monitoring and activist groups reported details of a chemical attack, but figures vary and what happened was still being determined.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Centre said over 75 people had "suffocated" while a further thousand people had suffered.

It blamed a barrel bomb allegedly dropped by a helicopter which it said contained sarin, a toxic nerve agent.

The Union of Medical Relief Organisations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC that the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

She told the BBC that there were reports of people being treated for symptoms including convulsions and foaming of the mouth, consistent with nerve or mixed nerve and chlorine gas exposure.

The Syrian government has denied the allegations. State news agency SANA cited an "official source" saying the reports were a "blatant attempt to hinder the army's advance" into the "collapsing terrorist" stronghold, reports CNN.

SANA said the Syrian Arab Army "does not need to use any chemical materials as claimed by terrorists' media affiliates".

In response to the alleged attack, a US State Department official told CNN: "We have seen multiple, very disturbing reports... The (Syrian) regime's history of using chemical weapons against its own people (is) not in dispute...

"As we've said, Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal targeting of countless Syrians with chemical weapons. Russia's protection of the (President Bashar al) Assad regime and failure to stop the use of chemical weapons in Syria calls into question its commitment to resolving the overall crisis."

The sarin nerve agent has been used in Syria before.

In April 2017, more than 80 people were killed in a sarin attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun -- an attack that prompted the US to launch 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian airbase.

In August 2013, rockets containing sarin were fired at rebel-held areas of Eastern Ghouta, killing hundreds.
Islamabad: Pakistani Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan has said that Islamabad was in direct talks with Moscow for the procurement of sophisticated military hardware, including air defence systems, fighter jets and battle tanks.

In an interview with Russia's Sputnik news agency, Kham also talked about increased cooperation with Kremlin which mirrors Pakistan's wider geo-strategic concerns.

"Air defence system is a different kind of weapon we are interested. We are very much interested in a very wide range of the Russian weapons technology. We are in negotiations (on air defence systems) and once we conclude negotiations, we will be able to announce them," Khan told the Russian publication.

The Defence Minister also outlined that Islamabad was interested in acquiring T-90 tanks from Moscow as part of a long-term deal rather than committing itself to a single purchase.

"We are interested in tanks T-90 and it is not going to be a one-time purchase but it is going to be a long-term commitment," Khan stated.

Talking about security issues in South and Central Asia, the Defence Minister noted that both Pakistan and Russia were interested in a stable and democratic Afghanistan.

"We respect Afghanistan's sovereignty. Stability in Afghanistan is important for Pakistan to be able to develop its own prosperous future, to access to the Russian market, for example, by land route. Democratic and stable Afghanistan is in the deep the interest of both Russia and Pakistan," the minister stated.

Historically, Pakistan and Russia have been on the opposite side of the conflict in Afghanistan, but the former Cold War foes have now developed a mutual understanding on many international issues, according to Khan.

"Of course we have a history of the Afghan war in which we have been on opposite sides, but now as the second decade of the 21st century ends, we will be able to look at world realities with a different eye."

The Defence Minister also expressed that Pakistan was grateful for Russian support in its bid for membership to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, which it joined in 2017.
Islamabad: Pakistan on Sunday summoned US Ambassador David Hale and lodged a strong protest over the killing of a motorcyclist in a road accident involving a vehicle driven by a senior US diplomat.

A fast-moving Land Cruiser, driven by Col Joseph Emanuel Hall, the defence and air attache at the US embassy, jumped the red light and hit a motorcycle carrying two men at a traffic signal near Islamabad's Daman-e-Koh area on Saturday.

The motorcyclist, identified as Atiq Baig, 22, died due to a head injury while the pillion rider Raheel Ahmed received injuries.

To register its protest over the incident, the Foreign Office summoned US Ambassador Hale.

"The US ambassador was called to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs today and a strong protest was lodged by the Foreign Secretary on the tragic death of the motorcyclist and serious injury to the co-rider in the traffic accident yesterday that involved a US diplomat, Foreign Office said in a statement.

It said that the US ambassador expressed his deep sympathy and sadness over the loss of life and assured that the embassy would fully cooperate in the investigation.

The foreign secretary conveyed that justice will take its course in accordance with the law of the land and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961.

According to Dawn, the diplomat had tried to speed away after the accident, but he was stopped at a nearby checkpoint, where police tried to question him. He, however, refused to get off from the vehicle.

The area police arrived at the scene and asked the driver to surrender himself. Shortly, several locals and foreigners arrived there on different vehicles and introduced themselves as officials of the US embassy.

The diplomat asked the police to clear the way as he had diplomatic immunity, police said, adding that when they refused, the officials put up resistance.

Senior policemen then visited the spot and took the defence attache and his vehicle, as well as a colleague, to the Kohsar police station, the Dawn reported.

Police asked the other US diplomats to submit written statements about the accident and the diplomatic status of the suspect.

The US diplomat was later allowed to leave. The police, however, impounded the vehicle and took the diplomat's cards for verification, the daily said.

A case was registered against the diplomat on the complaint of the victims father, who is a watchman at an Islamabad school. The injured man is his nephew.

The deceased's family has demanded justice after the diplomat was not arrested as he enjoyed immunity under international laws.

Several people took to social media to protest against the favourable treatment given to the US diplomat, the Dawn said.

The police responded in a blog stating that they followed the due legal procedure and the attache had diplomatic immunity granted by the government of Pakistan as per Vienna Convention.

"If a blogger has objections on handing over of the diplomat to the embassy, he/she may approach the government of Pakistan to withdraw from Vienna Convention, the blog posted by the Capital City police said.

The incident is being compared with the 2011 incident when a CIA contractor Raymond Davis was arrested in Lahore on charges of killing two Pakistani citizens.

It kicked off a huge diplomatic crisis between the two countries. Pakistani authorities had charged him with murder, but the Obama administration insisted he is an "administrative and technical official" attached to its Lahore consulate and has diplomatic immunity.

Davis was later allowed to leave the country after a compromise was reached with the victims' family.

This is the third road accident in recent years in which US diplomats have hit and killed people in Islamabad, the capital city police said, adding that they got away with it because they had diplomatic immunity.
New Delhi: The Pakistan government is reportedly working to "permanently ban" Mumbai attacks mastermind Hafiz Saeeds JuD and other entities on its watch list.

According to a report in Dawn, a proposed draft bill to amend the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), 1997 is set to be tabled in the upcoming session of Pakistan National Assembly, scheduled to commence on Monday.

The law ministry was involved in the process for the purpose of vetting the proposed draft bill and the military establishment was also on board, Pakistans English-language newspaper quoted a source as saying.

The report stated that the Pakistani government decided to prepare a draft bill to amend the ATA as part of its damage-control campaign after the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) approved a nomination proposal tabled jointly by the US, the UK, France and Germany to place Pakistan on the international watchdogs money-laundering and terror-financing grey list in February.

Recently, the United Nations Security Council updated its consolidated list of terrorists and individuals and named Dawood Ibrahim and Hafiz Saeed, among hundreds of other Pakistan-based outfits and individuals.

The Council also designated Milli Muslim League (MML), the political front of Hafiz Saeed-led Jamaat-ud Dawa, as a foreign terrorist organization.

Besides MML, the US 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.

United States President Donald Trump, in his first tweet of the New Year, had blasted the Pakistan leadership by saying that they have given America "nothing but lies and deceit" despite having received more than USD 33 billion in last 15 years. They later suspended their USD 255 million military aid to Pakistan till the South Asian country did not "respond to terrorism on its soil".

Saeed 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.

When contacted, Barrister Zafarullah Khan, special assistant to Pakistan prime minister, said that the amendment to the ATA was a subject of the interior ministry. He added the law would not introduce anything new, as it would basically ensure compliance to the UNSC Resolutions.
Washington: The United States and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, a sign that planning for the highly anticipated meeting is progressing, several administration officials familiar with the discussions tell CNN.

Central Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the CIA have been working through intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit, the officials said. American and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks.

Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim Jong Un to meet with Trump, which was conveyed last month by a South Korean envoy, several officials say North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed Kim is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The North Koreans are pushing to have the meeting in their capital, Pyongyang, the sources said, although it is unclear whether the White House would be willing to hold the talks there. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has also been raised as a possible location, the sources said.

The talks between intelligence officials are laying the groundwork for a meeting between Pompeo and his North Korea counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, in advance of the leaders' summit. Once a location is agreed upon the officials said that the date will be set and the agenda discussed in greater detail.

Officials said the decision to use the already existing intelligence channel was more a facet of Pompeo's current status as CIA director as he awaits confirmation as secretary of state than a reflection of the content of the discussions. Pompeo is expected to begin the process of Senate confirmation in the next several weeks.

One of Trump's most trusted national security advisers, Pompeo has led efforts to prepare for the summit, which Trump has pressed his aides to organize. If he confirmed, he will assume oversight of the diplomatic preparations.

As recently as this weekend, Trump told associates he was looking forward to the summit, which he agreed to on the spot when presented the invitation from Kim. The timeline, however, remains unknown. Officials said the current target is late May or even June.

Trump is due to meet in two weeks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his Mar-a-Lago estate. Abe is expected to come bearing a list of concerns about opening talks with Kim.

The New York Times first reported last month that the CIA was taking the lead in preparing for the Trump-Kim summit.

Officials said the participation of the North Koreans in the preparatory talks give them more confidence that Kim is serious about meeting. Until the talks between US and North Korean intelligence officials began in earnest, Trump and his aides have relied partly on the characterizations of the South Koreans, which have experienced a rapprochement since the Olympic games held in Pyongchang in February that led to Kim's historic invite to Trump.

The Chinese have also provided a briefing to the White House after Kim and President Xi Jinping met in Beijing late last month.

State Department officials continue to communicate with the North Koreans though their mission to the United Nations, discussions which are referred to as the "New York channel."

The talks with North Korea are informing coordination among government agencies which are preparing for the summit, an effort led by Matthew Pottinger, the top Asia official at the National Security Council. Incoming national security adviser John Bolton, who starts work at the White House on Monday, is expected to assume a large role in the planning for the talks, along with Pompeo.

At the State Department, leading the diplomatic effort are acting Assistant Secretary Susan Thornton and deputy special representative for North Korean policy Mark Lambert, who speaks with North Korean officials through the "New York channel." Their work includes scouting potential locations, coming up with names of US officials who can help staff the talks and pouring over records on previous negotiations with North Korea. They are also leading diplomacy with South Korea, as well as Japan, China and Russia.
New York: The United Nations Security Council is likely to meet Monday afternoon over the recent chemical attack in Syria at the request of the United States and several other members, diplomats said on Sunday.

"UK, France, US, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d'Ivoire have called an emergency meeting of #UNSC to discuss reports of chemical weapons attack in #Syria. Meeting expected on Monday," the British mission to the United Nations tweeted.

A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday in the town of Douma. US and other officials said they were working on Sunday to verify details of the attack.
Islamabad: Pakistan has asked the US to resume the balancing role that it played in South Asia before its "tilt" towards India, saying the move has "emboldened" India and created imbalance in the region.

Pakistan's ambassador to the US Aizaz Ahmed Chaudhary also said that peace will prevail in South Asia if America assumes the role of a balanced power-player.

"We are saying to the US administration that the US always brought a balance in SA, but this recent tilt has created an imbalance," Chaudhary was quoted as saying by Dawn.

"This tilt has also emboldened the Indian government to go for a heavy-handed approach...," he alleged.

Chaudhary said the peace in South Asia will be better served if the US assumes the role of a balanced power-player.

The Indo-US relationship made great strides in 2017, with President Donald Trump keeping his electoral promise of being the "best friend of India" inside the White House.

India was the only country for which the Trump administration came out with a 100-year plan, an honour not even accorded to America's top allies.

In his South Asia Policy unveiled in August, Trump gave India a key role in bringing peace in Afghanistan and for the first time, a US president aligned himself with New Delhi's position that terrorism emanated from Pakistan.
India, Nepal agree to boost security, connectivity, trade ties

New Delhi : After months of stress in ties, India and Nepal on Saturday agreed to crank-up cooperation in connectivity, trade, agriculture and border security as Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave an assurance that New Delhi remains committed to strengthening the partnership as per Nepal's priorities.

Seeking to readjust the ties, Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli, on a three-day visit to India, held wide-ranging talks with Modi, who also assured the visiting leader that India would always back Nepal in its quest for development.

A joint statement issued after the talks said Prime Minister Oli stated that his government attaches high importance to further strengthening friendly relations with India. He expressed the desire of the Government of Nepal to develop bilateral relations in a way so as to benefit from India's progress and prosperity for economic transformation and development.

"Prime Minister Modi assured Prime Minister Oli that India remains committed to strengthening its partnership with Nepal as per the priorities of the Government of Nepal," the statement said.

Oli, who has developed closer ties with China with a known pro-Beijing stance, said he has come to India "with a mission" to take bilateral ties based on "principles of equality and justice" to newer heights but "commensurate with the realities of the 21st Century".

In a joint address to the media with Oli, Modi hailed the Nepal Prime Minister's "vision for a prosperous Nepal" that is in sync with his vision of "sabka sath, sabka vikas" (development for all).

"India stands ready to expand cooperation with Nepal as per Nepal's priorities. We believe that enhanced connectivity between our countries will boost our economic growth and benefit our citizens."

Modi hailed successful conduct of polls in Nepal and congratulated both the people of Nepal and the government for entering into "a new era of political history".

He said the two countries agreed to put on faster tracks all connectivity projects, announcing that a new railway line will be built "with India's financial support" to connect the border city of Raxaul in India to Kathmandu in Nepal.

The objective, according to a joint statement, is to expand "connectivity" between the two neighbours and "enhance people-to-people linkages and promote economic growth and development".

Prime Ministers Modi and Oli also recognised the untapped potential of inland waterways between the countries that can contribute in an overall economic development of the Himalayan region.

Towards that, the statement said, they took a "landmark decision" to develop the inland waterways for the movement of cargo, within the framework of trade and transit arrangements, providing additional access to sea for Nepal.

This will enable cost effective and efficient movement of cargo and greatly impact the growth of business and economy of Nepal.

The connectivity proposals are significant and come nearly two years after China in March 2016 agreed to construct a strategic railway link with Nepal through Tibet to reduce the Kathmandu's total dependence on India.

That year China also signed a transit trade treaty with Nepal that completely depends on Indian sea ports for third-country trade. Apart from this, China is also building three highways connecting Nepal and these roads are expected to be ready by 2020.

The Nepal-China agreements came at a time when Kathmandu-New Delhi ties started soaring after a border blockade in 2015-16. Many in Kathmandu blamed India for the 135-day blockade from September, 2015 to February, 2016 that crippled Nepal's economy.

China expanding its strategic base in Nepal sparked concerns in India that it was losing its foothold in its immediate backyard despite its "neighbourhood first" policy.

But Oli's April 6-8 visit indicated a new India-Nepal bonhomie during which he and Modi announced enhanced security ties, particularly on borders to curb curb misuse of open boundaries between the two countries.

"We have strong relations when it comes to the aspect of security and are committed towards stopping misuse of our open borders," said Modi, with Oli by his side.

Oli said his government accorded a priority to friends like India that has helped his landlocked nation in fighting poverty.

"Friendship is very important. We have developed our friendship according to time with a purpose to eradicate poverty, improve life standards. Our friendship is historical, renewed, developed and is very fruitful. Looking ahead and not looking back"

He said his country always accorded "great importance" to its ties with India as the two neighbours have many "things to offer each other".

"Inter-dependence takes many forms between our countries. Relations between neighbours are different than others. They rest on principles of equality and justice.

"I have come to India with a mission to enhance our relations to newer heights commensurate with the realities of the 21st Century. We want to create a model relationship. A relationship that is cherished forever," he said, renewing his invitation to Modi to pay a visit to Nepal at the earliest.

Boosting their ties further, India also agreed to conduct a pilot project on organic farming and soil health monitoring in Nepal to help the natural resource-rich neighbour in developing agriculture and allied sectors.

Oli and his wife Radika Shakya, who arrived here on Friday, earlier paid tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat, before driving to the President's house for a ceremonial welcome.

Viewed as an important visit, Oli has flew in a 54-member high-level delegation to India, seeking more investment from India's public as well as private sector.

This is Oli's first foriegn trip after returning to power for the second term in February.
Motive behind van attack in Germany still a mystery

Berlin : Germany is still clueless about the motive behind deadly van crash into people drinking outside a popular bar in Muenster. The attack had killed at least 2 people and injured dozens.

The security officials have rejected indications of Islamic State attack. The driver had shot herself after the attack.

As per witnesses, the people were seen running all over moments after the attack. While cops swiftly cordoned-off the area for the investigations.

Six out of 20 injured people were in critical stage, according to police spokesman Andreas Bode. Herbert Reul, the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia state, where Muenster is located, said the driver of the gray van was a German citizen.

He maintained that final word will come only after the investigations are over in the matter. We have to wait, and we are investigating in all directions, Reul said, adding that it was clearly not an accident.
A statewide program has been effective at providing an affordable way for local residents to convert to solar energy.

The Solarize Connecticut initiative recently convinced roughly a dozen Bethel residents to install solar panels on their homes. Since the program started in 2012, 2,500 residents in 83 communities have switched to solar. About 900 homes had solar before the program.

Brookfield recently signed onto the program again, after working with the campaign a few years ago. Newtown previously signed on, while towns such as Fairfield and Middlefield have active campaigns.

In Bethel, 13 residents installed solar on their homes thanks to the 20-week campaign, which wrapped up last month. But officials said even more residents who signed onto the program late could also convert in the coming weeks.

Information sessions also attracted between 10 to 50 residents each time.

Bill Cratty, the chairman of the Bethel Energy Conservation Committee, said the initiative was effective at debunking residents misconceptions about solar.

Im sure it did change their mindset about solar, he said.

The initiative works by emphasizing education and affordability, said Stephan Hartmann, of Ross Solar, an installation company that has worked with Bethel and other towns on the Solarize Connecticut program. The campaign is free for towns to join and is run through the Connecticut Green Bank and the nonprofit SmartPower.

Organizers hold information sessions meant to teach residents about the benefits of solar and simplify what Hartmann said can be the confusing process of converting. Discount rates are also available.

It's less expensive, he said. Its environmentally responsible, but also its not going to be available at the generous incentive levels that are there now.

The program offers low-interest financing loans and state incentives through the Connecticut Green Bank. The federal government also provides tax credits to those who switch to solar.

Hartmann said homeowners could easily save 10 to 15 percent in energy costs each month while paying off their array.

A lot of people are surprised to learn about the financing solutions and how easy it is to go solar, Hartmann said.

Brookfield First Selectman Steve Dunn said the low cost to residents, as well as the environmental benefits, is why the town has kicked off its latest Solarize campaign.

Were trying to be a more green community and this is one good step toward that, he said. The cost of solar has gone down significantly over the last 20 years. It is a viable alternative for residents.

In Brookfield, Ross Solar has installed about 420,000 watts of solar across 38 homes, as well as the Brookfield Congregational Church and Defeo Manufacturing. Much of that work was through Solarize Connecticut, Hartmann said.

Steven Wurst is among the homeowners who installed solar during Brookfields first round in the program.

Its important to our all futures that we make the switch to clean energy, and putting solar on my home is an easy way to help promote clean energy while saving money, Wurst said on Solarize Connecticuts website.
On April 12, I will be making a genetic homecoming. I am conducting the New Haven Symphony Orchestra in works of Tsontakis, Ravel and Berlioz. Though I have never performed at Woolsey Hall, or eaten a burger at Louis Lunch, or apizza at Frank Pepes The Spot (on my New Haven to-do list), my mom most certainly did all of those things when she was a violin student at Yale back in the 50s. She studied with her uncle, Joseph Fuchs. Her lessons were so traumatizing that her violin was tear-stained. She used to hole up in a phone booth afterward to call her mom for long-distance telephonic sob-therapy.

In spite of those difficult lessons, she had lots of wonderful memories of her Yale years. Her happiest musical memories were playing in Woolsey with the New Haven Symphony Orchestra as assistant concertmaster. She remembered fondly how Howard Boatwright, the concertmaster, helped replenish her zeroed-out morale drained by Uncle Joe. Surely among her happiest nonmusical memories were the white clam pie and hamburgers on white bread.

It is not just my x-chromosome that makes this week a homecoming. The music we are playing also digs into my past, though not quite as far back.

I grew up in a string-playing, chamber music-focused household (perhaps why I was a pianist and brass player). My mother, aunt, grandma (Lillian Fuchs) and Uncle Joe seemed to have chamber music concerts every weekend. But I loved symphonic literature and when I eventually was found out, my parents bought a Philadelphia Orchestra subscription. I was in heaven. I heard many memorable concerts: Stern, Ormandy, Ma, Muti, Serkin. One evening, though, the music changed me.

That concerts second half was Berliozs Symphonie fantastique. First I read the program notes. No piece seemed better suited to my 12-year-old self. It had it all: unrequited love, ill-informed romance, awkward silences, overdoses, nightmares, guillotines and a witch rave  classical music sex, drugs and rock n roll.

Then came the music. I was awestruck. I was swallowed up by Berlioz. The music was graphic, emotive and in stunning Technicolor. I heard the guillotine blade fall, and the lovers head drop; and I heard the witches celebration replete with tolling bells and Roald Dahl-esque musical caricatures: gloriously grotesque and evil. The next day, in school band, I picked out the tuba lick from the end of the fifth movement on my baritone horn, to the consternation of my less nerdy friends. That night at the orchestra, somewhere in my tween brain, I turned away from piano and toward conducting.

In addition to playing a slew of brass instruments, none very well, I was a good pianist. In my high school years, I Amtraked up to New York every Saturday to attend Juilliard Pre-College, where I was surrounded by peers, like me, head over heels for Beethoven, or Chopin, or Berlioz. In my free moments, I would amble across the street to Tower Records to browse the LPs. One Saturday, the vinyl shrank into new technology that sounded like Windexed LPs. The first CD I bought (before I even had a player) was Berlioz Symphonie fantastique with the Chicago Symphony. After convincing my parents to up the home audio game, I played it constantly  often with the volume turned to 11.

I loved the piano, but I loved symphonic literature more. I stayed the piano course through a freshman year at the University of Pennsylvania, and three remaining undergraduate years at Juilliard. Post undergrad, I finally made the switch to conducting, indulging my love of the repertoire, and embracing the confluence of both of my parents genomes  Mom: musician; Dad: theoretical nuclear physicist  intuition and aesthetics married to analytics and intellect.

That same balance figures in our April 12 concert with a program of three carefully curated and thoughtfully wrought works. The genius of these composers is their artful gift of harnessing stunning craftsmanship in the service of emotion, drama and psychic impact. Never are we aware of the mechanics  the nuts and bolts that hold the work together. Instead, we are swept up in the colorful, hyper-human worlds that these artists conjure.

The opening work, (George) Tsontakis Laconika, is a suite of five moody, evocative short movements in which Tsontakis limits the duration of each movement to the length of a pop song, masterfully manipulating our perception of the passage of time. Ravels Piano Concerto in G is a fusion of jazz-age gesture with impressionistic suppleness (that slow movement!). The brilliant Stewart Goodyear will bring his dynamic pianism and virtuosity, as well as his towering intellect and impeccable taste to bear. After intermission, Ill introduce you to my old friend, Symphonie fantastique. My mom would love to be there, but shell be listening in from above, eating heavenly clam pizza.
NEW HAVEN  The new animated film Sgt. Stubby: An American Hero  which will have a special preview April 8 in the Elm City before wide release April 13  is no Pixar studio marvel. The Fun Academy Motion Pictures film is computer-generated, but it strikes a simpler tone for a simpler era. And its heart is in the right place as it tells a worthy true story with young people in mind.

The story is compelling enough  with Stubby participating heroically in four offensives and 17 battles  and the film works in historical points from a century ago, from the gas masks to the battle maps to the emergence of the 1918 flu pandemic.

The 90-minute film will be screened at Bow Tie Criterion Cinemas on Temple Street at 5:30 p.m. on April 8, with a red carpet starting at 4 p.m. (check ahead for tickets; it may be sold out).

The film is based on the unlikely story of the most decorated canine in American history, Sgt. Stubby. The New Haven stray dog was adopted by a soldier, J. Robert Conroy of New Britain, as the 102nd Infantry Regiment of the 26th Yankee Division was training for World War I at (or near) Yale Field.

The movies opening places that training on the New Haven Green, with some familiar buildings in the background. Thats a nice buzz for folks familiar with New Haven, although as the Yale Alumni Magazine put it recently, Bingham Hall appears in the background  anachronistically, as it wasnt built till 1926.

Sgt Stubby is narrated by Conroys sister Margaret, voiced by Helen Bonham Carter. Logan Lerman voices Conroy and Gerard Depardieu plays a friendly French soldier.

This reviewer watched intently with his two grandchildren  me because my grandfather served in that very outfit sent over to France in the war to end all wars, and the kids because its an engaging story of a dog who could stand at attention, salute officers, have adventures and inspire trust. The younger child at one point did ask what war is, and I avoided saying its where politicians send young men when theyre trying to procure a second term in office.

But it did lead me to curtail the 4- and 6-year-olds viewing of the war scenes, where there is camaraderie but also a mustard gas attack, injury and even (implied) death  all handled tastefully so the film is acceptable to kids 7 and over. If it were a live-action story, you would expect a lot more agony and horror, but while the animation mostly skims that bloody surface, it doesnt glorify its subject either.

The film has been chosen as an official project of U.S. and French WWI centennial commissions. Stubbys status as an adopted stray is also leading Fun Academy to partner with animal organizations across the country for the film, which is slated to be released to 3,000 screens in the U.S.
WASHINGTON - North Korea has confirmed directly to the Trump administration that it is willing to negotiate with the United States about potential denuclearization, administration officials said Sunday, a signal that the two sides have opened communications ahead of a potential summit between President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un next month.

The message from Pyongyang offers the first reassurance that Kim is committed to meeting Trump. The U.S. president accepted an offer made in March on Kim's behalf by South Korean emissaries during a meeting at the White House, but Pyongyang had not publicly commented.

"The U.S. has confirmed that Kim Jong Un is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," said a senior administration official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. A second official also confirmed that representatives of North Korea had delivered a direct message to the United States, which was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

At the same time, U.S. officials cautioned that Pyongyang offered no details about its negotiating position and noted that North Korea has violated past agreements, during the George W. Bush administration, to freeze its nuclear weapons and ballistic missile programs.

Foreign policy analysts warned that the Kim regime has long defined the concept of denuclearization differently than the United States has, seeking the removal of U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula and an agreement that the United States will no longer protect allies South Korea and Japan with its nuclear arsenal. Previous U.S. administrations have unilaterally rejected such demands.

"It means the removal of the threat posed by us, not them," said Evans Revere, an Asia analyst at Albright Stonebridge Group who was a high-ranking State Department official before retiring in 2007. "It's been defined as this for us on many occasions. My conclusion is this is not new. Various outlets are describing this as a major breakthrough on North Korea's commitment toward denuclearization. It's no such thing."

Despite such cautionary notes, Trump surprised his aides last month when he accepted the offer from Kim during the meeting with the South Koreans and instructed his aides to arrange it before the end of May.

The move came after months of bellicose threats between Trump and Kim, during which North Korea conducted several nuclear and ballistic missile tests, showing a significant advancement in its military capabilities.

South Korean officials used their country's hosting of the Winter Olympics to help open a dialogue with Pyongyang, leading to the diplomatic efforts to lessen tensions. And Kim visited Beijing this month in his first trip outside North Korea since he assumed control of the country after his father, Kim Jong Il, died in 2011.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled for a two-day visit with Trump this month at Mar-a-Lago, the president's resort near Palm Beach, Florida, to coordinate strategy between the allies. South Korean President Moon Jae-in plans to meet with Kim at the end of the month in the demilitarized zone between the North and the South.

White House officials have not said where the Trump-Kim summit will be held. The agenda of the meeting is not yet known, and North Korea has not been clear about what steps it is willing to take to move toward denuclearization. White House officials have vowed to maintain tough economic sanctions imposed on Pyongyang over the past year by the United States and the United Nations.

During previous negotiations under different U.S. administrations, the North has agreed to freeze its nuclear weapons program in exchange for the lifting of international economic sanctions, only to violate the agreement by testing more weapons.

Christopher Hill, a former State Department official who led the U.S. delegation in the "six-party talks" with the North during the Bush era, said the North Koreans are sophisticated negotiators who know what the United States wants.

"The question is when and how and what they want in return for it," Hill said. "If the notion is denuclearization where you take all the forces that threaten them off the Korean Peninsula, it's not going to work. . . . If they have in mind the sorts of things on offer in 2005 - energy assistance, economic assistance, cross recognition of states, a peace treaty - we're in business. But at this point, we just don't know."

Trump administration officials declined to disclose how the North Koreans delivered their direct message. The United States does not have diplomatic relations with Pyongyang, and Joseph Yun, the State Department's special representative on North Korean policy, retired in February.

But the North does have diplomats at the United Nations in New York, and U.S. intelligence officials have reportedly been in contact with North Korean emissaries. Although allowing intelligence agencies to take the lead in summit planning is an unorthodox approach, Trump has nominated CIA Director Mike Pompeo to replace Rex Tillerson, who was fired last month as secretary of state.

Pompeo, a former congressman who has gained Trump's trust by delivering his daily intelligence briefing, has taken a hard-line stance on North Korea, as has John Bolton, who has formally replaced H.R. McMaster as Trump's national security adviser.

It is not known whether the Senate will be able to vote before the summit on whether to confirm Pompeo as secretary of state.

Trump administration officials said that a "comprehensive, whole-of-government effort" is underway to prepare for the North Korea talks, with National Security Council aides coordinating policy between key government agencies, including the State Department, the Pentagon and the Treasury Department.

But it remains unclear how many direct talks between U.S. and North Korean officials will take place before a potential leaders' meeting. Traditionally, U.S. diplomats would meet with their counterparts from another country ahead of time to negotiate where such a meeting would take place and the agenda, as well as certain agreements or joint statements that could be made during the summit.

Without such planning meetings, it is difficult to envision what Trump intends to achieve.

On the key question of whether Kim is truly willing to give up his nuclear program, experts said it remains a long shot.

"Think of it from North Korea's point of view - what assurances, verbal or written, could the U.S. provide that in their mind would give them greater security assurances than the possession of nuclear weapons?" said Bruce Klingner, an Asia expert at the conservative Heritage Foundation who served as the CIA's deputy division chief for Korea from 1996 to 2001.

Trump aides have said time is fast running out to change North Korea's strategy and its trajectory on nuclear weapons. Tests last year showed that the North appears to have achieved the ability to strike the U.S. mainland with a ballistic missile. The Kim regime could be only months away from being able to mount a nuclear warhead on such missiles, which Trump has called a game-changer.

Aides point to failed diplomatic talks at lower levels for the past 27 years as evidence that something more dramatic is required to achieve a breakthrough. Still, experts remain skeptical.

"I'm an advocate for high-level talks with North Korea, but I'm not supportive of this presidential summit for a lot of reasons," said Revere, the former State Department official, "not the least of which is that this is not a serious and sincere and potentially productive North Korean offer."

---

The Washington Post's John Hudson contributed to this report.
I am compelled to share with Connecticut citizens, especially our elected officials, what I believe to be our collective culpability in recognizing and then not honoring treaties and agreements we have made with native nations over the many years since the colonization of this land.

The latter is particularly relevant as citizens of this state contemplate yet another broken treaty and agreement with our indigenous nations. Our state leadership envisions, by breaking our agreement with our native nations, new infusions of gold as it relates to MGMs proposal for a new casino in Bridgeport and as an attempt to destroy financial independence and sovereignty of the Pequot and Mohegan nations. Our consideration of new capital to be infused into our state and dismissal and cancellations of our agreement with our native nations continues the long legacy of broken treaties and agreements that have decimated native nations nationally and in our state.

Over 25 years ago state voters agreed to partner with our two native nations to allow them to secure gaming rights that we promised them, including exclusivity to assure sustainability and their self-sufficiency in a unique new partnership with the state . Today, however, we are strongly considering undermining the financial future of many generations of native nations, much as has been done repeatedly across America with dire and shameful consequences.

Over the history of the United States, hundreds of treaties and agreements have been made with native nations as America has advanced its manifest destiny. Many of these treaties have significantly benefited the growth and procurement of new lands and the acquisition of vast resources, be it gold, access to lucrative water rights or the achievement of wealth for non-natives and America itself.

In parallel with this journey, the cost and toll on native nations has been shameful and a genocidal journey as a direct means and end to Americas wealth today. It has been estimated that around 1492 this land was home to approximately 10 million Native Americans as a low estimate, whereas the most recent Census has this figure at about 2.5 million; Yes, a greater than 75 percent eradication of native peoples, their culture, contributions and footprint.

Many Americans in retrospect look back and are witness to this period in time and program of Indian relocation and shameful Indian schools as a sad part of the history of the expansion and manifest destiny. As citizens of the state, we have not to look any further than our own reoccurring witness to the ripping away of self-sufficiency of the Pequot Nation and the burning down of a entire village of more than 500 men, woman and children. What followed was the genocidal journey of the Pequots and enslavement of survivors and a new agreement called the Treaty of Hartford, that in essence states the Pequots would exist no more and officially seized all Pequot land and possessions which was the overarching goal of the colonists at that time in 1637.

More recently, under the same broad rational for wealth and procurement of new resources, many Americans stood and witnessed a different type of seizure of property by advocating and supporting the Keystone Pipeline as the U.S. and state governments again rationalized allowing 1,600 miles of pipeline across Native American lands. The latter breaks another treaty for the benefit of increased riches for a few, backed by military might and putting land and futures at risk.

Now here we stand in 2018 about to be a part of and witness yet another broken agreement Connecticut citizens entered into with our two tribal nations. The agreement with our state was approved to benefit the two nations and to some extent, right some injustices relative to land illegally, if not immorally, acquired from native nations. Concurrentlythis agreement met some of the needs of the state, which has benefited in excess of $7 billion through the agreement.

State residents must continue to provide a moral compass of leadership relative to honoring and respecting our indigenous nations and our agreements as these nations fight to maintain sovereignty, financial sustainability and prevent past injustices from being prognosticators of their future.

It appears to be disingenuous that we proclaim Connecticut a sanctuary state, yet the economic genocide of our native nations continues to be a risk.

James Rawlings, founder the Native American Intertribal Council in New Haven, is the former president of the NAACPs Greater New Haven branch, and an elder of his tribe in Massachusetts, part of the Wampanoag Nation.
Citizens for Truth and Accountability Ghana (CITAG) has strongly condemned President Nana Akufo-Addo following his recent response to the controversial Ghana-U.S. Defence Cooperation Deal.



A statement released by CITAG suggests that the President's utterances came as a shock to the social activist group because the President, who is a human rights lawyer, chose to abuse and attack harmless citizens who were acting within the reigns of the law.



A $20 million deal, presented by the US government and expected to train and equip Ghanas military, was approved by parliament.



In return, the United States military will be allowed to deploy troops and import military equipment tax-free, use an airport runway that meets U.S. standards, and have free access to Ghanas radio spectrum.



Thousands of citizens protested in Accra last Wednesday against the expansion of the defence cooperation with the United States, in a rare public display of opposition.



Many have rebuked the President who addressed Ghanaians as "hypocrites and self-seeking" for choosing to exercise their right to demonstrate as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana during his response to the deal.



Describing President Akufo-Addos remarks as deliberate and malicious, the youth-led group which seeks to ensure that the right thing is done by the citizenry and government, urged well-meaning Ghanaians to denounce the statement made by the President.



In trying to correct wrong, the president decided to address the nation on the contentious agreement and matters arising. Unfortunately, the president failed woefully in addressing the substantive issues raised by section of Ghanaians on some articles of the agreement, the group stated.



Read the full statement below.



Citizens for Truth and Accountability Ghana (CITAG) condemns the President's reckless posture on the US military base brouhaha



The deliberate and malicious attempt by the President of the Republic of Ghana Nana Akuffo Addo to cow in the citizens of Ghana is reckless, abusive, irresponsible and must be condemned by all well-meaning Ghanaians.



It is recalled that, a document purported to be an agreement reached by the government of Ghana and the United States of America on the establishment of a US military base in Ghana sparked so much controversy in the country. The agreement was subsequently laid in parliament for approval. Several allegations were raised by the minority in parliament on unfair treatment by the majority. It is on record that the said agreement was approved without the minority MPs in parliament. Consequently, minority parties and a section of Ghanaians demonstrated against the agreement calling on the government to withdraw or alter the unfavorable portions of the agreement.



In trying to correct wrong, the president decided to address the nation on the contentious agreement and matters arising. Unfortunately, the president failed woefully in addressing the substantive issues raised by section of Ghanaians on some articles of the agreement.



Notably, articles 4, 10,12,13,14 of the agreement betrays the goodwill of the Ghanaian citizenry and undermines the sovereignty of the independence of Ghana.



It came to CITAG as shock and disappointment that the president who is a human rights lawyer chose to abuse and attack harmless citizens who were acting within the reigns of the law. The president addressed Ghanaians as "hypocrites and self-seeking" for choosing to exercise their right to demonstrate as enshrined in the 1992 Constitution of Ghana.



CITAG strongly believes that there is more to the agreement than Ghanaians are made to believe. The president's violent physical posture which is aimed at imposing a culture of silence on the citizenry is clear manifestation that some portions of the agreement maybe fraudulent and need urgent review. Again, his decision to disregard the concerns of Ghanaians on the agreement is worrying and so vindicates the position of the minority parties and section of Ghanaians who took to the streets.



CITAG fears that our volatile democracy may reach a crisis state if this vindictive and abusive posture of the President is not immediately checked. The president must rise above this pettiness and assume the official status of a president.



CITAG wish to commend Ghanaians for rising above all impediments to ensure that the best is offered the Ghanaian citizenry. We again call on all Ghanaians to hold on to the struggle until the government come clear with the roadmap for reviewing this bogus agreement.



We further wish to call on the President to apologize and retract his insults on innocent Ghanaians. CITAG will not hesitate to embark on massive demonstration to register our displeasure if the president fails to adhere and do the honourable thing.



CITAG..voice for the voiceless



Signed

Eben Fenuku

(Convener)

0209155476



Atanga Mathew

(Dir. Of communication)

0247144224



Blay Clement

(Dep. Convener)

0265151319



Damba Inusah

(Nat. Organizer)

0246506551



Rashid Asungtaba

(Dir. Of Operations)

0241827785

Source: Ghanaweb.com









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Featured Video
April 4, 2018Lauren Alley, 406-888-5838

West Glacier, MT  Glacier National Park is celebrating the centennial of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the importance birds play in the park and area ecosystems. The Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at Glacier National Park is hosting a brown bag luncheon presentation with Lisa Bate, Glacier National Park wildlife biologist, and Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center, a wildlife rehabilitation organization in Northwest Montana. The presentation will be held on Thursday, April 12 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the parks Community Building in West Glacier. The presentation is free and open to the public.



Bate will explore the significance of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and explore why over 150 organizations have joined entities like National Geographic and the National Audubon Society to celebrate birds throughout 2018, the Year of the Bird. Bate will also discuss Glacier National Parks golden eagle migration monitoring program.



Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center will join the program with special raptor guests from the center. Volunteers will highlight the wildlife rehabilitation work done by Montana Wild Wings as well as showcase several species of hawks and owls. The public will have an opportunity for questions and conversations with researchers and volunteers during and following the program.



The Year of the Bird is a year-long celebration of birds and marks the significance of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, signed in 1918. Organizations like the National Park Service have joined with the National Audubon Society, National Geographic, Bird Life International, and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology to celebrate birds and teach the public how to take actions to protect birds and their habitats.



Visit the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center events page for more information on this summers brown bag series and other learning opportunities.

About the National Park Service: More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for Americas 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Learn more at www.nps.gov.
Roseburg, OR (97470)

Today

Cloudy skies this morning will become partly cloudy this afternoon. High 72F. Winds light and variable..

Tonight

Some clouds this evening will give way to mainly clear skies overnight. Low around 50F. Winds light and variable.
The Denver Post is in open revolt against its owner.

Angry and frustrated journalists at the 125-year-old newspaper took the extraordinary step this weekend of publicly blasting its New York-based hedge-fund owner and making the case for its own survival in several articles that went online Friday and are scheduled to run in The Posts Sunday opinion section.

News matters, the main headline reads. Colo. should demand the newspaper it deserves.

The bold tactic was born out of a dissatisfaction not uncommon in newsrooms across the country as newspapers grapple with the loss of revenue that has followed the decline of print.

The move at The Post followed a prolonged, slow-burning rebellion at The Los Angeles Times, where journalists agitated against the papers owner, the media company Tronc. Newsroom complaints about Troncs leadership helped lead to the sale of the newspaper to a billionaire medical entrepreneur, Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiong, who had been a major shareholder in Tronc.

For many publications that do not attract a patron-like owner, however, the difficult times are likely to continue, and midsize newspapers have been hit especially hard. Hoping to avoid the slow trudge to irrelevance or bankruptcy, the Denver paper took the stuff of newsroom conversation and made it public in dramatic fashion.
NAIROBI, Kenya  When the United Nations hosts a donor conference next week to raise $1.7 billion for the violence-racked Democratic Republic of Congo, one important country will not attend: Congo itself.

The government of President Joseph Kabila has said that it will boycott the gathering, denying that his central African nation faces a humanitarian crisis at all.

The move, which took some diplomats by surprise, was another sign of the increasing isolation of the government of Mr. Kabila, who has faced internal rebellion and international criticism for holding on to power in defiance of constitutional term limits.

The governments increasingly bellicose stance comes as it has been blasting what it calls international meddling in the countrys politics. Under intense international pressure, Mr. Kabilas government will hold new elections in December, but it has rejected any outside assistance with the poll.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Anti-government activists accused the Syrian government of attacking a Damascus suburb with poison gas on Saturday as Syrian forces stepped up their campaign to retake the last rebel-held pocket near the capital.

Activists in the suburb of Douma, east of Damascus, shared videos online that showed lifeless men, women and children sprawled on floors with white foam around their mouths. Other footage showed chaotic clinics where medics were hosing down patients and treating them with respirators.

The scale of the attack and the number of people killed were not immediately clear. But rescue workers estimated a death toll in the dozens.

The State Department called the reports horrifying in a statement and said that if they are confirmed, they demand an immediate response by the international community.
But new scandals have continued to appear. Last year, Deutsche Bank agreed to pay more than $600 million to authorities in New York and Britain to settle charges that it had helped Russian investors launder as much as $10 billion through branches in Moscow, London and New York. Regulators said the conduct took place from 2011 to 2015.

Mr. Cryan was also unable to return Deutsche Bank to profitability. The bank reported a loss of 735 million, or about $900 million, for 2017, its third consecutive annual loss.



Investors have punished the banks shares, which have lost more than half their value since Mr. Cryan became co-chief executive in July 2015. Mr. Cryan initially shared the top job with Jurgen Fitschen and became the sole chief executive in 2016.

Unlike almost all of his recent predecessors, Mr. Sewing is not primarily an investment banker. He has worked at Deutsche Bank since 1989, spending time at bank offices in London, Singapore, Tokyo and Toronto. He held top positions in risk management at the bank and was its chief auditor until being named to the management board in 2015.

As a German and a Deutsche Bank lifer with a background in risk management, Mr. Sewing will reassure German regulators concerned that the bank has taken too long to pare down the risky assets accumulated by its London-based investment banking unit. With its zeal to remain in the Wall Street big leagues, Deutsche Bank was slower than its European rivals like Credit Suisse to scale back its investment banking operations after the financial crisis.

Mr. Sewings management portfolio has included Postbank, which offers banking services from German post offices. That background will most likely raise expectations that he will shift Deutsche Banks emphasis from investment banking back to its roots in the German domestic market.

Those expectations may be misplaced. The German banking market is overcrowded and profit margins are slim. Deutsche Bank has little prospect for growth without investment banking and international expansion. In a sign that the bank continues to have ambitions in investment banking, the supervisory board has nominated John Thain  former chief executive of Merrill Lynch and the New York Stock Exchange and a former co-chief operating officer of Goldman Sachs  as a new member. The nomination must be approved by shareholders at their annual meeting in May.
Dr. Anna Marie Ward and Dr. Daniel Mark Frendl were married April 7 at the Paradise Valley Country Club in Paradise Valley, Ariz. Lawrence F. Winthrop, a judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals, officiated.

The bride, 32, is an instructor in anesthesia at Harvard Medical School and a practicing anesthesiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and received a medical degree from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, Phoenix.

She is the daughter of Pamela Thomas Ward and Dr. John Alfred Dudley Ward of Paradise Valley. The brides father retired as a plastic surgeon in private practice in Scottsdale, Ariz. Her mother is a retired business manager, also in Scottsdale.

The groom, 31, is a resident in the Harvard Urologic Surgery Residency Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital. He graduated from Duke and received a medical degree and a doctor of philosophy from the University of Massachusetts.
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LULA y su Pueblo



Bye Bye



Homenaje al genial Quino



Fueron ellos



Una imagen que resume



Tan bajo ha caido que se deja tocar el trasero?



Porky y el Nene (archiconocido narcotraficante)



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Chavez Cuanto te queremos!



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Algun dia Colombia volvera a la ideologia de Bolivar







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



























Cuando lo extraordinario se vuelve cotidiano...



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Si quieren un modelo de vida. Ahi lo tienen.



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Muchas gracias y que Dios los bendiga.





Alguna duda?



Medio siglo de Holocausto Palestino



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



OZ1



OZ2



OZ3



OZ4



Homenaje a Jason Galarraga



La Victoria de Samotracia



Odalisca



Mas fotos de la nevada del pasado agosto 2008



























La Sierra Nevada de Merida



Nuestro precioso Churum Meru



Homenaje a Picasso



Autoretrato



Sabes lo que bebes en una Coca-Cola?

La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.

Mi profesion?

Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.

Sal en la Coca Cola?

A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.

De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:

Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gusto

Acido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)

azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)

Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantas

Mucha Cafeina

Conservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o Potasio

Dioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebe

Sal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracion

El uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.

Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.

Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.

En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).

Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.

La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.

Bebidas Light?

Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el

Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.



Publicado por loretahur



En realidad, la formula secreta de la Coca-Cola se puede detallar en 18 segundos en cualquier espectrometro optico, y basicamente la conocen hasta los perros. Lo que ocurre es que no se puede fabricar igual, a no ser que uno disponga de unos cuantos millones de dolares para ganarle la demanda que te metera la Coca-Cola ante la justicia (ellos no perderian).La formula de la Pepsi tiene una diferencia basica con la de la Coca-Cola y es intencional, para evitar el proceso judicial. La diferencia es a proposito, pero suficientemente parecida como para atraer a los consumidores de Coca-Cola que prefieren un gusto diferente con menos sal y azucar.Tuve que aprender quimica, entender todo sobre componentes de gaseosas, conservantes, sales, acidos, cafeina, enlatado, produccion, permisos, aprobaciones y muchas otras cosas. Monte mi propio mini-laboratorio de analisis de productos.A patadas. El Cloruro de Sodio no solo refresca sino da mas sed, como para pedir otra gaseosa. Y no resulta desagradable porque la sal mata literalmente la sensibilidad al dulce... del que por cierto tambien tiene mucho: 39 gramos de azucar.De los 350 gramos de producto liquido, mas del 10% es azucar, o sea que en una lata de Coca-Cola mas de un centimetro y medio es puro azucar en polvo. Aproximadamente tres cucharadas soperas llenas de azucar por lata!!La formula de la Coca Cola es muy sencilla:Concentrado de azucar quemado caramelo- para dar color oscuro y gustoAcido fosforito (para darle el sabor acido)azucar (HFCS-jarabe de maiz de alta fructosa)Extracto de hojas de la planta de Coca (Africa e India) y otros pocos aromatizantes naturales de otras plantasMucha CafeinaConservante que puede ser Benzoato de Sodio o PotasioDioxido de Carbono en cantidad para sentir freir la lengua cuando se bebeSal para dar la sensacion de refrigeracionEl uso del acido fosforito y no del acido citrico como en todas las demas gaseosas, es para dar la sensacion de dientes y boca limpia al beber. El acido fosforito literalmente frie todo y dana el esmalte de los dientes, cosa que el acido citrico lo hace en menor grado.Trate de comprar acido fosforito para ver las mil recomendaciones de seguridad que te dan para su manipulacion (quema el cristalino del ojo, quema la piel, etc...). Esta prohibido usar el acido fosforito en cualquier otra gaseosa; solo la Coca Cola tiene permiso. Porque claro, sin el acido fosforico, la Coca Cola sabria a jabon.El extracto de coca y otras hojas casi no cambia en nada el sabor. Es mas bien un efecto cosmetico. El extracto forma parte de la Coca-Cola porque legalmente tiene que ser asi. Pero sin el, no se nota ninguna diferencia en el gusto, que esta dado basicamente por las cantidades diferentes de azucar, azucar quemada, sales, acidos y conservantes.Sabor a que...? ja, ja, ja.Aqui en Bartow, sur de Orlando, hay una empresa quimica que produce aromatizantes y esencias para zumos. Envian diariamente camionadas de sales concentradas y esencias para las fabricas de helados, gaseosas, jugos, enlatados y comida colorida y aromatizada.Cuando visite por primera vez la fabrica, pedi ver el deposito de concentrados de frutas, que deberia ser inmenso, especialmente los de naranja, pina, fresa y tantos otros. El encargado me miro, se rio y me llevo a visitar los depositos inmensos... pero de colorantes y componentes quimicos.Las gaseosa de naranja no contiene naranja.En los zumos dizque de fresa, hasta los puntitos que quedan en suspension estan hechos de goma (una liga quimica que envuelve un semi-polimero).Pina, es un popurri de acidos y goma.La esencia para helado de aguacate usa peroxido de hidrogeno (agua oxigenada) para dar la sensacion espumosa tipica del aguacate.Quieres saber la cantidad de basura que tiene un refresco 'light'? Yo ni siquiera los uso para destapar mi lavaplatos pues temo que danen los tubos de PVC. Los productos endulzantes 'ligth' tienen una vida media muy corta. Por ejemplo el aspartamo , despues de tres semanas mojado, pasa a tener gusto de trapo viejo sucio.Para evitar eso, se agregan una infinidad de otros productos quimicos, uno para alargar la vida del aspartamo, otro para neutralizar el color, otro para mantener el tercer quimico en suspension porque sino el fondo de la gaseosa quedaria oscuro, otro para evitar la cristalizacion del aspartamo, otro para realzar el sabor, dar mas intensidad al acido citrico o fosforito que perderia su sabor por el efecto de los cuatro productos quimicos iniciales... y asi sucesivamente.Un consejo final !!Despues de toda mi experiencia con la produccion de bebidas embasadas, puedo afirmar sin dudar un segundo: la mejor bebida es el agua, como tambien los jugos exprimidos de naranja o limon. Nada mas, cero azucar y cero sal.Publicado por loretahur

MARGARINA o MANTEQUILLA La margarina fue producida originalmente para engordar a los pavos; cuandolo que hizo en realidad fue matarlos.Las personas que habian puesto el dinero para la investigacion quisieronrecobrarlo asi que empezaron a pensar en una forma de hacerlo.Tenian una sustancia blanca, que no tenia ningun atractivo como comestible,asi que le anadieron el color amarillo, para venderselo a lagente en lugar de la mantequilla.Que tal esa?... Ahora han sacado algunos nuevos sabores para vender mas alos incautos como usted y yo.CONOCE USTED la diferencia entre la margarina y la mantequilla?Siga leyendo hasta el final... porque se pone bastante interesante!Comparacion entre mantequilla y margarina:

1.- Ambas tienen la misma cantidad de calorias.

2.- La mantequilla es ligeramente mas alta en grasas saturadas: 8 gramos,comparada con los 5 gramos que tiene la margarina.

3.- Comer margarina en vez de mantequilla puede aumentar en 53% el riesgo deenfermedades coronarias en las mujeres, de acuerdo con un estudiomedico reciente de la Universidad de Harvard.

4.- Comer mantequilla aumenta la absorcion de gran cantidad de nutrientesque se encuentran en otros alimentos.

5.- La mantequilla provee beneficios nutricionales propios mientras lamargarina tiene solo los que le hayan sido anadidos al fabricarla.

6.- La mantequilla sabe mucho mejor que la margarina y mejora el sabor deotros alimentos.7.- La mantequilla ha existido durante siglos mientras que la margarinatiene menos de 100 anos.

Ahora... sobre la margarina:

1.- Es muy alta en acidos grasos trans. (Si, esos que recien ahora loscientificos descubrieron que son malisimos y los gobiernoscomenzaron a prohibirlos) .

2.- Triple riesgo de enfermedades coronarias.

3.- Aumenta el colesterol total y el LDL (el colesterol malo) y disminuye elHDL (el colesterol bueno).

4.- Aumenta en cinco veces el riesgo de cancer.

5.- Disminuye la calidad de la leche materna.

6.- Disminuye la reaccion inmunologica del organismo.

7.- Disminuye la reaccion a la insulina.

Y he aqui el factor mas inquietante (AQUI ESTA LA PARTE MAS INTERESANTE! ):A la margarina le falta UNA MOLECULA para ser PLASTICO...!!Solo este hecho es suficiente para evitar el uso de la margarina de porvida, y de cualquier otra cosa que sea hidrogenada (esto significaque se le anade hidrogeno, lo cual cambia la estructura molecular de lassubstancias).Usted puede ensayar lo siguiente:Compre un poco de margarina y dejela en el garaje o en un sitio sombreado.Dentro de unos dias notara dos cosas:

* No habra moscas; ni siquiera esos molestos bichos se le acercaran (esto yale debe decir a usted algo).

* No se pudre ni huele mal o diferente porque no tiene valor nutritivo; nadacrece en ella. Ni siquiera los diminutos microorganismos puedencrecer en ella.Por que? Porque es casi plastico!!



No a la guerra, Si a la Paz



Misterios de la ciencia...



Los costos de la guerra



medicos y capitalismo...



Capitalismo...



medicos (2)



Quien educa a nuestros hijos?



Los Medios...



Sin Palabras...



Chistes feministas

- Cual es el problema, Eva?

- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz...

- Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.

- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...

- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.

- Que es un hombre?

- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.

- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.

- Cual es el truco?.

- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.

- Cual?

- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.





Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Un dia, en el Paraiso, Eva llamo a Dios: Tengo un problema.- Cual es el problema, Eva?- Se que me has creado, que me has dado este hermoso jardin, todos estos maravillosos animales y esa serpiente con la que me muero de risa... pero no soy del todo feliz... - Como es eso, Eva? - replico Dios desde las alturas.- Me encuentro sola, y ademas estoy harta de comer manzanas...- Bueno Eva, en tal caso, tengo una solucion... creare un hombre para ti.- Que es un hombre?- Un hombre sera una criatura imperfecta, con muchas artimanas. Mentira, hara trampas, sera engreido... vamos, que te va a dar problemas... Pero, va a ser mas fuerte y rapido que tu y le gustara cazar y matar cosas... Tendra un aspecto simple, pero como te estas quejando, le creare de tal forma que satisfaga tus... eh... necesidades fisicas... Y tampoco sera muy listo, y destacara en cosas infantiles como pegarse o dar patadas a un balon... Necesitara tu consejo siempre para actuar cuerdamente.- Suena bien - dijo Eva, mientras levantaba la ceja ironicamente.- Cual es el truco?.- Pues... que lo tendras con una condicion.- Cual?- Como te decia, sera chulo, arrogante y muy narcisista... asi que le tendras que hacer creer que le hice a el primero... recuerda... es nuestro secreto... de mujer a mujer.Por que a los hombres no les puede dar la enfermedad de las vacas locas?  Porque todos son unos cerdos

Ellas...



Ellas (2)...



Tres venganzas femeninas VENGANZA NUMERO 1

Hoy mi hija cumple 21 anos y estoy muy contento porque es el ultimo pago de pension alimenticia que le doy, asi que llame a mi hijita para que viniera a mi casa y cuando llego le dije:

-Hijita, quiero que lleves este cheque a casa de tu mama y que le digas que: Este es el ultimo maldito cheque que va recibir de mi en todo lo que le queda de su puta vida!!! Quiero que me digas la expresion que pone en su rostro.

Asi que mi hija fue a entregar el cheque. Yo estaba ansioso por saber lo que la bruja tenia que decir y que cara pondria.

Cuando mi hijita entro, le pregunte inmediatamente: -Que fue lo que te dijo tu madre?

-Me dijo que justamente estaba esperando este dia para decirte que no eres mi papa!



VENGANZA NUMERO 2

Un hombre que siempre molestaba a su mujer, paso un dia por la casa de unos amigos para que lo acompanaran al aeropuerto a dejar a su esposa que viajaba a Paris.

A la salida de inmigracion, frente a todo el mundo, el le desea buen viaje y en tono burlon le grita:

- Amor, no te olvides de traerme una hermosa francesita Ja ja ja!!

Ella bajo la cabeza y se embarco muy molesta.

La mujer paso quince dias en Francia.

El marido otra vez pidio a sus amigos que lo acompanasen al aeropuerto a recibirla.

Al verla llegar, lo primero que le grita a toda voz es:

- Y amor me trajiste mi francesita??

- Hice todo lo posible, - contesta ella - ahora solo tenemos que rezar para que nazca nina.



VENGANZA NUMERO 3

El marido, en su lecho de muerte, llama a su mujer. Con voz ronca y ya debil, le dice: - Muy bien, llego mi hora, pero antes quiero hacerte una confesion.

- No, no, tranquilo, tu no debes hacer ningun esfuerzo.

- Pero, mujer, es preciso - insiste el marido - Es preciso morir en paz.

Te quiero confesar algo.

- Esta bien, esta bien. Habla!

- He tenido relaciones con tu hermana, tu mama y tu mejor amiga.

- Lo se, lo se Por eso te envenene, hijo de puta!!!



machismo y cibernetica



Chiste machista La NASA ha enviado al espacio una mision experimental tripulada por dos monos y una mujer.Apenas abandona la atmosfera, se establece comunicacion con Houston.

-Atencion, simio 1, verifique sistemas hidraulicos, controle adecuada presion de los propulsores de arranque. A 60.000 pies disminuya un 25% la velocidad.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, simio 2, nivele al cruzar la estratosfera y active sistemas anticongelantes. No olvide monitorear sistemas de comunicacion e indicadores de presion. Comprendido?.

El simio hace la sena de OK.

-Atencion, Houston llamando a mujer: no se olvide.

-Mujer: Si, si, ya se! -interrumpe enojada- que no me olvide darles de comer a estos monos de mierda y que no se me vaya a ocurrir tocar nada!.



.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti.

Un abogado mantiene un romance con su secretaria.Al poco tiempo, esta queda embarazada y el abogado, que no quiere que su esposa se entere, le da a la secretaria una buena suma de dinero y le pide que se vaya a parir a Italia.Esta pregunta: Y como voy a hacerte saber cuando nazca el bebe ? El abogado responde: Para que mi mujer no se entere, tan solo enviame una postal y escribe por detras: Spaghetti. Y no te preocupes mas, que yo me encargare de todos los gastos.

Pasan los meses y una manana la esposa del abogado lo llama al bufete, algo exaltada: Querido, acabo de recibir el correo y hay una postal muy extrana viene desde Italia. La verdad, no entiendo que significa.El abogado, tratando de ocultar sus nervios, contesta:Espera a que llegue a casa, a ver si yo entiendoCuando el hombre llega a casa y lee la postal, cae al suelo fulminado por un infarto.Llega una ambulancia y se lo lleva. Ya en el hospital, el jefe de cardiologia se queda consolando a la esposa y le pregunta cual ha sido el evento que precipito tan masivo ataque cardiaco.

Entonces la esposa saca la postal y se la muestra diciendole: No me explico, doctor; el solamente leyo esta postal. Vea usted mismo lo que trae escrito.Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti, Spaghetti."Tres con salchicha y albondigas y dos con almejas



Gol !!!!



Chistes de Borrachos Entra un borracho a su casa todo manchado con lapiz labial por todos lados hecho un desastre, y la mujer le pregunta:-Hombre que te paso?Y el borracho le responde:-No me vas a creer, me pelee con un payaso!



Este es un borracho que entra en un bar y le dice al camarero:-Me da cinco copas de whisky?Al rato:-Me da cuatro?Al rato:-Me da tres copas?Despues:-Me da dos copas?Luego le dice:-Me da una copa?Y le dice al camarero:-Ves? Cuanto menos bebo, mas borracho estoy!


Dr. Eric James Chow and Christopher Ryan Chambers were married April 7 at the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Dr. Su N. Aung, a Universal Life minister and a friend of the couple, officiated.

Dr. Chow (left), 33, is a chief resident at Hasbro Childrens Hospital, a teaching affiliate of Brown University in Providence, R.I., where he was trained in internal medicine and pediatrics. He graduated with two bachelors degrees, one in biological sciences and the other in international relations, with honors, and a masters degree in biological sciences from Stanford. He also has both a medical degree and a masters in public health from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, Va. In July, he is to join the Epidemic Intelligence Service at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is based in Atlanta.

He is a son of Julia L. Chow and Marvin Chow of La Canada, Calif. His mother retired as a pharmacist at Queen of the Valley Hospital in West Covina, Calif. His father retired as the pharmacy manager at the City of Hope National Medical Center in Duarte, Calif.

Mr. Chambers, 28, is a master diver at the New England Aquarium in Boston and oversees the care of the Giant Ocean Tank. His job there previously included rescuing and rehabilitating stranded sea turtles. He graduated from University of New Hampshire.
In the three hours before his death, Matthew Azimi spoke to one person three times, each conversation lasting under a minute.

The first call was at 3:27 p.m., about 40 minutes after dismissal at the special education high school in the Bronx where Mr. Azimi was a teacher. Three hours later, at 6:15 p.m., Mr. Azimi was found dead with a syringe and a tiny plastic envelope beside him inside of a faculty restroom, the victim of a fatal drug overdose.

The police said those phone calls Mr. Azimi made on Nov. 30, 2017, led New York Police Department detectives to the dealers who sold the deadly drugs. Two men, Kashawn Lyons, 31, and Terrick Whitaker, 31, both of the Bronx, were charged on Friday with heroin and fentanyl distribution, and conspiring to sell the drugs.

Mr. Lyons, who was arrested on Thursday, faces 20 years to life in prison if convicted of peddling the drugs that killed Mr. Azimi, federal prosecutors said. Mr. Whitaker was still at large.
The trip, not including food and emergency supplies, costs about $1,200 all around  compared with the monthly minimum wage, which is set at 18,000 dinars, just over $100 dollars at common black-market rates. The crossing to Spain takes one day, two days at most. Never mind that the smugglers often are illegal immigrants who returned home and figured out that they could make more money doing this here than doing anything else over there. The harga has sent the prices of speedboats, boat motors, life jackets and GPS systems skyrocketing.

Mostaganem, my hometown, is a small coastal city between Algiers and Oran. It was once a lovely weekend destination, with its stilt bungalows by the sea and its sardine restaurants, but today tourism lags for lack of investment. The government is suspicious of all foreigners. Algeria sells oil, and unlike its neighbors Morocco and Tunisia, it doesnt need money from tourists. Whats more, it is run by a gerontocracy that clings to power by any means and is increasingly out of step with the countrys very young population: 29 percent of the total is under 15.

Young people suffer from the lack of employment and opportunities, and especially from the lack of leisure activities. Their isolation is reinforced by rising Islamism. In Mostaganem, as in other towns and villages throughout Algeria, there are no movie theaters, no swimming pools, no dance floors and no restaurants. Lovers may not kiss or hold hands in public. So Mostaganems beautiful, still-wild coastline is a point of departure. More than 110 small craft set out from there in a single week last year, according to the local authorities; 286 Algerians are said to have been intercepted on the open sea in just three days in November. The Mediterranean Sea regularly throws up the corpses of the drowned, but that doesnt seem to discourage prospective travelers.

The hargas scale is difficult to measure. There are no definitive statistics; very few numbers have been made public. The data have not been centralized; the harragas fall within the purview of the coast guard but also the military authorities as well as various ministries. And then, illegal migration is a sore topic.

Some sources say there were more than 3,100 illegal immigration attempts from the coasts of Algeria in 2017. Others place the number closer to 5,000. This figure may seem modest compared to greater exoduses that receive more media coverage, but according to the French daily Le Monde, it has increased. The interior ministry of Spain reported a deluge at the end of November: Nearly 500 migrants, more than half of them Algerians, disembarked in Spain in the course of just one week. An article from October in the leading Algerian newspaper El Watan reported, citing figures from N.G.O.s, that more than 10,000 harragas had been stopped between 2005 and 2016, while 20,000 to 25,000 were thought to have reached other shores and more than 1,500 had died during the crossing.
The leader of the junior partner in Greeces coalition government, Defense Minister Panos Kammenos, used the anniversary of the start of the Greek war of independence, March 25, to declare, We will crush whoever dares to question our national sovereignty. Referring to Mr. Erdogans recent talk of a great Turkey following the invasion of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northern Syria, Mr. Kammenos added: Whoever has in mind large Ottoman empires should remember 1821, how the Greek people faced the Ottoman Empire and crushed it.

Prime Minister Binali Yildirim of Turkey picked up the thread. Turkey will never tolerate certain circles which violate our sovereignty in the Mediterranean and the Aegean, he declared. Those who play at being pirates in the Aegean should not forget Sept. 9, 1922, he added.

Enmity and suspicion between Greece and Turkey was not erased by their joint accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1952. The two came close to war in 1974, when Turkey invaded Cyprus and occupied its north in response to a coup by Greek Cypriots who wanted to unite the island republic with Greece. In 1987 and 1996, disputes over sea and territorial rights in the Aegean again nearly led to war. Turkish warplanes continually fly into the 10-mile airspace around islands declared by Athens and over islets whose sovereignty Turkey questions. Ankaras declaration that the two uninhabited Imia islets are Turkish has raised the stakes: urgent mediation by the United States in 1996 prevented conflict over the islets, resulting in an agreement that neither side would dispatch ships there or raise flags on them.

Today such mediation is less likely. Having grown accustomed to expressing outspoken criticism of the United States because of Washingtons objections to Turkeys invasion of the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in Syria, Mr. Erdogan is not likely to back down in any confrontation with Greece. President Trumps recent statement that United States troops would leave Syria very soon  whenever that may be  must have boosted Turkeys self-confidence.

European mediation could be even less effective. On March 22, the European Council  the leaders of the European Union member states  said that it strongly condemns Turkeys continued illegal actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea and underlines its full solidarity with Cyprus and Greece.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry dismissed the statement. Such wordings solely based on the Greek Cypriot and Greek claims are unacceptable, it said. The Turkish minister of European Union affairs, Omer Celik, tweeted, Solidarity is meaningful only when it is legitimate.

Ankara clearly does not feel threatened by criticism that could weaken ties with the European Union. It is also keen to point out that it can control the flow of refugees and migrants, whose mass influx in 2015 shook politics in many European countries, suggesting that they may need Ankaras good will more than it needs theirs.
And orphan animals raised by humans are the most vulnerable of all, unprepared to live in the wild, if they even survive a clueless rescuers attempt to feed them.

As a college student in Alabama, I was trained as a wildlife-rescue volunteer, and I raised many orphaned animals  rabbits, squirrels, opossums, songbirds  and released them according to a protocol designed to give them the best chance at survival. These days if I find an injured bird or an orphaned squirrel, I take it to Waldens Puddle, the wildlife rehabilitation center closest to me.

And yet all over social media, I see images of cute baby animals being reared by well-meaning people who have found a cottontail rabbits nest and assumed the little bunnies to be orphaned, or fledgling birds assumed to have fallen from the nest. In most cases, the babies are fine and the anxious parents are nearby, just waiting for the bumbling humans to leave them alone.

These wild animals may eventually be tamed, but theyll never be domesticated. A tamed animal might seem affectionate, but it maintains all the normal propensities of its species, and its offspring will not exhibit any inherent friendliness toward humans  the babies will need to be tamed all over again. Domesticated animals, by contrast, have been selectively bred for human companionship across thousands of years.

Its possible to domesticate foxes, as Russian scientists in Siberia have proved  a story fascinatingly told by Lee Alan Dugatkin and Lyudmila Trut in How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog). But it takes many generations to do so. Some offspring dont exhibit the traits of domesticated animals despite nearly 70 years of selective breeding.

I sympathize with the desire to bring wild animals into the human sphere. Every spring, I sit outside near the safflower feeder in the sun of a Sunday afternoon, as still as I can manage, and a tufted titmouse will invariably land in the tree next to me, hopping closer  limb to branch to deck rail to chair back  until finally she is sitting on my head. I thrill to feel her tiny passerine claws scrambling against my scalp. I try not to yelp when she yanks out my hair to line her nest.

But the best way to love a wild animal is to leave it in the wild, a world that coexists with our own but is always apart from ours. I cant shake the image of that fox in the pet store  its lowered head and averted eyes, the intelligence of its ears, the delicate precision of its paws. What a magnificent animal, revered since the earliest days of human culture for its cleverness and wiles. What a terrible fate, to be zipped up in a nylon stroller and wheeled between the electric fences and the rhinestone collars.
The Republican Partys best hope to help candidates navigate this treacherous new territory could come from an unlikely source: Gov. Rick Scott, who is expected to announce on Monday that he is running for the United States Senate against Bill Nelson, the Democratic incumbent.

Mr. Scott, a multimillionaire former health care executive whose style is more suited to the boardroom than the stump, is not frequently sought to campaign for fellow Republicans. But if the governor operates as he has in the past, he will likely spend big and early on television ads that could benefit other Republicans unable to purchase much airtime in Floridas expensive broadcast markets. His campaign team, unencumbered by a serious primary challenge, will be able to focus on mobilizing voters for the November general election.

In Mr. Scott, Mr. Nelson will face his toughest opponent since his election to the Senate in 2000; Democrats are expected to invest tens of millions of dollars to defend his seat. But Mr. Scott, too, will have to answer for Mr. Trump. He led a super PAC raising money for the president during the 2016 election, and has been a frequent guest at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, the presidents Palm Beach estate.

In the past year, as he has prepared for the Senate race, Mr. Scott has broken with the president several times. He pressed the White House to let 32,500 Haitians, living in Florida under temporary protected status, remain in the country. He opposed the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that has protected many immigrants brought into the country illegally as children from deportation. He pushed against allowing oil drilling off Floridas shores. And he made repeated trips to Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, trying to establish a response to the catastrophic storm that was more proactive than the federal governments.

Most important, perhaps, Mr. Scott signed off on new restrictions on firearm purchases after the Parkland shooting in defiance of the National Rifle Association, neutralizing some of the opposition he would have otherwise faced from vocal students and their families. That has not stopped Democrats from accusing the governor of acting only when it was politically convenient, especially given the lack of state action after a gunman killed 49 people at the Pulse nightclub in Orlando in 2016.
The conversation over coffee started off well enough.

Around 8 a.m. on Friday, Representative Ralph Norman was holding court inside a diner in Rock Hill, S.C., where he would spend the next hour hearing from constituents.

Struck by the red T-shirts worn by members of an advocacy group, Mr. Norman started by talking about guns, a discussion the group wanted to have.

Mr. Norman, a Republican, has faced heavy criticism for what happened shortly after.

At some point, the lawmaker reached into his blazer pocket, pulled out his gun and put it on a table in what he later said was an attempt to show that firearms themselves are not dangerous.

In a statement on Saturday, Mr. Norman, who has a concealed-weapon permit, defended his action, saying that what he did was not dangerous.
Amid fears of an escalating trade war between the United States and China, President Trump tweeted Sunday morning that he and President Xi Jinping of China will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade.

China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do, he added. Taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!

A White House spokeswoman on Sunday said the reciprocal taxes mentioned in the tweet referred to tariff levels and also to reciprocal trade more generally.

It was unclear whether the president was suggesting that progress had been made in solving the trade dispute between the worlds two biggest economies. Fears of an escalation intensified last week amid a series of tit-for-tat tariff announcements by the two countries.
WASHINGTON  As Republican leaders scramble to stave off a Democratic wave or at least mitigate their partys losses in November, a strategy is emerging on the right for how to energize conservatives and drive a wedge between the anti-Trump left and moderate voters: warn that Democrats will immediately move to impeach President Trump if they capture the House.

What began last year as blaring political hyperbole on the right  the stuff of bold-lettered direct mail fund-raising pitches from little-known groups warning of a looming American coup  is now steadily drifting into the main currents of the 2018 message for Republicans.

The appeals have become a surefire way for candidates to raise small contributions from grass-roots conservatives who are devoted to Mr. Trump, veteran Republican fund-raisers say. But party strategists also believe that floating the possibility of impeachment can also act as a sort of scared-straight motivational tool for turnout. Last week, Senator Ted Cruz of Texas used his re-election kickoff rally to introduce a video featuring a faux news anchor reading would-be headlines were conservatives not to vote in November.

Senate Majority Leader Schumer announced the impeachment trial of President Trump, one of the anchors says.
WASHINGTON  President Trump on Sunday promised a big price to be paid for what he said was a chemical weapons attack that choked dozens of Syrians to death the day before, and a top White House official said the administration would not rule out a missile strike to retaliate against the government of President Bashar al-Assad.

In a tweet, Mr. Trump laid the blame for the attack partly on President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, the first time since his election that he has criticized the Russian leader by name on Twitter. Mr. Putins forces have been fighting for years to keep the Assad government in power amid Syrias brutal civil war.

Mr. Trump also left no doubt that he believed the assessment of aid groups that Mr. Assads military had used chemical weapons to inflict the carnage on Saturday in Douma, a rebel-held suburb of Damascus. The attack left at least 42 people dead in their homes from apparent suffocation and sent many others to clinics with burning eyes and breathing problems.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria, Mr. Trump wrote. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad.
For Immediate Release

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) today condemns yet another apparent chemical weapon attack in Syria that killed dozens of people, including women and children, in the rebel-held suburb of Douma in eastern Ghouta, east of the capital, Damascus.

The following statement is attributable to Homer Venters, PHRs director of programs:

Today, we see yet another example of the brutal and horrific disregard for humanitarian norms and the brazen flouting of international law. As we see the shocking pictures of the dozens of men, women and children killed in Douma, and others who are barely alive, displaying the most brutal of symptoms: foaming at the mouth, burning eyes, breathing problems, seizures, nausea and vomiting, we once again say: this must end.

PHR has long documented the impacts of chemical agents, and we continue to remind the international community that any use of chemical weapons is an egregious violation of international law and requires an immediate response.

While PHR is unable to immediately identify the perpetrator of this attack, this incident fits a pattern of similar strikes carried out by the Syrian government, including one on Khan Sheikhoun one year ago, which killed more than 80 people in a nerve agent attack. The world was shocked by those images in April 2017, yet today we are seeing the same unspeakable act take place.

These attacks should repulse us. We should not be numbed and desensitized in the face of repeated atrocities happening with impunity. International bodies, governments, and citizens alike, need to take action to ensure that these crimes are never again committed.

PHR calls for an immediate and independent investigation into this attack, involving the collection of evidence, including environmental and biological samples, in order to finally ensure accountability in Syria  something that has been absent for the past seven years of this cruel conflict.

We call for an immediate end to all chemical attacks and for the swift cessation of hostilities, including those that PHR has been documenting since 2011 on health facilities and humanitarian aid."

Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) is a New York-based advocacy organization that uses science and medicine to prevent mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. Learn more here.
Are we girls, or things to play with? she asked.

She was then whisked off by the police to face possible charges of public nudity.

India makes more movies than anywhere else. Bollywood and its smaller cousins (such as Mollywood, Tollywood and Gollywood  all named after the areas where the films are shot or the languages they use) represent a hugely influential industry.

Though the #MeToo movement has not shaken society in India the way it has in the United States, several Indian actresses, after abuse allegations were made against the American producer Harvey Weinstein, stepped forward to complain about a pervasive culture of sexual harassment.

The allegations included claims they had been groped, propositioned and forced to demean themselves to get work. Ms. Reddy, 28, has been one of the most vocal. In recent days, she has lobbed serious accusations against powerful men in the film business.

After videos and pictures of a topless Ms. Reddy spread quickly on the internet, the question turned to what would be the impact. Ms. Reddy is not widely known across India, and she staged her protest in Hyderabad, a big city in the south-center of the country, but not nearly as important for the movie industry as Mumbai.
ROME  As he leads the Five Star Movement in negotiations to form a new Italian government, Luigi Di Maio, 31 and brimming with confidence, seems to have a long political career ahead of him.

But according to the rules of his party, this is Mr. Di Maios last shot.

A fundamental rule of the Five Star Movement limits party members to two terms of elected office  at any level  over the course of their lifetime. Mr. Di Maio, who already served a term in Parliament, to which he was re-elected in March, is now in his second term.

The Five Star Movement, politically slippery and ideologically vague, has a record of bending its unbreakable party rules when victory is at stake, but for now, the term limit on Mr. Di Maio has added an element of now-or-never desperation to his bid to be Italys next prime minister.

It has also formed another complication in the stalemate after last months inconclusive election that may take weeks of negotiations to undo. Talks resume on Monday after a week in which the parties began testing the waters.
BEIRUT, Lebanon  Dozens of Syrians choked to death after a suspected chemical attack struck the rebel-held suburb of Douma, east of Damascus, with aid groups on Sunday blaming President Bashar al-Assads government for the assault and Western governments expressing outrage.

Rescue workers in Syria reported finding at least 42 people dead in their homes from apparent suffocation, and antigovernment activists circulated videos of lifeless men, women and children sprawled out on floors and in stairwells, many with white foam coming from their mouths and nostrils.

A stream of patients with burning eyes and breathing problems were rushed to clinics after the attack at dusk on Saturday, medical and rescue groups said.

The attack appeared to break the will of Doumas rebels, who agreed on Sunday to a deal with the government to hand the area over and be bused to another area outside government control in the countrys north. Thousands of fighters and tens of thousands of their relatives are expected to leave soon.

The latest atrocity in Syrias agonizing seven-year civil war drew immediate condemnation from the United States and the European Union, but Mr. Assads allies in Moscow and Tehran dismissed allegations of a chemical attack as bogus.

The British Foreign Office called for an urgent investigation and said that if the use of chemical weapons proved to be true, it is further proof of Assads brutality.

The United States government said it was working to verify whether chemical weapons had been used. A new, confirmed chemical attack in Syria would pose a dilemma for President Trump, who ordered military strikes on a Syrian air base after a chemical attack last year to punish Mr. Assad but has more recently said he wanted to get the United States out of Syria.

In posts on Twitter on Sunday, Mr. Trump condemned the attack, blaming Iran and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia for supporting the Syrian government and warning of consequences. White House officials did not rule out a military response.
August 2013: Sarin

The attacks in Syria began with blasts in the night. Some residents who heard the explosions and lived to tell about them described the sound like a water tank bursting.

Then came the smell, which burned eyes and throats, like onions or chlorine, The New York Times wrote at the time.

Opposition groups said rockets carrying chemical weapons hit the towns of Ain Tarma, Zamalka, Jobar and Muadamiya. Videos and photos posted online showed hundreds of bodies without visible wounds. Many victims exhibited symptoms like vomiting, intense salivating, suffocation and tremors. The chemicals were believed to be a cocktail of the toxic nerve agent sarin and other components.

Opposition activists also posted photos of rockets they said were used in the attack. The deadliest toll fell on the heart of Eastern Ghouta.

When the enormity of the attacks became clearer to the administration of President Barack Obama, Mr. Kerry accused the Syrian government of the indiscriminate slaughter of civilians and of cynical efforts to cover up its responsibility for a cowardly crime.

The attack spurred Mr. Obama to ask Congress for permission to launch a military counterattack. It also emerged as a test of Mr. Obamas willingness to hold to his stance that a chemical attack would cross a red line.

In 2012, he stated at an impromptu news conference at the White House:

We cannot have a situation where chemical or biological weapons are falling into the hands of the wrong people. We have been very clear to the Assad regime but also to other players on the ground that a red line for us is we start seeing a whole bunch of weapons moving around or being utilized.

But in 2013, as he drew criticism for not taking more decisive action on Syria after the suspected chemical attacks, Mr. Obama said while on a trip to Stockholm: I didnt set a red line. The world set a red line.

In September, the United States and Russia reached an agreement that called for Syrias arsenal of chemical weapons to be removed or destroyed by the middle of 2014.
Just last week, the presidents of Iran, Turkey and Russia joined hands at an international summit meeting in Ankara, Turkey, to celebrate their successes in Syria and plot their next moves. The United States, notably absent, had not even been invited.

By that time, Mr. Trump had suspended more than $200 million in funds for recovery efforts in Syria.

I want to get out, he said at the White House last week. I want to bring our troops back home.

Mr. Trumps aides quickly talked him out of an immediate withdrawal. But Mr. Trump made clear that he wanted the troops out within a few months, senior administration officials said, a decision that would alter the landscape in ways that would echo far beyond Syrias borders.

Foes of the United States have cheered the prospect of an American withdrawal. But Americas regional allies, including Israel, Saudi Arabia and its partners in Syria, dread it.

They argue that American forces are still needed to provide a check on Russia, which considers Syria its strategic foothold in the Middle East, and Iran, whose proxies are building a military infrastructure in Syria to counter Israel.

A withdrawal could also leave the door open for the return of the Islamic State in some parts of Syria, the very reason the United States gave for intervening in the country to begin with.
Battle Bengaluru: How the city is expected to vote

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

There are 28 constituencies in Bengaluru. The city alone accounts for 12 per cent of the 224 seats across the state which will poll on May 12. The city has not exactly been loyal to any party.

Where the results in both the Lok Sabha and Vidhan Sabha results are concerned it has been a mixed bag. While in the 1980s, it was a Congress bastion, later on the Janata Party occupied a considerable amount of space in the city's electoral landscape.

However the infighting within the Janata Party and the splits gave room for the BJP. In 2013 Karnataka election when BJP was a divided house, it still managed to win 12 out of the 28 assembly segments. Overall the BJP had won 40 seats in the state which means 30 per cent of this tally came from Bengaluru alone. The Congress on the other hand bagged 13 in 2013.

In 2008, the BJP had won 16 seats in Bengaluru while the Congress bagged 11 seats.

Poll issues in Bengaluru:

Women safety, law and order

Population explosion and migration

Pollution and encroachment of lakes

Slums

Water sanitation and deteriorating civic amenities

Shrinking greencover

Traffic

Bad transport system



How Bengaluru has voted in the past:

Assembly 2008: ( 28 constituencies):

BJP: 16

Congress: 11

JD(S): 1

Assembly 2013: ( 28 constituencies):

Congress: 13

BJP: 12

JD(S): 3

Lok Sabha 2009 ( 3 constituencies):

BJP: 3

Congress: 0

JD(S): 0

Lok Sabha 2014 ( 3 constituencies):

BJP: 3

Congress: 0

JD(S): 0

High profile constituencies and its leaders:

BTM Layout: Ramalinga Reddy

Shivajinagar: Roshan Baig

Byatarayanapura: Krishna Byre Gowda

Shantinagar: N A Haris

Malleshwaram: M R Seetharam

Chamarajpet: Zameer Ahmed Khan

Vijayanagar: Krishnappa M

Padmanabha Nagar: R Ashok

Sarvajna Nagar: K J George

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
BSP to fight solo in UP, Uttarakhand, no tie-up with Owaisi's AIMIM, says Mayawati

'Should not be misled': Mayawati reaches out to Brahmins before UP polls

BJP is scared after Bharat Bandh success, says Mayawati

India

oi-Madhuri

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Sunday said that e Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, has left the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) scared.

Speaking to media, Mayawati said,''Bharat Bandh protest was largely successful. This has left the BJP scared and authorities in the BJP ruled states have started atrocities towards dalits. Many dalits and members of their families are being arrested.''

The Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, had led to loss of at least 10 lives. It came even as the central government filed a review petition in the top court.

Speaking about the issue, PM Modi had said that no other government was as concerned about the backward classes as the incumbent government.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 14:57 [IST]
IB document advising Siddaramaiah not to fight from Chamundeshwari fake

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

A note apparently out by the Karnataka State Intelligence Bureau suggests that Chamundeshwari is not a safe seat for Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah. The Chief Minister has called the note fake.

As per the note that is in circulation, the constituency is not a safe one for the CM. Siddaramaiah has said that he would contest from the Chamundeshwari constituency.

The note reads," as per the instructions received, we have carried out a review of the assembly constituencies, our findings are below. The constituency in Mysore district is not a viable option as there is strong caste based mobilisation of the Vokkaliga community being carried out by G T Deve Gowda and other local leaders of the Janata Dal (Secular) party."

The note also suggests other constituencies from where the CM could contest. The constituencies are Varuna, Basavakalyan, Gangavati and Shantinagar.

The CM however took to Twitter to dispel rumours that he was asked by the intelligence to survey his constituency. "Fake document, why are BJP guys getting excited over fake news and fake documents. Fight on issues. What do you offer the voter," Siddaramaiah also 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
INX media case: Indrani likely to be called to appear in-person on her plea to become witness

Indrani suffering from pneumonia, will be discharged in 2 days: Hospital

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in Sheena Bora murder case was suffering from pneumonia and will be discharged within one to two days, hospital sources said.

"As soon as she is cured of pneumonia we will discharge her (Indrani Mukerjea). I think it will take 1-2 days for her to get discharged," doctor of JJ hospital Wiqar Shaik told news agency ANI.

To a question on drug overdose, Shaik said, "What drug did she take, when did she take, all these questions will be answered by police."

Mukerjea was on Friday evening rushed to JJ Hospital in Mumbai. Indrani was rushed to the emergency ward of JJ Hospital from Byculla prison in a delirious condition.

Indrani, who is also an accused in INX Media case, was arrested for abduction and murder of her own daughter Sheena Bora in April 2012.

She was hospitalised even in 2015 after she allegedly overdosed on pills. Indrani was reportedly taking anti-epilepsy medicines since September 11, 2015. It was then suspected that she might have accumulated pills beyond the prescribed numbers and then taken them in one go. She was in October 2015 admitted to hospital in the semi-conscious state.

Indrani, the wife of media baron Peter Mukerjea, was arrested by Khar police on August 25 for her alleged role in the murder of Sheena, her daughter from an earlier marriage, in 2012.

Sheena, 24, daughter of Indrani, was allegedly kidnapped from outside National College in Bandra and strangled to death in a car by Indrani, her former second husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 22:31 [IST]
Why Dharmendra Rajpoot stands out as a Journalist among others?

Biden praises Indian press, says they are better behaved than US journalists

Journalist shot by unidentified men in Ghaziabad, hospitalised

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Anuj Chaudhary, a journalist by profession, was shot at by unidentified men at his house in Ghaziabad district of Uttar Pradesh on Sunday. He has been shifted to a hospital for treatement.

Chaudhary is a journalist with Sahara Samay, a Hindi news channel. He was rushed to a hospital where he is undergoing treatment. Doctors attending on him said his condition is "critical" and he has been taken for surgery.

An initial investigation revealed that personal enmity was the reason behind the attack, police said. Other possible angles are also being probed.

PTI reported that the scribe is married to BSP councillor Nisha Chaudhary, and the police are looking at past enmity as being a motive behind the crime.

Senior Superintendent of Police, Vaibhav Krishna, said two bike-borne assailants, who were wearing helmets, barged into the scribe's residence in Rajapur locality in Kavi Nagar police station jurisdiction around 6.15pm and shot at Chaudhary. The attackers fled the spot immediately. "The firing incident occurred due to old enmity," Krishna said."
Did you know Telugu has become fastest growing foreign language in US?

Telugu actor Ram Charan tests positive for COVID-19, fans trend 'get well soon' on Twitter

MAA denies membership to actor Sri Reddy

India

pti-PTI

An apex body of Telugu film industry on Sunday denied giving membership to Sri Reddy, a day after she caused a flutter by stripping in front of the film chamber office.

"Because of her behaviour, the actress (Sri Reddy) cannot be given membership," Movie Artistes Association (MAA) office-bearer Sivaji Raja told reporters here.

Though application for the membership was given to her earlier, she did not fill it up properly, Raja and other office-bearers claimed.

The actress had on Saturday stripped in public and staged a protest in front of the film chamber office, alleging that local artistes were not being given enough opportunities in the industry.

She had also alleged that the association did not give her membership.

Rejecting her charges, the office-bearers said several Telugu actresses had over the years got adequate opportunities in their film career.

Police have booked the actress under Section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (obscene acts in public place).

She is not the first to have come out and spoken about the casting couch. Before that, Varalaxmi Sarathkumar, Parvathy, Rakul Preet, Radhika Apte have spoken of its existence.

PTI
The ISIS Daishwilayahs in the forests of South India

NIA arrests Madurai man for trying to establish Islamic State, Sharia law in India

With Islamic State in overdrive mode particularly in South India, NIA sounds a high alert

NIA nails PFI in Hindu activist murder case

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet in the murder case of Sasi Kumar, a spokesperson of the Hindu Munani, Coimbatore. Two persons Sadham Hussain and Subair have been named in the chargesheet.

In 2016, Kumar was hacked to death following which a case was registered. The case was then handed over to the NIA for further investigation.

During investigation, NIA conducted searches at the houses of 4 accused persons and recovered PFI donation receipts, literature, PFI march CDs, mobile phones among other items.

Investigation has established that Sadham and the other accused are active members of the PFI. They conspired and killed Kumar with an intention of causing panic and terror among a section of the people including Hindu organisations.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 6:52 [IST]
In show of strength, opposition leaders likely to attend meet called by Sonia Gandhi on Aug 20

Opposition is indulging in politics in the name of Ambedkar: RS Prasad

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Sunday claimed that the Opposition is raking up Dalit issue and Babasaheb Ambedkar's ideals for political benefits.

Referring to the violent protests during Bharat Bandh earlier this week, Prasad said that "Congress, SP and BSP have supported violence and disrupted the peace of the country. Our party is working to strengthen the SC/ST Act. This is being opposed by Rahul Gandhi," he said.

Earlier, BSP chief Mayawati said that the BJP-ruled states are committing atrocities against the Dalits.

"Bharat bandh protest was largely successful. This has left the BJP scared and authorities in the BJP-ruled states have started atrocities towards Dalits. Many Dalits and members of their families are being arrested," Mayawati said.

Targeting the Narendra Modi over the issue, Rahul posted a collage of desecrated images of Ambedkar's statues in states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Tamil Nadu.

"Modi ji, the oppressive ideology you belong to can never respect Dalits and Babasaheb. Some examples of RSS/BJP ideology respecting Babasaheb," he tweeted.

The Bharat Bandh, called by Dalit groups on April 2, had led to loss of at least 10 lives. It came even as the central government filed a review petition in the top court.

The apex court had declined to stay its recent order on the SC/ST Act. On the other hand, the government maintained that it was not responsible for any dilution of the Act and said that it was fully committed to protecting the interests of the backward communities.

Speaking about the issue, PM Modi had said that no other government was as concerned about the backward classes as the incumbent government.
Tamil actors silent protest over Cauvery issue, Rajinikanth asks CSK to wear black badges

India

oi-Madhuri

Several popular Tamil actors were seen protesting over Cauvery water management issue, which has been a bone of contention between Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.

Among the actors who staged protest on the issue on Sunday were superstar Rajinikanth, Kamal Haasan, Joseph Vijay (popularly known as Vijay) and noted veteran actor M Nassar.

Meanwhile, Rajinikanth while addressing reporters outside his residence said ,''Tamil Nadu is demanding in one voice - set up the Cauvery Management Board. I urge the Prime Minister to take necessary steps.''

He also said, "Our Chennai Super Kings (CSK) players can at least wear black badges to indicate the Cauvery issue. It's embarrassing to host IPL during this struggle.''

Protests have continued unabated in Tamil Nadu over Centre's alleged failure to set up a Cauvery Management Board. On Thursday last, a bandh was called across Tamil Nadu over the issue. Both road and rail traffic were hit, primarily in Chennai, during the bandh.

On February 16, a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra had directed to form the CMB within six weeks in a verdict that marginally increased Karnataka's share of Cauvery water, thus reducing the allocation for Tamil Nadu and settling the protracted water dispute between the two southern states.

As per the apex court's order, the share of Cauvery water for Karnataka was raised by 14.75 tmcft. The court had reduced Tamil Nadu's share while compensating the state by allowing extraction of 10 tmcft groundwater from the river basin, saying the issue of drinking water had to be placed on a "higher pedestal".

By virtue of the SC verdict, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and 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 a total of 740 tmcft.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 12:19 [IST]
Two Shiv Sena leaders shot dead in Maharashtra

India

oi-Oneindia Staff

By Oneindia Staff

Two Shiv Sena leaders were shot dead by motorcycle borne persons hours after the result of a civic bypoll in the Ahmednagar area was announced, police said.

The incident happened at around 5:15pm in the Shahunagar area of Kedgaon here and commercial establishments downed shutters soon amidst stray cases of stone-pelting, the official added.

"Sanjay Kotkar (35) and Vasant Anand Thube (40) were killed after they were shot from point blank range by two men on a motorcycle," a police official said.

"The CCTV of the area is being scoured and we are in the process of identifying the shooters," he said.A local Shiv Sena leader said that the incident was related to the largescale support the Sena had received in the civic bypoll for Ward 32 (Kedgaon) of the Ahmednagar Municipal Corporation.

The result of the bypoll was announced today by State Election Commission officials.The Congress' Vishal Kotkar defeated the Sena's Vijay Pathare by a thin margin of 454 votes."Leaders of some other parties have planned these murders due to the widespread support the Sena received in the Kedgaon bypoll," Dilip Satpute, the party's Ahmednagar unit chief said.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 7:00 [IST]
Forget BJP winning, PM Modi may lose Varanasi in 2019: Rahul

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, Apr 8: Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election, so in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "Dalit anger."

"...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections.

Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?" And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over." "You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Modi and RSS has put it in," he said. The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him. "In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country. "You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track. He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..." "Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.

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

PTI
Muslim IAS officer faces allegations of anti-Hindu propaganda in UP; probe ordered over leaked video

Yogi Adityanath to be UP CM face in 2022 assembly poll: state BJP chief

UP: Watch how this cop shower money on dancers during event

India

oi-Madhuri

In a shocking incident, a video of a cop showering notes on women dancers at an event in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao is doing rounds on various social media.

It is learn that the police personnel was deployed for security at the local fair event.

The incident took place on Saturday night. The cop has now been suspended.

#WATCH Police personnel throws currency notes at dancers at an event in Unnao. He was deployed at the event for security. The police personnel was suspended after the incident. (7.04.18) pic.twitter.com/VQZYLAKwKS  ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) April 8, 2018

The 32 seconds video shows a policeman with a rifle, throwing notes on dancers at the event. Many more men are also seen showering notes on the lady dancers.

However, this isn't the first time, in 2015, two constables were caught on camera throwing money at a dancer at wedding after-party event in Gujarat's Vadodara. The same year, police personnel were caught showering money on dancers in Varanasi.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 15:22 [IST]
CA impact: Maryland becomes first US state to pass law to regulate Facebook political ads

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

In the wake of the Cambridge Analytica (CA) data leak controversy that rocked the world, Maryland became the first state of the United States to initiate a regulation of political ads on Facebook and other social media websites.

According to a report in Baltimore Sun, a bill approved by the state's legislature on Thursday, April 5, would need the social media platforms to keep a track on all political ads, keep their copes as evidence and also record the nature of the users being targeted. The state election officials would be able to use the data to trace actors with suspicious motives and foreign interference, if there is any, said the report.

Encouraged by the development in Maryland, Facebook sources said they would hope the state's legislation become a national model for the social media to expose those who were paying for political advertising, the report added.

The law in Maryland would also need the social media platforms and newspapers to fast update the public about the buyers of the advertisements, their target beneficiaries and the amount of money that was spent.

Facebook was against regulation but then played a role in passing the legislation which it now supports. Less than a day after the Maryland legislature passed the legislation, Facebook too came up with a new national policy which requires those who push political ads to verify their identities.

The social media giant came up with this policy ahead of its chief executive Mark Zuckerburg's meeting with the Congress on April 10 and 11 to explain his company's position on the massive data breach.

Facebook's vice president for state policy Will Castleberry even said that the company contributed in drafting the Maryland bill and also looked forward towards its implementation, the Baltimore Sun report said. Castleberry said he hoped that the other 49 states of the US would follow the way shown by Maryland.

Facebook has been on the docks after revelations that data of millions of users were exposed to digital brains who used them to help President Donald Trump's election campaign in 2016 as well as influencing the Brexit referendums in the UK and elections in India and other countries.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller accused Russian individuals and organisations of misusing Facebook and other social media platforms to interfere in the American presidential election.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 12:02 [IST]
Pakistan uses fake Islam is in danger narrative as main theme of its terror indoctrination

Pakistan negotiates with Russia to procure modern military hardware

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

With its tested ally United States increasingly turning hostile to its policy on terrorism and threatening to make things harder, Pakistan has now started looking up to Russia for obtaining sophisticated military hardware - including air defence systems, fighter jets and battle tanks, media reports said on Saturday, April 7.

Pakistani Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan confirmed the news that Islamabad was interested to buy weapons from Moscow during an interview to Russian news agency Sputnik, Pakistan's Express Tribute said.

The Pakistani minister said that his country is interested in air defence system and eyeing a wide range of Russian weapons technology. He said talks on air defence systems were on and once the negotiations were done, the announcement would be made.

Khan said Islamabad was interested in procuring Russia's T-90 tanks, which are also used by its arch-rivals India, under a long-term deal rather than engaging into a single purchase.

Khan also said that Pakistan was in the middle of negotiations for the purchase of the Russian Su-35 fighter jets and an agreement on it could be made in the next few years, Sputnik said. He also said that the interests of Pakistan and Russia converged over a democratic Afghanistan.

In the changed international equation, Pakistan has found more trusted allies in countries like Russia and China who are staunch opponent to the United States. Pakistan and Russia have particularly come closer over Afghanistan as both countries have backed each other's interests in the war-ravaged country.

Both have backed the Taliban to keep India at bay (for Pakistan) and curb the influence of the Islamic State (in case of Russia). China is also another cementing factor between Pakistan and Russia since Moscow's engaging with Beijing to defuse the crisis in Afghanistan has impressed Islamabad.

To conclude, Pakistan's quest to receive military hardware from Russia will leave a concern for countries like India and the US over the changed equations but that is how world politics has progressed over the years. Change has been its only continuity.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 15:07 [IST]
Van hits crowd in Muenster: A timeline of vehicle attacks across the world

International

oi-Shubham

By Shubham

In yet another 'vehicle terrorism', a van ran through a crowd outside a popular bar in Muenster city in western Germany on Saturday, April 7, killing three persons and injuring 20 before the driver of the vehicle shot himself.

The police while informing this, however, could not confirm to The Associated Press the reports that the vehicle driver was a middle-aged German national with reported psychological problems. The police also did not reveal much about the motive of such an act saying it was too early to comment.

Whatever might be the Muenster vehicle driver's motive, killing by vehicles has gone up in Europe over the last few years and nothing much has been done yet to counter this growing menace.

Vehicle attacks are not always linked to terrorism but terror groups like Islamic States and al-Qaeda have advised their followers to use heavy vehicles like trucks as weapons to "mow down the enemies of Allah".

An al-Qaeda webzine article titled "The Ultimate Mowing Machine" published in 2010 called for using pickup trucks as "a mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah". It also advised that to achieve the maximum damage, it is important to accelerate the vehicle and kill as many people as possible.

The terror groups have prescribed that their supporters should use whatever they have at their disposals, even if it is just a car, as means to kill. This has gradually led to what is known as "lone wolf attacks using improvised weaponry", something IS spokesperson Abu Mohammad al-Adnani had emphasised on in late 2014.

Here is a timeline of attacks carried out by a person using a vehicle across the globe:

October 31, 2017 - A 29-year-old man drove a rented pickup truck down a busy bicycle way near the World Trade Center in New York, killing eight people and injuring almost a dozen. The suspect who was arrested was identified as Sayfullo Habibullaevic Saipov and authorities also found evidence that the attack was carried out in the name of IS.

September 30-Oct 1, 2017: A man hits a police officer with a white Chevrolet Malibu in Edmonton, Canada, on September 30 before jumping out of the car. He then stabbed the officer sever times before running away. The car has a flag of the IS inside it.

Again around midnight the same day, another policeman stopped a U-Haul truck at a checkpoint and noticed that the name of its driver was similar to that of the previous car's registered owner. At this moment, the truck fled and hurts at least three pedestrians. A 30-year-old Somali refugee, Abdulahi Hasan Sharif, was later charged with five counts of attempted murder and other offences.

August 16-18, 2017: In one of the worst vehicle attacks in Spain, 13 people were killed while nearly 100 injured after a van ran through a crowd in a tourist destination in Barcelona on April 17. Two were arrested but the driver escaped, the police said. The IS's media wing Amaq later issued a statement claiming responsibility for the dastardly act. The very next day, five people drove an Audi A3 to hit many pedestrians in Cambrils, a coastal city located around 100 kilometres from Barcelona, killing one. The perpetrators were killed in encounter with the police.

June 19, 2017: Like in Muenster, a van ran through people who had gone to attend the late night prayers at London's Finsbury Park Mosque. One person was killed while 11 were injured in the incident. The driver was arrested and identified as Darren Osborne, a resident of Cardiff. He was handed a life imprisonment.

June 3, 2017: Eight people were killed after a group of men ran a van into pedestrians on London Bridge and then got off it to go to a popular nightlife spot where they randomly targeted people with knives. Three suspects were shot dead by the police while nearly 50 people were left injured.

April 7, 2017: A truck went berserk on a busy street in central Stockholm in Sweden before ramming into a departmental store. At least four persons were killed in the incident. The driver, Rakhmat Akilov, a 39-year-old Uzbek national, conceded that he was upto carrying out a "terrorist crime", his counsel revealed.

March 22, 2017: A man ran an SUV into a crowd on the sidewalk along London's Westminster Bridge, killing at least four persons. The car then hit a barrier outside the parliament house and its driver got off and stabbed a policeman to death. The attacker - 52-year-old Khaled Masud - was killed by the police. The man from West Midlands reportedly had a criminal record and was suspected to having links with extremism, British PM Theresa May later said.

December 19, 2016: A Tunisian national drove a tractor trailer into a busy Christmas market in Berlin, crushing 12 people to death. Authorities then searched for 24-year-old Anis Amri who was gunned down in Italy four days after the Berlin attack. The IS later released a video showing the slain suspect pledging it an allegiance.

July 14, 2016: After the Bastille Day celebrations in Nice, France, a man drove a giant truck into people enjoying the moments, killing 86. The perpetrator was 31-year-old Tunisian Mohamed Lahouaiej Bouhlel drove for nearly a mile on the city's beachfront before getting shot dead by the police. French authorities later said that Bouhlel seemed to become radicalised by IS propaganda and also reportedly had a mental ailment.

October 22, 2014: A three-month-old girl, along with a tourist from Ecuador, was killed after a driver of a vehicle careened into a crowd at a light-rail station in Jerusalem. The driver named Abdel Rahman al-Shaludi was by the police. Israeli media said the man published extremist writing on Facebook and supported Hamas, a terror outfit.

March 3, 2006: Iranian-American Mohammed Taheri-azar ran an SUV into a students' crowd at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, US. Nine people suffered minor injuries in the attack, which according to Teheri-azar was a revenge against the killing of Muslims overseas. He was convicted of attempted murder in 2008 and given a jail term of 33 years.

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Story first published: Sunday, April 8, 2018, 10:52 [IST]
USA policymakers have questioned nearly every aspect of China's economic model, which is in turn deeply embedded in the country's social and political system.

"Mr. Trump is upping the ante, but the lack of a clear game plan and an incoherent messaging strategy from the administration is setting this up for an all-out trade war rather than a fruitful negotiation", said Eswar Prasad, professor of trade policy at Cornell University.

"We haven't yet given China a list of demands on what we want", Kudlow told reporters later on Friday at the White House. Later, we discuss why there may be a method to this taxing madness.

Because the country exports far more in goods to the United States than it imports, China simply doesn't have as much room to keep up with escalating American tariffs, especially given the Chinese government's desire to cushion its citizens from higher prices for food staples. White and other farmers would suffer if the United States goes through with $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods, because China has threatened to respond with the same penalty.

China has already reiterated it will not negotiate and make concessions under external pressure ("China says it never backs down in the face of threats after trade salvos with U.S.", Reuters, April 4). On Thursday he said he had instructed United States trade officials to determine whether new tariffs were warranted and, "if so, to identify the products upon which to impose such tariffs". China can not retaliate in kind since it only imports $130 billion in USA products, meaning it would have to find another way to respond. But the market's gone up 40% 42%, so we might lose a little bit of it. China is poised to slap tariffs on $12 billion of United States soybean exports, representing more than half of total USA exports of the crop.

He also said no negotiations were likely in the current circumstances.

"This is what a trade war looks like, and what we have warned against from the start", National Retail Federation President and CEO Matthew Shay said in an interview with Reuters.

Nvidia (NVDA) Director Sells 5141 Shares of Stock

NVDA has 16.57M volume or 9.74% up from normal. (NASDAQ:NVDA) last released its earnings results on Thursday, November 10th. Picton Mahoney Asset Mngmt holds 36,643 shares or 0.19% of its portfolio. 148,165 are held by Lpl Financial Ltd Liability.

Amenazan de muerte a Ninci por el escandalo con Jaitt

Alli, Natacha deslizo que Ninci, por su fuerte defensa a Gustavo Vera , a quien acuso de pedofilo, era "complice de la pedofilia". Este es la presentacion . "Fiscal Anselmo Castelli", anuncio Ninci en su red social de Twitter.

Jose Mourinho told Man United settling for second would be 'embarrassing'

Pogba does not work like that. "It's about making sure that we can stand up tall against our rivals", Smalling told MUTV. The Red Devils went two goals down before half-time as Vincent Kompany and Ilkay Gundogan scored to put City in command.

China, by contrast, has unique tools to counteract USA tariffs, according to analysts.

"Our objective is not to be in a trade war with them", said Mnuchin.

Comments from Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin acknowledging the possibility of a trade war suggested that, this time, there may be real consequences to Trump's proposal.

Top White House economic advisor Larry Kudlow, who had repeatedly suggested that USA tariffs might not go into effect, reversed himself, and warned Friday that the tariff threat is not a negotiating tactic.

"With respect to the Trump administration, its political success will rise and fall with the economy", Kudlow said Friday.

The specter of a large-scale trade war between the world's two biggest economies - an event unprecedented in modern times - has people scrambling to anticipate the effects. On Friday, while still rejecting the idea that such a conflict is already under way, he pointed at China as the reason for escalating tensions. That is likely to cause President Trump political problems in farm states, but it also risks raising food costs within China.

#1: President Donald Trump can not afford to tank the market. "This is the first president in 20 years to have the backbone to go in and challenge China on the kind of unfair and illegal trading practices that they have adopted for the past several decades".
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Degeneracy and Fundamentalism of Western Media Control

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Dedicated to 'my' magazine, NEO (New Eastern Outlook)

By: Andre Vltchek

There is nothing sadder and more pathetic, than a notorious liar shouting, spitting saliva, insulting normal people left and right, while terrorizing those who are telling the truth.

Lately, the West has gone clearly berserk. The more it is scared of losing control over the brains of billions of people in all corners of the world, the more aggressively it is screaming, kicking and making a fool of itself.

It doesn't even hide its intentions, anymore. The intentions are clear: to destroy all of its opponents, be they in Russia, China, Iran or in any other patriotic and independent-minded state. To silence all the media outlets that are speaking the truth; not the truth as it is defined in London, Washington, Paris or Berlin, but the truth as it is perceived in Moscow, Beijing, Caracas or Teheran; the truth that simply serves the people, not the fake, pseudo-truth fabricated in order to uphold the supremacy of the Western Empire.

Huge funds are now being allocated for the mortal propaganda onslaught, originating predominantly in both London and Washington. Millions of pounds and dollars have been allocated and spent, officially and openly, in order to 'counter' the voices of Russian, Chinese, Arab, Iranian and Latin American people; voices that are finally reaching 'the Others' - the desolate inhabitants of the 'global south', the dwellers of the colonies and neo-colonies; the modern-day slaves living in the 'client' states.

The mask is falling down and the gangrenous face of Western propaganda is being exposed. It is awful, frightening, but at least it is what it is, for everyone to see. No more suspense, no surprises. It is all suddenly out in the open. It is frightening but honest. This is our world. This is how low our humanity has sunk. This is the so-called world order, or more precisely, neo-colonialism.

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From Information Clearing House

Two weeks ago, the Right Honorable Boris Johnson was asked by a German journalist how the UK government could be so very certain so very early on that the Kremlin was behind the poisoning of a former Russian double agent and his daughter in Salisbury.

"When I look at the evidence, the people from Porton Down, the laboratory, they were absolutely categorical," Johnson replied. "I asked the guy myself, I said: 'Are you sure?' And he said: 'There's no doubt.' So we have very little alternative but to take the action that we have taken."

The "action that we have taken" include the expulsion of 23 Russian diplomats from the United Kingdom, a cold war escalation in which they were joined by many allied governments around the world in the largest collective ejection of Russian diplomats in world history. It would also include Johnson's personal campaign to unite the EU behind a more aggressive stance against Russia.

As we discussed this week, the narrative about the Skripal poisoning has been in a constant state of change, with the means by which the nerve agent was administered shifting from Yulia Skripal's suitcase to the air vents in their car to weaponized miniature drone to the family's car door handle to the front door of the house to Sergei Skripal's favorite Russian cereal. Since the forensics of the case are clearly all over the map, and despite this glaring fact the UK government still insists that the poisoning was most certainly inflicted by Russia, the only remaining forensics which could possibly implicate the Kremlin to such a high degree of confidence would necessarily have to be evidence found within the nerve agent itself.

And until a few hours ago Johnson's comments actually backed this up; he didn't cite the dodgy crime scene forensics as reason for the government's certainty, he cited the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) at Porton Down. He said they had found evidence within the compound which with "no doubt" implicated the Russian government.

Only problem with that? It's bullshit.

Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the aforementioned Porton Down Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, has told Sky News in a scandalous new report that while his laboratory has been able to learn the chemical composition of the nerve agent used to poison the Skripals, none of the work they have done has succeeded in identifying its source.

The DSTL Twitter account has hastened to inform the public that, in direct contradiction to Boris Johnson's claims, it has never been its job to identify the source of the nerve agent, and that its identification of the compound has formed only one part of the government's conclusions. The Sky News report backs this up with a statement from a government spokesperson who asserts that "This is only one part of the intelligence picture" on the Skripal poisoning, adding the following:

"As the Prime Minister has set out in a number of statements to the Commons since 12 March, this includes our knowledge that within the last decade, Russia has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents -- probably for assassination -- and as part of this programme has produced and stockpiled small quantities of Novichoks. "Russia's record of conducting state-sponsored assassinations; and our assessment that Russia views former intelligence officers as targets. "It is our assessment that Russia was responsible for this brazen and reckless act and, as the international community agrees, there is no other plausible explanation."

But what does that mean? It means that there are no crime scene forensics implicating the Russian government as evidenced by how ridiculously all-over-the-place the narrative about how the poisoning occurred is, and there are no laboratory forensics proving a connection to the Russian government. According to the spokesperson's statement, that leaves only the say-so of British intelligence agencies.

And of course it does. It always boils down to blind faith in shady intelligence agencies. Fifteen years after the Iraq invasion and we're still being asked to blindly accept on faith the word of imperialist intelligence agencies. Sometimes I wonder why they even bother trying to make up excuses for their war agendas anymore. At this point they could just say "Yeah we're going to work with our allies to sanction Russia off from the world stage because we need them out of the way and want to avoid a direct military confrontation due to their nuclear weapons." At least it would be less insulting.

Also interesting is Aitkenhead's denial of Russia's assertion that the nerve agent could have come from Porton Down, not because the laboratory doesn't have such weapons in its possession but because the laboratory has "the highest levels of security and controls." Which to me sounds an awful lot like an admission that they have the same nerve agent that was used upon the Skripals in their possession.

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During a meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, who arrived in Indian capital on Friday for a three-day state visit, at New Delhi-based Rastrapati Bhavan on Saturday afternoon, Indian President Kovind said that he wanted to see development in Nepal.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the President, who will be in Equatorial Guinea from April 7 to 9, will address the country's Parliament on April 8 after meeting his counterpart during the delegation-level talks.

Kovind is on the first leg of a state visit to three African nations Equatorial Guinea, Swaziland and Zambia.

President Obiang will host an official banquet lunch for President Kovind.

UFC President Dana White Attending WrestleMania

Dana White revealed that Brock Lesnar is not just under a contract with WWE but also under a contract with UFC as well. Anti-Doping Agency that he would have to fulfill before re-entering the pool.

Woman blames 'windy day' for cocaine found in purse

According to the police report, an officer approached the auto and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from inside. Kennecia Posey, 26, was stopped by Fort Pierce police on March 21.

Major changes ahead for Formula One with cost caps and simpler engines

The proposals, made for the 2021 season onwards, consist of five key pillars; Cars, Revenues, Costs, Engines, and Governance. In a series of radical proposals, the teams were told that income will be re-distributed and costs controlled.

He also commended Obiang on Equatorial Guinea achieving the highest per capita GDP for any country in Africa.

He stated that India is ready to partner Equatorial Guinea which is diversifying its economy and reducing its dependence on oil and gas exports.

"It is in that spirit that the government of India has made a decision to open an embassy in Equatorial Guinea. This will give a major boost to our relations", he said.
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From Reader Supported News

Donald Leon "Don" Blankenship isn't just another typical rich, white, tall, 68-year-old Republican multi-millionaire ideologue serving out the last probationary year of his federal criminal sentence in Las Vegas while running for the US Senate in West Virginia, he's also an endlessly, self-righteously self-justifying mass murderer.

Don Blankenship isn't your typical extermination-camp-type mass murderer, he's a lifelong coal executive. Mostly his activities kill people slowly, in their natural habitat, or what used to be a natural habitat before coal mining started destroying mountains, rivers, aquifers, and other life-sustaining ecosystems.

None of this is much of an issue in the Republican primary race for the West Virginia Senate nomination. The primary is scheduled for May 8. As of April 5, Blankenship was rising in the polls, now standing second with 27% in a six-way race, nine points higher than a month ago. The leader has 29%, down four points over the past month (down 13 since February). In 2016 Donald Trump won 68% of the vote in West Virginia. In 2014 the Republican Senate candidate won 62%. Blankenship is self-funding his campaign and has reportedly already spent millions. Blankenship spokesman Greg Thomas framed the situation carefully:

"While we don't have much confidence in other people's polls, it is not surprising that more and more West Virginians would be supporting Don Blankenship. Don's message of being a proven job creator and a conservative leader in West Virginia who will fight against the D.C. establishment is being received well everywhere we go... "The more people know about Don, the more they like him. We are doing everything we can to make sure people hear our positive message."

Reality is a variable, especially in politics. Even in West Virginia, running as a former CEO convicted of conspiring to cut safety measures, directly leading to 29 dead miners, probably is not the best image to project, even though it's precisely true. But that was back in 2010, back before the Trump era blossomed upon us, back when the US government actually tried to prosecute people who killed their employees, back when Rolling Stone described Blankenship with refreshing venom:

"You might not know that he grew up in the coal fields of West Virginia, received an accounting degree from a local college, and, through a combination of luck, hard work and cold-blooded ruthlessness, transformed himself into the embodiment of everything that's wrong with the business and politics of energy in America today -- a man who pursues naked self-interest and calls it patriotism, who buys judges like cheap hookers, treats workers like dogs, blasts mountains to get at a few inches of coal and uses his money and influence to ensure that America remains enslaved to the 19th-century idea that burning coal equals progress. And for this, he earns $18 million a year -- making him the highest-paid CEO in the coal industry -- and flies off to vacations on the French Riviera.

In 2010, Blankenship was in his tenth year as CEO and chairman of the Massey Energy Company, the largest coal company in Central Appalachia and one of the largest in the US (sold in 2011 to Alpha Natural Resources). Under Blankenship's leadership, Massey was notorious for valuing productivity over safety.

In October 2000, a Massey subsidiary unleashed some 300 million gallons of slurry laced with mercury and arsenic, killing all aquatic life nearby and polluting hundreds of miles of downstream waterways; the Bush administration cut short the investigation and Labor Secretary Elaine Chao (Mitch McConnell's wife) assessed a $5,600 fine on Massey (which also spent about $50 million on cleanup and local fines).

In January 2006, safety violations led to a mine fire that killed two, and Massey's culpability led to a settlement (over the objections of the widows) in which Massey paid $4.2 million in criminal and civil penalties, then the largest settlement in the coal industry's history (but no one was prosecuted). In February 2006, a bulldozer fire killed the operator, leading Massey to plead guilty to 10 criminal charges in a plea deal that cost Massey $2.5 million, but again prosecuted no one. In 2008, Massey paid $20 million to settle thousands of clean water violations with potential total fines of $2.4 billion, which is a pretty good incentive for the company to go on polluting. In 2009, the US cited Massey for 495 violations at the company's Upper Big Branch coal mine and proposed fines totaling $911,802.

On April 5, 2010, Massey safety failures led directly to an explosion that killed 29 miners (out of 31), the worst US mine catastrophe since 1970, which became known as the Upper Big Branch Mine Disaster. The US assessed $10.8 million in penalties for 369 citations issued to Massey (which was cited more than 1,100 times for the same mine over the previous three years). On December 3, 2010, Blankenship resigned from Massey, three days before the mine safety report was issued. A year after the explosion, a state investigation fixed the blame on Massey leadership, up to and including Blankenship.

On November 13, 2014, a federal grand jury indicted Blankenship on several felony charges of conspiring to violate federal safety standards, lying, and security fraud. In December 2015, a federal jury acquitted Blankenship of the felony charges, but convicted him of a misdemeanor charge of conspiring to violate safety standards. A federal judge ordered the maximum sentence for the conviction, one year in prison and a $250,000 fine. Blankenship appealed and lost, entered prison, appealed again and lost. His final appeal to the US Supreme Court was still pending when he was released on May 10, 2017, after serving his year. On October 10, 2017, the Supreme Court refused to hear Blankenship's appeal. Blankenship responded to the court's decision with a prepared statement that blamed the court system with a classic Republican trope of irrelevance and arrogance:

"Our court system is so tangled up trying to decide whether illegal is illegal and whether males can use female public restrooms that they have no time to concern themselves with whether American citizens have received a fair trial. The judicial system is broken top to bottom and it's not fixable."

Currently, still playing the victim, Blankenship is claiming his trial was tainted by prosecutorial misconduct and that "the actions of the prosecution are being reviewed by the Department of Justice Office of Professional Responsibility." The Justice Department has neither confirmed nor denied Blankenship's claim. Blankenship contends that the fatal mine explosion was the fault of federal prosecutors and that his prosecution was part of an Obama administration conspiracy to demonize the coal industry. Blankenship also denies climate change.

Mass murderers are not known for their repentance or humility or integrity or sense of accountability, but that won't make him stand out in the Senate, if he gets there. He probably wouldn't even be the first actual mass murderer in the Senate, but he might be the most blatant and successful, at least by the numbers.

When you stop, rational and detached, to think about the Senate, you realize that there's not one senator who's not complicit in mass murder more widespread than Blankenship perhaps even dreamed of. There is not a single US senator who's not a war criminal, and there's also probably not a single senator who will be charged for war crimes, much less tried for and convicted of war crimes. Punishing a US senator for culpability in any of the American war crimes of recent decades is all but unimaginable.

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From Paul Craig Roberts Website

Is the Russian Foreign Ministry so brainwashed that it believes the US is a democracy?! A country in which 90%, if not more, of the people are dispossessed is a democracy?! A country ruled by a handful of private interest groups is a democracy?! The success of Washington's propaganda is extraordinary. Even the Russian government believes it.

Does the Russian Foreign Ministry not understand that the always delayed, always weak, and always complaining Russian response to the latest provocation from Washington simply convinces Washington that Russia is so desperate to be accepted as part of the West that the Russian government will put up with every insult?

All the Russian government has achieved is to convince Washington that the Atlanticist Integrationists in the Russian elite will sell out Russian sovereignty in order to be part of the West. This is why Washington's provocations, ever more absurd and insulting, keep coming. Raise the pressure on the Western-infatuated Atlanticist Integrationists, and they will move Putin aside. This is Washington's strategy, a strategy vindicated by the Russian government's lack of a meaningful response.

Is there no one in the Russian leadership who realizes that Russia must ignore the provocations, completely disengage from the West, and turn her attention to where the world is rising, which is in the East, not in the West, which is falling apart?

The Russian love affair with the West is truly amazing. The spurned lover, turned away again, again, and yet again, still persists. The US Ambassador to the United Nations can tell the assembled body that "Russia will never be America's friend" and that America will "slap them [Russia] when we need to," and RT sees in these hostile, contemptuous statements hope for improvement in US-Russian relations.

God help Russia.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Rob explores the difference between a natural, organic, bottom-up connection consciousness and our corporately imposed top-down hierarchical collective consciousness. What Rob is speaking about is the difference between an artificial and ultimately stagnate way of organizing the world and a natural, organic growth, which starts with a seed, sends downs roots and sends up shoots which blossom. By returning to a Nature-based theory of connection, the Bottom-Up revolution brings us back into alignment with Earths laws, returning humanity to its place in creation. Like a good gardener, Rob works into the soil of his thesis different voices that exemplify how this Bottom-Up revolution is expanding in politics, business, religion, personal self-awareness and story. And he places technology where it belongsas a tool to further our connection consciousness, not an end in itself. The bottom-up revolution is about democracy finally living up to its original ideals, where we the people decide what we need from our society."



Cathy Pagano, author of Wisdoms Daughters: How Women Can Change the World
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In "Russia Madness on the Eve of Destruction: Hegemony Trumps Survival"

https://www.truthdig.com/articles/russia-madness-on-the-eve-of-destruction-hegemony-trumps-survival/

Paul Street implicitly poses what is really the most crucial question: are those framing foreign policy capable of making good decisions? Not are they capable of being decent, humane, empathic toward others. Are they capable of being Machiavellian, successfully ruthless, basically rational bastards? This is the question deep in everyone's mind. Even in the mind of the most empathic white liberal or progressive. Because in the final analysis, if the answer is yes then there's a good chance that s/he will survive nicely enough whatever comes down. And deep in his/her mind, perhaps unconsciously, this fact is not irrelevant.

On the other hand, if the answer is no, everything changes unconsciously. Awareness of threat replaces the assumption of safeness, and people respond to the question "Why do you care what happens to foreign victims of your leaders' horrific actions?" differently than in the past. In the past they said "Because it's not right! It's immoral and unethical and just wrong!" Now they say, "Because those stupid bastards are going to get me killed!"

This constitutes a far more powerful motivation for citizens to engage with others in addressing how our leaders wield power than did their former answer. So I really appreciate it when journalists raise the kind of question that Noam Chomsky has been posing for a long time (Street duly credits him): Do our leaders' strategies promise a terrible kind of social stability based on the planned demise of many millions of inconvenient others -- those Teddy Roosevelt called Trash People? Or will they likely open the gates of hell and usher in an age of chaos magnitudes more devastating than the horrors created by collapsing empires in the past.

Much evidence suggests that the second answer is the more rational now, but most of this evidence has not been made nearly public enough. As it filters down, and it will, most people able to accept the consequences of the first answer probably will not be able passively to accept the consequences of the second. Many, hopefully most, hopefully virtually all, will get in touch with their denial and opt actively for survival. A journalism that more aggressively than heretore explores this question, and these answers, could contribute immeasurably to the emergence of the kind of activism required now. This has not happened yet.
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From Truthdig

In this week's episode of "Scheer Intelligence," host and Truthdig Editor in Chief Robert Scheer speaks to former CIA counterterrorism official John Kiriakou, who served nearly 15 years with the agency. Kiriakou, who spoke openly about his opposition to the CIA's torture program, served two years in prison after being charged with espionage and wrote the book "Doing Time Like a Spy: How the CIA Taught Me to Survive and Thrive in Prison."

Scheer and Kiriakou discuss the nomination of Gina Haspel for CIA director. Kiriakou says that "Haspel should be disqualified for her past at the top of the CIA's illegal torture program." He also says her nomination sends the message that CIA agents need not respect the law in order to advance in the agency.

Scheer cites a poll showing a majority of Americans see torture as a tool that makes the nation more secure. "What's happened here?" he asks Kiriakou.

"We've decided that, as a matter of policy, whatever is expedient is OK, because we're the good guys, so we can do whatever we want. And that's clearly wrong," he says.

Kiriakou also says torture has become a partisan issue, with the majority of Republicans supporting its use and the majority of Democrats opposed. Yet, he adds, progressive politicians knew more than they revealed about the extent of the CIA torture program.

Listen to the interview in the player above and read the full transcript of the conversation below. Find past episodes of "Scheer Intelligence" here.

--Posted by Emily Wells

Robert Scheer: This is Robert Scheer with another edition of Scheer Intelligence. It's actually my alternative to the Central Intelligence Agency, and by coincidence our guest today is John Kiriakou, who was sort of a hero at the Central Intelligence Agency, where he worked for almost 15 years. And he overlapped the events of 9/11, and it was John Kiriakou who was in charge of counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, and is an Arab speaker, Arabic speaker, and very knowledgeable in the region, who was involved in the capture of the most important, at that time most important Al-Qaeda operative, who was supposed to have been the No. 3 one, Abu Zubaydah. And the interesting question here is the effectiveness of torture, and the nominee from President Trump to be the new head of the CIA, Gina Haspel, has been referred to [by] some, including John Kiriakou, as "Bloody Gina." Because during that period she was a deputy director of counterterrorism activities, and she was involved in not only conducting these torture experiments and practices in Thailand and elsewhere, but she is also accused of having destroyed 92 tapes that were supposed to be released about the torture program, which don't exist now. So why don't you bring us up to date? We're doing this interview while she's still a nominee. And what is your view of that nomination, and where do you think it's going to end up?

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German submarines provide Israel with the "second strike" capability. The deal for 3 additional submarines (on top of 6 already in Israel's possession) is fraught with massive corruption by Netanyahu's family relatives and cronies, and was signed regardless of objections by the defense establishment. Merkel is asked to act for Israel's good and suspend the deal.



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German Chancellor Angela Merkel



(Image by German government - public) Details DMCA



German Justice and Consumer Protection Minister Katarina Barley

____

Tel-Aviv, April 07 - a letter has been forwarded today to the German Chancellor Merkel and Justice and Consumer Protection Minister Barley, requesting immediate suspension of an Israeli submarine purchase agreement.

Ongoing reports show massive corruption in the latest submarine purchase deal by a network of Netanyahu's family relatives and confidants, including senior government figures.

Due investigation and justice in this matter by Israeli law and justice agencies is highly unlikely. Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit, a close confidant of Prime Minister Netanyahu oversees the investigation and holds the sole decision making authority relative to filing indictments. Mandelblit is widely perceived as plagued with conflicts of interest in Netanyahu's corruption investigations. Mandelblit has also issued over the past year and a half ludicrous statements, that "no crime suspected in PM's submarine deal", and that "corruption did not reach the roots of the deal."

The purchase came into being through an unusual, irregular decision-making process, "over the objections of the defense establishment, including then Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon".

Germany's actions are reportedly guided by commitment for Israel's security on the one hand. On the other hand -- by compliance with OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions.

Former Israeli National Security Advisor, Prof Uzzi Arad (previously Netanyahu's confidant) has repeatedly stated that today, government corruption is an "existential risk". General dysfunction or incompetence of the Israeli law and justice agencies should also be taken into account.

At present, it appears that the submarine purchase agreement is not serving Israel's security needs. On the other hand, the agreement is used as a pretext for perverting true investigation and justice in this matter. The agreement effectively undermines integrity of the Israeli government in general and in particular - the Rule of Law.

Therefore, Merkel and Barley have been requested to reconsider their position regarding the submarine purchase deal and immediately suspend the agreement.

Israeli and/or German citizens are invited to join the call.

Following is the letter, forwarded to German Chancellor Merkel and Justice Minister Barely :

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Dr. William F. Pepper is shown above with Dr. Martin Luther King in a 1967 photo by Ben Fernandez on the platform of the National Conference for New Politics, which helped launch in Chicago what they and others intended as a new political movement. As Pepper, the planned executive director, recounts in his books, including "Orders To Kill" and "The Plot to Kill King," provocateurs disrupted the movement before it could reach its goals of a mass movement, including a 1968 Third Party presidential ticket that could have been led by King and the famed author / peace activist Dr. Benjamin Spock.

By Dr. William F. Pepper and Andrew Kreig

For the fiftieth anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.'s murder, the Washington Post last week overcame its tainted history of softball coverage and published a hard-hitting account quoting the King family's disbelief in the guilt of convicted killer James Earl Ray.

The bold, top-of-the-front-page treatment on April 2 of reporter Tom Jackman's in-depth piece --The Past Rediscovered: Who killed Martin Luther King Jr.? -- represents a major turning point in the treatment of the case for the past five decades by mainstream media. Print, broadcast and all too many film makers and academics have consistently soft-pedalled the ballistic, eye-witness and other evidence that undermines the official story of King's death.

This time, the Post and Jackman, an experienced reporter, undertook bold but long overdue initiative. One can only hope that it leads to similar coverage -- rigorous and fair -- for other history-changing events, including current ones that are inherently secret.

The Post's MLK Success Formula

Jackman's method was relatively simple. Reporters use it routinely on other stories that are not so political sensitive as King's death. In this instance, the reporter quoted family members and other experts and provided balance with other perspectives.

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At least 70 people have died in a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, rescuers and medics say. Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing several bodies in basements. It said the deaths were likely to rise. There has been no independent verification of the reports. Syria has called the allegations of a chemical attack a "fabrication" - as has its main ally, Russia. The US state department said Russia - with its "unwavering support" for Syria's government - "ultimately bears responsibility" for the alleged attacks.













What do we know about the attack? Several medical, monitoring and activist groups reported details of a chemical attack. "Seventy people suffocated to death and hundreds are still suffocating," said Raed al-Saleh, head of the White Helmets. An earlier, now deleted tweet, put the number dead at more than 150. The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Center tweeted that more than 75 people had "suffocated", while a further 1,000 people had suffered the effects of the alleged attack. It blamed a barrel bomb allegedly dropped by a helicopter which it said contained Sarin, a toxic nerve agent. The Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

















































The US once again said Russia is "ultimately bearing responsibility" for all chemical incidents in Syria, regardless of who carried them out, after rebel sources accused Damascus of gassing dozens in Eastern Ghouta's Douma. "The regime's history of using chemical weapons against its own people is not in dispute," said the US State Department, indicating, however, that it was relying on "reports," being unable to confirm the incident. "Russia ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal targeting of countless Syrians with chemical weapons."





Earlier on Saturday, rebel-linked activists, including the notorious 'civil defense' group White Helmets, accused the Syrian government of carrying out a chemical attack that allegedly affected dozens of civilians in the militant-controlled town of Douma in Eastern Ghouta. The Syrian government, which regards the White Helmets as a foreign-funded terrorist propaganda mouthpiece, rejected these "fabrications."





Sana reported , citing an official government source, who added that militants have likely launched this latest propaganda campaign fearing their imminent "dramatic collapse." "Jaish al-Islam terrorists are repeating the allegations of using chemical weapons in order to accuse the Syrian Arab army, in a blatant attempt to hinder the Army's advance,""dramatic collapse."













Despite the lack of verified evidence thus far, Washington did not miss a chance to label Moscow as complicit and 'ultimately' responsible for the incident, due to its support of President Bashar Assad. Previously, former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson regularly took advantage of well-timed reports of chemical incidents, including in East Ghouta, to push through the US agenda in Syria.





In a follow-up comment, the State Department urged the international community to act immediately  if the incident is confirmed  and advised Russia to end its unmitigated support for the Syrian government.









Reports of chemical attacks, blamed on Damascus, previously surfaced on a number of occasions, and were often backed by a stream of horrific visuals disseminated via social media channels by the White Helmets. Saturday's incident follows the same pattern, where, as always, the White Helmets found themselves at the right place at the right time to take graphic pictures of the alleged chemical attack victims. Shocking images of dead kids with foaming mouths surfaced immediately after the accusations were made.





Quite surprisingly, the controversial UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which is usually among the first sources that confirm atrocities by Damascus, could not confirm that chemical weapons had been used, and said casualties might have been a result of fire and toxic smoke following a conventional airstrike.









































Earlier, the US State Department had expressed concern about the reports of chemical weapons use in Douma that allegedly led to deaths of 40 people, claiming that Russia was accountable for targeting Syrians; the Russian military has refuted the allegations, saying they were aimed at disrupting of Jaysh al-Islam militants' evacuation from E Ghouta.





"Information attacks about the use of chlorine or other poisonous substances by the Syrian government troops are continuing. Another such hoax about the supposedly taking place of the chemical attack in Douma emerged yesterday. At the same time, references are made to the notorious NGO "White Helmets", which has been repeatedly caught acting with terrorists, as well as other so-called humanitarian organizations based in the United Kingdom and the United States," the ministry said.









The ministry went on to say that it had repeatedly warned about possible provocations with the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Their major aim is to accuse the Syrian government forces of the chemical weapons use and justify the possible military intervention in Syria from abroad.









































The Syrian government has denied allegations of having used chemical weapons in the city of Douma in Eastern Ghouta, saying it doesn't need such measures to stop the terrorists. The Russian Defense Ministry has also denied reports of an alleged chemical bomb being dropped on Douma, suggesting that a number of Western states as well as NGOs like the White Helmets have turned to such claims in order to undermine the evacuation of Jaish al-Islam terrorists from the area.





"We strongly deny these claims and announce our readiness to send Russian experts in radiation, chemical and biological defense to Douma after its liberation from terrorists to gather evidence, which would prove that the allegations on the chemical weapons use were staged," said Maj. Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, commander of the Russian Center for Syria reconciliation.









According to the statement, issued by the Syrian authorities on the state-run SANA news agency, such claims have been made by terrorists and are aimed at hindering Syrian forces, which have made a swift and determined advance and do not need such measures to deter the terrorists.









SANA, citing an official source, reported that some media outlets, affiliated with the Jaish al-Islam terrorist group, positioned in its last stronghold in Douma, had reiterated the allegations of chemical attack in order to blame it on the Syrian Arab army and hinder the forces advance.









Last month, Damascus reported that several foreign experts were working on staging a chemical attack , which would be carried out with the help of the infamous White Helmets and would be covered by mainstream media. The same warning was issued by the Russian Center for Syria reconciliation in January.
















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From Alternet

The congressman from El Paso has raised $6.7 million with a genuine grassroots campaign.



Beto O'Rourke

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One of 2018's most remarkable campaign stories is unfolding on the back roads and small-town squares of rural Texas, where Democratic Rep. Beto O'Rourke, a three-term congressman from El Paso, is within striking distance of unseating arguably the nation's most despised senator, Texas Republican Ted Cruz.

The most visible marker of O'Rourke's success is his announcement this month that he raised $6.7 million in small donations from 141,000 people, breaking a three-decade record for the most money raised in a reporting period in a Texas U.S. Senate race. O'Rourke isn't taking any political action committee money, because he's a progressive who doesn't want strings attached.

Even Cruz, who just launched his re-election bid, acknowledged O'Rourke's fundraising. But true to Cruz's negativity drenched form, his first statewide radio ad threw a litany of right-wing cliche's mocking O'Rourke for not being man enough to represent Texas. Nevermind that O'Rourke, a mild-mannered former punk rocker, tech startup founder, El Paso city councilman and congressman, has real western Texas roots stretching back four times as many generations as Cruz.

The success of O'Rourke's fundraising is a symptom of many things. But perhaps most importantly, O'Rourke seems to be everything that Cruz isn't: personable, positive, empathetic, averse to taunts and pettiness, and crystal-clear about his inclusive and empowering progressive agenda. And one more thing in a year when Democrats are energized: O'Rourke is a road warrior who is live-streaming his days online and is fully at ease both with the technology and the transparency. That backdrop allowed AlterNet to follow O'Rourke for a day this week, from the van ride after his Trinity County event to a student town hall in Houston.

This everyman approach is utterly anti-Machiavellian. While O'Rourke, who has a wife and three kids, obviously has a private life, he is openly doing exactly what most politicians usually hide: their laundry, getting a haircut, knocking on doors unscripted, even sharing what happened when the power goes out at a gas station men's room, leaving everyone, including him, a bit bewildered. Traveling in a van with young aides, O'Rourke recounted that almost TMI moment, paraphrasing Gram Parsons, a pioneering country rocker: "You don't miss your water until your well runs dry."

O'Rourke had just visited another rural county where he was likely to be told the last time a Democratic Senate candidate visited was Lyndon Baines Johnson, decades ago. What O'Rourke is doing is smartly mixing the old and the new. The old is showing up, briefly telling voters what he thinks on key issues, then hearing comments and taking questions. He pledges to try to solve problems by working reasonably with anyone who shares these concerns, regardless of party. The new, in contrast, is using live-streamed video, along with a complement of online communications and platforms, to give people a ringside seat to his life.

"What you have with Beto is not just somebody who is using all the tools that are available politically, through social media and other things, it's somebody who is absolutely open and understands them," a longtime Texas political consultant said, speaking on background. "And that's different from most politicians. Most politicians come to that world through necessity that they have to, and it's a struggle for them to understand it. Beto understands it in his bones. And gets it."

O'Rourke announced his long-shot Senate campaign a year ago. When he first ran for the House, he knocked on "16,000 or 17,000 doors" in his district, another political consultant said on background, and praising O'Rourke's dogged work ethic. The campaign knows Texas has 28 million people, an impossible number to individually reach. But it believes that by using the internet it can show enough voters that there's a positive alternative to Cruz, and a candidate who is working harder.

While he clearly knows he's on camera all the time, O'Rourke is entirely comfortable with it. On the issues, he presents a typical Berniecrat agenda without any of Sanders' abrasiveness. He's proud of El Paso's binational identity, stands with immigrants, wants affordable health care and higher education, living wages, reasonable gun controls and family-friendly policies. But unlike Sanders, who does not reveal much about his personal life, typically gets hustled in and out of events and avoids the public's questions, O'Rourke is mindful and considerate of the audience members who have taken to watching his live-stream.

"Okay, we're just gassed up. Thanks to everyone who pitched in to make sure we could put gas in the tank of this Dodge Caravan," he says, as he buckled his seatbelt and a 38-minute video began. "Some people will travel the state in a private jet. It's a big state. I can see why, if you have the resources, you'd do it that way. But we're traveling the state on the highways and byways, the roads and streets of Texas, and we're enjoying the heck out of it."

"It's a beautiful, beautiful day," he continues, pointing to the blue sky and green foliage. "We just left the Trinity County courthouse steps in Groveton, Texas, which is one of the more beautiful towns we've had a chance to be in. And the drive to Groveton was just gorgeous. And we're now headed to Houston and we've added a stop to our day, which means we're not going to have a chance to stop for lunch. And that's okay and I'm going to allow Cynthia and Chris [his traveling aides] to tell you why."

Now Cynthia chimes in, saying, "Everywhere we go, all the town halls, we meet the most amazing people." She recounts how a supporter named Terry gave them a brimming picnic basket and cooler. She pulls out the Wonderbread, a second whole-grain honey wheat loaf, plates and forks, mayo, mustard, sliced vegetables, deli meats, and cupcakes, and shows them all to the dashboard camera. It's a bit of a performance. But you get to watch how O'Rourke and his team do what they do, up close and personal, and how gracious O'Rourke is toward his grassroots supporters -- the very people many campaigns take for granted.

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Man's inhumanity to man reached new levels of odium. The generally trigger-happy Israeli army fired at unarmed demonstrators at the fence cordoning Gazans into a prison. That hundreds were injured and at least 18 killed evoked little sympathy from our media and certainly no one dared criticize Benjamin Netanyahu's crowing of the incident as a great victory.

About 2500 miles east lies another beleaguered population, the Kashmiris suffering a brutal decades-long occupation by an estimated one-quarter to three-quarter-million force of Indian soldiers. In one tactic they use shotgun weapons loaded with small-pellet shells -- no riot-control techniques for them. Their preferred target is not the lower body but the upper, resulting in all-too-numerous instances of small boys and young men being blinded for life. Major Aditya Kumar was charged with murder after one incident only to be granted relief recently by a pliant Indian Supreme Court.





Demonstrations have intensified since the killing of the popular and charismatic rebel leader, Burhan Wani, in July 2016. He was just 21. Thousands of civilians have been injured, many blinded, and many have died as a result of the brutal response by the occupation forces. The latest incident on April1 led to 20 deaths.





India promised a plebiscite under UN supervision about 70 years ago. It has not been held. The fact that Kashmiris are in massive civilian protest as well as open rebellion is well established by the presence of troops. It is also abundantly clear, given a choice, that Kashmiris would tell their Indian overlords to get the hell out. Whether they would want to join Pakistan or wish to remain by themselves is an open question. It hardly matters in these days of open economic communities.



But foresight or statesmanship is not to be expected in leaders pushing their antiquated and noisome upper-caste Hindu supremacy, tarnishing the founder Nehru's proud boast of a secular state. Add to it a rewriting of history in which the Taj Mahal is a Hindu temple. It is not. In the new India Christians, Muslims and lower-caste Hindus (Dalits) are under constant threat or attack.





So there we are ... two nuclear powers in constant confrontation without the sense to bury a colonial past and forge a new modern subcontinent. No, that would be much too sensible. Instead, religious extremism has secured a foothold and we all know how that can end unless it is quickly snuffed out.






Complete Industry Analysis of United States Household Insecticide Market Report 2018

Complete Industry Analysis of United States Household Insecticide Market Report 2018

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The United States Household Insecticide Market Report 2018 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Household Insecticide industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Household Insecticide Industry analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Household Insecticide industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Ask a complete report sample:In this report, the United States Household Insecticide market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2025, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2017 and 2025.Geographically, this report splits the United States market into seven regions:The WestSouthwestThe Middle AtlanticNew EnglandThe SouthThe Midwestwith sales (volume), revenue (value), market share and growth rate of Household Insecticide in these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast).United States Household Insecticide market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Household Insecticide sales volume, price, revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingGodrej Consumer ProductsReckitt BenckiserSC Johnson & SonSpectrum BrandsSumitomo ChemicalCoghlan'sDaburEnesis GroupGLOBE-JanakanthaGoodluck SyndicateHerbal StrategiHOVEXJyothy LaboratoriesKapiDAINIHON JOCHUGIKUPICQuantum HealthOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLiquidGasSolidOtherOn 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, includingMosquitoesCockroachMouseOtherTable of contents:Chapter 1 - Household Insecticide OverviewChapter 2 - United States Household Insecticide Market Competition by Players/SuppliersChapter 3 - United States Household Insecticide Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Region (2013-2018)Chapter 4 - United States Household Insecticide Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (Product Category) (2013-2018)Chapter 5 - United States Household Insecticide Sales (Volume) by Application (2013-2018)Chapter 6 - United States Household Insecticide Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales DataChapter 7 - Household Insecticide Manufacturing Cost AnalysisChapter 8 - Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream BuyersChapter 9 - Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/TradersChapter 10 - Market Effect Factors AnalysisChapter 11- United States Household Insecticide Market Size (Value and Volume) Forecast (2018-2025)Chapter 12 - Research Findings and ConclusionChapter 13 - AppendixContact Details:Company Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchTina| Sales ManagersTel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Email: sales@qyresearcheurope.com or tinaning@qyresearch.comWeb:QYResearch, established in 2007, focuses on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, and data base &seminar services. The company owns large basic databases (such as National Bureau of Statistics Database, Customs Import and Export Database, Industry Association Database, etc.), expert resources (including industry experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D in industries of energy, automotive, chemicals, medical ICT consumer goods, etc.), professional survey team (the team members obtained more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years deep expert interview experience), and excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team).Room 2901 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road
Cosmetic Ingredients Market: Global Industry Analysis, Sales and Forecast By 2025

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It is forecasted that the cosmetic ingredients market is going to witness a stale growth rate over the forecast period. The global market for cosmetic ingredients is increasing substantially with the increased demand of various end use products. The various use of end use products both natural and synthetic are used in various end use products such as skin care, hair care, and makeup among others. The market has been segmented into surfactants, polymers, emollients rheology modifiers and others which include absorbers and antimicrobials on the basis of types. Based on function the market has been segmented into cleansing agent, moisturizing agent and others which includes fragrances and toners. On the basis of end use, the market is further segmented into skincare, hair care, makeup, oral care and others which include perfumes and deodorants.Over the years the consumers has become excessively conscious about the well-being of the skin and is more focused in attaining perfect lawless skin without any blemishes, marks or spots. Through continuous research and development the manufacturers has been able to capture the existing skin care industry with the introduction of new products with the introduction of new products with unique ingredients, which in turn triggers the global cosmetic ingredients market. Major skin concerns among consumers include premature ageing, wrinkles, dry skin, pigmentation, age spots and uneven skin tone are also some of the concerns to be looked after. Hence, anti-ageing products are in high demand which in turn boosts the global cosmetic ingredients market. Major restraints hindering the global market includes stringent government rules and regulations on several ingredients.Report For Report Sample with Table of Contents:Global Cosmetic Ingredients Market: Scope of the study.The cosmetic ingredients market is seeing dramatic changes over the years. In order to provide safety to consumers, there are several regulatory bodies that have their own regulations regarding the use of different ingredients. Hence, this has resulted in restraining the global cosmetic ingredients market. The constant change in consumer preference is included in the major opportunities of the global cosmetic ingredients market. The changing lifestyle and rising disposable income coupled with growing consciousness about physical appearance has resulted in continuous demand for cosmetic products which in turn has fueled the demand for cosmetic ingredients ingredient market. In Asia Pacific region, a stable and continuous growth of the economy has resulted in the rise in disposable income over the years. This has generated opportunities for the global cosmetic ingredients market.In this report, the study of different countries are included in different regions such as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East and Africa. Asia Pacific is the most dominant region in the global market as well as the most rapid growing region. The US and Rest of North America is included in North American region. Whereas countries like UK, Germany, France, Russia, Italy and Rest of Europe is included in the European Market zone. In the European market, France holds the most dominant shares. UK on the other hand is the most rapid growing country over the forecast period. Countries like India, China, Japan and Rest of Middle East and Africa are included in the Asia Pacific region. In addition to that, Middle East and Africa includes country such as UAE, South Africa and Rest of Middle East and Africa. Countries such as Brazil and Rest of Latin America are included in the Latin America region.Request For Report Discount:Companies Mentioned in the Report are:A competitive analysis of all the leading players is included in the report. The leading players include Ashland Inc. (U.S.), BASF SE (Germany), Croda International Plc. (U.K.), Akzo Nobel N.V. (Netherlands), The Dow Chemical Company (U.S), Evonik Industries AG (Germany), Lonza Group (Switzerland), Solvay SA (Belgium), Clariant AG (Switzerland) and Innospec Inc. (U.S.) among others.The report provides an exhaustive study of the Cosmetic Ingredients market along with offering the market estimates, in terms of revenue (USD billion) for the forecast period from 2017-2025. Further, the global market is classified on the basis of type, function and end use.Report Analysis:The global cosmetic ingredients market can be segmented as follows:- By Type:Surfactants, Polymers, Emollients, Antioxidants and Preservatives, Rheology ModifiersOthers; By Function: Cleansing agent, Moisturizing Agent, Coloring Agent, Others; By End User: Skin Care, Hair Care, Make Up, Oral Care, Others; By Geography: North America, U.S., Rest of North America, Europe, U.K, Germany, France, Italy, Rest of Europe, Asia Pacific, China, India, Japan, Rest of APAC, Middle East and AfricaUAE, South Africa, Rest of Middle East & Africa, Latin America, Brazil, Rest of Latin AmericaResearch Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Research Report Insights101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite:
Biopesticides Market: Global Industry Analysis, Size, Sales and Forecast By 2023

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The Global Laser Cutting Machines Market is expected to witness a substantial growth during the forecast period. This is due to its increasing demand across various end use industries such as automotive, consumer electronics, defense and aerospace, industrial anReport DescriptionBiopesticides are derived from natural sources as animals, bacteria, plants, and certain minerals. Bt (Bacillus thruingiensis) containing products are the most common type of biopesticides but the plant-incorporated protectants (PIP) that come from adding genetic material to plants also fall in this category. The global biopesticides market has shown significant growth during the past few years. This trend is anticipated to continue during the forecast period due to increasing consumer awareness about the consumption of organic food and growing usage of biopesticides in order to minimize the environment pollution worldwide. Biopesticides are the key components of integrated pest management (IPM) programs, and are receiving much attention as a means of reducing the load of synthetic chemical products that are used to control plant diseases. The objective of improving the commercial feasibility of production and use of biopesticides is propelling market growth. Moreover, extensive and organized research has resulted in improved formulation techniques, enhanced application methods, and increased ability to produce biopesticides through mass production, and better storage and shelf life capabilities.Report For Report Sample with Table of Contents:In this report, the global biopesticides market is categorized into five segments: (i) by product type; (ii) by active ingredients type, (iii) by crop type, (iv) by application and (v) by geography. Based on product type, the market has been categorized into bioinsecticides, biofungicides, bionematicides, and bioherbicides. Biopesticides are widely used for controlling various insects and disease-causing pathogens. Based on active ingredients, the biopesticides market is segregated into microbial pesticides, plant pesticides, and biochemical pesticides. Furthermore, the market is segmented into permanent crops and arable crops among others including forage & turf grasses and greenhouse crops by crop type. Based on application type, the biopesticides market is bifurcated into seed treatment application, on farm application, and post harvest application.Bioinsecticides, biofungicides, and bionematicides are rapidly growing market segments that are expected to fuel demand for biopesticides in the near future. The usage of biopesticides can greatly decrease the use of conventional pesticides without affecting crop yields in the Integrated Crop Management (ICM) and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs. Globally, the demand for nature-based biopesticides is on the rise with increased environmental awareness and the pollution potential and health hazards from many conventional pesticides.Based on geography, the global biopesticides market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). In 2014, North America held the largest share of the biopesticides market followed by Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America is expected to maintain its leading position during the forecast period.Globally, the pesticide industry is highly regulated. Pesticide regulation has shifted from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Food and Drugs Administration to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). EPA, in turn, has been encouraging the development and use of biopesticides in the U.S. Increasing demand for chemical-free crops and more organic farming is anticipated to propel the usage of biopesticides in North America. In addition, biopesticides are quickly biodegradable, are less toxic, and are more targeted to the specific pest that helps to control pest population to a manageable level. Increasing focus on research and development and production of environment friendly and safe pesticides by the industry is expected to boost the growth of the market.The report also covers the drivers, restraints, and opportunities (DROs) of the biopesticides market. The study highlights the current market trends and provides forecast for the period from 2015 to 2023. We have also covered the current market scenario for global biopesticides, and highlighted future trends that are likely to affect its demand.Request For Report Discount:By geography, the market has been segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Under the scope of the report, each region is further segregated into major country to highlight the respective market share of biopesticides in each country. The study covers major countries such as the U.S., and rest of North America; Japan, China, and India in Asia Pacific; the Spain, Italy, and France in Europe; and Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East in RoW. The size and forecast for these markets for the period from 2015 to 2023 has been provided in the report.Under the scope of this report, different influencing and hindering factors of the biopesticides market have been analyzed. The market attractiveness analysis provided in the report highlights the key investing areas in this industry. The report also provides the company market share analysis of key players operating in the biopesticides domain. Some of the key players in this market include Syngenta Crop Protection, LLC, AgBiTech Pty Ltd, Becker Underwood Inc., BASF SE, Arysta LifeSciences, Valent Biosciences Corp, Bayer CropScience AG, Dow AgroSciences and Novozymes A/S among others.Report Analysis:About Us:Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Contact Us:Research Report Insights101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWeb Site:
Baby Diapers Market: East Africa Industry Analysis, Size, Sales and Forecast By 2024

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Today the market for any given product is governed by the awareness among the consumers. An average buyer concentrates on the personal priorities and needs, apart from the overall notoriety of the product. These factors often administer the commodities of personal hygiene like diapers to a great extent. The modern day parents analyse the products for the infants more soberly than ever before. The material, costing, comfortable level are significant factor for making a diaper brand popular. Thus research and development are imminent part of baby diapers manufacturing. Also, the market for baby diapers is rising at an enormous pace, following rise in global demand.In recent years, the demand for baby diapers has grown fixedly in various nations of East Africa.The report provides a thorough acument into the key market dynamics, emerging trends, recent design innovations, and competitive landscape. The study offers a detailed statistical analysis related to the market share and size of segments and analyzes the key factors configuring the competitive acts. Recent attempts by governments of various countries and private players in East Africa are highlighted and their impact on the costing strategies of vendors are evaluated.Report For Report Sample with Table of Contents:East Africa Baby Diapers Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe East Africa baby diapers market is principally driven by a continuous slump in the toddler mortality rate in developing nations, an upswing in urban population with significant expendable incomes, and increasing awareness related to the hygiene of infants. Coupled with this, in-depth and persistent efforts made by several governmental and non-governmental organizations to create awareness among rural population have led to an increasing use of baby diapers to promote the healthy growth of infants.Increasing shift toward the use of eco-friendly and viable materials in manufacturing baby diapers has resulted in various product innovations. The onset of ultra-soft and hypoallergenic diapers made without the use of any supplements is expected to shoot the market over the forecast period. However, the growing run of parents embracing longer in-between changing times of diapers has resulted in skin rashes and bugs among babies. Various study reiterating the role of disposable diapers in causing testicular cancer among males are likely to hinder the growth of the market to an extent.Request For Report Discount:East Africa Baby Diapers Market: Provincial VisionThe major countries considered in the research report are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, and Burundi. Kenya becomes top lucarative market for baby diapers in East Africa. The dramatic demand for baby diapers in Kenya is driven by the significant rise in birth rate included a substantial decline in the infant mortality rate as compared to other developing nations of East Africa. After Kenya,Tanzania is the second largest revenue contributing country in the East Africa diapers market. Other Countries Involved are Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi.East Africa Baby Diapers Market: Companies InvolvedLeading players are also establishingfeasible products made with biodegradable materials to entice parents who are vigilant of the environmental brunt of adapting diapers. Major manufacturers are making product modernization and operating boosting their distribution channels to centralize their presence across major countries. Key players accomplishing in this market include Johnson and Johnson, INDEVCO Group Procter and Gamble, Unicharm Corporation, SCA Hygiene Products GmbH, Mega Soft (Fujian) Hygiene Products Co. Ltd., and Interconsumer Products Ltd.This report gives you approach to definitive data such as: Market growth drivers, Factors hindering market growth, Current market trends and Market extensions for the coming decade.Report Analysis:Key highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and forbiddingmarket growthUp-to-date analysis of market trends and technological advancementsPin-point analysis of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segments.Research Report Insights (RRI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver a host of services including custom research reports, syndicated research reports, and consulting services which are personalised in nature. RRI delivers a complete packaged solution to clients; this combines current market intelligence, technology inputs, statistical anecdotes, valuable growth insights, 360-degree view of the competitive framework, and anticipated market trends.Research Report Insights101 Maimuna ApartmentKoliwada Vasai West,Mumbai-401201Phone: (+91) 787-575-8555Email: sales@researchreportinsights.comWebsite:
Congressional Republicans made their Faustian bargain with President Donald Trump: They would look the other way on personal finances and corruption and disregard his racist, anti-democratic outbursts for help in delivering tax cuts, a Supreme Court justice and some deregulation. (We find the bargain morally and politically indefensible, but it's what Republican House and Senate leaders decided to accept.)

When legitimate questions are raised about Trump's unfitness and chaotic administration, they tell us, "But Gorsuch!" And, in the same vein, "But corporate tax cuts and Environment Protection Agency dismantling!" Now, however, their support for Trump may cost them majorities in the House and Senate, as well as losses in governors' and state legislative races. The bill is coming due on their short-term gamble.

When you now look at the bargain the GOP has struck, it is evident that Republicans have gotten everything they were ever going to get. The tax cuts passed; Justice Neil M. Gorsuch is on the Supreme Court. But now what? The Trump-GOP agenda is effectively over, as you'll be able to tell by an utter lack of legislative output for the remainder of the year. In other words, it is all downhill from here. The very likely flip of the House of Representatives to Democratic control (possibly the Senate, as well) will mean, at best for the GOP, a stalemate.

Trump for some time (as we've seen in 2017 and 2018 elections) has become a hindrance for the GOP. He's now also a hindrance to Republicans' agenda, not a help. The Washington Post reports:

"Trump's protectionist turn is an unwelcome one, and it's ushering in a period of great uncertainty for markets and companies. There was a belief - or at least a hope - among some business leaders that Trump wouldn't do anything to threaten the uptick in economic growth that's underway, but now they're not so sure. ...

"Business leaders don't know how to read this new phase of 'MAGAnomics,' and they don't have the same sway over Trump's inner circle of advisers as they did when former Goldman Sachs executive Gary Cohn and staff secretary Rob Porter, a more traditional Republican, had Trump's ear."

Things have gotten so dicey even the Koch Brothers are rethinking their unwavering support for the GOP. Their network of organizations have spoken out against Trump's tariffs, and they urged Congress to defy the president and make a deal on the "dreamers." The Post reported last week:

"Leaders of the conservative Koch political network are mad about President Trump's tariffs, the failure to protect 'dreamers' and runaway government spending. They're frustrated congressional leaders do not feel a greater sense of urgency to pass more ambitious legislation during what could be the final six months of unified Republican control for a long time. And they're worried that squabbling might derail their efforts to roll back financial regulations, expand access to experimental medicines and overhaul the criminal justice system.

"For now, the network led by billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch still plans to spend between $300 million to $400 million on politics and policy during the 2018 cycle. But they're growing impatient, rethinking their approach and signaling a willingness to work more closely with Democrats on areas of common ground."

Republican candidates will face an onslaught of questions and attack ads about Trump's continued irrationality, racism and outright lying. A handful of at-risk California congressmen will no doubt encounter blowback from the president's hyped-up lies about illegal voting. ("So now the claim is not just that 3 million to 5 million people voted illegally, but that millions and millions of people are voting many times each, in California alone," my Post colleague Dan Balz reports on Trump's West Virginia appearance last week when he literally tossed away his prepared script. "It would be easy to dismiss all this as more of the same - mostly harmless commentary tossed out to an audience of supporters by the president - all in keeping with what he does. Yet each time he comes back to this particular claim, it strikes anew at one of the foundations of a democratic society.")

Don't get me wrong. The GOP shows no sign of abandoning Trump before the midterms. But if the blue wave does cost Republicans their majorities, why exactly should GOP donors and lawmakers continue to absorb political blows on Trump's behalf? They can sit back, let the special prosecutor do his work, and watch Democrats make Trump's life miserable with non-stop hearings, subpoenas and maybe even impeachment proceedings.

By 2020 some may even be asking: Hey, why are we still backing this guy? They finally might realize he's wrecking the party, their financial gains and - oh, yes - the country.
National Library Week is a time for people to celebrate their love of libraries. This year, the library is turning it around and celebrating its patrons. During the week of April 8, the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library will be offering fun, informative events designed to improve the well-being of its community members.

Each day during this "Week of Wellness," the library will host an event showcasing the benefits of a wellness-related activity. The events are free and no registration is required.

The week starts out with a Journaling program from 2 to 3 p.m. Monday, April 9 on the Mezzanine. Journaling has been shown to help reduce stress and anxiety. It can spark creativity and bring the writer a greater sense of self-confidence as well. Blank journals will be provided or you can bring your own. An expert will be on hand to teach effective journaling, showing how to get the most out of it. There is no expectation of sharing what is written.

On Tuesday, April 10, from 3 to 4 p.m. on the Mezzanine, patrons will learn about essential oils and how they might be used in transforming their health. Oils from roots, seeds, stems and flowers can have positive effects when used correctly and for the right purpose.

The mid-week program held Wednesday evening, April 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in the Community Room, will provide in-depth discussions on the benefits of Yoga and Meditation. Both practices promote health and well-being. Judith Powers, Fitness Specialist from Mid-Michigan Medical, will describe what yoga is and how it helps to reduce stress. Skip Renker, Professor Emeritus at Delta College, will do a presentation on the benefits of meditation. A question and answer period will follow the presentations.

Thursday's wellness event is a Tea Tasting. From 2 to 4 p.m. on April 12 on the Mezzanine, patrons will have the opportunity to taste several herbal teas and learn about the health properties of each. Bookmarks with information about the teas will be available to attendees.

The week culminates on Friday evening, April 13, with Emma Brown playing relaxing, soft guitar music in the library from 6:30 to 7:30 pm. What a great way to start the weekend!

Throughout the week, patrons can do some peaceful coloring at stations around the library. And, as always, the Quiet Room is a wonderful place to de-stress anytime. So, mark your calendars and head out to the library for a bit of wellness in your week.

While you are at the library, check out the display of books highlighting the wellness topics. For further information, please contact the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library at 989-837-3449 or visit online at www.cityofmidlandmi.gov/library.

Terrie Ahlers is the supervisor of adult services at the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library.
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About Me Scott Because prophetic scriptures are found throughout the bible, it is obvious that a comprehensive, systematic approach would be useful, if not necessary, for the understanding of prophecy. Past prophecies have been fulfilled in a literal manner, as confirmed by the dating of these writings and historical records of confirmation. These past prophecies also serve as a model of how to interpret future prophecies. A literal view of prophecy clearly indicates a certain sequence of events will occur within a single generation, concluding with the Tribulation and Second Advent and these events will be obvious. The prophetic signs appear to be present in this generation and we believe these signs are revealed in the news from around the world. View my complete profile
Local and federal authorities have determined the reason an airplane landed on a Sullivan's Island beach Saturday morning: the pilot wanted to take photographs.

The aircraft, identified as a Piper PA-12 single-engine airplane, landed around 8:20 a.m. in the area of Station 28, according to Jim Peters, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman.

"Police say that the pilot took photos and then the aircraft took off from the beach," Peters said. "There were no injuries reported. The FAA will investigate."

Police were dispatched to the scene but the airplane took off before officers arrived, said Andy Benke, town administrator for Sullivan's Island.

The FAA is investigating whether the landing was legal, Peters said.
Michael Majchrowicz is a reporter covering crime and public safety. He previously wrote about courts for the Daily Hampshire Gazette in Northampton, Massachusetts. A Hoosier native, he graduated from Indiana University with a degree in journalism.
Gregory Yee covers the city of Charleston. He's a native Angeleno and previously covered crime and courts for the Press-Telegram in Long Beach, CA. He studied journalism and Spanish literature at the University of California, Irvine.
Jamie Lovegrove is a political reporter covering the South Carolina Statehouse, congressional delegation and campaigns. He previously covered Texas politics in Washington for The Dallas Morning News and in Austin for the Texas Tribune.
Syndicated and guest columns represent the personal views of the writers, not necessarily those of the editorial staff. The editorial department operates entirely independently of the news department and is not involved in newsroom operations.
There was heated exchange between Nigerias communication minister, Adebayo Shittu, and a presidential aspirant, Omoyele Sowore, on a public affairs radio programme in Ibadan on Saturday.

Mr Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters, was in Ibadan in continuation of his campaign efforts. He arrived Lagos from the UK earlier in the week.

The programme, monitored by PREMIUM TIMES correspondent, held on Fresh FM, Ibadan, owned by foremost broadcaster and musician, Yinka Ayefele.

The interview had barely kicked off when the debate became heated.

Minister, it is great to see you. This is the minister of an outgoing regime; the Buhari regime will be kicked off power by 2019, Mr Sowore said shortly after the programme began.

He had barely concluded his introductory statement when Mr Shittu fired back, saying the Sahara Reporters publisher is a dreamer.

By your wish or by Gods wish? You are just dreaming. You are a day dreamer he said in response to Mr Sowores claim to which the presidential hopeful replied saying, By the wish of the people of Nigeria, Sir. It is not a dream. It is the realisation youd wake up to on February 15.

Mr Shittu retorted: Sowore, whats your electoral worth? Whether in your Ife (sic), home or any part of this country. Mr Sowore replied: My electoral worth brought you to power in 2015. Nobody even heard about many of you in 2014.

The minister thereafter said the Sahara Reporters publisher didnt know about him because he was inconsequential in politics. You are inconsequential he said.

In defence, Mr Sowore said he was consequential because Mr Shittu and others came to power by the efforts of young Nigerians like him.

He said, I am consequential because you came to power on my back, on our back on the back of young people who invested a lot of hope.

In response, the minister described the publisher as a mere noise-maker. What did you invest? Did you invest more than me, No? I will not sit here and allow someone make noiseYou are just a noisemaker. You are just a noisemaker.

The Sahara Reporters publisher thereafter warned that the minsters conduct was typical of the same way handlers of former President Goodluck Jonathan treated Nigerians before they were defeated at the polls in 2015.

This was the same way Jonathan people were sounding in 2014 you are gonna be shocked in 2019, Mr Sowore said. On accusations by the minister that he was a dreamer and that his statements were politically motivated, he said: The Nigeria of the future is for dreamers like me.

Apparently angered by Mr. Sowores statements, Mr. Shittu said: You think the presidency is for people like you? Go and start from being a councillor. I have been a member of the House of Assembly, I was a commissioner twice, I was already a lawyer you wouldnt know, you were too small. How old are you? How old are you? This is not a platform for minions like you to come you think the presidency is something you can just buy in a market place? You are a giant in university politics (and) by the grace of God you will be put to shame.

The anchor of the programme, Isaac Brown, momentarily brought the situation under control but the coordinated conversation didnt last long before it turned into a shouting match yet again.

When asked to explain the rationale for vying for the presidency, the 47-year-old publisher said he had been around for thirty years fighting for the betterment of the country. He also said he had built a media platform whose reportage help bring the present government into power.

The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, [Photo credit: THISDAYLIVE]

Thats rubbish! Mr Shittu fired back. I have been in politics since you were born. For forty years, I have been in politics and I was already a lawyer before I joined politics forty years ago. You cant be here and talk rubbish.

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This is rubbish! You want to become president? You are a day dreamer. Who will make you president? You will be president of your Ife not Nigeria. Go and be president in Ife. You think it is cheap as that? We will see

On the #NotTooYoungToRun initiative, Mr Sowore said it was not enough for the youth to simply contest on the basis of their being young.

You have to take power because we are responsible and should be responsible for it. Thats why we are having a heated argument here. I have been doing this for thirty years; by next year, it will be thirty years. We are the ones that fought for the democracy they are enjoying today, he said.

Few weeks back, an ex-aide to Mr Shittu had in an open letter accused the minister of gross abuse of power, accumulation of ill-gotten wealth and refusal to pay his aides allowances. The long letter, which was circulated widely online, was also published by Sahara Reporters. The minister would later refute the allegations and challenge the aide to publish evidences of his alleged ill-gotten wealth.

In the course of the programme on Saturday, Mr Shittu accused the publisher of publishing falsehood against him without contacting him to verify the fact, an accusation to which Mr. Sowore replied by saying the minister barely picked his calls and reply messages.

We do (contact affected parties in a story for reaction) but they dont react until they get into trouble, he said. I have your (Mr. Shittu) telephone number I called you. I had sent you text messages even before now but because you think I am inconsequential, you ignored me.

Mr Shittu, who said Mr Sowore needs mentoring, thereafter threatened to sue the Sahara Reporters publisher over the said publication.

Minister, you know what Fela said: take me to court and I will open book for you, Mr Sowore said amidst laughter.
Senate President Bukola Saraki said on Saturday that Nigerian senators have expressed strong reservations about President Muhammadu Buharis failure to properly communicate his administrations plan to spend $1 billion on arms procurement.

Just few days ago, the issue of providing funding for the purchase of security equipment was in the news. In a good environment, such an issue needed to have been discussed with lawmakers, The Nation quoted Mr Saraki as saying at a retreat for lawmakers in Jos Saturday. Already, some senators are angry.

Mr Saraki said some lawmakers have already taken a position out of anger that they were not consulted before the $1 billion expenditure was made public. Two senators told PREMIUM TIMES in separate interviews Sunday that they queue behind the senate president.

Defence Minister Mansur Ali disclosed last week that Mr Buhari had approved new expenditure for arms and other equipment for the countrys security agencies to the tune of $1 billion.

The announcement elicited mixed reactions from administrations supporters and critics.

Supporters hailed the president for taking the measure to stymie alarming level of insecurity in the country. But critics, especially opposition voice like Ayo Fayose, dismissed the announcement as a political gimmick the president hatched to amass campaign war chest in 2019.

The president has not said whether he will seek reelection, but his moves over the past few months have continued to point towards that direction.

When members of the National Executive Council initially announced the plan to spend $1 billion on arms procurement in December, they said the money would be drawn from excess crude account and would be targeted at neutralising Boko Haram.

But critics questioned the motive, and Mr Fayose, Ekiti State Governor, said the plan was lopsided and warned that there would be a serious backlash should any money be drawn from excess crude accounts without the approval of all states.

Every state has its own peculiarities in terms of security. Ekiti has hunger haram where hunger is catching people everywhere. A lot of people are being kidnapped daily, Mr Fayose said in December. They either vote money for me from the $1 billion or we share the money for everyone to go and solve their problem. I have challenges and I have to be left to handle my challenges. They should give me Ekiti money.

But Zamafara State Governor, Abdulaziz Yari, fired back at the time, saying Mr Fayose could no longer stop the process because a decision had already been taken.

The number present was 32, so if someone who was not in attendance said he has his own way of where he wants things to go. We have the majority and there is no minority opinion. We look at our country, Nigeria first before any politics, Mr Yari said.

The account is operated by all the three tiers of government, and the consent of each tier is required to draw deplete it. The fund is shared according to the Nigerian revenue sharing formula of 52.68 per cent to federal government; 26.72 per cent to states; and 20.60 per cent to local government areas.

When Mr Ali announced the planned withdrawal at the end of the Federal Executive Council meeting last Wednesday, he didnt clarify whether the money would be drawn from excess crude account or other revenue streams.

Garba Shehu, a spokesperson for the president, said earlier this week that the government planned to write to lawmakers for approval.

But Mr Saraki decried the governments action, saying the National Assembly should have been consulted before the announcement was made.

They said they were not consulted by the executive before such a decision was taken, Mr Saraki said according to The Nation. Some people have already taken position because they were not consulted. That is why I stressed the issue of collaboration between the two arms. The issue of engagement is important.

Neither Mr Shehu nor his colleague in the State House media office, Femi Adesina, responded to PREMIUM TIMES requests for comments about Mr Sarakis complaints.

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Odilim Enwagba, an economic analyst, said lawmakers have a right to complain because they have a role to play.

Even if the money is to be taken from the excess crude accounts, the National Assembly will still need to appropriate the federal governments share of the $1 billion before it could be spent, Mr Enwagbara said. That should be somewhere around 52 per cent according to revenue sharing principles.

Mr Enwagbara recalled that when former President Goodluck Jonathan wanted to upgrade security equipment in 2014, he wrote to the National Assembly, even though the loan would be in form of equipment supplies and not in cash.

Mr Jonathan got the Senate approval in September 2014, despite strong opposition from the All Progressives Congress which said approving such loans for an incompetent and massively corrupt administration can only encourage more incompetence and corruption.

Lawmakers were divided when the matter came up for debate at the House of Representatives in February.

While members from the South-south argued that the 13 percent derivation component of the $1 billion must be set aside before the rest could be spent on security; others from the north argued that the issue of Boko Haram is a national malaise that should be confronted in unison.
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Some Nigerian banks failed to submit their audited reports for the 2017 financial year, missing the deadline given by the Nigerian Stock Exchange, NSE.

The banks, listed on the NSE, in their various disclosures gave different reasons for the delays in the submission.

The NSE had announced March 31 as the deadline for filing of the reports.

Many of the banks, however, failed to meet the deadline due to varying reasons.

Checks by PREMIUM TIMES shows that the affected banks are First Bank, Diamond Bank, Fidelity Bank, Union Bank among others.

According to First Bank, the banks structure was a major cause of the delay.

In its disclosure signed by Seye Kosoko, First Banks company secretary, the bank said it operates in other sectors aside the banking sector and the reports would have to be harmonised before presentation to NSE.

The reason for the delay is purely due to the peculiarity of FBNHs group structure, the disclosure said.

FBNH has subsidiary companies operating in the banking and insurance sectors as well as the capital market, all with a common financial year end of December 31 alongside the holding company.

Each of these subsidiaries needs to audit its financial statements and obtain the approval of its respective regulator prior to submission to FBNH for consolidation.

Thereafter, FBNH is also required to obtain the approval of its primary regulator before submission and filing with the exchange.

On its part, Fidelity Bank said it was not done with the preparation of its reports.

Aside the commercial banks, a few other companies have also not filed their audited reports to the NSE.

They include International Breweries, Linkage Assurance, Abbey Mortgage Bank, Guinea Insurance, Lafarge Africa Plc, Mutual Benefits, among others.

Some of the banks whose reports have been submitted earlier are Guaranty Trust Bank, Stanbic IBTC, Zenith Bank, UBA, and Access Bank.
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An American woman has blamed a powerful wind for the illicit drugs found in her possession.

Police arrested Kennecia Posey following a stop in Fort Pierce, Florida, on March 21, according to a news report by ABC local affiliate.

The report cited police extract of the case as stating that an officer approached Ms Poseys car and smelled an odor of marijuana coming from inside.

But as the officer searched further, a purse containing cocaine and marijuana in separate bags was found on her lap.

Ms Posey, 26, admitted ownership of the marijuana, but had an interesting excuse for the cocaine.

I dont know anything about any cocaine, she said, according to the report. Its a windy day. It must have flown through the window and into my purse.

Ms Posey was booked into the county jail on one felony count of cocaine possession and a misdemeanor count of marijuana possession, ABC reported. She was later released on bond.
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President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday returned to Abuja after a 3-day private visit to his country home in Daura in Katsina State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the presidential aircraft carrying the president and some of his aides took off from the Umaru Musa YarAdua International Airport, Katsina, at about 10.45 a.m.

The aircraft landed at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport at 11.28 a.m.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Abba Kyari, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Muhammed Bello, some security heads and other presidential aides welcomed the president at the airport.

It would be recalled that Mr Buhari on Friday joined the Emir of Daura, Umar Farouq, and other community members to observe the third day prayers for a late senator, Mustapha Bukar (APC-Katsina North).

The president, who arrived Daura on Friday afternoon, made straight for the residence of the late senator where he was received by the emir, members of the Daura Emirate Council and members of the family of the deceased.

Mr Buhari also on Saturday received some serving senators who paid a condolence visit at his country home Daura over the death of Bukar.

He thanked the senate members for their support and show of solidarity with the people of Katsina North senatorial district in particular and Katsina state in general.

The senators who paid the condolence visit to the President included Ovie Omo-Agege, Ali Ndume, Babajide Omoworare, Adamu Abubakar, Yusuf Yusuf, Hassan Adamu, Abu Ibrahim and Umaru Kurfi.

(NAN)
The former governor of Edo State, Adams Oshiomhole, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari-led federal government, to adopt a ruthless measure against alleged looters of the nations treasury.

Mr Oshiomhole, who disclosed this on Sunday in Benin, described as mindless the stealing by the then Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led Federal Government.

The former governor noted that it was the right of Nigerians to know the level of rot that transpired in former President Goodluck Jonathans government.

I think that if other Nigerians dont understand the power of transparency, the right to know, the media should uphold that right and defend it.

What was stolen was not from private purse; the house that was destroyed was not a private residence.

We are talking of resources, which if it is distributed on basis of equality, divide by 180 million people you will be a lot richer.

I think my only complaint is that the federal government should be more ruthless because there are lot of people who should be in court who are not there.

When I was still in the office and I said the kind of money they stole was huge in dollars they paid hired writers to ask how I knew.

I have interacted with power vertically and horizontally. I know that we cannot be lamenting today without understanding that the treasury was burgled yesterday.

I think the promise of democracy is that good or bad, the people have the right to know and that is the starting point and particularly important.

I think the people have the right to know and if any of them think that what has being said is not true, they can go to court.

All of them who are involved and those who they are looking for, they should put everything in public domain and that is the promise of democracy and it is about you.

Just by virtue of being in a winning party they helped themselves so much.

One of the acting chairmen of PDP, Ahmed Makarfi, I used to respect him so much, I heard him saying that the reason they did not indict Diezani was that the money missing and everything that was done, Goodluck approved.

If president approved the money, should it be stolen and not go into the federation account or used for the intended purpose.

Jonathan may have immunity against prosecution but he doesnt have power to appropriate what the national assembly have not done.

Right now, they are now saying the National Assembly should not approve the $1 billion the federal government is going to spend on security.

This is a party that spent well above that without going to the national assembly at all.

(NAN)

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President Muhammadu Buhari will leave Abuja on Monday for an official visit to Britain, the presidency said in a statement Sunday evening by presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu.

Mr Shehu said the president is due to hold discussions on Nigeria  British relations with Prime Minister Theresa May, prior to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meetings scheduled for April 18 to 20.

The president will also meet the Chief Executive Officer of Royal Dutch Plc, Mr. Ben van Beurden in connection with Shell and other partners plan to invest $15 billion in Nigerias oil industry. These investment ventures will lay the foundation for the next 20 years production and domestic gas supply, bringing with it all the attendant benefits both to the economy and the wider society.

The spokesperson added that Mr Buhari is due to renew discussions with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, a good friend of the president, on inter-religious harmony in Nigeria and worldwide.

Further meetings have also been scheduled for the president to see some prominent British and Nigerians residing in Britain.

Mr Shehu did not indicate if Mr Buhari will see his doctors in London, where he spent several months last year receiving treatment for an undisclosed ailment.
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The Nigerian Army on Sunday said its troops rescued 149 persons in the ongoing clearance operation against remnants of Boko Haram insurgents at Yerimari-Kura community in Sambisa axis.

Onyeama Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, said in a statement that the troops killed five insurgents and captured five others in the encounter.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have continued to make progress in clearance operations to smoke out Boko Haram insurgents who escaped from their previous stronghold in the Sambisa Forest.

On Saturday, the troops made further operational exploit into Boko Harams hideout at Yerimari-Kura, in a deliberate operation to extricate and rescue hostages held by the insurgents in their hideout.

In the encounter, troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents and captured five, he said, adding that the troops also destroyed insurgents logistics in the operation.

Mr Nwachukwu, a colonel, explained that the rescued persons included 54 women and 95 children, noting that they were being profiled and receiving medical attention at the 21 Brigade Medical Centre.

According to him, the troops also killed two suicide bombers at Mandanari community in Konduga, Borno, when they attempted to infiltrate the community on April 7.

Mr Nwachukwu disclosed that the suicide bombers strapped with Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) vests, attempted to sneak into the community at about 8:00 pm on Saturday.

The suicide bombers were sighted by vigilant troops who challenged them from a safe distance. The patrol engaged them as they refused to halt and ran towards the community, detonating their IEDs.

Only the suicide bombers were killed in the incident, while three persons who sustained minor injuries were receiving medical attention.

(NAN)
Thursdays attack on Offa town of Kwara State by armed robbers has affected business activities in the area.

PREMIUM TIMES reported the attack on banks and a police station by armed robbers who split themselves into groups.

The police later confirmed 17 people were killed include eight police officers.

The attack has led to the indefinite closure of the affected banks: Eco Bank, Guarantee Trust Bank (GTB), First Bank, Zenith Bank and Union Bank.

When a correspondent visited parts of the town on Saturday, many of the shops and businesses were still locked up.

One of the locked businesses includes EXCEL multi-purpose, a renowned film marketing firm located opposite the towns police station.

In separate interviews, some of the traders and business owners expressed sadness over the effect of the attack on their businesses.

Nwakigbe Daniel, who works in a paint trading store, told our correspondent that the rate at which customers patronise his business has reduced since Thursday.

On a good day, all these buckets of paints displayed outside here would have been sold. Banks also have refused to open. Im tired of all these, he said, pointing at the unsold wares.

Also, a woman who manages a phone accessories store, complained of low patronage as a result of the incident.

Those people really caused a lot. Ive been in the shop for a while now and I can count the customers I have attended to since morning, the woman who identified herself as Mrs. Austin said.

A police officer in Kwara State, narrated why he believed the police suffered a high casualty from the attack.

There are few bullet proofs supplied to the divisions and most police officers dont have access to them. Even the ones available are not modern ones, the officer who asked not to be named as he was not authorised to talk to journalists, said.

The casualties were too much because of the location of the station. A police station ought not to be amidst people. That of Offa is beside the market, where we have a lot of people, he added.

At the GTBank branch in Offa, one of the security officers who sought anonymity, restated the indefinite closure of the banks.

I dont even think we will open again this year. The damage done to our bank is too much, he lamented.

Neither the banks nor the police have disclosed the amount stolen by the armed robbers.

The police, however, said seven suspects have been arrested.

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The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Ibrahim Idris, has ordered the deployment of three units of Police Mobile Force (PMF), high powered police investigation team and Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) to Kwara.

The Force spokesman, Jimoh Moshood, in a statement in Abuja on Sunday, said anti-robbery equipment and 10 crew members were also deployed to the state.

Mr Moshood said three additional PMF units were also deployed to Taraba to prevent further attacks in Donga and Bali local government areas by gunmen.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that armed robbers attacked five commercial banks in Offa, Kwara on April 5, during which 17 persons, including policemen and a pregnant woman died.

He said that the units which had arrived Kwara would cover Offa and its environs as well as other vulnerable points in the state.

The spokesman added that the police teams would carry out intelligence gathering and raids on identified criminal and other flash points in the states.

He said that the team deployed to Kwara, working in synergy with the State Criminal Intelligence and Investigation Department in the state had arrested eight suspects connected with the bank robbery.

The force spokesman said the unit deployed to Taraba would cover Donga, Bali, Lau, Gassol, and Karim Lamido local government areas and other flash points in the state.

Mr Moshood said that the team had also arrested 12 suspects directly responsible for the recent killings in Donga and Bali local government areas.

He said that items recovered from the suspects were: seven AK 47 rifles, four locally made revolver pistols and 30 rounds of AK 47 ammunition.

Others were seven operational vehicles used by the armed robbers and assailants in the two incidents.

Mr Moshood called on the residents of the states to be calm, support the police and promptly report suspicious acts or persons to the nearest police detachment or station for prompt action.

(NAN)
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The Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, has raised the alarm over an alleged plot by the federal government and her agents to frame him up by planting illegal items on him in any of his trips outside the shores of Nigeria, and have him quizzed and embarrassed by foreign security agencies.

A statement by Simeon Nwakaudu, Special Assistant to the Rivers State Governor on Electronic Media, noted that investigations by the Rivers State Governor revealed the federal government is using her security agencies to plan the set up anytime the governor travels abroad.

The governor said:  My investigation reveals that the Federal government using her security agencies is planning to set me up anytime I am travelling outside the country. They plan to organise security to storm the hotel I am staying and say they found xyz cash in my possession; after which they would say I was arrested for currency trafficking or whatever offences outside the country.

They will then precipitate crisis in my state and other parts of Nigeria. They will plan demonstrations to demonise me and claim I have gone outside to embarrass the country. The public odium is meant to smear me before my people and other Nigerians. It is unfortunate, wicked and unfair.

What they plan is similar to what was once done to the late Chief DSP Alamieseigha. They are planning what they call the Alams treatment for me. But, by the grace of Almighty God, they will fail.

The governor was referring to late Diepreiye Alamieseigha, ex-governor of Bayelsa State, who was arrested for money laundering in the UK and later convicted. He was later pardoned by ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.

Mr Wike said though he was neither scared nor disturbed over the plot, he felt the need to alert the nation and the world to the evil and dangerous dimension politics had degenerated in the country.

He said: I am using this opportunity to alert the world of the sinister plot. I am a law-abiding citizen of this country and countries I visit in the course of my work or holidays. I have never dabbled into anything illegal. So, any attempt to frame me up on trumped up charges or alleged offences is bound to fail.

What they are doing is just cheap politics. They want to intimidate the opposition into silence as they are already doing with their so-called looters list. It wont work. We cant all be intimidated. What we expect government at the centre to do is to showcase to the people their lists of achievements; why they should get a second chance. But they have nothing to show; so they are embarking on intimidation and arm-twisting tactics of the opposition.

Mr Wike said he was sure of resounding victory at the polls in 2019, because he has been serving the people diligently and efficiently.

My works will speak for me. My projects will speak for. The People of Rivers State will speak for me by voting me back. No shaking, he said.
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The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has urged former Abia State governor, Orji Kalu, to take his advocacy for peace visit to other states where lives and properties are under threat.

The APC chieftain, who has, since he left office, been having a perennial battle with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over corruption allegations, had recently been touring the South-west states and visiting traditional rulers.

His peace tour of the South-west was supposedly to ensure peace, fairness and unity of the country,

He recently visited the Olubadan of Ibadan, Saliu Adetunji, and the Soun of Ogbomosoland, Oladunni Ajagungbade, as part of the peace advocacy tour.

Mr Kalu had used the opportunity of the visits to call for support for President Muhammadu Buhari in his bid to secure a second term in office.

But Mr Fayose is opposed to his visit to Ekiti State, with concerns that the visit would be used to campaign for Mr Buhari, who Mr Fayose has not hidden his disdain for.

Not Ekiti State that even the police adjudged as the most peaceful 5State in the country, said the statement by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, on Saturday.

The statement, which was issued on behalf of the state government, also urged traditional rulers in the state to ignore the former Abia State governor.

It is an insult on the collective sensibilities of Ekiti people, whose only benefit from the government of President Buhari is hardship occasioned by the governments cluelessness for anyone to hide under advocacy for peace to canvass support for the president, the statement said.

According to Mr Olayinka, it was unspeakable that because of his EFCC case, Orji-Kalu saddled himself with the task of doing image laundering for a president whose government was inflicting sufferings on Nigerians.

If he has sold his own conscience to the agenda of selling an already rejected product to Nigerians, we in Ekiti State have not, and we are telling him categorically that such advocacy is not welcomed in our state, the statement asserted.

He should rather take his peace and unity advocacy to his own state, where he is already rejected and other states where Nigerians are being killed on a daily basis by armed bandits.

It is also ridiculous that instead of joining Nigerians to tell the president the truth about the state of affairs in the country, Kalu is castigating Nigerians that have summoned courage to speak out against the president through letters and public comments.
A former governor of Abia State, Orji Kalu, has defied the no entry statement of the Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, as his Peace Advocacy Tour moved to Ekiti on Sunday.

Mr Kalu said the statement credited to Mr. Fayose that he was not welcomed to Ekiti, State amounted to a manifestation of thuggery.

The former governor who spoke in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, on Sunday, also took a swipe at former President Olusegun Obasanjo, for his stand against the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari.

He described Mr Obasanjo as the most incompetent former president and so had no locus standi to describe any government as being corrupt in the country.

He also said Mr Obasanjo did not have any moral right to ask Mr. Buhari not to seek a second term in office.

A statement from the Ekiti State government on Saturday had warned Mr. Kalu and his Peace Advocacy Tour to stay away from the state.

The government had urged the former Abia governor to visit other troubled states of Benue, Taraba and other sections of the country in dire need of peace.

Mr Kalu, who is the acting chairman of the advisory board for the National Movement for the Reelection of President Buhari, led his team to Ekiti in continuation of the tour to garner support for the President.

He was received by an All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship aspirant and former speaker of Ekiti State House of Assembly, Femi Bamisile.

Addressing the APC members at the premises of Mr Bamisiles house at GRAin Ado Ekiti, Mr. Kalu told the gathering that President Buhari was desirous to contest for second term and that no effort would be spared to stop Mr. Obasanjo from thwarting that ambition.

Nigerians should tell former President Obasanjo to stop writing frivolous letters, he said.

It was sad that some who behav ed badly while in government by not listeningto advice could talk like this.

Let me tell you emphatically that President Buhari will contest again, dont listen to letter writers like Obasanjo. Obasanjo has been president twice, so he should keep his letter in Otta for himself.

If anyone will caution President Buhari, it should not be Obasanjo. If you check your records very well, he remains the most corrupt president ever.

He came into office with less than N20,000 and he later built multi billion naira Otta Farm, Library Project and the Hilltop Mansion.

That is why somebody like me is in Ekiti to tell our people not to listen to Obasanjo.

The economy was in comatose when this government came on board, today President

Buhari has raised the foreign reserve from $23 billion to as much as $47 billion while the menace of Boko Haram has been defeated.

So, some people are out to destabilise his government. We want Nigerians to embrace love, peace and show understanding.

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On the Ekiti July 14 governorship poll, Mr Kalu urged Ekiti delegates to vote wisely, by voting an aspirant who had the political network and dexterity to defeat Mr Fayose.

You need to work very hard because President Buhari doesnt believe in rigging, he said.

I am ready to support whoever you bring up as candidate here in Ekiti for the July 14 election, because I am part of you.

If I am to choose for you, I will choose Hon Bamisile, but this lies on Ekiti delegates. However, as a national leader of APC, I am ready to support whoever you bring up.

My attention was called from Ondo State on Saturday that Governor Fayose said I should not come to Ekiti , Fayose is my boy, he cant stop me from coming. He is my boy and he knows he cant stop me on anything.

Governor Fayose was in my house for 90 days after he was impeached, he is my friend but he has gone beyond his limit by saying a bonafide elder statesman like me should not come to Ekiti.

Fayose was in my state, Abia last week, nobody said he should not come, so I have declared war on him. Even if I sleep on the floor, I will still defeat Fayose on any issue.

He promised to work hard to ensure that APC emerged victorious at the 2018 governorship poll, so that the battle could be easier for the party in the 2019 presidential election.
Denver based photographer Shea McGrath returns home inspired after attending the annual St. Louis ShutterFest Conference

Contact

Shea McGrath

***@sheamcgrath.com Shea McGrath

End

-- Shea McGrath Photography recently attended ShutterFest 2018 in St. Louis, Missouri on April 3and 4. Shea has been honing her photography skills extensively for many years and was very grateful for the opportunity to attend the conference, returning home inspired and eager to apply much of her new knowledge. McGrath Shared, "The experience was a huge eye opener to aspects of the industry that I had either not previously explored or needed to brush up on. Classes like "Extreme OCF" and "Engaging Engagement Sessions" offered amazing tips and tricks that I am looking forward to applying to my own work." In addition, Shea met many incredible industry leading professionals offering in-person instruction and one-on-one advice.About ShutterFest:ShutterFest is a 2-day conference, organized by Sal Cincotta, that took place at Union Station in St. Louis. The conference featured a wide variety of topics offered in an uncommon format that encouraged individual photographers to make the experience their own. Participants engaged as much or as little as they wished in the topics they felt were most important for them while building lasting professional relationships and friendships. It was a welcomed opportunity for those photographers that wished to build or grow their businesses.About Shea McGrath Photography:Shea McGrath Photography is a Colorado Wedding Photographer who is developing a reputation as an intuitive and kinesthetic photographic artist. McGrath specializes in wedding photography, although she does family sessions, maternity, and headshots as well. According to McGrath, "What started as a hobby and avocation in college has quickly turned into a passion and profession. Being invited to be part of those special moments in people's lives is joyful and allows me to capture happiness. Couples feel comfortable and have lots of fun during a photo session. Many clients have shared they had so much fun during the session, they forgot there was a camera around."McGrath, has extensively travelled Eastern and Western Europe, including Spain, France, Ireland, Germany, Iceland and Turkey. McGrath, who is bilingual in Spanish, resided in Madrid, Spain where she started her photography business.Shea McGrath Photography ( www.sheamcgrath.com ) is a professional photography company based in Denver, Colorado, specializing in wedding photography. Her work style is quickly gaining attention for family photos, maternity photos, and professional headshots as well. McGrath has now been recognized worldwide as a wedding and portrait photographer for over a decade. Follow Shea McGrath Photography on Instagram @sheamcgrathphotography or on Facebook at facebook.com/sheamcgrathphotography ( https://www.facebook.com/ sheamcgrathphotography ).
TEMECULA, Calif., April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Biosensis range of RapidTM ELISA Kits continues to expand with the launch of a new BDNF/ proBDNF Combo Kit, optimized for serum and plasma analysis. The kit provides labs a way to assay the two isomers without cross-contamination.

Dr Markus Smolny who heads laboratory services, said, "The new Combo kit allows researchers in Academia and Industry to achieve accurate measurements of these two important blood biomarkers in less than 4 hours. Extensive in-house and independent, external laboratory evaluation has shown that the Biosensis RapidTM ELISA kits provide the highest level of quality, accuracy, reproducibility and reliability available (Polacchini et al, 2015)." More than one thousand publications have shown BDNF is an important biomarker for numerous Neurological and Psychiatric diseases, including Clinical Depression. Biosensis has worked closely with leading global research laboratories and regulators to build the first CE-Marked BDNF ELISA kit for diagnostic use.

Biosensis is also excited by the success of its p75ECD RapidTM ELISA kit which allows analysis of this nerve-derived protein as a disease progression biomarker for ALS (MND). Dr Smolny highlighted recent publications demonstrating analysis of urinary p75ECD could be used to follow disease progression and provide prognostic insight for patients suffering this devastating disease. He expects that the availability of this p75ECD RapidTM ELISA kit, the most sensitive available, will prove particularly valuable for use in clinical trials, to provide both an objective evaluation of efficacy and also reduce clinical trial costs by allowing selection of those patients most likely to show benefit of any potential new drug.

Dr Lyndon Foster, Biosensis COO, North America, said, "The RapidTM ELISA kit range was introduced 4 years ago to address the growing need for accurate quantification of many potential biomarkers of brain diseases, such as Alzheimer's Disease, ALS (MND) and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders." The kits have proved popular not only for investigation of brain disease, but also for other diseases including cancer. For example, the unique proNGF RapidTM ELISA kit specific for the important, biologically active isomeric form of Nerve Growth Factor, has recently been used to explore the emerging, central role this growth factor has in prostate, breast and bladder cancers.

Further information from [email protected]

SOURCE Biosensis
Author Naomi Klein and hundreds of others support Indigenous leaders protecting Indigenous title and rights from the Texas-based energy giant.

ATTN: PHOTO AND VIDEO EDITORS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/

BURNABY, BC, April 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Today Ta'ah Amy George, (Tsleil-Waututh Nation elder), Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, (President of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, which represents more than half of Nations in B.C.), Chief Judy Wilson (Neskonlith First Nation in Secwepemc territory), and Chief Bob Chamberlin (Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis First Nation) were joined by hundreds of others in a full-day blockade at Kinder Morgan's Burnaby construction site.

Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Penticton Indian Band, Syilx, President UBCIC

"There is absolutely no way that we are letting Kinder Morgan expand its archaic and dangerous fossil fuel extraction. Today we proudly stood with land defenders to send a strong message to Kinder Morgan, its investors, and Trudeau- we will not stand down and we will remain united in our opposition. I took action today for my children and grandchildren, and for all future generations, to stop the destructive, proposed Trans Mountain expansion."

The action represents the latest escalation in a growing, decades-long fight by Indigenous peoples to gain recognition for their rights and title. Nearly 200 people have been arrested peacefully resisting the pipeline in solidarity with impacted Indigenous communities since actions began last month.

The Kinder Morgan pipeline  and the tar sands expansion it would enable  are incompatible with the federal government's commitments under the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and threaten to worsen the national crisis of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG).

Chief Bob Chamberlin, Kwikwasut'inuxw Haxwa'mis, Kwakwaka'wakw, Vice-President UBCIC

"I am proud to stand today and protect the land and the water and the life that they give. It is my duty to future generations. Tripling the size of Kinder Morgan's export pipeline for export by tankers to heavy refineries in United States and China is a direct threat to the fish and animals in its path and downstream. The Prime Minister needs to understand that this project does not have the consent of the Indigenous peoples whose territory will be impacted  and you can't achieve reconciliation without recognizing that you need our consent."

Chief Judy Wilson, Neskonlith, Secwepemc, Secretary-Treasurer UBCIC

"Justin Trudeau is saying he is doing this for the jobs and the economy. He is confused and he is blind and he has to understand. This destruction cannot continue. Our Mother Earth needs us more than ever. The salmon, the orcas, need us. They need all of us, because we cannot survive without water and we need to ensure there is water for the future."

This latest wave of escalation comes on the heels of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's tour of Suncor's tar sands operations yesterday. Trudeau approved the Kinder Morgan pipeline in 2016, despite his government's failure to obtain consent from Indigenous peoples along the pipeline and tanker route.

Author and activist Naomi Klein:

"The Indigenous chiefs who risked arrest today are some of the most visionary and principled leaders in the world. They are willing to put their bodies on the line to protect the land and water that are inextricable from their human rights as Indigenous peoples and from the habitability of our shared planet."

Indigenous leaders and people across Canada and the U.S. have promised escalating action to stop this pipeline from moving forward. International opposition to the tar sands project is on the rise, and opponents have promised to make sure Alberta Premier Rachel Notley hears that opposition when she promotes Kinder Morgan's pipeline in New York and Toronto next week.

Also in attendance, director of the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives in BC Seth Klein, Canadian author and journalist Andrew Nikiforuk, also among those who risked arrest.

Supporters included author and activist Naomi Klein and bestselling author of The Golden Spruce John Vaillant.

See all media releases at: www.protecttheinlet.ca

BACKGROUND:

Following the estimated 10,000 person-strong march and rally against Kinder Morgan on Saturday March 10th, hundreds of people have now been arrested taking action against Kinder Morgan's proposed TransMountain pipeline expansion project in Burnaby, BC.

One of Canada's most successful tech entrepreneurs, Tim Brae, was among the first arrested for refusing to leave Kinder Morgan's gates on March 17. He wrote about ithere.

Early on Monday, March 19, a 70-year-old grandfather scaled and set up camp in a tree directly in the path of Kinder Morgan's clear-cutting activity. He was arrested and removed at 8:00 p.m. by the B.C. RCMP Emergency Response Team (ERT)

A former Trans Mountain pipeline employee was arrested Tuesday March 20. While she was being arrested Romilly Cavanaugh told supporters, "We lived and worked in fear when I worked for Trans Mountain, because the reality is that no amount of equipment or people is going to change the fact that in the event of a spill, they will be able to recover very little."

On Friday March 23, federal Members of Parliament Kennedy Stewart and Green Party leader Elizabeth May were also arrested while protesting the federally approved project. Another 58 people were arrested on Saturday March 24 before Indigenous leaders called for a week-long break for ceremony, before escalations would continue this first week of April.

Current opposition to Kinder Morgan's pipeline and tanker project includes the Province of British Columbia, the state of Washington, the cities of Vancouver, Burnaby, and Victoria and 19 other BC municipalities as well as 250,000 petition signers.

If built, the Trans Mountain expansion would triple the capacity of an existing pipeline network, allowing the company to ship up to 890,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Edmonton to Vancouver's coast. This also represents a seven-fold increase in tanker traffic and a substantial increase in international carbon emissions, which experts say would both increase the chance of catastrophic spills on British Columbia's coast as well as endangers international climate commitments.

Solidarity actions have also spread south of the border; on Sunday, March 18, kayaktivists took to the water to block access to Kinder Morgan's oil terminal in Seattle.

SOURCE Protect the Inlet
CALGARY, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Please join Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (TSX: KML) and Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) for the following webcast and dial-in information to discuss matters described in its April 8, 2018 news release, Kinder Morgan Canada Limited Suspends Non-Essential Spending on Trans Mountain Expansion Project. https://ir.kindermorgancanadalimited.com/press-releases

What: Kinder Morgan Canada Limited and Kinder Morgan Inc. When: April 9, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. ET Where: Live over the Internet, log on to https://www.kindermorgancanadalimited.com or, call the following number to listen to the call. Dial: 1-517-308-9248 Passcode: 2088258

Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (KML) owns an interest in or operates an integrated network of pipeline systems and terminal facilities in Canada. KML's two business segments include Pipelines and Terminals. The Pipelines business unit is composed of the Trans Mountain pipeline system (including the Westridge Marine terminal), the Canadian portion of the Cochin pipeline system, the Puget Sound pipeline system, and the Jet Fuel pipeline system. The Terminals business unit is composed of the Vancouver Wharves terminal in British Columbia and numerous terminals in Edmonton, Alberta.

KML focuses on stable, fee-based energy transportation and storage assets that are central to the energy infrastructure of Western Canada. We strive to promote shareholder value by increasing utilization of our existing assets while controlling costs and operating in a safe and environmentally responsible way.

SOURCE Kinder Morgan Canada Limited

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Will Consult with Stakeholders until May 31st on Potential Paths Forward

CALGARY, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ - Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (TSX: KML) today announced that it is suspending all non-essential activities and related spending on the Trans Mountain Expansion Project. KML also announced that under current circumstances, specifically including the continued actions in opposition to the Project by the Province of British Columbia, it will not commit additional shareholder resources to the Project. However, KML will consult with various stakeholders in an effort to reach agreements by May 31st that may allow the Project to proceed. The focus in those consultations will be on two principles: clarity on the path forward, particularly with respect to the ability to construct through BC; and, adequate protection of KML shareholders.

"As KML has repeatedly stated, we will be judicious in our use of shareholder funds. In keeping with that commitment, we have determined that in the current environment, we will not put KML shareholders at risk on the remaining project spend," said KML Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Steve Kean. The Project has the support of the Federal Government and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan but faces continued active opposition from the government of British Columbia. "A company cannot resolve differences between governments. While we have succeeded in all legal challenges to date, a company cannot litigate its way to an in-service pipeline amidst jurisdictional differences between governments," added Kean.

"Today, KML is a very good midstream energy company, with limited debt. The uncertainty as to whether we will be able to finish what we start leads us to the conclusion that we should protect the value that KML has, rather than risking billions of dollars on an outcome that is outside of our control," Kean said. "To date, we have spent considerable resources bringing the Project to this point and recognize the vital economic importance of the Project to Canada. Therefore, in the coming weeks we will work with stakeholders on potential ways to continue advancing the Project consistent with the two principles previously stated."

KML had previously announced a "primarily permitting" strategy for the first half of 2018, focused on advancing the permitting process, rather than spending at full construction levels, until it obtained greater clarity on outstanding permits, approvals and judicial reviews. Rather than achieving greater clarity, the Project is now facing unquantifiable risk. Previously, opposition by the Province of British Columbia was manifesting itself largely through BC's participation in an ongoing judicial review. Unfortunately BC has now been asserting broad jurisdiction and reiterating its intention to use that jurisdiction to stop the Project. BC's intention in that regard has been neither validated nor quashed, and the Province has continued to threaten unspecified additional actions to prevent Project success. Those actions have created even greater, and growing, uncertainty with respect to the regulatory landscape facing the Project. In addition, the parties still await judicial decisions on challenges to the original Order in Council and the BC Environmental Assessment Certificate approving the Project. These items, combined with the impending approach of critical construction windows, the lead-time required to ramp up spending, and the imperative that the company avoid incurring significant debt while lacking the necessary clarity, have brought KML to a decision point.

Kean continued: "We appreciate the support shown by the Federal Government and the Provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan, and are grateful for the strong endorsements among the majority of communities along the route and 43 Indigenous communities, as well as customers, contractors and unions. The fact remains that a substantial portion of the Project must be constructed through British Columbia, and since the change in government in June 2017, that government has been clear and public in its intention to use 'every tool in the toolbox' to stop the Project. The uncertainty created by BC has not been resolved but instead has escalated into an inter-governmental dispute."

Trans Mountain has spent C$1.1 billion (approximately half of which has been spent since the KML IPO) and made unprecedented efforts to develop the Project since its initial filing with the National Energy Board in 2013. As a result of extensive engagement, a comprehensive regulatory process and detailed engineering and design, the Project has changed in several, substantive ways during the intervening five years, including: thicker wall pipe in environmentally sensitive areas such as watercourses and aquifers; avoidance of several fish bearing streams; changes to the detailed route of the pipeline in consideration of community needs and concerns and environmental impacts; Burnaby tunnel construction, to avoid neighbourhoods and minimize impacts; changes to Burnaby Terminal tank design in response to risk assessments; and, enhancements to marine safety that will benefit all marine users.

In addition, in an unprecedented negotiated commitment, Trans Mountain agreed to provide financial benefits from the Project, if completed, to British Columbia for a newly-formed BC Clean Communities Program to be accessed by communities for local projects that protect, sustain and restore BC's natural and coastal environments.

"While we are prepared to accept the many risks traditionally presented by large construction projects, extraordinary political risks that are completely outside of our control and that could prevent completion of the project are risks to which we simply cannot expose our shareholders," said Kean. "However, given the importance of the Project to Canada and Alberta, to Indigenous communities, our shippers, our contractors, and working Canadians, we are committed to trying to find a way forward, working with stakeholders between now and the end of May on measures that may allow us to advance this critical project, but only if it does not subject KML shareholders to undue risk. If we cannot reach agreement by May 31st, it is difficult to conceive of any scenario in which we would proceed with the Project. The time period for reaching a potential resolution is short, but necessarily so because of approaching construction windows, the time required to mobilize contractors, and the need to commit materials orders, among many other imperatives associated with such a large project."

Given the current uncertain conditions, KML is not updating its cost and schedule estimate at this time.

Please join KML and Kinder Morgan, Inc. (NYSE: KMI) at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Monday April 9, 2018, at www.kindermorgancanadalimited.com or at www.kindermorgan.com for a LIVE webcast conference call that will include a discussion of the matters described in this news release. Dial: 1-517-308-9248 Passcode: 2088258

About Kinder Morgan Canada Limited (TSX: KML). KML manages and is the holder of a minority interest in a portfolio of strategic energy infrastructure assets across Western Canada. The Trans Mountain Pipeline system, with connections to 20 incoming pipelines and current transportation capacity of approximately 300,000 barrels per day (based on throughput of 80 percent light oil and refined products and 20 percent heavy oil), is the only Canadian crude oil and refined products export pipeline with North American West Coast tidewater access. In Alberta, KML has one of the largest integrated networks of crude tank storage and rail terminals in Western Canada and the largest merchant terminal storage facility in the Edmonton market. KML also operates the largest origination crude by rail loading facility in North America. In British Columbia, KML controls the largest mineral concentrate export/import facility on the west coast of North America through its Vancouver Wharves Terminal. Through its Puget Sound pipeline system, KML ships crude oil to refineries in Washington state and its Cochin Pipeline system transports light condensate originating from the United States to Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta. For more information please visit www.kindermorgancanadalimited.com.

Important Information Relating to Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of applicable securities laws (forward-looking statements). Forward-looking statements in this news release include statements, express or implied, concerning, without limitation: consultations with various stakeholders in an effort to reach agreements that may allow the Project to proceed, and the time period over which such consultations would occur; KML's intention not to commit additional shareholder resources to the Project under the current circumstances; the level of uncertainty as to whether the Project could be finished; and the impacts of political risk, governmental and regulatory actions and judicial decisions on the Project. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or certain outcomes, and future actions, conditions or events may differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements provided in this news release. Forward-looking statements involve significant risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the ability of KML to control or predict. Among other things, specific factors that could cause actual results to differ from those indicated in the forward-looking statements provided in this news release include, without limitation: the willingness and ability of Project stakeholders to work with KML in a timely manner and reach agreements that would allow the Project to proceed; and judicial decisions as well as changes in the political environment, governmental or third party support and regulatory actions relating to the Project.

The foregoing list should not be construed to be exhaustive. In addition to the foregoing, important additional information respecting the material assumptions, expectations and risks applicable to the forward-looking statements included in this news release are set out in KML's annual report on Form 10-K dated February 20, 2018 under the headings ""Information Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors,"and in KML's management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2017 under the heading "Outlook," each available under KML's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and available at www.sec.gov. Shareholders and prospective investors are urged to review and carefully consider such information prior to making any investment decision in respect of KML's restricted voting shares or other securities. The risk factors applicable to KML could cause actual results to vary materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. KML disclaims any obligation, other than as required by applicable law, to update the forward-looking statements included in this news release.

SOURCE Kinder Morgan Canada Limited

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SUNNYVALE, Calif., April 7, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, toured Lockheed Martin's Silicon Valley facility. During his visit, the Crown Prince viewed facilities for the production of the THAAD missile defense system, as well as, the clean room where Lockheed Martin is manufacturing two communication satellites for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to be delivered later this year to Arabsat and the King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Lockheed Martin has a fifty-year association with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; working with the Kingdom's communication and national defense sectors, as well as, directly training Saudi engineers. As part of the official visit, the Kingdom's Crown Prince, His Royal Highness Prince Mohammad Bin Salman, was able to meet many of these young Saudis, who will return to Saudi Arabia and contribute to the expansion, as well as, improvement of the country's domestic communications and aerospace industrial infrastructure. With the announcement of Vision 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has already begun to experience significant economic and social transformation attracting increased international investment and business partnerships, as well as, boosting domestic job creation.

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
BELLEVUE, Wash., April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintex, the world's leader in intelligent process automation (IPA), is bringing the era of intelligent process automation to Australia with its Nintex World Tour Melbourne event on Tuesday, April 17 at the Grand Hyatt Melbourne from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. AEST. To register for the free event, visit: https://www.nintex.com/company/events-webinars/events/04-17-2018-nintex-world-tour-melbourne.

Intelligent Process Automation (IPA) is the key to automating, orchestrating, and optimizing the modern workplace. Learn more at Nintex.com.

"Intelligence is the new currency of business," says Nintex CMO Matt Fleckenstein. "With the rise of artificial intelligence, Nintex is making it possible for line of business workers to leverage various machine learning, natural language processing and deep learning capabilities, to move repeatable, mundane tasks to machines and free up the employees to be strategic, creative, and innovative."

Fleckenstein adds that the entire Nintex team is committed to leading enterprises into the fourth wave of process automation, which the company refers to as intelligent process automation (IPA) and unveiled in February at its 2018 conference, Nintex xchange. During the event's opening keynote, Fleckenstein interviewed Nintex customers and partners about the emerging role of intelligence in their businesses. Box's chief product officer noted that, "It is a very interesting time to be alive in technology. Cloud, mobile, AI, and machine learning are increasing the possibilities tenfold."

Following xchange, industry analyst firm 451 Research summarized exactly how Nintex plans to enable IPA to benefit enterprise line of business users in a March 2018 report which is available for download on Nintex.com.

Nintex World Tour Melbourne Agenda

Nintex World Tour Melbourne includes a full agenda where attendees will hear success stories from Nintex customers and partners like Keller Australia, Evolve, Ixom, and Jeylabs, as well as experience the latest innovations with Nintex Workflows and Nintex Forms and be introduced to new machine intelligence capabilities. The company's new technology features are designed to further accelerate process efficiencies for organizations that use the Nintex Platform to automate, orchestrate, and optimize their business processes.

Nintex executives will be on site to demonstrate how the company is leveraging best-of-breed AI and machine learning technologies from Amazon, Microsoft, and Google to fuel IPA. Without having to write code, line of business workers can drag intelligent actions onto the workflow canvas to do things such as:

Intelligent routing : Using machine learning, the intelligent routing action automatically routes a contract to the legal person most likely to respond and review the contract in the shortest time period based upon the type of contract, the dollar value of the contract, the time of day, the day of the week, etc.

: Using machine learning, the intelligent routing action automatically routes a contract to the legal person most likely to respond and review the contract in the shortest time period based upon the type of contract, the dollar value of the contract, the time of day, the day of the week, etc. Intelligent redlining : Relying on natural language processing and machine learning, the intelligent redlining highlights any changes to the agreement that it deems material (e.g., at least one standard deviation change in pricing or contract length).

: Relying on natural language processing and machine learning, the intelligent redlining highlights any changes to the agreement that it deems material (e.g., at least one standard deviation change in pricing or contract length). Intelligent archiving: Parsing of the metadata and the text of a document is used to determine the type of document being archived and machine learning can intelligently route it to the appropriate location(s) for storage (e.g., within a cloud content management system, CRM system, etc.).

Media Contact

Kristin Treat

[email protected]

cell: (215) 317-9091

About Nintex

Nintex is the world's leader in intelligent process automation (IPA) with more than 7,500 enterprise clients and 1,700 partners in 90 countries who have built and published millions of workflow applications. With its unmatched breadth of capability and platform support delivered by unique architectural capabilities, Nintex empowers the line of business and IT departments to quickly automate, orchestrate and optimize hundreds of manual processes to progress on the journey to digital transformation. Nintex Workflow Cloud, the company's cloud platform, connects with all content repositories, systems of record, and people to consistently fuel successful business outcomes. Visit www.nintex.com to learn more.

Product or service names mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

SOURCE Nintex

Related Links

http://www.nintex.com


NEW YORK, April 8, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A 67 year-old man is dead and six firefighters sustained injuries after a fire broke out in the victim's 50th floor apartment in New York City's Trump Tower, a 58-story high-rise that houses the Trump Organization headquarters and the personal living space of the President and his family. The residential portion of the building is not equipped with fire sprinklers.

"We are saddened to learn of this tragic loss of life," explains Shane Ray, NFSA President. "We work every day to share the benefits of fire sprinklers. We know fire sprinklers would have made a difference in this fire and that a life could have been saved and injuries to firefighters prevented."

NFSA Past President John Viniello and then Director of Public Fire Protection, Jim Dalton presented testimony to the city council in support of fire sprinklers in NYC as a later Trump Tower was proposed. They were joined by Vina Drennan, whose husband, Captain John Drennan of FDNY was killed in a NYC fire in 1994.

According to an article in the New York Daily News, yesterday's apartment fire was described as a "raging inferno." FDNY Commissioner Daniel Nigro stated, "The fire was a difficult fire. The apartment was quite large and 50 stories up." He also made it a point to note that the building's residential floors lacked fire sprinklers.

This is yet another example of the tragedy that can occur in a high-rise building which is not equipped with fire sprinklers. In January of this year, fire broke out on the roof of the building, injuring three people. Last year, a fire in the Marco Polo Condominium High-Rise in Honolulu, Hawaii killed four people and injured 13. These tragedies, while preventable, will unfortunately and undoubtedly be repeated if action is not taken to avoid them.

The fact that the building containing the President's private residence is unprotected by fire sprinklers in 2018 is hard for many to understand. However, fire sprinklers were not required when the building was put into service in 1983. Unfortunately, there are tens of thousands of buildings across the United States that were built before fire sprinklers were required. Every year these buildings get older, and every year, as their systems age, they become more prone to fire. Trump Tower is one of the most expensive real estate properties in this country. In 2018, there has been two fires in 4 months at the property that led to one death and multiple injuries. These facts support the need for retrofitting of fire sprinklers in high-rise buildings.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association joined with other national fire service organizations recently to celebrate the fact that fire sprinkler incentives were included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that will address the issue for small business owners who are able to realize the benefits of Section 179 of the tax code. However, due to a technical oversight in the law, corporations cannot take advantage of the tax break because they were left out. Most importantly, residential properties, where 80 percent of the of the fire deaths in the country occur, were not included when Congress passed the legislation.

"We are working diligently with the fire service to heighten awareness of this oversight in hopes that it can be corrected," adds Shane Ray a former firefighter and fire chief himself. "We should not have a situation that requires firefighters to battle a fire in a high-rise building without the assistance of fire sprinklers."

The national organizations joined to hold a press conference on the 15th anniversary of the Station fire in West Warwick, Rhode Island. The Station fire killed 100 and injured over 230. Saturday's fire in Trump Tower reminds us that there is still work to do, and that all high-rises should be protected with fire sprinklers.

The National Fire Sprinkler Association has advocated for fire sprinklers in New York City, where the association opened its first office in 1914, and all across the country because of its long time mission to save lives and protect property from fire through the widespread acceptance of the fire sprinkler concept.

About the National Fire Sprinkler Association (NFSA): NFSA was founded in 1905 and wants to create a more fire safe world, and works to heighten the awareness of the importance of fire sprinkler systems from homes to high-rise and all occupancies in between. The Association is an inclusive organization made up of dedicated and committed members of a progressive life-saving industry. This industry manufactures, designs, supplies, installs, inspects, and services the world's most effective system in saving lives and property from uncontrolled structural fires.

For more information about fire sprinklers, how they work and access to additional resources and information, visit www.nfsa.org for the latest material, statistics and a dedicated team of fire safety advocates ready to serve all stakeholders in order to fulfill the vision of a safer world.

Contact: Vickie Pritchett

615-533-0305

SOURCE National Fire Sprinkler Association

Related Links

http://www.nfsa.org


Three NSW farms put on the market by the Kahlbetzer family have been sold for more than $115 million in total.

The Lachlan River frontage properties were the first to be offered to the market subject to Australia's new foreign investment selling rules to ensure opportunity for local investors and farmers.

But all three were sold to buyers from offshore - to buyers from the United States and the Netherlands.

The properties, Jemalong Station and Jemalong Citrus at Forbes and Merrowie at Hillston, were held by the Kahlbetzers' Twynam Agricultural Group.

The selling agents had more than 50 inquiries with more than 20 parties making inspections
Central Oregon Coast's Ocean Terrace: Lincoln City Motel with History

Published 04/07/2018 at 2:45 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) - Not a bad view in the house, with a whole lot of central Oregon coast ocean or trees filling up your view. Then theres that direct access to the beach below.

Theres a lot to love about the Ocean Terrace Condominiums in Lincoln City, and theres a lot going on. That stretch of beach is prime for all kinds of regular fun like strolling, kites, and beach finds. But its also a good spot for agate hunting. If the weather doesnt cooperate, stormwatching is awesome here and theres a surprising amount of indoor fun to be had within the sprawling complex.

Its also a place with an interesting history, one that goes back to the pre-war years and includes servicemen returning from Europe to grab a nice place to live.

Apparently, this grand motel started as a swanky apartment building.





Wes Ryan, a longtime manager of Ocean Terrace Condominiums, is familiar with most of the history of the place.

The original version of this place built somewhere in the late 30s or early 40s, he said. Back then it was just one building  the one now known as the courtyard view building, which is the initial construct you see upon entering and which faces the road.

There are stories told of returning servicemen standing in the parking lot outbidding one another for one of the apartments, Ryan said. At that time it was called Hills Apartments. It also looked very different. It had a Cape Cod look, with garages where the lower units are now. It also had a second story. Each unit had a small private balcony. The whole building was heated by a central boiler providing steam heat through the registers.

Ryan said around 1950 to 52 the building was sold and became the Ocean Terrace Motel. Later that decade, more units were constructed where the garages had been.

There was a later division of two of the original units by creating two units out of each one, Ryan said. In the early sixties they began selling the individual units, thereby creating the first condominiums.

In 1964, Ryan said the top floor caught fire and the owners then decided not to rebuild, but instead put on a flat roof. In the late 60s, a new building was constructed on the bluff, which is now the oceanfront portion of this central Oregon coast stalwart.

I dont remember the name of the company that built those units, Ryan said. However I do know they also built the Sea Gypsy, D Sands and The Riverside in Bend. We surmise that construction began in late 1968 or 1969 with the northern part of the building being built first and then pre-selling the southern part of the building. I was told by a former owner that unit #9 was the last one sold in October of 1971. In early 1972, the by-laws were filed for the Ocean Terrace Condominium Motel. It was later shortened to Ocean Terrace Condominiums.

These days, youll find a dreamy set of units big enough to feel like a vacation rental, all perched some 65 feet above the sands. Full kitchens accommodate longer stays, and larger suites can host rather large groups.

On days of chaotic weather, they have an indoor heated pool, ping pong and pool tables. Plenty of Lincoln Citys indoor attractions or restaurants are close by as well.

For those fairer weather days, most units have a patio or balcony with deck chairs. On top of it all, prices are startlingly inexpensive. 4229 SW Beach Avenue, Lincoln City, Oregon. (800) 648-2119. See website here.





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FIRST TV CHAMPION CROWNED: COMPLETE HOUSE OF HARDCORE 40 COVERAGE FROM NEW ORLEANS

Welcome to PWInsider.coms live, ongoing coverage of House of Hardcore 40 at the Sugar Mill!

You can watch the show live at www.Twitch.tv/HouseofHardcore.

Matt Lancie vs. J. Spade

Each of these guys are regulars for Wildkat Wrestling. Spade started off strong but was caught with several lariats and worked over for a series of two counts. Spade came back with several kicks but missed a double knee strike in the corner. Spade made a comeback but was backdropped over the top. He landed on the apron and came off the top with a missile dropkick for a two count. Spade finally scored the pin.

Your winner, J. Spade!

Good, solid opener. I liked their work a lot.

HOH TV TITLE TOURNAMENT SEMI-FINAL: Swoggle vs. Alex Reynolds with MJF and The Double Duprees

Swoggle grabbed the Dupreees boobs, which got a big reaction. He then tried to manipulate MJF and Reynolds to kiss. They teased they would but didnt. Swoggle bit Reynolds on the butt and shoved him into MJF and the lips locked for a long time. The place popped for that.

Swoggle worked over Reynolds and then went to the floor, following the retreating Reynolds. He sent MJF into the guard rail and splashed him and Reynolds against it. Reynolds gained control and worked Swoggle over for some time. Swoggle kicked him and nailed a series of German suplexes. He maintained control and nailed a Samoan drop.

Swoggle went to the top but MJF leapt on the apron to stop him. He grabbed MJF and chokeslammed him onto the apron outside. Reynolds drilled Swoggle with a double knee strike and scored the pin.

Your winner, advancing to the finals, Alex Reynolds!

HOH TV TITLE SEMI-FINAL: KILLER KROSS VS. WILLIE MACK

Big reaction for Mack. These two really took it to each other with big moves. Kross used a trapezius nerve hold to work over Mack, who finally made a comeback with a slam and a big legdrop for a two count. They continued to go and forth until Mack nailed a pair of stunners and scored the pin.

Your winner, Willie Mack!

I was uploading the HHH post-Takeover audio during the early portion of this bout, so I apologize for the lack of play by play.

Kross raised Mack's arm and shook his hand, then attacked him and locked on his armbar submission.

The finals are Mack vs. Reynolds vs. Sami Callihan later tonight.

The Squad World Order. Kenny Dykstra was doing his great introduction for the trio when fans chanted, Wheres Dolph Ziggler? He responded that Ziggler was at the Marriot watching them on Twitch wishing him he was with them instead of being a jobber in a f***ing Battle Royal. THAT popped the crowd.

Out came their opponents, The Rock N Roll Express. I am watching Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson live in Louisiana in 2018. I love pro wrestling. Their partner was.Hurricane Helms.

The SWO vs. Hurricane Helms & The Rock N Roll Express

Lots of stalling early on and playing to the crowd, who loved it. It built to all three SWO members being locked in figure four leglocks at the same time. Kenny eventually took control over Morton and worked him over. Gibson finally made the hot tag and worked over everyone with punches. He cinched a sleeper on Mikey Mondo. Dykstra attacked Helms, and they tried to double team him but were caught with a double chokeslam. Morton nailed a Frankensteiner! Double dropkick from the Express!

Your winners, The Rock N Roll Express and Hurricane Helms!

This was all fun nostalgia and it worked as the crowd chanted Rock and Roll after.

Coverage continues on Page 2!

If you enjoy PWInsider.com you can check out the AD-FREE PWInsider Elite section, which features exclusive audio updates, news, our critically acclaimed podcasts, interviews and more by clicking here!
Russia has conducted a flight test of a new anti-satellite missile in what Pentagon officials say is a step in advancing Moscow's space warfare capabilities.

A U.S. defense official said American intelligence agencies monitored the missile test March 26 from Plesetsk, a test center located about 150 miles northwest of Moscow. The missile is designated the PL-19 and known as the Nudol.
For the populist left, the one silver lining of Donald Trumps election victory was the defeat of what had been a bipartisan Washington consensus supportive of unfettered globalization and ever-expanding international trade. Now that President Trump is following through on his campaign pledges to get tough with China and renegotiate NAFTA, its gut-check time. Are progressives who have resisted nearly every aspect of the Trump agenda prepared to stand with him on trade?

So far the answer is, mostly, yes. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, a critic of NAFTA and the Trans-Pacific Partnership, effusively praised Trumps most recent tariffs targeting Chinese goods. I want to give him a big pat on the back, Schumer said. I have called for such action for years and been disappointed by the inactions of both President Bush and Obama. This sentiment was echoed by Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown, who is running for re-election in a state Trump carried and who is a longtime trade populist. Referring to Trumps earlier announcement on steel and aluminum tariffs, Brown said, I wanted him to be aggressive and he was aggressive. Pennsylvania Democratic Sen. Bob Casey, Browns Rust Belt neighbor, similarly pronounced himself happy.

Americas most prominent progressive populists, and presumed 2020 presidential candidates, Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, were a tick less enthusiastic, though generally supportive of Trumps protectionist direction. Appearing last month on CNN, Warren said, When President Trump says he's putting tariffs on the table, I think tariffs are one part of reworking our trade policy overall. Stopping just short of endorsing Trumps particulars, Sanders told the Daily Beast: Trump is identifying a problem. Certainly Chinas role in dumping an enormous amount of steel  has to be dealt with. In my view, though, what you need is a comprehensive, a more comprehensive approach than Trump is laying out.

The risk for Warren and Sanders is that a little symbolic distance may not be sufficient if Trumps tariffs become reviled and the entire concept of protectionism becomes discredited. Already, a bloc of critics is resisting the presidents burgeoning trade war: not Trump-haters, but farm-staters. And Democrats from those states are starting to get the message.

Missouri produces soybeans and pork, which are now being targeted by China in retaliation for the announced tariffs. So while Sen. Claire McCaskill is acutely aware she needs to woo Trump supporters to win re-election in the Show Me State this year, she did not hesitate to criticize Trumps strategy because our agriculture producers and manufacturers need stable, consistent leadership when it comes to negotiating those deals, and I agree with my Republican colleagues whove said the administration needs to scale back this escalating situation.

Another red state Democrat in an uphill re-election fight, Montanas Jon Tester, slammed the tariffs in an interview with North Dakota radio host Joel Heitkamp (who happens to be the brother of Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp). These tariffs are punching us right in the nose, Heitkamp informed Tester, speaking for many anxious farmers. The senator, also a farmer, readily agreed, Theres always retaliation and ag products are always the first thing that countries retaliate on.

For the 2018 midterm elections, it wont be too difficult for manufacturing-state Democrats to take one position and farm-state Democrats to take another. But 2020 will be a different story. The partys presidential nominee will have to take a stand, and that stand will go a long way toward defining the direction of the Democratic Party in the post-Obama era.

Politically speaking, which way to go is not an easy call. Should Democrats lean toward Rust Belt swing voters who want to see something, anything, done to defend their home industries? Or should they anticipate that Trumps policies will lead to weaker exports, higher consumer prices and economic instability, turning most everyone else sour on protectionism?

Hampering any calculation is uncertainty over whether the administration and the Chinese regime are going to follow through with their trade war threats -- or pull back after negotiations -- let alone whether Trump will take the more dramatic step of pulling the United States out of NAFTA. There is also the risk of overstating the immediate consequences of a trade war, and falsely predicting calamities that dont come to pass.

But I would argue two things are relatively safe bets. One, Trumps strategy wont succeed in bringing back large numbers of manufacturing jobs to America. That ship has sailed. Two, Trumps belligerent and chaotic approach to international trade negotiations will continue to inject considerable uncertainty into Wall Street and various industrial sectors, rattling markets, farmers, business owners, stockholders, and consumers.

Therefore, Democrats should not approach 2020 like its 2016 all over again. By the tail end of the Obama presidency, we had experienced a long line of presidents from both parties who sounded like trade populists on the campaign trail then governed as free traders. The status quo on trade, rightly or wrongly, became a scapegoat for Americas economic ills among grassroots voters on both the left and the right. That made it nearly impossible to defend painstakingly negotiated trade compromises like the Trade-Pacific Partnership, which, while imperfect, may still have been preferable to the current situation, where the rest of Americas negotiating partners move ahead without us.

The next presidential election will be a referendum on a completely different president. While we cant know how far Trump will eventually go on trade, he certainly will not follow in the footsteps of his predecessors.

Populist progressives need not abandon their goals of higher wages, expansive worker rights, and strong environmental standards. But after seeing how crude protectionist nationalism is failing to advance those goals, they may want to start rethinking their support for higher tariffs and skepticism of multilateral trade deals. In what will be a crowded Democratic presidential primary field, those candidates stuck in 2016 might get eclipsed by those more willing to take Trump to task for the policies of today.
It's a shame when all the funny parts of a comedy are in the movie's two-minute trailer, as is the case with "Blockers." Not only does it high
New age acoustic band, Front Country, is coming to Athens to perform at The Foundry on April 12 at 8 p.m. They will be accompanied by special 
Facebook officials will be traveling  or at least making phone calls  to Europe to respond to concerns that the data of as many as 2.7 million people in the European Union might have been shared with a consulting firm that worked on Donald Trumps presidential campaign.

Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg is planing a call with the EUs justice commissioner, while Faceboks top technology officer is expected to appear before a British parliament committee and its deputy privacy chief will head to Italy.

The company has been refining its response in the wake of revelations that data on as many as 87 million people, most of them in the U.S., may have been improperly shared with research firm Cambridge Analytica. CEO Mark Zuckerberg, who will testify at congressional hearings next week, has changed tack by communicating directly with the press in interviews and a group conference call.

Its clear that data of Europeans have been exposed to a huge risk and I am not sure if Facebook took all the necessary steps to implement change, EU Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova said in an email Friday. This story is too important, too shocking, to treat it as business as usual.

Sandberg sent a letter late Thursday to the EU trying to explain the steps taken to protect data.

Her response isnt sufficient yet for the EU, Jourova said, adding that she will speak with Sandberg about how they intend to ensure transparency and respect the rules of our democratic debate and how they plan to change once new EU privacy rules are in place May 25.

Sandberg and Jourova are scheduled to have a phone call early next week, Jourovas spokesman Christian Wigand said. EU data protection regulators from around the 28-nation bloc will meet in Brussels on Tuesday and Wednesday to discuss their investigations, on which the British watchdog has taken the lead.

The British Information Commissioners Office said that Facebook has been cooperating with regulators, but that it is too early to say whether the policy changes are sufficient.

Other EU privacy regulators also weighed in on the data scandal, with Italian authorities saying on Thursday that they will meet April 24 with Stephen Deadman, Facebooks deputy chief global privacy officer, as part of their investigation into the scandal.

The chief of Italys Competition Authority said Friday the watchdog has also opened an investigation on Facebooks potential unfair practices.

Giovanni Pitruzzella said in a television interviewthat the main focus of the case will be on the misleading message the social media company passes on to its users.

Consumers are not in the position to know that the company passes on its data also for commercial use, he said.

A British parliament committee investigating the impact of social media on recent elections said Friday that former Cambridge Analytica CEO Alexander Nix and former director Brittany Kaiser will be witnesses in its inquiry into fake news. It said that Facebook Chief Technology Officer Mike Schroepfer had also been called as a witness.
Thank you to EVERSOURCE for the 2017 Connecticut Economic Review. Eversource is partnering with its business customers to help lead Connecticuts communities into the future. We are proud to support the communities where we live and work.

2017 Connecticut Economic Review A Revolutionary Spirit at Work

Whether you are an optimist or pessimist about the status of business, here are some important facts from the review that acknowledge CERC, DECD and Adams& Knight for their contributions. We all know that there are many challenges to overcome yet these results will certainly peak your interest and influence your decision making.

Abundance of talent

Connecticut ranks #3 in the country for the percentage of employees with advanced degrees. 198,196 students are currently enrolled in 40 higher educational institutions including the University of Connecticut, the Connecticut State University System, Community Colleges and independent schools. The number of science and engineering doctorates per 100,000 workers is almost 30% higher than the national average.

Attractiveness of location

Connecticut provides convenient access to all forms of transportation utilizing its proximity to New York City and Boston hubs that provide access to U.S., European, Canadian and Asian markets. Metro-Norths New Haven line, the busiest of all of the Metro-North lines, broke records for the number of passengers with 40.5 million rides. In addition, 1.7 million passengers rode Amtrak in and out of the state and 5.9 million passengers traveled through Bradley.

Center of innovation.

Connecticut ranks 5th in patents per capita with 39 % more patents that the U.S. average. Connecticut also ranks 8h in states that are conducive and ready for growth in the New Economy. The state offers the kind of environment by capitalizing on the latest global economic trends. This measurement considers knowledge jobs, globalization, economic dynamism, digital economy and innovation capacity.

Array of industries

Connecticut has dedicated agencies, including Connecticut Innovations and CTNext to support emerging technologies with a blend of research and advanced manufacturing. The Manufacturing Innovation Fund has $60 million earmarked for these endeavors. We are #1 in the share of insurance employees across the country and the second most assets managed by state-headquartered hedge funds. Watch for the more than 1,200 digital media-related businesses that are entertaining the world from Connecticut.

Quality of life

It is no surprise that the state ranks #5 for quality of life in the U.S., second highest personal income per capita, second highest median family income, third highest for overall health of its residents and seventh lowest rate of property crime.

Were not giving up on Connecticut, just working harder to help Connecticut work better and smarter so that we all succeed. You, too, can join forces with us to make this happen.
LITCHFIELD  Generations of accused thieves and killers  as well as mere motor-vehicle speeders and parking violators  have been called to task here, roaming with counsel the historic halls under rows of Victorian chandeliers and long-gone judges in oil portraits, as well as the living-sitting kind.

Before the space was stripped bare last summer, mortal and venal legal offenses were dealt with at the Litchfield County Courthouse. Sunday afternoon brought town residents a chance to look at a piece of the towns history and to look forward to the space to possibly being used as the new Town Hall.

Greater Litchfield Preservation Trust member Eileen Schmidt was among 11 volunteers Sunday who gave scores of visitors a tour of the former courthouse on Open Courthouse Day.

Its a good opportunity for people to see what plans could be laid to put the space to good use, said Schmidt, pointing out a historic framed photo of the legal staff in the former office of the Clerk of the County Court, including the first clerk in the 1800s, Dwight C. Kilbourn.

The event was held by the trust at the 129-year-old, 12,000-square-foot granite civil and criminal courthouse, which officially closed Aug. 25, 2017. The courthouse was part of a charitable sale to the preservation trust by descendants of a local family who had owned the property since the 1700s.

Visitors were guided through spaces intended for new selectmens offices and meeting rooms, and were also shown conceptual plans for the move. With its Colonial decorations and multiple marbleized Eastlake fireplace mantels, the Courthouse was thought to have been worth about $1.7 million. Schmidt said the reversion-rights sale went through for an estimated $300,000.

Right now the entrance (of town hall) is from the parking lot in back, said Schmidt. The parking lot is half-empty since the courthouse closed, so the space is now there. She said the plan would also include a new entrance from the rear of the building, where the elevator would be located.

Visitor and 50-year Litchfield resident Fred Tieman concurred. He said the conversion of the former courthouse into the new Town Hall is a natural fit. Said Tieman: The current Town Hall is too small and cramped, and the copier is in the hallway. He added, This space is a great asset to the town.

Retired Superior Court Judge Charles Gill received visitors in the second-floor courtroom. In his 35-year career as a judge and more years as a public defender, Gill said that he has seen many cases in the storied room, including the infamous Peter Reilly murder case in the early 1980s as well as the first court case involving the use of DNA evidence (the Panties in the Tree case which involved the defense and acquittal of a man accused of sexual assault).

Gill, who retired on October 1, 2017, said the courthouse also hosted lighter fare. We also had a series of mock trials for local high school students who dressed in 18th-century legal robes and used a lectern from Tapping Reeve, he said, referring to the historic Tapping Reeve House and Law School, adding, We also had 20 to 25 Chinese judges here on tours to show them how democracy works.

Answering visitors questions, Trust member Schmidt said there are currently three options for a new or updated Town Hall. She said one option is to tear down the current Town Hall and start from scratch; the second, to enlarge the current Town Hall space. The third option would be to accept the former courthouse as the Town Hall. Schmidt said a renovation plan estimated at $4.9 million would include installing an elevator into the three-level building as well as installing a modern security system.

Ann Combs of Litchfield, who serves as secretary to Litchfields first selectman and serves on the Town Hall Review Committee, also attended the open house. Combs said she had previously reviewed the space with her fellow five committee members (with two alternates). We need to assess our space needs, said Combs. She added that the current Litchfield Town Hall holds only half the towns offices, the others having been moved in 1986 to the Bantam School at 80 Doyle Road in Bantam.

We have yet to see which options will be used, said Combs. We have facility price and operating costs to consider as well. She said architect John Martin of Torrington has been enlisted in determining the spaces needs. Combs said also to be considered are moving costs and soft costs (a construction industry term that can include architectural, engineering, financing, legal fees, and other pre- and post-construction expenses).

Committe and Board of Selectman consideration could lead to a town referendum.

Not every resident visiting the space supported the Town Halls move to the former courthouse. Diane Gillman of Bantam said she supported updating the space that the Town Hall currently uses in Litchfield and Bantam. Gillman said that the revenue generated from the Bantam locations Probate Court and the Bantam Post Office is a money-making proposition.

Gillman added of the former Courthouse: This is a nice building, but in the past there have always been issues with parking. She added, There are always other costs aside from the bid amount.

The new Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse is located at 50 Field St. in Torrington, consolidating in one 188,857-square-foot building 11 courtrooms divided among the Litchfield Judicial District Courthouse; Torringtons Superior Court for Juveniles; and Bantams Geographical Area 18 Courthouse. The new courthouse, costing $63,457,000, according to the DLR Group in charge of the project, was built on land once occupied by the Torrington companys former Excelsior plant, where generations of workers made knitting needles for nearly a century. The new courthouse property includes an adjacent 29,200-square-foot parking structure for court employees and attorneys as well as a parking lot.

Torrington family law attorney Regina Wexler attended the open house. To come back and see the empty space is bittersweet, Wexler said. She said although air-conditioning and heating, not to mention tripping over electrical wiring while in high heels, were issues when arguing a court case in the former courthouse, there had been a sense of camaraderie between the lawyers and the judges.

I am hoping the same camaraderie will be found in the new space, and steps by judges are being taken to achieve that, said Wexler, who is also vice-president of the Litchfield County Bar Association, a group that commissions and houses the former courthouses oil paintings of past-serving judges. We plan on hanging the paintings at the new courthouse, but it is a process, she added.

According to the Preservation Trust, the former courthouse property achieved the status of a historical site by both the Borough of Litchfields National Register District and the state-designated Borough of Litchfield Historic District. Moving from another location since its inception in 1752, the courthouse called its home the commercial center of town since 1803.

Architect Robert W. Hill designed and built the current structure in Romanesque Revival style in 1889 following two ruinous fires in 1886 and 1888 that destroyed the towns second and third wood courthouses. According to the State of Connecticuts Judicial Branch website, the fourth and final courthouse was built with gray Roxbury granite in order to avoid any further calamities with a Franklin stove. A Seth Thomas clock tower was installed. After being introduced to the Litchfield community in 1890, the building served as the site for deciding court cases and jailing prisoners for many years.

It had been previously reported that the decision to build a new Torrington courthouse was made in 2004 but delayed by state budget cuts.

Rory OShaughnessy, who had worked as a judicial marshal at the former Courthouse from 1986 to 2010, attended the open house. This building didnt have a metal detector until 1992, he pointed out. The judge at the time didnt want to affect the small-town feeling of the place. This in part changed when a former clerk brought in a fake hand grenade as a joke.

And what a history the courthouse has seen. The site was the place where the fate of horse thieves, will contesters, and legal fights the Scaticook American Indian tribe alike were decided. According to the trust, in 1912 the town hung a large Welcome Veterans banner across the front of the courthouse to welcome a U.S. Civil War veterans regiment during the dedication of the Camp Dutton marker, commemorating the farm fields where the 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery Regiment assembled and trained in August and September of 1862. In 1914, the Litchfield Village Improvement Society paid for alterations to the buildings exterior and clock tower.

The land that the building sits on had been originally sold nearly 125 years agp with the clause that if the land was no longer used as a courthouse that it would revert back to the descendants of the original seller, the heirs of the Revolutionary War-era Moses Seymour, Sr. and Moses Seymour, Jr. It had been reported previously that the contemporary seller was George Beckwith, 79, of Missouri.

Litchfield residents and spouses John and Carole Gilbert visited the former holding cells in the courthouses basement. The tour is wonderful and exciting, Mr. Gilbert said. This morning at church, we spoke with the only person we have met who remembers last time the Town Hall had moved.
MIDDLETOWN  Connecticut State Troopers warn of fallen officers fund scam.

Often, scams come disguised as charities, and scammers use recent tragedies or incidents to steal money from people. Friday, Connecticut State Police was made aware of a telephone scam where the scammer called seeking donations for a fallen officers fund.

Weve heard of similar scams in the past, but not recently, and as you may know we have a fallen officer, TFC Kevin Miller. So what better time than now for scammers to bring this scam back to Connecticut, state police officials said in a release. Unfortunately for the scammer, but fortunately for the rest of us, he called a Connecticut State Trooper. After listening to the scammer, the trooper started asking questions. The scammer provided two dif-ferent names while stating the company he worked for was out of Wyoming. After identifying himself as a trooper and asking where the money would go, the scammer hung up. The trooper called the number back but the line didnt even ring.

Troopers remind residents to never give credit card, debit card or bank account information to anyone re-questing donations, especially over the phone. Dont be pressured or guilted into donating. Simply hang up.

Anyone wishing to make a donation in memory of TFC Kevin Miller can send a check payable to The Connecticut State Police Union, Inc. and please include Kevin Miller Memorial Fund in the check memo.

Checks can be mailed to: Kevin Miller Memorial Fund, Connecticut State Police Union, 500 Main St., East Hartford, CT 06118.

Residents can also make a donation through the Connecticut State Police Union gofundme website. https://www.go-fundme.com/tfc-kevin-miller-1015?ssid=1231341934&pos=1

All donations will go toward the funeral arrangements, and distributed to Kevin's children in the coming years.

Litchfield Democrats elect officers

LITCHFIELD  At the biannual election of officers on April 3, 2018, the Litchfield Democratic Town Committee elected the following officers:

Jennine Lupo, chairperson; Joe Manes, vice chairman; Harmony Tanguay, recording secretary; Barbara Putnam, corresponding secretary; Gerry Perusse, treasurer; Peter Sorenson, deputy treasurer.

The next Democratic Town Committee meeting will take place at the Bantam Borough Hall, 890 Bantam Road (Route 202) Bantam, CT on Tuesday, May 1 at 7 p.m. That meeting will consider filling vacancies on the Democratic Town Committee. Anyone interested in joining the Democratic Town Committee may call Joe Manes, nominations chair, at 860-482-3732. For more information about the Litchfield Democrats, visit www.litchfielddemocrats.com or Litchfield Dems on Facebook.

The officers extended their thanks and appreciation to retiring Chair Darlene Clouther, Recording Secretary Sandra Becker, Corresponding Secretary Mary Brennan, and Deputy Treasurer Stephen Simonin. Darlene Clouther will be running for chair of the Democratic Coalition of Northwest Connecticut.

Volunteers wanted for riding program

ROXBURY  Little Britches Therapeutic Riding Inc.is a local nonprofit that provides therapeutic riding and equine-assisted activities to people with disabilities and is seeking volunteers for its Spring Program, beginning April 23 .

Experience with horses is not necessary. Volunteers assist the riders as side walkers or horse leaders during the eight-week program. Volunteer opportunities are available on weekday afternoons and Saturdays in Roxbury.

Volunteer training is scheduled for Wednesday April 11, 3:30-4:30 pm at 30 Tophet Rd., Roxbury. For more information, call 860-350-5050 or contact littlebritchesct@gmail.com.

The Annual Little Britches 5k Run/Walk & Pints Size Steeplechase (a kids fun run) will take place Sunday June 17th at the Bridgewater Pavilion. For more about this fun family event, visit Little Britches online at www.littlebritchesct.org.

Seven Hearths Revealed is fundraiser

KENT The Kent Historical Society invites all to an evening celebrating its 18th century home and museum, the Seven Hearths Revealed party Saturday, April 21 at 6 p.m.

Attendees will tour Seven Hearths, view George Laurence Nelson's artwork and and enjoy wine, and hors d'oeuvres, as well as celebrate spring with fellow KHS supporters, history buffs and friends.

Deborah Chabrian, KHS Trustee and well-known watercolorist, is again organizing a Paint Out with a group of local artists to create artwork that will be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the George Laurence Nelson Scholarship Fund. This is the second year for the painting fundraiser, and Chabrian said that the artists all enjoyed the camaraderie of painting together in the historic Seven Hearths. Invited artists are creating paintings this year inspired by the interior rooms of the unique house museum. The resulting works of art will be offered in a silent auction during the party.

The party will provide an opportunity to discover more about the houses rich legacy. Trustee Jeffrey Morgan continues to remove paint layers, particularly in the South Parlor, adding to the Societys knowledge of what the interiors looked like through the years. The stairs (c. 1940), which previously gave access from the Fur Trading Post to the attic, have been removed to allow for better appreciation and understanding of this recently discovered historical gem. A new stair has been reconstructed in the original location from period materials and hand wrought nails. It is located at the top of the stairs from what was originally the general store and was later used by George Laurence Nelson as his painting studio. Several examples of Nelsons interior watercolors will be on display throughout the house.

The fundraising party will provide needed operating funds for the Society. Attendees will have the opportunity to see the ongoing changes that have been happening at the 1751 house museum and celebrate the fascinating history of the building.

More information and tickets are available at www.kenthistoricalsociety.org.

Wisdom House program explores spirituality

LITCHFIELD  The Spirituality of Teilhard de Chardin - Part 2, will be presented at Wisdom House on Saturday, April 21 from 9:30 a.m.-3 p.m.. Sally Campbell Woodhall is the presenter.

Participants will see how the works of this Jesuit priest and scientist relate to our role as participatory members of the earth community. They will also explore how his legacy is present in the current spirituality of ecology, feminism, and interfaith dialogue.

Sally Campbell Woodhall is the former director of the Guild for Spiritual Guidance and holds an MA in Theology from Fordham University. She played a critical role in editing the French translation of Teilhard de Chardin and the Mystery of Christ by Christopher Mooney. She is the author of Teilhard de Chardin: Pilgrim, Prophet, Mystic. She is the founding head of the Woodhall School in Bethlehem.

Cost of the program is $60 per person through April 14. Registration after that date is $75 per person. Program includes lunch. For more information, visit www.wisdomhouse.org , call 860-567-3163 or email: programs@wisdomhouse.org
As bad as things looked for Facebook two weeks ago when the Cambridge Analytica scandal surfaced, things actually got worse this week. First, the company upped to 87 million the estimated number of people whose personal information was siphoned off without authorization  74 percent more than was first reported. Cambridge Analytica used that information in 2016 to try to raise support for Donald Trump by targeting voters with messages designed to play to their susceptibilities.

Then on Wednesday, Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg told reporters that personal information from every Facebook user who left the default search settings in place is likely to have been scraped off the site by third parties. I would assume if you had that setting turned on, that someone at some point has accessed your public information in this way, Zuckerberg said. The information was almost certainly gathered for commercial reasons, not altruistic ones. After all, your public profile on Facebook can be quite revealing  it includes anything youve ever shared on Facebook under the least restrictive privacy setting, potentially including your friends list, your likes, your photos and the places youve visited.

In short, Zuckerberg confirmed again what critics of his company have been saying for years: Personal information shared on Facebook can spread far and wide, often unbeknownst to the person who posted it. You may think of Facebook as a place to huddle electronically with your friends, but its also a platform for Facebook and countless other companies to collect data about you. And Facebook has repeatedly shown itself unable, or perhaps unwilling, to restrain those companies, let alone keep its own promises to users about how personal data will be handled.

The good news is that Congress may have reached the end of its rope when it comes to online privacy scandals. The glare from lawmakers is so intense that Zuckerberg himself will appear before House and Senate committees this week  a first for the youthful billionaire. And in anticipation of the verbal beating lawmakers are expected to inflict, Facebook has taken an encouraging series of steps to reduce the information that third parties can extract from the social network.

But lawmakers need to stop relying on internet companies to police themselves. And while the Federal Trade Commission has broad authority to crack down on unfair and deceptive privacy practices, the court orders it has obtained against Facebook and other internet companies havent stopped the abuses. Internet users should have clear privacy rights under federal law that regulators and the courts can enforce. At a minimum, those should include the right to know what data is being collected about them and to limit its use. In other words, instead of continuing blithely along the path of unfettered data collection and sharing, we need to give internet users more control over the data generated by what they say and do online.

The European Union is well ahead of the U.S. government on this issue, having adopted a General Data Protection Regulation two years ago. The rules, which will go into effect May 25, require companies that want to collect personal data from an EU citizen to obtain the persons freely given, specific, informed, and unambiguous consent  not just overall, but for each type of use the company might find for the data (for example, separate consents would be required to use an email address for in-house marketing and to share the address with a third party).

Zuckerberg said Wednesday that his company will extend the European Unions privacy protections to all of its users worldwide, which is the silver lining in the cloud cast by Cambridge Analytica. But Facebook users shouldnt be the only ones covered by such a shield. Proposals for a consumer privacy bill of rights have been circulating in Washington since 2012.

Its time for lawmakers to translate their outrage over the latest privacy scandal into durable protections for internet users.

 Los Angeles Times
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) says Azerbaijan's authorities have cleansed the political landscape of "virtually all formal avenues of expressing dissent" ahead of next weeks snap presidential election that is set to hand longtime President Ilham Aliyev a new term.

"When it comes to silencing critics, Azerbaijani authorities have been industrious and methodical," the New York-based media watchdog said in an April 6 statement.

CPJ said that "throwing journalists in jail, abducting them from abroad, accusing them of financial misdeeds, blocking websites, hacking social media accounts, [and] imposing travel bans" have been among the tactics used by Aliyev's government to try to ensure that "the independent media are muzzled and critical voices silenced."

Meanwhile, opposition candidates have been "either jailed or barred" from running in the April 11 presidential election, the nongovernmental organization (NGO) said.

Aliyev in February issued a decree bringing forward the date of the election initially set for October, without explaining the reasons for the decision. Azerbaijan's two main opposition parties have called for a boycott of the vote.

Aliyev has ruled the South Caucasus country of nearly 10 million people since shortly before his father's death in 2003. Azerbaijan's opposition, as well as Western governments and international human rights groups have criticized Aliyev's government for persistently persecuting independent media outlets, journalists, and opposition politicians and activists, something which Azerbaijani officials have denied.

Critical reporters face "daily restrictions" inside Azerbaijan, CPJ said on April 6, while authorities are also trying to silence those who chose to live and work from abroad to avoid arrest or harassment.

But the NGO said international pressure on Azerbaijani authorities has had some impact.

It quoted Mehman Aliyev, who heads the independent Turan News Agency, as saying he thinks that pressure from the United States over his arrest in August on charges of tax evasion and abuse of power played a key role in his release.

In November, Turan said that all charges against the agency and its director were dropped, and that Aliyev, who has no relation to the Azerbaijani president, was told that all restrictions previously placed on his movements were lifted.

In the meantime, U.S. lawmakers passed an amendment to the FY2018 State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill which instructed the department to bar the entry of Azerbaijani officials into the United States if they were involved in Aliyevs imprisonment.

Speaking to CPJ from Baku, the journalist said Senator Richard Durbin's amendment as well as pressure from other U.S. senators, were "directly responsible" for his release.

"The amendment was passed on September 7. I had a court hearing the following day. When the authorities heard of the amendment, the security services told me President Aliyev had just heard about my case and was concerned," Aliyev said.

Alex Raufoglu, a Washington-based Azerbaijani journalist who contributes to Turan, urged the international community to step up pressure on Baku ahead of the presidential election.

"Once reelected for another seven-year term -- and I see no obstacles to that -- Aliyev will listen to his foreign partners even less," he told CPJ.

In December, the group found at least 10 journalists behind bars in Azerbaijan in relation to their work, making the country one of the worst jailers of journalists in the world.
Authorities in Ukraine's Russian-controlled Crimea region say five people were killed when a commuter train collided with a minibus on the peninsula.

At least three other people were hospitalized with injuries following the April 8 accident, which occurred at a railway crossing in Crimea's northern city of Armyansk.

Two people reportedly were in intensive care.

All the dead and wounded were said to be passengers of the minibus.

Russia illegally annexed Crimea from Ukraine in March 2014.

Based on reporting by TASS and Interfax


The "Holy Fire" ceremony in Jerusalem helped Eastern Orthodox Christians usher in Easter, one week after Christians in the West also celebrated the religion's holiest day.

Some 7,000 pilgrims in Jerusalems Church of the Holy Sepulchre lit their candles off of the "flame" from the "miracle light" on the night of April 7 and early morning of April 8, Easter Day.

The light emanates from the stone bed that Christian tradition believes to be the spot where Jesus's body was placed for burial.

The flame represents the resurrection of Christ and will be passed candle to candle and taken to other Orthodox churches around the world. The ritual dates back some 1,200 years.

The Greek Orthodox, Armenian, and Roman Catholic denominations share custody of the church.

In Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin attended services at Moscows Christ the Savior Cathedral, where several thousand people gathered, including members of parliament.

In Kyiv, church services, festivals, and children's events were scheduled for April 8 and a holiday the following day.

Easter can occur on different days in the Gregorian (Western) and Julian (Eastern Orthodox) calendars.

Based on reporting by AP, AFP, The Times Of Israel, and TASS


Voters in Hungary are heading to the polls in a parliamentary election on April 8. According to preelection surveys, Prime Minister Viktor Orbans ruling nationalist Fidesz party is expected to get about 50 percent of the vote, which would give the anti-Europe, anti-immigrant leader his third consecutive term in office. Opinion polls suggest that Fidesz will outperform Jobbik, a party with radical nationalist roots that has become increasingly centrist in recent years and whose leader Gabor Vona is seen as Orbans main rival. Even if Orban emerges victorious, however, he may fall short of the two-thirds majority he won eight years ago. Casting his vote in Budapest, Orban, who also served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002, brushed aside suggestions that Hungary under his rule is anything but a loyal EU member. In Gyongyos, Vona said he hoped his countrys future would not be defined by immigration. (Reuters)
Viktor Orban, Hungary's right-wing, antimigrant prime minister, has declared a "historic" victory for his ruling Fidesz party in national elections that handed him his third consecutive term atop the countrys government.

"We have won," Orban told cheering supporters late on April 8 after preliminary results were released. "Hungary has won a great victory."

"Dear friends, there's a big battle behind us, we secured a historic victory -- we got a chance, we created a chance for us to defend Hungary," he added.

With 98.5 percent of the ballots counted, Fidesz had taken 48.8 percent of the vote, far ahead of the radical nationalist Jobbik party, which had 20 percent.

Under Hungarys electoral system, which favors larger parties, Fidesz and its small ally, the Christian Democrats, appeared to be closing in on a two-thirds majority in parliament with 133 of the 199 seats up for election.

A two-thirds majority in parliament would give Orban and Fidesz widespread powers.

Opposition parties expressed concerns that such an outcome would allow Orban to push through constitutional changes, continue a crackdown on civic groups, and further strengthen his influence over the state power structure.

Jobbik is forecast to win 26 seats. Party leader Gabor Vona announced his resignation following the defeat.

"Jobbik's goal, to win the elections and force a change in government, was not achieved," Vona told reporters. "Fidesz won. It won again."

A Socialist-led coalition was taking 12.2 percent of the vote, with 20 seats, while smaller leftist parties DK and LMP would likely have nine and eight seats, respectively.

Socialist Party President Gyula Molnar also said he was resigning after the election setback.

Turnout was higher than expected, at 69.3 percent, and many Orban critics had hoped that would help the opposition parties.

However, Orban is headed for a third consecutive term, and fourth overall, as prime minister.

"The high voter turnout puts every doubt into brackets," he told supporters.

The results come close to matching preelection polls, which had put Fidesz at about 50 percent of the vote.



European Union leaders were closely watching the results amid concerns that a big victory for Fidesz could boost similar right-wing nationalists in other Central European countries, particularly Poland and Austria, and increase concerns about EU cohesion.

Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Konrad Szymanski, who is Warsaw's envoy to the EU, said the Hungarian vote result was "a confirmation of Central Europe's emancipation policy."

"Emancipation not directed at fighting anybody but at making Central Europe visible as a very constructive European and European Union partner," Szymanski said.

'For Hungary's Future'

Some 8.3 million residents in Hungary were eligible to vote. They cast two ballots -- one for a candidate in their district and one for a party list, with 199 parliamentary seats up for election. Hungarians outside the country voting by mail choose only party lists.

After casting his ballot in a Budapest suburb, the 54-year-old Orban said the vote was about "Hungary's future," and reiterated he would stand up for Hungary's interests.

"We love our country and we are fighting for our country," he said.

Jobbik's Vona ,casting his vote in the northeastern town of Gyongyos, said that the election results would "determine the fate of Hungary not just for four years but...for two generations."

Orban, who also served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002, campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform and called the election a chance for Hungarians to reclaim their country.

Orban began his political career as an anticommunist liberal activist in the late 1980s, but he has been accused by critics of abandoning Hungary's democratic path for an increasingly authoritarian direction.

Over the past eight years, his government has expanded control over the media and, through allies in the business sector, gained influence over the banking, energy, construction, and tourism sectors.

Some critics also accuse Orban of being too accommodating to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Orban has repeatedly criticized U.S.-Hungarian billionaire philanthropist George Soros, whom he accuses of meddling in Hungarian politics and leading the liberal opposition.

Jobbik was formerly one of Europe's most far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-EU parties, but it has attempted to rebrand itself as a more centrist entity.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, Bloomberg, and AFP
Hungarys election commission has declared the ruling Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban the winner in the countrys general election, far outpacing rival parties.

Results released by the election office late on April 8 gave the rightwing antimigrant Fidesz party 49.5 percent of the vote with 75 percent of the ballots counted.

Under Hungarys electoral system, which favors the larger parties, Fidesz appears to be closing in on a two-thirds majority in parliament with 134 of the 199 seats up for election.

The nationalist Jobbik party was at 20 percent and 27 seats.

The Socialists were taking 11.9 percent of the vote, election officials said.

The turnout was higher than expected, at around 68 percent, and many Orban critics had hoped that would help the opposition parties.

However, Orban appears set to win a third-consecutive term, and fourth overall, as prime minister.

Preelection polls had put Fidesz at about 50 percent of the vote.



Winning a two-thirds majority in parliament would be important to Orban and Fidesz, as it would allow it to rewrite the constitution if desired.

Polling time was extended several hours after the scheduled end of the vote in order to accommodate long lines of people still hoping to cast ballots.

Officials said those polling stations would remain open until everyone in line by the scheduled closing time had been able to vote.



Some 8.3 million residents in Hungary were eligible to vote. They cast two ballots -- one for a candidate in their district and one for a party list, with 199 parliamentary seats up for election. Hungarians outside the country voting by mail choose only party lists.

After casting his ballot in a Budapest suburb, the 54-year-old Orban said the vote was about "Hungary's future," and reiterated he would stand up for Hungary's interests.

"We love our country and we are fighting for our country," he said.

Jobbik leader Gabor Vona cast his vote in the northeastern town of Gyongyos, said that the election results would "determine the fate of Hungary not just for four years but... for two generations."

Orban, who also served as prime minister from 1998 to 2002, campaigned on a strong anti-immigrant platform and on April 6 called this vote an "election of fate" and a chance for Hungarians to reclaim their country.

"They want to take away our homeland again," he said at Fidesz party rally in a town about 70 kilometers outside of the capital, Budapest.

"Parties that serve foreign interests and politicians who take foreign pay want to govern and turn Hungary into an immigrant country," he added.

Orban began his political career as a liberal activist in the late 1980s, but he has been accused by critics of abandoning Hungary's postcommunist democratic path for an increasingly authoritarian direction.

Over the past eight years, Orban's government has expanded control over the media and, through allies in the business sector, gained influence over the banking, energy, construction, and tourism sectors.

Some critics also accuse Orban of being too accommodating to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Orban was once a critic of Putin. But after his party's 2010 election victory, he called for transforming Hungary into an "illiberal state," citing Russia and Turkey as templates for success.

Orban has also repeatedly criticized U.S.-Hungarian billionaire philanthropist George Soros, whom he accuses of meddling in Hungarian politics and leading the liberal opposition.

Jobbik was formerly one of Europes most far-right, anti-Semitic, and anti-EU parties, but it has attempted to rebrand itself as a more-centrist entity.

EU leaders will be closely watching the results, with a big victory by Orbans party likely to boost to similar right-wing nationalists in other Central European countries, particularly Poland and Austria, and increase concerns about EU cohesion.

With reporting by AP, Reuters, dpa, Bloomberg, and AFP
On April 3, residents of the Kyrgyz village of Uch-Dobo and the Tajik village of Machai threw stones at each other.

It's not the first time there have been clashes among villagers living along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border and there have been occasions when it was much more serious than a rock fight.

But this most recent incident stands out, especially now that Uzbekistan's relations with Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan are improving.

The Uzbek-Kyrgyz and Uzbek-Tajik borders were where most of the violence used to occur along borders in the Ferghana Valley, but that is no longer true.

That dubious distinction currently seems to belong to the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

What are the causes of the continued friction along the Kyrgyz-Tajik frontier and what possible solutions are there to these problems?

RFE/RL's media relations manager, Muhammad Tahir, moderated a discussion on the unresolved issues along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

The Majlis was fortunate to have some of the leading authorities on this region and the history of the conflict there.

Joining us from Manchester was Madeleine Reeves, a senior lecturer in social anthropology at the University of Manchester and also the author of Border Work: Spatial Lives Of The State In Rural Central Asia, which is about the exact area in question.

Also taking part in the talk from the United Kingdom was Anna Matveeva, a senior visiting fellow at Kings College who also worked as part of a UN project focusing on the de-escalation of tensions along the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

And from Dushanbe we had Jafar Nematzoda (Usmonov), a fellow at George Washington University and author of a report about the Kyrgyz-Tajik border.

I've also been in that region a number of times, most recently just a couple of years ago, so I had a couple of things to say, too.

Listen to the podcast above or subscribe to the Majlis on iTunes.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- Tens of thousands of ethnic Pashtuns -- led by young the young activist Manzoor Pashteen -- gathered in Pakistan's northwestern city of Peshawar on April 8 for a mass demonstration to demand the protection of the rights of Pashtuns.

RFE/RL's Radio Mashaal correspondents say as many as 60,000 people took part in the gathering, despite a media blackout in much of the country on reports about the demonstration.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM), or Pashtun Protection Movement, was started mainly by young Pashtun activists who are demanding an end to what they say are human rights violations by authorities in the country's tribal regions.



They have been calling for the removal of military checkpoints in tribal areas and an end to "enforced disappearances" in which suspects are detained by security forces without due process.

Pashteen, the founder leader of the PTM, told the gathering on April 8 that Pakistan's government needs to form a judicial commission to investigate alleged extra-judicial killings in Pashtun-dominated regions of Pakistan.

He said police and security officials must bring before the courts all Pashtuns who have been detained and listed by authorities as "missing."

If found not guilty of allegations against them, Pashteen said, authorities must free detained suspects.

Pashteen also said Pakistan's government needs to clear landmines from the war-torn tribal regions along the border with Afghanistan.

Hundreds of women and children were among the participants in the April 8 demonstration, with some addressing the gathering

One woman who spoke to the rally, Basro Bibi from the Khyber tribal area, said her husband has been listed for several years by authorities as "missing."

She accused Pakistan's powerful Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) agency of being behind his disappearance and many other "enforced disappearances" in the tribal regions.

Missing Relatives

Hundreds of other people attending the rally held photographs of their missing relatives, including captions with their names and the dates they went missing.

Two left-wing Pakistani political parties, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party and Balochistans National Awami Party, took part in the April 8 demonstration. But prominent leaders of other Pashtun nationalist and religious parties did not participate, despite vows in February that they would give their full support to the PTM.

Pakistan's government rejects allegations that security forces or its intelligence service is responsible for enforced disappearances.

Authorities say military checkpoints are necessary in the tribal areas in order to combat Islamic extremist militants, including Pakistani and Afghan Taliban fighters.

The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement first staged a 10-day sit-in protest in Islamabad in February in response to the January killing of 27-year old Naqeebullah Mehsud during what Pakistani police described as a raid on a terrorist hideout in eastern Karachi.

Pakistani police claimed Mehsud was a member of the Pakistani Taliban.

'Encounter Killing'

Mehsuds relatives in his native South Waziristan, where he was buried, deny that he was a militant.

They claimed he was the victim of an "encounter killing" -- a situation where police allegedly carry out an extrajudicial killing because they do not have enough evidence to convict a suspect in court.

The PTM halted its first Islamabad sit-in protest in mid-February after the government provided written assurances that it would address the group's complaints.

But the PTM relaunched demonstrations in March, saying it was disatisfied with the government's progress toward keeping its promises.

Meanwhile, the PTM appears to have been gaining popular support in the tribal regions and in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Province with continued calls for an end to what it describes as the "persecution" of ethnic Pashtuns.

Rights groups also have said so-called "encounter killings are common in Pakistan.

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HCRP), an independent rights organization in Islamabad, says Pakistani police reports listed the killing of at least 318 suspects during raids and shootouts in Karachi during 2016.

The PTM says it is simply demanding the rights that Pakistani citizens are meant to be guaranteed under Pakistan's constitution.

Similar demonstrations in solidarity with the PTM protest were held on April 8 in Germany, Sweden, Australia, and Afghanistan.
Britain's Sunday Times newspaper is reporting that the country is considering offering Russian former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter new identities and a new life in the United States to protect them from further attempts on their life.

Citing unnamed sources, the report published on April 8 said officials of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, or MI6, have discussed the plan with their counterparts of the CIA.

"They will be offered new identities," the newspaper quoted a source as saying.

"The obvious place to resettle them is America because they're less likely to be killed there and it's easier to protect them there under a new identity," it quoted another intelligence source as saying.

Britain's Foreign Office had no comment on the report, the Sunday Times said.

Former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, were exposed to a potent nerve toxin and found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, in southern England, on March 4.

Doctors at Salisbury District Hospital said on April 6 that the 66-year-old father was "improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition."

Yulia, 33, regained consciousness last week and, according to a British police statement issued on her on behalf, her strength "is growing daily."

Britain accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin's government of trying to kill them with a military-grade chemical substance known as novichok, which was developed in the Soviet Union.

Russia denies involvement in the poisoning, which has triggered a diplomatic crisis between Moscow and the West.

Based on reporting by Reuters and The Sunday Times.


U.S. President Donald Trump and French leader Emmanuel Macron say they will coordinate "a strong, joint response" to a reported chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held city of Douma that has sparked international outrage.

During a phone call on April 8, the two leaders condemned the "horrific" attack and agreed that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad "must be held accountable for its continued human rights abuses."

Macrons office said the two countries would coordinate their efforts at an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council on April 9, called for by the United States, France, Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Peru, and Ivory Coast.

Trump on April 8 condemned Russia, and Russian President Vladimir Putin directly, along with Iran for their support of Assad in the wake of what he described as the "mindless CHEMICAL attack" in Syria on April 7 that left "many dead, including women and children."

Trump also called Assad an "animal" and said there would be a "big price to pay" for the use of weapons of mass destruction.

Also raising tensions early on April 9 were unconfirmed reports by Syrian state media that a missile strike had hit a Syrian military facility near the city of Homs, killing and injuring several people.

'Diplomatic Efforts'

Syrian state-run SANA news agency initially said U.S. forces were suspected in the attack and that Syria's air defenses had shot down eight missiles. The news agency later withdrew any mention of U.S. involvement.

The Pentagon issued a statement saying that "at this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria."

"However, we continue to closely watch the situation and support the ongoing diplomatic efforts to hold those who use chemical weapons, in Syria and otherwise, accountable," it added.

On April 7, 2017, the U.S. military fired 59 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Syria's Shayrat airfield after concluding that government aircraft had departed from the airfield loaded with sarin gas for a chemical attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun.

Along with the United States, France and Britain accused Assad's forces of carrying out the air assault on Khan Sheikhun, a conclusion supported by a fact-finding mission by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).

Syria denied it was responsible for the 2017 attack on Khan Sheikhun, which killed at least 80 people.

'Fabrication'

Syria, Russia, and Iran also rejected as a "fabrication" the latest reports that more than 100 people have died from the chlorine-gas attack on Douma, a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta that is besieged by Assad's Russian and Iranian-backed forces.

As condemnation poured in from around the world, Reuters reported that a deal was reached on April 8 between Russia's Defense Ministry and Syria's opposition for the evacuation of rebel fighters from Douma under supervison of Russian military police.

Syrian state media reported late on April 8 that the first batch of rebels had begun to leave Douma.

There was no word from Moscow about if or when Russia would allow independent chemical-weapons inspectors a chance to investigate Moscow's claim that there was no chemical attack on Douma.

Trump has demanded that international inspectors and emergency medical workers be given immediate access to the besieged city, saying Assad's forces were preventing access to Douma by emergency workers and international investigators.

Reuters quoted U.S. government sources late on April 8 as saying the assessment of U.S. authorities, "with some degree of confidence," was that chemical weapons were used in Douma, but they were still evaluating details.

'Supporters Of The Regime'

The European Union, meanwhile, said on April 8 that evidence points to "yet another chemical attack by the regime" in Syria.

The EU also called for an international response and called on Russia and Iran, as "supporters of the regime," to use their influence with Assad to prevent any further chemical attacks.

France has repeatedly warned that evidence of further use of chemical weapons in Syria was a "red line" that would prompt French military strikes.

"The use of chemical weapons is a war crime," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in an April 8 statement, adding that France will "do its duty" if the reported attack on Douma is verified.

Opposition-linked first responders, so-called Syria Civil Defense emergency workers known as White Helmets, and other activist groups said a helicopter dropped toxic gas inside barrel bombs late on April 7 over Douma, causing people to suffocate and choke.

The White Helmets have also posted video online of what they say are chemical-attack survivors, including children, being treated at a makeshift medical clinic in Douma.

Russia and Iran have given crucial military and diplomatic backing to Assad's government throughout Syrias war, which has killed hundreds of thousands of people and displaced millions.



The offensive by Syrian government forces and their allies, which involved weeks of intense bombardment, has left more than 1,600 civilians dead and thousands more wounded in eastern Ghouta since February 18, according to the monitor group.

With reporting by Reuters, AP, AFP, dpa, BBC, CNN, ABC-TV, and Interfax
WASHINGTON -- The United States says it is closely monitoring "very disturbing" reports of the possible horrifying new use of chemical weapons by Syrian government forces and said Russia would be held responsible if the attacks are confirmed.

"The [Syrian] regime's history of using chemical weapons against its own people in not in dispute," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement said on April 7.

"Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for the brutal targeting of countless Syrians with chemical weapons," she said. By shielding its ally Syria, Russia has breached its commitments to the United Nations as a framework guarantor.

She added that the "United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks."

The comments come after a Syrian rebel group and international aid groups on April 7 accused government forces of dropping a bomb with poisonous chemicals on civilians in eastern Ghouta, the besieged Damascus suburb.

Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS), a medical relief group, also alleged that a chlorine bomb hit the hospital in Douma, killing six people, and that a second attack using "mixed agents," including nerve gas, had hit into another building.

The U.S.-based vice president of SAMS, Basel Termanini, told the Reuters news agency that the death toll in the chemical attacks came to at least 35 people.

"We are contacting the UN and the U.S. government and the European governments," he said by phone.

The Syria Civil Defense, known as the White Helmets, also claimed evidence of a chemical attack.

Reuters said it could not independently verify the reports.

State media denied Syrian forces had launched a chemical attack and said rebels in Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

The Syrian Army and allies intensified shelling and air raids on Douma, a day after air strikes killed at least 40 people in the last rebel holdout near Damascus.

State news agency SANA said the attacks were retaliation for the shelling of nearby government-held areas by rebels from the Jaish al-Islam rebel group, which controls Douma.

The remnants of antigovernment rebels are holding out in their last pockets of territory in eastern Ghouta, as Russian and Syrian military officials report that Syrian government forces and their allies have taken nearly all of the formerly rebel-held region.

Thousands of people have left Douma in recent days under a Russian-mediated deal, but the evacuations were suspended on April 5 after negotiations apparently broke down.

The military offensive by Syrian government forces and their allies, which involved weeks of intense bombardment, has left more than 1,600 civilians dead and thousands more wounded in eastern Ghouta since February 18, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the Britain-based monitor group.

U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis on March 11 warned Syria that it would be "very unwise" for government forces to use weaponized gas, and slammed Russian support for Damascus.

Mattis made the remarks amid reports that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's forces had recently used chlorine gas in Ghouta.

In April 2017, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a missile strike against a Syrian air base after Washington said the facility was used to launch a sarin nerve gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun, killing dozens of civilians.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, dpa, and Al-Jazeera




Villagers in the rural district of Boz in Uzbekistan's east have noticed a lot of strange things going on recently -- roads being repaired, people getting natural gas on discount, the establishment of a new hotline to connect them to the district administration office.

Strangely enough, all of the developments took place ahead of a weeklong visit by so-called presidential inspectors who are going door to door in Boz to hear from ordinary people and report back to President Shavkat Mirziyoev.

Authorities in Boz, apparently wary of the messages that could be sent, have seemingly gone into damage-control mode.

Several local residents who spoke to RFE/RL's Uzbek Service on April 3 on condition of anonymity said they had been ordered not to complain to inspectors about such issues as energy supplies, healthcare, and roads.

According to the residents, those considered by the authorities to be "usual complainers" were suddenly offered urgent and free medical check-ups and treatment in good hospitals and were taken away in ambulances, the villagers say.

One neighborhood committee chief in Boz said the inspectors' visit from Tashkent was initially expected in the nearby Markhamat district. However, it was announced on March 30 that they were coming to Boz instead. They arrived on April 2.

"The local governor called a meeting in panic, and I attended it, too," the official said. "We were instructed to talk to people and tell them not to complain about everything to the visitors from Tashkent, to explain to people that the visitors won't solve their problems anyway."

The governor ordered officials to immediately start distributing discounted gas supplies to people, he added.

The neighborhood committee head said that the governor specifically ordered them to warn "usual complainers" against taking their complaints to the inspectors.

Known Complainers Get Special Treatment

The so-called usual complainers are those who are known to frequently send letters to authorities and media, or for making multiple visits to government offices.

"The district head advised us to tell the complainers that 'the inspectors will leave, but we will stay here, so think twice before opening your mouths,'" the neighborhood committee head said.

In another Boz neighborhood, local officials were said to have taken a softer approach to buy the complainers' silence.

"The district administration offered special favors to several people with disabilities and elderly who usually write complaint letters," said another neighborhood committee head in Boz.

"They were taken in ambulances to hospitals to have free medical check-ups," the official said, adding that "the aim" was to keep them there for several days to prevent them from talking to the visiting officials.

"There is one such elderly man in our neighborhood who relentlessly writes complaint letters to every possible place. He was offered a few days of treatment at a good medical facility," the official said. "The man wasn't aware of the inspectors' visit, so he happily boarded the ambulance and left for the hospital."

A pro-government activist told RFE/RL that officials have already spoken to residents in the district's villages of Pillakor, Soyboyi, Khalqobod, and Bobur.

The Boz district administration office rejected the suggestion that residents were being warned against complaining to the visitors.

"Nobody is shutting anybody's mouth," one unnamed official told RFE/RL on April 3. "The visitors are meeting with people right now."

The group consists of some 80 lawmakers, ministry officials, and representatives of the president's office. The delegation is led by President Mirziyoev's adviser on state affairs, Umar Islmoilov.

People's President

Mirziyoev, who came to power in 2016, has made efforts to make it easier for ordinary citizens to discuss their issues with government officials.

Mirziyoev has opened a so-called virtual office where people can write about their problems to the president or ask questions.

The president has criticized government officials of being arrogant and out of touch with issues that ordinary Uzbeks care about.

Presidential inspectors randomly visit provinces and spend several days talking to people.

Boz residents say they saw some improvements made to their villages ahead of the visit by the delegation from Tashkent.

One man from the village of Gholib told RFE/RL that the district head had set up a telephone hot-line and distributed leaflets urging people to contact his office to voice any issues that concern them.

Perhaps the district head is trying to convince the inspectors that he cares about people, the villager suggested. I dont think he would even bother to talk to any caller on this hot line.

A teacher from a school in Boz said that trucks are moving back and forth bringing gravel to fill potholes in roads.

Local government is also disturbing gas cylinders at much cheaper prices, the teacher said. Like many other rural areas that dont have centralized natural-gas distribution networks, Boz residents use bottled gas.

The teachers said the villagers are happy with the sudden improvements in their lives. They dont know, however, if it will last once the inspectors are gone.

Written by Farangis Najibullah with reporting by RFE/RL Uzbek Service correspondent Sadriddin Ashur.


Two American men wanted for child porn arrested in Mexico

Zacatecas, Mexico  Two American sex offenders who are wanted on child porn charges have been arrested in Mexico after US authorities say they fled the country in 2017.

American Stephen D. Morais was wanted for violating probation and failing to register as a sex offender. According to federal court documents, Morais plead guilty to two counts of downloading child pornography in 2011. He was sentenced to 97 months in prison.

Morais, who was from Fayetteville, Arkansas was labeled as a Level 3 sex offender, which is considered high risk since they have a history of repeat sexual offending.

According to U.S. Marshals, Mexican police were asked for assistance when they learned Morais had fled the country. U.S. Marshals from Arkansas worked with federal agents in Texas and the Mexico City Field Office, which eventually led them to Zacatecas, Mexico.

When Mexican authorities arrested Morais, they found him living with William Hulsey Jr., another runaway sex offender from Tennessee.

Hulsey was convicted of possession of child pornography in Knoxville, Tennessee in 2009. US marshals also found his computer contained thousands of child pornography photos along with a plan to kidnap, rape and burn a child to death.

He was given 120 months in prison. Both men were arrested April 5 and extradited back to the U.S. April 6.

Its not unusual for sex offenders to take off, said Cory Thomas, Senior Inspect for the U.S. Marshals Service for the Western District of Arkansas. We also have a good relationship with the Federal Police in Mexico.
The bacterium that causes the sexually transmitted disease gonorrhea is resistant to multiple standard antibiotics and now threatens to develop resistance against ceftriaxone, which is on the World Health Organization List of Essential Medicines and is the last effective antibiotic against the organism. UNC School of Medicine researchers have identified mutations to the bacterium Neisseria gonnorrhoeae that enable resistance to ceftriaxone that could lead to the global spread of ceftriaxone-resistant "superbug" strains.

The findings, published in the journal mBio, provide unique insights into the evolution of drug-resistant gonorrhea that should be useful in monitoring the disease and perhaps in defending against it.

"The first step in stopping a drug-resistant bacterium is figuring out how it becomes resistant to antibiotics that once were able to kill it," said study co-senior author Robert Nicholas, PhD, professor and vice chair of UNC's Department of Pharmacology. "Our results give us clues to how ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhea is emerging, why this is such a looming problem, and what to focus on to limit it."

Gonorrhea has been a public health problem for hundreds if not thousands of years. In the United States, the number of cases per capita per year rose sharply in the 1960s, then fell just as sharply when the HIV pandemic began. For the past few years the rates of gonorrhea have been rising steeply again. There are more than 800,000 cases per year in the U.S., and worldwide cases are estimated at 80 million annually. About 20,000 people in North Carolina have gonorrhea, according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the state has the fifth highest rate of infection in the country -- about 200 individuals out of 100,000.

If untreatable, complications include infertility, prostate inflammation, scarred and narrowed urethra, testicular and scrotal pain, miscarriage, pelvic inflammatory disease, and inflammation of the bladder.

There is no vaccine for gonorrhea, so antibiotic therapy is the only option for treating infections. However, N. gonorrhoeae has shown a seemingly limitless capacity for evolving resistance to antibiotics. Doctors since the 1980s have had to abandon one first-line therapy after another -- penicillin, then tetracycline, then ciprofloxacin, and most recently cefixime. The current standard therapy is a combination of two drugs -- the injectable ceftriaxone and oral azithromycin.

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N. gonorrhoeae isn't yet widely resistant to ceftriaxone, but two isolates -- H041 and F89 -- have been shown to be fully resistant to the drug. These cases have raised concerns that ceftriaxone-resistant gonorrhea might soon spread globally, which would make gonorrhea much more difficult to treat and possibly untreatable.

In the study, Nicholas and colleagues, collaborating with the laboratory of Ann E. Jerse, PhD, at the Pentagon's Uniformed Services University in Maryland, showed first that the ceftriaxone-resisting mutations in HO41 and F89 come with a "fitness cost" for the bacterium. In other words, the mutations dramatically impair the bacteria's growth rate.

That was expected. The ceftriaxone-resistance mutations alter the bacterial enzyme that is the target of ceftriaxone, making it harder for the drug to bind to the enzyme but at the same time making it less able for the enzyme to build and repair bacterial cell walls. This fitness cost would be expected to prevent resistant strains from spreading much. The scientists then conducted lab experiments to show that resistant-mutation strains were vastly outcompeted by a standard, non-resistant strain of N. gonorrhoeae, so that the amount of resistant bacteria dwindled rapidly in comparison to the standard strain.

But then the scientists infected mice with an equal mixture of the non-resistant reference strain and the ceftriaxone-resistant, growth-impaired strain. Here's the bad news: Nicholas and colleagues found that some resistant strains quickly developed much higher growth rates and even began to out-compete the fast-growing reference strain.

"That made us suspect that these bacteria had acquired 'compensatory' mutations that improved their growth rate despite the growth-slowing effect of the resistance mutations," Nicholas said.

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Scientists will have to sift through the genomes of these lab-evolved superbug strains to identify all the mutations that restore growth and how they do it. This will be the work of multiple studies to come.

But in an initial set of experiments, Nicholas and colleagues zeroed in on one of these mutations that affects a bacterial enzyme called AcnB, known to play an important role in the bacterial energy-production that fuels bacterial growth. The scientists found that the mutant form of the enzyme not only alters N. gonorrhoeae's energy metabolism but also causes extensive changes in the expression of bacterial genes, effectively switching many off and many others on.

"AcnB may have yet-undiscovered functions -- beyond its role in energy metabolism -- that explain the fitness advantage the enzyme confers when mutated," Nicholas said.

He and his colleagues are working to understand better how mutant AcnB boosts growth of N. gonorrhoeae and what other growth-restoring mutations exist in the lab-evolved superbug strains. At the same time, the researchers are on the lookout for reports of similar dangerous mutations in strains recovered from patients around the world.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and Uniformed Services University funded this work.
All children have moments of moodiness, but family medicine doctors and pediatricians may doubt their abilities to tell the difference between normal irritability and possibly bigger issues, according to Penn State researchers.

When the researchers interviewed a group of health care providers, they found that the primary care providers and pediatricians were less confident than the child and adolescent psychiatrists in their ability to tell whether irritability in young patients was normal or could be linked to a deeper mental health issues.

They also found that primary care providers and pediatricians were more likely to prescribe medications when they thought there was a problem, while psychiatrists were more likely to start with behavioral therapy.

Anna Scandinaro, medical student, Penn State College of Medicine, said that as problems like bullying and school shootings rise, it's important for health care providers to be able to identify children and adolescents whose problems may go deeper than typical moodiness. She said increasing education for these providers may be a good place to start.

"We need to start asking if there's anything we can do to prevent these things from happening," Scandinaro said. "There's a lot of concern right now about children's mental health, and we wanted to compare how different practitioners go about trying to figure out who's going through normal irritability and who may benefit from additional treatment."

Irritability is a normal part of a child's development, but the researchers said it can also be a symptom of mental health disorders like disruptive mood dysregulation disorder. Scandinaro said it can be difficult for doctors to tell the difference between acute irritability -- an adolescent being grumpy for a few days because he was grounded -- and chronic irritability, which could signal possible problems with mental health.

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Participants for the study were recruited from a large, academic medical center and included family medicine, pediatric and psychiatry providers. The researchers interviewed the 17 providers about how they define irritability in their school-age patients, how they evaluate irritability, and how they differentiate between normal and abnormal irritability, among other questions.

"We found that family medicine physicians and pediatricians feel as though they don't have the resources and the training they need to effectively evaluate irritability in the clinic setting, especially in the limited amount of time that they have," Scandinaro said. "But at the same time, there is a national shortage of child and adolescent psychiatrists, increasing the need for primary care providers to be more comfortable in determining who needs to see a specialist. So even though the study was preliminary, it shows we need to improve education for primary care providers."

The researchers also found that while family medicine providers looked for anxiety and problems in school as symptoms of irritability, psychiatrists tended check if children exhibited a negative mood or a hard time dealing with frustration. Family care providers also reported being comfortable prescribing medications but would be more likely to refer the patient to a specialist if more stronger medications and treatment were needed.

All participants agreed that a lack of time with patients, as well as few concrete guidelines about what defined irritability and how to treat it, made diagnosing patients more difficult.

While the results -- published today (April 5) in the Primary Care Companion for CNS Disorders -- suggest that primary care providers may not be confident evaluating irritability, even though the majority of children receive mental health care in a primary care setting, according to the National Institute of Mental Health.

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Scandinaro said additional training and education may help primary care providers and pediatricians be more confident in diagnosing their younger patients.

"A possible next steps could be to create an educational tool that could be used as a quick way for primary care providers to help evaluate their patient," Scandinaro said, "and to help them decide if it's normal irritability or something that requires them to see a specialist."

Scandinaro also noted that it's important for parents to follow their gut when they notice something seems wrong with their child, and they should always talk to their doctor if concerned.

"If you think that something is going on, make it a priority to talk to your doctor about it. Don't be afraid to mention it if something seems not to be right," Scandinaro said. "Irritability doesn't always mean that the child is bipolar or has a severe mental illness, and medication doesn't always have to be the first option. But it's important to talk about it."

Usman Hameed, assistant professor of psychiatry, and Cheryl A. Dellasega, professor of medicine and humanities, also participated in this research.

A Qualitative Research Initiative Award helped fund this project.
The shape of water. Can it tell us about what drives romance? Among fish, it might. Eva Kanso, a professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the USC Viterbi School of Engineering studies fluid flows and almost like a forensic expert, Kanso, along with her team, is studying how aquatic signals are transported through the water.

When it comes to mating, tiny crustaceans called copepods are one of the most abundant multi-cellular organisms, says Kanso, the Zohrab Kaprielian Fellow in Engineering.

To locate their mate, male copepods search for and follow the hydrodynamic and chemical trail of the female. Scientists like Kanso believe aquatic organisms transmit and read information through the movements they make and the wakes they leave behind in the water. Harbor seals, for example, have been shown to track the wake of a moving object, even when the seal is blindfolded and initially acoustically-masked. Researchers believe the flow of water encodes a pattern of information -- a type of language by which an organism can call another to mate, use to avoid predators or even in the case of salmon, begin upstream migration.

Just as a seagull's footprint in the sand is different than a human's, every moving body in the water generates a different pattern or wake based on certain factors such as the size of the body that created it or the speed at which it is moving (a fast-swimming and scared animal might generate a distinct wake by the more frequent and faster beat of its tail). Kanso would like to understand how these water flow patterns are perceived at a local level, by an organism or a bio-inspired vehicle, and decode them to ascertain what's happening in the water at a larger scale.

Using a computational physics model, Kanso, and PhD students Brendan Colvert and Mohamad Alsalman, generated various fluid flow patterns, then using machine learning, trained an algorithm to correctly identify these fluid patterns, achieving 99 percent accuracy. By doing this, the researchers developed an algorithm to, in a sense, mimic an aquatic sensory intelligence with regards to the patterns created in water. It is one of the first instances in which machine learning was applied to characterizing patterns in fluid flows.

Why does it matter? Consider how technologies have evolved based on the way a bat generates awareness of an environment. Just as sonar waves are used by submarines to actively probe their environment, there could be navigational uses for knowledge of water patterns under the sea. Without GPS, underwater vehicles equipped with sensors that are trained with such algorithms could, in principle, detect vehicles of a particular size and speed, known to generate certain flow patterns. By the same token, understanding the patterns that make a given wake detectable could help design underwater vehicles that leave behind inconspicuous wakes.

Kanso and her team are now testing these algorithms on real-life data and extending their scope to spatially-distributed networks of sensors that have the potential to create more robust and accurate maps of the flow patterns.
Australian scientists have confirmed the hybridisation of two of the world's major pest species, into a new and improved mega-pest.

One of the pests, the cotton bollworm, is widespread in Africa, Asia and Europe and causes damage to over 100 crops, including corn, cotton, tomato and soybean.

The damage and controlling the pest costs billions of dollars a year.

It is extremely mobile and has developed resistance to all pesticides used against it.

The other pest, the corn earworm, is a native of the Americas and has comparatively limited resistance and host range.

However, the combination of the two, in a novel hybrid with unlimited geographical boundaries is cause for major concern.

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Australia's Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) researchers in a paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA provides clear evidence of the hybridisation of the two moths in Brazil.

"A hybrid such as this could go completely undetected should it invade another country," Research Director leading CSIRO's Biosecurity Risk Evaluation and Preparedness Program Dr Paul De Barro said.

"It is critical that we look beyond our own backyard to help fortify Australia's defense and response to biosecurity threats.

"As Australia's national science agency, we are constantly looking for new ways to protect the nation and technology like genome sequencing, is helping to tip the scales in our favour."

While a combination of insecticides currently controls these pests well in Australia, it is important to study the pests themselves for sustainable long-term management world-wide.

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The scientists confirmed that among the group of caterpillars studied, every individual was a hybrid.

"No two hybrids were the same suggesting a 'hybrid swarm' where multiple versions of different hybrids can be present within one population," fellow CSIRO Scientist Dr Tom Walsh said.

The bollworm, commonly found in Australia, attacks more crops and develops much more resistance to pesticides than the earworm.

A concerning finding among the Brazilian hybrids was that one was 51 per cent earworm but included a known resistance gene from the bollworm.

Lead author of the paper Dr Craig Anderson, a former CSIRO scientist now based at The University of Edinburgh, believes the hybrid study has wide-ranging implications for the agricultural community across the Americas.

"On top of the impact already felt in South America, recent estimates that 65 per cent of the USA's agricultural output is at risk of being affected by the bollworm demonstrates that this work has the potential to instigate changes to research priorities that will have direct ramifications for the people of America, through the food on their tables and the clothes on their backs," Dr Anderson said.
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Supervisor Aaron Peskins vocal criticism of the Fire Departments performance at the North Beach blaze on St. Patricks Day evening has taken on a life of its own.

Peskin hustled over from dinner at a restaurant as the fire burned at 659 Union St., demanded to know why firefighters werent pouring water on the building (they were inside looking for possible victims) and called for the fire chief to be canned.
The seagoing saga of a yacht illegally anchored in Aquatic Park Cove sailed into new waters when the boat broke free of its anchor, drifted into the Hyde Street Pier and on Saturday was moored at a harbor run by the Port of San Francisco.

Skipper Bryan Pennington, who has openly defied the laws of the San Francisco Maritime Park by anchoring his trimaran close to shore for more than 130 days, was not on board his vessel when it broke free Thursday, said Morgan Smith, acting superintendent for the National Park Service, which has jurisdiction over Aquatic Park. After drifting into the pier, the boat was towed by a private company into the Hyde Street Harbor, which is under the authority of the Port of San Francisco.

As of Saturday, the boat had not been reclaimed by Pennington, who often spends days ashore in the Fishermans Wharf area, then paddles a blue plastic kayak out to his boat, where he sleeps at night.

The boat is waiting to be reclaimed, Smith said Friday. He could get the boat and sail right back into the cove.

Now Playing: For more than 3 months, one man's boat has been anchored there. The owner says he's not moving until the city fixes his damage boat. The boat's owner Bryan Pennington, 52, parked his 34-foot Trimaran here after he says a San Francisco Police Marine U Video: KTVU

Aquatic Park Cove is not a marina, and there are no facilities for pumping out waste. A permit is required for anchoring in the cove, and it allows for a maximum of five consecutive nights and 30 nights total a year in the cove. Pennington has no permit and has been in open violation of the ordinance.

The National Park Service has brought legal action against Pennington, who has pleaded not guilty. The case is scheduled to be heard in federal court on April 26. The government is seeking a stay away order that would give Pennington 72 hours to remove his boat from Aquatic Park.

The case is being closely watched by swimmers with both the Dolphin Club and the South End Rowing Club because Penningtons boat has been anchored in their swimming lanes close to shore. Swimmers say he has been polluting the waters by dumping sewage overboard. Shortly after he put down anchor, the words Move the Boat were painted on the side.

Its great that hes out of there, said Dolphin Club President Ruben Hechanova. The swimmers are elated because there is no obstruction or pollution.

In a brief interview with The Chronicle last month, Pennington, 52, claimed to be a world traveler whose home port is planet Earth. There is a history of him mooring his boat in harbors illegally, and Smith said the Park Service would pursue its case against him regardless of whether he returns to the cove, in order to set a legal precedent.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

A representative of the Port of San Francisco did not return a call requesting comment. This is not the first time Penningtons boat has broken free and drifted into the pier.

It didnt appear to do any damage, said Philip Delano of TowBoatUS, which towed the trimaran Thursday. The rigging of the trimaran laid up against the heavy-duty dock lines. It was actually a pretty gentle touch, but it wouldnt have stayed that way once the tide changed.

A park official who declined to be named said Penningtons legal situation would have no bearing on his ability to reclaim the boat, a Searunner 34, which sleeps five.

I will say as a practical matter, were not the Byzantine empire, and we cant put chains around the Golden Horn to prevent him from sailing in or anything like that, the park official said. So theres nothing that would prevent him from sailing back in, and of course wed have to deal with that.
For just $385, you could have walked out of San Franciscos historic Armory with a torture rack Saturday.

The 6-foot human hamster wheel was already taken.

The old school device, officially known as a wooden bondage stretcher, was the headliner on day two of Kink.coms somewhat kinky garage sale. The pornography production company is moving out of the Mission Street brick landmark after 10 years, and everything must go.

So now, hundreds of items ranging from everyday furniture and antiques to costumes and sex toys were up for sale this weekend. The sale continues Sunday and Monday.

It is the end of an era, but Kink is still living on, said Tatiana Zaricos, an administrator for Armory Events. The Armory is a special place to everyone.

Now Playing: You may be thinking of leaving the Bay Area in search of a more affordable place to live... but think of all the things you'll miss! Video: San Francisco Chronicle

An affiliate of AJ Capital Partners, which is based in Chicago, recently bought the 200,000-square-foot brick behemoth for $65 million. On Saturday, dozens of shoppers walked through to see which of Kinks old props were left for sale.

It was a more mellow crowd than the day before, said Kevin Black, a proprietor running the sale who described Friday as a mob scene.

People were out in the rain lined up all the way to Mission Street down the block, all with umbrellas, Black said. Thats how much they wanted to get in.

Shoppers left with around one-third of the available merchandise Friday, Black said, including a coveted human hamster wheel that a few purchasers were bidding over. A couple ended up getting it for $400, he said.

On Saturday, Dee Wagner of Oakland stood near the checkout holding a a pair of black heels, a bandanna and an 8-inch butt plug still in the packaging.

I wish I had space for the torture rack, Wagner said.

But Wagner came to the garage sale more to say goodbye to the old space.

Kink.com has been really important to my sexual development, to my personal development, Wagner said. Its still a little heartbreaking just seeing a piece of history go.

Downstairs, shoppers walked into a dimly hit hall. At the top of the hall, an old Lyon & Healy piano was on sale for $125. At the end, people tried to crank one of the handles on the torture rack.

Megan Kierstead, a Berkeley resident, came to find some black-and-white artwork. But she said she couldnt help but feel a little sentimental.

Were sad to see the institution go, she said.

Back upstairs, people walked through a random assortment of old paintings and furniture. One box contained only old hangers. Another had half-fold toilet seat covers.

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Found my treasure, one shopper said as he reserved an old pair of hanging lamps.

Oakland resident Treigh Love was really, really wanting some taxidermy, but instead took a handful of old lampshades.

Im an art director, Love said.  I shoot commercials and music videos, so I always need interesting stuff.

She continued to scan the room, mulling over whether to buy an old dentist chair as a gift for a friend.

Shawn Riney of San Francisco searched for new additions to his collection of Gothic antiques. He ended up with a pair of funeral home candleholders for $2.

I can only imagine how these were used, he said with a grin.

Theres somebody I know who was here to buy a cadavers table, Riney said. It brings out all types.

Just a few minutes later, someone bought a veterinary autopsy table for $125.
Joe sat in his United Parcel Service truck at the company distribution center on Potrero Hill on Thursday waiting for a pickup call. He was listening to the radio about the shootings at YouTube that had erupted just two days before and still had the Bay Area rattled. He shrugged.

Nine months ago, a fellow UPS driver easily walked through the centers doors with a pair of pistols and a box of bullets, and after gunning down three workers and wounding two others, he shot himself to death. Since then, UPS has changed guard companies and tightened up its policies on metal detectors and bag checks, several workers said.

Joe, a middle-aged driver who used an alias because he said UPS forbids workers from speaking to the media, was skeptical.

Thats great, Joe said. Maybe, he said, it will prevent another slaughter  or an invasion like the one at YouTubes San Bruno campus last week by a woman who sneaked into a courtyard and shot and wounded three people before killing herself.

But Id say maybe is a big word there, he said. Joe pointed to the cavernous UPS building, which sits at 16th Street and San Bruno Avenue, and the huge door that allows streams of delivery rigs to roll in and out.

Just look at that giant door  weve got four of them, and theyre designed big and open because our trucks are going in and out all the time. You cant make that totally airtight safe, no matter what.

Its like that in a lot of places, certainly not just ours. Thats just the way it is.

The same caution is being expressed by consultants who are in increasing demand to create security systems for companies such as UPS, YouTube and others that have been traumatized by mass shootings, or are in fear of them.

Short of turning every building that contains people into a fortress, there is no way to shield everyone absolutely, security experts say.

Nobody has a foolproof answer. You can do everything possible, but I always say that for every 6-foot fence there is an 8-foot ladder, said Patrick Murphy, whose LPT Security Consulting advises companies nationwide about how to prevent workplace shootings. What you want to do is minimize the risk.

He said it was admirable if UPS had indeed tightened its security after the June 14, 2017, rampage by delivery driver Jimmy Chanh Lam. But considering the company has wide truck delivery doors like many other places, keeping employees aware of danger and troubling signs among co-workers is every bit as important as hiring new guards and improving metal detector practices, he said.

Everyone has to have a name tag, get to know each other and keep their eyes open, Murphy said. The scary thing is you have no idea how long someone is going to simmer before they come in to shoot people, so the important thing is to see the signs and catch it early.

From 2013 to 2016, workplace killings in the United States went up 23 percent, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. And granted, that does not mean every shop and warehouse is being attacked  the number only reflects a rise from 404 workplace homicides in 2013 to 500 in 2016, out of a national workforce of 160 million.

Still, the phenomenon of mass workplace killings is a relatively new trend that began attracting wide notice in the mid-1980s and early 1990s when mail workers were going postal in high-profile killings at post offices. Today, with the widest media and social-media reach in history, every new workplace shooting jangles the nations population from coast to coast  and churns up new calls for better security each time, experts note.

YouTube is now making one of those calls. The company is not giving specifics, but it issued a statement a day after Tuesdays shootings promising action. It said YouTube will be revisiting this incident in detail and and will increasing the security we have at all of our offices worldwide to make them more secure not only in the near term, but long-term.

At UPS, some co-workers said they saw troubling signs in the June shooter  but evidently not enough was done for prevention. Veteran driver Shaun Vu told The Chronicle that Lam had a drinking problem  hed gotten two DUIs  as well as trouble with the mother of his child. Hed also filed a grievance through his union alleging he was working too hard, and Vu had suggested he see a psychiatrist.

I talked to him two or three weeks prior to the shooting, Vu said. I asked how he was, and he said, Not too good. ... You could figure he was in a bad place.

Workplace security consultant Patrick Prince, who began his career helping a post office recover from a mass shooting in 1993, said Lams warning signs were typical. Its difficult to tell when to act on them without being too intrusive  but theyre always worth at least sensitively addressing, he said.

A U.S. Secret Service report released last month on mass-casualty attacks found that three-quarters of shooters displayed troubling behavior that caused concern in others, and that two-thirds of shooters showed signs of mental illness such as delusions or paranoia.

No one just snaps, Prince said. Its always the result of a particular pathway. Right now, from what Ive been reading about the YouTube shooter, her family knew there was some odd behavior going on. It fits.

Scott Strazzante / The Chronicle

Relatives of YouTube shooter Nasim Najafi Aghdam told The Chronicle at the family home in Riverside County on Wednesday that they had been worried about her behavior, and they said they warned authorities to keep an eye on her. But police in Mountain View who found Aghdam sleeping in her car Tuesday, hours before the shooting, said the family mentioned she was frustrated and angry over YouTube limiting her videos on exercise and animal rights, but did not warn them of potential violence.

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We need to gather more information on all of that to know for sure what happened, but the overall fact is this: Were getting much better as a society in knowing when something is wrong, but were not so good at knowing what to do with the information, Prince said. Anytime someone you know, or you work with, is concerning you, let someone know who can do something about it  managers, counselors.

Its very valuable to do that, he said. Yes, we need locked doors, active shooter training and metal detectors, but you cant have one without the other.

UPS and Allied Universal Security Services have been sued in San Francisco Superior Court by victims and families of those slain in the June shooting who contend Lam was able to walk in with his murderous gear because of lax security.

Had the security guard done his job that day and checked Lams bag, three people wouldnt have lost their lives, others would not have been shot and so many would not have had to flee, said Kevin Morrison, an attorney representing the plaintiffs.

A lot of companies dont go to the expense of hiring security and installing metal detectors  but if you do have them, like at the UPS facility, use them properly.

UPS spokesman Matthew OConnor said he could not comment on the lawsuit, or what measures were taken to harden security. An Allied spokeswoman also said she could not comment on litigation, and noted that the company no longer services the Potrero Hill UPS facility.

Several of the plants 350 workers, however, said the company did tighten up its measures. Like Joe, they couldnt be quoted by name, but they said they feel safer now.

It was terrible that day, but theyve done good since then, one worker said as he passed through a metal detector for his shift. These detectors are good, but security is really about communication, watching out for each other. Thats what were trying to do.

This is not a violent place. Sometimes bad stuff happens, yeah. But thats not who we are.
A body that washed ashore Saturday may belong to one of three children who have been missing and presumed dead since their mother drove a sport utility vehicle off a cliff along the Mendocino County coastline, officials said.

Investigators believe Jennifer Hart may have intentionally punched the gas, sending the car with her wife and their six adopted children speeding down the 100-foot bluff toward the Pacific Ocean last month.

A DNA analysis will be conducted to identify the body, said Lt. Shannon Barney of the Mendocino County Sheriffs Office. The process can take several weeks.

Jennifer and Sarah Hart, both 38, were found dead in the front of the upside-down 2003 GMC Yukon. The bodies of three of their children, Markis, 19, and Jeremiah and Abigail, both 14, were found outside the vehicle.

The couples three other children, Devonte, 15, Hannah, 16, and Sierra, 12, have been missing since the SUV plunged over the cliff off Highway 1 near Westport.

Now Playing: Authorities believe there were six children inside an SUV that plunged off a cliff in California Monday - one of them a black boy whose tearful image went viral after he hugged a white police officer during a 2014 protest. Video: Time

Search and rescue teams have been looking for the three children daily since the wreckage was discovered March 26, pausing only during the recent storm.

On Saturday afternoon, a couple vacationing on the coast called the California Highway Patrol to report seeing a body in the surf near Juan Creek, in the vicinity of the crash site. Another bystander pulled the body onto the beach.

Officials described the body as that of a female African American, whose age is unknown. An autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, and the cause of death has yet to be determined, Barney said.

The Sheriffs Office is monitoring ocean conditions to see when further searches, including those with dive teams, can be safely conducted, he said.

It is not uncommon after a significant storm, such as the one passing through the north state currently, to bring items to the surface or wash onto the beach, Barney said in a statement. There were no other signs of the other missing Hart children.

The tragedy has drawn national attention, in part because Devonte was the boy in a viral 2014 photo that captured him with tears streaming down his face as he embraced a Portland, Ore., police officer.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Investigators are looking at whether an investigation initiated by Child Protective Services days before the family went missing from its rural home in Woodland, Wash., had anything to do with the road trip south and fatal crash.

Since the crash, neighbors have said that Devonte told them his parents werent feeding him and his siblings.

The Washington State Department of Social and Health Services had attempted to contact the family March 23 to follow up on a report of abuse or neglect. Department officials said they had no previous contact with the family.

Now Playing: A picture that went viral and captured headlines...a teenage boy hugging a police officer in the midst of protest. Now...the boy has been reported missing after his family died in car crash. Veuer's Nick Cardona has that story. Video: Veuer

Sarah Hart pleaded guilty in 2011 to a domestic assault charge in Minnesota for abusing her 6-year-old adoptive daughter, according to court records.

The CHP said the SUVs speedometer was found stuck at 90 mph, indicating the cars speed upon impact. Officials said the vehicles computer shows the car continued to accelerate beginning 70 feet from the cliffs edge until it crashed onto the rocks below.
An Oakland city councilwoman has renewed her effort to give millions of dollars in public funds to several private organizations  a controversial proposal that has drawn a rebuke from a citizen oversight committee and troubled the citys legal counsel.

The plan by Councilwoman Desley Brooks would benefit a group of community organizations that provide vocational training to Oakland residents. City officials put an initial version of the proposal on hold after The Chronicle first reported on it. A council committee will vote Tuesday on a new version.

The proposal seeks to take funds from a range of sources, including Measure KK, a $600 million infrastructure and affordable housing bond that Oakland voters passed in 2016. Measure KK led to the largest one-time property tax increase in recent city history.

Brooks wants the public funds divvied up among unspecified job training centers along with three named organizations: the Cypress Mandela Training Center, the Men of Valor Academy and the Laborers Community Training Foundation.

The latter is operated by a politically active construction union, Laborers Local 304, and located about 20 miles east of Oakland in San Ramon. According to the groups Facebook page, its labor relations representative is Fernando Campos, who is one of the members of the Measure KK oversight committee thats charged with reviewing bond expenditures.

That oversight committee, however, has yet to convene. Campos did not immediately return a request for comment on how he would handle the potential conflict of interest.

Brooks proposal also includes a section guaranteeing that the public funds would not be available to other groups in the city by waiving a competitive bidding requirement on the grounds that training Oaklands workforce ... is in the best interest of the city and is achieved by providing funding to Cypress Mandela Training Program, Men of Valor and Laborers Community Training Foundation, and the city sponsored job centers.

A citizen committee that oversees the Oakland budget blasted the proposal. In a February letter to city officials, the group said the suggested expenditures would violate principles of transparency and accountability.

To dedicate public funds to private organizations for their private purposes and administrative costs impermissibly transfers control over these public funds from the City Council to private bodies that are not accountable to the taxpayers, the letter from committee Chairman Ed Gerber said. The use of the money for job training programs, let alone the transfer of funds to private organizations that are not subject to citizen oversight or public audit, is not authorized.

The original legislation was co-sponsored by Councilwoman Rebecca Kaplan and Council President Larry Reid. Councilman Noel Gallo introduced the second version with Brooks.

During a scheduling meeting last month, two city attorneys questioned why they hadnt received a copy of the proposal to review for legal issues. The proposal was omitted from a public agenda ahead of the meeting, which was unintentional, according to the city clerks office.

In the latest proposal, the amount of funds given to the organizations would be equivalent to the total of: 5 percent of capital improvement costs, 5 percent of parking revenue and 5 percent of development services revenue. City contractors would also be charged 30 cents extra per hour worked to raise money for the organizations and would be subject to late fees if they do not send checks on time.

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From the combined sources, the job-training organizations could receive roughly $10 million a year.

Brooks did not respond to requests for comment. She has planned a rally at City Hall ahead of the Community and Economic Development Committee meeting Tuesday afternoon to gather support for the proposal.

Gallo, the co-sponsor, said the money given to the organizations would be well spent. He said the city would set up some kind of oversight mechanism to ensure the groups are using the funds appropriately.

The majority of kids coming out of Oakland high schools are not going to universities. Theyre on the street, theyre involved in crime, Gallo said. At the end of the day, we all have to pay for that.
A San Francisco police captain who spent much of the evening with Supervisor Aaron Peskin before and after his dressing down of Fire Department brass for their handling of the St. Patricks Day fire in North Beach said he saw no evidence he was intoxicated or had even been drinking that night.

That was not my impression, said Central Station Capt. Paul Yep. He was animated and agitated, but I wouldnt equate that with intoxication.

Yeps account contradicts internal memos written by three of Fire Chief Joanne Hayes-Whites subordinates, who asserted that Peskin was clearly out of control and that he appeared intoxicated, noting they smelled alcohol on his breath.

Peskin admits to being angry at what he believed was the departments slow response to the fire and that he let both Hayes-White and Deputy Chief of Operations Mark Gonzales know it in no uncertain terms.

But Peskin has also denied drinking before showing up at the fire scene at 659 Union St. on March 17.

Peskins assertion is being backed up by Yep, who has headed Central Station in North Beach for just over a year. He says he ran into the supervisor earlier in the evening at the Kong Chow Benevolent Associations spring banquet at New Asia restaurant in Chinatown.

Yep said Peskin arrived late to the dinner and sat alone  seemingly preoccupied.

When Yep went to greet him, Peskin said he had just received a message that his father was ill and being transported by ambulance to a hospital.

A few minutes later, Peskin walked over to Yep and showed him a photo he had just received from a constituent by text about a fire on nearby Union Street. Recognizing the emergency, Yep said he excused himself to walk to the fire scene.

Peskin, who was about to be called to the podium to say a few words, remained behind.

Its entirely possible someone poured (me) a half glass of wine for ceremonial toasts, Peskin said.

Moments later, Peskin caught up with Yep on foot and the two walked together to the scene at Powell and Union streets. Peskin represents both North Beach and Chinatown.

Yep said when they arrived, he began helping secure the area and lost track of Peskin. But the two reconnected later, and by then Peskin was complaining that the Fire Department was slow putting water on the fire.

Peskin then joined Yep and others to knock on doors of an adjoining apartment building to clear people from danger.

Yeps observations are shared by community activist Stan Hayes, who stood alongside Peskin on the street corner as the fire burned.

Ive known Aaron a long time, and he was upset like we all were, Hayes said. But I didnt have any sense of him having anything to drink at all ... and would be surprised if that was the case.

In a March 19 memo to Hayes-White, Deputy Chief Gonzales gave a decidedly different impression of Peskin that night.

Gonzales said when he first came across Peskin, the supervisor was in the middle of the street yelling and pointing at firefighters.

Gonzales, Gonzales get over here! Your people have screwed this up. ... Why isnt there any water on this fire! Peskin shouted, according to the memo. Im gong to destroy you.

There were many expletives laced throughout his emotional diatribe as he was pointing his finger at my face, Gonzales wrote.

Peskin also told reporters on the scene that the Fire Department blew it and called on Chief Hayes-White to resign.

Gonzales, Hayes-White and the departments spokesman, Lt. Jonathan Baxter, all met with Peskin in the middle of the street, where the supervisor continued his criticisms until the chief walked away.

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Baxter, saying he was trained as a field sobriety test administrator, later wrote that Peskin appeared intoxicated, based on his red eyes, slow responses and an uneasy stance.

Two other ranking firefighters, Assistant Deputy Chief Anthony Rivera and Capt. Sherman Tillman, stated in separate memos that they smelled alcohol on Peskin.

Yep said he didnt witness Peskins verbal blasts at the fire chief or her staff, saying his interactions with the supervisor were sporadic until the fire was under control  but at no time did Peskin appear intoxicated.

The thought never even crossed my mind, said Yep, who we reached off duty last week. If you asked me now, I would say he wasnt intoxicated.

According to one Fire Department source, Hayes-White later ordered her staff to write up their observations of Peskins behavior  including anything about his alleged drinking.

But department spokeswoman Lt. Mindy Talmadge said everyone who filed a report had acted on their own, following departmental protocol.

Whenever a member encounters anything unusual, they submit an unusual encounter report to the administration, she said.

After the blaze was contained, Yep and Peskin helped round up some fire victims and took them to Central Station on nearby Vallejo Street to connect them with services. Peskin suggested they buy food for a half dozen of the victims who hadnt eaten dinner, so the two went around the corner to Yuet Lee restaurant and placed a takeout order.

As the two waited, Yep said they sipped tea and chatted for about 15 minutes.

I was so tired by the end of the night, and frankly, I was surprised by how much concern (Peskin) had for his residents, Yep said.
Nine years ago, I called on Mark Zuckerberg to resign as Facebooks CEO, after a string of internal and external missteps that, as I wrote in Valleywag, would have led to any normal CEOs firing.

Perhaps my timing was off, given the 1.8 billion users and the $450 billion in value Facebook has accrued under Zuckerbergs leadership since then. Fine: Call me an early adopter. But might now be the right time to consider a change at the top?

Im not alone in asking the question. Two journalists, on a conference call Wednesday with Zuckerberg to discuss the Cambridge Analytica scandal, asked about his role as Facebooks supreme leader  both chairman and CEO, as well as unimpeachable founder.

The argument for Zuckerberg is his history: He has fallen on his face, time and time again, and picked himself back up. From the first protests over News Feed  too much sharing!  to Beacon  too much sharing!  to Timeline  too much sharing!  Zuckerberg has always bounced back, rallying his troops to amass new records for users, sharing more than ever before. No one over-cares if Facebook gets you to over-share.

And it is impossible to overstate the veneration Silicon Valley has for founders. He (and its still far too often he) who created the product has a unique moral authority to dictate how it should change.

Americans are born evangelical, says Antonio Garcia Martinez, a former Facebook product manager who wrote a book, Chaos Monkeys, about his time at the company. Sometimes its about Jesus, and sometimes its about other gods. In Silicon Valley, the startup has substituted for your particular Protestant sect.

Its not so much that founders have some magic ability to see into the future; its that it is maddeningly difficult to get an army of engineers to march in tune with anyone but a founder. The founder mystique is a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Noah Berger / Associated Press 2017

But founders sometimes founder. Some realize their limits early. Look at LinkedIns Reid Hoffman, who smartly turned over the reins to Jeff Weiner, who led the company to a $26 billion sale to Microsoft two years ago and still runs it today. Some crash into them: See Ubers Travis Kalanick. Jack Dorseys return to Twitter is an inconclusive data point.

A more salient point is Zuckerbergs ironclad control of Facebook through a multi-class share structure that gives public shareholders little say. Were the board of directors to consider a change, Zuckerberg could simply replace them.

There is an increasing consensus in Washington, in Silicon Valley and around the world that something dramatic  something more than the flurry of announcements and privacy settings updates and crackdowns on developers  needs to be done.

Facebook is in a crisis of trust, Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said at a recent meeting of The Chronicles editorial board. Is it all about the product or is it all about trust?

The CEO of San Franciscos largest tech company says he stopped using Facebook three years ago, long before the #DeleteFacebook movement caught steam. Now, he says, he views it as the new cigarettes: Its not good for you, outside forces are trying to manipulate you to use it, and it should probably be regulated.

Asked if theres some scenario where it might be appropriate for Zuckerberg to step down, Benioff said: I dont think were at that point yet, but we havent seen all the data.

Yet it seems impossible to imagine an outsider coming into this crisis and commanding the trust and loyalty of Facebooks tens of thousands of restive employees.

The problems at Facebook are inherent in the advertising business model, says Roger McNamee, a tech investor at Elevation Partners who was an early Facebook backer. It is not at all obvious that changing the top people will make it easier to fix those problems.

Facebooks board has expressed confidence in the leadership of Zuckerberg and Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg. Mark and Sheryl know how serious this situation is and are working with the rest of Facebook leadership to build stronger user protections. They have built the company and our business and are instrumental to its future, Susan Desmond-Hellman, the boards lead independent director, said in a statement through a spokeswoman.

Yet heres a thought: What if Zuckerberg doesnt actually want to be CEO?

When asked about his leadership in Wednesdays call, Zuckerbergs smooth delivery faltered. The long, awkward pauses that were a hallmark of his early public appearances returned. And in an interview last month, he gave some glimmer of frustration with what his job had turned into.

What I would really like to do is find a way to get our policies set in the way that reflects the values of the community so Im not the one making those decisions, Zuckerberg told Recode. I feel fundamentally uncomfortable sitting here in California at an office making content policy decisions for people around the world.

Yet that is, increasingly, the job. Not imagining a virtual reality version of Facebook, not tinkering with data centers so they can store more baby photos, not coming up with ways to hobble the next hot social app like Snapchat.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Heres a solution that will probably not make anyone happy  but could be the right answer. What if Zuckerberg handed the CEO job over to Sandberg, his right hand for the past decade?

Sandberg, who worked in the Clinton administration before coming west to join Google, knows politics. She is fluent in trade-offs and compromise, and, unlike Zuckerberg, gives the impression she might actually enjoy interacting with people.

Zuckerberg could stay as executive chairman, and keep a hand in Facebooks products  an arrangement that seems to work well for Oracles Larry Ellison. That would please corporate governance critics who have called for Facebook to separate the roles of chairman and CEO, while Facebook engineers could be contented that the hacker-in-chief still reigns at One Hacker Way.

And it would salve politicians who are unsatisfied when anyone but the boss shows up. Witness the grousing that happened when Facebook sent its top lawyer instead of Zuckerberg to testify in a probe into Russian election interference in November  grousing that made it all but impossible for Zuckerberg to refuse invitations to testify before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday. As CEO, Sandberg could safely go in Zuckerbergs stead.

It also solves a problem for Zuckerberg and Sandberg: namely, their next act. Before the disasters that began in 2016, the thought was that one or both of them might find their way into politics. Facebook even considered a change that allowed Zuckerberg to preserve his control if he took a leave of absence while serving in a government position or office. (The company canceled that plan in September in the face of a shareholder lawsuit.)

It seems clear that Facebooks scandals have tarnished any prospect either has of a political career. And though Sandberg is constantly sought for other leadership roles, she has shown little interest in doing anything else. Which means more Facebook for both of them.

I believe that Mark and Sheryl are capable of fixing Facebook, says McNamee, the early investor. What they have not shown yet is a willingness to address the fundamental flaws in the business model or a willingness to open up to investigators and users to eliminate the crisis of trust that has developed around the company.

Benioff said he had advised Sandberg, whom he counts as a friend, to stop talking about the value of connecting people and talk about trust instead. (Sandberg did not respond to a request for comment about Benioffs advice.)

Would a rearrangement of boardroom chairs bolster peoples trust in Facebook? Perhaps, perhaps not. But some kind of motion would be helpful. Zuckerbergs oft-quoted maxim is move fast and break things. Maybe his lock on the CEO chair is what needs breaking.
Noah Berger / Special to The Chronicle

The Coliseum BART station in Oakland reopened Saturday evening after three people were stabbed and a suspect arrested, officials said.

A report of a stabbing came in at 2:52 p.m., said Lt. Tyrone Forte of the BART Police Department. Two victims were hospitalized with unknown injuries, said Anna Duckworth, a BART spokeswoman.
A 32-year-old San Francisco man is being held on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a stabbing spree at Coliseum BART Station that left three people with knife wounds Saturday, authorities said.

BART police say Robert Dolph attacked the victims near the station fare gates Saturday afternoon, seriously injuring two of them. A station agent reported the incident at 2:52 p.m., just as fans were streaming in for the Golden State Warriors final regular-season home game at Oaklands Oracle Arena.

The two seriously injured victims are siblings, a man in his 50s and a woman in her 60s. They boarded a train at South San Francisco Station. Dolph got on at Civic Center Station and was muttering and shouting to himself on the train, said BART Deputy Police Chief Lance Haight.

Now Playing: A 32-year-old San Francisco man was arrested on attempted murder charges following the stabbing of two siblings at BART, prompting the closure the Oakland Coliseum Station, hours before a Warriors game. Azenith Smith reports Video: KTVU

At some point Dolph became fixated on the two siblings, Haight said. He allegedly followed them when they exited at the Coliseum station and pulled out a large fixed-blade knife when they approached the fare gates.

Dolph stabbed both the woman and the man in the head and slashed the man multiple times in the chest, Haight said. Then a bystander swooped in and pried the knife from Dolphs hands.

The bystander, who has not been identified, was injured during the tussle and treated at the scene for a cut on his hand. He declined to be hospitalized.

Had he not intervened, the two victims quite possibly could have been killed, Haight said.

The brother and sister, whose names have not been released either, were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The woman was reported to be in fair condition Sunday, while the man was in critical condition.

Dolph confessed to the crime during an interview with investigators, police said, and a knife was recovered at the scene. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

The incident came one year after a shocking mob robbery  also at Coliseum Station  in which dozens of juveniles jumped the turnstiles, rushed to the second-story platform and swarmed a Dublin-bound train, confronting and in some cases assaulting passengers.

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

One lifelong BART rider said Sunday that crime has grown more visible on trains and in stations.

Just last week, I saw someone throwing bottles down from the upper concourse at Civic Center (BART Station)  and that could kill someone, said Richard Stalter, 47, of Concord.

Ive lived in the Bay Area and ridden BART all my life, and this never used to concern me, Stalter said. But now the police activity seems to be almost daily.

However, other riders such as David Dolberg, 72, of Richmond shrugged off the Saturday stabbing and other incidents.

Dolberg said it will take more than a stabbing to scare him away from BART. Stuff happens, he said.
Clay Vajgrt was two days into his first comic book convention on Saturday, April 7, selling his paintings in a particularly peaceful corner of the Silicon Valley Comic Con floor.

His booth was filled with dozens of his paintings of superheroes and other pop culture figures  Black Panther, Mr. Spock and Iron Man included  all meditating in full uniforms, viewed from behind in a monk-like cross-legged pose.

A few years ago I was painting, and I glanced down and happened to see one of my old comic books, Vajgrt said. It just sort of connected  what if all these warrior types decided to give up their warrior ways for the moment, turn their back on the craziness, and go strong and peaceful?

Beyond the long lines, packed presentations and the occasional armored space marine walking by with a plasma rifle, the three-day Silicon Valley Comic Con at San Jose Convention Center had a Zen feel in its third year. The convention started by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak scaled down from last years event, which had sprawled into a nearby park and City National Civic auditorium. The TV and movie celebrity wattage seemed a little less powerful in 2018 as well, with more high-profile science panels.

Paul Chinn/The Chronicle

I love this convention, said Ethan Castillo, a 13-year-old South Bay comic artist who has reserved a booth in the conventions Artists Alley all three years. Even though its really huge, it doesnt feel big. Does that make sense?

The lines were still a struggle in the third year  both to get inside the convention center and in the convention itself. A cosplayer in a full furry costume from the animated movie My Neighbor Totoro waited in a restroom line 15 people deep. A line to get carne asada and other Mexican food inside the convention center snaked around the hallway during lunch hours.

But the convention floor itself had room to breathe. Matthew OConnor, a 46-year-old Concord cosplayer who performs in a 50-pound xenomorph costume from the movie Alien, had space to move his tail around as fans lined up for photos.

I like the layout. Its a little wider, a little more space, OConnor said during a break when he could remove his enormous headpiece. Theres no fighting, no arguing, everybody comes together.  If I drop a piece of my costume, Im going to get it back. It doesnt matter how big (Silicon Valley Comic Con) gets, its like a family. We all look out for each other.

Now Playing: Matthew O'Connor talks about his cosplaying as an "Alien" xenomorph character. Silicon Valley Comic Con, April 7, 2018. Interview/video by Peter Hartlaub Video: SFChronicle

Silicon Valley Comic Con was started by Wozniak in 2016, as a blend of pop culture and science and technology. After a successful first year, the 2017 convention expanded with outdoor movies and food trucks in nearby Cesar Chavez Plaza and guests including Star Trek captain William Shatner.

This year, the conventions most familiar guest, 95-year-old comics pioneer Stan Lee, spent Saturday in private autograph and photo sessions. Other big names included Mads Mikkelsen, Sean Astin and Christina Ricci, as well as Jessica Jones stars Krysten Ritter and David Tennant (also of Doctor Who), who appeared together during a panel on the last day of the con on Sunday, April 8.

Theres so much joy in these rooms, Tennant said of his comic-con experiences. I get really cross when fans of (pop culture) get a bad rap, because as hobbies go ... its a really cool thing to get excited by.

Now Playing: Astronaut Mae Jemison was inspired by Nichelle Nichols, who played Lt. Uhura on "Star Trek." The Chronicle's Peter Hartlaub interviewed them at Silicon Valley Comic Con. Video: SFChronicle

The onscreen Doctor also gave a nod to the educational-aspect of Silicon Valley Comic Con, which had celebrities like him billed next to rock stars of the science world. A thoughtful and inspiring 100 Year Starship presentation by astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison, with introduction by Star Trek co-star Nichelle Nichols, had a strong turnout in the morning. San Francisco resident Adam Savage packed the biggest room for a cosplay presentation and Q&A.

The conventions 2018 theme, What Does It Mean to be Human?, added to the seriousness at some of the panels.

Its really, really important that we rise and work to raise a generation of genuine digital natives, Savage told the crowd, answering a question related to recent Facebook data controversies. The answer is you have to raise children who are able to discuss all the gray areas ... Its important for the furtherment of humanity, that were conversive in discussing this stuff.

If theres a trend out of Silicon Valley Comic Con, its that organizers will try anything once. TED talks founder Richard Wurman co-headlined a panel with former Tonight Show bandleader (and science buff) Kevin Eubanks, which seemed to stray into 20 different topics.

Back at Vajgrts Supermonks corner, the Healdsburg resident adjusted a large painting of a meditating Superman and marveled at the large crowd, struck by how many strangers walked up and started thoughtful conversations.

I love that we have found a way to share common mythology, Vajgrt said. Thats the cool thing doing this and seeing the amount of people here. People are all kind of connecting through this pop culture lens.
With the modern noir You Were Never Really Here, Scottish filmmaker Lynne Ramsay might finally become better known for the films she has made than for those she hasnt.

Here, which stars Joaquin Phoenix as a hammer-wielding enforcer who tracks down missing girls for a living, picked up awards at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival for Ramsays screenplay and Phoenixs performance. These were honors on their own but also signifiers that Ramsays reputation had recovered from her well-publicized exit from the Natalie Portman film Janes Got a Gun.

Ramsay, acclaimed director of Morvern Callar and We Need to Talk About Kevin, made headlines in 2013 when she walked away from Gun just before cameras were to roll after a dispute with producers. They sued, settling with Ramsay in 2014. The film eventually was made, with Gavin OConnor directing, but failed to hit with critics or audiences.

A different film was being made to the one Id signed up for, Ramsay, 48, said by phone from Scotland, about leaving the production. It was a really tough and painful decision to make, but I was not going to be making a film that neither party was going to like.

Ramsay said she has not been aware of industry blowback from the incident. But she also has not paid close attention, she said.

I dont really think in career terms, Ramsay said. I just get up and brush myself off. I put all my energy into writing and preparing for her next movie, she said. She wrote the script, based on Jonathan Ames novella, in Greece, where she met the man who would become her partner and father to her now 3-year-old daughter.

The Portman film would have been a relatively quick turnaround for Ramsay, whose black-and-white debut film, Ratcatcher, about an impoverished boy in Glasgow, so clearly augured a significant new talent with a distinctive style  emotionally fraught, beautifully composed  that it received a Criterion Collection DVD release. She has not been prolific since.

Kevin, a psychological drama in which Tilda Swinton played the mother of a young killer, came nine years after Callar, in which Samantha Morton played a woman who leaves the body of her boyfriend, after his suicide, at home while she goes out to party.

For a few of those years, Ramsay worked on an adaptation of Alice Sebolds best-seller The Lovely Bones, in which a murdered girl watches her family from heaven. Peter Jackson was tapped as that films director instead.

Jacksons film was treacly, so it would be interesting to see what Ramsay might have done with the material. On the other hand, there has been enough morbidity in her work.

You Were Never Really Here, Ramsays first action film, is dark and violent, but also life-affirming, in its way. Phoenixs character, Joe, a former Marine and FBI operative with PTSD, is a complex killer, staving off suicidal thoughts so he can care for his mother (Judith Roberts), who has dementia.

He goes after the same type of sexual predator he pursued for the FBI, this time as hammer for hire by people who do not want to contact the authorities. When Joe rescues the daughter (Ekaterina Samsonov) of a politician, the scene visually evokes Taxi Driver because of the girls youth and blond hair. But Joe is more sympathetic, less mysterious, than Travis Bickle.

Ramsay wrote her script with Phoenix in mind, though she had not yet met him.

I think hes got quite a vulnerable side, and hes never done the same thing twice, she said. She got word to him through a producer that she was working on a project for him, and then I decided to play it cool, Ramsay said with a laugh. Buoyant on the phone, Ramsay can be hard to understand, because of her Glaswegian accent and because she often laughs while speaking.

Phoenix bit, but had limited availability. So Ramsay shot the film in 29 days in New York. The shoots brevity led to some of the movies best stylistic flourishes, like a showdown between Joe and a bunch of criminals that unfolds via security-camera footage.

I didnt have four days to do a really big, balletic sequence, Ramsay said. You have to think really creatively.

Here is impressionistic, like Callar, when Ramsay uses flashes of imagery to suggest Joes past traumas instead of spelling them out, as the book did. But the artful touches exist within lean, tense storytelling.

I gravitated to it more as a character study, but I wanted to retain the page-turner quality of Ames book, Ramsay said. The movie, she said, is a genre film, but stood on its head.

Carla Meyer is a Northern California freelance writer.

You Were Never Really Here (R) opens Friday, April 13, at Bay Area theaters.
MANKATO, Minn. - Many of the farmers who helped propel Donald Trump to the presidency fear becoming pawns in his escalating trade war with China, which threatens markets for soybeans, corn and other lifeblood crops in the Upper Midwest.

But Jim Hagedorn, a former GOP congressional aide and Treasury official running for an open House seat, says they should keep their faith in Trump.

"He understands just how important it is to these rural areas that we have these markets," Hagedorn said in an interview at his campaign office. "Do I understand that the president has the prerogative to go out and negotiate? Of course I do. But I trust that in the end, he's going to do everything possible to make sure that we help everyone in the United States, including our farmers."

Trump's aggressive, lurching attacks on China over trade are putting Republicans like Hagedorn in a difficult spot - torn between siding with Trump while acknowledging the economic peril to many of their constituents. The issue presents yet another challenge to the GOP in a tough midterm election year even in the rural areas across the upper Midwest that swept Trump to victory - and where control of the Senate could be decided.

When China threatened a 25 percent tariff on soybeans, Mike Petefish, who grows the crop over 2,000 acres, feared the worst. Soybeans are a $2 billion business in Minnesota.

"A 40-cent drop in soybeans, like we saw on Wednesday, meant $50,000 of value evaporating out of my bottom line," said Petefish, the 33-year-old president of the Minnesota Soybean Growers Association. "The last time I talked to our banker, he told me that of all his clients - these are all farmers - only four made money last year. We kind of broke even. But this year was looking tough even before the tariffs."

In Minnesota's 1st congressional District, six-term Democratic Rep. Tim Walz is retiring to run for governor, opening up a seat Trump won by 15 points. Hagedorn, 65, is considered the best GOP candidate to turn a blue seat red.

A third of the state's soybean crop comes from the district. It also is home to Martin County, the top hog-producing county in the state and one that has been dubbed the "Bacon Capital of the World." China's tariffs on pork will hit hard too.

Trump's March 1announcement of new tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum had been popular, especially after the quiet carve-outs for Mexico and Canada. Democrats in Minnesota's 8th district, where thousands of iron miners live and work, had embraced the tariffs; they'd done the same in Illinois' 12th district, where U.S. Steel reacted to Trump by reopening a plant.

The second wave of the trade war has complicated the political outlook for Republican candidates in rural races. Last year, after Wisconsin's 3rd district swung from a 11-point Obama seat to a 5-point Trump seat, the National Republican Congressional Committee added Rep. Ron Kind, D-Wis., to their targets for 2018.

But the party's candidate, Steve Toft, raised just $66,015 in 2017, compared with $1,163,935 for Kind. The seat, which borders Minnesota's 1st district, had been moving away from Republicans even before the tariffs - which Toft did not support.

"That's not really free markets. I think the president intends to strengthen the steel industry - and we probably need to do that - but it's probably not going to help the people in this district," Toft said.

Officially, Trump's party is giving candidates a pass on the trade war. "Candidates and members will support policies based on what's best for their districts," said National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Jesse Hunt.

For much of 2017, Republicans sought to portray Democrats as unhinged by the president, obsessed with scandal. The trade war has allowed rural Democrats to pivot, advocating stability against a backdrop of threats and confusion.

In the midst of the latest tariff announcements, Kind held three town hall meetings, where farmers from the dairy, corn, and soybean industries pleaded for relief.

"It's going to hurt American farmers, no doubt about it," said Jarous Valenec, a 43-year old dairy farmer who attended one town hall. "We were already looking at depressed prices for corn and soybeans, before this. There's no sector that's showing good numbers."

Joseph Zenz, 52, a cash crop farmer in southwest Wisconsin, said the panic over prices might have been "a knee-jerk reaction" to something that negotiations could settle.

"China still needs our product. China still needs soybeans," said Zenz. "But every year seems to get more challenging. More competition. Prices keep getting higher. Farmland keeps getting more expensive."

But like many farmers, Valence and Zenz had supported Trump for president. Clinton, explained Zenz, had "nothing to offer" to people who had struggled in the final years of Obama's presidency.

Weeks into the trade war, Trump's alternative seemed to be chaos.

"Yeah, China has been cheating," said Kind in an interview. "Now's the time to build an international coalition to stand up to them, not to go it alone. That's just going to invite the kind of retaliation that we saw this week."

Drought Map Track water shortages and restrictions across Bay Area Check the water shortage status of your area, plus see reservoir levels and a list of restrictions for the Bay Areas largest water districts.

Republicans in agricultural states were sounding the same notes as Kind, and openly questioning the administration's handling of the fallout. Several asked what Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue had meant last month when he suggested "mitigation" on behalf of farmers if a trade war broke out.

On Wednesday, Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., whom the president had personally recruited to run for Senate this year, urged Perdue to use every tool "to protect ag producers from effects resulting in potential trade actions against China."

In Wisconsin, where two Republicans are fighting for the nomination against Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., candidate Kevin Nicholson delighted Democrats by telling a local news channel that farmers might have to put up with "risk."

"We've made so many mistakes to get to this point that it's going to involve some amount of risk to undo it," said Nicholson. "The president's objective is clearly a world without tariffs."

Unlike Republicans, who risk alienating their base when criticizing the president, Democrats have plunged into the fray. In the 1st district, where five Democrats are competing to replace Walz, each candidate quickly condemned the administration for launching a trade war on TV instead of using the low-key - but less disruptive - tools available in the World Trade Organization.

"There's such uncertainty in ag in the first place," said Dan Feehan, an Army veteran who served in the Obama administration and led the field in fundraising. "Negotiating tactics, in my view, are done in the form of a negotiation. When you're making policy, you start with everyone at the table talking through their concerns. Otherwise, you don't know what the other side is thinking, and it turns into a very dark situation."

Joe Sullivan, a green energy advocate running to Feehan's left, called the trade war "a completely self-inflicted wound."

Republicans, who had convinced farmers to abandon the Democrats, said that they could win the argument before November. Hagedorn argued that any Democratic victory could restore the policies of the Obama era, including regulations on water use and pollution that many farmers had despised.
Turning the ship before it hits the iceberg
Many dance fans slake their choreographic curiosity with YouTube videos. But when youre the head of one of the worlds most prestigious ballet companies, you create San Francisco Ballets Unbound: A Festival of New Works, a 17-day event combining symposia, dance films, webcasts and new works commissioned from a dozen marquee dance makers.

We dont have the big-pillar choreographers with us anymore, like Balanchine and Robbins and Ashton, says Helgi Tomasson, the Ballets artistic director and principal choreographer. I wanted to try to discover what the thinking was with another generation.

Tomasson invited artists who are both locally familiar (Alonzo King, Christopher Wheeldon, Justin Peck, Myles Thatcher, Trey McIntyre, Arthur Pita, Stanton Welch) and wider-ranging (Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Edwaard Liang, Dwight Rhoden, Cathy Marston and David Dawson in his first American commission). Its a mixing up of choreographers that I want to see, Tomasson said by phone.

The dance makers got three-week residencies from July through mid-October, when they worked with assigned groups of dancers and enjoyed near-total creative freedom to create 30-minute ballets for the festival.

So many of them commented on how wonderful it was to meet other choreographers like this, Tomasson says. In addition, it gave the dancers the opportunity to be seen by 12 different sets of eyes  and be discovered in a way that maybe hadnt occurred to me.

Now Playing: Christopher Wheeldon, Yuan Yuan Tan and Carlo Di Lanno rehearse for SF Ballet's Unbound Festival, by Claudia Bauer Video: SFChronicle

The excitement spread well beyond the studio, according to Artistic Administrator Abby Masters. Its hard not to feel that energy when every rehearsal the dancers are going to is for a new work, she said by phone. And then theyre peeking in the windows of a different rehearsal and seeing something entirely new.

Dancing is only the tip of the massive Unbound iceberg. Theres been music from Bjork to Bach for the orchestra to learn, plus costumes to design and scenic elements to build with the Opera Houses dimensions in mind.

How will these ballets work with one another? How do we engineer a change of scenery? says production director Christopher Dennis. The Ballet typically does two or three new pieces in a season, which his team is able to integrate smoothly with the staging of existing works; with 12 brand-new ballets, that efficiency disappears.

The hundreds of costumes were sewn by shops in the Bay Area, New York City and the United Kingdom. Fittings became another puzzle, with boardrooms doubling as makeshift ateliers and dancers sometimes getting pulled out of rehearsals for fittings.

And then theres the travel planning. Like an air traffic controller, Masters managed the comings and goings of rotating creative teams last summer. She then secured a block of hotel rooms to house the entire contingent of choreographers, composers and designers for three weeks prior to opening night, while they finesse the choreography, costumes and staging.

And during Boundless, the festivals second-weekend symposium, guest speakers like Dance Theatre of Harlem Artistic Director Virginia Johnson and choreographer and tech innovator Sydney Skybetter will also be in town.

Its a total full house  beyond full, Masters says. And its been worth all the overtime hours. We might be tearing our hair out, but I think it will be really exciting.

During last summers artistic residencies, we went behind the scenes and into the rehearsal studio with all of the choreographers. In these exclusive profiles, they shared insights into their work, their perspectives on the art of dance, and their sometimes quirky inspirations.
For Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, complaints from Republicans are a given. But it has to be galling that the sharpest attacks now come from members of her own party.

This week, for example, Democrat Alison Hartson of Orange County, who is running against Feinstein in the June 5 primary, posted a video slamming the senator as a tool of the corporate elite, a wealthy woman taking campaign cash from big-money interests and ignoring the states problems.

Income equality is not the problem for her, its the solution, Hartson says in the spot. Im going to get money, and Dianne Feinstein, out of politics.

Thats a progressive tune that Feinstein, who is seeking her fifth full term in the Senate, is going to hear more and more as the primary approaches. Although there are 12 Republicans on the ballot, none of them poses much of a risk. The most recent report released by the Federal Election Commission showed that as of the end of 2017, the only GOP candidate who listed any contributions had a snappy $130 in his campaign account.

On the Democratic side, though, Feinstein has nine challengers and its a safe bet theyre all running to her left.

Hartson, for example, is a former high school teacher who is the national political director of Wolf-PAC, which says its aim is fighting to end corruption and ensure free and fair elections.

Shes been endorsed by Justice Democrats, a group formed by former leaders of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders 2016 presidential campaign, and has a platform that could be described as progressive plus: Medicare for all; college for all; guaranteed, affordable housing; rent control; a cap on CEO pay and a breakup of big banks.

Then theres Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles state senator who said at a Washington news conference in January that Feinsteins natural inclination is to be anti-immigrant, and that the former San Francisco mayor should remember she represents California, not Arkansas.

Another Democratic candidate, attorney Pat Harris of Los Angeles, has attacked Feinstein for backing increased defense spending, opposing legalization of marijuana and trying to compromise with Republicans.

Those progressive attacks havent made a dent in Feinsteins poll numbers. A recent survey by the Public Policy Institute of California found her leading de Leon, 42 percent to 16 percent, with Hartson and Harris not listed. And none of her opponents has anything resembling the $9.8 million Feinstein has in her campaign account.

But with Feinsteins opponent in the November runoff almost certain to be a Democrat, her challenges from the left arent going away. And that means Feinstein, who has been able to ignore little-known and less financed Republicans in past re-election campaigns, is going to be forced to listen  and probably respond  to what her fellow Democrats have to say.

John Wildermuth

GOP downgrade: Theres a new bit of evidence that Californias long-running unhappiness with President Trump and his policies is rubbing off on the Republican politicians who support him.

Cooks Political Report, a nonpartisan election forecaster, came out with a report Friday that moved the race for Republican Rep. David Valadaos Central Valley seat from the Likely Republican category to Lean Republican, which signals that the November election could be a real contest.

Valadao, a dairyman from Hanford (Kings County), has a lot of company as a Republican in an increasingly precarious spot. Cook changed the ratings of 13 congressional races across the country, and every one of them reflected the Democrats improving chances.

Cook already has made it clear that he sees tough times for the GOP in California.

Two Republican seats left open by the announced retirements of Reps. Ed Royce of Fullerton (Orange County) and Darrell Issa of Vista (San Diego County) are listed as leaning Democratic. GOP seats held by Reps. Jeff Denham of Turlock (Stanislaus County), Steve Knight of Lancaster (Los Angeles County) and Dana Rohrabacher of Costa Mesa (Orange County) are rated as toss-ups, while the district held by Rep. Mimi Walters of Irvine (Orange County) joins Valadaos on the Lean Republican list.

Democrats are counting on plucking several California seats from Republicans as part of their effort to flip 24 districts nationally and take the House. Not surprisingly, they were pleased by the downgrading of Valadaos virtual sure-thing status.

This rating change shows Congressman Valadaos vulnerability ahead of this years election, Andrew Godinich, a spokesman for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

But its no news to Valadao that hes likely to be in a tough race. With a district where Democrats outnumber Republicans 46 percent to 28 percent, hes always going to be a target. But after serving a term in the Assembly, the 40-year-old Valadao was elected to Congress in 2012 and comfortably re-elected in 2014 and 2016, despite the districts Democratic tilt.

His only opponent this year is Democratic businessman T.J. Cox.

John Wildermuth
A woman whose body was found down an embankment in the Grizzly Peak area of the Oakland hills near a crashed car was identified Saturday as a San Pablo resident.

The Alameda County coroners office identified the woman as Eun Sil Jung-Kim, 53. Oakland police officers and firefighters found her body Friday, and officials are investigating the incident in connection with a missing persons report.
There is so much route news this week, we are splitting it up into two posts. Here are yesterday's additions. And now for today: Southwest beefs up at Oakland; American Airlines begins its O'Hare-LaGuardia branded shuttle operation; Japan Airlines is said to be eyeing a new transpacific route from a partner's U.S. hub; Air Canada introduced a new fare structure on North American routes; United adds new transatlantic code-shares and drops a Midwest route; Emirates and Etihad plan to trim U.S. frequencies; and Mexico's Interjet will enter a pair of transborder Texas markets.

Southwest Airlines adds a daily nonstop from Oakland International Airport (OAK) to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) starting today, April 8th. The service replaces a seasonal test route on OAK's flight schedule last summer. Due to the success of that route, Southwest has brought the transcontinental flight back earlier this year, and it will now operate year-round. On April 14th, Southwest will launch Saturday nonstop service to Orlando International Airport (MCO). In July, SWA will add new nonstops to San Antonio, Indianapolis and Minneapolis/St Paul. Speaking of Southwest, it appears that Kauai could be on its Hawaiian route map as the carrier is reportedly looking at space a Lihue Airport.

American Airlines this week launched its new branded shuttle service on the 90-minute flight between Chicago O'Hare and New York LaGuardia. AA has long operated more than a dozen flights a day in the market, but with no special treatment for passengers. Now, passengers flying ORD-LGA will find dedicated check-in kiosks and ticketing desks at the airports, as well as special signage, and the 15 daily weekday flights will use close-in gates at O'Hare's Terminal 3 H Concourse, and at the D Concourse in LGA's Terminal B. All flights will use two-class 737s (including Main Cabin Extra seats with more legroom), and all passengers will get free beer and wine. First class passengers dine on special plated meals. Unlike the carrier's east coast shuttle, rear-door deplaning will not be available at ORD. United reportedly has no current plans to match the shuttle-type treatment on the LGA-ORD route. Delta recently scuttled its west-coast shuttle flights between LAX, SFO and SEA.

A local business publication in Seattle says it heard that Japan Airlines is planning to begin flying from SEA to Tokyo Narita late this year or early next year, using a 787 Dreamliner. In 2020, the report said, JAL expects to shift the SEA route from Narita to Tokyos close-in Haneda Airport. Theres no official confirmation from JAL yet, but a Seattle route would make plenty of sense for the Japanese carrier, since it has a close partnership with Seattle-based Alaska Airlines. (Also, it would give both JAL and Alaska a way to stick it to their respective rivals ANA and Delta, both of which already from Seattle to Tokyo.)

Air Canada is the latest airline to overhaul its fare structure on North American routes, adding a new Basic fare level as well as intermediate Comfort fares. Passengers buying Basic fares will have to pay extra for a checked bag, advance seat selection, and food and alcoholic drinks, and wont be eligible for upgrades, changes or Aeroplan miles. Air Canadas regular economy prices, previously called Tango fares, are now called Standard. The new Comfort fare category is just above the Flex fare level. Like Flex, it includes one checked bag and advance seat selection, but it also makes preferred seats available at no extra cost; it also includes free alcoholic drinks (although food is extra), and it allows buyers to change to another flight on the same day at no charge.

In other news, Air Canada said its winter schedule, starting in late October, will include new daily service between Calgary-Palm Springs and Edmonton-Las Vegas. The airline will also boost its Vancouver-Palm Springs schedule from three flights a week to daily and will increase Vancouver-Phoenix service form four a week to daily.

Speaking of code-shares, Routesonline.com reports that United this summer plans to put its code onto several transatlantic routes of Lufthansa affiliate Eurowings, including flights from Cologne to Ft. Myers, Las Vegas and Seattle; Dusseldorf to Ft. Myers and New York JFK; and Munich-Las Vegas and Munich-Ft. Myers.

In domestic route developments, United will reportedly discontinue its twice-daily United Express service between Cleveland and Milwaukee effective June 6. United is due to begin new United Express flights twice a day starting July 1 between Newark and Presque Isle, Maine; and has just started new daily United Express service to Lewisburg, West Virginia  near the big Greenbrier resort  from both Chicago OHare and Washington Dulles.

Headed to the Middle East or beyond? Emirates latest schedule update shows that the Dubai-based carrier plans to trim its Orlando schedule from daily service to five flights a week starting July 3, and its Ft. Lauderdale route by the same amount as of July 2. And Etihad will reduce service on its Los Angeles-Abu Dhabi route from seven flights a week to four from October 28 through March 30. (It exited SFO last year.)

Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet will introduce new service from Leon/Guanajuato on June 22 to both Houston Bush Intercontinental and San Antonio, offering daily flights on both routes.

Don't miss our routes update from yesterday!

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Chris McGinnis is the founder of TravelSkills.com. The author is solely responsible for the content above, and it is used here by permission. You can reach Chris at chris@travelskills.com or on Twitter @cjmcginnis.
Former Raiders and 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith was being held in San Francisco County Jail on Sunday on $500,000 bond, according to jail records.

Smith was booked into jail Friday evening for violating a condition of his electronic monitoring while on bail, San Francisco Sheriffs Department spokeswoman Nancy Crowley said Sunday.

Smith, 28, had been arrested March 23 for violating a court order to stay away from a victim in an alleged domestic violence incident earlier that month. Smith was released and placed under electronic monitoring.

At the time of the March 23 arrest, officials said Smith had contacted the victim in the March 3 incident. The contact prompted police to issue a warrant for his arrest, and Smith turned himself in the same day.

In the March 3 incident, Smith allegedly assaulted the woman in a residence on the 600 block of Bush Street, fleeing before police arrived. He turned himself in and was booked into jail three days later, immediately posting $30,000 bail.

Smith pleaded not guilty to domestic violence, assault, false imprisonment and vandalism charges at a March 12 hearing, where a San Francisco Superior Court judge issued the protective order barring him from contacting the victim.

Smith was released by the Raiders shortly after the March 3 incident, the latest in a series of brushes with the law.

In 2012, while he was with the 49ers, Smith was arrested for drunken driving and entered a diversion program in exchange for having the charges reduced.

He was accused of driving under the influence of marijuana in September 2013 after crashing into a tree in San Jose.

Smith was released by the 49ers after he was arrested and charged with DUI, hit-and-run and vandalism in Santa Clara County in August 2015. He signed with the Raiders a month later.
A 23-year-old man was killed late Saturday in Pleasant Hill in a shooting that police believe was connected to a marijuana robbery.

Oshry Elor of Pleasant Hill was the only victim, police said. Officers responded to a report of a person with gunshot wounds in the 2100 block of Norse Drive at 11:14 p.m. Inside the residence, officers found a man who had been shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A 32-year-old San Francisco man is being held on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with a stabbing spree at Coliseum BART Station that left three people with knife wounds Saturday, authorities said.

BART police say Robert Dolph attacked the victims near the station fare gates Saturday afternoon, seriously injuring two of them. A station agent reported the incident at 2:52 p.m., just as fans were streaming in for the Golden State Warriors final regular-season home game at Oaklands Oracle Arena.

The two seriously injured victims are siblings, a man in his 50s and a woman in her 60s. They boarded a train at South San Francisco Station. Dolph got on at Civic Center Station and was muttering and shouting to himself on the train, said BART Deputy Police Chief Lance Haight.

At some point Dolph became fixated on the two siblings, Haight said. He allegedly followed them when they exited at the Coliseum station and pulled out a large fixed-blade knife when they approached the fare gates.

Dolph stabbed both the woman and the man in the head and slashed the man multiple times in the chest, Haight said. Then a bystander swooped in and pried the knife from Dolphs hands.

The bystander, who has not been identified, was injured during the tussle and treated at the scene for a cut on his hand. He declined to be hospitalized.

Had he not intervened, the two victims quite possibly could have been killed, Haight said.

The brother and sister, whose names have not been released either, were taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The woman was reported to be in fair condition Sunday, while the man was in critical condition.

Dolph confessed to the crime during an interview with investigators, police said, and a knife was recovered at the scene. He was booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.

The incident came one year after a shocking mob robbery  also at Coliseum Station  in which dozens of juveniles jumped the turnstiles, rushed to the second-story platform and swarmed a Dublin-bound train, confronting and in some cases assaulting passengers.

One lifelong BART rider said Sunday that crime has grown more visible on trains and in stations.

Just last week, I saw someone throwing bottles down from the upper concourse at Civic Center (BART Station)  and that could kill someone, said Richard Stalter, 47, of Concord.

Ive lived in the Bay Area and ridden BART all my life, and this never used to concern me, Stalter said. But now the police activity seems to be almost daily.

However, other riders such as David Dolberg, 72, of Richmond shrugged off the Saturday stabbing and other incidents.

Dolberg said it will take more than a stabbing to scare him away from BART. Stuff happens, he said.
OMAHA, Nebraska  Just 18 months after declaring his opposition to banning assault weapons, Nebraska Democrat Brad Ashford has changed his mind.

The former one-term congressman, now trying to win back an Omaha-area seat he lost in 2016, used to consider it futile to push for a ban while Republicans held power on Capitol Hill. But the student activism that has followed the rampage at a school in Parkland, Fla., has changed his thinking in a way that other high-profile shootings, including two in his hometown since 2007, had not.

Ashfords conversion mirrors the one under way in his party. Not long ago, a moderate record on guns would have been considered a plus for a Democratic candidate in the GOP-leaning suburbs and conservative outskirts of Nebraskas largest city. Today, even with Ashfords reversal, its a vulnerability that his opponent in the May 15 Democratic primary has been quick to exploit.

That contest, along with races in Virginia, rural Pennsylvania and other places where gun control has been taboo, shows how far the Democratic Party has traveled on the issue. The November elections will test whether Democrats will make room for candidates who dont back all gun control measures.

He should have been stronger on this, said Kara Eastman, the 46-year-old political newcomer running against Ashford, a 68-year-old former Republican, for the Democratic nomination in the Second Congressional District. We need leaders who are going to stand up and fight for the kids.

Eastman, director of a childrens nonprofit group and a community college board member, has focused her message on suburban women and young people. She and other progressives, energized by rallies across the country, say the best way to turn out voters is to offer a contrast to pro-gun Republicans.

Women have had it with whats going on, said Crystal Rhoades, the Douglas County Democratic Party chairwoman who supports Eastman.

But there are political risks. The Omaha district represented by Republican Don Bacon has a healthy number of gun owners, and that could make Eastmans call for comprehensive gun control a problem for her if she advances to the general election.

In a northern Virginia swing district, all six Democrats who hope to challenge the Republican incumbent, Barbara Comstock, want to ban assault rifles and expand background checks for gun buyers. In 2016, Comstocks Democratic opponent endorsed only modest changes.
WASHINGTON  Amid global fears of an escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China, President Trump suggested Sunday that Beijing will ease trade barriers because it is the right thing to do and that the economic superpowers can settle the conflict that has rattled financial markets, consumers and businesses.

China has threatened to retaliate if Washington follows through with its proposed tariffs, and Trump emphasized his bond with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

President Xi and I will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade, Trump wrote in a tweet. China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do.

Trump did not explain why, amid a week of economic saber-rattling between the two countries that shook global markets, he felt confident a deal could be made.

The president made fixing the trade imbalance with China a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, when he frequently used incendiary language to describe how Beijing would rape the U.S. economically. But even as Trump warmed up to Xi and pressed China for help with derailing North Koreas nuclear ambitions, he has ratcheted up the economic pressure and threatened tariffs, a move opposed by many fellow Republicans.

The Trump administration has said it is taking action as a crackdown on Chinas theft of U.S. intellectual property. The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on about $150 billion of those imports. The U.S. sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.

The new White House economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said on Fox News Sunday that a coalition of the willing  including Canada, much of Europe and Australia  was being formed to pressure China and that the U.S. would demand that the World Trade Organization, an arbiter of trade disputes, be stricter on Beijing. And he said that although the U.S. hoped to avoid taking action, Trump was not bluffing.

But he also downplayed the tariff threat as part of the process, suggested on CNN that the impact would be benign and said he was hopeful that China would enter negotiations.

Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on CBS Face the Nation that he didnt expect the tariffs to have a meaningful impact on the economy even as he left the door open for disruption. He allowed that there could be a trade war but said he didnt anticipate one.

The rising economic tensions pose a test to what has become Trumps frequent dual-track foreign policy strategy: to establish close personal ties with another head of state even as his administration takes a harder line.
For three years, the U.S. did its best to stay out of Europe's bloody conflict, but in the first week of April 1917, President Woodrow Wilson asked Congress to enter the "the war to end all wars."

In his address at the capitol on April 2, Wilson argued "the world must be made safe for democracy." Four days later, the U.S. Senate voted 82 to 6 to declare war against Germany.
Honor Flight Houston will give a Fort Bend man and his son a special trip to Washington, D.C., in April as part of a program to honor veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

Bill B. Boyd, 90, joined the Merchant Marines in 1945 and served on four ships until his discharge from the U.S. Coast Guard on Dec. 31, 1946. His son, Billy C. Boyd, 69, joined the U.S. Army in November 1969 and he served in the Military Police Corps until November 1975.

Both are excited by the April 20-21 trip from Hobby Airport to Washington, D.C., to visit the American History Museum, the Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam Memorial among other sites.

"We try to squeeze in as much as possible without making it too overwhelming," said Ashley French, executive director/chairman of the board, Honor Flight Houston. But there's more than a list of places to visit.

"What we cannot put on paper is the more meaningful really emotional connections that are made on these trips," she said. "The guys have the ability to kind of open up and share stories with others that shared the same generation. They understand what life has been like so they have camaraderie there."

French added there's also an emotional connection to the public at large who is coming to them in masses to thank them for their service.

Many veterans never heard or experienced recognition for their service and they find the public reaction now surprising, she said. "We want to make sure they're seen. We do see them as wonderful human beings honored for their service. They're not forgotten."

Boyd's daughter Barbara Kettler said, "The part that is so touching to me is that Daddy did not receive veteran status until 67 years after World War II because he was in the Coast Guard's Merchant Marines."

The mariners earned praise from President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II. Bill B. Boyd quotes U.S. Army Gen. Douglas MacArthur as saying, "Without the Merchant Marine, we wouldn't have won the war."

But it wasn't until a federal judge ruled in a 1987 lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court, District of Colombia, for mariners that they earned veteran status for their World War II service. Kettler hopes that telling her father's story may help other Merchant Marines who don't know they are considered part of the military and can have VA services.

French said having a Coast Guard veteran is rare on Honor Flight Houston and a Merchant Marine is even more rare. "We're excited to have the Boyds," said French, adding that a father/son duo is special.

Billy C. Boyd's wife, Debra, added, "It will be a great bonding for the two of them."

Playing a key role in the Boyds joining the Honor Flight Houston program was Kettler. After she saw a national television newscast about a World War II veteran who participated in Honor Flight, she Googled the name to see if that opportunity were available in Texas. She then worked on the application to the Houston program for her dad. She said the program offers a two-day experience for veterans and their guardians free of charge. "It's an honorable organization. It's really a very touching and moving experience."

Born in Hillsboro in 1928, Bill B. Boyd said he joined the Merchant Marines "because I was young and didn't know better and wanted to see the world."

He served on two tankers which carried liquid cargo such as oil and gasoline to allies. He also served on two Liberty Ships, the Andrew A. Humphreys and Eugene Hale, which carried dry cargo ranging from steel to sugar.

According to http://www.usmm.org/libertyships.html, the U.S. Maritime Commission built more than 2,700 Liberty ships that carried a Naval armed guard in addition to a mariner crew. The War Shipping Administration reported, "The U.S. Merchant Marine suffered the highest rate of casualties of any service in World War II." Officially, more than 1,500 ships were sunk during the war.

Bill B. Boyd remembers traveling in and out of mine fields as part of a crew of 35 to 40 men to deliver needed supplies to the allies.

As part of his travels, he went through the Strait of Gibraltar, the North Sea and the Panama Canal. He visited ports in Halifax, Nova Scotia; Venice, Italy; and Piraeus, Greece.

"In the North Sea we got hung up in the ice for three days and couldn't go forward or backward," he said. An icebreaker ship came to their aid.

After his discharge from the service, he lived in Waxahachie for 10 years and then moved to Rosenberg in 1959.

His son, Billy C. Boyd, who now lives in Bedias where he is a volunteer firefighter, is proud of his father and the other mariner veterans.

"They deserve it," he said. "My dad for so many years felt he didn't deserve this and he's finally getting it - the formal recognition of how important the mariners were to the war."

He noted that he himself was grouped with Vietnam veterans though he didn't serve in Southeast Asia during his tour with the Army. Upon his return home, he said he encountered disrespect similar to that received by Vietnam veterans. The Honor Flight Houston will give veterans the honorable welcome that they did not get previously, he said. "I can't wait to go with my dad."

His father said, "I'm glad I'm going to meet other veterans from around here. It's good to go to Washington, D.C. It's an opportunity I'll never get again."

He'll be part of a group of 25 veterans plus guardians and other volunteers for a total of 45, said French. After returning from their trip, many veterans tell French that it's one of the best moments of their lives.

Visit http://www.honorflighthouston.org/ for information about Honor Flight Houston. French said the nonprofit is all volunteer run and has no paid staff. Donations allow it to fund Honor Flights four to six times a year for veterans.
OAKLAND (BCN)

Cleveland Elementary School in Oakland was awarded the title of California Distinguished School this week, administrators announced today.

Principal Peter Van Tassel said he was "overjoyed" that the school's efforts have been recognized by the state.

"It's been a multi-year process and we've got a ways to go," Van Tassel said in a news release. "But this shows that we're on the right track."

The school said it has pushed for inclusiveness in teaching practices, especially following reports that suspension numbers in California were disproportionately affecting African American students.

According to the school, there has only been one student suspended over the last four years.

Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the award is a direct result of hard work by the school's staff and students.

The school was also recognized for exemplary arts, physical activity and nutrition education programs.

The state-wide award, previously known as the California Gold Ribbon School Program, honors schools that close achievement gaps between students.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson granted the honor to 287 elementary schools this year.

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Five people were taken to the hospital after a vehicle collision in Richmond Saturday evening, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The Richmond Fire Department requested assistance from a CHP helicopter at 6:41 p.m. after the crash, according to the CHP.
OAKLAND (BCN)

A San Francisco man has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder in connection with Saturday's stabbing at the Oakland Coliseum BART station, a transit agency spokeswoman said.

Robert Dolth, 32, was arrested and booked into Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, according to BART spokeswoman Alicia Trost. The spokeswoman said Dolth allegedly admitted his involvement in the crime during an interview with investigators.

The stabbing happened around 2:52 p.m. Saturday, and the BART station and Oakland airport connector were closed for two hours as police investigated the crime.

The victims of the stabbing are a woman in her sixties and her brother, who is in his fifties, according to Trost. The woman is in fair condition in the hospital and her brother is in critical, but stable, condition, Trost said.

The brother and sister got on a train at the San Francisco station on Saturday, Trost said. They didn't know the suspect, who got on at the Civic Center station and was acting erratically, with verbal outbursts, according to Trost.

When the two siblings got off at the Coliseum station, Dolth allegedly followed them. As they approached the fare gates, Trost said, the suspect pulled out a knife and stabbed them in an attack that appears to have been unprovoked.

The station agent called police, Trost said.

A good Samaritan came to the rescue, wrestling the knife from the suspect and holding him until law enforcement officers appeared two minutes later, according to Trost.

A second good Samaritan helped hold the suspect down as he was handcuffed, Trost said. The knife was recovered at the scene.

"The swift response by the station agent and police as well as the intervention by the good Samaritans were all critical to ending the attack and apprehending the suspect," Trost said in a statement.

In 2017, six BART passengers who were beaten, threatened or robbed by mobs of young people in three separate incidents in March and April of that year filed a lawsuit against the transit agency, accusing it of failing to protect its passengers.

Attorney Paul Justi, who represents the six plaintiffs, said the crimes, including one by a mob of between 40 to 60 youths at Oakland's Coliseum station on April 22, were "predictable and preventable" because they were similar and alleged that BART isn't doing enough to make its passengers safe.

BART's attorney, Dale Allen, said, "There's no legal precedent for this lawsuit to go forward" because the state Legislature has created immunity for all law enforcement agencies since "it's impossible to stop all crimes."

Allen said, "BART directors have expressed their regret that these tragedies have happened to these passengers."

He said, "BART police monitor 46 stations over 100 miles of tracks and 400,000 passengers and try to stop as much crime as they can with the staffing they have."

Since then, BART has taken a number of actions to beef up enforcement at its stations.

Among other things, security cameras have been installed in all BART train cars at a cost of $1.42 million, with the money coming from the transit agency's operating budget, according to BART officials.

In a push to increase police presence on the system, BART officials said in November 2017 that the agency is hiring 40 new police officers.

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Petaluma police are asking the public for help in tracking down two residential burglary suspects who used a stolen credit card last month in a Rohnert Park Walmart.

The suspects obtained the credit card after a residential burglary in Petaluma, according to police.
MORAGA (BCN)

Police in Moraga are warning residents about a recent uptick in credit card fraud due to credit card skimming.

The Moraga Police Department has received reports from people whose credit card numbers have been skimmed and then used illegally in Southern California.

Police said in some cases, a month has passed between the time the card was used by the victim and then fraudulently used in Southern California.

Credit card skimming occurs when an illegal device is placed on the inside or outside of credit card terminal and the device collects information from the magnetic strip on the card, police said.

Suspects can then create fraudulent cards with the victim's information.

Police said outside gas pumps are easy targets for credit card skimming because they are unattended and easily accessible.

Investigators have been working with gas stations in Moraga and physically inspecting pumps for the illicit devices.

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The pilot killed Friday night when his small plane crashed in Petaluma is believed to be a 75-year-old man from San Diego County, though the investigation is continuing, sheriff's officials said.

The case began when the Sonoma County Sheriff's Office got a call around 6:40 p.m. from the U.S. Air Force about an emergency transponder activation from a small plane in eastern Petaluma.

Deputies couldn't find the plane at the coordinates the equipment gave on Sonoma Mountain. However, around the same time, a woman from San Diego County called Petaluma police to say her husband was overdue home, sheriff's officials said.

The woman's husband was believed to have left the Petaluma Airport en route to San Diego County in his Mooney M20 fixed-wing airplane, according to sheriff's officials.

Shortly after 10 p.m., deputies spotted a small fire in a remote ravine near the 3600 block of Manor Lane. Deputies found the downed aircraft and the body of the man believed to be the pilot, sheriff's officials said.

The deputies secured the scene and notified the National Transportation Safety Board, the independent federal agency that determines the probable cause of transportation crashes.

According to sheriff's officials, the NTSB will investigate the cause of the collision. The Federal Aviation Administration will also investigate, according to Allen Kenitzer, a spokesman for the agency.

The coroner's office will release the pilot's name when his identity is confirmed, sheriff's officials said.

A woman was carjacked at gunpoint in Livermore and officers captured a suspect after a high-speed chase Wednesday, police said.

Logan Masterson, 37, was arrested on suspicion of carjacking, burglary, felon in possession of a firearm, possession of stolen property, felony reckless evading, resisting arrest and possession of metal knuckles, according to police.

The case began when a woman reported that when she was walking to her vehicle in the 2100 block of Third Street around 7 p.m., a man pointed a handgun at her, demanding her keys, police said.

Fearing for her safety, the woman gave up the keys and the suspect drove away in the victim's vehicle, police said. The victim immediately called police.

Officers found the vehicle traveling northbound on North Livermore Avenue at Las Positas Road and tried to make a traffic stop, according to police.

The suspect zoomed away, taking the Greenville Road exit and fleeing eastbound on Altamont Pass Road, police said. With officers in pursuit, the suspect stopped on the shoulder of the road.

The suspect resisted arrest, according to police, but officers were able to take him into custody.

The officers allegedly found two handguns in the carjacked vehicle; later, another victim reported a residential burglary in which the two handguns and other property were stolen, police said.

Anyone with information about the case is encouraged to call police at (925)-4777.

Both tracks opened and trains began running at full speed following a fatal train strike at Palo Alto's California Avenue Caltrain station, a transit agency spokesman said.

The northbound Caltrain 801 train fatally struck a person on the tracks around 10:17 a.m., Caltrain spokesman Dan Lieberman said.

None of the approximately 596 passengers on the train were hurt, and all of them were offboarded at the Palo Alto station, he said.

Normal service resumed at the Coliseum BART station after a stabbing Saturday afternoon in Oakland.

The Coliseum BART station and the Oakland airport connector were closed for two hours after the stabbing happened at about 3 p.m.

The stabbing happened close to the fare plaza in the BART station, according to Anna Duckworth, a spokeswoman for BART.

Three victims were involved in the stabbing and two of them were taken to the hospital; their condition is unknown. The other victim had "superficial wounds," according to Duckworth.

BART police have taken one suspect into custody.

Petaluma police are asking the public for help in tracking down two residential burglary suspects who used a stolen credit card last month in a Rohnert Park Walmart.

The suspects obtained the credit card after a residential burglary in Petaluma, according to police.

On March 15, they walked into the store at 7:29 a.m. and allegedly purchased miscellaneous goods at 4625 Redwood Drive, according to police.

After buying the items, the two left the store and drove away in their vehicle, which police described as a silver Honda CRV with two top racks and rear tinted windows and California plates.

Police described the first suspect as a white female in her thirties with light brown hair. She was wearing a white shirt, blue or gray jacket, blue ripped jeans and black sneakers, police said.

The second suspect is a Hispanic man in his thirties with short black hair and a mustache who was wearing a black leather jacket, white T-shirt and black shoes at the time, according to police.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact Officer Sawyer at (707) 781-1248.

Windsor police took a man into custody Saturday morning after shooting him twice, police reported.

Sonoma County Sheriff's Office dispatchers received a call at 11:43 a.m. from a 25-year-old man who said he was armed with a knife and wanted to kill himself through "suicide by cop." The man was allegedly yelling obscenities at the dispatcher.

Police arrived to the 9600 block of Montez Court to do a welfare check. They said the man was walking toward them and yelling at officers to kill him.

The man was holding a large kitchen knife in one hand and a bottle of whiskey in another hand, according to police. Police said they tried to get the man to drop his knife, but he refused.

A police officer tried to use a Taser on the man but missed, and another officer shot the man twice with 40 mm "less lethal" bullets. The first bullet did not have any effect on the man, according to police, but the second bullet caused the man to drop the whiskey and the knife.

The man, identified by police as Nolan Murphy, was handcuffed and taken to a hospital for medical treatment.

Police said Murphy would be booked at Sonoma County Jail for probation violation, felony resisting arrest and a mental health hold.

Murphy was already on probation for vandalism and on pretrial probation for a recent robbery arrest, according to police.

Cleveland Elementary School in Oakland was awarded the title of California Distinguished School this week, administrators announced Saturday.

Principal Peter Van Tassel said he was "overjoyed" that the school's efforts have been recognized by the state.

"It's been a multi-year process and we've got a ways to go," Van Tassel said in a news release. "But this shows that we're on the right track."

The school said it has pushed for inclusiveness in teaching practices, especially following reports that suspension numbers in California were disproportionately affecting African American students.

According to the school, there has only been one student suspended over the last four years.

Oakland Unified School District Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell said the award is a direct result of hard work by the school's staff and students.

The school was also recognized for exemplary arts, physical activity and nutrition education programs.

The state-wide award, previously known as the California Gold Ribbon School Program, honors schools that close achievement gaps between students.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson granted the honor to 287 elementary schools this year.

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SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)

Two men have been convicted of first-degree murder in the 2012 killing of a man in San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, District Attorney George Gascon announced Friday.

Trumillion Ballard, 30, of San Francisco, and Anthony Pratt, 32, of Union City, were convicted of first degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder, prosecutors said.

On the night of July 13, 2012, Gary Smith was shot and killed near the Baldwin Hotel on Sixth Street.

Prosecutors said Smith was involved in a dispute with Pratt's girlfriend over money for the purchase of a dog.

The shooting and events leading up to the shooting were captured on video surveillance from various cameras in the neighborhood.

Prosecutors said Ballard and Pratt approached Smith, Pratt appeared to say something to the victim, and Ballard pointed a large pistol with an extended magazine at the victim and fire three shots.

Ballard and Pratt then fled the scene in Pratt's vehicle.

The defendants were later arrested in Union City.

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MUENSTER, Germany  The 48-year-old German man who drove a van into a crowd in Muenster was well known to police, had run-ins with the law and had expressed suicidal thoughts to a neighbor, German prosecutors said Sunday.

The man, whose name was not released, killed two people and injured 20 others Saturday by crashing into a crowd drinking outside a popular bar in the western German citys Old Town. He then shot himself to death inside the van.
BEIRUT  Suspected poison gas was used to attack the last remaining foothold for the Syrian opposition in the eastern suburbs of Damascus, killing at least 40 people, including families found in homes and shelters, opposition activists and local rescuers said Sunday.

Early Monday, missiles struck an air base in central Syria, its state-run news agency reported. Although the agency said it was probably an American aggression, U.S. officials said the U.S. had not launched air strikes on Syria.

SANA reported that the missile attack on the T4 military air base in Homs province resulted in several casualties.

Earlier, President Trump had promised a big price to pay for the suspected chemical attack late Saturday on the besieged town of Douma. After the strikes were reported, however, Pentagon spokesman Christopher Sherwood said in a statement, At this time, the Department of Defense is not conducting air strikes in Syria.

The U.S. launched several dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles at a Syrian air base last year after a chemical attack in the northern town of Khan Sheikhoun killed dozens of people. Israel also has struck inside Syria in recent years.

In response to reports of the attack on Douma, Trump blamed Syrian government forces Sunday for what he called a mindless CHEMICAL attack. In a series of tweets, Trump held Russia and Iran, Syrian President Bashar Assads chief sponsors, responsible. The Syrian government denied the allegations.

First responders entering apartments in Douma said they found bodies collapsed on floors, some foaming at the mouth. The oppositions Syria Civil Defense rescue organization said the victims appeared to have suffocated.

They did not identify the substance used, but the group, also known as the White Helmets, and the Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, said survivors treated at clinics smelled strongly of chlorine.

Those reports could not be independently verified because of a government blockade around the town.

After the attack, the Army of Islam rebel group agreed to surrender the town and evacuate their fighters to rebel-held northern Syria, Syrian state media reported. The group also agreed to give up its prisoners, a key demand of the government.

The government then agreed to halt its assault after three days of indiscriminate air and ground attacks.

Theres nothing left for civilians and fighters. We dont have anything to stand fast, said Haitham Bakkar, an opposition activist inside the town. He spoke to the Associated Press via WhatsApp.

People now are going out in the streets looking for their loved ones in the rubble, Bakkar said. And we dont have any space left to bury them.

In his tweets Sunday, Trump called Assad an animal and delivered a rare personal criticism of Russian President Vladimir Putin for supporting him.
The operator of popular Sydney cafe Bar Coluzzi has been fined close to $100,000 after an employee was allegedly forced to pay back thousands of dollars in wages as part of a cashback scheme.

The Federal Circuit Court fined Tibor Vertes, who runs the cafe in Darlinghurst $9720 and his company Robit Nominees was penalised a further $87,345.

Robit Nominees had sponsored an Italian cook on a 457 skilled worker visa. She was contracted to work a 40-hour week for an annual salary of $56,000.

Bar Coluzzi in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Credit:Fiona Morris

The court heard she worked 54 hours each week and that Robit Nominees required her to pay back $218 of her weekly wages in cash  a total of $13,952 over a 15-month period between August 2014 until November 2015.
Wes Anderson turned to stop-motion animation for his latest feature film, Isle of Dogs. Credit:Markus Schreiber Whatever format he uses, all Anderson's films share themes of ruptured or dysfunctional families, disaffected children (or disaffected men who still feel like children) and an innocent curiosity about the world, pressed into framings that are precisely constructed and profuse with detail. He says that no matter how determined he is at the beginning of a film to do something different, once it is put together "people say they can tell in 10 seconds it's by me". He gives an ironic little snicker. "I don't want to have a limited palette, but I do." A still from the film Isle of Dogs. Isle of Dogs differs from his other films, however, in a way that nobody would have expected: in its own whimsical way, it is overtly political. Along with his writing partners Jason Schwartzman and Roman Coppola, Anderson conceived Megasaki as a city in the future as it might have been imagined in the '60s.

As such, it is a sort of dystopian version of The Jetsons. The evil mayor, who is also Atari's uncle, holds vast underground rallies where scientists present "fake news" accounts of why dogs are the enemy. Trash Island is an environmental abomination kept just out of sight and thus way out of mind, as are its resident outcasts. Tracy Walker in the film Isle of Dogs. Credit:Fox Searchlight Pictures "Our dogs are people," says Anderson. "They are voiced by people, they think like people, but they go through the experiences of dogs. What happens to them is the society of which they are part turns against them. Eventually there is a manipulation of the populace to kill them. This is obviously not something that is entirely about dogs." The dogs are voiced by Bryan Cranston, Edward Norton, Bob Balaban, Liev Schreiber, Jeff Goldblum, Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson; Frances McDormand voices a central role as a Japanese translator who tells us what's going on at Mayor Kobayashi's rally. It's a starry ensemble, most of whom are Anderson regulars. "I don't think any of us are considered 'normal' people," he said once. "It's probably more a family of crazy uncles. But there's an energy that comes from people who are friends."

The world changed a good deal, he says, during the four years or so that it took to conceive, write, build and animate the film. Donald Trump was elected US President, of course, but the three writers drew on the past and on stories from around the world. "There was a certain point where it was like life was imitating the art we hadn't finished making," says Anderson. "And I'm sure, as much as we wanted to create something that is just true to itself, everything was finding its way in there." I ask if they have heard of Manus Island. Anderson splutters with that ironic half-laugh again. "It did cross my mind. Yes. Yes, that story was international." None of this has anything to do with the film's Japanese setting. That was an aesthetic choice, grounded in his enthusiasm for Akira Kurosawa's detective films, the woodblock prints from the early 19th century made by Hokusai and Hiroshige and Hayao Miyazaki's animations: he wanted to be able to work with those graphic styles, architecture and the cultural quirks he enjoyed on his one trip to Japan more than a decade ago. A friend he made on that trip, the Japanese writer and broadcaster Kunichi Nomura, acted as cultural adviser and translator and directed the Japanese voice actors, taking the role of the mayor himself. "We sort of combined a lot of different things at once, so I hope people in Japan will feel it has an authenticity even while it is, of course, a complete fantasy," he says.

As might be expected, there has been something of a backlash by America's cultural watchdogs against this latter-day japonaiserie. Anderson made what was first seen as a bold decision to have the Japanese characters speaking Japanese, sometimes without translation; we don't have to understand everything. This was hailed at the film's Berlin Film Festival premiere as a step forward  there are no awful put-on Japanese accents  but the fact that the dogs speak in English have since led to accusations that the Japanese are being "othered". Those cultural quirks, meanwhile, are racist cliche. Perhaps the core argument there should be that Anderson should have stayed away from trying to tell a story in Japan altogether. Before the backlash started, I asked him if he had any anxieties about representing another culture. "I don't know if I have anxiety about it because for us, it's a way to learn about something," he says. "When you make a movie, you're both trying to share what you have already gathered and trying to share your inspirations. I think anxiety is unavoidable, especially for anxious people, but I try to keep it away as far as possible. Because what I want to do is trust the movie we want to make. I think our version of Japan is quite an invented thing. It has Japan in it, but we have the luxury that it's a fable." Of course it is. It's a film with talking dogs. "Animation is not my thing," says Anderson. "I don't see a lot of animated movies. The Miyazaki movies I don't watch because they are animated but because they are magic."
Sami languishes in a refugee limbo land with barely a pair of socks to his name. He has a plan. He will learn the tuba and earn enough to sail to a new life.

So nothing is off limits in this work that turns human misery into farce.

Freedom song: Sami (Yalin Ozucelik) believes music could be his ticket out of the camp. Credit:Clare Hawley

But when his scheme is thwarted, he becomes suicidal. And those around him egg him on. They want him to become a martyr to their various causes, from refugee rights and women's education to romantic love.

From this large cast  11 actors and two musicians  Sami's fellow refugees emerge as disparate individuals, with dreams and despairs of their own. And they are as capable of petty and irrational behaviour as the rest of us, from the opening scene where Sami and his wife squabble over sausages.

The scene is redolent of a Punch and Judy show and it sets a frenzied, fractious tone that is maintained throughout.

The set is as makeshift as a transit camp, with Paradise painted in white-washed letters at the rear.

The play neither sentimentalises nor demonises as it looks at how dignity and dreams are salvaged from the wreckage of desperation  wreckage faced by 65 million displaced people on the planet.
Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size In dealing with the ATO, Ive never come across such a mongrel bunch of bastards in my entire life. Mark Freemans troubles with the Australian Taxation Office began in mid-2011 with an audit of Blackwater Treatment Systems, a company he set up to develop technology that would turn waste into reusable water. The company had won research and development grants from the governments innovation arm, it was working in collaboration with the University of NSW and had third-party support from Standards Australia. But the ATO decided the company wasnt eligible for the grants and tax offsets and hit Freeman with a $250,000 tax bill. It was like a horror story, he tells a joint Age/Sydney Morning Herald/Four Corners investigation into the ATO. I was stunned. We hadnt generated that type of income to even be owing that type of audit debt, he says. But on closer review of the assessment, it was obvious that the [tax] auditor had left out critical paperwork. It is a fight that has cost the 62-year-old personally and financially.

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He alleges he has been subjected to defective administration, predetermined outcomes, fabricated debts, denial of procedural fairness and targeted malice. He says he has been bullied, misled and had his reputation and credit rating trashed. When he took on the ATO he had no idea that it would consume his life for the past seven years. His office, in a house he rents in Ulladulla on the NSW south coast, is jam-packed with files and boxes of meticulous paperwork that he has amassed to help clear his name, a fight he estimates has cost him $750,000. Mark Freeman says he has spent $750,000 fighting the ATO. Credit:Wayne Taylor A target on your back The fight has also taken a toll on Freeman's personal life. Having to deal with an agency the size of the ATO, with the resources that they have, goes past the stage of explaining how difficult its been on us. Its been difficult on my wife. Its been difficult on the family. And for something that we didnt do anything wrong, not a thing wrong. Freeman set up Blackwater in 2006 with a small inheritance and his savings. It came from his passion to save the ocean. Coming from a surfing background, I had a natural objection to ocean outfalls, he says. After looking at the facts of the ocean outfall, I realised our best opposition was to develop an alternative reuse for the wastewater.

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And he did. The aim for the treatment system  which looks like a portable box  is to have it installed in every Australian home to recycle waste into reusable water. A prototype is set up at Ulladulla Sewage Treatment Plant, but Freemans battle with the tax office has set it back a few years due to lack of funding. This is the first on-site system designed for reuse for the domestic market. The prototype in itself is hopefully setting new guidelines for reuse, national guidelines. Weve taken a centralised sewage treatment plant and miniaturised it into this prototype. Freeman is one of a number of legitimate companies eligible for research and development grants that the tax office has crushed. Graeme Halperin tells clients to avoid grants. Credit:Eddie Jim Barrister Graeme Halperin, who has been practising tax law for 30 years, says he tells his clients not to apply for research and development grants. Its effectively putting a target on your back, he says. I would basically tell clients not to bother engaging in R&D in this country, notwithstanding the government talks up its commitment to R&D in this country. He believes the ATO is getting worse. They are much tougher on their position on penalties, he says. Where originally you might have ended up with a 5 or 10 per cent penalty, and then it rose to 25 per cent for lack of reasonable care, typically these days I will see penalties of 50 per cent, 75 per cent, 90 per cent, where effectively the primary tax bill has been doubled.

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The ATOs deputy commissioner of small business, Deborah Jenkins, rejects negative comment and says the tax office doesnt have an image problem. I dont think the ATO has an image problem ... People talk to me very, very positively about the work that theyre doing with the ATO. I work very closely with a number of small businesses in the community, industry associations, and they are very positive about the changes theyve seen within the ATO. I think they all accept that we are going to make mistakes, but the mark of us is going to be how we deal with those mistakes and how we learn from those mistakes. Loading The joint Age/Sydney Morning Herald/Four Corners investigation has uncovered a litany of questionable business practices at the ATO including abuse of power, bullying, intimidation and mistakes. It spoke to many small businesses and individuals, but most didnt want to speak publicly for fear of retribution. Some roll over, even if they are in the right. The investigation found that the tax office doesnt always play fair and is breaching the communitys trust. Freeman is living proof. He says his treatment by the ATO was a breach of trust. ATO Commissioner Chris Jordan. Credit:Wayne Taylor The era of trust

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Since Chris Jordan joined the ATO as Commissioner in 2013, the organisation has been on a transformation drive but, with a staff of 20,000, the message is struggling to get through. In a recent speech to a national conference of tax agents in Cairns, Jordan set out his mission to build trust and confidence in the ATO. I do understand the need for balance, pragmatism, respect and empathy for taxpayers and their representatives at the same time as being able to hold the nations interest uppermost in this position as Commissioner of Taxation, he said. But trust is being broken and as Allan Fels, the former head of competition watchdog the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, warns, This is an era when institutions must be trusted". The ATO is reeling over trust issues after its star deputy commissioner, Michael Cranston, dragged the office into a scandal last year when he was charged with abuse of office after a police investigation into an alleged $144 million scam led by Cranstons son, Adam Cranston. Michael Cranston, who resigned after the scandal broke, is accused of inappropriately accessing confidential ATO information on his sons behalf. The matter triggered an investigation by the Inspector-General of Taxation, a key oversight body of the ATO, into whether internal ATO practices and procedures can properly identify internal fraud. A report and recommendations will be released in June.

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I object to M.Moore's comparison (Letters, April 6) of the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games to the televised special on SBS of the 9/11 terrorist attack, iterating that they were both equally a "disaster". The opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games was very impressive indeed. Tony Falla, Ngunnawal Planning going to pot The Grand Central Towers development adjacent to the Woden Bus Interchange, which was approved earlier this year, will contain two towers, one of 18 storeys, the other of 26.

This is a very big development on a very small block, in a particularly constricted area of the town centre. The planners clearly thought so too. According to the precinct code which governs the Woden Town Centre, the height limit for this block should be 16 storeys (12 with an extra four for the location). The developers, Geocon and Zapari, were able to get around the code, because their development application was lodged and considered under the old rules (under which there were no height limits in the main part of the town centre.) They were able to do this because the new rules were not notified until after they had lodged their development application. Curiously, though, Amalgamated Group has a development, called Ivy, in the northern section of the town centre, for which the new rules offered more storeys than the old rules.

In this case, a little window of effectiveness was opened up so that the new rules applied between the beginning and end of December 2016, when the Ivy application was lodged. We are surely entering Cloud Cuckoo land here. The precinct code applied during December of 2016, to allow for Ivy, then it didn't (while Grand Central Towers was under consideration), and then (when the Precinct Code was finally notified in July 2017), it applied again. What is happening to planning in this city? It seems there is one law for developers and another for the rest of us in present-day Canberra. Dr Jenny Stewart, Torrens

Tax inequity growing Income tax bracket creep is an inequity which needs to be addressed. Few would disagree with Peter Martin on that ("Morrison's flush won't win", April 5, p16). The matter is confounded by the lowering of the rates across the upper brackets over some decades. Mr Martin's call for blanket tax cuts on the basis of a short-term fluctuation drew attention to areas of the budget deprived of necessary funds, particularly welfare and aid. Even if the unexpected increase in revenue this financial year continues, it would be timely to remember the belated wisdom of yesteryear which lamented the lost opportunity to establish a sovereign wealth fund like Norway's.

Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor Xi acting like Reith The PRC's white paper on religious freedom in China shares a similar style to Peter Reith's views on freedom of association for trade unionists. His freedom of association policy manifested in 'non' association rights for non unionists and it was hoped, for unionists  especially those employed on the waterfront in 1998. It was packaged in the 1996 workplace relations legislation. Hard to pick the difference between two authoritarian governments 'upholding' international conventions so as to sideline them. Will President Xi appoint a 'Religious Freedom' Advocate for the PRC? Steve O'Neill, Watson

Hamas in the wrong Mary Kelly (Letters, April 5) does not seem to appreciate that the blockade of Gaza was established only after Hamas, seeking to manufacture anti-Israeli sentiment, sent its militia to carry out acts of terrorism against Israeli civilians. Hamas, considered a terrorist organisation by Australia, the United States, the European Union, Israel and other countries and international organisations, continues to maintain its anti-Israel policy through terror tunnels built into Israeli territory. It incites violence only on the Israeli side, despite the fact that the security barrier is much more severe on the Egyptian side. It is incorrect to state that the "March" protesters were non violent.

According to the Israeli Defence Force (IDF) and multiple videos, the violence began when the IDF were on the receiving end of burning tyres, Molotov cocktails and rocks fired from slingshots, which then escalated to live fire on the IDF. Hamas leaders did not hide the real goal of the "March of Return", which was not about improving humanitarian and economic conditions for Gazans, but their continued call for the destruction of Israel. Ms Kelly might well ask why Hamas has so much money for violence-producing activities, and so little to spend on basic amenities for ordinary Gazans. Israel has repeatedly emphasised it has no issue with Palestinian civilians but only with Hamas and their related terrorist entities. Y. Goode, Yarralumla

Renewables the way Malcolm Turnbull is determined to do everything in his power to keep the Liddell coal-fired power station running at least until Snowy Hydro 2.0 comes on line in about 2025. However, it's hard to imagine why AGL would step away from its rational commercial decision to shut the plant down in 2022. Mr Turnbull may have other parties to contend with. Both Alinta Energy  now Hong Kong owned  and Delta Electricityhave expressed interest in purchasing Liddell, and Alinta wants to keep it running until between 2027 and2029. One can't help wondering, though, why they would want tobuy such a large and complexplant, which is demonstrably onits last legs and would cost afortune to repair and maintain.

It seems to me that rather than keeping Liddell's coal fires burning, Alinta and Delta would be wise to consider seriously the renewable energy path that AGL has in mind, for the following reasons: the cost of energy provided via lithium-ion batteries has fallen by 79 per cent between 2010 and 2017; the costs of energy from wind and solar sources have fallen significantly; while those from coal gas, nuclear and "large hydro" sources have decreased "only slightly" during that period. The ANU has forecast that costs of renewable energy generators will fall to $50 a megawatt-hour in the 2020s. Prices of coal-fired energy forecast by the Australian Stock Exchange for the period 2020 March quarter and 2021 December quarter in NSW average $75.73 a megawatt hour, or 52 per cent higher than renewable energy. Renewable energy makes more sense than the late 19th to early 20th century practice of burning dirty (in some cases, such as Victorian brown coal, hazardously so) coal. Douglas Mackenzie, Deakin

Logic v superstition The logic with which James Allan (Letters, March 29) so sensibly demolishes the published objections of the anti-abortion brigade will not change their minds. The real reason, which they never mention, is not amenable to logic: the superstitious belief that their god endows these clumps of dividing cells with a "soul", and that this makes them a full human being. Since that "soul" is immortal, why aborting the clumps of cells in which it temporarily resides should make any difference, I can't imagine. But there I go being logical again.

It would be refreshing, though, if they'd be honest about their objection instead of dishonestly cloaking it in pseudo-rational terms. Fred Pilcher, Kaleen Dropping a line I recently accessed the new walkway and waterfront in West Basin by kayak. On behalf of the hundreds of seagulls and waterbirds who have been using this new area and its "pristine" paving and walkways as a place to hang out, I say thank you to the ACT government. It's just tremendous and an ideal location for them to leave their droppings. Heaps and heaps of them.

John Mungoven, Stirling Own up on dirty work If we want to help prevent another IS our first task is not to try and implement anti-radicalisation programs overseas. Our first task is to stop Western governments from implementing state-sponsored terrorism in the Middle East and beyond. We need to change the chauvinistic narrative in our countries, which is even more powerful in inculcating our Western children with ideas about invading and occupying other nations.

Terrorism comes in many forms and the most powerful is that committed by the state in the name of unjustified military actions. Rather than diverting oxygen on much lower priorities we need to develop campaigns that acknowledge our own filthy hands and the way in which we incited and provoked retaliation. Adam Bonner, Brogo, NSW Lure of darker days It is patently clear that the intellectual, scientific, strategic and outward-looking personal qualities and capabilities of one man, the late General Sir John Monash, far outweigh and surpass those of the collective membership of the Monash Forum ("'Horse-and-buggy era': Monash descendants slam government's coal push", canberratimes.com.au, April 5).

The Mishmash Medieval Forum would be a more apt moniker for this bunch of highly paid yet troglodytic federal decision-makers who waste their time and taxpayers' money trying to set this country back into the northern hemisphere's Middle Ages. Sue Dyer, Downer Dressed for battle Re "At the controls to get capital on the rails" (March 31, p16). I notice, in the pictures accompanying the article, that Canberra Metro employees either sitting or standing in the cabin of our wheel-chocked, non-electrified tram inside a warehouse are wearing safety goggles, hi-vis vests and hard hats.

I wonder if when the tram is actually moving, the passengers will be obliged to dress similarly and, if so, will the clothing be issued with the ticket to ride, or if the passengers will need to bring their own. John McKeough, Page Wrong way on cars With enormous capacity for solar energy and a capacity to store it by breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen why are we pushing for battery-driven electric cars? They are slow to charge. We could have pollution-free processes for producing energy and driving hydrogen cars that are also refuelled quickly.

While I am aware of possible downsides, surely this is the direction we should be taking. Philip Pocock, Canberra Hours not to reason With three sons, one off Ps, one on Ps, one on Ls, I thought I'd do the "your say" survey on P-Plates. I don't necessarily think the minimum number of hours should be increased from the recommended 50 hours to 100 hours. Question 9: How many hours should a learner driver complete before applying for Ps? My answer choices: 100 hours, 110 hours, 120 hours. As my son on Ls said: "WTF Shane?"

John Howarth, Weston TO THE POINT COSTELLO LEFTISH TOO "Unlike Turnbull, who once considered running for Labor, Costello is regarded as one of their own by Liberal true believers" ("Could Costello save the Coalition in 2019?", canberratimes.com.au, April 4). But it is interesting that Peter Costello also had Labor leanings in his youth. Active in student politics, he was an office-bearer of the Social Democratic Students Association of Victoria and an affiliate of the Balaclava branch of Australian Young Labor.

Michael McCarthy, Deakin LIDDELL IDENTITY CRISIS Which is it? Old lady Liddell or just a really decrepit facility past its use-by date? Ann Villiers, Scullin POOR CHOICE OF WORDS

James Allan (Letters, March 29) chose an illogical metaphor when he asserted "a clump of cells that has been dividing for several weeks is no more a person than blueprints and planning approvals are a house" given that, unimpeded, those cells will quickly develop into a recognisable person. Then he implied that dependence on a mother for survival is inconsistent with being a person. Perhaps human nature is more than cell biology can say. John L Smith, Farrer MANDATE FOR HARM

It appears a vote for the Turnbull government will mean Australia will have to endure many more years of the harmful effects of coal-fired power stations. S. K. Chatterjee, Evatt NUMBERS DON'T STACK UP As an Australian I feel belittled and written off as a citizen of a third-world country. Julie Bishop has been able to find only two Russian diplomats to expel as spies. Putin is adding another 59 foreign diplomats to those already expelled, bringing his total to around 140 . He obviously thinks Australia is only worth two spies. What a show of disdain. It could be worse, I suppose. Apparently the Kiwis have no spies to expel.

Paul O'Connor, Hawker HOW TO GET POLLS APART Malcolm Turnbull could always recalibrate and extend 30 Newspoll losses to say 100, or alternatively claim that he didn't nominate when the count started. Rod Matthews, Melbourne,Vic SOLAR SPENDING VACUUM
The ACT government announced on Monday that it will fund an extra judicial officer to sit full-time on the ACT Magistrates Court. Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay said recruitment would begin shortly, and the government expected to appoint the new magistrate in the second half of the year.

As part of the funding agreement, which provides $3.1 million over the next four years for the new magistrate, the government said it will also give $987,000 to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, and $1.3 million to Legal Aid ACT, for extra staff to deal with the increased workload.

The government said it will shortly begin recruitment for a new magistrate.

An extra magistrate will bring some relief to a court that has long struggled to keep up with its workload, which includes criminal, including family violence, and civil lists as well as children's and coronial matters.

Territory citizens who come through the ACT Magistrates Court criminal lists can wait months for a hearing date. Coronial matters, up against the court's competing priorities, can take years for resolution.
The Canberra community knows that the future is clean, green and renewable. With an

ambitious 100 per cent renewable electricity target and some of the lowest electricity prices in the

country, we are realising this vision right here, right now in the ACT. The ACT also has a

target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40 per cent below 1990 levels by 2020 and

achieving net zero emissions by 2050 at the latest - some of the most ambitious targets in

the world.

Kerrie Schott, Josh Frydenberg and Malcolm Turnbull at the release of the federal government's National Energy Guarantee. Credit:AAP

Conversely, the federal governments latest energy thought-bubble, the National Energy

Guarantee or NEG, needs real reform if it is to positively contribute to a clean and green

future that tackles climate change. The NEG, as it stands, is just not good enough. It would

lock in poor energy policy for years to come, at a time when the future of the planet

depends on real climate action. It is economic and climate vandalism that is designed to

placate the COAL-ition backbench, rather than deliver a clean and green future for all

Australians.

For a policy put together in a matter of weeks last year, the Prime Minister and Energy

Minister Josh Frydenberg sure do have grand claims for the NEG. They say it will solve

reliability challenges in the electricity grid, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and save

households money. But a closer look at the policy shows that each of these claims is very

dubious.

The NEGs emission reduction targets are too weak, which means we wont achieve our

Paris Climate Agreement commitments. The science shows that we must not break a certain

carbon budget if we want to avoid catastrophic temperature rises. Meeting the budget

means we must quickly phase out fossil fuels - there can be no Adani coal mines, no new

coal fired power generation, and we must rapidly transition away from gas as an energy

source. But the NEG does the opposite. It would prop up dirty, ageing and expensive coal-

fired power plants, polluting the atmosphere with greenhouse gases that contribute to

global warming. It will also hamper the progress of renewable energy. Its an intervention at

odds with the climate science, as well as the direction of the market.
Our first session is not the quick meeting she promised me. It's a flow of verbs describing how I'd like to see the end product - "real", "energetic" "fearless" and then I'm suddenly posing. "Show me attitude! Pout your lips! Now do your excited face!" she yells at me over the roar of the printing press as confused print hands watch the action.

Jenny presenting 93-year-old humanitarian Stasia Dabrowski with her oil portrait last year. Credit:Karleen Minney

The next two posing sessions are much more relaxed (and quiet). I sit at Jenny's dining table in a bikini while she stares intently at my eyes for like 18 hours (okay maybe 30 minutes) and my entire face. Having someone stare intently at you for a length of time is hugely disconcerting and uncomfortable. My emotions range from embarrassment and frustration to confusion. My anxiety is in its element: "Why is she painting you? You're ugly. Why does she keep saying your eyes are beautiful? They're not." Sitting for a portrait is the ultimate in vulnerability.

Jenny's decided she loves my "super excited" expression - "it's just so you" - so I have to sit pulling that face like an idiot, all the while praying Jenny's husband doesn't barge in the front door and die of shock at my "six year old on Christmas morning" face. Jenny decides to paint in watercolour and isn't interested in making the portrait look like a photograph. "I want people to see the brush strokes, the authenticity that this was made by a human."

Then the painter paints. Over the weeks while she's working I get random text updates - "your hair isn't doing what I want it to", "haven't quite done the teeth" and "tired today, up till 3am last night". Jenny says when she paints, she's in "deep flow" which only ends when she can no longer ignore the rumble of her stomach or a quick glance at the clock tells her she's three hours deep into a new day.
The Awassi Express pictured in Fremantle in 2015.

Footage aired on national television on Sunday shows disturbing scenes of sheep suffering from heat stress, covered in their own excrement and dying on board during multiple voyages of live animal export to the Middle East.

The Channel Nine 60 Minutes video showed the sheep packed with little room to move in temperatures of up to 40 degrees, fighting to reach food and water.

An investigation into an August 2017 incident on a trip from Perth to Doha found 2400 sheep died on the Awassi Express due to extreme heat  almost twice the acceptable mortality rate.
A 20-year-old Liverpool man has been charged after allegedly bashing a toddler in a brutal attack that left the 18-month-old boy with a fractured skull, burst eardrums and a possibly dislocated spine.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, is the boyfriend of the toddler's mother.

He was arrested by investigators on Sunday morning in connection with the attack, which allegedly took place at a unit in Bankstown about 11pm on Saturday.

Emergency services found the toddler with serious head injuries.

He was taken to The Childrens Hospital at Westmead, where he remains in a serious condition.
High-profile barrister Charles Waterstreet has declared bankruptcy, casting doubt on his ability to continue practising at the Sydney Bar.

The 68-year-old lodged documents with the Australian Financial Security Authority on March 13 and is now listed as an undischarged bankrupt on the national personal insolvency index.

Charles Waterstreet applied for bankruptcy after he was ordered to pay more than $420,000 to the Tax Office. Credit:Ben Rushton

Mr Waterstreet has been at the centre of a series of controversies in recent months, including allegations of sexual harassment made against him by a number of female paralegals.

The allegations, vehemently denied by Mr Waterstreet, led the University of Sydney to ban him last year from advertising on its online careers hub.
A senior police officer who tried to stop a fight between two men was hit on the head with a glass bottle, sparking a huge manhunt in Sydney's west overnight.

The Acting Inspector was treated at Nepean Hospital and released on Sunday. Credit:NSW Police

The duty officer stopped his car on Luxford Road after he saw two men fighting shortly before 12.30am Sunday, police said.

He stepped into the brawl before a third man hit him on the head with the bottle, causing a large gash. The men then fled.

Police arrested a man, 26, who was shirtless and covered in blood, near the Emerton road where the Acting Inspector was glassed. He was released pending further enquiries.
The son of a missing Queensland police officer, who is thought to have taken his own life more than eight years ago, is celebrating a victory in his fight for improved mental health support for emergency service workers and returning military veterans.

A Senate committee will investigate whether various levels of government are doing enough to address the high rates of mental health conditions experienced by first responders and emergency service workers.

Steven Isles outside the Ayr Police Station where his father worked before his disappearance. Credit:Paul Harris

Stephen Isles' father, Senior Sergeant Mick Isles, disappeared on September 23, 2009, while driving to Townsville for a training course.

His police car was found abandoned on an isolated track in Eight Mile Creek in north Queensland and a 2012 coronial investigation ruled Senior Sergeant Isles walked off into the bush and ended his own life with a shotgun.
Children aged between six months and five years will be eligible for free flu shots from May, under a plan to fight the illness launched on Sunday by the Victorian government.

Health Minister Jill Hennessy said the plan, which will cost $3.5 million, meant children, people over 65 and a small group of others would be eligible for free flu shots.

Shots can cost anywhere between $10 and $40 if not done at a health service offering them free.

Ms Hennessy and Premier Daniel Andrews were at the Royal Childrens Hospital on Sunday, also announcing extra funding for more beds and staff during this years flu season.
On the Cranbourne line, 93.3 per cent of services arrived on time in 2001, but this fell to 87.7 per cent by 2017. On the Werribee line, 95.8 per cent of services were punctual 17 years ago. In 2017, 91.6 per cent of services arrived on time. The only train lines to maintain their level of punctuality over the 17 years were the Glen Waverley (96 per cent) and Sandringham (95 per cent) lines. A train is considered late if it arrives more than four minutes and 59 seconds behind schedule. Before 2009, it was late if it arrived after five minutes and 59 seconds. Train reliability, which measures the proportion of scheduled trains that are delivered, went backwards on eight train lines.

On the regional V/Line network, six lines including the Ballarat, Bendigo and Geelong lines, were less punctual and less reliable in 2017, compared with 2005. (The analysis only goes as far back as 2005 and excludes the Albury and Swan Hill and Echuca lines, due to inconsistencies in the data.) The state paid $1.9 billion to Connex over five years from 2004, before Metro signed a $3.8 billion seven-year contract in 2009.

Victoria is now paying $6.3 billion to Metro over the next seven years. The company will be paid $330 million annually for maintenance and renewal works  a rise of 32 per cent. Commuter Stephen Colebrook is fed up with enduring constant delays during peak hour on the Altona Loop  a section of single track that veers off the Werribee Line between Laverton and Newport. The frequency of trains on the loop are limited due to the single track, and the loop is often bypassed when trains are running late, he said. The government is partially duplicating the track  an 800 metre stretch  but Mr Colebrook said this was just a small section of track. "It's really frustrating and the bypasses often happen at peak hour."

Melbourne University transport expert John Stone, who has led research tracking government funding to private rail operators, said the public deserved to know how Metro Trains was spending taxpayers' money on infrastructure. But this isn't made publicly available, Dr Stone said. "We are paying more to operate the network now than we ever did before ... but we can't tell where the money is going," he said. Dr Stone said patronage growth has been predicted "for at least the past decade" and was not a sufficient excuse for declining performance. "The public has a right to expect better punctuality and reliability than we currently get," he said.

Public Transport Minister Jacinta Allan said the government was delivering the most significant overhaul to the public transport system in the state's history, investing $30 billion to boost capacity and reduce congestion.

"After four wasted years under the former Liberal government  who didnt start a single major transport project  were building the transport system to get Victorians where they need to go safer and sooner," she said. Getting Melbourne's trains to arrive on time is not a new problem, nor one that is unique to Metro Trains. Punctuality across the network dropped steadily under the previous operator, Connex, to between 86 and 88 per cent of services arriving on time. This was in the face of a 12 per cent annual increase in patronage between 2006 and 2008.

Punctuality rose above 90 per cent from 2012 under Metro Trains, and has hovered around 92 per cent since. Metro spokesman Marcus Williams said the company had made this improvement to train punctuality "against a backdrop of huge increases in patronage". "We are now in a period of massive investment that is modernising the network by adding capacity and building brand-new infrastructure," he said. PTV chief executive Jeroen Weimar said the number of services had "dramatically increased" over the past decade, "despite the overall design of our rail networks remaining largely unchanged". He said the Metro Tunnel (a new underground rail line being built under central Melbourne), the removal of level crossings and a $1.57 billion plan to improve regional rail services would deliver a boost.

Rail Futures Institute president John Hearsch said urgent improvements were needed on the network, such as extending the Cranbourne line to the suburb of Clyde and duplicating the single section of the track. Mr Hearsch said 50-year-old signalling and the use of the old trains built by Comeng that first entered service in the 1980s were contributing to worsening reliability. Increasing dwell times due to overcrowding was also causing a drop in punctuality, he said. "As soon as you have that [an increase in dwell time], those delays tend to cascade." In 2016, Victoria's Auditor-General found that the condition of both train and tram infrastructure had deteriorated in the seven years leading up to the audit.
Six of the worst

"The NSW Federation of Parents and Citizens' Associations will seek legislative action to prohibit corporal punishment, detention and the humiliation of children in schools. It believes offending pupils should be given remedial teaching, not punishment. A draft submission states that some forms of humiliation in schools are 'just short of the medieval practice of placing a citizen in stocks'."

Chiang Kai-shek dies

"Taiwan has begun a month of mourning for General Chiang Kai-shek, who has died. The one-time revolutionary who helped overthrow China's last imperial dynasty, led the nation against Japan in World War II and was then driven into exile by the communists as they swept all before them in 1949. The General fled to Taiwan. His government was eventually ousted by the UN of which it was a founder member."

Pedal power
Its true that when Malcolm Turnbull announced his challenge to Tony Abbotts leadership he commented on 30 negative polls ... and a whole lot more. Apparently Tony Abbott is still spruiking the line that he ran a proper cabinet process. The LOL from cabinet ministers isnt the ''lots of love'' thing.

Monday might be a good time to try a day without any electronic news. Short of that, you might think of feigning illness of some sort just to get away from the inevitable babble about 30 news polls.

Perhaps he really believes it. The idea to appoint knights and dames didnt go through a cabinet process. Neither did the idea to make Prince Philip a knight on Australia Day. Our honours system goes to the core of how we see ourselves, who we have become. Its notable that the Howard government, despite suggestions that it should, never proposed doing it. John Howard understood Australia in a way that Abbott never has.

Once, when there was a check around the cabinet table as to who thought what, the result was a tie. Much to the chagrin of the other half, Howard voted against his own preference. Why? Because he thought the majority of Australians didnt agree with him. OK, maybe he wouldnt have on another issue. But he had an ability to read the public mind.

In stark contrast Abbott seems to assume that theres some enormous silent majority out there yearning for implementation of his world view. The same sex-marriage result in Warringah should have been enlightening for him.

On that issue Abbott built a reputation among colleagues that was not commendable. Instead of managing an issue to get a result that brought everyone to the table, Abbott mismanaged colleagues and the issue because of his own personal views. People on all sides of the debate within the Coalition were unhappy. It was his conduct of it that led a number of colleagues to conclude, albeit with some regret, that they just couldnt trust him any more.

Labor, for all its handwringing and self-promotion, had done nothing. An astute leader would have seen that and engineered something far better than the mess Abbott left. Its to Turnbulls credit, being on the record in favour of same-sex marriage, and a few of his more conservative cabinet members who were opposed that they could work it out as a team. They got a result everyone can live with, by working together.
The frontman for the campaign to stop redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market, Phil Cleary, may be ineligible to run for lord mayor of Melbourne.

The former federal MP from Coburg planned to run in the upcoming by-election for lord mayor, largely in a bid to force Melbourne City Council to abandon its $250 million market plan.

Phil Cleary last week at the Queen Victoria Market, announcing he would run for lord mayor. He may be ineligible. Credit:Jason South

But on Friday, Mr Cleary was told he was ineligible.

The Victorian Electoral Commission simply do not have me registered, said Mr Cleary on Sunday.
London: Britain is considering offering poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia new identities and a fresh life in the United States in an attempt to protect them from further murder attempts.

British newspapers report that officials at the MI6 intelligence agency have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the victims poisoned last month in the English city of Salisbury.

"They will be offered new identities," it quoted an unidentified source as saying.

The papers said it was believed Britain would want to ensure their safety by resettling them in one of the so-called "five eyes" countries, the intelligence-sharing partnership that also includes the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Beirut: A Syrian rebel group has accused government forces of launching a deadly chemical attack on civilians in a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta, and a medical relief organisation said 35 people had been killed in chemical attacks on the area.

Syrian state media on Saturday denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and said rebels in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

The US State Department said it was monitoring the situation and that Russia should be blamed if chemicals were used.

Reuters could not independently verify reports of a chemical attack.
(Inside Science) -- Even drugs that clear the body quickly leave traces about when and where they were used. In fact, many traces get flushed down the toilet  and those traces can be surprisingly revealing.

In a study published last month in the journal Science of the Total Environment, researchers analyzed sewage from two towns in western Kentucky. By testing for active ingredients and metabolites of marijuana, cocaine, amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy and several opioids, they were able to estimate the average quantity of each drug consumed per 1,000 people in the population on any given day. This allowed them to infer how drug use changed during special events in the summer of 2017.

In both communities, significantly higher levels of amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine and methadone were found in the wastewater on July 4 than on a typical day. In particular, methamphetamine levels were high on Independence Day, with levels doubling in one town and rising by half in the other.

One of the towns was in the path of the total solar eclipse that crossed the country August 21. In that town, the eclipse brought a significant uptick in amphetamine, methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine and marijuana. The measurements suggested that 1,450 milligrams of amphetamine per 1,000 people was consumed on the day of the eclipse -- enough to get about 2.9 percent of the town's population high. That represented a roughly 60 percent increase over the amphetamine residues found on a typical day.

Of course, it's likely that some people took more than one dose, said Bikram Subedi, an analytical chemist at Murray State University in Kentucky and one of the study's authors. Moreover, he added, some of the drugs used on eclipse day likely came from visitors who came to see the eclipse, not the town's regular population.



"This is an interesting study and provides valuable information on the magnitude of increase in the use of illicit drugs during specific holidays," wrote Kurunthachalam Kannan, an environmental health researcher at the Wadsworth Center, New York State Department of Health in Albany, New York, in an email. "One interesting find is that meth usage in communities surveyed seems to be higher than in urban communities." Kannan was not involved in the study.

Researchers have used sewage to track drug use in other parts of the world, but the technique has rarely been used in the United States, despite its potential to complement traditional data sources such as surveys and toxicology reports, said Subedi. Sewage can't lie like a person on a survey, and it offers a relatively unbiased look at all drug use in a community, not just the extreme cases that end up in a hospital. And unlike traditional methods, sewage analysis can track changes from day to day.

"This will give the semi-real-time drug consumption in communities," said Subedi. "That information could be really helpful for the authorities."

This article is provided by Inside Science News Service, which is supported by the American Institute of Physics.




Forgot to add...There are spoilers in this review.



Episode 2.19

Benjamin Franklin + Grey Duffle - As Mac and the team investigate the suspicious death of Dawns (Amy Smart) CIA supervisor, the evidence leads to a dirty CIA agent and a massive counterfeiting ring, on MACGYVER, which airs Friday nights 8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT on the CBS Television Network.



I love the cold openings of MacGyver, and actually wish they'd make some of them into episodes. Episode 2.19 - Benjamin Franklin + Grey Duffle is no exception.





"He's afraid of heights...You're on a trampoline tied to a bunch of balloons. This is probably the end...Saving our lives the Jack Dalton way..."

Remember Pixar's awesome animated movie "UP", now think Jack, Mac, and Riley floating high up in the air on a trampoline with thousands of balloons above them 10,000 feet high and climbing. Oh, and by the way, Mac is terrified of heights. Jack Dalton to the rescue. This scene was awesome plus I love the movie "Up" too.Did I also mention I love the tag lines they always put across the screen. I love it,. Jack has a surprise visitor in his apartment, someone who was last in his apartment stole his TV, a very big TV by the way. The infamous Dawn from New Orleans. So I'll just say. I liked her dynamics in the team way better than Cage, who hopefully doesn't come back. I don't know, I just liked Dawn better for some reason, I think her chemistry with everyone was better somehow.Dawn needs Jack's help. Someone killed her supervisor, Paul, at the CIA and it wasn't an accident. Plus she feels guilty cause her supervisor tried to tell her what was going on, but she told him not to say anything, thinking it would keep him and everyone else safe. Unfortunately, he must have already ruffled too many feathers.I am probably in the minority, I liked Jack and Dawn working together in this episode. The two of them breaking into her dead boss's office, throwing a computer out of the window at a secure (or not so secure) CIA Field Office.The animosity coming off Riley regarding Dawn is interesting to watch. Its half protect Jack from the conniving con-artist and half, oh no you don't my mom has dibs first. I get it, but then I didn't think Jack has as much chemistry with Riley's mom Diane as he does with Dawn.Matty is pissed now, seeing the evidence that the fake passports exist and someone codename Echo has killed Paul to cover it up. She wants answers now.I actually enjoy Matty so much more than Patricia Thornton.(this picture of Matty is from episode 2.14)The car scene between Jack and Dawn I thought was great. We now understand more of where Dawn was coming from, and more proof that Jack really is a great guy.Okay, by far one of two great scenes of this episode involves Matty kicking ass. She walks through the halls of the CIA field office, and people run away, hide from her, have abject fear on their faces. And Matty loves it all as she walks with purpose into Julian's office, one of the Deputy Directors, interrupting a meeting, ignoring his assistant's "Excuse me you can't go in there without an appointment" montage. And just like that, she is able to clear a room. I LOVE this scene and I LOVE her kicking ass without lifting a finger.Julian, one of the good guys. I guess we should have known better.This time, Jack's cell phone is destroyed by a bullet, not one of MacGyver's crazy plans. Jack and Dawn are under fire in Nebraska, and why should they have all the fun you ask? Don't worry cause soon it's Mac and Bozer taking fire as well.The gang survives another day, discover lots and lots of money, some fake and some real, and now they are off to Lima Peru.Ah, how much money did they really find? Think some well deserving orphans might need some.Oh, I almost forgot about Jill. I love Jill too. She and Mac geek out, over something so gross I won't even mention it. Just know it's about money and germs. Yuck! Their geekiness was very cute.The scene between Jack and Mac and Riley and Dawn on the plane was fun to watch. Mac asks Jack a question, and he gets noise and shoulder shrugs. It was too cute (sorry I'm a girl, it was cute). Dawn asks Riley, access to any movie ever made, and you're watching bags on a carousel. My thoughts exactly. These dynamics are what I enjoyed more than the team with Cage.And Riley's threat to Dawn if she hurt Jack, with two keys, it was awesome and scary and awesome.And Mac and Jack, so strange seeing the shoe on the other foot and Mac trying to protect Jack. This and the scenes with Matty definitely made this a great episode.Mac needs a phone, and since Dawn owes Jack a TV, she has to give her's up. I think Jack needs to buy his cell phones in bulk and then buy phone stock.The Lima Peru part of this episode and Matty interrogating the suspects aren't bad, just not my favorites.Although when the gang gets arrested, that was fun to watch.I so want Riley's hacking skills. She can hack into anything!Or MacGyver's mad ass skills. Better yet, both!I did enjoy this scene a lot, Mac and Jack fighting over the phone while talking to Matty.Jack and Riley having the talk in the most not so great time or place is almost funny.So the car scene with former friend Julian and Matty was freakin awesome! The lighter! Reminds me of "Guarding Tess", except Matty kicks ass and flips the car. You go!The hospital scene was great too, especially Bozer's faux pas.The last scene I really liked, and I hope they bring back Dawn.(Note - The pictures for this review don't always match the scene I was talking about, but are from this episode minus the one of Matty.)Hope you liked this review. What did you think of this episode? Leave a comment.
Paris, April 06, 2018 (SPS) - The lives of the five Sahrawi prisoners, on the 27th day of unlimited hunger strike in Moroccan prisons, "are in danger," warned the Association of Friends of the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (AA-RASD), urging Morocco to abide by the international humanitarian law.

"Five Sahrawi political prisoners are on unlimited hunger strike in Moroccan jails since 27 days to demand the respect for their human rights; It is urgent to support them," said the French association.

These hunger strikers are demanding, among others, their transfer to prisons near their families in the occupied territories of Western Sahara, and denounced ill-treatments and lack of medical care in Moroccan prisons, added the association.

On 12 February, two of Gdeim Izik prisoners' lawyers, Ingrid Metton and Olfa Ouled, were expelled from Morocco and prevented from visiting the Sahrawi prisoners, who are scattered in the prisons of Kenitra, Tiflet, Aarjate, Casablanca, Ait Melloul and Bouizakarne, often over 1,000 kilometres away from their places of residence, recalled the association.SPS

125/090/700
Shaheed El-Hafed (refugee camps), April 7, 2018 (SPS) - The Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary General for Western Sahara, Head of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO), Colin Stewart, was Friday received by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mohamed Salem Hamada, at the MFA headquarters.

Mr. Stewart, who was accompanied by the Head of MINURSO Liaison Office in Tindouf, Yusuf Jidian, presented his condolences to the Polisario Front following the passing away of the Boukhari Ahmed, and proceeded to sign the register of condolences.

Mr. Stewart praised on behalf of the United Nations and its Secretary General the qualities of the deceased who enjoyed the respect of those who worked with him at the United Nations as a representative of the Polisario Front for years.

"The Secretary-General (UN) is saddened to hear of the death of Ahmed Boukhari and he extends his sincere condolences to his family," UN Security Council spokesman Stephane Dujarric said during his daily press briefing.

Boukhari Ahmed passed away Tuesday night after a long illness, announced the presidency of the Republic.

The deceased had joined the ranks of the Polisario Front from since a young age. "By his death, the Saharawi people have lost one of their men who sacrificed their lives to serve the national cause," said the presidency in a statement.

Known for his diplomatic and juridical skills, especially at the United Nations, "the deceased accomplished his mission with patience and perseverance until the last breath," the statement added.

A seven-day national mourning was decreed from Wednesday in tribute to his diplomat and inveterate activism for the Saharawi cause. His body will be buried next Sunday at the cemetery of the wialya of Smara.

Condolence registers have been opened at the SADR embassies and the Polisario Front representations around the world to receive condolences, it should be recalled. (SPS)

062/SPS/TRA




NEWTOWN  One year ago, 42-year-old Dan Krauss got the call he had been waiting eight months for  news that doctors had found him a good match for a much-needed heart transplant.

Krauss, of Newtown, had been diagnosed with congestive heart failure 11 years earlier, after what he thought was a cold he couldnt shake landed him in the emergency room at Danbury Hospital. He had spent the following decade on and off the transplant list while doctors used drugs, a defibrillator and a left ventricular assist device to keep his heart working at full capacity.

When he got that call on April 8, 2017  or rather, when his wife called to tell him the doctors had called  Krauss had been on the transplant list since the previous summer. Hearing the news, he felt a muted excitement.

I was excited, but very nervous, Krauss said. I also was very cognizant of the fact that somebody had passed away. It was exciting for me, but I knew somewhere, somebody was losing somebody.

But as tough as it was to process, as it is for many organ recipients, Krauss knew it was a blessing that the person who died was able to give him the ultimate gift  his life.

Krauss surgery, which was performed in a New York hospital, was one of 35,000 organ transplants in 2017.

In New Milford, Danbury and Norwalk hospitals, 23 lives were saved that year through organ donation, and 3,600 more lives enhanced by organ or tissue donation, all coordinated by the Western Connecticut Health Network and New England Donor Services.

Throughout April, which is National Donate Life Month, these organizations and advocates like Krauss hope to increase these figures by raising awareness about the donation process.

For Jackie Woodward, of New Fairfield, this means sharing the story of the day almost nine years ago when her son, Jesse, died in a motorcycle crash.

Woodward said it wasnt until she got the call from New England Donor Services the night after Jesse died that she discovered he was a registered organ donor.

It really threw me for a loop, Woodward said. "I hadnt even thought about it. I said, Cant this wait?

After asking the organization to call back later, Woodward decided that no matter how hard it would be for her, she needed to see the process through  for Jesse.

He was a good soul and had a good heart and he always was helping people, Woodward said. If this kid took the time to check a box...and thought enough to say, Let me give my body, how do I not honor that?

Theagency representative spent hours on the phone with her, Woodward said, asking what she was comfortable donating from Jesses body. He would end up donating both his corneas, his aorta and bones from his upper arm and lower leg.

Woodward, who now shares her story at Donate Life events, said had she known more about organ donation at the time, she probably would have said yes to donating other parts of Jesses body.

At the time, donating organs like his skin made her uncomfortable, Woodward said, but now she knows that it would have helped burn victims or masectomy patients.

If she could do it again, she said, she would say, Take what you can."

Woodward hopes that sharing her story, which she does mostly at events for hospital staffs, will help people understand the full, complicated scope of the donation process for families.

Anybody in the medical field already has a heart to help others, she said. But they need to be educated as to the fact that when theyre saving a life, or unable to save a life, it doesnt necessarily end there for the family.

Having donors families and recipients tell their stories can also help dispel some of the myths of organ donation.

Shannon Beardsley, a hospital relations coordinator with New England Donor Services, said one of the most common misconceptions is that doctors will not work as hard to save the life of someone who is a registered donor.

"If you think it through, its completely unreasonable, Beardsley said. From a medical standpoint, they do everything in their power to save lives. We only come in when all other medical options to save someone have been exhausted.

People also worry that their religion wont allow organ donation  which Beardsley says is untrue of all major religions  or that their bodies will not be viable because of certain medical conditions, their age or how they took care of themselves.

We always say, register yourself, and if for whatever reason you become medically suitable for donation, we'll evaluate it at that point, Beardsely said. But register yourself and provide hope for those 100,000 people waiting on the transplant list.

Beardsely said 20 to 22 people die each day waiting for an organ.

Studies show that 95 percent of US adults support organ donation, but just 54 percent nationally and 46 percent in Connecticut are registered as donors.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives and a tissue donor can help heal up to 75, she said.

Dawn Martin, director of patient care services for Danbury and New Milford Hospital, and Debbie Bailor, a critical care nurse manager, said hearing that news can be the most heartwarming part of the difficult process.

The hospital staff  who work to identify potential donors or notify the organ bank when a patient dies  are often given a limited report from New England Donor Services after a donation about who the organs or tissue went to. These updates help give meaning to the staffs work and often to the families as well, Martin said.

It brings tears to your eyes every single time, she said. Your son, or daughter, or father, or mother can live on to help other people."
Pilots for the company that operates the open-side helicopter flights like the one that crashed last month in New York City had reportedly warned management repeatedly of safety concerns over equipment including harnesses, according to media reports.

Five people drowned in March as a result of the crash when they were unable to free themselves from their harnesses after the helicopter rolled over in the water.

The pilot, Richard Vance, 33, of Danbury, escaped with only minor injuries.

In the months before the crash, the pilots had allegedly expressed concerns about a range of things, from the types of harnesses used to strap passengers in to the tools they were given to cut the tethers in case of emergencies.

"We are setting ourselves up for failure" because of the harnesses, one pilot reportedly told company management in an email, according to media sources. The harnesses, pilots said, were sometimes ill-fitting for certain passengers. In terms of the cutters, concerns were voiced that they couldn't cut quickly if needed.

The company's CEO pushed back against the idea that they didn't pay attention to the pilots' concerns. Patrick Day, of FlyNYON, said in an interview with the New York Times that if the "pilots had issues that they deemed detrimental to the safety of the operation, they should have ceased operations and addressed the issue with Liberty management."

Liberty Helicopters owns the crafts used in FlyNYON's flights.

In an interview with investigators for the National Transportation Safety Board last month, Vance said he had given safety instructions to the passengers, explaining twice how to use a tool to cut their seat belts if necessary. Investigators confirmed that the tools were attached to their harnesses, according to a report released after the crash and reported by Hearst Connecticut Media.

The day of the crash, Vance said they were nearing Central Park when he noticed that the fron seat passengers harness was loose. Vance said he told the passenger to put the harness back on, and the passenger complied.

Later in the flight, Vance said he tried to turn the Eurocopter AS350 to the right, but the craft turned more sharply than he expected. An alert sounded in his headset, and then warning lights began flashing.

Vance said he considered landing in Central Park, but there were too many people on the ground and flew toward the East River instead. He made a distress call to air traffic control, tried and failed to restart the engine, and then prepared to land on the water.

Investigators found no signs of oil or fuel leaks or fire in the engine. The fuel flow control lever was off, while the emergency shutoff lever was in the open position. The wire between the fuel shutoff lever and the engine control housing was broken, according to the report.

The Federal Aviation Administration has grounded open-door flights with restraints that cannot be quickly released until they're equipped with restraint systems that open with one action, according to media sources.

The FAA also said it was conducting a "top to bottom review" of its rules covering open-door flights.
Sixth-term state Rep. William Tong has shifted his exploratory committee to a full-blown candidacy to become the states next attorney general in what he calls a deeply personal race.

If he wins the Democratic nomination next month and is elected in November, he would become the states first Asian-American attorney general representing Connecticut taxpayers and officials in civil court in-state and throughout the nation.

Im excited to announce I am running for attorney general, Tong, whose district includes Stamford and Darien, told Hearst Connecticut Media.

The Ivy League-educated son of Chinese immigrant parents, Tong, 44, is co-chairman of the General Assemblys law-writing Judiciary Committee where his Senate co-chairman, Paul Doyle of Wethersfield, is also seeking the party nomination for attorney general.

I have a lot of respect for Paul, Tong said in an interview. We finished getting a ton of legislation passed.

Tong is well past the $70,000 threshold he would need for participation in the states voluntary public-financing program.

This is deeply personal for me, said Tong. It feels like Donald Trump and the people who support him are coming after me and my family. It feels like the president has declared war on you and your family.

A former co-chairman of the Banking Committee during his early years in the General Assembly, he rewrote state lending rules to make it safer for people to keep their homes during foreclosures.

He said he was also proud to push through the states same-sex marriage laws after the state Supreme Court ruled civil unions separate and unequal under the law.

And we have done tremendous things here in Connecticut to make it safer with the states 2013 response to gun-safety issues after the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, he said.

He warned that Republicans, with an 18-18 tie in the state Senate and a 80-70 minority in the House, drastically changed the states procedures for confirming judicial nominees when they rejected Supreme Court Justice Andrew McDonalds candidacy for chief justice.

Its shocking what they are saying about judicial nominations, Tong said. They want to tear down the wall between the judiciary and the other branches of government. What happens if a future Republican governor makes nominations and Democrats oppose them? That is a crisis.

Tong, whose parents ran a Chinese restaurant, attended public and private schools in West Hartford, graduating from Phillips Academy Andover, Brown University and the University of Chicago Law School. He is a lawyer with Finn Dixon and Herling LLP.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, live in Stamford with their three children. Elizabeth is Vice President of Tax for North America for Diageo Corporation.

Beside Doyle, other Democratic candidates for attorney general include former U.S. prosecutor Chris Mattei, state Rep. Mike DAgostino, and Clare Kindall, assistant attorney general under Attorney General George Jepsen.
U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., yesterday said the countrys top education official has denied his request to cut federal funding for closed captioning on The Jerry Springer Show.

At a meeting with the editorial board of The Advocate in Stamford, Lieberman once again lashed out at TV programming that exploits sex and violence for profit.

Lieberman also called for tougher measures to control campaign financing, which he said has hung up a for sale sign on American democracy.

The senator said he was particularly disappointed by the U.S. Department of Education Secretary Richard Rileys decision to fund the Springer show because not all programs are closed-captioned.

Since the federal government is making decisions about where to put public money, Lieberman said, it seems to me this ought to not be one of the things we do. There is so much better programming.

25 years ago

Finance board stumbles on ed budget

After more than seven hours of debate and tortuous political maneuvering, the Board of Finance failed to cut this years education budget but trimmed $3.2 million from the city operating budget.

Several attempts at cutting the $112.1 million education budget came up short. The Republicans opted for high cuts of $7 million and $5.5 million, while Democrats lobbied for cuts of $2.5 million and $3.16 million. All the proposed cuts missed by deadlocked votes of 3-3  which were split along party lines.

30 years ago

Stamford weathered 1968 street violence

Twenty years ago today, Stamford was shaken by racially motivated disturbances as hundreds of angry blacks took to the streets in protest of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

But the people who lived through that stormy period  the police and Stamford residents, black and white  said better race relations came out of the fury. And the witnesses to the violence say two decades later that the memories are still vivid: sniper fire, white chickens slaughtered on West Main Street and angry youths trying to come to terms with the morale-shattering death of the civil rights leader.
A week after news of an office harassment-and-abuse scandal led her to forgo a bid for a fourth term in Congress, U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty is nowhere to be found.

Meanwhile, the victim at the center of the scandal  Anna Kain  has made a public appeal for passage of a #MeToo bill in Congress.

Esty has canceled public events and turned down requests for comment from reporters, while the story of the toxic culture in her office dribbles out and a steady stream of potential successors  Republican and Democrat  talk about taking her 5th District seat.

She will be back to her regular schedule when the House returns to session next week, where she has a very aggressive agenda for the time she has remaining in office, Tim Daly, Estys chief of staff said. She intends to do all the things that she has always done when the floor is in sessionincluding meeting with her constituents.

Esty, a Democrat, stayed out of the public eye since March 29, when Hearst Connecticut Media reported the alleged harassment and physical abuse of Kain by Tony Baker, the congresswomans former chief of staff.

While Esty issued a written apology for not taking action to protect her staff from Baker earlier, but she has not taken any questions on the matter, which only gets murkier as more details become available. A copy of the separation agreement that Hearst obtained contradicts Estys statement that she fired Baker in 2016. The nondisclosure agreement makes no mention of a dismissal, but instead says Baker was required to submit a letter of resignation, and was given a $5,000 severance award and forgiveness of his student loans.

Even when Esty announced on Monday that she would not seek a re-election as a result of the scandal, the news was delivered via press release.

On Thursday, Esty canceled planned appearances at a town hall-style meeting in Newtown on one of her signature issues  gun law reform in Newtown  and at a government class at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury, where she was to speak about the law-making process.

She has been staying close to her Cheshire home during the last days of Congress two-week spring break, which ends Monday. Friends of Esty said Thursday that she is determined to fill out the remainder of her term, which ends with the swearing-in next January of the next Congress.

But As Esty retreats, Kain has gone public with an appeal to the Senate to pass a bill that would give sexual harassment protections to congressional staffers.

Kain, who worked for Esty until 2015 and said she was screamed at, punched and threatened with death by Baker, posted on Facebook that she is part of a group called Congress Too.

The halls and offices of Congress are bursting with wide-eyed young people who are excited and honored and amazed to have the privilege to do that work in that place, her post said. But the power dynamic and prevalence of harassment and abuse of all kinds on the Hill is unique, and there is no real place for these staffers to go for support when they need it most.

That needs to change.

The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, a good government group, called Thursday for the Office of Congressional Ethics to investigate Estys handling of the case.
WASHINGTON  Rep. Elizabeth Esty was disturbed by reports of her chief of staff abusing her scheduler, but she kept the process of removing Tony Baker under wraps  even telling staff the investigation of his misdeeds was simply a vanilla management review.

And while Esty, D-Conn., fired Baker in July 2016 after receiving the investigative report on his mistreatment of Anna Kain, she insisted to office staff he was leaving to work on the Hillary Clinton 2016 presidential campaign in Ohio.

It was: how to make this a better office, said one former staffer, of the meeting when Esty announced her former chief of staff, Julie Sweet, would be talking to staff individually for the review. There was no hint anything was amiss.

The staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, also said Baker occupied an unhealthy role in Elizabeths life. She set up an office culture where she was overly dependent on him.

Sweet had a connection to Baker, too. Upon leaving her job as Estys chief of staff, Sweet recommended Baker as her successor.

In interviews last week, Esty insisted she did not know of Bakers abusive behavior toward Kain until the day after a drunken party Baker threw for himself to celebrate his 10th anniversary of working on Capitol Hill.

After the gathering at a bar on May 5, 2016, Baker flew into a drunken rage and phoned or texted Kain about 50 times, threatening to find her and kill her.

The threats led Kain to seek a protective court order.

It was the culmination of a dating relationship that ended by mutual consent in 2013, sources said, followed by instances of him shouting at her  and once punching her in the back  throughout 2014 until her departure from the office in March 2015.

Esty said that when she learned of Bakers abusive behavior following party, she ordered him to seek treatment for alcoholism and anger management. Then, on advice of her D.C. lawyer, Esty brought in Sweet to conduct a full investigation  which ultimately resulted in Bakers dismissal.

Taking the blame

But some staffers saw Sweets questioning as hardly the substance of a hard-hitting probe. Indeed, when Sweet interviewed one staffer, there were no questions on what the staffer knew of Bakers abuse of Kain.

Esty said Sweet found out about the behavior through an intermediary and alerted her. And, Esty said, she fired Baker after receiving Sweets report on July 20, 2016. His last day in the office was July 24 and his last day on the payroll was Aug. 12.

Estys office has not released the contents of the report. Her current chief of staff and acting spokesman, Timothy Daly, declined to comment Wednesday.

In withdrawing from her 2018 re-election bid on Monday, Esty accepted blame for, among other things, not suspending Baker immediately and getting him out of the office pending the results of Sweets investigation.

Esty credited Sweet with playing a key role in the ousting of Baker. But former staff members said Sweet also had brought Baker into Estys office in 2013 as Estys original legislative director because both had previously worked for Rep. Betty Sutton, an Ohio Democrat no longer in office.

And when Sweet left in January 2014 for another position in Washington, she recommended Baker as her replacement.

In firing Baker, Esty said she was hamstrung by House protocols that, among other things, called for a non-disclosure agreement and positive job referrals.

Former staffers nevertheless find it hard to fathom how after firing Baker, Esty could have taken him along with her to the Democratic National Convention, July 25-28 in Philadelphia, for the partys nomination of Clinton for president.

Baker demanded that three other staffers also attend, a source said, and they were forced to pay for the trip out of their own pockets, because it was for a political purpose, not congressional business.

Wielding influence

Bakers accompaniment could be emblematic of what former staffers said was his hold over Esty.

Esty herself described Baker as adroit in carrying out her agenda in Washington, saying he had a key to her in-town apartment for helping out with various maintenance-type needs. But she acknowledged being less aware of the negative side of his character, which included berating staff members loudly in the closely confined congressional office.

The ex-staffer recalled once telling Baker that staff members at Estys Connecticut district offices were afraid of him.

Good! the source said Baker replied. They should be!

Bakers imminent departure from Estys office was not apparent to the three staffers he drafted to go to Philadelphia.

Tony talked to me about future projects, the former staffer said. If hed been fired by the time of the convention, there was no sign of it. He was upbeat and normal.

The source said rumors circulated through the office for weeks, reaching fever pitch when Baker didnt show up for work Aug. 1, 2016.

And a few days after that, Esty announced at a staff meeting that Baker was leaving to return to his native Ohio and work for the Clinton campaign, sources said. In reality, it would take him almost three months to find a job and start working for Newtown-based Sandy Hook Promise as Ohio director.

Esty offered what she termed a limited recommendation on the phone. Baker lost the job early last week after the organization learned of the true reason for his departure from Estys office.
D etectives investigating the murder of a teenager who was stabbed to death in east London are hunting a second suspect over the attack.

A 17-year-old boy appeared in court charged with the murder of Israel Ogunsola, 18, and possession of an offensive weapon on Saturday.

But police are appealing for witnesses to trace a second suspect they believe was involved in the alleged attack.

The victim was found fatally wounded in Link Street, Hackney, by officers on patrol at around 8pm on Wednesday and was pronounced dead 25 minutes later.

The latest victim of London's knife crime Israel Ogunsola

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as stab wounds.

Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Paul Considine said: "Whilst we have one male appearing in court charged with Israel's murder, another remains at large.

"We are particularly keen to trace a second suspect described as a young black male wearing black clothing who was at the scene of the murder.

Sadiq Khan 'heartbroken' by London murders

"There are people in the area who know what happened that have yet to call police.

"Their information is vital to building a clearer picture of what took place, securing important evidence and apprehending everyone involved. We need you to call.

Murder scene: Link Street (Stefan Rousseau/PA ) / Stefan Rousseau/PA

"A young man with his whole life ahead of him has been murdered and his grieving family deserve answers and justice."

The 17-year-old charged with murder will next appear at the Old Bailey on April 10, while a second 17-year-old arrested on suspicion of murder has been bailed to a date in mid-April.

The police appeal came after a surge in violence across the capital  which saw the murder rate spike to 55 since the start of 2018.

Six people have died on the capital's streets in the past seven days

Murders: Six people have died in the last week / Nigel Howard

Over the weekend, officers were called to several unrelated stabbings including a double knifing involving two teenagers in Croydon.

A man in his late teens and another aged 16 were injured in the incident at the Whitgift Shopping Centre on Friday evening.

On Saturday evening, an 18-year-old man was taken to hospital after being repeatedly stabbed in Barking, east London.

And later that night a 48-year-old woman was arrested in suspicion of attempted murder after a man was stabbed outside Highbury and Islington Tube station.

Paramedics rushed a man, aged in his 30s, to an east London hospital after the incident at around 10.30pm. The man's injury is not life-threatening, Scotland Yard said.

On Sunday, police were called out to another stabbing in Ebley Court, Southwark.

Surge: There has been a wave of violent crime in London in the past few weeks / Nigel Howard

An 18-year-old was found suffering from stab wounds but his injuries were deemed not life-threatening or life-changing.

Police, appealing for information, said he is believed to have been attacked by two males who then fled the scene.

Following this incident police in Southwark obtained an authority under section 60 of the Criminal Justice & Public Order Act 1994, lasting until 7am on Monday, a police statement said.

The aim of any police action is to prevent crime, disrupt criminal activity and keep communities safe.
A woman has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after a stabbing outside a busy north London Tube station, amid a surge in violent crime in the capital.

Emergency services raced to the scene of the incident outside Highbury and Islington station shortly before 10.30pm on Saturday.

Paramedics rushed a man, aged in his 30s, to an east London hospital.

Images posted on social media showed a police cordon in place around the station as a number of officers stood by.

The man's injury is not life-threatening, Scotland Yard said.

A woman, aged 48, was arrested close the scene on suspicion of attempted murder. She remains in custody at an east London police station.

Earlier on Saturday evening, an 18-year-old man was taken to hospital after being repeatedly stabbed in Barking, east London.

Police were called to Gascoigne Road at about 4.30pm. The victim suffered serious injuries.

The incidents came amid a series of shootings and stabbings in London, with six people dying on the capital's streets in the past seven days.

The Met Police has opened 55 murder investigations this year.

On Thursday, six people were stabbed in London over the space of 90 minutes.

A 15-year-old was knifed on East India Dock Road in Poplar at 5.30pm before three males  two aged 15 and another aged 16  were attacked in Mile End about half an hour later.

Just before 7pm a 13-year-old boy was seriously injured after being stabbed in Newham, before a man in his late teens was taken to hospital following an attack in Ealing Broadway.

Earlier in the day, just before 1pm, a man in his 20s was knifed in Walthamstow.
T here is a war going on between groups of youngsters in north London amid a spate of shootings and stabbings in the capital, according to a veteran campaigner.

The youths, from Tottenham and Wood Green, are being fuelled by social media, racial equality campaigner Stafford Scott said.

He spoke out after gang members appeared to joke and boast over the killing of 17-year-old Tanesha Melbourne, who was shot dead in Tottenham on Monday, in a series of vile social media posts.

Police are investigating after screenshots from an Instagram story apparently claimed responsibility for her death.

Why are our children killing each other?

Accompanying a news story about the murder, a caption read: "If your chilling with my ops [opposition] I ain't gonna adjust my aim for you [laughing emoji] #NPK #SINSQUAD".

Shot dead in Tottenham: Tanesha Melbourne / PA

A second message, posted over a black screen, read: "We got him down in Tinseltown and his girl down by Chalgrove [two laughing emojis] #NPK #RNS".

Police say they are investigating / Instagram

The '#NPK' hashtag is thought to refer to Northumberland Park, where the Tottenham gang is believed to be based.

In an interview with the Standard earlier this week, Tottenham MP David Lammy warned of a turf war between two rival gangs in Tottenham and Wood Green.

London murder rate overtakes New York for first time ever after spate of fatal stabbings and shootings

Mr Scott, from Tottenham, also hit out at plans to increase the number of police in the area, accusing politicians of failing young black people and "criminalising our community".

He told Sky's Sunday With Paterson: "The police have a role to play but this isn't only about policing and that is the problem.

"Local authorities, central government, the mayor's office, (they) have all reneged on their responsibility to these people.

"There is no safeguarding, there is no recognition that black kids are the victims as well as being the perpetrators.

"So all we get is policing and the only response we get is the kind of response we got from Cressida Dick yesterday, which is we are going to be harder and we are going to put more out there, which is going to cause more response and reaction."

A police officer stands guard by floral tributes left at the scene of the fatal shooting in Tottenham / PA

It comes as Amber Rudd denied that a rise in violent crime that has seen London's murder rate surge past that of New York is linked to cuts to frontline policing.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Home Secretary said figures suggested the number of bobbies on the beat and instances of violent crime were not linked.

"As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge," Ms Rudd said.

"One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets. The evidence, however, does not support this.

"In the early 2000s, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising.

"In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013-14, police numbers were close to the highest we'd seen in decades."
M ore than 80 firefighters battled for hours after a huge fire erupted in an industrial in east London.

Images show bright orange flames ripping through the business park in Argall Avenue, Leyton, on Saturday night.

Thick plumes of smoke billowed into the sky, forcing nearby residents to keep their windows and doors closed.

Some 12 fire engines rushed to the scene and firefighters fought for four hours to bring the blaze under control.

A fire engine at the scene in Leyton, as smoke billows into the air / Paul Wood

Two floors of a laundrette unit were damaged and no one was injured, according to the London Fire Brigade.

Group manager Simon Amos, who was at the scene, said: "Crews worked hard to bring the fire under control.

No one is believed to have been hurt in the inferno / Paul Wood

"There was quite a lot of smoke so we advised people who live in the area to keep their doors and windows closed."
B oris Johnson has branded Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn the Kremlin's "useful idiot" amid a deepening diplomatic row with Russia.

The Foreign Secretary said Moscow was peddling an "avalanche of lies and disinformation" in the wake of the attack that left Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia critically ill.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said the Labour leader was lending "false credibility" to Russian propaganda by refusing to say "unequivocally" that Moscow was behind the Salisbury attack.

Mr Johnson added that in the year Mr Skripal moved to Britain, President Putin "made a televised threat that 'traitors' would 'kick the bucket' and 'choke'," while the grisly death of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006 proved "the Kremlin's willingness to kill someone in this country".

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn is lending 'false credibility' to Kremlin claims / PA

"There is one conclusion," wrote the Foreign Secretary, "only the Russian state has the means, the motive and the record to carry out this crime."

A Labour spokesman hit back, claiming that Mr Johnson had "made a fool of himself and undermined the government" by misrepresenting the findings of the Porton Down laboratory on the source of the nerve agent.

In the row over the Porton Down findings, the lab said last week it had never been the scientists' responsibility to pinpoint the origin of the military-grade novichok but only its type.

Mr Skripal, 66, and his 33-year-old daughter Yulia were left fighting for their lives in hospital after being found unconscious on a park bench in Salisbury on March 4.

The former spy is said by medics to be improving and no longer in a critical condition while his daughter has said she is growing stronger by the day.

The Foreign Office has however said the pair are likely go have "ongoing medical needs" and thoughts in Whitehall have turned to what happens when they are well enough to leave hospital.

The Sunday Times reported that the Skripals could be offered new identities and a life in the US, while the Sunday Telegraph suggested they could be placed under a witness protection scheme.

In his article, Mr Johnson accused Mr Corbyn of supporting the propaganda campaign launched by Vladimir Putin's government.

Russian Spy Sergei Skripal: Salisbury Nerve Agent Incident 1 /14 Russian Spy Sergei Skripal: Salisbury Nerve Agent Incident Investigators in protective gear pursue the probe into the nerve agent attack on Sergei Skripal Getty Russian spy 'poisoning': Sergei Skripal and Yulia Skripal are fighting for life in hospital PA Personnel in hazmat suits work to secure a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA ilitary personnel are deployed to help remove vehicles from the scene after former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter were found critically ill after exposure to a nerve agent in Salisbury Getty Images Military in protective clothing remove vehicles from a car park in Salisbury EPA Police cordon: Military personnel in Salisbury PA Traces of the nerve agent used to poison Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found at Zizzi in Salisbury PA Amber Rudd: she visited the scene where Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found after having been poisoned by a nerve agent REUTERS Personnel are helped from their hazmat suits (right), after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA Personnel in hazmat suits walk away after securing a tent covering a bench in the Maltings shopping centre in Salisbury, where former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found critically ill by exposure to a nerve agent Andrew Matthews/PA Police put a red bag inside a police evidence bag immediately after the nerve agent attack on a Russian spy. Officers previously issued CCTV of a woman clutching a red bag Solent news Snap Fitness 24/7 Police activity in the cul-de-sac in Salisbury that contains the home of former Russian double agent Sergei Skripal who was poisoned along with daughter Yulia with a nerve agent PA Sergei Skripal shops at Bargain Stop in a CCTV image from five days before his apparent poisoning

"There is only one thing that gives the Kremlin succour and lends false credibility to its propaganda onslaught. That is when politicians from the targeted countries join in.

"Sadly, I am driven to the conclusion that Jeremy Corbyn has joined this effort."

But a Labour spokesman responded: "Jeremy Corbyn has repeatedly said the evidence points to Russia being responsible, directly or indirectly, and that the Russian authorities must be held to account on the basis of evidence.

"Boris Johnson has made a fool of himself and undermined the Government by seriously misrepresenting what he was told by Porton Down chemical weapons experts.

"These ridiculous insults won't distract attention from the fact that he has clearly misled the public over vital issues of national security."

Mr Johnson's broadside in the Sunday Times came after Russia formally requested a meeting with him to discuss the Skripal case.

The Russian government said it hoped the UK would "engage constructively" with the request for ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to have face-to-face talks with Mr Johnson.

But the move was branded a "diversionary tactic" by the Foreign Office.

Moscow has denied being responsible for the poisoning of the Skripals but the incident has plunged diplomatic relations between Russia and the West into the deep freeze.

Former Russian spy Sergei Skripal's daughter Yulia Skripal speaks for the first time since Salisbury nerve agent attack

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "It's Russia's response that has been unsatisfactory.

"It's over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Mr Skripal and his daughter.

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic.
H undreds of protesters gathered outside Labours headquarters in London to protest against anti-Semitism in the party.

A crowd waving British flags and placards braved the elements for the protest organised by the Campaign Against anti-Semitism.

Messages on placards read "Zero tolerance for anti-Semitism", "Labour hold Corbyn to account" and "Anti-Semitism is racism".

There were shouts of "Corbyn out", "racists" and "shame", and boos when the Labour leader was named by speakers.

Demonstrators take part in an antisemitism protest outside the Labour Party headquarters / REUTERS

There were also boos for Momentum leader Jon Lansman and Christine Shawcross, the former NEC member who resigned after backing a party member accused of anti-Semitism.

Actress Maureen Lipman was among those who addressed the demonstration.

Protest: People wore flag of Israel glasses and hold up placards / AFP/Getty Images

She said she was attending "as a disenfranchised socialist" and identified with a placard reading "Corbyn made me a Tory".

She attacked the Labour leader for attending a Seder organised by left-wing Jewish group Jewdas, saying it was "the absolute cherry on the top of Jeremy Corbyn's behaviour".

Labour anti-Semitism row: Momentum chief Christine Shawcroft quits NEC with Eddie Izzard set to replace her

Mrs Lipman said: "He is standing with elements who are against everything that we stand for; hardworking, decent Jewish people of whom I am incredibly proud."

The demonstration followed comments bade by the shadow education secretary Angela Rayner who said she has been "frustrated" at the slow pace of steps taken to tackle anti-Semitism in her Party.

Interview: shadow Education secretary Angela Rayner said she was frustrated with the issue / PA

Ms Rayner admitted the implementation of measures outlined in Baroness Chakrabarti's 2016's report into the problem was not moving "as fast as I would have liked to have seen".

Speaking on BBC1's Andrew Marr Show, she said: "Jeremy has been quite clear there's no place for anti-Semitism in our party but I have been a little frustrated that we haven't moved forward on the Chakrabarti report as fast as I would have liked to have seen.

"But Jennie Formby, our new general secretary, made it her number one priority and we need to make sure that the full Chakrabarti report is implemented and we have absolute zero tolerance."
A mber Rudd has denied that a rise in violent crime that saw London's murder rate surge past that of New York is linked to cuts to frontline policing.

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, the Home Secretary said figures suggested the number of bobbies on the beat and instances of violent crime were not linked.

"As we confront this issue, I know that the same arguments and criticisms will emerge," Ms Rudd said.

"One is the contention that there are not enough officers on the streets. The evidence, however, does not support this.

"In the early 2000s, when serious violent crimes were at their highest, police numbers were rising.

Scotland Yard has launched 55 murder investigations in London this year / PA/Met Police/Twitter

"In 2008, when knife crime was far greater than the lows we saw in 2013-14, police numbers were close to the highest we'd seen in decades."

National figures show police in England and Wales registered an increase by a fifth of offences involving knives and firearms in the year to September.

The Home Secretary wrote about the figures as she announced she will call on social media firms to do more to tackle gang material hosted on their sites.

Concerns have been raised that material posted on social media is driving feuds that rapidly spill out into violence on the streets.

London Murder investigations 2018 1 /10 London Murder investigations 2018 Victim: Oluwadamilola Odeyingbo, 18, died in hospital Metropolitan Police Lewis Blackman was stabbed to death in Kensington Twitter Kyall Parnell, 17, was attacked on his way to a New Years Eve party and died after being chased through traffic in Tulse Hill Steven Narvaez Jara was attacked at a block of flats near Old Street Seyed Khan went missing in Ilford on 24 January Metropolitan Police Yaya Mbye, 26, collapsed in a childrens play area in Stoke Newington, north east London Kelva Smith, 20, was found collapsed with multiple knife wounds following the sustained rush-hour attack in South Norwood Russian exile Nikolay Glushkov was found strangled in his hotel room AP Beniamin Pieknyi was stabbed after apparently stepping in to help a friend Tanesha Melbourne was shot dead in a suspected drive-by shooting while chatting with friends

Last weekend Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick warned that trivial disputes online can escalate "within minutes".

A recent spate of violence that saw the London murder rate overtake that of New York has prompted criticisms that police are under-using stop and search powers.

Stop and search is now at the lowest level since current data records started 17 years ago after reforms were introduced in 2014 following criticisms that police were targeting black and minority ethnic people.

Ms Rudd said: "Stop and search is a vital policing tool and officers will always have the Government's full support to use these powers properly."

The Home Secretary also revealed that a new Offensive Weapons Bill will be introduced within weeks.

It will include a new offence of possessing acid in a public place, prevent sales of acids to under-18s and stop knives being sent to people's homes when bought on the internet following concerns age verification checks can be sidestepped online.

Labour has however said that "talking tough is not enough".

Gaffe: Diane Abbott has wrongly claimed 16 year olds can fight for their country / Getty Images

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: "The Tories need to put their money where their mouth is, give the police the resources they need to keep people safe and pursue a collaborative approach to tackling violent crime on our streets."
D onald Trump has warned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad he has a big price to pay over an alleged poison gas attack in Syria.

The US president said on Sunday that there were "many dead, including woman and children" after a "mindless chemical attack" which reportedly took place on Saturday night.

He also blamed Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin for backing Assad in the conflict.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter: "Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world."

Dozens killed in 'gas attack' in Syria

"President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," he added.

Horrific images have been shared on social media showing a number of dead men, women and children, some with foam at the mouth, in buildings after the alleged attack in the rebel-held town of Douma in eastern Ghouta.

The Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC that the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

It came amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces in the area following the collapse of a truce.

A volunteer holds an oxygen mask over a child's face at a hospital in Douma / AFP/Getty Images

Syrian state media denied government forces launched a chemical attack as reports emerged late on Saturday.

The UK has called for an urgent investigation.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has called the reports "deeply disturbing", also criticising Russia for its involvement in the seven year long war.

He said: "Reports of a large scale chemical weapons attack in Douma on Saturday causing high numbers of casualties are deeply disturbing.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who has called reports of the attack "deeply disturbing" / PA

"It is truly horrific to think that many of the victims were reportedly families seeking refuge from airstrikes in underground shelters.

"Despite Russia's promise in 2013 to ensure Syria would abandon all of its chemical weapons, international investigators mandated by the UN Security Council have found the Assad regime responsible for using poison gas in at least four separate attacks since 2014.

"These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

"Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations.

"Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regime's brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons."

Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.
T he UK is set to meet with other members of the UN Security Council in an emergency meeting to discuss a recent suspected chemical attack in Syria.

The US requested the meeting with France, Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d'Ivoir to discuss the reported attack that is believed to have killed scores of civilians.

Horrific images have shown children being fitted with gas masks in the aftermath of the attack and medical officials on the ground have reported that dozens of people were injured or killed.

In one video shared by activists  which has not yet been verified  the bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some with foam at the mouth, were seen.

A volunteer holds an oxygen mask over a child's face at a hospital in Douma / AFP/Getty Images

The council is likely to meet on Monday afternoon.

Meanwhile, Russia also called for a Monday meeting of the US Security Council concerning "international threats to peace and security," diplomats said on Sunday.

President Putin also called an emergency meeting / AFP/Getty Images

The precise topic of what the Russians wished to discuss was not immediately clear but the request came after President Donald Trump took to Twitter to say there would be a "big price to pay" for the bombardment.

As international officials worked to try to confirm the chemical attack, which happened late on Saturday in the town of Douma, Mr Trump took the rare step of directly criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin in connection with the incident.

Donald Trump warned there will be a "big price to pay" / AFP/Getty Images

The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

The White House declined to clarify what consequences Trump had in mind.

Last year, the United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base days after a sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria blamed on Assad.

The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against any military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses", saying this could lead to severe consequences.

Dozens killed in 'gas attack' in Syria

It is understood that the UK has been in contact with senior officials in Paris, Washington and at the United Nations in New York as Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson Johnson called for an international response.

He demanded an urgent investigation and warned Syrian leader Assad's allies in Moscow not to "obstruct" the probe.

Mr Johnson said the reports were "deeply disturbing" and "truly horrific".

He added: "These latest reports must urgently be investigated and the international community must respond.

"Investigators from the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) looking into reports of chemical weapons use in Syria have our full support. Russia must not yet again try to obstruct these investigations. "

The OPCW is at the centre of the diplomatic row between the UK and Vladimir Putin's Russia over the nerve agent attack in Salisbury, with the organisation currently testing samples of the substance allegedly used in the incident.

Mr Johnson added: "Should it be confirmed that the regime has used chemical weapons again, it would be yet another appalling example of the Assad regime's brutality and blatant disregard for both the Syrian people and its legal obligations not to use chemical weapons.

A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack.

Syria: smoke billowing as Syrian Army soldiers advance in agricultural land on the eastern outskirts of Douma / AFP/Getty Images

But others put the toll even higher.

Some reports suggested more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centres with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth, and burning sensations in the eyes.

SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building.

Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at a nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.
T he 48-year-old German man who drove a van into a crowd Muenster was well-known to police, German prosecutors said Sunday.

The man, whose name has not been released, killed two people and injured 20 others Saturday afternoon outside a bar in the city's old town before shooting himself to death in the van.

German public broadcaster ZDF suggested the man had links to the far-right, but said he was not known to be a member of extremist group.

He was a Muenster resident and apparently well-off. The city's police president, Hajo Kuhlisch, said the man's four apartments - two in Muenster and two in Saxony - had been searched, but that the man's motive is not yet clear.

"We have no indications that there is a political background or that others were involved," prosecutor Elke Adomeit told reporters. "But he was well known to the police."

Emergency responders at the site of the tragedy / AP

She said the man had faced court proceedings three times, including twice in Muenster and one in nearby Arnsberg in 2015 and 2016.

His run-ins with the law were linked to threats, property damage, fraud and a hit-and-run, but Ms Adomeit said that all charges were dismissed.

Local media have said the man was suffering psychological problems, but police would not confirm those details.

Authorities have identified the two victims killed by the van crash as a 51-year-old woman from Lueneburg county and a 65-year-old man from nearby Borken county.

Their names weren't given, as is customary in Germany.

Early Sunday, all three bodies were taken from the crash scene in front of the well-known Kiepenkerl pub.

Car crashes into crowds in Muenster 1 /8 Car crashes into crowds in Muenster They said an 'attack could not be ruled out' AP Police have blocked off the street REUTERS/ Ambulances attended, several people are believed to have been killed AP Police at the scene REUTERS/ Around 30 people are believed to have been injured AP REUTERS/ Firefighters stand in downtown Muenster AP Police have warned people to avoid the area as they investigate the incident AP

The silver-grey van that crashed into the crowd was hauled away hours later, after explosives experts had thoroughly checked it.

Inside the van, police found illegal firecrackers that were disguised as a fake bomb, a fake pistol and the real gun that the driver used to kill himself with.

Inside the apartment where the man was living, which was nearby the crash scene, police found more firecrackers and a "no-longer usable AK-47 machine gun."

Officials said some of the 20 people injured were still in a life-threatening condition Sunday. They have not identified them, but said that people from The Netherlands are among them.

Armin Laschet, the governor of North Rhine-Westphalia state where Muenster is located, said on Sunday: "This was a horrible and sad day for the people of Muenster, all of Germany ... and also the people of The Netherlands, who were sitting here and became victims."

Muenster is a popular tourist destination with 300,000 inhabitants, known for its medieval old town, which was rebuilt after the massive destruction during World War II.

The city was buzzing on Saturday - one of the first warm spring days of the year - and people were sitting outside the famous Kiepenkerl pub when the 48-year-old German drove his van into the bar's tables with such force that the vehicle only stopped when it hit the pub's wall.

Police quickly evacuated the area and ambulances, firefighters and helicopters rushed to the scene to aid those who were injured.

German Interior minister Horst Seehofer, who visited the crash scene with Laschet on Sunday and placed flowers there, said "this cowardly and brutal crime has shocked all of us."
P rince Charles waved an aboriginal hunting boomerang today as he ventured deep into the Australian Rainforest.

I suppose this one doesnt come back? he said.

Aboriginal elder, Roy Gibson, said: No it just hits the animal on the neck.

He was also was also shown a 100 year old wooden sword used in previously fights between indigenous communities.

Charles, on a weeklong tour of Australia he ventured into the Daintree Rainforest near Mossman Gorge, 30 minuet helicopter flight from Cairns.

Prince Charles on his tour of Australia / Getty Images

He was there to meet indigenous people to discover the traditions of its 50,000-year-old indigenous people.

Charles marvelled at how the Kuku Yalanji aboriginals made use of the forest as a rich resource.

He reacted with awe when he was shown how leaves from a certain tree could provide relief for mosquito bites by elder Mr. Gibson, and took a particular interest in a handmade hunting boomerang.

He also took part in a traditional smoking ceremony, said to help ward off evil spirits.

Charles during Sunday church service at St John's Anglican Church / Getty Images

Wearing a cream suit and cream shoes, the prince took a stroll through the world heritage listed forest before joining a roundtable discussion on sustainable forestry.

Earlier, the prince had attended a Sunday church service, where he met a woman who made headlines 40 years ago when she gave him a kiss.

Leila Sherwood first met the heir to the throne in 1979 as a 14-year-old, when she skipped school to see him at Cairns Airport.

"I broke through a barrier and jumped out in front of him," she said.

Prince Charles meets with parishioners after Sunday church service / Getty Images

"I said 'Charles, may I kiss you?' He said 'yes, alright then', so I pecked his cheek. I was all over the TV afterwards."

Greeting the prince once again outside St John the Evangelist Church on Sunday, the now 54-year-old showed him a newspaper clipping from the time.

She said: "He held my hand and said 'bless you' - I didn't want to let go of his hand!"

Charles boards the "Outback Angel" Beech B200 Super King Air aircraft during his visit to the Royal Flying Doctors Service / REUTERS

Charles also visited the Cairns base of the Royal Flying Doctors service, and hailed its "remarkable" work.

The prince spoke via video link to Lyn French and her grandson Robert, who live in rural Queensland, about 600km from Cairns, and rely on the Flying Doctors for medical help.

Charles, who was also shown how to treat a snake bite, said: "I'm very proud to be patron of the Flying Doctors. It's a remarkable operation."
T he Syrian government has been accused of carrying out a chemical attack on civilians in eastern Ghouta, which is believed to have killed 70 people.

Horrific images have been shared on social media showing a number of dead men, women and children, some with foam at the mouth, in buildings after the alleged attack in the rebel-held town of Douma.

The Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC that the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

The White Helmets relief organisation warned the number of dead could rise.

An Syrian child receives medical treatment after Assad regime forces allegedly carried out a poisonous gas attack / Getty Images

The UK has called for an urgent investigation into reports of the poison gas attack.

The Foreign Office said that if the reports are correct it would be further proof of President Bashar al-Assad's "brutality against innocent civilians" and the international community "must respond".

It added that the use of chemical weapons would be an indication that Assad's international backers  including Russia  had shown a "callous disregard for international norms".

Pro-Syrian regime forces pictured advancing towards the town of Douma this week / AFP/Getty Images

As reports emerged on Saturday night, Syrian state media denied government forces launched a chemical attack.

The US state department said reports of mass casualties from the alleged attack were "horrifying", adding an immediate response by the international community would be demanded if it turned out to be true.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma on Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation.

Smoke billows in the town of Douma, the last opposition holdout in eastern Ghouta / AFP/Getty Images

The Observatory said it could not confirm if chemical weapons had been used in the attack.

The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organisation, said 41 were killed and hundreds wounded.

Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands.

Government forces began bombarding the city again on Friday after the collapse of a truce.

More than 1,600 civilians have been killed in the offensive in Ghouta, according to the Observatory, which would make it one of the deadliest of the seven year long war.

A Foreign Office spokesman said: "These are very concerning reports of a chemical weapons attack with significant number of casualties, which if correct, are further proof of Assad's brutality against innocent civilians and his backers' callous disregard for international norms.

"An urgent investigation is needed and the international community must respond.

"We call on the Assad regime and its backers, Russia and Iran, to stop the violence against innocent civilians."
The Senate's President and chairman of the minor ruling Alliance of Liberals and Democrats (ALDE) Calin Popescu-Tariceanu wishes the Romanians in a Holy Easter message posted on Sunday on his Facebook page, that the Resurrection of Lord Jesus may find them full of hope.

In his turn, the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies and leader of the main ruling Social Democratic Party (PSD) Liviu Dragnea has written on his Facebook page an Easter message saying that "The Holy Light" of the Resurrection "make us better people, more generous, with our hearts warm and more open."

Prime minister Viorica Dancila on Sunday sent an Easter message on the gov't's official Facebook page where stressing that the spirit of the scriptures tells us to be better, to cherish and love our neighbour, and give priority to the things that are binding us.The Internal Affairs minister Carmen Dan says in her message on the Holy Easter posted on her Facebook page that "it is a time when nobody should be sad, nobody should cry, because all the reasons to being sad now appear to be of no importance in front of the win upon death" adding that on the Holy night we must remember "we are all made of stardust".The National Defence minister Mihai Fifor, in his message on Holy Easter tells the Romanian military wherever they serve under the Romanian flag - in the country or in various spots of the world - as well as the veterans of our Army and the families of the fallen on the line of duty, that their sacrifice won't be given to oblivion, wishing them "Happy Easter holidays!"

AGERPRES .
The celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord gives a meaning to our entire existence, the Patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church (BOR) Daniel said in his word on the occasion of the Resurrection service at the downtown Bucharest Patriarchal Cathedral, delivered alongside the patriarchal Vicar Bishop Varlaam Ploiesteanul and the Vicar Bishop of the Bucharest Archbishopric Timotei Prahoveanul.

"This celebration of Our Lord's Resurrection is the Church's heart of light and fire in general and of the Orthodoxy in particular. This celebration is giving a meaning to our entire existence. That's why in the Synaxarium of the holiday it is said that today we celebrate the transition of the being to the uncreatedness of the Universe," the patriarch said.

The head of the BOR asserted that the entire history is heading to its resurrection and urged the attendees to give peace and joy to the ones around them, these Easter days.The Orthodox and Greek-Catholic believers celebrate on Sunday, 8 April, the Resurrection of Lord Jesus.

AGERPRES .
President Klaus Iohannis on Sunday conveyed an Easter message urging the Romanians to enjoy harmony and understanding next to their beloved.

"On the Holy Easter, the holiday of communion and solidarity, I wish you to enjoy harmony and understanding alongside the people you love! Christ Is Risen!"the president's message reads.

This message was posted on Sunday morning on the president's Facebook page.

AGERPRES .
Concurrent with the anti-Russia propaganda frenzy in the United Kingdom there has been a series of intensive political attacks mounted against the leader of the opposition party in parliament, Jeremy Corbyn. Politics being politics, such an offensive is not unusual, and he has been declared by several newspapers to be a Kremlin Stooge because he cautioned against the hysterical reaction to the poisoning of British spy and former Russian citizen, Sergei Skripal, and observed objectively that To rush way ahead of the evidence being gathered by the police, in a fevered parliamentary atmosphere, serves neither justice nor our national security. The fact that hes being proved right should be embarrassing for the propagandists, but it is irrelevant in todays bigoted Britain.

The extremist papers didnt stop the insults, and mounted another vicious campaign against him, involving the tried and proven propaganda weapon of accusing a target of being anti-Semitic, a description that is intended to conjure up images of concentration camps, piles of emaciated bodies, and hideously disfigured survivors of Hitlers evil attempts to eradicate Jews from Germany. This gutter ploy is usually successful.

It may be coincidence that the anti-Corbyn onslaught reached its publicity peak at the time when Israeli soldiers killed sixteen Arabs in the Gaza Strip (two more died later), and it is notable that UK media cover of the killings was modest and almost disappeared under the weight of anti-Corbyn diatribes. (And let me make it clear that I am no admirer of Corbyn : hes a machine political figure whose scruffy appearance appals me, although I have to say I consider he is one of the few UK politicians who sticks to his principles and doesnt fiddle his expenses as so many continue to do.)

In its excellent summation of daily newspapers news and opinion the BBC recorded on 30 March that there was not one front page headline about the Gaza slaughter. The papers concentrated largely on nationalistic trivia, and the deliberate killing of sixteen unarmed Arabs by Israeli soldiers scored but a few sentences deep inside.

Then on 1 April A number of leader columns discuss the anti-Semitism row that continues to trouble Labour  and none are kind. Labour has become the nasty party, says the Telegraph while the Sun insists the Labour leader can't erase his past.

On and on went the propaganda tide with the anti-Semitic theme, while on and on went the little-reported grieving and funerals in Gaza. There was no doubt that Israels military had fired on and killed unarmed Arabs according to a long-standing plan. Indeed, even the Washington Post acknowledged that Israels defence minister said that the military will not change its tough response to Hamas-led mass protests near Gazas border with Israel, warning that those who approach the border are putting their lives at risk. Avigdor Lieberman spoke near Gaza, where 18 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire Friday.

The Israelis are determined to go on killing Arabs. On 29 March an official Israeli website posted a video showing a young Arab shot in leg with the comment that This is the least that anyone who tries to cross the security fence between Gaza and Israel will face. On 30 March Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman tweeted in Arabic that Anyone who approaches the border puts his life in jeopardy.

As recorded by Human Rights Watch, Footage of demonstrations published by the Israeli army includes no evidence of firearms. The army published a video purporting to show two men firing at Israeli troops on March 30, but noted that this took place in northern Gaza Strip, not on the eastern border where the Land Day demonstrations took place. No demonstrators can be seen in the video.

The Zionist propaganda is published ad nauseam by most western media, along with supportive Editorial and Opinion comment  although to be fair, the Washington Post did have the decency to note that Two-thirds of Gazas 2 million people are descendants of refugees. Life in Gaza has become increasingly harsh after more than a decade of closures, with residents enduring daily power outages lasting hours.

Human Rights Watch reviewed footage it believes authentic based on an interview with the videographer that appears to show a demonstrator shot in the leg while praying and another video showing a man shot while throwing a rock. Other videos reviewed appear to show demonstrators shot while slowly walking toward the border empty-handed or holding only a Palestinian flag or retreating from the border. Interviews with six witnesses, including three journalists, indicated that soldiers shot at men who were in the area between the encampments and the fence but who posed no grave threat to anyone across the fence.

These soldiers are murderers in uniform  but if you criticise Israelis it is verging on the automatic that you will be labelled anti-Semitic. The dark shadows of the Holocaust are cast selectively.

Some forty distinguished British academics wrote a open letter, published on 2 April, that among other things observed that One of the main concepts in journalism education is that of framing: the highlighting of particular issues, and the avoidance of others, in order to produce a desired interpretation. We have been reminded of the importance of framing when considering the vast amounts of media coverage of Jeremy Corbyns alleged failure to deal with antisemitism inside the Labour party. On Sunday, three national titles led with the story while news bulletins focused on the allegations all last week

Where is the criticism in the UKs newspapers of the butchery in Gaza? Where, for that matter, is the criticism of Israel that should have been raised in Britains Parliament? And in the United States Congress?

Reuters reported that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called for an independent, transparent investigation into the Gaza slaughter, but a proposed statement by the Security Council that there should be respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including protection of civilians, was blocked by the United States, from which action it must be concluded that Washington does not believe in human rights law and protection of civilians.

Only one member of the US Congress criticised Israel for the killings. This isnt surprising, because, as Foreign Policy Journal reported in 2016, at the annual Policy Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee the speakers included 30 members of the US Congress, 25 of whom received 2016 contributions from pro-Israel PACs and individuals, averaging $36,000 per recipient ($908,000 in total) . . .

In pristine Britain, the Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), a powerful and well-funded group of governing politicians, records with pride that 119 Conservative Members of Parliament, peers [members of the UKs ridiculous Upper House of Parliament], senior party officials, and activists visited Israel with CFI between the May 2015 General Election and December 2017. Nobody knows the depth of Zionist support there is in the cesspool of British politics.

It is not surprising that the UK-US pro-Israel propaganda campaign is thriving. Just as there is no doubt that the killing of Arabs will continue without criticism. If a government representative of almost any other nation but Israel declared that anyone approaching its border would be killed, there would be outrage in Washington and London. But the Zionists can get away with murder.
In 2014, after ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) surprised the world by quickly seizing Mosul and declaring an Islamic state that controlled eastern Syria and most of western Iraq American intel analysts concluded that attacks against key ISIL personnel would be a key tactic in defeating ISIL. That was because it was already known that ISIL was created largely by Saddam era administrators and technocrats who had run the Iraqi branch of al Qaeda in an unsuccessful effort to regain control of the country. While this effort was defeated many key people, and a lot of cash got away. While the Iraqi al Qaeda worked on rebuilding its support among Iraqi Sunni Arabs a rebellion broke out in neighboring Syria were the Sunni Arab majority rose up against the Shia minority Assad dictatorship. The Iraqi al Qaeda were not welcome in Syria but set up shop and formed a new baddest of the bad group called ISIL. As had happened in Iraq (2004-08) these tactics divided the rebels and made them easier to defeat. In 2014 the U.S. had a large database of deceased and current Iraqi al Qaeda personnel, including family connections and all manner of biographical detail. That personal data was useful because what was not known was where these key people were at any particular time (the better to capture or kill them).

This was especially true when it came to key technical personnel who could not easily be replaced. Administrative and battlefield ISIL leaders are much more numerous as Iraqi Sunni Arabs were long known as a well-educated bunch. But when it came to some new technologies, like the Internet, there were fewer of these available. Unlike administrative and tactical leaders, who can be replaced with less skilled people who can still do the job that does not work with tech.

With Internet jobs the loss of a few key leaders and their technical staffs had an immediate, substantial and sustained impact. This could be seen most clearly with the ISIL Information War operations, mainly those operating largely via the Internet. Twice since 2014 these targeted attacks against key tech personnel crippled ISIL media operations. The first time was in 2016 when several ISIL media operations were destroyed or crippled. ISIL took months to recover most of the lost capability. The 2016 attacks were based on earlier (2015) operations that killed or captured a few key ISIL technical personnel who comprised their small number of skilled Internet experts. Tracking down and taking down these individuals provided a useful set of procedures for the continued search for key ISIL media and Internet personnel.

The second major victory occurred in late 2017 as ISIL lost control of most of its territory in Syria and Iraq and their media operations in those two countries were not only under frequent attack but were spending most of their time trying to avoid detection and attack. ISIL media activity soon encountered a sharp drop in activity. By early 2018 ISIL had reorganized its media operations by getting some key people out of Syria and Iraq and then setting up an operation that could collect and widely distribute Internet based media produced by half a dozen smaller ISIL franchises in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. But the new organization was much less productive, the price it had to pay for being more dispersed included getting by with less technically capable media personnel.

The Western intel agencies and their growing force of civilian online volunteers gained an edge because of these ISIL defeats. Some of the most effective of these volunteers were anti-ISIL hackers who didnt follow orders but would go after an ISIL target if one caught their attention. The tips and insights provided by the volunteers was frequently accompanied by valuable cultural insights. Thats because many volunteers were tech savvy Moslems seeking to eliminate ISIL and the shame it brought to Islam. These volunteers spoke the same languages as many ISIL operatives and could more easily track down targets on the web than intel agencies whose searchers were closely supervised by several layers of bureaucracy.

Most of these decapitation operations were not directed as ISIL tech personnel but at the ISIL leadership in general. These attacks became more frequent and more effective as ISIL lost most of its territory in Syria and Iraq. This gave key people fewer places to hide and even more importantly forced them to move more frequently and often without the careful planning and preparation they had learned was essential for survival. By early 2017 the impact of the damage was pretty obvious.

While the hunt for the senior leadership got the most publicity these men, especially ISIL founder and leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, these men were not the most important targets (unless you goal was headlines and maximum media audiences). The key to crippling ISIL as an organization were those leaders responsible for finance, logistics and media. These were harder to replace and the senior ISIL leaders knew that success at raising huge amounts of cash (mainly via looting and smuggling, but also extortion and ransoms paid to free kidnapping victims and slaves) and maintaining effective communications for the finance and recruiting operations were more important. The logistics included obtaining weapons and explosives and moving them to where they would be most effective.

For example a number of attacks carried out in the months before Mosul fell (and Raqqa was surrounded) in July 2017 led to loss of several key people who managed and ran the ISIL media networks. This included Internet distribution of propaganda and ISIL documents as well as the ISIL Amaq News Agency. Attacks against these media networks have been going on for nearly three years although the results were often kept secret (short or long term) in order to exploit the confusion these losses created within ISIL. Even ISIL would often deny accurate reports of their key people dying or being captured in order to maintain morale.

Early on in this campaign it was noted (by the Western media) that the targets were often technical experts, which ISIL never had enough of. For example in August 2015 a U.S. UAV missile attack in eastern Syria (near Raqqa) killed Juanaid Hussain, a British citizen believed to be the most skilled computer hacker working for ISIL at that time. Hussain was one of the key people in ISILs twitter based recruiting and publicity operation. Hussain did not have world class hacking skills but he came to Syria in 2013 as a bright British teenager who had a talent for hacking, good knowledge of Internet culture and eager to defend Islam any way he could. The U.S. kept the news of Husseins death quiet for a few weeks in order to take advantage of the confusion within the ISIL Internet based networks created by the sudden disappearance of such a key person.

People like Hussian were sought out and killed because of the known effectiveness of these decapitation tactics. This had been perfected and proven in Iraq before U.S. troops left in 2011 and earlier in Israel where it was developed to deal with the Palestinian terror campaign that began in 2000. The Israelis were very successful with their decapitation program, which within five years reduced Israeli civilian terrorist deaths from over 400 a year to less than ten. The Israeli and American decapitation tactics adapted to the techniques and tactics of current Islamic terrorism.

The modern version of decapitation had to adapt to new technologies (Internet, cell phones, laptops) that the Islamic terrorists, especially in Iraq, made use of. The Israelis realized this early on and came up with new investigation and analysis tools to cope. The Israelis had to quickly perfect and put their new tactics to work. Put simply, go after a specific combination of key people to achieve a specific goal. For example, if you want minimize Israeli civilian casualties you have to concentrate on bomb makers and the team leaders who recruit, train and deploy the bomb placers or suicide bombers. If you want to diminish terrorist threats longer term go after more senior leaders, especially the media, financial, intelligence, recruiting and logistics specialists. For other goals you went after a different collection of people. At the same time every arrest or dead terrorist was investigated for more information and Israeli intelligence had some of the most advanced data analysis software available and many of the people inventing and maintaining such software products (which were lucrative products sold mainly to businesses and researchers) were military reservists. Thus the Israelis had the ability to quickly modify the new tech. Same deal with cell phones and PCs in general. Islamic terrorists soon learned that if the Israelis, and later the Americans, got their hands on your cell phones, PCs or whatever they would quickly extract and put to use information that led to the next target. This made decapitation tactics move more quickly than ever before.

Despite all the new tech decapitation tactics are an ancient practice. American troops have used them many times in the past (in World War II, 1960s Vietnam, the Philippines over a century ago, and in 18th century colonial America) but tend to forget after a generation or so. Some things had to be relearned.

So successful has decapitation been that in 2013 Islamic terrorists in Afghanistan and Pakistan openly called for supporters to help develop methods (electronic or otherwise) to deal with the American UAVs that constantly patrolled terrorist sanctuaries in Pakistan (Waziristan) and Afghanistan (the Pakistani border area) and constantly found and killed (with missiles) Islamic terrorist leaders. This has led to the deaths of hundreds of key terrorist personnel and, despite the heavy use of civilians as human shields, few civilian deaths. The Taliban were increasingly frustrated at their inability to deal with this. Decapitation tactics work and while the tactic is ancient they have become more common in irregular warfare because of new technology. This has changed attitudes towards decapitation tactics.

What changed everything were some new technologies unique in military history. Wars have always included attempts to gain victory, or at least an edge, by going after the enemy leaders and other key people. This has always been difficult because the enemy leaders know they are targets and take extensive precautions to protect themselves. This included things like the royal guard, food tasters, and all that. This no longer works and terrorist leaders are scrambling to find ways to avoid this lethal retribution for their wickedness. Islamic terrorists also use decapitation but their favored weapon is the suicide bomber or other lone assassin. But it is easier for key people to avoid a suicide bomber than it is when UAVs armed with guided missiles are used.

The increased use of UAVs to find, identify, and kill terrorists (or enemies in general) led many people in the West and in the Moslem world to assert that this is not effective, fair, or whatever. Some call it murder. But war is murder, and for centuries those involved have recognized that going to war is a messy business, especially once you are in the midst of it. In war the survivors quickly learn two things; those who kill first are less likely to be killed later and those who can kill more of the opponent's leaders will most likely win. Current terrorist leaders may be homicidal fanatics but they know how to count. If the Americans come after them, especially because their organization carried out an attack in the United States that generated a widespread demand from Americans for revenge, the terrorist leaders are dead men walking. The belief is that the Americans will eventually get you, and most terrorist leaders dont want to be killed. Suicide attack duty is for the little people, not the leaders or their children. So the Islamic terrorist propaganda specialists do what they can to protect their bosses. This helped with recruiting, especially among your Moslem men living in the West. But since most of the victims of Islamic terrorist violence are Moslems in Moslem countries, those Moslems who were likely targets of the terrorist violence wanted the decapitation tactics to continue and sought to get the aircraft and missiles so they could do it themselves. This is what the Iraqi and Afghan government did once most foreign troops left. While the aerial surveillance and laser guided missiles worked for the Iraqis and Afghans, it was also discovered that the powerful information gathering and analysis tools were not so easily adopted and used other countries. Those skills require a lot of skilled computer hardware and software personnel and it turned out few nations could match the way the Israelis and Americans adopted, deployed and continued to develop these new systems.

Some components of the new decapitation tactics are easier for others to adopt. Since the late 1990s UAVs, and before that space satellites and high-flying, long endurance recon aircraft (like the U-2 and SR-71), made it possible to find and identify key enemy personnel. But until armed UAVs came along in 2001 there was no way to quickly act on that information. Many opportunities to kill key enemy personnel were missed. Now, with Hellfire missiles (and several other similar weapons) on these UAVs, you can promptly kill what you find. Some pundits find this unsporting, morally indefensible, or otherwise wrong. For military personnel, risking their lives fighting a determined enemy, it's just another way to kill the enemy leadership before the enemy succeeds.

That civilians are also killed is nothing new. During the allied invasion of France in 1944, the several months of fighting required to destroy the German armies in France also left 15,000 French civilians dead in the invasion area and more than that in the rest of France. The Germans did not normally try and hide among civilians, while Islamic terrorists do. The Germans knew they would be attacked no matter where they were. Islamic terrorists do sometimes get away because of the successful use of human shields (and because the order to fire is not given). This attitude ignores the civilians who die because terrorists escape to keep killing. Thus, in war, you can avoid killing civilians, but you do so at the cost of giving enemy personnel immunity that just gets more people killed down the road.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Saqib Nisar on Sunday took notice of delay in dispensing justice to the affectees of the Model Town incident and directed the Punjab government to submit the details of the reasons behind the delay in the case.

Bisma, the daughter of a women who died in Model Town tragedy, met with the chief justice on Sunday and informed him that four years had passed by but they were unable to get justice in the case.

The CJP said that there is no need to be afraid as he will take up the matter and justice will be dispensed in the case. He directed the advocate general Punjab to seek details from Punjab government over reasons for delay in the process.

Earlier in the day, the affectees of the Model Town Incident on Sunday staged protest outside the Supreme Court of Pakistan Lahore Registry and demanded of the chief justice to take suo moto notice over the incident.Those protesting outside the apex court registry said that 14 innocent people were killed in Model Town incident and despite passage of four years they are yet to get justice.The protesters had banners and play cards in their hands and were demanding action against those responsible for the Model Town incident.
Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has arrived in China to lead Pakistan delegation at the Boao Forum Annual Conference for Asia.

According to Foreign Office Spokesperson, the main theme of this conference that began today is "An Open and Innovative Asia for a World of greater Prosperity".

The Prime Minister will be one of the keynote speakers at the Forum along with President Xi Jinping, and other leaders attending the Annual Forum.

The Prime Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with the Chinese and other world leaders.

Boao Forum is a non-governmental and non-profit international organization and it aims to promote and deepen economic coordination and cooperation within Asia, between Asia and other parts of the world.

The Forum would provide an opportunity to the Prime Minister to highlight the progress achieved by Pakistan in successfully implementing China Pakistan Economic Corridor projects.
Zardari said that Bilawal Bhutto has become a 100 percent political leader. The PPP leader was addressing to the party workers at the Zardari House in Nawab Shah today.

The former president told the workers to start preparing for the general elections, saying that the PPP will contest elections against everyone in the polls.

Zardari said that his party was not given chance in the last polls, which he called RO elections. They have created a drama that the PPP is not popular in Punjab, said Zardari. The former president said that the 2018 polls will be an election, not a selection.
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A low pressure system approaching from the Tasman Sea, and a strong cold front approaching from the Southern Ocean are expected to come together to bring heavy rain, gale force winds and thunderstorms to many parts of the country, and heavy snowfall is also in the forecast.

A Severe Weather Watch has been issued for heavy rain for the ranges of Buller and northwest Nelson, as well as lower lying parts of Canterbury and Kaikoura Coast, starting late on Monday and continuing into Tuesday.

In addition, the first Heavy Snowfall Warning and Watches of 2018 have been issued for eastern parts of the South Island above 300-400 metres.

MetService meteorologist Claire Flynn says coastal towns and cities in the east of the South Island are likely to see heavy rain rather than snow, being too close to sea level, but she stresses that those who are planning on travelling will need to ensure they are on top of the latest weather updates.

There are heavy snowfall warnings in place for the Canterbury High Country and Kaikoura Ranges above 400 metres, and snowfall Watches for Otago, Southland and Fiordland above 300 metres, she says.

In addition, road snowfall warnings have been issued for many of the alpine passes, with Lewis, Arthurs and Porters Pass expected to be worst affected, with up to half a metre of snow possible on Tuesday.

Those closer to the coast will likely get heavy rain. While we may not see snow in Christchurch City, for example, higher roads of Banks Peninsula are likely to be affected by snowfall.

Snow is also likely for the central North Island from Tuesday night and into Wednesday, and there is potential for Severe Weather Watches and Warnings could be issued for these areas as well.

Meanwhile, those further north in Auckland will not be exempt from the severe weather, with gale westerlies and squally thunderstorms possible on Tuesday.

People need to read the forecast for their area, including the Severe Weather Warnings and Watches, and take steps to prepare if they are in the affected areas, says Claire.

Tying down trampolines, avoiding unnecessary travel, and clearing gutters are just a few steps people can take. There is the potential that the severe weather could disrupt power as well. If people are unsure where to start, there is good information on preparing for severe weather at the Get Thru website. You can also check current road conditions and closures on the NZTA website.

The severe weather making its way to New Zealand will be here in time for the anniversary of another significant weather event in New Zealand history. Tuesday April 10 marks the 50th anniversary of the Wahine ferry sinking in Wellington Harbour, in what is now considered to be New Zealands worst modern maritime disaster.

Those in Wellington taking part in Tuesdays commemorations will need to prepare for wet day, with rain becoming heavy at times, and cold southerly winds rising to gale in the morning.
Helen Carnell was a model driver whose life was cut short in a crash involving a tourist driver, her grieving grandson says.

The 80-year-old meals-on-wheels volunteers loved ones want the government to clamp-down on untutored tourist drivers, who the family say exact a heavy death toll on New Zealand roads.

Carnell was farewelled on Saturday at her Tauranga funeral by mourning friends and family, grandson Zeb Carnell says.

On Tuesday, Helen Carnells car was allegedly struck by a foreign motorist driving on the wrong side of the road on State Highway 1, at Wellsford in north Auckland.

Police confiscated the male drivers passport, says Zeb.

The great-grandmother died at the scene, while a male and a female were hospitalised in Auckland Hospital with moderate injuries, police say.

Police have refused to disclose the motorists nationality and say no charges have been laid.

"Every week on the news theres always people on the bloody wrong side of the road, its always a foreigner," says Zeb.

"There should be some sort of test when they come in to the country to make sure foreign drivers are safe."

His grandmother was blameless, and police had ruled-out any medical problems, he says.

Helen Carnell had been driving through Wellsford returning to Tauranga after visiting a Dargaville friend during Easter weekend.

"Grandma was the funniest, nicest person youd ever meet, she never had a bad thing to say about anyone.

"She never made it back home.

TOURIST CRASHES CAST LONG SHADOW

So far this year there have been several cases of foreign drivers being involved in serious crashes on New Zealand roads.

On Friday 21-year-old American Reiss Berger pleaded not guilty in Kaikohe District Court to two counts of careless driving causing death and three of causing injury, RNZ reported. The charges related to the deaths of Yvarn Tepania and James Hamiora following a head-on collision in Kerikeri.

The same weekend Helen Carnell died, an Australian man was charged with six counts of careless driving causing injury over a three-car pile-up near Matamata in the Waikato which injured seven people including one critically.

Three tourists were also left stranded between Wairoa and Gisborne after an angry driver confiscated their car keys after their vehicle was spotted repeatedly crossing the centre line.

In 2017 teen German tourist Felix Eisele, who had barely driven in New Zealand, killed his best friend after he pulled into the path of a truck.

That same year New Caledonian Jeff Tau Viriamu crossed the centre line at Piarere, near Tirau colliding head-on with Hamilton resident Alysia Jade Kellys car killing her.

In 2015 an inquest found Hong Kong tourist Wing Fai Chans driving killed himself, his wife and their friend after the van he was driving slammed into a truck near Wanaka in Central Otago.

Data analysed in 2015 by Stuff indicates foreign drivers are disproportionately represented in crash statistics.

NZTA data which was used in the analysis showed between 2005 and 2014, foreign licence holders were at fault or partly at fault in 85.3 per cent of all crashes they were involved in on New Zealand roads.

In that time period, foreign drivers have been responsible for one in every 12 fatal crashes in the South Island.

Ministry of Transport mobility and safety manager Simon Johnston says preliminary 2017 crash data showed around seven per cent of crash deaths were the fault of overseas drivers - the same average for the past five years.

"Over 3.5 million international visitors arrive in New Zealand each year, while international visitor numbers have increased by about 45 per cent over the past 10 years.

"The increase in the overall number of road deaths last year cannot be explained by an increase in overseas drivers."

ALL DRIVERS TREATED EQUALLY

Police say all drivers on New Zealand roads are treated in the same manner by police regardless of whether they hold a New Zealand driver licence or an overseas driver licence.

Drivers who witness dangerous driving should call 111 so police can respond in a timely manner.

Motorists are not encouraged to take matters into their own hands, instead they should report the behaviour to police immediately.

- Stuff
A Tauranga father has died while working for a charity overseas in Africa.

Richard Welch, of Papamoa, journeyed to South Sudan on March 6 to help build a maternity and paediatrics ward for the people of Tonj.

The ward was to aid the work of Kiwi doctors Jono and Destinee Macleod, who have been volunteering in the country since 2014, serving some of the poorest mothers and children in the world.

Around a week into the project, Richard became ill with what is locally referred to as Tonj tummy, and suffered for 10 days with a diarrheal illness.

By March 25, the 57-year-old was on the mend and wrote about how he was looking forward to continuing full work on the project. However, on March 31 Richard collapsed and died after suffering a heart attack.

Since then, its been an expensive and lengthy process to bring his remains home to New Zealand.

Richards sister Sue Hodson says her brothers body first had to be flown out of Tonj on a chartered flight, at a cost of US$4000, as there are only regular flights out of Tonj once a month.

He had to be taken to Juba, the capital of South Sudan, where his body was embalmed, before being taken to Nairobi in Kenya, where he could finally be cremated.

His son Elijah, who flew to Nairobi to collect the ashes, finally returned on Sunday to Tauranga with his fathers remains. The entire costs to bring Richard home have been around $15,000.

A Givealittle page has been set up to help cover those costs, as well as raise some money to help his children  three of whom had been living at home at the time of his death.

The donations above $15,000 will be for the immediate living expenses of the children, says Sue. Were hoping to raise enough to keep them going until Bastien turns 18 in May and they can begin thinking about their next steps.

His niece Kimberley Wilson says Richard leaves behind a legacy of service and compassion for others, both here in the Bay of Plenty and globally from his years living in England and the USA, and from his service projects in Fiji, Russia and South Sudan.

The plan in South Sudan was and still is to build a 20 bed clinic, with nine beds designated for maternity and 11 for paediatrics, she says.

The ward is to service the 17,000 people living in Tonj and approximately 5000 people living in the surrounding area, who still live in villages. The intention of Richards project was to get the foundations and floor in place during his two month stay. The project now continues on and it is the intention of the Mission to name this ward Richards Ward.

Kimberley says on April 2, three days after Richards death, a woman arrived to give birth.

She was able to use a maternity waiting area that had been prepared by Destinee, with Richard fixing the roof, hanging curtains and building a door. The little boy, the first to be born there, has been named Richard in his honour.

To make a donation to help with the costs of bringing Richards remains home, and to help his surviving children, visit the Givealittle page here.

To find out more about what Richard was doing in South Sudan, visit the Macleods Facebook page.
Click the image above to watch the video

Today we are expecting fine breaks during the day with a few showers developing in the afternoon. Also westerlies.

Its a two-clothing-layer day today with a high of 23 and an overnight low of 16 degrees. Humidity is 89 per cent.

A cold snap is on its way. Over the next two nights - Tuesday and Wednesday - the temperature is forecast to drop to 6 degrees each night.

High tide today is at 1.20pm and low tide at 7.30pm. Theres a sea swell of about .5m, with a sea temperature of 21 degrees. Sunset tonight is at 5.55pm.

If youre going fishing the next best fish bite time is tomorrow between 7 and 9am.

In NZ history on this day in 1850 the Sisters of Mercy arrived in New Zealand. Nine Sisters of Mercy arrived in Auckland on the Oceanie with Bishop Pompallier and a number of priests and immediately started taking in orphans, visiting the sick and helping to fund education for those who had no money.

In 1932 there were unemployed disturbances in Dunedin. During the angry autumn of 1932, in the depths of the Great Depression, unemployed workers in Dunedin reacted angrily when the Hospital Board refused to assist them.

In world history on this day in 1731 British Captain Robert Jenkins lost an ear to a band of Spanish brigands, starting a war between Britain and Spain: The War of Jenkins Ear. In 1770 Captain James Cook discovered Botany Bay on the Australian continent. In 1940 Germany invaded Norway and Denmark.

In 1950 comedian Bob Hope made his first television appearance. In 1963 Winston Churchill became the first honorary U.S. citizen. In 1968 murdered civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., was buried. In 1970 Paul McCartney announced the official break-up of the Beatles.

Today is the birthday of French poet Charles Baudelaire. Born in 1821, he once wrote "The insatiable thirst for everything which lies beyond, and which life reveals, is the most living proof of our immortality".

To get involved in some of the many activities happening around the Bay, please c

heck out our Whats on page.

Have a great day!
It seems that space tourism is set to become the next big thing for adventurous types with deep pockets. In addition to Elon Musks SpaceX and Jeff Bezos Blue Origin, companies are promising a future filled with luxury space hotelsbut dont expect to be able to afford a stay unless youre a millionaire.

At the recent Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California, Orion Spana startup based in Houstonrevealed its plans for a luxury space hotel that will orbit 200 miles above the earth. Its hoped that the modular Aurora Station will launch in late 2021, with the first guests arriving a year later.

Aurora will be able to hold six people at a time, along with two crew members. The craft will measure 34 feet in length and 14 feet wide, making it about the same size as a private jet. Lucky guests will be able to experience zero gravity as the ship circles our planet every 90 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the 12-day excursion into space doesnt come cheap. Tourists will have to hand over $9.5 million each, which works out at about $791,666 per night.

Orion Span CEO Frank Bunger told Bloomberg that the Aurora is aimed more toward those who want an authentic astronaut experience. Were not selling a hey-lets-go-to-the-beach equivalent in space. Were selling the experience of being an astronaut. You reckon that there are people who are willing to pay to have that experience, he said.

Those who want to visit the hotel will first require three months of training, beginning with online courses to understand basic spaceflight, orbital mechanics, and pressurized environments in space, and moving on to contingency training in Houston. Orion Span said it has taken what was historically a 24-month training regimen to prepare travelers to visit a space station and streamlined it to three months, at a fraction of the cost.

Despite its target audience being wealthy, wannabee astronauts, the company still describes its space hotel as luxury, featuring private suites for two and the most number of windows created for spaceflight.

The time frame for the Aurora does seem ambitious, but with Orion Span boasting former NASA employees as executives, and with the ever-decreasing costs of space travel, its certainly not impossible. If you have a spare $80,000 for a refundable deposit to secure your place, you can do so now on the firms website.

Last December, it was reported that Russia also wanted to build a luxury space station. A two-week trip would cost $40 million, and for an extra $20 million, you can stay for up to one month.
On Tuesday, the Google-owned service deleted the accounts of RT DE and "The Missing Piece" without the right to restoration. | Read More
The corporate watchdog has criticised banks for taking an average of seven months to start paying customers who are owed compensation, calling for stronger legal powers to influence how the big four respond to misconduct.

As the royal commission puts bank remediation schemes under the microscope, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission said that once banks had decided to pay compensation, on average it took another 217 days before the first such payment to a customer was made.

ASIC said it was concerned at how long it can take banks to pay compensation to victims. Credit:Paul Rovere

"ASIC considers that this length of time does not accord with values expressed by banks and is likely to constitute conduct falling below community expectations (and is contrary to the characteristics of a good financial system)," ASIC said in a submission to the commission.

In a further swipe at the sector's approach to addressing past wrongs, ASIC said it often ended up in "protracted" negotiations with banks over how much would be paid out, and to whom.
Australian shares are poised to open lower and extend their drift back toward their October lows, caught in a wave of global angst about the widening economic confrontation between the US and China.

While President Donald Trump's request to cast a far wider net against Chinese-made goods may prove to be more noise than a line-in-the-sand negotiating position, it clearly has put US investors on edge.

Wall Street dived on Friday with all three major benchmarks shedding at least 2 per cent and all 30 of the Dow's components ending in the red. The S&P 500 threatened to close below its 200-day moving average for the second time in five sessions. Bulls see that technical level as a buying opportunity, while bears see it as a signal to sell.

Whether President Donald Trump's request to cast a far wider net against Chinese-made goods proves to be more noise than a line-in-the-sand negotiating position, it has rattled US investors. Credit:Tim Rue

ASX futures were down 33 points or 0.6 per cent to 5739 over the weekend. The S&P/ASX 200 last traded below the 5700 mark in early October.
Australia will reach a record $230 billion in energy exports this financial year driven by an LNG and oil boom.

The March 2018 edition of the federal governments Resources and Energy Quarterly forecasts a buoyant export market that will hit more than $230 billion this year and the next, before slipping below $230 billion from 2019 until 2022, when it will rise to about $240 billion in export value.

Coal will still play a role in Australian energy exports, albeit a declining one. Credit:Vincent Mundy

Mining and energy exports are forecast to generate about $1 trillion for the national economy during this period.

LNG will become Australias biggest resources export by 2022, generating $39 billion, up from the $30 billion this year, driven by higher export volumes and, to a lesser extent, higher prices, the report stated.
"Perhaps theres something specific about the unicorn that tells us about what and where we hope to escape to."

Get your rainbow sparkle on my friends, because today is International Unicorn Day. Thats right, a whole 24 hours observed around the globe  allegedly to celebrate a creature that doesnt exist.

If this is enough to make you wonder whether magical one-horned beasts might once have existed, but have since gone the way of the dodo, youre not alone. Last year on Unicorn Day Google searches for unicorn more than quadrupled. I suspect that many of these people were checking to see if The Last Unicorn is in fact a memoir.

Or perhaps they wanted to know who had the authority to declare April 9 to be the International Day of the Unicorn. The first reference of a National Unicorn Day appeared in Scotland  whose national animal is the unicorn  in 2015.

Since then magic glitter dust has wafted on the breeze and encased the world in a great, big, enchanted unicorn group hug. Or to put it another way, a sufficient number of social media users  there are over 8.2 million pictures on Instagram labelled with #unicorn went so unicorn-crazy that Unicorn Day has morphed into officially being a thing.
Over the past few years, our wardrobes have come in for a lot of scrutiny.

Are they sufficiently ethical, sustainable, transparent? "Who made your clothes?" has become not only a catchcry but a clarion call for consumers to ask more questions and take more action when it comes to making informed  and empowered  shopping decisions.

What happened to the good old days of buying something just because it was pretty?

Victoria's Secret had a gender pay gap of about 20 per cent. Credit:AP Photo/Andy Wong

Now, thanks to a release of wage data in the UK, there's yet another metric upon which to flex, or retract, our purchasing muscle: the gender pay gap.
There were heavy delays on the Gateway Motorway on Sunday morning, after a car crashed into a concrete barrier and police closed one lane.

The crash happened on the southbound side after the Sandgate Road overpass in Taigum just after 8am and the male driver, 76, died at the scene despite first responders performing CPR.

Heavy delays stretched back about five kilometres at the height of the congestion. Credit:Paul Rovere

Australian Traffic Network reporter Ben Mihan said police had closed the left lane soon after the crash in order to clear the wreckage and allow officers to investigate the scene.

Mr Mihan said about five kilometres of southbound delays had formed at the height of the congestion, with traffic stretching back to Bald Hills.
Three men have been doused in petrol outside an Ipswich motel and almost set alight by another man who they did not know, police said.

It will be alleged the victims were approached by a man in North Ipswich about 6pm on Saturday.

Police said the man poured petrol on the trio and threatened to set them alight with a lighter. He was only stopped when one of the victims managed to prevent him from igniting them.

The alleged attacker fled but was arrested by police in a nearby shopping centre carpark.

A 45-year-old Raceview man was charged with acts intended to cause grievous bodily harm, common assault and stealing. He is due to appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court on Monday.
A man and a woman in their late 20s have escaped uninjured after their home was sprayed with bullets in Melbourne's west, striking the bedroom and kitchen.

The pair were inside their home on Caraleena Drive, Tarneit, when it was shot at shortly after midnight.

No one was injured and it is understood a neighbour called police to report the shooting.

Hobson Bay investigators are appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting, have CCTV footage or were in the area about midnight to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Police are investigating the death of a man whose body was found at a home in the city's south-east on Saturday night.

The body of the man was discovered on Barkly Street, Mordialloc, at 11.45pm.

The cause of the man's death is still being investigated.

A police spokeswoman said an autopsy would be completed on Monday.
A 32-year-old man who allegedly shot at occupants in a car from close range during an altercation at a Perth shopping centre carpark on Saturday night is among four people charged in the fallout from the terrifying incident.

Mirrabooka Detectives said the occupants of two vehicles met in the carpark of a shopping centre on Hepburn Avenue in Madeley about 9.40pm, with one firing a single shot at the other vehicle before both cars fled the area.

A man has been charged over a shooting at a Perth shopping centre overnight.

Detectives were able to stop one vehicle on Hepburn Avenue in Marangaroo, where they took its five occupants into custody.

A search of the vehicle uncovered 10 grams of methylamphetamine, police say.
Senior ACT officials downplayed the findings of an external report that found Community Services Directorate staff were involved in the supply of illegal drugs, before repeatedly blocking the report's release.

Codenamed Project Leather, the 2015 report by KPMG also found evidence of directorate staff drug use, believed to be ice, and the failure of directorate employees to properly care for a client.

At least one Community Services Directorate staff member was taking and supplying drugs, the report found. Credit:Rohan Thomson

It is understood the duty of care failings related to an alleged incident in which a man with a disability was left inside a hot van while Community Services Directorate staff engaged in what appeared to be a drug deal.

In an assembly estimates hearing on June 18, 2015, senior directorate official Sue Chapman said investigators had been asked to look into two "headline allegations" relating to the Bimberi Youth Justice Centre.
All governments need to act on the recommendations of a major report into Indigenous incarceration and the ACT should consider opening an Aboriginal-only prison in Canberra, the head of an Indigenous legal service has urged.

Chairman of the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT, Bunja Smith, urged the ACT government to consider opening an Indigenous-inmate only prison in Canberra, in an effort to cut high Aboriginal incarceration rates.

The head of the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT has called for Indigenous inmates at the Alexander Maconochie Centre to be housed separately. Credit:Sitthixay Ditthavong

The prison in recent years has been plagued by a number of issues, including assaults of lower-order Indigenous inmates by non-Indigenous inmates, many on long sentences for much more serious crimes.

Mr Smith said one way to help avoid such conflict in the overcrowded prison was to consider building a facility that focused on healing Indigenous inmates on remand or serving shorter sentences.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull says he retains the support of the Liberal Party and is delivering on his commitment to provide economic leadership even as his government notches up its 30th consecutive Newspoll loss, an indicator of failure Mr Turnbull cited when he challenged Tony Abbott in 2015.

Mr Abbott has used the widely expected poll result to spruik his alternative policy agenda, saying politics is not about personality and defending his record as prime minister and a backbencher.

Senior government ministers have rallied around Mr Turnbull, insisting he is the right person to lead the Coalition to the next election and emphasising the importance of having a united team.

The Prime Minister again expressed regret about his use of the 30 Newspoll benchmark and emphasised that he promised to provide economic direction and restore traditional cabinet government.
New York: A 67-year-old man died after being injured in a fire at Trump Tower in midtown Manhattan on Saturday, the police said.

The man, identified by The Associated Press as Todd Brassner, was in an apartment on the 50th floor at the time of the fire, which was reported about 5.30pm local time, the police said. He was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Property records obtained by The Associated Press indicate Brassner was an art dealer who had purchased his 50th-floor unit in 1996.

A firefighter inside Trump Tower.

Four firefighters suffered injuries that were not life-threatening, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said at a news conference.
Melbourne: Russian ambassador Grigory Logvinovs recent broadside against the disgraceful behaviour of Australias media comes as the embassy appears to embrace a more propagandistic tone.

The embassy has in recent months released defensive statements, a blistering critique of a specific article, and talking points to cast doubt on the Londons response to the Skripal poisonings.

Even the number of Twitter followers for the embassy shot up (albeit from a low base figure). The embassys website shows nearly as many releases in the first three months of this year, as all of last year  and, while many of the releases are standard diplomatic fare, a change in tone on geopolitical matters is hard to miss.

Russian Ambassador Grigory Logvinov Credit:Fairfax Media

In recent years where there was this propaganda taking place at a domestic level [in Russia], whilst on the international stage diplomats continued to use a more rational factual discourse, said La Trobe University politics lecturer Robert Horvath. That is something that has changed in recent years.
Sao Paulo: Former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, long hailed as a standard-bearer of the global left, ended a dramatic two-day standoff with authorities on Saturday, turning himself in to face a 12-year sentence on corruption charges. He has vowed to stage his political comeback from prison.

The move intensified the roiling political drama in Latin America's largest nation and turned a man former President Barack Obama once called "the most popular politician on Earth" into the region's most famous prisoner.

His jailing underscores the scope of the corruption probe known as Operation Car Wash that is bringing down political and business leaders across Latin America, and in which Lula is by far the biggest figure yet to fall.
Lamborghini Polo Storico celebrates 50 years of Espada and Islero at Techno Classica Essen 2018

SantAgata Bolognese/Essen, 20 March 2018  Lamborghini Polo Storico celebrates 50 years of the Espada and Islero on its stand at Techno Classica 2018 in Essen, from 21 to 25 March.

One of the two vehicles shown on the stand in Essen is a Series III Espada from 1976. During the ten years in which the Lamborghini Espada was in production, 1968-1978, nearly 1.300 examples were produced in three series (S1: 1968 - 1970, S2: 1970 - 1972, S3: 1972 - 1978), making it the second-best selling model among Lamborghini classic cars.

The Espada displayed, with blue exterior and a mustard interior, is undergoing a full restoration at Lamborghini Polo Storico. Owned by Automobili Lamborghini, once finished in May 2018 it is destined for the factorys classic fleet and for display in the Lamborghini Museum. During the ten-month project the chassis, body, electrical system and mechanics of the Espada have been fully overhauled, returning it to its original lines according to the original production sheet preserved in the Polo Storico archive, and using exclusively Lamborghini Original Spare Parts.

The Lamborghini Islero, launched in 1968 with just over 220 units built until 1970, was the model that succeeded the Lamborghini 400 GT and equipped with the same 4.0 l V12 engine with 320 hp. On display in Essen is an Islero S in Pallid Green with a Tobacco interior: one of a rare number of S models with 350 hp, only 70 were produced. This version was introduced in 1969, with developments to the bodywork and interior making the car even more luxurious.

Continuing its ongoing commitment to developing the Lamborghini Original Spare Parts inventory for classic cars, Automobili Lamborghini is gradually reproducing original manuals for historic models. In Essen Lamborghini presents reprints of two rare Espada owner manuals (10/70 and 3/73) as well as of the Islero S owner manual in the 50th anniversary year of these models. The new editions have been reprinted replicating the original design, printing and binding processes to ensure authentic reproduction.

Lamborghini Polo Storico

Lamborghini Polo Storico is the specialist department located within Lamborghinis headquarters in SantAgata Bolognese, Italy, committed to the restoration and certification of classic Lamborghini cars out of production for at least ten years (from Lamborghini 350 GT to Diablo); the preservation of archives and records; and the provision of original Lamborghini spare parts for classic cars.

Automobili Lamborghini is committed to the manufacture of original spare parts in support of classic models, holding parts that cover over 65% of the classic car parc, and increasing the number of reintroduced parts year-on-year for cars from the 350GT up to Diablo. A further 200 part numbers were added to its catalogues in 2017 alone.
Afghan Air Strike Kills ISIS Commander

KABULAfghanistan forces killed an important ISIS commander in an air strike, one year after he defected from the Taliban and established a new ISIS foothold in the country, security officials said.

Qari Hekmat was killed in a drone strike on Thursday afternoon in the Darz Aab district of Afghanistans northern Jawzjan province, said Hanif Rezaee, spokesman for the Afghan National Army Air Corps.

He said Mawlavi Habib Ur Rahman has been appointed as his ISIS successor in the north of the country.

The terrorist group, also known as Daesh, established a new foothold in the province last year when Hekmat defected from the Taliban, attracting the attention of U.S. forces.

ISIS claimed responsibility for suicide bombs last month near Shiite mosques in Herat and Kabul. Both the Western-backed government in Kabul and the main Islamist insurgent group, the Taliban, fight ISIS.

The terrorist group first appeared in Afghanistan three years ago. As well as its main stronghold in the eastern province of Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan, its fighters have been active in northern Afghanistan.

While sectarian violence in mainly Sunni Muslim Afghanistan was previously rare, a series of attacks over recent years, many claimed by ISIS, have killed hundreds of Shiites.

By Hamid Shalizi
Chinese Authorities Cut Corners with Poverty Relief Project, Build Highway Rife with Safety Problems

The content is not available due to expiration.
Police block a street near a place where a vehicle drove into a group of people killing several and injured many in Muenster Germany, April 7 2018. (Reuters/NonstopNews)

Muenster Attacker Was Lone German With Mental Health Problems, Says Minister

MUENSTER The man who drove a camper van into a group of people sitting outside a restaurant in the German city of Muenster on Saturday acted alone and appears to have had mental health problems, the regional interior minister said on Sunday.

The man killed two people when he ploughed the vehicle into people seated at tables outside the Grosser Kiepenkerl eatery, a popular destination for tourists in the old town of the university city in western Germany. He then shot himself dead.

We now know it was in all likelihood a lone perpetrator, a German, Herbert Reul, interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to Muenster, told reporters.

There are lots of indications the person in focus had (psychological) abnormalities. This must be carefully investigated, he said after paying his respects to the victims with national Interior Minister Horst Seehofer and state premier Armin Laschet.

Police said on Sunday they were still investigating possible motives and forensic investigators were scouring the scene of the attack for clues.

Seehofer described the attack as a cowardly and brutal crime. He, Laschet and Reul laid flowers in central Muenster and paid their respects to the victims of the attack.

We have again experienced that  absolute security is unfortunately not possible, Seehofer said, adding that the government would do everything possible to protect citizens.

Police said the perpetrator was aged 48. The Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung reported in its online edition that he was Jens R., who resided some 2 km (1.2 miles) from the crime scene.

A 51-year-old woman from the Lueneburg area in northern Germany and a 65-year-old man from the Borken area near Muenster were killed.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said in a statement she was deeply shaken. In the months prior to the Berlin assault, Germany suffered a number of small-scale Islamist militant attacks, which some linked to Merkels decision in 2015 to open the countrys borders to an influx of migrants, many of them refugees from conflicts in the Middle East.

Saturdays attack in Muenster came a year to the day of a truck attack in Stockholm in which a suspected Islamist militant sympathizer links killed five people.

On Saturday evening, the White House issued a statement sending U.S. President Donald Trumps thoughts and prayers to the families of those killed.

French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted: All my thoughts are with the victims of the attack in Muenster. France shares in Germanys suffering.

By Elke Ahlswede

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New York Police Confirm Identity of Man Killed in Trump Tower Fire

NEW YORKOne man was killed and six firefighters received minor injuries in an apartment fire on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, in a blaze that was quickly extinguished, fire officials said.

The victim, Todd Brassner, 67, was found unresponsive and unconscious in his 50th floor apartment and was pronounced dead at an area hospital, police said.

No information about the cause of the fire was available late Saturday night.

U.S. President Donald Trump, who has an office and a private residence in the midtown Manhattan structure, was not in the building at the time.

Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU! Trump tweeted.

Fire officials said no member of the Trump family was in the building at the time.

This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke, Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said on Twitter.

About 200 fire personnel responded to the incident that the department said was a four-alarm fire.

Video on social media showed flames outside of a few windows and black smoke billowing up from the high-rise.

In January, three people were injured in an early-morning fire at the top of Trump Tower. One firefighter was hospitalized while two people received minor injuries that were treated at the scene, the New York Fire Department said.

In addition to the presidents 66th-floor penthouse, Trump Tower houses the headquarters of the Trump Organization as well as other residences, offices and stores.

By Meredith Mazzilli

Video credit: Dulce Papi via Storyful
Sergei Skripal, a former colonel of Russia's GRU military intelligence service, looks on inside the defendants' cage as he attends a hearing at the Moscow military district court, Russia August 9, 2006. (Kommersant/Yuri Senatorov via Reuters)

Poisoned Russian Agent Sergei Skripal Recovering Rapidly, Hospital Says

LONDONFormer Russian spy Sergei Skripal is no longer in a critical condition and his health is improving rapidly, more than a month after he was poisoned with a nerve agent in England, the hospital treating him said on Friday.

Skripal, 66, who as a colonel in Russian military intelligence betrayed dozens of agents to Britains foreign spy service, was found slumped unconscious on a bench in the city of Salisbury along with his daughter Yulia on March 4.

Britain blamed Russia for the poisoning, the first known offensive use of such a nerve agent on European soil since World War Two. Moscow denied any involvement and suggested Britain had carried out the attack to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.

After weeks of no reported change in his condition, the hospital confirmed that Skripal, who had been treated under heavy sedation, was now making fast progress.

He is responding well to treatment, improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition, Christine Blanshard, Medical Director at Salisbury District Hospital, said in a statement.

Prime Minister Theresa May said the Skripals were poisoned with Novichok, a deadly group of nerve agents developed by the Soviet military in the 1970s and 1980s.

Russia has said it does not have such nerve agents and President Vladimir Putin dismissed as nonsense the notion that Moscow would have poisoned Skripal and his 33-year-old daughter.

The attack prompted the biggest Western expulsion of Russian diplomats since the Cold War as allies in Europe and the United States sided with Mays view that Moscow was either responsible or had lost control of the nerve agent.

Moscow has hit back by expelling Western diplomats, questioning how Britain knows that Russia was responsible and offering its rival interpretations, including that it amounted to a plot by British secret services.

Skripals improvement marks the latest twist in an affair that British and Russian diplomats have variously compared with Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie mysteries.

Doctors had initially feared that the Skripals might have suffered permanent brain damage. A British judge said last month that the attack might have left them with compromised mental capacity, with an unclear effect on their long-term health.

The hospital did not say whether either Sergei or Yulia would suffer long term effects. Britains foreign office welcomed the improvement in the Skripals but said they were likely to have ongoing medical needs.

One toxicologist said recovery in such cases was possible. We know that nerve agents cause a temporary but potentially lengthy effect on the brain and nervous system. What we also know however, is that with time the body clears the nerve agent away, Chris Morris, a doctor at Newcastle Universitys Medical Toxicology Centre, said in a statement.

If the correct treatment is given quickly and the right support provided, then recovery is typically very good.

Yulias health has also improved rapidly. On Thursday, she issued a statement through British police to thank hospital staff and people who came to her help when when my father and I were incapacitated.

Russian state television reported that Yulia had phoned her cousin in Russia and told her that she and her father were both recovering and that she expected to leave hospital soon. Their recovery could ultimately help British counter-terrorism police piece together how they were attacked.

British authorities have denied the cousin, Viktoria Skripal, a visa to visit the patients, the Home Office (interior ministry) said on Friday. Victoria Skripal told Sky News that the British must have something to hide after the decision.

Diplomatic Tension

Both Moscow and London have accused each other of trying to deceive the world with an array of claims, counter-claims and threats.

In a separate announcement, the United States imposed major sanctions on Friday against 24 Russians in one of Washingtons most aggressive moves to punish Moscow for what it called a range of malign activity, including alleged meddling in the 2016 U.S. election.

At a session of the executive of the global chemical weapons watchdog this week, Russia called for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of the Skripals, but lost a vote on the motion.

At a United Nation Security Council meeting on Thursday, Russia warned Britain that youre playing with fire and youll be sorry over its accusations.

Sergei Skripal, who was recruited by Britains MI6, was arrested for treason in Moscow in 2004. He ended up in Britain after being swapped in 2010 for Russian spies caught in the United States.

Since emerging from the John le Carre world of high espionage and betrayal, Skripal lived modestly in Salisbury and kept out of the spotlight until he was found poisoned.

British police believe a nerve agent was left on the front door of his home. Skripals cat was put down by British authorities. His guinea pigs were discovered dead.

When a vet was able to access the property, two guinea pigs had sadly died, a British government spokeswoman said.

A cat was also found in a distressed state and a decision was taken by a veterinary surgeon to euthanise the animal to alleviate its suffering, the spokeswoman said.

By Alistair Smout and Guy Faulconbridge

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Migrants and refugees, mostly from Afghanistan line up to receive food and water from volunteers of the Imece community group, while they wait to leave Turkey at a launching point in the coastal town of Cesme, on Dec. 3, 2015. The flow of boats from Turkey has slowed after a 3 billion euro deal was struck between the EU and Turkey, to slow the flow of migrants and refugees to Europe. Since the deal on Nov. 29, Turkish police have rounded up approximately 1300 migrants and arrested a number of smugglers. Police checkpoints on the roads leading to launch points have been increased slowing the amount of boats leaving turkish shores. (Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

Turkey to Deport Nearly 600 Afghan Asylum Seekers

ANKARATurkish authorities will deport close to 600 illegal Afghan asylum seekers in eastern Turkey back to Kabul this weekend, the interior ministry said on Saturday.

The Afghan asylum seekers had crossed into Turkey through Iran due to ongoing terrorist activities and economic troubles in Afghanistan, the ministry said, and security forces had handed the migrants over to provincial immigration authorities.

It said deportation procedures had been completed for 591 Afghanis in the eastern province of Erzurum and that charter flights to Kabul would be arranged on Saturday and Sunday to send the asylum seekers back.

Following the completion of deportation procedures for illegal migrants in our other provinces, deportations will speed up and continue in the coming days, the ministry said in a statement.

Rights groups have criticised Turkey for deporting the asylum seekers back to conflict-torn countries, including Afghanistan, saying it was putting their lives at risk.

This week, the Hurriyet newspaper reported that several thousand Afghan asylum seekers had crossed into Turkey in recent months and had walked for days from the border to reach Erzurum.

Afghanistan has been ravaged by terrorist attacks this year, and the government has made promises to tighten security in the wake of an attack in central Kabul that killed around 100 people in January.

The attacks undermined support for peace talks after they were offered by President Ashraf Ghani in February to the Taliban. The Taliban are fighting to drive out international forces and reimpose their version of strict Islamic law.

The Taliban have so far shown little sign of accepting the offer of talks with the Western-backed government, which they consider an illegitimate, foreign-imposed regime, although they have offered to talk to the United States.

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Van Plows Into People in German City of Munster 3 Dead, 20 Injured

A driver rammed his van into a crowd of people in front of a restaurant in the Old Town district of Muenster, northwestern Germany, on Saturday, April 7, killing two and injuring 20 before killing himself, Spiegel Online reported, citing German Interior Ministry.

Among the tens of injured, six were in critical condition, Bild reported.

Police assume the incident was an attack, although it is not clear whether it was an act of terrorism or personally motivated.

The driver reportedly shot himself inside the van.

The area was cordoned off.

Many residents of the 300,000 population city were enjoying a sunny day when, around 3:30 p.m., the van approached at a high speed, causing panic.

The alleged perpetrator was a German man, Jens R., from Sauerland region, whod been living in Munster for some time. His motive is unclear, Suddeutsche Zeitung reported. He was psychologically conspicuous, the paper wrote.

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Kathmandu, Nepal: Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has been conferred Honorary Degree of Doctor of Science.





Govinda Ballav Pant University of Agriculture and Technology at Indian state Uttarakhand has conferred honorary doctorate degree to Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli during his visit to Uttarakhand on Sunday.




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VANCOUVERA longtime advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women told her own story of abuse on the last scheduled day of public hearings for the national inquiry Sunday.

Bernie Williams, who has fought for women on Vancouvers Downtown Eastside for 30 years, said her abuse began at age 3 and continued through foster homes and a marriage, involving broken bones and brutal rapes.

One foster family forced the kids to eat from bowls on their hands and knees, like dogs, she said.

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At the age of 11 to 12 years old, six of us girls were sold into the sex trade work, said Williams, who is now 60.

As many of you know, I dont wear shorts very often, because I have cigarette burns all through my legs right up to my back  This is what we endured, we were just kids.

Metro Vancouver's hearings on Sunday were the last that were scheduled for the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, though others will continue to testify in private.

The inquiry was established by the federal government in 2015 to investigate the disproportionately high number of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada, and to give family members a chance to have their stories heard.

Williams, who says she lost three sisters and her mother to murder, says shes tired of seeing elders at food banks and unanswered calls for things like health, healing and wellness centres.

Why has it taken over 4,000 women and girls names to secure and still keep asking the same questions, she said.

She said its time to stem a tide of lateral violence  in which people in need fight amongst one another instead of against systemic problems.

Audrey Siegl of the Musqueam First Nation described for the inquiry a close and loving relationship with her grandmother, who raised her, but also said she was punished harshly to prepare her for the toughness of the world.

"I don't cry for me. What happened, happened. But what had to happen to my grammy that, tiny little me, she was able to do that to tiny little me," Siegl said.

Chief Commissioner Marion Buller has said the inquiry needs more time, telling The Canadian Press on Friday that the inquiry has enough material to produce a report but it will only scratch the surface of the issues.

Commissioners asked the federal government last month for a two-year extension.

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Toronto Police have identified a Peterborough man as the victim of a fatal shooting that happened near a Scarborough parking lot Friday night.

At around 8 p.m., first responders rushed to the Victoria Park Ave. and Hwy. 401 area after receiving a call reporting the sound of gunshots.

32-year-old Bryan Thomas was found laying on the ground of a parking lot, police said in a news release. He was rushed to the hospital in medical distress and later pronounced dead.

Investigators said they are searching for a white subcompact vehicle that was seen fleeing on Terraview Blvd. along with potential suspects.

Anyone with information is being asked to contact police at 416-808-7400 or Crime Stoppers annonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477).
Temporary help agencies create significant challenges for the provincial worker compensation board and are more likely than other Ontario employers to break the law, according to an internal audit obtained by the Star.

The findings were the result of a compliance intervention strategy conducted by the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board from 2013 to 2016, and were released to the Star under freedom of information laws. The audit found that temp agencies were significantly more likely to misreport their payroll to the board, and more likely not to pay mandatory insurance premiums.

Employers are required by law to report their payroll, which is then used by the compensation board to calculate how much employers owe in premium payments. These premiums are used to fund benefits paid to injured workers across the province.

While overall employer compliance in Ontario, according to WSIB audits, was 77 per cent, the audit found that only 38 per cent of temp agency employers followed suit.

The board also found that some 871 temp agencies closed between 2013 and 2016  and that 51 per cent of them were audited before shutting down. But some appeared to subsequently reinvent themselves: the audit found that 25 per cent of new temp agencies opening during the same period shared similar tombstone information with previously existing agencies.

Ellen MacEachen, a professor at the University of Waterloo who has conducted extensive research on the temp agency sector, said closing down and reopening under a different name allows temp agencies to avoid potential fines or penalties from the compensation board.

Basically, temp agencies can be very invisible businesses. They can use a cellphone and run it out of their kitchens. They kind of fly under the radar, she said.

It all fits with things that weve been seeing for a long time.

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Last summer, as part of a year-long investigation into the rise of temp work in Ontario, the Star sent a reporter to work undercover as a temp at a North York factory. Our reporter, who was hired by a temp agency called Magnus Services, was paid in cash at a payday lender. The agency did not provide pay stubs and did not make any statutory deductions. The listed addresses for the business turned out to be a virtual office and an empty unit in a strip mall.

In September 2016, 23-year-old refugee Amina Diaby died at the same facility, Fiera Foods, after being hired through a temp agency called OLA Staffing. She worked at the factory for just two weeks when her headscarf got caught in an unguarded machine, strangling her.

A WSIB briefing note obtained by the Star said OLA had a number of associated accounts with the board that have been investigated for reporting inaccurate payroll and providing false or misleading information related to workers claim for benefits, resulting in three convictions under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act.

One of OLA Staffings associated firms, Opportunity Labour Agency Service, was previously convicted under health and safety laws after a Brampton temp worker was crushed to death by a stack of plywood in 2006. According to the briefing note, the worker had an expired visa and the agency claimed he was unbeknownst to them.

OLA Staffing was incorporated in 2007. Julian Porter, the lawyer representing OLA Staffing director Sangeetha Thushyanthan, said his client had directed the business responsibly for over 10 years and that OLA Staffing was the only temporary employment agency owned and operated by Thushyanthan.

Porter said no charges were laid against OLA Staffing following Diabys death and that the agency has never been charged with a contravention of health and safety or workers compensation legislation.

The charges under the Workplace Safety & Insurance Act, 1997 that you refer to relate to conduct in 2005 and 2006 by corporations owned and controlled by a relative of (Thushyanthan), who is no longer active in the industry of providing temporary employee services. Likewise the unfortunate fatality you refer to occurred on Aug. 31, 2006, prior to the incorporation of OLA Staffing Inc., Porter said in a written response to questions from the Star.

Corporate registry records do not list Thushyanthan as the director of the associated temp agencies, which dissolved in 2007 and 2008. But the businesses registered office addresses or personal addresses to properties owned by Thushyanthan.

The Stars 2017 investigation obtained the names and addresses of Ontarios 2,588 temp agency accounts registered at the WSIB. More than a hundred appeared to be residential addresses, including suburban homes or condo buildings. Around a dozen were simply a P.O. box or were registered to a UPS mailbox service. At least one listed address was an empty plot of land.

Temp agencies are unique in that they have no infrastructure, no machinery or equipment. Other businesses cant (shut down and reopen) quite as easily, MacEachen said.

The Star met with one temp agency owner who said he was forced to move his business out of the GTA because he could no longer compete with temp agencies who offered clients cheap labour rates by avoiding legal obligations.

Its the lack of enforcement thats given us a bad name, the owner said.

The pattern can also strand workers seeking unpaid wages.

Scarborough resident Mohammed Siraj got a job through a temp agency painting signs after he came to Canada as a refugee from Sudan. Over the course of a month, he says he worked around 100 hours. He says he received one cheque for around three days work, but it bounced.

After failing to pay him, he says the temp agency moved locations and didnt answer their phone. It took him two months to find their new office.

She said, Ill give you next week. Next week. Next week, he said of the temp agency owner.

Siraj filed a successful claim to the Ministry of Labour in January 2016, which issued his agency a so-called order to pay. But Siraj has never received the $1,287 he was owed.

This is a human rights country. A freedom country. But the first time I got a job, I didnt get my money, said Siraj, who has three children under 10 living with him in Canada.

Ondine Almeida, who came to Canada in 2005 from Goa, said her experience is similar.

Last May, the Ministry of Labour found she was owed almost $6,000 from her former temp agency, but it too shut down. She has yet to recover her wages.

Almeida said her teeth are falling out and she needs dentures, but cant afford to go to the dentist.

My mom is all worried, my brother and sisters are all worried. Each has their own family so I cant keep worrying my family all the time. I just need my money.

Many of these small temp agencies are run in their own community and use new immigrants and many times workers dont come forward and complain when they are new, said Regini David of West Scarborough Community Legal Services, which helped both workers file their Ministry of Labour complaints.

People also lose hope and trust. Ondine and Mohammed are a good example. They won. They have an order. But collection is an issue.

The Ministry of Labour has committed to doubling its complement of employment standards inspectors to improve enforcement efforts. The ministry is also undertaking an in-depth investigation into the temp agency sector with results expected to be available in the spring.

On Friday, the provincial government officially enacted legislation requiring the compensation board to hold both temp agencies and their client companies accountable when a temp agency worker is hurt on the job. Laws introduced in 2014 also made both parties responsible for wages, overtime, and vacation pay.

The WSIBs mid-term and long-term policy recommendations stemming from its temp agency audit were redacted before being released to the Star.

Its short-term recommendations, which were not redacted, said the board would continue to audit selected high-risk temp agencies on a regular basis and will implement a new registration tool to facilitate more accurate payroll reporting. It will also consider a more stringent process to verify relatedness of new temp agencies to old ones.

But the audit concluded that its educational outreach efforts to more than 1,300 temp agencies did not increase compliance and that legislative change is required to fully address the inherent risk of non-compliance related to this industry.
By April 1994, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) decided to go for broke by killing Rwandas president, Juvenal Habyarimana. His assassination set the stage for a level of mass killings that Rwanda has not yet recovered from. It was the catalyst that effectively destroyed the old order and changed the course of central African history. Which is what [RPF leader Paul] Kagame and the RPF were aiming for all along, while paying lip service to the UN, to the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) and to the peace process.

The following account of the shooting down of Habyarimanas plane is based on separate testimonies from former RPF to the 2006 French inquiry under Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

Kagame and his inner military circle held a series of three meetings in late 1993 and early 1994 to plan to shoot down the plane. The commanders present at the meetings were Col. Kayumba Nyamwasa, Col. Steven Ndugute, Col. Sam Kaka, Lt.-Col. James Kabarebe and Maj. Jack Nziza. The RPF agreed to train a team to handle two surface-to-air missiles that the RPF had secured from its ally Uganda. This team brought the weapons from northern Rwanda into the capital to a farm in Masaka. On the night of April 6, after attending a summit in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, along with key members of the Rwandan military, boarded a French-piloted Falcon 50 jet and headed to Kigali. At 7 p.m., RPF Col. Charles Kayonga told his battalion at the Centre Nationale de Developpement (CND) to be on stand by one  in full battle dress and ready for an attack. By 8 p.m., the missile team in Masaka was in place, waiting for the plane to arrive. The first missile was launched but missed the plane as it approached the airport. A second missile, fired by Sgt. Frank Nziza, hit the mark, damaging the aircrafts wing and fuselage.

The jet exploded, killing all 12 individuals on board, including the two heads of state and the three French crew members. Most of the planes debris landed in the backyard of Habyarimanas presidential home.

Luc Marchal, the Belgian contingent commander and the Kigali section commander with UNAMIR, was astounded at how fast RPF forces  between 25,000 and 30,000 troops  moved into position after the plane was shot down. The RPF launched a major offensive, which would have required weeks of preparation, he told me. To undertake such an immediate, large-scale offensive, the RPF would have had to formulate orders, issue those orders, and ensure that the military leadership transmitted the orders to troops so that soldiers got into position fast. He points out: They launched a systematic attack and had enough ammunition and other supplies  including equipment and food  to fight immediately. They had [already] brought it over from Uganda. The downing of the presidential plane was directly related to the RPFs military offensive. You cannot improvise such matters. It is impossible.

A day after the president was killed, all hell broke loose. Hutu soldiers assassinated Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and her husband and then kidnapped the Belgian peacekeepers who had been sent to protect her, taking them back to the main military barracks, where they lynched them. Tutsis living in Hutu-controlled zones were targeted and slain, but also, while that was going on, Hutus living in RPF-controlled areas were tracked down and slaughtered.

By April 12, only six days into the large-scale slaughter, Marchal saw at least four RPF battalions in Kigali. He believes that with such military capacity the RPF could have easily organized security zones inside the capital where Tutsis could have sought refuge. But they never created safe havens for Tutsis. Instead, they told the Belgian, Italian and French troops to get out of the country. The Italian and French troops were part of a coalition of elite paratroopers and special forces sent to evacuate foreign nationals. The same day, April 12, a dozen senior Hutu officers from the Rwandan armed forces formally requested the RPF join forces with them in a bid to stop the carnage. The Hutu officers called for an immediate ceasefire. But the RPF would not agree to it. Three days earlier, on April 9, the RPF had issued an ultimatum to the UNs Ghanaian contingent: get out of the demilitarized zone in the north or your soldiers will face artillery fire. Not only did the RPF not show the slightest interest in protecting Tutsis, it fuelled the chaos, Marchal said. And he is unequivocal about Kagames intentions: The RPF had one objective. It was to seize power and use the massacres as stock in trade to justify its military operations. This is what I saw.

The carnage and human suffering from the genocide brought about a new political era. Rwanda was no longer a Hutu nation; the country would be run, as it had been before independence, by a Tutsi minority.
As a teenager beginning high school in his Ivory Coast homeland, Ismael Mourifie looked around his classroom and understood something was inherently wrong.

Hed been placed in the math stream based on an admission exam that determined aptitude. But among the almost 45 students, there were only four or five girls. The next year, that number dropped to two.

It didnt make any sense, Mourifie thought. Math isnt an innate skill; there shouldnt be such a dramatic gender disparity.

Fast-forward almost two decades and Mourifie is now an assistant professor of economics at the University of Toronto. He teaches courses in applied econometrics and quantitative methods but his passion, and a big part of his research, is grounded in his memories from the classrooms of West Africa.

He is driven to understand why there arent more women that pursue studies, particularly math, that lead to STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs and how that imbalance can be corrected.

In 1987, 20 per cent of people working in STEM-related jobs in Canada were women. That number has grown to only 22 per cent today. Again, to Mourifie, it was perplexing. And where it becomes particularly significant is that those STEM jobs are typically among the highest-paid professions. So getting more women to study math, the discipline at the core of many STEM jobs, could significantly narrow or close the overall gender wage gap.

The dream is to have some impact on the future and have more girls passionate about STEM and having more choice (of careers) in STEM, says Mourifie. The ultimate goal is the reduction of inequality between men and women.

Mourifies studies earned the 32-year-old one of the 2017 Polanyi Prizes. The $20,000 award  named for U of T professor John Polanyi, recipient of the 1986 Nobel Prize in Chemistry  is awarded annually by the Ontario government to five young researchers doing exceptional work in the fields of chemistry, physics, physiology/medicine, literature and, Mourifies discipline, economic science.

Mourifies findings were deemed significant enough that he was invited to Ottawa in February to be part of a four-person panel presenting to a Senate group on Women and Girls in STEM.

One of the enduring theories about why women avoid STEM jobs is based on financial concerns. Women working in STEM often end up in lower-paying technical jobs as opposed to professional roles and earn only 82 per cent of what men do. So women, fearing both wage discrimination and a glass ceiling in STEM workplaces dominated by men, opt to pursue other career paths.

But Mourifie, through his research, concludes there are significant non-pecuniary reasons for the disparity.

Mourifie asserts that many girls develop what he calls mathemaphobia and avoid math as they progress through school. That, he proposes, is at the root of the gender disparity in STEM jobs.

He believes that anxiety must be addressed in the early years of primary school before girls begin rejecting math as a viable option and thereby shut themselves out of future opportunities in STEM fields. His Ottawa presentation included research that suggests by Grade 2 both boys and girls have already begun to associate math with males.

That socialization causes many girls to grow up believing that the only jobs in STEM for them are in less math-intensive areas such as in life sciences or psychology.

What is not fine to me is when a kid, because of stereotyping at an early age, ends up at high school and has already completely closed some doors, says Mourifie.

Mourifie told the Ottawa gathering that 84 per cent of Canadian elementary school teachers are female  a number supported by Statistics Canada in 2011  and, often, they have not graduated university in math fields. He cited a study that concluded math-anxious female elementary teachers impair the math achievement of female students.

While Mourifie says laws and policies aimed at ensuring fair hiring practices and equal wages are important, he believes the government should serve future generations by investing in those primary school educators, providing professional development that makes them more comfortable teaching math. That would help fight against the masculine view of math and give those students female role models who they would see as versed in the subject, and at ease.

Jennifer Flanagan is the co-founder and CEO of Actua, a charitable body that engages Canadian youth in STEM education. While she takes issue with putting the onus on female elementary teachers since that argument is placing the blame on women, she says her organization agrees that a greater investment must be made in teaching STEM in the early grades.

There needs to be more of an emphasis placed on strengthening our teachers ability to teach science in elementary schools across the board, she says. The best way to do that is when they are being trained initially. Thats a major area needing additional investment  (or) this problem will become amplified as technology becomes more pervasive.

Flanagan says that when girls are young, there is absolutely no difference (compared to boys) in their enthusiasm, excitement, interest and confidence in science and technology.

But as they grow, they receive messages about who does science, who does technology and whos good at it and what careers are appropriate for them in the future.

That gender stereotyping even comes from parents who, for example, are far more likely to put their boys in extracurricular computer science or technology programs.

The message overall is these are still fields dominated by men, more suited towards men, says Flanagan.

Marc Henry, Mourifies principal PhD adviser at the University of Montreal, says its very early days when it comes to assessing whether his former students research might help bring change.

I certainly hope so, says Henry, now graduate program director in the department of economics at Penn State University.

I think the focus on very early childhood investments is crucial. That is something that a lot of bright minds are now turning to, not specifically on womens mathematics education but education in general.

Mourifies underlying interest in this research is grounded in his own experience. He understands what it means to have doors closed along lifes path.

Had Mourifie had his way and followed his passion, hed now be working in medicine rather than teaching economics.

In 2002-03, while studying math like his two older brothers, Mourifie was considering what to do after his final high school year in Abidjan, the largest city and economic centre of Ivory Coast. Suddenly the options were removed.

Rebel soldiers took up arms against the government, sparking a civil war and fracturing the country. Mourifie and his family  his father is an agricultural engineer and his mother an elementary school teacher (who didnt teach math)  decided it was best for the 16-year-old to leave. He had a scholarship offer to study mathematics, at a university in Morocco. That wasnt his dream but it was his opportunity to flee violent circumstances and ensure a higher education.

Sometimes a situation happens (so) the decision you make is not necessarily the optimal decision for you, he says. If I was (in Canada), Im pretty sure I would have pursued medical science. But I did not do this because I was constrained in my choices.

In Fez, once enrolled at Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, he became further convinced that the pursuit of math was not for him and after one year tried to transfer into medicine. He was denied.

Mourifie completed his undergrad studies and then did a masters degree in statistics. A professor in Morocco, who had studied at McGill University, recognized his ability as a researcher and urged the student to pursue his doctorate. He suggested the Montreal school.

Mourifie went on McGills website and immediately had doubts; he had clicked on the English version. He grew up speaking French and the only English he knew was from a one-hour class, once a week.

So he looked, instead, at the Universite de Montreal. Not only did its website come up in French but the pictures seemed to include more Black faces like his own.

I thought maybe theyd be more willing to accept me, he says.

Mourifie applied. A month later he received an email saying hed received a scholarship. So at 22, in 2008, he went off to Montreal to do a PhD in economics.

He says he learned English on the fly and was helped when he did a one-month immersion with a family in Scarborough, a year into his studies.

When he was recruited to come to U of T to take an assistant professor position in 2013, he says his English was only so-so but the university paid more attention to my knowledge than my ability to speak enough English.

Mourifie says it helped that the first course he taught was quantitative economics, which is mostly statistics.

This wasnt the life he envisioned but Mourifie says he is happy and deeply embedded in his research. He is now married  his wife, Hajara, also from Ivory Coast, is an elementary school teacher in French immersion  and has a 2-year-old son.

I didnt get to do what I really wanted to do but I cannot complain now because I really like what Im doing, says Mourifie.

Dwayne Benjamin, who was the associate chair in U of Ts economics department when Mourifie was hired, says much of the research done by econometricians like Mourifie can be dry, but this particular study has hit it out of the park in terms of people being interested.

Benjamin says hes not surprised given the young professors passion.

Hes at the extreme of really caring about what hes doing in terms of the substance of the economics and the substance of the bigger, important social questions. Thats rare with an econometrician, says Benjamin.

Flanagan, from Actua, says there is no silver bullet that will correct the gender imbalance in STEM but it is good that researchers such as Mourifie are bringing the issue more attention.

She was also heartened by the recent science-friendly federal budget that proposed investing heavily in technology and research. It also mentioned improving the situation for women in those fields while striving for more diversity in the science community including increasing the number of women who are nominated for Canada Research Chairs.

Mourifie says he hopes in the future to apply his research methods to examine financial challenges facing minorities. He has also been involved in a project in Nova Scotia that is attempting to provide Indigenous youth with more opportunities in technology.

Mourifie says the Polanyi Prize is important to him, not for the money but more because its a reassurance that the research he is doing is valued.

When I got this scholarship to come to Canada, I was very surprised and very happy they gave me this opportunity to come from nothing with just my grades, he says.

I always thought that I owed something to Canada. So when I received the prize, I was happy that Canada recognized that maybe Im doing something that may help. So, to me, Im paying back. I was very happy feeling this.
JERUSALEMThe Friday of Tires protest ended with another nine Palestinian protesters killed along the Gaza border fence despite a smokescreen of burning rubber and a second round of international criticism over Israels use of lethal force.

Now, young Gazans are talking about staging a Flower Friday, a Coffin Friday, and even a Shoes Friday at which demonstrators would fling footwear at Israeli soldiers to signify their disdain.

Far from being discouraged by a smaller turnout on Friday than the week before, Palestinians seem energized and enthusiastic about sustaining a generally nonviolent form of protest that has succeeded in putting their long-running conflict with Israel back on the international agenda.

The Arab leaders, especially in the Gulf, thought they could neglect the Palestinian cause, said Omar Shaban, director of PalThink for Strategic Studies, a Gaza think tank. They thought its a stable conflict. But it reminds them, the U.S., Israel, the Europeans  all of them  that the problem is still there, guys. Things might seem to be stable, but no. Its boiling.

Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza, has always advocated armed struggle. So for Gazans, even a tentative experiment with nonviolent protest is a significant step.

Yousef Munayyer, executive director of the U.S. Campaign for Palestinian Rights, likened attempts to cross Israels fence to American civil rights marchers attempts to cross the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, more than 50 years ago. He said he saw the demonstrations as an opportunity for a strategic shift by Palestinians.

This is not a battle that protesters are coming to with guns, he said. Theyre coming to it with their bodies and theyre confronting very real policies of violent repression. The protesters paid with their lives to get people to question whether these policies are justifiable, he said.

Frankly, I think this is Israels Achilles heel, he added, and its very important in this moment for the international community to be supportive of the protesters. Theyve always said, Abandon militancy, abandon violence. If the international community allows the violent repression of these protests without any real condemnation or intervention to stop the killing, its going to send a message that the world doesnt want any Palestinian resistance  not violent, not nonviolent, not anything in between.

Israel, endeavouring to explain its use of lethal force, released photos and video of a few Palestinians trying to penetrate the fortified border fence and said others had thrown firebombs at its soldiers in the latest round of protest. On Saturday, Israels Kan Radio reported that at least eight attempts were made to plant explosives along the fence during this past weeks demonstrations.

But while many protesters threw stones or rolled burning tires toward the border fence, far more protested peacefully  chanting and singing. Some approached the fence, venturing into a buffer zone that Israel had declared hundreds of feet into the Gaza side.

What the Israelis are defending is not lives. Theyre defending a fence, Munayyer said. Thats not the standard when it comes to the use of lethal force  to just snipe at people from hundreds of feet away.

After the second Friday of protests, the Palestinians appeared unified. Though Hamas effectively managed the demonstrations in many ways, those participating came from the range of Gaza political factions and for the most part displayed only one banner  the Palestinian national flag.

The protests also drew a cross-section of Gaza society. While caravans of buses carried throngs of Palestinians to the first days demonstration, on March 30, hundreds of family cars and even donkey carts could be seen parked behind Fridays protests, which drew Palestinian Authority employees and pensioners along with Hamas members, and well-to-do teachers and doctors along with the impoverished.

Nathan Thrall, an analyst for International Crisis Group who closely watches Gaza, saw a momentum building in the second week. You had huge numbers going on their own initiative, he said. People didnt feel they were at a protest, they felt they were at some kind of a celebration.

But Thrall, who noted that the Gaza demonstrators had burned the image of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia on Friday, said the demonstrations main accomplishment was to signal to the Palestinians Arab allies and to the United States that there will be a price to be paid if the Trump administration attempts to, in their view, eradicate the Palestinian issue.

This is coming at a time when the Palestinians feel totally marginalized from the world agenda and even from the regional agenda, he said. He pointed to a Saudi Arabian overflight agreement for Air India to fly to Israel, and the Arab states attendance alongside Israel at a recent White House conference on Gaza, one the Palestinians boycotted.

They feel that the Arab states are not so much stabbing them in the back as in the face, with their open embrace of Israel.
A Bradenton, Fla., student said she was asked to cover her nipples with bandages last week after they became a distraction for other students at Braden River High School.

Lizzy Martinez, 17, decided not to wear a bra under her grey long-sleeve shirt last Monday, and school officials felt she became a target of her classmates stares.

Martinez said the humiliation began when Violeta Velazquez, the school dean, called her into the office. Martinez felt like she was being bullied by fellow students, but Velazquez said there was a distraction that needed to be addressed.

She told me that I needed to put a shirt on under my long-sleeve shirt to try to tighten my breasts to constrict them, Martinez said. And then she asked me to move around.

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Apparently the second shirt was not enough, Martinez said, because she was then sent to the nurses office. The nurse handed Martinez four bandages, two to cover each nipple, leaving her in tears.

On Thursday afternoon, the school district acknowledged that Braden River officials could have handled the situation better, but the district said they were only trying to enforce the districts dress code.

This matter was brought to the attention of the superintendents office for review, the districts general counsel, Mitchell Teitelbaum, said in a prepared statement. It is undisputed that this matter should have been handled differently at the school level and corrective measures have been taken to prevent a reoccurrence in the way these matters will be addressed in the future.

Teitelbaum said Martinez violated the dress code by dressing in a way that distracted other students, and that school officials were only trying to help her fix the violation.

You are expected to dress appropriately for school and for the business of learning with proper attention given to personal cleanliness, grooming and neatness, the districts Code of Student Conduct says.

The dress code does not specifically address or require bras.

Martinezs mother, Kari Knop, said she received a phone call from the office Monday morning. She said the dean called about a sensitive matter involving her daughter. Saying she felt uncomfortable and unheard, Martinez left school early.

If it was a male dean that asked my daughter to do this, we wouldnt even be on the phone trying to justify it, therefore we should not be doing it as female deans, Knop said.

On Tuesday, Martinez was called to the office because her mother had requested another phone conversation with school officials. Unsatisfied with the conversation, Knop again picked up her daughter from school.

Knop said thats when Martinez revealed that school officials gave her the bandages on Monday. Knop said she slammed the brakes on her car while in the school parking lot.

I stopped and I looked over at her, and Im like, Oh my gosh, you have to be kidding me, she said.

Knop said she later got in touch with Willie Clark, director of student services for the School District of Manatee County, and that he arranged a meeting with officials at the high school.

On Wednesday, Knop met with Clark, the dean, the school nurse and the principal, Sharon Scarbrough. The meeting, Knop said, was a chance to express her frustration.

We should not treat a girl like this because of where her fat cells decided to distribute genetically, she said.

Knop said she also emailed Superintendent Diana Greene that evening and that she received a phone call soon after.

Though Greene at first sympathized with Martinez, her mother said, she later said the girls protruding nipples may have distracted other students a violation of the districts dress code.

Martinez said she plans to stop wearing a bra in protest of what happened. On Monday, she tagged the school in a Twitter post that said, Stop sexualizing my body @piratenationhs.

The schools Twitter account later blocked Martinez, according to a screenshot she provided Thursday.

The students that were laughing or snickering or talking about me, that should have been addressed, not me, because I wasnt the issue there, Martinez said.
Second of two parts

The dangers posed by the American Wild West digital frontier where mega-corporations operate mostly above the law beyond borders are clear enough  have been for some time, well before the latest scandal of the misuse of the profiles of up to 87 million Facebook users.

But Justin Trudeau and his colleagues, Heritage Minister Melanie Joly and Democratic Institutions Minister Karina Gould, remain infatuated with Facebook, Google, YouTube, Netflix and other digital giants. Theyve wasted the last two years settling for crumbs from them, rather than regulating them. In so doing, they have been remiss in their responsibility to Canadians, Canadian companies and Canadian sovereignty.

They urgently need to come up with a comprehensive digital policy. It would:

1. Protect the privacy of social media users. Make data gatherers obtain consumer consent, and be transparent on how they store data and who they sell it to or share with.

The European Union has already passed such a law. The U.S. Federal Trade Commission announced Monday it will investigate Facebook over the misuse of private data.

2. Change anti-trust and competition laws, especially to curb the duopoly of Facebook and Google, as suggested by Carolyn Wilkins, deputy governor of the Bank of Canada.

Facebook has 2.1 billion users a month. It also owns WhatsApp  1.2 billion users; Messenger  1.2 billion users; and Instagram  700 million users. Thats a total of 5.2 billion monthly users. In Canada, Facebook is estimated to have 20 million users.

Google, used for an estimated 3.5 billion searches a day, also owns YouTube, which has 1.5 billion users a month. Nearly 70 per cent of Canadians 18 and over watch YouTube at least monthly.

Last year the European Commission laid several charges against Google and fined it $2.7 billion (U.S.) for abusing its market dominance, and manipulating its search engine in favour of its own businesses over those of competitors. Competition regulators have also fined Apple and Amazon.

Australias Competition and Consumer Commission is probing whether Facebook is exercising market power in commercial dealings to the detriment of consumers, media content creators and advertisers.

Missouri is investigating whether Google has broken the state consumer protection and antitrust laws.

Yet Canadas Competition Bureau last year dropped an investigation into Google, saying that the company did not use its market position to disadvantage competitors. Ironically, it did so on the same day as the EU levied its fines on Google.

3. Start taxing data/platform companies and make them levy sales taxes on their transactions.

While most jurisdictions are struggling to make the transition from tax regimes based on goods and services to a digital economy, Canada is behind others.

Australia has found ways to make Google and Facebook pay taxes.

The European Commission has just issued new taxation rules, suggesting that that big technology firms pay a 3-per-cent tax on turnover for various online services  to the tune of 5 billion euros.

The finances of Google, Facebook, Netflix and others in Canada are murky. They have few employees, little infrastructure and contribute little to our economy. Ottawa should make them disclose the number of their users and subscribers, and the revenues they generate in Canada.

Ottawa should disallow tax deductions for ad expenditures on Facebook and all other foreign internet sites. Such deductions were meant only for ads placed with Canadian newspapers, radio and television, not foreign-owned media.

These companies should also be charging HST on their products and services. Its absurd that you get taxed HST when you place an ad in, say, the Globe and Mail, but not when you place it with Google, Facebook or other digital companies.

4. Explore ways to make these high-tech giants pay users for the use of their information.

The big attraction for social media consumers has been that its free. In fact, it is they who are providing free content to Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and others. Users are spending an estimated 39,759 years on Facebook every day. Thats nearly 15 million years of free labour for Facebook. Weve become serfs in its kingdom, supplying it not only free content but also letting it monetize our habits.

5. Make Netflix play by the same rules as other broadcasters. Have the CRTC regulate it.

Netflix has surpassed five million subscribers in Canada and revenues of $775 million.

Not subject to CRTC regulations, Netflix is not obligated to contribute to the creation of Canadian content. Joly has settled for a Netflix promise of spending $100 million a year for five years and building a production facility here. But if Netflix were regulated, it would probably be spending more  and would have to prove to be doing so, rather than merely extending a promise that Joly may or may not be able to enforce.

Her deal with Netflix caused an uproar, especially in her home province. Quebec is worried that Netflix may not spend enough on French programming. The National Assembly has unanimously asked Ottawa to make Netflix pay a sales tax.

Thats precisely what a parliamentary committee headed by Liberal MP Hedy Fry recommended last year. But the Liberal government chose to continue a Stephen Harper policy. It was he who, as an election goody, had decided to forgo HST on Netflix users  a loss of an estimated $100 million a year to Ottawa.

6. Get guarantees against fake news, on pain of huge fines.

Congress is probing the role of Facebook, Google and Twitter in Russian meddling in the 2016 American election.

British Parliament is investigating whether Facebook and Twitter were complicit in the 2016 referendum on Brexit.

Contrast this with Canadas privacy commissioner, Daniel Therrien. Last week, when news broke of the privacy breach of millions of Facebook users, he said, gingerly and deferentially, that his office would be reaching out to Facebook to seek information. And he spoke of making political parties subject to privacy laws. As important as that may be, it pales into insignificance compared to the sins of the big companies.

7. Control hate, as does Germany.

The idea that hate and offensive material is hard to define is a cop-out. Under pressure, Facebook and others are suddenly discovering that they can indeed draw lines, and are promising to do so.

The track record of Google, Facebook, Netflix and others is that they dont do anything substantial until forced to. Gould has said so herself: Social media companies only responded when regulation came down from government.

So, where are those regulations?

Unless Ottawa gets its act together, warns Jim Balsillie, ex-CEO of Research in Motion, Canada risks becoming not just a cheap tech branch plant economy for engineers and computer scientists but also a client state of American high-tech data and platform corporations.

Former Star columnist and editorial page editor emeritus Haroon Siddiqui is Distinguished Visiting Professor at Ryerson University in the Faculty of Arts as well as the Faculty of Communication and Design. Siddiqui.canada@gmail.com

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In 2017, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities launched a project to identify and remove barriers that keep underrepresented groups  particularly urban Indigenous, racialized, and new Canadian women  out of municipal politics.

Halifax, Montreal, Edmonton, London and Sioux Lookout piloted the project, called Diverse Voices for Change. Following research and community engagement in these areas, a national toolkit will be prepared in the coming months to assist more municipalities with strategies to address the identified barriers to access, while cultivating a richer culture of inclusion in Canadian municipal politics.

I joined women from the Sioux Lookout community last week in discussions surrounding the results of the project thus far, and the bold initiatives to follow.

It was a moving experience.

Indigenous elders and community leaders shared personal stories of intergenerational trauma, and the slow healing process thats come through reconciliation efforts. There were discussions about needs for more local mental health supports and better supports for survivors of sexual violence.

Tana Troniak, executive director of First Step Womens Shelter, and Joyce Timpson, long-time city councillor, shared powerful stories behind the decades-long battle to provide the necessary wrap-around supports for women and families taking the first steps to breaking the cycle of domestic violence. Troniak spoke passionately of her own personal experience and shared her fierce vision to expand services for sexual violence survivors in the region.

As Ontario rolls out the $242-million strategy to combat sexual and domestic violence, I hope the unique challenges faced by northern communities providing these supports regionally will be carefully considered in the funding distribution.

What struck me most on this visit was the compassion and understanding shown by local community members who open their hearts and homes to those from fly-in communities north of the hub.

Yolaine Kirlew, councillor and deputy mayor for the municipality of Sioux Lookout, served as the host for the Diverse Voices for Change symposium. Alongside her husband and three young daughters, she houses and supports between 6 and 13 students per year from fly-in communities in need of local accommodations to attend high school. Kirlew has spent over 10 years in Sioux Lookout advocating for the changes necessary to improve the lives of the most vulnerable members of her community.

Most recently, she advocated for and won local transportation funding for federally funded Indigenous students. Previously, the funding formula did not factor transportation beyond flying them from their communities to Sioux Lookout.

It was a big change, a victory in levelling the playing field. Now access is there and choices can be made.

Her husband, Dr. Mike Kirlew delivered an impassioned tour of the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre. The hospital, while beautiful in structure, tells a devastating story of the inequities within our health-care system, demonstrated by those falling through gaps left by overlapping services between provincial and federal jurisdictions.

In an interview with the CBC last month, Dr. Kirlew spoke of his continued advocacy for improvements to health-care delivery to northern communities through the hub of Sioux Lookout, The system isnt broken, the system is doing what it was originally designed to do . . . It was never meant to provide care. It was meant to deny care.

The local commitment to improving public institutions in Sioux Lookout, and addressing systemic racism, whether in health care, education or housing, is inspiring. But reinforcements are needed.

The tightly knit communities within Sioux Lookout exemplify the spirit of what it means to be Canadian. To support each other and care for one another through the unique challenges we each face, while advocating for transformational improvements to systems that are failing some of us.

If you havent had an opportunity to see this beautiful corner of our province, its worth a visit. And if youre a young professional looking for opportunities  or you know someone who is  this is a community where you can maximize your impact.

After a mere 24 hours in Sioux Lookout, I fell in love with the passion of the local leaders to touch and improve as many lives as possible. I think you will too.
Despite the alarm of the British Luddites, automation has not in fact destroyed everyones job. But there is a growing chorus of policy gurus who warn that this time might be different. Rich countries populations are declining and aging: fast growth and millions of new high-tech jobs seem unlikely. Whether you are a believer or not, anticipating the death of millions of white-collar and big muscle jobs is probably prudent.

Angry right-wing populism is driven, in part, by stagnant wage rates, high levels of unemployment, and the visible lifestyles available to the 1 per cent against the hard struggles of everyone else. A collapse in white collar skilled jobs would make Trumpism look mild, as voters anger exploded. For all these reasons, previously unthinkable changes in the social safety net are gaining traction. The net is threadbare in countries like the U.K. and the United States after years of cuts, no longer effective in providing citizens the ability to pull themselves out of poverty.

Quietly, therefore, discussions are taking place about radical alternatives. Ottawa and two large provinces today have teams of inside and outside experts analyzing all social assistance payments. Brussels has been being pushed by the Macron government to start similar deep thinking.

The radical reformers focus on one big problem, and increasingly favour one big solution. Rising costs: administrative over-burden to manage social assistance keeps growing as a share of total expenditure  especially with non-universal programs requiring enforcement and investigation. Tougher oversight and higher public-sector salaries are a worrying trend-line, not yet tamed by technology.

Overlaps in a country as complexly governed as Canada become tangled spaghetti over time. One of the deans of the Ontario public service teases with this bon mot: You probably dont understand why the province needs to have 23 separate agencies and programs for child welfare, do you? Well, thats because you are not a senior bureaucrat, and I am

As governments  always better at measuring inputs than outcomes  shovel more cash in, they have little evidence or ability to assess what dollar contributed to which better result. So, some form of dramatic efficiency booster would seem to be essential.

Enter the son of the guaranteed annual income.

Today it is dubbed the UBI  universal basic income. Pilot studies are underway in Finland, Brazil and Ontario. The idea could not be simpler: every adult gets a transfer of cash into their bank accounts monthly to cover basic costs. The money required is breathtaking  unless you set those costs against the expenditures they might replace.

In Ontario, a fully funded UBI would be stratospheric, in the tens of billions of dollars, for it to be politically acceptable as an alternative to shutting down existing social transfer programs. However, several policy goals could be delivered at once: corporate tax expenditures that the federal Liberals have promised to slash could supply perhaps a third of a mid-range UBI; administrative cuts, mergers, downsizing, and overlap disentanglements, perhaps another third; and reductions in some forms of social assistance programming the remainder.

Costing and cuts would be challenging to get right. It is such unknown terrain, with such huge potential impacts, that more pilots and small steps would be prudent.

No UBI yet tested or proposed would supply a full living wage; the costs appear unmanageable. So recipients would continue to work, but probably for less, part-time and/or as volunteers.

Yet the main argument against a UBI is that it will kill work incentives. One intensive study of a 1970s scheme in Dauphin, Man., puts the lie to this conservative qualm. In a study by Prof. Evelyn Forget of the University of Manitoba, women, teenagers and people in their twenties did work less  so they could be more involved mothers and stay in school. Mens work was not seriously impacted.

Today I suspect the findings would be similar, except that more women would keep working too. Early experience in Finland appears to be that most take their UBI freedom to do things like community building, caregiving and mentoring that they could not afford to do before.

As the robots march through every industry, perhaps we can find a way to manage their relentless job-killing while preserving the basics of a life of dignity for everyone.
EDWARDSVILLE  Authorities are attempting to take possession of a pickup truck from a Glen Carbon man after he was charged with driving under the influence three times this year and twice last year.

Morgan A. Gibson, 22, of the first block of Glen Echo Drive, is facing a charge of aggravated driving under the influence in that he allegedly drove under the influence of alcohol after having been arrested for similar offenses on Feb 8 and March 15. Bail was set at $100,000.
ALTON  Altons Small Business Revolution has begun.

The streaming show Small Business Revolution  Main Street, which will feature the evolution of six Alton small businesses, began on-site filming Saturday morning at Lovetts Snoots, Fish, Chicken, & More, 2512 College Ave. in Upper Alton.

It was really cool, said restaurant owner Merry Lovett. They came in, looked around and gave us some pointers on things we could change to help serve our customers better, and thats what were looking for It really made us think. If we can make it happen, why not? Were open to all ideas.

On the first day of shooting Saturday, Brinkman was accompanied to Lovetts by expert Chef Deborah VanTrece from the acclaimed Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in Atlanta, Georgia.

She was recently named by Zagat one of the 15 bad-ass chefs in the country, Brinkman said in a social media video Saturday. When I heard that designation, I knew we had work with you (Lovetts) is a beloved soul food restaurant here in Upper Alton. We just took a tour, and were about to sit down and talk about their business.

Were so looking forward to what we can do, what we can accomplish here, VanTrece added.

The pairing of Lovetts and VanTrece could make for an interesting dynamic on the show. While Lovetts looks to provide the ambiance of a no-frills hidden gem that prides itself on traditional soul food served with big personality, VanTreces endeavors are commonly classy, with gourmet-level grub and cocktails. On its Facebook page, Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours describes its food as Soul Food Elevated.

Merry Lovett, however, along with her son and chef Brad Chavours, were quick Saturday to assure their dedicated patrons that no major changes are coming at the restaurant  just maybe a little sharpening of its current state.

A general improvement, and I want to be able to serve my customers better, Lovett says of what she desires in the SBR experience. I want them to be comfortable when theyre here Were the only soul food in Alton, and I think that gives us influence. We have a decent following.

They also have a compelling story to tell.

It all started just a few years ago in Merrys fathers garage on Phinney Avenue, where the family sold wildly-popular snoot sandwiches to fund a family reunion.

Merry, one of 19 siblings, took the opportunity by the snoot, eventually opening the current iteration of Lovetts on College Avenue in January 2015.

It was a risk. Chavours had never been a professional cook, but he knew traditional soul food. But as it turned out, the demand for the food was real.

Lovett and Chavours show no nerves about the prospect of giving international TV cameras all-access.

You just gotta let go, Chavours says. Be open to suggestion. Try it. My philosophy is, if youre going to quit, dont start. You never know what the outcome is if you quit.

Chavours says the opportunity his mother gave him to chef at the restaurant, and now learn from a world-renowned soul chef, is life-changing.

This is like striking it rich  the mind is worth more than any dollar amount, he said. This is my first cooking job. I had to learn on the job, sometimes. I mightve messed up $300 or $400 worth of food, but now Im rich with dollars for life. I just go at it. You make it with love, its gonna taste good.

When it comes to the story of Lovetts Snoots, Fish, Chicken, & More, Chavours says it all boils down to a simple, soulful concept.

Dont ever let anybody tell you that you cant do something, he said. As long as youve got the will, the drive and determination, you will always win. If you love what you do, and you are true to it, you will always prosper. Im a true testament of that.

The SBR crew of about a dozen will be filming in Alton all this week, and are likely to be seen frequently in Alton from now until near the end of summer.

The other businesses to be featured are Morrisons Irish Pub, Bluff City Outdoors, Todays Beauty Supply, Lighthouse Sounds and Sham Pooches Grooming.

The show, championed by Deluxe Corporation Small Business Services, will spend $500,000 in improvements over the six featured Alton businesses. The show will air on Hulu and at http://www.smallbusinessrevolution.org in the fall.

Over two weeks, the film crew will be interviewing the six business owners to determine their marketing needs as well as transformation process, said Deluxes Vice President of Public Relations Cameron Potts.

Most of the crew is based in Austin, Texas and New York. One cameraman told a Telegraph reporter that the same basic crew has been on SBR since the shows first season, and he enjoys the job because the show never attempts to alter or control reality.

Nathan Woodside is a freelance photographer and reporter for the Telegraph.
Addressing the 18th NAM Ministerial Meeting held in Baku, Azerbaijan, on April 5-6, Quy also emphasised the importance of solving disputes by peaceful means and restraining from using and threatening to use violence.NAM should play a more active role in boosting the implementation of international commitments and agreements such as the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, and the reform of the global economic and financial system, as well as in promoting inclusive, innovative and sustainable growth so as to protect interests of developing countries.The Vietnamese delegate also urged NAM members to cooperate closely with and support each other and resolutely follow basic principles to make the movement stay firm on the face of the 21st centurys challenges.Deputy Minister Quy went on to say that Vietnam, together with other ASEAN countries, always obeys and upholds principles of the UN Charter and international law.Regarding the East Sea issue, Vietnam calls on relevant parties to restrain themselves and tackle disputes by peaceful measures on the basis of international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, while respecting diplomatic and legal progresses, the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea, and working towards the early formation of a binding Code of Conduct in the East Sea, Quy added.In opening the NAM Ministerial Meeting, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stressed that respecting international law is crucial to maintain peace and international security for sustainable development.NAM should continue promoting the principles of respecting countries sovereignty and territorial integrity, not interfering into others internal works, not using or threatening to use violence, and settling all disputes by peaceful means, he stated.The conference focused discussions on how to deal with regional and global challenges, foster socio-economic development, strengthen peace, stability and international security, and boost collaboration among NAM members.They passed the meetings document which affirms NAMs stance and overall principles on regional and global issues along with the commitments to handling disputes by peaceful means on the basis of international, acknowledges ASEANs efforts to build the ASEAN Community and strengthen the blocs central role in the regional structure, and calls for the peaceful settlement of the East Sea issue.The meeting also adopted the Baku Declaration, Declaration on Palestine and Special Declaration on Nelson Mandela International Day.On the sidelines of the meeting, Deputy Foreign Minister Quy was received by Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov.Quy also had bilateral meetings with delegates from Nicaragua, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, South Africa, Ghana, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and the Maldives to talk ways to boost bilateral cooperation.

VNS
A ceremony was held for the purpose in Pleiku city in the Central Highlands province of Gia Lai on April 6, on the occasion of a visit by a delegation of the Lao Womens Union to Vietnam.At the ceremony, Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam presented the Order of Independence, second class, to Inlavan Keobounphan, President of the Laos Womens Union (LWU); the Order of Independence, third class, to three Vice Presidents of the Lao union; and the Order of Friendship to 15 outstanding units and individuals of provincial and city LWU chapters.At the authorization of the Lao Party and State leaders, President of the Laos Womens Union Inlavan Keobounphan presented the Order of Freedom, third class, to three Vice Presidents of the Vietnam Womens Federation (VWF), and the third-class Order of Labour to 10 outstanding units and individuals of the provincial chapters of the VWF.Addressing the event, Deputy PM Dam highlighted the friendship and special solidarity between Vietnam and Laos, in which their women have a special position.Over the past years, the two nations women unions have carried out numerous cooperation agreements with good outcomes in poverty reduction, health care for women and children, and border exchange.He expressed his hope that Vietnamese and Lao women will continue building on and inspire the traditional friendship between the two nations in the young generations.

Vietnamplus
Alton is a Mississippi River town in downstate Illinois. Its about 300 miles away from Chicago, but only 20 miles away from St. Louis.

Like many other local governments in Illinois, a rising tide of retirement benefits for government workers has left Alton struggling with its finances.

The Mississippi River is a beautiful, clean and breathtaking natural resource.

What Alton is considering, however, is a proposal from a private company to buy and manage the citys sewer and wastewater treatment facilities. Illinois American Water submitted the only such proposal, and the city government recently voted to go forward with evaluating the deal.

Some of those in favor of considering the proposal cited how growing obligations for funding government workers retirement plans are colliding with spending requirements for maintaining and repairing those sewer and wastewater resources.

Illinois American Water is part of a publicly-traded company, American Water Works Company. Since early 2008, the S&P 500 has roughly doubled, while the stock for American Water Works has gone up almost three times as fast as the S&P 500.

In its annual financial report, American Water Works describes its Regulated Businesses segment that generally own the physical assets used to store, pump, treat, and deliver water to our customers and collect, treat, transport and recycle wastewater. In turn, it notes:

Typically, we do not own the water itself, which is held in public trust and is allocated to us through contracts and allocation rights granted by federal and state agencies or through the ownership of water rights pursuant to local law. We are dependent on defined sources of water supply and obtain our water supply from surface water sources such as reservoirs, lakes, rivers and streams; from ground water sources, such as wells and aquifers; and water purchased from third party water suppliers.

Sounds like a fascinating business, one that has delivered great returns for shareholders in the last decade.

But what about the taxpayers riverboats?

In its annual report, American Water Works lists seven states in which the company currently provides its services. Listed in order from top to bottom in terms of revenue they are: New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, California and West Virginia.

Looking across those seven states, the average Truth in Accounting Taxpayer Burden measure of state fiscal conditions runs three times as high as the other 43 states in the nation. And among those seven states, it may be worth noting that two of them that are in relatively good shape  Missouri and Indiana  border financially troubled Illinois.

In state and local government circles, you sometimes hear arguments that the balance sheets understate assets, given that carrying values for land and other capital assets dont reflect current market values.

Trouble is, as soon as you consider this possibility, you better be darn well aware of the massive maintenance requirements for these assets, how much their maintenance has been put off, and the present value of those costs into the future.

Which raises a question or two about the transactions that companies like American Water Works undertakes with municipalities, buying their assets (and service requirements).

On the one hand, this privatization could indeed be a blessing for shareholders and taxpayers alike, as a specialist company manages assets like these in an efficient solution for financially troubled municipalities.

On the other hand, there is a risk that such arrangements could prove to be more efficient at getting cash in the door for troubled governments in the short run, but with negative long-term consequences. Those assets might be sold at below true-value amounts, especially if the government retains obligations for maintaining infrastructure related to those assets.

Appraisals like these are complex, but a simple question underneath them is this: Do governments tend to put off the day of reckoning, and buy cash with long-run consequences?

American Water Works has been a great stock since it went public in 2008. Is that because it offers a good win-win proposition for its shareholders and the communities it serves? Or is it because the net present value of its agreements with governments are good for American Water Works, but negative for the taxpayers funding those governments?

Bill Bergman is the Director of Research at Truth in Accounting.
Telugu artist, Sri Reddy, who stripped and staged a protest on Saturday, demanding justice for not getting work in Telugu film industry, said that 'Telugu girls' do not get opportunities in the Tollywood industry.

Sri Reddy said, "Telegu girls are not getting chances in the Tollywood industry. Some industry people are just using the girls and not giving them opportunities in the movies."

The incident took place in Film Nagar, where the artist removed her clothes, gathering a huge crowd.

Following this, Banjara hills police reached the spot and urged the artist to file a formal complaint, to which Reddy refused and continued her protest.

"She didn't register complaint and was removed from the spot as she was creating a nuisance. We'll take action after watching the CCTV footage," Assistant Commissioner of Police Banjarahills, KS Rao told ANI.

The controversial artist was in news earlier for alleging sexual exploitation in Tollywood and having controversial arguments on TV debates about "whores" and "brokers" in the film industry.
The BJP on Sunday accused the Congress, the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) of supporting violence, and disrupting peace in the nation.

Addressing a press briefing, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The Congress, the SP and the BSP have supported violence and disrupted the peace of the country."

Prasad further accused Congress president Rahul Gandhi of opposing the SC/ST Act.

"Our party is working to strengthen the SC/ST Act. This is being opposed by Rahul Gandhi. The opposition is indulging in politics in the name of Babasaheb Ambedkar," he added.

Meanwhile, in the joint press conference, Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot took on BSP supremo Mayawati for her statement on Bharat Bandh and said, "Kanshi Ram Ji never believed in violence but today Mayawati is walking towards that path."

Earlier, Mayawati claimed that the success of the recent Bharat Bandh against the Supreme Court ruling on SC/ST Act left the BJP scared of dalits.

The bandh, which was called by dalit organisations on April 2, had claimed lives of more than eight people and injured many.
Forget the BJP winning the 2019 polls, even Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lose his Varanasi seat under a united opposition, asserted Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.

Pegging his confidence on opposition unity, Gandhi said far from the BJP winning the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, even Modi might lose from Varanasi if his party, the SP and the BSP were united against him.

Exuding confidence over roping in and managing alliance partners despite their varied personal and regional aspirations, Gandhi predicted for the current ruling dispensation, a "collapse" not "seen in many years."

"Frankly, I don't see the BJP winning the next election. So, in 2019 we will go back to the normal, I sense," he said in reply to a question on "dalit anger...because there are two basic things, once opposition unity goes above a certain level, it becomes impossible to win elections. Now the opposition unity has gone to a point. It's simple," Gandhi said at an informal media interaction.

Pointing at the opposition unity efforts in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and by the DMK, the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party in Tamil Nadu, Gandhi asked, "Where are they (BJP) going to win seats?"

And in Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Punjab. We will take it over."

"You are going to see a collapse of the style you haven't seen in many years," he said.

Gandhi was on the sixth leg of campaigning as part of the 'Janashirvada Yatra' ahead of the May 12 polls in Karnataka.

Responding to a question doubting the forging of opposition unity amid varied aspirations of each party and their leaders, Gandhi expressed confidence of overcoming it.

"We will manage it. We in the Congress know how to carry people, we are not egotistical people, we don't crush people and we don't destroy people's lives, so we will manage it," he said.

The basic thing is how to get the country out of the "mess that Mr Modi and RSS has putit in," he said.

The Congress president also ruled out emergence of any third front.

Accusing the RSS of generating anger and hatred, Gandhi alleged that people are being killed for what they are saying and that needs to be put to an end.

"The natural sort of political environment where there is a little bit of acrimony, but not hatred, needs to be restored," he said.

Stating that Modi had a "very good" opportunity after the 2014 election, Gandhi said a lot could have been done for the country.

Terming as "funny" the BJP's confidence of breaking the opposition alliance in Uttar Prdesh and claiming that he understands UP politics, Rahul said when the three parties (SP, BSP and Congress) come together, "BJP will win only two seats, that too with luck.

He said even Modi may lose if he stands from Varanasi and the three parties were united against him.

"In fact, I challenge him to stand with three parties united," he added.

The BSP and the SP jointly fought Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats during the recent bypolls, costing the BJP both the seats, vacated respectively by Uttar Pradesh chief minister and deputy chief minister.

Hitting out at Modi and the BJP, the Congress president said they have lost track of running the country.

"You can't run this country as an individual, you have to run this country by listening to it, by working with it... and now after four years, he (Modi) has suddenly lost it, because now the wheels are running on them. Everybody can see that, you can hear it in his speeches," he said.

Responding to a question, Rahul blamed the "mentality" for Modi and BJP losing track.

He said, "...it is the mentality... you stand in front of Basavanna (12th century social reformer from Karnataka) or Ambedkar, praise them, and then you destroy everything that they stood for..."

"Basavanna is an idea, he is the representative of idea of Karnataka, you can go and stand in front of his statue as much as you want, but it won't work if you are destroying the idea... so, it is the mentality..." he said.

Sharing his experience in Gujarat, he said those raising "Modi Modi" slogans were nice to him when he met them and claimed they were "paid" for their sloganeering.
US President Donald Trump said there would be a "big price to pay" for a chemical attack against a besieged rebel-held town in Syria where medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas.



The Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus.A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday in the town of Douma. Others put the toll even higher.



"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay," Trump wrote on Twitter.



The Russian Foreign Ministry warned against any military action on the basis of "invented and fabricated excuses", saying this could lead to severe consequences.

The United States launched a cruise missile strike on a Syrian air base last year in response to a sarin gas attack in northwestern Syria blamed on Assad. One of Trump's top homeland security advisers said on Sunday the United States would not rule out launching another missile attack.



"I wouldn't take anything off the table," White House Homeland Security and Counterterrorism Adviser Thomas Bossert said in an interview on ABC's "This Week." "We are looking into the attack at this point," he said, adding that the photos of the incident are "horrible."



In one video shared by activists, the lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some of them with foam at the mouth, were seen. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying. Reuters could not independently verify the reports. Douma is in the eastern Ghouta region near Damascus.



Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands. The Ghouta offensive has been one of the deadliest in Syria's seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.



Facing military defeat, rebel groups in other parts of eastern Ghouta have taken safe passage to other opposition-held areas at the Turkish border. Until now, Jaish al-Islam has rejected that option, demanding it be allowed to stay in Douma. Syrian state media said on Sunday a deal had been struck under which Jaish al-Islam would finally leave for the town of Jarablus after saying the group had asked for negotiations. There was no immediate comment from Jaish al-Islam, which has been one of the most prominent insurgent groups in the war.



A pro-Syrian opposition TV station, Orient, said earlier talks were under way between Jaish al-Islam and Russia to reach a final settlement for Douma. Taking Douma would seal Assad's biggest victory since 2016, and underline his unassailable position in the war that has killed hundreds of thousands of people since it mushroomed from protests against his rule in 2011.



SHELTERING IN BASEMENTS



The Syrian Observatory monitoring group said it could not confirm whether chemical weapons had been used in the attack on Saturday. Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by heavy bombardment.



Medical relief organisation SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents", including nerve agents, had hit a nearby building. Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, which operates medical facilities and supports medics in Syria, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at a nearby apartment building, most of them women and children. The joint statement from SAMS and the civil defence said medical centres had taken in more than 500 people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

One of the victims was dead on arrival and six died later, it said. Civil defence volunteers reported more than 42 cases of people dead at their homes showing the same symptoms, it said. Tawfik Chamaa, a Geneva-based Syrian doctor with the Syria-focused Union of Medical Care and Relief Organizations (UOSSM), a network of Syrian doctors, said 150 people were confirmed dead and the number was growing. "The majority were civilians, women and children trapped in underground shelters," he told Reuters.



Syrian state news agency SANA said Jaish al-Islam was making "chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab Army," citing an official source.



The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the conflict."We have received reports of many people killed and injured in Duma in the past 24 hours. We continue to be extremely concerned for people who remain in Douma who are being subjected to escalating hostilities," UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs spokeswoman Linda Tom said.


Quorum Health Corporation, together with its subsidiaries, provides hospital and outpatient healthcare services in the United States. Its hospital and outpatient healthcare services include general and acute care, emergency room, general and specialty surgery, critical care, internal medicine, diagnostic, obstetric, psychiatric, and rehabilitation services. Quorum Health Corporation offers its healthcare services through its hospitals and affiliated facilities, including urgent care centers, diagnostic and imaging centers, physician clinics, and surgery centers. The company, through its subsidiary, Quorum Health Resources, LLC, provides hospital management advisory, healthcare consulting, and group purchasing services to non-affiliated hospitals, as well as Web-based applications and software tools; and various education programs for healthcare leaders, professionals, and other medical staff. As of December 31, 2018, it owned or leased 27 hospitals with approximately 2,604 licensed beds. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee.

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Texas Pacific Land Corp. operates as a landowner in the State of Texas. Its surface and royalty ownership allow revenue generation through the entire value chain of oil and gas development, including through fixed fee payments for use of the firm's land, revenue for sales of materials used in the construction of infrastructure, providing sourced water and treated produced water, revenue from its oil and gas royalty interests, and revenues related to saltwater disposal on land. The company also generates revenue from pipeline, power line and utility easements, commercial leases, material sales and seismic and temporary permits related to a variety of land uses including midstream infrastructure projects and hydrocarbon processing facilities. The company operates through following segment: Land and Resource Management and Water Services and Operations. The Land and Resource Management segment focuses on managing oil and gas royalty interest and surface. The Water Services and Operations segment offers operators an unparalleled breadth of service across the majority of the Permian Basin. The company was founded in April 2020 and is headquartered in Dallas, TX.

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Weatherford International plc, an oilfield service company, provides equipment and services for the drilling, evaluation, completion, production, and intervention of oil and natural gas wells worldwide. The company operates in two segments, Western Hemisphere and Eastern Hemisphere. It offers artificial lift systems, including reciprocating rod, progressing cavity pumping, gas, hydraulic, plunger, and hybrid lift systems, as well as related automation and control systems; pressure pumping and reservoir stimulation services, such as acidizing, fracturing and fluid systems, cementing, and coiled-tubing intervention; and drill stem test tools, and surface well testing and multiphase flow measurement services. The company also provides safety, downhole reservoir monitoring, flow control, and multistage fracturing systems, as well as sand-control technologies, and production and isolation packers; liner hangers to suspend a casing string in high-temperature and high-pressure wells; cementing products, including plugs, float and stage equipment, and torque-and-drag reduction technology for zonal isolation; and pre-job planning and installation services. In addition, it offers directional drilling services, and logging and measurement services while drilling; services related to rotary-steerable systems, high-temperature and high-pressure sensors, drilling reamers, and circulation subs; managed pressure drilling, conventional mud-logging, drilling instrumentation, gas analysis, wellsite consultancy, and open hole and cased-hole logging services; reservoir solutions and software products; and intervention and remediation services. Further, the company provides equipment and drilling tools; tubular handling, management, and connection services; equipment rental services; and onshore contract drilling and related services through a fleet of land drilling and workover rigs. Weatherford International plc was incorporated in 1972 and is headquartered in Baar, Switzerland.

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Era Group Inc. provides helicopter transportation services primarily to the oil and gas exploration, development, and production companies. Its helicopter services include emergency response search and rescue; and other services, as well as utility services to support firefighting, mining, power line, and pipeline survey activities. The company also leases helicopters to third parties and foreign affiliates. As of December 31, 2018, it owned a total of 108 helicopters, including 9 heavy helicopters, 46 medium helicopters, 23 light twin engine helicopters, and 30 light single engine helicopters. The company operates in the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia. Era Group Inc. was founded in 1948 and is based in Houston, Texas.

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WATERVLIET  When Ted Bieling got his layoff notice from General Electric in January, he couldn't help but feel apprehensive about his future.

"It was definitely nerve-wracking," said Bieling, 21, of Glenville, who worked for General Electric while studying at Hudson Valley Community College to earn his certificate in advanced manufacturing technology. "I didn't want to have to take a step backwards."

But this is the Capital Region, not Youngstown, Ohio, or Gary, Ind., or any other ground zero of the rust belt.

And while well-paying blue-collar jobs aren't abundant, a steady uptick in advanced manufacturing jobs improved Bieling's odds of finding a comparable position, or maybe even a better one.

He got the notice on Friday, Jan. 12. On Monday, he was on line at a job fair  sponsored by the Times Union  one of 500 or so job seekers to inquire at the Watervliet Arsenal's booth for 40 openings (upped to 70 before the day was done).

Bieling's recently completed training at HVCC  largely paid for by GE  raised the right eyebrows at the arsenal. Within a week or so, he had a commitment in principle to start at the sprawling Watervliet facility, which manufactures artillery pieces, tank cannon and mortars for the Army and traces its roots back to 1813.

GE had been Bieling's first job, and he was among the first to go when the company trimmed its Schenectady workforce by 130 hourly employees because of a competitive downturn in its steam turbine and generator business.

"But I felt like I had the skill set and the ability to do good work," he said. "So I was confident."

If you think this is a feel-good story about life after a position at a legacy-manufacturer like GE, guess again: GE is not your grandfather's assembly line where workers with rudimentary education got a union card and a lifelong place in the middle class.

About 90-100 workers at GE have HVCC certificates, said David Larkin, a professor of advanced manufacturing technology at the college in Troy. Nationwide, there is a shortfall of 300,000 to 350,000 machinists, he said.

A total of eight workers who lost jobs at GE have gone through the HVCC program and are now working elsewhere, Larkin said.

If anything, the experience of Bieling and Richard Renaud, 36, a fellow former GE worker at the arsenal, is a paradigm for what happens when a region stays true to its blue-collar roots but invests in the difficult transition from smokestacks to semiconductors.

It's also a testament to the high demand for skilled workers in an era when blue-collar jobs are shown little respect.

"Nobody else is making cannons, so you can't go out and hire someone who knows how to make a cannon," said Scott Huber, the arsenal's general foreman and an HVCC grad. "You can have advanced machinery, but if you don't have the right people you're not going to be successful. These guys have the passion to do this kind of work, to support the soldier, the war-fighter."

Renaud, of Latham, said that while he loved his work at GE, he was always a bit "fearful" over the possibility of layoffs.

"I enjoyed what I did, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up," he said. "I'm looking to the future, and this is place to be."

Like Bieling, Renaud is new to Watervliet. A government facility, the arsenal employs 601  up from 560 in January. With Pentagon budgets likely to stay robust into the foreseeable future, Watervliet plans to hire about 100 more workers within the next 12 months, a spokesman said.

Hourly machinist pay ranges from $25.46 to $29.82  $53,000 to $62,000 annually. GE declined to disclose its comparable wage scales for competitive reasons.

GE and Watervliet are just two of the enterprises that have contributed to the Capital Region's fitful but steady reinvention. GlobalFoundries, Sematech and the constellation of industries surrounding SUNY Polytechnic Institute have turned the area into a hub for jobs that cannot easily be shipped overseas.

What's driving the need for top-level skills is the replacement of old mechanical production lines and systems with new platforms that require workers to be more proficient with computers than wrenches.

While automation has taken jobs away, it has created others  for those with the proper skills.

"The robot doesn't walk out of the robot factory by itself," said David William Davis, president of Simmons Machine Tool Corp. in Albany. "Someone has to program that robot."

Simmons makes testing and repair equipment for train wheels that are used by Amtrak and many other railroads. It produces its Underfloor Wheel Re-profiling Machine with 100 workers in Albany and 800 at two Iron Curtain-era plants in what used to be East Germany that Simmons bought after the Berlin Wall came down.

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President Donald J. Trump's administration and both parties in Congress are in a rare alliance embracing what is known as STEM education  short for science, technology, engineering and math.

In the omnibus spending bill that passed Congress last month, there was $120 million for "Education Innovation and Research," which was $20 million more than was set aside in fiscal 2017. Of that total, $50 million was for a new STEM and computer science competition.

But what has captured the most attention in recent weeks is Trump's imposition of tariffs on Chinese goods, which started as a bid to halt competition on steel and aluminum in order fulfill his campaign pledge of protecting American industrial workers.

Trump also is fighting for another campaign promise: a U.S.-Mexico border wall and stepped-up deportation of undocumented immigrants, whose presence in the workforce, Trump charges, lowers American wages.

To a great extent, workers like Bieling and Renaud live in an alternate universe from their counterparts in Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania who abandoned their Democratic roots in droves to vote for Trump in 2016.

"I've always been a proponent of skill-based jobs. There needs to be more of these jobs available," said Renaud, who considered attending a four-year college but followed his gut instinct to work in the mechanical area. "This was something I had a passion for, and I'm happy with my decision. I'm lucky to have a job I look forward to going to every day."

For area employers, the main problem is a dearth of skilled candidates.

"I'm getting calls all the time, from as far away as the Lower Hudson Valley and Vermont," said Larkin, who noted that HVCC's two-year program has graduated about 150 students in the past five years  all with jobs, as far as he knows.

This Wednesday, HVCC will break ground on the new Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills. With 37,000 square feet and a price tag of $14.5 million, the building is designed to "meet an urgent workforce demand for skilled employees in the region," the college says.

Larkin agrees with Trump that Chinese "cheating" requires a response. But U.S. manufacturing is regaining an advantage simply by having engineers and designers at labor alongside workers  something not possible when work to supply the U.S. market is done overseas.

"They say they want it fast, cheap and good, but the answer comes back, 'You can only choose two out of three,'" he said.

Larkin said the manufacturers he talks to all feel as though Trump's pro-business, anti-regulatory agenda ultimately is helpful to their bottom lines.

But he scoffs at the suggestion that illegal immigration could drive wages down for the workers HVCC is training.

"For the most part," Larkin said, "the immigrants flowing over the southern border are not machinists."
Albany, N.Y.

The election of Donald Trump was supposed to be a wake-up call. The shock of his success, we were told, would lead the political establishment to finally start paying attention to working-class Americans and forgotten workers.

Has that happened?

Well, an optimist could point out that manufacturing jobs have been roaring back since Trump's election. A pessimist, though, need only note the attitude among Republicans and Democrats alike toward a big technological change coming our way: self-driving cars.

Now, corporate America is thrilled about autonomous vehicles, as they're also called, and for an obvious reason: Many companies will save gobs of money on labor when they no longer have to pay workers to drive.

Good for the companies. But bad for the 5 million to 10 million Americans who will almost certainly lose their jobs, including many workers with limited options for other employment. Driving, in one form or another, is an especially common occupation among men without college educations.

Think of the immigrant taxi driver in New York City. Or your UPS delivery man. Or the truck drivers out on the Thruway. Or maybe even the kid delivering pizza. All could be out of work.

So in this coming conflict between workers and big employers, where are the politicians? With the employers, of course.

Former President Barack Obama wanted to spend $4 billion on the development of self-driving cars, a plan scuttled after Trump's surprise arrival in the White House. But amid bipartisan excitement, the Trump administration has been eliminating regulatory hurdles and Congress is considering additional moves that would accelerate the driverless-car future.

Here in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced in October that the state would allow the testing of driverless cars in Manhattan sometime this year. "The spirit of innovation is what defines New York," the governor said in a statement, "and we are positioned on the forefront of this emerging industry."

Officials in other states have joined the parade. But the public isn't so excited.

A newly released Gallup poll found that 59 percent of Americans are uncomfortable with self-driving cars, and 62 percent don't like the idea of autonomous trucks on highways. Americans without college degrees are least optimistic about driverless cars, which makes sense: They have the most to lose.

Yes, the widespread adoption of driverless cars could bring immense benefits. Fewer accidents and traffic jams, less pollution, more mobility for the elderly and disabled.

Advocates believe car ownership could disappear, once we all simply hail driverless vehicles on demand. If so, parking garages and most lots will go away, freeing up valuable land. We'll convert our driveways to grass.

Personally, I'm excited that driverless vehicles, programmed to go the speed limit, won't tear through my neighborhood the way cars driven by human morons do. Children might get their freedom to roam and play back.

It's not wrong to be enthusiastic about the potential. Progress is progress, and only fools try to stop it. But progress always has a downside. Some groups win; others get run over.

The Obama administration, despite its enthusiastic embrace of driverless cars, acknowledged in a report released late in 2016 that automation will exacerbate income inequality and decimate employment for a population with few alternatives. New jobs created by technology won't make up for the losses, it said.

More Information Contact columnist Chris Churchill at 518-454-5442 or email cchurchill@timesunion.com See More Collapse

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That fact is rarely mentioned in the breathless news coverage about how wonderful everything is going to be when we can watch TV while zooming down the highway. Nor is it acknowledged in the press releases sent out by politicians excitedly declaring that driverless cars will be coming tp a road near you.

"The time to embrace this revolution in transportation technology is now," said Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul in the October announcement about testing driverless cars in Manhattan.

Easy for her to say. Her job would never be in jeopardy.

Why won't political leaders at least acknowledge the potential harm?

In a way, it's like NAFTA all over again. The 1994 trade agreement, embraced by both political parties, brought undeniable economic benefits to some, but it also accelerated the cratering of manufacturing jobs and left wrecked communities behind.

As people got run over, something astonishing happened: Life expectancy fell among middle-aged white Americans as despair and drug addiction spread. The economists who identified the trend noted the economic anxiety felt by workers who didn't go to college  you know, the very same people who will be hurt by driverless cars.

The establishment didn't much care. It didn't pay attention to the dead Main Streets in the Rust Belt. It barely noticed the opioid crisis. Then Trump came along and ... well, you know the story.

Voters who had been left behind rose up and spoke. Amazingly, the unchecked enthusiasm over driverless cars suggests most politicians still aren't listening.

cchurchill@timesunion.com  518-454-5442  @chris_churchill
Albany

Their last try was 15 years ago.

It was 2003, and the nurses at Albany Medical Center who had hoped to form a union were feeling dejected. They had just lost their third attempt at unionizing, this time by 253 votes. On the previous try, in 2001, they lost by 237 votes. In 2000, they lost by a single vote.

Three tries in four years? That must be that, they thought. And they put their heads down and got back to work.

More than a decade later, their numbers have grown. Where once there were 1,200 voting-eligible nurses at the Capital Region's most comprehensive hospital, now there are 2,200. Where once unionized nurses were a relative rarity in New York, now they seem to be everywhere. Nurses have organized in Schenectady and Gloversville, the North Country and the Hudson Valley, and they seem to be enjoying higher pay and better benefits as a result.

And so it is that the nurses at Albany Medical Center feel their time has come again. On Thursday and Friday, after a nearly three-year organizing effort, they will vote again on whether to join a union. This time, they're seeking representation with the New York State Nurses Association, the state's largest nursing union representing 40,000 members.

"With everything I've seen and been through over the years, I believe it's going to happen this time," said Patty Pinho, a nurse of 35 years with Albany Medical Center.

"I'm feeling the same," said Karen Nieto, a 38-year Albany Med veteran who cares for premature babies in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Nieto voted no the last time around. Despite her husband's and father's pro-union stances, she had always had her doubts about unions. But as nurses continued to bring the same concerns to management  as their duties became more computerized and less patient-centered, as her colleagues started fleeing for higher-paying jobs  her feelings changed.

"Everybody is pro-union now," she said. "And we're not being pushed into it: This is what we want to do. This is what we want to see happen, and everybody has this feeling like it's finally going to happen."

Perhaps  but the renewed organizing effort hasn't been without controversy.

A dirty fight

As the election has neared, tensions at the hospital have grown. Nurses report getting daily emails from administrators discouraging them from voting yes. The emergence of "Vote yes," "Vote no" and "NYSNA" buttons has provoked what's been characterized as bullying on all sides. Pro-union flyers have been torn from bulletin boards. Red scrubs  the NYSNA color  have been confiscated. Already scheduled raises and vacation time have been threatened.

Additionally, managers are pulling nurses aside for one-on-one meetings to question them about their intended vote, according to interviews with nearly a dozen nurses. Some have left those meetings crying. Others have been confronted in the parking lot. Meanwhile, the sudden emergence of rarely seen managers orbiting nurses' stations has nurses on edge.

Filipino nurses who are in Albany on work visas were warned that unionizing could jeopardize their immigration status, according to one complaint that was filed with the state.

Albany Med has recruited trained nurses from the Philippines for more than 15 years. On Tuesday, they received a letter from one of those recruiters, longtime Albany Med nurse Lynne Longtin  whose title is "director of clinical quality and nursing research"  expressing disappointment that they would consider unionizing after being able to come to the U.S. and "fulfill the American dream."

"Do you want to pay dues every year rather than send your hard-earned dollars home to the Philippines?" she wrote in the letter, a copy of which was obtained by the Times Union.

"The legacy of the Philippine RN at AMC, it is in your hands," Longtin wrote. "Will it be the well-educated, excellent, compassionate RNs that helped to raise the bar at AMC or the Philippine nurse that helped bring AMC a nursing union and helped to create mediocrity???"

Reports from the union drive caught the attention of Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who on March 29 ordered the state Labor Department to investigate complaints of intimidation, threats and coercion by hospital administration ahead of the election.

It prompted a strong reaction from Albany Med CEO James Barba, who in a memo to staff the next day accused the union of spreading false allegations and said it was "pro-Albany Med employees" who had been subjected to bullying.

"Frankly, the bullying by the labor union supporters demonstrates exactly why a union at Albany Med is a bad idea," Barba wrote.

A letter sent to Barba on Thursday from the state Public Employee Conference  signed by dozens of its member unions  gave a sense of just how heated the rhetoric has become: "Your facility's reputation as the premier medical center in the Capital Region will be irreparably harmed when the public is made aware of the fact that your nursing staff is treated like human chattel," it stated in reference to reports of "veiled threats" and other forms of intimidation.

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The letter closed by admonishing Barba to "Put your anti-labor agenda aside, and let your nurses be represented by professionals, so they can concentrate on being professionals!"

Trade-offs

Nurses want a union for many reasons. At the forefront, they say, is a feeling that they are simply not valued.

"I am expendable to them," said Wendy, a nurse who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. "They don't value me, and I should be valued."

Turnover also seems to be on the rise, nurses said. Nurses come to Albany Med and stay for a few years, and then leave for higher-paying positions elsewhere. While pay rates vary according to years of experience, nurses interviewed for this story said Albany Med's salaries were lower than those at comparable upstate hospitals.

"The result is we have new nurses training new nurses," said Lisa Eberhart, who has been at Albany Med for two and a half years. "I wasn't even a nurse for barely a year, and they already had me training another nurse. I don't really think that breeds the kind of safe, quality care our community deserves."

Health and retirement benefits aren't great, nurses said, while promotions, raises and scheduling requests appear to be granted based on whims and favoritism.

Staffing levels are sufficient in some units, but not in others, they said. And shifts are increasingly eaten up by computer and data entry responsibilities, leaving nurses less time with patients.

Unionizing could give the nurses a greater voice around these issues, they said.

But joining a union also has its drawbacks, hospital administrators have warned. In emails and fliers, they accused the union of feeding nurses half-truths and misinformation, highlighting successes downstate or up north while remaining silent about less successful bargaining at nearby Ellis Hospital.

Unionizing, they said, will result in a lack of flexible scheduling for nurses who may need to swap shifts at the last minute for family or school obligations.

"Albany Med provides the highest quality of care in the region because we attract and retain the most highly qualified and talented nurses and staff from throughout the region and from around the world," the hospital said in a statement to the Times Union. "Our pay and benefits are competitive, and our care environment is designed to allow our staff to maintain their focus on where it belongs  our patients and their families. We look forward to maintaining an open dialogue with our nurses on how to best provide care in the health care environment now and in the future."

bbump@timesunion.com  518-454-5387  @bethanybump
Albany

When Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced the May 2015 opening of the first phase of the IBM Buffalo Innovation Center, lobbyist Todd Howe forwarded a copy of the announcement to Michael O'Boyle, an IBM official whose job with the computer giant involved securing public sector contracts.

Howe also forwarded a copy of the announcement to Michael Fancher, an economic development official at SUNY Polytechnic Institute, the Albany-based public research university that had invested $55 million in taxpayer funds for the ready-made IBM research facility in downtown Buffalo.

Howe worked for parties on both sides of the transaction, records show: as a $25,000-per-month consultant for SUNY Poly, and for IBM.

The lobbyist, who in 2016 pleaded guilty to felony corruption charges amid the sprawling federal probe into upstate development projects, recently testified at the trial of former Cuomo aide Joe Percoco and three businessmen. Howe  who is currently in federal custody  could be called as a key government witness in the June trial of SUNY Poly founder Alain Kaloyeros and five developers from Buffalo and Syracuse. As in the case of his IBM work, Howe in those deals represented both the developers, who reaped other "Buffalo Billion" contracts from SUNY Poly, and the university, where he wielded enough influence to warrant his own office and a designated parking spot. Howe also served as a primary liaison between SUNY Poly and Cuomo's senior staff.

IBM, the multinational technology giant, has largely escaped notice in the upstate bid-rigging scandal. It was not among the two dozen companies named in a 2016 subpoena served to Cuomo's office by federal investigators. No one from IBM has been charged with any wrongdoing.

But Howe's little-noticed work for IBM is just one tie that the company has had at the upper echelons of New York government. And in recent years, the company has reaped a number of lucrative and at times controversial contracts from the state.

Robert Samson, who spent 36 years at IBM before retiring in 2009, currently runs the state Office of Information Technology Services, the agency that provides IT services to New York's agencies. At IBM, Samson led the company's efforts to land public sector contracts, and he retains strong relationships with company officials.

Since becoming the chief information officer of ITS a year ago, Samson has met with IBM officials about contracts at least nine times, according to Project Sunlight, a website that tracks official agency appearances. Samson is also a former board member of nfrastructure, a Clifton Park company that frequently partners with IBM. Samson has met with nfrastructure officials at least twice about contracts.

Samson has no investments in IBM, according to ITS spokeswoman Angela Liotta. She declined to answer further questions about Samson's finances and IBM.

The chief operations officer at ITS, Ray Rose, is himself a former decade-long IBM official who continues to own between $50,000 and $75,000 in stock in the company, according to his 2016 financial disclosure form. Despite the financial stake in IBM, Rose has met with the company's officials about contract opportunities at least 19 times since joining ITS leadership in April 2014, according to state records.

Just months before joining ITS, Rose had been on the other side of the table, seeking contracts from the agency for nfrastucture, another former Rose employer, records show. Now as a state government official, Rose has also met with officials from nfrastucture about contract procurement at least six times.

In a statement to the Times Union, ITS said that both Samson and Rose follow "all appropriate disclosure and ethics laws and recuse themselves from any meetings that could raise a conflict of interest."

"Integrity is paramount at ITS and all employees are held to the highest ethical standard," said Liotta, the ITS spokeswoman. "Our team is comprised of highly respected and hard-working public servants and to suggest any form of foul play occurred without any actual evidence is irresponsible and unfair."

Roles in conflict

At SUNY Poly, Howe was a key figure in a state entity distributing hundreds of millions of dollars to projects such as the Buffalo Innovation Center. His client IBM, meanwhile, reaped the benefits of the $55 million state project.

Some of Howe's work on behalf of IBM was inventoried in a defense filing from Percoco's trial that shows the subject lines of hundreds of emails Howe sent to a long list of people, but not the content of the emails or the dates they were sent. (The emails are, however, listed in chronological order.)

At least 20 emails sent by Howe concern IBM, including notes about setting up a meeting and a conference call about the company. There were Howe emails to IBM officials about state government business, as well as messages sent to lobbyists at Albany-based Whiteman Osterman & Hanna, the major lobbying and law firm that was the parent company of a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying subsidiary that Howe managed. They included topics such as "IBM Buffalo."

Both Samson and Rose, the current top ITS officials, were also of interest to Howe, the emails show. Howe even sent an email about IBM to Abe Eisner, a longtime Cuomo insider with quiet state government business who drew headlines when it was revealed he had provided a generous home loan to Percoco in 2012.

Lobbying records reported on by the Gotham Gazette show that in January 2013, IBM retained Whiteman Osterman for $10,000 a month. But Howe was not listed as one of Whiteman Osterman's IBM lobbyists and the firm did not register Howe as a lobbyist for any client in New York until December 2015, when the federal probe was well under way. At the Percoco trial, Howe testified that disclosing the projects he worked on might have curtailed his business opportunities, and that he did not register on the advice of former Cuomo state operations director Howard Glaser.

In September 2013, the Cuomo administration reached a deal with IBM to bring 500 new information technology jobs to Buffalo in exchange for a $55 million "Buffalo Billion" investment by the state.

That investment flowed through Fort Schuyler Management Corp., the nonprofit development arm of SUNY Poly. According to its contract with IBM, $30 million was dedicated to buy software from the company.

In separate matters that are subjects of the upcoming criminal trial in June, Howe has pleaded guilty to tailoring the bidding processes for hundreds of millions of dollars distributed by Fort Schuyler to two development firms that won projects in Buffalo and Syracuse. The five accused developers maintain their innocence, as does Kaloyeros, who is accused of conspiring with Howe in the alleged bid-rigging. The SUNY Poly founder, who for years was one of the top-salaried public employees in New York, resigned from his leadership post after his arrest in September 2016.

The IBM officials who received Howe's emails, according to the court filing, did not respond to requests for comment; a Whiteman Osterman spokesman declined to comment about Howe's work for IBM. A spokesman for Fort Schuyler and an attorney for Howe also did not respond.

The $55 million was not the end of the state's involvement with IBM. In 2016, the company won a five-year, $57 million contract to provide round-the-clock help desk services to state employees  an outsourcing move than went toward IBM's jobs commitment at the Buffalo hub but rankled unionized state employees who were shifted to other jobs.

State records show that in early 2016, ITS amended the request-for-proposal process  through which companies could bid for the contract  at the request of a vendor who remains unnamed in state documents. The change cut the number of years of public sector help desk experience that bidders would be required to have performed.

ITS spokeswoman Liotta maintained that the bidding process was not changed at the request of the eventual winner  IBM  but rather at the request of three other bidders for the contract: Tata Consultancy Service, Global Employment Solutions and Cognizant.

Help desk woes

The technology building in Buffalo, which was supposed to bring cutting-edge software development to the region, seems to have foundered. The Investigative Post, a nonprofit news outlet in Buffalo, reported in February that most of the jobs have gone to contractors at the call center help desk, with employees getting modest pay and benefits. State workers seeking IT support have also experienced extensive issues with the call center.

Nfrastructure, the former Rose employer, is among the companies that provides help desk workers at the site.

ITS said in its statement that neither Samson nor Rose were involved in the help desk contract procurement process, and that changes by ITS in its help desk strategy had "proven extremely successful as outstanding service tickets have been reduced by the thousands."

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The email inventory shows that both Samson and Rose, the current top ITS officials who previously worked for IBM, were of interest to Howe.

One Howe email to Kaloyeros had the subject line "Meeting with NY State Exec  Ray Rose." Another concerned "Robert Samson resume."

Notably, Samson is also a member of the Fort Schuyler board of directors and became its chairman in September 2016  the same month Kaloyeros, Percoco and the rest of the defendants were arrested and Howe pleaded guilty as part of a federal cooperation agreement.

"To be clear, neither Mr. Samson nor Mr. Rose have ever interacted with Todd Howe or Alain Kaloyeros, aside from a brief exchange of introductions between Mr. Samson and Kaloyeros, years before he started at ITS," ITS said in its statement. "Additionally, ITS had no role in IBM getting the Fort Schuyler grant approved years before Mr. Samson ever served on the board. We will not speculate on e-mails and discussions between outside parties that ITS was not privy to."

Another Howe email contained the subject line "Integrated Eligibility." It was sent by Howe to O'Boyle, the IBM official, and Brian Lucey, a Whiteman Osterman lobbyist for IBM.

The email appears to refer to an enormous contracting opportunity still in the works at ITS, for a project that is meant to overhaul New York's health and human service delivery systems for state employees.

A draft request for proposal created under Sampson for the Integrated Eligibility project includes a requirement that the winning bidder use IBM's DB2 data system.

A state worker with knowledge of the matter said that would make it more difficult for IBM's rivals to win the lucrative bid to be the project's general contractor, as they don't use the IBM data system.

In its statement, ITS stressed that no final request for proposal had been issued for the Integrated Eligibility initiative, and there is not any active bidding.

"There is currently substantial federal funding available to states to build and run a single, integrated eligibility system," ITS explained in its statement. "In order to leverage federal funds, states must show that they are building on and reusing investments that have already been made whenever possible. The document that you reference makes it clear that the use of DB2 is related (to) this federal requirement."

ITS noted that the state health system is built on IBM's DB2.

"ITS is simply trying to ascertain whether or not any prospective vendors would be able to operate on DB2, so taxpayer dollars would not have to be spent on a new database system," the agency said.

There have been other deals between the state and IBM, which recently bought at least one mainframe from the company for $2.5 million.

Critics say the agency should move toward cloud computing that's cheaper and more reliable, but ITS says the mainframe has many uses, including processing transactions for a number of agencies, and that it will result in savings over the next five years through reduced energy and maintenance costs.

An anonymous letter sent last November to Cuomo's office laid out a number of charges against ITS leadership, including about the work given to IBM. Some of the letter's contents are the subject of an investigation by the state inspector general.

In its statement, ITS said that the allegations in the letter have "no basis" and the agency is fully cooperating in the inspector general's review. It expects "that these allegations will be confirmed to have no merit once that is complete."

In mid-March, a website expounding on the allegations penned by the author or authors of the anonymous letter went live. Late last month when ITS workers began reading the site  NysITSCorruption.com  agency leadership responded by blocking agency personnel from looking at it on their work computers.

"Thousands of non-work related websites are routinely flagged for review and blocked," ITS told the Times Union. "While this particular website was blocked, ITS employees remain free to view the site from their personal devices and home computers."

cbragg@timesunion.com  518-454-5303  @chrisbragg1
ALBANY  New York voters are headed to the polls on April 24 for a special election to fill 11 vacant seats in the Legislature  including two in the Senate that are considered key for Democrats who hope to take control of the chamber.

While the Bronx seat of former Sen. Ruben Diaz Sr. is virtually guaranteed to remain in Democratic hands, many are closely watching the Westchester special election for the Senate seat formerly held by Westchester County Executive George Latimer, a district that has become a hotly contested political battleground in recent years.

Republican and Democratic Senate campaign committees and independent expenditure groups are pouring money into the Westchester match-up between Republican Julie Killian and Democratic Assemblywoman Shelly Mayer.

Last week, Gov. Andrew Cuomo brokered a reunification deal between the eight-member Independent Democratic Conference and the mainline Senate Democrats in a step toward securing the 32 votes needed for a Democratic majority in the 63-member chamber. The second-term Democratic governor, who is up for reelection this year, has been criticized by progressive groups for tacitly enabling the longstanding power-sharing alliance between the breakaway Democratic faction and Senate Republicans.

Previously, the unity plan had been conditional on Democrats regaining both Senate seats, bringing the Democratic count to 31. In addition to winning the Westchester race, the Democrats must either pick up more seats in November's general election, or woo Brooklyn Sen. Simcha Felder, a Democrat who caucuses with Republicans, back to the fold to secure a Democratic majority by 2019.

The stakes in this month's voting are lower in the overwhelmingly Democratic Assembly, where nine vacant seats, including two representing Capital Region districts, are to be decided.

In all 11 special elections, the nominations were selected by party leaders rather than by voters in primary elections. In New York City's heavily Democratic districts, four legislative seats are expected to be handed to the Democratic party's pick. Similarly, a number GOP strongholds in Long Island and upstate New York are likely to remain safely Republican.

On a local level, some Democrats are speculating that the so-called "blue wave" that followed the election of President Donald J. Trump could help flip the two longtime Republican Assembly seats formerly held by Steve McLaughlin and Pete Lopez.

Here are the 11 legislative seats up for election this month.

Senate District 32 - The Bronx

This Senate seat became available when Diaz won the election for New York City Council's District 18. Democratic Assemblyman Luis Sepulveda, the Democratic Party pick for the Senate seat, is expected to be Diaz's successor in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. His move would, in turn, leave a vacancy in the Bronx's 87th Assembly District, to be filled this November.

Republican Patrick Delices and Reform Party candidate Pamela Stewart-Martinez are also running for the seat.

Senate District 37 - Westchester

This seat was vacated by Democrat George Latimer after he won the Westchester County Executive contest in November. A dynamic race is unfolding in Westchester between Democratic Assemblywoman Shelley Mayer and former Rye Councilwoman Julie Killian, a Republican who lost the Senate race to Latimer in 2016 and secured the GOP nomination in early February.

While Democrats have a two-to-one enrollment advantage in Westchester, the district has become a battleground in recent years. If Mayer is elected, the 90th Assembly District will be left vacant until the November 2018 general election.

Assembly District 5 - Suffolk County

This Suffolk County seat was vacated by Republican Assemblymember Al Graf, who won his bid for a judgeship in Islip in November. Graf's former staffer Doug Smith has secured the Republican nomination and will be matched up with Democrat Deb Slinkosky.

Assembly District 10 - Suffolk County

Democratic Suffolk County Legislator Steve Stern will compete against Republican Janet Smitelli, a Huntington attorney, to replace former Republican Assemblyman Chad Lupinacci, who left this seat for a position as Huntington town supervisor.

Assembly 17th District - Nassau County

Former Assemblyman Thomas McKevitt, a Republican, stepped down from his Albany role for a seat on the Nassau County Legislature. Democrat Matt Malin will square off against Republican John Mikulin for the Assembly seat in April's special election.

Assembly District 39 - Queens

This position was vacated by former Assemblyman Francisco Moya in November, when he won a City Council seat. Former Moya aide Ari Espinal is running unopposed.

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Assembly District 74 - Manhattan

The 74th state Assembly seat was vacated by Brian Kavanagh, who last fall won Sen. Dan Squadron's former seat in the overwhelmingly Democratic district. Democrat Harvey Epstein has the Democratic nod and Bryan Cooper in running on the Republican line.

Assembly District 80 - The Bronx

This seat was held by former Assemblymember Mark Gjonaj, who also left the Legislature for City Council. It will likely be filled by his former chief of staff Nathalia Fernandez, who received the Democratic nomination. Republican Gene Defrancis is also running for the seat.

Assembly District 102 - Greene County

Former Assemblymember Pete Lopez, a Republican, stepped down from his Assembly position to become the Region 2 administrator at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency last fall. Republican Schoharie Town Supervisor Christopher Tague will face off against Democrat Aidan O'Connor Jr., a member of the Greene County Legislature, for the Assembly seat.

O'Conner has snapped up the Working Families Party and Women's Equality nods, while Tague is also running on Conservative, Independence and Reform Party lines.

Assembly District 107 - Rensselaer, Albany, Columbia

Democrat Cindy Doran and Republican Jake Ashby, both Rensselaer County legislators, will run against each other in the April 24 special election to fill the seat left vacant by Steve McLaughlin, who was elected Rensselaer County executive last fall.

Doran, of Troy, is a second-term legislator and previously taught at Troy High School for 30 years. Ashby, a Schodack resident, won his first election as a county legislator in November. He is an Army veteran, and has worked as an occupational therapist and rehabilitation director.

Doran will appear on the Democratic, Working Families and Women's Equality party lines. Ashby has the Republican, Independence and Conservative ballot positions.

Assembly 142nd District - Buffalo Region

Michael Kearns, a Democrat who ran on the GOP line, left the Assembly to become Erie County clerk in the fall. Erie County Legislator Patrick Burke holds the Democratic nomination, while the Republicans have picked a Democrat, Erik T. Bohen, as their candidate.
Tokyo

As the U.S.-North Korea summit looms, President Donald Trump's maximum pressure policy on North Korea may be working  thanks to China.

Beijing appears to have gone well beyond U.N. sanctions on its unruly neighbor, reducing its total imports from North Korea in the first two months this year by 78.5 and 86.1 percent in value  a decline that began in late 2017, according to the latest trade data from China. Its exports to the North also dropped by 33 percent to 34 percent both months.

The figures suggest that instead of being sidelined while North Korean leader Kim Jong Un made his surprising diplomatic overtures to Seoul and Washington, China's sustained game of hardball on trade with Pyongyang going back at least five months may have been the decisive factor in forcing Kim's hand.

Trade with China is absolutely crucial to North Korea's survival.

It accounts for the largest share of the North's dealings with the outside world and provides a lifeline to many of the necessities Pyongyang relies on to keep its nation fed and its economy from breaking down. Estimates vary, but it is believed that roughly half of all transactions in the North Korean economy are made in foreign currencies, with the Chinese yuan being the most common.

That gives Beijing tremendous leverage, though for political and national security reasons it has generally been reluctant to exert too much pressure on Pyongyang.

That reluctance is clearly wearing thin.

The statistics need to be taken with a dose of caution. Neither country is known for its commitment to transparency. Even so, more specific data reveal an even tougher, targeted crackdown, according to Alex Wolf, a senior emerging markets economist with Aberdeen Standard Investments:

China's exports of refined petroleum have collapsed over the past five months  to an annual rate of less than 4 percent of what it exported last year. With the pace on a downward trend, he believes, total exports could actually fall further.

North Korean steel imports from China have also collapsed in 2018, and the same goes for cars. Wolf said that it's unclear if China is blocking such exports or North Korea simply can't afford them. But either one, he wrote in a recent report for the company, would be a clear signal the North's economy is "under a great deal of stress."

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"While China's role over the past few months has often been overlooked or little understood, it appears a strategy could be emerging: China wants to play a central role in 'resolving' this crisis, but wants to do it on its own terms," he wrote. "It's increasingly clear that Chinese pressure is a driving force and China will play a central role in any future talks."

Kim announced in his New Year's address he would reach out to the South to ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula. He then agreed to hold a summit with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on April 27 and with Trump after that. But to the surprise of many, Kim suddenly showed up in Beijing first for a summit with President Xi Jinping last month, underscoring the continued primacy of China in North Korea's foreign relationships.

Lu Chao, director of the Border Study Institute at the Liaoning Academy of Social Sciences, said China accounts for almost 80 percent of the North's trade, meaning the onus for implementing U.N. sanctions has been borne by Beijing, whose enforcement has created "huge pressure on North Korea."

"There is no doubt China is doing more than ever when it comes to sanctions," he said, adding restrictions on sales of textile and seafood products to North Korea imposed by China last fall "have dealt a huge blow to the country."

"China has played a very important role in promoting the current change of the situation," he said.
CLIFTON PARK - The town will replace all 610 of its street lights with long-lasting LED bulbs, a cost-saving that Supervisor Phil Barrett said will add up to $5 million over 20 years.

"I enjoy the challenge of finding an opportunity to reduce the cost of running government," Barrett said on Sunday. "This plan is a substantial victory."

But to get to that point, the town will first have to pay several thousands to purchase all of the street lights from National Grid and New York State Electric and Gas. The poles on which the lights are attached will remain in the hands of the utility companies, but the lights and the arm that illuminates the streets and most intersections will be owned and maintained by the town. A town crew will be trained to care and repair the lights by Siemens, a global energy company, which is shepherding the project.

"The town board voted unanimously to work with Siemens in March," Barrett said. "They have a great deal of experience on projects of this type  from start to finish."

Siemens, a global energy company, has offered guidance to several municipalities in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island. A 2016 report in the Times Union revealed the company was the subject of an investigation by the state attorney general's office for inflating energy savings figures at the Saratoga County co-generation plant. The plant was supposed to be saving $130,000 a year on energy at the county-run nursing homes. But it actually cost the county $180,000 a year. The plant has since been decommissioned.

Barrett said that Siemens will do the audit, but the vendor, either National Grid or NYSEG, will guarantee the savings. Barrett did not say how much the town is paying for the Siemens' audit, but said that "we will execute a great deal for the town."

Currently, the company is doing an energy audit and will determine the how much Clifton Park should be paying to purchase the lights from the utility companies.

"At this point, I'm not sure what it will cost initially," Barrett said. "The change is favorable financially. The savings are powerful." Barrett said the LED lights should bring the town's electric bill down by 60 to 65 percent.

Once purchased, old bulbs will be changed to LED bulbs, which are guaranteed to last 10 years. The change will also eliminate the town's facility cost, which it pays to the electric companies. The project will be completed by the end of the year.

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Clifton Park is the first town in the region to take advantage of the idea that has been encouraged by the state's Public Service Commission. In 2015, the state estimated that 1.4 million municipal street lights could be part of the change to LED technology. The savings, PSC officials said, would create significant savings and lead to an overall reduction in emissions.

The first towns to purchase their street lights and replace bulbs with LED lighting were West Seneca in Erie County, Horseheads in Chemung County and Clarkstown in Rockland County.

Barrett's only concern was that the brighter LED lights would add to light pollution. He said his fears were allayed by Dark Sky compliance measures that Siemens' adheres to. The measures reduces light spillage, balancing the need for lights while minimizing glare on roads and nearby homes.

"The time we have invested in this is significant," Barrett said. "It's been a lot of work, but the investment will be worthwhile."
Sao Bernardo Do Campo, Brazil

Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was taken into police custody Saturday after a tense showdown with his own supporters, the capstone of an intense three days that underscored raw emotions over the incarceration of a once wildly popular leader who has been engulfed by corruption allegations.

Just hours earlier, da Silva told thousands of supporters that he would surrender to police, but also maintained his innocence and argued his corruption conviction was simply a way for enemies to make sure he doesn't run  and possibly win  re-election in October.

When he first tried to leave to surrender, however, dozens of supporters blocked a gate where a car carrying da Silva was trying to exit.

"Surround, surround (the building) and don't let them arrest him," chanted supporters. After a few minutes of tense words between guards and supporters, the former president got out of the car and entered the metal workers union headquarters where he had been holed up.

Police vehicles surrounded the union that was the birthplace of da Silva's rise to power. Da Silva emerged a second time shortly after nightfall, this time surrounded by bodyguards who pushed back scores of supporters who tried to stop his advance.

The dramatic scene was the latest development in a whirlwind series of days, which began when the Supreme Federal Tribunal, the country's top court, ruled against his petition on Thursday to remain free while he continued to appeal his conviction.

Judge Sergio Moro, who oversees many of the so-called "Car Wash" cases, then ordered an arrest warrant for da Silva, giving him until 5 p.m. Friday to present himself to police in Curitiba, 260 miles southwest of Sao Bernardo do Campo, and begin serving his 12-year sentence.

Da Silva, who Brazilians call "Lula," instead hunkered down with supporters in the union headquarters.

"The police and 'Car Wash' investigators lied. The prosecutors lied," said da Silva, as a few thousand supporters cheered.

"I don't forgive them for giving society the idea that I am a thief," he continued.

Still, da Silva said he would turn himself in "to go there and face them eye to eye. The more days they leave me (in jail), the more Lulas will be born in this country."

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When da Silva finished speaking, a sea of supporters carried him on their shoulders.

Mauricio Santoro, a political science professor at the State University of Rio de Janeiro, said that by not complying with the order on Friday da Silva "wanted to demonstrate strength and popularity, showing that he is a political leader capable of gathering a crowd in his support."

Choosing the metal workers union to take refuge, and not the Workers' Party headquarters, was also significant, Santoro said.

"It shows that he wants to emphasize his trajectory as leader of a social movement, rather than his role as leader of a party marked by allegations of corruption," he said.
Washington

Defense Secretary James N. Mattis has signed an order to send up to 4,000 National Guard troops to the U.S.-Mexico border but barred them from interacting with migrants detained by the Border Patrol in most circumstances.

The order, issued in response to President Donald Trump's call for using troops to stem illegal immigration, specifies that National Guard troops will assist the Department of Homeland Security along the border but not perform law enforcement missions and will be armed only when necessary for self-defense.

Given the restrictions, it's unclear if the Guard units will play a significant role in Trump administration efforts to lock down the border.

The Border Patrol has more than 19,000 sworn agents, although not all are assigned in the Southwest, and illegal immigration is at its lowest level in decades.

Trump portrayed it as a victory, however. "We are sealing up our Southern Border," he said Saturday on Twitter. "The people of our great country want Safety and Security. The Dems have been a disaster on this very important issue!"

Previous presidents have mobilized National Guard troops to help monitor parts of the border. President George W. Bush sent 6,400 troops starting in 2006 and President Barack Obama sent 1,200 in 2010. As with the current deployment, actual policing was left to the Border Patrol, a law enforcement agency.

Brandon Judd, president of the National Border Patrol Council, the union representing agents, said Guard units could help by freeing agents to do more patrolling to search for smugglers.

"We have so many agents working in permanent surveillance duties, in control rooms, watching cameras," he said in an interview. "This will free our resources to put more agents in the field. It will increase the certainty of apprehension, which will allow us to target the criminal cartels."

But some critics protested the buildup. In a letter, eight Roman Catholic bishops along the border said they were "deeply concerned" by the use of the military, saying it "distorts the reality of life on the border."

"This is not a war zone but instead is comprised of many peaceful and law abiding communities that are also generous in their response to human suffering," they wrote.

The harsh rhetoric from the Trump administration, they added, "promotes the dehumanization of immigrants, as if all were threats and criminals."

The deployment was announced late Friday in a joint statement by Mattis and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

The troops will be under state control, but the cost of deploying them will be paid out of the Defense Department budget through the fiscal year than ends in September, according to the order, which was released by the Pentagon.

The order did not say where the troops will be deployed along the 1,954-mile border, or which Guard units would be used.

In California, the federal request for troops is still being reviewed but no new California National Guard troops have been sent to the border, according to Evan Westrup, a spokesman for Gov. Jerry Brown, a Democrat.

Some Guard troops already are deployed on the border for counter-drug operations.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, ordered 250 National Guard soldiers deployed to the border within 72 hours, and said additional troops would be called up to join them as soon as next week.

Two helicopters lifted off Friday night from Austin, the state capital, to head south.

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, another Republican, said his state would deploy about 150 Guard members next week to provide support operations such as air surveillance, reconnaissance and construction of border infrastructure.

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But governors of several states that don't sit on the border resisted, signaling potential obstacles in meeting the president's goal of a surge of 4,000 troops.

Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, a Republican, opposed the plan. After consulting with the general in charge of the state's National Guard, Sandoval decided there was no "appropriate mission definition" to justify sending troops, according to his spokeswoman, Mary-Sarah Kinner.

Further north, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, said on Twitter that she would decline any request to send troops, saying she was "deeply troubled" by Trump's plan to militarize the border.

Administration officials have scrambled to work out the details of the operation since Trump abruptly announced Tuesday that he planned to send the military to help fight illegal immigration and drug trafficking.

Trump has been frustrated that the Republican-led Congress has refused to fully fund his plan to build a border wall. Mexico also has rejected his demands that it pay for the wall.

The Pentagon has not provided an estimate for the cost of the military operation, and it is unclear whether all 4,000 of the Guard members authorized will be mobilized.

Under federal law, troops are barred from performing law enforcement duties in most circumstances, and the order appears to restrict them to a support role unless Mattis authorizes a wider mission.

"National Guard personnel will not perform law enforcement activities or interact with migrants or other persons detained by (Department of Homeland Security) personnel without your approval," the order drafted for Mattis and signed by him reads.

The order adds that troops will carry weapons only in "circumstances that might require self-defense."

It's unclear what operations or missions troops will perform along the border that might require them to carry weapons.
For the first time since the 2013 passage of the SAFE Act in New York, gun owners must re-certify their registration if they own assault weapons.

The law banned new sales of assault weapons in the state and required current owners to register the firearms with state police. It also requires assault weapon registrations to be re-certified every five years.

The legislation, passed in aftermath of the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, Conn., expanded the definition of assault weapons as any rifle, pistol or shotgun that uses a detachable magazine and has one of many military features, including flash suppressors, folding stocks, bayonet lugs and heat shields.

Second Amendment advocates called it an intrusion into their privacy, and predicted that only a handful of people would actually register their guns.

Since New York's SAFE Act gun control law went into effect in January 2013, at least 23,847 people have applied to register their newly defined assault-style weapons with the State Police, according to previous reports in the Times Union.

Those individuals have registered a total of 44,485 weapons. While the number of people registering, and the number of registered weapons, is public information, individual details within the State Police database are exempt from disclosure.

The SAFE Act also called for a state database for pistol permits, reduced the maximum number of rounds in a magazine, and now requires background checks on all gun sales, including those between individuals.

Separately, the law also requires handgun owners to also re-certify their permits every five years. According to an NPR report, that re-certification process has gone slowly.

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As of the January deadline, more than 81,000 people  or 20 percent of affected handgun owners in New York  hadn't responded to the state's request, according to NPR. But New York State Police spokesman Beau Duffy told NPR that gun owners who had not re-certified their handgun permits won't face charges.

"We're not going to take criminal enforcement action, particularly with those people who were unaware of this re-certification process," Duffy told NPR.

Additionally, local level law enforcement, including some sheriffs, have opposed parts of the SAFE Act and suggested that enforcement of the registration component is not a priority.

Yates County Sheriff Ron Spike told the Washington Free Beacon in February that his deputies would help any gun owners they came across who had not re-certified their pistol permits, rather than charge them.
Honda and Waymo are on the verge of developing an autonomous delivery vehicle, a culmination of a partnership that first surfaced in late 2016. The plans for the vehicle involve the two companies designing and developing it from scratch as part of a future delivery service that will include vehicles Alphabet CEO John Krafcik described as being capable of carrying both people and goods, among other capabilities.

The companys partnership with FCA fall along the same lines, though instead of I-Pace units, Waymo will be securing thousands of Chrysler Pacifica minivans to help expand its fleet of autonomous vehicles

The details of the partnership between Honda and Waymo have evolved since the two companies began discussing the possibility of working together in 2016. Its unclear what the current parameters of the partnership are, but as John Krafcik revealed, a big part of it will be co-developing an autonomous delivery vehicle that wont take the form of a traditional car. The CEO of Waymo parent company, Alphabet Co., didnt divulge any more details about what the car is going to look like or what kind of autonomous technology its going to carry.

Whats clear is that this partnership with Honda is unlike the existing deals Waymo has with two other automakers, specifically Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Jaguar Land Rover. The deal with the British brand, for example, involves outsourcing 20,000 Jaguar I-Pace units as part of a forthcoming autonomous ride-hailing service. The companys partnership with FCA fall along the same lines, though instead of I-Pace units, Waymo will be securing thousands of Chrysler Pacifica minivans to help expand its fleet of autonomous vehicles.

The Honda partnership is different because Waymo will actually have a hand in designing and developing the car that it plans to use for its future autonomous delivery service. According to Krafcik, the planned delivery vehicle could be smaller than traditional delivery trucks and may not have any manual controls, specifically a steering wheel and actual brakes.

With Waymo, it has a company thats moving forward with its own ambitious plans of becoming a major player in the field of autonomous driving and the services it can venture into.

As far as Hondas concerned, the partnership with Waymo puts a spotlight on its own efforts in developing autonomous vehicle technology. The Japanese automaker currently doesnt have any cargo-carrying commercial vehicles in the U.S., so designing one from scratch is the only way it can gain any footprint in that burgeoning segment. With Waymo, it has a company thats moving forward with its own ambitious plans of becoming a major player in the field of autonomous driving and the services it can venture into.

The autonomous delivery service business may not have the same commercial impact as a ride-hailing service, but it is an important segment to enter to get acclimated to the demands of the business side of autonomous vehicles. Honda rival Toyota is already moving forward with plans to put its e-Palette concept into production. Even startup companies like Nuro are getting in on the fun. Theres also Ford, which already has an ongoing pilot program in Miami that includes delivering Dominos pizzas, among other delivery services.

If Honda and Waymo want to get into this kind of business, its going to do so in each others company. That may not be a bad thing for both companies.

References

Chrysler to Send Thousands of Pacifica Minivans to Waymo

Source: Bloomberg
If its not broken, dont fix it seems to be the policy with all Government agencies. Before it was a stitch in time saves nine, but that was in colonial days, not now that we are independent.
We loved the Level side of the resort. We stayed in building 24 which is by both adult pools and close to the Level lobby and beach. The buffet is just ok but we had pretty good food at the a la carte restaurants. We enjoyed no reservations and no dress code. I hate that you have to pay for the Hibatchi restaurant. It should be included with the Level. We had great service throughout the resort although our butler disappeared after the first day. No big deal. The beach was beautiful when we went. A little but of seaweed that floats by but you get used to the little pieces floating by. The water was like bath water. Calm and very warm. Plus great beach waiters. The downfall for us was there wasn't a lot to do after dinner. The shows are ok and we went to the casino alot but it's not very big. Also the pool was freezing. That was probably the most annoying thing but the ocean was very nice! I would be very excited to go here again! Have fun!
I puzzled over the 'gline' too. :-) And then I thought maybe it's a g_line, like some kind of tram system. Google led me to a gambling helpline. Wikipedia's disambiguation suggested transit systems in New York and in Denver (though not Florida). Okay, so I guess you're after public transport Amandabreck. Yes, our biggest cities have that.

My concern with what you envisage is that you have allowed generous amounts of time in the cities but by limiting yourselves to day trips you are going to be >>getting up at 7am<< and getting the rushed day tour versions of >>scenery,snorkeling, wineries,wildlife,adventure<< when you have enough time to enjoy them properly. As suggested, think about doing some 1 or 2 night trips out of the cities. For me the obvious example is the Great Ocean Road near Melbourne, it's a wonderful 3+ day self-drive road trip, but as a day tour even the best reviews tend to mention how long and tiring the day was, and that's with an experienced local doing the driving and timekeeping. If you have allocated 8 nights for Melbourne and if you are interested in seeing the GOR, doing it as a day tour would be an unnecessary compromise. Another example, the Blue Mountains outside Sydney is a popular day trip (tour, train, self-drive) but it is well worth more than a day, and if you want to visit the Jenolan Caves as well you really do need more than a day, otherwise you will be wasting time and money backtracking over much of the same route on different days. Regarding snorkelling, my understanding is that there is snorkelling in the vicinity of those cities (Loki mentioned Port Phillip Bay and I am aware of Jervis Bay which is 3 hours drive south of Sydney) but I hope you realise that is nowhere near the Great Barrier Reef which is Australia's famed snorkelling destination. Lady Elliot Island, which Longhorn mentioned is doable as a flying day trip from Brisbane, is at the southern end of the 1,400 mile long reef. So depending on what you had in mind, snorkelling the reef is another possibility for a couple of nights elsewhere.

I think L0stris summed it up well, >>its kind of pointless to stay in a city that doesnt give you access to the things you actually want to see here<<. So I think your itinerary is alright and there is a lot you can do by public transport and day tours, but it would be hugely improved if you can allow for some 1-2 night side trips.
Hello there!

We are flying to Australia at the end of May and flying back in the beginning of June. More precisely, we are in Australia from the 27th of May until the 11th of June. So, basically 14 full days and two half-days (the day we arrive and the day we leave).

I know we have to be pragmatic, 15 days in not a lot for such a huge country and we will lose time flying inside the country. Since this is our first trip to the country, our idea was to only visit the highlights of Australia. Basically, visit Sydney, the Red Centre and the area around Cairns (so we can visit the Great Barrier Reef).

- For Sydney, we were thinking 4 days. Three days just for Sydney and one day to go to the Blue Mountains. Or do you think the Blue Mountains should be skipped?

Then we are flying to Cairns or the Uluru (we need to see what's cheaper to fly to first). Or do you think it's better to visit one first and then the other?

- On the Red Centre, we don't know how many days are needed. We are probably renting a car and try to visit the Uluru and the Olgas. I guess the attractions are to hike around these areas. A lot of people recommend going to visit King's Canyon but we are not sure if it's worth it because of the distance from the Uluru to there.

- On the Cairns area, we still need to decide where our base will be, Port Douglas or Cairns. We are maybe more inclined on Port Douglas because we want to relax a bit and then visit the Daintree forest (Mossman gorge, etc), the GBR (and some beaches), Wildlife Habitat and the Cape Tribulation. Do you think we should visit also Kuranda and the Atherton Tablelands? We will also try to rent a car. We are also not sure about how many days are needed. We were thinking maybe 5-6 days.

What do you think about this itinerary? Do you think we should be more ambitious and try to visit something else? At least, we aren't so interested in visiting Melbourne, for example. We are from Europe and a lot of people say that has an European vibe, so I guess it wouldn't be so interesting for us. At least, Sydney seems more special with its harbour area.

I know that we haven't planned the entire 15 days but we are still open for places to visit. I read some people recommending also the area around Darwin (Kakadu, etc) for this time of the year, but I'm not sure if we have the time for that.

Thank you in advance for all the help provided :)
I live near Jersey City and just returned from the DC area. I do not use Interstate 95 traveling between NJ and DC. It is the most direct route but I am not rushed for time and there are many tolls on I 95.

From DC you could spend one day in Baltimore taking in the Inner Harbor. The National Aquarium is there and much better than the one in DC. Since you have already visited Gettysburg, I would agree with Dave Hoboken to visit the Amish area in Lancaster Pennsylvania via I 83 and route 30. It is a 2-3 hour drive from Baltimore. One day or two if you do not want to be rushed to visit the various sites. Vast farmlands, buffet restaurants, outlet shopping and the Amish way of living all to be experienced. Another short drive to Philly for a 2/3 day visit for US history. From Philly to the Jersey shore, which will still be pleasant in September, is another 1 day option as well as another short drive. From the shore to Jersey City/EWR travel the Garden State Parkway (toll road).
If you have recently flown with AirTransat  from YYZ to SJO, not on a package, was the CR exit tax included in your ticket price, like with AC, or not, like with WJ?

If you had the Econo fare with no checked bags included ($25 CAD pp per leg), were you able to prepay the return flight's baggage before leaving home? If not, what currency /cash did you use to pay them for checking in your bag at SJO upon return? If you had to pay in CRC or in US, were you happy with the rate the AT counter employee applied?

Any other advice/experience re flying this particular Co specifically to CR?

Thank you for your help. 
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Hello,

We are planning a trip to Asia soon and would like to get some suggestions on cities to visit in Japan. We are planning to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hakone.

In which order should we visit these cities? Any other suggestions?

From Japan, we also plan to spend a few days in China....and would like some suggestions there on which cities to visit, as we are interested in seeing the Great Wall of China and other must see sites there as well.

Please advise and thanks.
Coming to Fort Myers Beach the end of April for a long weekend (2.5 days) to celebrate our anniversary (first trip without the kids!) and staying at Pink Shell. I simply can NOT make up my mind about renting a pontoon one of the days. Were only there half day Friday, and leave at the break of dawn on Monday... when we take family trips to Panama City Beach we rent a pontoon and cruise over to their Shell island and love it. Its one of our favorite things to do (as a family). Is there a place to drive the boat to in Fort Myers Beach? Like an island you can pull up on and walk around or would it be just cruising out on the water if we rented the pontoon, with the exception of pulling up to a restaurant for lunch.

Another factor playing in to my hesistation is that were really wanting to spend time together that we cant do with the kids. And him driving a boat, with me sitting to the side is not overly bonding. If we were there longer wed definitely get the boat, but with only 2.5 days I just dont know! Decisions, decisions. HELP?!
Thanks so much for the responses. I've looked up the two recommended car services and priced out at $119 or $135. So that will definitely be our mode of transportation. Does anyone have a preference Dial 7 vs Carmel, and why? How long would the trip be from Midtown area to Long Island airport? I'm thinking we would schedule the car for 5 AM to allow plenty of time for any traffic issues. Missing the 11AM flight is NOT an option for us. Do the services have a reputation for reliability?

Second question: any hotel recommendations ( or general areas to say)? Someone that I've recently met from NYC suggested we stay in White Plains, saying that it is very easy and convenient to travel to NYC from there. Since we are there for such a short time I'm more inclined to stay closer to the sights we are interested in (Central Park, Statue of Liberty, ESB, Times Square, and maybe the 911 memorial). I'm all for saving money, but don't want to spend a lot of time or get frustrated traveling from the hotel. We'd like to stay around $250 or less per night. Cost IS a factor. We are budget minded. I will use Trip Advisor of course for help, but nothing like advice from a local...

For those who asked... We are not planning to stay near LGA, I was just thinking that we might find regularly scheduled transportation more easily from the airport. that's why I mentioned it. But your responses have addressed that concern.

We are flying into LGA from ATL very early Friday morning. The airline (Frontier) only has one flight back to ATL from LGA on Monday and it is too late. That's why we are leaving from ISP it will get us home 6 hours sooner. If you've never flown Frontier, they have limited schedules and do NOT make it very easy when you change travel plans. We had unused tickets from last year, and need to use the value prior to losing it. That's why we are stuck traveling Frontier. The travel from NYC to ISP is minor compared to letting the tickets go completely unused.

Thanks again for all of the suggestions.
- Kenya beat New Zealand 21-12 to reach cup finals in the ongoing Hong Kong sevens

- Collins Injera struck twice to inspire Kenya to victory

- Kenya will now meet Fiji in the semi-finals

Kenya Sevens skipper Collins Injera bagged a brace of tries on Sunday morning, April 8 to help Shujaa demolish New Zealand 21-12 in the ongoing Hong Kong Sevens.

Injera's first try was off a Billy Odhiambo offload as he went on to score his second in the second half of the encounter.

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READ ALSO: Manchester United's epic comeback delays City's title party as Pogba shines

The convincing victory saw Kenya storm into the finals of the competition as they seek to continue their impressive form this season.

READ ALSO: Good news for Liverpool as Salah is set to return for Champions League clash against Man City

READ ALSO: Big boys! Man United star players head to training in adorable cars (photos)

Earlier, Kenya narrowly defeated Scotland 19-12 in the quarterfinals to set up a date with the New Zealand for the semis.

Shujaa will now battle it out with Fiji in the finals, after the Fijians beat South Africa in the other semi final.

READ ALSO: Arsenal target top French manager as possible replacement for Arsene Wenger

Kenya's triumph sent social media into a frenzy as excited fans congratulated the team.

Here are some of the reactions:

Do you have a hot story or scandal you would like us to publish, please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Telegram: Tuko news.

Source: Tuko.co.ke
Ukraine is ready for the meeting of the foreign ministries of the Normandy format countries if the issues of security, liberation of hostages and deployment of peacekeeping mission are put on the agenda.

Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin said this on the air of Inter TV channel.

At the same time, it will be possible to schedule a meeting in this format after the positions of the foreign ministers of Ukraine, Germany and France are coordinated, Klimkin added.

"I will talk with the German minister in the coming days. At first, we [the foreign ministers of Ukraine, France and Germany] will meet or talk on the phone and then will consider the meeting with the Russian side," he said, answering the question about the possible oncoming meetings in the "Normandy format."

As the Ukrainian foreign minister noted, the key issues are security, release of political prisoners and hostages and the concept of a peacekeeping mission in Donbas.

"I told my French and German colleagues: if we put these three issues on the agenda of the Normandy format meeting, the four of us will meet. I very much hope that such a meeting will be organized in the near future," Klimkin said.

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After the Russian annexation of Crimea, the searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars and in mosques became frequent.

Operatives of the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on April 6 raided the mosque in the village of Pavlivka in the occupied Crimea under the pretext of fighting "extremism."

"FSB officers have raided the mosque in the village of Pavlivka in Dzhankoy district, saying that 'some extremist actions' are being conducted there," Ukrainska Pravda reported, referring to NGO Crimean Solidarity's Facebook page.

Read alsoCrimean Tatars sacked from jobs for refusing to vote in "election"  lawyerAll mosque-goers have been questioned and photographed.

"About 20 people with automatic rifles surrounded the mosque, not allowing the Muslims to leave the premises until they are interrogated," Crimean Solidarity wrote.

As reported, there was also a representative of the prosecutor's office with the FSB officers.

"Such total control disturbing members of the Muslim community, evoking their wrath in Crimea," the NGO added.

After the Russian annexation of the Crimea peninsula, the searches in the homes of the Crimean Tatars and in mosques became frequent, according to Mejlis and human rights activists.
In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Luhanske.

Russia's hybrid military forces attacked Ukrainian army positions in Donbas 42 times in the past 24 hours in defiance of an earlier announced ceasefire, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoUkraine reports 2 WIA's in Donbas amid 42 enemy attacks in last dayIn the Donetsk sector, the enemy fired grenade launchers, heavy machine guns and small arms at the Ukrainian fortified positions near the villages of Kamianka, Talakivka, and Vodiane, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations reported on Facebook Sunday morning.

The Russian-backed militants used grenade launchers and small arms against the defenders of the town of Avdiyivka and Butivka coal mine. In the vicinity of the village of Pyshevyk, the enemy employed heavy machine guns, while the defenders of the village of Talakivka came under fire from an anti-tank missile system. Enemy snipers were also active near the villages of Shyrokyne, Slavne, and Pavlopil.

The occupiers opened fire from small arms on the Ukrainian strong points near Slavne, Pavlopil, Krasnohorivka, Hnutove, and Pyshevyk.

In the Luhansk sector, the militants fired 82mm mortars, grenade launchers, and heavy machine guns on the Ukrainian positions near the village of Luhanske, while the defenders of the village of Malynove were attacked with the use grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, and small arms.

As a result of enemy shelling, one Ukrainian soldier was wounded. He was taken to a hospital and provided with medical assistance.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Trilateral Contact Group for the settlement of the situation in Donbas on March 26 agreed on a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire from March 30, 2018.
In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers fired grenade launchers of various systems at the defenders of the villages of Krymske and Valuyske.

Russia's hybrid military forces mounted 12 attacks on Ukrainian army positions in Donbas on Sunday, April 8, with four Ukrainian soldiers reported as wounded in action (WIA).

Read alsoOSCE monitors report 255 explosions in Donbas within 24 hoursIn the Donetsk sector, the aggressor fired grenade launchers and small arms on the Ukrainian fortified positions near the village of Vodiane and opened fire two times at our positions outside the village of Lebedynske. The militants also used grenade launchers against the defenders of the village of Shyrokyne, and heavy machine guns to attack the Ukrainian positions near Vodiane. The defenders of the town of Avdiyivka came under fire from small arms, the press center of the headquarters of Ukraine's military operations said in an evening update as of 18:00 on April 8, 2018.

In the Luhansk sector, the occupiers fired grenade launchers of various systems at the defenders of the villages of Krymske and Valuyske. Moreover, the enemy snipers were active near the town of Svitlodarsk.

As a result of enemy shelling, four Ukrainian soldiers were wounded. They were rushed to a hospital and provided with medical assistance.

As UNIAN reported earlier, the Trilateral Contact Group for the settlement of the situation in Donbas on March 26 agreed on a comprehensive, sustainable and unlimited ceasefire from March 30, 2018. However, the militants have not stopped shelling the positions of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

In particular, Russia's occupation forces violated the truce in Donbas 42 times on April 7, with one Ukrainian soldier reported as wounded in action.
Syria's government has called the allegations of a chemical attack a "fabrication".

At least 70 people have died in a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, rescuers and medics say.

Volunteer rescue force the White Helmets tweeted graphic images showing several bodies in basements. It said the deaths were likely to rise, the BBC wrote.

Read alsoRussian warplane bombs refugee camp in Syria's Idlib  mediaSyria's government has called the allegations of a chemical attack a "fabrication".

The U.S. state department said reports suggested "a potentially high number of casualties", including families in shelters.

It said Russia  with its "unwavering support" for Syria's government  "ultimately bears responsibility" for the alleged attacks.

Several medical, monitoring and activist groups reported details of a chemical attack, but figures vary and details of what happened are still emerging.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Center tweeted that more than 75 people had "suffocated", while a further 1,000 people had suffered the effects of the alleged attack.

It blamed a barrel bomb allegedly dropped by a helicopter which it said contained Sarin, a toxic nerve agent.

The Union of Medical Relief Organizations, a U.S.-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, told the BBC the Damascus Rural Specialty Hospital had confirmed 70 deaths.

Douma is the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta region, and is under siege from Russian-backed Syrian government forces.
The North Koreans are pushing to have the meeting in their capital, Pyongyang, although it is unclear whether the White House would be willing to hold the talks there.

The United States and North Korea have been holding secret, direct talks to prepare for a summit between President Donald Trump and North Korea leader Kim Jong Un, a sign that planning for the highly anticipated meeting is progressing, several administration officials familiar with the discussions said.

Read alsoChina says North Korea pledges denuclearization during friendly visit  mediaCentral Intelligence Agency Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the CIA have been working through intelligence back-channels to make preparations for the summit, the officials said. American and North Korean intelligence officials have spoken several times and have even met in a third country, with a focus on nailing down a location for the talks, CNN reported.

Although the North Korean regime has not publicly declared its invitation by Kim Jong Un to meet with Trump, which was conveyed last month by a South Korean envoy, several officials say North Korea has since acknowledged Trump's acceptance, and Pyongyang has reaffirmed Kim is willing to discuss the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

The North Koreans are pushing to have the meeting in their capital, Pyongyang, the sources said, although it is unclear whether the White House would be willing to hold the talks there. The Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar has also been raised as a possible location.

The talks between intelligence officials are laying the groundwork for a meeting between Pompeo and his North Korea counterpart, the head of the Reconnaissance General Bureau, in advance of the leaders' summit. Once a location is agreed upon the officials said that the date will be set and the agenda discussed in greater detail.

As recently as this weekend, Trump told associates he was looking forward to the summit, which he agreed to on the spot when presented the invitation from Kim. The timeline, however, remains unknown. Officials said the current target is late May or even June.
There were reports of people being treated for symptoms including convulsions and foaming of the mouth, consistent with nerve or mixed nerve and chlorine gas exposure.

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Monday, April 9, to discuss reports on chemical weapons attack in Syria.

"UK, France, U.S., Poland, Netherlands, Sweden, Kuwait, Peru and Cote d'Ivore have called an emergency meeting of UNSC. Meeting expected on Monday," The United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations tweeted on April 8.

Read alsoRussian warplane bombs refugee camp in Syria's Idlib  mediaSeveral medical, monitoring and activist groups reported details of a suspected chemical attack in Douma, the last rebel-held town in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, but figures vary and details of what happened are still emerging, BBC wrote.

The U.S. state department said reports suggested "a potentially high number of casualties", including families in shelters.

The pro-opposition Ghouta Media Center tweeted that more than 75 people had "suffocated", while a further 1,000 people had suffered the effects of the alleged attack.

It blamed a barrel bomb allegedly dropped by a helicopter which it said contained Sarin, a toxic nerve agent.

There were reports of people being treated for symptoms including convulsions and foaming of the mouth, consistent with nerve or mixed nerve and chlorine gas exposure.

Syria's government has called the allegations of a chemical attack a "fabrication".
Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur organised a walk on Saturday to express solidarity with the people of held Kashmir.

SUKKUR, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 7th Apr, 2018 ) :Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU), Khairpur organised a walk on Saturday to express solidarity with the people of held Kashmir. The walk, among others, was attended by students, teachers and members of civil society.

Addressing the participants of the walk, SALU Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Parveen Shah termed the atrocities by Indian forces in held Kashmir as state terrorism, according to a press release issued here.

She said that India should stop brutalities against innocent people in the occupied valley. She said that India should stop violations of international laws in occupied Kashmir, adding that the Kashmir issue should be resolved according to UN resolutions. The VC urged the international community to take notice of gross human rights violations in the Indian held Kashmir.
FAISALABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Fifteen passengers were injured when a bus fell into a ditch, in the area of Chak Jhumra police station on Sunday. Police said that a bus was on its way from Sangla Hill to Faisalabad when it fell into a ditch in a bid to overtake a car at Chak Jhumra Road near Chak No 142-RB Cchoti Ghartal.

As a result, 15 passengers received multiple injuries and they were shifted to Teshil Headquarters (THQ) Hospital Chak Jhumra where their condition was stated to be out of danger. APP/aar/ia/zhr
MIRPUR(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) , Apr 08 (APP):All is set to hold two-day 1st International Conference on Power, Energy and Smart Grid I (ICPESG) at the state-run Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) here from April 9 Monday to discuss and devise mechanism, harmonious to the need of the modern age and to combat the growing energy crises in various parts of the world.

President of Azad Jammu Kashmir Sardar Masood Khan, who is also Chancellor of the University, will inaugurate the world moot and the Vice Chancellor of Prof. Dr. Habib ur Rehman as the Chief host, supervising the arrangements for holding of the grand moot in a befitting manner.

AJK minister for Electricity Raja Nisar Ahmed will grace the occasion as guest of honor where at least 17 delegates / power experts from 17 developed nations will attend the conference. Unveiling the salient features of the global moot, Publication Chair and Senior Member International Electrical and Electronics Engineering (SMIEEE) Engr.

Dr. Anzar Mahmood, Chairman Power Department Engr. Prof. Shabir Mirza, Associate Prof. Engr. Dr. Syed Hassan Mujtaba Jaffery, Prof. Dr. Illayas Minhas at the Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST)said at a joint news conference here on Sunday that experts of the energy sectors and the world class universities from Canada, China, France, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Peru, Romania, Sweeden, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Spain, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States and Pakistan are attending the conference.

"The prime focus of the scheduled global moot, being held with the financial assistance of the Higher education Commission (HEC) of Pakistan and Pakistan Science Foundation, is to promote research in the area of power systems and energy to cope with the technological challenges, energy crises situation and environmental issues faced by the power and energy sectors in different parts of the world", they said.

It is the first IEEE (International Electrical and Electronics Engineering) approved conference in AJK that the Department of Electrical (Power) Engineering at MUST varsity is hosting to bring researchers, scientists, engineers and scholars together from all over the world to share their ideas and research about all the aspects of power, energy systems, renewable, smart grids and advance concepts in computational intelligence.

They continued that the Conference received over 170 papers on the topic from 17 countries . After a rigorous and digital review process carried out by a panel of seasoned reviewers / experts from more than Eight countries, only 38 research papers of high intellect have been picked up for oral presentation in the conference", they added.

They further said that the conference would help in to introduce the competitive market related to the energy sector through the introduction of the power generation through utilization of smart grid through solar energy, they underlined.

Pakistan, the power energy experts revealed, needs a total of 16 thousand megawatt of power to meet its energy needs. The country is facing the shortfall of 4 thousand megawatt of power at present in spite of the available natural potential of generation of 60 thousand MW of Hydro electric power in the country besides the available natural potential of the production of 25 thousand megawatt of hydel power in Azad Jammu Kashmir and GB  Gilgit Baltistan, they pointed out.

They expressed the hope that the grand global conference will open new avenues for the participants and the presenters with a platform for sharing their ideas among themselves during the courage of the event coupled with other researchers and scientists globally through proceeding of the Conference on IEEE Explore.

The experts expressed gratitude to the external national and international reviewers for their precious reviews in short span of time, which, he underlined, have ensured quality control in scrutinizing acceptance of the papers.

The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineering (IEEE), the global hallmark of Electrical Engineering has approved to publish the proceedings of the scheduled Conference, They said. Top officials of the MUST including Registrar Engr.

Prof. Muhammad Wariq Jiraal, Chairman Electricity Engineering Department Prof. Muhammad Arif Khan, Associate Professors. Dr. Mahboob Alam, Dr. Sajaad Manzoor, Assistant Prof. Rub Nawaz, Assistant Prof.

Engr. Zaffar Azam , Asst Prof. Atiq Baig, Asst. Prof. Munawar Sultan, Asst Prof. Naeem Rattayal, Asst.Prof. Engr. Imran Rattyal and others were also present on this occasion. It may be added that University College of Engineering and Technology (UCET) was established in early 1980s and was elevated to the University status in 2008 with the name of Mirpur University of Science & Technology (MUST) at Mirpur under the auspices of Azad Jammu Kashmir government.

The MUST, presently sands as one of the top-10 in the National Quality Ranking HEC-approved Universities across the country  located in Mirpur city of AJK State. APP/ahr
MULTAN, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) ::Chairman Pakistan People's Party Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired the PPP Punjab Executive Committee meeting to discuss political strategy for next general elections, here on Sunday.

The meeting was attended by former prime minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, former chairman Senate Nayyar Bukhari, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, Abdul Qayyum Jatoi, Shaukat Basra, Natasha Daultana, Khawaja Rizwan Aalam and other local leaders, at newly established Bilawal House in the city.

The PPP chairman directed party leaders to establish membership camps at maximum sites in the province so that people could get membership. He said that the party would be strengthened at gross-roots level.

He stressed workers to launch election campaign with full might. The meeting participants also discussed probable candidates for the upcoming elections in South Punjab. Tight security arrangements were made by the law-enforcers. APP/atf/rsd
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LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :A delegation of foreign scholars and researchers from Central European University, Budapest, Hungry, on Sunday visited Punjab Police Integrated Command Control and Communication Centre, Punjab Safe Cities Authority Lahore (PSCA).

The researchers include Mr Bach from Hungry, Miss Danielle from the USA and Mr Jama from Somalia. The delegation was apprised of functions and structure of the premier project of Punjab Safe Cities Authority by the Operations Commander SP Muhammad Naveed and lead officials of the authority heading various units.

Foreign scholars & researchers were taken to various arms and functions of the project dealing in 15 Operations, Police Dispatch Unit, Video Control Unit, Media Monitoring Unit and the PSCA insignia Cam-surveillance Operations Management Centre.

Operations Commander SP Muhammad Naveed briefed the delegation with audio visual presentations on various objectives as well as operational approaches and enforcement mechanism of PPIC3 resulting in wonderful outcomes.

The delegation was briefed about PSCA's premier project PPIC3, which is a consolidated hub of integrated policing regulating swift Emergency & Police responses including, but not limited to, intelligent traffic management, dispatch of Punjab Police, PRU and Dolphin Force, 1122 Emergency response, Criminal Identification/Investigations, virtual surveillance and Media Monitoring.

The delegation highly appreciated the technologies and practices in place as were demonstrated to them. They showed keen interest in the unprecedented Facial Recognition Technology buttressed with swift and automated police interception protocols.

The scholars specially congratulated the authority for induction of qualified youth, among whom 25 percent are females. Foreign researchers were told that PSCA is collaborating with top universities in research and development regarding safety parameters and protocols.

The visit was planned out jointly with collaboration of Aurat Foundation with reference to the scholars' request of study tour seeking first-hand insight into the PPIC3 faculty. APP/saa/rsd
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ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :The Gilgit-Baltistan is the most spectacular and fascinating region of Pakistan for tourists from across the world. It is here that the world's four famous mountain ranges meet - the Himalayas, the Karakorams, the Hindukush and the Pamirs.

The whole Gilgit-Baltistan has come to be known as a paradise for mountaineers, climbers, trekkers, hikers and anglers of the most famous "Trout fish" Managing Director PTDC Chaudhry Abdul Ghafoor told APP on Thursday.

He said that the historic Karakoram passed 5,575 metres, an ancient trading route between Kashmir and Xinjiang, gave its name to the range west of it that forms the watershed between the Indus and the Central Asian deserts.

According to Gilgit-Baltistan Tourism Department, the eastern boundary of the Karakoram was the upper Shyok River from where it extended over 322 km. westwards to the Karumbar river and the Hindukush range.

To the north the Shaksgam tributary of the Yarkand River and south by the Indus bound the Karakoram.

Here, the Nanga Parbat 8,126 metres massif is the western anchor of the great Himalayan range which stretches in an arc 24,124 km.

east to Burma, a boundary and barrier, "the razor's edge" which for centuries has determined the destiny of the South Asia. Such is the setting of Karakoram Range, this remnant of a primeval ice age, "the third pole," with extensive glacier systems and the greatest concentration of lofty mountains in the world.

Some of the largest glaciers outside sub-polar regions flow in the Karakorams. For its sheer mountain grandeur and breath-taking panorama of beauty, few places can match the superb landscape through which the Karakoram Highway snakes.

A fantastic and unforgettable spectacle is the passage of the Highway along the Baltura glacier, rated among the worlds seventh largest. The Khunjerab Pass, which the Highway crosses and the nearby Mintaka Pass lie astride the fabulous ancient Silk Route that led from Europe to Asia and over which history's most famous tourists once travelled. /rpt
ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Hurriyat leaders and organizations in Indian occupied Kashmir have paid glowing tributes to youth recently martyred by Indian troops in Pulwama district.

According to Kashmir Media Service , the spokesman of Hurriyat forum, in a statement issued in Srinagar said the New Delhi's iron fist and repressive policy is the main reason for the youth to opt for armed struggle as a means of resistance in Kashmir.

"Kashmiri youth are sacrificing their lives for a great and sacred cause," he and added that it seemed that India did not want to resolve Kashmir dispute and wanted to prolong its resolution by using its military might.

The spokesman strongly condemned the use of brute force on protesters at Dalipora, Pulwama, and arrest of several people at Palhallan, Pattan. "The government, through its forces, is leaving no stone unturned by adopting all the undemocratic means to break the resolve of people, which is highly condemnable," the spokesman added.

The Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM), Aasiya Andrabi in her statement also paid glowing tributes to the martyred youth. She said that India had started a war against the innocent and unarmed people of Kashmir.
(@FahadShabbir)

ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :The Federal government has started special campaign in tribal areas to enroll maximum students in schools. A spokesman of FATA Directorate of education in an interview with Radio Pakistan said that 200,000 children will be enrolled during the campaign.

He said the government has spent Rs 134 million on provision of furniture and other missing facilities in schools in FATA. Similarly, 950 schools damaged due to terrorism have been rehabilitated besides providing free books and monthly stipends to the female students, he added.
HYDERABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :The Sindh Chamber of Agriculture (SCA) has complained that Sindh food Department has failed to make the wheat procurement centers functional.

A meeting of the SCA held at its office here Sunday, chaired by the chamber's President Qabool Muhammad Khatian, also expressed deep concern over the shortage of water and sea intrusion in the coastal districts.The farmers's representatives from several districts of Sindh who attended the meeting maintained that the wheat procurement center also lacked staff.

They said the gunny bags were not being distributed transparently among the small and medium farmers.They lamented that despite the Sindh Government's assurance that transparency would be ensured in the distribution of gunny bags had not materialized.

The farmers informed the meeting that the wheat harvest continued for the second month but the wheat growers were yet to receive the bags. The SCA warned the Sindh Government that if their complaints were not immediately redressed the farmers would file a petition in Sindh High Court.The meeting also requested Sindh Agriculture Department to help release over Rs.34 billion of sugarcane premium which were payable to the farmers by the sugar mills.Nabi Bux Sathio, Asghar Noonari, Muhammad Khan Sarejo and other officer bearers and members of the chamber attended.

APP/zmb/ali
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ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Pakistan High Commission in Kuala Lumpur observed April 6 as 'Kashmir Solidarity Day' to sensitize the people about grave human rights violations perpetrated by the Indian troops in occupied Kashmir.

According to Kashmir Media Service , a talk by the High Commissioner, Mohammad Nafees Zakaria, was also organized to highlight plight of Kashmiris in the occupied territory. Members of diplomatic corps, Malaysians, Pakistani community from various walks of life, and members of civil society including media and human rights organizations attended the event.

Speaking on the occasion, the High Commissioner apprised the participants of the mass killings of unarmed and unprotected Kashmiris by Indian forces on regular basis to change demography of the territory in utter violation of UN resolutions on Kashmir and UN Charter.

He informed the audience that since 1947 and also especially since 1990, Indian forces along with RSS elements have committed dozens of massacres of Kashmiris, particularly the youth.

The High Commissioner gave a brief account of these massacres.

He also highlighted in the context, discovery of mass graves during 2009, use of rape as a weapon to deter Kashmiris and sufferings of Kashmiri women. In the context of recent violations of human rights, the High Commissioner stated that since July 2016, Indian forces had killed over 150, blinded many hundreds and injured thousands of innocent Kashmiris who were peacefully seeking their right to self-determination.

The High Commissioner urged the world community to press India to allow OIC and UN human right organizations to undertake fact-finding mission to occupied Kashmir, to which India had, so far, not agreed, ostensibly to hide its crimes against humanity.

Reminding the world community of its moral obligations, the High Commissioner urged the international community to play role in resolution of long-standing Kashmir dispute in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions and to end bloodshed in the territory. Prayers were offered for Kashmiris at the conclusion of the event
RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Kohat Railcar, restarted on January 25, has become a great facility for the residents of Kohat as over 74,448 passengers traveled in just two months and Pakistan Railways earned over Rs 9.3 million said Division Commercial Officer, Pakistan Railways, Rawalpindi Division, Raza Ali Habib.

Talking to APP he said, Kohat Railcar is becoming one of the successful trains of Pakistan Railways as after its relaunch, 36056 passengers traveled in 133up from Rawalpindi to Kohat and 38392 in 134dn from Kohat to Rawalpindi with Rs 4520015 and Rs 4860275 earnings respectively.

He informed that the Kohat-Rawalpindi Rail track was rehabilitated besides renovating and rehabilitating four Railway Stations, two each in Rawalpindi and Peshawar divisions to facilitate the passengers of the Kohat Railcar.

The groundwork for resumption of the service was completed at a cost of Rs502 million. The service was abandoned in 2011. Pakistan Railways in an effort to provide cheaper traveling facilities to the people relaunched the railcar, he said adding, the train has around 400 passengers capacity.

It was suspended between the two cities due to financial crunch in the Pakistan Railways, he said. Now, the PR's financial position is improving gradually and it has re-launched some other trains, he added.

The Kohat Rail car was re-started as former Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had announced operation of the train last year during a public meeting held in Kohat. He further informed that a new ticket reservation office was also established at Platform number two of Rawalpindi Railway Station to facilitate the passengers of Kohat Rail Car.

He said, the Railcar service was demand of the public which was fulfilled and it has eased travel between Rawalpindi and Kohat. To a question he said, in order to facilitate the passengers of Green Line (5-Up/6-Dn), the Pakistan Railways have reduced over 10 percent rail fares.

Raza Ali Habib said Pakistan Railways have reduced over Rs 600 from Rs 5990 to new fare Rs 5340 for the passengers to travel from Rawalpindi to Karachi. Rawalpindi to Lahore fare for Green Line has been fixed Rs 1200 while Rawalpindi to Khanewal would be charged Rs 2410.

Similarly, Rs 3180 is new fare for the train for Rawalpindi to Bahawalpur and Rs 4430 for Rawalpindi to Rohri. The passengers of Green Line would pay Rs 5060 for Rawalpindi to Hyderabad travel. He informed that due to enhanced security measures, quality service and punctuality, the rain passengers are increasing day by day and over 42,56,318 passengers traveled through the rail service during 2017 from Rawalpindi Division.

He said, Pakistan Railways, Rawalpindi Division have earned Rs1612.618 million against the set target of Rs1595.851 million up to Mar 20, during last nine months of 2017-18 financial year. Due to continuous efforts and hardworking of railways management, officers and workers, Rawalpindi Division's income increased considerably, he informed.

This year during around nine months of the financial year, approximately Rs 33549.928 million have been earned against the set target of Rs32606.245 million with Rs 943.683 million additional revenue. To a question he expressed the hope that this year, Pakistan Railways would earn over Rs 45 billion.
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Pakistan's IT industry has exhibited positive growth trends for the last four years with 100% growth in export earnings. During 2016-17

ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Ministry of Information Technology and its departments are committed to provide enabling environment for the industry, boosting exports of the country and undergone an impressive transformation over the last four years.

According to official data Pakistan's IT industry has exhibited positive growth trends for the last four years with 100% growth in export earnings. During 2016-17, Pakistan's IT exports were $3.3 billion, which have jumped to $5 billion and are expected to grow to $6 billion next years.

Pakistan's IT industry is growing at a fast pace across different categories. Enterprise software has grown by 17%, marketing tech 15%, financial services 13%, consumer goods 9%, retail/e-commerce 8%, professional services 8%, internet of things/hardware 7%, health care 4%, media 4% and non-profit 3%.

Facebook, Amazon and other giants of IT sector are anticipating something huge in the start-up world of Pakistan as evidenced by the huge number of sponsors. Pakistan government has also started promoting start-ups, for example, it has given three-year exemption from taxes to the start-ups and set up national incubation centres in Lahore, Islamabad, Peshawar ,Karachi and Quetta.

Department working under IT&telecom ministry, Pakistan Software Export board has selected 30 IT professionals and 28 IT companies and given certifications in Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) platform.

Moreover, 134 IT companies got certifications in ISO 9001, ISO 20001 and ISO 27001 helping them to generate IT exports from developed countries. Managing director of PSEB told the directors in their previous meeting that PSEB has achieved significant milestones in IT promotion over the last four years.

PSEB participated in 11 international trade fairs along with 65 IT companies. He told the boards that Pakistani companies were able to generate more than 2 thousand leads with the help of those events, he added.

He said, Trade fairs and exhibitions have promoted Pakistan as a viable destination for outsourcing, Pakistan's exports increased due to PSEB efforts of organizing participation in International expos along with IT companies.

Ministry official told APP, PSEB in partnership with National ICT R&D Fund (IGNITE) has placed 1700 plus IT graduates as interns in various IT companies and banks and more than 60 percent of interns had a job offer from their respective companies.

Later in another meeting, Minister of IT Anusha Rehman, approved "DigiSkills" programme to provide training to 1 million youth to streamline excellence in technology, innovation, and professionalism, focusing on building a workforce for future driven by 4th Industrial revolution , the programme will be lunch in mid May.

The Program has aimed at equipping our youth, freelancers, students, professionals, etc. with knowledge, skills, tools & techniques necessary to seize the opportunities available internationally in online jobs market places and also locally to earn a decent living.

Listing the major project of Ministry spokesperson of the ministry said, One of the major projects of the Ministry is ICT for girls programme in collaboration with microsoft around 226 computers Labs with allied facilities in educational institutions for girls especially in rural area of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) are being established.

He further said, Ministry of Information Technology and Telecommunication joined hands with Telecommunication company Huawei to contribute towards digital development in the country via USF programs through appropriate utilization of its expertise.

Ministry of IT & Telecom through the USF signed an MOU with Huawei at the Mobile World Congress 2018 in Barcelona, under which they will cooperate in spheres of program designing, training and sharing successful experiences in regard with broadband services, vertical public services and intelligent digital platforms.
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RAWALPINDI, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :International Committee of the Cross (ICRC) delegation head, Reto Stocker said Pakistan has under gone serious natural disasters, catastrophes and faced conflict, resulting into large scale loss of human life, disability and destruction.

Talking to APP, ICRC delegation head, Reto Stocker said the country after the earthquake of 2005 had faced a devastating situation while ICRC reached the remotest places of northern areas with rapid logistic support and expertise.

He said the Red Cross had up to nine helicopters and other means to reach any disaster hit region. Reto said Muzaffarabad Physical Rehabilitation Center (MPRC) is one of the best ICRC contributions to help the people of Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) who got suffered amputations, spinal chordcord injuries and other disabilities during the earthquake disaster.

He said that besides people from AJK, people are reaching MPRC from Punjab and other regions to get free artificial limbs and other physical rehabilitation support. He said it is all about quality and credible services that make people from far-flung areas make the difficult decision to travel hundreds of kilometres to get optimal medical care.

Physical rehabilitation centers like MPRC, he said, should be established at divisional level to provide swift and easy access to the patients with limb amputations or other physical deformities.

To a question, he said ICRC supports twenty-two physical rehabilitation centers of their partner organizations including Indus Hospital, Chal Foundation, PIPOS and other non-governmental organizations (NGOs).

The ICRC also works very closely with Pakistan Red Crescent Society in many areas.

He admired the philanthropic and humanitarian passion of the people of Pakistan who facilitate the ailing masses with all resources.

He told APP that under its project of Healthcare in Danger, the ICRC and its partners run a public awareness campaigns in 2016 & 2017 on the respect of ambulances and their right of way. In 2016, the campaign was conducted only in Karachi and resulted in 16% improvement in the behaviours of motorists in Karachi towards ambulances.

This was learnt through an observational study conducted pre and post campaign. The campaign in 2017 with the slogan 'Give way to ambulance  Give way to life' was conducted nationwide and results on the impact of 2017 campaign will be shared soon, he added.

There is a need to continue this behaviour change campaign on respect of ambulances and ICRC invites public and private organizations to invest on this important theme. where it still needs to be improved every where in the country.

Replying to a question, he said the ICRC sponsored Conduct of Hostilities and Conflict Law Centre has published policy briefs and conducted debates on the complex legal issues related to international humanitarian law where young lawyers and legal experts have been given a platform to bring out unique and innovative ideas to resolve pressing issues.

For years now, the ICRC has been engaging with the universities of Pakistan for promoting teaching and research in humanitarian laws and related issues. Reto Stocker showed concerns over the escalating climatic changes in the region that would cause serious water shortage issues.

He said special initiatives should be taken to protect the environment and water resources to avoid major crisis.
ABBOTTABAD, April 08(UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) ::Patwari community Sunday threatened to stage a protest and start strike from April 16 if their issues regarding pay scale and up-gradation were not resolved.

The decision of strike was made by Patwari and Qanoongo association during a meeting held here in Abbottabad.

It was decided that if provincial government did not not resolve their issues by April 15 a pen down and lock down strike would be started all over Hazara Division.

Patwaris said that during past several committees have been formed by the governments to resolve their issues and continuous delay has created unrest amongst Patwaris. APP/hmd-mds
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 9th Apr, 2018 ) :The Supreme Court on Sunday adjourning hearing of a suo motu notice regarding the Punjab Saaf Pani Company till April 14 summoned the Prosecutor General of National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

The bench comprising Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan heard the matter at the Supreme Court Lahore Registry. As the proceedings began, Punjab Chief Secretary Zahid Saeed, Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSPC) CEO Capt (r) Muhammad Usman, Advocate General Punjab Shakil ur Rehman, and others appeared before the bench.

Punjab Saaf Pani Company (PSPC) CEO Capt (r) Muhammad Usman submitted a report regarding the company, its staff, their salaries, perks and privileges, vehicles and others.

He, however, failed to satisfy the bench over the performance of the company and its projects.

The chief justice observed that Rs 400 million had gone waste. However, Capt (r) Muhammad Usman submitted that his appointment was made a few months ago as chief executive officer (CEO) of the company.

Ex-CEO PSPC Waseem Ajmal briefed the bench about the Pattoki project, pointing out the reason behind its failure. At this, the bench adjourned the hearing summoning the NAB's prosecutor general. APP/syh/asm
LAHORE, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :A delegation from the Pakistan Kidney Liver Institute and Research Centre (PKLI), led by its president/CEO Prof Dr Saeed Akhter, visited the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS), on Sunday.

The delegation called on Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Talat Naseer Pasha and held a detailed meeting with UVAS senior faculty members at the City Campus here. The vice-chancellor briefed the delegation about the UVAS academic, research, extension services, recombinant DNA technology, microbiology research equipment and facilities for small and large animals, national and international collaborations, etc.

He said UVAS was working closely with poultry and dairy industries and also along with livestock farming community to address their issues.

He said that UVAS was establishing a training centre for biologics production for prevention of deadly hemorrhagic septicemia (HS), foot and mouth disease (FMD) in dairy animals.

Prof Dr Saeed Akhter showed keen interest in collaboration with UVAS especially in the area of research and development in diagnosis and prevention strategies for liver and kidney deadly disease (Hepatitis C), vaccine production, genetics screening and animal model experiments.

Prof Pasha said that UVAS would provide support and possible assistance to PKLI. On the occasion, Pro-Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Masood Rabbani, Prof Dr Tahir Yaqub and many other faculty members of UVAS and senior staff from PKLI attended the meeting. APP/mnb/rsd
ISLAMABAD, Apr 8 (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Women have increased their presence at important decision making forums and are actively participating at important institutions like Parliament giving vital input for bringing social and economic change.

Talking to APP, parliamentarian Asia Naz Tanoli said that Pakistan is a country whose 51 percent of population consists of women, but this dominant chunk of populace has to face many challenges.

Legislative and oversight roles provide female parliamentarians with an important platform to influence social change and contribute to peace, security and development. She said from agriculture to business, women are actively participating in all the fields in Pakistan.

"Access to resources is key to encourage women for playing pro-active role in progress and prosperity of the country," she remarked. She said Pakistan continues to encourage women in all aspects of society and it is the duty of every woman to realize her basic rights and come forward to participate actively in the political system of Pakistan.

"Women role in politics of Pakistan is historic and has significant value since Pakistan came into being, her representation in all departments is tremendous," she said. She further said that women had been empowered in Pakistan more as compared to other countries and they are playing vital role in different departments.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

Beirut, April 7 (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 8th Apr, 2018 ) :Renewed air strikes Saturday hit the last opposition holdout in Syria's Eastern Ghouta, leaving 70 civilians dead in around 24 hours, as regime troops pressed an offensive to pressure rebels to withdraw.

Eleven people also suffered breathing problems in Douma, the last rebel-held pocket of Eastern Ghouta, with first responders accusing forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of using "poisonous chlorine gas".

State media, quoting an official source, said the reports were rebel "fabrications". The regime has used a combination of a fierce military onslaught and two negotiated withdrawals to empty out 95 percent of the enclave near Damascus, but rebels are still entrenched in its largest town of Douma.

Bombing had subsided as Moscow pursued talks with Jaish al-Islam, the Islamist faction that holds Douma, putting military operations seemingly on hold for about 10 days. But the negotiations crumbled this week and air strikes resumed on Friday, killing 40 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based monitor said 30 civilians, including eight children, were killed on Saturday in similar raids. "The bombing has not stopped. We can't even count all the wounded," said Mohammed, a young doctor inside Douma.

"There are some wounded who we couldn't operate on in time, and they died," he told AFP. Footage published by the White Helmets civil defence showed rescuers using their bare hands to pull back dirt and tiles in a bombed-out house, eventually freeing a young man trapped underneath.

As they stood him up, the rescuers looked up at the sky where the roar of a warplane could be heard. - 'Douma is the end' - Syrian troops matched their renewed bombing with a ground operation in the orchards surrounding Douma, with state tv saying they had "stormed" the fields.

"The regime is trying to tighten the noose around Douma from the west, east, and south," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. Six civilians were also killed and dozens more wounded as Douma rebels shelled the capital Damascus on Saturday, Syrian state media said.

State television broadcast live footage from a hospital in Damascus, where pools of blood stained the floor and wounded could be heard wailing in pain. Jaish al-Islam spokesman Hamza Bayraqdar said in a statement Saturday that the rebels had not targeted any neighbourhoods in Damascus, and that the regime had "violated the ceasefire decided during previous negotiations".

Assad is keen to recapture Ghouta to eliminate the opposition from the outskirts of Damascus and end years of rocket fire on the capital.

Abbas, a retired 57-year-old Syrian man, said his neighbourhood in the capital's west was hit hard on Saturday.

"It looks like Douma is the end of the story, and endings are always hard," he told AFP. "We've been waiting for this for years, whether in Ghouta or in Damascus," said Abbas. Since February 18, the regime's Ghouta offensive has killed more than 1,600 civilians and sliced the area into three isolated pockets, each held by different rebel factions.

The first two were evacuated under Russian-brokered deals last month that saw more than 46,000 rebels and civilians bussed to opposition-held Idlib province in the northwest. Tens of thousands also fled into government-controlled territory through safe passages opened by Russia and Syrian troops.

- Talks falter - Moscow also stepped in to negotiate a deal for Douma, the third and final pocket where Jaish al-Islam had been angling for a reconciliation agreement that would allow its members to remain as a police force.

Jaish al-Islam's Bayraqdar told AFP that "the negotiations have not stopped" with the Russians, and that the rebel group was still demanding to stay in Ghouta. "We are attached to our land and revolutionary principles, and we have already refused ...

to leave Ghouta," he said. Following a preliminary accord announced by Russia on Sunday, nearly 3,000 fighters and civilians were evacuated from Douma to northern Syria. But as talks dragged on, Syria and its Russian ally threatened Jaish al-Islam with a renewed military assault if the group did not agree to withdraw.

It remains unclear exactly why the talks fell apart this week. SANA said they faltered when the rebel group refused to release detainees it is holding in Douma, warning the military assault would only stop if hostages are released.

A Russian army official quoted by Russian news agencies accused Jaish al-Islam of "violating the implementation of agreements, blocking the exit of civilians, fighters and members of their families from the city of Douma." Others have pointed to internal rebel divisions over the withdrawal process.

Top Jaish al-Islam political figure Mohammad Alloush on Friday said the talks had been going "well" until a power struggle emerged between the regime's allies. Nawar Oliver, an analyst at the Omran Institute, told AFP the rebel group was facing "massive" military pressure.

"The negotiations failed and the regime wants its conditions -- the air strikes are a taste of what could happen if its conditions are not implemented," he said.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted virus in males and females worldwide; yet its impact upon male fertility remains unclear. The objective of this study was to evaluate the potential impact of HPV infection in semen on male fertility abnormality. A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library database for relevant publications up to May 6, 2017. The odds ratio (OR), and its corresponding 95% confidence interval (CI), was selected to represent the effect size. Statistical analysis was conducted using STATA 12.0. In total, eight articles, providing data on 1955 participants, were included in this meta-analysis. Collectively, the data suggested that HPV infection of semen was a risk factor for male fertility abnormality with an OR of 3.02 (95% CI: 2.11-4.32; I2= 6.9%). Sensitivity analysis revealed that the results of this study were robust. In conclusion, HPV infection of semen represents a risk factor for male fertility abnormality.

Asian journal of andrology. 2018 Apr 03 [Epub ahead of print]

Yi-Quan Xiong, Yan-Xia Chen, Ming-Ji Cheng, Wen-Qiao He, Qing Chen

Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Tropical Disease Research, Guangzhou 510515, China.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29623908
Male infertility is a multifactorial pathological condition affecting approximately 7% of the male population. The genetic landscape of male infertility is highly complex as semen and testis histological phenotypes are extremely heterogeneous, and at least 2,000 genes are involved in spermatogenesis. The highest frequency of known genetic factors contributing to male infertility (25%) is in azoospermia, but the number of identified genetic anomalies in other semen and aetiological categories is constantly growing. Genetic screening is relevant for its diagnostic value, clinical decision making, and appropriate genetic counselling. Anomalies in sex chromosomes have major roles in severe spermatogenic impairment. Autosome-linked gene mutations are mainly involved in central hypogonadism, monomorphic teratozoospermia or asthenozoospermia, congenital obstructive azoospermia, and familial cases of quantitative spermatogenic disturbances. Results from whole-genome association studies suggest a marginal role for common variants as causative factors; however, some of these variants can be important for pharmacogenetic purposes. Results of studies on copy number variations (CNVs) demonstrate a considerably higher CNV load in infertile patients than in normozoospermic men, whereas whole-exome analysis has proved to be a highly successful diagnostic tool in familial cases of male infertility. Despite such efforts, the aetiology of infertility remains unknown in about 40% of patients, and the discovery of novel genetic factors in idiopathic infertility is a major challenge for the field of androgenetics. Large, international, and consortium-based whole-exome and whole-genome studies are the most promising approach for the discovery of the missing genetic aetiology of idiopathic male infertility.

Nature reviews. Urology. 2018 Apr 05 [Epub ahead of print]

Csilla Krausz, Antoni Riera-Escamilla

Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", Centre of Excellence DeNothe, University of Florence, Florence, Italy. ., Andrology Department, Fundacio Puigvert, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomedicas Sant Pau (IIB-Sant Pau), Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29622783
This week on Issues in the News, top Washington journalists talk about the week's headlines including President Trumps modest bump in the polls amid proposed trade tariffs, toughness on immigration and more cabinet changes. Join moderator Paul Brandus of West Wing Reports, along with panelists Laura Meckler of the Wall Street Journal and Stephen Collinson of CNN Politics Saturday and Sunday on the Voice of America.
Taiwan says it regrets that the "one China" policy insisted on by Beijing prevents it from providing much needed development aid to most countries in Africa.

Taiwan was in a relatively good diplomatic position in Africa several years ago. Taiwans Deputy Secretary-General for International Cooperation and Development, Pai-po Lee, says this made it possible for those countries that had diplomatic relations with Taiwan to benefit from his agencys aid projects.

Previously, we have over nine countries with Taiwan. For instance, Senegal, the Gambia, Chad, Niger, Liberia, Central Africa  also Sao Tome Principe Six years ago, they still have relations with Taiwan. But, then they shifted to China, said Pai-po Lee.

Lee says Taiwan had invested a lot in the African region. But, all that is now in the past. He says Taiwan currently maintains diplomatic relations with only two countries  Burkina Faso and Swaziland.

He says Taiwan has been running productive agricultural and livestock, as well as vocational and medical programs in Swaziland since 1975.

As for Burkina Faso, he says a successful irrigation project on the Kou River, which was started in 1967, ended in 1973. That was when Burkina Faso broke off relations with Taiwan in favor of China.

But Lee tells VOA Burkina Faso restored ties with Taiwan in 1994. He suggests the lure of billions of dollars in Chinese aid was not strong enough to keep this impoverished country within Beijings diplomatic orbit.

It is coming from the Burkina Faso people. To think about the 1967 in Kou River, this 1967. They had quite a good memory of that So, the people urged the government to restore the relations with Taiwan. So, that pressure comes from the people, said Lee.

Since resuming development work in Burkina Faso, the Taiwanese development official says the countrys irrigation system has been expanded. He says a program is ongoing to train local nurses and medical doctors and an infant and maternal health program is having great success in reducing both maternal and infant deaths.



This story was written by VOA's Lisa Schlein
A parliamentary inquiry in Australia is investigating whether the domestic and legal trade in ivory is contributing to the deaths of thousands of African elephants each year.



Members of parliament are investigating if lax regulations are allowing recently poached ivory to be passed off as antiques in Australia. It is illegal to import ivory into Australia, but there are concerns black market ivory is being smuggled into the country.



Campaigners argue there is clear evidence poachers have been using Australia to offload elephant tusks from the illicit trade in ivory into the legitimate art market.



In the past decade, more than 320 imported and 79 exported items made of ivory have been confiscated by Australian authorities.



Labor Senator Lisa Singh is part of the investigating parliamentary committee.



"I think, ultimately, Australians don't want to be contributing to this ongoing trade of rhino and ivory in our country, knowing full well that that leads to the deaths of thousands of elephants and rhinos across the globe," she said.



Britain, the United States, the European Union and China have all limited their domestic trades of ivory and rhino horn in recent years. Australia's parliamentary inquiry will look at a range of options, including a total ban on the sale of all ivory and horn items.



The UK has made exemptions for rare and important items more than 100 years old and for other pieces of art that contain only small amounts of ivory.



It is a move that Australia should follow, said Patricia Anderson, a gallery owner.



"What happens when a family wants to sell grandma's piano with the ivory keys? What happens when someone wants to sell granddad's walking stick, or Aunt Flo's chess set?," she said.



It is estimated that 55 African elephants are killed by poachers each day for their tusks.

This story was written by VOA's Phil Mercer.
Cambodia's former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, called on Sunday for Cambodians to boycott a general election set for July 29 if his dissolved party isn't allowed to take part.

The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court last November at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government, which alleged it was plotting to take power with the help of the United States.



The CNRP and the United States have denied the allegations, which followed the arrest of current party leader Kem Sokha on treason charges over the alleged plot. He has denied the charges and called them a ploy to help Hun Sen win re-election.

"I call on all my Cambodian fellow compatriots who believe in democracy to boycott the 29 July 2018 elections if the CNRP is not allowed to participate," Sam Rainsy said in a tweet on Sunday.

The party had not previously called for a boycott and it was not immediately clear if Sam Rainsy was speaking on behalf of the party.

He resigned as president of the CNRP in 2017 but has for decades been a vocal critic of Hun Sen. He has lived in France since 2015 to avoid a series of convictions he says are politically motivated.



Sok Eysan, a spokesman for Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party, said Sam Rainsy's call would have no impact.

"The CNRP is already dead by the Supreme Court's decision," Sok Eysan said. "Even if Sam Rainsy appeals until he dies, people no longer believe him."

The ban on the CNRP prompted some Western countries to condemn the crackdown, cut aid, and impose visa bans on some ruling party members. But Japan provided Cambodia with a grant and loan agreement totaling over $90 million on Sunday, while saying it wanted to see a free and fair election.

"Everybody can have their own idea what is free and fair, but free is free and fair is fair," Norio Maruyama, a Japanese Foreign Affairs spokesman, told a news briefing.

A former deputy president of the CNRP, Mu Sochua, said Cambodians expected Japan not to recognise any government that emerged from a "sham election."

Japan is locked in a regional battle for influence with China, which is by far the biggest donor to Cambodia and has consistently voiced support for the government.

This report was written by Reuters
The success of the 2020 census, which will be the first to include an online survey, could hinge on a single "dress rehearsal" underway right now in Rhode Island. So far, many locals aren't impressed.

Providence County, the state's most populous, is the only place where the Census Bureau is running a full test, after plans to test two other sites this year were canceled because of a lack of funding from Congress. A planned question about citizenship that has states suing the federal government isn't on the test.

Several elected officials and leaders of advocacy and community groups this week held an "emergency press conference" to raise concerns, which include a shortage of publicity around the test and its limited language outreach in an immigrant-heavy county, with large communities from countries including the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Portugal and Cape Verde.

"If we don't get it right here, then the country's not going to get it right," Democratic Lieutenant Governor Dan McKee warned.

States, cities sue

The concerns in Rhode Island are the latest evidence of mounting apprehension over the 2020 census. Seventeen states and six cities, including Rhode Island and its largest city, Providence, sued the federal government on Tuesday to block a question the administration of Republican President Donald Trump announced last month it would ask about citizenship.

The 2020 census will be the first to give respondents the option of answering online. Census Bureau officials say that the Rhode Island test is on track, and that they're focused on ensuring new technology works, including a smartphone app being used by canvassers and cloud computing.

"There's things that aren't exactly the way they need to be. But we're learning that; we're making the changes on the fly," said Jeff Behler, a regional Census Bureau director who is overseeing the test. "We're getting some very critical information about changes that we need to make. And we have time to do that."

In the test, which began March 16, 280,000 homes in Providence County are receiving letters through the U.S. mail that direct residents to a survey website or toll-free phone number. There, they can complete the survey, which includes questions including about age, race and ethnicity.

People may also call to get a paper version of the census sent to them, but census officials hope most will do it online because it is less expensive.

A response is legally required. Those who don't respond on their own will get a personal visit, with door-knocking scheduled through July, Behler said. Census workers who visit homes will use a new smartphone app, instead of paper forms, to enter information they collect in person.

Nothing on citizenship

The test survey does not include any question on citizenship, having begun several days before the Trump administration's announcement that it was adding that question.

Entities that use census data worry about including a question on the census without testing it first.

"Adding a question at this late stage of the Census process does not allow time for adequate testing to incorporate new questions, particularly if the testing reveals substantial problems," the American Statistical Association wrote in a January letter to the federal government.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said he added the citizenship question at the request of the Justice Department to provide a more accurate tally of the number of voting-eligible residents in each neighborhood. Many Democratic officials and advocacy groups fear the question will scare people away from participating because they view the Trump administration as hostile to immigrants, diminishing the survey's overall accuracy.

Many Republican officials have downplayed such concerns, instead echoing the Trump administration's assertion that there is no empirical evidence pointing to a steep participation decline. The Rhode Island test would have to be repeated  the second time with a citizenship question at the end  to gauge whether there is a decrease in participation, but there are no plans to do that.

Even aside from the citizenship question, critics say they worry residents will ignore the test requests because they don't know what they are or because they fear how the government will use the information. And they worry a test with a lot of problems will ripple into the nationwide census two years from now.

Funding shortages mean the testing has been scaled back significantly from original plans, including two canceled 2018 tests in West Virginia and Washington state, as well as two field tests that were canceled in 2017. Plans for the census bureau to run an ad campaign and other outreach for the Rhode Island test were also canceled for lack of funding.

"At this time 10 years ago, there were five fully funded, end-to-end tests around the country," said Gabriela Domenzain, director of the Latino Policy Institute at Providence's Roger Williams University. "Today there is one underfunded. The census will fail. The pilot is failing."

Letter in English only

Community leaders point out that the region has a large immigrant population but that the official-looking, two-page government letter came only in English, along with a short flier that offered help completing it, with one sentence each in eight other languages.

"The confusion around the census and the fear around it, we're afraid, is going to dissuade people from filling it out," said Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza. "I don't know what's in their minds, but it sure seems that if you're trying to be strategic and sandbag this process, that you would do exactly what they're doing."

As of Monday, more than 43,000 households in the county of about 630,000 residents had responded to the test, a 15 percent response rate, Census Bureau spokeswoman Kristina Barrett said. That figure is in line with expectations at this point in the test, she said. Eighty-seven percent of respondents had done so online.

At the bustling Carolina Family Restaurant in Providence on Friday, which serves up Dominican fare, one patron said she received the letter and completed it online; another said she got it and planned to do it. But five other county residents said they knew nothing about it.

"I don't really watch the news," said Anthony Gomez, 29, of Providence. "It's depressing."

This story was written by the Associated Press.
President Donald Trump on Saturday defended his embattled head of the Environmental Protection Agency, Scott Pruitt, and said the officials travel and security expenses were reasonable.

Taxpayers have paid more to protect Pruitt than past EPA chiefs but those expenses are justified since Pruitt has been under threat, Trump wrote.

Scott Pruitt has received death threats because of his bold actions at EPA, Trump wrote.

The costs of Pruitts security detail have come under scrutiny recently as have the costs of his travel and housing in Washington. Trump defended those costs, too.

Rent was about market rate, travel expenses OK. Scott is doing a great job! Trump wrote.

Congressional investigation

The head of a congressional oversight panel is investigating Pruitts use of a condominium tied to an energy lobbyist, an aide said Saturday.

The House of Representatives Oversight Committee, chaired by Republican Representative Trey Gowdy, has begun looking into Pruitts housing arrangements, according to the aide, who was not authorized to speak publicly.

The EPA had no immediate comment. An agency spokesman told the Associated Press that Pruitt has faced unprecedented threats and keeping the official safe has been costly.

Gowdys probe adds to the pressure on Pruitt, a vocal critic of mainstream climate change science who sued the EPA more than a dozen times when he was Oklahomas attorney general. Many Democrats and even a few Republicans have said he should resign or be fired.

Cheap rent, costly travel

Lawmakers have been scrutinizing Pruitt for renting a room in a high-end townhouse co-owned by the wife of energy industry lobbyist Steven Hart for $50 a night, an arrangement that has drawn fire from ethics experts. Media reports say the payment is less than one-third the price of similar properties.

Hart lobbies for companies regulated by the EPA.

Pruitt is also under fire for frequent first-class air travel and for purchasing costly items for his office, including a soundproof telephone booth.

I dont have a lot of patience with that kind of stuff, Gowdy said of Pruitt in a video released by the environmental group Friends of the Earth. Youve just got to be a good steward of public services.

As part of the committees investigation, the EPA has produced documents, including a memo from the EPA ethics office that initially cleared Pruitt of accepting a gift from a lobbyist but did not address whether he broke other federal ethics regulations.

An administration official said Pruitt met with President Donald Trump on Friday morning, a week after White House Chief of Staff John Kelly advocated for Trump to fire him. Trump told reporters on Thursday that he would take a look into ethics allegations against Pruitt but added the official was doing a fantastic job.

This story was written by Reuters.
Days after swearing in its new prime minister, Ethiopia has begun to make good on promised reforms. In the past week, officials have closed an infamous detention center and released 11 jailed journalists and politicians.

Former prisoners and journalists, however, say that many detainees have simply been moved to different facilities, and they question whether the symbolic closure and releases signify real change.

New prime minister

On April 2, Abiy Ahmed became prime minister after a protracted nomination process following the sudden resignation of his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn.

In his acceptance speech, Ahmed emphasized unity.

From this day forward, we will look at political parties outside of EPRDF (the ruling political coalition) as competitors rather than enemies  their supporters as brothers and sisters who have alternative ideas and who love their country  and as a collection of citizens, Ahmed said.

Concrete steps followed.

On Thursday, politicians and journalists who had been jailed for participating in an illegal gathering in late March were released. Most had been imprisoned previously.

A day later, the government announced that it had closed Maekelawi Prison, a detention center and police station in Addis Ababa, the capital.

When he announced the decision to close Maekelawi at a press conference broadcast on state-owned media in early January, then-Prime Minister Desalegn linked the facility to atrocities committed by the Derg, a regime that lost power in the late 1980s, and said the facility would become a museum.

Dissidents, former prisoners and human rights groups, however, say the prison is more than a symbol of an ugly past. They say detainees at Maekelawi have continued to experience inhumane conditions.

In a 2013 report on the prison and an attached police station, Human Rights Watch concluded that abuses at Maekelawi were widespread.

Police investigators at Maekelawi use coercive methods on detainees amounting to torture or other ill-treatment to extract confessions, statements and other information from detainees. Detainees are often denied access to lawyers and family members. Depending on their compliance with the demands of investigators, detainees are punished or rewarded with denial or access to water, food, light and other basic needs, according to HRW.

Not about the walls and the people inside

Now that Maekelawi has closed, activists and former prisoners question whether authorities will ensure inhumane treatment doesnt persist at other facilities around the country.

Chaltu Takele was accused of belonging to the Oromo Liberation Front, a group the government considers a terrorist organization, and she spent nearly a decade in prison, including time at Maekelawi.

I am very happy that Maekelawi is closed, for sure, Takele told VOAs Amharic service. However, at the end of the day, it is not about the walls and the people inside, but the people who are doing these deeds and torturing people.

What counts isnt closing a particular facility, she added, but changing the psyche of the people who commit inhumane acts.

Emawayesh Alemu, who was also imprisoned for many years, echoed those thoughts.

If Maekelawi is closed and another Maekelawi is opened, there is no change. If they open another facility, how can we say Maekelawi is closed? Alemu said.

Nigist Yirga, who was arrested for participating in protests, described unbearable conditions.

Maekelawi is like hell on Earth. We didnt know the difference between day and night. A young person going into that detention center comes out crippled and carried by people as someone who couldnt walk anymore, she said.

At night they make you go naked  men and women are forced to get naked. They used to make me stand naked, and they used to tell them to make me walk barefoot as my feet were wounded on the cold tile floors, Yirga told VOA.

Getachew Shiferaw, the editor of the news website Negere Ethiopia, was detained at Maekelawi and documented inmates experiences. He told VOA that the closing is meaningless.

The people who were subjected to unjust treatment in Maekelawi are still in prison, he said.

Shiferaw named multiple detainees who had been tortured at Maekelawi and were transferred to Kaliti Prison, also in Addis Ababa. Several of those prisoners had been maimed or made sterile after the trauma they experienced, he said. Others were held in solitary confinement for months at a time.

Reconciliation

To move forward, Shiferaw said, the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front, must not only close facilities and release prisoners but also own up to its misdeeds.

EPRDF needs to admit to and acknowledge the atrocities that happened in the detention center, just like how they admit that there has been bad governance and corruption issues. They have to admit the inhumane treatment committed in Maekelawi. They need to acknowledge it now because they will be criticized for it tomorrow  these deeds that force people to hate their own country and treat people inhumanely and isolate them, he said.

The government must also provide medical treatment and support services for prisoners now suffering from long-term health problems, Shiferaw added.

Until then, Shiferaw and other former prisoners await the release of all dissidents and restitution for those who have been subjected to unbearable pain and humiliation.
Despite a global abundance of food, a United Nations report says 815 million people, 11 percent of the worlds population, went hungry in 2016. That number seems to be rising.

Poverty is not the only reason, however, people are experiencing food insecurity.

Increasingly were also seeing hunger caused by the displacement related to conflict, natural disaster as well, but particularly theres been an uptick in the number of people displaced in the world, said Robert Opp, director of Innovation and Change Management at the United Nations World Food Program.

Humanitarian organizations are turning to new technologies such as AI, or artificial intelligence, to fight global food insecurity.

WATCH: Global Hunger Is Rising  Artificial Intelligence Can Help

What AI offers us right now, is an ability to augment human capacity. So, were not talking about replacing human beings and things. Were talking about doing more things and doing them better than we could by just human capacity alone, Opp said.

Analyze data, get it to farmers

Artificial intelligence can analyze large amounts of data to locate areas affected by conflict and natural disasters and assist farmers in developing countries. The data can then be accessed by farmers from their smartphones.

The average smartphone that exists in the world today is more powerful than the entire Apollo space program 50 years ago. So just imagine a farmer in Africa who has a smartphone has much more computing power than the entire Apollo space program, said Pranav Khaitan, engineering lead at Google AI.

When you take your special data and soil mapping data and use AI to do the analysis, you can send me the information. So in a nutshell, you can help me [know] when to plant, what to plant, how to plant, said Uyi Stewart, director of Strategy Data and Analytics in Global Development of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

When you start combining technologies, AI, robotics, sensors, thats when we see magic start to happen on farms for production, to increase crop yields, said Zenia Tata, vice president for Global Impact Strategy at XPRIZE, an organization that creates incentivized competitions so innovative ideas and technologies can be developed to benefit humanity.

It all comes down to developing these techniques and making it available to these farmers and people on the ground, Khaitan said.

Breaking down barriers

However, the developing world is often the last to get new technologies.

As Stewart said, 815 million people are hungry and I can bet you that nearly 814 million out of the 815 million do not have a smartphone.

Even when the technology is available, other barriers still exist.

A lot of these people that we talked about that are hungry, they dont speak English, so when we get insights out of this technology how are we going to pass it onto them? Stewart said.

While it may take time for new technologies to reach the developing world, many hope such advances will ultimately trickle-down to farmers in regions that face food insecurity.

Youve invented the technology. The big investments have gone in. Now youre modifying it, which brings the cost down as well, said Teddy Bekele, vice president of Ag Technology at U.S.-based agribusiness and food company Land OLakes.

So, I think three to four years maybe well have some of the things we have here to be used there [in the developing world] as well, Bekele predicted.

Those who work in humanitarian organizations said entrepreneurs must look outside their own countries to adapt the new technologies to combat global hunger, or come up with a private, public model. Farmers will need the tools and training so they can harness the power of artificial intelligence to help feed the hungry in the developing world.

This story was written by Elizabeth Lee.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is celebrating what he calls a "great victory" for Hungary after his anti-immigration Fidesz party won a large majority in Sunday's parliamentary election.

With almost all the votes counted, Fidesz and its Christian Democrat allies are expected to wind up with 133 seats in the 199-seat parliament.

The nationalist Jobbik party will finish with 26 seats, while the Socialists will control 20 seats.

Orban will serve his third straight term as Hungary's prime minister and his fourth overall.

"There is a big battle behind us. We have won a crucial victory, giving yourself a chance to defend Hungary," Orban told jubilant supporters late Sunday.

Orban largely campaigned on an anti-immigrant anti-migration platform, warning that Muslim migration "is like a rust that slowly but surely would consume Hungary."

He also accused the European Union of trying to take Hungary away from Hungarians and dilute European culture.

Hungary has built border fences and passed laws aimed at keeping it from becoming a route for migrants heading into Western Europe from places such as Syria and Afghanistan.

But the EU and United Nations expressed alarm and the anti-immigration tone of the election campaign.

Although many Hungarian voters said they are concerned about migration, most said they are more interested in fighting corruption, poverty, and improving health care.
Outspoken Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban ramped up his anti-migrant rhetoric ahead of parliamentary elections Sunday, when the ruling Fidesz party is expected to score a straightforward win.

The European Union and the United Nations have voiced alarm at the tone of the campaign, and fears over alleged attacks on the media and judiciary.

Speaking at a recent campaign rally, Orban accused the EU of trying to take away our country.

Brussels wants to dilute the population of Europe and to replace it, to cast aside our culture, our way of life, he told supporters in Budapest March 15.

Close to a half-million migrants entered Hungary in 2015 and 2016 at the height of the crisis, most headed for Western Europe. The flow was stopped after Orbans government erected a border fence.

The EU wants all member states to take in quotas of refugees, but Hungary has refused, and Brussels has threatened legal action. The dispute has fueled support for the governments brand of ethnic identity politics.

WATCH: Hungarys Prime Minister Fires Up Anti-Migrant Rhetoric Ahead of Election

In an interview for VOA, Hungarys Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said Hungarians do not want a multicultural society.

We Hungarians, we consider it as a value that we have been living in the Carpathian Basin in the central part of Europe for 1,100 years as a homogeneous united Hungarian Christian society.

Among the many people the ruling Fidesz party accuses of conspiring against Hungary is billionaire U.S. financier George Soros, a claim he strongly denies.

The opposition accuses Prime Minister Orban of acting like a dictator.

Today, freedom is not in danger because of foreign powers. Today, tyranny is coming not from the East, not even from the West, but from Felcsut (Orbans hometown), Socialist Party leader Gergely Karacsony said at a recent campaign rally.

There is an added unknown quantity in Sundays poll. The previously far-right Jobbik party has tacked toward the political center, attracting pensioners with promises of better health care.

Many younger people are also turned off by Orbans agenda.

I think the government does not give enough freedom for thinking any more, and I cannot see my future in this kind of environment, student Laura Balazs said while attending a recent job fair in Budapest.

The United Nations human rights chief recently described the Orban as a racist and xenophobe.

But with strong approval for his uncompromising anti-migrant rhetoric, Orban looks set for another term in power.
Hungary's Viktor Orban, a hardliner on immigration in Europe, pledged to fight for his country after casting his vote on Sunday in an election that is expected to give him a third straight term in office.

After an acrimonious campaign in which Orban projected himself as a savior of Hungary's Christian culture against Muslim migration into Europe, all opinion polls put his Fidesz party well ahead.

A strong victory could embolden him to put more muscle into a Central European alliance against the European Union's migration policies. Orban, Hungary's longest-serving post-communist premier, opposes deeper integration of the bloc.

He has far-right admirers across Europe who like his tough line on migrants, while critics say he has put Hungary on an increasingly authoritarian path.

A landslide win would make Orban feel vindicated in his decision to run a single-issue campaign, arguing migration poses a security threat. His critics said his stance has fueled xenophobia.

After casting his vote in a wealthy district of Budapest, Orban said: "From here I will go and take part in mobilizing voters... I am asking everyone to take part in the election."

Asked by journalists if he was fighting the European Union, Orban said: "The EU is not in Brussels. The EU is in Berlin, in Budapest, in Prague and in Bucharest."

He reiterated he would stand up for Hungary's interests and said Hungary was a loyal member of international organizations.

"We love our country and we are fighting for our country."

A strong win for Orban would also boost other right-wing nationalists in Central Europe, in Poland and in neighboring Austria, and expose cracks in the 28-nation EU.

While Fidesz led all opinion polls before the vote, there is a small chance that the fragmented opposition could strip Fidesz of its parliament majority if voters frustrated with Orban's policies choose tactical voting in the 106 constituencies.

The strongest opposition party is former far-right Jobbik, which has recast its image as a more moderate nationalist force.

It has been campaigning on an anti-corruption agenda and urged higher wages to lure back hundreds of thousands of Hungarians who had left Hungary to earn a better living in western Europe.

Clad in a green summer jacket and white shirt, Jobbik leader Gabor Vona, 39, arrived to vote in the eastern Hungarian city of Gyongyos, his home town and the district where he is likely to win a seat.

"Everyone should go to vote because this election determines Hungary's course not for four years but for two generations at least," he told reporters. "Emigration may or may not define Hungary, and I would prefer that it does not."

He said voter turnout would determine the outcome. Analysts say a high turnout favours the opposition, especially Jobbik.

At 0700 GMT, turnout was 13.17 percent, a new record in Hungary's post-communist elections.

Migration like 'rust'



The EU has struggled to respond as Orban's government has used its two landslide victories in 2010 and 2014 to erode democratic checks and balances, by curbing the powers of the constitutional court, controlling the media and appointing loyalists to key positions.

Orban is credited with keeping the budget deficit under control, reducing unemployment and some of Hungary's debt, and putting its economy on a growth track.

On Friday, at his closing campaign rally, Orban vowed to protect his nation from Muslim migrants, saying: "Migration is like rust that slowly but surely would consume Hungary."

The anti-immigrant campaign has gone down well with around two million core voters of Fidesz.

"My little daughter must be my primary concern, to make her future safe. Safety is first," said Julia Scharle, 27, holding her child outside the voting district where Orban cast his vote.

She would not reveal her voting preference.

In March the government gave pre-election handouts to millions of families and pensioners.

Odd chance of surprise



A poll by Zavech research institute published on Friday showed Fidesz had 46 percent support among decided voters, while Jobbik had 19 percent. The Socialists came in third with 14 percent. Voter turnout was estimated between 64 and 68 percent.

However, one-third of voters are undecided and many hide their voting preference.

In 2014, Fidesz won a two-thirds majority in the 199-seat parliament with 133 seats. That looks less likely now.



If Orban wins, he is expected to carry on his economic policies, with income tax cuts and incentives to boost growth.



His business allies are expected to expand their economic domains. Businessmen close to Fidesz have acquired stakes in major industries like banking, energy, construction and tourism, profiting from EU funds.

"Only a dramatic outcome of the election would force a significant shift in the direction of policymaking," Barclays said in a note.

It said pragmatism was likely to prevail given the importance of EU structural funds for Hungary which would probably avoid an all-out conflict with the EU.

This story was written by Reuters
Japan's foreign minister on Sunday urged Cambodia to hold free and fair elections but didn't comment on the Cambodian government's actions against its political opponents during talks with the Southeast Asian nation's long-serving prime minister, Hun Sen.

Foreign Minister Taro Kono said that Tokyo would help Cambodia with free and fair elections, according to a spokesman for his office, Norio Maruyama, who confirmed that Japan would supply ballot boxes for the July polls.



Right groups and Western nations have expressed concern about the conditions under which the election will be held, with the opposition party dissolved by court order after a complaint by the government, one of its leaders imprisoned and the other in self-imposed exile, and critical media outlets forced to shut down.



A Cambodian Foreign Ministry spokesman earlier had also said the sensitive questions about the election had not been raised in the talks Kono held with Hun Sen and Cambodian Foreign Minister Prak Sokhonn.



Asked by reporters about Hun Sen's harassment of his opponents, Maruyama said Kono did not comment on Cambodia's internal affairs.



In reply to another question about whether the elections could be described as free and fair, he said: "Everybody can have their own idea about how to be free and fair. Free is free, fair is fair, but we don't want to enter into the philosophy of what is free and what is fair. It will be an endless argument on this. But we are not commenting on that.''



Sunday's talks covered the promotion of bilateral ties and how Japan could help Cambodia in the logistics and infrastructure sectors, spokesmen for both countries said.



Kono and Prak Sokhonn signed two agreements for Tokyo to supply loans and grant aid totaling nearly $90 million.

This story was written by the Associated Press.
Assault weapons and large-capacity magazines are not protected by the Second Amendment, a federal judge said in a ruling Friday upholding Massachusetts ban on the weapons.

U.S. District Judge William Young dismissed a lawsuit challenging the 20-year-old ban, saying assault weapons are military firearms that fall beyond the reach of the constitutional right to bear arms.

Regulation of the weapons is a matter of policy, not for the courts, he said.

Other states are equally free to leave them unregulated and available to their law-abiding citizens, Young said. These policy matters are simply not of constitutional moment. Americans are not afraid of bumptious, raucous and robust debate about these matters. We call it democracy.

Attorney general praises ruling

State Attorney General Maura Healey said the ruling vindicates the right of the people of Massachusetts to protect themselves from these weapons of war.

Strong gun laws save lives, and we will not be intimidated by the gun lobby in our efforts to end the sale of assault weapons and protect our communities and schools, Healey, a Democrat, said in a statement. Families across the country should take heart in this victory.

AR-15 assault-style rifles are under increased scrutiny because of their use in several recent mass shootings, including the February massacre at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead.

Gun owners' lawsuit

The Gun Owners Gun Owners Action League of Massachusetts and other groups that filed the lawsuit argued that the AR-15 cannot be considered a military weapon because it cannot fire in fully automatic mode.

But Young dismissed that argument, noting that the semi-automatic AR-15s design is based on guns that were first manufactured for military purposes and that the AR-15 is common and well-known in the military.

The AR-15 and its analogs, along with large capacity magazines, are simply not weapons within the original meaning of the individual constitutional right to bear arms, Young wrote.

Young also upheld Healeys 2016 enforcement notice to gun sellers and manufacturers clarifying what constitutes a copy or duplicate weapon under the states 1998 assault weapon ban, including copies of the Colt AR-15 and the Kalashnikov AK-47.

State law mirrors federal one

Healeys stepped-up enforcement followed the shooting rampage at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, that killed 49 patrons. She said at the time that gun manufacturers were circumventing Massachusetts ban by selling copycat versions of the weapons they claimed complied with the law.

The Massachusetts assault weapons ban mirrors the federal ban that expired in 2004. It prohibits the sale of specific and name-brand weapons and explicitly bans copies or duplicates of those weapons.

The National Rifle Association panned the ruling and pledged to help the groups fighting the case in any way possible.
Kansas legislators approved an increase in spending on school funding early Sunday, with Republicans pushing the measure to passage over the bitter objections of some GOP colleagues in hopes of meeting a court mandate.

Dozens of teachers, many wearing red shirts, converged on the Statehouse, camped out for hours and cheered after the Senate approved a bill, 21-19, to phase in a $534 million increase in education funding over five years. The House passed the bill Saturday, 63-56, and GOP Gov. Jeff Colyer endorsed it publicly.

I am pleased that we were able to compromise and pass a bill that ensures our schools will remain open and are funded adequately and equitably, Colyer said in a statement.

Court ruling

The Kansas Supreme Court ruled last fall that the state isnt spending enough money on its public schools. Colyer and some members of the Republican-controlled Legislature worried that a frustrated high court would take the unprecedented step of preventing the state from distributing dollars through a flawed education funding system, effectively closing schools statewide.

Many Democrats had argued that the plan, drafted largely by top House Republicans, would not satisfy the Supreme Court. Most Democrats in the House voted against it.

But the measure had bipartisan support in the Senate. The states largest teachers union put aside its own misgivings that the plan was too small and had members pack the Senate gallery and hallways outside the chamber.

It is certainly the best bill weve seen, said Kansas National Education Association lobbyist Mark Desetti. Its time to get something before the court.

WATCH: Teacher Strikes Spread Across the US

Education underfunded

The Supreme Court declared in October that the states current funding of more than $4 billion a year isnt enough for lawmakers to fulfill their duty under the Kansas Constitution to finance a suitable education for every child. It gave Attorney General Derek Schmidt, a Republican, until April 30 to report on how lawmakers responded.

Lawmakers had been scheduled to start an annual spring break Saturday and return April 26  four days before Schmidts deadline. He and Colyer urged legislators to delay the break until a school funding bill passed.

Senate GOP leaders had excoriated a previous, similarly sized plan from the House as likely to force higher taxes within two years. The Senate approved a plan to phase in a $274 million increase over five years and top Republicans hoped in negotiations to talk the House down from its big plan.

We know  absolutely know  if were going to pay this bill, were going to have to increase taxes, said Senate President Susan Wagle, a conservative Wichita Republican.

Later, she said, Im here for the people who are footing the bill.

Colyer argued in a statement Saturday that the new plan could be sustained without increasing taxes. Supporters believe the annual growth in tax revenues will cover the new spending.

The House and Senate had passed rival plans earlier in the week. Their negotiators made little progress Friday on how much school spending should increase.

Besides objecting to the level of spending, some conservative Republicans said the court is improperly encroaching on the Legislatures power to determine the state budget.

Conservative GOP Rep. Randy Garber, of Sabetha, argued that problems with public education stem from U.S. Supreme Court decisions in the early 1960s declaring school-sponsored prayer and Bible reading as unconstitutional.

If we dont fix society, we wont fix our schools, Garber said in concluding a 13-minute speech. I say the way to fix our schools is to put prayer and the Bible back and give it a chance.
Pakistans Christian community has faced the brunt of some of the worst terrorist attacks in the country in recent years, but now the community fears another looming danger.



During the last few months, the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group, or Daesh, has claimed responsibility for two deadly attacks on the Christian community in Pakistans southwestern province of Baluchistan.



In Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, a Christian family was attacked on April 2, a day after Easter.



Gunmen killed four people, all members of one Christian family.



In December 2017, several days before Christmas, suicide bombers attacked a Christian church, killing at least nine people in the southwestern city of Quetta.



IS claimed responsibility for both attacks.

Nadeem Anthony, a Christian rights activist, told VOA that IS has become a new danger for the community.

The Christian community is scared and concerned after [the] deadly attacks by Daesh. It is not acceptable, Anthony noted. If Daesh is active and involved in the attacks on the Christian community, then we (Christians) cant do anything against this militant outfit. Its the responsibility of the state to act against such a group.

Pakistan denies the organized presence of IS in the country and said the state is committed to cracking down on all militant groups that threaten any community or sect.

But some quarters have expressed concern that IS is emerging as a threat.



Dr. Mehdi Hassan, chairman of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), said IS's presence cannot be completely denied.

Attacks on the Christian community by Daesh is really a matter of concern, and this will worsen [the] religious extremism situation in Pakistan. In a country where extremism exists in so many forms, any outfit (including Daesh) can triumph, Hassan said.



Tariq Christopher Qaiser belongs to the Christian community and is a parliamentarian from Pakistans ruling Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) political party. He expressed serious concerns about the increasing number of targeted attacks on different Muslim sects and on Christians.

Its not only alarming but also shameful," Qaiser said. It is the responsibility of the state to protect all its nationals without any discrimination as to from which sect of religion they belong to. I have been raising my voice on the floor of the parliament and will continue to do so.



This story was written by Muhammad Ishtiaq.
Russia's embassy in London has requested a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson over the poisoning of a former Russian spy in Salisbury, saying its dealings with Britain over the issue had been "utterly unsatisfactory."

The Russian Embassy said in a statement that it was "high time" for a meeting between Johnson and Ambassador Aleksandr Yakovenko to discuss the investigation into the Sergei Skripal poisoning and "the whole range of bilateral issues."

Britain's Foreign Office said it had received the request and would be "responding in due course.

But, in a statement, it accused Russia of employing a "diversionary tactic" and refusing to "engage constructively" and answer questions about the attack.

"It's over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Mr Skripal and his daughter," the Foreign Office said.

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims' condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic," it added.

The former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter, Yulia Skripal, where exposed to a potent nerve toxin and found unconscious on a bench in Salisbury, in southern England, on March 4.

Their conditions have recently improved.

Doctors at Salisbury District Hospital said on April 6 that the 66-year-old Sergei Skripal was "improving rapidly and is no longer in a critical condition." Yulia Skripal, 33, regained consciousness last week and according to a British police statement issued on her on behalf her strength "is growing daily."

Britain accuses Russian President Vladimir Putin's government of trying to kill them with a military-grade chemical substance known as novichok, which was developed in the Soviet Union.

Russia denies involvement in the poisoning, which has triggered a diplomatic crisis between Moscow and the West.

British officials have described the poisoning as "the attempted assassination of two people on British soil, for which there is no alternative conclusion other than that the Russian state was culpable."

The United States and other Western nations have supported the British position, but Moscow claims that London has failed to provide sufficient evidence to back up its accusation and asserts that the nerve agent could have been produced outside Russia.

The elder Skripal, a former colonel in Russias military intelligence agency, was convicted of treason in 2006 by a Russian court that found him guilty of spying for Britain.

Russia released him from prison in 2010, sending him to the West in a Cold War-style spy swap. He has lived in Britain since then.
The crown prince of Saudi Arabia arrived in Paris on Sunday, a day ahead of his first official visit to France, which is hoping to profit from his shake-up of the conservative kingdom to forge a new kind of commercial relationship.



No big weapons contracts are expected to be signed during the short visit of Mohammed bin Salman, but a "strategic partnership'' is to be announced Tuesday with French President Emmanuel Macron.



The 32-year-old heir to the Saudi throne, now at the center of the kingdom's power structure, has instigated major reforms to shed the kingdom's austere image. Changes include giving women the right to drive, introducing concerts and promising movie theaters.



France hopes to join sectors like technology, renewable energy, health and tourism that Saudi Arabia wants to develop, an official with Macron's office said. That includes developing a UNESCO heritage desert site.



A visit to "Station F," a huge Left Bank incubator for startups, is on the crown prince's agenda.



French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian greeted the crown prince and his royal entourage and bevy of Cabinet ministers in a low-key arrival. The crown prince was devoting Sunday to private time ahead of the two-day official visit. The royal family owns luxurious property in France, including a mansion on the Riviera.



For human rights organizations, changes being wrought by the crown prince, often referred to as MBS, are cosmetic.



Demonstrators planned protests over the Saudi-led coalition's airstrikes in Yemen to fight Iran-backed Houthi rebels. Ten human rights organizations have asked Macron to demand that Saudi Arabia end the airstrikes and lift a blockade aggravating the humanitarian crisis in Yemen.



Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth advised the French president in a tweet Sunday to "keep his distance  from MBS's war crimes in Yemen and his ongoing repression of women and dissidents at home."



The two leaders will discuss the wars in Yemen and Syria, Iran  Saudi Arabia's regional rival  and the fight against terrorism and terrorist financing, the French official said.



Prince Mohammed comes to France after a nearly three-week-long trip to the United States, preceded by a three-day visit to Britain. The prince ended his U.S. travels with more than $2.3 billion in promised arms sales and $1.3 billion in artillery.



France, traditionally a major arms supplier of the Saudis, dismissed questions about big arms contracts during this trip.



"We are absolutely not disappointed" in the absence of weapons deals, the official from Macron's office insisted. "We want to be part of this new dimension" being developed by the crown prince, which gives way to "new cooperation, less directed toward isolated contracts and more to investments in the future."



The official was not authorized to speak publicly ahead of the visit.



The Gulf dispute with Qatar  isolated by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt  is not likely to be high among topics covered, if at all, the official suggested. The four countries cut off Qatar's land, sea and air routes in June over its alleged support of extremists and close ties with Iran, which Qatar adamantly denies.



A ranking Qatari official said during a recent visit to Paris that his country would welcome French mediation. He spoke about the sensitive topic on condition of anonymity.

This story was written by Associated Press.
A survivor of the Parkland, Florida, school shooting joined the Reverend Al Sharpton on Saturday to announce a June rally in front of President Donald Trump's Manhattan apartment to protest gun violence facilitated by access to assault weapons.

Aalayah Eastmond, a junior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, was at Sharpton's National Action Network in Harlem for the minister's weekly meetings.

Eastmond, 16, was in class February 14 when a gunman attacked, eventually killing 17 people.

The June 2 rally  at the beginning of New York state's Gun Violence Awareness Month  is to start at Trump International Tower on Columbus Circle and proceed toward Fifth Avenue and Trump Tower, where Trump has an apartment that has been his longtime home.

For Eastmond, New York City is more than a prominent media staging ground. One of her family members was fatally shot here.

Fifteen years ago, "I actually lost my uncle to gun violence in Brooklyn,'' she said. "So for it to happen to me, in my face, that just shows that change has to happen now.''

Sharpton said that young people leading recent activism across the country have produced what he called "a necessary marriage of dealing with gun violence as an American issue that jumps over the boundaries of any community and deals with America from every city.''

Another Sharpton concern is how police handle interactions with the mentally ill. On Thursday, police fatally shot a Brooklyn man, Saheed Vassell, as he brandished what turned out to be a welding torch mistaken for a gun.

Among the June rally organizers is Ramon Contreras, 19, a senior at one of 11 NYC College Prep charter schools who lost a classmate to gun violence last October.

"He was only 17 years old,'' Contreras said. "The way it affected me, I was lost.''

He said everybody wanted to do something but felt "we didn't have the resources.''

Last month, "the nationwide walkout gave us the courage, and pretty much the strength, to say, 'Hey, enough is enough.' ''
Somali security officials said they have seized a large cache of money that arrived Sunday at Mogadishu airport from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Two senior security officials told VOA Somali three suitcases containing $9.6 million have been put In storage in the central bank of Somalia pending an investigation.

Another security official said Ambassador Mohammed Ahmed Othman Al Hammadi, UAE envoy to Mogadishu, was at the airport to receive the money.

The official said Al Hammadis entourage tried to take the money out of the airport but were instructed by security forces to have the bags scanned.

The ambassador refused, walked back to the plane with three bags, and counterterrorism units confiscated the three bags, said the officer who requested anonymity.

The Royal Jet plane has since been released.

Al Hammadi told VOA Somali the money was not intended for the UAE embassy. The money is for the ministry of defense. Its for the salary of the Somali soldiers, he told VOA.

He said the government knew in advance that the money was coming for the troops. The UAE has been training Somali soldiers in Mogadishu, as well as about 1,000 maritime police in the Puntland region.

Somali officials argue the money was not intended for the Somali army. The salary for the army is less than $1 million. This is almost $10 million, the official said.

Im certain that they have been informed not to bring money. The onus is on us to respond, the official said. He added that an investigation will determine whether the money was brought in to destabilize the country.

Relations between Somalia and the UAE have been frosty since last year when the government of Mohamed Abdullahi Mohamed resisted pressure to cut ties with Qatar and took a neutral position on a dispute between Saudi Arabia and Qatar.

Last month, the Somali government rejected an agreement between the UAEs Dubai World, Somaliland and Ethiopia over Berbera port, saying the deal violates the territorial integrity of Somalia.

Somali officials said a foreign country believed to be Saudi Arabia has agreed to mediate between Somalia and UAE. It is unclear if there were direct talks between the two countries.

According to Somali diplomatic sources, late last month the Somali Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Al Hammadi and explained its position on the port agreement, as well as a separate military agreement between Somaliland and UAE to build a military base in Berbera.

This story was written by VOAs Harun Maruf. Abdulaziz Osman contributed.
U.S. President Donald Trump blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran on Sunday for a "mindless chemical attack" in Syria that killed at least 40 people, vowing there would be a "big price to pay."

In a rare direct condemnation of the Russian leader, Trump declared, "President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible" for their support of "Animal Assad," Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

"Big price to pay," Trump said in one of a string of Twitter comments. "Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

Trump did not say how the U.S. might respond. But Homeland Security and counterterrorism adviser Thomas Bossert told ABC News, I wouldnt take anything off the table, leaving open the possibility of a new missile strike like the one Trump ordered a year ago after another Syrian chemical weapons attack.

The United Nations Security Council will meet Monday about the alleged attack, after nine countries demanded an urgent session. The European Union said "evidence points toward yet another chemical attack" by the Syrian regime.

Trump described the area where the "atrocity" occurred in Douma near the Syrian capital, Damascus, as "in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world."

But Trump also said that if his predecessor, former President Barack Obama, "had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand," to hold Assad accountable for previous chemical attacks, "the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!"



Trump's rebuke of Putin was unusual.

The U.S. leader has been reluctant during his nearly 15-month presidency to accept the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community that Putin directed a 2016 campaign to meddle in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win. U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has been conducting a wide-ranging criminal investigation of the Trump campaign's links to Russia, but Trump has repeatedly rejected the notion there was any collusion with Russia.

The alleged chemical attack, denied by both the Syrian government and Russia, occurred late Saturday amid new attacks on the last rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta.

Trump's rebuke of Putin was unusual.

The U.S. leader has been reluctant during his nearly 15-month presidency to accept the conclusion of the U.S. intelligence community that Putin directed a 2016 campaign to meddle in the U.S. presidential election to help Trump win. U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has been conducting a wide-ranging criminal investigation of the Trump campaign's links to Russia, but Trump has repeatedly rejected the notion there was any collusion with Russia.

The alleged chemical attack, denied by both the Syrian government and Russia, occurred late Saturday amid new attacks on the last rebel enclave in eastern Ghouta.

First responders said they discovered families suffocated in their homes and shelters with foam on their mouths. Relief workers said more than 500 people, mostly women and children, were brought to medical centers with difficulty breathing, foaming at the mouth and their eyes burning.

The Civil Defense and Syrian American Medical Society said patients gave off a chlorine-like smell, and some had blue skin, an indication of oxygen deprivation.



The Russian Foreign Ministry rejected claims of a chemical attack, saying, "The spread of bogus stories about the use of chlorine and other poisonous substances by [Syrian] government forces continues.

"We have warned several times recently against such dangerous provocations," the Moscow statement said. "The aim of such deceitful speculation, lacking any kind of grounding, is to shield terrorists and to attempt to justify possible external uses of force."

Iran said U.S. claims about the attack were aimed at justifying new American military action. A year ago, after an earlier chemical weapons attack by Syria, Trump launched 59 Tomahawk missiles into Syria, targeting the military base that was home to the warplanes that carried out the attack.

Trump's rebuff of Putin and Iran, which has forces in Syria, came as Syrian state television said Sunday an agreement has been reached for rebels to leave Douma, their last stronghold near Damascus.

The accord calls for the Jaish al-Islam fighters to release all prisoners they were holding in exchange for passage within 48 hours to the opposition-held town of Jarablus in northern Syria near the Turkish border. Russia said last week that Jaish al-Islam accepted a deal to leave Ghouta, which houses tens of thousands of people. However, the evacuations stalled over reports that the rebel group remained divided over the withdrawal.

The pact was reached just hours after the suspected chemical attack.

In Rome, Pope Francis condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria, "There is not a good war and a bad one, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenseless people and populations."

Even before Trump responded to the suspected chemical attack to blame Putin, the U.S. State Department had said, "Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syria's most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons."
U.S. President Donald Trump predicted Sunday there would be a resolution of the U.S.-China standoff on tariffs on hundreds of billions of dollars of goods the world's two biggest economies are threatening to impose on each other.

The U.S. leader said, without offering any direct information, that "China will take down its Trade Barriers because it is the right thing to do."

Trump said that "taxes will become Reciprocal & a deal will be made on Intellectual Property. Great future for both countries!"

Regardless, Trump said that he and Chinese President Xi Jinping "will always be friends, no matter what happens with our dispute on trade."

The threats Washington and Beijing have lobbed at each other in recent days have rattled world stock markets, with wide swings of hundreds of points in stock indexes.

U.S. stocks plunged more than 2 percent Friday after Trump threatened to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion worth of Chinese goods beyond the $50 billion worth of products he had already said would be affected.

Beijing responded in kind, saying it would impose tariffs on U.S. goods "until the end at any cost."

Both countries have published lists of goods they intend to tax, with the U.S. hitting steel and aluminum imports from China, along with aerospace, tech and machinery goods. Other levies would target medical equipment, medicine and educational materials.

China said it would impose tariffs on more than 100 U.S. products, including soybeans, wheat, corn, beef, tobacco, vehicles, plastic products and an array of other items.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CBS News that the threat of higher tariffs posed the risk of a trade war but that he does not expect one to materialize.

"Our expectation is that we don't think there will be a trade war. Our objective is to continue to have discussions with China. I don't expect there will be a trade war. It could be, but I don't expect it at all," he said.

Mnuchin said that Trump and Xi have a "very close relationship" and that the two countries would continue to discuss trade issues.

A key U.S. lawmaker, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, told ABC News, that U.S. businesses and consumers could inevitably be hurt if China imposes tariffs on U.S. products.

"There is no way for us to address China without absorbing some pain here," Graham said. "To those who believe that China is cheating, what idea do you have better than Trump?"

Gary Hufbauer, a senior fellow at the Washington-based Peterson Institute for International Economics, told VOA that Trump and his top administration officials recognize that the tariffs from both sides would be "very damaging to both economies."

"The short-term impact would be highly adverse," he said. "Both sides have a lot to gain by negotiations rather than actually implementing a tariff war."
The apartment in Trump Tower in New York where a fire killed a prominent art dealer and collector and injured six firefighters had no sprinkler system.

The fire started on the 50th floor of the Manhattan building just before 10 p.m. EDT Saturday.

At a press conference Sunday, New York fire commissioner Daniel Nigro said the apartment was "virtually entirely on fire'' when firefighters arrived.

The fire sent thick, black smoke pouring from the windows of the skyscraper that bears the U.S. president's name.

Fire sprinklers were not required in New York City high-rises when Trump Tower was completed in 1983. Subsequent updates to the building code required sprinklers to be retroactively installed in commercial skyscrapers, but only if the building underwent major renovations.

U.S. President Donald Trump was among the developers who spoke out against retrofitting older buildings as expensive and unnecessary.

The man killed in the blaze was identified Sunday as Todd Brassner, 67, who bought the apartment in 1996.

Brassner is mentioned several times in artist Andy Warhol's posthumously published diaries, with references including lunch dates and shared taxis. Warhol signed and dedicated at least one print to Brassner.

Brassner had in recent years struggled with health and finance issues, filing a bankruptcy in 2015.

No member of the Trump family was in the 664-foot tower on Saturday.



Trump's family has an apartment on the top floors of the 58-story building, but the president has spent little time in New York since taking office. The headquarters of the Trump Organization is on the 26th floor of the building.


During a visit to Afghanistan Sunday, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim announced his countrys support for an Afghan peace offer to Taliban insurgents.

The Taliban should not lose this historic and rare opportunity, and it is time for [the] Taliban to make peace with the Afghan government, Yildirim said during a joint press conference in Kabul with Abdullah Abdullah, chief executive of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani offered unconditional peace talks with the Afghan Taliban more than a month ago during the Kabul Process conference in the nation's capital and asked for a cease-fire.

Yildirim has reiterated that his government will continue to stand with the Afghan government and people and that it will support an Afghan-owned peace process, Shah Hussain Murtazawi, a spokesperson for the Afghan president told VOA.

Turkeys call for peace in Afghanistan comes as the Taliban still maintained its silence and has yet to formally respond to the peace offer. The Afghan High Peace Council, the body tasked with talking to the insurgents, said the Taliban might be mulling over a response.

We are ready to facilitate any meeting with the Taliban in the country of their choice. They have no option but to accept [the] Afghan peoples call for peace, Afghan High Peace Council spokesperson Sayed Ehsan Tahiri told VOA.

Broad support for peace initiative

Ghani's call for peace is being backed by many world leaders who have offered to help the initiative gain momentum.

Last Friday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi visited Kabul, where according to an Afghan presidential palace statement, Abbasi called the Afghan-owned peace process the only way for peace and reassured his countrys cooperation to the initiative.

Prior to that, on March 27, Uzbekistan President Shavkat Mirziyoyev told senior diplomats from regional, as well as NATO member states, that his county was ready to host direct talks with the Taliban.

We stand ready to create all necessary conditions, at any stage of the peace process, to arrange on the territory of Uzbekistan direct talks between the government of Afghanistan and the Taliban movement, Mirziyoyev said at an international conference on Afghanistan in the capital city of Tashkent.

Indonesia peace conference

Jakarta is preparing to host a trilateral conference, where religious scholars from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Indonesia would meet to help find a solution to end more than 16 years of war in Afghanistan.

The Afghan High Peace Council said Indonesia and Afghanistan were ready to hold the conference and were waiting for Pakistan to confirm its participation.

Pakistan had promised to confirm its participation last week, but it has not, said Tahiri. Religious scholars from all three countries  Afghanistan, Indonesia and Pakistan  would meet in Jakarta, but no date for the meeting is set yet.

The Afghan Taliban urged scholars to boycott the conference. In a message to journalists in March, the Taliban said the conference was purely intended to "legitimize the illegitimate government of Afghanistan and the presence of infidel invaders (a reference to international troops in Afghanistan) in the country."

The insurgent group previously offered to hold talks on a possible peace agreement directly with the United States, but U.S. officials declined.
The U.N. secretary-general and the Singaporean foreign minister voiced concerns about global trade tensions and rising protectionism during back-to-back meetings in Beijing on Sunday.

Following remarks from his Chinese counterpart, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan vowed to "double-down'' on free trade and economic liberalization in tandem with China.



"This is a time in the world where the temptation to embark on unilateralism and protectionism is unfortunately rising," Balakrishnan said.



In a separate meeting, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called China "absolutely crucial" in the international system.



"You mentioned reform and opening up  it's so important in a moment when some others have a policy of closing up," Guterres told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.



"The solutions for these problems are not to put globalization to question, but to improve globalization. Not isolation or protectionism, but more international cooperation," Guterres said.



The comments came as China and the U.S. exchanged escalating tariff threats in what is already shaping up to be the biggest trade battle for more than a half century.



Beijing vowed Friday to "counterattack with great strength" if President Donald Trump follows through on threats to impose tariffs on an additional $100 billion in Chinese goods.



Trump's announcement followed China's decision to tax $50 billion in American products, including soybeans and small aircraft, in response to a U.S. move this week to impose tariffs on $50 billion in Chinese goods.



The U.S. bought more than $500 billion in goods from China last year and now is planning or considering penalties on some $150 billion of those imports. The U.S. sold about $130 billion in goods to China in 2017 and faces a potentially devastating hit to its market there if China responds in kind.



In the meetings, Wang attacked what he called "protectionism and unilateralism," though he didn't single out the U.S. by name.



"China will safeguard the principles of free trade and oppose protectionism," Wang said. "We should push forward with economic globalization."



Wang was welcoming both officials ahead of their planned appearances at the annual Boao Forum for Asia, a Chinese-sponsored annual gathering for political and economic elites on tropical Hainan Island.



Guterres will meet President Xi Jinping later Sunday and also plans to visit the China Peacekeeping Police Training Center.



Balakrishnan is traveling with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong on the first of a five-day visit to China.



This story was written by the Associated Press
North Korea is willing to talk to the United States about denuclearization, a senior U.S. official said Sunday.

These are the first tangible signs that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is still willing to meet with President Donald Trump since the North first proposed the summit last month.

Trump has said he wants to meet with Kim before the end of May. Details on the talks are still unclear, including the exact agenda and place.

But U.S. officials have said there have been secret contacts between Washington and Pyongyang.

Trump has consistently called for the denuclearization of the Korean peninsula.

In the past, North Korea pledged to freeze its nuclear program in exchange for food aid and easing economic sanctions. Those promises were always broken.

Harry Kazianis, director of defense studies at The Center for the National Interest in Washington, says North Korea is going to make some kind of demand just to have the talks take place, and that its demands for agreeing to abandon its nuclear weapons "are going to be astronomically high."

"They could ask for hundreds of billions of dollars in economic aid," Kazianis told VOA. "They could ask for the removal of U.S. troops from the Korean peninsula. They could even ask for say South Korea to get rid of all of its nuclear technology and nuclear reactors."
Syrian opposition activists and rescuers said Sunday that a poison gas attack on a rebel-held town near the capital has killed at least 40 people, allegations denied by the Syrian government.

The alleged attack in the town of Douma occurred late Saturday amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce.

The reports could not be independently verified.

The United States has called on Russia to end its support for the Syrian government immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks.

U.S. State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement that the United States is closely following the reports April 7 of another alleged chemical weapons attack, this time targeting a hospital in Douma, Syria.

The statement said Russia, with its unwavering support for the regime, ultimately bears responsibility for these brutal attacks, targeting of countless civilians, and the suffocation of Syrias most vulnerable communities with chemical weapons.

Russia dismissed reports of a deadly chemical weapons attack in Syrias Douma, Interfax news service reported Sunday, citing Russias Ministry of Defense.

We decidedly refute this information, Major-General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian peace and reconciliation center in Syria, was cited as saying.

We hereby announce that we are ready to send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defense to collect information, as soon as Douma is freed from militants. This will confirm the trumped-up nature of these statements, Yevtushenko is quoted as saying.

White Helmets

Opposition-linked first responders, known as the White Helmets, reported the attack, saying entire families were found suffocated in their homes and shelters. It reported a death toll from suffocation of more than 40, saying the victims showed signs of gas poisoning including pupil dilation and foaming at the mouth. In a statement, however, it reported a smell resembling chlorine, which would not explain the described symptoms, usually associated with sarin gas.

It said around 500 people were treated for suffocation and other symptoms, adding that most medical facilities and ambulances were put out of service because of the shelling.

Rebels claimed Syrian government forces dropped barrel bombs containing poisonous chemicals on civilians Saturday, as Syria continued its offensive against the last rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta

Syrian state media denied the rebels claim, as troops launched an assault on Douma, near the capital Damascus.

SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, however Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman said he could not confirm the use of chemical weapons.

The Syrian American Medical Society, a relief organization, said 41 people were killed and hundreds wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said at least 80 people were killed in Douma on Saturday, including around 40 who died from suffocation. But it said the suffocations were the result of shelters collapsing on people inside.

Videos posted online by the White Helmets purportedly showed victims, including toddlers in diapers, breathing through oxygen masks at makeshift hospitals.

The weekends fighting comes after some rebel groups in Ghouta accepted safe passage to rebel-held areas northeast of Aleppo.

The cease-fire effectively ended Friday, when Syrian troops have launched a ground and air assault on Douma.

State television showed live footage Friday of thick smoke billowing from different parts of Douma, the largest city in Ghouta. It said Republican Guard forces were pushing in on the town, where the Jaish al-Islam rebel group is holding out.

Russia said last week that Jaish al-Islam accepted a deal to leave Ghouta, which houses tens of thousands of people. However, the evacuations stalled over reports that the rebel group remained divided over the withdrawal.

The Syrian government said it had started negotiations Sunday with the rebel group Jaish al-Islam, hours after the suspected chemical attack.

There was no immediate comment from Jaish al-Islam, which said the government carried out the chemical attack.

This story was written by VOA News with contributions from the Associated Press and Reuters.
For more than 20 years, the Tacugama Chimpanzee Sanctuary in Sierra Leone has taken in chimpanzees orphaned and abused by the illegal pet trade. But the challenges don't stop there for this endangered species. For VOA, Jason Patinkin visited the sanctuary near the Sierra Leone capital of Freetown and has this report.
Outrage, compassion, a desire for justice. These are some of the motivations of 10 women honored by the U.S. State Department this year with the International Women of Courage Award.

Presented their awards in Washington March 23 by first lady Melania Trump, the women include LMalouma Said, who was born into slavery, became a civil rights activist and is now a deputy in the Mauritanian national assembly. There she has worked for human rights, prison reform, and to improve conditions for Haratines, an ethnic group descended from slaves.

Helping victims of torture

Another honoree, a Kosovo physician Feride Rushiti, works with the survivors of the massacres, rape and torture from the Kosovo War 1998 and 1999, when Yugoslav and Serbian forces targeted ethnic Albanians suspected of supporting rebel fighters. Rushiti was one of a handful of awardees who spoke recently in Los Angeles.

She said the stories of survivors led her to create the Kosovo Center for the Rehabilitation of Torture Victims.

The stories of the mothers, the stories of the girls, of children, of parents that I heard really affected me a lot, and sometimes I cried with them, she said.

Her center uses a multidisciplinary approach to helping refugees, especially women. She said it offers psychotherapy, medical therapy, legal aid where its needed, social support, and empowerment programs because the majority of those women and girls unfortunately are living in extreme poverty.

Progress in Rwanda

The 1994 Rwandan genocide spurred the work of another woman, Godelieve Mukasarasi, to bring the perpetrators to justice. She was undeterred when her husband and daughter were murdered after she decided to testify at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.

She now works with rape victims and their children, organizing forums where they can meet together and deal with the trauma that theyve been through, she explained in French.

Mukasarasi sees progress in her country, saying that more Rwandans today see themselves as Rwandans and identify less with the class or tribal divisions that fueled the 1990s genocide.

A forensic pathologist from Honduras, Julissa Villanueva, was among the honorees who traveled to Los Angeles. She oversees 650 experts in the Honduran Attorney Generals Forensic Medicine Department who use scientific evidence to solve murders and other cases of violent crime, especially against women and children.

Justice in domestic violence

Aiman Umarova, a criminal lawyer from Kazakhstan, works to bring justice to victims of sexual violence in her country. For Kazakh women, says Umarova, domestic violence was long considered a taboo topic.

While old attitudes persist, she says, her country has laws protecting those who speak out, but many cases finish without suitable compensation for victims. Compensation can amount to just a few thousand dollars in cases of violent rape, which she says victimizes the victims a second time. She says she is fighting to change that.

Janet Elliott of the International Visitors Council of Los Angeles, who worked with the State Department to bring some of the award winners to her city, says these women have shown courage in overcoming violence and persecution.
Street photographer Roza Vulf exhibits at Rome's Leica Store.

10 April-10 May. Rome-based street photographer Roza Vulf presents Floating World, an exhibition hosted at the Leica Store near Rome's Spanish Steps, from 10 April-10 May.

Vulf, a self-taught street photographer originally from Lithuania, is known for capturing moments by simply translating her perception of an immediate environment - be it underground, street or beach - isolating her characters in the colour and style of a particular moment.

The title of Vulf's exhibition takes its roots from the 17th-century Japanese Art called Ukyio, a term originally translated as "sad world" but whose meaning over time has evolved into "floating world", or fleeting pictures of the world. It is this philosophy, the love of the ordinary, anonymous and unposed, that permeates Vulfs photography. The exhibition comprises mostly of images that breathe loneliness and profound human thought, drawing a parallel line to the initial meaning of Ukyio-e.

Vulf says: "Our everyday reality is built of moments. Those are valuable due to their fragility and impermanence. I try to capture the moments in a harmonious way, where my sentiment reflects from stranger's emotions. My Floating World holds the diversity of basic human emotions - happiness, sadness, devastation or hope.
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When the professors rejected her call for help, she was already into her third year leading a daily class at her suburban school for students being bused in from low-income neighborhoods. She improved their writing, their time management and their note-taking. She created a tutoring program that forced them to learn how to think their way to an answer, rather than just ask their tutor. She prepared them not just to graduate but to pass college-level Advanced Placement tests.
A lot has been said, written and debated lately about the economic use of customary lands to advance the development of Samoa.

To say that it is a controversial subject is an understatement. It is an extremely hot political potato at the moment that needs to be handled with care.

Yesterday, more than 200 people gathered on the streets of Salelologa for a peaceful protest march, calling on the Government to repeal the Land Titles Registration Act (L.T.R.A.) 2018 (see story page 2 and 3).

They claimed the Act could alienate customary lands, leaving thousands of Samoans economically poor and as exiles in their own country. Folks, these are very serious concerns we cannot ignore.

On the streets of Salelologa yesterday, signs such as Samoa is not for sale and Repeal the L.T.R.A. 2008 among others were very visible. Behind the protesters who marched yesterday was a very audible voice warning Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi and his administration about the consequences their policies pertaining to foreigners and what they can do with our lands.

Carried by protest yesterday is a real fear  and one that has been lingering for a while now - about the future of Samoa given the fact we are not a nation rich with many natural resources. Apart from our very own people, all we have is land and if that is under threat and lost, then we have nothing else. Its that simple.

Now whether the Government will listen is anyones guess.

Judging from whats been said in Parliament and even in the media recently, it is highly unlikely. This is a one party state after all where whatever Prime Minister Tuilaepa and his Government want will be done.

No ifs no buts.

So where does that leave people who disagree with them?

Well all you can do is voice your frustrations and leave it out there.

The fact is, at least the people who have spoken up and gone through the trouble of standing up to express themselves will go to sleep with their conscience intact, knowing they were not silenced. Today determines what will happen tomorrow. It goes without saying that the future of our children, their children and their childrens children depend on what we do today.

From an impartial perspective, both sides of this argument have valid points.

Whereas the Government is keen to see so much undeveloped and unused land be taken up for commercial purposes that would in return enrich lives through jobs and monies, the other side is a lot more cautious. They are afraid that the laws allowing this to happen, including the L.T.R.A. 2008 and the recently passed Alienation of Customary Land Act are a threat to Samoa.

In the pages of this newspaper, we have had all sorts of views. Weve had countless lawyers and legal minds express their interpretation of the law  for and against. For years, weve been giving the space to the Government, opposition and anybody who has had something to say about this issue. And we will continue to do so because we believe it is such a critical issue and that the more views the better it would be going forward.

And now we have people taking to the streets to protest. Yesterdays protest is not going to be the last. We know that much. These protests will gather momentum and they will continue.

Which is a wonderful thing about democracy and to an extent Samoa today.

The mere fact the Government is not trying to shut down these gatherings (not that we know of at least) and protest groups is a positive step. They might not agree with what these people are saying but at least they are being given the freedom to express themselves.

Sometime ago, Prime Minister Tuilaepa said something very interesting.

I hear many people talking about (land) being given by God but they sit on it and dont do anything about it, Tuilaepa said.

But you were lying around not working the land that had overgrown invasive grass on it while other people wanted to work in it.

I want to say this again that there can be and will be no alienation of customary lands as specifically required by the Constitution.

In 2012, we told you a story. Once upon a time, there lived a man named Jeffrey Lee*. Mr Lee was a senior custodian of a large estate in a country about five hours by plane from Samoa.

One day, a French energy company sought to activate its mineral lease to extract tonnes of uranium from Mr. Lees land. He could have been a millionaire.

But he wasnt. Instead of accepting millions in mining royalties, Mr Lee rejected the offer. He converted the land into a national park so that future generations of his country could enjoy their natural habitat.

When reporters asked him why he refused the big money offer, Mr. Lee responded; When you dig em hole in that country, youre killing me. Money dont mean nothing to me. Country is very important to me.

Mr. Lee would be a rarity these days. You see, in this day and age where the only thing on peoples mind is money, money, money and more money, nothing is what it seems. Most things we see around us are a lie.

They are packaged in such a way where we can be misled  and often we are. Yet once the gloss and the novelty wears off, we find that some things are quite poisonous, theyre deadly. Thats how we see the plan to use customary land.

We understand where the government is coming from.

Implemented well, the plan is potentially sound. In some cases, it could well help some families out of hardship and struggles.

But that is not guaranteed in all cases. And this is the worry.

In times like this, we need to consult the wisdom and vision of our forebears.

Weve said this before and we will say it again; we need to look back and see what they had envisioned for Samoa when they laid the foundation for us today. And according to the supreme law of the land, our sacred Constitution, it is quite simple. Should the government persist with its line of thinking in relation to customary lands, the country needs to hold a referendum.

Have a wonderful Sunday Samoa, God bless!
Diane Bertrand was always a fan of racehorse Outrageous Art, both when she owned him and after she sold him. Now five years after parting with the pacer, she once again holds the papers along with business partner Karen Sobey, and will stand the speedster as a stallion this season.

Outrageous Art was almost the proverbial "one that got away". Bertrand noted that she was part of the original ownership on the son of Artsplace - Righteous Renee when he started his racehorse career for trainer Mark Steacy, who paid $50,000 for the yearling in 2008.

"I was offered a quarter of him, and I was very excited to be a part of that horse," Bertrand told Trot Insider. "He trained down very well and unfortunately got hurt as a two-year-old. So we missed all his two-year-old stakes races; he was paid up to everything and just got hurt."

Outrageous Art raced under the tutelage of Steacy through his five-year-old year when the connections decided to sell.

"We had the opportunity to buy out the other shareholders and bring him to Alberta but the Alberta industry wasn't looking real good, so we ended up selling him."

The pacer was entered in the 2013 January Mixed Sale at The Meadowlands. With $228,845 banked through three seasons, Outrageous Art would show no signs of slowing down at age six with his best season to date: winning 14 starts, banking more than $165,000 and taking his lifetime mark of 1:49.3f at Pocono.

All the while, Bertrand kept her eye on Outrageous Art while also purchasing other horses from that family -- very strong on the maternal side -- purchasing a three-quarter sister to his dam, No More Loving as well as her Roll With Joe filly No Mo Fo Joe along with other family members Lindwood Beachgirl and Who Said Not To. Little did Bertrand know that she'd also have a crack at Outrageous Art.

"I kept talking about this Outrageous Art and how good he was and how I missed the boat on him," said Bertrand. "My partner ended up calling the owner and asked if he would sell him and that's exactly what took place. We got him shipped out here to Alberta [in December 2017], we tried to race him a couple of times but the main purpose was for him to stand stud in Alberta and bring that Artsplace bloodline back."

Alberta's harness racing industry was rocked by the passing of stallion Blue Burner in early March. Blue Burner's sire is Grinfromeartoear, a son of Artsplace.

"It was really unfortunate. I bred all my mares to Blue Burner for several years," noted Bertrand. "I was really high on him as a stallion and it was really sad when he passed away."

A longtime owner and the Chair of Standardbred Canada's Breeders Committee, Bertrand now finds herself connected to stallions in both Alberta and Ontario.

"This is the only stallion I'm in on in Alberta, I was one of the original owners of Sunshine Beach," said Bertrand. "It gets you more interested in the breeding side and the bloodlines. And I love the breeding and racing in Ontario, but I'm born and raised in Alberta and want to support the industry here."

"Outrageous Art is a very good-looking and well-conformed horse that has a great gait and was very smart and easy to drive," said trainer Mark Steacy. "Because of a paddock injury at two he didn't begin his racing career until three; I'm sure he would have more lifetime money earned as he raced in high classes throughout his career."

A winner of races in eight straight seasons, Outrageous Art retires with a summary of 51-23-14 from 192 starts with earnings of $638,868. He'll stand stud at Moore Equine located in Okotoks, Alta. (just south of Calgary) for a stud fee of $1,000.

"Everything he did, he did it the hard way...racing in overnights," noted Bertrand. "He's just tough. He looks really good, he has been tested and his fertility count is very good and we're really excited."
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Empressa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Cemed Care  Empresa de Atendimento Clinico Geral Ltda., Central Indiana Care Organization LLC, Central Ohio Care Organization LLC, Central de Compras SpA, CentriHealth Corporation, CentriHealth UK Limited, CentrifyHealth LLC, Centro Medico Hospitalar Pitangueiras Ltda., Centro Medico Odontologico Americano S.A.C., Centro Medico PJ Ltda., Centro de Entrenamiento en Reanimacion y Prevencion Limitada (CERP), Centro de Servicios Compartidos Banmedica S.A., Centromed Quilpue S.A., Centros Medicos y Dentales Multimed Ltda., Centurion Casualty Company, Channel Islands Surgicenter L.P., Channel Islands Surgicenter Properties LLC, Charleston Surgery Properties LLC, Charlotte-SC LLC, Childrens Surgery Center LLC, ChinaGate (Hong Kong) Limited, ChinaGate Company Limited, Citrus Regional Surgery Center L.P., Clinica Oftalmologica Danilo de Castro Sociedade Simples, Clinical Partners of Colorado Springs LLC, Clinica Alameda S.A., Clinica Bio Bio S.A., Clinica Ciudad del Mar S.A., Clinica Davila y Servicios Medicos S.A., Clinica Medico Cirurgica de Santa Tecla S.A., Clinica San Borja (La Esperanza del Peru S.A.), Clinica San Felipe S.A., Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Clinica Sanchez Ferrer S.A., Clinica Vespucio S.A., Clinica del Country S.A., Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare, Coachella Valley Physicians of PrimeCare Inc., Coalition For Advanced Pharmacy Services, Coalition for Advanced Pharmacy Services Inc., Coastal Physicians Management Inc., Collaborative Care Holdings, Collaborative Care Holdings LLC, Collaborative Care Services, Collaborative Care Services Inc., Collaborative Care Solutions, Collaborative Realty, Collaborative Realty LLC, Colmedica Medicina Prepagada, Colonial Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Colorado Innovative Physician Solutions Inc., Colorado Springs Surgery Center Ltd., Comfort Care Transportation, Comfort Care Transportation LLC, Commonwealth Administrators, Connecticut Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Connecticut Surgery Properties LLC, Connecticut Surgical Center LLC, Connextions, Connextions HCI, Constructora e Inmobiliaria Magapoq S.A., Consumer Wellness Solutions Inc., Country Scan Ltda., Crescent Drug Corp., Cypress Care, Cypress Care Inc., DBP Services of New York IPA, DBP Services of New York IPA Inc., DTC Surgery Center LLC, DWIC of Tampa Bay, DWIC of Tampa Bay Inc., DaVita Magan Management Inc., Danbury Surgical Center L.P., Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company, Day-Op Surgery Consulting Company LLC, Definity Health, Dental Benefit Providers, Dental Benefit Providers Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of California, Dental Benefit Providers of California Inc., Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois, Dental Benefit Providers of Illinois Inc., Derry Surgical Center LLC, Diagnostico Ecotomografico Centromed Ltda., Diasnostico por Imagenes Centromed Ltda., Dilab Medicina Nuclear Ltda., Diplomat Pharmacy, Distance Learning Network, Distance Learning Network Inc., Doctor + S.A.C., Dry Creek Surgery Center LLC, Dublin Surgery Center LLC, Duncan Printing Services, Duncan Printing Services LLC, E Street Endoscopy LLC, ELG FZE, EP Campus I, EP Campus I LLC, East Brunswick Surgery Center LLC, Electronic Network Systems, Electronic Network Systems Inc., Elual Participacoes S.A., Empire Physician Management Company, Empire Physician Management Company LLC, Employers Health Choice PPO Inc., Empremedica S. A., Endoscopy Center Affiliates Inc., Enterprise Life Insurance Company, Equian, Equian LLC, Equian Parent Corp., Esho  Empresa de Servicos Hospitalares S.A., Etho  Empresa de Tecnologia Hospitalar Ltda., Evercare Collaborative Solutions, Evercare Collaborative Solutions Inc., Everett MSO Inc., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos Ltda., Excellion Servicos Biomedicos S.A., Excelsior Insurance Brokerage Inc., Executive Health Resources, Executive Health Resources Inc., Executive Surgery Center LLC, Eye Clinic Oftalmologia Clinico Cirurgica e Diagnostico Ltda., FMG Holdings, FMG Holdings LLC, FOR HEALTH OF ARIZONA, Family Health Care Services, Family Home Hospice, Family Home Hospice Inc., First Rx Specialty & Mail Services, Florida MedTrans Network LLC, Florida MedTrans Network MSO LLC, For Health, For Health Inc., For Health of Arizona Inc., Fortified Provider Network Inc., Fortify Technologies Asia LLC, Fortify Technologies LLC, Foundation Financial Services Inc., Franklin Surgical Center LLC, Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, Freeway Surgicenter of Houston LLC, Frontier MEDEX Limited, Frontier Medex Tanzania Limited, FrontierMEDEX, FrontierMEDEX (RMS), FrontierMEDEX (RMS) Inc., FrontierMEDEX Government Services, FrontierMEDEX Government Services LLC, FrontierMEDEX Inc., FrontierMEDEX Kenya Limited, FrontierMEDEX US, FrontierMEDEX US Inc., Fundacion Banmedica, GRANTS PASS SURGERY CENTER LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center LLC, Gadsden Surgery Center Ltd., Gainesville Surgery Center L.P., Gainesville Surgery Properties LLC, Genoa, Genoa Healthcare Inc., Genoa Healthcare LLC, Genoa QoL Wholesale LLC, Genoa Technology (Canada) Inc., Genoa Technology Inc., Genoa Telepsychiatry Inc., Genoa of Arkansas LLC, Glenwood Surgical Center L.P., Glenwood-SC Inc., Golden Outlook, Golden Outlook Inc., Golden Rule Financial Corporation, Golden Rule Insurance Company, Golden Triangle Surgicenter L.P., Grapevine Finance LLC, Greater Hartford ASC LLC, Grove Place Surgery Center L.L.C., Guardian Health Systems Limited Partnership, H&W Indemnity (SPC), H&W Indemnity (SPC) Ltd., H.I. Investments Holding Company LLC, HCP ACO California LLC, HCP ACO Nevada LLC, HCentive Technology India Private Limited, HMI NewCo LLC, Harken Health Insurance Company, Hayes-Strub LLC, Health Business Systems, Health Care-ONE Insurance Agency Inc., Health Inventures Employment Solutions LLC, Health Inventures LLC, Health Net Insurance of New York, Health Net Services (Bermuda) Ltd., Health Plan of Nevada, Health Plan of Nevada Inc., Health Technology Analysts Pty Limited, HealthAllies, HealthAllies Inc., HealthCare Partners ASC-LB LLC, HealthCare Partners Management Services California LLC, HealthCare Partners RE LLC, HealthFirst IPA Inc., HealthMarkets Group Inc., HealthMarkets Inc., HealthMarkets Insurance Agency Inc., HealthMarkets LLC, HealthMarkets NewCo Inc., HealthMarkets Services Inc., HealthSCOPE Holdings Inc., HealthScope Benefits Inc., Healthcare Partners Plan of Nevada Inc., Healthcare Solutions Inc., Heartland Heart and Vascular LLC, Help S.A., Help Service S.A., Highlands Ranch Healthcare, Highlands Ranch Healthcare LLC, Home Care I.V. of Bend, Home Infusion With Heart, Home Medical S.A., Hospice Inspiris Holdings, Hospice Inspiris Holdings Inc., Hospitais Associados de Pernambuco Ltda., Hospital Alvorada de Taguatinga Ltda., Hospital Ana Costa S.A., Hospital Maternidade Promater Ltda., Hospital Samaritano de Sao Paulo Ltda., Hospital Santa Helena S.A., Hospital de Clinicas de Jacarepagua Ltda., Humedica, Humedica Inc., Hygeia Corporation, Hygeia Corporation (Canada), Hygeia Corporation (DE), Hygeia Corporation (Ontario), INOV8 Surgical at Memorial City LLC, INSPIRIS of New York IPA, INSPIRIS of New York Management, INSPIRIS of New York Management Inc., INSPIRIS of Texas Physician Group, IRX Financing I LLC, Illinois Independent Care Network, Imed Star  Servicos de Desempenho Organizacional Ltda., Impel Consulting Experts, Impel Consulting Experts L.L.C., Impel Management Services L.L.C., Indian River Surgery Center Ltd., Indian River Surgery Properties LLC, Indiana Care Organization LLC, Infusource, Ingram & Associates, Ingram & Associates LLC, Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3001 S.A., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo 3600 Ltda., Inmobiliaria Apoquindo S.A., Inmobiliaria Clinica Santa Maria S.A., Inmobiliaria Vinamed Ltda., Inmobiliaria e Inversiones Alameda S.A., Inspiris, Inspiris Inc., Inspiris Services Company, Inspiris of Tennessee, Instituto do Radium de Cammpinas Ltda, International Psychological Services Pty Limited, Inversiones Clinicas Santa Maria S.A., Isapre Banmedica S.A., Isapre Vida Tres S.A., Johnston Surgicare L.P., Joliet Surgery Center Limited Partnership, LHI, Laboratorio ROE S.A., Laboratorios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., LifePrint Health, LifePrint Health Inc., LifeStyles Marketing Group Inc., LifeWell Ltd. Co., Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization, Lifeprint Accountable Care Organization LLC, Lifeprint East, Lifeprint East Inc., Logistics Health Inc., Lotten-Eyes Oftalmologia Clinica e Cirurgica Ltda., Louisville S.C. Ltd., Louisville-SC Properties Inc., Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center at Oakbrook Inc., Lusiadas - Parcerias Cascais S.A., Lusiadas A.C.E., Lusiadas S.A., Lusiadas SGPS S.A., MAMSI Insurance Resources, MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Company, MD Ops, MD Ops Inc., MD-Individual Practice Association, MD-Individual Practice Association Inc., ME AHS UC LLC, MEDEX Insurance Services, MEDEX Insurance Services Inc., MGH/SCA LLC, MHC Real Estate Holdings, MHC Real Estate Holdings LLC, MIAMI SURGERY CENTER LLC, MSLA Management LLC, MXMD Centros De Cancer, Mamoeco  Mamografia e Ecografia Centro de Diagnostico, Managed Physical Network, Managed Physical Network Inc., March Holdings, March Holdings Inc., March Vision Care, March Vision Care Inc., Marin Surgery Holdings Inc., Maryland Ambulatory Centers, Maryland-SCA Centers LLC, Massachusetts Assurance Company Ltd. PIC, Massachusetts Avenue Surgery Center LLC, Mat-Rx Development, Mat-Rx Fort Worth GP, MedExpress Development, MedExpress Development LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Alabama LLC, MedExpress Urgent Care Inc. - Ohio, MedExpress Urgent Care Maine Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care New Hampshire Inc., MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach, MedExpress Urgent Care of Boynton Beach LLC, MedSynergies, MedSynergies LLC, MedSynergies North Texas, Medalliance Net Ltda, Medalliance Net Ltda., Medica Health Plans of Florida, Medica Health Plans of Florida Inc., Medica HealthCare Plans, Medica HealthCare Plans Inc., Medical Clinic of North Texas PLLC, Medical Hilfe S.A., Medical Preparatory School of Allied Health, Medical Support Los Angeles Inc., Medical Surgical Centers of America Inc., Medical Transportation Services, Medical Transportation Services LLC, Medication Management Systems Inc., Melbourne Surgery Center LLC, Memorial City Holdings LLC, Memorial City Partners LLC, Memphis-SC LLC, Memphis-SP LLC, Mesquite Liberty LLC, Metro I Stone Management, Metropolitan Medical Partners LLC, Metropolitan Medical Transportation IPA LLC, Mid Atlantic Medical Services, Mid-West National Life Insurance Company of Tennessee, Midwest Center for Day Surgery LLC, Mile High SurgiCenter LLC, Mississippi Surgery Holdings LLC, Mississippi Surgical Center Limited Partnership, Mobile Medical Professionals, Modern Medical Inc., Monarch Management Services, Monarch Management Services Inc., Montgomery Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Mountain View Medical Group LLC, Mt. Pleasant Surgery Center L.P., Multiangio Ltda., Muskogee Surgical Investors LLC, Mustang Razorback Holdings, Mustang Razorback Holdings Inc., My Wellness Solutions LLC, NAMM Holdings, NAMM Holdings Inc., NSC Fayetteville LLC, NSC Greensboro LLC, NSC Lancaster LLC, NSC Seattle Inc., NSC Upland LLC, Nashville-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., National Foundation Life Insurance Company, National MedTrans LLC, National Pacific Dental, National Pacific Dental Inc., National Surgery Centers LLC, Neighborhood Health Partnership, Neighborhood Health Partnership Inc., Netwerkes, Netwerkes LLC, Nevada Medical Services LLC, Nevada Pacific Dental, New Orleans Regional Physician Hospital Organization L.L.C., New West Physicians Inc., Newton Holdings LLC, North American Medical Management - Illinois, North American Medical Management California, North American Medical Management California Inc., North Puget Sound Center for Sleep Disorders LLC, North Puget Sound Oncology Equipment Leasing Company LLC, Northern Nevada Health Network, Northern Nevada Health Network Inc., Northern Rockies Surgicenter Inc., Northwest Surgicare LLC, Northwest Surgicare Ltd., Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care, Nutritional/Parenteral Home Care of Huntsville, OC Cardiology Practice Partners LLC, OSB  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Omesa S.A., OmniClaim LLC, Oncocare S.A.C., OneNet PPO, OneNet PPO LLC, Optimum Choice, Optimum Choice Inc., Optum, Optum Bank, Optum Bank Inc., Optum Biometrics, Optum Biometrics Inc., Optum Care Inc., Optum Care Services Company, Optum Clinical Services, Optum Clinics Holdings, Optum Clinics Holdings Inc., Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings, Optum Clinics Intermediate Holdings Inc., Optum Digital Health Holdings LLC, Optum Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Global Solutions (India) Private Limited, Optum Global Solutions (Philippines), Optum Global Solutions (Philippines) Inc., Optum Global Solutions International B.V., Optum Government Solutions, Optum Government Solutions Inc., Optum Growth Partners LLC, Optum Health & Technology (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health & Technology (Hong Kong) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (India) Private Limited, Optum Health & Technology (Singapore) Pte. Ltd., Optum Health & Technology (UK) Limited, Optum Health & Technology (US), Optum Health & Technology (US) LLC, Optum Health & Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US), Optum Health & Technology Holdings (US) Inc., Optum Health & Technology Servicos do Brasil Ltda., Optum Health Services (Canada) Ltd., Optum Health Solutions (Australia) Pty Ltd, Optum Health Solutions (UK) Limited, Optum Health and Technology FZ-LLC, Optum Healthcare of Illinois, Optum Healthcare of Illinois Inc., Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services, Optum Hospice Pharmacy Services LLC, Optum Inc., Optum Infusion Services 100 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 101 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 103 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 201 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 202 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 203 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 205 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 206 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 207 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 208 Inc., Optum Infusion Services 301 LP, Optum Infusion Services 302 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 308 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 401 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 403 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 404 LLC, Optum Infusion Services 501 Inc., Optum Insurance of Ohio, Optum Insurance of Ohio Inc., Optum Labs, Optum Labs Dimensions, Optum Labs Dimensions Inc., Optum Labs Inc., Optum Labs International (UK) Ltd., Optum Life Sciences (Canada) Inc., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co., Optum Management Consulting (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Optum Networks of New Jersey Inc., Optum Nevada Accountable Care Organization LLC, Optum Operations (Ireland) Unlimited Company, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Pennsylvania Inc., Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas, Optum Palliative and Hospice Care of Texas Inc., Optum Perks LLC, Optum Pharmacy 701 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 702 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 703 LLC, Optum Pharmacy 705 LLC, Optum Public Sector Solutions, Optum Public Sector Solutions Inc., Optum Rocket, Optum Rocket Inc., Optum Senior Services LLC, Optum Services, Optum Services (Ireland) Limited, Optum Services (Puerto Rico) LLC, Optum Services Inc., Optum Solutions UK Holdings Limited, Optum Solutions do Brasil  Tecnologia e Servicos de Suporte Ltda., Optum Technology, Optum Technology LLC, Optum UK Solutions Group Limited, Optum Women's and Children's Health, Optum Women's and Children's Health LLC, Optum of New York Inc., Optum360, Optum360 LLC, Optum360 Services, Optum360 Services Inc., Optum360 Solutions LLC, OptumCare ACO Florida LLC, OptumCare ACO Holdings LLC, OptumCare ACO New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Clinical Trials LLC, OptumCare Colorado ASC LLC, OptumCare Colorado LLC, OptumCare Colorado Springs LLC, OptumCare Endoscopy Center New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Florida CI LLC, OptumCare Florida LLC, OptumCare Health Plan of California Inc., OptumCare Holdings Colorado LLC, OptumCare Holdings LLC, OptumCare Holdings New Mexico LLC, OptumCare Management LLC, OptumCare New Mexico LLC, OptumCare New York IPA Inc., OptumCare South Florida LLC, OptumHealth Care Solutions, OptumHealth Care Solutions LLC, OptumHealth Financial Services, OptumHealth Financial Services Inc., OptumHealth Holdings, OptumHealth Holdings LLC, OptumHealth International B.V., OptumInsight, OptumInsight Holdings, OptumInsight Holdings LLC, OptumInsight Inc., OptumInsight India Private Limited, OptumInsight Life Sciences, OptumInsight Life Sciences Inc., OptumRx, OptumRx Administrative Services, OptumRx Administrative Services LLC, OptumRx Discount Card Services, OptumRx Discount Card Services LLC, OptumRx Group Holdings, OptumRx Group Holdings Inc., OptumRx Health Solutions LLC, OptumRx Holdings, OptumRx Holdings I LLC, OptumRx Holdings LLC, OptumRx Home Delivery of Illinois, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio, OptumRx Home Delivery of Ohio LLC, OptumRx IPA III Inc., OptumRx Inc., OptumRx NY IPA, OptumRx NY IPA Inc., OptumRx PBM of Illinois, OptumRx PBM of Illinois Inc., OptumRx PBM of Maryland, OptumRx PBM of Maryland LLC, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania, OptumRx PBM of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx PBM of Puerto Rico LLC, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin, OptumRx PBM of Wisconsin LLC, OptumRx PD of Maryland, OptumRx PD of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumRx Pharmacy, OptumRx Pharmacy Inc., OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada, OptumRx Pharmacy of Nevada Inc., OptumRx of Pennsylvania LLC, OptumServe Technology Services Inc., Orlando Center for Outpatient Surgery L.P., OrthoNet Holdings, OrthoNet Holdings Inc., OrthoNet LLC, OrthoNet New York IPA, OrthoNet New York IPA Inc., OrthoNet Services, OrthoNet Services Inc., OrthoNet West, OrthoNet West Inc., OrthoNet of the Mid-Atlantic, OrthoNet of the South, OrthoNet of the South Inc., Ovations, Ovations Inc., Oxford Benefit Management, Oxford Benefit Management Inc., Oxford Health Insurance, Oxford Health Insurance Inc., Oxford Health Plans (CT), Oxford Health Plans (CT) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NJ), Oxford Health Plans (NJ) Inc., Oxford Health Plans (NY), Oxford Health Plans (NY) Inc., Oxford Health Plans LLC, P2 Lower Acquisition, P2P Link LLC, PCCCV, PCCCV Inc., PCN DE Corp., PHC Subsidiary Holdings, PHC Subsidiary Holdings LLC, PHYS Holding Corp., PHYSICIANS DAY SURGERY CENTER LLC, PMI Acquisition, PMI Acquisition LLC, PMSI, PMSI Holdco II, PMSI Holdings, PMSI Holdings LLC, PMSI LLC, PMSI Settlement Solutions, PMSI Settlement Solutions LLC, POMCO Inc., POMCO Network Inc., PPH Holdings LLC, PacifiCare Health Systems, PacifiCare Life Assurance Company, PacifiCare Life and Health Insurance Company, PacifiCare of Arizona, PacifiCare of Arizona Inc., PacifiCare of Colorado, PacifiCare of Colorado Inc., PacifiCare of Nevada, PacifiCare of Nevada Inc., Pacific Casualty Company Inc., Pacifico S.A. Entidad Prestadora de Salud, Paoli Ambulatory Surgery Center, Paoli Surgery Center L.P., Parkway Surgery Center LLC, Pasteur Plaza Surgery Center GP Inc., PatientsLikeMe, PatientsLikeMe LLC, Patrimonio Autonomo Nueva Clinica - PANC., Payment Resolution Services, Payment Resolution Services LLC, Peoples Health, Peoples Health Inc., Pharmaceutical Care Network, Pharmacy Review Services, Pharmacy Software Holdco Inc., PhyServe Holdings, Physician Alliance of the Rockies LLC, Physician Care Partners, Physicians Health Choice of Texas, Physicians Health Choice of Texas LLC, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland, Physicians Health Plan of Maryland Inc., Physicians Plaza Holdings LLC, Plano de Saude Ana Costa Ltda., Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico, Plus One Health Management Puerto Rico Inc., Plus One Holdings, Plus One Holdings Inc., Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes, Polar II Fundo de Investimento em Participacoes Multiestrategia, Polo Holdco, Polo Holdco LLC, Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center Inc., Pomerado Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Precision Dialing Services Inc., Preferred Care Partners, Preferred Care Partners Holding, Preferred Care Partners Holding Corp., Preferred Care Partners Inc., Preferred Care Partners Medical Group, Preferred Care Partners Medical Group Inc., Premier Choice ACO, Premier Choice ACO Inc., Premier Surgery Center of Louisville L.P., Prime Health, Prime Health Inc., PrimeCare Medical Network, PrimeCare Medical Network Inc., PrimeCare of Citrus Valley, PrimeCare of Citrus Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Corona, PrimeCare of Corona Inc., PrimeCare of Hemet Valley, PrimeCare of Hemet Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Inland Valley, PrimeCare of Inland Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Moreno Valley, PrimeCare of Moreno Valley Inc., PrimeCare of Redlands, PrimeCare of Redlands Inc., PrimeCare of Riverside, PrimeCare of Riverside Inc., PrimeCare of San Bernardino, PrimeCare of San Bernardino Inc., PrimeCare of Sun City, PrimeCare of Sun City Inc., PrimeCare of Temecula, PrimeCare of Temecula Inc., ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success, ProHEALTH Fitness of Lake Success LLC, ProHEALTH Medical Management LLC, ProHealth Medical Management, ProHealth Physicians, ProHealth Physicians ACO, ProHealth Physicians ACO LLC, ProHealth Physicians Inc., ProHealth Proton Center Management, ProHealth Proton Center Management LLC, Procura Management, Procura Management Inc., Progressive Enterprises Holdings, Progressive Enterprises Holdings Inc., Progressive Medical, Progressive Medical LLC, Progressive Solutions, Promotora Country S.A., Pronetics Health Care Group, Pronounced Health Solutions Inc., Prosemedic S.A.C., Prospero Management Services LLC, Pueblo-SCA Surgery Center LLC, Pulse Platform LLC, QoL Acquisition Holdings Corp., Quality Software Services, QuarterMaster Newco LLC, R&H Family Fitness Unlimited LLC, Rally Health, Rally Health Inc., Real Appeal Inc., Recaudacion y Cobranzas Honodav Ltda., Redlands Ambulatory Surgery Center, Redlands-SCA Surgery Centers Inc., Reliant MSO LLC, Research Surgical Center LLC, River Valley ASC LLC, Riverside Electronic Healthcare Resources Inc., Riverside Medical Management, Riverside Medical Management LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Meadowlands LLC, Riverside Surgical Center of Newark LLC, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization Incorporated, Rocky Mountain HealthCare Options Inc., SC Affiliates LLC, SCA Alaska Surgery Center inc., SCA Athens LLC, SCA Austin Holdings LLC, SCA BOSC Holdings LLC, SCA California Surgical Holdings LLC, SCA Capital LLC, SCA Cedar Park Holdings LLC, SCA Clifton LLC, SCA Danbury Surgical Center LLC, SCA Development LLC, SCA EHSC Holdings LLC, SCA EWASC Holdings LLC, SCA Hays Holdings LLC, SCA Heartland Holdings LLC, SCA HoldCo Inc., SCA Holding Company Inc., SCA Holdings Inc., SCA IEC Holdings LLC, SCA Indiana Holdings LLC, SCA Nashville ASC LLC, SCA Pacific Holdings Inc., SCA Pennsylvania Holdings LLC, SCA Premier Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, SCA ROCS Holdings LLC, SCA Rockledge JV LLC, SCA SSC Holdings LLC, SCA SSSC Holdings LLC, SCA Sage Medical LLC, SCA Sage Medical MSO LLC, SCA Southwestern PA LLC, SCA Specialists of Florida LLC, SCA Stonegate Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Center of Cullman LLC, SCA Surgery Holdings LLC, SCA Surgery Partners LLC, SCA Surgicare of Laguna Hills LLC, SCA Teammate Support Network, SCA eCode Solutions Private Limited, SCA of Clarksville Inc., SCA-Albuquerque Surgery Properties Inc., SCA-Alliance LLC, SCA-Anne Arundel LLC, SCA-Applecare Partners LLC, SCA-Bethesda LLC, SCA-Blue Ridge LLC, SCA-Bonita Springs LLC, SCA-Brandon LLC, SCA-Castle Rock LLC, SCA-Central Florida LLC, SCA-Charleston LLC, SCA-Chatham LLC, SCA-Chevy Chase LLC, SCA-Citrus Inc., SCA-Colorado Springs LLC, SCA-Connecticut Partners LLC, SCA-DRY CREEK LLC, SCA-Davenport LLC, SCA-Denver LLC, SCA-Denver Physicians Holdings LLC, SCA-Derry LLC, SCA-Doral LLC, SCA-Downey LLC, SCA-Dublin LLC, SCA-Encinitas Inc., SCA-Eugene Inc., SCA-First Coast LLC, SCA-Florence LLC, SCA-Fort Collins Inc., SCA-Fort Walton Inc., SCA-Franklin LLC, SCA-Frederick LLC, SCA-Freeway Holdings LLC, SCA-Ft. Myers LLC, SCA-GRANTS PASS LLC, SCA-Gainesville LLC, SCA-Gladiolus LLC, SCA-Grove Place LLC, SCA-Hagerstown LLC, SCA-Hamden LLC, SCA-Hilton Head LLC, SCA-Honolulu LLC, SCA-Houston Executive LLC, SCA-IT Holdings LLC, SCA-Illinois LLC, SCA-JPM Holdings LLC, SCA-Kissing Camels Holdings LLC, SCA-MC VBP Inc., SCA-Main Street LLC, SCA-Marina del Rey LLC, SCA-Mecklenburg Development Corp., SCA-Memorial City LLC, SCA-Merritt LLC, SCA-Midlands LLC, SCA-Midway Management LLC, SCA-Mobile LLC, SCA-Mokena LLC, SCA-Mokena Properties LLC, SCA-Morris County LLC, SCA-Mt. Pleasant LLC, SCA-ND VBP Inc., SCA-Naperville LLC, SCA-Naples LLC, SCA-New Jersey LLC, SCA-Newport Beach LLC, SCA-Northeast Georgia Health LLC, SCA-PORTLAND LLC, SCA-Palm Beach LLC, SCA-Palm Beach MSO Holdings LLC, SCA-Paoli LLC, SCA-Phoenix LLC, SCA-Pocono LLC, SCA-Practice Partners Holdings LLC, SCA-River Valley LLC, SCA-Riverside LLC, SCA-Riverside Partners LLC, SCA-Rockville LLC, SCA-Sacred Heart Holdings LLC, SCA-San Diego Inc., SCA-San Luis Obispo LLC, SCA-Sand Lake LLC, SCA-Santa Rosa Inc., SCA-Shelby Development Corp., SCA-Somerset LLC, SCA-South Jersey LLC, SCA-Sparta LLC, SCA-Spartanburg Holdings LLC, SCA-St. Louis LLC, SCA-St. Lucie LLC, SCA-SurgiCare LLC, SCA-Swiftpath LLC, SCA-VERTA LLC, SCA-Wake Forest LLC, SCA-Western Connecticut LLC, SCA-Westover Hills LLC, SCA-Wilmington LLC, SCA-Wilson LLC, SCA-Winchester LLC, SCA-Winter Park Inc., SCA-Woodlands Holdings LLC, SCAI Holdings LLC, SCP Specialty Infusion, SCP Specialty Infusion LLC, SHC Atlanta LLC, SHC Austin Inc., SHC Hawthorn Inc., SHC Melbourne Inc., SPINETRACK 20/20 Inc., SRPS LLC, SXC Comet, Sacred Heart ASC LLC, Saden S.A., Salem Surgery Center LLC, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy, Salveo Specialty Pharmacy Inc., Sand Lake SurgiCenter LLC, Santa Cruz Endoscopy Center LLC, Santa Helena Assistencia Medica S.A., Santos Administracao e Participacoes S.A., Savvysherpa Administrative Services LLC, Savvysherpa Asia Inc., Savvysherpa LLC, Scanner Centromed S.A., ScripNet, ScriptSwitch Limited, Seisa Servicos Integrados de Saude Ltda., Senate Street Surgery Center LLC, Senior Benefits L.L.C., Senior Care Partners, Serquinox Holdings LLC, Serquinox LLC, Servicios Integrados de Salud Ltda., Servicios Medicos Amed Quilpue S.A., Servicios Medicos Bio Bio Limitada, Servicios Medicos Ciudad del Mar Ltda., Servicios Medicos Santa Maria Limitada, Servicios Medicos Vespucio Ltda., Servicios de Entrenamiento en Competencias Clinicas Ltda., SharedClarity LLC, Shelby Surgery Properties Inc., Sierra Health Services, Sierra Health Services Inc, Sierra Health Services Inc., Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company, Sierra Health and Life Insurance Company Inc., Sierra Health-Care Options, Sierra Health-Care Options Inc., Sierra Home Medical Products, Sierra Home Medical Products Inc., Sierra Nevada Administrators, Sierra Nevada Administrators Inc., Sirona Infusion, Sistema de Administracion Hospitalaria S.A.C., Small Business Insurance Advisors Inc., Sobam  Centro Medico Hospitalar S.A., Sociedad Editorial para la Ciencia Limitada., Sociedad de Inversiones Santa Maria S.A., Somerset Outpatient Surgery L.L.C., Southwest Medical Associates, Southwest Medical Associates Inc., Southwest Michigan Health Network Inc., Southwest Surgery Center LLC, Southwest Surgical Center of Bakersfield L.P., Space Coast Surgical Center Ltd., Specialists in Urology Surgery Center LLC, Specialized Pharmaceuticals Inc., Specialty Benefits, Specialty Benefits LLC, Spectera, Spectera Inc., Spectera of New York IPA, Spectera of New York IPA Inc., Spotlite, Spotlite Inc., St. Cloud Surgical Center LLC, StoneRiver P2P Link, StoneRiver Pharmacy Solutions, Stonegate Surgery Center L.P., Streamlines Health LLC, Summit Home Infusion, SunSurgery LLC, Surgery Center Holding LLC, Surgery Center at Cherry Creek LLC, Surgery Center at Kissing Camels LLC, Surgery Center of Boca Raton Inc., Surgery Center of Clarksville L.P., Surgery Center of Colorado Springs LLC, Surgery Center of Des Moines LLC, Surgery Center of Easton LLC, Surgery Center of Ellicott City Inc., Surgery Center of Louisville LLC, Surgery Center of Maui LLC, Surgery Center of Muskogee LLC, Surgery Center of Rockville L.L.C., Surgery Center of Southern Pines LLC, Surgery Center of Spokane LLC, Surgery Center of Summerlin LLC, Surgery Center of The Woodlands LLC, Surgery Center of Vero Beach Inc., Surgery Center of Wilmington LLC, Surgery Center of Wilmington Properties LLC, Surgery Centers of Des Moines Ltd. an Iowa Limited Partnership, Surgery Centers-West Holdings LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates, Surgical Care Affiliates LLC, Surgical Care Affiliates Political Action Committee, Surgical Care Partners of Melbourne LLC, Surgical Center of South Jersey Limited Partnership, Surgical Center of Tuscaloosa Holdings LLC, Surgical Health LLC, Surgical Health of Orlando LLC, Surgical Hospital Holdings of Oklahoma LLC, Surgicare LLC, Surgicare of Belleville LLC, Surgicare of Jackson LLC, Surgicare of Joliet Inc., Surgicare of La Veta Inc., Surgicare of Minneapolis LLC, Surgicare of Mobile LLC, Surgicare of Oceanside Inc., Surgicare of Owensboro LLC, Surgicare of Salem LLC, Surgicenters of Southern California Inc., Symphonix Health Holdings, Symphonix Health Holdings LLC, Symphonix Health Insurance, Symphonix Health Insurance Inc., THE SURGICAL CENTER OF THE TREASURE COAST L.L.C., TeamMD Holdings Inc., TeamMD Iowa Inc., TeamMD Physicians of Texas Inc., TeamUP Insurance Services Inc., Tecnologias de Informacion en Salud S.A., The Advisory Board (Chile) SpA, The Chesapeake Life Insurance Company, The Lewin Group, The Lewin Group Inc., The Magan Medical Group, The Outpatient Surgery Center of Hilton Head LLC, The Polyclinic MSO LLC, Thomas Johnson Surgery Center LLC, Thousand Oaks Endoscopy Center LLC, Three Rivers Holdings, Three Rivers Holdings Inc., Three Rivers Surgical Care L.P., Tmesys, Tmesys LLC, Topimagem Diagnostico por Imagem Ltda., Touchpoint Health Plan, Trails Edge Surgery Center LLC, Travel Express Incorporated, TriMed LLC, Trinity Infusion, Trio Motion LLC, Tucson Arizona Surgical Center LLC, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan, U.S. Behavioral Health Plan California, UHC Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UHC Global Health Services BC Ltd., UHC International Services, UHC International Services Inc., UHC of California, UHCG Holdings (Ireland) Limited, UHCG Services (Ireland) Limited, UHCG  FZE, UHG Brasil Participacoes S.A., UHIC Holdings, UHIC Holdings Inc., UICI Funding Corp. 2, UMR, UMR Inc., USHEALTH Academy Inc., USHEALTH Administrators LLC, USHEALTH Advisors L.L.C., USHEALTH Career Agency Inc., USHEALTH Funding Inc., USHEALTH Group Inc., USMD Administrative Services, USMD Administrative Services L.L.C., USMD Affiliated Services, USMD CT (Mo), USMD Cancer Treatment Centers, USMD Cancer Treatment Centers GP, USMD Diagnostic Services, USMD Holdings, USMD Holdings Inc., USMD Inc., USMD PPM, USMD PPM LLC, USMD of Arlington GP, Ultima Rx, Unidad Medica Diagnostico S.A., Unimerica Insurance Company, Unimerica Life Insurance Company of New York, Unison Administrative Services, Unison Health Plan of Delaware, Unison Health Plan of Delaware Inc., United Behavioral Health, United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A., United Behavioral Health of New York I.P.A. Inc., United Group Reinsurance Inc., United Health Foundation, United HealthCare, United HealthCare Services Inc., United Management Services Inc., United Resource Networks IPA of New York, United Resource Networks IPA of New York Inc., UnitedHealth Advisors, UnitedHealth Advisors LLC, UnitedHealth Group Finance Inc., UnitedHealth Group Global Healthcare Services Limited, UnitedHealth Group Global Services, UnitedHealth Group Incorporated, UnitedHealth Group Information Services Private Limited, UnitedHealth Group International Finance (Ireland) Unlimited Company, UnitedHealth Group International GP, UnitedHealth Group International L.P., UnitedHealth International, UnitedHealth International Inc., UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services, UnitedHealth Military & Veterans Services LLC, UnitedHealth UK Limited, UnitedHealthcare, UnitedHealthcare Benefits Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Benefits of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare Children's Foundation Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of California Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Texas L.L.C., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co., UnitedHealthcare Consulting & Assistance Service (Beijing) Co. Ltd., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Europe S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare Global Canada Limited, UnitedHealthcare Global Medical (UK) Limited, UnitedHealthcare Inc., UnitedHealthcare India Private Limited, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of New York, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Insurance Designated Activity Company, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services, UnitedHealthcare Integrated Services Inc., UnitedHealthcare International Asia, UnitedHealthcare International Asia LLC, UnitedHealthcare International I B.V., UnitedHealthcare International I S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II B.V., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International II S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III B.V., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International III S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International IV S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International V S.a.r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VI S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International VIII S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare International X S.a r.l., UnitedHealthcare Life Insurance Company, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley Inc., UnitedHealthcare Service LLC, UnitedHealthcare Services Company of the River Valley, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits, UnitedHealthcare Specialty Benefits LLC, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama, UnitedHealthcare of Alabama Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arizona, UnitedHealthcare of Arizona Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas, UnitedHealthcare of Arkansas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Colorado, UnitedHealthcare of Colorado Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Florida, UnitedHealthcare of Florida Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Georgia, UnitedHealthcare of Georgia Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Illinois, UnitedHealthcare of Illinois Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky, UnitedHealthcare of Kentucky Ltd., UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana, UnitedHealthcare of Louisiana Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi, UnitedHealthcare of Mississippi Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New England, UnitedHealthcare of New England Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico Inc., UnitedHealthcare of New York, UnitedHealthcare of New York Inc., UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina, UnitedHealthcare of North Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Ohio, UnitedHealthcare of Ohio Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma, UnitedHealthcare of Oklahoma Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Oregon, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania, UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania Inc., UnitedHealthcare of South Carolina Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Texas, UnitedHealthcare of Texas Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Utah, UnitedHealthcare of Utah Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Washington, UnitedHealthcare of Washington Inc., UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin, UnitedHealthcare of Wisconsin Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic, UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands, UnitedHealthcare of the Midlands Inc., UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest, UnitedHealthcare of the Midwest Inc., UpFront Insurance Agency LLC, Upland Holdings LLC, Upland Outpatient Surgical Center L.P., Urgent Care Holdings, Urgent Care Holdings Inc., Urgent Care MSO, Urgent Care MSO LLC, Urology Associates of North Texas, Urology Associates of North Texas P.L.L.C., VERTA MANAGEMENT SERVICES LLC, Valley Hospital L.L.C., Valley Physicians Network, Valley Physicians Network Inc., Vida Tres Internacional S.A., Vidaintegra S.A., Vivify Health Canada Inc., Vivify Health Inc., WESTMED Practice Partners LLC, Wauwatosa Outpatient Surgery Center LLC, Wauwatosa Surgery Center Limited Partnership, Wayland Square Surgicare Acquisition L.P., Wayland Square Surgicare GP Inc., WebInsure Benefits LLC, WellMed Medical Management, WellMed Medical Management Inc., WellMed Medical Management of Florida, WellMed Medical Management of Florida Inc., WellMed Networks  DFW, West Coast Endoscopy Holdings LLC, Western Connecticut Orthopedic Surgical Center LLC, WillowB Labs LLC, Wilmington ASC LLC, Winchester Endoscopy LLC, Winter Park LLC, XLHealth Corporation, XLHealth Corporation India Private Limited, Your Health Options Insurance Services, Your Health Options Insurance Services Inc., Your Partner in Health Services, divvyDOSE, eCode Solutions LLC, gethealthinsurance.com Agency Inc., hCentive Inc., inPharmative, inPharmative Inc., and ppoONE.
Wall Street analysts have given BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund 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 BlackRock MuniYield Pennsylvania Quality Fund wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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Vivint Solar, Inc. provides distributed solar energy primarily to residential customers in the United States. It owns and installs solar energy systems through long-term customer contracts. The company also sells photovoltaic installation products, as well as solar renewable energy certificates. As of December 31, 2019, it had an aggregate capacity of 1,294.0 megawatts covering approximately 188,300 homes. The company was formerly known as V Solar Holdings, Inc. and changed its name to Vivint Solar, Inc. in April 2014. Vivint Solar, Inc. was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in Lehi, Utah.

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CYBG PLC, through its subsidiaries, provides retail and business banking products and services to individuals and businesses under the Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, B, and Virgin Money brands in the United Kingdom. It operates through SME Banking and Retail Banking segments. The SME Banking segment offers a range of banking products and services, including business current accounts; and secured and unsecured term loans, business overdrafts, and invoice and asset financing products and services. It also provides international trade services, such as import loans, export loans, documentary collections, currency guarantees, and letters of credit for securing trade; and current account facilities comprising debit cards, cheque books, regular statements, direct debits, and standing orders, as well as day to day and online banking services. This segment serves business customers in the small business, commercial, corporate, and structured finance markets. The Retail Banking segment offers personal current accounts, savings accounts, and term deposits; occupied mortgage loans and BTL loans, unsecured personal loans, and overdrafts, as well as credit card products; and insurance and investment products. The company was founded in 1838 and is based in Leeds, the United Kingdom.

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Bank of America Corp. is a bank and financial holding company, which engages in the provision of banking and nonbank financial services. It operates through the following segments: Consumer Banking, Global Wealth and Investment Management, Global Banking, Global Markets, and All Other. The Consumer Banking segment offers credit, banking, and investment products and services to consumers and small businesses. The Global Wealth and Investment Management provides client experience through a network of financial advisors focused on to meet their needs through a full set of investment management, brokerage, banking, and retirement products. The Global Banking segment deals with lending-related products and services, integrated working capital management and treasury solutions to clients, and underwriting and advisory services. The Global Markets segment includes sales and trading services, as well as research, to institutional clients across fixed-income, credit, currency, commodity, and equity businesses. The All Other segment consists of asset and liability management activities, equity investments, non-core mortgage loans and servicing activities, the net impact of periodic revisions

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Wall Street analysts have given iShares MSCI Italy 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 Italy ETF wasn't one of them. MarketBeat thinks these five companies may be even better buys.

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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.
Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited, together with its subsidiaries, manufactures and sells petrochemical products in the People's Republic of China. It operates through five segments: Synthetic Fibers, Resins and Plastics, Intermediate Petrochemicals, Petroleum Products, and Trading of Petrochemical Products. The Synthetic Fibers segment produces polyesters, acrylic fibers, and carbon fibers that are primarily used in the textile and apparel industries. The Resins and Plastics segment produces polyester chips that are used to produce polyester fibers, coating, and containers; polyethylene resins and plastics, which are used to produce insulated cables and mulching films, as well as molded products, such as housewares and toys; and polypropylene resins that are used for films and sheets, as well as molded products, such as housewares, toys, consumer electronics, and automobile parts; and PVA granules. The Intermediate Petrochemicals segment produces p-xylene, benzene, and ethylene oxide, which are used as raw materials in the production of other petrochemicals, resins, plastics, and synthetic fibers. The Petroleum Products segment operates crude oil refinery facilities used to produce refined gasoline, fuel, diesel oil, heavy oil, and liquefied petroleum gas. The Trading of Petrochemical Products segment is involved in the import and export of petrochemical products. The company was founded in 1972 and is based in Shanghai, the People's Republic of China. Sinopec Shanghai Petrochemical Company Limited is a subsidiary of China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation.

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The governors of states bordering Mexico began to respond Thursday to President Donald Trumps call for them to send National Guard troops to help secure the southern border.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristjen Nielsen said Wednesday her office had been in touch with each of the state governors about how to proceed with the presidents plan.

GOP governors responded positively, including Arizona's Republican governor, who tweeted his support even before Nielsens announcement.

Arizona welcomes the employment of the National Guard to the border, Gov. Doug Ducey tweeted Wednesday. Washington has ignored this issue for too long and help is needed. For Arizona, its all about public safety.

Arizona welcomes the deployment of National Guard to the border. Washington has ignored this issue for too long and help is needed. For Arizona, its all about public safety.  Doug Ducey (@dougducey) April 4, 2018

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, also a Republican, echoed Duceys support in a statement released Wednesday evening saying Trump's move reinforces Texas longstanding commitment to secure our southern border and uphold the rule of law.

I welcome the support, Abbott said.

A statement issued by the office of New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez, another Republican, said she appreciates the administrations efforts to bring states to the table.

In contrast, Democratic Gov. Jerry Browns office in California issued a statement saying it would review the request promptly as they waited for more details. Brown and several California cities have been in running immigration battles with the Trump administration.

PHOTO: California Gov. Jerry Brown responds to a question at a news conference in Sacramento, Calif., Jan. 10, 2018. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP, FILE)

John Cohen, an ABC News Consultant and former acting Homeland Security undersecretary, said for many governors funding is the biggest consideration.

When you see a state say we look forward to reviewing the details and understanding more the commitment that theyre looking for, what theyre basically saying is were not going to commit one way or another until you tell us how youre going to offset these costs.

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Who foots the bill for the troops is largely determined by how the National Guard is ordered to the border.

Cohen said command of National Guard troops normally belongs to state governors. An agreement between the federal government and the state governors would mean that Guard troops remain under the command of the governors, with each consenting to assign specific troops to support border security. Under that arrangement, Cohen said, the federal government will likely help to offset the costs in some way.

According to federal law, the president does have the option of placing the troops under federal control, Cohen said, but only in situations where the nation is invaded or in danger of invasion, there is fear of rebellion or when regular forces are unable to enforce the law.

If the president were to federalize the Army National Guard, command of the troops would transfer from the governor of the respective states to the Pentagon, and the federal government would assume the total financial burden, Cohen said.

PHOTO: Border patrol agents apprehend people who illegally crossed the border from Mexico into the U.S. in the Rio Grande Valley sector, near Falfurrias, Texas, April 4, 2018. (Loren Elliott/Reuters)

Neither the Department of Homeland Security nor the president has yet signaled an intention to federalize troops. Cohen said that could be because theres not enough evidence to prove that the situation at the border is a severe threat.

While this may be impressive political theater intended to resonate with his political base it's really unclear what threat they are trying to address, Cohen said.

But a statement released by the Department of Homeland Security Thursday emphasized the threat. We need to close these dangerous loopholes that are being taken advantage of each and every day, gain operational control of the border, and fully fund the border wall system, the statement said. As the President has repeatedly said, all options are on the table.

Trump is not the first president to suggest the deployment of National Guard troops to the border. In fact, both President Barack Obama and President George W. Bush did the same during their presidencies. In both cases, troops were deployed through agreements with the state governors, not through federalization of the Guard.

While the border states have been responsive, not all state governors are on board. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, a Democrat, tweeted out against the call to send troops to the border on Wednesday.

If @realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, Ill say no, Brown Tweeted. As Commander of Oregons Guard, Im deeply troubled by Trumps plan to militarize our border.

If @realDonaldTrump asks me to deploy Oregon Guard troops to the Mexico border, Ill say no. As Commander of Oregons Guard, Im deeply troubled by Trumps plan to militarize our border.  Kate Brown (@KateBrownForOR) April 4, 2018

US military on border would have limited role

Trump signs proclamation authorizing National Guard to southern border
Warning: This story contains images that may be upsetting to some readers.

Russia is warning the U.S. against any military intervention in Syria over the government's alleged chemical attack against civilians this weekend, saying any such response would be unacceptable and lead to the most serious consequences.

The foreign ministry in Moscow also says in a statement on its website that allegations of the chemical attack are fabricated, suggesting the claims were invented by rebel forces and the Syrian Civil Defense known as the White Helmets.

It is necessary to warn again that military intervention under invented and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where at the request of the lawful government there are Russian military personnel, is absolutely unacceptable and can lead to the most serious consequences, the statement reads. The aim of these false speculations, that have no basis, is to shield the terrorists and the irreconcilable radical opposition, who reject a political solution, at the same time while trying to justify possible armed strikes from outside.

The alleged attack on Saturday killed 40 in the rebel-held town of Douma, multiple opposition and rescue groups including told The Associated Press, which was unable to independently verify the reports.

It came a year and a day after President Donald Trump ordered dozens of strikes on a Syrian regime air base for its alleged use of sarin gas on April 4, 2017, that killed approximately 100 people, according to the the State Department. More than 30 of the victims were children. The government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad denied carrying out the attack.

PHOTO: This image released early Sunday, April 8, 2018 by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, shows a child receiving oxygen through respirators following an alleged poison gas attack in the rebel-held town of Douma, near Damascus, Syria. (Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets via AP)

President Donald Trump meanwhile blasted Russian President Vladimir Putin and the government of Iran for backing Assad, whom Trump dubbed "Animal Assad," in the country's years-long civil war.

Trump on Twitter called it a mindless CHEMICAL attack and blamed "President Putin, Russia and Iran" for backing the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

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Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The State Department, while unable to confirm reports of chemical weapon use Saturday, called the alleged attack "horrifying."

"Reports from a number of contacts and medical personnel on the ground indicate a potentially high number of casualties, including among families hiding in shelters," Nauert said in a release. "These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community."

The United Nations also weighed in, saying that the alleged use of chemical weapons if true is "abhorrent."

"The Secretary-General is particularly alarmed by allegations that chemical weapons have been used against civilian populations in Douma," a spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a statement. "While the United Nations is not in a position to verify these reports, the Secretary-General notes that any use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, is abhorrent, and requires a thorough investigation."

"It is critical that civilians be protected," the statement from spokesman Stephane Durjarric said. "There has also been shelling on Damascus city, reportedly killing civilians."

This photo released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, shows smoke rising after Syrian government airstrikes hit in the town of Douma, in Syria, Saturday, April. 7, 2018. (AP)

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The Syrian government has always denied using chemical weapons against opposition forces or civilians.

But a U.N. war-crimes investigation found the Assad regime was responsible for the attack last year in Khan Sheikhoun.

The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria found in September that Syrian government warplanes dropped a sarin bomb in that attack and that Syrian government forces have carried out more than two dozen chemical attacks in the course of the country's civil war.

Human Rights Watch has estimated the Syrian government has committed at least five more chemical weapons attacks since April 2017 when Trump ordered 59 Tomahawk missiles fired on a Syrian airbase. The missiles were fired after the U.S. said a year ago that Assad was responsible for a sarin gas attack on the area of Khan Sheikhoun in northwestern Syria, which killed over 100 people.

Russias military, which has supported Assad, denied the Syrian army is behind the chemical attack in Douma in Eastern Ghouta on Sunday and accused Western countries of trying to use the alleged attack for their own ends.

"We decisively deny that information, the head of Russias Reconciliation Center in Syria, Major Gen. Yuri Yevtushenko, told Interfax, referring to allegations that the chemical attack was caused by a chlorine bomb dropped by pro-Assad forces.

Yevtushenko said that after Douma has been retaken by the government, Russia is ready to immediately send its own chemical weapons experts in to collect data that will confirm the fabricated character of the allegations.

PHOTO: An image grab taken from a video released by the Syrian civil defense in Douma shows an unidentified volunteer holding an oxygen mask over a child's face at a hospital following a reported chemical attack on the rebel-held town, April 8, 2018. (AFP/HO/Syria Civil Defense/Getty Images)

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows Syrians gathered next to a bunt car hit by a shelling by members of the Army of Islam rebel group at Rabwa neighborhood in Damascus, Syria, Friday, April 6, 2018. Syrian state TV said (The Associated Press)

We express our readiness, after the liberation of Douma from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiological, chemical and biological protection for the collection of data, that will confirm the fabricated character of these statements, Yevtushenko said.

Yevtushenko then accused a range of Western countries of using the allegations of the attack to try to hinder the Russian-Syrian operation to pull out militants from Douma.

For that, that theme beloved by the West, the use of chemical weapons by the armed forces of Syrian Arab Republic, is being used, Yevtushenko told Interfax. He also said the allegations were being made by groups like the White Helmets, which he accused of being widely known for their fake news.

The U.S., meanwhile, has supported Kurdish and Arab forces on the other side of the country as they attempt to eradicate ISIS forces from the country.

FILE - This Feb. 2, 2018 file photo provided by the Syrian rebel group Army of Islam, shows a fighter with the Army of Islam rebel group, firing a weapon during clashes with government forces in Housh al-Dhawahira in the eastern Ghouta region near Da (The Associated Press)

It was less than a week ago that Trump announced during a rally in Ohio that he planned to get U.S. troops out of Syria "very soon." The timing of the comment caught even senior officials off-guard, a senior administration official and a U.S. official familiar with the matter told ABC News. He repeated that he wanted the U.S. military out of the country in a press conference on Tuesday.

"It's time. We were successful against ISIS," Trump said. "We'll be successful against anybody militarily, but sometimes it's time to come back home  and we're thinking about that very seriously."

The White House walked back those claims a little on Wednesday, with press secretary Sarah Sanders telling reporters the president isn't going "to put an arbitrary timeline" on withdrawal.

ABC News' Elizabeth McLaughlin and Justin Fishel contributed to this report.
Photo: Ninos de Cristo orphanage

Most 12-year-old girls who are about to become teenagers would want a big birthday party celebration with all their friends. But what one North Carolina girl desired for her 13th birthday left her parents and community inspired, Wilmingtons WECT reports.

Emma Stewart and her family traveled to the Dominican Republic for vacation last year. Her parents, Chris and Kimberly Stewart, wanted the soon-to-be teen to experience the countrys true culture, more than just what a couple of days of sun and sand at a nice hotel resort could provide.

The Stewarts visited the Ninos de Cristo orphanage, where 160 boys and girls live. Emily was struck by the lack of basic supplies for the children.

When I went there, none of them had shoes or anything, Emma said. There were cuts and bruises on their feet, a lot of glass on the floor, and they had no protection from bugs or animals.

So when her parents asked what shed like for her upcoming birthday, Emma just wanted to help the Ninos de Cristo children.

Emma decided to assist them by collecting as many pairs of flip-flops and supplies as she could to take to the children. And, with the help of her grandmother, who reportedly created a Facebook post asking their community for donations, she gathered hundreds of toiletries, books, supplies, and flip-flops.

I dont understand what they have gone through their whole lives, but now I have an idea, Emma said. I am privileged enough to live here, and they arent, but they still deserve nice things.

The Stewart family is heading to the island on Tuesday to deliver the supplies.

It makes me feel really good that I am not just looking out for myself but the less fortunate too, Emma said.

This is not the first time the Ninos de Cristo orphanage has been on the receiving end of generous donations (and hopefully not the last). In 2015, Texas native Judy Pogue donated 152 pairs of shoes.

`

Orfanato Ninos de Cristos mission is to provide orphaned children with a home, health, and education through college to help them become independent and productive members of their communities.

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For more information, visit ninosdecristo.org.

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A British mother is being accused of body-shaming her 6-year-old daughter by submitting her to daily weigh-ins, the U.K.s Metro newspaper reports.

Nadia Udin appeared on the British talk show This Morning on April 5 to share how she monitors [the girls] puppy fat by having her step on a scale every day. She also practices portion control during mealtime and encourages exercise.

Though co-host Emma Willis worried that Udin was drilling into her head that [she] needs to be looking at numbers constantly, Udin defended the weigh-ins as fun.

A psychologist warned that constant weigh-ins could have a negative impact. (Photo: Rick Elkins/Getty Images)

When I jump on the scales, she jumps on and we have a laugh about it, she said.

She added that taking this measure was a preemptive strike against bullying that left her in control.

Shes going to be more affected by the name-calling, so why not take control of the situation? she argued.

Udin said that her older daughter, who is now 10, was raised in the same manner and has shown no ill effects.

But Deanne Jade, the psychologist and founder of the National Center for Eating Disorders, who also appeared on the program, disagreed. Jade noted that a natural growth spurt could be misinterpreted by Udin as problematic weight gain.

We know children gain weight at the time of a growth spurt, she noted. You might get the wrong information from that, rather than see it as a natural process.

Nadia, what I can say to you is as much as I appreciate your desperate attempts to save your child from bullying, weighing a child every day is associated with other problems.

Since the broadcast, viewers have been posting comments slamming Udins parenting.

Totally. This woman is in serious danger of making her daughter sick for life. If kids run around, play out, get tons of fresh air, if you cook them meals yourself, then they will be fine.  kim moore (@floellaella) April 6, 2018

My daughter is 12 and I have no idea how much she weighs. She was weighed at primary school, and when I got the letter with her 'result' it went straight in the bin. She is fit and healthy and more importantly has a healthy attitude to food. This Mother needs to wake up.  Mrs Foz (@JaniceForrester) April 5, 2018

Poor poor child. Shes doing so much damage! If she doesnt want her child to become overweight then make sure she eats healthy and exercises whilst still keeping it fun and letting her be a kid. The poor child is gonna take this thru life! Shocking!  Emma Crouch (@emmaloucie) April 5, 2018

The irony talking about balance! Sounds like she is inflicting her own insecurities on to her daughter by controlling her every move. This woman clearly needs professional help (in my opinion).  lurgywest (@Siobhan_Neill) April 5, 2018

Poor kid! Seriously, this mother needs to lighten up.  Debbie (@debbscie) April 6, 2018

How ridiculous is that; youre on your way to causing your child irreparable damage my love  you need to stop now before its too late!  Christine Quinney (@cquinney1) April 5, 2018

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A hotel with an out-of-this-world view is now taking reservations  but it'll cost you.

Would-be space tourists have been waiting for years for the chance to finally take their dream vacation of orbiting around our little, blue planet. Now, that dream is close to becoming a reality. Thursday, during the Space 2.0 Summit in San Jose, California, Orion Span introduced its space hotel, Aurora Station, and announced that it is officially open for reservations.

While it sounds spectacular-bordering-on-insane, Orion Span isn't the only company working on a space hotel. Just earlier this year, Bigelow Space Operations (of billionaire Robert Bigelow) announced plans for an inflatable space hotel to launch by 2021.

Orion Span's proposed modular space station can host six people at a time, including two crew members. While in the station, guests can enjoy the astronaut experience during a 12-day journey, soaring 200 miles above the Earths surface in Low Earth Orbit. Guests will experience zero gravity, see Earths northern and southern aurora, and take part in research experiments like growing food in orbit.

We're excited to announce Aurora Space Station, the world's first luxury space hotel. Waitlist reservations are now open. https://t.co/xSYcdeJbAo @OrionSpan #AuroraStation pic.twitter.com/6MKp6iPGns  Orion Span (@OrionSpan) April 5, 2018

The hotel orbits Earth every 90 minutes, giving guests a view of 16 sunrises and sunsets every 24 hours.

Of course, a reservation for such a once-in-a-lifetime experience isnt going to be cheap. Reservations on Aurora start at $9.5 million per person, and the company is accepting refundable deposits of $80,000 to get on the reservation waitlist.

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Once the station is closer to opening, the company will be contacting guests on the waitlist to discuss potential dates. The station is planned to launch in late 2021 and host its first guests in 2022.

Frank Bunger, chief executive officer and founder of Orion Span, said that the price point is lower than most other people have paid to go to space. We developed Aurora Station to provide a turnkey destination in space, he said in a statement, bringing travelers into space quicker and at a lower price point than ever seen before, while still providing an unforgettable experience.

The company has apparently streamlined the process of preparing guests for space travel from a customary year-long regimen to just three months with the Orion Span Astronaut Certification (OSAC). The first phase of the certification program is done online and the second is completed in-person at a training facility in Houston, Texas. The final certification is completed during a travelers stay on Aurora Station.

Beyond being a hotel, the station will also be a site for research and future planning. We will offer full charters to space agencies who are looking to achieve human spaceflight in orbit for a fraction of the cost  and only pay for what they use. We will support zero gravity research, as well as in space manufacturing, said Bunger. We will later sell dedicated modules as the worlds first condominiums in space. Future Aurora owners can live in, visit, or sublease their space condo. This is an exciting frontier and Orion Span is proud to pave the way.

If $9.5 million is out of your price range, the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore has a slightly more affordable option: a space-themed suite starting at $488 a night. And if you really must go to a galaxy far, far away, there's always the upcoming Star Wars Hotel, opening at Disney World in 2019.
Bangui (Central African Republic) (AFP) - The United Nations and Central African forces Sunday launched an operation targeting armed groups in a mainly Muslim district of Bangui in which at least two people were killed and dozens wounded, UN and medical sources said.

Eleven peacekeepers, mostly Egyptian, were among the injured in the joint operation mounted by the United Nations peacekeeping force (Minusca) and the Central African security forces, Minusca spokesman Herve Verhoosel told AFP.

The operation, which had targeted, the "bases of certain criminal groups" would continue "until the goal is achieved", Verhoosel said.

Eight people belonging to the armed groups Force and 50/50 had been detained by Minusca and ammunition had been seized, he added.

The operation comes after a resurgence in violence in the flashpoint PK5 neighbourhood of Bangui.

The Central African Republic has been struggling to return to stability since the country exploded into bloodshed after the 2013 overthrow of longtime leader Francois Bozize by the mainly Muslim Seleka rebel alliance.

France intervened militarily to push out the Seleka alliance but the country remains plagued with violence pitting groups competing for control of resources and areas of influence.
Republican Ralph Norman pulled out a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol during a meeting with gun control activists - AP

A US congressman said he pulled out a loaded Smith & Wesson pistol during a meeting with gun control activists on Friday in a bid to prove that firearms were not responsible for violence.

House Republican Ralph Norman of South Carolina told The Post and Courier newspaper that he drew the handgun and placed it on a table while at a "Coffee With Your Congressman" event at a diner, in an attempt to convey that guns are only dangerous if in the wrong hands.

"Im not going to be a Gabby Giffords," said Norman, 64, referring to the former congresswoman from Arizona who was shot in the head during a meet-and-greet outside a grocery store in 2011.

Giffords was gravely wounded in that attack. She survived and became a prominent gun safety advocate. Both Giffords and her husband, retired Nasa astronaut Mark Kelly, are longtime gun owners.

"Americans are increasingly faced with a stark choice: leaders like Gabby, who work hard together to find solutions to problems, or extremists like the NRA and Congressman Norman, who rely on intimidation tactics and perpetuating fear," Kelly said in a statement.

Gabby Giffords, of Arizona, who survived an assassination attempt in 2011 Credit: AP

"If we want to protect our kids and communities, Congress must get serious about passing safer gun laws. For our kids sake, lets show our leaders we expect them to behave more like Gabby and less like Congressman Norman."

The paper said Norman also claimed: "I dont mind dying... But whoever shoots me better shoot well or Im shooting back."

Normans indelicate reference to Giffords appeared to suggest that her debilitating injury was in some way due to her not being adequately armed.

The congressman later issued a statement saying he is a concealed carry permit holder and regularly brings his gun with him when in public.

"Mental health, and more importantly, a lack of morality is the driving force behind this epidemic. Guns are not the problem," he said, adding that he had responded appropriately to questions by "a group of organised anti-gun activists."

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America's arsenal - different kinds of registered guns in the US

The incident came as Americans debate the prospect of Congress passing new gun safety laws in the wake of several mass shootings, including a February massacre at a Florida high school that left 17 people dead.

Last year during his unsuccessful US Senate campaign, former judge Roy Moore of Alabama drew a pistol from his pocket while on stage at a rally as a way to show the Republican candidates commitment to the constitutional right to bear arms.
National Automobile Dealers Association President Peter Welch, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt, Auto Alliance President Mitch Bainwol and Association of Global Automakers President John Bozzella pose for a photo after Tuesday's press conference. (Photo: EPA)

Automakers scrambled to distance themselves from a White House that, in rolling back the only federal rule restricting planet-warming emissions from vehicles this week, gave the companies exactly what they wanted.

Last week, Ford Motor Companys top executives called for increasing clean car standards in a blog post titled, A Measure of Progress. An assistant vice president at American Honda Motor told The New York Times: We didnt ask for that. The position we outlined was sensible. Chevrolet dealers nixxed a Virginia dealership owners plan to host Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitts press conference announcing the rollback, wary that hosting the event would associate the General Motors brand with an unpopular policy decision.

Yet automakers still tied their reputations to the Trump administration on Tuesday when Pruitt declared the Obama-era fuel efficiency standards too strict and began the process of rewriting the landmark clean air regulation. Executives from three of the top auto industry trade groups flanked the embattled EPA administrator  who is facing loudening calls to resign amid a rapidly cascading series of ethical controversies  at a press conference.

What an exciting day, Pruitt said in the EPAs historic Rachel Carson Green Room. We always like to have guests here at the EPA.

The rule, which the Obama administration implemented in 2012 with automakers overwhelming support, required vehicles to average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025. The regulation would have cut oil consumption by 12 billion barrels and tailpipe emissions in half. Fuel efficiency would have doubled, saving drivers $3,200 to $5,700 in gasoline costs over a vehicles lifetime. The rule would also have prevented the release 6 billion metric tons of heat-trapping emissions  equivalent to what 150 power plants produce in a year.

The Obama administration expedited a review of the rule, determining in January 2017 that the new standards were fair and feasible. But the same automakers now trying to distance themselves from the Trump EPA appealed immediately to the incoming administration. On Monday, Pruitt issued his own finding  that the determination was wrong, and the standards were too high.

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Exhaust flows out of the tailpipe of a vehicle in Florida in 2007. (Photo: Joe Raedle via Getty Images)

Analysts suggest the industry wanted tweaks to the regulation, such as increased credits for building more electric vehicles or reducing emissions in the production process. The companies may not have foreseen the EPAs eagerness to scorch existing rules, and got more than they bargained for. Bloomberg wrote that the carmakers may regret what they wished for. As one former Obama administration official put it: It might be like the dog that caught the car.

That may be the result of roaming with the wrong pack. The three groups whose leaders spoke at Pruitts press conference ramped up lobbying efforts last year. The Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers spent $8.1 million on total lobbying last year, a nearly 9 percent increase from the previous year, according to data collated by the Center for Responsive Politics. The National Automobile Dealers Association spent a record $4.8 million on lobbying last year, and the Association of Global Automakers increased its lobbying expenditures by nearly 50 percent, to $3.5 million.

The Auto Alliance sent Trump a letter days after the November 2016 election and another one to Pruitt after the Senate confirmed him as the 14th EPA administrator in February 2017. As DeSmog reported, the Auto Alliance ramped up pressure over the past year, submitting a report co-authored by Joseph DAleo, a policy adviser from right-wing climate change denial group Heartland Institute, calling the accuracy of climate science into question.

That report appears to have made an impact. In its 38-page finding released Monday afternoon, the EPA said it planned to reverse the Obama-era determination on the rules in part because the social cost of carbon and energy security valuation ... should also be updated to be consistent with the literature and empirical evidence. The memo made no mention of climate change.

The rule also set a single national standard, creating a compromise with Californias congressionally granted right under the Clean Air Act to set its own, stricter emissions targets, and allowing carmakers to produce vehicles to one specification for the entire country. The EPA is now quietly negotiating with California regulators to come up with a new agreement, though Golden State officials say they are ready to go to court to defend the standards already in place.

The trio at Tuesdays press conference sparred with California as far back as 2002, when the California Senate passed the first bill in the country to limit carbon dioxide emissions from vehicle exhaust. At the time, Peter Welch  the National Automobile Dealers Association president who kicked off Tuesdays EPA announcement  worked for the California New Car Dealers Association, and called the legislation a dumb idea. In 2007, the Auto Alliance went head-to-head with then California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, a Republican, urging federal lawmakers to intervene on behalf of automakers.

President Barack Obama delivers remarks on the economy at the Daimler Trucks North America Mt. Holly Truck Manufacturing Plant on March 7, 2011 in Mt. Holly, North Carolina. President Obama outlined incentives to promote development of more fuel-efficient cars and to make it easier for people to buy and operate next-generation vehicles. (Photo: John W. Adkisson via Getty Images)

Trade associations historically push for rules that appease their most regulation-averse members. In response, big companies have quit trade groups in recent years in protest of their opposition to climate science and environmental rules. The most notable examples are when Apple and Nike withdrew from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce in 2009.

It may be time for automakers to do the same, said Roland Hwang, a managing director at the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Any auto company that truly wants to distinguish itself should separate itself from the least common denominators as represented by their associations, he told HuffPost. To the extent that they are still in, we have to assume that they are being hypocritical in terms of their stance.

Toyota did not respond to questions about whether it would consider leaving trade groups that oppose emission rules. In a statement to HuffPost, the Japanese auto giant said it supports the goal of progressively stronger fuel economy standards and that its working together with other manufacturers and regulators to review a framework for vehicle emissions standards that consider market trends and conditions and what technology can realistically deliver.

General Motors directed questions about the Auto Alliance to the trade group, but said it remains committed to improving fuel economy, reducing emissions and an all-electric future. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles referred all questions about the EPA decision to the Auto Alliance but forwarded links to its 2016 sustainability reports.

Ford and Volkswagen did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Car advertising began talking up the eco-friendliness of their vehicles roughly a decade ago, leading to accusations of greenwashing. But automakers started aggressively burnishing their environmental reputations three years ago. On one end of the industry, Volkswagen, the largest global automaker by sales, took a beating after the EPA uncovered its scheme to retrofit diesel cars with software to cheat emissions tests. The Department of Justice charged the company with felony counts of conspiracy and fraud, its stock price tanked and its top executives resigned in disgrace. At the other end of the industry, electric carmaker Teslas stock was soaring, propelling its billionaire CEO, Elon Musk, to near-Hollywood stardom. The United States helped broker the Paris climate agreement with support from automakers.

Car companies began rolling out hybrid and battery-powered vehicles to rival Tesla. Ford vowed to spend $4.5 billion on electric vehicles by 2020. General Motors assigned half its designers to alternative vehicles. The International Energy Agency declared 2015 the year electric vehicles went mainstream.

But it was business as usual at the industrys trade associations.

By mid-2016, when Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton still seemed likely to win the presidency, groups like the Auto Alliance began preparing to demand a break on fuel efficiency standards. By that time, fuel prices had fallen from a record national average of $3.60 per gallon in 2012. As the cost of driving a gas guzzler decreased, Americans began buying more trucks and SUVs, according to Rebecca Lindland, an executive analyst at the auto data firm Kelley Blue Book.

When the original agreement went into place and fuel economy standards started to change, we were at, like, 50-50 truck-car, she told HuffPost. Now were at like 65, sometimes 70, truck-car. We have to understand what the consumer is buying and how we do make the most fuel-efficient version of that vehicle.

The problem, according to Daniel Becker, the director of the D.C.-based Safe Climate Campaigns Center for Auto Safety, is that trucks reap large profits for automakers. A $73,000 Cadillac Escalade, for example, earns $35,000 profit for each one sold, The Detroit News reported. By contrast, electric vehicles are considered half as profitable as cars with combustion engines, a Daimler executive admitted last year.

They look at it like a deli looks at liverwurst, Becker said of how auto manufacturers view their electric vehicle offerings. They dont want to make it, but if you ask for it, theyll make it for you.

U.S. emission standards are already behind Japan, the European Union and China, the worlds largest auto market. To compete in those markets, U.S. automakers will be forced to manufacture the standards they say are unattainable domestically. But the Trump administration is taking steps to make fuel-efficient foreign-made vehicles more expensive, protecting the U.S. market for domestic manufacturers. The White House asked the EPA, and the Commerce and Transportation departments to draft plans to put stiffer environmental standards on imported vehicles, driving up the cost in whats called a nontariff barrier, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Becker said its no mistake that an industry that spends roughly $15 billion a year on marketing continues to promote pickup trucks and SUVs during coveted and costly Super Bowl time slots.

They create demand, said Becker. They know how to market vehicles  thats what they do for their existence. They want to make the vehicles that they make the biggest profit on.

UPDATE: April 10, 1:25 p.m.  In an email sent four days after this article published, a Honda spokesman dismissed the premise of the story and sent a boilerplate statement noting that the carmaker supports maintaining the stringency of the standards.

This is not a story based on his inquiry, but a commentary with a strong viewpoint, the spokesman said.

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Related...

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Also on HuffPost

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People as old as 79 may still generate new brain cells, US researchers said Thursday, stoking fresh debate among scientists over whether or when our mental capacity ever stops growing.

The report by scientists at Columbia University in New York, published in the journal Cell Stem Cell, runs directly counter to a different study published in Nature last month which found no evidence of new neurons are being created past the age of 13.

While neither study is seen as providing the definitive last word, the research is being closely watched as the world's population ages and scientists seek to better understand how the brain ages for clues to ward off dementia.

The focal point of the research is the hippocampus, the brain's center for learning and memory.

Specifically, researchers are looking for the foundations of new brain cells, including progenitor cells, or stem cells that would eventually become neurons.

Using autopsied brain samples from 28 people who died suddenly between the ages of 14-79, researchers looked at "newly formed neurons and the state of blood vessels within the entire human hippocampus soon after death," said the Cell Stem Cell study.

"We found that older people have similar ability to make thousands of hippocampal new neurons from progenitor cells as younger people do," said lead author Maura Boldrini, associate professor of neurobiology at Columbia University.

"We also found equivalent volumes of the hippocampus across ages."

The findings suggest that many seniors may retain more of their cognitive and emotional abilities longer than previously believed.

However, Boldrini cautioned that these new neurons might be less adept at making new connections in older people, due to aging blood vessels.

Animals like mice and monkeys tend to lose the ability to generate new brain cells in the hippocampus with age.

Just how the human brain reacts to aging has been controversial, though the widely held view is that the human brain does indeed continue to generate neurons into adulthood, and that this "neurogenesis" could one day help scientists tackle age-related brain degeneration.

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- Study found opposite -

A study last month led by Arturo Alvarez-Buylla of the University of California in San Francisco found the opposite, however.

Looking at brain samples from 59 adults and children, "we found no evidence of young neurons or the dividing progenitors of new neurons" in the hippocampi of people older than 18, he told AFP when the study was published.

They did find some in children between birth and one year, "and a few at seven and 13 years of age," he said.

That study was described by experts as "sobering," because it indicated the human hippocampus is largely generated during fetal brain development.

Alvarez-Buylla's lab responded to the latest research in a statement, saying that they were unconvinced Columbia University had found conclusive evidence of adult neurogenesis.

"Based on the representative images they present, the cells they call new neurons in the adult hippocampus are very different in shape and appearance from what would be considered a young neuron in other species," their response, published by the Los Angeles Times, said.

Boldrini, for her part, said her team used flash-frozen brain samples, while the California researchers used samples that were chemically preserved in a process that may have obscured the detection of new neurons.
By Prak Chan Thul PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Cambodia's former opposition leader, Sam Rainsy, called on Sunday for Cambodians to boycott a general election set for July 29 if his dissolved party isn't allowed to take part. The Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved by the Supreme Court last November at the request of Prime Minister Hun Sen's government, which alleged it was plotting to take power with the help of the United States. The CNRP and the United States have denied the allegations, which followed the arrest of current party leader Kem Sokha on treason charges over the alleged plot. He has denied the charges and called them a ploy to help Hun Sen win re-election. "I call on all my Cambodian fellow compatriots who believe in democracy to boycott the 29 July 2018 elections if the CNRP is not allowed to participate," Sam Rainsy said in a tweet on Sunday. The party had not previously called for a boycott and it was not immediately clear if Sam Rainsy was speaking on behalf of the party. He resigned as president of the CNRP in 2017 but has for decades been a vocal critic of Hun Sen. He has lived in France since 2015 to avoid a series of convictions he says are politically motivated. Sok Eysan, a spokesman for Hun Sen's ruling Cambodian People's Party, said Sam Rainsy's call would have no impact. "The CNRP is already dead by the Supreme Court's decision," Sok Eysan said. "Even if Sam Rainsy appeals until he dies, people no longer believe him." The ban on the CNRP prompted some Western countries to condemn the crackdown, cut aid, and impose visa bans on some ruling party members. But Japan provided Cambodia with a grant and loan agreement totalling over $90 million on Sunday, while saying it wanted to see a free and fair election. "Everybody can have their own idea what is free and fair, but free is free and fair is fair," Norio Maruyama, a Japanese Foreign Affairs spokesman, told a news briefing. A former deputy president of the CNRP, Mu Sochua, said Cambodians expected Japan not to recognise any government that emerged from a "sham election". Japan is locked in a regional battle for influence with China, which is by far the biggest donor to Cambodia and has consistently voiced support for the government. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul, editing by Larry King)
By Elke Ahlswede

MUENSTER, Germany (Reuters) - A man drove a van into a group of people sitting outside a popular restaurant in the old city centre of Muenster in western Germany on Saturday, killing at least two of them before shooting himself dead, police said.

The vehicle ploughed into people sitting at tables outside the Grosser Kiepenkerl restaurant, which is popular with tourists.

"At 15:27 (1327 GMT), a vehicle drove into the outside area of the restaurant ... three people were killed, 20 injured, and six of those seriously injured," police spokesman Andreas Bode said, adding: "The perpetrator killed himself in the vehicle."

It was not immediately clear whether the perpetrator was among the three killed, or whether his death took the number of dead to four. A police spokeswoman said separately that there were at least three people dead.

A security source said the perpetrator was probably German.

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung said the man was a German with psychological problems who had no terrorist background. The Interior Ministry in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, home to Muenster, would neither confirm nor deny the report.

Bode said the identity of the perpetrator was not yet clear. Investigators were looking at the possibility that other suspects fled the scene, though they had no evidence that this was the case, he added.

"It is far too early to speak of an attack," Bode said. "We have cordoned off the area widely. The crime scene investigators are checking out the crime scene, trying to identify, investigate and secure traces. That is our current task."

The police spokeswoman said: "The danger is over."

The incident came one year to the day after a truck attack in Stockholm that killed five people.

It also evoked memories of a December 2016 truck attack in Berlin that killed 12 people. In that attack, Anis Amri, a failed Tunisian asylum seeker with Islamist links, hijacked a truck, killed the driver and then ploughed into a crowded marketplace, killing 11 more people and injuring dozens of others.

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"I am shocked by the news from Muenster," said Andrea Nahles, parliamentary leader of the Social Democrats, junior partner in Chancellor Angela Merkel's ruling coalition.

"My thoughts are with the victims and their relatives," she added. "I hope that our authorities can quickly clarify the background to this incident and wish the local forces much strength for their work."

Government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer tweeted: "Awful news from Muenster. Our thoughts are with the victims and their relatives."

(Additional reporting by Sabine Siebold; Writing by Paul Carrel; Editing by Dale Hudson and Hugh Lawson)
For the first time since World War II, Japan has activated a Marine unit, a force that could one day protect the country from a possible threat from China.

On Saturday, around 1,500 members of the newly formed Amphibious Rapid Deployment Brigade took part in a ceremony on the Japanese island of Kyushu, Reuters reported. In the exercise, the members pretended to recapture an island from invaders.

After World War II, the Japanese constitution declared that the country would not have the right to wage war. But Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sought to increase the countrys military presence, and the new marine brigade is part of a growing force that could one day face off with China, whose military capabilities are also said to be increasing. The Japanese unit includes helicopter carriers and other ships, and assault vehicles, according to Reuters.

Trending: Trump's Addiction To Fox News Is Causing 'Impulsive Actions' Says CNN Host

04_08_Japanese_Marines

Issei Kato/REUTERS

If Japan put its mind to it, within a year or year and a half it could have a reasonable capability, Grant Newsham, a research fellow at the Japan Forum for Strategic Studies who once helped train the Japanese brigade, told Reuters about the unit. He added that it still needs a headquarters and better ships.

The United States, which has had a collective defense arrangement with Japan since 1951, aided in the formation of the unit. In 2016, around 300 members of the Japanese military visited U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in California to train alongside American marines, the U.S. Naval Institute reported at the time.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
The Trump administration's rollbacks of crucial climate change policies, from the intended pullout from the Paris Agreement to the scuttled Clean Power Plan, have earned most of the media attention and scorn from environmentalists.

However, the ignorant climate science statements espoused by top federal officials, from the president to the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to the secretary of Energy, and many others is having a corrosive effect on Americans' understanding of climate science.

Recent public opinion polling clearly shows that Americans are more divided now than they were a year ago on the causes of global warming, its seriousness, and the urgency of taking action.

SEE ALSO: Shell knew truth of global warming in 1980s; foresaw a Hurricane Sandy scenario

While the majority of Americans still believe that global warming is caused by human activities, and that the effects of it have already begun, it's clear that the building drumbeat of flat out incorrect statements about climate science uttered by top officials is molding public opinion in a way that makes it harder for action to be taken on climate change.

A recent Gallup poll, for example, found that Republicans and independents have become more skeptical in their views on climate change, while Democrats have become even more convinced of the need to urgently reduce greenhouse gas emissions to curb global warming.

Results from recent Gallup polls on global warming views in U.S.

Image: gallup.

According to the Gallup poll, which is consistent with other public opinion surveys, majorities of Americans say that most scientists think global warming is taking place (66 percent), that it is caused by human activities (64 percent), and that its effects have already begun (60 percent).

However, there's a hardening of the partisan divisions that's occurred under Trump.

Gallup's annual survey on the environment, conducted during the first week of March, found that Americans are more divided than ever on climate change.

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"President Donald Trump, who has called global warming a "hoax," may have contributed to this widening divide by reversing a number of government actions to address the issue," Gallup wrote in their online analysis accompanying the poll results.

Trump and his cabinet officials have also frequently misstated the scientific consensus on global warming in ways that cast doubt on the seriousness of the problem or even its existence.

For example, Trump does not seem to know the difference between weather and climate, using a December cold snap to rebut evidence of global warming.

In the East, it could be the COLDEST New Years Eve on record. Perhaps we could use a little bit of that good old Global Warming that our Country, but not other countries, was going to pay TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS to protect against. Bundle up!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 29, 2017

Scott Pruitt, the embattled EPA administrator, has openly questioned the scientifically solid link between increasing amounts of carbon dioxide in the air and global warming, telling CNBC last year that this long-lived greenhouse gas is not a "primary contributor" to global warming. (This is at odds with scientific knowledge documented in the 18th Century.)

"I think that measuring with precision human activity on the climate is something very challenging to do and there's tremendous disagreement about the degree of impact, so no, I would not agree that it's a primary contributor to the global warming that we see," Pruitt said.

The Gallup poll found that while 82 percent of Democrats think global warming has already begun, only 34 percent of Republicans agree. In fact, 32 percent of Republicans said climate change effects will "never happen."

In addition, about 69 percent of Republicans said news reports exaggerate the seriousness of global warming, but 64 percent of Democrats say the seriousness of global warming is underestimated.

Even though the vast majority of climate scientists know that global warming is human-caused and already occurring, going as far as saying in a 2017 government report that there is no natural explanation for the global warming we've seen in recent decades.

The report, published by the Trump administration but released with little fanfare and ignored by Pruitt and others, stated:

Yet despite such scientific assessments, a sizable 63 percent of Republicans think climate change is mostly due to natural causes, according to the Gallup poll.

Climate scientists understand that the use of the bully pulpit to espouse unscientific nonsense does not come without consequences.

In a Twitter thread on Friday, Texas Tech University climate researcher Katharine Hayhoe linked officials' statements with public opinion trends and a slowing down of urgently needed actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if we are to avoid the worst global warming impacts.

Over the last year, we've seen an unprecedented level of obfuscation, rejection, and outright denial from politicians and both elected and appointed leaders. So it is no surprise that the opinions of those who support and endorse them have followed suit. No surprise at all.  Katharine Hayhoe (@KHayhoe) April 6, 2018

The cost of rejecting science is that our society is making decisions based on faulty & flawed information. We will be unprepared: for rising sea levels, stronger storms & droughts, increasing risks to our health, our economy, even national security. And we will pay the price.  Katharine Hayhoe (@KHayhoe) April 6, 2018

Tony Leiserowitz, senior research scientist and director of the Yale Program on Climate Change Communication, said up until the 2016 election, recognition of climate change as a real, important issue was growing within the Republican Party. But that has changed dramatically in the last year, which he attributes largely to cues coming from the party's leaders.

Its the power of political elite cues, he said, noting in an interview that partisans ... tend to listen to and follow the lead of what they hear from their political leaders.

After the rise of the Tea Party and Trump, Leiserowitz said, his polling group has also found a steep drop in Republican recognition of the scientific consensus on climate change.

He said the Republicans made a huge lurch to this new position that climate change is a hoax.

They climbed way out not just a limb but the farthest twig of a limb.

He called his own group's findings and Gallup's conclusions evidence of the "Trump Effect" when it comes to climate change in particular.

Groups are getting farther and farther split apart, Leiserowitz said.

Lasting ramifications

Climate science studies couldn't be more clear in showing that we're running out of time to make the emissions cuts that would avoid sharp rises in sea levels, more frequent and severe heat waves, and other extreme weather events.

We may look back one day at the anti-science rhetoric of the past 15 months and realize this was the time when the fight for a so-called safe amount of climate change was lost, given that the U.S. is the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases.

Rolling back climate actions while also casting doubt on climate science has far-reaching consequences that could reverberate across generations, given that one molecule of carbon dioxide can remain in the air for at least 1,000 years.

Think about that the next time the president tweets about a cold day as if it renders the mainstream scientific consensus on global warming moot, or the Energy secretary says that we should be relying more on fossil fuels and less on wind and solar power.
Yangon (AFP) - Conditions in Myanmar's crisis-hit northern Rakhine state are "not conducive" to bringing back Rohingya from Bangladesh, the UN told AFP, in remarks that jar with the country's insistence that it is ready for returnees.

Some 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled over the border since August to escape a bloody military crackdown that has left a trail of torched villages in its wake as refugees allege murder and rape by Myanmar's armed forces.

The army denies the allegations and casts its campaign as a legitimate response to Rohingya militant attacks on August 25 that killed about a dozen border guard police.

Myanmar and Bangladesh signed a repatriation deal in November but not one refugee has returned.

"Right now, the conditions are not conducive to a voluntary, dignified and sustainable return," said Ursula Mueller, assistant secretary general for the UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Speaking to AFP at the end of a six-day trip to the country during which she visited northern Rakhine, Mueller said Myanmar needs to address "critical issues of freedom of movement, social cohesion, livelihoods, and access to services".

For years members of the stateless Muslim minority have been deemed immigrants from Bangladesh, forced to live under apartheid-like conditions with severe restrictions on their movement and limited options for education and healthcare.

Myanmar has repeatedly said it has completed the groundwork to accept back Rohingya refugees.

"We are ready. The buildings are ready. The hospital and clinics are ready," Aung Tun Thet, chief coordinator of a government-backed organisation working on resettlement in Rakhine, told state media this week.

"We have done what we can. If they don't feel safe then there isn't anything we can do."

During her trip, Mueller also spoke to Rohingya Muslims who have been confined in "deplorable" camps and settlements within Rakhine since a previous wave of inter-communal violence six years ago.

"We cannot, and must not, forget the plight of over 400,000 Muslim people still living in Rakhine state who continue to face a life of hardship and marginalisation due to movement restrictions," she said.
Flickr / U.S. Navy

Robert Farley

Security, Asia

Or does it need to?

Can the Navy Match Chinas New Type 055 Destroyers?

Does the United States have an answer to Chinas new Type 055 destroyers? Does it need one?

On July 3 Dalian shipyard launched two of the big new ships, with some reports suggesting that the class may extend to twenty-four vessels. The ships are large and have more VLS cells than Flight III Arleigh Burke destroyers, although the latter still exceed the former in sensor integration and other capabilities.

Still, with the Navys cruiser force aging, does the U.S. Navy need to think seriously about its own large cruiser?

Description:

The Type 055 destroyers are large ships, probably displacing around thirteen thousand tons and carrying 112 vertical launch system (VLS) cells, in addition to a 130-millimeter gun and a wide array of sensors and defensive weapons. They are the worlds largest surface combatants apart from the Zumwalt class destroyers, which really are specialized land attack vessels. The overall production run remains uncertain, with a low estimate of six and a high estimate of twenty-four; much likely depends on how effectively the ship performs in PLAN service.

U.S. Response:

The United States has been slow to develop a replacement to the Ticonderoga class cruisers, which are somewhat smaller than the Type 055. The DDG-1000 class will end after three ships, and in any case the Zumwalts do not perform missions similar to the Type 055. The Obama administration cancelled the CG(X) program after cost projections became excessive. In response to the failure of the DDG(X) and CG(X) programs, the Navy decided to restart the Arleigh Burke program, which had the added benefit of improving ballistic missile defense capabilities. But apart from the Arleigh Burke Flight III ships, the U.S. Navy has no specific large combatants in its long-term plans. At the moment, the FFG(X) program is dominating the U.S. Navys procurement attention, as the shortcomings of the Littoral Combat Ship have demonstrated a need to fill the gap between the LCS and the Arleigh Burkes.

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But the Ticonderogas will soon reach the end of their useful service lives, as will the oldest of the DDG-51 class of ships. Some have floated the idea of a cruiser based on the hull of the LPD-17, which would allow high energy production, a degree of modularity, and the inclusion of a wide variety of different systems. However, the LPD-17s are large and slow, likely incapable of keeping up with carrier battle groups. Another idea (floated by Tyler Rogoway, among others) is to modify the existing Zumwalt design for cruiser-esque purposes. But as of yet the Navy has made no firm determination about the future of its large surface combatant program.

The Need?

But then there is little obvious need for a direct analogue to specific Chinese ship classes. The existing cruisers and destroyers of the U.S. Navy perform roles essentially similar to that of the Type 055s, even if the latter carry more VLS cells. And the era in which individual ships fight each other independently is long in the past; indeed, even during the dreadnought era individual ship-to-ship comparison rarely played out in actual combat.

In a fight between the United States and China, the U.S. Navy would use a wide variety of air, surface, and subsurface systems to track and destroy the largest units of the PLAN. While the additional VLS systems and sensors of the Type 055 will undoubtedly increase Chinese capabilities, they wont be directed towards any specific U.S. ship type (other perhaps than aircraft carriers). Similarly, the U.S. Navy will find it far more convenient to sink the Type 055s with submarines and air-launched cruise missiles than it will with any specific ship type. And so the question is less can the United States match the Type 055 than what hull or set of hulls will make it easiest to match the capabilities that the Type 055 can offer? There are a variety of technological developments (VLS, power generation, sensor capability, and future avenues in railguns and lasers) that suggest that size may once again be rewarded in naval architecture; the Type 055s offer Chinas initial answer for how to take advantage of these developments, just as the Zumwalts represented an exploration of those capabilities on the U.S. side. Unfortunately, the former seem more likely to see long-term success than the latter.

Wrap

So the short answer to the question does the United States need to respond to the Type 055 is no, not in the medium term. The longer answer is that the U.S. Navy needs to figure out its procurement and shipbuilding policies soon in order to credibly approach design of the next big surface combatant. As the Ticonderogas continue to age, they will leave a gap that a new large warship needs to fill, even if it is never likely to meet the Type 055 in direct combat. China has decided to take advantage of the efficiencies inherent in a large hull-type, not because of any specific competition with the United States, but rather because of the evolution of key technologies. The U.S. Navy can also take advantage of these evolutionary developments, even if it doesnt specifically think of matching the Type 055, but it needs to sort out its long-term shipbuilding plans.

Robert Farley, a frequent contributor to the National Interest, is author of The Battleship Book . He serves as a senior lecturer at the Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce at the University of Kentucky.

Image: Flickr / U.S. Navy

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Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Mark Peterson/Corbis Documentary/Getty Image, Instants/Getty Images

Rigorous intellectual consistency has not been a hallmark of Donald Trumps career in public life, but on at least one notable occasion, he pursued an argument to its logical conclusion. Unsurprisingly, it turned out badly.

That was during the 2016 presidential campaign, when pressed by MSNBCs Chris Matthews to elaborate on his ardent, if comparatively recent, opposition to abortion, he agreed that there has to be some form of punishment for women who have one.

Instantly, the guardians of conservative orthodoxy descended to inform him of his error: Women are actually the victims of abortion, as well as a much more numerous voting bloc than abortion providers, who are the real villains. Within hours, his campaign had issued a recantation. But the idea lived on, and even seems to be gaining support in some quarters of the antiabortion movement.

In fact, the idea of prosecuting women for abortions has been kicking around on the fringes of the antiabortion movement for some time. Back in 2014, conservative provocateur Kevin Williamson recommended (in a tweet and a podcast) execution, preferably by hanging, as the appropriate punishment. When those remarks surfaced last week, they cost Williamson, formerly with National Review, a plum job as a columnist for the Atlantic, whose editor found them contrary to The Atlantics tradition of respectful, well-reasoned debate, and to the values of our workplace.

Williamsons fate fueled a spirited debate over the suppression of conservative views in the mainstream media that played out all up and down the Acela corridor. But meanwhile, far from the living rooms of Georgetown and Park Slope, an Idaho lawmaker and candidate for lieutenant governor, Republican Bob Nonini, endorsed legislation that would make abortion a capital crime, for both providers and the women who have the procedure. There should be no abortion, and anyone who has an abortion should pay, Nonini said at a candidate forum  before partially retracting, or at least obfuscating, his position, with the observation that for practical reasons, as well as for reasons of compassion, women as a rule havent been prosecuted, even in the years when abortion was illegal.

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Idaho seems to be a hotbed of this kind of thinking; last year, another legislator, state Sen. Dan Foreman, introduced a bill to classify abortion as first-degree murder, on the part of both the woman and the provider. Foremans bill, which did not advance, made an exception to save the mothers life, a compromise that some Republicans in the Ohio legislature obviously consider a sign of weakness: They are backing a bill to prosecute women who obtain an abortion even to save their own lives.

Politically, a platform of arresting women for homicide  there were around 20,000 abortions in Ohio in 2016  could easily backfire on the GOP if executions were to start. As a legal strategy, it is part of the antiabortion movements broader effort to find a case that can give the Supreme Court an excuse to revisit, and hopefully overturn, its ruling in Roe v. Wade. But as a matter of principle, Williamson is far from alone in believing that women who seek an abortion are just as culpable as the physicians who perform the procedure. In fact, it is the only logical position to hold, in light of the movements endlessly repeated mantra that abortion is murder: Treat her as you would a woman who pays a hit man to kill her husband.

That was just the point Justice Blackmun made in his opinion in Roe, writing (in a footnote): When Texas urges that a fetus is entitled to Fourteenth Amendment protection as a person, it faces a dilemma.  If the fetus is a person, why is the woman not a principal or an accomplice? Further, the penalty for criminal abortion  is significantly less than the maximum penalty for murder. If the fetus is a person, may the penalties be different?

Maintaining that precise distinction has been the work of the mainstream antiabortion movement ever since. In response to Foremans bill, the Idaho chapter of Right to Life hurried to reassure the public that it does not support any legislative action that would subject women to criminal penalties for an abortion.

[W]e are convinced that abortion is most often a tragically desperate act, the statement continued. Available research indicates that coercion is often a factor in over 64% of the cases when women experience abortion. Despite rhetoric from advocates of abortion on demand, abortion is most often NOT freely chosen by women.

Even taking this at face value, that leaves more than a third of women who did freely choose abortion. Should they get off scot-free? You could, if thats your concern, pass a law making abortion a crime and specifically allow coercion as a defense. All in favor, say aye.

A different group, Abolish Abortion Idaho, which supported Foremans bill to criminalize abortion, has a more straightforward take on it: [P]ro-life organizations like Right to Life of Idaho have never understood that they undermine their position by treating abortion as something less than what it is  murder.  The actual historical pro-life position, in contradiction to Right to Life of Idahos claim, is found in one of the oldest and most well supported documents on the planet, the Bible. In Genesis 9:6, we find this:

Whoso sheddeth mans blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Well, thats clear enough. As Nonini, the Idaho candidate for lieutenant governor, claimed, In the history of the United States, long before Roe was foisted upon this country, no woman has ever been prosecuted for undergoing abortion. That happens not to be true: It has happened many times, as a rule when women attempt to self-induce abortions, typically because they cant find or afford a clinic to perform the procedure. And it is happening right now in a number of other countries, including El Salvador, where a woman was recently freed from prison after serving nearly 11 years for an abortion. The judges decided that, as shed said all along, she had actually suffered a miscarriage.

Luckily for her, she wasnt hanged. But some people would like to see that changed.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Since the former spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia were found poisoned with a nerve agent in Salisbury last month the Russian government's denials of any involvement have become more and more elaborate.

The theatrics climaxed on Thursday at meeting of the UN Security Council, called by Russia, where its ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, referenced "Midsomer Murders", "Alice in Wonderland" and "Crime and Punishment" as he attacked Britain for Goebbels-style propaganda over the poisoning.

Yet Russia's outraged denials and outlandish accusations seem to conform to a similar pattern of behaviour its government follows when facing serious questions.

When under international scrutiny for the annexation of the Crimea and alleged doping at the Sochi Winter Olympics, Vladimir Putin's government launched similar campaigns of denial and deflection.

The tactics also mirror those deployed in the aftermath of the murder of the former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko, to the point were Mr Nebenzia used the same phrase yesterday as another top Kremlin official did in 2016 to describe the Litvinenko accusations.

Viktor Ivanov, a former KGB officer and a close ally of Putin , denied accusations he was involved in the Litvinenko murder and labelled the British inquiry into the Litvinenko poisoning as a theatre of the absurd in 2016.

Britain blames Russia for the poison attack on former spy Sergei Skripal in Salisbury Credit: AFP

Richard Gowan, a UN expert at the European Council on Foreign Relations, told The Telegraph that Russia's basic strategy is to use international forums like the United Nations (UN) to sow doubts about the British version of events.

By challenging the UN and Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Moscow gives the impression that they are playing by the rules of global diplomacy. It is a cunning way of turning the West's faith in international law against the UK.

He added: Nebenzia also seems to be deliberately make the debate a bit absurd, talking about Alice in Wonderland in the Security Council.

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I think the goal is to undercut the British claim that this was a serious breach on international law, and make look like this look like a silly spy game that has gone too far.

The UK did a good job of pressing home the gravity of the case last month, including through the UN and OPCW. But now the Russians are playing on the sense that this is all a bit of a fuss about nothing, and aiming to make London look a bit hysterical.

Russia doping scandal

The explosive Russian doping scandal exposed in a 2014 documentary was branded an unprecedented attack on the integrity of the Olympic Games and sport against a backdrop of staunch denials and apparent subversion tactics from the Kremlin.

A World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-commissioned report found more than a 1,000 athletes benefitted from a state-supported doping programme, with systematic cheating by Russia at London 2012 and Sochi 2014 uncovered.

Russian officials forcefully and repeatedly denied the urine-tampering allegations made by Dr Grigory Rodchenkov, the former head of the Russian anti-doping laboratory turned whistle-blower, claiming to be victims of a smear campaign orchestrated by the US.

The Kremlin insisted Dr Rodchenkovs baseless accusations were the slander of a turncoat, while Dmitry Medvedev, the countrys prime minister, claimed the WADA probe was anti-Russian.

Key moments in the Russia doping scandal

In December 2016, Mr Putin flatly denied allegations of a sophisticated doping programme, insisting it was simply impossible to implement.

He diverted attention towards the US with an aggressive rebuttal of the accusations, claiming Dr Rodchenkov was controlled by the US intelligence service and suggested it was an attempt to create problems before the Russian elections.

What drugs are they giving him to make him say what they want him to say? Mr Putin said of the FBI in December. This is just ridiculous.

Vladimir Putin at the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi Credit: Getty

Just six weeks later, Mr Putin admitted there were instances of doping use in Russia, but insisted it was a widespread international issue.

The biggest doping scandal in sporting history had enormous ramifications, resulting in Russia being banned from competing at the 2018 Winter Olympics and a number of the countrys athletes being stripped of their medals.

Russia denies sending troops to eastern Ukraine

Tensions flared between Russia and Ukraine in 2014 following the annexation of the Crimean peninsula, which had been Ukrainian territory since 1954.

Russia frequently denied any involvement in the bloody conflict and rejected reports it was assisting pro-Russian separatists fighting government troops in eastern Ukraine.

Moscow maintained reports of Russian troops being dispatched to Ukraine as tensions increased were not true, despite eyewitness accounts of armoured vehicles and military trucks crossing the border and Nato urging them to withdraw its forces.

Russia has played very similar games over Syria, says Mr Gowan, refusing to accept UN reports on chemical weapons attacks and creating a smokescreen of accusations that anti-Assad forces are responsible.

Masked little green men" appear in Crimea in 2014 holding a Russian flag Credit: AFP

In January 2015, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, vehemently denied Russia had sent 9,000 troops to the Ukraine.

I say every time: if you allege this so confidently, present the facts. But nobody can present the facts, or doesnt want to, he said.

So before demanding from us that we stop doing something, please present proof that we have done it.

The denials inevitably provoked ire from the US, who said that Russia has manipulated. It has obfuscated. It has outright lied.

Mr Putin had earlier claimed Russian troops in unmarked uniforms who appeared in Crimea during the 2014 crisis were self-defence groups who purchased their own uniforms and equipment, but later backtracked.

The Russian leader saw tensions over the conflict as another opportunity to attack the US, hitting back: Our actions are often described by the West as not legitimate, but look at US operations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya

Our actions are legitimate from the point of view of international law, because Ukraine's legitimate president asked us for help.

Litvinenko poisoning

An inquiry into the death of former spy Litvinenko, who was poisoned with a rare radioactive isotope at a London hotel in 2006, echoing the Skripal case, found President Putin probably approved the murder.

A top Russian official denounced the inquiry into the death of the outspoken Putin critic as a theatre of the absurd, the exact phrase repeated by Moscow this week in response to the UKs claims the Kremlin was involved in the Salisbury poisoning of Skripal, a former double agent.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said the inquiry was politicised, while Mr Ivanov, a long-term ally of Putin who was implicated in the murder, called it lies from start to finish.

Key conclusions | The Litvinenko Inquiry

Russia slammed the result of the inquiry as being politically motivated, highly opaque and prepared with a pre-determined correct result in mind.

In the fallout from the Skripal poisoning, Alexander Yakovenko, Russia's ambassador to London, suggested scrutiny should instead be on the UK.

We have a lot of suspicions about Britain, he said. If you take the last 10 years, so many Russian citizens died here in the UK, under very strange circumstances ... My question is why is it happening here?

Mr Gowan believes that Moscow capitalises on the fact that there is a deep-seated distrust of anything UK and US officials say about weapons of mass destruction (WMD) at the UN dating back to Iraq.

British diplomats cannot reveal all their intelligence on the Salisbury incident in public at the UN. So the Russians keep on hinting that this is another Iraq-style facade, and a lot of people who will buy into this implication, including in the West, he said.

Diversion and distraction tactics

During the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, the Soviet Union implemented diversionary and disinformation tactics amid heightened tensions with the US.

Officials repeatedly denied deploying surface-to-surface missiles in Cuba, with USSR claiming it was only supplying defensive weapons to the communist island nation.

Nikita Khrushchev even sent President John F. Kennedy the message that under no circumstances would surface-to-surface missiles be sent to Cuba.

John F. Kennedy signing the order of naval blockade of Cuba in 1962 Credit: AFP

Russia arent the only ones to effectively use divert, distract and deny tactics as a propaganda tool.

Mohammad Said al-Sahhaf, the former Iraqi information minister dubbed Comical Ali, became an international figure of ridicule during the 2003 invasion of Iraq with his implausible claims.

He regularly appeared on TV to deny coalition forces had reached the capital city of Baghdad and claimed they were retreating, despite the presence of American tanks over his shoulder.

US President Donald Trump has also been accused of stirring up controversy with his provocative tweets to distract and shape the news agenda to his own advantage.
Donald Trump and White House Chief of Staff John Kelly: Getty Images

Donald Trump is said to be freezing out his White House chief of staff John Kelly, excluding him from meetings and important discussions.

Mr Kelly, who was tasked with bringing order to the chaotic West Wing last July, has now receded from view, the Associated Press reported.

For months, Mr Kelly made it a practice to listen in on many of the president's calls, especially with world leaders. But he reportedly was not on the line when Mr Trump acted against his advice by congratulating Vladimir Putin on the Russians leaders re-election.

Additionally, the retired four-star Marine general reportedly opposed Mr Trumps hiring of John Bolton, a neo-conservative diplomat, as National Security Adviser. But rather than listening to his chief of staff, Mr Trump tapped Mr Bolton for the role anyway and told Mr Kelly about it later, the AP said.

In recent weeks, Mr Trump is said to have made an array of decisions without consulting Mr Kelly, apparently preferring to govern alone with breakneck speed.

Mr Trump recently told one confidante that he was tired of being told no by his chief of staff, a source told the AP.

Mr Kelly last year had made moves to control what information Mr Trump saw and who had access to the president. But the US leader is now said to be rebelling against those restrictions.

In March, NBC News reported that Mr Trump had considered firing Mr Kelly and not naming a successor.

Citing three people familiar with the discussions, the news outlet said Mr Trump threw out the idea to his close associates that he could run the West Wing by serving as his own chief of staff, similar to how he ran his own business empire.

The President appears to have tabled the proposal for now, NBC said.

Mr Kelly is Mr Trumps second chief of staff in the year and four months that the real estate mogul has been president.

There have been multiple reports that Mr Kelly has considered resigning from his gatekeeper role - but he has debunked those rumours.
The Hague (AFP) - Sweet tax deals, a business-friendly climate and an English-speaking population. The Netherlands is going all out to attract companies leaving Britain post-Brexit in search of a new EU-based home.

With less than a year before Britain formally leaves the European Union at midnight on March 29, 2019, the Dutch government has deployed a small army of lobbyists hoping to persuade companies to pick Rotterdam or Amsterdam over Paris or Frankfurt for their new base.

Via the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NIFA), an official arm of the economic affairs ministry, the Dutch government is currently "in touch with more than 200 companies," spokesman Michiel Bakhuizen told AFP.

"These are companies wishing to leave Britain or international businesses who are looking to set up in an EU country, and from now on, have to avoid London."

So far things have been going well, from a Dutch perspective.

Last month the Anglo-Dutch consumer products giant Unilever decided to end its dual-headed legal structure, severing its London base and regrouping around its headquarters in Rotterdam.

The company denied the decision had anything to do with Brexit, but that didn't lessen the blow to the British.

And Amsterdam is now preparing for the arrival of the European Medicines Agency, after winning a hard-fought battle against Milan to be the new home of the EMA and its 900 staff when it leaves London next year.

- Fiscal benefits -

Dutch officials say they have a good case. The Netherlands has a modern infrastructure, good digital and communications providers, and 90 percent of the population speaks English.

"We're no island," the NIFA says somewhat snidely on it website. "We're on the continent, close to Europe's 500 million consumers, not to mention your business customers."

Roel Beetsma, an economist from the University of Amsterdam, agreed, saying the country has "a good business climate, encouraged by government measures, a good level of education, a high quality of life and a central place in the heart of Europe with a focus on the international."

Story continues

Three successive governments led by business-friendly Prime Minister Mark Rutte have already made the country attractive for investors and those seeking to draw international talent.

"Business taxes and the 30 percent tax reduction rule for qualified expats are advantageous," said Bakhuizen, Brexit spokesman at the ministry for economic affairs.

To those still hesitating, the NIFA promises "we roll out the orange carpet," vowing it is a "one-stop-shop" with "tailor-made" guidance for companies wanting to establish or expand in Europe.

In 2017, 18 companies chose the Netherlands "for reasons linked to Brexit," said Bakhuizen.

Many international firms have been seduced by Amsterdam's picturesque canals and its Zuidas business district, easily reached by train or from Schiphol airport.

The financial sector is the city's most important, representing 25 percent of the local economy and providing 255,000 jobs, about 19 percent of the total workforce, according to the municipality.

- Banking on success -

More than 50 European and international banks currently call Amsterdam home to their branches or subsidiaries. They were joined in September by the Japanese mega-bank Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group (MUFG) which chose the Dutch capital over Paris as the European headquarters of its brokerage activities.

"We have great digital connectivity," added Vera Al, spokeswoman for the city's deputy mayor Udo Kock.

"We have a big creative and tech hub," she said, adding that was "the reason why Booking.com, Netflix, Facebook, Uber and Google have offices in Amsterdam".

Uber, Netflix and Amazon also recently announced they were expanding their Amsterdam bases, hiring hundreds of new staff.

But with the city already overcrowded, some analysts fear it could struggle to provide office space and housing. Dutch officials however point to other big cities, such as Rotterdam, all linked by highly-efficient public transport.

- 'We're not vultures' -

And as Brexit approaches the Dutch are not sitting on their laurels.

"We want to attract the most companies possible," said Bakhuizen, saying contacts with international business have been stepped up.

After the 2016 Brexit vote, the NIFA swiftly boosted its team, taking on six more staff -- two based in London, two in The Hague and two in the United States.

"But we work in the proper way," Bakhuizen said, adding "we don't want to act like vultures" circling their prey.
Maryland became the latest state to adopt a small but powerful change in the way it registers voters, a move that advocates hope could add hundreds of thousands of people to the rolls in that state alone.

Under a new law, the state will automatically register people to vote when they use other services at a motor vehicle or state social service agency or buy health insurance through the states public exchange. The bill also instructs state officials to come up with a way to offer people who file their Maryland income tax returns online the opportunity to register to vote.

While several state agencies are already required by federal law to offer people the opportunity to register to vote, advocates believe that tweaking the process so the default option is to register will lead to more people on the voting rolls. Even though any individual can still choose to opt out, research has shown that making something the default option increases the likelihood that people will choose it.

The bill overwhelmingly passed both houses of the Maryland Legislature and was sent to Gov. Larry Hogan (R) last week. Hogan had six days to sign or veto the bill; he did neither and the legislation became law on Thursday. It will take effect in July 2019.

Hogans office did not respond to a request for comment on why he chose not to sign the bill.

In 2016, the think tank Demos projected that automatic voter registration could add 404,000 people to the rolls in Maryland.

Damon Effingham, acting director of Common Cause Maryland, said the bill would not only add voters but also improve election security by requiring state agencies to transmit updated information to election officials.

Automatic voter registration will become law in Maryland, modernizing and expanding access to the franchise while improving election security at virtually no cost to the taxpayer, he said in an email. Its a rare win-win-win.

The Brennan Center for Justice reports 10 other states and the District of Columbia have adopted laws requiring automatic voter registration. Oregon was the first in 2015, and as of May 2017, it had added 116,000 people to its rolls who wouldnt have otherwise registered, according to an analysis by the left-leaning Center for American Progress.

Story continues

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Amid An Assault On Voting Rights, Here's Where Advocates See Some Hope

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By Tulay Karadeniz ANKARA (Reuters) - The leaders of Turkey and Russia marked the official start of work to build Turkey's first nuclear power station on Tuesday, launching construction of the $20 billion Akkuyu plant in the southern province of Mersin. The plant will be built by Russian state nuclear energy agency Rosatom and will be made up of four units each with a capacity of 1,200 megawatts. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkey's Tayyip Erdogan marked the start to construction, watching by video link from Ankara. "When all four units go online, the plant will meet 10 percent of Turkey's energy needs," Erdogan said, adding that despite delays Turkey still planned to start generating power at the first unit in 2023. Speaking at a later news conference with Putin, Erdogan said the cost of the project may exceed the planned $20 billion for the 4,800 megawatt (MW) plant, part of Erdogan's "2023 vision" marking 100 years since the founding of modern Turkey and intended to reduce Turkey's dependence on energy imports. Since Russia was awarded the contract in 2010, the project has been beset by delays. Last month, sources familiar with the matter said Akkuyu was likely to miss its 2023 target start-up date, but Rosatom, which is looking for local partners to take a 49 percent stake in the project, said it is committed to the timetable. The Interfax news agency cited the head of Rosatom saying the sale of the 49 percent stake was likely to be postponed from this year until 2019. Turkish companies have been put off by the size of the financing required as well as by concerns they will not receive a sufficient share of the lucrative construction side of the deal, two industry sources have said. Erdogan told the news conference Turkey may cooperate with Russia on defense projects besides the S-400 missile defense system which Moscow has agreed to supply to Ankara. He did not give further details. Turkey signed an agreement to buy the S-400 system in late December in a move which raised concern in the West because it cannot be integrated into NATO's military architecture. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani will join Erdogan and Putin for a three-way summit on Syria in Ankara on Wednesday. (Additional reporting by Ece Toksabay and Denish Pinchuk in Ankara and Andrey Ostroukh in Moscow; Writing by Dominic Evans and Daren Butler; Editing by Robin Pomeroy)
GAZA (Reuters) - Gaza is a coastal strip of land that lay on ancient trading and maritime routes along the Mediterranean shore. Held by the Ottoman Empire until 1917, it passed from British to Egyptian to Israeli military rule over the last century and is now a fenced-in enclave inhabited by two million Palestinians. Here are some of the major milestones in its recent history. 1948 - Refugees and Egyptian military rule As British colonial rule came to an end in Palestine in the late 1940s, violence intensified between Jews and Arabs, culminating in war between the newly created State of Israel and its Arab neighbors in May 1948. Tens of thousands of Palestinians took refuge in Gaza after fleeing or being driven from their homes. The invading Egyptian army had seized a narrow coastal strip 25 miles (40 km) long from the Sinai to just south of Ashkelon. The influx of refugees saw Gaza's population triple to around 200,000. Egypt held the Gaza Strip for two decades under a military governor, allowing Palestinians to work and study in Egypt. In the 1950s and 1960s armed Palestinian "fedayeen" - many of them refugees - mounted attacks into Israel, drawing reprisals. The United Nations set up a refugee agency, UNRWA, which today provides services for 1.3 million registered Palestine refugees in Gaza, around 70 per cent of the population, as well as for Palestinians in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, and the West Bank. 1967 - War and Israeli military occupation Israel captured the Gaza Strip in the 1967 Middle East war. An Israeli census that year put Gaza's population at 394,000, at least 60 percent of them refugees. It found that 65 percent of working-age men in the 145 sq. mile (375 sq. km) territory were employed in Gaza before the 1967 conflict, mainly in agriculture, fishing, industry and quarries. With the Egyptians gone, the focus of many Gazan workers shifted. Thousands took jobs in the agriculture, construction and services industries inside Israel, to which they could gain easy access at that time. Israeli troops remained to administer the territory, and to guard the settlements that Israel built in the following decades. These became a source of growing Palestinian resentment. 1987 - First Palestinian uprising. Hamas formed Twenty years after the 1967 war, Palestinians launched their first intifada, or uprising. It began in December 1987 after a traffic accident in which an Israeli truck crashed into a vehicle carrying Palestinian workers in Gaza's Jabalya refugee camp, killing four. Stone-throwing protests, strikes and shutdowns followed. Seizing the angry mood, the Egypt-based Muslim Brotherhood created an armed Palestinian branch - Hamas - with its power base in Gaza. Hamas, dedicated to Israel's destruction and restoration of Islamic rule in what it saw as occupied Palestine, became a rival to Yasser Arafat's secular Fatah party that led the Palestine Liberation Organization. 1993 - The Oslo Accords, and Palestinian semi-autonomy Israel and the Palestinians signed an historic peace accord in 1993 that led to the creation of the Palestinian Authority. Under the interim deal, Palestinians were first given limited control in Gaza, and Jericho in the West Bank. Arafat returned to Gaza after decades in exile. The Oslo process gave the newly created Palestinian Authority some autonomy, and envisaged statehood after five years. But that never happened. Israel accused the Palestinians of reneging on security agreements, and Palestinians were angered by continued Israeli settlement-building. Hamas and Islamic Jihad carried out bombings to try to derail the peace process, leading Israel to impose more restrictions on movement of Palestinians out of Gaza. Hamas also picked up on growing Palestinian criticisms of corruption, nepotism and economic mismanagement by Arafats inner circle. 2000 - Second Palestinian Intifada In 2000, Israeli-Palestinian relations sank to a low with the outbreak of the second Palestinian intifada. It ushered in a period of suicide bombings and shooting attacks by Palestinians, and Israeli air strikes, demolitions, no-go zones and curfews. One casualty was Gaza International Airport, a symbol of thwarted Palestinian hopes for economic independence and the Palestinians only direct link to the outside world that was not controlled by Israel or Egypt. Opened in 1998, was deemed a security threat by Israel three years later. Israel destroyed its radar antenna and runway a few months after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States. Another casualty was Gaza's fishing industry, a source of income for tens of thousands. Gaza's fishing zone, set by the Oslo deals at 20 nautical miles, was reduced by Israel to between three and 12 nautical miles. Israel said the restrictions were necessary to stop boats smuggling weapons. Palestinians accused Israel of reneging on Oslo. 2005 - Israel evacuates its Gaza settlements In August 2005 Israel evacuated all its troops and settlers from Gaza, which was by then completely fenced off from the outside world by Israel. Palestinians tore down the abandoned buildings and infrastructure for scrap. The settlements' removal led to greater freedom of movement within Gaza, and the "tunnel economy" boomed as armed groups, smugglers and entrepreneurs quickly dug scores of tunnels into Egypt. But the pullout also removed settlement factories, greenhouses and workshops that had employed some Gazans. 2006-2007: Isolation under Hamas In 2006, Hamas scored a surprise victory in Palestinian parliamentary elections. Later that year, Hamas militants captured an Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, and killed two others in a tunnel raid. In 2007 Hamas seized full control of Gaza, overthrowing forces loyal to Arafat's successor, President Mahmoud Abbas. Much of the international community cut aid to the Palestinians in Hamas-controlled areas because they regard Hamas as a terrorist organization. Israel stopped tens of thousands of Palestinian workers from entering the country, cutting off an important source of income, and closed an industrial zone on the Gaza border. Israeli air strikes crippled Gazas only electrical power plant, causing widespread blackouts. Citing security concerns, Israel and Egypt also imposed tighter restrictions on the movement of people and goods through the Gaza crossings. Gazas economy increasingly went underground, becoming more dependent on a network of smuggling tunnels under the border with Egypt. Ambitious Hamas plans to refocus Gaza's economy east, away from Israel, foundered before they even started. 2013 - Coup in Egypt In 2011 the Arab Spring brought a window of opportunity for the Islamist-led government in Gaza. The Muslim Brotherhood won parliamentary and presidential elections in Egypt, bolstering Hamas. But the Egyptian army slowed the flow of cash, food, building supplies, cars, petrol - and weapons that used to come through tunnels. Egypt's newly elected president, Mohammed Mursi, was overthrown after just a year. Viewing Hamas as a threat, Egypts new military-backed leader, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, closed the border with Gaza and blew up most of the tunnels. Once again isolated, Gazas economy went into reverse. 2008 - 2014 - Wars Gaza's economy has suffered repeatedly over decades in the cycle of conflict, attack and retaliation between Israel and Palestinian militant groups, from the 1970s to recent years. Israel and Gaza militants led by Hamas fought three wars since 2008 which resulted in widespread destruction and the killing of thousands of Palestinians and about 100 Israelis. The worst fighting was in 2014. Hamas and other groups launched rockets at heartland cities in Israel. Israel carried out air strikes and artillery bombardment that devastated neighborhoods in Gaza. More than 2,100 Palestinians were killed, mostly civilians. Israel put the number of its dead at 67 soldiers and six civilians. 2017 PALESTINIAN SPLIT WORSENED In 2017, Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas launched a series of economic sanctions on Hamas in a bid to force the group to relinquish control of Gaza. He orchestrated a reduction of electricity for Gaza and slashed salaries of 60,000 Palestinian Authority employees there by 30 percent, weakening buying power. 2018 U.S. CUTS AID TO PALESTINIANS President Donald Trump announced the United States would withhold some future aid payments to Palestinians, accusing them of unwillingness to talk peace with Israel. Washington held back $65 million of a first scheduled payment to UNRWA, the U.N. agency that cares for Palestinian refugees. It is unclear how much more, if any, it will contribute. UNRWA received $355 million from the United States in the 2017 fiscal year. UNRWA is funded mainly by voluntary contributions from U.N. member states, with the United States by far the largest donor. For a graphic on UNRWA funding, click http://tmsnrt.rs/2CLooyv (Writing by Stephen Farrell, Jeffrey Heller and Nidal al-Mughrabi, Editing by Mark Heinrich)
(Reuters) - Facebook Inc said on Friday that it had suspended Canadian political consultancy AggregateIQ from its platform after reports that the data firm may have improperly had access to the personal data of Facebook users. Facebook is under intense pressure after the data of millions of its users ended up in the hands of political consultancy Cambridge Analytica. Christopher Wylie, a whistleblower who once worked at Cambridge Analytica, has said that it worked with Canadian company AggregateIQ. "In light of recent reports that AggregateIQ may be affiliated with SCL and may, as a result, have improperly received FB user data, we have added them to the list of entities we have suspended from our platform while we investigate," Facebook said in a statement. "Our internal review continues, and we will cooperate fully with any investigations by regulatory authorities." Strategic Communication Laboratories (SCL) is a government and military contractor that is the parent of Cambridge Analytica. Wylie has said that AggregateIQ received payment from a pro-Brexit campaign group before the 2016 referendum when Britain voted to quit the European Union. The Canadian federal agency charged with protecting privacy rights of individuals said on Thursday that the agency, along with its counterpart in British Columbia, would jointly investigate Facebook and AggregateIQ over the ongoing data scandal. British Columbia's privacy commissioner was separately investigating AggregateIQ over whether the Victoria-based company had broken provincial personal privacy rules for its role in the Brexit campaign. Facebook Canada said on Wednesday that more than 600,000 Canadians had their data "improperly shared" with Cambridge Analytica. AggregateIQ was not immediately available for a comment. Cambridge Analytica tweeted on Wednesday, "When Facebook contacted us to let us know the data had been improperly obtained, we immediately deleted the raw data from our file server, and began the process of searching for and removing any of its derivatives in our system." Facebook said on Wednesday that the personal information of up to 87 million users, mostly in the United States, may have been improperly shared with political consultancy Cambridge Analytica, up from a previous news media estimate of more than 50 million. Facebook first acknowledged last month that personal information about millions of users wrongly ended up in the hands of Cambridge Analytica. London-based Cambridge Analytica, which has counted U.S. President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign among its clients, said on Wednesday on Twitter that it had received no more than 30 million records from a researcher it hired to collect data about people on Facebook. (Reporting by Rama Venkat Raman in Bengalur and David Ingram in San Francisco; Editing by Toni Reinhold)
The family of four from Iowa who died from inhaling toxic gas at a rented condo in Tulum, Mexico, were killed by a faulty water heater that had rusted, according to a new police interview.

Police in Tulum told the Des Moines Register that the couple and their two children died from a gas leak from a Delta Raptor heater, which had been corrupted by rust and had an expired warranty.

There was a leak, and it was coming right from the laundry room, Christopher Martinez, the main investigator on the case, told the Register through an interpreter. The laundry room had no ventilation whatsoever.

The Sharp family  Kevin Sharp, 41, Amy Sharp, 38, Sterling Sharp, 12, and Adrianna Sharp, 7  had left the U.S. for Mexico on March 15. They were supposed to return to America on March 21, according to a Facebook post from a family member.

Prosecutors in the Caribbean coast state of Quintana Roo had ruled the cause of death as asphyxiation from inhaling toxic gases.
(Recasts with tweet from Trump)

By Meredith Mazzilli

NEW YORK, April 7 (Reuters) - A fire that broke at in Trump Tower in New York on Saturday is out, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Twitter, calling it a "very confined" blaze.

One person was in serious condition following the blaze, fire officials told local media. The New York Fire Department said on Twitter it was a four-alarm fire that broke out on the 50th floor.

Trump, who has an office and private residence in the building, was in Washington.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!," Trump tweeted.

Eric Trump, the president's son, said on Twitter the fire took place in a residential apartment.

Social media video showed a small fire coming out of a few windows from the structure in center Manhattan. Fire trucks were lining the streets outside. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas and Meredith Mazzilli in New York; Editing by Sandra Maler)
The 75-year-old intends to use the money raised from the sales of the product to fund his non-profit group: Getty

Former Mexico president Vicente Fox has mocked Donald Trump with a T-shirt criticising his plans to build a border wall between Mexico and the United States, which reads: "Cant build a wall if your hands are too small."

The T-shirt refers to a joke which came about during the US 2016 presidential campaign and was most notably used by Mr Trumps primary challenger Marco Rubio, who ridiculed him about the size of his hands during a debate.

Mr Fox posted a picture of himself wearing the T-shirt on Twitter on Friday and a link to where to buy the product, which is no longer available. The design shows Mr Trump as a baby building a wall with toy bricks. Hoodies and long-sleeved shirts were also listed for sale with the same design.

Thank you for all your support! @centrofox was built on the foundation of empowering leaders to take charge and give back to their communities. Help me continue to spread the message of compassion for others, by getting this apparel at https://t.co/lRhyRIWF1mpic.twitter.com/3lVcGyTLjx

 Vicente Fox Quesada (@VicenteFoxQue) April 6, 2018

Mr Fox has been a staunch critic of the presidents plans to build a border wall between Mexico and the US, as well as his intentions to renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA).

In March, Mr Trumps plans received a setback after lawmakers awarded him only $1.6bn (1.14bn) of the $25bn he had requested for the construction of the wall and for extra border security measures.

Money raised from the T-shirts will be used to fund Mr Foxs non-profit group, Centro Fox, which provides training for leaders in Mexico and Latin America, he said.

Mr Fox served as the president of Mexico for six years from 2000 to 2006.

Story continues

Video: Vicente Fox Tells Trump to 'Tell the Truth'

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Former President of Mexico Vicente Fox trolled President Donald Trump on Friday by wearing a black t-shirt that read, "Can't Build a Wall If Your Hands Are Too Small." Underneath the phrase, the T-shirt featured a cartoonish rendering of Donald Trump as a baby who has soiled a diaper styled to look like the American Flag.

Fox, who served as president from 2000 to 2006, is selling the shirts to raise money for Centro Fox Foundation, a leadership fund. "This isn't just about the wall, it's about ACCEPTANCE, EQUALITY and INCLUSION of all people! Stand up for what you believe in!" Fox said in the promotional materials for the shirt, which retail for $24 online.

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The southern border wall, a centerpiece of Trump's presidential campaign, has led to a rancorous debate about immigration and roiled tensions between the U.S. and Mexico. So far, attempts to approve funding for the massive project have proved futile.

Trump, who swore Mexico would pay for the wall during his campaign, has asked Congress to approve $25 billion for construction and other defenses at the southern border, but the omnibus bill that passed last March included only $1.6 billion for the undertaking. Last week, the president ordered the deployment of the national guard to the southern border.

To wit, the T-shirt shows baby Trump struggling to build a wall with building blocks.

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Trump's "small hands" became a running gag during the 2016 presidential campaign. The description originated from Graydon Carter, a prominent journalist who wrote more than three decades ago that Trump had "small and neatly groomed" hands and later described him as a "short-fingered vulgarian" in Spy magazine. After that, Trump apparently thought it necessary to send Carter occasional photos of himself.

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"On all of them, he has circled his hand in gold Sharpie in a valiant effort to highlight the length of his fingers," Carter recalled in Vanity Fair, where he served as editor. "I almost feel sorry for the poor fellow because, to me, the fingers still look abnormally stubby."

While campaigning against Trump, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio riffed on the anecdote, jokingly telling a crowd of supporters that you can't "trust" a man with "small hands." Trump responded on the debate stage in what many interpreted as a statement about, shall we say, the size of other body parts.

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Vicente, who ran on the right-wing National Action Party ticket for his election, has never been shy about expressing his disdain for the former business mogul. The acrimony notably began when Trump kicked off his campaign by saying Mexico was sending its "drug dealers" and "rapists" to the U.S.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Rep. Steve Pearce (R-N.M.) said this week that his state shouldnt legalize recreational marijuana because it would hinder the economic fortunes of poor people. Wealthier states can better afford to handle the substance, he added.

I do not see how in combating poverty you can put one more obstacle in front of people who are struggling to get out of poverty, Pearce said Thursday, so I dont see where I would support recreational marijuana.

A wealthier state, the congressman added, could more easily absorb the allegedly deleterious effects of legal marijuana.

People [point to] other states and say, Well, Colorado is doing it just fine, Pearce continued. Colorado has a much deeper economic base to rely on. Colorado has much deeper pockets to rely on.

As for New Mexico, he said, Were at the bottom of everything  and to say that we want to make one more [obstacle] for people who are just trying to get themselves on their feet and get back in the workforce and work their way out, I just dont see how it fits. I dont see how it fits that were going to deal with addiction and yet were going to people, This one is OK.

A Pearce spokesperson said that the congressman was not making a distinction between the use of marijuana by rich and poor individuals and that to claim he did would be a deliberate distortion.

Colorado has deeper pockets to pay for more drug addiction, more jails and more law enforcement, said Keeley Christiensen, Pearces Washington press secretary. They have their right to spend their tax money mitigating the destructive effects of drug addiction how they choose. The congressman believes New Mexico would be wiser spending its money on creating jobs, hope and opportunity for everyone.

Among the 50 states and the District of Columbia, New Mexico has the second-highest poverty rate (after Mississippi), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Colorado, which became the first state to implement a law allowing the purchase and sale of recreational marijuana in 2014, has the 13th-lowest poverty rate.

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Pearce, who is running unopposed in New Mexicos Republican gubernatorial primary, made his comments in response to a question about marijuana legalization during a candidate forum alongside the three remaining Democratic candidates. Video of his remarks was provided to HuffPost by the liberal super PAC American Bridge.

After his easy primary race, Pearce likely faces a stiff challenge in the general election for governor. Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham, the favorite to win the Democratic nomination, is a well-known figure in the state, hailing from an established political family that includes her cousin, Rep. Ben Ray Lujan (D-N.M.), who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Although New Mexicos outgoing governor, Susana Martinez, is a Republican, the state has leaned Democratic in recent statewide elections.

Pearce has a history of inflammatory comments about hot-button issues. In 2008, he claimed that legalizing same-sex marriage would lead to LGBTQ people marrying everyone in California with AIDS to give the latter individuals health benefits. In his 2014 memoir, Just Fly the Plane, Stupid! he wrote that wives must voluntarily submit to their husbands.

Clarification: Language in this story has been amended to specify that Colorado was the first state to implement its law allowing recreational purchase and sale of marijuana. It passed that law at the same time as Washington state passed a similar one.

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The adoptive grandmother of a teenager who starved to death in her family home has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for neglect, false imprisonment, and multiple other crimes.

A district court judge sentenced Carla Bousman to the maximum prison time possible after the 63-year-old confessed to not seeking medical help when she found her 16-year-old granddaughter in distress.

"She had woke up vomiting and had soiled herself and her clothes and I just thought that she wasnt feeling well and I gave her a shower and cleaned her all up," Ms Bousman told the courtroom of the day her granddaughter died, according to the Des Moines Register.

The Perry, Iowa native was tasked with carrying for her granddaughter, Sabrina Ray, on the day she died. Ms Bousman told the courtroom she not only failed to call for help, but also locked Sabrinas two adoptive sisters in the room with her as she died.

ABC13 News

By the time police found Sabrina, she was dead. She weighed just 56 pounds at the time, according to an autopsy report.

"I wish I could go back to that day and change everything and do what I know was the proper thing to do," Ms Bousman said, according to the Register. "I cant change what was done now, but Im very sorry and miss all my grandchildren very much."

In a plea deal that spared her the possibility of multiple life sentences, Ms Bousman pleaded guilty to neglect of a dependent person, accessory after the fact, obstruction of prosecution, two counts of false imprisonment, and two counts of child endangerment.

Dallas County District Court Judge Terry Rickers accepted the plea, but sentenced Ms Bousman to the maximum jail time possible under the deal: Seven consecutive sentences, totalling 20 years in prison.

After hearing what you had to tell the court today, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the maximum sentence in this case is the only appropriate sentence, Mr Rickers said, according to the Dallas County News.

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He added: Grandmothers are supposed to be special. Grandmas are supposed to spoil their grandkids  Grandmas arent supposed to contribute to the confinement and degradation of their grandchildren.

Sabrinas adoptive parents, Marc Alan Ray and Misty Jo Bousman-Ray, also face charges in the case. The couple, who authorities said they were on vacation at Disney World at the time of their daughter's death, have been charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and child endangerment. They have pleaded not guilty.

Sabrinas older brother, Justin Ray, pleaded guilty to two counts of willful injury in February, after prosecutors said he drop-kicked his sister down a staircase, according to the Register. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Wanted: A contractor to create a database of journalists, bloggers and influencers for the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo: Alex Wong via Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security sparked concerns among media circles after news spread that the agency was creating an online database to monitor journalists, bloggers, social media influencers and others.

Word got out after Bloomberg Government surfaced a job posting from DHS seeking a contractor for a media monitoring services project. The job entails creating a searchable database that has the ability to track about 290,000 news sources, both foreign and domestic, according to the DHSs statement of work.

The contractor will help DHS monitor traditional news sources as well as social media, identify any and all media coverage related to the Department of Homeland Security or a particular event, the job description reads.

Services shall provide media comparison tools, design and rebranding tools, communication tools, and the ability to identify top media influencers.

The online platform should also be able to instantly translate media from 100 languages, including Chinese and Russian, into English. It should also be able to analyze the coverages sentiment and momentum.

With President Donald Trumps aggressive rhetoric against the mainstream news  he once labeled journalists as the enemy of the people  many in the media industry saw the database as yet another attack on the free press.

I've gotten threats of violence & death from Trump supporters. Am I to be put on the Department of Homeland Security's list now, too, for having the audacity to criticize @realDonaldTrump in the media and my published work?https://t.co/lpo19Zeac7#resist #trump #FridayFeeling  Dr. DaShanne Stokes (@DaShanneStokes) April 6, 2018

Cool, the office of Homeland Security wants to dox all the journalists in the country. This isn't bad at all.  Kyle Anderson (@FunctionalNerd) April 6, 2018

I have friends who have been prohibited from leaving their countries, exiled from their countries with their citizenship stripped, detained and questioned by authorities, tortured, and/or imprisoned for years because of their social media commentary.



This is dangerous.



 https://t.co/Mki5vMYRZS  Leah McElrath  (@leahmcelrath) April 6, 2018

Well, this isn't freaking terrifying or anything. Department Of Homeland Security Compiling Database Of Journalists And 'Media Influencers' via @forbes https://t.co/OsdivMn8dw  Maressa Brown (@MaressaSylvie) April 6, 2018

When asked for comment on the purpose of the database, Homeland Security press secretary Tyler Houlton sent HuffPost a link to a tweet he published Friday afternoon.

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In his tweet, Houlton maintains that the database of journalists is standard practice of monitoring current events and suggests that those suspicious of its purpose are tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists.

Houlton did not respond to HuffPosts follow-up questions on whether a similar database had already existed within the Department of Homeland Security and what the agency intends to do with the information.

Despite what some reporters may suggest, this is nothing more than the standard practice of monitoring current events in the media. Any suggestion otherwise is fit for tin foil hat wearing, black helicopter conspiracy theorists. https://t.co/XGgFFH3Ppl  Tyler Q. Houlton (@SpoxDHS) April 6, 2018

While many people  journalists and social media influencers especially  were worried about Homeland Security monitoring them, others argued that press-tracking databases are commonplace in the world of public relations.

PR agencies and communication firms often keep their own databases of journalists and various media outlets, with notes for each. PR professionals also often use programs that track how their clients are being discussed in the media.

For example, communication firms and public relation agencies use similar databases to find contact information for media outlets and journalists. Public relations professionals also use different programs that monitor news stories and how their clients are being discussed in the media.

And Homeland Security isnt the only federal agency to monitor the media, according to CNN military and diplomatic analyst John Kirby.

Given this administrations denigration of most media outlets, I understand why the timing of this bid might look suspicious, Kirby told CNN Politics. But from what I can tell, this is nothing more than an attempt at media analysis.

Its not at all different from what I have seen other agencies undertake to better understand the communication landscape. In fact, it would be PR malpractice not to put something like this together.

Susan Hennessy, a governance studies fellow at the Brookings Institution, also agreed that a database that tracks and monitors the media industry shouldnt be of any concern.

She discussed the issue on Twitter with Garrett Graff, the executive director of the Aspen Institutes cybersecurity and technology program.

This strikes me as a totally routine and smart thing for DHS to do, and not at all Orwellian. https://t.co/Nhvpzyfns2  Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) April 6, 2018

I really mean this. NPPD's trying to figure out what's going on in the world. Stop freaking out.  Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) April 6, 2018

Agreed. Appears to be a normal PR strategy, not the beginning of the end of free press. https://t.co/YfNgwJYsWk  Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) April 7, 2018

No, I really honestly think this kind of media tracking is a normal and common thing that both private companies and federal agencies do, and it doesn't alarm me. Sincerely.  Susan Hennessey (@Susan_Hennessey) April 7, 2018

Read a draft of the Department of Homeland Securitys job listing below.

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DHS' Statement of Work for Media Monitoring Services by Carla Herreria on Scribd

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Philip Pullella ROME (Reuters) - A Hong Kong cardinal who has spearheaded opposition to the Vatican's rapprochement with China has asked conservative Roman Catholics who are in open defiance of Pope Francis to back his cause. The plea on Saturday night by Cardinal Joseph Zen to a Rome conference on the limits of papal authority appeared to be the start of a new alliance that could help both sides bring their message of dissent across. China and the Vatican have been working out a framework accord on the appointment of bishops, which eventually could lead to diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Beijing. The Vatican has said the deal is not imminent. Catholics in China are split between those in "underground" communities that recognize the pope and those belonging to a state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association where bishops are appointed by the government in collaboration with local Church communities. In his video message to the conference, Zen lamented what he said was a lack of communication from the Vatican and that the voice of the faithful in China was not listened to. Zen wove his message to the conference, which was attended by two conservative cardinals who have openly challenged Francis on moral teachings and others who have accused him of heresy, around the theme of periphery (China) and the center of the faith (the Vatican). "In this moment, our periphery, China is in much difficulty, great difficulty and many voices from this periphery do not reach the center. We who live outside continental China - we bring our experience and we are in constant contact (with Chinese Catholic) - we feel like we represent this periphery," Zen said. Zen, who in the past has accused the Vatican of "selling out" to Chinese communists, told the conference: "We fear that the center will make decisions that really are not useful for the real growth of the Church (in China)." The deal on the naming of bishops could be followed by full diplomatic relations, which would give the Church a legal framework to look after all of Chinas estimated 12 million Catholics and move on to focus on Catholic growth in a country where Protestants are already growing fast. Zen, who once taught in a seminary in China, appeared to take another dig at the Vatican, saying, "If you want to help the Church in China, you have to know it. Knowledge cannot be simply abstract or based on numbers or books. One has to have lived it." He said he would continue to express his opinion, telling the conference "I hope that you will follow us and occasionally play our part at the center of the Church." Zen's inclusion in the conference allowed organizers to claim the backing of a new prestigious name to their own case against Francis, who some have accused of heresy. The main speaker was American Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke, who in 2016 was one of four cardinals who challenged Francis over some of his teachings on the family and divorce. They accused him of sowing confusion and Burke has said he has a right to "correct" the pope. Two of the four cardinals who made the challenge in 2016 have since died. (Reporting By Philip Pullella, editing by Larry King)
BUDAPEST  Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban looks set to easily win a third consecutive term in Sundays election and further cement his grip on the country, according to early official results.

This has been a decisive win, Orban told crowds of supporters outside his party headquarters in Budapest.

The countrys National Election Office projects that Orbans right-wing nationalist Fidesz party will win a two-thirds parliamentary majority, which would allow it to make changes to the constitution. In the lead-up to the vote, critics warned that such a majority would give Orban free rein to impose restrictive laws against NGOs and undermine Hungarys democratic institutions.

Hungarians turned out in large numbers across the country to vote on Sunday, bringing to close an election campaign filled with anti-migrant rhetoric and nationalist fervor. The vote has drawn international attention not only for its spiteful campaign rhetoric and the implications for the country, but because opponents fear Orbans rule threatens to create immense rifts in the European Union and provides a model of illiberalism that could spread to other states.

At polling stations in the more liberal capital of Budapest, long lines of voters gathered throughout the day to cast their ballots, while some expressed their disdain at the governments overwhelmingly negative campaign.

They dont promise anything, they dont have a program, they cannot give us anything. All they can give us is fear, said Eszter Imrenyi, a 25-year-old student.

Orban and his Fidesz government made migration the central focus of the campaign, plastering ads around the country showing a crowd of migrants with a large red stop sign overlayed on top. In speeches, Orban railed against foreign interests that wanted to bring massive numbers of migrants into the country and ruin Hungarys ethnic homogeneity.

The Fidesz campaign also focused its vitriol on 86-year-old Hungarian-American George Soros, with Orban constantly accusing the Jewish billionaire of trying to overthrow the government by employing thousands of agents to do his bidding. Critics and Jewish groups condemned the anti-Soros campaign for promoting age-old anti-Semitic stereotypes.

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I have a sister, shes turning 7 this summer, shes in kindergarten, Imrenyi said. She was asking me: Soros ... what kind of witch is he?

How come my sister even knows this guys name? Its terrible.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban leaves a polling booth. (Photo: Bernadett Szabo / Reuters)

Opposing Orbans rule was a field of parties that range from a largely fractured group of left-liberal parties to Jobbik, a party with a far-right history that in recent years has tried to moderate its messaging and disavow the anti-Semitic, anti-Roma actions of its past. Although liberal parties attempted to increase their cooperation in the lead-up to the vote, neither the left nor Jobbik was able beat Fidesz.

The election initially looked more competitive than expected, however, which observers say helped fuel the toxic atmosphere.

Im really happy its over and we can vote, Mate Linka, a 27-year-old lawyer, said earlier on Sunday. It was a really disgusting campaign.

After seeing friends and family members leave the country in recent years to find opportunities elsewhere in the EU, Linka and other young voters who spoke with HuffPost hoped that a shift in government could offer solutions.

But aided by what critics say is a stranglehold on the countrys media and an electoral system engineered to benefit his party, Orban ensured that he will remain in power.

This is Hungarys second general election since Orbans government changed the election law to switch from two rounds of voting to just one, making it more difficult for voters who oppose Fidesz to rally around a single opposition candidate.

Orban relies on strong support in rural areas and on the votes of hundreds of thousands of ethnic Hungarians living in neighboring countries, whom he granted voting rights following his election win in 2010.

This was the first government that gave us the same rights as the natives, said Orsolya Laura Peterfy, a 35-year-old English teacher who was born in Romania. This government helped us with money and support.

People wait in line to vote during Hungarian parliamentary elections at a polling station in Budapest, Hungary, on April 8, 2018. (Photo: Bernadett Szabo / Reuters)

Even among voters who oppose Orban, few believed this was a vote he could lose. Instead, they hoped that this vote would limit his power and send a message that many in the country dont support his rule.

This election is not about to win over Fidesz, because we dont have a chance, said Gabor Bone, a 45-year-old chef lining up to vote on Sunday afternoon.

Its just to make sure in four years time we have the chance to vote again, and that time were gonna win.

Now set to enter his third consecutive term in power and likely armed with a powerful majority, however, Orban appears more emboldened than ever.

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Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke is now saying that Florida's coastal waters are not exempt from the administration's offshore drilling plans. (Photo: Tom Williams via Getty Images)

WASHINGTON  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke on Friday walked back previous statements about the Trump administrations offshore drilling plans, indicating Floridas coastal waters are in fact still on the table.

No one was exempted, he said, according to The Associated Press.

The comment came at an offshore wind energy forum in Plainsboro, New Jersey, where Zinke spoke about Americans energy potential and the Trump administrations all-of-the-above approach to powering America.

In January, the Trump administration released a sweeping plan to boost Americas fossil fuel production that would open nearly all U.S. waters, including huge swaths of the Arctic, Atlantic and Pacific oceans, to oil exploration. Less than a week later, just two days into a 60-day public comment period, Zinke traveled to Florida, where he announced that, at the recommendation of Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R), he was withdrawing the states coastal waters from the areas that could be leased.

I support the governors position that Florida is unique and its coasts are heavily reliant on tourism as an economic driver, Zinke said at the time.

Zinke faced intense criticism over the decision, which many saw as arbitrary and political. Democratic governors, lawmakers and other officials demanded that their states be granted the same exemption. And Republicans from Atlantic coastal states, including some who support offshore drilling, said the decision to allow it in coastal waters ultimately should be made by local officials.

Muddying the situation, Walter Cruickshank, director of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, told lawmakers at a congressional hearing in mid-January that Zinkes statement on Florida stands on its own and is not a formal action. But Zinke later defended his exemption, indicating it would stand.

The coastal currents are different, the layout of where the geology is, he told CNN in late January.

Adding to the confusion, The Associated Press reported that at Fridays event Zinke specifically noted that Florida has not been exempted.

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During his public comments Friday, Zinke acknowledged that there has been a lot of opposition to new offshore drilling, in particular off the Pacific and Atlantic coasts.

Our plan takes into consideration the local communities, the voice of the governors, he said.

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By Dan Williams NAHAL OZ, Israel (Reuters) - Hardened by years of rocket attacks from next-door Gaza, residents of this frontline Israeli village seemed unmoved on Sunday by Palestinians' mass demonstrations at the border and Israel's deadly response to them. Confrontations on each of the last two Fridays have been clearly visible from Nahal Oz, a kibbutz just 800 meters (yards) from the frontier. The sounds of Arabic chants, smoke from burning tyres and the cracks of gunfire from Israeli sharpshooters have wafted in across the wheat, jojoba and sunflower fields. "I'm sorry about what is happening there. I know the situation is very, very difficult," Israeli farmer Daniel Rahamim said about economic hardship in Gaza, the Palestinian enclave ruled by Hamas, an Islamist group that advocates Israel's destruction. "But I don't talk about a peace deal anymore. Maybe we can achieve a long-term ceasefire," Rahimim, 63, said as he irrigated his crops. He said his 24-year-old daughter, still "traumatized by rockets" left the area after the demonstrations started. Twenty nine Palestinians have been killed since the protests began on March 30 along the frontier of the Gaza Strip. The demonstrations have been dubbed "The Great March of Return" of refugees and their descendants to ancestral homes now in Israel. Drawing international criticism for its use of live fire, Israel said it is doing what is necessary to stop violent protesters from damaging or breaching its fence with the blockaded enclave. Nahal Oz, like dozens of other villages and working class towns on the Gaza periphery, has over the years been targeted by Palestinian short-range rockets and mortar bombs and faced the threat of Hamas cross-border tunnels. As last Friday's protest got under way, six Israeli high school students who were on a study visit to Nahal Oz, clambered up an abandoned guard tower to peer into Gaza. They watched impassively and silently as the crowds gathered. "I don't feel any empathy for them (Palestinians)," said Ahuva Avraham, 62, who runs the grocery. "I would be happy if we could live in peace, but they don't want to sit and talk with us." Haim Jelin, a legislator from Israel's opposition centrist Yesh Atid party, and a resident of nearby Kibbutz Beeri, agreed with the government in rejecting U.N. and European Union calls for an inquiry into Israel's killing of protesters. "When it comes to the Gaza Strip, there is no coalition and opposition," he told Reuters in an interview on farmland 300 meters (yards) from the border fence. (Editing by Jeffrey Heller and Susan Fenton)
The former FBI directors book tour to promote A Higher Loyalty is likely to fuel claims that the president obstructed justice but will also put his own actions under scrutiny

James Comey to his defenders is the model of a principled public servant but some of his critics discern in his painstakingly upright posture an untoward love of the spotlight. Photograph: Carolyn Kaster/AP

At 6ft 8in tall, James Comey is hard to miss. But two days after the inauguration of Donald Trump, Comey, then director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, tried to hide from the president at a White House reception, by standing in front of blue drapery that matched his blazer, he later told a friend.

Comey was anxious not to appear chummy with Trump as accusations rippled that he had handed the Republican the election by keeping Hillary Clintons email habits in the public eye, he explained.

Inspired as it was, however, the camouflaging tactic failed. Trump spotted Comey, opened his arms, called him across the room, grabbed his hand, pulled him in for an awkward hug and, according to Comey, whispered in his ear: I really look forward to working with you.

Less than four months later, Trump fired him. And now, Comey is about to step out from the curtains for good, with the release of a memoir that seems destined to set up a dramatic and very public clash with the president, and trigger another cycle of alarm and discomfort in the United States over the direction of Trumps leadership.

Comeys book, A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies and Leadership, which promises never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career, has already demonstrated huge popular appeal, shooting to the top of Amazons bestseller list in the weeks before its publication on 17 April.

Tickets to a Comey appearance in New York City later this month are being offered online for as much as $1,000, rivalling resale prices for the best-selling show five streets north, Springsteen on Broadway, and the first bookstore he will visit has hatched a wristband scheme to deal with the anticipated crowds.

Comey has done his part to stoke interest by framing the book as a showdown with Trump, whose presidency appears more at risk every day of being swallowed by the investigation led by special counsel Robert Mueller into alleged collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia.

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Mr President, the American people will hear my story very soon, Comey tweeted in March. And they can judge for themselves who is honorable and who is not.

Given all this intrigue, A Higher Loyalty could land with an even greater splash than the previous insider account to spill from the Trump White House, journalist Michael Wolffs controversial Fire and Fury.

Donald Trump allegedly whispered I really look forward to working with you after James Comey failed to blend in with the White House curtains. Photograph: Rex/Shutterstock

But as Comey prepares to embark on a coast-to-coast book tour, he also risks playing into the hands of critics, some of whom discern in his painstakingly upright posture an untoward love of the spotlight, and who warn that his joining in a mudslinging match with Trump could further politicize the FBI, whose independence he has vowed to defend.

I think he has to be careful, said Julian Zelizer, a professor of history at Princeton University specializing in American politics. For him, and for the publicity of the book, obviously all that attention is terrific. But I do think he has to be careful, because its not hard to imagine how President Trump will caricature that, if Comeys out there selling really expensive tickets for people to see him on kind of a celebrity interview book tour.

Many people connected with the FBI, whose reputation Trump has attacked as worst in History!, are rooting for the former director, said Asha Rangappa, a former FBI special agent and a lecturer at Yale University.

I think that people took it very hard when he left, and to the extent that he is a voice speaking on behalf of the bureau  I do think that that is a function of the book, and I do think that most agents will be grateful for that, because they cant comment, they cant fight back when the president is slamming them, Rangappa said. There were exceptions, though, she said.

For every two people with their hopes riding on Comey, it seems one skeptic can be found.

Trump may have branded Comey a showboat and a grandstander, in a preview of attacks sure to come, but Comey has been just as unpopular with supporters of Hillary Clinton, many of whom are convinced his interventions in the closing stages of the last election helped cost her the White House.

The former Democratic candidate herself told an interviewer last year that Comey had forever changed history with his public statements about the investigation into her use of a private email server.

He cant undo what he did, said former Clinton adviser Philippe Reines, who among other things played Trump in debate practice against Clinton during the campaign. You cant be a savior when youre undoing your own mess. Its like giving a fireman a medal for his work as an arsonist.

The Clinton camp points to a surprise news conference in July 2016, in which Comey announced there was no case to prosecute Clinton but branded her email habits extremely careless. Then, 10 days before the election, Comey sent a letter to Congress announcing that the FBI was investigating newly discovered Clinton emails, which he followed with a letter two days before the vote saying the investigation was done and we have not changed our conclusions.

In retrospect, the hand-wringing about Clintons email security seems quaint, at least. During the campaign, Trump personally endorsed a Russian hacking raid on Clintons emails, while Donald Trump Jr  it later emerged  traded direct messages with WikiLeaks.

Naive, sanctimonious and self-involved

Comeys role in the election brought multiple criticisms from Reines. One, more than anything, I think hes naive, he said. Two, I think hes sanctimonious. And three, hes very self-involved. And let me unpack those. The conversation went on at greater length than can be quoted here.

Comeys defenders reply that in the tense climate of the presidential campaign, with partisan hackles high on both sides, the FBI director would have risked much more dangerous and conspiratorial charges of politicizing the bureaus diligent work had he not gone public with its findings. Comey encountered a hard choice with terrible timing, and he acted in accordance with his lifelong record as a dedicated public servant, they say.

For many Americans, indeed, Comey looks too much like the man of the hour to dwell on the question of how, exactly, it got so late. If the United States yearns for deliverance from Trump, no one, apart from Mueller himself, may be so well positioned to strike the crucial blow.

Comey is a Republican, a former George W Bush appointee, a lifelong civil servant, a distinguished prosecutor, a foster parent and a sometime Sunday school teacher.

If he is an unusually credible figure, he was also unusually present at key scenes whose retelling could focus the national attention on the competence and character of the president.

James Comey testifies before the Senate in June 2017. Photograph: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

Those scenes include a meeting in which Trump reportedly asked Comey to let go of an investigation into the former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and an awkward private dinner at which Trump told Comey, I need loyalty, I expect loyalty.

The president begins by wanting to talk about my job and so Im sitting there thinking wait a minute, three times weve already, youve already asked me to stay or talked about me staying, Comey said, describing the dinner in testimony before Congress last year. My common sense, again I could be wrong but my common sense told me whats going on here is, hes looking to get something in exchange for granting my request to stay in the job.

Such scenes could establish a pattern of conduct by the president that could amount to an obstruction of justice by Trump, legal experts say. Both presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century, Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton, faced an obstruction of justice charge.



How serious are the allegations?

The story of Donald Trump and Russia comes down to this: a sitting president or his campaign is suspected of having coordinated with a foreign country to manipulate a US election. The story could not be bigger, and the stakes for Trump  and the country  could not be higher.

What are the key questions?

Investigators are asking two basic questions: did Trumps presidential campaign collude at any level with Russian operatives to sway the 2016 US presidential election? And did Trump or others break the law to throw investigators off the trail?

What does the country think?

While a majority of the American public now believes that Russia tried to disrupt the US election, opinions about Trump campaign involvement tend to split along partisan lines: 73% of Republicans, but only 13% of Democrats, believe Trump did nothing wrong in his dealings with Russia and its president, Vladimir Putin.

What are the implications for Trump?

The affair has the potential to eject Trump from office. Experienced legal observers believe that prosecutors are investigating whether Trump committed an obstruction of justice. Both Richard Nixon and Bill Clinton  the only presidents to face impeachment proceedings in the last century  were accused of obstruction of justice. But Trumps fate is probably up to the voters. Even if strong evidence of wrongdoing by him or his cohort emerged, a Republican congressional majority would probably block any action to remove him from office. (Such an action would be a historical rarity.)

What has happened so far?

Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopolous pleaded guilty to perjury over his contacts with Russians linked to the Kremlin, and the presidents former campaign manager Paul Manafort and another aide face charges of money laundering.

When will the inquiry come to an end?

The investigations have an open timeline.

Trump has disputed Comeys version of events, which the lifelong prosecutor took care to record in writing immediately afterward. I was honestly concerned he might lie about the nature of our meeting so I thought it important to document, Comey testified.



Even critics such as Reines say they dont doubt the veracity of the story he has to tell.

I dont impugn his motivations for being in public service, Reines said. I dont think hes an evil person. But its almost worse that hes not an evil person. Because if he were evil and this was his plan, at least he could say hes an effective evil person.

Unlike most elected officials, Comey has enemies and friends on both sides of the political divide, potentially enabling him to speak for example to Trump supporters who otherwise will brook no criticism of the president. In his book, he appears to have found a powerful platform to do so.

Books, publishing, television  thats where a lot of politicians or ex-political figures make their point known, said Zelizer. Congressional hearings dont equal a big book in this day and age.

More people will pay attention to this than when he testified. And if the book does well, it will continue for a long time.

Comeys greatest hits

5 July 2016 Comey calls a surprise news conference to announce that an FBI investigation had determined that Hillary Clinton and colleagues were extremely careless in their handling of very sensitive, highly classified information but we cannot find a case that would support bringing criminal charges on these facts.

28 October 2016 Comey writes a letter to eight Republican members of Congress, immediately leaked, saying that the FBI has learned of the existence of emails relating to Clinton that it will investigate.

6 November 2016 Comey writes another letter saying the investigation is complete and we have not changed our conclusions.

8 November 2016 Donald Trump is elected president.

16 December 2016 Bill Clinton tells fellow shoppers at a small New York bookstore: James Comey cost her the election.

3 May 2017 Testifying before Congress, Comey says, It makes me mildly nauseous to think that we might have had some impact on the election.

9 May 2017 Trump fires Comey.

8 June 2017 Comey testifies before the Senate about the circumstances of his firing, blasting the Trump administration for defaming him and attacking the FBI. Those were lies, plain and simple, he said.
PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Japan signed a grant and loan agreement with Cambodia on Sunday totaling over $90 million, despite concerns from the international community over Prime Minister Hun Sen's crackdown on government critics ahead of a July general election. Japan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Taro Kono and Cambodia's Foreign Affairs Minister Prak Sokhonn signed the $4.6 million grant and $86 million loan, for economic and electricity transmission projects, in Cambodia's capital Phnom Penh. The main opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) was dissolved in November at the request of the government, prompting some Western countries to condemn the crackdown, cut aid, and impose visa bans on some ruling party members. Rights groups and members of the opposition have urged Tokyo to take a stronger stance against Hun Sen, but Japan has said it would continue to provide election support and would not interfere in what it said were Cambodia's internal affairs. Hun Sen praised Japan for its financial assistance on Sunday, but lashed out at critics. "While Japan, a friend, is providing assistance to Cambodia, some bad people can poison the news as bad as they did," Hun Sen said on his Facebook page. During a meeting with Hun Sen on Sunday, foreign minister Kono said Japan would help Cambodia to become an upper middle income country by 2030, said Hun Sen's aide Eang Sophalleth. In a recent statement to Reuters, Kentaro Sonoura, advisor to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, urged Cambodia's political rivals to hold talks to end the political crisis. (Reporting by Prak Chan Thul; Editing by Amy Sawitta Lefevre and Michael Perry)
Jared Kushners family-owned real estate business has reportedly secured a hefty loan to construct a luxury residential tower in the Brooklyn area of New York City, despite a recent debate over a White House investigation into previous loans to his company.

Related: Lawsuit claims Saudis bought out Jared Kushner, White House is compromised

JPMorgan Chase & Co. has agreed to loan about $600 million to an investor group that includes Kushner Companies, the Los Angelesbased private investment firm CIM Group and LIVWRK, a developer that has worked with Kushners company various times in the past, people with knowledge of the deal told Bloomberg in a report published Friday.

Trending: Russia and China Are Closer Than Ever Before, Beijing Says As It Launches Trade War With Trump

Kushner Companies and the group sought out the investment in October, and the lender has agreed to the terms pending underwriting approvals, the sources told Bloomberg. The project at 85 Jay Street in Brooklyns Dumbo neighborhood will have 21 floors and 737 apartments, according to plans unveiled in August.

The loan arrives as Kushner, President Donald Trumps son-in-law, comes under scrutiny for loans Kushner Companies received after he met with lenders in his official capacity as a senior White House adviser. In a letter last month, the Office of Government Ethics informed Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi of the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform that the White House had begun a probe into more than $500 million in loans that Citigroup and Apollo Management Group reportedly made to Kushner Companies after executives met with Kushner.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders denied the account, stating that White House attorneys were not probing whether Jared Kushner violated the law. Kushners lawyer Abbe Lowell previously told Newsweek in an email that the White House counsel concluded there was were no issues involving Jared. Kushner Companies spokeswoman Chris Taylor referenced Sanders comment that they werent investigating.

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Taylor, JPMorgan Chase & Co., CIM Group and LIVWRK could not immediately be reached for comment by Newsweek on Friday.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
BISHKEK (Reuters) - Kyrgyz President Sooronbai Jeenbekov sacked the state security chief on Saturday in a fresh sign of a rift within the leadership of the Central Asian nation's ruling Social Democratic party. Kyrgyzstan, which hosts a Russian military airbase, is the most volatile nation in Central Asia and has often seen political rivalry lead to violence. Jeenbekov, a former prime minister, came to power last year, winning an election with the backing of then-president Almazbek Atambayev, who has now reclaimed his position as party leader. Jeenbekov's inauguration was the first case in Kyrgyzstan's history of one elected president peacefully transferring power to another. The first two presidents of the former Soviet republic were toppled by violent riots in 2005 and 2010. Since taking over, Jeenbekov has replaced some senior officials including his chief of staff Farid Niyazov, who was seen by observers as close to Atambayev. This month, Atambayev criticized Jeenbekov over a series of accidents that left Kyrzgystan's capital, Bishkek, without central heating in mid-winter. On Saturday, Jeenbekov's office said he had accepted the resignation of Atambayev appointee Abdil Segizbayev, chairman of the State Committee of National Security. It gave no details. In another sign of a rift, Atambayev refrained from appearing on Saturday at an event commemorating the victims of the 2010 clashes between protesters and government forces, despite being officially invited by Jeenbekov. (Reporting by Olga Dzyubenko; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Dale Hudson)
Dakar (AFP) - Prominent Senegalese lawmaker Barthelemy Dias has been arrested for insulting the judiciary after close ally Khalifa Sall was jailed for fraud, his lawyer said Saturday.

Dias is a strong supporter of Sall, the popular Dakar mayor who was sentenced on Friday to five years in prison, a punishment that will rule him out of a presidential election due next February.

The dissident Socialist Party MP was arrested after he made disparaging remarks about the judges in the Sall case. Dias remained in detention on Saturday, his lawyer El Hadji Diouf said.

Supporters of the mayor, accused of misappropriating the equivalent of $2.8 million (2.7 million euros) in public funds, had protested loudly in the packed courtroom at the verdict against him.

"Such comments constitute an intolerable attack on the honour of the magistrates concerned and on the dignity of the entire judiciary," the Union of Senegalese Magistrates said in a statement, without elaborating on what Dias had actually said.

Both Dias and Sall were banned from the Socialist party in December for alleged violence and disciplinary offences.

Sall, 62, had denied the charges against him, but Friday's verdict will delay a growing challenge against incumbent President Macky Sall, no relation.
Montevideo (AFP) - With his ambitious social programs, his international standing and his extraordinary fate, Brazil's ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was a potent symbol of Latin America's defiant left.

Seeing him end up in jail is likely to deal a heavy blow to a generation of leaders.

- Impact on Latin American left -

"It is certainly a shock to see the man who, more than anyone, pioneered the 'new left' surge in Latin America, being sent to prison," said William LeoGrande, an expert in South American politics at the American University School of Public Affairs.

His demise comes some two decades after Latin America was swept by the so-called "pink tide" that brought leftwing leaders to 15 of the region's countries.

"Lula is the candidate of the reformist, non-revolutionary left, more market-friendly. This more moderate left appears beaten, defeated because it bet on playing the democratic game and now it appears that these rules have harmed it," said Patricio Navia, an academic adviser at CADAL, the Center for the Opening and Development of Latin America.

"And as a result, it will become more radical."

Whether it's the Odebrecht scandal, the economic downturn in Venezuela or Lula's conviction, they all point to a similar conclusion, said Francisco Panizza, professor of Latin American politics at the London School of Economics.

"These episodes reinforce the idea that the Latin American left has come to a sticky end: with these corruption scandals, leaders in jail or the economic crises in Brazil and Venezuela," he said.

"It is something that (the left) will struggle to overcome."

- A new martyr? -

With his charisma, his trademark white beard and his crowds of adoring followers, Lula could easily continue to stir up the national and regional political scene from his cell.

"Clearly, for many leftist movements, what's happened in Lula's case is political persecution in order to remove him. The problem with this argument is that it doesn't expand beyond leftist circles," said Panizza.

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And for many, he still remains a hero, said Peter Hakim of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington.

"When Lula was president, the life and prospects for the poor -- the very poor, Brazilians of color -- was better than it had ever been: more jobs, higher pay, more social programs, expansion of education," he told AFP.

As the first Brazilian head of state to come from the working class, Lula combined business-friendly economic policy with social-welfare programs that helped lift tens of millions of people out of poverty.

On Thursday, however, the Supreme Court rejected Lula's request to delay implementing his 12-year sentence for corruption while pursuing appeals against his 2017 conviction.

If successful, it could have afforded him several more months of freedom, likely further bolstering his chances in the upcoming presidential election in which he is the frontrunner.

"What the court managed to do was to convert the October election into a referendum on Lula," Navia said.

- The end of the left? -

Hakim has little doubt that putting Lula behind bars signals the death of the left in Latin America.

"The death of Fidel (Castro, Cuba's revolutionary hero), the gigantic failure of (longtime Venezuelan socialist Hugo) Chavez and (current President Nicolas) Maduro, the caudillismo of (Nicaragua's Daniel) Ortega... have together pushed the left to its weakest point in my memory," he said.

"It's hard to imagine any resurgence, even recuperation."

Although there may yet be another cycle, "it's hard to see what the left has to offer these days, unless it embraces markets, mainstream economic management and democratic government, as in Uruguay and Chile -- and, to a great extent in Brazil, during the Lula presidency," Hakim added.

Others are less pessimistic.

"It's not the end of theleft, but the end of a left -- that which fought dictatorships and which benefited from the export boom" of raw materials in Latin America in the decade after the millennium, Navia said.

But for Leogrande, it is poverty that will keep the left in business.

"So long as Latin American societies are marked by poverty, inequality and social exclusion, there will always be a challenge to the status quo from the left," he said.
Manchester (United States) (AFP) - Tucked away in the corner of a US fire station are two plastic chairs, a tiny poster saying "anyone, anytime, can recover," and a poem in memory of a 20-year-old woman who fatally overdosed in 2016.

The space is little more than a cubby hole, but has become a safe harbor for drug addicts in New Hampshire and symbol of hope in the US fight against the opioid crisis, a group of drugs, which like morphine, dulls pain and induces euphoria.

Born out of over-prescription of powerful painkillers, the opioid epidemic is such that President Donald Trump declared a national public health emergency in October. In 2016, the epidemic killed on average 175 people a day, from all walks of life.

After overdose emergency calls blew up in 2015, firefighters in New Hampshire's largest city set up the "Safe Station" program in May 2016 that allows anyone with a drug or alcohol problem to stop by 24-7 and be welcomed with kindness and without judgment.

"Would you like some water? A coke?" Christopher Hickey, the Manchester fire department paramedic who heads the program, asks addict Brendan, just dropped off by a friend in an obvious state of anxiety.

After two years clean, the 33-year-old, who doesn't want to give his full name, says he started using again in November and has since "overdosed 18 times." He wants help to get well again.

The fire department takes those who drop in to their partner in the self-help community, Granite Pathways, to evaluate their needs and put them in a detox program.

After Brendan, 31-year-old Cody arrives. Homeless, with a black eye and a right arm covered in track marks, he fell back into addiction in February.

"This is my first time coming to this program," he says. "I came because it was quick and efficient. I am hoping to get it ... not do the same stuff over and over again."

- Fentanyl invasion -

White and in their 30s, Brendan and Cody are typical of the opioid crisis, which has hit New Hampshire, Ohio and West Virginia particularly hard. New Hampshire holds the worst fentanyl overdose rate per capita in the entire country.

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Fentanyl -- an opioid 50 or 100 times more powerful than heroin, has flooded the market since 2015, says Hickey. Traditionally a pain killer, it is now being reproduced by drug traffickers, particularly in China and Mexico and is sold in the United States.

A few milligrams bought on the street for $5-7 is enough to overdose, says Hickey. Manchester, a former textiles hub recently given a new lease of life thanks to high-tech firms such as Segway, is in the eye of the storm.

Between January and March 2018, firefighters responded to 152 overdose calls. "It will affect anybody ... even wealthy neighborhoods," says 28-year-old firefighter Jim Terrero.

It was after looking after the brother of a colleague, on the brink of suicide, that Hickey suggested opening city fire stations to anyone struggling with substance abuse.

The idea was that "someone could just walk up" and "be treated like a human ... treated without stigma, without any preconceived notions," he explains.

Hickey thought it would be just a couple of people, but 80 people showed up the first month and two years down the line, they average 160 people a month.

- 'Starting to change' -

In less than two years, firefighters have welcomed more than 3,300 people, not just from New England, but from as far away as Texas or Alaska.

Success is such that, perversely, the initial partner of the program, service provider Serenity Place, became overwhelmed and ended up going bankrupt in late 2017.

Hickey and Manchester fire department chief, Daniel Goonan, became experts on dependency and met urgently with other partners: Granite Pathways, but also hospitals, insurance companies and taxis to transport those beating down their doors.

Safe Station has also become a model of how to mobilize in the face of a crisis: a dozen other cities elsewhere in the United States have adopted similar programs and several dozen others are hoping to do so.

Goonan went to the White House three times. Trump visited on March 19 and the National Institute on Drug Abuse has initiated a study to analyze its success.

If overdoses have not dropped, the number of deaths, have been in decline since 2017.

"Fatalities are where we usually measure our success," says Hickey.

"That stigma is finally starting to change, there is not that level of embarrassment anymore that there once was," he adds. "There is still a long way to go but we are starting to see the changes."

Safe Station is "a beautiful example of a community response to a crisis," says Lisa Marsch, an opioid expert at Dartmouth College. But much more is needed to combat the crisis.

"Like I told the president, we are just trying as a community to kind of tread water," says Goonan. "We need all hands on deck, I don't know what else to do, but we will treat it like a crisis cause it certainly is."
Student activists have led a loud charge to push politicians on gun control: AP

Student-led protesters around the country are staging town halls to discuss gun violence with their federal representatives, and leaving empty chairs for the politicians who dodged their invitations to attend.

The March for Our Lives protesters  who staged a massive rally last month in communities across the country  are conducting the town halls in order to advocate and discuss gun policy reforms, which Washington has been reluctant to implement.

A list of the scheduled events on the Town Hall for our Lives website shows dozens of such events in which the politician declined to attend or did not respond. All told, the website shows more than 100 events in 34 different state. There are events listed in 70 GOP-held districts, and about 30 Democrat-held districts.

Some politicians from both parties have, however, accepted their invitations to go speak with their constituents about the gun control and gun violence epidemic in the United States that has been hotly contested since the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on Valentines Day when 17 people were killed.

Of the ones who declined to attend the town hall event, several have agreed to office hours with their constituents to discuss the issue.

The list of politicians holding events Saturday include several Senators. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, and Massachusetts Senator Ed Markey are among those who had event scheduled Saturday.

The event page lists 121 politicians who are going to miss the town hall events in their districts.

Those missing the town halls include Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, Democrat Representative Joe Kennedy, and Republican Representative Lamar Smith.

In the aftermath of the Parkland, Florida shooting, several states have moved to implement stricter local gun control legislation. That included Florida, which sought to push the age requirement to buy a rifle, as well as New York, where politicians authorized law enforcement to remove firearms from individuals convicted of domestic violence charges.
The case of Erik and Lyle Menendez, who murdered their parents in 1989, has become one of the most notorious killings in the United States. And on April 6th, the Menendez brothers were reunited behind bars for the first time in years. And with these killers in the news again, we cant help but wonder: Will the Menendez brothers ever be released from prison?

The Menendez murders took place on August 20th, 1989. That night, while Kitty and Jose Menendez relaxed in the living room of their mansion at 722 North Elm Drive in Beverly Hills, their two sons shot them multiple times. Initially, 21-year-old Lyle and 18-year-old Erik werent suspected of the gruesome murders. Instead, rumors swirled that the mob was responsible for their parents deaths. In 1990, the boys were arrested after it was revealed that they had confessed their crime to a therapist. And in 1996, after two trials in front of three juries, they were sentenced to life in prison without parole.

But in the 22 years since their conviction, the brothers have tried to appeal the courts decision multiple times.

Erik and Lyle have maintained that they murdered their parents as a means of escaping from years of sexual abuse by their father, and this argument about their motive is why the juries at their first trial were so conflicted.

Menendez brothers who killed parents reunited in prisonhttps://t.co/wqyQmsYNRm pic.twitter.com/zRbO8vKv7K  Miami Herald (@MiamiHerald) April 6, 2018

So far, the brothers appeals have not been granted. But in 2016, a new California law passed that enabled Erik and Lyle to make another appeal. The law stated that those who were convicted of a crime after being forbidden from offering evidence of abuse could appeal. And because the judge at the Menendez brothers second trial prevented them from using the abuse allegations as a defense, they were eligible to appeal their case again.

However, despite the 2016 law, the Menendez brothers have not yet been granted a new trial based on this appeal, and they may never be. So will Erik and Lyle ever be released? Its possible, but for now, at least, it doesnt seem likely.
By Delphine Schrank MATIAS ROMERO, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican officials on Tuesday screened a dwindling group of hundreds of largely Central American migrants who are moving through Mexico toward the United States, seeking to break up the "caravan" that has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump. Trump, doubling down on his tough stance against illegal immigration, has railed against those making their way from the Guatemala-Mexico border in the past 10 days. Trump repeated threats to torpedo the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), which underpins much of Mexico's foreign trade, and said he wanted to send troops to the U.S. border to stop illegal immigrants until a long-promised border wall is built. In response, the Mexican government has said the migrants are being vetted to determine whether they have a right to stay, or would be returned to their countries of origin. Hundreds of men, women and children from Central America were stuck on Tuesday in the town of Matias Romero in the poor southern Mexican state of Oaxaca awaiting clarification of their legal status after officials began registering them. Confused and frustrated by paperwork, many were uncertain what lay in store, and desperate for information. "What was the point of all this then if they don't let us stay?" Elizabeth Avalos, 23, a migrant from El Salvador who was traveling with two children, said angrily. "There's no food, my children haven't eaten since yesterday." Hundreds of people camped out overnight in a park near the town's train station, with shoes and bags strewn about. Jaime Alexander Variega, 35, sat alone in a patch of shade and cupped his head in his hands, weeping or praying, his feet still bearing lacerations from walking for four or five days straight through Guatemala from El Salvador. "We're not safe in El Salvador," said the former security guard, his hat smeared in dirt, explaining he had left his home because of the threats from local gangs. "I know it's difficult to get into the United States. But it's not impossible." Around them, Mexican migration officials with notepads and pens took basic information from the migrants, asking for names, nationalities, dates of birth and proof of identity. The caravan was organized by U.S-based advocacy group Pueblo Sin Fronteras, which seeks to draw attention to the rights of migrants and provide them with aid. The Mexican government says the caravan, which like others travels by road, rail and on foot, has been organized every year since 2010. Honduran Carlos Ricardo Ellis Garcia clutched a handwritten list of names belonging to more than 100 people who joined the caravan in the southern border town of Tapachula, where it began on March 25, reaching a peak of around 1,500 people. But by Tuesday the number was down to about 1,100, according to Pueblo Sin Fronteras spokeswoman Gina Garibo. Many had broken off from the group, eager to move on more quickly, she said. Many others aimed to stay in Mexico because they had family ties there or planned to work, Garibo said. "Now they're separating these groups," Ellis Garcia said, referring to an estimated 300 people who split from the caravan on Monday. "I don't know what's the deal, we have no answers." Advocacy groups told Reuters dozens of people left the caravan and traveled to the crime-ridden eastern state of Veracruz, where they were met by migration officials and police. The government said on Monday evening around 400 people in the caravan had already been sent back to their home countries. Geronimo Gutierrez, Mexico's ambassador to the United States, told CNN that Mexican authorities were "looking at the status of the individuals so we can proceed either with a repatriation process" or offer humanitarian relief. That could include granting asylum or humanitarian visas. Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala are among the most violent and impoverished countries in the Americas, prompting many people to leave in search of a better life. Trump, who ran for office in 2016 on a platform to stem illegal immigrants from Mexico, said he had "told Mexico" he hoped it would halt the caravan. The migrant caravan also poses a political problem for Mexico's unpopular government in a presidential election year. President Enrique Pena Nieto is barred by law from seeking re-election in the July 1 vote, but the ruling party candidate is running third, well behind the front-runner. The government does not want to be seen as kowtowing to threats by Trump, who is deeply unpopular in Mexico. In a country where millions of people have friends or relatives who have migrated legally or illegally to the United States, many Mexicans harbor sympathy for the Central Americans. (Reporting by Delphine Schrank; Additional reporting by Lizbeth Diaz, Diego Ore and Daina Solomon; Editing by Dave Graham and Grant McCool)
facebook ceo mark zuckerberg

David Ramos/Getty Images

Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook have been criticised by Myanmar organisations amid a suspected genocide in the country.

The Facebook CEO has been accused of not doing enough to crack down on hate speech and direct incitements to violence in Myanmar.

Hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have had to flee their homes.

The UN has previously said Facebook has "substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict."



Civil society groups in Myanmar have written a open letter to Mark Zuckerberg criticising Facebook's response to the spread of hate speech that incites violence amid the suspected genocide of Rohingya Muslims in the country, calling the social network's response "inadequate."

Myanmar-based innovation lab Phandeeyar, the Center for Social Integrity, the Myanmar Human Rights Education Network and others wrote that Facebook's response has "an over-reliance on third parties, a lack of a proper mechanism for emergency escalation, a reticence to engage local stakeholders around systemic solutions and a lack of transparency."

They added: "The risk of Facebook content sparking open violence is arguably nowhere higher right now than in Myanmar."

Nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled from the country over the last year in the face of the killings of thousands, including children. The UN's human rights chief has said he strongly suspects "acts of genocide" have occurred, with reports indicating a "deliberate attempt by the authorities to destroy evidence of potential international crimes, including possible crimes against humanity."

Analysts and civil society organisations on the group have said that Facebook is being used to spread anti-Rohingya sentiment, with one analysis showing a surge in hate speech being spread on the platform at the start of the crisis.

"Facebook definitely helped certain elements of society to determine the narrative of the conflict in Myanmar, analyst Raymond Serrato previously told the Guardian. "Although Facebook had been used in the past to spread hate speech and misinformation, it took on greater potency after the attacks."

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Facebook says the problem is getting "a lot of focus"  but Myanmar groups says it's not enough

In an interview with Vox at the start of April, Zuckerberg was asked about the Facebook's role in Myanmar and whether it was helping to spread propaganda that contributes to ethnic cleansing.

The CEO responded that the "Myanmar issues" are getting "a lot of focus inside the company," and cited an example of how Facebook had detected "sensational messages" being spread through Facebook Messenger, which it then prevented spreading.

Here's the key passage  emphasis added:

"The Myanmar issues have, I think, gotten a lot of focus inside the company. I remember, one Saturday morning, I got a phone call and we detected that people were trying to spread sensational messages through  it was Facebook Messenger in this case  to each side of the conflict, basically telling the Muslims, Hey, theres about to be an uprising of the Buddhists, so make sure that you are armed and go to this place. And then the same thing on the other side.

"So thats the kind of thing where I think it is clear that people were trying to use our tools in order to incite real harm. Now, in that case, our systems detect that thats going on. We stop those messages from going through. But this is certainly something that were paying a lot of attention to.

In Thursday's open letter however, the Myanmar organisations said that this example actually highlighted the flaws in Facebook's approach.

"Far from being stopped, [the messages] spread in an unprecedented way, reaching country-wide and causing widespread fear and at least three violent incidents in the process," they wrote.

They believe their organisations were the unspecified "systems" that detected the messages, and wrote they were only able to reach Facebook four days after the messages started spreading, "with thousands, if not hundreds of thousands [of message recipients] being reached in the meantime."

Facebook has since stated that it uses technology to automatically scan Messenger conversations among uses to detect problematic content, though it's not clear why the messages the groups refer to were not picked up sooner by this system.

'Facebook has rapidly come to play a dominant role in how information is accessed and communicated'

The letter also critiques the fact there are, to the groups' knowledge, no Burmese-speaking Facebook people working at Facebook, and says there are no Facebook employees working in the country.

Facebook has not gotten back to the organisations about "many of the issues" and suggestions they raised in December 2017, they said, and called on Facebook to invest more in moderation.

"The risk of Facebook content sparking open violence is arguably nowhere higher right now than in Myanmar. We appreciate that progress is an iterative process and that it will require more than this letter for Facebook to fix these issues," the letter says.

"If you are serious about making Facebook better, however, we urge you to invest more into moderation - particularly in countries, such as Myanmar, where Facebook has rapidly come to play a dominant role in how information is accessed and communicated; We urge you to be more intent and proactive in engaging local groups, such as ours, who are invested in finding solutions, and - perhaps most importantly - we urge you to be more transparent about your processes, progress and the performance of your interventions, so as to enable us to work more effectively together."

The UN has also criticised Facebook's role in the spread of hate speech in the country, with one official saying in March: "It has ... substantively contributed to the level of acrimony and dissension and conflict, if you will, within the public. Hate speech is certainly of course a part of that. As far as the Myanmar situation is concerned, social media is Facebook, and Facebook is social media."

Facebook did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The full letter from the Myanmar organisations is below:

See Also:

SEE ALSO: Your Facebook data has probably already been scraped, Mark Zuckerberg says
Yangon (AFP) - Facebook apologised on Friday to Myanmar civil society groups who took issue with Mark Zuckerberg's defence of the platform's record on curbing hate speech roiling the country.

Facebook has been battered by allegations that posts on its site have helped fuel communal bloodshed in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country accused of waging an ethnic cleansing campaign against Rohingya Muslims.

On Thursday six Myanmar organisations published an open letter criticising an interview Zuckerberg gave with news site Vox this week. In it he cited examples of both Myanmar Buddhists and Muslims spreading "sensational" messages on Facebook Messenger that warned of imminent violence from the other community.

"That's the kind of thing where I think it is clear that people were trying to use our tools in order to incite real harm. Now, in that case, our systems detect that that's going on. We stop those messages from going through," Zuckerberg was quoted as saying.

In their letter the six local tech and human rights organisations said they were "surprised" to hear Zuckerberg "praise the effectiveness" of Facebook's systems in Myanmar.

"It took over four days from when the messages started circulating for the escalation to reach you," said the groups, who had flagged the worrying content to Facebook.

"Far from being stopped, they spread in an unprecedented way, reaching country-wide and causing widespread fear and at least three violent incidents in the process."

When reached for a comment on Friday, a Facebook spokesperson conceded the company was too slow in responding to reports about the incendiary messages.

"We should have been faster and are working hard to improve our technology and tools to detect and prevent abusive, hateful or false content," the spokesperson told AFP by email.

"We are sorry that Mark did not make clearer that it was the civil society groups in Myanmar who first reported these messages."

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Facebook has also added more Myanmar-language reviewers and is rolling out the ability to report content in the Messenger service, the spokesperson added.

In late January Facebook removed the page of popular monk Wirathu, known for virulent anti-Rohingya rhetoric. Last year it regulated the use of the word "kalar" which is considered derogatory against Muslims.

- Facebook a 'beast' -

In their joint letter the local groups said Facebook's handling of hate speech and vicious rumours in Myanmar has been "inadequate" for years, adding that their offers to craft broader solutions have gone unanswered.

They urged the social media giant to add reporting mechanisms to the Messenger app, increase transparency, engage more with local stakeholders and draw on data and engineering teams to identify repeat offenders.

"Facebook doesn't have an office in Myanmar," Jes Kaliebe Petersen, CEO of Phandeeyar, a Yangon tech hub that signed the letter, told AFP.

"We don't really see much of a commitment to dedicate resources to fix what's going on on Facebook in Myanmar," he added.

Facebook dwarfs all other social media platforms in Myanmar, with even the government and the military using it to make public announcements.

But it has come under fire for allegedly helping broadcast ethnic hatred in a fledgling democracy still emerging from decades of repressive junta rule.

Scrutiny has intensified in the wake of a bloody military campaign against the Rohingya that erupted last August, expelling some 700,000 of the minority to Bangladesh.

In March the UN's special rapporteur to Myanmar Yanghee Lee said Facebook had morphed into a "beast" and had incited "a lot of violence and a lot of hatred against the Rohingya or other ethnic minorities".
By Antoni Slodkowski YANGON (Reuters) - Myanmar is not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the most senior United Nations official to visit the country this year, after Myanmar was accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 700,000 Muslims to Bangladesh. "From what I've seen and heard from people  no access to health services, concerns about protection, continued displacements  conditions are not conducive to return," Ursula Mueller, U.N.'s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said after a six-day visit to Myanmar. A Myanmar government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mueller's remarks. The Myanmar government has previously pledged to do its best to make sure repatriation under an agreement signed with Bangladesh in November would be "fair, dignified and safe". Myanmar has so far verified several hundred Rohingya Muslim refugees for possible repatriation. The group would be "the first batch" of refugees and could come back to Myanmar "when it was convenient for them," a Myanmar official said last month. Mueller was granted rare access in Myanmar, allowed to visit the most affected areas in Rakhine state, and met army-controlled ministers of defense and border affairs, as well as de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials. The exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed an Aug. 25 crackdown by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state. Rohingya refugees reported killings, burnings, looting and rape, in response to militant attacks on security forces. "I asked (Myanmar officials) to end the violence  and that the return of the refugees from (Bangladeshi refugee camps in) Cox's Bazar is to be on a voluntary, dignified way, when solutions are durable," Mueller told Reuters in an interview in Myanmar's largest city Yangon. Myanmar says its forces have been engaged in a legitimate campaign against Muslim "terrorists". Bangladesh officials have previously expressed doubts about Myanmar's willingness to take back Rohingya refugees. Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years. Myanmar set up two reception centers and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals. "We are right now at the border ready to receive, if the Bangladeshis bring them to our side," Kyaw Tin, Myanmar minister of international cooperation, told reporters in January. Many in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar regard the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The U.N. has described Myanmar's counteroffensive as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar denies. Asked whether she believed in government assurances the Rohingya would be allowed to return to their homes after a temporary stay in camps, Mueller said: "I'm really concerned about the situation." Part of the problem is that, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch, Myanmar has bulldozed at least 55 villages that were emptied during the violence. "I witnessed areas where villages were burned down and bulldozed...I've not seen or heard that there are any preparations for people to go to their places of origin," Mueller said. Myanmar officials have said the villages were bulldozed to make way for refugee resettlement. Mueller said she has also raised the issue with Myanmar officials of limited humanitarian aid access to the vulnerable people in the country and added, referring to the authorities, that she would "push them on granting access" for aid agencies. (Reporting by Antoni Slodkowski. Editing by Lincoln Feast.)
The mummified head of Djehutynakht is all that remains after the body was destroyed by tomb robbers: Museum of Fine Arts Boston

A century-long mystery over the identity of a 4,000-year-old Egyptian mummy has finally been solved by the FBI.

Since 1915, scientists have puzzled over the severed head discovered in the corner of a looted tomb in Deit el-Bersha, an ancient Egyptian necropolis.

Archaeologists worked out the tomb belonged to a governor called Djehutynakht and his wife, but were unable to decipher whether the head was male or female.

It took a forensic scientist at the FBI, using advanced DNA sequencing technology, to say definitely that the head belonged to the governor himself.

Odile Loreille, an FBI biologist, drilled into a tooth extracted from the skull, collected the powder and dissolved it in a chemical solution.

She then ran the solution through a DNA copy machine followed by a sequencing instrument. By checking the ratio of sex chromosomes, she was able to deduce that the skull was male.

"I didn't think it was going to work, I thought it would be too degraded, or that there would not be enough material," she told CNN.

"I was very happily surprised," she added. "We got lucky."

The age of the head, and the fact it was found in a desert environment, made it particularly challenging to extract the DNA.

DNA, the molecule that contains our genetic code, breaks down over time and in warmer conditions.

The head had also been damaged by looters, who ransacked the tomb and destroyed the body in antiquity, and modern archaeologists while attempting to work out its identity.

Fresh attempts to identify it were made at the turn of the millennium when the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which stores the tombs contents, handed the skull to Massachusetts General Hospital.

In 2005 the hospital put it through a CT scan, then tried to test DNA extracted from a tooth four years later, but both attempts failed.

The FBI stepped in because it spotted an opportunity to practice advanced DNA extraction, something it sometimes does when solving modern crimes.

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"It's not like the FBI has a unit that just does historical cases," Anthony Onorato, the FBIs DNA support unit chief, told CNN. "It's that we're actually trying to develop criminal procedures using historical items."

The FBI published its findings in the journal Genes.
Most people think of National Beer Day as an annual event when breweries whip up rare, small batches and lure in customers with special deals. But theres a deeper meaning to the unofficial holiday celebrated April 7. Thats the that day beer was allowed to be legally manufactured and sold in the country after a years-long dry spell. And this year  for the first time since 2013  the high, holy hoppy holiday lands on a weekend. So, raise a glass to that.

National Beer Days origins go as far back as 1919, when Congress passed the Eighteenth Amendment, prohibiting the sale, transportation, and production of alcohol in the U.S. This marked the start of the Prohibition era, which made many Americans turn to creative ways to enjoy their illicit beverages.

But 14 years later, when President Franklin Delano Roosevelt took office, Americans were in for a change when he signed into action the Cullen-Harrison Act, which once again made selling and consuming low-alcohol beverages like beer and wine legal in the U.S.

The 32st president assumed the role during the Great Depression in 1932, and his enactment of the new law helped uncorked much needed revenue that could be made through the sale of alcohol beverages once again.

The act passed on March 22, 1933, marking the first time Americans could legally chug a brewski in comfort again. But officially, the act went into affect on April 7 of that year, leading many Americans to take to the streets and celebrate with  you guessed it  a beer.

All these years later, the unofficial holiday gives hop-heads a chance to enjoy everything from stouts to pilsners through a slew of deals that restaurants offering around the country.

And like Christmas, the unofficial holiday even has its precursor, New Beers Eve, which falls annually on April 6. So, its okay if you start celebrating early.

Correction: The original version of this story misstated the year in which the Cullen-Harrison Act went into effect. It was in 1933, not 1922.
MOSCOW/BEIRUT/AMMAN (Reuters) - Rebel fighters began leaving the devastated Syrian city of Douma on Sunday in the first phase of a Russian-sponsored deal to evacuate thousands of rebels from the besieged enclave, state media said. A bus carrying dozens of fighters and their families left the city en route to opposition-held areas in northern Syria in an arrangement expected to take several days. Almost simultaneously, a first batch of freed hostages held by the rebels in Douma arrived at an army-controlled crossing, state television showed. They received a euphoric welcome from hundreds of relatives waiting for them before being whisked away to a reception center. Both developments were part of a Russian-sponsored deal sealed on Sunday that grants safe passage to thousands of rebels from their biggest remaining bastion near Damascus in return for rebel group Jaish al-Islam releasing hundreds of hostages and prisoners of war. The agreement will be enforced by Russian military police, who will enter the city, opposition negotiators said. The deal brought President Bashar al-Assad one of his biggest victories over the rebels since driving them from Aleppo in December 2016, though they remain entrenched in significant areas of northwestern and southwestern Syria. It follows a seven-week government offensive to capture the towns and villages on the outskirts of the Syrian capital, in which more than 1,600 people have been killed, according rescuers and a monitoring group. Medical aid groups reported that dozens of people were killed by poison gas in Douma on Saturday in an attack the rebels say was carried out by Damascus. The government has denied carrying out any such attack. Under the agreement, Jaish al-Islam fighters will evacuate Douma and move to the northern city of Jarablus, near the border with Turkey, within 48 hours, state media quoted an official source as saying. Russian news agency RIA, citing a security source, said Jaish al-Islam rebels will leave Douma in two batches in the coming hours. Commercial crossing points into the besieged city are to be opened under the supervision of Russian military police, who will also enter the city, opposition negotiators said. Russian military police have played a similar role in some Syrian towns and villages but this would be first such deal in a city the size of Douma. Opposition negotiators said the deal would allow those fighters from Jaish al-Islam who do not wish to leave to make peace with the Syrian authorities without being pursued by the security forces. The deal includes a six-month reprieve for those wanted for military conscription, negotiators told Reuters. (Reporting by Dahlia Nehme in Beirut,Polina Ivanova in Moscow, Suleiman al Khalidi in Amman and Kinda Makieh in Damascus; Editing by Tom Perry, Larry King and Adrian Croft)
Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP

North Korea confirmed to the US that it is prepared to discuss denuclearising the Korean Peninsula, a White House official has said.

The announcement comes after North Korean leader Kim Jong-un offered to meet with President Donald Trump, in what would be the first-ever meeting between a sitting US president and a North Korean leader.

The invitation was delivered through South Korean diplomats to Mr Trump, who accepted it readily. But it was followed by weeks of silence from the North, who did not publicly recognise the presidents acceptance. The US administration relied mostly on South Korea's assurance of Mr Kim's intentions, according to Reuters.

In recent days, however, North Korean and US officials have reportedly held secret talks on how such a meeting could be carried out. One topic under discussion, according to a US official, is the removal of nuclear weapons from North and South Korea.

The US has confirmed that Kim Jong-un is willing to discuss the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula, an administration official said, according to the Washington Post.

CIA Director Mike Pompeo and a team at the agency have recently begun communicating with the North through secret backchannels, in order to make preparations for the summit, according to CNN.

Administration officials told the outlet that representatives from the US and North Korea had even met in a third country in an attempt to pin down a location.

Controlling the Norths nuclear weapons programme has been a priority for several US administrations. Mr Trump has been especially vocal about the need to denuclearise, as Pyongyang began rapidly expanding its nuclear arsenal last year. After one North Korean missile launch, Mr Trump famously threatened to rain fire and fury on the country if it did not desist.

At first, the war of words between Mr Trump and Mr Kim seemed only to be escalating, with the North Korean leader calling Mr Trump mentally deranged. But tensions cooled as the North and South agreed to march under one banner in the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics, and diplomats from the two countries met for their first talks in years.

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South Korean diplomats brought the Norths offer of a meeting to Mr Trump early last month. The president tweeted the news of his acceptance, writing: Great progress being made but sanctions will remain until an agreement is reached. Meeting being planned!

South Korea initially said the meeting would be held by late May, but no further details were announced.
By Meredith Mazzilli NEW YORK (Reuters) - One man was killed and six firefighters received minor injuries in an apartment fire on the 50th floor of Trump Tower in New York on Saturday, in a blaze that was quickly extinguished, fire officials said. The victim, Todd Brassner, 67, was found unresponsive and unconscious in his 50th floor apartment and was pronounced dead at an area hospital, police said. No information about the cause of the fire was available late Saturday night. U.S. President Donald Trump, who has an office and a private residence in the midtown Manhattan structure, was not in the building at the time. "Fire at Trump Tower is out. Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!" Trump tweeted. Fire officials said no member of the Trump family was in the building at the time. "This was a very difficult fire. As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke," Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said on Twitter. About 200 fire personnel responded to the incident that the department said was a four-alarm fire. Video on social media showed flames outside of a few windows and black smoke billowing up from the high-rise. In January, three people were injured in an early-morning fire at the top of Trump Tower. One firefighter was hospitalized while two people received minor injuries that were treated at the scene, the New York Fire Department said. In addition to the president's 66th-floor penthouse, Trump Tower houses the headquarters of the Trump Organization as well as other residences, offices and stores. (Reporting by Jon Herskovitz in Austin, Texas and Meredith Mazzilli in New York, additional reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; Editing by Sandra Maler)
BANGUI (Reuters) - At least one civilian was killed and dozens of United Nations peacekeepers, civilians and militia fighters were injured during an operation against armed groups in Central African Republic's capital on Sunday, a U.N. spokesman said. Heavy gunfire erupted in Bangui's PK5 neighborhood - a Muslim enclave in the majority Christian city - at around 2 a.m., (0100 GMT) witnesses said, as peacekeepers and domestic security forces moved in to dismantle militia bases there. Clashes continued into Sunday morning and smoke rose from the neighborhood as residents fled to safety in other parts of the capital. "We were sleeping at around 2.15 when we heard heavy and light weapons fire. This morning we saw (U.N.) and Central African soldiers in our alley," said PK5 resident Abdoulaye Hamat. "They pulled out and we don't exactly know what happened." Herve Verhoosel, a spokesman for the MINUSCA peacekeeping mission, said 11 peacekeepers were wounded. Around 20 people - both civilians and fighters - were also injured, he said. It was unclear if the government forces involved in the operation suffered casualties. Verhoosel said eight fighters had been arrested on Sunday. In a separate statement, MINUSCA said PK5's residents had repeatedly called on the mission to stamp out armed groups responsible for extortion and attacks on civilians. "These criminal groups were provided the opportunity to voluntarily disarm," it said. "Unfortunately, the leaders of the groups refused this option." MINUSCA said it raided the bases of several PK5 groups, made arrests and seized weapons, ammunition and drugs. "This joint operation will continue until the criminal groups of PK5 are dismantled or otherwise disappear," the statement said. Central African Republic was torn apart after mainly Muslim Seleka rebels ousted president Francois Bozize in 2013, provoking retaliation killings by "anti-balaka" armed groups, drawn largely from Christian communities. Self-styled Muslim self-defense groups sprang up in PK5, claiming to protect the Muslim civilians concentrated there against ethnic cleansing. Gunmen fired on a group of Portuguese peacekeepers on patrol in PK5 on April 1, and MINUSCA later called on fighters there to lay down their weapons, warning that action would be taken if they did not comply. (Reporting by Crispin Dembassa-Kette; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Andrew Roche)
A woman wounded three people at YouTube's headquarters near San Francisco this week before taking her own life. Police said the shooter, Nasim Aghdam, was angry with the company because she believed it was suppressing her videos. Police had questioned Aghdam on the day of the attack after her father had warned them that she may go to the office, but they said she denied planning to hurt anyone.

Other major headlines of the week included the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination, President Trump publicly addressing the Stormy Daniels allegations for the first time and the death of anti-apartheid activist Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Click through the slideshow above to see photos from all of these events and more, and be sure to check back next weekend for our selection of the best photography from the week.
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis on Sunday condemned the use of chemical weapons in Syria after a suspected attack in an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people.

"Terrible news comes to us from Syria with dozens of victims, many of them women and children ... so many people are struck by the effects of the chemical substances in the bombs," the pope told thousands of people gathered in St Peter's Square.

"There is not a good war and a bad one, and nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations," he added.

Renewed air strikes have hit Douma, the last rebel-held town near Damascus, where first responders accused forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad of using "poisonous chlorine gas" in attacks on Saturday.

"Pray for political and military leaders to choose the other path, that of negotiation, the only one that can bring peace that is not that of death and destruction," the pope said.

Syrian state media, quoting an official source, has said reports of chemical weapons use were rebel "fabrications".

Russia, one of the Syrian regime's main allies, has also dismissed the allegations.
Paris (AFP) - As poisoned Russian double-agent Sergei Skripal was said to be on the mend Friday, toxicology experts warned the nerve agent used on him could leave long-term damage.

This is what we know.

- The poison -

Britain claims the military-grade nerve agent used on the 66-year-old ex-spy and his daughter Yulia, 33, was of the Novichok family developed by the Soviet government towards the end of the Cold War. Russia denies any responsibility.

Nerve agents are the most toxic known chemical warfare agents. They affect the central nervous system by interrupting communication between the brain, the main organs, and muscles.

Many people stop being able to breathe, and asphyxiate, or suffer heart failure.

- The treatment -

"As far as we know from the literature, there is no specific antidote for Novichok," chemical arms expert Ralf Trapp told AFP.

Typically, poisoning victims are kept on heart and lung machines while given the drug atropine "hoping that the body will recover" and restore normal functioning, he explained.

Atropine relieves some of the symptoms by blocking acetylcholine -- a chemical transmitter that controls muscle contraction.

Nerve agents attack the enzyme that controls acetylcholine, leading to an overproduction and muscle malfunction.

With time, the body clears out the nerve agent and starts producing the acetylcholine-controlling enzyme anew.

"New research suggests something like this may take up to two weeks to restore sufficient levels of enzyme to restore reasonable nerve function," said Chris Morris of the Newcastle University's Medical Toxicology Centre.

"With high dose exposures this may take longer, and is possibly why in this case recovery has taken up to now."

- The prognosis -

If diagnosed early, as in the case of the Skripals -- and treated immediately -- recovery from nerve agent poisoning "is typically very good," said Morris.

But permanent damage cannot be ruled out.

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Some victims may have lifelong difficulty concentrating or reading, said Jean-Pascal Zanders, a biological weapons expert at France's Foundation for Strategic Research.

Long-term neurological damage had been reported in previous poisoning cases, including survivors of the sarin gas Tokyo subway attack of 1995, noted chemistry expert Michelle Carlin of Northumbria University in the UK.

"This may include things like slowing of thought processes, a reduction of physical movement, and respiratory problems -- but we don't know yet whether those will happen in this case," she said via the Science Media Centre in London.

Novichok, its dosage, effects and treatment, is less well understood than better-known nerve agents such as sarin.
Teachers in Oklahoma have staged walkouts from classrooms and protests at the state Capitol to demand better funding for schools and higher wages.

Schools in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and around the state were closed last week as teachers and supporters spoke out against a decade of education budget cuts that have left students with poor accommodations and teachers without competitive pay.

Polls show that the movement has gained support from the people of Oklahoma, and one of the states most prominent figures spoke out on Saturday in support of educators.

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook called for better funding for the states education system.

Russell Westbrook on the teacher walkout in Oklahoma: Im definitely all in for that. pic.twitter.com/vJOgk7zEtu  Royce Young (@royceyoung) April 7, 2018

Education is very, very important to me. The teachers standing up for something that obviously they believe in  thats helping the kids get a better education  obviously them getting paid more. More funding for the schools is very very important. Im definitely all in for that because I believe education is key for a lot of things going on in society.

This is not out of character for Westbrook, who has spoken out on social justice issues in the past and made charitable efforts of his own.

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London (AFP) - Russia's embassy in London on Sunday accused Britain of "deliberately" withholding information on probes into the targeting of several Russians on its soil, as the war of words between the two countries continues.

The embassy said it had asked the British Foreign Office for "detailed information" on the investigation into the March 12 murder in London of Russian exile Nikolai Glushkov.

The 68-year-old businessman, who had received political asylum in Britain after being jailed in Russia for money laundering and fraud, died from "compression to the neck", according to a post-mortem.

The death came a week after the nerve agent poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in the English city of Salisbury.

Britain has blamed the attack on Moscow, which has angrily denied involvement.

"Almost a month has passed since Mr Glushkov's death, and like it happened with Sergei and Yulia Skripal, the British side provided no information," the embassy said in a statement.

"Given our numerous requests, the only thing we can suggest is that it is done deliberately."

It added Ambassador Alexander Yakovenko planned to request a meeting with the Commissioner of London's Metropolitan Police for further information.

"For Russia this murder has a criminal as well as political dimension," the statement said.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson wrote on Sunday that "no other government devotes as much time and effort to the business of trying to sabotage or discredit international inquiries" as Russia.

"The essence of a Kremlin cover-up is a cynical attempt to bury awkward facts beneath an avalanche of lies and disinformation," he added.

The attempted killings of the Skripals, who Britain says were targeted with a Soviet-made military-grade nerve agent known as Novichok, has led to the biggest wave of tit-for-tat expulsions of Russian and Western diplomats in decades.

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Britain's interior ministry on Friday rejected a visa application by the niece of Sergei Skripal because her application "did not comply with immigration rules".

Viktoria Skripal told Russia's Interfax news agency Saturday that it was denied because Yulia Skripal did "not want to see me".

The Russian embassy in London called the decision "disappointing" and "politically motivated".

The Skripals' health has continued to improve this week, with neither now in critical condition.

Media reports in Britain on Sunday suggested authorities are already planning for their futures.

The Sunday Times said London is in discussions with America about giving the pair new identities and lives in the US to ensure their safety.

The Daily Telegraph reported they could be placed in Britain's witness protection scheme.

Meanwhile, the case has continued to generate criticism of British Labour opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn, who has been more restrained in his blaming of Moscow.

Johnson on Sunday described Corbyn as "the Kremlin's useful idiot" for his apparent scepticism of Russia's culpability over the poisoning.

A Labour spokesman said the foreign secretary had "made a fool of himself and undermined the government" in his handling of the incident.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - The Russian embassy in London has sent a request for a meeting of its envoy with British foreign minister Boris Johnson to discuss the case of an ex-Russian spy and his daughter poisoned in Salisbury, the RIA news agency reported on Saturday.

"We hope for a constructive response from the British side and are counting on such a meeting in the very nearest future," the agency cited a spokesman for the Russian embassy saying.

The Foreign Office confirmed it had received the request for ambassador Alexander Yakovenko to meet Johnson, but called the request a diversionary tactic.

"We will be responding in due course," it said in a statement.

Relations between Russia and Britain have plunged to their lowest for decades since former Russian spy Sergei Skripal, 66, and his daughter Yulia, 33, were found slumped unconscious on a bench in Salisbury last month.

Both were found to be suffering from the effects of a nerve agent but are now recovering in hospital.

Britain blamed Russia for the poisoning and asked it to explain what happened but Russia denies any involvement and has suggested Britain itself carried out the attack to stoke anti-Russian hysteria.

Both have subsequently accused each other of trying to deceive the world with an array of claims, counter-claims and threats.

At a session of the executive of the global chemical weapons watchdog earlier this week, Russia called for a joint inquiry into the poisoning of the Skripals but lost a vote on the motion.

The two then swapped insults at the United Nations Security Council on Thursday where Russia warned Britain it was "playing with fire" by accusing Moscow.

Saturday's Foreign Office statement said: "Its over three weeks since we asked Russia to engage constructively and answer a number of questions relating to the attempted assassinations of Mr Skripal and his daughter.

"Now, after failing in their attempts in the UN and international chemical weapons watchdog this week and with the victims condition improving, they seem to be pursuing a different diversionary tactic."

(Reporting by Vladimir Soldatkin and Stephen Addison; editing by Jason Neely and Stephen Powell)
Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud - REUTERS

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is due to arrive in France on Sunday, where his host President Emmanuel Macron is under pressure to halt lucrative weapons sales to the oil-rich kingdom because of its bombing campaign in Yemen.

The two-day official visit comes after the princes weeks-long tour of the United States, Britain and Egypt, where the prince has courted business leaders and signed a host of multimillion dollar deals.

The prince's agenda for the visit to France has not been made public - apart from his dinner with Mr Macron on Tuesday - and there was speculation as to whether he would stay in a chateau he owns that has been dubbed the worlds most expensive home.

The property contains 10 bedroom suites, a grand reception room with a 52ft-high frescoed dome ceiling, a library, a wine cellar with space for 3,000 bottles, and a meditation room under the moat circled by an aquarium with huge sturgeon inside.

The buyer was not identified at the time, but the New York Times reported last December that the purchaser was the Crown Prince Mohammed - known colloquially as MBS.

The report was seen as an embarrassment for the 32-year-old prince who is preaching fiscal austerity at home while leading a major crackdown on corruption by the kingdoms elite.

Crown Prince Mohammed is considered the de facto Saudi leader and has recently led a modernising drive in the strictly religious kingdom, which includes allowing cinemas to open and women to drive,

The French president treads a delicate line as he hosts the Saudi king-in-waiting during the visit that is expected to focus on cultural ties and investments, as well as the long-running war in Yemen, which has killed 10,000 people and left the country on the brink of famine.

Mr Macron faces fierce criticism over the export of arms to the kingdom, which has been bombing Yemen since 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened to fight Houthi rebels backed by Iran, the Saudis arch-enemy.

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"Emmanuel Macron should put Yemen at the centre of his discussions with Mohammed bin Salman as he hosts him in France," said a statement issued this week by ten international rights groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.

They called for "the end of bombing targeting civilians and respect for international humanitarian law" as well as the "unconditional and permanent lifting on restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid and commercial goods to Yemen".

A YouGov opinion poll last month showed that three out of four French believe it was "unacceptable" to sell weapons to Saudi Arabia because of the kingdoms actions in Yemen.
Affected Syrian kids wait to receive medical treatment after Assad regime forces allegedly conducted poisonous gas attack to Duma town of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus - Anadolu

Russia blamed Israel for a missile attack on a Syria air base on Monday morning, which came after President Bashar al-Assad triggered international outrage by carrying out a suspected chemical attack in a besieged suburb of Damascus.

The US and France both denied attacking the T-4 airfield near Homs, which is close to the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria.

Russia said Israel launched eight missiles, five of which were shot down, from outside of Syrian airspace.

At least 14 fighters, including Iranians, were killed in the early morning strike, according to the monitoring organisation the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Syria also accused Israel of carrying out the strike.

A military spokeswoman for Israel, which has struck Syrian military positions several times in recent years, declined to comment on the strike.

A Syrian military source was quoted in local media as saying air defences shot down eight missiles fired at the base, where defence analysts say there are large deployments of Russian forces, and where jets fly regular sorties to strike rebel-held areas.

It came after Donald Trump on Sunday warned Russias Vladimir Putin that there would be a big price to pay for a suspected Syrian chemical weapons attack that killed 70 people, including children.

In his harshest criticism of the Russian leader since taking office, Mr Trump said Mr Putin was partly responsible for the attack on rebels in Douma, a town in Eastern Ghouta.

'No one in the basement made it, the gas killed them instantly': How the 'chemical' attack in Ghouta unfolded

The US president also criticised Barack Obamas failure to police a red line over chemical weapons, while a senior White House official said no form of response was off the table.

The comments raise the possibility of a US airstrike against Bashar al-Assad, the Syrian dictator.

Mr Trump approved a strike a year ago after a similar chemical attack. The UN security council is expected to meet tomorrow after the UK, France, America and six other countries called for an emergency session.

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Theresa May was also under pressure to join any US military intervention against the Assad regime, though MPs are not expected to be recalled to Parliament.

In a phone call with Donald Trump on Sunday night French President Emmanuel Macron strongly condemned the "chemical attacks," and the pair vowed a "strong, joint response," the White House said.

Russia, Iran and Syria all denied chemical weapons had been used, with the Kremlin warning that any military response from the West would be absolutely unacceptable.

A residential area of Douma, one the last-remaining rebel-held areas in Syria, was struck by the suspected chemical weapons attack around 8.45pm on Saturday.

Footage from the ground showed the dead bodies of children and adults foaming at the mouth with open eyes. Many had been in a basement when the attack hit.

'I wouldn't take anything off the table'

Mr Trump tweeted: Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria.

"Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. "President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay.

Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!"

He also criticised his predecessors failure to launch air strikes after past chemical weapons use, tweeting: If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!

US media reported that Mr Trump will meet military leaders on Monday while Republican congressmen demanded that he follow through his tough rhetoric with action. Thomas Bossert, a White House homeland security and counterterrorism adviser, declined to rule out any form of response during an interview with ABC's This Week.

"I wouldn't take anything off the table. These are horrible photos. We're looking into the attack," Mr Bossert said.

The attack came almost exactly a year after deadly sarin gas was used on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, which prompted Mr Trump to approve dropping US Tomahawk missiles on a Syrian airbase.

Douma chemical attack

The Union of Medical Relief Organisations, a US-based charity that works with Syrian hospitals, said 70 had been confirmed dead but the toll was expected to rise.

If it reaches above 80, it would be the deadliest chemical attack since the 2013 sarin strike on Eastern Ghouta which left around 1,400 dead.

It was unclear what chemical had been used in Saturday's attack. Medics on the ground reported smelling a chlorine-like substance, but said the patients' symptoms and the large death toll pointed to a more noxious substance such as nerve agent sarin.

On Sunday night US government sources said the assessment by US authorities is that chemical weapons were used in the besieged rebel-held town, but they are still evaluating details of the attack.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Mr Trumps tweets come just days after he publicly called for US troops to be pulled out of Syria after a string of victories against Isil, the jihadist group.

The US president reluctantly agreed to keep Americas 2,000 soldiers there for now but is still pushing for withdrawal within months rather than years.

'Military intervention may trigger the gravest consequences'

Mr Trumps decision to single out Mr Putin for blame breaks with a reluctance to directly criticised the Russia leader seen throughout his presidency. The US president did not bring up the Salisbury poisoning or claims of ballot-stuffing at the Russian election when the pair talked last month.

Mr Trump has largely not echoed the harsh criticism of Mr Putin by some of in his administration, even while approving a string of sanctions against Kremlin allies.

Earlier today Russia, which along with Iran is supporting the Assad regime, denied chemical weapons had been used in the attack and warned against a military response.

Affected Syrian kids wait to receive medical treatment after Assad regime forces allegedly conducted poisonous gas attack to Duma town of Eastern Ghouta in Damascus Credit: Getty

The Russian foreign ministry said: "The goal of these false speculations, which are not substantiated by any facts, is to cover up terrorists and irreconcilable radical opposition, which opposes political settlement, and to simultaneously try to justify potential external military strikes.

"It is necessary to once again caution that military intervention under false and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen stay at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and may trigger the gravest consequences."

Iran's foreign ministry called claims of chemical weapons use an excuse for a military attack, Syria's foreign ministry said such allegations were an unconvincing broken record".

How has the UK reacted?

Boris Johnson, the Foreign Secretary, said that Britain is in "close touch" with the US and other allies, adding that those behind the attack must be "held to account".

Mr Johnson said in the Commons earlier this year that if there is "incontrovertible evidence" of further chemical weapons use by the Assad regime, "I would certainly hope very much that the west will not stand idly by".

Syria chemical weapons

However ministers are concerned that they may be forced to hold a vote in the Commons to authorise action against the Assad regime, with no guarantee that of winning it.

The Government fears that Jeremy Corbyn could oppose military action against the Assad regime, which would make the "electoral maths" challenging. David Cameron lost an historic vote for action in Syria in 2013, which is widely seen to have emboldened the Assad regime.

Rob Crilly: How Vladimir Putin finally found Donald Trump's red line

The Government won a vote in the Commons for military action against Isil in Syria in 2015, but that does not extend to the Assad regime.

Parliament is also in recess until next week, by which time it may be too late to join any military action.

Johnny Mercer, a Tory MP, says in an article for the Daily Telegraph today that requiring a vote in the Commons to authorise military action is "pathetic".
By Shereen Lehman (Reuters Health) - When work, school and other scheduled activities are out of sync with a person's body clock, "social jetlag" results and diminishes performance, researchers say. The study team used a university computer system to follow nearly 15,000 students' daily rhythms and activities over two years. They found that bigger differences between an individual's class schedule and their natural "chronotype" - morning lark, night owl or in between - were tied to poorer academic performance. "Social jetlag is the misalignment between an individuals circadian clocks and their environment due to social impositions like work or school," said study coauthor Aaron Schirmer of Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago. "For example, a late-type student who needs to wake up for an 8 a.m. class twice per week is most likely socially jetlagged," he told Reuters Health in an email. Schirmer and coauthor Benjamin Smarr of the University of California, Berkeley, initially wanted to test the hypothesis that late-type students would perform better in evening classes. "As we continued to analyze the data it became clear that these data could also be used to measure amounts of social jetlag in large student populations. Our recent paper combined these two ideas," he said. As described in Scientific Reports, the team analyzed login information from Northeastern Illinois University's online learning management system servers between 2014 and 2016 to generate daily activity profiles for 14,896 students. "We were looking for a cheap and simple way to screen the activity patterns of a lot of students while they engaged in academic activities. LMS logins were a perfect solution," Schirmer said. The data were generated "independent of any study, without recourse to questionnaires or personal logging through diaries or wearable sensors, and without the associated limitations (cost, human-power, etc.) and biases (recall, inclusion, self-selection, etc.)," he noted. "These data also represent time spent specifically on academically-targeted efforts of some sort. This makes these digital records qualitatively different from other data-mining efforts, such as analyses of data scrubbed from social media sources, as in Twitter or Facebook, where the content and timing are primarily social," he said. The researchers analyzed class schedules, what times LMS users logged in and what they did on days when they had classes and days when they didn't. They found that about 4,000 students were naturally more active earlier in the day than average and 3,400 were inclined to be active much later than average. Only 40 percent seemed to have body clocks that were naturally synchronized with their academic schedules. As a result, 60 percent of students experienced a daily social jetlag of at least 30 minutes, the study found. This effect was associated with worse grade-point averages, particularly among the night owls who took classes at times earlier than they would naturally be most active. The study doesn't prove that social jetlag causes poorer performance, but the authors think their approach could be used by administrators to assess class scheduling or to identify individuals who might benefit from interventions to mitigate social jetlag. Social jetlag impacts performance and health, Schirmer said. "As a father, husband, and professor my life can often become chaotic creating a very unstable schedule. I think this is probably true for most people." An unstable schedule desynchronizes our internal clocks and impacts our performance and health. Unfortunately, these implications are often overlooked and underappreciated, he added. Schirmer said he hopes the findings "will help the average person be aware, and hopefully take advantage, of their own biological rhythms to lead a healthier life." SOURCE: https://go.nature.com/2GAdmBq Scientific Reports, online March 29, 2018.
During a meeting with Moms Demand Action Against for Gun Sense in America, a South Carolina congressman reportedly pulled a gun out and told a group of women that they should feel safe in the presence of the weapon, according to several advocates in attendance.

Rep. Ralph Norman, a Republican who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives for the 5th Congressional District, brandished the pistol during a Friday morning "coffee with constituents meeting" in Rockhill that had been advertised on Facebook. According to Moms Demand Action volunteers, the pistol was left out on the table for five to 10 minutes, making them feel unsafe.

Rep. Normans behavior today was a far cry from what responsible gun ownership looks like, said Lori Freemon, a volunteer who attended the meeting, in a statement about the incident. I had looked forward to a respectful dialogue with my representative about common-sense gun violence prevention policies.

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She continued, "Instead, I felt unsafe when he insisted on showing us his loaded gun and keeping it out on the table for much of our conversation.

Norman could not immediately be reached by Newsweek, but a spokesperson confirmed the incident in a statement released to the press. The handgun was taken out to prove that if someone had come into the coffee shop and threatened to shoot Norman or the advocates in attendance, the weapon would be there to protect them.

"Mental health, and more importantly, a lack of morality is the driving force behind this epidemic. Guns are not the problem," the statement said.

In an interview with the Post and Courier, Norman said he had no intention of becoming "a Gabby Giffords," a reference to the Democratic congresswoman who was shot in Arizona while meeting with constituents in 2011.

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Drew Angerer/Getty Images

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"I'm tired of these liberals jumping on the guns themselves as if they are the cause of the problem," Norman told the paper. "Guns are not the problem."

Giffords responded to the use of her name in a statement.

"Serving in Congress is about listening and leadership, not intimidation and showmanship," she said. "When 'leaders' make constituents feel unsafe, they have no place in elected office."

The remarks also made their way back to Giffords' husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, who suggested the brandishing was a stunt. Norman is "no Gabby Giffords," Kelly said.

"Americans are increasingly faced with a stark choice: leaders like Gabby, who work hard together to find solutions to problems, or extremists like the NRA and Congressman Norman, who rely on intimidation tactics and perpetuating fear," Kelly said in a statement provided to Newsweek. "If we want to protect our kids and communities, Congress must get serious about passing safer gun laws. For our kids sake, lets show our leaders we expect them to behave more like Gabby and less like Congressman Norman.

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The move also rankled those within Norman's own party. Jeff Flake, a Republican senator from Arizona, also criticized the congressman's actions.

"I sincerely hope you never have to experience what my friend Gabby Giffords experienced," Flake tweeted. "But to suggest that she might have avoided being shot had she carried a weapon as she spoke to constituents that morning is inappropriate and inconsiderate."

Trav Robertson, the South Carolina Democratic Party chair, said he would be asking the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division to launch an investigation into the incident.

"As any truly responsible gun owner knows, you cannot brandish your weapon without an imminent threat," Robertson said in a statement. "This is a felony offense and punishable by up to five years in prison."

If Norman regrets pulling out the weapon, he doesn't appear to be showing it. The Post and Courier reported him saying that he planned to take out the pistol during constituent meetings in the future. The representative, who is running for re-election, was given an A rating by the NRA.

The South Carolina Republican party chair dismissed the controversy, chalking it up to the actions of "hysterical liberals."

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Ankara (AFP) - Turkey on Sunday strongly condemned what it said was a chemical weapons attack in the Syrian city of Douma, saying there was a "strong suspicion" the regime of President Bashar al-Assad was responsible.

"We strongly condemn the attack and we have the strong suspicion it was carried out by the regime, whose record on the use of chemical weapons is known by the international community," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement.

Rescue workers said dozens of civilians had been killed in a chlorine gas attack on Douma -- claims denied by Assad's regime and its ally Russia.

Turkey said that the incident showed that past UN Security Council resolutions on the use of chemical weapons in Syria were "once again" being ignored.

The foreign ministry called for an investigation by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and said it expected condemnation from the international community.

However in recent months, Ankara has been working tightly with the Syrian regime's closest allies Russia and Iran in a bid to bring an end to the seven-year civil war.

Last week, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan hosted a summit on Syria in Ankara with President Hassan Rouhani of Iran and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The foreign ministry statement did not explicitly refer to Russia and Iran, maintaining Turkey's caution in not lashing out at its partners.

But it called on "the parties who have influence over the Syrian regime" to ensure that such attacks are halted and punished.

It noted that "in the past no measures have been taken against these attacks".
Beirut (AFP) - An alleged chemical attack in Syria's rebel-held Douma has sparked international outrage, with Washington warning Sunday of possible military action, while Damascus and Moscow said the reports were mere "fabrications".

- What happened? -

Syria's White Helmets, who act as first responders in rebel-held areas of Syria, said the attack took place late on Saturday using "poisonous chlorine gas".

"More than 500 cases -- the majority of whom are women and children -- were brought to local medical centres with symptoms indicative of exposure to a chemical agent," according to a joint statement issued by the Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the White Helmets.

Patients showed signs of "respiratory distress, central cyanosis, excessive oral foaming, corneal burns, and the emission of chlorine-like odour", it said.

Medics had "observed bradycardia, wheezing and coarse bronchial sounds".

The statement said civil defence volunteers had found 42 casualties dead in their homes "with similar clinical symptoms of excessive oral foaming, cyanosis, and corneal burns". Six others had died while receiving treatment.

Footage posted online by the White Helmets, which was not possible to verify, showed victims with yellowed skin crumpled on the ground and foaming at the mouth.

Douma is the last remaining opposition-held town in Eastern Ghouta, once the rebels' main bastion outside Damascus but now ravaged by a seven-week regime assault.

Since February 18, Syrian and Russian forces have waged a fierce military onslaught.

- Who was behind it? -

While no one has yet provided evidence of its involvement, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime has been repeatedly accused of using chemical weapons in the country's seven-year civil war.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the regime carried out a wave of air strikes on Douma on Friday and Saturday that killed nearly 100 people, including many who suffered breathing difficulties.

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Syria and its Russian ally denounced the claims as "fabrications", with Russia warning of potential "dire consequences" if they were used as a pretext for military action.

- How has the world reacted? -

US President Donald Trump warned there would be a "big price to pay".

"Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria," Trump wrote on Twitter. "President (Vladimir) Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price to pay."

The EU said signs suggested the Syrian regime carried out the Douma attack and urged Russia and Iran to help prevent another one.

"The evidence points towards yet another chemical attack by the regime," the European Union's diplomatic arm said, calling for "an immediate response" from the international community.

United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said he was "particularly alarmed" by the reports, adding that if confirmed, the use of chemical weapons would be "abhorrent".

Britain called for an investigation into what it said were the "deeply disturbing" reports, and Turkey, which has backed rebels against Assad, said it had a "strong suspicion" the Syrian president was to blame.

France has repeatedly said that evidence of chemical weapons use in Syria could prompt military action and said Sunday it would "do its duty" following the latest allegations. It called for an emergency UN Security Council meeting.

Pope Francis described the allegations as "terrible news", saying: "Nothing, nothing can justify the use of such devices of extermination against defenceless people and populations."

- Will military action be taken? -

White House security adviser Tom Bossert refused to rule out US military action in response to the alleged chemical strike.

"I wouldn't take anything off the table," he said.

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said the reports, if confirmed, "are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community."

Prominent Republican senator Lindsey Graham warned Trump that a failure to act now could leave him in a weakened posture internationally.

"It's a defining moment in his presidency," Graham said.

- What other major chemical attacks? -

A chemical attack with the nerve agent sarin in the Eastern Ghouta enclave in August 2013 killed 1,429 people, including children, the US says.

Sarin was also detected in an April 2017 attack on the northwestern town of Khan Sheikhun that killed more than 80 people. The agent was released after an air strike.

Helicopter-dropped chlorine-filled munitions have been increasingly used by the regime as the conflict has dragged on, according to a 2017 report by Human Rights Watch.
Musician and NRA board member Ted Nugent likened Democrats, members of the media and others to rabid coyotes on Friday and suggested people should not wait to get their guns and shoot them on sight.

Nugent, a major proponent of gun rights and the Second Amendment, applied the same comparison to Hollywood and RINOS - the common acronym standing for Republicans in name only - during an interview on InfoWars The Alex Jones Show.

Dont ask why. Just know that evil, dishonesty, and scam artists have always been around and that right now theyre liberal, theyre Democrat, theyre RINOs, theyre Hollywood, theyre fake news, theyre media, theyre academia, and theyre half of our government, at least, Nugent said according to conservative media watchdog Media Matters.

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Nugent continued: So come to that realization. There are rabid coyotes running around. You dont wait till you see one to go get your gun. Keep your gun handy, and every time you see one, you shoot one.

Nugent made headlines last week for his comments directed at the widely known students advocating for stronger gun control legislation in the wake of Februarys mass shooting at their high school in Parkland, Florida.

He said during a radio interview on March 31 that the students had no soul and also defended responsible gun owners who he believes are being attacked by those calling for more gun restrictions.

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Getty Images/Mark Wilson

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The lies from these poor, mushy-brained children who have been fed lies and parrot lies, Nugent said. I really feel sorry for them. Its not only ignorant, dangerous and stupid  its soulless. To attack the good, law-abiding families of America when well-known, predictable murderers commit these horrors is deep in the category of soulless.

The students like 17-year-old David Hogg said Nugent should he apologize for the comments, but Nugent refused.

Nicknamed the Motor City Mad Man when he was atop the rock and roll world, the 69-year-old Nugent was considering a run for the U.S. Senate in his home state of Michigan during this years midterm elections, according to media reports last year.

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Milton Ezrati

Economics, Americas

Soybeans are harvested on a farm on the outskirts of San Jose, Uruguay, April 27, 2011. REUTERS/Andres Stapff/File photo

Both sides stand ready to inflict considerable pain on the othereven as they talk about talking.

Trump's Trade Wars Could Get Very Ugly

President Trump has started a dangerous game with these tariffs. Rather than use more quiet means to move China from less-than-fair trade practices, he has chosen to play an all or nothing gameor what looks like one. It may yet yield positive results. But Chinas leadership is no less afraid of risk than Trump. While willing to talk, it has countered the American tariffs with some of its own. Now both countries are stuck in a negotiation where failure will result in something more destructive than disappointment, for the U.S. economy, for Chinas, and for the world economy generally. What is more, the destruction will occur while they talk and perhaps even if the resulting outcome is positive.

Though candidate Trump talked a lot about tariffs, his recent announcements had a larger purpose than simply fulfilling promises. They were meant to pressure Beijing as seldom before into making concessions, to ease restrictions on entry into that economy and its financial markets, to eliminate Chinese insistence that foreign firms secure a Chinese partner to do business there, and most galling of all, to blunt demands that foreign partners transfer patented technology to their Chinese counterparts. If they were simply delivery of a promise, their announcement would not have occurred simultaneously with a call from Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin to congratulate Chinas Liu He on his rise to vice premier. Nor would the White House have coupled the announcement as it did with a letter to Beijing from Mnuchin and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer inviting talks. Since China has long resisted any softening of these positions, it is also understandable why the White House sought a way to shock Beijing, but it does not make it any less dangerous.

The ploy seemed to work for a while in late March. Beijing voiced an uncharacteristic eagerness to talk. But true to past practice, Chinas leadership has quickly upped the ante, countering the announced U.S tariffs with its own on 106 American products, including cars, chemicals and agricultural products. Beijings proposed 25 percent tariffs would affect an estimated $50 billion in annual U.S. sales to China, just matching the estimated $50 billion in Chinese sales here that Trumps 25 percent tariffs on 1,333 Chinese products aim to impact. Now both sides stand ready to inflict considerable pain on the other even as they talk about talking.

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The problem with this approach is that it leaves little alternative to trade war unless both sides can quickly succeed at what are by any standard difficult negotiations. What makes the matter even more dangerous is that the issues under discussion have proved so intractable in the past that the prospects of success remain limited. Now that the White House has chosen the tariff route, Beijing and Washington will either find some way to resolve long-festering problems or the nations will find themselves indefinitely facing economically destructive constraints, since there seems to be little likelihood that either country would climb down on tariffs should talks fail.

The worst part is that the situation does economic and financial damage immediatelyregardless of the ultimate outcome. Threats to trade have already caused financial markets to roil and to fall around the world. Even if by some miracle the talks are ultimately successful, the longer they take the more the damage will creep into the real economy as businesses, afraid of future problems, curtail expansion plans and hiring. The past year has seen considerable global economic improvement on the hope/expectation that new policies in Washington and elsewhere would improve the business environment. Spending on expansion in the United States has accelerated from a standstill, as has hiring. Such signs to varying degrees have also been seen in Europe and other major markets. Now all this stands at risk. All that has to happen to cause harm is that the talks take time.

Milton Ezrati is a contributing editor at the National Interest, an affiliate of the Center for the Study of Human Capital at the University at Buffalo (SUNY), and chief economist for Vested, the New York based communications firm. His latest book, is Thirty Tomorrows: the Next Three Decades of globalization, Demographics, and How We Will Live.

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One day removed from his inauguration, President Donald Trump reportedly asked a CIA official why the agency had waited to conduct a drone strike on a target until his family was out of danger. Trump made the query upon his first visit to the agency and tasked it with starting to arm drones for strikes in war-torn Syria, The Washington Post reported Thursday.

If you can do it in 10 days, get it done, Trump said according to The Post, citing two former unnamed officials privy to the meeting. The president, who on the campaign trail said one way to deter terrorists would be to kill their families, was reportedly shown a recording of a previous drone strike and asked Why did you wait? after the video showed the strike was delayed until the targets family home was out of range, one source who was in the meeting claimed to The Post.

Trump famously said during a December 2015 interview with Fox News that taking out the families of terrorists may need to be considered. "The other thing with the terrorists is you have to take out their families when you get these terrorists, you have to take out their families. They care about their lives, don't kid yourself. When they say they don't care about their lives, you have to take out their families," Trump said.

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Several months later on the campaign trail, Trump backed away from the statement when he said he would not order a military officer to disobey the law. It is clear that as president I will be bound by laws just like all Americans, and I will meet those responsibilities.

The Post report mainly focused on Trumps declaration that the U.S. will be pulling troops out of Syria very soon, an announcement that has not sat well with the presidents advisers and generals.

Trumps predecessor, Barack Obama, had instituted some tighter restrictions on where and how the U.S. conducted drone strikes, with the intent of severely cutting down on the number of civilian casualties. The restrictions were applied to countries like Yemen or Somalia, which are technically not considered to be war battlegrounds.

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Trump, however, has reportedly considered either loosening or doing away with the rules put in place by Obama, The New York Times reported in September. Previously under Obama, the drone strikes were limited to high-level terrorists, and targets went through heavy vetting. Trump's potential changes would expand the scope of possible targetsincluding lower-level soldiers who do not direct operationsand would not be as stringent of a vetting process.

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This article originally appeared on Just Security.

The special counsels office has informed President Donald Trump that he is a subject of its investigation but not a target, according to media reports earlier this week. This news set off a round of speculation as to the significance of the designation for the president. The simple answer is this: it is not a surprise, but it is also not good for him.

The distinction between a subject and a target is, at times, nuanced. Subject encompasses a very wide category. According to the United States Attorneys Manual, a subject is a person whose conduct is within the scope of the grand jurys investigation. In contrast, a target is a person as to whom the prosecutor or the grand jury has substantial evidence linking him or her to the commission of a crime and who, in the judgment of the route, is a putative defendant. Put these two together and you have a clear result: A target who is not yet a putative defendant in the eyes of a prosecutor is, by nature, a subject. Trump may very well be a subject for that reason.

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Donald Trump

Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images

This topic of classification often arises when a prosecutor reaches out to an individual to obtain evidence from him or her. Every person has a Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination. What this means is that a defendantor possible defendantcannot be coerced or forced to give statements to investigators. This is among the various reasons that prosecutors often ask anyone who may fall in the subject category to sit for a voluntary interviewif a person chooses to give a statement, that statement may be used in an investigation against him or her. The US Attorneys Manual warns that subpoenaing a target may carry the appearance of unfairness, and judges can consider that such unfairness amounts to coercion in a particular case. If a judge decided so, it could poison the whole investigation. The fact that prosecutors steer toward voluntary interviews with subjects as well as targets indicates just how close these two categories often are in practice.

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In certain quarters, Trumps designation as only a subject after a year of investigation is cause to celebrate. The presidents team, however, should not get out the champagne. Being a subject is a very fluid state and is often liable to change. The fact that Trump is not a putative defendant at this moment only means that prosecutors do not have enough evidence to call him a defendant at this point. It does not mean that they cannot develop that evidence. For some, like Alan Dershowitz, the fact that the Department of Justice hasnt developed such evidence over the course of the year means that a case against Trump doesnt exist. The idea that the investigation would be concluded in a year was always a far-fetched notion, perhaps concocted by defense attorneys to undermine the investigation as it persisted beyond that point. The national security implications of Russias involvement in the US election, the possibility of a conspiracy between Russian actors and a presidential campaign plus the related probes of obstruction and Paul Manafort-like money laundering makes this perhaps the biggest and most complicated investigation that anti-corruption prosecutors in the U.S. will ever handle. Such complex investigations will not happen quickly. Nor should they.

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Take the example of Congressman William J. Jefferson who was indicted in 2007 for a bribe scheme that occurred from 2000-2005. Or consider Alabama Governor Don Siegelan who was charged in 2005 for a racketeering conspiracy that ended in 2003. A grand jury indicted former Senator John Edwards in 2011 for conduct that occurred in 2007 and 2008. Likewise, it took two years to put together an illegal campaign donation case against Connecticuts former Governor John Rowland, who was charged in 2014 for conduct that ended in 2012.

09_22_Trump_Mueller_Comey_ceremony

Alex Wong/Getty

Whats more, there are two huge impediments that would slow down the current Russia probe. First, the investigation, by its nature, has to gather domestic and international evidence. Gathering evidence from overseas is extremely cumbersome for the Department of Justice. Criminal investigators have to work with colleagues in the DOJs Office of International Affairs to prepare extensive requests from foreign countries pursuant to Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs). Each MLAT request is a detailed document outlining the DOJs need for evidence that investigators believe to be located in the foreign jurisdiction. Different countries provide varying levels of assistance, and the DOJ has no jurisdiction to conduct investigations in another country without the host-countrys cooperation.

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Secondly, as the charges in the Special Counsels investigation makes clear, there has been an unprecedented level of obstruction directed at the inquiry. Investigators have had to parse, verify and disprove many of the statements made to them by witnesses. Indeed, the Special Counsel has had to develop enough evidence to build a case against each of the obstructionists whom he and his team has charged. This will slow down any investigation.

The notion that Mueller is misleading Trump is, however, equally dubious. While special agents are allowed to deceive witnesses in sting operations, prosecutors are prohibited from engaging in the same types of deception. Mueller is a renowned straight shooter. If Trump were a target, he would have told him.

Ultimately, being the subject of an investigation is still bad news for the president. No one wants to be told that his or her actions fall within the scope of a grand jury investigation. But this leak is good news for one person: Robert Mueller. The fact that the public is aware that he is not preemptively designating the president a target delegitimizes the idea that the investigation is an anti-Trump witch hunt. Make no mistake, Muellers target is Russian interference. Whether he takes down Trump in reaching that target still remains to be seen.

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President Donald Trump lashed out Sunday at Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran for supporting Syrian President Bashar Assad following a reported government chemical attack in Syria that left dozens dead.

President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad, Trump tweeted. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price...  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

....to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Trump, often reluctant to criticize Putin, suggested there would be a big price to pay, though its unclear if he was referring to the Russian and Iranian governments for backing the oppressive Syrian leader or the Syrian government for allegedly carrying out the attack.

A chemical attack in the rebel-held Syrian town of eastern Ghouta on Saturday left at least 49 people dead, including over a dozen children, according to the Syrian American Medical Society, a medical relief organization. Aid groups blamed Assads government for the attack, though the Russian-backed regime denied it was behind it.

Trump ordered a military strike against the Assad regime in April 2017 in response to a brutal chemical attack that killed over 70 civilians in the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhoun. Trump has recently said that he would like U.S. military forces to pull out of Syria.

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The State Department said Sunday it was working to confirm if the Syrian government was behind the suspected chemical attack.

These reports, if confirmed, are horrifying and demand an immediate response by the international community, State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement.

Trump also blamed former President Barack Obama on Sunday for failing to end the bloody conflict in Syria long ago. He tweeted that Obama should have followed through on his 2012 pledge to intervene militarily if the Syrian government used chemical weapons against its people.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

The U.N. Security Council will hold an emergency meeting Monday to address the suspected chemical attack in Syria, U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley announced Sunday.

In a statement Sunday, Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called on Trump to respond decisively to the attack.

President Trump was quick to call out Assad today, along with the Russian and Iranian governments, on Twitter, McCain said. The question now is whether he will do anything about it. The president responded decisively when Assad used chemical weapons last year. He should do so again, and demonstrate that Assad will pay a price for his war crimes.

This article has been updated with information about the U.N. Security Council and McCains comments.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Donald Trump, Bashar Assad and Vladimir Putin. (Photo illustration: Yahoo News; photos: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Image, Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin Pool Photo via AP, Halil el-Abdullah/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images)

President Trump blamed Russia and Iran for backing Syrian dictator Bashar Assad after reports of further suffering for Syrian civilians at the hands of their own government  calling out Vladimir Putin specifically.

Trump delivered his critique of the Russian leader during a Sunday-morning tweetstorm that covered a variety of topics and struck out at more common targets of Trumps anger, such as the U.S. news media and former President Barack Obama.

According to Syrian medical groups, Assads government launched a chemical attack against civilians in the rebel-held town of Douma in eastern Ghouta late Saturday  killing dozens. The Syrian government denies the reports and claims the rebels are fabricating news.

Slideshow: Deadly gas attack in rebel-held Douma, in Syrias eastern Ghouta >>>

In response, Trump coined a new nickname for the Syrian president, Animal Assad, and said Putin has a big price to pay, despite his well-known reluctance to criticize the Russian president.

Many dead, including women and children, in mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria. Area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. President Putin, Russia and Iran are responsible for backing Animal Assad. Big price  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

.to pay. Open area immediately for medical help and verification. Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

Trump also condemned Obama for failing to take action to end the protracted Syrian civil war after drawing a proverbial red line over the use of chemical weapons.

If President Obama had crossed his stated Red Line In The Sand, the Syrian disaster would have ended long ago! Animal Assad would have been history!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

In 2013, the Syrian military used chemical weapons against its own people  killing nearly 1,500 civilians. Critics said Obamas controversial decision not to retaliate with the military humiliated the United States and emboldened Russian aggression in the region. His supporters, however, generally argue that avoiding further violence was the better choice of two bad options.

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Trumps penchant for demeaning nicknames and disparaging political enemies is well-known, but his refusal to criticize Putin has been a cause for concern for many Americans. Last month, Trump said that he congratulated Putin on his reelection during a very good call and expects to meet with him in the not-to-distant future.

In a statement on Sunday, Russias foreign ministry insisted that the Assad regime is legitimate and did not use chemical weapons. The ministry called the allegations to the contrary provocations.

We must once more warn that a military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where there are Russian soldiers at the request of the legitimate Syrian government, is absolutely unacceptable and could have the most dire consequences, the Russian foreign ministry said.

The goal of this speculation, the ministry continued, is to cover for the terrorists and the radical opposition who are rejecting a political settlement.

Read more from Yahoo News:
The Trump administration hit Russian officials with a new set of sanctions on Friday, in an effort to punish Moscow for its interference in the 2016 presidential election and its aggression on the international stage.

On the list are some of Russias wealthiest and most influential figures, some of whom have been caught up in special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into whether the Trump campaign collaborated with Russia to influence the election, and are believed to have been in contact with Trumps associates.

In all, 38 Russian oligarchs, government officials and businesses have been included on the list. The sanctions will freeze all U.S. assets of those listed and prevent Americans from doing business with them.

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Here are a few of the most important names on the list:

Oleg Deripaska: Probably the best known figure is Oleg Deripaska, an aluminum magnate who sued Trumps former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business partner Rick Gates for over $25 million in damages after he accused them of stealing from his company. Manafort and Gates have been indicted in the Mueller investigation, and Gates has pleaded guilty.

In March, Deripaska once again caught the public eye after a Belorussian escort released a video of him hobnobbing on a yacht with Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko. The escort claims she has more recordings of the men discussing the U.S. election. Reports have suggested that Manafort offered to provide Deripaska with private briefings about the election.

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Alexander Torshin: The deputy governor of Russias central bank, Torshin has been a person of interest for the Senate Judiciary Committee, which last year began investigating the National Rifle Associations role in connecting the Trump campaign with Russians. Torshins special assistant is a woman named Maria Butina, a well-known gun rights activist who is linked to an influential Trump transition team adviser named Paul Erickson. Butina has bragged that she helped connect the Trump campaign with Russian officials. Torshin, meanwhile, met with Donald Trump Jr. on the sidelines of an NRA convention in 2016, at the height of his fathers campaign for president.

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Suleiman Kerimov: A wealthy financier with close ties to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kerimov was detained in France last November and held for several days. He has been accused of bringing hundreds of millions of dollars into France illegally, sometimes carrying over $20 million with him in suitcases. French tax authorities say Kerimov is involved in laundering millions through French villas and failing to pay taxes.

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Kirill Shamalov: A wealthy energy executive who is married to Putins daughter, Shamalov is believed to have used his family ties to Putin to amass wealth. Ironically, Shamalov has been linked to current Trump's commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross. A large leak of financial documents called the Paradise Papers revealed last year that Navigator Holdings, a shipping company Ross partially owns, has a long history of lucrative business deals with a Russian gas and petrochemicals company that Shamalov co-owns.

Also on the list is Andrei Skoch, a deputy in the Russian Federation's State Duma known to have ties to organized crime.

A previous Treasury Department list of oligarchs, published in January, was criticized for being a copy-paste job of a Forbes list of the worlds wealthiest people. Unlike Fridays list, however, the January list was only meant to name and shame and did not subject the individuals to sanctions.

The decision to sanction Russian oligarchs comes just days after the Kremlin announced that there are no oligarchs in Russia, only big business representatives.

This article was first written by Newsweek

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Updated | A fire broke out on one of the top floors of Trump Tower, a large building in midtown Manhattan owned by President Donald Trump, leaving at least one person critically injured, according to authorities.

The 4-alarm fire was reported shortly after 5:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, the New York City Fire Department said. One person was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and four firefighters suffered non-life threatening injuries. The Associated Press later reported that a male victim had died.

The fire broke out inside a 50th-floor apartment. Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said the unit was completely engulfed when they arrived. It wasn't immediately clear what sparked the blaze.

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"This was a very difficult fire," Nigro said. "As you can imagine, the apartment is quite large, (and) we are 50 stories up. The rest of the building had a considerable amount of smoke...members pushed in heroically. They were knocking down the fire and found one occupant of the apartment who is in critical condition."

Videos posted on social media showed flames pouring out of what appeared to be one of the uppermost floors of the 58-story building. A total of more than 200 EMS and firefighters were on scene. At least four windows on the corner of the skyscraper appeared to be damaged and debris could be seen falling from the windows.

President Donald Trump tweeted that the fire was out shortly after 6:40 p.m. He said the flames were "very confined" and thanked the "firemen (and women)" for responding to the scene, while also touting the structure of the skyscraper.

"Fire at Trump Tower is out," he said. "Very confined (well built building). Firemen (and women) did a great job. THANK YOU!"

But, according to Nigro, the firefighters hadn't yet considered the fire to be under control until shortly before 8 p.m. EST.

Story continues

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The skyscraper, one of Trump's most infamous properties, is located on Fifth Avenue, between 56th and 57th Streets. It wasn't immediately clear what started the fire. Police appeared to have cordoned off the surrounding area as black smoke billowed from the top of the building at around 6 p.m.

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Home to Trump's real estate empire and the president's penthouse condo, Trump Tower was built in 1978. It houses businesses, apartments and is zoned as a mixed-use development.

Three people were injured in January after a fire broke out on the roof of the building, which gave way to a flurry of memes. The Fire Department of New York said the flames were caused by the buildings heating and ventilation system. Police said at the time that the injuries were all minor.

Trump moved from Trump Tower to the White House after taking the Oath of Office in January 2017. Melania Trump and young son Barron accompanied him on the move shortly thereafter, waiting until the school had year finished.

This story has been updated to include statements from the New York City Fire Department.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
Shortly after Donald Trumps upset victory in the 2016 presidential election, a new investment strategy swept over Wall Street and helped send stocks higher. Dubbed the Trump Trade by many, investors pumped cash into the industries that stood to benefit from the new presidents campaign promises. But now, with a trade war between the U.S. and China looming, it is time for a new version of this strategy.

The original Trump Trade was rooted in a belief that the businessman turned reality TV star could continue his streak of deal making in his new political initiatives.

The strategy worked with a few basic assumptions: building a wall on the southern border and leveraging our import power to pay for it would probably hurt Mexican industry, rolling back environment regulations would make life for energy companies easier, and streamlining the approval process would benefit the biotech industry.

Overall, the stock market has responded well to the Trump presidency. Major indexes have soared, and although specific elements of the Trump Trade have had mixed results, a continued economic recoveryboth domestically and abroadhas inspired strong confidence among investors.

But trade tensions between the U.S. and China have heightened significantly over the past few weeks, and as investors grapple with the possibility of tit-for-tat tariffs affecting billions of dollars worth of goods, it is clear that a new strategy needs to emerge.

The New Trump Trade?

Trade war speculation got several steps closer to reality this week after the White House released a list of Chinese imports that it plans to hit with new tariffs. Sectors impacted by the crackdown on what Trump believes to be unfair trade practices would include IT and communication technology, robotics, and aerospaceamong others.

Chinese regulators responded quickly, releasing their own list of U.S. products to be targeted with 25% import charges on Wednesday. This list includes agricultural products, such as soybeans, corn, and meat; vehicles; and manufacturing supplies like chemicals and lubricants. Many experts believe this list is political in nature and was designed to create backlash from Trumps core support base.

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Things got even more cautious on Friday after new reports suggested that Trump instructed the U.S. Trade Representative to consider tariffs on an additional $100 billion of Chinese goods. All of these tariffs are part of ongoing negotiations, but things are clearly escalatingand investors now, more than ever, need a strategy that limits exposure to companies tied up in this trade mess.

Luckily, it is still possible to build a diverse portfolio of trade-war-safe stocks by focusing on smaller domestic tech firms, U.S. retailers, and strong telecom companies. Heres a closer look at three of our best options right now.

1. Paycom Software, Inc. (PAYC)

Paycom Software is a provider of a cloud-based human capital management software solution delivered as Software-as-a-Service. This type of tech pick will likely fare well amid trade war volatility, and as one of the fastest-growing public companies in the world, Paycom is looking uniquely interesting right now.

Based on our latest consensus estimates, we expect the company to witness EPS growth of 89% and revenue growth of 26% in its current fiscal year. Looking further ahead, Paycom is projected to improve its bottom line at an annualized rate of nearly 25% over the next three to five years.

Analyst sentiment for Paycom is also noticeably strong. Within the past 60 days, the company has witnessed 11 revisions to its full-year EPS estimates, with 100% agreement to the upside. This positive revision activity has earned the stock a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Shares are trading at an expensive 44x forward 12-month earnings, but its PEG ratio of 1.8 is actually quite attractive.

2. Burlington Stores, Inc. (BURL)

Fashion-based retail is another area of the U.S. economy that should make it out of trade war issues relatively unscathed, especially considering the preliminary tariff lists we have seen so far. With that said, investors should definitely check out Burlington Stores right now.

The company has witnessed strong comps growth recently, and total revenues are expected to climb nearly 11% in the current quarter. That should be underscored by impressive earnings expansion, with the latest Zacks Consensus Estimate projecting EPS growth of 48% for the period.

Burlington has also witnessed positive estimate revisions, lifting our consensus estimate for its full-year earnings by 46 cents over the past two months and helping the stock receive a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). BURLs Forward P/E of 23.8 is a slight premium, but a PEG of 1.3 and a P/S of 1.5 keep its valuation in check.

3. United States Cellular Corporation (USM)

U.S. Cellular is a regional wireless carrier and operates the fifth-largest mobile network in the United States. Domestic telecom companies should also be relatively unaffected by trade talks with China, and U.S. Cellular looks like one of our better options in this space at the moment.

Analysts are starting to warm up to USM, with the stock witnessed four positive revisions for its current-year EPS estimates and three positive revisions for its next-year estimates within the past 60 days. The company is now expected to witness earnings growth of 21% and 30%, respectively, in these periods.

USM is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). Shares are trading with decent multiples in key categories for telecoms, evidenced by the stocks P/S of 0.9 and P/B of 0.9.

Want more market analysis from this author? Make sure to follow @Ryan_McQueeney on Twitter!

Will You Make a Fortune on the Shift to Electric Cars?

Here's another stock idea to consider. Much like petroleum 150 years ago, lithium power may soon shake the world, creating millionaires and reshaping geo-politics. Soon electric vehicles (EVs) may be cheaper than gas guzzlers. Some are already reaching 265 miles on a single charge.

With battery prices plummeting and charging stations set to multiply, one company stands out as the #1 stock to buy according to Zacks research.

It's not the one you think.

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President Donald Trump's attacks on Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have nothing to do with anything the online retail giant has done. (Photo: Reuters)

Since taking office last year, Donald Trump has carried out sustained attacks on a number of American corporations  Boeing, Ford and Nordstrom, to name a few. But none have quite endured the presidents focused attention like Amazon.

Last week, Trump escalated his war, launching a series of tweets that falsely claimed Amazon receives billions in subsidies from the U.S. Postal Service and avoids paying sales taxes. On Monday, Amazons stock plummeted 5 percent, destroying more than $36 billion of the companys market value and causing the Dow to drop 459 points.

Attacking an American corporation as innovative and successful as Amazon seems a strange move for the so-called businessman president. But its perfectly in keeping with a presidency driven not by a coherent ideology  or even a clear economic agenda, for that matter  but rather by the incoherent ravings of a petty tyrant who is all too willing to jeopardize the nations economic strength for his own political gain.

Trumps squabble with Amazon has nothing to do with the e-commerce powerhouse, of course. Instead, its all part of the presidents attempt to get at Jeff Bezos, Amazons CEO and owner who also owns The Washington Post. Trump is obsessed with that newspapers coverage of his presidency.

In Trumps twisted reasoning, a plan to impose higher shipping costs on Amazon, kill the companys multibillion-dollar contract with the Pentagon and encourage certain state attorneys general to investigate its business practices  just some of the retributive options Trump is reportedly considering  is perfectly justifiable if it weakens someone he perceives as a personal enemy. Second-wave feminists in the 1960s may have argued that the personal is political, but it took the Trump presidency to see that those words could be a warning as much as a rallying cry.

Certainly, prior presidents have felt free to criticize American industries or the nations economic system. But usually they avoided targeting individual companies. Teddy Roosevelt made his mark as the trustbuster president, yet he achieved the bulk of his regulatory reforms in cooperation with many large trusts. His distant cousin Franklin Delano Roosevelt levied heavy regulations on corporate America, all the while making sure he never spoke ill of individual companies or business executives in public.

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Other presidents like Jimmy Carter and Barack Obama offered broader critiques of American capitalism that were rooted in their larger political beliefs about how the economy should operate most fairly for all Americans. The one time President Obama did single out a specific company, he quickly learned his lesson. After he called out Staples for supposedly reducing its employees hours so that the office superstore could avoid health care costs associated with Obamacare, Staples responded that the president appears not to have all the facts. Obama never fingered Staples again.

Facts dont matter for Trump, however. Despite  or perhaps even because  advisers have repeatedly told him that shipping packages for Amazon is a financial boon for the Postal Service, Trump has continued to make his false claims about the company. Corporations often have to push back against misrepresentations of their business practices  thats why they have large public relations offices, after all  but an ongoing misinformation campaign led by the president of the United States is a chilling prospect for the future of all American business.

Trumps beef with Amazon and the other individual companies he has attacked departs from the historical examples and has no basis in political philosophy, whatever that might be for him. Instead, like everything the president does, it is fueled by his sense of personal grievance and vindictiveness, by his unending desire to use the power of the presidency not to advance the nations interests but to assuage his own fragile ego.

It also marks a departure from yet another supposed orthodoxy of the Republican Party  in this case, the GOPs longstanding devotion to free-market absolutism. Had any prior president made just one of these attacks on an American business, he would have faced non-stop wrath from congressional Republicans and Fox News pundits alike. Yet those voices have remained remarkably silent as Trump has carried out his assault.

The president has been able to get away with it all because, just like his attacks on American democracy, the named targets are individual and personal, thus obscuring the actual systemic damage his abuse is wreaking. Republicans can rationalize Trumps war on Amazon as merely a justifiable counterpunch against a liberal media outlet rather than acknowledging it for what it is: an outrageous intervention in the market.

Trumps campaign against Amazon isnt a harmless political flap, as his supporters would like to believe. Its a full-fledged strike against the capitalist system they supposedly revere. If Republicans truly believe in the invisible hand of the market, they should do something about the tiny orange hands that are trying to strangle some of its most vibrant actors.

Neil J. Young is a historian and author of We Gather Together: The Religious Right and the Problem of Interfaith Politics. He hosts the history podcast Past Present.

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Rome (AFP) - International Roma Day inspired contrasting remarks on Sunday, as Pope Francis welcomed a chance to engage with the culture of an often marginalised group, while the leader of Italy's far-right League urged them to "steal less".

Matteo Salvini, who heads a coalition that topped the polls in last month's general election, took to Twitter to note that "today is International Roma Day."

His comment was that "if many of them worked more and stole less, if many of them sent their children to school instead of teaching them to steal, then it really would be something to celebrate."

Salvini, 45, hopes that the performance of his anti-immigration League will help him ultimately become prime minister despite the lack of a clear majority after the March 4 vote.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella is due to meet political leaders in the coming week to thrash out the shape of a new government.

Pope Francis told worshippers in St Peter's Square meanwhile that he hoped Roma Day could foster greater understanding of Roma culture through the "goodwill of getting to know one another" and "mutual respect".

"This is the path which leads to true integration," the pontiff said.

Although over half the 170,000 or so Roma and Sinti people in Italy are Italian citizens with regular jobs and houses, some 40,000 of them are housed in purpose-built camps, according to 2015 figure.

Hate crimes against the poorest Roma are rife.
The Pentagon has denied that the recent slew of military aviation accidents constitutes a crisis, even as a U.S. air base in Djibouti has been forced to ground all flights over safety concerns. Four crashes within 48 hours this week have killed five U.S. service members.

Marine Lieutenant General Kenneth McKenzie, director of the Joint Staff, said during a Pentagon briefing Thursday that while recent events are not normalIm not prepared to say right now that it is some kind of crisis, Military.com reported.

McKenzie told reporters that no pattern or connection had been found between the recent accidents involving both planes and helicopters. He added that investigators are working to determine whether the cause of each crash was systematic or the result of poor individual maintenance.

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So far in 2018, at least 17 U.S. service members have been killed in noncombat aviation accidents, leading some officials on Capitol Hill to question whether the militarys fleet is adequately funded.

Of the four separate accidents within 48 hours this week, two were deadly. The first occurred on Tuesday, when a Marine Corps AV-8B Harrier II jet crashed just after taking off from Camp Lemonnier at Djiboutis Ambouli International Airport. The pilot ejected to safety. Later that day, a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter went down near El Centro, California, killing four service members.

Marine Ch-53E Super Stallion helicopter

U.S. Navy/Getty Images

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Then, on Wednesday, Major Stephen Del Bagnoa member of the Air Forces Thunderbirds display squadrondied when his F-16 Fighting Falcon jet crashed during a routine training mission near Nellis Air Force Base just outside Las Vegas.

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Also on Wednesday, a CH-53 helicopter suffered structural damage in Djibouti while landing at Arta Beach, just down the coast from Camp Lemonnier. There were no injuries. However, after two incidents in two days, the Djibouti government requested that the U.S. ground all military flights from Camp Lemonnier, NBC News reported. According to CNN, U.S. Navy investigators are looking into reports that two Djibouti civilians were injured in the accident.

Before this weeks tragedies, the Pentagon was already facing questions over aviation safety. On March 15, seven soldiers died when their HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopter crashed in western Iraq, one day after a Navy F/A-18F Super Hornet caught fire and plunged into the sea near Key West, Florida, killing two aviators.

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U.S. Air Force thunderbirds

Mark Wilson/Getty Images

The number of service members killed in noncombat aviation was 37 in 2017almost double the 19 who died in 2016. If 2018s rate of accidents continues, this year could be higher still. Almost half of the casualties in 2017 came from one accident, when a Lockheed Martin KC-130T Hercules transport plane crashed in Mississippi in July. The Hercules exploded and broke up in midair, killing all 16 people aboard.

Defense Secretary James Mattis has warned that funding cuts are affecting the number of flight hours, maintenance and overall training available for U.S. troops. On February 6, Mattis told lawmakers that this is creating security vulnerabilities, and warned that no strategy can survive without the funding necessary to resource it.

I am among the majority in this country that believes our nation can afford survival, Mattis said. I want the Congress back in the driver's seat of budget decisions, not in the spectator's seat of automatic cuts.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Sunday there was a risk of a trade war between the United States and China after the countries proposed imposing tariffs on billions of dollars' worth of one another's goods, but that he did not expect one. "Our expectation is that we don't think there will be a trade war; our objective is to continue to have discussions with China ... I don't expect there will be a trade war - it could be, but I don't expect it at all," he told CBS' Face The Nation. Mnuchin added that President Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping have a "very close relationship" and that the United States and China would continue to discuss trade issues. (Reporting by Michelle Price; Editing by James Dalgleish)
London (AFP) - British fishermen launched protests in ports around the country Sunday over perceived capitulation to the European Union in Brexit negotiations.

Organisers estimated as many as 200 vessels could participate in the day-long nationwide action, forming flotillas bearing flags and sounding horns as people also demonstrate on docksides.

"Fishermen and fishing communities are enraged that the government has capitulated to Britain having to obey all EU law after Brexit," said the pro-Brexit organising group Fishing for Leave, in a statement.

"Fishermen fear the EU will be able to enforce ill-founded rules to cull the British fleet and use international law to claim the resources the UK would no longer be able to catch."

Protests began in Newcastle, where a 15-boat flotilla assembled Sunday morning, before others mustered in Milford Haven, Wales, and Plymouth, southwest England, later in the day.

Further demonstrations were set for other sites, including Whitstable, Kent, where up to 40 vessels are expected and organisers plan to burn a disused boat in a shore-side bonfire during the evening.

"I think this is going to draw attention -- we want our voice heard," said Brendon Hall, 21, of Teignmouth, Devon, who followed his father into the industry four years ago and had sailed to Plymouth to protest.

"The main part of the leave campaign was leaving the CFP (Common Fisheries Policy) but we're staying in with no veto and no say," he added, referring to the 2016 referendum that saw Britons vote for Brexit.

A draft deal struck with the EU last month will effectively keep Britain bound by the CFP -- which ensures equal access to member states' waters and sets quotas on catch -- during a 20-month transition period following its formal departure from the bloc on March 29 next year.

Fishing for Leave spokesman Alan Hastings said the agreement was a "death sentence" for the industry, "as the EU will be free to enforce and impose detrimental rules on us to cull what's left of the UK fleet."

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A petition posted on the British parliament's website calling on the Government to abandon adopting the CFP post-Brexit has garnered more than 61,000 petitions.

After 100,000 signatures, a petition is considered for debate in the House of Commons.

The government has insisted Britain will be leaving the CFP when it departs the EU, and will negotiate a new fisheries policy independently from December 2020.
By Michelle Nichols NEW YORK (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council will meet twice on Monday following rival requests by Russia and the United States after a deadly chemical attack in Syria and a warning by U.S. President Donald Trump that there would be a "big price to pay." Russia called for a meeting of the 15-member council on "international threats to peace and security," though the precise topic of discussion was not immediately clear, diplomats said on Sunday. A minute later the United States, France, Britain, Sweden, Poland, the Netherlands, Kuwait, Peru and Ivory Coast called for a meeting to discuss the chemical weapons attack in Syria. "The Security Council has to come together and demand immediate access for first responders, support an independent investigation into what happened, and hold accountable those responsible for this atrocious act," U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said in a statement on Sunday. Haley warned last month that if the U.N. Security Council fails to act on Syria, Washington "remains prepared to act if we must," just as it did last year when it bombed a Syrian government air base over a deadly chemical weapons attack. The council president for April, Peru, initially scheduled a meeting on the chemical attack for Monday morning and a meeting on the Russian request for Monday afternoon. However, diplomats said Russia was insisting its meeting be held first because its request was made first. Trump said on Sunday there would be a "big price to pay" after medical aid groups reported dozens of people were killed by poison gas in a besieged rebel-held town in Syria. The Syrian government denied its forces had launched such an attack and Russia, President Bashar al-Assad's most powerful ally, called the reports bogus. A joint statement by the medical relief organization Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense service, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died in the attack late on Saturday in the town of Douma. U.S. and other officials said they were working on Sunday to verify details of the attack. (Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by James Dalgleish)
The Hague (AFP) - UN war crimes judges will rule Wednesday in an appeal brought by prosecutors against the surprise acquittal of radical Serb Vojislav Seselj, accused of atrocities committed during the 1990s Balkans wars.

Presiding judge Theodor Meron will hand down a ruling in the long-running case, but in the absence of Seselj, who is planning to snub the sitting at the court in The Hague.

Seselj was acquitted in 2016 of nine war crimes and crimes against humanity charges after a trial lasting more than eight years.

And the firebrand founder and outspoken opposition leader of the ultranationalist Serbian Radical Party told AFP in an interview last week that he would not return to the tribunal on Wednesday as "this verdict does not interest me."

"I defeated the court in The Hague, because the prosecutor had no proof of my alleged war crimes," said Seselj, who is now a member of the Serbian parliament.

The hearing at the former International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) offices, whose function has been taken over by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals (MICT), is set to start on Wednesday at 1200 GMT.

In 2016, a three-judge panel led by French judge Jean-Claude Antonetti said prosecutors "failed to prove beyond all reasonable doubt" or provide sufficient evidence that Seselj was responsible for the crimes he had been charged with.

Prosecutors had alleged Seselj was behind the murders of scores of Croat, Muslim and other non-Serbs between 1991 and 1993 in the conflicts that erupted during the collapse of Yugoslavia, after the fall of communism.

He was also accused of the forced deportation of "tens of thousands" from large areas of Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia and Serbia.

Leading a group of paramilitaries, Seselj "espoused and encouraged the creation of a homogenous 'Greater Serbia' by violence and thereby participated in war propaganda and incitement of hatred towards non-Serb people," the prosecution said.

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- 'Free man' -

Judges however in their majority ruling said prosecutors had failed to prove "that there was a widespread and systematic attack against the non-Serb civilian population".

And although crimes were committed, Seselj was not the "hierarchical superior" of his paramilitary forces after they came under the control of the Serbian army and therefore he was not responsible for what they did.

Seselj was "now a free man," Antonetti said at the time of the verdict.

Excused from attending the judgement on medical grounds after returning to Belgrade in 2014 for treatment for colon cancer, Seselj hailed his acquittal as "honourable and fair."

Asked last week whether he thought Serbia would hand him back to the court, should the verdict be overturned on appeal, Seselj said: "You have to ask the authorities. Until now they did not want it. Neither for me, nor my collaborators."

- 'Fundamental failure' -

Chief prosecutor Serge Brammertz appealed the verdict, saying the judges made "far-reaching... errors" in their decision.

In a hard-hitting rebuttal, Brammertz said there had been a "fundamental failure by the majority to perform its judicial function".

Judges had shown a "sweeping disregard" for the number of crimes which have already been proven to have taken place during the conflict, he said.

The ruling was also heavily criticised by law experts, historians and in an unusually strong minority opinion by fellow judge Flavia Lattanzi.

"The majority sets aside all the rules of international humanitarian law that existed before the creation of the tribunal and all the applicable law established since the inception of the tribunal," the judge said.

But Seselj remains defiant and when asked about the ICTY releasing him in 2014 on humanitarian grounds for cancer treatment, he said: "They did not release me, they brutally expelled me from The Hague."

"They put me on a plane one day to Belgrade, without a ticket and without a police escort."

bur-jhe/jkb/wdb/klm
White House trade adviser Peter Navarro escalated President Donald Trumps attacks on the news media Sunday morning, characterizing The Washington Post as fake news most of the time.

Speaking with host Chuck Todd on NBCs Meet the Press, Navarro brushed off a Washington Post story from Saturday that described turmoil in the White House. He specifically denied the newspapers report that White House chief of staff John Kelly is threatening to resign.

Every day of his adult life, Navarro said, John Kellys gotten up in the morning to serve America. Hes a great man, a courageous man  he serves the president, he has the presidents ear, he runs the West Wing well. Thats all I know, thats all I see.

He added, When you read stuff in The Washington Post, frankly, thats fake news most of the time.

Todd pushed back, calling Navarros comment a cheap shot.

I think that expression is a pretty unfair thing to say about a major news organization, Todd said.

Mr. Todd, that is not a cheap shot, Navarro replied. Because if you look at the newspapers that I read every day across the spectrum, The Washington Post, in my judgment, tends to attack the president more than any other newspaper in its news stories. You can do anything you want in your editorials, sir, but you cannot do that in your news stories.

Todd interrupted him: The term fake news is not exactly a way to hold up the First Amendment, especially when the Russian government, just this morning, is using that phrase.

While Trump claims to have coined the term fake news, Vox reports that the strategy of using fake news to disorient and manipulate voters was pioneered by the Russian government in the 1990s and 2000s.

A federal grand jury in February indicted 13 Russians and three Russian entities, charging that they interfered in the 2016 election to boost Trumps candidacy by posing as Americans and creating fake social media accounts to spread propaganda.

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Trump has frequently invoked fake news to attack mainstream media coverage he doesnt like. He tweeted Sunday morning that The Washington Post is garbage and more fiction than fact.

The Washington Post is far more fiction than fact. Story after story is made up garbage - more like a poorly written novel than good reporting. Always quoting sources (not names), many of which dont exist. Story on John Kelly isnt true, just another hit job!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 8, 2018

New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet defended the Washington Post on CNN Sunday morning, noting that every deeply reported story about turmoil in the White House by the paper or the Times so far has been verified.

If [Trump] creates a culture where Fox and Friends and Jesse Watters are regarded as serious journalism, and the New York Times and Washington Post are not, he will have done longstanding, harmful effect on the country, Baquet said.

He added, Its out of control, and his advisers should tell him to stop, because its actually affecting the civic life and debate of this country.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Daniel Darling

Security,

A self-inflicted wound.

Why India's Air Force Is Dying

To observers of India's defense environment, the country's procurement process is a deeply bureaucratized labyrinth of incompetence and ineffectiveness.

A 27-point internal memo prepared in 2017 by Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre presented a sweeping denunciation of the tangled web of failures in Defence Ministry weapons-buying procedures and outputs. Most striking to note from media reports emerging back in February regarding the memo is that of 144 potential defense deals presented within the last three financial years (2015-2017), only 8-10 percent came to fruition within the stipulated time period.

In other words, the winding and tangled process that begins with the drafting of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to industry and concludes with final clearance by the Finance Ministry too often leads to lengthy delays that extend well beyond the deadlines put forth.

The memo noted that the 90-92 percent of deals that were not completed within the required timeline suffered delays of as much as 2.6 to 15.4 times beyond their deadline  that is, if a deal was closed at all. Often they are not, and the entire process must be rebooted depending upon whether the Defence Ministry and military service branches seek to revisit them in similar form.

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The underlying current is that as costs for advanced defense technologies continue to escalate and the distance between funding appropriations and deal execution grows, the Indian armed forces are in danger of being denied crucial hardware enabling them to tackle a host of strategic and unconventional threats.

As Indian officials continue to revise, cancel and reboot tenders  tenders are often drawn up with unrealistic industrial demands, while service branches seek to outdo each other for their slice of the procurement pie  the downstream effect is hollowed-out capacity and eroding capability.

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In other words, by failing to follow through quickly and efficiently on many of these crucial acquisitions, India is ceding ground to its strategic rivals and steadily (and unintentionally) disarming its military.

This is particularly true as it pertains to the Indian Air Force (IAF) and its long-term airpower goal of fielding 45 squadrons together comprising 810 combat aircraft by 2032. These figures are deemed crucial to counter a potential "collusive threat" from neighboring Pakistan and China. But for now, the IAF is only capable of fielding (on paper) 31 squadrons, far short of the sanctioned end strength of 42 such squadrons required by 2022 by the Cabinet Committee on Security.

Worse, this figure is set to fall in the coming four to five years to 23 squadrons as the IAF retires the last of its aging Russian-legacy MiG-21 and MiG-27 aircraft, resulting in the loss of nearly 200 fighters from its inventory.

It should also be pointed out that the 45-squadron strategic goal excludes an Indian Navy requirement for 57 multirole carrier-borne fighters, the tender for which is expected to be issued later in 2018.

While acquiring new combat aircraft has proven particularly difficult for India, servicing existing stocks has also proven problematic, as evidenced by the Navy's 45 Russian-sourced MiG-29K/KUB fighters whose operability rates are well below 50 percent  often falling as low as 16 percent in availability.

Thus two parallel tracks  the procurement of new aircraft to replace older-generation models and the servicing of the current fighter inventory  are trending in the opposite direction from what is required.

With eight current combat fighter types (in multiple variants) for the Air Force alone to crew, service and maintain, the latest initiative to add a ninth fighter type to build out capacity represents another looming white elephant project for which India is notorious.

This project  calling for 114 license-built fighters  is now being revamped once again by the Defence Ministry following years of failures to finally consummate what was once termed the defense "Deal of the Century" when a tender was first floated back in 2007.

That tender, falling under the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) requirement, ultimately fell by the wayside in April 2015 due to the gulf in agreement between the competition winner, France's Dassault (pitching its Rafale), and the Indian government over the transfer of technology requirements to India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

To make up for an emerging fighter capability and capacity shortfall, Prime Minister Narendra Modi opted for an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with France in 2016 for the purchase of 36 Rafales in flyaway condition. Even that seemingly innocuous deal, however, has elicited controversy, as the price tag ($9.1 billion) has brought accusations from the majority opposition Congress Party about secrecy and exorbitant costs.

But it is not just the politicians fighting  inter-service turf wars are also hindering progress. According to media reports, the IAF is waging an internal battle against the Indian Navy's aforementioned 57-aircraft requirement for carrier-borne fighters. This pushback stems from concern that the winner of the Navy's bid might hinder IAF options going forward as the Ministry of Defence is increasingly forced to reckon with the need for greater type commonality as a hedge against logistical and support strains  meaning that, if the Navy were to select the Rafale or Boeing F/A-18 as its preferred carrier fighter, the IAF would be pressured into following suit for its own requirement.

For now, the IAF has been tasked with finalizing a Request for Information for release to foreign manufacturers of both single- and double-engine multirole fighter platforms.

This follows an earlier plan by the IAF for a single-engine fighter to be license-produced in India under a joint venture between the foreign original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and a private Indian company under the government's "Make in India" industrial initiative. The single-engine element defining that project was based on then-Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar's advice to the IAF that such a fighter type would prove more practical in light of India's defense funding pressures.

By opting to restrict its project to single-engine platforms, the competition was narrowed to just two bidders: Lockheed Martin with its F-16 Block 70 iteration versus Sweden's Saab Gripen E.

By abandoning the single-engine Make in India purchase in favor of a broader competition, the Modi government hopes to avoid political pushback once a final fighter decision has been reached. Thus a political calculus ensures that the project will be delayed by another two years at least while a new complex tender  based on platform specifications, operational requirements, desired transfer of technology, and other specifics  is drawn up and floated to foreign OEMs, and a decision-making process is undertaken.

Setting aside India's onerous and often unrealistic Make in India industrial workshare and technological know-how requirements (which were a primary factor in the failure to reach a final agreement on the original MMRCA contract), by once again revamping the requirements, the government is asking the IAF to revisit a proposal it first drew up back in 2001.

After 18 years of waiting for a new fighter to arrive in bulk, the IAF will now have to wait at least another two just to downselect a preferred fighter, with no guarantee that after winding through the 11-step formal procedural process a contract will ever come to fruition. Instead, it will be leaning on two squadrons of expensive Rafale fighters that will aid in capability upgrade but fall far short of the quantity required.

In its decades-long quest to complete two tasks within one project, the Indian government has accomplished neither aim, only short-changing its medium-term fighter capacity. But there is always hope in Delhi that the third time will prove the charm.

Daniel Darling is an international military markets analyst at Forecast International Inc., an aerospace and defense market research company located in Newtown, Connecticut. A graduate of Kansas State University, Dan covers the Europe and Asia-Pacific Rim military markets for Forecast, and formerly was responsible for the Middle East as well. He has been quoted or his work cited in: Arabian Business, Defense News, The Financial Times, Flight International, The National, The New York Times, Bloomberg, National Defense Magazine and Small Wars Journal, among others.

This first appeared in RealClearDefense here.

Image: Creative Commons.

Read full article
A 36-year-old woman from Sweden, New York, was charged with murder for allegedly stabbing and decapitating her 7-year-old son.

Hanane Mouhib is accused of stabbing her son with a large-bladed kitchen knife in the upper left area of his back and neck, decapitating the boy, The Democrat and Chronicle reported.

Hanane Mouhib

Monroe County Sheriff's Office

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Theres absolutely no explanation for us, Monroe County Sheriff Todd Baxter told reporters during a press conference Friday. The word evil comes to mind. This is a mother who took her sons life.

Deputies received a call to go to 5499 South Lake Road (Route 19) in Sweden at 8:19 p.m. Thursday and found an extreme, horrific crime scene. Baxter said deputies arrived at the home and found a suicidal female armed with a knife. Mouhib reportedly refused deputies orders to drop the knife, prompting deputies to use pepper spray and a Taser to disarm and arrest her.

Baxter said deputies also found the body of the victim on the first floor of the home. The victim was later identified as first grader Abraham Cardenas, a student at Barclay Elementary School in Brockport Central School District who was described as vibrant and an engaged learner.

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We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our students, Superintendent Lesli Myers said in a statement sent to Newsweek. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Abrahams family, friends and all affected by this tragedy. Any loss of life is a loss to our entire community.

The school district will have grief counselors available to students, staff and families over the weekend and throughout the week, Myers said.

Story continues

"I will never find the words to adequately describe, or reconcile with what happened inside Abraham Cardenas's home last evening. A young boy with a life full of promise ahead of him is no longer with us to hope, prosper and fulfill his dreams," Baxter said in a statement provided to Newsweek.

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Baxter told reporters that that calls from the home were made on March 5 and March 8 for mental health assistance. According to WHEC-TV, Mouhib was in a mental health facility on March 8 and was released with a care plan on March 26.

Records show that Mouhib is a licensed nurse practitioner with a specialty in mental health; she worked for Rochester Regional Health from January 2016 through January 2017. Rochester Regional Health officials told WHEC that she has not been affiliated or credentialed with the system since then.

Mouhib was arraigned at 8 a.m. at Sweden Town Court Friday on a charge of second-degree murder. She pleaded not guilty and is set to return to court for a preliminary hearing on April 11. If convicted, Mouhib could face 25 years to life in prison.

This article was first written by Newsweek

More from Newsweek
BRADENTON  At Thursday's land use meeting, county commissioners voted unanimously to transmit a proposed text amendment to the comprehensive land use plan and land development code that would make it easier for alternative energy developers to build facilities in Manatee County.





The amendment was privately-initiated by Ecoplexus, Inc ., a North Carolina based firm that specialized in the "development, design, engineering, construction, and financing of solar energy systems for the non-profit, commercial, municipal, and utility markets." The company provides a full set of professional services covering the entire process for a solar energy facility, operating the facilities after they develop them.





County staff recommended approval. Planner Margaret Tussing explained that the purpose of the amendments would be to "clarify where alternative energy generation facilities are appropriate. Current regulations place solar arrays and other alternative energy sources into the same classification as traditional coal, oil, and gas-fired power generation facilities thereby requiring them to locate in the P/SP(1) future land use classification which requires a rezoning to PDPI."





Tussing said that revising Manatee Countys existing policies will better position the County to take advantage of emerging alternative energy markets and remain competitive among other communities who are also diversifying their energy resources.





Proposed changes include:

1. Adding specific definitions for Alternative Energy Generation Facility, Low-Temperature Thermal Power, Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Power, Solar Array, Solar Field, Utility Use, and Utility Use, Heavy.

2. Amending Future Land Use Element Policy 2.1.1.5 to encourage the development and use of renewable energy resources.

3. Add Goal 3.5 (promote the development and use of alternative energy power generation facilities) and Objective 3.5.1 (Alternative Energy Generation Facilities) to the Conservation Element.





The new language would permit use in both agricultural and industrial zones. A representative from Stantec representing Ecoplexus said that their growth has been largely in agricultural areas, where it is compatible, though often not explicitly permitted because of archaic zoning language. "It's still farming," he said, "it's just farming radiant energy instead of crops."

Once transmitted, the proposed ordinance would come back to the planning commission in June and then to the BOCC in August.




A chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people, a medical relief organization and a rescue service said.

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A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defense, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died.

The Russian-backed Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as the reports began circulating on Saturday night and said rebels in the eastern Ghouta town of Douma were in a state of collapse and spreading false news.

Alleged chemical attack in Douma (: )

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Reuters could not independently verify the reports.

The lifeless bodies of around a dozen children, women and men, some of them with foam at the mouth, were shown in one video circulated by activists. "Douma city, April 7 ... there is a strong smell here," a voice can be heard saying.

Children treated after alleged chemical attack in Douma

President Bashar Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands. After a lull of days, government forces began bombarding Douma again on Friday.

The offensive in Ghouta has been one of the deadliest of the seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Observatory said it could not confirm if chemical weapons had been used.

Observatory Director Rami Abdulrahman said 11 people had died in Douma as a result of suffocation caused by the smoke from conventional weapons being dropped by the government. It said a total of 70 people suffered breathing difficulties.

Medical relief organization SAMS said a chlorine bomb hit Douma hospital, killing six people, and a second attack with "mixed agents" including nerve agents had hit a nearby building.

Children treated after alleged chemical attack in Douma

Basel Termanini, the US-based vice president of SAMS, told Reuters another 35 people had been killed at the nearby apartment building, most of them women and children.

SAMS operates 139 medical facilities in Syria where it supports 1,880 medical personnel, according to its website.

"We are contacting the UN and the US government and the European governments," he said by telephone.

The joint statement from SAMS and the civil defense said medical centers had received more than 500 cases of people suffering breathing difficulties, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

One of the victims was dead on arrival, and six died later, it said. Civil defense volunteers reported more than 42 cases of people dead at their homes showing the same symptoms, it said.

Syrian state news agency SANA said the rebel group in Douma, Jaish al-Islam, was making "chemical attack fabrications in an exposed and failed attempt to obstruct advances by the Syrian Arab army," citing an official source.

The US State Department said on Saturday reports of mass casualties from an alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma were "horrifying" and would, if confirmed, "demand an immediate response by the international community."

Bombardments in Douma (Photo: AFP)

"The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," said US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauret, recalling a 2017 sarin gas attack that the West and the United Nations blamed on Assad's government.

Bombardments in Douma (Photo: AFP)

"The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks," Nauert said in a statement.

The Syrian government has repeatedly denied using chemical weapons during the conflict.
Chinese state media called on Sunday industrial and commercial sectors in the United States to rally against US President Donald Trump's plans for an additional $100 billion in tariffs against Chinese goods.

Trump threatened the extra tariffs after China imposed last week $3 billion of tariffs on US fruits, nuts, wine and pork, just hours after the United States unveiled an initial $50 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods.
Britain is considering offering poisoned Russian ex-spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia new identities and a fresh life in the United States in an attempt to protect them from further murder attempts, the Sunday Times newspaper reported.

It said officials at the MI6 intelligence agency have had discussions with their counterparts in the CIA about resettling the victims poisoned last month in the English city of Salisbury.

The paper said its sources believed Britain would want to ensure their safety by resettling them in one of the so-called "five eyes" countries, the intelligence-sharing partnership that also includes the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

"The obvious place to resettle them is America because they're less likely to be killed there and it's easier to protect them there under a new identity," it quoted what it called an intelligence source familiar with the negotiations as saying.
MK Hanin Zoabi (Joint List) called on the Palestinians in the West Bank to join the protests on the Gaza border during a press conference over the weekend at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

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"We need to go on popular marches to remind the world of the siege," Zoabi said. "We need millions of Palestinians to march on Jerusalem. That is the aspiration. But we can't do it, because the Israelis would kill them."

Zoabi also claimed that "Israel has turned from a racist country to a fascist one," and demanded an investigation into the killing of protesters in Gaza border clashes.

MK Hanin Zoabi at the Knesset (file photo) (Photo: Knesset)

"Israel is not defending itself as it is claiming, the occupation and the siege are not an act of self defense, but rather one of terrorism," she charged.

The Arab MK dubbed the Gaza residents' protests along the border with Israel "a march of peace," saying it is a "peaceful act of popular struggle" and stressed it is the only way for the Palestinians to liberate themselves from the Israeli occupation.

"We have popular resistance of women and children who want to put an end to the siege," she said. "Israel is opposed and kills Palestinians not because they endanger their soldiers. The children of Gaza don't want to be killed quietly without receiving any recognition from the world. They are sending a message that we are under siege, and we need to do something, and that is to march and remind the world about the siege. Our problem is the silence of the international community."

Zoabi talks about US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital (: unca)

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Zoabi added that she doesn't see "what is violent about setting fire to a tire. Is burning a tire violence, while shooting at protesters not violence? Show me one Israeli who was hurt by these actions."

"Israel is only looking for an excuse to kill the Palestinians," she accused. "Stop buying the Israeli propaganda."

"I am a Palestinian," Zoabi declared. "They expect me to be loyal to the Zionists, while the only meaning of Zionism is to revoke my rights and to reject my identity."

Zoabi's remarks were criticized by Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon. "It's shameful and disgraceful that while IDF soldiers are thwarting attacks on the border, and the Israeli delegation to the UN is working to thwart unilateral diplomatic moves, a member of Knesset chooses to exploit her status to spread lies from the UN stage and support a terror organization calling for the annihilation of the State of Israel and using children as human shields," Danon charged, referring to Hamas.
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The main reason the IDF has so far avoided targeting substantial Hamas assets deep within the Gaza Strip, to deter the Palestinian organization from continuing the provocations on the fence, was the Passover holiday.

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The IDF chief of staff and the four generals leading the battle on the fencethe deputy chief of staff, the head of the Operations Directorate, the Southern Command chief and the Military Intelligence Directorate chiefdecided to endure the events so as not to spoil Israelis' holiday.

But now that Passover is behind us, plans aimed at breaking the status quo that has been developing between Hamas and the IDF on the Gaza border are back on the decision-makers table, increasing the chance that another riot on the fence would lead to an attack on tunnels or on ammunition production facilities and depots deep within the strip. Its reasonable to assume that aerial activity isnt the only thing on the agenda, and that a targeted assassination of the riots organizers is possible too.

Palestinian rioters near Gaza border. A sequence of violent struggles, week after week, will eventually lead to the eruption of a conflict (Photo: EPA)

The entrenchment war, in which each side entrenches itself along the border in an attempt to wear out the other side, doesnt serve the Israeli interest, as it has the potential of creating ongoing international damage. Moreover, a series of violent clashes, week after week, will eventually lead to the eruption of a full-blown conflict, including at an unfavorable timing for Israel.

Last Fridays violence reached its peak towards the end of the day, in what the army refers to as the third stage of the waves of violence.

The first stage was gathering the protestors in the morning hours and then moving towards the fence, still in a controlled manner, as Hamas members made sure to place the young men it had recruited at the front. Families and older people were left in the second line, in the back.

The second stage began by setting fire to thousands of tires. The intention was to send cells to target IDF soldiers and break into Israeli territory, using the smoke for cover. It didnt work. The IDF curbed this wave.

The third stage included outbursts of rage in two places: In Sajaiyya, near the Karni Crossing, and at the border area in Rafah. This outburst was described by those who witnessed it as young people running amok towards the fence following the memorial ceremonies held in the area for the 23 Palestinians killed the previous week. Most of the nine Palestinians who were killed over the past weekend were likely hurt at this stage, as there was no other way to stop them.

The entrenchment war has the potential of creating ongoing international damage to Israel (Photo: AFP)

The army understands the diplomatic, PR and operational damage caused by such a high number of casualties. The battalion commanders in charge of issuing orders to the snipers were briefed on the limitations of the rules of engagement and briefed their soldiers in detail. But it turns out that tear gas, pyrotechnics and stun grenades are inefficient when youre dealing with people who are running amok. To stop these people from storming the fence, there is no other choice but to shoot, and people get killed.

The memorial ceremonies on the fence will fuel this weeks riots and the riots of the coming weeks, and well soon find ourselves in a conflict that will only get worse.

Last Friday found both sides at a crossroads. Israel knows that the high death toll could exacerbate the violence, which is why it must prepare for the upcoming protests in a different manner by changing the orders, adding fences and perhaps making massive use of crowd dispersal means like gas grenades. On the other hand, it must try to break Hamas patterns of action while harming its interests.

But Hamas is at a crossroads too. The huge number of wounded Palestinians clogged Gazas health system. About 500 Palestinians have been wounded by shots fired at their legs. Hamas is incapable of attending to and rehabilitating such a large number of injured people. It will have to recalculate its route. The public required by Hamas to attend the protests will likely demand protection from the IDF snipers. The natural response to snipers is sniping from the other side. But once the soldiers lives are jeopardized, nothing will stop the IDF from launching a military operation deep within Gaza.

So far, Hamas hasnt achieved too much. It is marking time. Gazas distress may be making headlines again, but the worlds attentionincluding the Al-Jazeera networkshas quickly been diverted to the dozens of civilians killed in Syrian and Russian bombings on the outskirts of Damascus.

Palestinian journalists funeral. Hamas trump card

Hamas has succeeded, however, in maintaining its momentum: Some 20,000 to 25,000 people attended the past weekends protests. Hamas is still leading the Palestinian struggle in the face of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas impotence. It has managed to preserve the narrative of a popular struggle, and its trump card in the past weekend was the body of the Palestinian journalist killed on the fence.

The upcoming clashes this Friday will be held just before Palestinian Prisoners' Day, which is marked on April 17. We will likely see a rerun of the violent events we have seen so far, perhaps even worse than last Fridays events. Each side learns the other sides weak spots and pulls out new tricks, which guarantees more and more casualties.

The IDF can deploy forces along the fence for many months, but the State of Israel cant afford to play this game for long. The problem is that there is no third party at the moment to intervene and mediate. The Americans couldnt care less about the Gaza story. The Egyptians are making offers of mediation, but they dont really care either. The Palestinian Authority isnt shedding any tears. Abbas may have decided to make a gesture and suspend the sanctions against the strip, but his side is keeping quiet. He is even gloating over the trouble Hamas has gotten itself into with Israel.

Which leaves us and Hamas, and thats a recipe that guarantees we will keep heading down a dead-end path at full-speed.
Convicted sex offender Rabbi Eliezer Berland was allowed to enter the Western Wall plaza with his car, an honor normally reserved only to the greatest of rabbis.

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During the intermediate days of Passover, when the Western Wall is particularly crowded with worshipers, the rabbi was driven all the way to the Kotel, with his followers accompanying him, singing and running alongside the vehicle.

Berland, who led the Shuvu Bonim yeshiva of the Breslov Hasidic group, was convicted of committing sexual attacks on two women in his community and instructing followers to assault the husband of one of the women. He confessed to the crimes and was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but he was released and put on house arrest over claims of failing health.

Rabbi Berland enters Western Wall surrounded by followers

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In recent years, the Western Wall Heritage Foundation has allowed prominent rabbis to enter the Kotel plaza with their vehicles and be driven all the way to the wall. The rabbis arrive in expensive vehicles, accompanied by followers who surround them and sing for them.

Among the rabbis who were given this honor were Rabbi Aharon Yehuda Leib Shteinman and Rabbi Chaim Kanievsky, both over 90 years old.

The head of the Masorti Foundation for Conservative Judaism, Dr. Yizhar Hess, accused the Western Wall rabbi of "completely losing all shame."

"This time, he arranged for the sex offender Rabbi Berland to have a rebbe's entrance with a vehicle all the way to the Western Wall plaza," Hess said. "Meanwhile, he's persecuting the Women of the Wall."

Rabbi Berland enters Western Wall surrounded by followers

He called for a clear policy about allowing entry to vehicle to the Western Wall plaza. "This is a national heritage site, not Rabbi (Shmuel) Rabinovitch's Vatican. Ferrari cars , shiny sealed partition on the women's side, and now Rabbi Berland," he lamented.

The Western Wall Heritage Foundation said in response, "The entry of Rabbi Kanievsky was coordinated in advance and authorized by the police in light of the amount of followers that arrived and to keep the public order. This was done in line with procedures and with advanced coordination.

"However, Rabbi Berland's entrance to the plaza was done against procedures, while endangering others, after his driver made a law unto himself and necessitated the police to get involved.

"In light of Rabbi Berland's age and medical condition, he was alowed entrance to the parking area only ... The matter will be handled by police and a message was sent to his aide that Rabbi Berland's vehicle will no longer be allowed entrance."
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has begun investigations and opening arguments in the corruption cases of princes, top officials and businessmen who were detained late last year, an official told pan-Arab newspaper Al Sharq Al Awsat on Sunday.

Saud al-Hamad, deputy attorney general for investigations, told Al Sharq Al Awsat that whoever is charged will be referred to court for prosecution in cases related to money laundering or terrorism. He provided no other details about the suspects.

Hamad said some of those under investigation had failed to respect confidential agreements while others committed further, unspecified, offences.
The Syrian regime said Sunday it was willing to hold negotiations with rebel group Jaich al-Islam, which controls the city of Douma.

The negotiations will start in the next few hours, according to the Syrian National News Agency.

Syrian regime forces have been bombarding Douma since Friday. This barrage reportedly included usage of chemical weapons against civilians.
Moscow on Sunday rejected claims the Syrian regime used chemical weapons on an opposition holdout in Eastern Ghouta, after the US said Russia bore ultimate responsibility for any attack.

"We firmly deny this information," said General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, in comments reported by news agencies.

"We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defence to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he added.
The Syrian government said it would start negotiations on Sunday with the rebel group Jaish al-Islam, hours after dozens of people were reportedly killed in a suspected chemical attack on the enclave the group controls outside Damascus.

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There was no immediate comment from Jaish al-Islam, which said the government carried out the chemical attack in the town of Douma. At least 49 people were killed, according to a medical relief organization and Douma's civil defense rescue service.

Damascus has denied mounting any such attack and said the rebels in Douma, who are massively outgunned and completely encircled, were collapsing and spreading false news.

Assad visits Syrian troops in eastern Ghouta (Photo: AFP)

"Jaish al-Islam terrorists have requested negotiations with the Syrian state, which will start the talks within two hours from now (local time)," state TV cited an official source as saying on Sunday morning. Negotiations are now underway, according to the pro-Syrian opposition Orient television.

The US State Department said reports of mass casualties from the alleged chemical weapons attack in Douma were "horrifying" and would, if confirmed, "demand an immediate response by the international community."

Assad visits Syrian troops in eastern Ghouta (Photo: AFP)

"The Assad regime and its backers must be held accountable and any further attacks prevented immediately," said US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauret, recalling a 2017 sarin gas attack that the West and the United Nations blamed on Assad's government.

"The United States calls on Russia to end this unmitigated support immediately and work with the international community to prevent further, barbaric chemical weapons attacks," Nauert said in a statement.

Russia rejected the claims the Syrian regime used chemical weapons. "We firmly deny this information," said General Yuri Yevtushenko, head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria, in comments reported by news agencies.

"We are ready, once Douma is freed from militants, to immediately send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological defense to collect data that will confirm these claims are fabricated," he added.

In a joint statement, the Syrian American Medical Society, the relief organization, and Douma's civil defense service said medical centres had received more than 500 cases of people suffering breathing difficulties in Douma on Saturday evening, frothing from the mouth and smelling of chlorine.

Children treated after alleged chemical attack in Douma

One of the victims was dead on arrival, and six died later, it said. Civil defense volunteers reported more than 42 cases of people dead at their homes showing the same symptoms, it said.

Reuters could not verify the reports. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 11 people had died of suffocation but could not say if chemical weapons had been used.

President Bashar Assad has won back control of nearly all of eastern Ghouta in a Russian-backed military campaign that began in February, leaving just Douma in rebel hands. After a lull of a few days, government forces began bombarding Douma again on Friday.

The offensive in Ghouta has been one of the deadliest of the seven-year-long war, killing more than 1,600 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
The Karni Crossing, Friday. From 10 am, Gazans have been travelling down the road leading from Sajaiyya to the Karni Crossing, which used to be the main meeting point between the Israeli economy and the Gazan economy. They settle between the water tower and the large greenhouses, near the border.

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In front of them, there are two fences. One stretches along the borderline. Its an improved system equipped with all the electronic accessories. To the west, within the Gaza Strips sovereign area, there is a looped barbed fence aimed at preventing access to the border fence. The distance between the two fences is 70 to 100 meters. This is the battlefield or, if you insist, the killing zone.

On ordinary days, one can see IDF equipment and soldiers operating in this area, with the Gazan sides forced acceptance. A Palestinian who enters this area is seen as trying to break through the border fence into Israel. The IDF order is to implement the rules of engagement: First of all, to shoot into the air, and then to shoot towards his body.

The smoke produces great photos. Its what it does best (Photo: EPA)

The Palestinians try to roll burning tires into this area, hoping they will set the border fence on fire. Meanwhile, they conduct an experiment: Every burning tire raises a cloud of black smoke. The west wind carries the smoke over the young jojoba orchard, whose seeds are used to produce oil for cosmetic purposes. Cosmetics and tire smoke dont go together.

From there, the pillar of smoke travels to the homes of Kibbutz Nahal Oz, and moves eastward towards Kibbutz Saad. The smoke produces great photos. Its what it does best.

The battle is over the narrative, the perception. There is no other story here, one of the IDF commanders tells me the next day. The question is how will this day be perceived by the Israelis, by the Gazans, by the Palestinians in the West Bank, by the public opinion in Arab countries, by Western governments. Five different fronts, each with its own politics. Israel cant win such a conflict. All it can do is avoid losing.

Now, Im going to complicate this complex account even more by saying that although Hamas and Israel are archenemies, although each side seeks to eliminate the other side, both sides have a shared interest in some sense. Ill explain.

Meanwhile, in the eucalyptus grove at the entrance to Nahal Oz, I meet two IDF commanders. It started out as a civil initiative on social media, one of them says. It was detected by Hamas, which enlisted the initiative for its own purposes. It wants popular but violent protest activities. Its goal is to put Gaza back on the Arab and international agenda. The right of return is just a platform.

But thats our goal too, I said. Major-General Yoav Mordechai, the coordinator of government activities in the territories, traveled last month to Cairo, to Washington (twice) and to Brussels to try to convince Arab and Western governments to do something to prevent Gaza from collapsing. If Gaza falls, it will fall on our doorstep.

This is a conflict Israel cant win. All it can do is avoid losing (Photo: AFP)

Gaza is in serious distress, one of the officers replied. Hamas is in serious distress. It has no achievements. The Qataris and Iranians are transferring some money, but apart from that its in complete isolation. Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, consults no one. He makes his decisions on his own. He went towards Egypt and towards a reconciliation with (Palestinian President Mahmoud) Abbas. The move failed because of Abbas. There isnt much left for him to do. The reconciliation with the Palestinian Authority is pretty hopeless. He isnt interested in another battle with Israel. He knows he will suffer a heavy blow and wont achieve a thing. Having no other choice, he took over the civil protest initiative.

As far as hes concerned, I said, its a good idea.

It is, one of the officers said, but when he did it last Friday, he did it his way. There were armed cells among the protestors that wanted to break through the fence to set it on fire, to kidnap soldiers and perhaps break into one of the kibbutzim. There are several people within the crowd, members of Hamas elite Nukhba force, who are hiding guns, knives, explosives under their clothes. Their intention was to turn into a fighting force.

Nineteen or 20 Palestinians were killed on the first Friday, I said.

One-third of the dead are armed terrorists, one of the officers said. Another 40 percent are members of the organizations, including a Nukhba company commander. Most of the others were identified as key instigators. The first person who was killed was a farmer. It was a misidentification by a tank.

The orders received from the General Staff are clear. A soldier is allowed to fire in three cases: If he is in a life-threatening situation, if he detects damage to state infrastructure and if he spots key instigators. In the last case, he must receive approval from a commander. First, he fires into the air, and only then he shoots towards the persons body.

Lets assume that 400 people had broken through the border fence, one of the officers said. We would have had to stop them with fire. At least 50 of them would have been killed. It would have been a strategic event. They would have had to retaliate. We would have had to retaliate. In fact, we are preventing war through our surgical activity. There are no interim situations in Gaza. If you start it all over again, there will be missiles on Ashkelon, Beer Sheva and Jerusalem. People dont understand that.

I saw the crowds flocking to the border, I said. They included women and children too.

There are those who come because of the water and food they are handing out there, one of them replied. Thats the situation in Gaza. And there is a rate: $3,000 for a dead person, $500 for serious wounds, $300 for moderate wounds.

The Palestinian journalists funeral. The greatest damage to the Israeli battle over the narrative

I returned to the jojoba orchard, opposite the Karni Crossing. It was 2 pm, when the prayers at the mosques came to an end. Around the water tower, the crowds totaled several thousand people. Black smoke emanated from four other spots in the north and in the south. The ambulance screams blended with the shouts from the crowd and the warning announcements from the Israeli side. A tire was followed by a tire.

Brigadier-General Dedi Simchi, the commissioner of Israel's Fire and Rescue Services, arrived with his elite unit, 36 firefighters whose unit is known as Lehava (flame) the same name chosen by one of the Kahanist gangs. The firefighters brought water cannons to use against the tires. They also brought huge ventilators, wind-pushers.

Some 20,000 Gazans arrived at the fences, half the number of people who arrived the previous Friday. The death toll dropped by half too, to nine. But the numbers dont matter: As far as Hamas is concerned, it was an achievement.

They are achieving more in these events than they achieved in Operations Cast Lead, Pillar of Defense and Protective Edge, one of the officers told me.

One of the nine dead was journalist Yaser Murtaja, who was killed during the day. His funeral was held Saturday in Gaza in the presence of an enormous crowd. His death was the greatest damage to the Israeli battle over the narrative during the weekend. I asked an authorized military source how is it possible that a person wearing a protective vest marked PRESS was shot and killed. The answer was: Were looking into it. There is no order in the IDF to shoot at journalists.

But this story isnt a zero-sum game. The IDFs achievement in the two days of conflict isnt insignificant: It stopped the protestors from breaking through the fence, it prevented the situation from deteriorating to a comprehensive conflict and it didnt violate the holiday routine in the Israeli communities. There wasnt a single Code Red alarm during the holiday, one of the officers told me.

Hamas played a considerable part in this achievement, I said. It wasnt worthwhile for it to fire Qassam rockets, so it didnt. These days prove that Hamas can gain full control on the ground when it wants to.

The IDFs failure is on another front, in convincing the political echelon to do something positive to prevent Gaza from collapsing. Military documents raise different ideas, including transferring the control of Gaza from Hamas to the Palestinian Authority or to a consortium of Arab League states. The documents talk about investments in Gaza, including Israeli government investments, in rebuilding the civilian infrastructures, the water, the sewage, the electricity, etc.

Gaza could threaten us in ways we have yet to experience. For example, with an epidemic that would spread into Israel. Or perhaps with a white flag that would be raised over all the homes of Gaza. And then what would we do?
A Palestinian man arrived at the gas station near Mishor Adumim early Sunday afternoon and attempted to stab an Israeli man with a screwdriver, police said.

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A civilian passing by with his car noticed the altercation, opened fire at the suspect and neutralized him.

The attacker, a 31-year-old resident of Nablus, was rushed to the Hadassah Medical Center in Jerusalem's Mount Scopus in serious condition. Three people were treated from shock.
Former Israeli diplomats slammed Sunday the decision to invite Honduran President Juan Orlando Hernandez to light a torch at Israel's 70th Independence Day celebration on behalf of the Center for International Cooperation, calling it a "cynical use and exploitation of the center."

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Claims have been made Hernandez's invitation to the official ceremony that concludes Memorial Day and launches Independence Day events was meant to facilitate the participation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Honduran President Hernandez next to Israel's 69th Independence Day celebration (Photo: Amit Shabi, Reuters)

Last week, Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein threatened not to attend the torch lighting ceremony if an initiative by Culture Minister Miri Regev is introduced that would see Netanyahu and President Reuven Rivlin deliver a speech, sparking a dispute among ministers, former Knesset speakers and MKs.

Then, Regev announced that the Center for International Cooperation would participate in the ceremony, together with the Honduran president, who attended a social leadership course at the center in 1992.

Minister Regev (L) and Speaker Edelstein (Photo: Gil Yohanan, Motti kimchi)

According to protocol, the presence of a foreign president at an official state ceremony obligates the attendance of the prime minister.

However, Eran Etzion, the former deputy national security adviser and a former senior Foreign Ministry official, said that according to protocol, it's not the prime minister that should accompany the Honduran president at the ceremony, but rather President Reuven Rivlin, whose role is defined as the head of state.

Sources close to Rivlin have already stated the president does not intend to attend or speak at the ceremony, even if he is invited to do so.

Eran Etzion

"So how important is Honduras to the State of Israel? Why does it deserve to have its president light a torch on Independence Day? Why was it chosen by the honorable lady Miri Regev out of all other nations?" Etzion wrote on Twitter. "As someone who served for some 26 years in Israel's diplomatic and defense establishments, I can testify in front of the mortal court that Honduras's name has never been raised in any discussion."

Hernandez is the first graduate of the Center for International Cooperation to be elected the head of a state, and this would be the first time in Israel's 70-year history that a foreign head of state is among those chosen to light the 12 torches, which represent Israel's 12 tribes, at the Independence Day ceremony.

Hernandez in the picture of the graduates of the 1992 Center for International Cooperation course

Victor Harel, Israel's former ambassador to Spain who also served as the foreign services' inspector general, mentioned Honduras had actually abstained from the 1947 UN vote on the Partition Plan, which called for the end of the British mandate and the establishment of two independent states in the land of Israela Jewish state and an Arab state.

"It's very surprising that Hernandez was invited," Harel said, adding that there hasn't been an Israeli embassy in Honduras since 1994.

"For 25 years now that we don't have an embassy there. We haven't been treating it as an important nation in Central America. We've always had a non-resident ambassador (charge d'affaires) there. Establishing an embassy points to the importance given to the country," Harel explained.

Victor Harel

He also noted the allegations of human rights violations and corruption made against Hernandez, noting "The fact he's a graduate of the Center for International Cooperation doesn't qualify him and his country to participant in the most important and significant ceremony we have. It appears strange to me."

Hernandez, a conservative supported by the United States, appeared set to lose the elections in Honduras last year until an abrupt halt in the vote count and a shift in the results took victory away from his center-left rival, Salvador Nasralla.

Allegations of fraud sparked protests that killed more than 30 people in the impoverished Central American country, which has also been plagued by battles between security forces, local gangs and drug traffickers.

During his inauguration speech, Hernandez called for unity, saying "If a house is divided against itself, it cannot stand. I promise to carry out a process of reconciliation among all Hondurans."

Gideon Meir, the former deputy director-general of the Foreign Ministry and the head of public diplomacy until 2014, also voiced his criticism of the choice.

Gideon Meir

"The explanation to why the president of Honduras will be accompanying the head of the Center for International Cooperation to light a torch is the fact he was a graduate of the Center. But for those with short memory, (I'll remind that) Idi Amin (Ugandan despot) attended a study program of the IDF, and everyone knows how that turned out. Hint: Not so good," Meir said on Twitter. "Out of the desire to supposedly honor the Center for International Cooperation (something it deserves), this bizarre president is forced upon the Center."

In a conversation with Ynet, Meir added that this was "a cynical use of the Foreign Ministry and the Center, which on the one hand are being exalted by the government, while on the other hand their budgets are cut over the years. The Center for International Cooperation is undoubtedly one of the more important bodies in the State of Israel, and it has no funds."

"The invitation of the president of Honduras is an attempt to exploit the Center and the Foreign Ministry to facilitate the participation of the prime minister in the ceremony," Meir determined.

Dr. Nimrod Goren, the head of Mitvim - The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, also supported honoring and highlighting the Center for International Cooperation, but slammed the fact it is tied to the invitation of the Honduran president.

"If they wanted to show the positive influence the Center for International Cooperation has on the international arenawhich could be even bigger if Israel increases its foreign aid budgetthey should've selected a different international figure, which faithfully represents the democratic and liberal system of values Israel boasts," Dr. Goren explained.

Nimrod Goren (Photo: Efrat Sa'ar)

Alon Liel, the former director-general of the Foreign Ministry, lamented the fact that "everything that was part of tradition, almost sacred, was trampled, including this ceremony. New ceremonies are being organized, based on new values, to create a different futureas long as it destroys everything the past symbolizes."

Someone who is not from the Foreign Ministry but is still no stranger to diplomacy and PR is former IDF spokesman Avi Benayahu, who called the invitation of Honduran president "a small political ploy," which "hurts the purity of Independence Day, tramples over what's left of stateliness, and injects tainted politics into the land of the national remembrance mountain. What the hell is going on here?"

Foreign Ministry rejects cricisim

Current Foreign Ministry officials rejected the criticism, saying in a statement: "In 2015, when the president of Honduras met the prime minister, he promised he would change the policy towards Israel, and kept his promise.

"The cooperation with Honduras has significantly improved. Honduras is promoting Israel's joining the Central American Integration System (SICA)... the Honduran president has signed large defense deals with Israel."

Protests following Hernandez's election (Photo: Reuters)

The Foreign Ministry officials further noted that Hernandez is the only graduate of the Center for International Cooperation that was elected as a leader of a country. "He reached the most influential position, following which he created close cooperation with the Center, including an Israeli expert stationed there (in Honduras) on a regular basis," the statement said.

They further noted that Hernandez's election has been recognized by the US, the European Union and the UN.





"This man was selected by the committee to select torch-lighters as one of the people who represent the Center for International Cooperation's 60 years of commendable work, which brings honor to the State of Israel; represents leading values in Israeli society of sharing, aide, contribution, and working together for a better future; and opens the door for Israeli exports and to cementing a positive image for Israel," the statement continued.

"The fact that a president is a center graduate  who increases the center's activities and strengthens political relations with Israel is an excellent example of the success of Israeli diplomacy.

"It is a shame that those who are not familiar with the current situation are dragged into a populist discourse, ignoring the real situation. The officials at the Foreign Ministry regard the invitation as a real illustration of the success of the center's activities."

Hundreds of millions of dollars in defense deals

There have been reports of several defense deals between Israel and Honduras in recent years. Last month, it was reported that the Israel-based Elbit Systems will provide Honduras with Skylark drones and 490 communication devices of different types to the Honduran army. The deal includes three Skylark systems, with each system including two aircraft for day and night time observations. Elbit will also send its experts to Honduras to train military personnel to use the systems.

In October 2017, the "Israel Defense" blog reported that the two countries signed a massive $300 million arms deal, which also includes establishment of a national computer emergency response team (CERT).

According to Janes, the deal also includes the refurbishment of 10 F-5E Tiger IIs planes, two F-5F, and five Cessna A-37B Dragonfly, carried out by Elbit System. The refurbished planes are expected to resume operations in 2019.

The website elpais.hn added that the deal further includes an OPV patrol boat, likely manufactures by Israel Shipyards.

PM Netanyahu and Hernandez (Photo: Kobi Gideon/GPO)

During his last visit to Israel in 2015, Hernandez, who arrived with all of his ministers, announced a strategic change in his country's ties to Israel: Honduras will now vote with Israel on important resolutions at the UN and other international bodies. And, indeed, last December, Honduras was one of the only seven countries to vote in favor of the US decision to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem.

While visiting Israel three years ago, Hernandez said that the Foreign Ministry course he participated in and the knowledge he gained from it, played a crucial part in his path toward a life of public service, adding he hoped many more young people would be able to participate in such programs.

"We welcome your friendship, welcome the expression of that friendship in international forums, and I think we can do a great deal together, and in this respect I think that this visit is a milestone in our friendship and our general view of the importance of Latin America and Honduras's role in that region," Netanyahu told Hernandez at the time.

Hernandez responded that "We are here to reinforce and reaffirm the fact that Honduras is a friend of Israel and we will continue supporting you in terms of security and liberty."







Reuters contributed to this story.
Likud MK Oren Hazan filed a complaint Sunday with the Knesset Ethics Committee against Joint List MK Hanin Zoabi after she called on "millions of Palestinians" to "march on Jerusalem" during a press conference at the UN headquarters in New York.

"In making her remarks, she didnt only ridicule the Knesset, but also seriously harmed national security," said Hazan.

In addition, Hazan asked the committee to mitigate his temporary expulsion from the Knesset, which was imposed on him after complaints were filed against him by several different MKs.

"Now it's clear my accusations that (Arab MKs) support terrorism are true," he noted.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Sunday called for a halt to fighting in Douma near Damascus, saying the international body was not not able to confirm the use of chemical weapons.

"The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the intense violence that has been re-launched in Douma over the past 36 hours, after a period of relative calm" and "calls on all parties to stop the fighting," said his spokesman, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement.

Guterres "is particularly worried about the allegations of the use of chemical weapons against civilian populations in Douma."

"Even if the United Nations is not able to verify this information, the Secretary-General stresses that any use of chemical weapons, if confirmed, is odious and requires a thorough investigation," said the statement.
BEIRUT - An agreement has been reached to release all prisoners held by Syrian rebels controlling the eastern Ghouta city of Douma in return for the fighters' leaving the city, Syrian state television reported on Sunday, citing an official source.

According to the agreement, Jaish al-Islam fighters will leave Douma for the northern city of Jarablus, near the borders with Turkey, within 48 hours, the source added.

There was no immediate comment from Jaish al-Islam.
ANKARA - Turkey condemned the use of chemical weapons in Douma, a rebel-held town in Syria's eastern Ghouta, the foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

"We strongly condemn the attack, which there is strong suspicion was carried out by the regime, whose record on use of chemical weapons is known by the international community," the ministry said.

A chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta has killed dozens of people, medical services reported, and Washington said the reports - if confirmed - would demand an immediate international response.
President Donald Trump on Sunday condemned a mindless CHEMICAL attack in Syria that killed women and children, but he offered no evidence to support the claim by Syrian opposition activists and rescuers that poison gas was used.

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A top aide, asked about the possibility of a US missile strike in response, said, I wouldnt take anything off the table. Trump, without elaboration, said there would be a big price to pay and he called Syrian President Bashar Assad an animal.

L to R: Putin, Trump and Assad (Photo: AP/EPA/Reuters)

Just over a year ago, Trump ordered dozens of cruise missiles to be fired at a Syrian air base after declaring there was no doubt Assad had choked out the lives of helpless civilians in an attack that he said used banned gases.

Saturdays attack took place in a rebel-held town near Damascus, the capital, amid a resumed offensive by Syrian government forces after the collapse of a truce. Syrian activists, rescuers and medics said a poison gas attack killed at least 40 people, with families found suffocated in their houses and shelters.

The reports could not immediately be independently verified.

Images released by the Syrian Civil Defense White Helmets, a volunteer organization, show children lying on the ground motionless and foaming at the mouth.

The Assad government, in a statement posted on the state-run news agency SANA, strongly denied the allegations.

Children treated after alleged chemical attack in Douma

Trump said in a tweet Sunday that the area of atrocity is in lockdown and encircled by Syrian Army, making it completely inaccessible to outside world. He said Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iran, influential Syrian backers, are responsible for backing Animal Assad.

Russias military rejected claims that Syrian government forces used chemical weapons.

Trump called for the area to be opened immediately for medical aid and verification.

Another humanitarian disaster for no reason whatsoever. SICK! he tweeted.

Trumps homeland security adviser, Thomas Bossert, noted the timing of the suspected chemical attack  almost a year to the day of the US missile strikes.

This isnt just the United States. This is one of those issues on which every nation, all peoples, have all agreed and have agreed since World War II, its an unacceptable practice, Bossert told ABCs This Week.

Asked about the potential for another American missile strike in response, Bossert said: I wouldnt take anything off the table. These are horrible photos. Were looking into the attack at this point. He said Trumps national security team has been talking with the president about the situation.

Aftermath of chemical attack in Syria (: )

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Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef called on the government to work towards ending the massacre being committed by Syrian President Bashar Assad against his own people.

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Rabbi Yosef said that Israel has a moral obligation to interfere in the events across its northern border and that this is no less important than the decision to destroy the Syrian nuclear reactor in 2007.

A statement released by the chief rabbis office said: I have said in the past and I will say it again: What is happening in Syria is genocide of women and children in its cruelest form, using weapons of mass destruction.

We have a moral obligation not to keep quiet and to try and stop this massacre.

As Jews who have experienced genocide, as Jews whose Torah is a light to the nations, it is our moral obligation to try and stop this murder. It is an obligation no less important than the moral obligation to destroy the nuclear reactor in Syria.

Chemical weapons attack in Douma, Syria (: )

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This is not the first time that the chief rabbi has commented on the matter. During an interdenominational meeting a year and a half ago, Rabbi Yosef addressed the fighting going on in the Syrian city of Aleppo calling it a genocide.

He said: Not far from here, as we sit here, Syrian men, women and little children are being massacred with chemical and biological weapons as well as by aerial bombardment. Thousands of refugees are left without a roof over their heads and hundreds of thousands more are under siege and are being subject to hunger. They are not our friends, but they are human beings who are undergoing a mini-Holocaust.

Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef

Spoken as a true spiritual leader

Describing Jewish suffering throughout history, Yosef said, The people of Israel went through a terrible Holocaust 70 years ago. Millions of Jews were murdered; millions of others remained refugees without a safe haven. The Nazi beast murdered all those millions, while the world saw this and stayed silent. We, as Jews who physically paid the price for that silence, let out a cry all those years, asking how the world knew and stayed silent.

I want to take advantage of this stage to say that as Jews, we cannot be silent. Let the call come out of here: we cannot move on from genocide, not in Syria nor anywhere or with any people, even if they are not our friends. He added that we are all human beings. I call on you, leaders from all religionslift up your voices. Let each person use their influence. If this happens, perhaps we will be able to prevent such atrocities.

Yosefs statement received unexpected support from Yesh Atid Leader Yair Lapid, who tweeted, Though I have my disagreements with the Rishon Letzion (a nickname for the chief Sephardi rabbi of Israel), the things he said about Syria today are the words of a true spiritual leader.
An IDF spokesman announced that three Palestinians crossed the northern Gaza border into Israel and then returned to Gaza. IDF forces opened fire at the suspects. No firing was detected at Israeli forces and the incident is being investigated.
PARIS - French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Sunday said reports of a chemical attack in a rebel-held town in Syria were extremely worrying and called for the United Nations Security Council to meet quickly to examine the situation.

Le Drian said France strongly condemned attacks and bombings by Syrian government forces in the last 24 hours in the town of Douma, in eastern Ghouta, adding they were a "gross violation of international humanitarian law."

France would work with allies to verify reports that chemical weapons were used, Le Drian said.

Referring to President Emmanuel Macron's warning that France could strike unilaterally if there was a deadly chemical attack, Le Drian said that Paris would assume all its responsibilities in the fight against the proliferation of chemical weapons.
Undercover Hezbollah operations in South America were uncovered in an extensive investigation by the United States and Colombia. According to Colombian media sources, Hezbollah has a presence in the country under cover of a legitimate organization called the External Security Organization (ESO), which is essentially Unit 910, Hezbollahs foreign operations arm responsible for the 2012 terrorist attack in Burgas, Bulgaria and the attacks in Argentina during the 1990s.

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The Spanish language news website Infobae reported that Hezbollahs presence and activities were confirmed by the Colombian police in a three year investigation carried out jointly with the US Drug Enforcement Agency.





Terror attack in Buenos Aires (L) and Burgas (Photo: AP)

The investigation allowed for the identification of commercial entities and platforms of which Hezbollah made use to cover-up its activities including drug dealing, selling and exporting stolen vehicles and money laundering; alongside the recruitment of locals for future terror related activities.

Colombian police worked with the local Interpol office to identify the Shiite terrorist organizations methods of operations. Firstly, the organization works to ensure the safety and secrecy of its members by settling its Middle Eastern agents in cities such as Cartagena, Barranqilla and Maicao using forged identification documents.

Next, the organization established commercial entities dealing in textiles (including smuggling garments from Panama to Lebanon), the export of coal to Lebanon and the sale of meat.

Abdallah Rada Ramel

According to Colombian intelligence sources, 80% of the income from these activities are channeled through European banks on their way to Beirut and are used to support the terror organization. The remaining 20% are re-invested in Colombian and Panamanian enterprises.

Orders issued by Iran

Recruitment and indoctrination takes place on many levels. First, supporters are recruited at local mosques and community centers and they are sent to Lebanon with scholarships. There are 40,000 Muslims in Colombia, five mosques and 10 Islamic cultural centers.

During the last 15 years, conversions to Islam have increased by 40%. Hezbollah uses social networks in Colombia and Panama to identify supporters it can brainwash and tries to get them to convert with the end goal being to turn them into Hezbollah agents.

Colombian authorities discovered that the orders are issued in Tehran via Lebanon and from there to local affiliate ESO. One of the senior members of the web was Abdallah Rada Ramel, a Lebanese, responsible for Hezbollah operations in Panama. He travels between many countries including Venezuela, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland and the United States. About a year ago, he was expelled from Colombia after being indicted for drug smuggling and money laundering.

Tala Hamiye

Mughniye headed ESO until assassination

The External Security Organization (ESO) may sound mundane but it is essentially Hezbollahs foreign operatrions arm, sometimes called Unit 910. Imad Mughniye was the organizations founder and leader until his assassination in 2008; its current head is Talal Hamiyeh.

In Australia, the ESO is designated a terrorist organization and a government website calls it the clandestine arm of Hezbollah, responsible for planning and carrying out terror attacks against Hezbollahs enemies outside of Lebanon. ESO acts independently of the mother organization and has become one of the most organized terrorist organizations in the world.

Among others, ESO was deemed responsible for the 2012 terror attack in the Bulgarian resort of Burgas in which five Israelis and a Bulgarian driver were killed; the 1994 bombing of the Jewish Community Center in Buenos Aires which killed 85 people; and the bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina two years prior, which killed 29 people and injured 242.

In addition, ESO was involved in many attempts to carry out attacks. In 2014, a member of the organization admitted to planning an attack against Israelis in Bangkok, Thailand. In 2013, ESO agents were arrested in Nigeria and a weapons cache was discovered. That same year, a dual citizen of Lebanon and Sweden was arrested in Cyprus for conducting surveillance on Israeli tourists in Europe.
Former president Jerry John Rawlings has reacted to Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addos speech to address Ghanaians on the Ghana-US military base deal.

Describing the presidents speech as hard due to words that were used, Jerry John Rawlings said it was very timely for him to assure all Ghanaians that the United States will not have any military base in Ghana.

Sharing his view on his official Twitter page, the, the former president said deals like this have always existed but in times where details will not favour the citizens, it had to be re-examined to create comfort for everyone.

J.J Rawlings

READ ALSO: Ghanaian celebrity gays are chasing us - 'TwinsDontBeg' photographers

Though the Presidents address was hard, it was important and timely to hear him and the American Ambassador (earlier) affirm that there would be no military base established in Ghana, Mr. Rawlings commented in a twitter post.

The former military leader of Ghana added, That was my major concern in my initial reaction to news of the agreement. The spirit of cooperation, be it military or diplomatic has always been there.

If there are details of the agreement that warrant a second look, such details should be examined to create comfort for all sides " he posted on his timeline.

Moreover, many people have also described the presidents speech as very harsh and full of grammar but very empty without any substance. They say the president did not really address the issue at hand but used the opportunity to clap back at his opposition.

READ ALSO: Yvonne Okoro names the man she'd like to marry

In the video below, the deputy education minister, Mrs Barbara Ayisi, speaks on how President Akufo-Addo inspires her, and how the president's success story must also inspire the youth of Ghana to greater heights:

Know someone who is extremely talented and needs recognition? Your stories and photos are always welcome.

Get interactive via our Facebook page

Source: Yen News
Managing Editor of the Insight Newspaper, Kwesi Pratt, has come hard at Nana Akufo-Addo over his address he delivered to the people of Ghana concerning the Ghana-US military base deal.

The vociferous news editor and political commentator says the president delivered an address he describes as a strictly partisan address on the military defence cooperation agreement last Thursday.

Contrary to what his critics have suggested, the president had said in his address that he wont sell the sovereignty of the nation for anything.

I will never be the President that will compromise or sell the sovereignty of our country. I respect deeply the memory of the great patriots whose sacrifice and toil brought about our independence, Akufo-Addo had said.

Kwesi Pratt

READ ALSO: J.J Rawlings reacts to Akufo-Addo's 'hard' speech on Ghana-US military deal

So let me state with the clearest affirmation that Ghana has not offered a military base, and will not offer a military base to the United States of America, the President added.

But speaking on Eyewitness News, Mr. Pratt indicated that he expected the President to address uncertainties about the deal, rather than taking a partisan position. He also said the president should have given the details of the agreement.

I expected the President to take advantage of this opportunity to address the nation, but he failed to do that..He came on radio and TV and took a strictly partisan position, saying those who do not think like him are naysayers.

Mr. Pratt indicated that the Presidents partisan position was uncalled for, given that those interested in getting details on the deal were not necessarily front line politicians.

Kwesi Pratt also stated firmly his opposition to the deal, arguing that Ghana is opening itself to possible attacks from external forces by signing it.

READ ALSO: Ghanaian celebrity gays are chasing us - 'TwinsDontBeg' photographers

We all know that the United States of America is a nuclear power. If you sign an agreement with the United States of America which simply says that the United States Army is allowed to carry weapons in your country without specifying which weapons they can carry in your country you are technically saying that the United States can station nuclear, biological weapons in your country?

Is this an agreement we should be happy about? We have entered into an agreement which says that if UN soldiers enter into the country and they shoot someone in Mamobi, Ghanaian laws do not apply. Is that something we should support? he quizzed.

In the video below, the deputy education minister, Mrs Barbara Ayisi, speaks on how President Akufo-Addo inspires her, and how the president's success story must also inspire the youth of Ghana to greater heights:

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Source: Yen.com.gh
- John Mahama has described the Akufo-Addo administration as "super incompetent" because it has failed to deliver on its promises

- Mr Mahama said the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) must not be complacent ahead of 2020

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) continued with their Unity Walk on Saturday, April 7 at Wa in the Upper West Region of Ghana.

The Unity Walk is part of the partys processes of unifying the NDC ahead of the 202 0 election.

Massive crowd meet Mahama at NDC's Unity Walk rally in Wa

READ ALSO: We picked you and your big stomach from Chicago- Ken Agyapong reminds Asenso Boakye

Hundreds of National Democratic Congress (NDC) sympathizers in the Upper West Region welcomed former president John Dramani Mahama to the region as they take their turn for the Unity Walk which has gone to six regions already.

The former president who arrived in the company of General Secretary of the NDC Johnson Aseidu Nketia, Joyce Bawa Mugtari (his spokesperson), Julius Debrah (former chief of staff) among other top shots of the party.

John Mahama addressed the mammoth crowd

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Addressing the gathering, the former president teased the governing NPP government, describing the Akufo-Addo administration as incompetent.

In a cheeky jab, former President, John Mahama has said the Akufo-Addo administration might need a miracle from the controversial pastor, Daniel Obinim, to overcome its super incompetence.

Massive crowd meet Mahama at NDC's Unity Walk rally in Wa

The incompetence is so bad the President and his government need an Obinim Sticker. If it really works, they may need an Obinim sticker, Mr Mahama said.

Massive crowd meet Mahama at NDC's Unity Walk rally in Wa

In the video below, the deputy education minister, Mrs Barbara Ayisi, speaks on how President Akufo-Addo inspires her, and how the president's success story must also inspire the youth of Ghana to greater heights.

READ ALSO: I was expecting something better from the President- Asiedu Nketia

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Source: Yen.com.gh
National Guardsmen sent to Mexico border to decide on additional troops

National Guard troops leave Austin for the US-Mexico border on Friday.

Good Morning America :

The National Guard troops sent to the U.S. border with Mexico this weekend are a team of mostly planners who will decide how many additional members should be deployed, officials said.

The Texas National Guard deployed 150 members to support the new border security mission announced by President Donald Trump earlier this week. Over the coming days, they will meet with officials from Customs and Border Protection and the Department of Homeland Security in five sectors along the southern border to discuss the mission, including how many more guardsmen will be needed.

They join 100 Texas guardsmen who had been supporting previous border security operations in the area, according to Brig. Gen. Tracy Norris, assistant deputy adjutant general of the Texas Military Department.

US military on border would have limited roleThe Arizona National Guard has also activated a team of planners who will coordinate the deployment of 150 guardsmen to the Mexico border next week.

On Friday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis signed a memo that authorized the federal government to pay for the potential deployment of up to 4,000 National Guard troops for the border mission through September. But it remains unclear exactly how many guardsmen the state governments will ultimately mobilize to support the operation.

"We are sealing up our Southern Border," Trump tweeted Saturday.

The governors of New Mexico and California, the other states situated along the border with Mexico, have not formally announced whether they will participate in the new border security mission.

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez has expressed support for National Guard troops supporting Border Patrol agents in her state.

California Gov. Jerry Brown's administration is considering it, according to Lt. Col. Thomas Keegan, a spokesman for the California National Guard.

"This request-as with others we've received from the Department of Homeland Security, including those for additional staffing in 2006 and 2010 -- will be promptly reviewed to determine how best we can assist our federal partners. We look forward to more detail, including funding, duration and end state," said Keegan, speaking on behalf of Brown's administration.

The Friday mobilization comes after the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Wednesday that the National Guard would be deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border. The move is in response to what the Trump administration has called a recent surge of apprehensions there. But critics of the plan have argued that despite a recent increase, overall crossings are at historic lows.

"The deployment is designed to support ongoing efforts to mitigate the crisis on our border," a Wednesday DHS news release read. "The deployment will support federal law enforcement personnel, including Customs and Border Protection."

Gov. Greg Abbott praised the Trump administration's decision and said Texas has "maintained a continuous presence of National Guard members along the border" for years.

Trump's predecessors - Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Barack Obama - both temporarily deployed guard troops to the border during their tenures. In 2014, then-Gov. Rick Perry deployed state guard units in response to a spike in migrants crossing into Texas from Central America.




France is abetting terrorists: Erdogan

Reuters, Ankara :

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan on Saturday accused France of abetting terrorists by "hosting them" at the Elysee Palace, amid a diplomatic row between the NATO allies over Paris's support for the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

Relations between Ankara and Paris have been tense in recent weeks, with France one of the most vocal critics of Turkey's two-month-old military operation in northern Syria against the Kurdish YPG, which Turkey considers a terrorist organization.

That came to a head on March 30 after President Emmanuel Macron met a Syrian delegation including the YPG and its political arm, the PYD, and gave assurances of French support to help stabilize northern Syria against Islamic State.

Turkey said the pledge amounted to support for terrorism and could make France a "target of Turkey".

"France, you are abetting terrorism, supporting it by then hosting them at the Elysee Palace," Erdogan told his supporters in the southwestern province of Denizli.

"You will not be able to explain this. You will not be able to rid yourself of this terror burden... As long as the West nurtures these terrorists, you will sink," he said.

The split with France is the latest rift between Turkey under Erdogan and its NATO allies in the West.

Turkey has also been infuriated by U.S. support for the YPG, threatening to extend military operations along hundreds of miles of border, including areas where American forces are deployed.

France, like the United States, has already extended arms and training to the YPG-led militia in the fight against Islamic State, and has dozens of special forces members based in the region, angering Turkey.

Ankara considers the YPG to be an extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) that has waged a decades-old insurgency in southeast Turkey.

Turkish forces drove the YPG from the northwestern Syrian town of Afrin last month, amid international criticism from its allies, notably from Macron.

Ankara, meanwhile, has said it expects its allies to move their troops out of the way of a Turkish advance.




Seminar on 'Communication and Media in Good Governance ' at DIU

Former Chief Information Commissioner Prof Dr Md. Golam Rahman, media personality Shykh Seraj and Dr Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Daffodil International University along with other distinguished guests at the seminar on \"Communication and

Campus Report :

The Department of Journalism and Mass Communication of Daffodil International University (DIU) has organized a seminar on "Communication and media in Good Governance" on Thursday at 71 Milonayoton of the university. Prof Dr Md. Golam Rahman, Internationally renowned communication expert, former Chief Information Commissioner of Bangladesh and former Professor of The Department of Mass Communication and Journalism, Dhaka University was deliver the Keynote Paper as keynote speaker on the seminar while media personality Shykh Seraj, Head of News of Channel i, was present as special discussant in the seminar. Dr Md. Sabur Khan, Chairman, Board of Trustees, DIU was present in the seminar as guest of honour. The seminar was also addressed by Prof AMM Hamidur Rahman, Dean, Prof Dr Farhana Helal Mehtab, Associate Dean of Faculty of Humanities and Social Science, Saleem Ahmed, Head and Sheikh Mohammad Shafiul Islam, Associate Prof of Department of Journalism and Mass Communication.

The Department, faculty and students of Journalism and Mass Communication congratulated Shykh Seraj on his being awarded the Swadhinata Padak on the seminar.

While presenting keynote paper Prof Dr Md. Golam Rahman said that media could play an associate role for establishing good governance not more than else. Media cannot change day to night or night to day. He gave example and said according to the example that it's not possible for mass people to reach government. So media uphold their voice to authority of government. Then government implements the demand of mass people. Thus media can establish good governance.

Prof Rahman also said, inasmuch as media play a bridging role between mass people and government, so media have to be more conscious and responsible. The mass media will have to grow as per based on social responsibility, accountability and rationality, he added.

Shykh Seraj said, media could create pressure upon government for good governance when media is decent to his work. So that culture of good governance has to start from home. If good governance were established at home first, than it would be established in society and in the state gradually. Most of the media are engaged with indisposed competition among each other. They don't follow ethics of journalism. He gave example that once there was series bomb attacks in 64 districts. That time media started competition among themselves to publish those gruesome photos. This bad practice is still going on, added Shykh Seraj.

He also said, we have to skip out from this bad practice. From 2006 I make program about agricultural budget. Farmers are standing in front of policy makers of government by this program.

Addressing as guest of honor Dr Md. Sabur Khan said, once upon a time most of the people wouldn't confess that agriculture is a profession. But now most of the people acknowledge that and even our young students are now proudly acknowledged that his father is a farmer. Change of this social insight was possible due to the contribution of mass media and especially for Mr. Shykh Seraj. Farmers are the great entrepreneur though most of them have no land but they cultivates others land produce crops. Government has no remarkable initiative for these rural entrepreneurs. He urged the government to allow expanding financial support for them and mass media can play a vital role in this regard.


Seminar on Thalassemia at CoU

Jahed Nohim, CoU :

Bondhu, a free blood donating organization of Comilla University (CoU), in collaboration with UGC hosted a seminar titled "Rising Public Awareness and Promoting Thalassemia Screeming in Bangladesh" on Thursday at CoU.

NM Rabul Awal chowdhury chaired the seminar while CoU VC Prof Dr Emran Kabir Chowdhury was the chief guest and Dr M Mizanur Rahman, Director General of BARD was the special guest.

NM Rabiul Awal Chowdhury urged everyone, especially those who are planning to get married or have children to get their blood tested to determine if they are themselves carriers of Thalassemia.

Thalassemia, a deadly disease lacks visible symptoms in carriers but possess a risk of 25% Thalassemia child if carriers get married to one another. Studies suggest that there are around 15 million Thalassemia carriers in Bangladesh with a very high percentage of them being completely unaware of it. Recently, the Government of Bangladesh has initiated a National Thalassemia Control Program.

The Vice Chancellor of CoU, Prof Dr Emran Kabir Chowdhury, in his speech said, " We have to create more awareness among the people. In this regard, students should have to play a vital role. In future, we will arrange more seminar on Thalassemia to prevent Thalassemia."

Bondhu is actively carrying out blood donation camping and a lot of donors eventually go to meet the Thalassemia patients in the country for donating blood. The seminar saw a huge attendance from invited guests, faculty members and students of different departments at CoU.


BRAC Bank, IFC sign deal to facilitate Offshore Banking

Economic Reporter :

BRAC Bank Limited and International Finance Corporation (IFC), a World Bank Group concern, signed an agreement for the support and funding of the International Trade and Lending program for its Offshore Banking clients.

Under this agreement, BRAC Bank will receive $40 million from IFC as Working Capital Solutions, said a media release on Sunday.

Selim R. F. Hussain, Managing Director and CEO of BRAC Bank Limited, and Wendy Werner, Country Manager of IFC Bangladesh, exchanged documents of the agreement at BRAC Bank's Head Office.


Corrupt individuals must be punished: President

President M Abdul Hamid on Sunday asked the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) to disseminate the warning message to all levels that corrupt individuals, whoever he or she may be, must get punishment.

"Send the message of stern actions against the corrupt individuals at all levels," the President said as a three-member ACC delegation, led by its Chairman Iqbal Mahmood, submitted its Annual Report-2017 to him at Bangabhaban here this afternoon.

President Hamid also stressed the need for awareness campaigns and social resistance against corruption at all strata of life, President's Press Secretary Mohammad Joynal Abedin told BSS.

Noting that the youth force is the country's bright future, he advised the youths to raise strong voice against corrupt practices in all sectors in society, especially in the education sector.

He categorically urged the young generation to take stern measures against the corruption in education sector.

Abdul Hamid advised the ACC delegation to conduct appropriate investigation into corruption-related cases prior to serving any notice on any person.

The ACC chief apprised the President of the overall activities and outcome of the commission in last one year, seeking his (President) supports and directives to gear up the activities of the commission as the national anti-graft watchdog.

He said the ACC continued its public hearings in 2017 to create awareness at the grassroots level against corruption.

"In the last year, 70 percent of the graft cases were settled with awarding different terms of punishment," the ACC chairman mentioned.

ACC commissioners- Dr Nasiruddin Ahmed and A F M Aminul Islam and Secretaries concerned to the President were present.




BAF command safety seminar held

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar, BBP, ndc, acsc handing over Inter-base Flight Safety Trophy to BAF Base Bir Shrestho Matiur Rahman at BAF Falcon Hall in the city yesterday. Photo ISPR

The 41st Annual Command Safety Seminar of Bangladesh Air Force was held at the BAF Falcon Hall in the city on Sunday, says an ISPR release.

Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Abu Esrar, BBP, ndc, acsc attended the seminar as Chief Guest and delivered his speech. He also distributed Flight Safety trophies for maintaining best safety record.

Highlighting the importance of Flight Safety the Chief Guest added in his speech that flight safety is an evolving process and a manifestation of attachments and commitment of BAF towards Flight Safety. Thus BAF is developing innovative concepts, methodologies and mechanisms to prevent aircraft accidents.

He further said that while undergoing rapid modernization, Bangladesh Air Force has been constantly tackling and adapting to multi-faceted issues relating to flight safety, maintenance safety, risk management and technological advancement. He applauded the noble objective of the seminar for creating opportunity to share experiences for BAF professionals to strengthen the attachment and assistance in promoting flight safety.

Bangladesh Air Force Base Bir Shrestho Matiur Rahman was awarded with 'Inter-Base Flight Safety Trophy' and No. 11Squadron, BAF was awarded with 'Inter-Squadron Khademul Bashar Flight Safety Trophy' for special achievement in the year 2017. BAF officers of Air HQs and all BAF Bases were present on the occasion.


They are looters, not defaulters

BORROWING money from banks and never paying back -- that is the common tactic followed by the top businesses in the country. News media reported that the business conglomerates declined to be tagged as defaulters and audaciously filed a writ petition in this regard. Significantly, their businesses turn bad only when the issue of loan payment comes forth. The Central Bank, respective commercial banks, and the business groups all seemingly act to serve the defaulters what they wish. The all-pervasive corruption that essentially made the regulator inactive using political connotation is a dangerous sign of a failed economy. Perhaps, we are in a time when morally bankrupt people are bolstered enough to steal State-owned Banks (SoBs) in the name of borrow and fill their own businesses by the amount.

The lead entrepreneurs whose conglomerates control a large share of private commercial banks, pharmaceuticals, apparels, shipping, fashion industry, the newspaper industry and many other markets are loan defaulters with SoBs. Following political turmoil that gripped the country during 2013-14, 11 business groups, led by Beximco, were given a lenient rescheduling benefit of Tk 15,000 crore by the Central Bank. According to the restructuring conditions, if any company fails to pay two consecutive installments, it would be considered defaulting on loans and the banks would then sue the company to recover the loan money. Two years down the line, six of these companies failed to repay the installments.

What it is astonishing that, the Companies are now seeking fresh restructuring and rescheduling of their loans. The Central Bank is also apparently washing off its hands saying the issue should be solved on the basis of "bank-client relationship" contrary to what it had said before the restructuring. Not only that, the BB also allowed some banks to further relax the concessions earlier given to the companies.

The case of Beximco is interesting. It makes a profit, pays a dividend and does not yet pay back loans, something many views as unjustifiable. The five others are also blind followers of this bad culture-- like SA Group which recently occupied two banks. The SA Group, Ratanpur Group, RSRM and MR Group have filed writ petitions with the High Court against its defaulter status. Breaching existing laws, the top loan defaulters also hold an important position with at least four commercial banks and the companies regularly provide share dividend in the capital market.

Surprisingly, all the things are happening before the government's high-ups acknowledgement. If the situation continues in this way, the "rule of law" will remain only in books.

Here, we see the irresponsibility of Bangladesh Bank which is apparently run by an incompetent person. Is there any need of a Central Bank in this country that has no capacity to regulate the banking sector?




Myanmar not ready for Rohingya return

YANGON, Reuters :

Myanmar is not ready for the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, said the most senior United Nations official to visit the country this year, after Myanmar was accused of instigating ethnic cleansing and driving nearly 700,000 Muslims to Bangladesh.

"From what I've seen and heard from people - no access to health services, concerns about protection, continued displacements - conditions are not conducive to return," Ursula Mueller, U.N.'s Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, said after a six-day visit to Myanmar.

A Myanmar government spokesman did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Mueller's remarks. The Myanmar government has previously pledged to do its best to make sure repatriation under an agreement signed with Bangladesh in November would be "fair, dignified and safe".

Myanmar has so far verified several hundred Rohingya Muslim refugees for possible repatriation. The group would be "the first batch" of refugees and could come back to Myanmar "when it was convenient for them," a Myanmar official said last month.

Mueller was granted rare access in Myanmar, allowed to visit the most affected areas in Rakhine state, and met army-controlled ministers of defence and border affairs, as well as de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi and other civilian officials.

The exodus of Rohingya Muslims followed an Aug. 25 crackdown by the military in the northwestern Rakhine state. Rohingya refugees reported killings, burnings, looting and rape, in response to militant attacks on security forces. "I asked (Myanmar officials) to end the violence  and that the return of the refugees from (Bangladeshi refugee camps in) Cox's Bazar is to be on a voluntary, dignified way, when solutions are durable," Mueller told Reuters in an interview in Myanmar's largest city Yangon.

Myanmar says its forces have been engaged in a legitimate campaign against Muslim "terrorists".

Bangladesh officials have previously expressed doubts about Myanmar's willingness to take back Rohingya refugees.

Myanmar and Bangladesh agreed in January to complete a voluntary repatriation of the refugees in two years. Myanmar set up two reception centres and what it says is a temporary camp near the border in Rakhine to receive the first arrivals.

"We are right now at the border ready to receive, if the Bangladeshis bring them to our side," Kyaw Tin, Myanmar minister of international cooperation, told reporters in January. Many in the Buddhist-majority Myanmar regard the Rohingya as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh. The U.N. has described Myanmar's counteroffensive as ethnic cleansing, which Myanmar denies.

Asked whether she believed in government assurances the Rohingya would be allowed to return to their homes after a temporary stay in camps, Mueller said: "I'm really concerned about the situation."

Part of the problem is that, according to New York-based Human Rights Watch, Myanmar has bulldozed at least 55 villages that were emptied during the violence.

"I witnessed areas where villages were burnt down and bulldozed...I've not seen or heard that there are any preparations for people to go to their places of origin," Mueller said.

Myanmar officials have said the villages were bulldozed to make way for refugee resettlement.

Mueller said she has also raised the issue with Myanmar officials of limited humanitarian aid access to the vulnerable people in the country and added, referring to the authorities, that she would "push them on granting access" for aid agencies.
Reckless lending puts banking sector in danger

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

A number of commercial banks engaged in reckless lending practices last year invited danger to the whole banking sector.

They disbursed credit to corporate groups and business firms violating their advance to deposit ratio (ADR) rules.

According to banking rules, all the commercial banks including Islami Banks can disburse loans up to 85 percent and 90 percent of their deposit if the demand for loans remains high and financial indicators of the banks are in good shape.

A Bangladesh Bank (BB) reports show, 16 banks took an 'aggressive' lending policy last year and disbursed loan violating the ADR rules during the period.

Of them, 13 are general category commercial banks and three are Islamic banks whose credit-deposit ratio (CDR) crossed more than 85 and 90 percent.

These banks are: Farmers Bank, Premier Bank, NRB Commercial Bank, National Bank, Standard Bank, AB Bank, Meghna Bank, NRB Global Bank, City Bank, IFIC Bank, Trust Bank, Shahjalal Islami Bank, BASIC Bank and Islamic Banking windows of Agrani Bank, Jamuna Bank and Premier Bank.

BB report shows, troubled-hit Farmers Bank maintained the highest ADR of 105.24 percent followed by BASIC Bank 100 percent, Premier Bank 90.82 percent and NBR Commercial Bank 90.14 percent.

BB, however, asked the banks to bring down the ADR to permissible level by March 2018. "The central bank issued warning to the banks which violated ADR rules. If any bank fails to bring down the ratio by the deadline, punitive action will be taken against the bank," Debashish Chakraborty, an executive director and spokesperson for BB told The New Nation.

He said BB came up with the move to ensure stability of the banking sector.

Chakraborty said the banks went into aggressive lending to make high profits overnight.

"These banks disbursed credit beyond their permissible level due to high credit demands. They lent money to the business firms considering interest of the economy as well as employment generation," Chairman of the Bangladesh Association of Banks (BAB) Md Nazrul Islam Mazumder told The New Nation.

Refuting the claim of BAB Chairman, former BB Deputy Governor Dr Khandaker Ibrahim Khaled said, commercial banks disbursed loans at higher amount than the approved limit putting the whole banking sector as well as depositors at risk.

"The aggressive lending activities of banks raised concern for all of us for sustainability of the banking sector," he added.

Management of the banks is responsible for the aggressive banking, which creates bad loans and liquidity crisis, he said demanding restoring quick discipline in banking sector.


Police foil demo at Shahbagh intersection

Students and job-seekers on Sunday organised a demonstration programme blocking the Shahbagh intersection demanding reform in Quota System for recruitments.

DU Correspondent :

Police on Sunday evening dispersed thousands of students and job seekers who blocked Shabagh intersection, demanding revision of quota system in government jobs.

After the demonstrators refused to withdraw the blockade, the law enforcers charged batons, lobbed teargas shells and used water cannons on the protesters to clear the busy intersection.

Being driven off, the protesters got mobilised at Raju Memorial Monument at Dhaka University Teacher-Student Centre.

Earlier, the students and job seekers blocked the Dhaka's Shahbagh intersection, pledging not to move until their demand of revising the quota reservation is brought down.

The protestors said that they would not halt their movement until the Parliament, which is in session now, announced to quota reforms.

They gathered under the banner of "Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad" at Dhaka University Central Library and marched to occupy Shahbagh intersection around 2:30pm.

Since then, traffic was completely halted at the intersection and police took up positions at the scene with water cannons.

At the time the protesters burned an effigy of Public Administration Ministry Senior Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan.

As the part of central quota reforms programme, hundreds of students of Jahangirnagar and Rajshahi universities also brought out protest processions on their campuses yesterday demanding the quota reforms.

The students of Jahangirnagar University blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway for 30 minutes as part of the ongoing agitation.

Chittagong University students formed a human chain demanding the reformation of the quota system on the university campus. They also held a rally in this regard.

Later, they blocked the Chittagong-Rangamati Highway for some time to press home their demand.

The protesters, calling for quota reforms, have continued their demonstration for some time. On March 14, the protesters attempted to deliver a five-point charter of demand to the Secretariat, but their demonstration broken up by police, leading to several arrests.

Coordinator of the movement, Dhaka University student Md Ujjal Mia told The New Nation, "We want Parliament to announce quota reforms in this session. We will not halt our demonstration until reforms are announced."

"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a rally in Chattagram on March 21 said that any seat left vacant after a quota, would be filled based on merit. But the Public Administration Ministry said that those seats would be filled by another quota. We object it severely," said Ujjal.

However, the Prime Minister categorically said that the existing quota system to stay as the nation's gratitude for the sublime sacrifice of the freedom fighters to liberate the country.

Another coordinator Hasan Al Mamun told The New Nation, "Parliament is in session. The members of parliament are elected by a direct vote. We will see what they do for the people."

"We will clear the road once parliament reaches a decision in our favour. Our protest is completely non-violent. We will not retaliate even if they shoot us."

The demonstrators five-point demand include reducing the reservation of quotas in government jobs, recruitment of jobseekers to vacant posts on the basis of merit if eligible candidates are not found under quota, stopping of special recruitment tests for quota candidates, and ensuring of an unified age limit for all jobseekers.
3 held from Khaleda's motorcade put on remand

Court Correspondent :

The Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) Court yesterday put three persons, arrested from near BNP Chairperson Khaleda Zia's motorcade at Shahbagh, on a day's remand.

Those, who have been placed on remand are Saiful Islam Tuhin, Chhatradal Vice-President



of Dhaka College and Joint-General Secretary Atiqur Rahman Russel and Masud alias Masum, Rampura Thana Shwechchhhasebakdal Vice-President.

Magistrate Sattayabrata Sikder of the CMM Court passed the order after hearing. The court also passed order to keep seven other accused in the jail till the completion of the investigation into the incident.

They are Mehedi Hasan Himel, Zakir Uddin Abir, Habibur Rahman Himel, Shahin Alam, Haizur Rahman, Rakibul Islam and Nasir Uddin Sarker.

It may be remembered that on Saturday at about 11.30 am the motorcade carrying Begum Khaleda reached the BSMMU Hospital. As soon as the motorcade reached the hospital gate, a large number of BNP leaders and activists rushed there and started raising slogans quickly demanding the release of Khaleda Zia.

The members of law enforcing agencies resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the mob. About 13 were then arrested on the spot.

BNP Chief Begum Khaleda Zia was brought to the BSMMU on Satuday morning for her medical treatment and she was again taken to the prison.


Shahbagh turns into a battleground

Police clash with students, jobseekers on quota issue, many injured

Police used teargas and watercannon to disperse students and jobseekers prostesting quota system in a demonastions at Shahbagh intersection on Sunday evening. Photo: Moin Ahmed

Rayhanul Islam :

Shahbagh turned into a battle zone last evening as police went into chasing

students and job seekers who were demonstrating in the intersection from noon demanding reforms in quota system in bureaucracy.

The Shahbagh area became ablazed in the afternoon as demonstrators engaged with police who were trying to disperse them and clear the road to traffic. Demonstrators burnt tiers and dry woods and threw brickbats at police.

Jatiya Sangsad went into session yesterday and demonstrators demanded the lawmakers to take a decision to revise the quota system while vowing to continue their movement until the system has been revised.

Several dozens demonstrators were injured in the clash including one Abu Bakar Siqqiq of Bangla department, Dhaka University, hit by rubber bullet in his eye. Several police members were also injured. Police sprayed hot water at the demonstrators to clear the area. As the night deepens, there is no sign of respite till writing this report at 11 pm. The standoff between police and demonstrators at the Shahbag area continues.

Protestors slammed the existing quota system which reserves 56 percent of seat for

three percent people now exploiting the privileges for several vested interest groups. The demonstration yesterday broke out not only in the Dhaka University area along with many other public universities such as Jahangir Nagar, Rajshahi, Sylhet, Chittagong, Cumilla, Bogura.

Job seekers say public service has become exclusively hostage to elite groups now

running the country. But when it comes about the constitutional right of all citizens, the state now has no answer except protecting the privilege of the privileged classes. Nowhere in the world quota in the government's job is protected by law for any privileged class except for 15 years for members of a seriously depressed

community.

As the agitation at the Shahbagh got momentum last evening police and other law enforcers went on action around 8:00pm trying to disperse them from the city streets.

Hasan Al Mamun, coordinator of "Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad", told The New Nation that the law enforcers fired several hundred tear gas canisters and charged batons to clear the area. Over hundred protesters were injured.

As a result, protesters became divided into several groups and some of them took shelter at Fine Arts Faculty building. Some others groups at the same time laid siege on the residence of the Dhaka University Vice Chancellor demanding answer why police have entered the campus area and beating students.

Demonstrators have called protest in all educational institutions today and many fear the situation may become further volatile if the government does not take steps to cool down the situation. Students yesterday gathered under the banner of "Bangladesh Shadharan Chhatra Odhikar Sangrakkhan Parishad" at Dhaka University Central Library and marched to occupy Shahbagh intersection at around 2:30pm.

Since then, traffic was completely halted at the intersection and police took up positions at the scene with water cannons.

At the time the protesters burned an effigy of Public Administration Ministry Senior Secretary Md Mozammel Haque Khan.

As part of quota reforms programme, students of Jahangirnagar and Rajshahi universities also brought out protest processions on their campuses yesterday demanding the quota reforms.

The students of Jahangirnagar University blocked Dhaka-Aricha highway for 30 minutes as part of the ongoing agitation.

Chittagong University students formed a human chain demanding reform of the quota system. They also held a rally in the campus in this regard.

Later, they blocked the Chittagong-Rangamati Highway for some time to press home their demand.

The protesters, calling for quota reforms, are holding protest for quite some time.

On March 14, the protesters attempted to hand over a five-point charter to Secretariat, but they were blocked by police on their way leading to several arrests.

Coordinator of the movement Md Ujjal Mia yesterday said until parliament agrees to reform the quota system the movement will continue.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina addressing a rally in Chattagram on March 21 said any seat left vacant after a quota, would be filled based on merit. But the Public Administration Ministry said that those seats would be filled by another quota. We object it severely," said Ujjal.

The Prime Minister categorically said that existing quota system will stay as the nation's gratitude to freedom fighters in the liberation war.

The five-point demand of the demonstrators include reducing quotas in government jobs, recruitment of jobseekers to vacant posts on the basis of merit, stopping of special recruitment tests for quota candidates and ensuring an unified age limit for jobseekers.






The Undead Archives

I have finally salvaged my pre-Blogger TDR archives and added them into Blogger. They are almost totally in the form of one giant post for each month. And the formatting strayed from the originals. Sorry. But historians everywhere can rejoice that this treasure trove of my thoughts is restored to the world.
Looking for the vulture assist with Neolithic burials

1 year ago
Richwood, TX (77531)

Today

Light rain early...then remaining cloudy with showers in the afternoon. High 84F. Winds SE at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Locally heavy rainfall possible..

Tonight

Cloudy with occasional showers. Low near 75F. Winds SSE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.
If you are looking for the new Immoral Minority posts, you should know that they can be found here at our new home Please stop by to get caught up on politics, join the conversations, or simply check out the new digs.
St Kitts and Nevis Prime Minister Dr Timothy Harris is in Dubai to meet with a number of key stakeholders to introduce the Sustainable Growth Fund, offering investors a stable and secure method to achieve a second nationality.



The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme, which enables applicants to gain second citizenship of the twin-island nation by investing in the country's booming economy, is the world's oldest offering of economic citizenship, a statement said.



Prime Minister Harris recently announced a new mode of investment for the Citizenship Programme - the Sustainable Growth Fund. He is also expected to provide further information on the recent changes made to the real estate investment option for the Citizenship by Investment Programme.



The Prime Minister will be joined on his trip by CEO of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit, Les Khan. A breakfast briefing for agents, to be hosted by global investor immigration advisory CS Global Partners, will be an included part of the itinerary.



The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme has long been regarded as the Platinum Standard of the industry, known for its discrete approach, streamlined processing, and strict due diligence procedures.



Those applying for second citizenship through the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme can invest in the Sustainable Growth Fund for $150,000 for a main or single applicant or $195,000 for a family of four. Each additional dependent will incur a $10,000 fee - a welcome adjustment for larger families.



Managing partner for CS Global Partners in Dubai, Alexander Bello, said the Sustainable Growth Fund will be a popular option for clients in the Middle East.



"The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme has always been a popular option for those seeking second citizenship, and the Sustainable Growth Fund is yet another enticing investment opportunity for the discerning applicant.



The Sustainable Growth Fund will be particularly attractive to larger families, who often have additional dependants, both children and grandchildren, to add to their application, he added.  TradeArabia News Service
The global coated glass market is expected to exceed $24.5 billion by 2024, according to a new research report by Global Market Insights, a market research and strategy consulting firm.



Rising population and better living standards of people along with stringent regulations pertaining to environmental issues initiated by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) for construction projects, will drive coated glass market size, said the report.



Safety regulations implemented by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) coupled with increasing middle-class disposable income to buy luxurious vehicles, will further stimulate industry growth, added the report.



Increasing demand for clean source of energy along with addition of better aesthetical value to the buildings will drive coated glass market. Favourable government schemes along with growth in FDI funding in India and China has propelled the growth of construction and automotive industries in the region, thereby propelling product demand. Environmental concerns regarding CO2 emissions and consumer awareness towards energy efficient buildings will stimulate industry growth.



Solar control glass market demand from construction applications will witness gains at over 4 per cent during the projected timespan. The products are used in combination to create multi-functional glazing which results in noise reduction, low-maintenance, enhanced safety and security and aesthetic appeal. They have a microscopically thin coating on one side of the glass which reflects the heat from the sun to the outside and keeps the interiors cooler, thereby enhancing the energy efficiency of the building and stimulating coated glass market growth.



Hard coat glass market demand from automotive windshield application will witness steady gains at over 4.5 per cent by the end of forecast period. Increased usage of product in windscreens to offer convenient driving during harsh weather conditions such as fog, ice, mud and rain will boost product demand. Growing automotive manufacturing base in Asia Pacific region along with acoustic, thermal and visual comfort and style and taste of the products in automobiles will positively influence coated glass market size.



Europe, with steady growth in Germany, UK and France coated glass market size will exceed 380 million sq m during the forecast period. Builders are more concerned towards safety and security, environmental protection and natural insulation in residential as well as commercial buildings. Superior solar performance, absorption, transmission and reflection properties of the product along with increasing approach towards achieving greater energy efficacy of the buildings will drive industry growth.



US solar control glass market size from residential buildings will exceed $50 million at the end of 2024. Increasing expenditure on household remodelling and renovation activities in the US along with promotion of renewable energy resources will fuel industry growth. Rising application of the product in automobile interiors combined with increasing automotive production output is anticipated to drive market growth to a certain extent.



India soft coat glass market size is likely to register significant gains close to 6 per cent during the forecast timeline. Increasing construction projects along with styling flexibility, transmittance and reflection properties of these product will drive regional industry growth.



The product offers thermal performance and neutral appearance similar to its counterparts, resulting into coated glass market demand.



Prominent industry players in coated glass market are Guardian Industries, Sisecam Group, Saint-Gobain, Abrisa Technologies, Scheuten Glas, Pilkington Group and PPG Industries. Shift in consumer trends towards energy efficient products along with growing demand for cleaner energy sources, will force manufacturers to develop and enhance product portfolio and take strategic initiatives to meet consumer demand.



The report is titled, Coated Glass Market Size By Product (Low Emissivity [Low-E], Solar Control, Hard Coat, Soft Coat), By Application (Construction [Residential, Non-Residential {Commercial, Institutional, Offices, Hospitals}, Industrial], Automotive Windshields), Industry Analysis Report, Regional Outlook (U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, Poland, China, Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Brazil, Saudi Arabia, UAE, South Africa), Application Development Potential, Price Trend, Competitive Market Share & Forecast, 2017  2024.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahri, a global leader in logistics and transportation, recently transported the first chemical shipment from Aramco Trading Company (ATC), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Saudi Aramco that trades refined, liquid chemical and polymer products.



The transportation was carried out via NCC Amal, a 45,000 DWT Bahri chemical tanker which left Port of Rabigh heading to China.



The shipment, which contains 25,000 metric tonnes of paraxylene (PX) and 20,000 metric tonnes of monoethylene glycol (MEG), marks the completion of Phase II of the PetroRabigh Company (PRC) project, which was celebrated at a special ceremony in the presence of Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO of Bahri, Nasser D Al-Mahasher, CEO of PRC, Ibrahim Q. Al-Buainain, CEO of ATC, and other representatives from the three companies.



NCC Amal will transport MEG in addition to the first paraxylene (PX) cargo, which will be sold during its turnaround to the worlds largest PX consumers through S-OIL, a leading company in the lubricant market, established in 1976 and 63.4 per cent of its shares is owned by Saudi Aramco.



Abdullah Aldubaikhi, CEO of Bahri, said: Bahri enjoys a long-standing relationship with Aramco Trading Company and PetroRabigh Company, and the completion of the Phase II of the PRC project initiated by ATC, PRC, and Bahri Chemicals, represents the success of our sustained partnership with these two leading industry players. We look forward to transporting more chemicals cargo for our clients and partners, and further strengthening our position in this important sector.



S-OIL has facilities that produce lube base oil and petrochemical products, in addition to crude oil refining facilities with a capacity of 669,000 barrels a day at the Onsan Industrial Complex in Ulsan, South Korea. The company owns the Xylene Center, which is the worlds largest PX production facility, and operates the worlds largest Bunker-C Cracking Center.  TradeArabia News Service
Global hospitality company Dusit International has unveiled Asai Hotels, a distinctive new brand designed to link curious, millennial-minded travellers with authentic local experiences in vibrant cities and resort destinations worldwide.



Set to officially launch in Q1 2019 with its first hotel in Bangkoks renowned Chatuchak Market, Asai Hotels embraces a sustainable, community-focused concept, with each property designed to reflect the culture and heritage of its location through collaborations with local artisans.



In line with the four core pillars of the brand  Thoughtful Essentials, Common Areas, Locally Inspired and Connected Community  each hotel will feature compact rooms (approximately 15 sq m), whose contemporary design will emphasize key features like superior quality beds and high-pressure rain showers. A large mixed-use space, meanwhile, will include a cosy and efficient work space, a leisure area, and a restaurant concept curated by local chefs who champion sustainability.



In the upcoming Chatuchak hotel, which is the only hotel to be located within the world-famous market, this includes an eatery developed by Bangkok-based chefs and restaurateurs, Jarrett Wrisley and Paolo Vitaletti, whose own restaurants, Soul Food Mahanakorn and Appia, are renowned for their sustainable approach to cooking. Their menu at ASAI Chatuchak will highlight produce from Thailands Royal Projects.



Each Asai hotel worldwide will leverage technology to streamline the booking and stay experience. This includes the implementation of self check-in kiosks, and exclusive online guides that link guests with authentic local experiences and lesser-known, attractions. Asai will also link with selected local online start-ups, such as TakeMeTour in Thailand, to offer personalised excursions.



Staff at each property will be hired for personality as much as experience, and they will very much be the face of the brand, expected to be passionate about their neighbourhoods and always ready to share their knowledge with guests.

Alongside Asai Chatuchak, five more properties are already confirmed in the pipeline. This includes three Asai Hotels in Cebu, Philippines (in Lapu-Lapu, Oslob, and the city centre); one hotel in Yangon, Myanmar (in the historic Yankin Township); and a second hotel in Bangkok (in the stylish Sathorn district). All are expected to open throughout 2019.



Asai Hotels management team hopes to secure over 10 properties in the pipeline by the end of the year across Southeast Asia and Japan. This includes owned and joint venture properties as well as properties under Hotel Management Agreements. Australia, Europe and Central America are also on the radar for potential projects.



Inspired by community, and driven by sustainability, Asai is an exciting new concept for Dusit that will leverage the companys 70 years of hospitality heritage to deliver a new kind of stay experience in vibrant neighbourhoods worldwide, said Siradej Donavanik, managing director of Asai Holdings, Dusit International. The brand has been carefully crafted to meet the needs of millennial-minded travellers who seek authentic local experiences, and who appreciate value and quality for money.



Asai is not budget travel  this is an affordable lifestyle brand offering something new, different and bespoke. Our collaborations with local artisans in each destination will ensure each stay is unique, memorable, and definitely worthy of our slogan  Live Local. And everywhere we set foot we will always ensure we have a positive impact.



Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International, said: In line with our three-pronged strategy for balance, expansion and diversification, the introduction of ASAI Hotels will add an innovative new revenue stream to our company that complements our traditional hospitality offerings and actively responds to the needs and desires of millennial-minded travellers.



Recent detailed studies in America have shown that, alongside a desire for local experiences, a majority 35% of this segment prefer to stay in luxury and upscale resorts. The majority also placed cost and security as chief concerns when booking accommodation. ASAI is perfectly positioned to meet these needs, and we look forward to making the brand a huge success.



Dusit International is currently in a significant growth phase which will see the companys current portfolio of 27 hotels surpass 70 worldwide within the next four years. The companys other hotel brands, which cover luxury and mid-market segments, include Dusit Thani, Dusit Devarana, Dusit Princess, and dusitD2. - TradeArabia News Service


SR Technics, a world-leading MRO service provider, has announced the successful close of a $110 million senior multicurrency revolving credit facility (RCF) in cooperation with a group of leading Swiss banks.



The RCF contains the option to increase to $150 million.



SR Technics is ready to seize the current strong momentum in the MRO market and is exploring opportunities to expand its services further, especially in Engine Services. The ring-fenced RCF will be used to provide the required liquidity for capital expenditures and to finance further growth in the working capital intensive business that SR Technics is engaged in.



Sven Kussmann, chief financial officer, said: The deal was underwritten by four major Swiss banks which have been cooperating with SR Technics for many years and is proof to us of mutual trust and partnership. Our strong brand with decades of Swiss made MRO experience, our well-known capabilities and experienced employees are the grounds to this partnership. The capital secured is important to strengthen our position as a leading global MRO provider offering world-class total care capability. - TradeArabia News Service
Radisson Blu has announced the opening of a new hotel in Russia, strengthening the companys leading position in the country.



The Radisson Blu Hotel, Rostov-on-Don is located in the heart of Russias southern capital, Rostov-on-Don. It is just 9km from the existing airport and 29km to the North-East of the new Rostov International Airport Platov. The hotel is set directly on the river embankment and offers 81 spacious rooms including the Presidential Suite and four Executive Suites, each with their own balconies and stunning views of the river. The hotel is part of a recreational zone along the river promenade, which features many attractions and restaurants, and is just walking distance from the busy city centre and its key landmarks.



We are delighted to open a new Radisson Blu Hotel in Rostov-on-Don and expand the presence of our iconic upper upscale hotel brand across Russia, said Michel Stalport, area senior vice president Eastern Europe and Russia, Radisson Hotel Group. It is the best address in town, right next to the architectural landmarks on the beautiful river Don. The setting, along with our fashion-inspired, stylish and spacious guest rooms, will give our guests something to remember.



We are also delighted to open our very first FireLake Grill House & Cocktail Barin Russia at the Radisson Blu Rostov-on-Don. Our signature restaurant brand offers guests the experience of real flame cooking, barrel-aged cocktails, and great tastes in a great space. Visitors can expect an atmosphere that is contemporary in its design, with a mix of classic local heartland flavours that are delicious and imaginative, added Stalport.



Radisson Blu Hotel, Rostov-on-Don offers a comfortable fitness centre, equipped with modern cardiovascular machines and weightlifting equipment. Guests can also enjoy a spectacular spa, with sauna and hammam.



The hotels conference facilities include four meeting rooms for private meetings and conferences for up to 70 people.



Radisson Blu Rostov-on-Don is delighted to open its doors, and we look forward to delivering the greatest of international upper-upscale hospitality experience to our guests, said Martin Hurban, general manager of the hotel. We are looking forward to welcoming our international guests to Russias southern capital, and to surpassing all expectations. - TradeArabia News Service
New procedures in Russia approved: activists say it could be worse, leaves intersex people with few options

On 19 January 2018, Russian authorities approved a controversial Decree, defining the procedure of legal gender recognition (LGR). The possibility to change ones gender marker existed in Russian legislation since 1997. Federal law N143 On the acts of civil status (article 70) required a document of the established form about the change of sex issued by a medical organization to be submitted for the Registry to change the persons civil status. However, the authorities failed to specify the established form of the document for 20 years. The Decree introduced by the Ministry of Health in October 2017 was intended to fill this legal gap.

It should be noted that despite the lack of the established form, Russia had an established legal practice of changing gender marker for trans people, although this practice varied from region to region, with some Registry offices and courts requiring surgery, hormone therapy and psychiatric diagnosis transsexualism (code F64.0 in International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10)), while others were satisfied if just one or two of those requirements were met. This lack of coherence, blamed by some trans people, was prized by others to whom it afforded more flexibility. For example, if a person lived in a place where the local Registry was known to require surgery for LGR and that person did not wish to undergo surgery, they could try to have their gender marker changed in a different region. Also, there were no specific rules defining the work of psychiatric commissions issuing the diagnosis transsexualism, and there were at least two trans-friendly commissions where the diagnosis could be obtained in a relatively short period

The Ministry of Health introduced the draft of the Decree stipulating the established form and specifying the rules of issuance of the corresponding document on 5 October 2017. The translation into English of the draft can be found at the website of Transgender Europe (TGEU). The main points of the proposed procedure were the following:

The Decree introduced a completely new term sexual reorientation that was nowhere to be found in the medical or legal literature. One should note that the term has no connotations with sexual orientation, because in Russian there exist two terms corresponding to sexual in English: the first one is polovaya (a native Russian word derived from pol, meaning sex or more precisely biological sex), while the second is seksualnaya (a borrowing from English) which refers to sexuality. The sexual reorientation uses the former adjective, and sexual orientation (which can be found by following the link mentioned above). However, it was not at all clear how this sexual reorientation is related to other legal and medical terms, including diagnoses transsexualism and gender identity disorder.



To be eligible for LGR, the person had to undergo an evaluation for at least 1.5 years with a psychiatrist and receive a referral to the commission.



Having received this referral, the person had to be evaluated by a medical committee consisting of a psychiatrist, a sexologist, and a medical psychologist. A commission could be established in a medical organization having a license in the fields of both psychiatry and(!) sexology. This is important because this requirement significantly narrowed the number of organizations that could establish a commission since not many had the license in both fields.



In theory, the document of the established form issued by this commission should be enough for the Registry to change the legal gender of a trans person. Hormone therapy, surgeries or sterilization were not mentioned as requirements for LGR, but nowhere did the Decree explicitly say that those were not required.

This proposal was drafted by medical bureaucrats in the Ministry of Health without any input from the trans community, and as we learned later, even without consulting many of the doctors working in the field of trans health (although I doubt that the result would be better if they did). It is impossible to say why this Decree appeared at this particular moment. Some activists have been advocating for it for years, to no avail. One of the individuals I spoke to said it was likely related to the efforts to close the gaps by the bureaucracy before Presidential Elections in March 2018. Another person (who is a doctor) claims that it might be somehow related to the proposed changes in the coming ICD-11 and the attempts of conservative medical professionals to maintain the status quo. I conducted a small investigation and found out the name of one of the doctors behind the Decree. Although I was able to contact this doctor, his response was not very informative. He claimed, for example, that the term sexual reorientation was the invention of medical bureaucrats, that he apparently did not support, and that was almost all useful information I managed to obtain. The bottom line is we know almost nothing about who drafted the Decree and what were the real reasons behind it.

Trans activists heard about the draft next day after its publication from news reports. In Russia, as in some other countries, new pieces of legislation/rules are subject to public consultations, which theoretically are meant to ensure that the opinion of citizens is taken into account (a kind of direct democracy). However, in practice, this procedure is a mere formality. So we had just 14 days to organize ourselves and submit our opinions and proposals. A word must be said here about the coverage of this draft in the media, who portrayed it as a progressive step that would finally let trans people change their gender marker (although it had been possible long before). Among the media outlets that covered the news, only BBC Russian Service interviewed two trans activists, while other journalists were happy to rely on the official memorandum (an introductory note explaining why the Decree was needed), or to a lesser extent, the opinion of doctors. It says something about the quality of Russian media (and not only Russian), but this is a different topic.

The proposed draft of the Decree received a broad range of responses from trans people and activists. Although no sociological survey was conducted, it is safe to say that the proposed Decree was generally unpopular. The long period (1.5 years) of the initial psychiatric evaluation was perhaps the most criticized part of it. The vague term sexual reorientation was probably the next. Some activists made a case for removing psychiatric and sexological evaluation altogether, while others insisted that some kind of evaluation was necessary. While there was no agreement among trans people on what we wanted to achieve, there were even more tensions on tactical issues. Some activists took a very cautious approach, proposing minor changes (such as reducing the length of evaluation to 6 months instead of 1.5 years), while others took a more radical stance, demanding complete overwriting of the Decree. In the end, various organizations and individuals submitted very different comments. I dont find it practical to go into much detail here, but those of you who read in Russian can find a thorough analysis of those comments in my article.

What happened next was very characteristic of Russian bureaucracy: the Ministry of Health apparently ignored all the comments submitted during the public consultation and duly sent the Decree for reconciliation to the Ministry of Justice. At that point, we were almost sure the fight was over, and Russian trans people would be obliged to live with this awful procedure for another 10-20 years. Our last resort was international advocacy, but even that got bogged down because of disagreements among activists (although I personally submitted a complaint to the UN Special Rapporteur on Health). However, something unexpected happened next: the draft was rejected by the Ministry of Justice. It is not possible to know for sure who exactly raised objections and for what reason, as the bureaucracy in Russia is highly nontransparent.Only in January did we learn that the Decree was finally signed with the following amendments:

The length of the initial psychiatric evaluation (which had been 1.5 years in the draft) was left unspecified;

The term sexual reorientation was virtually equated to the diagnosis transsexualism (F64.0 in ICD-10);

The range of medical organizations eligible to establish a commission (the one which can issue the document of the established form) was expanded to include organizations with a license in psychiatry only (no license in sexology thus required);

Some technical adjustments.

It is hard to say whether the activists involvement in the public consultation had anything to do with those amendments. The first and third amendments introducing a piece of legislation with a previously unknown and undefined term would create another legal gap.

That leaves us with the following LGR procedure in Russia:

A trans person has to be evaluated by a psychiatrist to be diagnosed with transsexualism and receive a referral to a commission.

Be evaluated by a commission consisting of a psychiatrist, a sexologist, and a medical psychologist, that will certify that sexual reorientation [in that person] has occurred and issue the document of the established form.

Apply to the Registry to have their legal gender (and name) amended.

No surgeries or other medical treatment are required.

This is how it is going to work in theory. However, it should be noted that the Decree (even after amendments) has been poorly drafted, most likely by people who had never met a trans person in their life. Thus, it leaves many blind spots that can be variously interpreted by the Registry staff and courts. Furthermore, it is not clear how this procedure is going to work

Even if the Decree is enacted in practice, as shown above, it is not clear whether it will change the lives of Russian trans people for better or worse. By stipulating mandatory psychiatric evaluation and standardizing the makeup of the commission, the Decree has ruined the hopes of those trans people who wished to have their gender marker changed without a psychiatric evaluation. Thus, this Decree is a blow in the face of the Russian trans depathologization movement and all who believe that being trans is not a psychiatric (or for that matter, sexological) condition. Visiting a psychiatrist and a sexologist not only contradicts the ideological principles of many but can result in various types of abuse on behalf of those doctors, as documented in my article. Furthermore, the Decree does not address the question of staying in a psycho-neurological dispensary, meaning that some psychiatrist may insist that trans people spend there up to 30 days to obtain the diagnosis, just as they did before. Last but not least, the Decree introduces two stages of psychiatric evaluation (initial evaluation and commission), while there was only one (commission) before.

On the other hand, the Decree might simplify legal gender recognition for those who are not outright opposed to visiting psychiatrists and sexologists. At least they will not be obliged to spend many months or even years in courtrooms, as used to happen before when no established form existed. The fact that surgeries and hormone treatment are not listed as requirements is certainly a step in the right direction as well.

An important blind spot that the Decree leaves unaddressed is the fate of intersex people who need to have their gender marker changed for biological reasons and thus dont fit into the standard transsexualism narrative. I know at least one person in Ukraine whose physical appearance changed during her lifetime because of her intersex trait, but when she applied to the Registry to have her gender recognized, she found out that the LGR procedure in that country was not designed with intersex people in mind. It is most regrettable that intersex activists in Russia submitted their comments during the public consultation, but their concerns were left unresolved. Unfortunately, this problem is not unique to Russia.

The activists I had a chance to talk to expressed mixed feelings about the Decree. While no one expected that a progressive LGR procedure on a par with Argentina or Malta could be adopted in Russia, many were thoroughly disappointed with the outcome because their suggestions were not taken into account. But the general spirit of reactions I read was it could be worse. Russias Trans Legal Defense Project even praised the procedure as being quick, transparent and accessible, although such assessment appears highly controversial to me.

Even though I strongly oppose the Decree in its current form, I have to contend with the fact that it is more or less in line with the wishes of the Russian trans community at large. In my study of trans peoples policy preferences in 2015, I found that 46% of respondents wanted diagnosis transsexualism or the like to stay as a requirement for LGR, while 41% insisted that a person should not have psychiatric disorders (except for transsexualism). The proportion of respondents who chose at least one of these options was 59%. That means that the majority of trans people supported some psychiatric or psychological assessment. On the other hand, only 27% of respondents mentioned that hormone treatment should be a prerequisite for LGR, and only 20% mentioned surgery. I hardly believe that the Decrees authors read my article, but their procedure somehow managed to meet those wishes in the broadest sense. Given the current political climate in Russia, I think this is the best procedure that could be achieved for now. It may even be called progressive when compared to the procedures of neighboring countries such as Kazakhstan, Ukraine (although the procedure is being revised there) and Belarus. It is even not as bad as in some European countries that still legally require sterilization and other invasive medical treatment.

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The Russian-Turkish summit held this week disappointed Yerevan. Deputy Foreign Minister of Armenia Shavarsh Kocharyan was skeptical about the fact that now there are less tentions in relations between Moscow and Ankara: "At this stage, their interests will expanded. It wouldn't be the first time. We remember how after previous honeymoon Russian President Vladimir Putin even stated that "Turks stabbed Russian the back. So this process is of sinusoidal nature."

Obviously, Yerevan doesn't like Moscow's rapprochement with Ankara, because it wasn't able to normalize its relations with Turkey. A great example of these contradictions is discussion between head of the Armenian parliamentary delegation Koryun Nahapetyan and Foreign Minister of Turkey Mevlut Cavusoglu in November of 2016 at the plenary session of the 62nd NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Istanbul.

Nahapetyan started from the bet: "Everyone knows that Turkey supports the Daesh (banned in Russia), only pretends to fight terrorism, Turkey unilaterally closed its border with Armenia. Turkey supports Azerbaijan in the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh. Provocative actions of Turkey during the time of the conflict between Azerbaijanov and Armenia (April 1-5) prove it. Right now Turkish soldiers are in two different countries and it's hasn't been agreed on with any country. "My question is how does Turkey want to build relations with its neighbors after that?"

Cavusoglu started pretty diplomatically: "Thank you very much for your question: Relations with Bulgaria, Ukraine and Georgia are wonderful, and we managed to overcome problems in relations with Russia. But even when there were good relations, we had different views on the Syrian isse, on the Ukrainian issue, and Crimea. Right now Syria is now an uncontrolled country, there's no one to negotiate with, regime killed 600,000 people and this isn't associated with us either.

Then Turkish Minister spoke about justice: "You're from Armenia, and I'm a Turk. We must be honest. If you're a politician, you must be honest. Unfortunately, Armenian colleagues aren't honest. You accuse us of supporting the Daesh, but our country killed more terrorists than Turkey. At least 700 terrorist groups were destroyed in Baska/Igil hates us, look at the websites, Erdogan and his team are on the front pages among enemies of the Daesh, and we fight against it like because we fight against it like any other terror.

Cavusoglu then went on to say: "When we listen to what you're saying, it seems like you're an angel of peace on earth in all the organizations you participate in - the OSCE, the PACE, and so on - there are records that show that you occupied 20% of Azerbaijani territories. Did I occupy them? You're invaders, why are you silent? We proposed to liberate Karabakh, then we will open borders with you. Why do you still occupy it? Azerbaijan is our brotherly state. We're one nation and two states, their problems are our problems. You talk about false genocide everywhere. When we came to power, Erdogan sent a letter to your president, he invited you to participate in discussion, gather scientists, open archives. Let's create a joint commission. If ours and your scientists are not enough, let's invite Russian scientists. Let them open their archives too. We promised to accept everything regardless of the result. And you didn't accept this proposal. Why? Because you prefer this lie. You don't allow to carry out scientific research, so you're lying. Genocide is a legal concept. We said that we're ready to accept any decision of this commission. Are you ready to do the same? No! Because you know that there was no genocide. Let's be honest. I reject all your previous accusations. These accusations are a typical indicator of dishonest behavior. There are Armenians among the PKK terrorists, whom we killed and captured. Thank you for attention."
More than five million Syrians have left their country since the war started in 2011. Most are now in neighbouring countries, with about 3.5 million in Turkey and one million in Lebanon. More than half a million travelled to Germany, with smaller numbers in other European nations. As BBC writes in an article "Syrian refugees: The people who want four things before they go home", to find out what changes they hope for, the Carnegie Middle East Center held a series of meetings involving about 320 refugees in Lebanon and Jordan.

Here are four things they told us they would like to see.

1. Safety for their children

Many of the refugees we spoke to were not enthusiastic about permanently resettling abroad. They spoke of fears about cultural change and discrimination against their children. But they were also deeply concerned about the dangers their children could face if they go back to Syria. A recent report published by the Lancet suggested that one in four civilian deaths in 2016 was of a child and that about 14,000 had been killed since the war started. Most of the parents we spoke to characterised Syria as a place of uncertainty and danger. Their wartime experience has left them cautious about doing anything to jeopardise their children's future. One mother, Aisha from Homs, asked us: "Would anyone walk toward death on their feet?"

2. An end to conscription

The younger the refugee we spoke to, the less they wanted to return to Syria. Hassan, an unregistered young refugee living in Beirut, put it: "Today, everyone who leaves Syria is considered a traitor." Like many others, he fears being accused of deserting his country and the possibility of reprisals. Young men in particular are concerned that they will be targeted by forced conscription into the army. Several recounted stories of young men who had returned to Syria only to get drafted and die at the front. Military service is compulsory for men from the age of 18. New laws have made it harder to avoid conscription, by reducing exemptions and imposing onerous fines for those who refuse to join up. Many young men spoke of their patriotism, the need to carry out civic duties and their respect for the army. However, a common sentiment was: "It is important to serve the country, but I did not want to kill my brethren or serve the regime."

3. Homes to return to

Among those who do hope to return to Syria - despite the dangers and economic problems - most have nowhere to stay. The widespread destruction of Syria's towns and cities by the Syrian military, the Islamic State group and international forces have left entire neighbourhoods in ruins. The World Bank estimates that 30% of Syrian homes have been completely destroyed, or damaged. Many undamaged properties are occupied by regime-affiliated forces, pro-Iran militias or other Syrians displaced within the country. Lamia, from a rural area close to Damascus, told us: "They tell me that whichever house has an absentee owner is immediately occupied by the army, even if there is a tenant... They take the lease, throw the tenant out, and take the house." Many homes and buildings in Syria were built without permits, and most of the people we spoke to left without any documentation proving their ownership.

4. Safety and security

Of the refugees we spoke to, eight out of 10 fled Syria following an incident that made them fear for their safety. Many described arbitrary arrests by Syrian forces, the death of family or friends and the deteriorating security conditions in their neighbourhoods. Tareq, a young refugee from Homs, told us he had no trust in the idea that Syria is safe to return to and of his fears about the actions of Syrian military officers. "I used to work as an undertaker in Syria. My job was to bury the martyrs," he said. "When I saw what they had done to them, how they were cut up with knives - no way, there is no trust. Even if they secure everything we need, there is no trust." The overwhelming majority of those we spoke to saw their best chance of returning to a country where more than 350,000 people have been killed and 5.6m have become refugees, as the removal of President Assad.

Even if jobs and services were available, few believed the security and stability they want would exist if he remained in power. Kholoud, a refguee from rural Damascus summed up her feelings: "If Bashar al-Assad is removed and there is security in Syria, even if there is no food or drink, we would get flour and make it with our hands." Many also expressed concern over the presence of various armed foreign groups in the country and the general lawlessness that they represent. The majority of Syrians we spoke to also rejected the idea of a fragmented Syria, broken into parts controlled by different forces. A unified nation was seen as overwhelmingly important. Many also spoke of a Syria that strived for new values, including freedom, equality, and justice, in a country that is democratically governed under the rule of law.
Media outlets continue to discuss meeting between Presidents of Russia, Turkey and Iran this week, as well as launch of the construction of the Akkuyu nuclear power plant. As Daily Sabah writes in an article "Turkey, Iran, Russia will carry Eurasia into the future", the process initiated by Turkey, Iran and Russia in Sochi on Nov. 22 was the beginning of a collaboration that will pave the way for regional economic opportunities and change the future of Eurasia. The indispensable New Silk Road project, the Tehran-Istanbul-Moscow line, in relation to the strategic cooperation that will gradually rise between the three countries, within the 40 million square kilometer the Afro-Asian hinterland, $21 trillion of additional added value will drive forward equally beneficial opportunities for new investment and business that Turkey, Russia and Iran will all benefit from.

Starting in Sochi and continuing in Ankara, the decisions and strategies made at the summits can lead to a great region from Central Asia to Sub-Saharan Africa turning its blessings and resources into a brighter future with an inclusive development model.

Regarding the future of Central Asia, the Caucasus, the Balkans, Africa, the Gulf, Middle East, the cooperation opportunities and joint investment strategies of Turkey, Iran and Russia in the fields of security, energy, industry, trade, tourism, and education, will bring Eurasia to a bright, hopeful future.

The sincere, strong and transparent diplomacy that Turkey conducts under the leadership of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan offers a platform that should be carefully and diligently embraced and evaluated by Russia and Iran in order to build a geo-economic and geo-strategic cooperation strategy.

Russia and Iran should speed up the processes that will drain the energy from the fault lines that terrorist organizations produced in the laboratory environment and are trying to deepen by analyzing the geopolitical tensions of the asymmetric order of the "North-North alliance" in Eurasia. During the Turkish War of Independence, Russia that supported Turkey's historic fight against the asymmetrical order and preferred collaboration with Turkey throughout the history of the Republic in heavy industry, strategic investment and product areas to strengthen strategic cooperation between the two countries. This continues today with nuclear energy and air defense systems. It is a process that Iran should read correctly. Eurasia will survive not with unipolar expectations and instead needs an inclusive future.

Nuclear power is the threshold of globalism

In the past 15 years, Justice and Development Party (AK Party) governments have provided numerous capabilities and opportunities to Turkey and its business world. Two of these opportunities are predictability and sustainability in the economy. Following these two concepts, Turkey advanced to $860 billion from $230 billion in terms of gross domestic product (GDP) and to $160 billion in exports from $23 billion. The global forces that were disturbed by Turkey riveting its playmaker role in its region with the success it achieved in economy and its capabilities in the field have been trying to destroy the economic and political stability, predictability and sustainability provided by AK Party governments since 2006 with numerous brutal attacks. They were, fortunately, unsuccessful. A few days ago, a new step was taken in terms of sustainability and predictability regarding nuclear energy under Erdogan's leadership. Today, the most important issue that distinguishes the world's most respectable economies from more than 100 economies is sustainability.

For economies that have progressed in the area, nuclear energy provides opportunities for sustainability in three areas. First is sustainability in the name of energy independence and energy resource diversity. The second is sustainability in terms of management of energy prices and costs in relation to global competition and, third, sustainability in terms of carbon emissions of a country's economy at the level of global competition and reputation. Regarding critically important effects, for a country such as Turkey inspiring its region as a playmaker, nuclear energy is the threshold of globalism. Nuclear energy, similar to Turkey's domestic and national moves in renewable energy technologies, is an important opportunity for Turkish companies to gain both a working culture following international safety standards and skills to produce high-temperature and pressure-resistant material. If we are to increase Turkey's exports first to $250 billion, then to $500 billion, we will catch up with advanced abilities in energy, defense, air, space and information technologies.
Defense attorneys visited Vladimir Gorbenko, a Russian captain who is being kept in a Ukrainian pretrial detention facility, to deliver him medicines, food, clothes and an Easter cake, lawyer Dmitry Shcherbina said, TASS reported.

"Together with Alexander Rudenko, who is also a member of the defense team for the Nord ship crew, I visited the captain in the pretrial detention facility to convey Easter greetings to him and deliver an Easter cake, food, clothes and other necessities," he said.

Shcherbina added that attorneys also brought medicines for Gorbenko.

"We managed to organize IV therapy for him, because prior to our visit he was only treated with pills. Everything is fine. According to my estimates, his condition is satisfactory. We expect him to walk out of the pretrial detention center on Tuesday, April 10," he said.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is to visit Britain in May, a top official said on April 7, as Ankara sticks to its position of refusing to blame Russia for an attack on an ex-spy.

Erdogan will be paying a visit to the U.K. in May, Presidential Spokesman Ibrahim Kaln told foreign reporters in Istanbul, without giving a date.

We look forward to this visit, he added, Hurriyet Daily News reported.
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev sent his condolences to his Georgian counterpart Giorgi Margvelashvili in connection with death of miners in the Tkibuli region.

"I'm deeply saddened by news about human casualties and injuries as a result of collapse that occurred in the coal mine," the letter said.

Ilham Aliyev expressed his deep condolences to President of Georgia, to families and friends of victims, as well as to the entire Georgian nation.
Moscow warned against foreign attacks in Syrian areas where the Russian troops are located. Earlier, the US State Department had expressed concern about the reports of chemical weapons use in Douma that allegedly led to deaths of 40 people, claiming that Russia was accountable for targeting Syrians; the Russian military has refuted the allegations, saying they were aimed at disrupting of Jaysh al-Islam militants' evacuation from E Ghouta.

"Hoaxes on attacks using chlorine or other poisonous substances by Syrian government forces are continuing to emerge. Another such hoax that has supposedly taken place is the alleged chemical attack in Douma yesterday. At the same time, references have been made to the notorious NGO "White Helmets," which has been repeatedly caught acting with terrorists, as well as other so-called humanitarian organizations based in the United Kingdom and the United States," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement, Sputnik reports.

The ministry went on to say that it had repeatedly warned about possible provocations involving the use of chemical weapons in Syria. Their major aim is to accuse Syrian government forces of chemical weapons use and justify possible military intervention in Syria from abroad, according to the ministry's statement.

"It is necessary to warn once again that military intervention under far-fetched and fabricated pretexts in Syria, where the Russian servicemen are deployed at the request of the legitimate government, is absolutely unacceptable and might lead to very severe consequences," the statement said.
Today Orthodox Christians celebrate Easter. Over 35 thousand cathedrals of the Russian Orthodox Church, located in 68 countries around the world, including in Russia, Serbia, Georgia, Bulgaria, and Jerusalem, celebrate this holiday.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday congratulated Orthodox Christians and all Russian citizens on Orthodox Easter.

"The great holiday of Easter, which symbolizes a triumph of life, good and love and has a huge moral significance. It wakens faith, hope and intention to do good deeds, to help to our fellow people. It consolidates people among eternal spiritual values and ideals. In these spring days filled with a sincere joy we understand the importance of the traditions and customs," Putin said in a statement, as quoted by the Kremlin press service, Sputnik reports.

According to the statement, the Russian president has also sent a congratulatory message to the head of the Russian Orthodox Church Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Putin along with Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin also attended the festive Easter service at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow.
Russias Defense Ministry refuted reports on Sunday that the Syrian forces have used chemical weapons in Douma in Eastern Ghouta, Head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation of the Warring Sides in Syria Major General Yuri Yevtushenko said, TASS reports.

According to the general, the allegations that a chlorine barrel bomb had been dropped in Douma by the Syrian armed forces were the work of the so-called independent non-governmental organizations, including the White Helmets, which is widely known for its fake news.

"We strongly reject this information and confirm readiness after Douma is liberated from militants to send Russian specialists in radiation, chemical and biological protection to collect data to confirm that these statements are fabricated," said the head of the center, which is part of the Defense Ministry.

The general noted that the West used the allegations on chemical attacks to disrupt an operation beginning on Sunday on evacuating from Douma irreconcilable militants of the Jaysh al-Islam group.
Saudi Arabia's public prosecutor has begun investigating the corruption cases of princes, top officials and businessmen who were detained late last year, an official told a pan-Arab newspaper, Al Jazeera reports.

Saud al-Hamad, deputy attorney general for investigations, told the Al Sharq Al Awsat daily on Sunday that whoever is charged will be referred to court for prosecution in cases related to money laundering or "terrorism".

It is the latest saga into what Saudi authorities have called a corruption case, hundreds of people were rounded up last November under orders from Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Many of the people were princes, high-profile businessmen, and governors who were confined and interrogated at Riyadh's Ritz-Carlton Hotel.

Most of them, including global investor Prince Alwaleed bin Talal, were released after being exonerated or reaching financial settlements with the government in January.

Saudi Arabia's attorney general has said the state recovered $107bn in settlements, including property, securities and cash.
Turkey plans to deport nearly 600 illegal Afghan refugees who have fled ongoing insecurity and economic crisis in their war-torn country.

Turkish security forces handed over the Afghan refugees, who had crossed into eastern Turkey through Iran due to "ongoing terrorist activities and economic troubles" in Afghanistan, to provincial immigration authorities, Turkeys Interior Ministry announced yesterday, PressTV reports.

Deportation procedures are now completed for 591 refugees in the eastern province of Erzurum and charter flights to Kabul would be arranged on Saturday and Sunday to send them back, the ministry said in its statement.

"Following the completion of deportation procedures for illegal migrants in our other provinces, deportations will speed up and continue in the coming days," the statement noted.
When Vo Thi Son was working, she would teach at a primary school in the morning.

Then, in the afternoon she would teach poor children who could not afford schooling, in her home.

Vo Thi Son retired ten years ago but she has carried on teaching the poor children in her home.

The subjects she teaches are Vietnamese and Mathematics.

by Tran inh Phuong

For 71-year-old retired teacher Vo Thi Son, teaching and going to the pagoda every day are important routines to stay healthy and enjoy peace of mind.

She has been offering free classes to poor children at her residence  Chau Van Liem Ward in O Mon District, Can Tho City for over 40 years.

Son said she got married and had been living there since the 1970s. As a primary school teacher at the time, she was concerned about the poor children living around her home who could not go to school because their families could not afford it. Some of the children did not have a birth certificate, which prevented them from getting admission to public school.

Determined to help them, Son started a class for the poor children to attend in the afternoons at her home. After teaching at the primary school in the morning, she would teach the poor children to read and write. She also taught them basic lessons or skills that first and second graders should be equipped with.

Since Son retired 10 years ago, dozens of children carrying books and notebooks flock to her house every morning except Sundays.

Vietnamese language and mathematics are two major subjects that she teaches.

In the morning her house is usually filled with her gentle voice and the laughter of children. It becomes quiet when the children have to follow her dictation or take an exam.

Sometimes lessons get delayed during the rains, as the sound of the raindrops on the iron roof drowns out Sons voice. The unexpected break, however, gives the teacher and students some time to get to know each other better.

There are 30 students  half of them from Khmer ethnic groups  in the first-grade programme and six students in the second-grade programme.

In my years of teaching, I have taught thousands of students. Its hard for me to remember all of them, but honestly, I have wonderful memories of some of them, Son said.

Her adopted son named Bac Nam was also one of her students. Noticing he was very intelligent but poor, Son supported him from the time he was a second grader until he graduated high school.

Nam then attended a mechanical engineering course and got a job in HCM City.

Nam has become one of my family members; he joins us to celebrate the Tet (Lunar New Year) holidays every year, Son said.

Son expressed great happiness over seeing her former students again when they visit her during special celebrations, especially on Viet Nam Teachers Day on November 20.

Their visits remind me of meaningful days past and give me the strength to continue my work, she said.

Some of my former students donate money, so I can buy tables, benches and other teaching materials for my free classes, Son said.

She was also impressed by a female student who suffered from a mental disorder.

She [the student] is 15 years old but looks like an eight-year-old. She is very bad at remembering the letters of the Vietnamese alphabet, Son said.

In addition to joining a class with the other students, this student receives extra tuition.

I was very patient with her, Son said, adding that a few months later, the student was able to read.

Six-year-old Thanh Nam, one of Sons students, said she was his second mother as she had taught him a lot.

My father is a porter, and my mother sells lottery tickets. After class, I go fishing and then sell crabs or snails to earn some money, Nam said, adding that its fun to go to class.

Also present for Sons classes are the mothers and grandmothers of the students, as they wait to pick them up.

An old Khmer woman, Danh Thi Ut, said she could speak very little Vietnamese, that is why she asked Son to help teach her two grandchildren Vietnamese.

Another woman, Vo Thi Hoa, 64, said her family could not afford to send her grandchildren to school, and they were now 5 years old.

Hoa had heard about Sons free classes and sent them to attend. After three months, her grandchildren were able to read, but more importantly, they became more polite and nicer to other people.

Sons husband, Luong Ut, said she loved teaching so much that he did not stop her classes.

She is more than 70 years old now. Im afraid that she might be tired after teaching, Ut said.

Son said she would keep teaching until she could not do it any longer.

The class does not make me tired. It makes me happy, she said.

Every morning, she wakes up early and goes to the market. Once she returns, she teaches from 7 until 10am or longer, and then cooks lunch.

After lunch, she reads the newspaper and takes a nap. After dinner, she visits the pagoda.

This routine helps me keep my peace of mind and stay healthy, Son said, adding that she was healthy enough to keep teaching and helping poor children.

On Sunday, the children are off, but I still think of them, Son said. VNS





GLOSSARY

For 71-year-old retired teacher Vo Thi Son, teaching and going to the pagoda every day are important routines to stay healthy and enjoy peace of mind.

Someone who has retired has stopped working because they have reached a certain age.

Routines are things you do at the same time every day, week or month.

She has been offering free classes to poor children at her residence Chau Van Liem Ward in O Mon District, Can Tho City for over 40 years.

Your residence is your home.

As a primary school teacher at the time, she was concerned about the poor children living around her home who could not go to school because their families could not afford it.

To be concerned means to be worried about and involved in a problem.

Some of the children did not have a birth certificate, which prevented them from getting admission to public school.

To be prevented means to be stopped.

Determined to help them, Son started a class for the poor children to attend in the afternoons at her home.

To be determined means to want to do something and to not give up in your efforts

It becomes quiet when the children have to follow her dictation or take an exam.

Her dictation is her talking.

Some of my former students donate money, so I can buy tables, benches and other teaching materials for my free classes, Son said.

Donate means give.

She was also impressed by a female student who suffered from a mental disorder.

To be impressed means to think highly of someone, or something.

A mental disorder is a problem someone has to live with that is to do with the way their brain thinks and therefore possibly their behaviour too.

I was very patient with her, Son said, adding that a few months later, the student was able to read.

To be patient means to be able to wait.

My father is a porter, and my mother sells lottery tickets.

A porter is someone who carries things for someone else .

WORKSHEET

State whether the following sentences are true, or false:

Viet Nams Teachers Day is on December 20. Vo Thi Son clearly remembers every single one of her students. Vo Thi Son is married to Luong Ut. Vo Thi Son likes to read the newspaper. If it rains, nobody has a problem hearing Vo Thi Sons voice as the raindrops fall on an iron roof.

ANSWERS:

 Duncan Guy/Learn the News/ Viet Nam News 2018

1. False; 2. False; 3. True; 4. True; 5. False.
BERLIN  No Vietnamese citizen was confirmed among the victims in the car crash in Munster city in the German west state of Nordrhein-Westfalen as of 10pm on Saturday (local time), according to the Embassy of Viet Nam in Germany.

Two people died and 20 others were left injured, including six critically, after a mini-bus was driven at high speed into a crowd in Munster city earlier the same day, said local police, adding that the driver killed himself with a gun.

The embassy said it had been working closely with German authorities and the overseas Vietnamese community in Germany to determine if any overseas Vietnamese person was affected.

According to State Minister of Internal Affairs Herbert Reul, the driver is believed to be a German national, 49, who was not an extremist and had mental issues.

However, a terrorist attack was not ruled out. Security has been tightened in Munster and other cities.  VNS
CAN THO  Officials from Ha Giang Province met with their counterparts in Can Tho City in the Cuu Long (Mekong) Delta last Friday to promote the tourism potential of the northeastern province.

Speaking at the conference, Nguyen Van Son, chairman of the Ha Giang Provinces Peoples Committee, said that most tourists in Ha Giang are interested in natural landscapes, cuisine, festivals and the diverse cultures of its 19 ethnic groups.

The Colours of Ha Giang Province conference was attended by representatives of the Viet Nam National Administration of Tourism, Viet Nam Tourism Association, and the Mekong Delta Tourism Association, as well as many officials of delta provinces.

In the first quarter of this year, the province welcomed 270,000 tourists, including 60,000 international tourists.

Total revenue from tourism was more than VN226 billion (US$9.9 million), an increase of 17 per cent year-on-year.

By 2020, Ha Giang targets having tourism as one of its key economic sectors. In recent years, the province has created favourable conditions to attract investment, and has reformed administrative procedures in the tourism sector.

The number of tourists from the Mekong Delta region to Ha Giang has increased significantly in recent years. More than 400,000 tourists from the southern region visited the province last year.

However, Son said that Ha Giang had yet to meet its tourism potential.

Le Van Tam, vice chairman of the Can Tho Citys Peoples Committee, said the city would be willing to work with Ha Giang Province to promote tourism in the mountainous province. VNS
by Thu Anh

Veteran and young actors of private troupes in HCM City are preparing for participation in the National Professional Drama Festival 2018, which will be launched by the culture ministrys Department of Performing Arts in the city next month.

Hong Van Drama Troupe, one of HCM Citys leading private drama troupes, will stage Chau Ve Hop Pho (Reunion), a play on the Mau Than Offensive in the spring of 1968.

The 60-minute play features South Vietnamese liberation soldiers and their stories during and after the campaign, which occurred during the American War.

It portrays Chau and his wife, Pho, both Sai Gon residents, who awaken to revolutionary ideas. Chau moves to the north to join the Viet Nam Peoples Army, and Pho works as a secret agent in Sai Gon.

Both meet in the battle of Sai Gon in January, when the South Viet Nam liberation forces attacked the US Embassy.

My play tells true stories about the war, said director Meritorious Artist Tran Minh Ngoc.

Ngoc, who has more than 50 years in the industry, asked his young actors to research books, documents and films on the offensive by both Vietnamese and foreign filmmakers.

I wanted my production to be lively and to help young audiences learn as much about the countrys history and what Vietnamese generations fought for.

I hope young audiences will learn valuable things about war and peace after watching, said the 80-year-old.

The play, involving more than 70 actors, will be staged for free for students in 20 universities and colleges after the festival.

The TKC Drama Club will send its new play on young volunteers to compete at the festival.

Mot Thoi e Nho (A Time to Remember) portrays the lives of members of HCM City Young Volunteer Force who worked in remote areas in southern provinces during the 1980s.

"We wanted to spotlight the brave volunteers remarkable work for building our homeland after war, said the plays female director Trinh Kim Chi, owner of the troupe.

Chi spent VN120 million (US$6,000) to create costumes and dazzling sound and light effects.

To highlight the plays theme, she used revolutionary songs such as Co Gai Mo uong (Young Female Volunteers Maintain the Roads), Em La Thanh Nien Xung Phong (Young Volunteer) and Em O Nong Truong Em Ra Bien Gioi (Working at a Farm, Going to the Border), written by famous musicians Xuan Giao, Quynh Hop and Trinh Cong Son, respectively.
by Vuong Bach Lien

Dr Tran Thi Nguyen Ny is a professor and researcher at the HCM City Medicine and Pharmacy University. Last month she was awarded the noble Youth Award of the Group of Francophone Embassies, Delegations and Institutions in Viet Nam (GADIF) at the official ceremony of International Francophone Day 2018. She was honoured for her important contributions to the promotion of the French language, to the development of the Francophonie and in particular for her brilliant career despite her young age.

Meeting Ny for the first time you cant not be impressed.

With her bright eyes, sweet voice, charming smile, and looks that defy her age, its hard to believe she is already 37 years old.

And you can add modesty to her many charms. "I only did my job" was her reaction to winning the GADIF Youth Award.

Rewind 20 years, and Ny was a student at the Odonto-Stomatology faculty of the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

It was there she first learned French, a language she loves so much she still uses it in her work and studies today.

In 2011, at only 30 years old, Ny received her PhD degree in Odonto-Stomatology at the prestigious Aix Marseille University in France but decided to come back to work at the HCM City University of Medicine and Pharmacy.

Over the last seven years, she has been in charge of the Francophone Training Programme of the Odonto-Stomatology faculty at her university.

And if running that department isnt enough, she still finds time to teach dental science to students and coordinate activities between her faculty and universities in France.

Those activities, being supported by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF or Francophone Universities Association), the French Embassy in Viet Nam, and several French universities, include the graduate training programmes to Vietnamese dentists, a summer course for French students in HCM City, and important scientific conferences with leading francophone experts of odonto-stomatology.

Nys contribution to those activities has been huge.

"I had the chance to collaborate with Ny between 2011 and 2015 while I was head of AUFs HCM City office, said Regis Martin, administrator of AUF in Asia-Pacific region.

Together, we worked to revive and strengthen the francophone training in odonto-stomatology in her faculty.

This has made it possible to attract a growing number of students thanks to an international recognition and to make her faculty shine within the French-speaking university community.

But apart from this success in inter-university cooperation, it was above all a pleasure to work with this young, brilliant, dynamic, French-speaking scientist devoted to the success of her students and her university.
with chef Patrick Ho from Fortuna Hanoi Hotel

This cake was created in 1910 by pastry chef Louis Durand, upon request from the organiser of a bicycle race between Paris and Brest. The cake has a large ring shape representing a bicycle wheel. Nowadays, the legendary Paris-Brest can be found in all French patisseries and is one of the most popular desserts in the country.

Ingredients: serves 8

For the Pastry Wreath:

 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

 1 tsp sugar (optional)

 1/2 tsp salt

 1 cup all purpose flour

 4 large eggs, plus 1 large egg for egg wash

For Filling and Decorating:

 1 1/2 cup heavy cream

 3 tsp confectioners sugar, plus more for dusting

 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

For Pastry Cream:

Purchase or prepare 3  cups according to a recipe of your choice. One is available at incredibleegg.org.

Chef Patrick Ho

Method:

- Make the pastry wreath: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Celsius. Trace a 9-inch circle onto a sheet of parchment. Flip the parchment, making sure pencil mark is still visible, and place on a baking sheet.

- In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in the flour until combined.

- Return pan to medium-high heat and cook, stirring vigorously, until mixture pulls away from the sides and a film forms on the bottom of the pan, about 3 minutes.

- Remove from heat and transfer contents to a bowl to cool slightly, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition, and wait until each is entirely incorporated before adding the next egg. Use immediately.

- Transfer pate a choux dough to a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain round tip. Pipe a tiny dot under each corner of parchment, pressing to adhere parchment to baking sheet. Then pipe dough, tracing outline, into sixteen 1 3/4-inch mounds, holding pastry bag upright and keeping pressure consistent.

- Whisk remaining egg with pinch salt. Brush egg over top of pastry wreath.

- Bake until pastry just starts to puff, about 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees Celsius. Bake until pastry is fully puffed and golden brown, about 30 minutes.

- Turn oven off, remove wreath, and pierce top and sides about eight times using the tip of a sharp knife to release steam. Return to oven, and prop door open with a wooden spoon. Let stand for 1 hour to dry.

- Transfer pastry wreath on parchment to a wire rack. Let cool completely.

- Fill and decorate the pastry wreath: Whisk heavy cream, confectioners sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Separate pastry wreath into top and bottom halves using a serrated knife.

- Spread about 1 1/2 cups pastry cream over bottom ring. Pipe whipped cream in a swirl using 1/2-inch closed star tip. Reposition top pieces of pastry wreath over filling. Dust with confectioners sugar.

Presentation:

Once cooled, unfilled pastry wreath can be frozen, wrapped well with plastic wrap, for up to 1 month. Thaw before using, and crisp in a 350 degrees Celsius oven for about 15 minutes; let cool completely before filling.

You can enjoy the dish at Fortuna Hotel Hanoi, 6B Lang Ha St, Ba inh Dist, Ha Noi. Tel: (84  4) 3831 3333  6435/6437/6413. Website: pr@fortuna.gvn | fortuna.vn.
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CanJam returned to Singapore for the 3rd time, featuring over 100 brands showcasing their latest and upcoming products at the ballroom of Pan Pacific Hotel. The VRZone team headed down on a fine Saturday afternoon to bring you the latest from the audio industry.

Beyer

The most prominent booth right near the entrance, Beyerdynamic brought in a trio of their latest wireless headphones.

The Aventho Wireless is a wireless on-ear headphone first released last year. Based on the older T51p, the Aventho wireless features Beyerdynamics signature Tesla drivers, giving it a typical Beyer sound signature: very warm sounding with amazing mids and lows. The right earcup features touch controls, allowing to pause, play, change volume, or skip a track with just a swipe or two.

There was also a wireless version of Beyerdyanmics Xelento in-ear headphones. The highly acclaimed Xelento, at 999USD, costs more than many multi-driver IEMs, yet its single Tesla-driver offered amazing performance that more than justifies its price. The Bluetooth version replaces the normal MMCX cable with one that has a Bluetooth antenna and battery pack. It supports Qualcomms AptX HD, which allows for streaming of high resolution files over Bluetooth with no loss in quality.

Last but not least, Beyerdynamic also showcased the Amiron Wireless, an as-yet unreleased wireless over-ear headphone. It offered a very similar sound signature to the Aventho Wireless, but with a slightly deeper bass and wider soundstage. Isolation, however, was not as good, as we were still able to hear a lot of the surrounding noise even with the music turned up. This could be solved by having a tighter headband, but whether Beyerdynamic will take such a route with the final product remains to be seen.

Focal

French audio brand Focal also brought a range of wireless headphones, and we got the try their Listen Wireless. The Listen Wireless has a smooth and solid midrange, reproducing vocals beautifully. Unlike other manufacturers, Focal stuck to using buttons to manage the power, connection and volume. While not as intuitive as swiping and tapping on the earcups, the solid feeling of the buttons did give a nice tactile feedback when pressed. One main issue with the Listen Wireless is its mostly plastic construction. Although it feels pretty solid, it made the headphones feel cheap and not as premium as those with a metal construction.

Astell & Kern

Moving on to audio players, we got to try both the Astell & Kern Kann and SP1000.

Starting off with the Kann, we were immediately impressed with the sound quality. The Kann was one of the clearest audio players we have heard thus far. It has a sound signature best described as warm, with emphasis on the mid to low end.

The Kann is an all-rounded audio player, accepting both microSD and full-sized SD cards for expanded storage, USB-C for charging, and a microUSB input which allows you to use it as a portable DAC or Amp for your other devices.

Trying the SP1000 next, we were blown away by the huge leap in sound quality. The SP1000 is far and away the best portable audio player weve heard thus far. This should not be surprising, considering its 4999SGD price tag, making it one of the most expensive portable audio players money can buy. It has levels of clarity and resolution that is guaranteed to amaze any audiophile, and it has to be heard to be believed.

Fiio

Moving back to looking at more affordable equipment, we took a look at some of Fiios latest products.

The Q1 Mark II is a relatively-affordable Amp and DAC combo that one can use with any device such as a phone or laptop. (Many things seem affordable after a trip to Astell & Kern!) It has dual outputs: a normal 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a balanced 2.5mm output. With a solid metal construction, the Q1 has the feeling of a premium device, and has the sound quality to match.

Fiio also showed off their BTR1 wireless Amp and DAC. With many phones increasingly dropping their headphone jacks, the market for wireless DAC/Amp combos is certainly one to watch, as consumers can now try to extract a higher sound quality from their devices with high-res files and a high-end wireless DAC/Amp, in contrast to the past where most people stick to whatever DAC and Amp was built into their phones. As opposed to using a USB-C or Lightning to 3.5mm dongle, the BTR1 offered a superior sound quality, due to the use of better DAC and Amp chips than the ones you would find built into a dongle.

AAW

Last but not least, the VRZone team made a stop at local audio brand Advanced Acoustic Werkes, better known by their acronym AAW. We got to try the new AAW Pola, a cutting-edge IEM with a built-in electro-static driver. Due to the additional circuits needed to power the electro-static driver, the Pola is harder to drive than most headphones, requiring me to turn up the volume on my portable amp significantly higher. The sound quality though, was really impressive. The electrostatic driver showed off its ability in the mids to high range, reproducing vocals and instrumental sounds with levels of clarity that beat the dynamic and balanced armature drivers found in most other IEMs.

Final Thoughts

Walking around the main show floor of CanJam 2018, it is not too hard to see the direction that consumer audio is heading towards. Most manufacturers, from DAP-producers to major headphone brands, are increasingly touting the wireless capabilities of their devices. With Apple and Google removing the headphone jacks from their phones, many headphone manufacturers are rushing to get more wireless headphones compatible with these devices to the market, each trying to differentiate their products by sound quality or support for different codecs.

High-end audio equipment, however, remain predominantly wired. As much as the quality of wireless audio has improved over the past few years, there remains a huge gap to the sound quality that audiophiles expect compared to that of the typical consumer. Many audio brands are now trying bridge this gap, offering consistently more expensive and better sounding headphones. Only time will tell if audiophiles will ever jump onto the wireless bandwagon.
In what was billed as a victory for the school choice community, the Every Student Succeeds Act allowed districts to apply for a weighted student funding pilot. But for now, it doesnt look like most of the five districts that want to participate in the first year of the pilot , the 2018-19 school year, are planning to use the flexibility to lay the groundwork for new school choice programs.

Heres how the pilot works: Participating districts can combine federal, state, and local dollars into a single funding stream tied to individual students. English-language learners, kids in poverty, students in special educationin short, students who cost more to educatewould carry with them more money than other students.

In theory, adopting a weighted student-funding formula could make it easier for districts to operate school choice programs, since money would be tied to individual students and could therefore follow them to charter or virtual public schools. (The money could not be used at private schools, however.)

That could be why choice fansespecially the Trump administrationwere initially really excited about the pilots potential to further students public school options. The Thomas B. Fordham Institute published an analysis last year by Matthew Joseph of the Foundation for Excellence in Education exploring how the pilot could be used as a vehicle for choice . And Jason Botel, who is the acting assistant secretary for elementary and secondary education at the U.S. Department of Education, gave the pilot a high-profile shout-out early in his tenure.

But for now, most districts appear to be thinking of the pilot as a means to make sure disadvantaged students get their fair of funding. Three districts that are applyingCalifornias Wilsona School District, Oregons Salem-Kaizer School District 24J, and Pennsylvanias Upper Adams School Districtdont have school choice programs in the works, district representatives said.

Equalizing funding is what we are looking at, said Joseph L. Albin, the director of curriculum, instruction, & Assessment for the Upper Adams School District, a 1,700-student district in rural, southern Pennsylvania, where about about half the kids qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. We are hoping to serve a greater amount of kids at the same school and be able to provide equity to all students, not just the ones who are needy but dont qualify.

One of the districts applyingIndianapolisalready has a school choice program, and uses a similar, student-based formula to distribute its state and local dollars. But participating in the pilot isnt a way to bolster the districts existing choice program or create a new one, said Carrie Cline Black, a district spokeswoman.

Indianapolis Public Schools has been working for two years toward greater flexibility in school funding for our school principals, she said in an email. We took a giant step toward that this year by adopting and applying [a weighted formula]. We see this federal pilot as another way for us to walk the talk and provide even greater flexibility to our school leaders, while also helping to educate the DOE about the benefits of weighted student funding in pushing greater student outcomes.

But there could be one applicant who has school choice in mind: Puerto Rico. The islands school system was recently ravaged by Hurricane Maria, leading to widespread educational disruption. In response, Gov. Ricardo Rossello signed into law legisation that would create new alianza schools very similar to charters. The U.S. territorys participation in the pilot, if its approved, could enable those efforts. The Puerto Rico Department of Education did not respond to requests for more information before deadline.

This doesnt mean, of course, that the pilot wont eventually lay the groundwork for choice. The department has set up a second deadline in July for districts that want to get going in 2019-20 school year . And while only 50 districts can participate in the initial rounds of the pilot, the feds could open it up to more down the line.

Image: Getty Images

Want to learn more about the Every Student Succeeds Act? Heres some useful information:

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Living Gospel Equality Now: Loving in the Heart of God: Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests
For those who need to hear this today; you got this. You will get through whatever terrible thing is currently occupying your mind. It will pass. Time is a...

4 weeks ago
Two Deputy Jailers Resign, One Placed on Leave

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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Apr. 06, 2018 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Apr. 06, 2018 | 06:54 AM | PADUCAH, KY

The two highest ranking deputy jailers in the McCracken County jail have resigned, and another charged with 33 counts of prescription fraud has been placed on unpaid leave.



McCracken County Commissioner Bill Bartleman says the Fiscal Court was notified by email from Jailer Tonya Ray that Melinda Keown and David Walls have resigned.



Bartleman says when the Fiscal Court asked Ray to resign, one commissioner wanted to ask these two to resign as well, but it was decided such a request was not in their purview.



Bartleman says putting another deputy jailer, Lisa Kaylor, who was recently arrested for prescription fraud, on unpaid leave was the right decision.



"I think people are innocent until they're proven guilty, but I think working in a jail situation it's good for her to either be temporarily removed or moved to another position where she doesn't have contact with the inmates. You have inmates in there who are charged with crimes, and you have somebody supervising who is charged with crimes, and that can cause difficulty." Bartleman said.



Ray is also facing a felony perjury charge stemming from testimony she gave during a hearing in October regarding former Deputy Jailer Ben Green, saying the facility did not have a procedure manual that outlined proper inmate classification procedures, a claim that prosecutors say was false.
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Posted 4/7/18

Horses of Hope will hold its second annual indoor tack swap from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 21, at the Horses of Hope barn, 55 Kelly Road, Buffalo.People may reserve booth spaces now, and 
Jason Cowley in New Statesman:

One summer afternoon in 1997, on assignment for the Times, I visited Bryan Magee at his flat in Kensington, west London. I read philosophy at university in the late 1980s and my understanding of the subject was transformed through watching Magees BBC Two series The Great Philosophers (1987) and then reading the subsequent book adapted from it. He is unsurpassed in the postwar period in Britain as a populariser of philosophy, and I learned more from the 15 episodes of that series as well as the book than from any lecture or seminar I attended. It achieved, as the philosopher and biographer Ray Monk has written, the near-impossible feat of presenting to a mass audience the recondite issues of philosophy without the loss either of accessibility or intellectual integrity. The format was extraordinarily simple. Magee sat alongside an eminent philosopher (two boffins on a sofa was how the Guardians witty TV critic Nancy Banks-Smith described the set-up in a favourable review) and together they interrogated the work of one of the greats: Plato, Aristotle, Descartes, Hume, Kant, Wittgenstein, and so on. Magee asked the questions and clarified or summarised the replies. The series was revelatory  at least to me. So, this is how to read and talk about philosophy!

Magee and I chatted for a couple of hours that afternoon as bright sunshine streamed through the high windows of his sitting room. What I liked about his approach was his willingness to demystify philosophical problems by demonstrating that they were not theoretical but existential  about the nature of reality, encountered in the course of living. Yet as I prepared to leave that afternoon, Magee, who through choice lived alone having once been briefly married, said something that Ive never forgotten. I get the impression, he said, that you feel I am lonely and unfulfilled. There was some truth in this: he did seem unfulfilled, and not because he lived alone. There was something restless in his manner: an irritable reaching after fact and reason, as Keats wrote in a different context. And hed never committed himself fully to one discipline, preferring instead to occupy many different public roles as a broadcaster, politician, teacher, author and poet. And he told me  he was 67 at the time  that he believed himself still to be capable of doing great things. He used a German word to describe how he felt about his own potential, Machtgefuhl. Macht = power, Gefuhl = feeling or sense. So, in broad translation, Machtgefuhl: a feeling of or having a sense of power. I have also seen the word translated as feeling of superiority (even though I havent seen macht translated as superiority).

As an impressionable younger man, I was pretty impressed by what Magee had achieved already. What more could he do or have done? Why even now such restlessness and vaulting ambition? In his book, Confessions of a Philosopher (1997), which is a history of Western philosophy told through his own intellectual journey, Magee offers what could be a partial answer to these questions when he describes how in his late thirties, despite having a passionate attachment to life, he was driven to the edge of mental illness, even suicide, by metaphysical terror. He learned to control his terror, which, though he did not say so, recalled Blaise Pascals fear of immensity of spaces which I know not and which know not me, through reading the writings of others, notably Arthur Schopenhauer. I think the feeling of meaninglessness is worst of all, worse than the fear of death itself, Magee said. The feeling that nothing matters, that theres no point to anything. Certainly, I have experiences, in the forms of extreme existential terror, states of mind that bordered on the intolerable.

More here.
Simina Mistreanu in Foreign Policy:

Rongcheng was built for the future. Its broad streets and suburban communities were constructed with an eye to future expansion, as the city sprawls on the eastern tip of Chinas Shandong province overlooking the Yellow Sea. Colorful billboards depicting swans bank on the birds  one of the citys tourist attractions  returning there every winter to escape the Siberian cold.

In an attempt to ease bureaucracy, the city hall, a glass building that resembles a flying saucer, has been fashioned as a one-stop shop for most permits. Instead of driving from one office to another to get their paperwork in order, residents simply cross the gleaming corridors to talk to officials seated at desks in the open-space area.

At one of these stations, Rongcheng residents can pick up their social credit score.

In what it calls an attempt to promote trustworthiness in its economy and society, China is experimenting with a social credit system that mixes familiar Western-style credit scores with more expansive  and intrusive  measures. It includes everything from rankings calculated by online payment providers to scores doled out by neighborhoods or companies. High-flyers receive perks such as discounts on heating bills and favorable bank loans, while bad debtors cannot buy high-speed train or plane tickets.

By 2020, the government has promised to roll out a national social credit system. According to the systems founding document, released by the State Council in 2014, the scheme should allow the trustworthy to roam everywhere under heaven while making it hard for the discredited to take a single step.

More here.
A national environment organization says Salt Lake City is a rising star in solar energy development, as Utah's capital city has seen the number of completed projects grow from dozens in 2007 to hundreds in 2017.

On Wednesday, Environment America ranked the city No. 10 among its "Solar Stars" in terms of megawatts of solar energy used per capita last year compared to 70 other U.S. cities.

"Solar is booming," said Tyler Poulson, sustainability program manager for the city.

According to the rankings, Salt Lake City rises above other major cities including Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and San Francisco, but is eclipsed by Honolulu, Las Vegas and Denver.

"We've seen solar grow a lot within city limits, primarily on residential rooftops," Poulson said.

Poulson's department submitted city data from last year to Environment America, which used the data to determine Salt Lake City's ranking.

The citywide numbers show exponential growth in solar energy over the past 15 years. In 2009, 40 solar projects were completed as compared to 677 in 2017; 645 of those new solar installations were residential, and 32 belonged to commercial projects, Poulson said.

"There's kind of this even broader story about Utah generally. We're still one of the top 10 solar states," Poulson explained.

The Solar Energy Industries Association ranks Utah eighth nationally in its solar energy usage. According to statistics from the association, more than 6,000 people in the state work in the solar energy industry.

"I think that solar's been very visible in Utah for the past few years and has grown very quickly," said Kate Bowman, solar project coordinator for Utah Clean Energy.

She believes several factors have contributed to this trend, including a state tax credit first enacted in 2001 for residential and commercial properties.

The state Legislature recently reinstated the residential solar tax credit, giving households $1,600 in nonrefundable tax credit that will slowly decrease until it is phased out in 2025, according to the Governor's Office of Energy Development website.

There is also a 30 percent federal tax credit for residential renewable energy that will decrease until it expires in 2021.

Poulson said Salt Lake City officials believe these tax incentives, though they won't last forever, "provide a reasonable glide path for sustained solar development."

Scott Cramer, president of Salt Lake-based residential solar energy equipment installer Go Solar Group, said solar energy "fits the mentality" of many people in the community.

"Residential solar power is one of the best ways to reverse the air quality issues that Salt Lake City faces," he explained. "The Salt Lake City demographic loves to take control of its surroundings and the outdoors, and Utahns owning the power they produce via solar jives with that lifestyle."

The Beehive State has seen "steady growth" in renewable energy over the past decade.

"I think that there are a lot of exciting things happening in the clean energy industry right now," Bowman said.

The cost of solar energy is falling, and new clean energy technologies "can work together" to modernize how we use electricity, she explained.

The Salt Lake City sustainability program manager agrees.

Improved technologies, falling costs and education have led to what Poulson sees as "a pretty clear signal that residents prefer clean, renewable energy."

"People want more wind, and they want more solar. There's just a strong social preference for renewable energy," he said.

"We envision solar continuing to grow, more and more rooftops to have solar panels going forward, and we're certainly encouraging that. ...We're cheering on what's happening," he said.

The city is working with Rocky Mountain Power to find ways to add "more large-scale renewable resources" to the grid and hopes to have 100 percent renewable energy for the community's electricity supply by 2032, Poulson added.

Rocky Mountain Power is reducing the output of its other sources of energy - including hydroelectric plants, coal plants and natural gas plants - to make room for solar energy, according to Dave Eskelsen, a spokesman for the company.

Rocky Mountain Power has invested in a solar power plant and has contracts with other solar power plant owners in the state.

Low-cost solar energy has helped Rocky Mountain adjust the output of its power plants.

"It's becoming a bigger part of our resource mix than ever before, and we think that will continue," Eskelsen added.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A federal court jury has awarded $10 million in damages to a California man who spent six years in prison before his murder conviction was thrown out.

Jamal Trulove accused four San Francisco police officers of framing him for a 2007 killing at a public housing complex.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports jurors on Friday found the two lead homicide inspectors on the case had violated Trulove's rights by fabricating evidence against him and withholding evidence that might have helped him. The panel found no wrongdoing by two other officers.

Alex Reisman, an attorney for Trulove, says the 33-year-old was in tears after the verdict.

A state appeals court overturned Trulove's conviction in 2014. A second trial resulted in a jury acquittal a year later.

John Cote, spokesman for City Attorney Dennis Herrera, said the verdict was disappointing.








A footage filmed five months prior to Princess Diana's death revealed that she caught Prince Charles engaging in phone sex with his mistress, Camilla, in the bathroom.

According to The Sun, an unnamed BBC cameraman was summoned by Diana, to Kensington Palace in March 1997.

The allegations were heard in a 12-hour footage, where Diana explained how she had caught Charles talking to Camilla, claiming she was the "raunchier of the two".

The anonymous cameraman had a diary of the recordings where he wrote:She caught Charles and Camilla de flagrante after listening in to his phone calls.

She described how she came to listen to their phone calls. In one, Charles was sitting on the toilet seat when she caught him.

The secret cameraman who made the 10-minute segments recording revealed that she said she would do everything possible to make sure Charles never became King.

She wanted William to succeed to the throne when the Queen died. Diana clearly saw her role as the power behind William, he continued.

She had this somewhat romantic idea of being a king-maker, the mother behind the monarch.

The tape also reveals that Diana said Charles was unperturbed by her affair with James Hewitt despite knowing, as it "gave him freedom".

A fee of 5,000 was paid to the cameraman for the recording session, and he bought two untraceable phones to avoid eavesdropping by the Secret Service.

While the exact location of the recordings are still unknown, The Sun reported on Sunday that the tapesalongside tapes from the Settelen sessionsmay have been discovered following a police raid on Paul Burrell's house, Diana's butler.

In the Settelen recordings, Diana claims Charles told her he refused to be the only Prince of Wales who never had a mistress.

Recorded in 1992 and 1993, the controversial tapes aired in America in 1995, with clips were she describes how Charles pestered her with chats when they first met.

He leapt on me and started kissing me and I thought,Urgh, He was all over me for the rest of the evening, following me around like a puppy. Yes, I was flattered but I was very puzzled, she said.

Settelen was handed the tapes after a legal battle with the Spencers.








Comedian Jason Manford has been accused of engaging in "sleazy" phone sex with a young womanjust five weeks before marrying Lucy Dyke on December 23.

According to The Sun, after his performance at Torquay's Babbacombe Theater on November 18, the single mother left him a gift plus her business card. Jason, 36, reportedly exchanged a series of sexually explicit messages, before making a 15-minute call to say "I'll be your naughty boy."

The report says that the father-of-four continued the conversation on Facebook Messenger, but on a more private version which encrypts conversations before deleting them.

The anonymous 30-year-old woman claimed that Manford complimented her after she told him she admired his hilarious stand-up routine, so much that she suffered "jawache" from laughter.

Perfect. Love giving girls jawache, haha, he allegedly replied.

When she also joked that he was always caught in sex scandal, Manfordwho was removed from BBC's One Show for sending explicit messages on Twitter in 2010replied: Always, every f***ing time. I mean literally, f***ing joke.

What the f*** am I doing? Why am I even ringing you? she claims he said, before saying, Ive got wifi and everything, I could just totally get porn and happy days.

He also reportedly accused her of being a 'flirt', and equally performing a solo sex act during the 15-minute chat.

The woman claims that he told her he wanted to have sex with her, inquiring if she'd like to visit his hotel room before confessing to chatting and w****** with lots of female fans.

Manford got married to his girlfriend Lucy in his hometown at Manchesters Town Hall weeks later in the midst of family and friendsjetting-off to Dubai afterwards for their honeymoon.

The fan, who pled anonymity, claims she wasn't aware he was married.

I follow his comedy but not his private life, she told The Sun. Then when I saw he had only just got married I was horrified.

In 2010, while still married to ex-wife Catherine, Manford was at the center of a controversy that made him quit BBC's One Show after sending explicit messages to a Twitter fan.

He claimed she forgave him saying: I am a good dad, a good husband. From now I am going to be one forever.

However, he was caught sending sexual content to another fan on Facebook two years later.
Posted 4/7/18

Citizens Memorial Hospital will host its next Parkinsons Support Group at noon Tuesday, April 17, in the conference room on the first floor of the Kerry and Synda Douglas Medical Center, 1155 W. 
Turkey's Orthodox Community Celebrates Easter

The Orthodox Christian community in Turkey celebrated the Easter holiday by holding rituals and masses in churches across the country on Saturday and Sunday. Christian residents of Hatay and surrounding districts took part in the Easter Vigil at the Orthodox Church in Iskenderun district, where Pastor Dimitri Yildirim delivered a message of brotherhood and peace during his speech at the celebration. As part of the celebration, the church was decorated with lights and candles. A church service was held at the Sveti Georgie Bulgarian Church in western Edirne province's Kiyik district. Bulgarian Consul General Vasil Valchev and Greek Consul General Sotiria Theocharidi participated in the ceremony, reports said. In the historical southeastern Mardin province, Assyrian residents also celebrated the holiday with a special ceremony, where they prayed for the unity of Turkey. Families arrived at the Kirklar Church located in central Mardin and offered prayers, while choruses made up of girls and boys recited hymns in Turkish, Arabic, Hebrew and Syriac. Muslim residents congratulated their neighbors after the church service, reports said. Easter, marked on April 1 by Western Christians and April 8 by Eastern Orthodox Christians, marks the crucifixion of Jesus and his resurrection three days later.
Jacksonville State University has released a series of security videos showing the moment a tornado struck on March 19.

The EF-3 tornado, which cut a swath through the Calhoun County campus, severely damaging 23 buildings and impacting 50 more. It also damaged homes in the surrounding community. Most students, however, were away on spring break.

The video shows views inside and outside from Houston Cole Library, International House, the Merrill Building and Patterson Hall.

For more information on JSU recovery efforts, visit the JSU Strong website.
Barbara Murdock

Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority executive director Barbara Murdock was suspended by the Board of Directors earlier this week for allegedly paying her personal Alabama Power bill with a BJCTA credit card in September 2017, sources confirmed.

The charge totaled $477.25, sources also confirmed.

Murdock, who was suspended without pay by the BJCTA Board of Directors during a special call meeting on Tuesday, April 3, reimbursed the authority in November 2017, sources say.

The suspension is pending the results of an investigation into the potential "unauthorized use" of a BJCTA credit card, according to BJCTA attorney Deborah Walker.

The investigation has been referred to the office of state attorney general Steve Marshall, which has not yet returned messages seeking comment.

When reached by telephone on Saturday, Murdock referred all questions to her attorney, Rod Cooks.

'It's not our policy to comment on pending matters," Cooks said.

However, he added, "We will explore all avail options, including trying to get her pay reinstated."

Murdock earned an annual salary of $200,000

Murdock's photo and bio have been removed from the "Our Team" page on the BJCTA website.

After going into a 35-minute executive session, the Board voted 6-1-1 to suspend Murdock "pending a full investigation into financial matters," Board chair Ruby Davis said at the meeting.

The board similarly voted to appoint Director of Operations Christopher Ruffin as interim executive director.

Board member Patrick Sellers was the lone "no" on both votes, and has since been a vocal critic of his fellow Board members, charging them with being "novices" who did not handle the allegations properly.

Darryl Cunningham, one of two new directors who was attending his first Board meeting, abstained from both votes.

At the meeting, BJCTA attorney Deborah Walker said the use of a BJCTA credit card for personal matters "would be a violation of BJCTA policy and state law and her contract.

"Until a full investigation has been completed," she added, "I think [suspension] is the appropriate step."

Murdock, a Birmingham native, was hired in August 2016.
Two soldiers from the 101st Airborne Division's 101st Combat Aviation Brigade were killed yesterday when their helicopter crashed during training at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, base officials said.

The incident occurred around 9:50 p.m. Friday. The names of the soldiers have not been released pending notification of next of kin.

The crew was conducting routing training aboard an AH-64E Apache helicopter at the time of the incident. There were no other casualties.

"This is a day of sadness for Fort Campbell and the 101st Airborne," said Brig. Gen. Todd Royar, acting senior commander of the 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families during this difficult time."

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

The crash comes after a deadly period for the U.S. military. On March 14, two Navy aviators were killed when their F/A-18F Super Hornet crashed in Florida. The next day, seven airmen were killed when their HH-60 Pave Hawk went down in Iraq. On April 3, a Marine Corps CH-53E Super Stallion helicopter crashed in California, killing all four on board. On April 4, a member of the Air Force Thunderbird's aerial demonstration team was killed while training in Nevada.
Gov. Kay Ivey said she is consulting with Alabama's military leaders to determine if the state has adequate National Guard resources to send troops to the U.S./Mexico border if requested by the White House.

Ivey said she will determine if the guard has enough resources to carry out its mission within the state before deciding if they could assist with border patrol efforts. She added, however, "Alabama has a long history of supporting our military and supporting our country in times of need."

Texas and Arizona have already sent personnel and equipment to assist with Trump's efforts. However, several other states, including Montana and Nevada, each led by GOP governors, said they won't supply personnel.

President Donald Trump announced plans last week to send as many as 4,000 National Guard troops to the border to stem the ride of illegal immigration.

"The lawlessness that continues at our southern border is fundamentally incompatible with the safety, security, and sovereignty of the American people," Trump wrote in a proclamation announcing the decision.

There is precedent for Trump's decision. In 2006, President George W. Bush sent troops to assist U.S. Customs and Border protection with non-law enforcement duties. In 2010, President Barack Obama sent about 1,200 troops to the border as part of anti-drug smuggling efforts.
Michael Garrison was looking out the window, and what he saw wasn't good.

Garrison was 22 years old, fresh out of college with a degree in meteorology and a few months away from starting work at the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

It was April 8, 1998, a Wednesday night. Garrison was getting ready to leave church in Sylvan Springs, a town just west of Birmingham.

And an F5 tornado was lurking a few miles away.

Remember, it was 1998, 20 years ago. Before smartphones. Before Facebook. Before Twitter.

"Back in the late '90s you didn't have social media, you had a weather radio or you had those sirens," Garrison, who is still with the weather service in Birmingham, said Friday.

"You had TV, but if you were at church or something you weren't watching TV, obviously. You could be unaware that something was heading right to you, even if you were aware that the conditions were correct."

And the conditions were correct. Central and north Alabama were under the rarely used "high" risk for severe weather issued by NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

The severe weather risk areas for April 8, 1998. (Storm Prediction Center)

Forecasters had been warning that conditions were ripe for tornadoes, including strong ones, Garrison said.

"It wasn't a huge outbreak, nothing like April 27th (2011), but it only took that one, and it was a massive one," he said.

One of the things that immediately caught his attention that night was the lightning. Lightning like he had never seen before.

"The amount of lightning ... it was incredible. Just constant ground stroke after cloud-to-ground stroke. Nonstop. It was pretty amazing," he said.

And then, as the storm got even closer, it got loud.

Really loud.

"I remember sitting in the church building ... the outdoor siren was just across the road, and we had the windows open because we were looking outside," he said.

"And those things are so loud, the sirens. And you could just barely hear that outdoor siren and it was just across the street. That was one of the things that stood out in my mind."

Garrison didn't know it for sure at the time, but he was only a few miles away from a massive tornado -- an F5, the most powerful -- that was moving through his town.

A tornado with winds estimated at more than 260 mph at its peak. A tornado that would go on to kill 32 people. Injure 250. Destroy 1,000 homes and significantly damage 900.

According to the weather service at that time it was most significant tornado to hit Alabama since 1977.

It is ranked as the third-deadliest tornado in Alabama since 1950, with only the April 27, 2011, Tuscaloosa-Jefferson EF4 and Hackleburg EF5 tornadoes surpassing it.

Alabama has sustained damage from eight F5 or EF5 tornadoes since 1950, according to data from the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

(National Weather Service)

Tornadoes in 1998 were classified using the Fujita Scale, or F-Scale, which was first developed in 1971. That was replaced by the Enhanced Fujita Scale in 2007.

The 1998 F5 tornado was the second of three produced by its "parent" storm.

It is commonly referred to as the Oak Grove tornado because it did significant damage to the community of Oak Grove and its school. But it also struck the towns of Sylvan Springs, Concord, Pleasant Grove, McDonald's Chapel and Edgewater, among others.

The paths of all three tornadoes produced by one supercell storm on April 8, 1998. (National Weather Service)

The other two tornadoes were not inconsequential. One, an F3, hit Pickens and Tuscaloosa counties to the west of where Garrison was.

That first tornado touched down at 7:01 p.m. just southeast of Gordo in eastern Pickens County and was on the ground for 17.4 miles, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.

That storm was blamed for injuring one person. It destroyed five homes and 11 mobile homes. It also damaged 24 others.

The third tornado was not quite as strong, an F2, but it was deadly. It killed two people in a mobile home in St. Clair County, east of the Birmingham metro area.

That tornado touched down just before 9 p.m. just north of Moody and was on the ground for 14.4 miles.

The weather service said that tornado destroyed 26 homes and damaged 89.

But it was the storm in the middle that was the most powerful, and deadly, the F5 that Garrison heard outside his church window.

It first touched down in eastern Tuscaloosa County on the east side of the Warrior River at 7:42 p.m. It was on the ground for more than 30 miles, according to the weather service.

Radar images from the storm. (National Weather Service)

A storm survey at the time estimated the tornado was its most intense as it reached the Concord, McDonald's Chapel and Edgewater areas in western Jefferson County.

The tornado was estimated to be a half-mile wide at that point.

It continued on a path of destruction through western Jefferson County before lifting in Pratt City in western Birmingham.

In fact, according to the weather service, when the tornado lifted it was just two or three miles from the skyscrapers of downtown Birmingham.

Sylvan Springs, among other west Jefferson communities, wasn't as lucky.

"I knew it was bad when I was sitting up there in the window; I was definitely concerned," Garrison said. "I had never seen lightning that intense, and the noise of the storm itself was so loud that I knew that something bad was happening.

"I was a few miles away, and it was so strong it was almost like it was next door. I can only imagine what those people went through. It had to be just horrifying."

A sea of flashing lights

Garrison's church escaped the storm. But did his home?

It took some time to find out. He couldn't get there by car, because of all the downed trees and power lines.

"So I had to just park there on the highway," he said. "And of course all the lights were out, there was no power, but you could see all the flashing ambulance lights and police lights."

The tornado missed Garrison's home, although the yard was littered with debris -- rafters, insulation.

Some of his relatives that lived nearby lost their houses, although they didn't sustain major injuries.

Garrison's sister also lived nearby in a mobile home, which is almost the worst place to be during a tornado.

She told him that her home trembled like it would in an earthquake as the storm passed nearby. It shook the mobile home hard enough to knock pictures off the walls.

"I can only imagine (what it was like) if you were actually in the path," he said. "Usually what you see is some sort of post-traumatic stress when you go through something like that and that's one of the impacts ... I don't think people realize how it affects some folks when they actually live through something that massive.

"If you survive one of those F5-type storms -- F4s, F5s -- and the house is crashing in on you and things like that, they really go through a lot of emotional pain."

That storm taught Garrison something else he didn't learn in meteorology school, he said.

"It's not just a story that doesn't affect you. It's not just something you study," he said. "It's real and has a real impact and real consequences for people that you actually know and care about."
Posted 4/7/18

Two men and one woman were charged in Dallas County Circuit Court with the class D felony of burglary in the second degree and the class D felony of stealing on March 28. They are accused of stealing 
Kayleigh Hart belongs to a special group of people, and her induction to the group five years ago was something she never wanted.

"Nobody wants to be in this club of grieving parent. It's not supposed to work like that," the Enterprise woman said. "You're not supposed to bury your children. They're supposed to bury you. It's the worst club no one wants to be in."

Myles Allen Hart, born after just 27 weeks of gestation, lived only about five hours on May 15, 2013. It required major efforts to even get that far as Kayleigh fought a condition called PPROM (pre-term premature rupture of the membrane) -- essentially the disappearance of amniotic fluid -- for the last seven weeks.

Myles' short life -- vicariously through Kayleigh and her family -- may make a huge impact on many others. Influenced by the support she received during the last few weeks of pregnancy, Kayleigh has organized a drive to collect blankets, snacks and funds to support families who are staying at the University of Alabama-Birmingham Women's and Infant Center -- a neonatal intensive care unit -- and Birmingham's Ronald McDonald House.

Her goal is simple.

"It's taken me five years almost, but I finally feel like I'm ready just to pass on the love -- just to let somebody else know I know you feel like you're alone in the world right now and I know you feel like the world is on your shoulders, but I'm praying for you," she said. "It's been a long five years, but I'm finally ready to put some good in front of the pain."

Myles is the first child born to Kayleigh and her husband Jonathan (a daughter named Ella Kate came later). At 18 weeks, the couple found out they were having a son -- -- a shock to Kayleigh since she swore for weeks she was having a girl.

The ultrasound revealed another surprise, though -- a somewhat concerning one.

"The next day, the doctor's office called and said 'We noticed some things that aren't normal. We're going to send you to a specialist,'" Hart said. "Not quite two weeks later, I saw the specialist. (Myles) had a few spots on his heart and on his brain. The specialist looked at him and said, 'Yes, they are abnormal, but it doesn't cause concern other than us monitoring you more closely.'"

Assured that things would be fine, Hart embraced the impending opportunity to see her boy on ultrasound more often. Two days later, everything changed.

"At 20 weeks exactly, I woke up and felt different," she said. "I had to use the restroom and I laid back down, and I just felt different ... I can't explain it . mother's intuition thing."

The ladies at her workplace encouraged her to visit the doctor. Her obstetrician, Dr. James Pollard, had been called to Medical Center Enterprise for an emergency Caesarean section, so she waited.

While she waited, other medical personnel scheduled her for an ultrasound so Pollard could read it once he finished the surgery.

"Thinking back on it now, I should have known. The girl who did the ultrasound said she needs to go back in a room," Hart said. "Dr. Pollard came in and he said, 'When we did the ultrasound, your fluid was very low -- almost gone. My water had broke that morning. Being a first-time mom, I said 'What does that mean?' because I was not in any pain, wasn't in labor."

What it meant was things were about to get extremely tense for the Harts. Without amniotic fluid, delivery at 20 weeks seemed imminent -- which would have put Myles in an impossible situation.

"(Dr. Pollard) said 'We're gonna have to admit you to the hospital, and you're going to be in the hospital until you deliver this baby,'" Hart said. "He said you'll probably deliver in the next 48 hours. He said if you deliver a baby this tiny here in Enterprise, we don't even have tubes small enough to help him, to even try life-saving measures."

When delivery did not occur within the first two days, Pollard was encouraged that Kayleigh and Myles might fight through the situation. For the Harts, they set goals of getting through the next few weeks since UAB would admit her to its hospital at 24 weeks.

"(Pollard) actually got me admitted to UAB at 23 weeks, five days," she said. "Still being a first-time mom, I thought we would be OK. We made it to UAB. Everything's going to be gravy from here."

Life in UAB's neonatal intensive care unit proved to be tough in several ways. It was countless hours of waiting, innumerable IV drips and steroid shots to strengthen Myles' lungs -- the main concern for PPROM babies -- and hundreds of encounters with the same people in similar, dire situations.

"There's four pods, and everybody's assigned a color, so you kind of become family," Hart said.

Still, few things soothe the worry parents have when their children are in danger, although some people offered bright spots.

"I was in the hospital on Mother's Day, and it was horrible," she said. "I was still pregnant at the time, but I was alone. Jonathan had left to come back (to Enterprise) to work. I had a Sunday school class -- and I think it was young kids -- that sent me pictures on Mother's Day. They colored flowers. I put them all over the room because I had been staring at the same walls forever. Wow, somebody was thinking about me."

A couple of days later, Myles made his brief appearance in the world.

"On the morning of his birthday, I was 27 weeks, so at this point he had been seven weeks with no fluid. I woke up, and something is different," she said. "I'm hurting. (I) called the nurses, they came in and checked me -- yes, you're in labor."

In the delivery room, every time Hart had a contraction, Myles' heart rate would bottom. Without amniotic fluid providing a buffer, every contraction collapsed the umbilical cord.

Doctors decided to take Myles with a C-section. At 10:55 a.m. on May 15, 2013, Myles Allen Hart was born.

"They held him up, and he was this long, lanky thing," Hart said. "He was longer than I expected. I was just expecting this tiny little (thing)."

Myles continued to show fight afterward -- just like he had during the previous seven weeks. Any time nurses hooked monitors to him before birth, he kicked them off. Several checks of his heartbeat leading up to his birth revealed a strong rhythm.

Outside the womb, he breathed on his own. Hart saw Myles for a minute before they wheeled him to the NICU.

"I was like 'Oh, my gosh. Praise Jesus! He's alive. He was born alive. We're gonna beat this,'" Hart said.

After Myles went to NICU, Jonathan got to watch him while Kayleigh recovered. Medical personnel planned to send her up to see Myles after a few hours of rest and recuperation.

At about 3 p.m., things changed rapidly.

" They called and they said 'He's not doing good. We think he's dying. You probably need to get to the NICU,'" Hart said. "I'm in the hospital bed with IVs, and I start pulling IVs out and unbuckling stuff and I'm going to the NICU."

Unfortunately, the Harts had begun initiation into the undesirable group.

" We get up there, and his lung had collapsed," Kayleigh said. "They had put in a chest tube and everything else to try to re-inflate his lung, and by that time, it had put too much pressure on his heart, and his heart rate just bottomed out. He passed away.

"He fought, but it was just too much on his little ol' body."

Kayleigh never had the chance to hold Myles while he was alive. The feeling of grief overwhelmed her.

"Every parent's worst fear is that something will happen to their child, and every parent wants to do everything in the world possible for their child," she said. "In that situation, I was helpless. There was nothing I can do for him, nothing I can do to help him, nothing I could do to save him, and I would have given my last breath for him to live. But that wasn't our story."

As tough as the hours were that followed, the quick thinking of NICU nurse Angie Barganier during that time has provided the Harts treasured memories for the last five years.

"She cleaned him up and gave him a bath and put on a little gown for him and wrapped him up," Hart said. "She made pictures for us, and we've got big, beautiful pictures in the house of him. A lot of people whose babies pass away, they don't get that. It's just there's no one there to think that far ahead.

"I've got pictures of him with tubes and stuff, but I have big beautiful portraits of him with no tubes and no needles in him or anything -- and I love it."

Barganier allowed the Harts to keep the blankets that touched Myles and the teddy bear that appeared in one of his photos. The items are stored in a keepsake box that Kayleigh reaches for at times.

"It's something tangible. When I get to having bad days, I just hold onto him," she said. "It's the closest thing I have to holding him. This is my comfort -- as much as you can get."

Barganier's actions, and those like the church group that sent her Mother's Day cards, inspired the idea to return the favor to the UAB Women's and Infant Center and Birmingham's Ronald McDonald House, a place the Harts were destined to stay had Myles lived longer. In honor of his 5-year birthday, Kayleigh and her family are collecting several items to contribute to the NICU the Saturday before Mother's Day.

"I've talked to several other NICU moms and the director to . see some of the things that I could do that would help others," Hart said. "(The director) said they're always in need of blankets because they are constantly having to wash them and sterilize them. She said they take them and cover the isolates to keep the light out for the babies. She said they had to cover the beds and everything."

At any time, UAB's NICU has about 100 babies -- so that inspired Hart's goal of collecting 100 blankets. Some will be crocheted, while others for micropreemie babies will be flannel due to sensitive skin concerns.

Hart understands the importance of the blankets.

"Some of the main things that we got are some of these blankets, and he was actually buried with another they gave us," she said. "These are so special to me -- like if my house was on fire, these are the things I would grab because these touched him. They were his."

Elsewhere the UAB Women's and Infant Center has a community room with games and crafts, and Hart and her family want to leave bags of snacks there since vending machine trips can get expensive. Hart said those goodie bags will supplement some meals that area churches provide NICU parents from time to time.

Hart also plans on writing index cards with Bible verses or uplifting thoughts and placing them in bags for the parents in the NICU. The bags also will have some change, and the NICU director has agreed to pass those out at her discretion, Hart said.

"All I want from this is somebody to know somebody's thinking about (them) -- somebody who's been through this -- and (provide) something to make them smile because there's not much to smile about in the NICU most days," she said. "That's really my goal in this."

Hart and her family also plan to donate money to The Ronald McDonald House, which provides low-cost housing for those families facing long hospital stays. Hart said the average length of stay there is 15 days.

Hart encourages people who can't donate to just pray for the families in NICUs and those who have lost their newborns.

"Pray that God lets them know they're not alone. We still remember them, and (pray) for all the babies who have passed away," she said. "That's the worst thing as a parent who has lost a child is you're always afraid everyone's going to forget about your baby.

"I mention Myles all the time. I have two children. I have a boy and a girl. I may only have one in my arm, but I have two in my heart."
When you think of the word "hero," it usually brings to mind the image of someone saving a life -- pulling a drowning swimmer from the water or dragging someone from a burning building.

Susan Leighton's a life saver too, but instead of one dramatic act of heroism, she's spent two decades working to save thousands of lives of women diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

Her years of dedication were recognized last month when she was named one of CURE Media Group's four inaugural Ovarian Cancer Heroes at the Society of Gynecologic Oncology Annual Meeting on Women's Cancers. CURE stands for Cancer Updates, Research and Education.

Leighton, of Huntsville, was diagnosed with stage 3 ovarian cancer in 1997. While fighting for her own life, she saw how limited the resources were and how little research was being done to improve the survival rate of ovarian cancer patients.

"When I was diagnosed there was not gynecological oncology in Huntsville," she said. "I had to travel to Birmingham, and I was really frustrated that there wasn't any real local support for women with ovarian cancer. I kind of made it my goal that we were going to get something here."

As she recovered from treatment, she started working on that goal. In 2004, she co-founded Lilies of the Valley, a nonprofit that supports women with gynecological cancers in the Tennessee Valley. Since then, through "Teal Talks" (teal is the color that represents ovarian cancer) and other outreach programs, thousands of women have been made more aware of the lurking danger.

The symptoms of ovarian cancer, sometimes called "the silent killer," are often confused with gastrointestinal problems and the disease can go undiagnosed until it reaches advanced stages. Leighton said in a recent profile in "Cancer Today" magazine that she prefers to say it's a disease that "whispers," and urges women to listen carefully to their bodies. Stomach swelling, diarrhea, indigestion, back pain and shortness of breath are telltale signs.

"Approximately 22,000 women a year are diagnosed, and 14,000 a year die of the disease," she said. "The real challenge is, there's no detection test for ovarian cancer. Most women are diagnosed in stage 3 or 4."

Leighton has been an exception to the 25 percent survival rate statistic given to most women.

"That's one of the reasons I stay involved. I know that a woman today is going to hear about the same statistics I heard," she said. "They need to know that there are women out there that are surviving this."

Not satisfied just with local education efforts, Leighton took the fight to Capitol Hill, joining forces with the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund Alliance to push for research funding.

Through that work she became the national program director for the alliance's Survivors Teach Students program. She now guides 850 volunteers nationwide who have educated more than 11,000 medical and nursing students about ovarian cancer in 2017 alone.

Leighton is not one to promote herself, but she knows her story offers opportunities to promote her cause. Since returning from the awards ceremony in New Orleans a few weeks ago, she's already gotten invitations to bring Survivors Teach Students to 10 new medical programs around the country.

She's also making headway in Alabama. In February, Gov. Kay Ivey created the Alabama Study Commission for Gynecologic Cancers, which will bring together doctors, researchers and patient advocates to make recommendations to the Legislature on how to improve patient outcomes.

And Lilies of the Valley is expanding as well. Just this year, the group decided to open up to victims of all gynecologic cancers, not just ovarian.

If you've been diagnosed with ovarian, uterine/endometrial, cervical, vaginal or vulvar cancer and live in the north Alabama/Tennessee Valley area, "contact us. We'd love to help you," Leighton said.

Want more?

Visit Liliesofthevalley.org



Haskins writes about points of pride statewide. Email your suggestions to shaskins@al.com, or tweet them to @Shelly_Haskins using #AlabamaProud






Governor? Lieutenant Governor? All that jazz?

Rubbish.

Sure, there are people running. Good people. Terrible people. Boring people.

But the attorney general's race. Man, that's what politics is all about. It's the only race in Alabama, really, the one that matters and the one that has all the sneakiest operatives burning the midnight snake oil.

But forget about the race itself for a minute and step into my future to see what it means. Imagine an Alabama of tomorrow, where self-driving cars have self-driving drive-bys in Birmingham, where drones at the Mobile office of the DMV have been replaced by actual drones, where corporate espionage and international spying sectors lead the Huntsville jobs report.

Grab yourself a crystal ball, put yourself in an Einstein dream, and follow me to 2020. And all the possibilities.

In this world, former Republican attorney general Troy King has won election to the office he held from 2004 to 2011. He meets with his inner circle - they call themselves Troy's boys - at the Alabama Power room at the newly re-opened and renovated Sevens R Us casino - formerly known as the White Hall Resort in Lowndes County.

Matt Hart, the head of the attorney general's special prosecution's division that has prosecuted most of Alabama's corruption cases, is asked to accept a new assignment: As chief valet, parking cars at the Sevens R Us. In declining this job offer he registers 6.2 on the Richter scale.

Or...

In this world, Attorney General Steve Marshall - who was appointed by Robert Bentley and recused himself from the investigation of the governor - is elected to his own term. He dismisses the special prosecutions unit at the request of his donors - Jimmy Rane, Harbert Inc., Rob Riley and assorted others linked to the trial of former House Speaker Mike Hubbard, whose case is dismissed on appeal. Hubbard becomes chief lobbyist for the attorney general's office, making $12,000 a month, and is named Special Consultant for Accountability to the task force on ethics.

Hart has not been seen in 17 months. It is thought he has taken a job answering phones at the law offices of the Alabama Hammer. Others say that's bunk, that he's really a key member of the Alexander Shunnarah staff.

Or...

In this world, former U.S. Attorney Alice Martin is elected attorney general. Legislators cower under their desks and defense lawyers push for a new, fairer ethics law that "allows lawmakers to make a living like everyone else." Hubbard gets early release from prison for good behavior - prisons are becoming overcrowded. Frightened, some public figures begin to think of this time at "the reaping."

Or...

One top: Republican Alabama AG candidates Steve Marshall, Troy King, Chess Bedsole and Alice Martin. Botton" Chris Christie and Joseph Siegelman.

In this World, Chess Bedsole is attorney general, vowing to "Keep Alabama Great ... again." He briefs in cases across America to defend marriage, ban abortion, support gun rights, send immigrants to Guantanamo Bay, and support Donald Trump, making him the most popular AG in Alabama history. He is expected any day to handle a case that actually has something to do with Alabama.

Or...

In this world a Democratic candidate wins. It might be Birmingham lawyer Chris Christie. Then again it might be Joseph Siegelman, the son of former governor and ex-con Don Siegelman. It is hard to tell, for the crystal ball reveals only so much about the future. lt reveals only that it is a Democrat with a well-known name - that does not belong to him.

Hey, could be anybody.

There are other races out there. But none like this.

John Archibald's column appears in The Birmingham News, the Huntsville Times, the Mobile Register and AL.com. Write him at jarchibald@al.com.
Dana Hall McCain writes about faith, culture and politics for AL.com. Follow her on Twitter @dhmccain for thoughts on these topics and more.

I've developed an annoying habit. When one of my white Christian friends expresses an opinion about racial issues that is particularly harsh or dismissive of the concerns of minorities, I ask, "When you share that with your black friends, how do they respond?"

The question is almost always met with a slack-jawed silence. In my experience, those who have the most simplistic views have no close relationships with people of color. Even in 2018, many of us work and worship daily in racial and cultural bubbles, unfamiliar with the challenges faced by others.

In Memphis last week, Christians from across the nation gathered for a conference called "MLK 50: Gospel Reflections from the Mountaintop." They were there to discuss racial unity in the church and the greater culture, and to reflect on what has been achieved and what remains undone 50 years after the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The event, sponsored by The Gospel Coalition and the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, gives me hope just in the fact that it happened. The two presenting organizations are rooted in the primarily white Evangelical world, one reformed and the other Baptist. The mere fact that pastors and influencers from these camps are treating this challenge as our challenge, our task--rather than that of our brothers and sisters in Christ from historically black churches, is a good thing.

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: if the people of God, who are saved by grace and filled with the Holy Spirit, can't get this right there is absolutely no hope for the rest of the world.

We must get it right. It is essential.

Racial unity, it was said over and again in Memphis, is a gospel issue. Because every person is created in the image of God and precious to him, we can't reflect the love of God to a lost world without loving everyone equally. Fervently. God's love, like his wrath, is no respecter of persons, tax brackets, addresses or skin color. The same can be said of his righteousness and justice, which we can't separate.

Up until about two years ago, I gave us credit for being further along on this journey than we actually are. It was in the wake of the crisis in Ferguson, Missouri, that I realized how deep and real our problem still is. As I watched comments posted on Facebook by black friends and white friends, by black Christian leaders and white Christian leaders, it became apparent to me that there was a massive gap in understanding and commonly accepted facts between the two.

My black friends, mostly Christian and largely middle class, were heartbroken and horrified by the details of the police shooting of Michael Brown, and identified with the fears and frustrations of minorities of all income levels. They spoke of real anxieties they feel when dealing with law enforcement on even the simplest of issues. Fears they feel for their children, whom they teach a different "code" of how you must interact with law enforcement because you are a black child, in order to survive. Because that is their experience.

These frightened people are not thugs and gang members. They're just like me: church on Sunday, work on Monday, cut the grass, take out the trash, donate to charity. Good folks by any measure. But even in 2018, they know that they are viewed differently by some--not all--in positions of authority, and that things can go sideways and get a person killed over nothing in an instant.

That's a legitimate, heartbreaking concern. Yet, also in my timeline were many of my white, middle class Christian friends who were completely dismissive of the protesters. They firmly believed that you never get shot or beaten by police unless you did something to deserve it. Case closed. Because that is their experience.

Except, when the person with the fears (and often the personal anecdotes to back it up) is my brother or sister in Christ, closing the case has dire consequences. To turn my back on the challenges and injustices faced by those within my faith community is to drive a wedge of division in the Body of Christ, and in doing so, to weaken it.

How can we corporately evangelize a lost and dying world if we can't even demonstrate a lavish and healing love toward one another within the church?

The MLK 50 conference wasn't just about law enforcement, or poverty, or criminal justice reform. Many different speakers addressed many different facets of the challenges at hand. But they all did it from the perspective of "what does the boundless, unmerited grace of Christ, which we have received, require of us?"

This is the question we must ask of ourselves, and proactively respond to.
Alachua County Sheriffs Office released the name of the man shot and killed on Southwest Williston Road on Friday.

Devonte Demetrius Jenkins, 24, was found Thursday night dead near the intersection of Southwest Williston Road and Southwest 34th Street by ACSO deputies who responded just before midnight after getting a call reporting gunshots, ACSO Sgt. Brett Rhodenizer said in a press conference.

Jenkins, of Citra, Florida, had no forms of identification on his person, so officials used his fingerprints to identify him, Rhodenizer said. His fingerprints were taken in 2012 after he was arrested for violating a no-contact order in Marion County, according to court records.

K-9 and Joint Aviation units were not able to locate any suspects after the shooting, Rhodenizer said.

Rhodenizer said Jenkins and his killer or killers arrived at the scene by car, but deputies dont know if they drove in the same car. He said the shooting took place there, and then one car left, with the suspect or suspects.

How many times Jenkins was shot and with what type of gun is part of the continuing investigation, Rhodenizer said.

There is no clear motive for his death, but it is being treated as a homicide, Rhodenizer said.

We dont know why Devonte is dead, Rhodenizer said. We want the public to help us find out who did this to Devontes mothers son.

Deputies ask that anyone with information call Detective Chris Weitzel at 352-367-4161. Those who want to remain anonymous can call Alachua County Crime Stoppers at 352-372-7867.

Contact Robert Lewis at rlewis@alligator.org. Follow him at @lewis_robert.

The area is by apartments like Campus Lodge.

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Atlas Aerospace, the new aerospace arm of Atlas Group and the MENA regions aerospace conglomerate, in partnership with Beverly Hills Medical Centre, a multi-specialty medical centre offering high quality medical care in Abu Dhabi, has celebrated World Health Day by offering free medical check-ups to ATLAS Aerospace employees from their offices in Al Bateen Executive Airport.

The event, which is part of the companys continuing commitment towards Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), included free tests like Body Mass Index (BMI), Sugar Level, Blood Pressure, Fibroscan (a test for the liver) and Sudoscan (a test for the nerves).

Now on its 70th year, World Health Day is a global health awareness day celebrated every year on April 7, under the sponsorship of the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as other related organizations. This year's theme, 'Universal Health Coverage: Everyone, Everywhere' is also accompanied with the slogan, 'Health for All.' The WHO has also revealed that this year's celebrations are aimed at inspiring, motivating and guiding Universal Health Coverage (UHC) stakeholders to make commitments towards health care.

Professor Imad Victor Lahoud, Managing Director, ATLAS Aerospace, said, We are proud to join the whole world in celebration of World Health Day, which is focused towards promoting healthier living habits and practices that can increase life expectancy. CSR activities like this give us the opportunity to acknowledge the dedication and commitment of our employees.

It is an honour for us to work closely with an industry leader like ATLAS Aerospace to mark such an important occasion like World Health Day, which demonstrates both companies' understanding that health is important to all. Rest assured that we remain fully committed in providing world class medical services and helping increase awareness on the importance of healthy living, concluded Dr. Mohammed Ayaydeh, CEO, Beverly Hills Medical Center.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for February showing a rebound in traffic growth following the slower demand experienced in January, which was owing to temporary factors including the later timing of the Lunar New Year in 2018.

Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) for the month rose 7.6%, compared to February 2017, up from 4.6% year-over-year growth in January. Monthly capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 6.3%, and load factor rose 0.9 percentage point to 80.4%, surpassing the previous record for the month of 79.5%, which was set in February 2017.

"As expected, we saw a return to stronger demand growth in February, after the temporary slowdown in January. This is being supported by the robust economic backdrop and solid business confidence. However, increases in fuel prices--and labor costs in some countries--likely will temper the amount of traffic stimulation from lower airfares this year," said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA's Director General and CEO.

February international passenger demand rose 7.2% compared to February 2017, which was up from the 4.2% increase recorded in January. Led by airlines in Latin America, all regions recorded better year-on-year growth compared to January's results. Total capacity climbed 5.9%, and load factor rose 1.0 percentage point to 79.3%.

Middle East carriers recorded a 3.4% demand increase in February compared to a year ago. Capacity rose 3.9% and load factor slipped 0.3 percentage point to 74.1%. Carriers in the region faced significant headwinds over the past year including the temporary ban on large portable electronic devices as well as the proposed travel bans to the US from some countries in the region,

European carriers saw February demand increase by 6.8% compared to a year ago, a modest acceleration compared to a 6.0% increase in January. Passenger volumes are trending upwards at a double-digit annualized rate alongside supportive economic conditions in the region. Capacity rose 5.0% and load factor increased 1.4 percentage points to 82.2%, highest among regions.

Asia-Pacific airlines' February traffic rose 9.1% compared to the year-ago period. Demand is being supported by healthy regional economic growth and expansion in the number of routes on offer. Capacity increased 8.4% and load factor climbed 0.6 percentage point to 80.5%.

North American airlines' traffic climbed 7.2% in February, supported by the relatively vigorous US economic backdrop, while the weaker dollar appears to be offsetting some of the negative impacts on inbound travel. Capacity rose 4.6% and load factor was up 1.9 percentage points to 78.0%.

Latin American airlines posted the fastest year-on-year growth for a second consecutive month as February traffic jumped 9.8% compared to February 2017, up from 8.1% growth in January. Demand continues to recover from the impacts of the severe 2017 hurricane season. Capacity increased by 8.9%, and load factor rose 0.6 percentage point to 81.5%.

African airlines experienced a 6.3% rise in traffic for the month compared to the year-ago period. The growth occurred amid an improving regional economic backdrop. Business confidence in Nigeria has risen sharply over the past 15 months while a reduction in political uncertainty in South Africa has contributed to an improvement in business confidence there for the first time in more than a year. Capacity rose 3.3%, and load factor climbed 1.9 percentage points to 67.8%.
Qatar Airways will add two additional daily frequencies to Muscat, Omans largest city and capital, commencing 10 April and 15 June.

The additional frequencies will take the award-winning airlines daily services to Muscat to seven, and will meet the increased demand of tourists visiting Oman, as well as that of transit travellers flying via Doha to the Far East.

A highly in-demand destination for both tourists and business travellers alike, Muscat is known as a cultural treasure trove, with many lively souqs offering a traditional Arabian shopping experience. Muscat is also home to several magnificent must-visit landmarks, including Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Al Jalai Fort, Qasr Al Alam Royal Palace and the Royal Opera House Muscat.

Qatar Airways Group Executive Chief Akbar Al Baker, said: We are delighted to offer two more daily frequencies to Muscat, one of our most sought-after destinations. These new services, coinciding perfectly with the arrival of the summer holidays, will provide passengers even greater flexibility and convenience in connecting to one of the many destinations on our rapidly-expanding global network. They will also enable more people to experience the delights of Muscat. We look forward to bringing more visitors to Oman, and connecting more Omanis to the world.

The two additional frequencies will take the airlines number of weekly flights to Oman to 70 weekly, including 14 flights to Salalah and seven flights to Sohar. The additional frequencies will also provide passengers increased connectivity to in-demand destinations such as Bangkok, London, Manila, Bali, Istanbul, Colombo, Phuket, Kolkata, Jakarta, and Chennai, to name just a few.

The additional frequency commencing 10 April will be served by an Airbus A320, featuring 12 seats in Business Class and 132 seats in Economy Class. This new frequency will be suspended during the holy month of Ramadan from 16 May 2018 until 15 June 2018 and will resume following the Eid holiday. The seventh additional frequency commencing 15 June will also be served by an A320 aircraft.
This is the blog of China defense, where professional analysts and serious defense enthusiasts share findings on a rising military power.
Russia and Mongolia are elaborating a new military and technical cooperation program for 2019-2024, Mongolian Defense Minister Nyamaagiin Enkhbold said. According to the Mongolian defense minister, the Mongolian government regards relations with Russia as a priority and is pursuing a policy to establish strategic partnership with Russia.



Members of the Mongolian Expeditionary Task Force 1 in Afghanistan (Picture source Internet)

It will be the third military and technical cooperation program between Russia and Mongolia, he added.

"We are working on a draft of the third medium-term military and technical cooperation program for 2019-2024 with the [Russian] Federal Service for Military and Technical Cooperation," Enkhbold said at talks with Russian Defense Minister General of the Army Sergei Shoigu.



"In addition to other programs for the development of strategic partnership between the two countries, military and technical cooperation will continue under medium-term military and technical cooperation programs," the Mongolian defense minister said.

He thanked the Russian defense minister for military and technical assistance provided to Mongolia and the possibility granted to Mongolian children to study at Russian Defense Ministry cadet schools.

"Im very satisfied with the results of the meeting with the defense minister. We will work to strengthen the relations between our armed forces and Russias Central Military District," Enkhbold said.

"We have agreed that the Russian defense minister will visit us in September this year," he added. According to the Mongolian defense minister, bilateral military and technical cooperation was discussed at the meeting as well.

"We have decided to resume and extend the relevant agreement that expired last year," Enkhbold said. Besides, the officials agreed to increase the number of Mongolian students at Russian military educational institutions, including at the Presidential Cadet School in Kyzyl.
Recent U.S. threats to slap additional tariffs on Chinese imports were met with a chorus of criticism in Boston, the United States, Saturday, with leading experts emphasizing that no winner can emerge from a trade war.

China will fight "at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures" if the United States continues its unilateral protectionist practices, said a spokesperson with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce. [Photo: IC]

U.S. President Donald Trump's administration on Thursday threatened to slap tariffs on 100 billion U.S. dollars worth of imports from China, drawing strong opposition from China and threatening America's own economic growth.

Earlier, the president planned to add tariffs on 50 billion dollars' worth of Chinese goods flowing into the United States.

China will fight "at any cost" and take "comprehensive countermeasures" if the United States continues its unilateral protectionist practices, a spokesperson with the Chinese Ministry of Commerce said Friday.

The trade disputes between the world's largest and second-largest economies have already sent jitters through markets, causing a nosedive in the U.S. stock market.

Gathering at the Harvard China Forum, an annual conference in Boston that focuses on China-U.S. relationship, leading scholars, business leaders and former government officials warned that a trade war will not only yield no winner, but will also destabilize bilateral relations.

"No one's going to win from the trade war," Anthony Saich, director of the Harvard Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation at Harvard University, told Xinhua on the sidelines of the event, referring to "a trade war where no one's really going to win and where we have an unpredictable president that makes resolution of it problematic."

There were already severe strains in the relationship, Saich warned, and further hawkish rhetoric will only lead bilateral relationship to become more confrontational.

The concern was shared by Michael Szonyi, director of the Harvard Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies, who said China and the United States share a "very delicate, important and complex" relationship, not one that "we should put into jeopardy without careful consideration."

"Constructive engagement has not failed the United States and China," Stephen Orlins, chairman of the National Committee on U.S.-China relations, noting that the two countries "are not strategic competitors."

Discussing how the idea of a trade war has formulated in Trump's head, experts said it came from campaign promises that were built on false assumption.

The campaign-like threats have already been met with strong opposition from U.S. business groups, who are worried that the tariffs may backfire.

"U.S. firms have spoken out strongly against this latest round (of tariff threats) by Mr. Trump," Harvard Professor Richard Cooper told the forum, predicting the opposition may hurt Trump and the Republican party in upcoming elections.

"Trump has the business community against this policy and that will filter into the Republican members of Congress over time," the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council said, "And so the American domestic politics of this is complicated and Trump will not necessarily, in my view, likely be on the winning side."

According to Saich, due to the different levels of development of U.S. and Chinese businesses, U.S. companies are more vulnerable if the two countries engage in a trade war.

"America is in the much weaker position as this (trade war) expands because American business investments in China are strategic, they're part of a global structure or global value chains and global production," which makes the United States the side that has "more to lose," Saich said.

Despite the challenges, the experts still voiced confidence that China-U.S. ties are durable enough for "bumps in the road."

"I think there's a lot of potential there for China to work creatively at the non-Washington level," as exemplified by a previous visit by California Governor Jerry Brown to China to discuss climate change, Saich said.

"There's a lot more commonality of interest around trade issues around climate issues, around ocean protection outside of Washington than perhaps there is in Washington," Saich said.

"I am confident that enough people recognize the importance of the relationship, and that wiser heads will prevail," Szonyi said.
The government should worry more about winning back the trust of the people and let the terrorism be handled by the security forces.

Kashmir has been on the edge with continuing unrest for the last few years and sizeable numbers of local youth have been volunteering for recruitment to militancy.

Kashmir is on the boil once again. The wolf of mayhem continues to consume human lives. Anti-terrorism units of the Army, the J&K police and the other operational security forces and agencies have termed the elimination of more than a dozen terrorists and arrest of one on April 1 as a major success in anti-terrorist operations. It, indeed, is but with a caveat. The collateral damage  the death of civilians and security personnel and damage to individual properties  is painful. The subtle peoples support to militancy seen in the large participation in the funerals of the slain militants and large-scale protests across the Valley, are issues that should worry all citizens and the governments in particular.

Kashmir has been on the edge with continuing unrest for the last few years and sizeable numbers of local youth have been volunteering for recruitment to militancy. This is a worrying phenomenon for the nation and is viewed as a result of deep mass alienation caused by ad hocism and mismanagement of Kashmir affairs from time to time. The unrest in Kashmir has always been attributed to cross-border hostilities and terrorism. But the unabated turmoil and political turbulence in Kashmir is rooted deep in the denial of justice, disrespect to legitimate aspirations and frequent skullduggery resorted to by New Delhi, says the Kashmiri intelligentsia and mainstream legislators.

Kashmir deserves to be managed by a Grand Vision that can encompass a comprehensive process to resolve the imbroglio instead of dithering, they say. Within the Kashmir Valley, despite the success of the security forces in eliminating top militant leaders, the recruitment to the militant ranks is on the rise with even highly educated youngsters getting recruited. Militancy in the Valley also seemed to be changing qualitatively with fidayeen (suicide) attacks taking place over and over again.

The changing character of the insurgency/militancy is a serious warning signal that an urgent policy correction at all levels of governance, and a strategic shift, is urgently needed to prevent escalation and further radicalisation.

One of the causes of the new age turbulence is attributed to the betrayal of democratic expectations. The youth had participated in large numbers in the electoral process in the 2014 state Assembly elections and voted out the incumbent government headed by Omar Abdullah. The government is required to be seen winning back the trust and goodwill of all the sections and respecting their aspirations.

The militancy in the Valley, however, also seems to have developed an autonomous raison detre in the absence of any political dialogue. Kashmir analysts are surprised that New Delhis policy and its political managers are so incompetent, apolitical and naive, as not to be willing to leave any space or room for the Kashmiri leadership to exert a moderating influence that could prevent youngsters from taking up the gun.

Kashmir has been on the boil for more than 29 years. Tens of thousands of people, both civilians and soldiers have died and the population of Kashmiri Pandits exiled. Kashmir affairs are seemingly messed up. Terrorism has rendered the state, especially the Valley, without liberty and individuality. It has devastated the economy, education and normal living pattern, the plural ethos, and imperilled institutions. The societal psyche is turning cynical and despondent and that is what Pakistan and militancy have managed to do with the people of Kashmir. In the name of self-determination people have no voice of their own and the emotions are controlled and charged by proxies. People know the disastrous consequences of the harm Pakistan and terrorists have done to the current and future generations of Kashmir. But the anti-India sentiment that has grown over the years is so strong that people refuse to see the logic.

The government should acknowledge that use of military force is not a solution to the complex situation of Kashmir. It has to be a blend of engagement and dialogue with all the stakeholders. It is the psychological, attitudinal, social, political and economic grievances that need to be addressed. Therefore, the government should worry more about winning back the trust of the people and let the terrorism be handled by the security forces.

The Line of Control (LoC) is hot again. The unusual escalation is resulting in a high death toll  the casualties in January 2018 alone equalled the figure for the whole of 2017. And 2017 itself was an exceptional year for ceasefire violations, representing a six-fold increase compared to 2015.

The collateral damage to civilians living in the border areas is colossal. On the Indian side alone more than 40,000 civilians had to be evacuated, makeshift camps set up to house them at safe distances, economic activities disrupted and schools closed in the areas adjoining the LoC and International Border. Besides the loss of human lives, houses were destroyed and damaged, cattle killed and injured and local water and electricity infrastructure disrupted.

Tourism, education, health services, law and order, developmental activities and public grievances system have collapsed or stand completely eroded. Democratic institutions have been marginalised and discredited. Drugs, black marketing of essential goods, smuggling of timber, hawala and fake currency have become the backbone of a parallel conflict economy.

People are making a connection between the heating up of the LoC and terrorist attacks in the state and proxies of the Pakistan Army. The argument goes that by using terrorist proxies, the Pakistan Army distances itself from terrorist attacks and pays no price for its subterfuge. The robust response of the Indian Army this time around, it is said, is meant to punish the other side by specifically targeting Pakistani Army posts.

New Delhi needs to approach the issues keeping in sight the fact that Indias strategic interests are intertwined with the goodwill of the Valleys ordinary people including Kashmiri Pandits, and not the land alone. Before the new age violent unrest and upsurge gets further out of hand, New Delhi needs to deal with the issues with a grand vision.

The Union of India needs to act now and engage with the youth of today and Kashmirs leadership in a serious dialogue. Political dialogue with all the stakeholders is an internationally acknowledged jurisprudence for conflict resolution. For New Delhi, it would be the prudent and astute political approach for a resolution of the Kashmir imbroglio.

The Prime Ministers flip-flop political and diplomatic efforts so far have not brought peace in Kashmir. Therefore, a change of policy is the only way forward. Kashmir calls for peace and its people crave for a peaceful life for future generations.

Ashok Bhan is a senior Supreme Court lawyer and Chairman of Kashmir Policy and Strategy Group. He can be reached at ashokbhan@rediffmail.com
The bank has launched 'Mission Parivartan' to realign all business processes to meet present day requirements.

New Delhi: The worst is over for PNB and it will come out of the mess created by the Nirav Modi fraud case in six months, the state-run lender's Managing Director Sunil Mehta said on Sunday.

Punjab National Bank (PNB) was hit by country's biggest ever banking fraud of more than Rs 13,000 crore perpetrated by billionaire diamantaire Nirav Modi and his associates in connivance with some officials of a branch of the bank in Mumbai.

The bank has received tremendous support from the government, other stakeholders and employees to come out of the situation, Mehta told PTI in an interview.

"So worst is behind us. Everything now seems to be under control as surgery is over, now we are in recovery phase. We are anticipating that we will be able to come out of this entire problem and pain in the next 6 months," he said.

Emphasising the long legacy and strength of the bank, Mehta said, "it is a 123-year old institution which was founded during Swadeshi movement by Lala Lajpat Rai. This institution has 7,000 branches spread through length and breadth of the country with business of more than Rs 10 lakh crore in the domestic market. So fraud of this nature could not shake confidence of our customers during this period."

Even during trying times, the bank's business has grown better than the industry, he said, adding that credit has witnessed a growth rate of about 10 per cent, in line with the guidance that was shared with investors. With regard to deposits, the bank has recorded a growth of 6.2 per cent, he said.

"So, we have grown in line with industry and even during difficult days it was business as usual. With all this negativity which was created in the environment, the customers' confidence was not lost and the credit goes to 70,000 employees who stood with me in difficult time.

"They have gone the extra mile, they have done extra hard work to see that every customer is attended to properly. Now, we are in the bounce back mode," he said.

"It is now clear that it was a standalone incident in one of our 7,000 branches because of connivance with some of the staff of the branch. We have learned lessons from it. Whenever a problem comes, it gives an opportunity to strengthen our existing systems and processes. We have improved every system and process with more emphasis on offline monitoring," he said.

Citing an example, Mehta said the bank is going to reform the credit processes by dividing it into four verticals -- sourcing, processing, monitoring and recovery.

All these will be a separate compartment so that the risk is mitigated. Besides, he said, the bank has launched 'Mission Parivartan' to realign all business processes to meet present day requirements.

"We decided to deploy technology. We had strengthened our back office for foreign exchange dealings, now we are going to expand it to cover 100 per cent activities in forex-related areas. We started with integrating SWIFT with the core banking solution and we will be able to complete the process before April 30," he said.

On internal audit, he said besides physical audit, there will be offline monitoring too for which the bank is creating a separate cell which will do offsite monitoring of all exceptional transaction reports.
Their company Clean Slate Films began their production journey with the hugely successful NH10.

Anushka Sharma while promoting one of her films as an actress. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: The Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award for 2018 is being awarded to Bollywood actor Anushka Sharma for her genre-defining successful movies.

The 29-year-old actress is being widely revered for breaking new grounds as a film producer, along with her brother Karnesh Sharma.

Their company Clean Slate Films began their production journey with the hugely successful NH10.

At the age of 25, when she was at the peak of her career as a superstar, she became the youngest producer ever with a commitment to quality and desire to make entertaining cinema that pushed the content envelope.

Given that their three home productions of Clean Slate Films have won applause from critics and movie buffs as well as become success stories, the Dadasaheb Phalke Foundation has decided to honour her contribution.

Anushka along with her brother Karnesh have also empowered young talent by giving them big-ticket breaks in the industry as directors, musicians, composers, technicians, etc by backing and believing raw talent.

Their first three productions: NH10, Phillauri and Pari showed their maturity in dabbling with three different genres - thriller, romance and horror with a distinct and differential content pitch for audiences.
Sonam and Anands wedding along with Deepika and Ranveers wedding has been the talk of the town since some time.

Mumbai: Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahujas wedding along with Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singhs wedding has been the talk of the town ever since Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma got married in December.

It is being believed that both the celebrity couples will get married by the year end, and now it appears that both of them might pick Switzerland as their wedding destination.

A friend of the actress told DNA, Most of us are flying out of Mumbai. Anands family and some of Sonams relatives will probably fly from Delhi. The marriage and other ceremonies are being planned as a two-day affair. But, we have to leave room for some impromptu events. Im planning to keep myself free for at least four days, not to forget the to and fro travel.

Brand ambassador of Switzerland Ranveer Singh, if a report on Mid-Day is to be believed, has been approached from the country's officials to get married there.

Ranveer Singh and Anushka Sharma were reportedly dating when they began their career. They have been cordial but looking at Ranveer getting inspired by his alleged ex is quite interesting.
Salman Khan was imprisoned in Jodhpur since 2 days for being convicted in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

Salman Khan made a cute pose, where he meant that it's time to sleep and so, until next time. (Photo: Viral Bhayani)

Mumbai: Salman Khan was imprisoned in Jodhpur since 2 days in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case.

His release was announced post lunch on Friday, which made not only Bollywood but his fans cheer for him. They went to the extent of screaming Bajrangi Bhaijaan post the release.

These fans waited for their Bhaijaan to come back with banners of We support Salman Khan. We love Salman Khan.

Salman arrived at night and the buoyant fans kept cheering on his arrival. They burst crackers and chanted Swag Se Karenge Salman Ka Swagat.

Ahil also joined him and Bhai made an expression of him going to sleep, and reminded the fans that they should help 3 people, so that the chain continues (a message from his film Jai Ho).

Many Bollywood celebrities like Katrina Kaif, Jacqueline Fernandez, Kabir Khan and others also came to meet Salman post his release.
BJP fielded Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot to launch a counter attack on oppn parties.

Opposition parties were trying to spread bitterness, casteism and regionalism in the country to target the BJP, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged. (Photo: ANI/Twitter)

New Delhi: The BJP on Sunday claimed that it was the only "pro-Dalit" party and accused opposition parties, including the Congress and the BSP, of abetting violence over issues concerning the community as part of a conspiracy to vitiate the atmosphere.

The BJP fielded Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad and Thawarchand Gehlot to launch a counter attack on opposition parties, which have targeted the saffron party over Dalit issues. They accused Congress chief Rahul Gandhi of fuelling the fire with his "lies and rumour-mongering".

The BJP leaders, however, parried queries on the statements of several Dalit MPs of their party, with Prasad maintaining that the party would talk to them and listen to their concerns.

Violent protests during a 'Bharat Bandh' called by several Dalit groups on April 2 left at least 11 people dead. It brought to fore the grievances of the community and also triggered a war of words between the opposition and the ruling BJP.

Gehlot, the most prominent Dalit leader of the BJP, said Dalit icon Bhimrao Ambedkar and BSP founder Kanshi Ram never supported violent protests as he attacked the Congress and the Mayawati-led BSP.

Prasad accused the two parties besides the Samajwadi Party of abetting violence as part of a conspiracy and said they were politicising the matter to polarise the country. "The opposition should not work to divide the country for political interests," he said. The BJP's charge was that the matter was being politicised as Prime Minister Narendra Modi came from a poor family and the BJP had largest number of Dalit and tribal MPs and MLAs in its fold.

Prasad claimed that the maximum violence was seen in those parts of Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan where the Congress and the BSP had influence.

Opposition parties were trying to spread bitterness, casteism and regionalism in the country to target the BJP, he alleged.

Gehlot said the Narendra Modi-led government had strengthened the SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act with amendments in 2016 and done a lot to celebrate Ambedkar's legacy, including observing his birth anniversary with year-long events and building memorials in places linked to him.

Citing Gandhi's reported comments that the act had been abrogated, Prasad alleged that he was fuelling the fire with his lies.

To a question about Gandhi's planned fast, he said that the Congress leader had a right to do so but should refrain from spreading rumours.

Gehlot said Modi had been able to make his image of a "messiah" for weaker sections of the society, causing heartburn in the opposition.

Parties like the Congress and the BSP did nothing for Dalits and at times even worked against their interests, Prasad and Gehlot alleged.

It was Mayawati who as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister in 2007 wrote to the state police to stop misuse of the act while the Congress did not accord Bharat Ratna to Ambedkar for decades following his death in 1956, Prasad claimed.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said the party had now discovered love for Ambedkar.

Citing the government's work to empower Dalits, Gehlot said the BJP was the only pro-Dalit party.
The Justice Nagamohan Das committee submitted its report to the state government within two months.

Bengaluru: In what could well prove a major game-changer in poll-bound Karnataka, the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha, which has been espousing the need for separate religion status for Lingayats, resolved to support the Congress and chief minister Siddaramaiah and issued a clarion call to its members to vote en masse for the ruling party in Assembly polls on May 12.

With more than 250 seers in attendance at a meeting in here on Saturday, the Mahasabha, a parallel entity of All India Veerashaiva Mahasabha, vowed to support Mr Siddaramaiah for championing their cause of a separate religion tag for their community. In addition, they threatened to move the Supreme Court in case the BJP-led NDA government decides to reject the recommendation of the state government on this issue.

Immediately after the meeting, Mathe Mahadevi, head of Basava Bharma Peetha, Koodalasangama, was all praise for Mr Siddaramaiah. During her interaction with the media, she said that though he was not born a Lingayat, he had proved beyond doubt that he was an ardent follower of Basavanna and demonstrated Basava Sankalpa through many deeds, including recommending to the Union government a separate religion tag for Lingayats.

Though it was seers like her who launched the agitation in support of their demand, the state government acted swiftly by constituting the Justice H.N. Nagamohan Das committee to look into the memorandum submitted by them and others on the need to accord a separate religion status to Lingayats.

The Justice Nagamohan Das committee submitted its report to the state government within two months, and the Cabinet discussed the report over two meetings before making a recommendation to the Union government, she added.

Lambasting BJP president Amit Shah for stating that he would not allow division of Veerashaiva-Lingayats, she sought to know whether Mr Shah held the post of the President, Prime Minister or chairman of the National Minorities Commission to make such statements. She charged that Mr Shah was functioning like a dictator without holding any constitutional post.

She hailed the Karnataka chief minister for not buckling under pressure from the seers of Veerashaiva Panchapeeta and putting the report of Justice Nagamohan Das committee in cold storage. He not only ignored their threats about state-wide protests, but also travelled to Koppal to unveil a statue of the 12th century reformer to demonstrate that he supported the establishment of Basava Dharma, she said.

The seer criticised the RSS for launching a vilification campaign against those who were demanding separate religion status for Lingayats, even going to the extent of alleging that they were trying to divide the country.

She clarified that members of the Jagatika Lingayat Mahasabha were not anti-Hindu since they follow Indian culture, but had only sought separate religion status.
Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi meets his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan in Beijing on April 8, 2018. [Photo: fmprc.gov.cn]

Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan Sunday in Beijing.

The two sides should work together against protectionism and maintain the world trading system with the World Trade Organization at the core, Wang said.

He suggested the two countries deepen cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, and build three major platforms on interconnection, financial support and tripartite cooperation to inject new impetus to bilateral ties and regional cooperation.

Balakrishnan said Singapore is against protectionism, and hopes the world free trading system is well protected.
Murthy had filed an anticipatory bail application after another case of sexual harassment was registered against him on March 20.

Following his arrest in February, five more women had come forward with their own accusations against Murthy including a senior government officer, a journalist, and a well-known author. (Photo: File)

Mumbai: The Bandra Court passed the anticipatory bail order in Mumbai-based angel investor Mahesh Murthy's second sexual harassment case, directing the accused to deposit its passport with the Investigating Officer (IO) till further order.

Murthy had filed an anticipatory bail application before the Mumbai Sessions Court after another case of sexual harassment was registered against him on March 20.

The court had initially granted him interim relief, directing the Mumbai Police not to arrest him till April 7.

In February, Murthy was arrested in connection with another case of sexual harassment and alleged stalking of a Delhi woman, who approached National Commission for Women (NCW) for help.

Following his arrest in February, five more women had come forward with their own accusations against Murthy and filed complaints at the Commission; which were duly forwarded to the DGP, Mumbai Police by NCW.

The complainants included a senior government officer, a journalist, and a well-known author amongst others.

Bandra police registered the second sexual harassment case after obtaining a statement from one of the five new complainants who had approached the NCW.
ndian authorities have already submitted a request to the authorities concerned in Hong Kong for his provisional arrest.

New Delhi: In a significant development in the multi-crore Punjab National Bank (PNB) fraud case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is set to file its chargesheet against diamantaire Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi. The Central probe agency, sources said, is expected to file the chargesheet against the duo by the end of this month.

The chargesheet will help the agency expedite the extradition process against Nirav Modi, who is believed to be hiding in Hong Kong. Besides, it will also help the agency to initiate the proceedings to attach overseas properties of Modi and Choksi, sources said.

Indian authorities have already submitted a request to the authorities concerned in Hong Kong for his provisional arrest. The ministry of external affairs (MEA) had in February revoked the passports of Nirav Modi and Choksi, after the duo failed to furnish their replies to a notice from the MEA in the stipulated time of one week.

The ED has already moved the Interpol for issuance of a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi. Sources said the agency had sought issuance of the Interpol warrant against the two, based on the court-issued non-bailable warrants obtained by it.

The agency is understood to have sent the request to the CBI for taking it up with the Interpol headquarters in Lyon, France. An RCN is issued to seek the arrest of wanted persons with a view to extradition or similar lawful action in a criminal case.

Once an RCN is issued, the Interpol seeks to arrest the person concerned in any part of the world and notifies that country to take his or her custody for further action at their end, sources said.

A special court in Mumbai had issued non-bailable warrants last month on the request of the ED.

The ED had earlier issued summonses to Modi and Choksi asking them to appear before it in Mumbai. However, both of them expressed their inability to depose citing business engagements. Both are accused on charges of money laundering (under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act) in alleged connivance with some employees of PNB.
Gandhi remarked sarcastically that according to Shah and the vision of BJP-RSS, there were only two non-animals in the country.

Kolar Gold Fields (Karnataka): Describing BJP president Amit Shahs remarks equating Opposition parties with dogs, cats, mongoose and snakes as a disrespectful statement which mirrored the leaders mentality, Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed the former saying he felt dalits, tribals and his party leaders were worthless.

During his interaction with the media here, Mr Gandhi remarked sarcastically that according to Mr Shah and the vision of BJP-RSS, there were only two non-animals in the country. There is Mr Narendra Modi and there is Mr Amit Shah. Everybody else, as far as they are concerned, are animals, he said and added, Its not only dalits, its tribals, its minorities Its Mr Advani, Mr Manohar Joshi, even Mr Gadkari. Its everybody. The thing is that the BJP people internally dont have guts to say it to you. They say it to us.

At a rally in Mumbai to mark BJP's foundation day Friday, Mr Shah had equated Opposition parties to "snakes and mongoose" and "dogs and cats", who, despite their inherent differences, are seeking to unite to take on the BJP in next year's Lok Sabha polls.
The next hearing in the case will take place on May 7 and Mr Khan will have to be present in court that day.

Actor Salman Khan at Jodhpur airport after he was granted bail in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. (Photo: PTI)

Jaipur/Mumbai: After spending two nights in Jodhpur jail, Bollywood star Salman Khan walked out on bail on Saturday in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case in which he was held guilty and sentenced to five years imprisonment.

Accepting Mr Khans application for suspension of his five-year jail sentence for a month, district and sessions judge Ravindra Kumar Joshi granted him bail on a personal bond of Rs 50,000 and two sureties of Rs 25,000 each. The court has restrained Mr Khan from leaving the country.

The next hearing in the case will take place on May 7 and Mr Khan will have to be present in court that day. Ecstatic fans burst firecrackers and sang songs from his films as Mr Khan, 52, stepped out of prison. He reached his Mumbai home by evening where a frenzied crowd greeted him.

Mr Khan was arrested in court on Thursday after the trial court held him guilty of killing two blackbucks during the shooting of Hum Saath Hain Saath in Kankani village near Jodhpur on October 1, 1998.

The Bishnoi community, which reveres the blackbuck, has decided to move the Rajasthan high court challenging the bail granted to Mr Khan, according to Ram Niwas, the secretary of the Bishnoi Tiger Force.

The actors sisters, Alvira and Arpita, and bodyguard Shera were present in court when judge Joshi heard arguments of the prosecution and the defence on Mr Khans bail plea. The proceedings lasted about an hour and the bail order was pronounced around 3 pm, a defence counsel said.

Public prosecutor Pokerram Vishnoi opposed Mr Khans bail application claiming that the post-mortem report and statements of witnesses had clearly proven that Mr Khan had killed the blackbucks with a gun.

Seeking bail, Mr Khans lawyers argued that he had been out on bail during the 20-year-long trial and had always abided by the courts order and appeared in the court whenever asked to do so. They also offered to accept all bail conditions.

In its 10-page bail order, the court said the trial judge had acquitted Mr Khans Bollywood colleagues  Saif Ali Khan, Tabu, Neelam and Sonali Bendre and a local, Dushyant Singh  giving them the benefit of the doubt over the incident.

It also cited the differences in the two post-mortem reports of the blackbucks, with the first saying that there was no gunshot injury and the second stating that the animals were killed by gunshots.

The court noted that the high court had also raised suspicion over the recovery of a car, pellets and arms from the actor in the two other poaching cases against him.

Earlier in the day, there was suspense over whether judge Joshi could preside over the hearing on Mr Khans bail plea as he was among the 87 judges transferred on Friday night by the Rajasthan high court.

A judge, even if transferred, can hear a matter, more so if it is an urgent matter like bail. There is nothing extraordinary about it. It is a normal procedure, said senior lawyer Yashpal Madan.

Mr Khans bail application was filed on Friday and judge Joshi had heard the matter but deferred his decision for Saturday as he wanted to go through the trial courts records.

Apart from the Kankani village case, in which Mr Khan was sent to jail on Thursday, two separate cases had been registered against him for poaching of two chinkaras in village Bhawad on September 26, 1998, and one chinkara in Ghoda Farm on September 28, 1998.

In Bhawad and Ghoda Farm cases, he was acquitted by the Rajasthan high court on July 25, 2016. On January 18, 2017, Salman was acquitted by a magistrate in the Arms Act case related to the alleged poaching.

After Mr Khan was granted bail on Saturday, his friends and well-wishers from the film industry expressed their happiness over the decision.

Remo DSouza, director of Salmans upcoming film Race 3 said, I am happy that he has got bail. After working with him so closely I have become a huge fan of him not only as an actor but also as a human being.

The scene outside the actors home in Bandras Galaxy Apartments on Saturday afternoon was one of joyful frenzy. His fans from various parts of the country gathered outside to greet him. They came with dhols and nagaras and danced outside his house. Many held banners in their hands as chants of Bajrangi Bhaijan and Salman zindabad rent the air.

At 8.25 pm, Mr Khan came out to the balcony of his house and waved to his fans, thanking them for their support. Flanked by his father Salim Khan, mother Salma and his bodyguard Shera, the actor who was clad in a black T-shirt, then requested all his fans to go home and sleep quietly.
Justice Chelameswar, the senior-most judge after the CJI, said the January 12 press conference was the result of 'anguish' and 'concern'.

'The CJI has the authority to constitute the benches but under constitutional system every power is coupled with certain responsibilities. The power is required to be exercised not because it exists but for the purpose of achieving public good. You don't exercise the power merely because you have it,' the apex court judge said. (Photo: File)

New Delhi: Justice J Chelameswar, who courted controversy by virtually revolting against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra, on Saturday said that impeachment cannot be an answer to every question and problem and there was need to correct the system.

Justice Chelameswar, the senior-most judge after the CJI, said the January 12 press conference he held along with justices Ranjan Gogoi, M B Lokur and Kurian Joseph, was the result of "anguish" and "concern" as their deliberations with the CJI did not achieve the desired results on the issues raised by them regarding the functioning of the top court.

The judge, who was holding a talk on the topic 'Role of judiciary in democracy', also answered questions on the priority of the CJI in constituting benches and allocating cases to different judges as the 'master of roster'.

"The CJI is the 'master of roster'. Undoubtedly, the CJI has this power. The CJI has the authority to constitute the benches but under constitutional system every power is coupled with certain responsibilities. The power is required to be exercised not because it exists but for the purpose of achieving public good. You don't exercise the power merely because you have it," he said.

He replied in affirmative when asked whether the power of setting up of benches and allocation of cases should be exercised arbitrarily.

Asked by eminent journalist Karan Thapar, who was in conversation with the judge, if there is "sufficient ground for seeking impeachment of the Chief Justice of India", Justice Chelameswar said: "Why this question is asked?"

"The other day, someone was asking for my impeachment. I don't know why this nation is worried about impeachment so much. In fact we (along with Justice Gogoi) wrote in the judgement of Justice C S Karnan that apart from that there must be mechanisms to put the system in order."

Read: Top 4 SC judges revolt against Chief Justice, question biased decisions

"Impeachment can't be the answer for every question or every problem. A few days ago I heard somebody asking for my impeachment. Like the saying goes, I don't agree with you but I shall protect your right to say so," he said.

His response came in the backdrop of moves by opposition parties to initiate impeachment proceedings against the CJI. No CJI has ever faced impeachment in the country.

On being asked whether he was apprehensive or feared that Justice Gogoi, who was part of the November 2017 letter written to the CJI and the presser, will not be elevated as the next CJI, Justice Chelameswar said he hoped it does not happen and if it happened, it will be proved that what they said in the January 12 press conference was "true".

Also Read: Justice Chelameswar writes to CJI over Karnataka HC order

"I am not an astrologer... I am not (worried). I hope that does not happen (Justice Gogoi being denied CJI's position). If it happens, it will only prove what we said in the press conference was true," he said.

Regarding the current status of the collegium, whether it's divided 4:1 or dismantled after the discord between the four seniormost judges and the CJI, Justice Chelameswar said the five judges who are part of collegium met last evening as well as last week and even if they have differences, this does not mean they don't see eye to eye.

"None of us are fighting for private property. Differences are on institutional issues, that does not mean that we do not see eye to eye," he said.

In the programme organised by Harvard Club of India, which consist of people who have studied from the American university and are residing here, the judge made it clear that after his retirement on June 22, he would "not seek any employment from the government".

"I am saying it on record that after my retirement on June 22, I will not seek any appointment from the government," he said.

Thapar's conversation with Justice Chelameswar which lasted for 70 minutes was focused on all the recent controversies ranging from appointment of judges to higher judiciary to setting up of benches and allocation of cases on preferential basis, hearing on sensitive cases like judge B H Loya's death, turf war between judiciary and executive over the Memorandum of Procedure.

When asked his view on the criticism being made for going public with the presser on the functioning of the institution, he said anybody who enters public office cannot avoid criticism and there was no such principle barring judges interacting with the media.

"Anybody who enters a public office can never avoid criticism. And I was wondering where this principle come from? What was the context that this principle came from? Judges were not expected to debate in the press about the judgements," he said.

"I go somewhere, press would be there, they report something and if I interact with them, is it prohibited? Similarly we were talking about the administrative problems. We were not breaching any of the time-honoured principles that we should not address the press," he said.

Justice Chelameswar refused to answer whether preferential benches were chosen to benefit the government.

"I am not answering this question," he replied.

He also avoided answer to a question that the preferential benches are constituted to get an order or judgement which the chief justice desired.

When asked whether the selective allocation of cases is undermining the faith in the institution, he said "I believe so" and "if the process is not transparent, it will lead to suspicion".
The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member state Assembly.

Lucknow: Trouble for the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh seems to be growing by the day. After dalit BJP MPs accused the chief minister of alleged discrimination, an ally of the ruling party  Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party (SBSP)  has threatened to snap ties with the BJP over Mr Adityanaths indifference to its demands and alleged corruption in his government.

The SBSP led by Om Prakash Rajbhar, a minister in the Yogi government, on Sunday said that the final decision on ending the alliance with the BJP will be taken after his proposed meeting with BJP president Amit Shah in Lucknow on April 10.

The SBSP has four MLAs in the 403-member state Assembly. Mr Rajbhar has been an uncomfortable ally for the state government since he is known to make controversial statements at regular intervals.

Mr Rajbhar, who has been accusing the chief minister of ignoring his demands, had met Mr Shah in Delhi on the eve of Rajya Sabha elections on March 23 and the latter had given him an assurance that his grievances will be addressed. However, despite Mr Shahs assurance two of the four SBSP MLAs cross voted in the Rajya Sabha elections.

The chief minister has been ignoring the coalition dharma. I will have detailed discussions with BJP president Amit Shah on various issues when he visits Lucknow on April 10 and then decide the course of action, he told reporters.

Mr Rajbhar said that his party had kept all its options open. I will not be cowed down by any pressure, he said.

He said, Corruption is rampant in this government as officials are doing whatever they like while the 324 MLAs of the ruling alliance are facing the ire of the people. The BJP MLAs may be nalayak (incompetent) but we are not going to tolerate this kind of working by the government.

The minister, who had boycotted an event to mark the first anniversary of the Yogi government, said that the situation of the BJP government is very bad.

He also raised the issue of Dalit atrocities and said that the government has failed to address their problems.

Citing the recent appointments made in the state secondary education board, he said, The BJPs slogan of sabka saath, sabka vikaas is not being implemented in letter and spirit as relatives of senior BJP leaders from upper castes have been appointed When I speak on the issue, people feel bad.

Mr Rajbhar said, On the ground, a large number of people are still deprived of ration cards, housing and benefits of other government schemes, but some officials are showing all these works as complete in records.

He cited complaints of dalit MPs, including Savitri Bai Phule, Chhotelal Kharwar, Ashok Dohre and Yeshwant Singh, who had written letters to the Prime Minister complaining of discrimination against dalits. If all is well here then why are these people going to Delhi to complain? he asked.

BJP spokesman Rakesh Tripathi , however, tried to downplay the ministers outburst and said, The BJP is completely following the coalition dharma in Uttar Pradesh. Mr Rajbhar is simply playing a political stunt to grab headlines. He is raising questions on the bureaucracy but not on the leadership which is honest.

He said that the shortcomings highlighted by the minister will be addressed and corrective action taken.
Find out how the opioid crisis is different from crack or heroin.

LEBANON, United States: The opioid epidemic ravaging the United States, and New Hampshire in particular, is born from subscription painkillers. How did it start? What do opioids do to the body? Is the crisis already past its worst?

Lisa Marsch, an expert in the prevention and treatment of substance-use disorders and a professor at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine, answers these questions.

How is the opioid crisis different from crack or heroin?

"It was heavily driven by good intentions of physicians trying to manage pain... and pharmaceutical companies were just flooding the market place with lots of opioid options.

"It touches all sorts of people and socio-economic strata, but it has continued to be predominantly a white, non-hispanic phenomenon.

"In the 70s and 80s, the African American, black communities in the US were just wrecked from the crack and heroin epidemics, and ... for later generations, use of some of that type of drugs is highly stigmatized."

How do people get hooked on fentanyl?

Marsch examined 76 active fentanyl users. She says 80 percent of them were first introduced to opioids with pills, which usually a couple of years later morphed into heroin, and a couple of years after that, people moved onto fentanyl. "The part of your brain that is focused on survival is what opioids take over ... and your brain is telling you: this is part of what I need to survive."

Has the crisis already peaked?

National indicators do not point to an immediate improvement. "Saving lives, rapid Narcan distribution... That is just one piece of the many things that are needed," says Marsch of the powerful antidote to a drug overdose.

"We have been seeing more and more reports of home cultivation... you can take some key components and transport them. People literally report that they are making fentanyl in blenders in their homes.

"Carfentanyl has recently emerged from the scene, which is about 100 times more potent than fentanyl, so (an amount) the size of a grain of sand of carfentanyl can actually kill a person. It is intended tranquilize a very large animal."

"Because of its potency you can actually absorb it through your skin ... so if someone is trying to reverse an overdose on someone as emergency medical procedure, they could actually overdose themselves if they have contact with the drug."
NDMC accepts most of the demands n Congress assures them support

New Delhi: Sanitation workers called off their hungerstrike as most of their demands were accepted by the BJP-ruled municipal corporation. Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari on Saturday offered a glass of juice to the sanitation workers Union leaders who were on hungerstrike since March 20.

Mr Tiwari told the sanitation workers that the civic body understands that their demands are genuine and they deserve it. However, there are financial compulsions before it. Yet, the corporation has risen above party politics and has taken the decision to meet the demands. But it would entail a big financial liability on the exchequer.

This decision is being taken keeping in view its genuineness, the sanitation of the city, and the welfare of the sanitation staff, Mr Tiwari added.

He also expressed hope that now the sanitation force would dedicate themselves to the cause of sanitation and remove all the garbage that has piled up in the city. He said to the workers that their efforts would bring real change and help in achieving the objectives of the Swachchh Bharat Mission.

North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) mayor Preety Agarwal claimed that most of the demands of the sanitation workers have been accepted in their favour after taking into consideration many factors and deliberations.

Ms Agarwal announced that the demand for regularisation of the daily-wage sanitation workers appointed till 2006 shall be met with as per availability of vacant posts with immediate effect as per policy.

The demand of introducing mediclaim policy for regular sanitation workers on the analogy of SDMC has also been accepted by the corporation. Besides their salary, the sanitation workers will be paid `5,000 per month as part of payment of the pending arrear. Meanwhile, when the Delhi government releases funds, all their pending arrear can also be paid in lump sum, Ms Agarwal added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Congress president Ajay Maken also met the sanitation workers sitting on hungerstrike outside the Civic Centre seeking the fulfilment of their various demands. He assured them that Congress will spare no efforts to get them justice.

The BJP leaders tried to fool the striking sanitation workers in a bid to end their hungerstrike without fulfilling their just demands, or even without giving any proper assurance of solving their demands, despite being in power in the MCDs, said Mr Maken.

Former All Indian Congress Committee (AICC) secretary Jai Kishan and the leaders of the Congress party in the MCDs, Mukesh Goel and Abhishek Dutt, also met the striking sanitation workers along with Mr Maken
The police sources said that Dar was detained by the police merely on suspicion during routine checking in Awantipora area.

The police said that investigations into the alleged terror funding and extremist activities were underway. It, however, refused to divulge details of the case. (Photo: File)

Srinagar: The J&K police has arrested two youths in southern Pulwama district on charges of being involved in terror funding and trying to purchase weapons and ammunition on behalf of Ansar Ghuzwat-Ul-Hind (AGH), an affiliate of Al-Qaeda.

It identified the duo as Rafiq Ahmed Dar and Aabid Majeed Sheikh, both residents of Awantipora area of Pulwama. The police said that investigations into the alleged terror funding and extremist activities were underway. It, however, refused to divulge details of the case.

The police sources said that Dar was detained by the police merely on suspicion during routine checking in Awantipora area. The police allegedly found a grenade in his possession and during questioning Dar reportedly told it that he was an over-ground worker (OWG) of AGH and that the grenade was given to him by a militant of the outfit.

He also reportedly said that he along with Sheikh, the other alleged OGW of the outfit, were given a huge amount by Zakir Rashid Bhat alias Zakir Musa, the Chief of AGH to get weapons for the outfit. The sources said that the police after arresting Sheikh recovered a cash of Rs. 537,000 from him. He also told his interrogators that the money was looted by the outfit cadres from Marhama (Pulwama) branch of Jammu and Kashmir Bank in December 2017.

The police also said that it detained six Kashmiri youth who were planning to join militants ranks. They were handed over to their pare nts after proper counselling, the police said.

Meanwhile, life limped back to normalcy across Kashmir Valley barring parts of Pulwama district and northern town of Kangan after remaining paralysed for days in the aftermath of the killing of 13 militants and 5 civilians in security forces actions in Shopian and Anantnag district and Kagan past week.

In Pulwama, shops and other businesses remained shut on Saturday over the killing of Hizb-ul-Mujahedin militant Mussavir Wani. Thousands of people attended Wanis funeral on Saturday following which clashes erupted in the area between protesters and security forces, reports from Pulwama said . A BTech pass out from a Bengaluru university, Wani was killed by the security forces during a brief encounter in Kangan (Tral) area of the district on Friday. A few protesters were injured and one of them has been brought to Srinagar for specialized treatment. Kangan town in northern Ganderbal district remained shut on the fifth consecutive day Saturday to mourn and protest the killing of a local youth Gowhat Ahmed rather in police firing earlier during the week.

The authorities have ordered a magisterial probe into the killing of 22-year-old youth.
The police is also on the lookout for three agents who played a role in committing the fraud and are now absconding.

Mumbai: The Naupada police has arrested seven persons, including three sales officers, from Axis Banks Naupada branch, for allegedly illegally sanctioning personal loans to the tune of Rs 3.66 crore.

The police is also on the lookout for three agents who played a role in committing the fraud and are now absconding.

The investigation officer in the case, police inspector Senam Dhumath, said, The modus operandi followed by the accused persons was that they would get in touch with loan agents, who would bring needy people into the picture and disburse a personal loan of up to Rs 7 lakh with forged documents. However, they would give only Rs 5 lakh while distributing the remaining Rs 2 lakh among themselves (officers and agents).

Since the loan approval procedure requires approval at several stages from different officers, the accused persons used to hack into the accounts of their superiors and pass the loan without reporting the matter to the bank manager, he said.

Police sources said that the fraud came under the scanner of the fraud control unit of Axis Bank after the latter noticed that documents submitted for loan approval of certain persons were suspicious.

Further investigation into the matter revealed that three sales officers of the bank were disbursing personal loans to poor people based on forged documents. When confronted, the bank employees confessed to their crime.
This is her second hospitalisation since being jailed.

Mumbai: Indrani Mukerjea, the prime accused in the Sheena Bora murder case, was rushed to state-run JJ Hospital on Friday night in a drowsy state. She has been shifted to the Critical Care Unit (CCU), where two police constables are standing guard. Indrani underwent an array of tests including liver and kidney function tests, CT scan of her brain and an ultrasound of her abdomen, among others. Her vital parameters are normal. MRI scans results are awaited, said the medical superintendent of the hospital.

Talking to The Asian Age, medical superintendent Dr Sanjay Surase said, Indrani was brought in at 11.15 pm in a drowsy state. She underwent blood tests and a physical examination before being admitted to the CCU. Her stomach wash has been sent for analysis. The reports are awaited.

Asked about her condition, Dr Surase said, Her vital parameters are stable. She is under the care of Dr Wiqar Shaikh and her reports are pending.

This is Indranis second such hospitalisation since being lodged in the Byculla womens prison. In October 2015 she was rushed to JJ Hospital in semi-conscious condition after a suspected drug overdose. At the time, she was hospitalised for nearly a week, and conflicting reports arose on what led to her hospitalisation.

Indrani allegedly abducted and murdered her daughter Sheena on April 24, 2012 along with her former husband Sanjeev Khanna and driver Shyamvar Rai in conspiracy with her third husband Peter Mukerjea. Sheenas body was disposed of on April 25, 2012, at a deserted spot in Raigad. Rai was arrested on August 21, 2015, in an illegal arms case and he later spilled the beans.
According to the police, the complainant married Rijwani (24) in April 2017 and relocated to Pune from Ulhasnagar.

The complainant alleged that she saw the accused getting intimate with his own sister. (Photo: PTI/Representational)

Mumbai: A 23-year-old woman registered a complaint against her husband at the Ulhasnagar police station for allegedly making a video of their intimate moments and then threatening to upload it on social networking sites and their families social media groups if she did not arrange for money from her parents.

The husband, Kaushal Rijwani, allegedly blackmailed her on several occasions and extorted cash from her ranging from Rs 10,000 to Rs 2 lakh. According to the complainant, Rijwani has been sexually harassing her and forcing her to perform unnatural sexual acts ever since they got married a year ago.

The complaint was registered on Friday. After a primary investigation, the case was transferred to the Pune police as the incident took place in their jurisdiction, said police sources.

According to the police, the complainant married Rijwani (24) in April 2017 and relocated to Pune from Ulhasnagar. Just 15 days after the wedding, he shot a video of them while consummating their marriage and also clicked a few pictures, they said. When the woman objected, Rijwani promised to delete the multimedia content. However after a few days, he allegedly started beating her, and threatened to leak the pictures and videos on social networking websites.

A month later, Rijwani allegedly started forcing himself on her, again with the threat of disclosing the videos in public. In return for keeping the videos private, he started demanding money from her parents, they said. When he made the demand for Rs 2 lakh, the woman asked him why he needed so much money to which he allegedly replied by striking her. She also caught Rijwani allegedly getting intimate with his sister in the same house. When she tried to leave the house, he again threatened to leak the intimate photos and videos. Due to her parents poor financial condition, the complainant was unable to fulfil the Rijwanis demands.

Finally, a fortnight ago, the complainant fled from her in-laws house in Pune and returned to her parents home in Ulhasnagar. After discussing the matter with her family, she approached the Ulhasnagar police to register a complaint.

Police inspector H. Kale, investigating officer of the case said, We have transferred the case to Pune police. Inspector Kale further added, The woman said that some times her father-in-law used to touch her inappropriately. The details will be shared with the police and when it probes the matter further.

The accused has been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 377, 354(A), 406 and 506, which pertain to offences related to unnatural sex, sexual harassment, criminal breach of trust and criminal intimidation respectively.
He said that Ahmednagar has turned into Uttar Pradesh, where the law and order is in a bad shape.

Mumbai: Shiv Sena leader and environment minister Ramdas Kadam has blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for the double murder of Sena workers at Ahmednagar on Saturday and demanded that the state Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who heads the home department, should intervene. He said that Ahmednagar has turned into Uttar Pradesh, where the law and order is in a bad shape.

Mr Kadams reaction came after Sanjay Kotkar and Vasant Thube were shot dead. Nationalist Congress Party's (NCP) MLA Sangram Jagtap and three others have been arrested for the double murder.

BJP, NCP and Congress together are trying to terrorise the area. This is the failure of the chief minister. All the accused in the murder case should get death sentence Kadam said in a press conference in Ahmednagar.

He even criticised that NCP and BJP has secrete relations. BJP MLA Shivaji Kardile and NCP MLA Sangram Jagtap are relatives. On one had BJP shows that it is in alliance with us and on the other hand it is troubling Sena, Kadam told reporters.

However, NCP has denied the allegations by the Sena minister. The murder case was out of family feud. Let the law takes its own course. It is not correct to make it as a political issue, said NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik.

Congress has also termed the allegations by Mr Kadam as baseless. It was an unfortunate thing. The police should take quick action. But allegations against us are baseless,Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said.

Earlier in 2006, NCP leader Padamsinh Patil, and others were charged of his cousins murder and then Congress leader Pawan Raje Nimbalkar.
The Worli unit of ANC laid a trap and apprehended a woman in possession of the contraband.

A team of ANC will be sent to Nashik for further investigation and to get leads on Pathan.

Mumbai: Mumbai polices Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has seized 15.38 kg of Marijuana (Ganja) worth Rs 3.07 lakh from Sewri-Wadala Link Road on Saturday.

The Worli unit of ANC laid a trap and apprehended a woman in possession of the contraband.

The police is now on the lookout of a suspect known as Pathan in connection with the drug. The arrested accused was identified as Zeenat Shaikh (27) a resident of Marol Maroshi road in Andheri, who had recently graduated into distribution of the banned substance from being a mere small time peddler, the officials said.

Shaikh was in Sewri-Wadala road to distribute the 15.38 kg contraband to small peddlers when a team headed by Ninad Sawant apprehended her.

The woman distributor was taken into custody from near SIWS College off the link road. She would source drugs from Pathan, who is a supplier from Nashik. A team of ANC will be sent to Nashik for further investigation and to get leads on Pathan.

A case has been registered against Shaikh under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. She was produced before a local court that has remanded her to police custody till Tuesday for further investigation.
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The CIC is working with seven information commissioners, including the Chief Information Commissioner, against a sanctioned strength of 11.

After 12 years of operating from different locations, the Central Information Commission (CIC) has finally got its own building. The building was recently inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

But the CIC has more serious issues to deal with than inadequacy of space. Since 2016, the national watchdog for transparency and accountability has been functioning with depleted strength.

The CIC is working with seven information commissioners, including the Chief Information Commissioner, against a sanctioned strength of 11. Of the seven information commissioners, three are retiring this year.

There are four vacant positions for 18 months now and the government has failed to fill these despite advertising the vacancies two years back, in 2016.

The situation, reportedly, is repeated in the states with several information commissions throughout the country operating without even a chief information commissioner or with a depleted strength of information commissioners.

Many state information commissions such as Maharashtra, Nagaland and Gujarat have been functioning without a CIC. In West Bengal, Sikkim, Kerala, Odisha and Telangana, vacancies have led to a rise in the number of pending cases.

Beyond vacancies and growing backlog of cases, which are functional issues, there is a deeper existential issue at the CIC. While the CIC is all about transparency and disclosure of information to the public, apparently, it is exempted from disclosures about its own functioning!

A recent attempt by an RTI activist seeking information on appointing information commissioners for the CIC was denied by the department of personnel and training (DoPT). A wall of silence met the RTI request. Its all a big secret!

Of course, sometimes it is heartening to note that the CIC will not hesitate in rebuking its own officials for violation of the RTI Act under which the appellate authority functions.

Information commissioner Divya Prakash Sinha recently pulled up joint secretary (law) and other officials when they refused to part with information requested by transparency activist R.K. Jain.

Mr Jain had reportedly sought to know, from the CIC, the action taken on 113 communications received in its legal cell from its dak (mail) section during April-June 2013. But he was not provided with any information.

Mr Sinha said that by refusing to disclose the information sought, the CIC showed a regrettable disdain for provisions of the RTI Act. But perhaps the biggest challenge for the CIC is the alarming rise in pending cases and also the time taken to deal with them. A recent study has stated that the estimated time required for the disposal of an appeal or complaint has gone up to as high as 43 years in the case of West Bengal, followed by six years and six months in Kerala and five years in Odisha!

Moreover, the CIC has also been accused of giving misleading information about the number of appeals and complaints pending before it.

In response to the query on the number of pending cases as of October 31, 2017, in its initial reply, the CIC stated that 21,097 appeals and 3,533 complaints were pending. However, in a subsequent reply, the CIC changed these figures to 20,484 appeals and 3,460 complaints.

No explanation was given for providing a different set of pendency figures for the same time period. If information commissions, at the Centre and in the states, continue to evade real accountability to the people, they cannot bridge the trust deficit with the public.
Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has hit the headlines once again for all the wrong reasons.

All party notifications and announcements regarding appointments in the Congress are signed and issued by the general secretary in charge of organisation and training. This position was until recently held by senior Congress leader Janardan Dwivedi, who has been replaced by former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, in the latest organisational changes undertaken by party president Rahul Gandhi. Although it has been known that Mr Gandhi will be inducting his own team members after taking over as party chief, the manner in which Mr Dwivedi was removed has not gone down well with Congress members. The announcement of Mr Dwivedis removal and Mr Gehlots appointment was signed and issued by Mr Dwivedi himself as the outgoing general secretary in charge of the organisation. Several Congress leaders have privately admitted that this was in very poor taste and should have been avoided. After all, they said, Mr Dwivedi is a senior party leader, has been a close confidant of Sonia Gandhi, who held this post for nearly two decades. He is among the few seniors in the Congress who is well-versed with the party constitution and other organisational issues.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra, who appears regularly on news channels to defend his party, is known to be combative and pugnacious. Having learned the tricks of the trade, he is quick to counter political rivals with his rapid-fire responses and is not above shouting down the other speakers, especially Congress spokespersons. In fact, he is at his belligerent best when confronted by Congress panelists. Given this image cultivated by the BJP spokesperson, it was almost difficult to recognise him when he met Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a function recently. Mr Patra was a picture of humility as he bent forward to greet her with a reverential Namaste and mumbled something half-apologetically. Mrs Gandhi, it is said, greeted him back and told him smilingly: I know you are only doing your job. Mr Patra is not the only BJP leader who presents a different persona in private and public. For instance, Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made it a point to touch former Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs feet whenever he called on him in his office. Its a different matter that he would come out and complain about the step-motherly treatment meted out by the Centre to Opposition-ruled states.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has hit the headlines once again for all the wrong reasons. His decision to accord minister of state (MoS) status to five Hindu religious leaders has predictably kicked up a political storm. It is well-known that Mr Chouhan took this step to mollify the mahants as two of them  Computer Baba and Yogendra Mahant  had announced plans to take out a Narmada Ghotala Rath Yatra across the state to demand a ban on illegal mining and expose the chief ministers claims on planting of saplings along the Narmada river. However, what is not known is that Mr Chouhan was nervous as there was a buzz that former chief minister and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh would be lending his support to the expose planned by the mahants. Mr Singh has been on an apolitical Narmada parikrama for the past six months, which is now drawing to a close. It is speculated that Mr Singhs future plans include a possible return to the political arena ahead of this year-end Assembly polls. Fearing that Mr Singh planned to use the mahants campaign to launch a political campaign against him, Mr Chouhan lost no time in placating the mahants, who have now cancelled their programme.

K. Yerran Naidu, leader of Telugu Desam Party in the Lok Sabha, who was killed in a road accident in 2012, was a popular figure in Delhis political circles. He endeared himself to his political rivals and mediapersons with his ready smile and simple charm. The TDP office in the Parliament House was a hub of activity when Yerran Naidu was in charge as he plied visitors with toast and coffee while journalists never came back without getting some news out of him. His son K. Rammohan Naidu, who succeeded him and is a first-time Lok Sabha MP, has over the past four years discovered the goodwill his father enjoyed. Naidu junior recently remarked that he never really knew his father when he was growing up since he was busy with his political career but learned far more about him on coming to Delhi. He is greeted warmly by everyone after they learn that he is Yerran Naidus son who regales him with stories about his father. Even the Parliament staff members go out of their way to help him once they realise that they are dealing with Yerran Naidus son.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis domestic slogan Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was extended to the neighbourhood.

Nepalese Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olis April 6-8 India visit evoked less interest in the electronic media than in the bailing-out of actor Salman Khan in Jodhpur, after being held guilty for blackbuck killing two decades back. This disinterest in the extremely important relations with the only neighbour that has an open border with India is shocking. The joint statement issued after talks acknowledges the shared historical and cultural links and people to people contacts. Nepals geostrategic significance, however, has increased manifold due to its domestic political developments and the mounting Chinese presence this side of the Himalayas.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has invested heavily in the relationship by high-profile visits, including addressing the Nepalese Constituent Assembly functioning then as its de facto Parliament. The realignment of political forces preceded the critical 2017 election. The Communist Party (Maoist Centre) led by Pushpa Kamal Dahal, alias Prachanda, abandoned its ally Nepali Congress (NC) to form an alliance, followed by merger, with the more powerful Communist Party (Unified Marxist-Leninist). The two won two-thirds of the seats in the 275-member Parliament, the latter bagging 121 against Prachandas 53. The Nepali Congress won 63 seats and the Madhesis, considered pro-India due to their links to Indias Terai region, hold 16-17 seats.

While on a visit to Kathmandu a week ago for a talk, I found newspaper speculation that Mr Oli wanted the seven-clause merger agreement implemented before his India visit to strengthen his diplomatic hand. That has not happened, perhaps due to intra-party rivalries within the CP(UML) among pre-eminent leaders like Madhav Kumar Nepal, J.N. Khanal, etc, who chafe at Mr Olis arch-nationalist image, built on countering Indian dominance.

Mr Prachandas demand for an equal share in the merged party is resisted by Mr Oli and his associates as they not only fought 60 per cent of the seats but won a significantly higher number. Indias future role as a stabiliser rests on this distrust, as theoretically the old Maoist-NC alliance totals 116 members, and with the Madhesis outnumbers the Oli group.

Thus, despite Mr Oli in his public speeches in Nepal often indulging in targeting Mr Modi and India-baiting, he realises that he cannot offend India beyond a limit. He has balanced the mis-step in hosting the Pakistani Prime Minister immediately after his election win by sticking to the tradition that Nepalese leaders visit India first after assuming power. The vitiation of this atmosphere commenced with the blockade ordered by the Modi government in 2015. Similar steps during Congress governments in the past were partly successful as India dealt with a monarch and an autocratic power structure that could be counted on not to take differences to the street. Also, the Madhesis were not a factor in the kingdom period as political power-sharing was not at stake, only India-Nepal relations were. In 2015, India acted to coerce Nepal to address the Madhesi demand for more representation in the new Parliament and fair redrawing of provincial boundaries which did not marginalise them. In retrospect, this was an unwise move as the hurt has been internalised across the Nepalese population, which the Communists continue to exploit successfully.

Mr Olis visit begins the process of containing that harm.

The geo-strategic factor is Chinas more assertive role in Nepal. Although it is true that Nepal has for centuries used China to balance pressure from those ruling the Indo-Gangetic plain, it has also done the reverse. Under the Sino-Nepalese Peace Agreement of 1792, Nepal had agreed to pay five-yearly tributes to the Qing Emperor. This stopped after the Tibetans asserted their sovereignty and signed the Thapathali Treaty with Nepal in 1856. Nepal thereafter chose to side with the British and the Tibetans in asserting their authority against China. Thus, the balancing act by Nepal today has a long history.

Three events over the past year raised Indian concerns. Chinas defence minister Gen. Chang Wanquan visited Nepal on March 24. Traditionally, it is the Indian Army that has pre-eminence as it not only still recruits Gurkha soldiers, but also Indias Chief of Army Staff gets an equivalent honorary rank in the Nepalese Army. In the following month, the first-ever 10-day Sino-Nepalese military exercise named Sagarmatha (Nepalese phrase for Everest) Friendship was held, having a counter-terror focus. Nepal has also been sending a large number of its military officers to Chinese military academies for training. The Nepalese have also been more enthusiastic in apprehending Tibetan refugees, apparently at Chinese behest. Finally, in May 2017, Nepal joined the Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, with connectivity proposals between Nepal and China. In any case, both Mr Prachanda and Mr Oli have in the past sought closer links with China.

Mr Oli came seeking a new way of India-Nepal engagement. India met him halfway to contain any further slippage. Prime Minister Narendra Modis domestic slogan Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas was extended to the neighbourhood. Mr Oli responded with Samriddha Nepal Sukhi Nepal. Samriddha can mean self-sufficient or abundant. Either way, India has to play along. Connectivity and agriculture were the dominant themes. Three standalone joint statements that were issued cover integrated checkpoints, upgraded rail and road links and cooperation in agriculture. The construction of the Motihari-Amlekhgunj petroleum products pipeline was flagged off. Inland water transportation was mooted, but this still needs a lot of study. India presented its counter to the Chinese proposals and an alternative vision of global connectivity for Nepal. The oil products pipeline gives India both a carrot and a pressure point for keeping Nepal on a friendly path. The joint statement articulates that strengthened bilateral relations will benefit Indias progress and prosperity. But success depends on Nepal too perceiving benefit in them for its own prosperity. Hopefully, both sides have become somewhat wiser after the 2015 standoff.
The Nepal leader said before reaching New Delhi that his country has two neighbours.

Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Olis visit to New Delhi on Friday-Saturday, his first after assuming office for the second time in February, appears to have introduced a new dynamic into the relationship between the two countries, with the Nepal leader being in a position of far greater reassurance than earlier, and perhaps greater than any other previous PM. He has signed up on Chinas Belt and Road Initiative. New Delhi was in no position to influence Kathmandu in this matter. With China, the Oli government has reached an agreement for a trans-border rail network through Tibet. China will also prospect for oil in Nepal. The value of these is obvious, especially for a China-leaning leader.

In addition to this, the new element for Mr Oli is a buoying one in domestic politics. His Communist Party of Nepal (United Marxist-Leninist) has agreed to unite with Mr Prachandas CPN (Maoist) to form the CPN, and he is the first PM of this united Communist bloc. The Nepali Congress, the bourgeois bloc, was the largest single party if the Communists were not one party. The Nepali Congress took a bad beating in Februarys elections.

Mr Oli is thus in a position to have the best of both worlds regarding Nepals ties with Beijing and New Delhi. It was a recognition of this reality that made Prime Minister Narendra Modi tell the Nepal PM that Indias bilateral assistance would be directed by the priorities set by Kathmandu.

Mr Oli also made a meaningful observation  that he would aim to build an edifice of trust with India in keeping with 21st century realities. That probably says it all. In light of the changing scenario, its quite pointless for India to make too much of the fact that it was Mr Olis first port of call on his second coming as PM.

The Nepal leader said before reaching New Delhi that his country has two neighbours. In fact, India should have long learnt not to expect any special relationship with Kathmandu, but build normal friendly ties with stakes in Nepals stability. Only that can ensure that Kathmandu will not permit itself to be used by others to prejudice Indias security interests across the open India-Nepal border.

During the Oli visit, the two nations agreed on a trans-border rail link between Raxaul (Bihar) on the Indian side and Kathmandu. This is an important connectivity factor that will help the transit of goods and people. India also agreed to build an inland waterway link to the sea for Nepal, which drew Mr Olis praise. The agreement on Indian support to Nepal in agriculture is also deemed important. These are good agreements, but there must be a meeting of minds politically for anything to take the desired shape.
At about 6 pm (local time) on Saturday, huge flames and massive smoke was seen billowing out from the building.

New York fire crews graded it a Three-Alarm blaze, meaning a minimum of 33 units and 138 firefighters were sent. (Photo: ANI)

New York: One person has been killed and four firefighters have been injured after a fire broke out on the 50th floor in the Trump Tower, a large building in Manhattan owned by United States President Donald Trump.

The deceased, who was a resident of the building's 50th floor, was taken to the hospital in critical condition, fire department spokeswoman Angelica Conroy told CNN.

At about 6 pm (local time) on Saturday, huge flames and massive smoke was seen billowing out from the building following which a team of firefighters was rushed to the location to douse the fire.

As per the media reports, New York fire crews graded it a Three-Alarm blaze, meaning a minimum of 33 units and 138 firefighters were sent.

According to a witness, it started with a smoke which soon turned into a blaze.

The cause of the fire has not been ascertained yet.
A van drove into a group of people in the western Germany, killing 2 bystanders before the driver shot himself.

The perpetrator who recklessly sped into a crowd of people after 3:00 pm is, according to the current stage of the investigation, a German citizen. (Photo: AP)

Berlin: A van drove into a group of people in the western German city of Muenster on Saturday, killing two bystanders before the driver shot himself, police said.

German authorities have found no evidence of an Islamist motive behind the rampage, state interior minister Herbert Reul said.

"The perpetrator who recklessly sped into a crowd of people after 3:00 pm is, according to the current stage of the investigation, a German citizen and not, as has been claimed everywhere, a refugee or something like that," Reul, of North Rhine-Westphalia state, told reporters.

Also read: Van driver kills four in Germany, ends life

"There is no indication at the moment that there is any Islamist connection," he said, after correcting the number of total dead down to three including the driver, who shot himself.

Germany has experienced a number of terror attacks in recent years, including through the deadly use of vehicles.

In December 19, 2016, Tunisian national Anis Amri, 24, hijacked a truck and slammed it into a crowd of people at a Christmas market in Berlin, killing 12 people and injuring 48.
Christopher Whiteside MBE is Conservative County Councillor for the Egremont North and St Bees Division of Cumbria County Council. The division includes St Bees, Bigrigg, Wood End, Moor Row, part of the Mirehouse area of Whitehaven, and surrounding countryside. He is also deputy chair (political and campaigning) of the North-West region of the voluntary wing of the Conservative party. Chris lives and works in Copeland with his wife and family.
The woman, a local farm worker, had asked her brothers to give her share in an inherited property.

The woman was shifted to the district hospital Khanewal, but later transferred to Multan's Nishtar Hospital, where she is stated to be in a critical condition. (Representational Image)

Lahore: A woman's legs were brutally chopped off by her brothers over a property dispute in Khanewal city in Pakistan's Punjab province, a media report said Sunday.

The woman, a local farm worker, had asked her brothers to give her share in an inherited property. When rejected, she had threatened to move the court, The News reported.

But before she could move the court, her brothers attacked her with axes and chopped off her legs, the paper said.

The woman was shifted to the district hospital Khanewal, but later transferred to Multan's Nishtar Hospital, where she is stated to be in a critical condition.

Police have started investigation and are conducting raids to arrest the accused.
Hello. My partner and I are applying for a defacto visa. We have paid for the visa application which is a painful 7000. Now we have just been trying to upload the documents.



I work as an outdoor guide so i'm in the bush with no phone reception camping with school kids each week. My partner Ben who is English and its him we are trying to get the visa for is currently working as a raft guide in morrocco. So its been hard to communicate and get the documents.



I have been applying the documents but I didn't realise that i was going over the limit and now i'm over the limit but they are still saying that they need documents. For example I being the organised one in our relationship posted Bens birth certificate but an email was sent saying it needs to be certified and now I can't lodge a certified one (thats even if ben is travelling with this original birth certificate and can get it certified.



I'm so stressed and scared that we will pay all this money and stuff like this means that we will not get our visa. Also one of the things they asked for was a 40sp form but one time when I did speak to an agent she said I didn't need that as it was already part of the online application so I'm confused.



Has anyone else gone over the document limit but still needed mandatory docs. I know I was stupid. I just was plugging away. I'm so worried now.



If there is anyone out there that might know anything that could help or has been in my situation that would be able to help I would appreciate it.
The County of Kern has lost the MALDEF lawsuit in U.S. District Court in a ruling that could throw into turmoil the placement of political bou
"No one is more hated than he who speaks the truth."



Plato





"This country has shed more blood for the freedom of other people than all the other nations in the history of the world combined, and I'm tired of people feeling like they've got to apologize for America."

Sen. Fred Thompson (R-TN)







In a time of universal deceit  telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

George Orwell, the author of 1984







"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.""Americans are so enamored of equality that they would rather be equal in slavery than unequal in freedom.""A return to first principles in a republic is sometimes caused by the simple virtues of one man. His good example has such an influence that the good men strive to imitate him, and the wicked are ashamed to lead a life so contrary to his example."Cowardice asks the question, 'Is it safe?' Expediency asks the question, 'Is it politic?' But conscience asks the question, 'Is it right?' And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular but because conscience tells one it is right.
Her father, Sergei remains critical in intensive care.

Theresa May, Boris Johnson and the whole of the Conservative Party, the DUP and 38 #labour mps were categorical in their blame of Russian Federation and in a rushed statement not long after the poisoning, Boris Johnson claimed in an interview that Porton Down scientists could definitely pinpoint the poison used and its origins, however, this recent statement directly contradicts everything the government and the foreign secretary have been saying.

But Aitkenhead said the British investigators have not yet been able to say where the deadly agent was manufactured.

Chief executive Gary Aitkenhead dismissed Russian claims it might have come from the United Kingdom military laboratory.

"We have not identified the precise source, but we have provided the scientific info to [the] government who have then used a number of other sources to piece together the conclusions", Mr Aitkenhead told Sky News.

United Kingdom scientists have confirmed the nerve agent used to poison a former Russian spy and his daughter was from the Novichok series, but have not verified its "precise source", the head of the lab studying the substance said Tuesday.

The Foreign Office has deleted a tweet blaming Russian Federation for the Salisbury attack after United Kingdom scientists announced they had not verified the source of the nerve agent used.

'Within the last decade, Russian Federation has investigated ways of delivering nerve agents probably for assassination'.

The defence research facility, which identified the substance in Salisbury as Novichok, said it was likely to have been deployed by a "state actor".

Gary Aitkenhead, the chief executive of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, said his staff had identified the substance as the Russian-developed nerve agent but said that confirming its origin required "other inputs" available to the government.

The global chemical weapons control body will hold an emergency meeting to discuss the poisoning of former spy Skripal, at Russia's request. "The objective of Russia's ludicrous proposal at The Hague was clear -- to undermine the independent, impartial work of the worldwide chemical weapons watchdog", he said, adding that Moscow's main goal was "to obscure the truth and confuse the public". The foreign office also deleted a tweet that previously echoed Mr Johnson's claims and now have been trying to deny culpability.

The comment prompted Russian president Vladimir Putin to call for a joint inquiry into the attack, claiming that the agent could have been made in any of 20 different nations.

Asked to spell out what this would mean, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "A real war, worse than a cold war is a real war, it will be the last war in the history of mankind".

"No doubt " UK Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson departs Downing Street in London after a cabinet meeting, 27-03-2018.

"Specialists have identified the highest concentration of the nerve agent, to date, as being on the front door of the address", the Metropolitan Police said.

He also, in a weird tweet, attempted to shift the focus onto Jeremy Corbyn after he said that the foreign secretary had "questions to answer".

When asked if there was any realistic possibility of triggering war, a spokesman for Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We need to respond in a proportionate way to this aggressive behaviour from Russian Federation and that's what we're doing".
Uh-oh! It could be you, or it could be us, but there's no page here.
Heaviest Storm Delayed But Still Coming to Portland, Oregon Coast

Published 04/07/2018 at 6:05 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff





(Oregon Coast)  The big storm for the Oregon coast, Portland and the inland valley has been slightly delayed, according to the National Weather Service (NWS)  along with massive seas. The biggest winds are still coming, with the NWS extending the high wind warning for the coast through 10 a.m. on Sunday morning, and the high surf advisory extended through 1 p.m. Sunday. (Above: Cape Kiwanda in a storm, courtesy Oregon State Parks and Recreation Department).

Strongest winds Saturday have been delayed, but are coming, the NWS said. Winds will increase Saturday reaching their peak by evening. Beaches and headlands likely to see gusts to 70 mph, coastal communities gusts to 60 mph. Exposed ridges along the Coast Range should have gusts to 60 mph. Inland Valleys and locations including Eugene, Salem, Portland and Vancouver likely to have gusts 40 to 50 mph. These strong winds could produce local power outages, falling trees and branches and power lines. Travel may be difficult for high profile vehicles and over bridges.

The NWS said a high wind warning means hazardous weather conditions of strong and damaging winds are imminent or highly likely in the warning area.

So far, the north Oregon coast has experienced a few heavy gusts, according to Brian Hines, owner of San Dune Inn in Manzanita. There were periods of considerable thunder and lightning he said. Its not been much out of the ordinary, however.

The central Oregon coast seems to have been hit a little harder, with some in Newport reporting jarring conditions on the Yaquina Bay Bridge.

Wave height tonight will be building to 27 feet, then dropping a little to 24 feet. On Sunday they inch down to 23 feet, subsiding to just under 20 feet late in the evening.

Waves will run up much higher on beaches than normal, the NWS said. These powerful waves can sweep people off jetties and other exposed rocks. The waves can easily move large logs and other beach debris. Bar crossings and the surf zone will be dangerous due to strong currents and breaking waves.

Portland and the valley will get hit with lots of heavy rains and outages are still expected. Some spots in the metro area already experienced power issues: the top of the Sylvan exit on Highway 26 was without power for a time.

On Monday, conditions clear up to fairly to mostly sunny on the beaches and inland. More small storm systems begin tracking in on Tuesday, bringing wave height up to 15 to 17 feet on and off over the week. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours - More Oregon Coast Weather.























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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8)  Thousands of informal and indigenous peoples (IPs) working on Boracay will be given jobs once the six-month shutdown is enforced.

Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Secretary Silvestre Bello told CNN Philippines Sunday, the agency will roll out an emergency employment program where 5,000 workers would be hired to assist in the cleanup of the island as well as some office work.

Of that number, 2,000 slots will be for members of the Ati tribe, considered as the first inhabitants of Boracay.

"Basically ang magiging trabaho nila ay paglilinis ng Boracay...'Yung paglilinis ng beach, tulad ng roads, paglilinis ng sewage system and other jobs," Bello said.

[Translation: Basically they will be cleaning Boracay -- the beach, the roads, the sewer lines -- and other jobs.]

He said the Departments of Social Welfare and Development, Interior and Local Government, Public Works and Highways, and the Commission on Higher Education are also coming up with their own program to address the problems of the displaced workers.

Bello added possible employment of skilled workers and non-Boracay residents will be addressed by other agencies.

On March 22, Tourism Congress of the Philippines President Jojo Clemente said around 36,000 people may lose their jobs when Boracay closes.

Boracay's six-month closure is set to start on April 26, weeks after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a shutdown due to pollution problems.

READ: Rebuilding Boracay: Timeline, what to expect
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8)  The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its negotiating arm National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) welcome the possible reopening of talks with the government.

"The parties have proven time and again at different junctures that they can actually meet minds under mutually acceptable terms as a product of bilateral negotiations," NDFP legal counsel Edre Olalia said in a statement Sunday.

While Olalia recognized that peace talks would not be easy, he added progress can be made in a negotiation and resolution that is a "fair, two-sided, even meticulous if not tedious process."

The CPP, meanwhile, said they remain open to negotiations that seek solutions to the roots of armed conflict.

In a statement Saturday, the CPP called on the implementation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL), mainly to protect civilian population in the course of an armed conflict, and a presidential amnesty proclamation to release all political prisoners.

The CPP said it had full confidence in the NDFP to represent the causes of the left in the negotiations.

However, the CPP maintains that people must "continue to wage all-out resistance and mount organized protest actions" to let the government know of their demands.

It also supports the NDFP's position that there should be no preconditions in the resumption of peace talks.

In a press conference Sunday, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said if the communists are ready to accept the conditions set by President Rodrigo Duterte, then peace talks can continue.

"So iyang mga hinihingi naman nilang iyan, puwedeng doon na sa kasunduan mismo ipasok. So sa akin po hindi hadlang iyan doon sa pagbubukas muli ng peace talks," he added.

[Translation: The things they are asking for can be included in the agreement itself. For me, it isn't a means of stopping the reopening of peace talks.]

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte said the government and the CPP-NDFP have 60 days to restart the peace talks.

He also said he would spend for the cost of the resumption.

"You can go all out, all of you. Nothing will happen. But if we fail, I'll start collecting. Sigurado yan [that's for sure]," Duterte said.

The President previously said a halt to revolutionary taxes and a cease to armed hostilities by the CPP's armed wing New Peopls's Army (NPA) were among the conditions he wanted met before peace talks were to resume.

The talks were suspended in November, following a series of attacks by the communist rebels.

The Norwegian government on February 16 committed to assist in the peace talks between the government and the rebels.

The CPP's insurgency has lasted for almost 50 years and is dubbed as Asia's longest running armed struggle.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8)  The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) aired its concern on who will operate ride-hailing service provider Uber beyond April 8.

The Philippine Competition Commission on April 6 ordered Uber to continue operating pending its review of the Grab acquisition deal.

"Ang concern namin for the riding public, paano na ho sila? Kung magbo-book, may tao ba?" LTFRB Board Member Aileen Lizada said Sunday.

[Translation: Our concern for the riding public is how about them? Are there people manning the app should passengers book?]

READ: PCC: Uber can't exit PH market without complying with law

The PCC on Saturday said Uber cannot cease its operations in the country without complying with the law first.

Under the law, the PCC can "prohibit mergers and acquisitions that will substantially prevent, restrict, or lessen competition in the relevant market."

Failure to comply with the order will result in penalties of P50,000 up to P2 million for each violation. Parties, however, are given a chance to explain the non-compliance.

Lizada said representatives from Uber disclosed in a public hearing on Thursday that the company no longer has funds to continue their operations and enough number of employees to man their Manila office.

"'Yung aming tanong sa LTFRB, kung may mga road crashes, kung may complaints, sino ang sasagot sa side ng Uber? Sino rin ang aming isu-summon if ever meron kaming hearing?" she said.

[Translation: The question LTFRB poses is, if there are road crashes or complaints, who would be accountable on Uber's side? Who would we summon if there would be a hearing?]

CNN Philippines has reached out to Uber but it has yet to give its comment.

READ: Uber ordered to continue operations beyond April 8

The PCC has opened a review on the deal, after seeing a "virtual monopoly" forming after Grab's acquisition of Uber.

The competition watchdog also issued a set of interim measures, ordering Uber to continue operations beyond ?April 8?, the day it was initially scheduled to turn over its services to Grab.

READ: Philippine Competition Commission reviews Grab-Uber merger

The PCC ordered both ride-sharing companies to maintain the independence of business operations while the government is conducting its review.

Grab to operate Uber app until April 15

In a statement, Grab Country Head Brian Cu said the company will operate and bear the costs of the Uber app until April 15, giving drivers and consumers time to adjust with the transfer of service.

"Our understanding from the PCC is that this interim arrangement, which was fully explained to the PCC, is not a breach of its order," Cu said.

He said, however, the order increases the transaction costs of the parties, "contrary to the spirit and rationale of interim measures."

Cu clarified while the Uber app will remain operational, it has "limited functionality and little to no support."

He added representatives from Grab and Uber wish to further discuss their concerns with the PCC.

More transport network companies coming in

With the PCC's concerns over the Grab-Uber deal resulting in a monopoly, the LTFRB said at least four Transport Network Companies (TNCs) are coming in.

Lizada, however, said they have yet to complete their application.

"On the part of the LTFRB, there are TNCs waiting to be accredited and we just need their compliance which is very minimal submission of business permits, submission of audited financial statements," she said.

LTFRB chair Martin Delgra said it would be a swift accreditation process when all requirements are completed.

"Kung ma-submit nila ngayon, next week lalabas na certificate of accreditation [If they can submit now, they will have the Certificate of Accreditation by next week]. We're just waiting for the completion of the documentation we need from them," Delgra said.

The transport regulators said drivers can easily register under new TNCs because they can use existing provisional authority documents.

Grab, meanwhile, is open to the entry of new competitors.

"Grab welcomes possible new players into the market and applauds LTFRB's constant push for more players to keep the market competitive whilst emphasizing on safety as a core tenet of ride hailing in the Philippines," Cu said.

CNN Philippines' Correspondent Triciah Terada contributed to this report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 8)  Rohingya refugees are welcome in the Philippines.

This, according to Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque when asked about the government's position on opening the doors to Rohingya refugees.

Roque had one clarification, however: take the President seriously, but not literally.

"The President is always serious with what he says. Ang sinasabi nga lang namin [What we are saying], don't take him literally but take him seriously. The Philippines always has an open door policy for refugees," Roque said.

Roque said the country has a history of accommodating refugees, referencing Vietnamese who arrived in the country in the 70s when the Philippines became a processing zone.

"Halos lahat ng refugees na binigyan ng refugee status ay dumaan muna sa Pilipinas. So it is in that kind of tradition that the President stated that we're willing to open our doors to Rohingya refugees," he said.

[Translation: Almost all refugees who were given refugee status passed through the Philippines. So it is in that kind of tradition that the President stated that we're willing to open our doors to Rohingya refugees.]

Roque also said the country used to have a refugee processing center in Bataan and there was infrastructure ready to accommodate them.

"Wala pong problema iyan kung talagang kinakailangang paratingin sila sa maraming mga numero. Eh mayroon na po tayong imprastraktura, na mga lugar kung saan sila pupuwedeng dadalhin," he added.

[There is no problem if there really is a need to have them arrive en masse. We have the infrastucture, places where they can be taken.]

On Thursday, President Rodrigo Duterte has called the Rohingya crisis a "genocide" and offered the refugees a home in the country.

"I'm willing to accept refugees. Rohingyas, yes," Duterte said

READ: Duterte 'willing to accept' Rohingya refugees

In 1979, former President Ferdinand Marcos passed Executive Order No. 554 to create a task force to help process of refugees especially those from Vietnam.

They temporarily resided in the country until their final resettlement in other countries.

In 1980, the Philippine Refugee Processing Center, funded by the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, was founded in Morong, Bataan. Here is where refugees lived before their relocation to other countries.

The processing center was ordered shut down by former President Fidel Ramos in1995 via Memorandum Order No. 267.




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.
1947 Where Now Begins Elisabeth Asbrink Translated by Fiona Graham Other Press 280 pages; $25.95 MISCHKAS WAR A Story of Survival From War-Torn Europe to New York Sheila Fitzpatrick I.B. Tauris 313 pages; $29.50 WHAT YOU DID NOT TELL A Russian Past and the Journey Home Mark Mazower Other Press 379 pages; $25.95 The Swedish journalist Elisabeth Asbrinks 1947 is an extraordinary achievement. Careening around Europe and the Middle East as well as South Asia and the United States through a singular year, she ...
Binani Cement is likely to move the Supreme Court on Monday to end insolvency proceedings against it. The companys lenders have asked it obtain the necessary permission before consenting to an out-of-court settlement.

The lenders met on Saturday. After the meeting some of them confirmed the meeting was held to consider the cement makers revised proposal to pay back the entire sum it owed, along with interest. A banker said they were happy with the proposal. It is an excellent proposal, but we need the Supreme Courts approval to go ahead with this. ...
The CBI on Sunday questioned Rajiv Kochhar, brother-in-law of ICICI Bank MD and CEO Chanda Kochhar, and two directors of NuPower Renewables Pvt Ltd in connection with a case relating to Rs 32.50 billion loan to the Videocon Group in 2012.

Umanath Vainkut Nayak and Mahesh Chandra Pugnalia, a close aide of Videocon Group chief Venugopal Dhoot, are the directors of NuPower, the company formed by Chanda Kochhar's husband Deepak Kocchar and Dhoot in December 2008.

All were questioned at the Central Bureau of Investigation's (CBI) Bandra office.

Rajiv Kochhar was questioned for the fourth consecutive day on Sunday while Pungalia was examined for the second consecutive day in connection with the case.

CBI, however, questioned Nayak first time in the case to probe his role in offering consultancy services if any to Videocon Group being investigated by the CBI.

Pungalia was also asked over the issue as he was previously an employee of Videocon Group and used to offer consultancy services to the firm.

Nayak and Pungalia were confronted during the questioning, said sources in the CBI.

According to the agency officials, the duo was also asked about the role of Rajiv's Singapore-based company Avista Advisory in the restructuring of loan.

They were also asked about the help Pungalia extended to Videocon in securing the loan from the ICICI Bank, which was part of a Rs 400 billion credit given by a consortium of 20 banks, led by the State Bank of India, to the Videocon Group.

The CBI on Thursday and Friday, Saturday, too, questioned Rajiv Kochhar for hours in connection with the case.

He was on Thursday stopped at Mumbai airport by immigration authorities around 11 a.m. when he was about to leave for Singapore. Later, he was handed over to a CBI which is questioning him as part of its preliminary probe against his brother Deepak Kochhar and Dhoot.

The agency had registered a preliminary inquiry against Deepak Kochhar, Videocon Group officials and others to determine any wrongdoing or otherwise in the sanction of loan to the Group by the ICICI Bank as part of the consortium of banks in 2012.

Chanda Kochhar, who is facing questions of conflict of interest in the case, has not been named in the preliminary inquiry, which was registered after news reports raised questions about the Videocon Chairman giving loan of Rs 640 million to a firm he had jointly promoted with Deepak Kochhar, six months after his group got the Rs 32.50 billion loan.

Sources said Deepak Kochhar and Dhoot could also be called for questioning after examination of documents of the loan and statements.
Ashok Bharti was born in Basti Rajaram, a slum for untouchables near Jama Masjid in old Delhi, one of seven children. His grandfather cut grass for fodder. His father, a tailor and a class four dropout, was apprenticed to a Muslim master tailor.

However, being an untouchable, he could not enter the unit and had to sit outside the shop. It took him eight years to learn his trade. In later years, Bhartis father was responsible for introducing many Dalits to the profession of tailoring. Growing up as a poor Dalit, Bharti got firsthand experience of the vulnerabilities of ...
Tamil author Perumal Murugan is back after a two-year hiatus with his book Poonachi or The story of a black goat. He spoke to Sneha Bhattacharjee on the current status of Dalits and artists in India, his exile and writing. What do you have to say about the current attacks on Dalits? I definitely think any attempt to dilute the Prevention of Atrocities Act is wrong.

There may be specific tangles in the way the Act is implemented which can be worked out. But the solution is not to weaken it. I think the protests by Dalits against this are justified. The violence perpetrated ...
For seven years, Deepika Jalakam sat at home. Bored, unfulfilled and dependent on her husband for every dime, she struggled with the notion that her professional life was doomed in the land of opportunity. So when the employment card arrived in the mail in 2015, Ms. Jalakam did what she often does when good fortune comes her way: She placed it before the gods in the Hindu shrine mounted in her kitchen cabinet, blessed it with a dab of red kum kum powder and recited a prayer of gratitude. Within weeks, Ms. Jalakam, who has a degree in biotechnology, landed a job as ...
The revenue department has imposed an anti-dumping duty on import of a chemical from China to protect the domestic manufacturers from cheap shipments.

According to a notification of the Central Board of Excise and Customs (CBEC), anti-dumping duty of $1,685.42 per metric tonne has been imposed on import of Phosphorus Pentoxide from China.

The duty has been imposed for five years.

Phosphorus Pentoxide is used as a powerful desiccant and dehydrating agent and is a useful building block and reagent in the chemical industry.

Acting on a complaint of Sandhya Dyes and Chemicals, the Directorate General of Anti-Dumping and Allied Duties (DGAD) had carried out a probe into the imports of the chemical to ascertain if the shipments were causing injury to the domestic manufacturer of the chemical.

The probe was aimed to determine the existence, degree and effect of alleged dumping and to recommend the amount of anti-dumping duty, which, if levied would be adequate to remove the injury to the domestic industry.

After the investigation, the DGAD concluded that the chemical was being exported to India below the normal value and domestic industry suffered material injury on account of dumped imports.

Based on the recommendation of the DGAD, the revenue department imposed the levy.

Countries initiate anti-dumping probes to determine if the domestic industry has been hurt by a surge in below-cost imports.

As a counter-measure, they impose duties under the multilateral WTO regime.

Anti-dumping measures are taken to ensure fair trade and provide a level-playing field to the domestic industry. They are not a measure to restrict imports or cause an unjustified increase in cost of products.
Experts need to look at things that have a bearing on the forthcoming elections, namely, food price inflation and the output gap, especially in ...
The Cabinet decision on rightsizing the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to four members from its current strength of seven is likely to lead to a swifter disposal of cases. But it may also lead to a complicated situation in case of a tie and dearth of experts in the Commission.

Legal experts, including former CCI members, that Business Standard spoke to said that the government decision is not likely to change the daily functioning of the Commission. What is likely to change is the time taken by the Commission to arrive at a decision. The present ...
A chemical attack on a rebel-held town in eastern Ghouta killed dozens of people, a medical relief organisation and a rescue service said, and Washington said the reports - if confirmed - would demand an immediate international response. A joint statement by the medical relief organisation Syrian American Medical Society (SAMS) and the civil defence, which operates in rebel-held areas, said 49 people had died. The Russian-backed Syrian state denied government forces had launched any chemical attack as reports began circulating on Saturday night. The government said rebels in the ...